Anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for Chocolate!
When having a healthy lifestyle it is all about making the right choices but also allowing yourself the things in life that you love but might not be so good for you… That flat white moment!!
Homemade Cacao Protein Balls
You can get your little chocolate fix the healthy and clean way by making Homemade Cacoa Protein Balls!
These balls are made using cacao instead of chocolate which is full of anti-oxidants which protect cells from free radicals! Cacao helps the body protect itself. Do not get Cacao mixed up with Cocoa though… Cocoa has been roasted and therefore loses these wonderful anti-oxidants… so make sure you check the label!
These protein balls will give your body a much-needed energy boost and keep you fuller for longer. They also contain Maca – a superfood that boosts vitality as well as libido – loaded with nuts and sweetened with antioxidant-rich honey, these balls are the perfect snack to get you up and going and keep you full.
The sun is shining outside as we enter into August. Now unless you have kids and firmly in the middle of school holidays… many of us will be gazing out the window longing for our lunch breaks to get a few minutes in the sun. Well I am going to share with you some of my little tricks for getting that Sun Kissed Glow on your skin without having to put in the hours outside.
1) Nourish Your Skin from the Inside Out.
To get radiant beautiful skin you need to make sure you are supplying your body with all the vitamins and anti-oxidants it needs to glow. My little trick for getting all the good stuff in me with none of the hassle is to pick up some Pack’d Smoothies and throw the ingredients in the blender to get a tasty smoothie with minimum faff and maximum impact.
When your skin is nourished you naturally glow.
2) Scrub, Scrub and Scrub
To get that beautiful baby soft skin that looks stunning in a summer dress you need to start buffing your beautiful skin with a body scrub. My favourite is a home recipe and if you love coffee your are going to like this:
Coffee Sugar Scrub:
¾ cup solid organic virgin coconut oil
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup dry ground coffee
Use the whisk attachment on your mixer to blend sugar and coffee grounds together – about 2 minutes until it’s fluffy. Then add ¾ cup solid coconut oil and whip mixture together for another 1-2 minutes. Press down in a tupperware or kilner jar.
You now have a beautiful and natural scrub which used in the morning will bring that great smell of freshly made coffee straight to your shower.
3) Get Organically Tanned
I love having a tan! It makes everyone just look that extra bit healthier. However the sun rays can be harmful to your skin. Even more harmful when the only time you have to top up is at lunch time when the rays are most harmful. My little trick is to use Tan Organic. It is by far the most natural looking (and smelling) tanning lotion I have ever come across. The results give you that natural sun kissed look which makes you feel that extra freedom when wearing a dress and showing off your pins.
As its naturally certified you know it isnt harbouring any nasties.
Get Organic with your Skin – both inside and out.
4) Hydrate
Everyone looks better when hydrated.
You eyes sparkle, your skin glows and your energy improves.
In Summer you naturally lose more water from hot commutes and general rise in temperature. For this reason you need to make sure you stay hydrated.
Jazz up your daily water by adding strips of cucumber or slices of strawberry.
Detox your water by adding some lemon and cayenne
Ice up your water for that extra coolness.
Whatever way you like it just make sure you are getting plenty of it.
5) Top Up on Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Turmeric has been known to contain numerous antioxidants as well as antibacterial properties. Giving you amazing benefits for your skin, hair and health. Rachel Nazarian, M.D., at Schweiger Dermatology Group. “Studies have also shown that ingestion of turmeric helps protect against the aging effects of sun-damage UV radiation and the formation of wrinkles and dark spots.”
150g (or 4 large handfuls) fresh coriander, washed well
1. Peel the squash and dice into 1 inch chunks
2. Place the garlic, onion, ginger and squash into the pan with the creamed coconut and cover with just over 2 litres (8 cups) of water or homemade bone broth
3. Put the lid on and bring to a medium simmer.
4. 10 minutes later, add the red lentils, black pepper, turmeric and chilli if using, stir and let simmer on medium for a further 15-20 minutes until the lentils are soft and the squash is tender. You might wish to add the extra 200ml (1 cup) of water during cooking – it depends if you like your stew thicker or thinner.
5. In the last few minutes, add the sliced cabbage/greens and stir through. If using spinach, just add when you turn off the heat so it wilts
6. Turn off the heat, add the sea salt and pepper, the juice of the lime or lemon and check for seasoning and consistency – it should be like a thick stew – add more water if needs be.
