**PLEASE NOTE: I am in no way affiliated with Balearic Bootcamp. I realise that at the moment there are some issues with the retreat, so please be very careful when booking. Myself and Zanna Van Dijk got invited out for the week – I do not have any connection with the company so really sorry that we cannot help you if you encounter a problem.**

Oh Ibiza, I didn’t expect to fall quite as much in love with a place as I did with this island on my trip to the Balearic Bootcamp. Ibiza has never been high on my list of places to visit, in fact barely scraped into the top 20 on my bucket list (yes I have a travelling bucket list don’t we all?) I always assumed Ibiza was just a party island. However my week with the Balearic Bootcamp opened my eyes to what a magical and stunning island Ibiza really is.

*Sports bra and leggings both Lorna Jane Active

A few months ago I decided to launch a travel section of The Nutritionista, this section is going to cover health and fitness retreats, healthy travelling tips and guest articles from inspiring people on a range of subjects, whether it be how they set up their own fitness retreat, too how they keep hydrated when travelling the list goes on. Travel has always been such an interest of mine, I love exploring what this beautiful world has too offer. Seeing as The Nutritionista is health and fitness based and my passions lie in this industry I thought it makes perfect sense to combine the two. With health and fitness becoming such a huge part of many of our lives it seems that we don’t just want to be healthy when we are at home but also when we are on holiday. This is where The Nutritionista comes in, I will be exploring and reviewing many amazing health and fitness retreats and locations around the world as well as inviting guests to contribute.

*Nike Zoom trainers, Zuma Mesh One piece Melissa Odabash swimsuit, Sukigi swim bikini top, South Beach Swim swimsuit

So to kick off this new section I am covering Ibiza on my recent trip with fellow fitness blogger Zanna Van Dijk where we were lucky enough to be invited too the Balearic Bootcamp to try out a week of intensive exercise, yoga, meditation and healthy food. Now I mentioned already how beautiful Ibiza is and how much I feel in love with the place. Seriously I was considering packing up London life and moving to the island for good (the thought still tempts me). Although I love London life don’t get me wrong there is something magical about Ibiza which I wasn’t expecting to experience. Which makes it a must visit in my books, the scenery, the beaches, the relaxed chilled vibe everyone has, the beautiful weather and abundance of fresh produce just makes this a healthy haven. Ohh and makes for a case of serious holiday blues!

I am warning you in advance about the length of this blog post- its not going to be short and snappy I am afraid there is just too much to cover. Oh and prepare yourself for a hell of a lot of food photos, oh and the odd ones of me thrown in for good measure. So what I have decided to do instead of writing an essay on Ibiza I have stuck too sections which to me were the most important elements. I really hope you enjoy what I have too say about this wonderful trip and remember this is my first travel blog post so if there are certain elements of trips you want to hear more about do pop me an email on thenutritionistalondon@gmail.com or leave a comment!

Where

Ibiza- in the most beautiful villa hidden behind a super long drive and electric gates. This villa is very much a ‘look at me’ villa. I think its safe to say it has the wow factor and really helped contribute to the luxury feeling of the week. If you are feeling really fancy you can even stay in the top room which has a balcony and jacuzzi in (so swanky ey). I think the villa definately helped make the week special, you can’t help but be impressed. The pool is amazing, but seriously cold which is great for cooling off from the Ibiza sun (trust me you will need it)

*Swimsuit by South Beach Swim

What

Balearic Bootcamp – 6 days of training, yoga, meditation and exploring Ibiza’s beautiful hikes and beaches with Hugo Martini personal trainer and body transformation coach. The Balearic Bootcamp promises a week of exercise, delicious food on the beautiful island of Ibiza.

Daily Routine

Example day – wake up, hot water and lemon, meditation, morning run, stretch, breakfast smoothie, group training, lunch, chill time for 2 hours (sunbathe), afternoon activity such as hiking, yoga, dinner, evening activity (sushi making, nutrition talk, visit ibiza old town)

*Matching Sports bra and leggings from Varley London, available at the Balearic Boutique pop up at the Balearic Bootcamp

Training

So what exactly does the exercise entail I hear you ask? Well obviously being a bootcamp the exercise is a crucial part of the weeks activities. Once we woke up and done our meditation we went on a morning run. These were often routes near the villa, they were generally around half an hour but what was great is you could take them at your own pace. There were a wide range of fitness levels with the people on the trip so some people ran the whole way whilst others chose to walk or jog. I was worried about the runs, partly because I actually don’t enjoy running and partly because I have had a recurring knee injury over the last few months. I suprised myself I actually found myself loving the morning runs and my knee was fine (rejoice) the hills in Ibiza made the runs tough and it was hot even early in the morning but I really found I regained my love for running whilst out there. Also running in a group is very rewarding you can all push and support each other.

As well as morning runs there were also group training sessions this consisted off HIIT training and tabata style training think circuits etc. I am not exaggerating when I say that I think I potentially sweated more than I ever have in my life. Trust me was not pretty….. But certainly rewarding, each day I definitely felt myself getting stronger. We did lots of moves such as push ups and burpees and sprints and within a space of a week I found my push ups were stronger and everything generally felt more powerful. Yes its very intense and I wouldn’t recommend working out too that intensity every day especially in that heat but for just a week it was what I needed. Also working out in a group of people all there to push themselves and get results is pretty darn inspiring.

