Brita Boost - Buzz

People often drink to get a buzz and BRITA provided me with an alternative activity to get the adrenaline pumping in the form of a skiing lesson. I've never been skiiing and rarely take part in any kind of sports so this was a really scary prospect for me and I knew it would get the adrenaline pumping. My boyfriend has been snowboarding and really enjoyed it so I invited him along with me so we could try something new together. 


I headed to Pontypool Ski Centre which boasts a 230 metre main slope, a novice/beginners area, a ski lift and mogul run. The Ski Centre runs its own Ski School which offers lessons for all standards of skiing and snowboarding from ‘novice to expert'. I had a beginners lesson on the slopes and even though I can't say I 100% enjoyed it, I definitely got a buzz. The look of terror on my face as I went down the slope must have been a funny sight.

Alcohol can have an impact on your fitness regime. Post-exercise drinks at home or down the pub can undo all the good work you've just put in. There's around 180 calories in a pint of lager and 159 calories in a large glass of white wine, so you could cancel out all your hard work in no time at all. A hangover may mean you don't work out as hard, it's no fun lifting weight or running if you have a headache or feel sick. The night before's alcohol leaves your body dehydrated, even before your session starts which means a less effective work out.

Saturday nights for me used to be spent with friends drinking and then Sunday would be a wasted day feeling sorry for myself and rustling up a tasty but unhealthy fry up to get rid of a hangover. A dry January means that Sundays were free for fun and I made sure I got outdoors as much as I could. I climbed Pen Y Fan in January which is the highest peak in the south of the UK.

There's no way I would have climbed this with a hangover on a Sunday and I would have missed out on the views and sense of achievement I felt when I reached the top. When you drink, it chemically alters your brain to release dopamine. When you exercise, the same chemical is released, which means you can get the same "buzz" from working out that you can get from a few glasses of wine. We all know which one is better for you.

I would like to say a big thank you to BRITA for inviting me to take part in the challenge. It was very enjoyable finding out alternatives to drinking and keeping hydrated with BRITA filtered water. I will post a round up about my Dry January experience with Brita in the next few days.

For more information on BRITA filter products, please check http://www.brita.co.uk/

Brita Boost - Confidence without alcohol - Guest post by Maggie

I wouldn't say I drink for confidence, but I know unfamiliar social situations do feel a little easier when lubricated with a glass of wine (or two). While I'm happy to stand up and present to a room full of people, I find one-to-one interaction with strangers difficult. So sitting in the upstairs bookshop of School of Life, nursing an elderflower cordial, I couldn't steal myself to approach anyone and say 'Hi' – even if we were all there for the same reason. Luckily the course leader Jean-Paul began to mingle among us, breaking the ice and making it easier to talk to my neighbours, indulging in the usual small-talk about jobs and the (really tasty!) refreshments, as well as our reasons for being on the course that evening.

The downstairs room we were lead to for the course itself was beautiful. A 2D black and white mural runs across the walls, depicting overflowing bookcases, a half finished game of scrabble and etc. Two rows of seats facing a screen showed we would be presented to, conference style, but the clipboard on each chair made me think there would be a bit of interaction expected too. There was a good mix of both – Jean-Paul talked us through what is meant by confidence and we did some improv and exercises with the person sitting next to us (more talking to strangers!).

 

There was a lot covered and I don't want to give it all away, but I'll mention the points that stuck with me most:

•      Externalise your pessimistic thoughts – if someone else was saying them to you how would you defend yourself? Really handy if you tend to get down on yourself and say things like “I can't do this”. Instead you flip things around and say “You can't do this” and you begin to feel like you want to prove that negative voice wrong

•      I very much fall in to the trap of the fixed mindset – it's a bit like the comfort zone where you know what you're good at and all your aiming for is success, even if it's same-old, same old. Instead I need to adopt a growth mindset; where I try new things, learn from failure and success is measured in growth.

•      My favourite inspirational quote from the night (and there were loads) was “Just because some people can do something with little or no training, it doesn't mean that others can't do it (and sometimes do it even better) with training” - Carol Dweck.