7. Stir through the roughly chopped coriander and ladle into shallow bowls to serve.
There you have it. My top tips to glow this Summer without all the extra heat and hassle. What are your tips for sun-kissed skin? Any family tried and tested tricks? Please share with me below!
If someone told you that you could make some small changes to your life that would make you look and feel younger, rejuvenated and alive… Would you not jump at the chance?
Do you sometimes find you start on a “health food quest” only to give up because you cannot be bothered?
Do you wake up everyday feeling like your head is in a bit of a fuzz, your hair is lifeless and your skin is dull – and then seek help through a pill or a coffee?
Does this sound like you?
I will be honest and I can put my hand up!
If you are ready to make a change then I think it is about time you went and read Eat Yourself Young and Cook Yourself Young by Elizabeth Peyton-Jones
I discovered this book while researching how what happens in the gut affects the entire body. I was then fortunate to find myself attending a talk with Elizabeth, where I was able to hear first hand, how making small changes to how you nourish your body can really change how you look and feel.
Here is what happened when I met Elizabeth…
Elizabeth (a natrupath and Master Herbalist) explained how 70-80% of the problems she treats with her clients is solved by a change of diet. Not a special pill, not cream, not voodoo… just food.
(at this point my ears truly pricked up)
She went on to explain that people have now become emotionally involved with food rather than just eating for nutrition. “When you become emotionally attached to food, you can’t make good decisions” – what she is referring to here is that morning coffee that has to be part of your routine… rather than waking up and identifying why you are tired you are associating a feeling with it. This goes for chocolate or other the sugary snacks you see as a “pick me up” in the afternoon in the office. She went on to explain “if it is emotional, it is addictive and it is not good for you” Instead of thinking about food as merely a means to a nourishing ends we are associating an emotion which is not beneficial.
(Interesting… Guilty!)
Elizabeth continued to explain what is making us old:
Each one of these is highlighted in her book and explains how they are affecting your bodies youthing abilities.
She went on to explain how our body sends signal to us – most of which we ignore or we medicate rather than dealing with the issue head on. All of us at some point will be affected by the 5 issues listed above. In what way and to what degree is all personal.
She went on to explain the top 3 to really focus on if you want reach your full potential
Acidity
When the body is acidic your body is not happy. Like fish, our bodies happiest state is at alkaline. The foods which are acid-forming in our body are: Meat, Dairy, Alcohol, Caffeine and Sugar – no surprises there really.
Our body draws on our natural minerals to alkalise these – thus pulling minerals from our teeth, hair, nails and bones.
This leads us to looking and feeling lifeless…
So what does Elizabeth say the top 3 things you can start doing to change this: + Lemon and Water + Green Juices (try and go no fruit) + A plate of vegetables everyday
In her book she goes on to tell you how to cook to draw the most nutrition from vegetables and how to affectively alkalise your body without feeling like you are giving up the things you love. Simple changes to make a glowing you!
Inflammation
Inflammation is when your body swells to warn you. This could be in your mouth from allergies all the way down to your stomach. The latter is the harder one to identify. When your body has an allergy you may not even notice – there are subtle signs such as sniffing or coughing after/ during a meal, bloated-ness, and other little signs which we as humans so cleverly ignore.
In her book she gives a list of ailments and potential causes. If you think you have an allergy (or maybe you have no idea) it is definitely worth a look.
Tricks for dealing with Inflammation are: Ginger and Tumeric
She went on to explain that anything labelled with “itus” is an inflammation… e.g. tonsillitis
Which can be treated by alkalising the body and introducing these anti-inflamatory foods rather than guzzling down anti-biotics or other pharmaceutical drugs
Oxidation
Protecting yourself from the free-radicals. Making sure your diet is rich in anti-oxidants to fight the daily interactions with free radicals which age our cells from the inside out.
I am not going to re-write the book but I would highly recommend you look this lady up. Her website EPJHealth provides a plethora of information to get you started on your quest to transform yourself into the most vibrant version of you!
Her book Eat Yourself Young has guides, plans and questionnaires to help you find out where you are.
Cook Yourself Young gives you the pillars and a host of recipes to get you started.
Are you fed up of feeling fine? (Defined by Elizabeth)
F – fucked up I – Insecure N – Neurotic E – Emotional
Then start by making those small steps to a more youthful you
I shall end this blog with the parting words from Elizabeth
3) Get Organically Tanned
by Elizabeth Peyton-Jones
