Overnight Oats

These overnight oats are a great breakfast option especially for anyone who is busy in the mornings or need breakfast on the go.

Leave 1/2 cup oats mixed with 1/4 cup chia seed in 1/2 cup of almond milk overnight. I normally leave this in a Mason Jar in the fridge as it's easier to carry around the next morning.

In the morning just remove from the fridge add sweetener of your choice, I normally use coconut sugar or agave nectar and then top with fruit, dried fruit and seeds- in this case I have used sultanas, bananas then dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.

Take the jar with you and enjoy on the go!!

Healthy BBQ Ideas

Hey Guys!

So it's summer so that means it is picnic and BBQ season, normally BBQs mean lots of salty red meat in the form of burgers and the normal fat filled sausages with sides of white starchy carbs in the form of buns, rolls and bowls of potato salad and not to mention the slaw smothered in mayonnaise!

Needless to say for anyone trying to follow a healthy lifestyle and clean diet it can be a bit of a minefield and leave you feeling low after eating lots of bad food, so I thought I would do a post on healthier alternatives you can offer at BBQs or for picnics that I am sure your family and friends will enjoy too!

Quinoa Salad: A really easy option to make, wash and drain the quinoa then boil (1 part quinoa- 5 parts water) for around 30 mins, drain and then mix with roasted veg of your choice- onions, peppers and broccoli work really well.

Chickpea Salad: Mix drained chickpeas with some lemon juice, a sprinkling of mixed herbs and coconut oil, stir in chopped up peppers, celery and onion.

Salmon and Chicken: These are two leaner meat and fish options, both of which are yummy when cooked on a BBQ.

Corn on the Cob: This is my absolute favourite side to have and why not drizzle a little lemon juice on top instead of butter!

Tricolore with a Twist: Avocado, tomato and goats cheese sliced as a yummy salad option.

Homemade Healthy Slaw: Grated cabbage, carrots, raw beetroot, mixed with 2tbsp wholegrain mustard and 2tbsp lemon juice. 

Fruit Salad: Why not go exotic and try fruit you wouldn't normally eat such as dragon fruit, and wherever possible use locally grown, in season fruit.

Something Naughty: Why not serve mini healthy cheesecake alternatives recipe here or some not-so-naughty choc crispy bars recipe here .

Chocolate Superfood Bowl

Hello all of you lovely people. I hope you are having a happy monday :)

Any of you that follow me on instagram may have seen me post about this breakfast recipe already.

This is by far the naughtiest tasting healthy treat and I absolutely love making it for breakfast or even as a dessert as it has a chocolate mousse taste to it....the recipe is as usual really simple and it only takes 5-10 minutes to make. So here is my recipe, I hope you enjoy it!

Blend 1 frozen banana, a handful of frozen berries, 1 cup of almond milk and 1/4 cup of raw cacao powder in a blender until smooth (chopping up the banana first really helps to smooth the mix)

You can top with any toppings of your choice but my favourites are berries, seeds, dried fruit or homemade granola.

Please let me know if you try out this recipe or Instagram a pic and use the hashtag #thehealthcave

Have a great week!

Ockenden Manor Spa

The outdoor pool with gorgeous countryside views.

Outside the spa, wild flowers leading up to the entrance

All set for a day of pampering and relaxation

The amazing ila products used for our massages and facials.

Afternoon tea (herbal of course)

Hello :)

Todays post is going to be a slightly shorter one but I just wanted to share with you all the amazing experience I had when I went with my mum to Ockenden Manor Spa.

We went mid week for an "Indulgence Day" with meant we had full use of the spa and two treatments (all prices and details can be found here)

We arrived about 10:30 am, driving in on a sunny day up a small country lane to be greeted with a modern spa building surrounded by hundreds of wild flowers and the sun blazing down on us= bliss!

At reception we were given locker keys and lead to the changing rooms, each locker had a towel, a robe and pair of flip flops to change into. 

As it was such a glorious day we decided a little bit of sunbathing was in order so headed out and picked the biggest comfiest round sofa bed near the jacuzzi and settled down with some magazines and tea/coffee -unlimited! Obviously I stuck with the green and peppermint teas oh and did I mention the detox water that was everywhere just to keep hydrated? :)

At 12 we headed back into reception to be greeted by two lovely ladies who took us to the treatment rooms for our first treatment, an hour long Kundalini back massage with essential oils and chakra healing. I was so chilled out and relaxed it was a brilliant treatment and the oils smelt divine!

Lunch was next which was an open avocado, tomato and mozzarella sandwich on rye bread and a fresh juice.

There was a gym also available inside but as it was such a glorious day I decided a dip in the pool was a much better way to get my movement in for the day so I did some laps for 30 minutes in the outdoor pool while enjoying the sunshine. A quick dry off and a little bit more sunbathing and it was time for our next treatment.

The second treatment we had was the Ananda facial using ila products. This was by far the best facial I have ever had by a long shot! They started with a facial massage with essential oils, followed by a cleanse and tone, then a clay mask. As the clay mask was left on we had a choice of a scalp or hand and arm massage, I opted for the scalp massage as I always find they are so relaxing and help ease any tension in my mind. The clay mask was removed with warm steamy cloths and then another facial massage with a lighter essential oil- again the smells were so delicious, clean and fresh! Lastly a moisturiser cream was applied and we were given sheets with all of the products that had been used.

