healths

White sands, crystal clear waters and lush green mountainous surroundings; Thailand's islands are postcard picture paradise. Like most people, Thailand was brought to my attention years ago after watching The Beach . I was seduced, not by Leo DiCaprio but by the idea of ultimate escapism on an idyllic, untouched island. Years later and the journey to Thailand's islands is a path well trodden, dismissed by some who say that tourism has ruined Thailand. Despite this I still longed to go. It was a thirst I knew I could not quench until I had drank in the experience for myself. PARADISE We headed straight to Koh Tao and it did not disappoint. Many travelers flock to Koh Tao to do their diving PADI, as the tiny island is the second cheapest place in the world to receive this qualification. The streets are lined with various diving resorts and centers along with restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. Everything is accessible. I chose not to do my PADI as I wanted a good amount of time t...

When packing you have to travel light which is easier said than done (especially in my case, I'm a serial over - packer!) I had to be really ruthless when deciding what to take. The below isn't an extensive list of everything I did bring (had to take mascara, it's a must for me but not for everyone) but a few essentials that have been really useful and practical. PICTURED TIGER BALM Oh tiger balm. I never even considered you in the U.K. After some horrible reactions to mosquito bites (really horrible, I'll spare you the pictures) a few travellers reccomend I buy some Tiger balm. You can get it from any 7/11 in Thailand and cost me 53 Thai Baht, which is about �1. As soon as I applied it to my bites it took the itch right out. The next day they had calmed down considerably and now 3 days later are looking so much better. My mosquito bites make me feel really gross as I react so badly so I'm so grateful for anything that helps soothe and heal them. MOISTURISING BALM T...

Pai is a small town a few hours drive away from Chaing Mai. We got a bus which we arranged with our hostel in Chaing Mai, which cost 250 Thai Baht. Some people do hire scooters and tackle the drive that way. The drive is a good 4 hours and the road is a myriad of twists and turns so I'd take this into consideration beforehand.  As soon as you arrive in Pai you immediatly get a sense of how chill and relaxed it is. It's surrounded by beautiful lush green hills and the streets are lively and active but not crazy busy like Bangkok. The main streets are full of cafes, taxi ranks and tour guide stands and at night they comes alive with restaurants and bars. There are a lot of live music sets in most of the bars which I loved (Yellow Sun and Boom seem to be the most popular). There are also lots of stalls selling jewellery, clothes, art work and street food. WHERE WE STAYED  We stayed at a hostel for one night called Circus (or The Circus Hostel Pai) which we heard a lot of mixed re...

At mile 21 with the Cheer Squad <3 Photograph by James Measom In the days leading up to the race day, a good few people told me that "only 1% of the global population will run a marathon in their lifetime". One percent. Assuming that this is true, that means 99% of the world won't ever run a marathon. And you know what, I really don't blame them - 26.2 miles is a long way to go. A few years ago just the word marathon sounded like something H-U-G-E, something undertaken by "serious" runners, professional runners, something I certainly was not. It just never entered my head as a possible challenge I could ever undertake. However, a few years back I only ever ran alone. I did enjoy running, which is why I continued to do so, but I wouldn't say it was exciting for me at that stage. Running was so faded into my routine, my routes never changed and my pace had plateaued. I wondered if I could take it further and so it seemed like the next logical step for m...

When deciding to take the leap into healing your skin naturally it's difficult to know where to start. There's a wealth of vitamins and supplements available, which is amazing as there is choice and you can tailor something specifically to you. Everybody is different and you need to find something that works for your unique amazing self <3 However, all the options can be overwhelming and each one has slightly different benefits. So where to start?  I've put together a list of good, strong overall supplements that you can use as a starting point. Additionally, I've also included a list of supplements that you should think that little bit more carefully about before you try them. None of the supplements on this list are harmful as such. It's just that my experience on them wasn't very positive, so I stopped in quick succession. So, without further ado: Strong Players Zinc Zinc is an amazing supplement for your overall health. It strengthens your immune system (...

So far I've spoken a little bit about my external skincare routine, which does a great job in contributing to my overall skin health. But what you put on your face is only a small part of getting - and staying - clear. If you really want to get fully clear, you need to look at a number of contributing factors, such as diet, intolerances, and hormonal imbalances, and understand what's going on inside your body. It took a long time for me to understand this. For years I was convinced that there would be a "cure", a medication that I could take once and I'd stay clear forever. This is ultimately how Roaccutane was presented to me, as "the cure". It wasn't. After a lot of research and a lot of trial and error, I found out about Agnus Castus. This was a huge turning point for me. After a few months I started to see some big results, not just on my face, but for the rest of my body too.  What is it? It's a herb that comes from the Chaste tree, which is...

I love this time of year - it's Christmas! It's family and friends, it's time off work, and most of all - it's party season! It's also prime time to get a cold. I've manage to dodge all sneezes and sniffles up to now until BAM, the eve of New Years Eve I get a full blown classic cold. I'm determined not to let this stand in my way of having a good time on one of the biggest nights of the year - so here are a few things that I do when I get a cold to stave off the symptoms and get back to my old self. Hot Lemon and Ginger I drink this a lot of the time anyway as I love the taste and I also see a huge difference in my overall complexion when I've been drinking it. Lemon is full of vitamin C, and it also acts as a natural antibiotic so it really soothes your throat. Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and helps with clearing your nose! It can also help fight off colds (I've been drinking hot ginger on it's own all month and it's done a pretty ...