I found the whole event very useful – if not just because I realised a lot of people struggle with the same lack of confidence, so I wasn't facing it alone. So next time I'm at a social event I'm going to shout down my inner pessimist and say hello to someone new – with or without wine, honest!

*This installment of the Brita Boost Dry January series was brought to you by the very lovely Maggie. People chose to drink from some of these five reasons - taste, socialising, confidence booster, relaxing and for the buzz. This post focused on confidence and  you can read all the other posts in this series here.

Brita Boost - Alcohol free dinner party with Foodelity

Hasn't January gone quickly?! I vowed to cut out alcohol for a month and that's exactly what I did. I had a little help from Brita along the way but I'm glad I accepted the challenge and there have been so many positives about giving up alcohol.  I will keep all of that and full round up for my final Brita Boost post in the week.


If you've been following the BRITA Boost Challenge posts you'll know that there are five main reasons why people drink and I've been given ways to overcome all of them:

Taste - Maggie went to a Mixology Masterclass to learn how to make alcohol free cocktails.

Relaxation - I had a wonderful full body massage to unwind without reaching for a glass of wine.

Confidence Booster - The lovely Maggie attended a Confidence class last week and will be reporting back soon.

Buzz - I'm going on a skiing lesson tomorrow as the final part of my challenge.


And finally

Social - I was treated to a Foodelity box filled with everything I needed for a alcohol free dinner party with some friends. This is how I got on...

After choosing the menu online for the 3 course meal, my box arrived with everything I needed for the dishes, in exact quantities, so there was no need to measure. They were all colour coded so I knew which items were each course.

The ingredients arrived with step-by-step recipe cards with pictures, which were easy so easy to follow. I'm a keen cook but I have to admit I'm no the best and stick to tried and tested recipes so I was excited to try this adventurous menu. I found all of this very easy to make and when I normally cook for friends I'm so stressed out trying to get all the timings right I feel like I need a glass of wine by the end of it.

There was even a timeline included so I knew when to prep and put things in the oven which meant more time chatting to my guests instead of slaving away in the kitchen. 

For my starter I chose pan seared king scallops with pea puree and balsamic vinegar reduction which I hope you agree looks pretty impressive. I felt like this was a fancy treat as I don't normally cook anything as extravagant as this at home.  

My main course was a very tasty roast poussin with sumac and red cabbage with minted potato. Presentation has never been my forte so I'm pleased with how this dish turned out. 

Dessert was probably my favourite course. I made my first tarte tatin and this pear one with lime and ginger had plenty of kick. Mmmmm!

There wasn't a single drop of wine to accompany the food and it really wasn't missed at all. My brother, his partner and I are all trying to shed a few lbs for our holiday later in the year and wine would have just added to the overall calorie total. I filled my Brita jug with some lemon and lime for the dinner party. The simple drink to accompany the meal meant that we could appreciate all the flavours in the food far more.

My boyfriend joined me for the meal too and he drives to visit me so can't ever drink when I cook for him. Nobody had any alcohol at all so this really helped those who drive and normally have to turn down alcohol feel a lot less left out.

Everyone had a lovely evening and it showed me that you can still have a hit dinner party without the alcohol. I highly recommend Foodelity to anyone wanting a special Valentines treat or a stress free way to host a dinner party. How do you think you would get on without alcohol at a dinner party? 

Brita Boost Challenge - Relaxation

I've reached day 27 of Dry January and I'm pleased to report it's going very well. I've managed to stick to my aim of avoiding alcohol and drinking a minimum of 1.2 litres of water a day. My skin is looking noticeably clearer and I'm feeling very fresh and upbeat.

There are many reasons why people drink and BRITA have identified 5 key reasons which I outlined back in my first Brita Boost post. One of those reasons is relaxation and that's what I'm going to focus on today.

Brita Drinking alcohol can help you to relax in the short term, but long-term drinking to cope with stress can lead to a range of health and social problems including addiction, obesity and relationship difficulties. If you drink alcohol every day, your concentration and ability to work will be affected making your more stressed out in the long run.

Alcohol is a depressant and calms certain parts of the brain which may help you to feel more relaxed and less stressed but it can become a habit

Don't avoid the issue 

You're not properly confronting the issues that make you feel stressed in the first place by having a post work drink. Have a chat with a colleague, a friend or member of your family and see what steps you can take to make changes.


