This week I’ve had to take some time off work. I’m the sort of person who’s always going 50 mile an hour. So trying to slow down a bit and unwind is something that doesn’t come naturally. But after having a bit of a shock recently, and seeing the signs of my anxiety manifest physically, I decided it was about time to listen to my body. I realised how much I’d been ignoring all of the signs that were telling me to slow down and take better care of myself. So after temper tantrums, and a lot of support from the people I love, I’ve been taking some time to get back to myself. And trying to do things that will make me happy, rather than worrying so much about the stuff I can’t control. Doing things like lying in and resting, instead of feeling guilty for not getting things done. Like finally getting around to reading the magazines that have been stacking up for longer than I’d like to admit. And of course eating well.
Since I realised how run down I was, I’ve been making an effort to increase the protein in my diet to help my body heal itself. Which generally means I’ve been eating a lot of eggs and avocado. The pasta in the photo is inspired by a recipe on The Londoner. But since I’ve not really ventured out the flat much, I changed the recipe to something a little simpler. Making do with what I already had in, rather than going out for ingredients. It’s dead easy and it’s full of goodness so if you want to try out my slightly more simple version (which serves 2 people), you’ll need:
2 avocados
1/2 lemon (or some lemon juice)
1 teaspoon of chilli flakes
1 teaspoon of parmesan (or any hard cheese)
A handful of cherry tomatoes
A handful of spaghetti
Once your pasta has boiled, peel and mash up the avocado in a small pan (I used a potato masher), squeeze in the juice from the lemon, along with parmesan and chilli flakes. Add this to the cooked pasta along with the chopped cherry tomatoes (so they don’t get squished while you’re mashing) and stir until the mixture coats the pasta. Then all you need to do is enjoy! Adding more parmesan is optional but thoroughly recommended.
I absolutely loved this post, it's so important to put self-care first and it's lovely to see others who realise how vital it is to make sure first and foremost that they're as healthy and happy as possible. If we don't take care of ourselves then many other things suffer – our productivity, relationships, social life, stress levels etc – this post has inspired me to take a nice, long bubble bath and unwind! I love the look of that pasta too, Rosie's blog is amazing isn't it 🙂 I'll definitely be trying this recipe out!
Meg at Meg Says
Everyone does need time off, and a bit of me time. I'm not too much a pasta fan, but this sounds so good. And not typically heavy with the sauces etc.
Annabel ♥
Mascara & Maltesers
Thank you for sharing this! I will definitely try out this recipe soon~ ^^ Staying healthy is so important and I can't wait to try this out 🙂
~Kiyomi <3
kokorosasa
That pasta looks absolutely delicious and I just bookmarked this post to come back for the recipe later! Thank you!
x The Caramel Cat
It's always nice to take a break. That look amazing by the way
M + K
It is sooo important to slow down and take some relaxation time. I've been trying to make my boyfriend have a night off from doing uni work every week – he always has sooo much and he gets so stressed out. Having a healthy diet really helps keep you energized as well!
The Velvet Black // UK Style & Beauty Blog