Healthy Smoothies - Raw Chocolate and Avocado

This is the last in my series of healthy smoothies, and it is a bit of a wild card. You may remember a little while ago I made a healthy chocolate mousse using raw cacao and avocado as the main ingredients. Well it was so delicious I thought I would modify the recipe for a smoothie. There are some fab health benefits with the ingredients too!

Raw Cacao enhances physical and mental well being, lowers blood pressure, improves circulation, helps prevent against cancer and improves digestion! Please note this is RAW chocolate, I don't think your average bar of dairy milk would have the same effect.

Avocado's are one of my favourite foods. I add them as a side to lots of meals we have. They make me feel healthy! They are a fantastic source of healthy fats, they lower your cholesterol, they protect your eyes, they reduce blood pressure and on top of that they are great for your skin too!

Coconut Oil can reduce bad cholesterol and can be a cure for arthritis and joint pains. It is good for your heart and keeps your blood sugar level under check. It is also great for your skin!

Rice Milk is healthier for your heart than cows milk, and obviously is much better for those who are lactose intolerant!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablebspoons raw cacao
• 1 avocado
• 3 cups rice milk
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

As usual, just whizz it all together in a blender.

Ok, I must admit, this one did not go down with everyone as well as the others have done. I think it is probably because the taste is so unusual, and if you are expecting to get a chocolate smoothie then you would be in for a shock! However, it is definitely still drinkable and considering the health benefits I would have this again. Maybe it could do with a few tweaks. Please let me know if you can make one that actually tastes as good as chocolate!

I hope you enjoyed my little smoothie series. Have you made any healthy smoothies that have turned out delicious recently?  If you missed any of my previous smoothie recipes, you can follow the links to them below.

Avocado and Banana

Watercress, Blueberry and Pineapple

Watermelon and Strawberry

Pina Colada (Pineapple, coconut and banana)

Mango, Banana and Goji Berries

Laura xXx

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Vanilla seeds and berries

A little while ago I decided to try my hand at making a healthy snack, after being inspired by my Graze box which included vanilla pumpkin and sunflower seeds! I think these would be great added to cereal or yoghurt in the morning as well.

Ingredients:

• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Goji Berries
• Vanilla pod
• Honey

Pour out some honey into a bowl, then scrape out the seeds of the vanilla pod and mix in.  Now mix in your seeds and goji berries. Cover a pan in baking paper and spread out your seeds evenly as above. As I used an Aga rather than a conventional oven I can't really tell you what temperature to set the oven to.  Just make sure you keep an eye on them, they probably won't take much longer than 10 minutes. Be careful the goji berries don't burn, mine were getting very close!  

One mistake which i made was to leave them out to cool on the baking paper. When I came back they were completely stuck to the paper and I couldn't get them off! Luckily, after popping them back in the Aga for a minute the honey eased up and I was able to scrape them off easily into a bowl. This time I made sure I stirred and broke them up while they cooled. It didn't take long! And I found this to be the best way of separating them.

They were pretty tasty! Next time I think I will use a milder honey to let the vanilla flavour come through more. Also, perhaps I will add the goji berries later, as they took the least time to cook.

PS. Don't put them in the fridge! The honey's consistency will change and you will end up with a bit of a gloopy sticky mess.

Laura xXx

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Healthy Smoothies - Mango, Banana and Goji Berries

Todays smoothie is mango, banana and goji berry! Here are some of the health benefits of these ingredients:

Mango has been proven to help protect against cancer as well as strokes and  is great for your eyes!

Bananas are fantastic, they can help with depression, morning sickness, heartburn, increase brain power and calm the nervous system.

Goji Berries have compounds rich in vitamin A, that may have anti-aging benefits. In Asia they have been eaten for generations in the hopes of living longer. They also boost immunity, protect your vision and help prevent heart disease.

Ingredients:

• 1 mango
• 1 banana
• 3 tbsp goji berries
• 1 cup water

This one turned out delicious and refreshing! I love the colour too! You can check out some of my previous smoothie recipes here, here, here and here.

