“SATISFY YOUR SWEET TOOTH WITH NUTRITIOUS BENEFITS & LIFE INSIDE THE PORSCHE TENNIS GRAND PRIX BUBBLE”
Reflection: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2021 Bubble
As most people know, I am a very proud ambassador of Porsche and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (PTGP) in Stuttgart took place this past month. The PTGP is a player favourite on the WTA Tour, it always has such a strong field and is an event the players love to come back to every year.
This year however, for the first time I was not at the PTGP to compete as a professional tennis player but as a Social Media Reporter. Honestly, when entering the Stuttgart bubble, I was really not sure what to expect. The role as the Porsche Social Media Reporter was something completely new and different for me - for the first time I was on the “other side” and not just the other side of the net but a completely different part of the industry…content collection and media.
It was great to rekindle with some close friends I had made over the years and also to try a new project but honestly the overwhelming feeling I came out of the bubble with was, ‘I have A LOT of respect for tennis players right now.’ I understand the flip side, that professional athletes are getting exemptions to travel, still get to earn money and do what they love every week, but we should not take anything away from how difficult and complex it is for tennis players right now.
Before the pandemic, players may have gone earlier to tournaments, to enjoy the city, culture and foods and to give themselves more time to get used to the different conditions, but most now just want to enter bubbles as late as possible, due to the restrictions when arrive. Tennis players are used to living out of suitcases but the feeling of being restricted to a tournament site and hotel and not having your own bed at the end of the day, is really tough. I really do have a lot of admiration for how professional everyone is being, and handling the situation in their own way, and in the end finding great levels of tennis and performances.
The whole experience caused me to reflect a lot about how important it is to take care of mental health. Remember you are number 1, and you have to take time for yourself. Make sure you are in a good mindset and feel good on the inside and out. If not, take a breath, self-reflect, find yourself and something that helps you unwind and step away from the stress in the world.
“Make sure you are in a good mindset and feel good on the inside and out. If not, take a breath, self-reflect, find yourself and something that helps you unwind and step away from the stress in the world.”
Also, a big congratulations to my good friend, Ashleigh Barty for an amazing week, and on your beautiful new Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo (paid partnership).
& Now time for a lots of photos courtesy of >> Jimmie48 and there are more videos and content available at >> Porsche Tennis’ Instagram.
Health & Mindfulness
Now, we all fall weak to sweet cravings sometimes, craving ice cream in the summer or a late-night bar of chocolate. Now, I touched on this last month and it is going to be a continuous theme in every post but eating healthy is still an important part of my day-to-day life, even after hanging up my rackets. Though it does not need to be as strict as that of an elite professional athlete, moderation and exploring healthy food alternatives are the most important factors for me personally.
This month I wanted to share with you one of my current favourite snacks: Raspberry Smoothie. I hold my hands up and admit, like everyone, I fall victim to simply “wanting something sweet” …I think we’ve all had this feeling. This recipe is an amazing, quick and simple snack that is full of great nutrients, tastes really good and can be a filling breakfast, afternoon snack, post-workout drink or simply satisfy that sweet tooth of yours.
Unfortunately, most off-the-shelf smoothies are full of unnatural sugars. This recipe gives you the sweet flavour with only natural sugars, that come predominantly from the fructose in the dates. Dates also contain lots of essential nutrients that we need such as calcium and magnesium, is high in fibre which helps you feel fuller, and also have a high concentration of antioxidants that hep to eliminate “radicals” in the body that could lead to disease. To read more about the benefits of dates, >> here is a great informative article from BBC Good Food.
The raspberries and banana in the recipe also have amazing benefits for us. And the almond milk, is one of the milk alternatives that I like to use. Almond milk ultimately just consists of almond and water and provides the sensation of milk without the lactose and dairy but still lots of goodness. I will definitely be including a variety of other different milk alternatives in future recipes again. One small downside to mention is that this recipe lacks some protein, so if you are looking for additional protein in your diet, there are more effective ways to fulfil that requirement, with regular milk, or adding a protein powder of your choice.
Healthy Recipe: Raspberry Smoothie (for 1 person)
What you need
- 1 Blender/Smoothie Maker
Ingredients
- 100 grams of frozen raspberries
- 5/6 small dried dates (approximately 35g)
- 1 small banana
- 200 ml of Almond Milk (unsweetened)
Instructions
- Slice the banana into smaller chunks for easier blending.
- Add the frozen raspberries, dates, and banana pieces into the smoothie maker.
- Add unsweetened almond milk until all other ingredients are covered, or to personal taste or texture (the more almond milk you add the less thick your smoothie will be.)
- Blend away! The amount of time is determent on your personal machine. Top tip: make sure your dates have been effectively blended to avoid big lumps.
- You are all set to go, serve and enjoy with your friends and family!
P.S. Make sure that your Almond Milk is unsweetened to get the best nutritional benefits. Sweetened almond milk contains about 7g of sugar which is not awful but not really necessary because this smoothie is naturally sweet enough ;)
& Just in case you are looking for something a little bit more filling, make sure you check out my Buckwheat Noodle Dish from last month which provides nutritious alternative to using pasta, >> here
What’s next?
I have a quieter period coming, where I will be taking the time for myself, relaxing and hopefully enjoying some sunshine, and working on some new projects.
I have a fun announcement coming up, about a new campaign I am participating in, so keep an eye on my Instagram account for more information. #watchthisspace ;)
Until next time…