Q+A ·
Adashiko Interviews: Megs and Soph
We sat down with our favourite fitness and wellness bloggers, Megs and Soph, and had an in-depth chat about motivation, smoothies, and all things fitness.
We are huge fans here at Adashiko. How did you get started blogging about health and wellbeing online?
Megs and Soph: We had been friends in school and both super into our respective sports (Soph rowing and Megs squash). One random day in 2014 Megs was up in Cambridge for squash, and I went and picked her up for a quick outing which ended up being hours worth of non-stop chatter: everything from recipes we’ve been creating, our stomach issues, sporting goals, travel, to realising we had both recently got kittens and both called them Louie. Long story short, from that day forth we never stopped talking and decided to launch Megs + Soph together because we were both too scared to do it alone.
Megs and Soph: We had been friends in school and both super into our respective sports (Soph rowing and Megs squash). One random day in 2014 Megs was up in Cambridge for squash, and I went and picked her up for a quick outing which ended up being hours worth of non-stop chatter: everything from recipes we’ve been creating, our stomach issues, sporting goals, travel, to realising we had both recently got kittens and both called them Louie. Long story short, from that day forth we never stopped talking and decided to launch Megs + Soph together because we were both too scared to do it alone.
What's an average day in your life like?
Soph: Currently mine consists of 6:15 am alarm, breakfast of oats, yoghurt, cinnamon, and mums homemade peaches (yum!), then I bike twenty minutes to training. I train for two to three hours as I’m just coming off an injury which means I’ve been doing some loooong watt bike sessions, but if I were rowing the sessions would normally be around two hours.
Then I bike home. I eat a second breakfast, which in the summer is generally a big smoothie bowl which I put in Adashiko joint powder, bananas, oats, cacao powder, Nuzest protein powder, ice, and rice milk.
Then I’ll clean, attempt to study, do some emails, work, have meetings with nutritionists, physiologists, or physio, or I’ll take a nap or read a book. Lunchtime depends on training times. Again, I bike down to training for the second training of the day - either a short row or bike or weights - bike home, shower, snack, drink heaps of water and rest. I have dinner with the flatmates then I’ll usually study after dinner for an hour but if I’m too tired I’ll just read on my hammock outside then go to bed after a decent stretching session.
Megs: My day begins between 5.00-6.00am with a wake-up call from my beautiful 5-month-old girl Ameika. We spend the next hour feeding, snuggling, playing, drinking cups of warm tea and honey, and changing poo explosions. Ameika goes down between 8-9am, and I enjoy a large bowl of porridge, yoghurt, berries, cinnamon, collagen, chia seeds, nut butter and more tea (I love tea if you had noticed).
I then train myself; either a home circuit, run, weights or bike if baby is playing the sleeping game well. I usually get a good sweat up in before she wakes. I'm also a personal trainer, so take my clients two days a week while my husband looks after our daughter. If I’m not working the rest of my day consists of lots of feeding, breast pumping, housework, preparing dinner, looking after animals, and making client programs.
Some afternoons I head to squash and have a game while Ameika sleeps in the mountain buggy (long may it last). Then we head home before the crazy nighttime routine begins. My day always finishes with a homemade hot chocolate (Cacao, cinnamon, collagen, coconut cream, milk & honey), and a bliss ball or fruit while I sign off from my last breast pumping session of the day and hit the hay.
Then I’ll clean, attempt to study, do some emails, work, have meetings with nutritionists, physiologists, or physio, or I’ll take a nap or read a book. Lunchtime depends on training times. Again, I bike down to training for the second training of the day - either a short row or bike or weights - bike home, shower, snack, drink heaps of water and rest. I have dinner with the flatmates then I’ll usually study after dinner for an hour but if I’m too tired I’ll just read on my hammock outside then go to bed after a decent stretching session.
Megs: My day begins between 5.00-6.00am with a wake-up call from my beautiful 5-month-old girl Ameika. We spend the next hour feeding, snuggling, playing, drinking cups of warm tea and honey, and changing poo explosions. Ameika goes down between 8-9am, and I enjoy a large bowl of porridge, yoghurt, berries, cinnamon, collagen, chia seeds, nut butter and more tea (I love tea if you had noticed).
I then train myself; either a home circuit, run, weights or bike if baby is playing the sleeping game well. I usually get a good sweat up in before she wakes. I'm also a personal trainer, so take my clients two days a week while my husband looks after our daughter. If I’m not working the rest of my day consists of lots of feeding, breast pumping, housework, preparing dinner, looking after animals, and making client programs.
Some afternoons I head to squash and have a game while Ameika sleeps in the mountain buggy (long may it last). Then we head home before the crazy nighttime routine begins. My day always finishes with a homemade hot chocolate (Cacao, cinnamon, collagen, coconut cream, milk & honey), and a bliss ball or fruit while I sign off from my last breast pumping session of the day and hit the hay.
