Bring It 2016!

Hey Guys!

So it's 2016 and the new year, new me atmosphere is in the air. This year is going to be an exciting one for me as I am finishing my qualifications in nutrition & lifestyle coaching and pilates teacher training. I am not one for new years resolutions but I have set myself a few goals for the year ahead, one of my favourites is to try 5 new extreme sports. 

Some of the others include travelling on some amazing healthy holidays, setting up my health and fitness business and spending more time with my crazy awesome family and friends.

Stay tuned and check back here to follow up with how my adventures are going and any healthy tips, tricks and recommendations I have for you all on the way :)

Have a great year!!

Spotlight on Milk Thistle

Hello Health Nuts! 

I wanted to share with you my new health obsession: Milk Thistle. I was introduced to this by a friend recently using it as a hangover cure.....I don't often drink which unfortunately means when I do I normally feel it pretty severely the next day....in steps the milk thistle. 

Milk thistle naturally helps detox the pancreas and the liver, it has the ability to stimulate protein synthesis which helps with the development of new liver cells.

As recommended to me I popped out to the shops and picked up some in tablet form, I take one before I drink and then one or two before bed. As a hangover cure you can also add other minerals and vitamins such as echinacea, vitamin B, vitamin E and calcium alongside and take them with a pint of water. 

I can honestly say this worked for me immediately and although I don't advertise or promote heavy drinking it definitely makes me feel fresher and healthier the next day if I have had a few too many! 

I was so impressed with this cure that I started reading up on milk thistle and talking about it with friends and it turns out there are many many more benefits from this health wonder!

Because of it's liver detoxifying functions it can also help with the appearance of your skin and with weight loss. There are studies into it's role in helping with cancer and high cholesterol and even though further studies are needed for definite results, it has been seen that one material within milk thistle called silymarin contains a powerful antioxidant that can inhibit development in cancer cells and help in lowering cholesterol.

Have you ever tried milk thistle for a hangover or any other health benefits?

Let me know!

Health Over Your Life- Food and Drink

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is how do I start with my health-over? What are the small changes I can make? I am on a mission to get rid of all harmful chemicals from my life from processed foods and drinks to the beauty products I use and household cleaning products. However many people want to just make a few easy changes in their life to help them reach their optimum health, but let's be honest it can be daunting and difficult to know where to start with all the difference of opinion out there! I am going to do a few health-over posts to do with beauty, home, lifestyle etc in the next few weeks but let's start with the main topic everyone always wants to discuss.....food and drink!

Here are some of my main daily health hacks:

- Hot water and lemon, first thing in the morning, it's an oldie but a goody and a great start to the day. Hot lemon water acts as a digestive aid and sets up the digestive system for the day.

-Drink drink drink, no sorry I don't mean alcohol! Water -you should aim to be drinking about 2litres of the good stuff each day. Your kidneys will thank you for it, and as your kidneys are in charge of cleaning out your system (more on this later) your skin, nails, hair, mood will benefit too!

-Preparation is key, I always try to meal plan each week and if I am at work the next day I will make my lunch that evening to make sure I am not caught short trying to run around finding a fresh food lunch (so much harder than it should be!)

-Healthy snacking, it's so easy if you are prepared. I always carry a banana and almonds or some raw protein balls in my handbag for on the go snacking. So no need to pick up a shop bought "health" bar : read- if it comes in a packet, has more than 6 ingredients and you can't pronounce or know what most of them are chances are it's not good for you!

And now for some quick health swaps:

Breakfast

No breakfast- Green Juice Please please please try to give your body some nutrients at the start of the day, if you are someone that really can't stomach food until lunchtime then start of with a green juice packed with antioxidants and nutrients. :)

Cereal/ Granola- Porridge or Smashed Avocado/ Eggs/  Natural Peanut Butter on Rye Bread Unless the granola is homemade or from a reputable health food company (have a quick check at the ingredients list - yeah that healthy looking packaging has disguised the fact it's actually not healthy at all!) Cereal and Granola are packed with sugar - normally more than a pastry - yes even those "healthier" types, special K I am looking at you! Swap for a home made porridge with seeds, nuts or fruit toppings. Alternatively have a source of protein on some toasted rye bread.

Lunch

Sandwich / Wrap - Sushi or Homemade Lettuce Wrap.

Sandwiches and wraps especially shop bought are laden with wheat and gluten, even if you don't have an intolerance to these ingredients they are inflammatory foods, meaning the digestive system and the gut has to work harder to break down these foods and process them through the body. Give your gut some loving and opt for some sushi (not tempura- sorry guys I know I'm so mean) or make your own wrap at home and make a wrap out of big lettuce leaves.

Pasta Salads/ Tinned Soup- Chopped Salads/ Homemade Soup.

Ok so now I am picking on pasta - but as before pasta contains wheat and gluten, unless it is rice or a wheat alternative pasta then by all means stick with this :) Tinned soup- again just take a quick glance at the ingredients list and chances are sugar and emulsifiers or preservatives are in that list! Make salads fun by making chopped salads- throw lots of different salad and vegetables in a blender, whizz until roughly chopped and top with a tahini salad dressing- if you want to look like a pro health nut why not add quinoa into the mix?! Oh and you got it- want soup? Make your own!

