Berry Banana Smoothie

Berry Banana Smoothie

• 1/2 cup of coconut water
• 1/2 cup of mixed berries
• 1 small frozen banana
• 1/2 cup of ice
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds

Put all ingredients into the blender and mix until smooth.

The Skinny Sweets and Treats One Day Detox

If you have had an overly indulgent weekend, an important event coming up, or just simply want to kick start your healthy living, try this one-day-detox to look and feel your best.


7:00am

• Have a large glass of warm water with the juice of half a lemon.
• Your blood has the highest levels of toxins when you wake up in the morning and drinking water with lemon will help to flush these toxins out and dilute them.
• Take a milk thistle supplement which helps to energize your liver, your body's key detoxing organ.

8:00am

• Eat a healthy breakfast of traditional oats with almond milk, with some banana or blueberries for sweetness. Add some flaxseeds or LSA mix to help flush out your colon. If you soak the seeds overnight it will speed up your digestion, allowing you to see the results faster and this will be easier on your digestive system.

11:00am

• Snack on super foods, like raspberries which contain a powerful antioxidant ellagic acid. Try adding low-fat plain yoghurt and a handful of sunflower seeds for added energy.
• Take 10 minutes to practice calm breathing and muscle stretches to keep your stress hormones at bay throughout the day.

1:00pm

• When choosing a lunch option, avoid anything salty as this will cause water retention and slow down the elimination of toxins. A fresh salad is a great clean option. Look for lean meat and avoid any cheese or creamy dressings. 
• Take a 15 minute walk in your lunch break in the sun to soak up some much needed Vitamin D, which is commonly low in office workers. Vitamin D is essential to strong bones, muscles and overall good health. A short burst of sun can also boost your mood for the afternoon.

2:30pm

• Take time out for a herbal tea. One of my favorites is dandelion tea which cleanses both your liver and kidneys. This type of tea is also a natural diuretic, which will flush your body of toxins.

4:30pm

• Time for another superfood adventure, and why not try a shot of wheatgrass from your local juice bar! Wheatgrass is full on nutrients and detoxing chlorophyll. Many swear by its regenerating effects, which can be felt within minutes of downing the green shot.

5:30pm

• Go for a long brisk walk, using your arms to reinvigorate your body at the end of the day and stimulate blood flow. Avoid high intensity workouts that can stress the body while you are detoxing. Punishing workouts can release cortisol into the body, which is detrimental to the body's organs and encourages the storage of fat. 

7:00pm

• At dinner time, choose a clean and lean meal without heavy carbs or greasy fats. Steamed vegetables and grilled fish is an excellent option. Cooked quinoa is a great accompaniment to your meal, as it is protein packed and gluten-free. 

9:00pm

• Have a cup of peppermint tea to aid in digestion and hit the hay to get a restful night's sleep, which is crucial to overall health and mood. 

Roasted Spicy Cauliflower

Roasting vegetables is perfect for cooler months and really brings out the flavours of your veggies, especially when topped with delicious spices and fresh herbs. Cauliflower is one of my favorites and roasting the florets gives a creamy inside and a toasty crust. Simply lay out a baking tray with greased-proof paper and cut up a large cauliflower. Scatter the florets onto the tray and coat with coconut oil spray. Sprinkle with chill flakes, paprika, Himalayan sea salt and some finely chopped parsley. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 35 minutes, until cooked and crisp on top. Serve warm as a side or cool and add it into salads.

Gluten-free Banana French Toast - the healthy way

Sometimes poached eggs and toast jus't don't cut it for breakfast. Savoury breakfasts are not the only healthy option to start the day; you can create your own sweet treat in the morning without the guilt. This french toast for one is super easy to make, quick and so delicious. I served mine with a tablespoon of peanut butter for extra energy. Another yummy accompaniment is plain yoghurt mixed with a tablespoon of vanilla whey protein powder and chopped strawberries. Read on for the simple recipe.


