Capital award for healthy workplace services

I was delighted to be presented with a special award by the Mayor of London’s office this week for being one of the capital’s most active and effective healthy workplace practitioners.

Nicola wins healthy workplace servcies award
Nicola receives healthy workplace award

In recent months, I have assisted six businesses and organisations in applying for and winning accreditation under the London Healthy Workplace Charter: a 100% success rate, and one which means the service I run is among the best in the city. My work continues, with more applications coming through from companies based in the London Borough of Merton (Wimbledon), where I am largely based, and now also further afield.

I am available to aid businesses across South West London and beyond in their attempts to both increase their healthy workplace credentials and apply for the official Mayor of London award if they wish.

Healthy Workplace accreditation

How does it work? An employer wanting to win Charter accreditation needs to put together a folder of evidence documenting its efforts and achievements in encouraging and enabling its staff to follow healthy, sustainable working practices. It also needs to assess its current credentials in the health and wellbeing fields, and identify areas where it can (and will) do better.

It is a process that means a business can genuinely boast of being a healthy workplace employer and enjoy the long term benefits of a more motivated, productive workforce as well as the shorter term (but ongoing) PR and marketing benefits of winning official accreditation under an independent, rigorous, bona fide scheme backed by Public Health England.

Let me help your business

My assistance makes the application process simpler, and is a way to introduce fresh ideas and contacts to help a business better support its staff needs and goals. Research shows that healthier employees are also more productive and motivated, work better together as a team and suffer less absenteeism as well as being better advocates for the business where they work.

Sounds interesting? Visit my workplace health page and get in touch to find out more: nicoladavenport22@gmail.com

Business taking steps towards a more active workforce

Staff at the Sit-Stand.com standing desk company are contractually obliged to take a 15-minute walk during office hours every working day.

It costs the company precisely nothing, but it is a healthy workplaces commitment to the principles of a business run by the founder of Active Working: to reduce the amount of time we spend sitting down at work.

And as CEO Gavin Bradley points out, once you’ve started your 15-minute walk-out, it will probably turn into more. Activity logged: job done.

Sitting leads to health problems

Evidence is constantly growing that staff who spend most of their working day seated are both less productive and more inclined to suffer health problems. Office workers sit on average 10 hours each day, and 70% of this sitting time is at work. The solution is simple: stand up and move around more. It’s not complicated, it’s not expensive, just good business sense.

No surprise, then, that during a 90-minute meeting with Sit-Stand.com‘s director Gavin Bradley, we were on our feet the whole time. A standing meeting with the offer of a freshly-blitzed smoothie: I love a company that practises what it preaches, and this one certainly does.

It’s all part of a growing recognition of the fact that employers who take measures to enhance the health of staff benefit from people who are more motivated and productive, less likely to suffer stress and absenteeism and act as positive advocates for the business.

So why don’t more bosses take simple steps such as encouraging staff to move around more, step away from their work stations at regular intervals and pay more attention to their personal health outcomes?

Is business culture changing?

It’s a business culture issue, but one that is certainly starting to change, as is evidenced by the increasing number of companies I work with who are recognising that supporting their workforce in making healthy choices does not have to be costly or time-consuming.

Workplace health-boosting measures can include steps as simple as moving bins away from desks so that staff are forced to stand and walk a short distance to dispose of rubbish, or encouraging greater use of stairs by posting inspirational Step Jockey style stickers beside the lifts.

The standing desk solution

Installing adjustable standing desks is becoming popular among employees, and is another relatively low-cost investment, with the entry level Sit-Stand.com Yo-Yo workstation costing well below £200.

In Denmark, 90% of employees have an adjustable standing desk. Health and wellbeing at work evangelist Gavin Bradley would love to see similar in the UK, and with his value range of adjustable sit-stand desks, PLUS his Active Working and Get Britain Standing campaigns, he is taking massive steps in helping move the world’s workforce towards a more active future. I’m in.