Dinner 

Oh the possibilites are endless and mostly self explanatory....here are a few of my favourites:

Chips/ Potatoes- Sweet Potatoes

Pasta- Rice Pasta/ Quinoa/ Courgetti

Noodles- Sweet Potato/ Carrot Noodles

(side note: buy a spiralizer it will change your life- this may be a slight over exaggeration)

Pizza/ Cauliflower Pizza

Go on - try it!

Shop bought Sauce / Homemade Sauce

I'm looking at you pasta/ curry/stir fry sauces- get inventive in the kitchen!

I could go on forever but let's be honest I don't have the time- I am a busy bee at the moment!

 My main rule to eating and drinking healthier is to use wholefood ingredients and avoid where ever possible anything processed with added unnatural ingredients.

I hope this has been helpful to some of you. 

Let me know any of your health hacks!

Vegan Tikka Masala

Hey fellow health nuts!

I am a huge curry and indian food lover - I could eat it by the bucket load but I am regularly disappointed when getting take away or eating out at how oily and greasy the dishes taste.

I made this vegan tikka masala a couple of weeks ago and when I posted it on instagram I got a lot of requests to share the recipe so here we go :) It is so easy to make and everything is made from scratch.

What you need for the paste:

-3 garlic cloves crushed

-1 inch piece of fresh ginger

-2 small red chillies, deseeded and chopped

-2tsp cumin

-2tsp coriander

-1tsp paprika

-1tsp tumeric

-2tsp water or oil

Whizz up all the ingredients in a blender or crush together in a pestle and mortar until a paste is formed.

What you need for the curry:

- 2 onions

- Coconut oil

- 2 tbsp tikka masala paste

- 2 red peppers

-1/2 cup coconut yogurt

- Broccoli

- Cauliflower

- Spinach

- 2 tins of chopped tomatoes.

Method:

Chop up the onions and fry them in coconut oil until soft.

Add in the chopped peppers, broccoli and cauliflower, then stir in the tikka masala paste.

Keep stirring until all the vegetables are covered with the paste.

Add in the chopped tomatoes and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the coconut yogurt and spinach and leave for a further 5 minutes.

Season and add any extra spices to taste and then serve and enjoy :)

Coffee and Cacao Facial and Body Scrub

Everyone wants healthy glowing skin right? This recipe for a cacao and coffee bean face and body scrub is easy to make and has no nasty chemicals or parabens and is pretty cheap to make as well.

The benefits of these ingredients are never ending but here are just a few for you - Lemon is antibacterial and helps to cleanse the skin, Raw Cacao is packed full of antioxidants great to give you a healthy complexion and the Coffee beans help to exfoliate the skin as well as soothing.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp ground coffee beans

2 tsp raw cacao powder

Juice of 1/4 lemon

2 tsp honey

1 tbsp almond milk

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl then place in a container and keep in the fridge.

A few times a week use as a face mask, exfoliator or body scrub.

Hope you enjoy this quick and easy beauty fix as much as I do, my skin always feels so smooth and clear after just one use :)

Raw Nut, Caramel, Chocolate Slice.

One of my absolute favourite treats is a millionaire caramel shortbread so I fell in love with this amazingly yummy raw healthy treat!

The best bit? It's pretty quick and easy to make too :)

Here is what you are going to need: 

2 cups of Almonds. (I used a handful of walnuts too)

2 cups of Mejool Dates.

2 tbsp of Peanut Butter.

2 1/2 cups of Honey. (Maple Syrup for Vegan)

1 1/2 cups Coconut Oil.

1 1/2 cup Raw Cacao Powder

Pinch of Cinnamon.

And here is how to make it.....

Soak your nuts in water for 4-6 hours before making.

Once the nuts have been soaked,  drain and add the peanut butter, 1 cup of honey and 1 cup of dates into the blender and blend into a paste. (Add almond milk or water to help get the right consistency if needed)

Pack the nut mixture into a baking tray and place into the freezer.

 To make the caramel sauce heat 1 cup of dates in a pan with 2 cups of water for 5 minutes, drain then add to a blender with 1/2 cup of honey and 1/2 cup coconut oil. Blend until smooth.

Take the baking tray out of the freezer and smooth the caramel sauce over the nut mixture. Place the tray back in the freezer.

To make the chocolate sauce: Melt 1 cup coconut oil, 1 1/2 cup raw cacao and 1 cup honey. Add in a pinch of cinnamon and mix until smooth.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the nut and caramel layers and place back into the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

Take out the slice and cut into it and enjoy!! 

Attention Hummus Lovers!

Good Afternoon Health Bugs!

After so long off from blogging it seemed only right to share something I cannot live without- hummus! Shop bought stuff is normally expensive compared to this simple D-I-Y recipe which takes less than 10 minutes and is so yummy!

Give it a try and let me know what you think :)

(This recipe makes about 2 normal supermarket size pots.)

Ingredients:

Canned chickpeas

1 lemon

2 tbsp tahini paste

2 garlic cloves crushed

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp cumin

2tsp paprika

4 tbsp water

1 tsp salt.

Method:

-Rinse and drain the chickpeas then pop them into a blender with the juice of one lemon.

-Add in the crushed garlic, tahini paste, olive oil, water, cumin and paprika.

-Blend into a smooth paste, then season with salt and lemon juice to taste.

-Scrape out every last bit and enjoy!

-Keep in the fridge and it should last up to a week.