Introduction from Joe O'Brien - Creator of @headfirst0: Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! My name is Joe O Brien, I work in mental health and have experience in clinical and research settings in the UK and Ireland. I’ll be posting more on this topic in the near future on my Instagram … Continue reading Guest Post: Is Your Phone Addictive? The Impact For Mental Well-being
This post has been one I've been excited to write for quite a while, and now that the festive season is behind us and my brain has had a little bit of post-exams chill time, I was finally able to sit down and write it. The end of the year always makes me quite reflective, … Continue reading My Masters in Public Health & Nutrition – Lessons Learnt From Semester 1
Helloooo new recipe! And a quick, delicious, fully plant-based dinner recipe at that! So, one of my New Year's intentions for 2019 is to ensure I have at least one (and ideally 2) fully meat-free/animal protein free dinners per week. As you guys know, I keep my lunches and breakfasts veggie, and do consider myself … Continue reading Sweet & Smoky Double Bean Chili
Oh HEY JANUARY. Have you come across an article in the newspapers or online promoting 'The January Detox' yet? I hope not, but the likelihood is that you have, whether in broadsheet or social media. SIGH. As you can tell, I'm not a fan. Detox is not a word I use as a doctor, unless … Continue reading Why You Need to Ditch the Detox – And Make Sustainable Swaps Instead
The British Dietetic Association (BDA) defines a plant-based diet as one which 'is based on foods derived from plants, including vegetables, whole-grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and fruits, with few or no animal products.' You'll notice that it does include the mention of animal products, which may surprise some of you. I've seen MANY definitions of 'plant-based', … Continue reading 3 Reasons I’m Plant-Based – And Shifting the Focus to Sustainability
At the end of Semester 1 of my Masters, I had six Christmas exams to power through. This whole process, including revision weeks and handing in final assignments, was spread out over about 3 weeks. 3 weeks where I gave it my all, my 110%, and worked my brain and butt off. I finished up … Continue reading Escaping the City to the Rainforest – My First Spa Experience
Oh HELLO new recipe! So, recently I've kinda fallen back in love with bananas. I've been adding them to my Overnight Oats, freezing them for smoothies, and when I wanted to bake my Banana Bread with them last week, I decided to try something new. Because I'll be kicking off Semester 2 of my Masters pretty soon, … Continue reading Banana, Date & Nut Squares
Now that 2019 is officially here, I wanted to share an article to help YOU achieve those New Year's resolutions. Goal-setting is THE starting point if you want to cultivate a lifestyle change, and there are some key things to consider when setting your goals. These are applicable to any and all areas of your … Continue reading Goal Setting for 2019 – Are You Being SMART About It?
So, I'm not gonna brag. But you know when you KNOW you've outdone yourself? Well, this recipe was one of those situations. You guys know I have been so so happy to be working with Sadie's Kitchen and their absolutely delicious Chicken Bone Broth - I've used it for stews, salads, as a cup of … Continue reading Rockin’ Ramen with Sadie’s Kitchen
One of the most wonderful things I've experienced since I started my food blogger venture is the fantastic brands I've been lucky enough to meet - especially the Irish ones! Sadie's Kitchen are a gorgeous Irish company I've become great pals with, who sell a lovely chicken bone broth product, and over the past 18 months have … Continue reading Pearl Barley Mushroom & Greens Risotto with Sadie’s Kitchen
Writing my reflections at the end of the year is something I started formally doing on my blog last year, and I knew I wanted to do the same for the end of 2018. I always take time to look back on the year just after Christmas, when the festivities are a slightly quieter, and … Continue reading Turning the Page to Chapter 2019 – 3 Lessons Learnt from 2018
Have YOU made New Year's Resolutions? I prefer to call mine intentions & goals, but I do it every December. I reflect on the year just gone, what I've achieved and what I haven't, and look forward to a new beginning. I set new intentions, and source renewed motivation to continue working on those from … Continue reading 9 Resolutions for 2019 – The Importance of Simplicity and Sustainability
It's fair to say that discovering a real, genuine love of yoga has been one of my absolute game-changers of 2018. I had given it a go last year, as a way to 'stretch' after a serious amount of high intensity workouts at Wellfest (an Irish wellness festival many of you will be familiar with!), … Continue reading 12 Days of Christmas Yoga – Namaste All The Way!
