Category: Health & Fitness

Plook on the Plinth? Cream of the Crop! 5 female-led businesses taking Cumbernauld by storm

So every time I say I’m from Cumbernauld, after the ‘what’s it called?!’ comment, I always get things like, “that’s a bit of a dive…” or “it won the Carbuncle award” comments. Well forget the two Plook on the Plinth Awards, I want to focus on the positives, because Cumbernauld has so much to offer – and I’m not just talking about the Irn Bru Factory! I am all about supporting local businesses and women who are absolute girl bosses, so here are my 5 top female-led businesses changing the reputation of my hometown…

Rest, Relaxation and Rassoul at The Blythswood Spa

Honestly – it was just what the doctor ordered! A fabulous spa day and afternoon tea in The Blythswood Spa. I had been feeling a little out of sorts – between my back playing up, my skin breaking out a bit and just feeling generally tired. My mum and I went for the rassoul experience, which is a treatment that lasts roughly an hour and is like something I have never experienced before! We also visited the thermal suite and had afternoon tea, and it was just a delight!

Back to Reality with Urban Retreat

It got to the point with my back, neck and shoulders that every single day I had a tension headache that rooted from one of these three areas, the tension was round the back of my head at the base of my skull, and would actually be relieved from pressing on my spine, my ribcage, my shoulder blades and my neck and back muscles. Being as busy as I am daily, I tended to ignore it and take paracetamol (which didn’t help) until I felt a pain early December 2018 that felt like I had pulled or strained a muscle, and it was painful to even take a deep breath in, my flexibility was affected as I could no longer twist round to the right and it was just damn sore every single day; driving, walking, sitting, breathing. Not good.

I think as humans what we forget a lot is self-care. When was the last time you really sat down and said ‘I’m going to book myself a massage because I a) have a sore back, b) am stressed or c) because I bloody well deserve some relaxation after how hard I work weekly!!? Probably the answer is that you can’t actually remember. You are a body, your body is the only one you have and its the most amazing and powerful instrument and tool you will ever own. Why not take care of it? Think of it this way. You play an instrument, you drive a car, you own a house – do you let these things suffer as a result of not caring for them? If your instrument breaks, you’ll get it repaired, if your car has a flat tyre, you replace it, if your house has a leak, you get someone onto that as soon as possible! So why do we neglect what really should be our main focus, our bodies? I decided that for me, it was time to get back to reality and get my back muscles back on track to start the year off with a more positive outlook on self-care, and I knew exactly the place to go.

Urban Retreat at The Academy, A Hidden Gem!

The energy of Urban Retreat finds you before you even find the door. On the banks of Brodwood Loch, you’ll find the beautiful little sanctuary, which is a place of complete happiness and peace wrapped in a beautifully decorated salon and spa. The building is in an industrial park with plenty parking. The windows look out onto greenery, yet as soon as you walk through the door you are transported from the industrial park in Cumbernauld to a completely new place of tranquility and smiles. That’s the first thing I remember when I stepped through the door, the warm and friendly smiles of the girls working there, they are just so lovely. The positive energy can instantly be felt, and the salon is completely immaculate.

Say ‘I do’ at Trump Turnberry

On Thursday 4th October I had the pleasure of being invited along to the first ever wedding spectacular at Trump Turnberry, an absolutely stunning and luxurious resort less than 20 miles from Ayr. Being from Glasgow, it’s far enough away to feel like you’re on a luxury mini-break clearing the cobwebs, but close enough to drive for even a day-break at the stunning spa or for dinner or afternoon tea in the restaurant or grand tea lounge. The Trump Turnberry hotel and spa stands proudly on a hill overlooking the stunning views of Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran  and it is just breathtaking. What a stunning part of the world. I decided to take my mum for a break and to see just what Trump Turnberry had to offer (and let me tell you, I now have my sights set on getting married there!)…

Show us yer teeth!

