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
This blog post is a little bit different to my usual, but it is written to highlight a really important issue, and one which I've become increasingly aware of this year - plastic pollution. I've been following a fitness blogger called Zanna Van Djik (many of you probably follow her too) pretty much since I … Continue reading Sustainable Swaps To Reduce Your Plastic Pollution
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
And we are onto the THIRD ingredient in the Plant Slant Series! This month's favourite, brought to you by myself and my friend, fellow foodie blogger and trainee dietitian Cliodhna (@fuelingthefitlife on Instagram) is SWEET POTATO. Yaaasss I hear you all say! And rightly so! Cliodhna and I LOVE sweet potato - sweet or savoury, there … Continue reading The Plant Slant Series: Sweet Potato Toasts
It was high time for a new 'meal prep' recipe guys, so recently I decided with the change in weather from a humid summer to early darkness and chills (ah, Autumn!) to create a new warming recipe with two ingredients I've been loving recently - aubergine and dates! I was inspired by a gorgeous delivery … Continue reading Aubergine & Date Tagine With Alpro
Okay gang. It is time (deep breath of excitement) for the THIRD installment of my PODCAST guides! Over the past 18 months, I have become a total Podcast convert - and at your request, I wrote not one, but TWO guides to share my favourite Podcast hosts and series to listen to. Of course, the beauty of my … Continue reading Podcasts Part 3 – Learning While Listening
Autumn has me filled with foodie inspiration, and since I'm back at college for the year (eek!), I'm also loving creating new vegetarian dishes for quick lunches and dinners. This dish combines two of my favourite ingredients to cook and eat - lentils, and aubergines! You may have guessed that from the title...anyway, this is … Continue reading Lentil Stuffed Aubergines
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
Let's be honest - procrastination comes too easily to us all. As does fear. Perhaps the fear bit is an Irish thing - we are a self-deprecating nation, no doubt about it, and often that's at the expense of our self-belief and motivation to make changes to our lifestyle. The whole area of physical activity, … Continue reading Eight Easy Steps To Kick-Start Your Exercise
While in London recently, I attended a brunch event at a lovely restaurant called Amber (in Aldgate, for anyone keen to visit!), hosted by one of my favourite UK-based influencers, Tally Rye. I went on my own, and met lots of lovely people from England, Scotland and elsewhere, who were living in London. I had … Continue reading Lentil Beetroot Salad with Mint Yoghurt Dressing
I've always known what the words 'grateful' and 'gratitude' mean, but only what the dictionary tells you. Understanding the true concept of gratitude, I have learnt, really comes from the experiences and challenges life throws at you. This year, I found that gratitude played the leading role in forming the foundation of my resilience as … Continue reading Mindfulness & Gratitude – My Game-Changers of 2018
Recently, after a pilates workshop, I had the most DELICIOUS slice of sourdough toast lathered with hazelnut butter and jam. Yes, I know how notional that opening statement sounds. But it was AMAZING. For those of you who don't know, I was born and raised (for the first 5 years of my life!) in Boston, … Continue reading Notions on Toast – Three Ways
Recently, I spotted an ad for a Brain Health and Brain Disease conference at University College Dublin, organised by the Dementia and Neurodegeneration Network Ireland, directed at both healthcare professionals and the general population. I decided to go, as I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to learning in medicine. I also have seen the … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Brain Health – Making Brain Gains Throughout Your Life
September has landed gang, and with kids and teens (and me!) returning to school and college, and the arrival of Autumn, I've been full of recipe inspiration for fuss free recipes for every time of day. I don't know about you guys, but I definitely have 1-2 snacks pretty much everyday - usually between breakfast … Continue reading Fuss Free Blueberry & Oat Flapjacks
Passion is a funny thing. It means something different to everyone, and you can be passionate about many aspects of your life – family, friends significant other, a hobby or sport, your job – the many things that make you tick. Recently, I read a book about a Japanese word called ‘Ikigai’, which, loosely translated, … Continue reading Find Your Why – Find Your Ikigai
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