Homemade JAM! FINALLY! I am really excited to share this one with you guys - I've been on a 'berry buzz' over the last few weeks as Autumn has turned into Winter. Recently, with a big pack of strawberries and blueberries in my fridge, and a desire to make a new recipe using chia seeds, … Continue reading Ciara’s Chia Berry Jam
Okay, I'm gonna admit two things here. Number one - I. LOVE. CHRISTMAS. It is, hands down, my FAVOURITE time of year. I just think it's totally magical, and I feel like I'm a little kid again for the entire Christmas holidays. So BRING IT ON! I do have some exams to get past first … Continue reading Christmas Magic Mince Pie Muffins
When I have something on my mind that I want to write about, there's no two ways about it - I've gotta sit down and bash out my thoughts. Whether that's for sharing on my blog or just to write or type out for me to reflect on later, it's the best way for me … Continue reading Wellness in Medicine: Starting A Movement For Change
Five a day. Do you think you hit yours? 'Five a day' is probably one of the most widely communicated public health nutrition messages, and yet as a population (both here, UK, USA, and most Westernised societies) the majority of us don't consume the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Personally, I … Continue reading 5 A Day Lentil Bolognaise
Let's start this post with a question. Do you drink alcohol? This topic has been playing on my mind quite a lot recently, and in particular this year. In case you didn't know, I'm Irish (Boston born, but I've been living in Ireland since I was 5!). Which means I'm pretty clued in on the … Continue reading Let’s Talk About The Binge On Booze – Time for Moderation & Responsbility
Time to deliver some deliciously seasonal recipes to you all! It's my favourite time of year - Autumn moving into Winter, and Christmas fast approaching (yes, I said it, embrace it!) As I am a Boston-born girl, I also always love giving Thanksgiving a little shout out too, and as the holiday was this week, … Continue reading Cinnamon & Honey Roast Sweet Potatoes
Yes, I have created ANOTHER epic recipe using chickpeas! Chickpeas are one of my favourite ingredients to cook (and bake!) using, and as I've been 'meal prepping' for college quite a bit this semester, I have tried to keep things fresh and inventive with new recipes each week. This is definitely one of my favourites … Continue reading Aubergine & Chickpea Falafels
On my blog homepage, you'll see the sentence 'A Journey to Sustainable Healthy Living.' When I started my blog, and until very recently, my use of the word 'sustainable' referred to each of you (and myself!) at the individual level and the use of my blog to help you on your journey to a healthier, … Continue reading What Is A Sustainable Diet? How and Why What We Eat Today Affects Future Generations
This week’s Friday Focus feels a little bit surreal, and perhaps a little bit self-indulgent, but in keeping with the title of this article, I’m gonna own and roll with it. As you will have seen from the gorgeous image above, The Irish Balance FINALLY has her own LOGO. You can see it right here … Continue reading LAUNCHING MY LOGO: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome And Owning My Inner Girl Boss Instead
Recently, after the Halloween pumpkin made an appearance in our house, I found myself with lots of leftover pumpkin flesh, and decided to put it to good use in a new recipe! If you don't have pumpkin, feel free to substitute sweet potato or butternut squash in this curry recipe, both would be delicious! I … Continue reading Punchy Pumpkin & Butter Bean Curry
With Halloween come and gone, and the Thanksgiving holiday just around the corner, it's a great time to have pumpkin as a key ingredient in recipes! After we carved ours for Halloween we had a LOT of pumpkin flesh leftover, so I decided to get creative and try a creamy Autumn hummus using some roasted … Continue reading Cinnamon Spiced Pumpkin Hummus
It's no secret that I have a serious oats obsession. I have oats for breakfast pretty much everyday of the week, be it in overnight oats, porridge, or a baked recipe of mine! With Autumn well and truly here, and winter not far away, I was craving a warm oats-tastic breakfast this week. Something different … Continue reading Banana Bread Baked Oats
Oh boy – where to start? I kinda can’t really believe I’m writing this post. When I started my blog two years ago, I wasn’t sure what it would become. Of course I had a vision of sorts for it, for the recipes I wanted to share, the topics I wanted to write about, the … Continue reading The Irish Balance Turns Two
AUTUMN! Don't you just love it? I definitely do - I'm gonna say it, Autumn and especially Winter are my favourite seasons. Yes, it's colder, yes, it rains more, but the colours, the foods, CHRISTMAS, the warm fuzzy feelings and cosy evenings - YES. I've always loved this time of year. Since starting my blog, … Continue reading The Plant Slant Series: Clio’s Spiced Sweet Potato Soup
Hands up who's felt a bit 'stressed out' before? I'm pretty sure that'll be all of you reading this. If not, FAIR play to you. One of my favourite quotes about stress goes something like this - 'Living a stress-free life is not a reasonable goal. The goal is to deal with it actively and … Continue reading My Stress Took Kit: Top Tips to Be the Boss of Your Stress
They say life is a journey, and I have to agree. I recently read a wonderful quote posted by a friend of mine, about thinking of where you are now, where you were five years ago, and asking yourself if you would be proud of what you, in this moment in time, have achieved. It … Continue reading Seven Days of Yoga with Yogaru
This is a super simple salad you can make ahead of a new week, packed full of wholegrain goodness, micro-nutrients from your veggies (3 of your 5 a day in here also!), and wholesome protein from the fish! Plus, by having a portion of oily fish in this salad you're getting in one of your … Continue reading Brain Boosting Autumn Salad
A beautifully simple grab and go breakfast, packed full of goodness for your brain with wholegrains from oats, antioxidants from blueberries and dark chocolate, plus some plant-derived omega 3 fatty acids from walnuts! Overnight oats is one of my favourite breakfast choices because it's really nutrient dense, and tastes delicious too! Recipe (Serves 1) Ingredients … Continue reading Brain-Boosting Overnight Oats
Autumn is well and truly upon us guys - September is over (where did that go?!), and the weather has definitely taken a turn for the chilly! I've had a hat AND gloves on on my walk to and from college this week - a sure sign winter is coming! But that means we get … Continue reading Creamy Autumn Curry with Avonmore
It's no secret that I'm a BIG hummus addict. I make a batch every single weekend, and I try to vary it a little bit each time - beetroot hummus and green hummus with spinach (recipes for those are already on my blog - find the green hummus here) being two of my favourites. So … Continue reading Minty Aubergine Hummus
Overnight oats is, quite simply, one of the best recipes for a delicious, nourishing, grab and go breakfast whatever the weather. I've been hooked on it during the summer months, and with college kicking off I've kept up the habit. Yes, it's a cold breakfast, but I still love it. I find it really refreshing … Continue reading Overnight Oats – 3 Ways
I love butter beans. One of my favourite recipes on my blog is my Smoky Baked Beans, which is made with chickpeas, but I'm a big fan of subbing butter beans in there. You guys know I'm a big hummus addict, making a batch every weekend (which never lasts the full week!) A brand I'm a … Continue reading Spicy Peanut Butter Bean Hummus