Find out more about how I can help YOUR business enhance its healthy workplace credentials

Wash Wizard cleans up on workplace workouts

wash wizard

Magic! Your workplace wash-mate

Workplace health and wellbeing is a big part of business for me at present, and encouraging staff to stay active through the working day is one of the ways in which companies can help build motivation and productivity.

But what if you’re not lucky enough to be in a building that offers showers for a post-workout freshen up? Picture the scene: you cycle to work, grab a lunchtime run or a midday gym session. Mind cleared, but body sweaty. No time or facilities to take a shower.

Options? Wet-wipe-wash or sweaty desk all afternoon. Neither is great for you or your workmates.

Good news! I just road-tested a third option, and it’s quick, discreet and – critically – effective. Wash Wizard is just perfect as a workplace post-workout clean-up. It’s a simple idea: a tightly-rolled sponge impregnated with sweat-busting aloe vera foam that takes up almost zero space in your work bag.

wash wizard

Wash Wizard: discreet and effective

Simply splash with water from your bottle to activate, swipe the bits that need freshening up, and you’re ready for the rest of your day. No need to rinse or towel dry, and it’s fragrance-free so suitable for both sexes.

At £7.99 for a pack of five, Wash Wizard is my latest affordable gymbag essential (brilliant for camping, sailing trips, overnight train journeys and festivals too).

Find out more about how your business can harness the  power of wellbeing at work to benefit both your staff AND your bottom line via our healthy workplaces service.

4 best ways to rock veggie January

a rainbow of vegetables for veggie January
Rainbow vegetables: among the joys of  vegetarian January

Another vegetarian January is over, and this has been the least troublesome one ever. So much so that, come Feb 1, I couldn’t think of a meat-based recipe I actually wanted to cook.

So here is my four-point guide to enjoying a delicious, healthful, inspiring month of veggie cooking.

  1. Yotam Ottolenghi: The year we discovered the joys of this genius chef’s cookbook Plenty was the year our vegetarian January became both seriously enjoyable and sustainable. The way he combines ingredients to create mouthwatering dishes is pure genius. I now own the full set of his books, having received a copy of his new Nopi for Christmas, and am itching to try out some of the meaty recipes now veggie Jan is over.
  2. Raw slaw: Hell, I LOVE raw slaw, so in my household it is certainly not just for vegetarian January. I combine any mixture of shredded uncooked beetroot, red cabbage, green or white cabbage, carrot, radish and celeriac with toasted walnut pieces, dried cranberries or sour cherries, and a shredded apple, then dress it with sesame and olive oil, mirin, pomegranate molasses, vinegar and a sprinkle of rock salt. It keeps well in the fridge, so I always make a huge batch and it tides me over for a few days. Delicious alongside griddled halloumi and roasted aubergine (see Ottolenghi for The Best Ever aubergine recipes).
  3. South East Asia: Thai red chicken curry – without the chicken – is now a Feelgood family favourite. I have a tub of homemade red curry paste in the fridge on a permanent basis, meaning it’s a matter of moments to chop up a load of vegetables for this non-meat version that is in fact as tasty as the carnivorous alternative. Just make sure you throw in the veg in order of how long they each take to cook ie green beans, chopped celeriac first and sliced onion first, followed by diced butternut squash, and courgette last.
  4. The wok. Fuchsia Dunlop is another favourite chef, and she includes some brilliant vegetarian versions of her Szechuan meat-based recipes in her inspiring cookbook Every Grain of Rice. Who knew that Ma Po Dofu could be as good without minced beef as with it? Stir-fried greens with garlic and soy sauce were a staple of my student days, and I still love them as much as ever: near raw and therefore bursting with vitamins, they give my veggie January a real healthy zing.

Nourish your digestion

And that’s the key to a successful meat-free start to the year: rather than seeing it as a time of restricted eating, think of it as a time to extend your cooking repertoire, try out new recipes and cooking styles, and a chance to nourish your digestion with more raw foods, unprocessed foodstuffs and lower fat options. It’s easier – and tastier – than you might think.