Laura xXx

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Healthy Smoothies - Pina Colada

Todays healthy smoothie is a delicious Pina Colada! Pineapple, coconut, banana and a little bit of coconut oil. Here are some of the health benefits;

Coconut milk and coconut oil reduce your bad cholesterol and can be a cure for arthritis and joint pains. They are good for your heart and keep your blood sugar level under check. They are also great for your skin!

Pineapple is packed with fibre and vitamin C, it's also known for it's anti-inflammatory benefits.

Bananas are pretty awesome, they can help with depression, morning sickness, heartburn, increase brain power and calm the nervous system.

Ingredients:

• 1 tin sliced pineapple
• 1/2 cup Coconut milk (or half a can)
• 1 Banana
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

This one was delicious and really easy to make. Just stick it all in the blender! I'll definitely be making this one again but I think I will try it with fresh pineapple next time.

Laura xXx

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Healthy Smoothie - Watermelon and Strawberry

As you may know I have started a little series on some healthy smoothie recipes. Last week I shared my recipe for a watercress, blueberry and pineapple. Today's smoothie is watermelon and strawberry. Here are some of the benefits of these ingredients---

Watermelon is great for your heart, its a great source of potassium and helps muscle and nerve function and it can ease inflammation among other things!

Strawberries can help lower blood pressure, they are great for your bones and eyes, and generally contribute to a healthy immune system.

 Ingredients:

• 3 cups chopped watermelon
• 2 cups strawberries
• 1/2 cup water
• Agave Syrup or honey to taste

This recipe makes just enough for 3 large glasses. Chop it all up, throw it in the blender and serve chilled. This would have been a really easy one to make had it not been for all those pesky seeds in the watermelon. It did take a little while to get them all out, but once they were it was quick as a flash. I actually used frozen strawberries for this one, which made it even quicker!  I imagine this one would be great for after a workout, especially in the summer as it was really refreshing!

Laura xXx

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How to Make Your Own Fruit Crisps

I've always wanted to try making my own fruit crisps, so while I'm on my week off I decided it would be a perfect activity. We are lucky enough to be living in a house with an Aga at the moment so I thought I would take full advantage. The coolest area in the Aga is perfect for drying fruit. 

I decided to start easy with just apples and Bananas. I chopped them up, cored the apples and spread them on one of those reuseable baking sheets. 

I left them in for nearly 7 hours in total. When I took them out I was a bit worried I had left them too long, but actually I think they were just right. I'm excited to try some other fruits now. Mango, pineapple and papaya are all on my list!

Laura xXx

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Healthy Smoothies - Watercress, Blueberry and Pineapple

As an excuse to show off my lovely new Poppy and Pearl glasses, I thought I would start a little mini series of healthy smoothie recipes! Today we have watercress, blueberry and pineapple. Here's a little overview of the benefits of each ingredient;

Watercress has been proven in many studies to aid the prevention of cancer. And if that wasn't a good enough reason to eat it, it also boasts 15 vital nutrients and minerals!

Blueberries are well known for being a 'superfood'. They are packed with antioxidants and can lower your risk of heart disease and cancer!

Pineapple is packed with fibre and vitamin C, it's also known for it's anti-inflammitory benefits.

 Ingredients:

• 1 tin of sliced pineapple (approx 430g)
• 1 Cup of Blueberries
• 1 large handful of watercress
• 1/4 cup water

I used frozen blueberries and tinned pineapple, but by all means you can use fresh fruit instead. I blitzed it all in the blender, including the juice from the pineapple. I actually added the water last of all, testing a bit at a time to see how much it needed. Add more or less depending on how thick you want the smoothie to be.  This recipe made the amount pictured, plus another half a glass.

I was pretty impressed with this. I thought that the watercress would be overpowering, but I can actually say it was a tasty smoothie!  I did find that as I got further towards the bottom it became a bit more peppery, but that was probably because I left it sitting too long taking all of these photos!  I also really love the colour it came out, isn't it pretty? Definitely one to try again!