As soon as I walked into the cosy little salon, I was greeted by the brightest, widest smile on the prettiest face! It was Danielle, founder and owner of La Belle Blanc Smile Clinic. She instantly asked how I was and made me feel so comfortable, handing me a form to fill out and telling me about the treatment. This was my first time getting my teeth whitened, and I was really excited!

My Food Intolerance Test Results

I never needed him to tell me that eating McDonald’s every week was bad for me, even if I didn’t want to hear it, I expected it. But I definitely didn’t expect him to say that my body was intolerant to four of my favourite foods; milk, cheese, hazelnuts and sugar cane. My first thought was “oh my God!! I can’t have Nutella! Or pizza! Or macaroni cheese! It’s almost Easter…! HELP! I CAN’T EAT AGAIN!”

I was calmed by Kyle, food tolerance expert and nutritionist from FIT Scotland who performed the test, who explained that it was simply an intolerance I had to these foods as opposed to an allergy, which is really important to note, as an allergy is very serious and can leave the person who is allergic in a condition where they need to be hospitalised because of the reaction they take. It triggers the immune system and affects multiple organs in the body. An intolerance is how your body reacts to certain substances, so although it’s not necessarily good for your body and can cause symptoms that are uncomfortable, you may be able to eat small amounts of the offending food without trouble.

Let me choose six symptoms; Bloating, headaches, tiredness, water retention, skin problems and anxiety. 

Fit for February! Five Fun Ways to Get Fit in Glasgow

If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to “get fitter” like so many of us, but you’ve not quite managed to stick to that promising gym schedule you made at the start of January (hollllaaaaaaa, I hear ya), or if the thought of a gym scares, intimidates or what’s more likely bores you, then here are some alternative ways to keep fit and more importantly have fun around Glasgow and the surrounding areas.

Let’s face it, we all want to make a healthier change to our lives, and exercise definitely makes me feel better about the amount of McDonald’s I eat a month! Hopefully some of these ways to burn those extra calories appeal to you more than a gym environment if you just can’t stand machines, gym classes or standing next to someone who looks like an insta-worthy squatter when you can barely lift the bar on it’s own (me!)…

January trip to Portavadie

When driving the winding roads to get to Portavadie, you will be stunned by the breathtaking Scottish scenery that surrounds you. Snow-topped hills like iced buns proudly protect the hidden gems of nature underneath, evergreen trees stand vibrant against a sapphire sky and lochs mirror these views creating a spectacular scene. On the road up from Tighnabruaich, you come to a little parking spot beside a large cliff where a viewpoint lies – and what a viewpoint it is. We were so lucky that after being knee-deep in snow for a fortnight with blizzards and ice-cold sleet showers that on that January day, the Scottish sun was shining and although the air was fresh and nippy, with temperatures of 3 degrees, the drive was beautiful and there was not a cloud for miles. Cold, crisp winter days have always been my favourite.

My New Year’s Resolutions 2018

Some of us love them, some of us hate them. It’s New Year’s resolutions! Personally I see a new year as a fresh, clean slate. A chance to start things over, try new things and set new goals. I love to create a list of resolutions at the start of every new year, but admittedly, a few weeks down the line they either get forgotten about or life simply gets in the way, they don’t get attention and I am left feeling unaccomplished. That’s probably part of the reason why people don’t like them, because of the sense of  disappointment when they aren’t fulfilled. This year, I decided to start my resolutions on the second week in January because let’s face it, the first week is finishing off leftovers from the festive period, being hungover, trying to get into a routine and wearing something with a waistband – and feeling it a little tighter than you remember – for the first time in a fortnight.

I’ve also decided to make my resolutions this year a little easier to accomplish, and instead of setting a huge goal (for example ‘get toned and get my ideal body like the ones I see on Instagram (even though I’m not the same height or shape as them)’, I would make it ‘start lifting weights again’. Real goals, that you can achieve. I have a mixture of small ones, and bigger ones, but I think over 2018 they will be easy to accomplish, because this year they are a little more realistic and less vague.