I use my lovely (usually willing) family as my taste-testers for many of my recipes. Because I don't really have a sweet tooth (truth!), I like to get their opinion to see if my lightened up versions of baked recipe classics like brownies, banana bread, etc., live up to a taste standard with the originals … Continue reading A Date with Avocado Brownies
I was very excited to write this Friday Focus article guys. I realise that this is an online article, and by asking you to read it, I'm encouraging you to use technology. But trust me, this is for a good reason. Recently, I took on a 'Switch Off Sixty' challenge and shared it with you … Continue reading Step Back From The Screen -Taking A Digital Break For Your Brain
So gang, September is coming. We all know what that means - back to school, back to college, and a change in season towards Autumn and Winter! I've been feeling inspired by these vibes to mix up my recipe treasure trove of ideas - and a black bean burger has been on my list for … Continue reading Mexican Style Black Bean Burgers
Being a 'Yes' woman, as I feel I have become since starting my blog, has many benefits. True, at times it can make life a little crazy, and I did have to learn when to say no to make sure I don't give up time for myself or family! But being open to new experiences, … Continue reading The Health Blogger’s Bake Off – My Challenge Experience
How we talk to ourselves is an extraordinary thing. I say that from personal experience and reflection, on many occasions. One of my favourite quotes is 'Talk To Yourself Like Someone You Love' and I think it's something we don't do enough. This post is a little bit different to my usual Friday Focus on … Continue reading Let’s Talk Self-Talk – Keeping That Inner Voice Kind
Ah, peanut butter. A very simple foodie pleasure in life. Although, that's true for ALL nut butters really. I'm a self-confessed nuts, seeds and all related butters addict - so delicious, to easy to make and so many recipe ideas stem from using them as key ingredients! Not to mention nuts are nutritional powerhouses, packed … Continue reading Peanut Butter Chicken & Broccoli Curry
(Myself and Dr. Merry, write of this article, at the Wellness For Doctor Events!) This week's Friday Focus is probably the most exciting to date. I actually ended up being able to share the Friday Focus on The Blue Zones in TWO parts at the last minute, thanks to the fantastic writer of this article … Continue reading Guest Post: The Blue Zones Part 1 – Eat, Pray, Love, Move and Belong
Time for ingredient number TWO in the Plant Slant series guys, brought to you by myself and my gal pal and trainee dietitian Cliodhna (@fuelingthefitlife on Instagram), and this month we're talking about EGGS! While not technically a 'plant-based' food, eggs are an absolute favourite of ours, a regular feature in our week, and importantly, can … Continue reading The Plant Slant Series: Clio’s Egg White Oats
As a junior doctor, my passion lies in the area of preventive medicine – by this I mean looking at how our lifestyles (in particular our diet, physical activity, stress management and sleep) affect our health. Most importantly, it means learning about and researching how we can optimise these lifestyle factors to optimise our health … Continue reading Exercise For Independence: A Guest Post with Siel Bleu
The trend towards health and wellness has been growing for the past few years - and it's been quite interesting to see the nutrition side of things evolve. From fads to 'quick fixes' it's been a bit of a rollercoaster of various diets promoted within social and broader media - 'Paleo', 'Low-Carb', 'Keto' - and … Continue reading Let’s Focus on Fibre – With Delicious Recipes To Get You Started
One to warm the heart on a chilly day - who doesn't love a big bowl of comforting soup! My lovely friend, registered dietitian and 'twinnie' Catherine Downey (@the.sporty.dietitian on Instagram) has given me this lovely recipe to share with you all, and I think it's perfect timing with the coming Autumn months! This recipe is … Continue reading Guest Recipe: Spiced Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup
Making your own nut butter at home really is as easy as 123 ABC! Cheesy, but true! Recently, I was trying out a peanut butter curry recipe for a family dinner night, and decided I would make my own nut butter to put in it! Peanuts are very easy to find in most supermarkets, and … Continue reading Easy Peasy Homemade Peanut Butter
This trail mix recipe is just a beauty - super simple, SO quick to make, and tastes absolutely like more everytime. Nuts (all kinds!) are absolute powerhouses of nutritional benefits - packed full of heart healthy mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, fibre and protein, as well as vital vitamins and minerals. For example, almonds are a … Continue reading Homemade Sweet & Spicy Trail Mix
