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How to climb a mountain with super snacks…

October 24, 2018 by Charlotte Markham

We’re delighted that one of our regular customers, Stuart Walsh, has agreed to share his journey to the summit of Mont Blanc in this month’s blog article! Stuart recently completed his first Alpine climb, and we’d like to think that our energy bites played a small part in fuelling his endeavours… Read on for our interview with Stuart!



Q: Was this your first mountain climb?

A: Believe it or not, this was my first trek at Alpine Climbing. I’m a huge goal setter, and I believe we can achieve anything if we put our mind to it, get focused and work hard. The first mountain was the Gran Paradiso at 4,061m, we then went onto Mont Blanc (4,810m).

Q: Why Mont Blanc?

A: When I was doing my research on mountaineering, I was setting my sights too low and playing it safe, and I just thought, let’s go for the highest mountain in Western Europe, why not?! Once I set my mind to it, it was a plan to get the hard work done in the gym.

Q: What sort of training did you do before your climb?

A: I finished an Ultra Marathon in December, so I had worked on a lot of strength and core with my P.T., but when I told him about my new goal, he had to tailor my training, so it was suitable for climbing Mont Blanc. I’m always running and biking, so my cardiovascular work is part of my daily routine.

Q: Did you adopt a special diet before your climb?

A: I wouldn’t say it was special, but I listened to what my body was asking for as the training got more intense, keeping the macronutrients balanced to the type of training I was doing. This is where Frog Hollow helped me out massively with their energy bites, different recipes giving different levels of nutrition.

Q: Who climbed it with you? Did you climb in a guided group?

A: I climbed in a guided group with five other people I’d never met. You always meet like-minded people when you share the same goals, so more often than not, you all get on even though you come from different backgrounds. I met friends for life, I was fortunate; they were a special group.

Q: Did you suffer from altitude sickness?

A: I didn’t suffer from altitude sickness, but the first time I was exposed to 4000m+, I felt it, less oxygen and intense climbing, it was hard!

Q: What was the most difficult thing about climbing Mont Blanc and how did you cope?

A: The most difficult thing about climbing Mont Blanc was the final part of the descent. We were climbing down and running through the Gran Couloir (super dangerous for rockfall) and at this point my legs were feeling it, using different muscles as we climbed down the mountain. But when you know, you’ve got to get down, and if you don’t focus you’re at significant risk, you pull in the energy from somewhere. It’s as much of an amazing feeling getting to the bottom as it is getting to the summit.

Q: What were you most pleasantly surprised by?

A: It has to be when we were at the summit, it takes everything out of you, and when you get to the top, the view is just spectacular. The thing that surprised me the most was the rush of emotion I got, tears starting to roll down my face as a real sense of achievement rushed through my body. At that point, I didn’t care about getting down; I just wanted to enjoy the moment.

Q: How long did it take you to reach the summit?

A: To reach the summit and back was a nine hour round climb, but we were on the mountain for three days as we moved up to camp and acclimatised.

Q: What did you learn about yourself as a result of climbing Mont Blanc?

A: I pushed my body to the limits on this trip; it was the hardest thing I have achieved. But the thing I learnt the most, was that the mind is a wonderful paradox, it uses itself to understand itself, and with this, the body will follow. This makes our limits limitless!

Q: How did you sustain yourself mentally and physically during your climb?

A: With any big goals, you are going to go through mental and physical battles, and I had my fair share on this trip, but it’s important to listen to your body. The biggest thing I found was the amount of fuel you need; you have to be continually eating on your journey. The energy bites from Frog Hollow were perfect for the Mont Blanc climb, compact, packed with nutritional goodness and something I could eat regularly to keep my energy levels up. If your energy levels are depleted, then it’s game over, so it’s essential to have to right fuel for your body!

Q: What would be your #1 piece of advice to anybody else who has a goal to climb Mont Blanc?

A: It would have to be to believe in yourself, a mountain is like any big goal, believe you can do it and get to work. You have to want to achieve it more than do breathing the oxygen in the air, focus, train hard and when it’s show time, just have fun! That’s the most important part, smile and enjoy it.

Q: So what goal do you have set next?

A: I found myself with Alpine Climbing, so I’m just finalising plans to climb Mount Elbrus in Russia (5,642m) in the first half of next year. Then it’s Aconcagua (6,962m) in Argentina later in the year. Two big goals that require more intensive training, so I’ll need my energy bites!


We’d like to wish Stuart the very best with his next challenge and remember our energy bites are perfect after any exercise; you don’t have to be a mountain climber! They are also great for lunch boxes, on-the-go breakfasts, afternoon pick-me-ups, in fact, any time of day or night that you need an energy boost!

Buy yours HERE.