Go tandem! The RideLondon 2015 blog post

RideLondon-Surrey 2015
We made it! 100 miles by tandem: another RideLondon-Surrey completed

With two pairs of legs powering us along the 100-mile course, we should have crossed the finish line at under six hours, but instead the Team Thompson tandem finished in seven and half hours due to unavoidable hold-ups.

Slightly disappointing time-wise due to a crowded, crash-heavy course (not us, thankfully), but with shouts of ‘Go tandem!’ ringing in our ears as we powered our way round the picturesque circuit of central London and the Surrey Hills on a bicycle made for two, this year’s traffic-free RideLondon-Surrey 100 was another splendid day out.

The highlights:

Roadside support – from friends, our chosen charity (Muscular Dystrophy UK: donations still welcome!), RideLondon-Surrey volunteers and the hugely encouraging residents who came out of their homes to cheer us all on. Massive thanks to them all.

The joy of tandem – Everyone loves a tandem, it turns out, and it was heartwarming to put a smile on so many faces as we pedalled by. Solo riders admitted they were a bit jealous of all the attention we attracted!
Having two on a bike leaves one (me, the stoker at the back) free to wave while the other (my husband Piers, the pilot at the front) steers, changes gear and worries about braking. We both pedal like billy-oh, obviously.
Setting off in a tandem-heavy wave – there were at least 15 leaving at the same time as us – gave us a real sense of camaraderie, and what lovely people they all were.

The weather – after the rain-fest that was RideLondon 2014, cycling in warm sunshine with a cool breeze was heavenly.

Being on a bike with my husband for seven hours – might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but sitting astride a tandem means you can have an ongoing conversation without worrying about getting left behind. Also, it meant Piers (whose back wheel I normally stick to like glue on bike rides) didn’t have to keep glancing over his shoulder to check I was still there. And I could easily raid his back pockets (our in-bike tuck shop) for high-energy snacks as necessary. The perfect fit-date!

Riding on traffic-free roads – there is a peculiar thrill to cycling through red lights, the wrong way around roundabouts and on the right-hand side of the road, totally legally.

The final sprint – the RideLondon-Surrey course ends with nine-plus miles of mainly flat and downhill roads including Putney Hill, The Embankment, Whitehall and finally The Mall, lined with enthusiastic cheering crowds. Wow, what a feeling to get your head down and literally sprint the whole way home.
We averaged 22mph over the last nine miles, powering past hundreds of riders (how good did that feel?!) and crossing the finish line at 24mph, lungs gasping and legs utterly spent. Whoosh! Proof that when you really get a tandem going, it goes like a bullet.

The low-lights:

Delays – it could be because we had a late start time (a mightily civilised 08.24) in the tandem wave, but the course seemed a lot more congested than in previous years. Water and hub stops were also having trouble coping – long queues for water refills and loos.
From 16,000 riders in 2013 to 20,000 in 2014 and 26,000 this year, perhaps the RideLondon-Surrey 100 has reached – or even exceeded – peak bike?

Crash jam at Ride London
Crash jam at Ride London

Crashes – I feel so sorry for the people we saw being treated by medical teams: there seemed to be a lot more than in previous years. Again, perhaps the sheer number of cyclists contributed to this? Unfortunately, the logistics of getting ambulances to them meant there were numerous times when we had to dismount and either wait or walk as congestion meant cycling was impossible for anyone, let alone a bulky tandem.

Leith Hill – we found out later that a cyclist had suffered a heart attack and died at the bottom of Leith Hill during Sunday’s ride. Very sad: condolences to his family. The fall-out of the situation was that the road had to be closed, and thousands of cyclists (including us) ended up stationary for more than hour as treatment was administered and ambulances made their way to the scene. Such was the number of bikes that it was impossible to get us all back in the saddle so we all ended up walking almost halfway up Leith Hill before there was enough space to get cycling again.

Aching hands – ouch: after seven and a half hours spent trying to force some traction from our woefully underpowered brakes, Piers’ wrists ended up suffering from temporary ‘handlebar palsy‘, yes it’s a real condition.

