THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY

It's the most important meal of the day. But recent studies suggest an increasing number of people skip breakfast altogether. Whilst I am guilty of not always choosing the healthiest option for my morning meal, or even having a full breakfast, I still try to get something in to keep me going.

I often hear people blaming a lack of time for skipping breakfast. But it really doesn't require much to get the food you need. Even grabbing breakfast bars, the right ones mind, can help keep you fueled  I am currently obsessed with nakd bars, which are made up of fruit and nuts smooshed together. There is no added sugar and they are wheat and dairy free, so everyone can enjoy them. My favourite is the gingerbread flavour which really wakes up the taste buds.

A lot of companies don't mind people eating at their desk. I normally write my daily to-do-list, whilst eating an Oat So Simple express porridge pot by Quaker Oats. Toast is great, especially with peanut butter. But it’s just not as filling. And cereal is fine, but so much of it is processed and can end up tasting too sweet. The porridge pots are great because they're wholesome, filling and all I have to do is add hot water. It really couldn't be less time consuming.

I love milk, but rarely do I fancy a cold glass of it first thing in the morning.  I much prefer hazelnut milk. The taste is best described as a mildly rich nuttiness, but without that overpowering dry sensation. It is much smoother than rice or soy milk, so try it out. I normally pick up Tesco’s own label, but Alpro’s offering tastes fantastic too.

I’m also becoming a fan of oat milk, This has a pleasant unsweetened flapjack-like taste, and works really well in hot drinks. ProVitamil’s Oat Drink is great because it's not only low-fat and unsweetened, it's also enriched with calcium and vitamins D and B. So it’s a pretty good drink to kick-start the day.

The mere thought of a fry-up is enough to make my stomach turn. I know it’s a dish much loved by the nation, but I don’t particularly like the smell of cooked fat and grease so early in the day. No, my ideal hot breakfast is a little more refined. For me, nothing beats eggs benedict. A lightly toasted muffin, succulent thick cut ham, on top of which sits a beautiful poached egg happily covered in hollandaise sauce. No other dish can give me such satisfaction in the morning.

If, like me, you often make a mess when attempting to poach eggs, then try the Poachpod® from Lakeland. It makes the job so much easier. And who has time to make the sauce. Just pick up a jar hollandaise sauce with a hint of lemon by Maille and slather it on.

On the mornings when I can’t face food (yes it happens), I still need something to keep me going ‘til lunch.  Of course coffee helps, and so does fruit. I always have some clementines to hand so I can get in some vitamin C. However a recent study suggests that another fruit might be better at keeping hunger pangs at bay. 

Research carried out at Queen Margaret University, has found that an extract from pomegranates makes people less hungry, and even results in eating smaller portions. But instead of rushing to buy pomegranates (very hard to cut in the office) try PomeGreat instead. The extract is unique ingredient in all their juice drinks and they taste fantastic. I particularly like their pomegranate and cherry juice blend. Find out more about the PurePlus®  extract here. 

So there you have it. This is my pick of the best and easiest breakfast food to fuel me up for the day ahead. I hope that if you normally skip breakfast, you’ll try to squeeze in some of my picks to see you through to lunchtime.

KITCHEN GADGETS - FOR WHEN A KNIFE JUST WON'T DO

I have a real passion food, and for cooking. One of the perks of living at home is free use of my mother’s large fully stocked kitchen, overflowing with spices and fresh exotic vegetables all at my disposal.

My mother enjoys cooking too, almost as much as she enjoys buying random kitchen utensils to make kitchen chores that little bit easier. We even go to the Ideal Home Show every year to buy these supposedly life changing items, only to get bored of them six months later.

Thankfully I can say that I have not and probably never will buy any of the following gadgets. They are my pick of the weirdest and most useless kitchen items.