I've never really been fond of week day drinking but I've certainly used it at weekend to relax and feel like I'm letting my hair down a bit. BRITA organised a relaxing treatment for me as a substitute for a glass (or three) of wine to relax. I was treated to the Laguna Full Body Massage to ease stress and muscle tension. I was a little nervous before hand as I've never had a massage prior to this. 

I really felt like this treatment helped ease the strain of day to day life and the tightness I had in my legs from walking up and down hundreds of steps in France the week before disappeared. The combination of the relaxing music, oils, and deep muscle massage helped me to forget my troubles and nearly nod off. You wouldn't need to do something quite as extravagant at this every week to wind down but you could do something simple like paint your nails, take a long bath or take some time out to listen to your favourite music with no distractions. 

Drinking water  and staying hydrated after a massage is often recommended by massage therapists and health care practitioners. Drinking water is always a good idea, as the body benefits from proper hydration, and consuming water will help the kidneys and other organs process the various substances which move through the human body on a regular basis. Drinking water before a massage is also highly recommended, as it will make it easier for the massage therapist to perform deep work by hydrating the muscles so that they are easier to manipulate.

Water after a massage helps the body flush out any accumulated materials in the muscles which were released during the massage. Deep massage stimulates circulation in the body while getting rid of water, salt, and other minerals from the muscles, and circulation is designed to carry away waste materials generated by cells. By providing the body with plenty of water you can help sweep away these waste materials; otherwise, they might build up, causing muscle aches and soreness after a massage.

I stayed hydrated before and after my massage with my BRITA Fill&Go bottle and continued the relaxation after my massage by going home, putting a face mask on and spending some time alone.

Do you drink to help you relax? If you're doing Dry January how are you getting on?

Brita Boost Challenge - Taste - Mixology

It's now day 14 of Dry January for me (Gemma) and that's nearly half way through my BRITA Boost challenge. I've managed to drink the recommended 1.2 litres of water a day by using my BRITA jug and flask despite going on holiday and staying at my boyfriend's house. You can read more about the challenge in my first post here.

Part of the appeal of alcohol can be the taste so Brita hosted an event to inspire me to find a tasty alternative to alcohol. They worked with a mixologist to devise an exclusive list of mocktails that all use filtered water, to ensure they taste the best they can. I was unable to attend the event as I was on my holiday in France so our new 'Roving reporter' Maggie headed to the event to find out what it was all about. If you want to meet our new roving reporter you can head over to her blog here or say hi over on twitter. It can be tricky for some of the Where Are My Knees team to attend events as none of us are based in central London so I'm very happy to welcome Maggie to the team.

When I think of mocktails I just picture a restaurant adding soda to fruit juice and charging over the odds for it, so I was looking forward to Brita and Mixology showing me otherwise and proving that Dry January doesn't have to mean missing out on social events either.

We were welcomed to the Mixology lounge in Shoreditch with a glass of Brita filtered water. Not quite the glass of wine that is normally thrust in to your hands at events, but actually quite welcome after a day spent in a drying air-conditioned office environment. I'm very un-fond of tap water in London (I come from Scotland where the tap water may as well be straight from a spring) but Brita's filtration process really does make the difference – removing the harsh chemically elements from the tap water and leaving a clear, fresh and refreshing drink behind.

We were then divided in to groups across the mixing benches and shown how to mix four different drinks which we then recreated ourselves: a warm and comforting Hot Toddy; an Elderflower Julep, sweet and fresh with mint; the sharp and fragrent Lavender Sour; and a Pink Champagne punch, perfect for sharing with friends. These all, of course, featured Brita filtered water among a selection of more traditional (non-alcoholic) cocktail ingredients. My favourite was the Lavender Sour – I liked how the bitter lemon juice tasted against the floral lavender syrup, and if you didn't know better you would swear there was gin in the mix so I definitely didn't miss the alcohol at all. If you want to make any of the mocktails follow this link for pdf recipe cards.