Filed Under: Energy Bites, Happy Customers

Healthy Lunch Box Ideas

September 11, 2018 by Charlotte Markham

We’re barely a week into the new term at school, and yet it might already feel like you’ve been filling lunchboxes for months!

I recently heard Pollyanna Hale from the Fitmum Formula on Sky News, talking about school lunchboxes and how they need to be radically improved. You can listen to the interview here. With some children’s lunchboxes containing more sugar than they should be consuming in an entire day, Pollyanna talks about how healthy lunches for your kids don’t need to be complicated. Nor, does she try to convince the listeners that their children should be eating lentil and spinach salad.

In this week’s blog, I wanted to share with you some healthy lunch box tips and ideas from the Frog Hollow kitchen.

  • Bread isn’t the enemy – The humble sandwich has always been a lunchbox staple. These days, bread often has an undeserved bad reputation. Any growing kid needs starchy foods for fuel and energy. And whole grain bread is a fantastic food for this. That said, do think about the fillings you use. Sugary jams and chocolate spreads are not the best choices. But a protein filled sandwich is. Tuna, ham and cheese are all good fillings. If you really want to avoid bread, then don’t desert the all-important tummy fillers altogether. A carbohydrate-rich pasta or rice salad will also fuel your child for the afternoon ahead.
  • Five a day fever – I always try to pack at least two or three of Olivia’s five a day in her school lunch box. Rather than packing a whole piece of fruit, you may find your littlies prefers a few berries or a mandarin that has been peeled and segmented. If you get caught out and have little fresh fruit in the house, you could combine a variety of dried fruit and seeds, into a homemade healthy trail mix.
  • Going crazy for calcium – There are some straightforward ways to support your child’s growing bones with a healthy lunch box. Cubed mild cheddar cheese (not processed cheese) is a firm lunchbox favourite and yoghurts, or fromage frais are an obvious choice. But if your child doesn’t eat dairy consider some hummus and broccoli spears, (both are rich in calcium).
  • Something sweet – A sweet treat doesn’t have to be sugar-laden. If you can batch cook flapjacks or shortbread it’s easy to keep a check on the sugar content; it’s not so easy if you’re buying pre-packaged or processed sweet treats. Frog Hollow energy bites make a perfect sweet treat, but with many schools being nut free zones, you may find it easier to save these for a sweet treat at the end of the day. I always take a few energy bites with me when I collect Olivia from school. She’s always hungry when she comes out, and two or three bites are all she needs to fill the gap between school pick-up and supper! Our new No Added Sugar Energy Bites Pack, contains four favourite flavours.

    Buy Your Energy Bites Here!

Filed Under: Energy Bites, Ideas and Inspiration

A Summer Smoothie Bowl

July 17, 2018 by Charlotte Markham

Ever since the advent of the NutriBullet and Vitamix we’ve all been going silly for smoothies. But if you haven’t got the latest kitchen gadgetry, you can still whizz up a storm for a nutrient-packed power punch. A basic liquidiser or humble hand blender will do the same job as some of the more expensive appliances on the market!

Lately, the smoothie has taken a new turn… Your breakfast blend just got slightly thicker, so you can serve it in a bowl! As the children sit down to summer holiday breakfasts, wave bye-bye to sugar-laden cereal and say hello to the summer smoothie bowl. One of the great things about the thicker, creamier-textured smoothie bowl is the fun you can have with toppings. Kids love sprinkles and toppings, so let them create their own from a selection of healthy choices. Olivia and I love using fresh or dried fruit, seeds, nuts and coconut chips. For a bigger boost of Va Va Voom, we often add some Frog Hollow energy bites to the mixture.

Here’s a recipe for you to try.

Summer Love Smoothie Bowl

  • 1 small pot of coconut yogurt
  • A handful of your favourite summer fruits, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc
  • 2 medjool dates – pitted

Toppings:

  • Desiccated coconut
  • Kiwi fruit
  • Blackberries
  • Coco-currant energy bites
  • Strawberries

Method:

  1. Puree the fruits with the yoghurt and dates and pour into a bowl.
  2. Decorate the top with sliced fruits, coconut and a swirl of yogurt and the energy bites.

This summer smoothie bowl makes a fabulous start to the day, or a super sweet treat to replace ice cream and other sugar-laden desserts and snacks.

Why not have a smoothie bowl decorating competition in your house? Such fun! Upload your images to Instagram and add the hashtag #froghollowsummerlove

Buy your energy bites HERE.

Filed Under: Energy Bites, Recipes

5 Tips to 5 K – Running with energy!

June 13, 2018 by Charlotte Markham

Those of you that know me will also know that I caught the running bug some time ago, and have previously taken part in both 5K and 10K Race for Lifes, and the Great South Run (10 miles). On 8th July, I will be running 10K once again for the Cancer Research UK Race for Life. As a cancer survivor of 3 years, this a cause very close to my heart. If you would like to support me in raising money for this worthy cause, please visit my fundraising page HERE.