Gluten-free Banana French Toast - the healthy way

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1 piece of gluten-free bread (thaw if it is frozen)
• 1 chopped banana
• 1 egg white
• 2 teaspoons of xylitol 
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla whey protein powder (you can skip this ingredient if you don't have it)

Method:

1. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg white, xylitol, vanilla, cinnamon and protein powder. 
2. Soak the piece of bread in the egg mixture, ensuring both sides are coated.
3. Heat the coconut oil in a non-stick fry pan until hot.
4. Place the bread into the hot oil and fry on one side for a few minutes on medium heat, before flipping over the cook the other side. When you flip the bread, add the banana into the pan in the remaining coconut oil to brown.
5. When finished, served the french toast with caramelized banana on top.

To Juice or Blend?

Juicing and blending fruits, vegetables and superfood additions are excellent methods for consuming lots of vitamins and minerals in one quick go. Each method has its merits, with neither one or the other necessarily better.

Juicing is fabulous for packing goodness into one glass by extracting all the vitamins and minerals from your vegetables and fruit and compacting it into a drink. Vegetables are ideal to juice because they are low in sugar yet full of health benefits. To sweeten your juice, add a small amount of fruit like a handful of strawberries, a green apple or a few slices of pineapple.

Blending on the other hand, incorporates all the fibre from the fruits and vegetables to make a rich smoothie. Smoothies let you imagination run wild with combinations and ingredients, such as nut butters, health powders, protein powders, chia seeds and bee pollen. Frozen bananas will also make smoothies extra creamy and sweet.

Here are some of my favorite juice and smoothies recipes:

My Sweet Beet Juice

This juice is colorful and deliciously sweet.

Ingredients:
1 beetroot
2 carrots (either purple or orange)
3 stalks of celery
1/4 cup of coconut water
handful of ice cubes

Preparation:
On high speed, filter in the beetroot, carrot and celery to juice. Pour the coconut water into the juice and mix. Put into a glass and top with ice cubes. 

Body+soul Green Renewal Juice

This is an enzyme-rich green juice. It's great for providing energy, detoxifying and alkalising your body.

Ingredients:
1 bunch English spinach
1 handful mint
1 handful parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 Lebanese (short) cucumber, cut in half lengthways
A few lettuce leaves
4 celery stalks
2–3 cm (3/4–11/4 inch) knob of fresh ginger, peeled
6 ice cubes

Preparation:
With the motor running, feed all the ingredients except the ice cubes into a juicer one at a time. Pour into a drinking glass, add the ice cubes and sip slowly to enjoy its benefits.


The Wellness Warrior Green Smoothie


Ingredients:
3 stalks of kale (discard the tough stalk and use the leaves)
3 leaves of Cos lettuce
1 cup coconut water
1 small frozen banana
A small handful of goji berries or blueberries
1 tsp hemp seeds
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp bee pollen
1 tsp maca powder
1 tsp spirulina

Preparation:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth. Use a high speed blender, such as a Vitamix for best results.

Thought you were picking the healthy choice? 6 foods that are not healthy options

Here are six foods that you may have thought were the healthy choice, but are in fact laden with sugar and salt and empty of nutrition. 

1. Reduced-fat peanut butter: One of the biggest benefits of peanuts is that they’re full of monounsaturated fats, which are the good fats. Take that out of the peanut butter and what do you have left? Tons of sugar and the same amount of (now empty) calories. Typically whenever you see reduced fat in any product, it means that the fat was replaced with sugar or salt. Make sure you choose an organic peanut butter with no added sugar, oils or salt. Also try almond butter as a great peanut butter alternative. The key here is to control portion size and without sugar, you will only need a small about to feel satisfied. 
2. Fruit smoothies: Most juice and smoothie bars are marketed as the healthy beverage choice but the average fruit smoothie can contain more than 30 grams of sugar, with no protein or healthy fats. Juices should contain mostly vegetables, with a little fruit added for sweetness. The same rule applies to smoothies, but in these you can also add coconut water for hydration, vitamin powders for added nutrition such as spirulina, and peanut butter or protein powder for fat and protein. 
3. Protein bars: If you read the label of a protein bar, I doubt you could recognize half of the ingredients. Too many protein bars are just processed bricks of artificial ingredients and fillers. Also many of them are very high in sugar, fat and calories. If you want a quick snack, try and apple or celery sticks with peanut butter, quinoa crackers with avocado or carrot sticks with hummus. You can also make your own protein snacks at home, try some of my recipes.
4. Low-fat frozen yoghurt and ice-cream: While some of these products may be fairly low in calories, they are nutritionally empty and send straight sugar into your blood stream, which often turns directly into fat. If you want a cool treat, try a protein rich yoghurt (such as Chobani which is low in sugar) and add in a tablespoon of flavored whey protein powder, a tablespoon of LSA (linseed meal), and blueberries. 
5. Sushi: Japanese food is often an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, but Westernised versions of these meals often contain added fat and sugar. Watch out for meals rich in sweet and salty sauces or sushi rolls made with fried foods, mayonnaise or cream cheese. The best choice is sashimi, edamame or seaweed salads, which are all high in nutritional value and low in carbohydrates, sugar and processed fats.
6. Vegetarian or gluten-free options: Just because a meal is labelled vegetarian or gluten-free does not automatically mean it is good for you. Vegetarian foods can be laden with oils, cheese and fats to substitute meat. Make sure you look for fresh options that include some lean protein, such as tofu or legumes. Gluten-free products like baked goods or pastas are often just as high in sugar or carbohydrates as the wheat-based equivalents. Make your own healthy versions of muffins at home (here are some recipes) and try substituting pasta for shredded zucchini. 

