Hello!

I started this week in Paris. May-Britt and I were there, very fancy, for just one day for an appointment with Louis Vuitton. So off in the morning and back in the evening. May and I were totally hysterical about the pre-fall collection in their showroom, but of course, we behaved very professionally, ahem. After the meeting, we took a taxi to Hotel Costes. Maybe not with very nice staff, but it is a really nice place to gawk at the most beautiful (and bizarre) people. The designer bags were flying around us and we immediately felt (well, I a bit more) like renewing our entire wardrobe.

Eating out healthy

Sometimes we get a little nervous when there’s a dinner planned outside. Then we immediately worry about unhealthy and too much food. That really doesn’t have to be the case. I have here once written a post about making the right choices in a restaurant. And by the way, because healthy eating is such an incredibly trendy thing, there are often enough light and healthy meals on the menu.
I ordered an avocado and grapefruit salad at Hotel Costes and May chose a vegetable curry. We shared a bit and had fresh crispy French bread with it. In my opinion, there’s nothing tastier than that.
Remember well that you don’t have to choose exactly what’s on the menu. You can always ask the staff to adjust a dish a bit. If you prefer vegetables instead of fries with your steak tartare, that’s possible and it’s also not weird to ask if your omelet can be cooked in olive oil instead of butter. Just mentioning something, you might actually find that very tasty and get excited, especially about those fries.

4 PM slump

Liesbeth texted me this week with the message that she almost didn’t dare to say it, but that she had a bit of muscle soreness from playing with our new pink exercise balls.
I had to laugh a little about that, but that wasn’t fair because I’ve been squatting four times a week.
Every day when we feel like we’re slumping behind our desk (usually after lunch or at the end of the afternoon), Lies and I get up to throw a ball around and every time the ball is thrown to you, you do (with the ball, of course) 2 squats or lunges. So we are seriously out of breath after five minutes, but it’s highly recommended if you feel a 4 PM slump coming on. After lunch (just let it settle for a moment first) it’s also nice.

Just testing

I dared to try goat yogurt for the first time. In terms of taste, I actually didn’t notice much difference from “regular” yogurt. I think it’s quite different with goat milk. The internet is full of claims that it’s better than cow's milk. It contains more better nutrients (calcium, iron, zinc) and is lighter to digest. And yes, I’m still very sensitive to healthy hypes.
I made a bowl with goat yogurt, pieces of pineapple, seeds, goji berries, and mulberries. That was delicious and it’s a perfect start to the day.

Into the kitchen

On Saturday, I opened my new cookbook Havermoutje and baked crackers. Very simple. Oats, spelt flour, oat flour, water, sunflower seeds, flaxseed, and coconut oil. Mix everything together, spread it out on a baking sheet, and put it in the oven for half an hour. Cut it into squares while it’s still warm and let it cool afterwards. Of course, you can give it your own twist and add more nuts, seeds, or dried fruits. Then store them in a cookie tin or a Tupperware container. Also very handy and tasty for on the go as a snack.

New in town

When a new restaurant opens in town, I like to be quick to eat there. I feel the same way about new workouts, so this weekend I did hotpod yoga. It’s a workout in a warm space, but less hot and stuffy than where bikram yoga is done (that’s usually 40 degrees).
I stepped into a kind of inflated house. Inside it was quite dark and nice and warm. Fresh air is constantly blown into the room, making it much more pleasant than at bikram (there’s just a heater cranked up high there). The only downside I find is that I was really lying next to that machine that blows out air and that’s quite a loud noise, so if you go, try to get a spot in the middle. Mercedes, the woman who teaches the class, is very nice and helpful. She gives you simple exercises, so that’s perfect when you haven’t attended a yoga class often. I found it a very fun class and you sweat a lot. I always find that nice.

Fun fact

I started training for the 10 kilometers on Saturday, May 16, organized by WeRunAMS with Nike, a few weeks ago. The editorial team has already promised to sit on a terrace somewhere along the side to cheer me on.
One of my favorite juice bars in the city LITE/DARK has a really nice promotion to make training even more fun. Everyone who goes running outside on Saturday morning and posts a photo/selfie of the run on Instagram with the #litedarkrunclub and #litedark can pick up a free shake in one of the stores before 12:00. Preferably panting and sweating with your running clothes still on, so it’s actually easiest to include LITE/DARK in your running route. Creativity is also rewarded because LITE/DARK will post the best photo on their own Instagram weekly and they also give out extra goodies.
This promotion applies to all runners. Are you joining too? And shall we drink a shake together? I would say around ten o'clock?