*Sports bra & flyknit trainers Nike, leggings by Stella McCartney for Adidas and Sweaty Betty jumper

Then finally hiking, this for me was the best bit of the training. I LOVE hiking, I mean who knew? I just loved releasing my inner mountain goat. That said, hiking is so hard don’t underestimate it. I couldn’t believe just how difficult it was and how much of your strength and balance you need. The perfect all over body workout. The best bit is that you get too see some amazing parts of Ibiza, we did a hike called the five peaks which was seriously steep and took us a good 3 hours. I was a sweaty shaking mess at the end but boy is was worth it. If you are looking for exercise which works your whole body and pushes you both mentally and physically I really recommend hiking!

Mind

Now it may be a bootcamp however lets not forget that to have a healthy happy body its about the mind just as much as the hardcore exercise. One element of a healthy lifestyle often neglected by people myself included. So I was looking forward to the yoga and meditation element of the bootcamp just as much as the training. Each morning we had 10 minutes of meditation by the pool. I have only recently got into meditation after being recommended the app headspace. It took me a while to get into but now I love it, in fact I look forward to my 10 minutes of ‘me time’ a day. I personally like to meditate before bed to help clear my mind. I found the 10 minutes every morning in Ibiza the perfect way to start the day, leaving me refreshed and clear minded for the day ahead. The lovely Mel took the meditation and I found the 10 minutes flew by. If anyone is struggling from an over active mind or difficulty sleeping I really recommend meditation as the perfect way to help.

*Sports bra and leggings both Lorna Jane Active

Another element of the bootcamp which focuses on your mind and body is yoga, this was taken every day and was a great way to stretch out and loosen out after a tough workout. I really am trying to incorporate more yoga into my exercise routine so tried to embrace the sessions as much as possible. My two favourite yoga sessions which stood out to me were the yoga class taken on the beach looking out to Es Vedra which was pretty special and then the guest yoga class taken by the amazing Louise founder of Carte Blanche Body Balance. Louise is Scottish and has quite possibly the most soothing voice I have ever heard- so much so I feel asleep in the class and woke up so confused as to where I was haha.

I love the yoga and meditation element of the Balearic Bootcamp as its the perfect partner to the intensive workouts. Its so important to remember that relaxation and taking care of your mind is just as important as all the other elements of a healthy lifestyle. This is something I need to remind myself off!

*Sports bra and top by Sweaty Betty and HPE clothing leggings from Hip & Healthy

Food

The food was provided by the wonderful Ibiza Kitchen who I can not praise enough. In fact I would say that the food on this trip was the highlight for me! I can honestly say it was some of the best meals I have ever eaten, the flavours and obvious love and care taken over each dish was incredible.

An average days food would consist of a morning wake up of hot water and lemon with a pinch of pink himalayan salt followed by a morning smoothie normally a mix of vegetables, some fruit and an added superfood and protein boost from a brand called Ibiza superfoods which are superfood blends often with a vegan protein of sorts. For example the green smoothie (pictured) is a mix of spinach, rocket, hemp, spirulina, avocado and melon with the ibiza superfood blend the ‘skinny mix’ topped with bee pollen. This mix was my favourite by far every smoothie was different. Its funny for someone who swears by a protein breakfast every day I thought I would really struggle with the breakfast smoothies however I grew to love them so much so that I now have bought smoothie ingredients and have been mixing up my mornings and having smoothies in the mornings with a scoop of vegan protein.

Lunch and dinners would be a salad of some kind, with a variety of lean protein whether it be fish or egg. And as you can see from the pictures these salads were delicious I can’t even do them justice with the photos or with my words but they were sensational. I have never been so inspired by food and its honestly changed the way I have looked at my meals. I think sometimes we can get in a rut with our meals especially when we are time poor. Speaking for myself I find I can find myself eating the same meals day in day out purely for convenience and I know they are quick and healthy. Yes the Ibiza Kitchen has sparked that love for delicious healthy dishes once more. The first thing I did when I returned to England was do a big food shop and top up my ingredients all inspired by these dishes and I have been enjoying a lot more fish and tasty salads on a day to day basis. So thank you Ibiza Kitchen for helping re find my love for healthy cooking.

Snacks- ohhh how I love snacking, I mean seriously I am such a snacker or grazzer as some may call it! So my highlight was when we would get our afternoon snack. This would normally be raw veggies with a dip say humous. My favourite being the beetroot humous oh myyyyy lordy it was delicious! Also the lettuce wraps with guacamole in were delicious too. In fact it was all delicious who am I kidding.

Then finally desserts- every day we were treated to a post dinner raw dessert which trust me is so appreciated especially when you have been on a 3 hour hike before! They were all desserts I was familiar with, chia seed pudding, date balls, raw bounty bars etc but they were so tasty. The best thing ever being date syrup which I kid you not is the best thing I have ever eaten and it literally is blended dates and water until a thick caramel sauce is created. Trust me it may change your life.

