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Chia seeds pack a powerful nutritional punch and are well-loved for their ability to provide sustainable energy. They were a popular staple food with the Aztecs and Mayans and 'chia' is the ancient Mayan word for 'strength'.They also create a 'gel-forming' action, which slows the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar and makes them ideal for sports. They're an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, are rich in antioxidants and provide iron and calcium. These small black seeds can be added to smoothies or used as a porridge topping to add extra protein, healthy fats and fibre to your diet.If you're...

I recently had the pleasure of having a long chat with Andrew Smalley, founder of Systemic Creative. Andrew is passionate about building organisations that are conscious and connected, which really resonated with me as a business owner. I was so inspired by the ethos behind Andrew's company that I jumped at the chance to chat to him about the importance of running a business with heart, values and purpose. We had a great time and covered everything from VALA's early days right through to future plans and how I plan to consciously evolve VALA as a company. Click here to watch our chat and...

This week we're catching up with VALA ambassador and mountain biker Emma Hawkins. Emma is a MTB guide and one third of Sisters of Send, an incredible collective that's hosting the first Welsh mountain biking festival for women in May 2021 (catch us there too!). Find out what inspired Emma to hit the trails, what she loves about being out on her bike and how she discovered her passion for coaching.    Hey Emma, can you tell us a bit about yourself? I live in the South Wales Afan Valley with my husband Dylan, teenage son Tom and our two cats Hugo and Arthur. Outside of biking...

As soon as I read this quote I felt an immediate connection to it. In today's world, it's so easy to get impatient with our lives and expect instant gratification without really giving a second thought to the amount of effort that it requires to succeed at something. Be it running your first marathon, completing your first half-triathlon or in my case, starting my own business, I've found that it can be so easy to try something new for a few days, struggle to see any benefits or results and think "What’s the point?" before getting sucked into the self-doubt...

It’s been eight looong weeks since I’ve run anything over a 3k due to being injured and not wanting to overdo it. It has felt like an eternity since I‘d tread the trails, so today I decided to try my luck and make the most of the brief spells of sunshine between the showers.I laced up the Hokas and started my playlist, but before I’d even left the house the self-doubt started to creep in. What if I have lost my mojo? What if I get half way then can’t go any further? What if I FAIL? My ego and...

Today I was busy typing away on my laptop, looked up at my wall calendar and realised that it's been just over THREE MONTHS since VALA launched. The time has flown by and I'm so grateful for all of our customers, followers and supporters that have been with us throughout the last few months. I also couldn't have done this without my ride or dies - my sister Laura and partner Dann - who are basically my unofficial team.Looking back, it's crazy to think of what we've achieved since launch, from sponsoring some fantastic athletes and events to being featured in Stuff...