I am not usually a big fan of facials but I was seriously impressed with this one!

The last thing for us to do before we headed home was to sit and have a little afternoon tea. We ordered the scones (not gluten free unfortunately but I like a treat every so often :D ) that came with cream and jam and two cups of tea and sat outside looking out at the amazing views of the countryside feeling totally and utterly calm and relaxed.

If anyone wants to try out a spa for a little indulgence I would highly highly recommend this one, it is the perfect setting for some me time to truly switch off and treat yourself. In fact my mum and I are already deciding when we can go back!

Triyoga Rooftop Yoga Event at Selfridges.

The rooftop restaurant at Selfridges

Beautiful flowers to enhance the experience.

A Picture- Perfect morning, what a heavenly sight!

Post class cold pressed fresh juices served in the sunshine - pick your colour :)

A chance to soak in the sun after class with a carrot juice and my new triyoga tote bag.

Hello All :)

So this morning I ventured into central London for the first of Triyoga's rooftop yoga classes held in the Q Rooftop restaurant on the roof of Selfridges. The weather was perfect, the sun blazed down on us and not a cloud in the sky, we could not have dreamt up better conditions! 

I took the express lift in Selfridges that takes you straight up to the roof, once out of the lift I walked down a corridor filled with different paintings and photographs before emerging into the restaurant. 

This restaurant is like a little slice of cool& calm in the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street (I will definitely be going back to sample some food, especially as I spied a gluten and dairy free cake!)

The outside garden area had been cleared and all our mats lay out in the sunshine, I was early as always so I picked a mat near the front and sat stretching watching all of my fellow yogis turn up one by one dressed ever so fashionably in a mix of Lulu Lemon and Sweaty Betty, everyone amazed by the view, snapping pictures and chatting away - the atmosphere was electric yet calming and friendly enhanced with the beautiful flowers that surrounded us, it was a sea of tranquility in our far too busy modern lives.

The class itself, although shorter than most yoga classes triyoga offer (it was an hour class) was brilliant, a vinyasa flow class that was tailored to any level you needed....beginners poses if thats what you need but also a balancing crow pose, binding and one legged toe grip side planks just to make sure we got the most out of our flowing practise we even managed to try a one legged and one armed downward dog- I know it sounds crazy but it works your core like mad and I even managed to hold it even if it was all of a few seconds!

After the class I was feeling like I could float around for a week, I was so relaxed and felt happier and healthier than I have for such a long time. We were greeted with a post class juice with a choice of green, beetroot or my choice which was carrot and tumeric, it was delicious and the perfect end to an amazing morning.

If any of you are around in London this summer I would urge you to go and try this out. You will not regret it, I promise.  It is being held every Tuesday morning until September (in case of rain it will be cancelled but you will get a full refund) You can find all details about the class and how to book here

I am definitely going to be going again so maybe I will see some of you there!

Have a great week :)

Cauliflower Pizza

Cauliflower pizza served with homemade slaw

Hello :)

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend. I wanted to share with you all my cauliflower pizza recipe, there are a lot of different recipes for this out there but I have adapted it to the simplest and yummiest possible, so here you are....

Coconut flour, Chia Seed, Cauliflower and Eggs.

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees celsius.

Grate 2-3 cauliflower florettes.

Mix with 2tbsp of coconut flour and 2 tbsp of chia seed.

Add in 2 eggs and knead the mixture together until you get a dough like mixture,

(You may need to add some water if the mixture needs some more moisture)

The cauliflower base dough

Line a baking tray with baking paper and flatten the mixture onto it leaving it about 1/2 cm thick.

Place in the oven and bake until it is a golden brown- should take about 30 minutes.

Lift it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.

I also turn the base over so that it doesn't stick to the baking paper.

The cooked base ready for toppings.

Now top the base with anything you like, I always start with some tomato puree and passata.

Some of my favourite toppings are onions, mushrooms, goats cheese and duck or chicken, with lots of different vegetables as well but feel free to top with whatever you like :)

Place it back in the oven and cook for a further 15-20 minutes.

Take out and enjoy!!

The final result!

I hope some of you try this recipe and I really hope you enjoy it, I love it and its been approved by my family as well who are slowly being converted to the clean way of life.

Have a great Sunday.

Super Simple Cheesecake - The Healthier Alternative

I have been experimenting in the kitchen over the past few weeks and one of the desserts I have been trying is a cheesecake alternative so here is my gluten free recipe :) (Makes 2 mini pots)

For the Base:  Crush up a handful of almonds, alternatively you can buy already crushed almonds, mix in with 2 tbsp of agave nectar and 2 tbsp organic peanut butter, then mix in enough oats to soak up most of the mixture (should be about 1/2 cup)

Once it is all mixed together press it into the bottom of the pots and leave in the fridge to chill.

For the Cream: Whisk together 2 tbsp organic cream cheese, 2 tbsp coconut yogurt (you can use full fat greek yogurt as well) 1 egg white,  3tbsp agave nectar and the zest&juice of 1/2 lemon until the mixture is slightly firm. Pour on top of the bases and again leave to set in the fridge.

To serve top with berries of your choice and enjoy.

If you try this recipe let me know how it goes and if you enjoyed it!!