BANANA SLICER
Don’t you hate it when you want to slice a banana, but for some reason, a knife just won’t work? Well then buy a Kitchencraft banana slicer. Slice a whole banana in seconds, because traditional methods are so time consuming. Order yours now! £6.29 from wayfair.co.uk 

BANANA GUARD

If you really are in a rush and have to take the whole banana with you, pack it in it’s own case. Because there is nothing wrong about pulling something shaped like this out of your bag at the office or at lunch break. Protect your banana, get a guard at Lakeland.

TWIRLING SPAGHETTI FORK

I initially thought this could only be a novelty item. But then I was informed that this is great for the elderly, who have trouble twirling their forks. Surely spaghetti can be cut. Whilst brilliant in theory, the automated Twirling Spaghetti Fork makes a complete mess if it isn't dipped all the way into the noodles. That's bolognese sauce everywhere... And what happens if the batteries run out midway through the meal? Lakeland was selling them at £5.99 each, but have since discontinued the range. Back to the traditional fork then. 

ELECTRIC LIGHT UP PEPPER MILL 
I actually think the majority of Salter products are very good. Their kitchenware range by Heston Blumenthal is paticularly striking and helpful. 

But this is the company behind the electric salt and pepper mills that light up when you're seasoning. Why pray tell might this be a good idea? Do many people use these items in the dark or areas with poor lighting? Or are we just that interested in how much and where exactly our seasoning is falling? According to Tesco, it is ideal for candlelit dinners. Yes, because nothing says romance like a buzzing sound and spotlights on our food. 

THE SCIZZA
An average of 1643 pizzas are consumed in Britain every day. Surely then we should be able to cut pizza using a knife, or a rolling pizza cutter. But for those of you that still don’t get how these two items work, there is the pizza scissors, or 'scizza'. Much like the over-sized helpful items from kindergarten, these scissors mean that hungry carb-loaders can snip slices, or even create origami creations with their dinner. Throw away the knives and  order yours  for £19.95 

ONION GOGGLES
I hate cutting onions as much as the next person. Yes it upsets my eyes. But if you don’t want to wear a £23 pair of goggles from John Lewis, pop your onion in the freezer half an hour before cutting. It works a treat and saves you looking like an absolute idiot / snowboard instructor in the kitchen.

TAPI 
My favourite of these items is the little device that turns a simple tap into a water fountain. That’s right, sometimes a glass won’t do, and heaven forbid cupping a mouthful of water into your palm! Just attach The Tapi and you have an instant water fountain, like the ones that everyone uses in the gym, or were commonly found at school playgrounds.  This is much more hygienic.

What weird and useless products have you seen? Do you have any of these or others lurking in your kitchen cupboards? Or do you think any of the above are actually useful?

Right, I’m off to practice cutting pizza and slicing bananas.

WORK STRESS

WE LOVE MONDAYS!

Hands up if you love Mondays too! No? Well a quick Google search reveals that stress in the work place affects 400,000 people in the UK every year; the number of teachers taking stress leave has increased by 10%; and work was going to ruin Christmas for nearly 75% of the UK working population. One recent study even reports a link between work stress and an increased risk of heart attack among older men.

Now I do not claim to understand the stress of say a banker, or somebody who has to make massive critical decision at work everyday. But I do think everybody gets a little stressed, and this shouldn't be belittled. 

A friend of mine who works as an accountant, and has recently finished a series of exams, only to be greeted by yet more work deadlines, told me he wishes he had my job. Apparently he thinks I spend all day on Facebook, calling friends, meeting people for a drink and enjoying quite a “cushty” lifestyle.  This comment really upset me.

I reminded my friend that he had chosen his career, and there was no point complaining or comparing. What I really wanted to tell him was that he could not begin to understand the stress that I, or for that matter anybody in their job, feels. It is a personal state of mind that I don’t think can be measured by what a person chooses to do for a living, but by the outcome of a frustrating situation and the feeling of losing control.

Yes, I get stressed. And here are my picks on how to combat it. I am in no way claiming that they works for everyone, but it can’t hurt to try them yourself.