It's the new year, and we're all making fitness resolutions... What are your tips for starting an exercise regime and sticking to it?
Megs and Soph: Funny you mention this question because we literally just finished a blog post about this, check it out here.
Megs and Soph: Funny you mention this question because we literally just finished a blog post about this, check it out here.
Your healthy go-to meal in a flash?
Soph: Smoothie!! Banana, cacao powder, rice milk, ice, collagen powder, protein powder.
Megs: Funny, mine is a smoothie nine times out of ten too! Unless I don’t want to wake the baby, then I’ll go for paleo toast smothered with avocado and topped with tomato.
Soph: Smoothie!! Banana, cacao powder, rice milk, ice, collagen powder, protein powder.
Megs: Funny, mine is a smoothie nine times out of ten too! Unless I don’t want to wake the baby, then I’ll go for paleo toast smothered with avocado and topped with tomato.
Your recipes are incredible. What's your favourite thing to eat as a "cheat meal" or as a treat?
Soph: Meg’s Raw Caramel Slice - I swear it tastes soooo much better when she makes it, like dangerously good! (pictured above).
Megs: Our Megs and Soph Raw Banoffee Pie any meal of the day, please!
How long have you been taking Adashiko? And what benefits have you noticed?
Soph: I’ve been taking the Joint formula since June 2018, so just over 6months now. Seriously, my nails have never been so strong; I’m a notorious nail biter and it actually hurts trying to bite through them now haha! Also, hair growth has been insane plus my wrist injury doesn’t flare up as much as it used to and I can handle a lot more yoga moves on it now.
Megs: I have been taking the Adashiko Pure collagen for six months now along with using the Collagen + Noni gel for my face. I have noticed a huge difference in my joints and tendons - particularly my Achilles, which I have battled with severe pain for years. I also couldn’t have wished for a better recovery after having a baby! The way my body slowly bounced back was incredible. I completed a half marathon at 12 weeks postpartum and felt amazing. I definitely think taking collagen played a huge part in my performance and recovery of it.
The last noticeable thing for me has been my skin. Becoming a new mum I have had a lot less sleep than I was used too previously. I use the gel each night after showering an I'm amazed that my skin has stayed feeling fresh and smooth and the bags under my eyes have stayed well under control!
Soph: Meg’s Raw Caramel Slice - I swear it tastes soooo much better when she makes it, like dangerously good! (pictured above).
Megs: Our Megs and Soph Raw Banoffee Pie any meal of the day, please!
How long have you been taking Adashiko? And what benefits have you noticed?
Soph: I’ve been taking the Joint formula since June 2018, so just over 6months now. Seriously, my nails have never been so strong; I’m a notorious nail biter and it actually hurts trying to bite through them now haha! Also, hair growth has been insane plus my wrist injury doesn’t flare up as much as it used to and I can handle a lot more yoga moves on it now.
Megs: I have been taking the Adashiko Pure collagen for six months now along with using the Collagen + Noni gel for my face. I have noticed a huge difference in my joints and tendons - particularly my Achilles, which I have battled with severe pain for years. I also couldn’t have wished for a better recovery after having a baby! The way my body slowly bounced back was incredible. I completed a half marathon at 12 weeks postpartum and felt amazing. I definitely think taking collagen played a huge part in my performance and recovery of it.
The last noticeable thing for me has been my skin. Becoming a new mum I have had a lot less sleep than I was used too previously. I use the gel each night after showering an I'm amazed that my skin has stayed feeling fresh and smooth and the bags under my eyes have stayed well under control!
How do you like to take your Adashiko powder?
Soph: In my smoothie or often mixed into my oats mixed in before my afternoon weights session (which is proven to be the best time to take it rather than after).
Megs: I like it in my porridge or my morning smoothie. I also have a scoop in my evening hot chocolate. I have also added to bliss balls, and protein shakes. It’s great as it dissolves easily and doesn’t have a taste.
Life can get busy. How do you maintain balance and what do you like to do in your downtime?
Soph: This is a tough one and something I’m still learning to do, as I like to say yes to most things. But over the years, especially since my 18 months away from rowing I'm learning the importance of balance more and more. I like to read in my downtime, to get me out of my head and force me to relax properly.
Megs: Balance was one of my biggest challenges before becoming a mum, and even more so now I’m a mum. I’ve never been very good at saying no to things, especially things that don’t serve me any purpose or that mean I end up neglecting my own health or family. That has been something I’ve been working hard on.
I also try to prioritise things that mean the most to me and then I find that the rest of my day flows better for it. Things like getting outside, gardening, moving my body, cooking, cuddling my daughter, and time with my family make me extremely happy, so putting those things first when I can is important to me.
