News

I've lost count of the amount of people that I've spoken to since the beginning of VALA that use exercise as a way to improve their mental health. Whether it's as an antidote to stress or to burn off excess energy from being sat in a chair all day, exercise is something that we've collectively realised is hugely beneficial to our mind. During off-days when my anxiety or OCD is rearing its head and I’m sluggish after being sat at my desk all day, it can feel easier to stay home and watch Netflix instead of going for a run....

In the early days of searching for ‘natural’ energy gels, I came across an article on the @manvmiles blog by sports journalist Kieran Alger. In his article, Kieran mentioned that "Fuelling with real food such as bananas, dates or honey can be just as effective but, for me, it depends a lot on the race distance and how you’re approaching it. Getting a date out of a food bag while doing 6 minute miles chasing a sub-3-hour marathon is going to have it’s problems". I remembered trying to unwrap a cling-filmed date mid-run, which is no easy feat once it's been smooshed...

When I first started discussing our packaging with manufacturers, I was overwhelmed with the variety of shapes and sizes that gel sachets came in. Whilst researching, I read a lot of online reviews to find out more about people’s packaging preferences. I noticed a lot of comments that certain gels felt a bit too bulky to fit several of them in a belt or vest for a long training session.⁣⁣After speaking to my partner Dann (aka my VALA inspo) about gel sizes, he was adamant that VALA’s sachet should be as compact as possible. He mentioned that there's nothing worse...

When I first began sourcing the raw materials for VALA, I thought that all maple syrup was created equal. I quickly learned that this wasn’t the case, as lots of maple syrups contain artificial flavours and colourings, whilst others are diluted with corn or cane sugar. A quick skim of the label on most shop-bought maple will open your eyes to the hidden additives inside each bottle.⁣ ⁣Whilst using a cheaper syrup would have kept our costs down, I was adamant that I only wanted to use the highest quality ingredients for VALA and didn’t want to compromise on quality...

I’m often asked why I’m so passionate about not using refined sugars or sweeteners in VALA. In 2012 I got ill for a few months and after several rounds of antibiotics I began searching for more holistic ways to heal my body. My mum showed me a newspaper article about a famous tennis player who followed a sugar free, plant based diet and started to notice the health benefits. I was curious to find out more, fell into a rabbit hole of research and eventually decided to modify my diet. Back then I had a real sweet tooth and was...

Friend of VALA Natalia @n.talia_marie shares her top tips for hiking the Inca Trail, which has been on my dream hiking list for many years. If you have similar aspirations, you too can live vicariously through Natalia as she gives us an insight into the highs, lows and must-knows of the Inca Trail below. These spill over into the comments because there was too much helpful and interesting advice to edit out. Enjoy!⁣⁣PLAN AHEAD⁣The Inca Trail is a popular hike that requires a permit. These get booked up months in advance, so plan ahead! The hike is 26 miles and ends at...