REGULAR BREAKS

The thought that I sit at my computer for hours on end everyday actually makes my back twinge. It is uncomfortable and can, over time, cause very frustrating muscle pain. This can then trigger feelings of stress. So every hour or so, I get up from my desk and walk around, make a cup of tea, or go and distract a colleague. Well I didn't say anything about causing other people stress! This gives me a couple of minutes to decompress, clear my mind, and let my eyes readjust after staring at the computer monitor for too long.

A LITTLE MORE COMFY

I have cushion envy. A colleague has a really nice cushion on her chair, It looks so comfortable and gives her area an added warmth. Little touches like this make the desk, a place where I spend a large part of the day, more comfortable. How about a little plant or a photo of a loved one?

Just keep it appropriate. No photos of you and your significant other half-naked on a beach canoodling. The boss does not need to see that! You want to be taken seriously at work, so keep the “I LOVE BIEBER” pillow at home. This is not a throwback of your teenage bedroom.

FOOD

Yes, my top drawer is dedicated to food and nibbles. It is very easy to get stuck into work and forget to eat. And without the right fuel, concentration can dip and tasks appear harder. So I make sure I have some breakfast bars. I recommend nak’d or Oat So Simple Morning Bars.

I also ensure I keep hydrated. I recently bought a bobble bottle because I know I spend far too much frequently purchasing bottled water. Every little helps in cutting down money stress.

I really can’t face breakfast until I am checking emails. Not every workplace is as nice as mine, letting me eat at my desk. But even I wouldn't bring in a bacon butty or something equally as smelly into work. Try a pot of porridge, or some granola-topped yoghurt from Costa.

And don’t forget fruit. Dig your teeth and claws into an apple, not the colleague who thought it was a good idea to pipe in at a client meeting and quote prices that are way below what you need to get the job done. SERIOUSLY?!

UPDATES & FEEDBACK

A lot of stress comes from uncertainty. That is why I think it is really important to stay informed, even If you won’t like what you are about to hear. We have regular team meetings and this keeps me in the loop about what everyone is doing, and what I need to prioritise. As much as it would fill everyone with dread, It is also a good idea to ask for feedback. Make sure the work you are doing is being done properly. If it isn't change it. If it is, great, you just got a little bit of recognition.

PILLS AND POTIONS

I will never take Pro Plus. I am sure that a little pill containing so much caffeine can only play havoc with my system. I would rather have a strong coffee and hope for the best. But on the days when I feel I need something more, (and no, not just when I am feeling the effects from the night before), I turn to Berocca. The price is a little high, and I do often opt for the own-brand versions. This effervescent multivitamin gives me the pick-me-up I need to be a little more alert. And it flushes out of the system naturally, so I'm not wired until 4 in the morning.

I also love Bach Rescue Remedy. A few drops of this on my tongue before a meeting and I am calm and composed. Whether it works it is just psychological trick, I don’t know. But I don’t question it.

Failing that, I do believe in the calming power of a cup of tea. Try herbal teas if you are trying to stay off the caffeine.

DEAR DIARY

I have got better at using this. It helps that I have a half-page a day diary, so I can scrawl everything down. It’s nice being the organised one in the office.

SUNDAY NIGHT PLAN

I also find it helpful to make a list of the things I need to do before the week starts. On Sunday, because I normally forget to on a Friday afternoon,  I jot down all the work I know I need to get done for the week ahead. I then note down things I need to be aware of outside of work, including social events and upcoming appointments. That way I can plan my time better and bring anything up in the Monday meeting.

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

It is so important to switch off once out of the office. I have a work Blackberry and stay connected in case something happens. But otherwise, once I am out of the door, I am on my time, and I don’t want to think about what I need to do at work. Good friends and plenty of activities (including cooking and getting a well-earned massage) keep me happy.

I hope that a couple of these suggestions will help you feel less stressed at work. They are my picks but I think they are pretty relatable and none are too difficult to implement. What do you do to stay sane in the office?  Let me know