I’m the first to admit that I couldn’t have achieved this without the help of my trainer Carol Patrick PT, so I asked Carol to share five tips to help you reach 5K… Here they are!

  • Start by walking briskly, then add a little run. Use visible markers, such as I’ll get to the next lampost! Then walk again. Repeat this a few times, while gradually increasing your goals.
  • Find a running buddy. It’s always more fun with company! A friend or your dog would love to go 😊!
  • Getting out there first thing is the hardest thing. Get your kit ready the night before, and put your trainers by the door, so there are no excuses.
  • Go digital. There are lots of apps on the market that will help you record your progress. Sometimes seeing how far you’ve come, is enough to spur you on more.
  • Don’t feel pressured by how far or how fast… Just do it!

To find out more about Carol, and how she can help you feel amazing, visit her website!


Once you have built up an appetite from your run or workout, you’ll need to refuel. Our energy bites are just the thing to top up your reserves! We’ve just added a brand new flavour to the range, Lemon Pop, and it’s available as part of our No Added Sugar Energy Bites Pack. While our beautiful Kilner Jars, chock full of energy bites, look fabulous in your fridge, we know they are not always the most portable option for when you are on the move. So, we have packaged this new product in PLA. PLA is plant-based packaging, derived from renewable resources, such as corn starch, cassava roots, chips or starch, or sugarcane.

The No Added Sugar Energy Bites Pack, contains four different flavours, Lemon Pop, Coco Currant, Mango & Lime Mojo and Top Nut Banana. The pack costs £8.90, and includes 230g of energy to help you zoom, zoom, zoom!

Buy Yours Here.

Filed Under: Energy Bites, Healthy lifestyle, Ideas and Inspiration, PLA

How to survive Easter without chocolate!

March 20, 2018 by Charlotte Markham

Easter is fast approaching and with it comes the overwhelming temptation to succumb to sugar-laden sweets and unethical palm oil filled chocolate treats. But there is good news! You can enjoy treats that treat you (and your family) well. If you’d like to know how to survive Easter without chocolate, then read on!

Raw Blueberry & Lemon Mousse CakeLet them eat cake – An Easter get together with family or friends definitely calls for cake. So why not serve up a superfood cake. At Frog Hollow all our cakes are sweetened naturally, they are gluten and dairy free and offer a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals and good fats leaving you and your guests feeling light and energetic. These nutrient-rich delights will serve as the perfect centrepiece for your Easter table. Order yours HERE.

Pick and Mix Energy BitesEat a rainbow – Isn’t it funny how those tiny jewel-like eggs catch the eye of your little darlings, faster than you can say “Don’t eat them all at once!”? We all know that eating the rainbow is important, but a foil-wrapped rainbow doesn’t count! Our energy bites aren’t just colourful, (because they’re chock-full of the goodness of fruit and veg) they’re also power packed snacks that will give your kiddies the vitality to get up and go-go-go! Treat the whole family with our largest Pick & Mix Jar; you get sixty bites in ten delicious flavours. Order yours HERE.

Eat chocolate… That’s good for you! – Sometimes in life there is only one solution… And that is chocolate! But don’t just settle for any old chocolate, be discerning in your selection! At Frog Hollow our Raw Cacao Truffles are naturally delicious. Not just because of the things they don’t contain… Like all Frog Hollow products, they are free from gluten, refined sugar and dairy; but also because they’re full of the good stuff. It all starts with our super-hero ingredient Raw Cacao, we add nuts, seeds, berries, natural butters, spices and lots of love to the mix; and something quite magical happens… Order yours HERE.


Chocolate-Free Treasure Hunt for your Easter Bunnies


It’s become a tradition in many households to have an Easter Egg Hunt, but if you’re trying to avoid too much chocolate here’s an alternative treasure hunt, that inspires creativity too, it’s a #winwin situation for your Easter Bunnies.

  • Buy several packs of coloured pencils and Easter-themed colouring books.
  • Hide the individual coloured pencils around the garden or house.
  • Give each of the children attending your treasure hunt an empty pencil box, and send them on their way to fill it up with the correct colour combination.
  • When they return with their full pencil box, reward them with a colouring book.
  • While the little ones are busy getting creative, reward yourself with a cuppa and a slice of superfood cake!

 

 

Filed Under: Energy Bites, Ideas and Inspiration, Raw Cacao Truffles, Superfood Cakes

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The Veg Pledge

This month Cancer Research U.K. is challenging people to go vegetarian or vegan for 30 days to help raise money as part of the Veg Pledge. Now, whether you've decided to take part in the Veg Pledge or … [Read More...]

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