Yesterday I was off down to London for the My Special K website event. I’ll post more about the actual event and website next week (as I have lots of notes to go through and lots of my thoughts to tell you!) but I just wanted to catch up with some of my eats, and of course a Wholefoods haul!
I won’t post pics of Thursdays eats as they weren’t that interesting – chocolate banana green monster for breakfast, lentil and root veg stew with greens plus two plums and an apple for lunch, broccoli, courgette and olive hummus with a RAW cracker, carrot and cucumber for a snack and then as I had a late meeting, just 2 packs of bear granola and many many apples for dinner! I also did yoga and core exercises in the morning.
Friday morning I was up at 5am to catch the early train to London. I was going to have a 9 bar for breakfast but then I remembered that there’s sugar in the carob topping (not inline with my monthly kick start plan!) so I swapped it for a Berry Trek bar which I ate along with two apples and a green tea.
When I got to London I had some time for a bit of a look around and passed the Wholefoods branch in Soho – I decided to pop in and get a fresh juice:
This was a small Green Machine juice and it tasted amazing!
After the Special K website presentation we went to the Sanctuary Spa for lunch and our pampering session. All I can say is oh my god, if you ever get the chance to go to the Sanctuary Spa go, it was amazing! Here’s a quick pic I caught of the reception area. The place was beautiful:
I asked for the vegan option and got some roasted vegetables with avocado and rocket on a white bagel. I left the bagel but the roast veggies were delicious!
After a couple of hours in the spa including a dip in the Jacuzzi and sauna plus a fabulous back, neck and shoulder massage, I made the journey to the big Wholefoods on Kensington High Street. I snacked on some unpictured nakd raisins I had in my bag as I was feeling a little light headed after the sauna! Here’s what I purchased from Wholefoods:
Spelt pizza bases, wheat berries, orange and coconut tea, kukicha tea, organic Japanese shoyu, tempeh
Siesta carob bars in mint and orange flavour, pulsin raw chocolate brownie, Broadberys rose flavour raw chocolate, crunchy peanut butter clif bar, booja booja raw chocolate truffles
Raw cacao nibs, organic mesquite meal, organic maca, braggs liquid aminos, sunflower seed butter, raw brazil nut cacao bliss, spirutein sachets
These are all random bits and pieces that caught my eye that I’ve read about in other blogs or in cook books and fancied trying out. Unfortunately there was no Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter (the horror!) so the raw brazil nut cacao bliss caught my eye instead and actually looks pretty damn tasty! Really looking forward to eating my way through this lot!
I also hit the infamous salad bar. I went for the biggest box available (obviously) and filled it with a range of stuff including chickpeas, wild rice, quinoa, couscous, edamade, carrots, cucumber, red lettuce, sweet potato, mung beans, spinach, rocket, curried cauliflower, pumpkin seeds, olive oil and braggs. This was a true salad beast. I ate half at Wholefoods and the other half on the train.
I enjoyed every single bite! I also picked up a pot of mixed berries and pineapple which I ate on the train home along with two unpictured apples and a banana bread nakd bar.
All in all a very good day. I found the whole experience very interesting and it was especially nice to meet fellow bloggers Becky from Becky Blog and Helen from Clear Your Heart amongst others. I’ve been reading Becky’s blog for a while and it felt like we already knew each other! I also got on really well with Helen. I have to say that the girls from Kelloggs were very lovely too.
Have you been to a spa before? If so what was your favourite thing to do? I loved the deep clean I got from the sauna! Have you visited Wholefoods before?
Tomorrow will be Keeping Slim and Getting Stylish 1 year anniversary! I will be posting details of a celebratory GIVEAWAY including some of my favourite products plus some new things to try, so don’t forget to check back!
Hope your having a great weekend! :-)
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
That salad looks incredible! Haven’t been to Wholefoods when I go to London though I was in one in New York. Whole paycheck how are ya ? ;) Be interested to see what you think of Mesquite. I’m a big fan myself :)
Aaah you sneaky little thing getting some photos! I wish I had but was too serene and zen on the way out to even think about it! Was a fab day x
This looks like a very nice day!
I like Wholefoods. Ive been to Soho and Kensington. The latter is pretty amazing. Love the cheese section ;)
I do love spas. The 3 best Ive been to are Blue lagoon in Iceland, one in Budapest and one in Marrakesh. Great times ;)
I love Wholefoods, I really wish there were more of them in the UK, the salad bars are brilliant!
Looks like you had a fab day. So jealous you got to go to wholefoods. I had planned a visit while in London for the day before Christmas but ran out of time before my train home :(
I love Wholefoods, their salads are amazing and they have the best selection of herbal teas I’ve ever seen.
Sounds like you had a lovely day at the Special K event – the spa sounds and looks amazing. x
Amazing Wholefoods haul! I’ve only ever been to the South Ken branch once but I was literally in there for hours just wandering around. It’s a shame it’s so expensive though, I could only afford to buy a few of the things I really wanted :(
That spa looks lovely! I hit up Whole Foods FAR too often…
Love the look of the salad bar. The brazil spread sounds lovely- I have some carleys organic rainforest nut butter which is brazils, cashews and macadamias and the brazil nuts make it so creamy,mmm. I have never been to a spa, but I like the smell of the sanctuary scrubs and things!