Some RideLondon 2015 stats:

Total time on the course: 7.5 hours
Average speed over the first 40 miles: 21mph
Average speed over the final nine miles from Wimbledon Common: 22mph
Speed as we crossed the finish line: 24mph

Snacks consumed per person: one banana, one Bounce energy ball, two energy gels (Gu, salted caramel, espresso love: highly recommend); half a Nakd bar; four bottles of sports drink
Number of times someone yelled ‘Go Tandem!’ at us: too many to count

We won our RideLondon 2015 tandem places in the ballot and paid for them, but chose to cycle in aid of Muscular Dystrophy because it is gradually – but quickly – stealing the mobility of the children of some very dear friends. All donations will help fund ways to tackle this devastating condition. Find out more and donate at our Just Giving page: justgiving.com/ThompsonTandem

The one where it rained. A lot: Read my RideLondon-Surrey 2014 blog
The one where I crashed and Piers was a hero: Read my RideLondon-Surrey 2013 blog

Perfect strawberry jam

homemade strawberry and prosecco jamI love eating homemade jam and marmalade, but I don’t generally enjoy making it. It’s that darned setting point that brings so much stress: when is a wrinkle enough of a wrinkle to count? What is the flake test? And how come you can’t always rely on the temperature (a super-precise 104.5degC) to bring a guaranteed set?

So I am delighted to share a recipe for the queen of summer jams – strawberry and prosecco jam – that actually works, and tastes utterly heavenly. Well, it worked for me today, although that is of course no guarantee it will work next time… Sigh.

Strawberry and prosecco jam

jam makingToday’s homemade jam triumph was largely based on a recipe I found on bakingmad.com with some amends. Here’s my version:

800g hulled strawberries
1kg jam sugar
juice of half a lemon
200ml prosecco
knob of butter

Method: Place strawberries in a preserving pan and roughly crush with a potato masher. Add lemon juice and gently warm through before pouring in sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves without allowing the mixture to boil. Next, add prosecco and butter and increase the heat so the mixture comes to a rolling boil.

Maintain boil until the jam reaches magic setting temperature of 104.5degC. I use a probe thermometer. Check you have a proper set by carrying out the mysterious wrinkle test and hope for the best… before bottling your perfectly set strawberry and prosecco jam in sterilised jars.

 

 

My perfect post-workout recovery

Fitting fitness, nutrition, work and everyday chores into your life can be a challenge, which is why during a month of almost daily 90-minute Bikram yoga sessions I’ve had to be super-organised.

I’m not a huge fan of supplement shakes, mainly because I always favour ‘real’ food over powders, but I know that when I’m pushing myself on the fitness front my body really does benefit from a helping hand in the form of extra protein, healthy fats and the right kind of carbs.

Finding a grab-and-go recovery shake that tastes great and dissolves quickly as well as supporting my fitness is pretty important. And I must say that during my intensive Bikram month, USN whey protein shakes pretty much hit the spot for me when it came to post-practice recovery.

USN protein shake

Protein shake: the perfect recovery drink

I’m not a fan of chocolate so stuck with the strawberry flavour, and livened it up by replacing plain water with coconut water (utterly delicious!) or glugging in a splash of unsweetened almond milk. I’m a massive fan of maxing up those health benefits.

Having a protein shake to hand the minute I walked in the door after a long hot session in the studio was a so-simple, effective way to give myself an energy boost before jumping in the shower. It staved off the hunger pangs and meant I could drive on through to my next project without wasting time. Homemade power balls were my other secret weapon.

A USN shake was the perfect way to start the rehydration process as well as kicking off the repair process for stretched muscle tissue. A month in, and I felt stronger, leaner and revitalized. My running pace was faster and I was sleeping better. I also enjoyed one of my best ever ski trips, with improved endurance, strength and general fitness. Thanks Bikram Wimbledon and USN.

My next fitness project? Now the days are longer and getting warmer, it’s time to get back on my bike and start work on those legs, arms and lungs in preparation for this year’s 100-mile RideLondon-Surrey cycle sportive. We’re talking protein shakes, energy gels, isotonic drinks – and a whole heap of hills. Bring it on!