Our mixologist also taught us about the history of the drinks, such as punch originated as a way for sailors to use up stale beer, or that 'julep' comes from a Persian word meaning rose water. It was also great fun to learn techniques such as using a mixer, muddling, churning, and capping the ice. Somehow I managed to get the hang of using and releasing the mixer from the glass straight away, which I thought I would struggle with.

After all of this, each team was then challenged to come up with a drink of their own invention. Our group came up with the Eldernut Slammer, as we decided that teetotalers shouldn't have to miss out on the fun of shots. We were beaten to the winning spot by a creation called 'Britalicious' but all attempts were judged as very drinkable, which we were told doesn't always happen at the Cocktail events, due to the quantity of alcohol people are under the influence of by the time they get to the competition.

The class and the whole evening was very enjoyable and it was nice to know I wouldn't be feeling worse for wear in the morning no matter how many of the drinks I enjoyed. Best of all, Brita sent us away with a Mocktail kit of our very own, so now I'm looking forward to inviting some friends around, impressing them with my bartending skills (hah!) and showing how to make tasty and interesting drinks with water instead of alcohol.

Brita made a short video about the event

If your taking part in Dry January I hope you're doing well, let me know how you're getting on in the comments section below. 

Brita Boost Challenge - Dry January

January is always a month where people start a diet, detox and make and break resolutions after a little too much Christmas excess. I'm no different and since January 1st I've been aiming to drink a minimum of 1.2 litres of water a day and take a little time out to pamper myself and relax. I ended my year feeling bloated and exhausted due to all my commitments.

My ultimate aim is to get into a exercise and diet routine and drinking more water and staying hydrated is a very important factor in that. BRITA contacted me before Christmas to ask me if I wanted to join their BRITA Boost Challenge and I jumped at the chance. I need to give up alcohol for the month of January, drink more water and spend a little time focusing on the reasons why I drink.

BRITA sent me a Hydration Hamper containing BRITA filter products and some other lovely extras...

There are loads of reasons why you should rink more water some of which are:

• Water Helps Energize Muscles -When muscle cells don't have adequate fluids, they don't work as well and performance can suffer leading to muscle fatigue.
• Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good - Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss.
• Water Helps Your Kidneys - Your kidneys need plenty of water to cleanse and rid your body of toxins.

The BRITA Marella Jug is going to come in very handy with this challenge, it can hold up to 1.4 litres of filtered water and by drinking some of that and by using the Fill & Go bottle when I'm in work or working out I will be well on the way to drinking my target amount of 1.2 litres a day. The bottle can hold 0.6 litres and uses the same  filter technology as the jugs which significantly reduces chlorine and improves the tastse. The bottle is also BPA free so you don't have that plastic taste you can get from drinking out of bottles.


I've also got a few more things to help me feel good on the inside:

I can't wait to try out some Zumba, does anyone know good YouTube channels for this? I'm also going to use the iTunes voucher to download some relaxing music so I can unwind at night or listen to when I go on more walks with my dog. A big part of why I drink is to relieve stress so I'm hoping exercise and  focusing my well being will mean I can cut out my G&T cravings.

I've also got a few things to try out to help me look good on the outside too:



If I think I look good I have more confidence and confidence is a key reason why people drink. I'm hoping a pampered and glamarous me wont feel the need to drink to boost confidence.


Throughout the month I will be taking part in challenges which will get me thinking about the reasons why we drink and ways to avoid it. People chose to drink from some of these five reasons - taste, socialising, confidence booster, relaxing and for the buzz.

Taste - Lots of people like to drink great tasting cocktails or are fine ale connoisseurs but BRITA will be challenging me to come up with lovely mocktail recipes.

Socialising - There is a huge pub and bar culture here in the UK and a lot of us drink to socialise. I'm going to be hosting a dinner party with friends (totally wine free) to show you can have a good time and see all your friends outside of a pub situation.

Confidence Booster - We all love a bit of Dutch courage but BRITA will be teaching me some confidence boosting tips so I don't feel the need to reach for a drink.

Relaxing  - A glass of wine after a hard day at work is a great way to unwind but not really the most healthy option. I'm going to try out a relaxing therapy to unwind.

Buzz People often drink to get a buzz and BRITA setting up an activity to get the adrenaline pumping in the form of exercise.