It looks like you had a fab day and what a great Whole Foods stash! I was disappointed the last time I went there that they didn’t have any Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter. I know they used to sell it though because I bought some before – gutted! I want to try the liquid aminos but couldn’t see it in there anywhere.
YAY for WholeFoods Kensington! While everyone else complains they are too far away from it, I think I am too NEAR it! I spend WAY too much money in there! Looks like you got a ton of good stuff from there!
Can’t wait to hear what you thought of the Special K thing! :D
Naughty you getting that picture!! ;D I actually felt like I was in a bit of a trance when I left (couldn’t find the exit etc lol!) so totally forgot to even TRY and sneak a pic.
Can’t believe there was no dark choccy peanut butter for you :( Means you deserve a repeat visit!
I love WholeFoods, wish there was more of them in the UK. If you’re reading WholeFoods – Birmingham is the 2nd biggest city in the UK – sort it out! ;)
The salad looks amazing. I’m visiting London soon and plan on making a visit to the Kensingon store for a spree :D
x
You’re a good role-model for impressionable young females for promoting a voraciously- healthy appetite combined with a fun and active lifestyle(your niche that sets you apart from the rest:). Love Wholefoods and that Raw Brazil Nut Cacao Bliss spread(fine haul, I bet that lot burned a whole in your wallet:)! You can make your very own essene AKA sprouted wheat bread with the wheat berries(recipes online:).
x
Whole Foods HSK is my local one, and I love it!
I keep meaning to book myself a day at The Sanctuary, everyone says such incredible things about it.
I love Wholefoods! So. Many. Good. Things.
And I love spas. My favorite thing to do there is get a hot rock massage! I mean the lil hot rocks between your fingers and toes is amazing!
I love Whole Foods and would have been gutted if they were out of Dark Chocolate Dreams!
I’ve just found some of that mesquite that I ordered ages ago and forgot about; just wondering how best to use it…
Glad you enjoyed the spa :-)
That salad looks amazing! Sounds like you had a great day :-)
Eagerly awaiting your thoughts on the Speical K plan ~ it seems to polarise opinion rather a lot, but with more of a positive emphasis in some reviews than the ‘starve on two bowls of cereal’ concept.
Shame about the PB, although the one you bought looks even nicer to me! And the DCD is rather like sugary crack, even though there’s no actual sugar in it. Or maybe that’s just my terrible lack of self-control :P
I adore saunas ~ the one in my gym has just been redecorated and smells of pine…reminds my of my guinea pigs’ hutch when I was little. I have never been to a spa though, but would love to go. Saunas loosen up all my tight muscles from running/Body Pump and I could really stay in there all day, particularly when the weather was so cold. Some of the other members are shocked at how long I stay in there in the intense heat lol.
I have never been to Whole Foods either, but the experience would, I am sure, be akin to heaven for me.
Glad you had such a fab time.
Ah I could spend hours and hours in wholefoods! It’s just amazing!! And their salad and hot food bars are to die for – all the foods that I love all together!!
Lucky you going to a spa – I adore spas, I especially love getting back massages. They are just SO relaxing I nearly fall asleep every time!
Hope you enjoy all your new goodies :) xx
I think that if I ever went to a WholeFoods (which is hopefully going to happen!), I wouldn’t know what to do with myself, I would be floating down the aisles in a daze, wanting to pick up everything, but not knowing where to even start! Is it wrong of me to want to pay stupid expensive prices for a train, and travel over six hours, just to go food shopping? I hope not!
Deisegirl – I’ve stuck my finger in the mesquite pack and wow, me likey! I think I’ll be buying that again I love the sweet flavour.
Helen – I almost forgot but then I got my phone out to be sly!
helene – sounds like you’ve been to some amazing spas!
Becky – I wish they had more stores up north!
Angela – shame you didn’t get to go, its amazing!
Lily – yes the tea selection is fabulous!
Bronagh, I could have spend ages in there, I literally walked around with my mouth open for half an hour in total awe!
Madeline – your so lucky having so many stores in the US!
Maria – the salad bar was truely amazing! You would have loved the spa
Stacey – I know, how gutted was I! Its probably for the best though, I could eat a jar of that in one sitting!
Emma – you are so lucky being so close, I would love to have one near me but I think my bank balance would suffer!
Becky – any excuse for a return visit and I’ll be there!
Jo – I can’t believe they don’t have a store in Birmingham, they need to store that out!
Cosmic – big thanks for that tip on sprouting the wheat grains, I’ll look that up
Alex – so jealous that you live so close to wholefoods!
Amy – I think if I go to a spa again I might try the hot stones
Elanor – I think I’m going to start using my mesquite in smoothies and overnight oats. Going to sprinkle some on top of apples for tea tonight, yum!
Laura – thanks!
Jessica – my gym has a sauna that I never use, I really ought to use it! You would love love love wholefoods!
Nicky – thanks, I wish we had a wholefoods in newcastle – I’d get my lunch there all the time!
Ffion – That was what I was like! I walked around in total awe! I don’t think its wrong to make a trip down for it, I honestly can see myself making a 6 monthly pilgrimage!