The highlight for me was the raw sushi making course which again was using mainly raw food- majority of the meals and snacks were raw apart from the added egg and fish. The sushi making was such a fun evening and also so interesting. I loved learning how to make sushi and this is something I am going to be doing more often as its actually surprisingly easy. Check out the pictures for mine and Zannas sushi masterpieces!

On the final night we went to a restaurant called Wild Beets a raw restaurant in Ibiza. The menu was insane, so many delicious sounding raw meals. I went for the veggie burger which came with sweet potato wedges, homemade ketchup, guacamole and some kind of gravy which was so tasty. Then for dessert I went for banana ice-cream and raw chocolate cake. It was probably one of the best raw desserts I have ever eaten and tasted just like a chocolate torte or truffle. I have never been so full after a meal- hello food baby!! If you are ever visiting Ibiza and fancy a tasty healthy meal head over to Wild Beets for some raw goodness. It may not be cheap but the flavours are insane!

Finally, we have to remember that this week was a bootcamp aimed at weightloss and fat loss so the food was designed around that too. The first few days I was rather hungry and kept wishing I could run in the kitchen and grab some food- in fact me and Zanna often went and persuaded the chefs to give us a little bowl of nuts and dried fruit (shhh though). By the end of the week I wasn’t feeling hungry in the day and felt really satisfied after every meal. The Ibiza Kitchen helped me discover more flavours and dishes I hadn’t tried and also it showed me just how much I snack on a day to day basis which I found so interesting. Just one week has definitely changed my eating habits I have eaten so well since being back in London and haven’t craved barely any ‘unhealthy’ meals. I also have been drinking a lot less coffee. So there you have it, maybe it does just take one week of healthy eating to change your mindset to snacking and coffee. It did for me at least and I have never been so inspired with food as I was by the Ibiza Kitchen. I think you will gather…..I really loved the food. Ok enough about food Natalie reign it in ahah.

Results

So lets remember that this is a bootcamp, we were all there to get results! After a week of hardcore exercise and SO MUCH SWEAT. I was pretty excited to see my results. We all had a personal consultation at the beginning of the week where we talked through with Hugo our exercise routine, goals, eating habits then had our weight and body fat measured. The final day this all happened again and the results were that I lost 1 kilo and 1 % bodyfat which I was over the moon about.

*Matching Sports bra and leggings from Varley London, available at the Balearic Boutique pop up at the Balearic Bootcamp

However for me it actually wasn’t the ‘numbers’ on the scale that mattered. It was more how I felt, a week of eating such healthy food, exercising a lot and doing meditation and yoga had me feeling amazing. My body felt tighter and more toned and I could see by pictures I was more defined. But it was so much more than that, my confidence was up, I felt so energetic and my skin was glowing. Mentally I felt peaceful and happy and I think that’s the most important thing. I left the bootcamp feeling motivated and excited to carry on the exercise and eating habits I had established over the week. I didn’t view the bootcamp as a short term quick fix for me this was a kick start and boost to help me carry on when I returned home. I went to the bootcamp healthy and fairly happy with my body but tired, stressed and in a bit of a rut with my eating and exercising. I was drinking too much coffee, snacking way to much and not sleeping enough. The classic Londoner I think right? I left however feeling energised motivated and a hell of a lot more body confident feeling inspired with my cooking and exercise. This has carried on, I am exercising more than before and eating such delicious food (if I say so myself) and making a conscious effort to make more ‘me time’ oh and of course I also am in love with Ibiza now too. So Balearic Bootcamp thanks for helping with all of the above!

Final Thoughts

So finally to wrap up what is probably the longest blog post ever and if you are still reading this thank you for sticking with! I could of written a lot more trust me but did try and condense it down as much as I could. So to round things up I had a fantastic week at the Balearic Bootcamp with my girl Zanna Van Dijk. I meet such a great group of people, you get so close to everyone when you spend that much time exercising and sweating alongside one another. Makes for great comradery and friendship which is such a lovely part. If anyone is considering going to the Balearic Bootcamp or somewhere like it alone then I say go for it you will meet amazing people! The highlights for me were definitely the food as I think you will of gathered. Then the hiking which really took me by surprise! I really recomennd the Balearic Bootcamp for a week of fitness, healthy eating and a truly memorable experience. This is Spain so you have to adapt to the spanish way of keeping to schedules and timings (they are all so slow!!!!) which took me a while to adjust too being a control/organisation freak. But if you can handle that then you will have the most wonderful week and make some great friends. Ohh and get a great tan, eat some amazing food and get fitter- what’s not too love. Ohh and you will get serious holiday blues after, just warning you!

*Melissa Odabash ‘Nicola’ off the shoulder beach dress and bikini

Check out Zannas YouTube video of our week here

My Instagram and Twitter for more photos and updates

Then finally the Balearic Bootcamps Website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for how you can find more information about the trip, prices and even book x

*Melissa Odabash Nicola Dress and Bora Bora Bandeau bikini