The benefits of Bikram yoga

I’ve been on a Bikram binge. Now it’s over, what’s my verdict?

A quick backgrounder: I signed up as a yoga novice for a £35/30-day unlimited classes offer at my local Bikram studio bikramyogawimbledon.com in a bid to improve my suppleness, flexibility and joint strength. I run and cycle frequently, so figured that something lower-impact would be a good way to supplement my 2015 fitness regime. And in the depths of winter, a roasting hot yoga studio has a lot more going for it than cold, wet circuits of Richmond Park…

The good: Where do I start? Some people are put off Bikram yoga by the heat – practice takes place in a studio heated to a sultry 40degC. Wonderful in the depths of winter, and I love the heat, so for me this was a massive bonus.

I managed to fit in 3-4 Bikram sessions a week and by the end of my 30-day membership:

  • I had lost half a stone. Whoop whoop!
  • I was able to run further with less effort: my lungs felt stronger and my breathing was more controlled.
  • My average running pace had increased.
  • I was feeling full of energy and motivation (hello, exercise-induced endorphins!).
  • My upper arms were tighter and stronger.

The bad: Each Bikram yoga session lasts 90 minutes, during which you follow a set pattern of moves led by a teacher. For me, trying to find time for this on a regular basis was quite a challenge and there’s no way I could maintain my 3/4 classes a week attendance. There’s also no way you could do without a full-on shower and hairwash after every practice given the amount of sweat that pours off. Nope, this is not an exercise habit that you can squeeze into a lunch hour.

The ugly: Definitely the size of the laundry pile. Hitting the studio on a regular basis means having to deal with a heap more washing than usual. Small price to pay, though, for the physical and mental benefits.

My verdict: Definitely recommend as a cross-training practice to support cardio activities as well as boost strength, suppleness and joint health. I feel in great shape for skiing, re-enthused for running, and am looking forward to seeing how much difference Bikram will make once I get back on my bike in prep for this year’s RideLondon-Surrey 100 miler.

Post-yoga energy balls

apricot and maca seed protein balls

Apricot and maca powder protein balls

Meet my new go-to post-Bikram energy booster: little balls of power that are quick and easy to make, taste great and are easy to digest after a 90-minute session in the studio.

Think lots of nuts for muscle-mending protein, maca powder for replenishing sapped energy reserves and dried apricots for a blood pressure-friendly potassium boost. Delicious, healthy and portable: pop a few in a pot and share them with your yoga buddies after your next Bikram practice.

To make a dozen or so small protein balls, blitz the following ingredients in a food processor then use your hands to squish the results into balls, roll in desiccated coconut (optional) and allow to harden a little in the fridge. The whole process should take about 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

Mixed handful of dried apricots and goji berries
1/4 cup of cashew nuts
1/4 cup of almonds
1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of chia seeds
1.5 tablespoons of coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon of maca powder
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
a big pinch of ground salt flakes (after Bikram yoga you need to replenish the salt you have sweated out)
A couple of tablespoons of desiccated coconut

 

Enjoy!

Marmalade season comes early…

homemade marmalade on toast
Paddington, eat your heart out!

Paddington the movie: I haven’t enjoyed a movie so much since, oh, Interstellar just a couple of weeks ago. But in such a very different way.

The bear movie is pure delight – I laughed all the way through and even shed the odd tear (of joy) – so what more appropriate way to mark it than by knocking up a quick batch of homemade marmalade?

January is normally marmalade season in my house, when the local greengrocer has bitter Seville oranges on offer. But my 2014 batch ran out a few weeks ago (poor planning) so for the first time EVER I went off-piste with a new recipe. Risky, yes. Worth it? 100%.

Pink grapefruit and lemon glows with a pinky orange tinge and its bitterness zings on the tongue. Perfect on toast for breakfast alongside a cup of jasmine green tea.

Thanks for the inspiration, Paddington. Watch the Paddington trailers on YouTube here.