A tea to add to your collection: Dandelion Tea

I know you are probably thinking, 'not another tea!' or 'isn't green tea the ultimate in herbal drinks?' But dandelion tea has an enormous range of benefits, which can knock green tea off it's health pedestal and make it a must have for your tea collection.


Dandelion roots act as a blood purifier that helps both kidneys and liver remove impurities from the body. It is also high in potassium and helps to improve digestion. The ultimate detox and cleansing tea, find it in the health food section of your grocery store.

Look for dandelion tea made from dandelion root, as this is the most nutritious version. You don't need to buy hyped up 'miracle' weight loss teas, which are usually made primarily of dandelion anyway, just add two cups of dandelion tea to your day to reap the benefits. Read on to learn more about this ancient healing tea.


Dandelion tea:

• forms a prime medical ingredient in over half the phytonutrient blends on the market (weight loss, rejuvenation, detoxification; digestive, liver, kidney, & skin supplements).
• aids in digestion, and functions well to relieve digestive disorders like constipation and diarrhea.
• works great to purify the blood and cleanse the system.
• enhances detoxification, by stimulating urination and, in addition, by replacing the potassium lost in that process.
• is one of the most effective herbs for getting the bloat out and helping relieve water retention.
• has specific action in reducing inflammation, of the gall bladder and of the bile duct, and for rheumatism and arthritis.
• improves the function of and maintains optimum liver, kidney, pancreas, spleen, stomach, and gall bladder functions.
• helps in treating chronic hepatitis and jaundice disorders, and encourages healing of damaged tissues caused by alcohol liver disease.
• helps reduce high cholesterol.
• contains antioxidants that help your body fight off toxic bacteria and viruses.
• helps with weight control—especially with weight loss.
• is an excellent tea to incorporate in muscle building programs for weight lifters.
• actively ameliorates disease—it is a potent disease-fighter—and helps the body heal, helps boost immunity, and combat cancer, heart disease, and age-related memory loss.
• aids health maintenance for people suffering from Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes.
• transfers magnificent amounts of minerals and vitamins: A, C, D, E, & B complex, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, choline, and boron, etc. when infused in hot water.
• acts as an excellent substitute for coffee if you are trying to kick caffeine. 
• can be made solely from the blossoms, the leaves, or the roots (roasted or not)—or, the entire plant.
• can be used as a face wash to cleanse complexion and improve skin clarity.
• makes a great bath addition, especially when made from older, stronger (tougher) leaves.

Which tea to buy?

There are at least three different types of dandelion tea - those made from dandelion roots, those made from dandelion leaves, and those made from dandelion flowers.

You can make dandelion tea by infusing one to two teaspoonful of dried dandelion leaves in hot water, which you can drink three times a day. The cut leaf form of the herb can be brewed inside a stainless steel tea ball or inside a wicker tea cup basket.

Compared to dandelion flowers and leaves, dandelion root is the part of the plant used most often for medicinal purposes, and which provides the most health benefits. Dandelion root tea is available in teabags, dried powder form, or in capsules. I use an instant dried form, which mixes with hot water to make the drink.