Laura xXx

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Avocado and Banana Smoothie

Todays post is really about two things. First off, an awesomely healthy avocado and banana smoothie (as the title would suggest.) But also my flippin amazing new glasses. Aren't they beautiful? Ok, we'll do the recipe first then I'll talk some more about the glasses.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 banana
• 200ml milk (I used hemp milk but any kind will do)
• 200ml water
• Agave syrup to taste (or you can use honey)

Simply mash the avocados and banana with a fork. Then pop them into a blender, along with the milk and water, then blend. Give it a taste and add agave syrup or honey to your liking. Pretty simple huh!?

But what did it taste like? You might think avocado and banana a strange mixture, but they actually worked quite well together. A little unusual I must admit, but it was very similar to a banana smoothie. I don't think the recipe is perfect yet, but it is certainly well on its way to being one of my favourites. The texture was good, although perhaps I will try it with a bit more liquid next time. Perhaps we didn't need quite as much as pictured, but it  was definitely a good, healthy start to the day! I'd like to try it with some oats next time, to make it even more substantial. I think avocados are the best, what with them being a superfood and all, so I am generally happy with anything that has avocado in it!

Now, the glasses! Well, actually they are 'Mason Jar Tumblers'. This is quite an american thing I think, and I bought them from an American shop on etsy called Poppy and Pearl. I bought 5 all together and they all came with different coloured straws and little washable chalkboard labels on the front! You can use them with the straws or without the top at all. I absolutely love them!

Cheers!

Laura xXx

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Laura's Super Healthy Raw Chocolate Mousse

I have really wanted to try this out for some time. Chocolate mousse made using avocado and other completely raw ingredients! 

Doesn't it sound fabulous, the idea of a healthy dessert! Although I was excited by the idea, I couldn't quite see how it was going to taste like the real thing, but it sounded too good to pass up and I eventually came up with a recipe of my own by combining several I had seen online. 

Ingredients

• 3 Small Avocados
• Beans from a Vanilla pod
• 75g virgin coconut oil
• 100g Raw Cacao powder
• 150g Agave nectar

Mix everything together well in your blender until it forms a smooth paste, then dish up and chill for an hour or so. I decided to top it off with a few blueberries. The recipe made enough to serve 4 people. Just a little more than pictured below. It is quite rich so you don't need a lot!

It was absolutely delicious! Chris even said it tasted exactly like the usual cream based mousse I usually make, and I would agree that it wasn't too far off! What a revelation!

It was so simple to make too, and doesn't require too many ingredients, which is a pet peeve of mine especially with 'raw' recipes. I am looking forward to making this again in the future.

Laura xXx

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Health Kick - Excercise

Time for me to get my running shoes on! (You won't actually catch me running though, I hate running!)

But I must have lost my mind because I have embarked upon a new ridiculously hard excercise regime. Ouch!

It is Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred (This woman is crazy!), and although it is incredibly painful at the moment, it is great because you are squishing loads of excercise into only a 25 minute workout each day. Which means there is still plenty of time for cross stich, hurrah!

What I like about it is the fact that you don't have time to get bored (or breathe!) It is split into a rotation of 30 second to 1 minute excercises, and within that you are switching between cardio, strength and abs. There are 3 routines, each of which you do for 10 days, then you move onto the next.

I've just finished day 10 and I have only missed 1 day so far (well it was a bank holiday!) It is going pretty well so far, although it is incredibly tiring! To give me energy I have been eating these little gems on my way home from work. They are super expensive but they are way better than having something like a redbull, they are actually good for you and contain a whole host of super-foods. You are meant to eat them 30 minutes before excercising and they really do work. Although I couldn't afford to have them everyday or I think I would go broke quite quickly!

After my workout Chris has been making me protein shakes, which apparently help your muscles recover faster, and give them something to build with. Benefits also include fat loss (because when your muscles are bigger it means you burn more calories when you aren't really doing anything!) and healthy ageing (your muscles deteriorate as you get older, and this will slow it down!) You wouldn't be able to get the amount or types of protein naturally that you can from a protein shake.  

What excercise routines are you doing at the moment?  Join me in my mission on Twitter by using hash tag #healthkik .

Laura xXx

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Health Kick - Raw Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho Soup

The other day I tried out a lovely raw recipe from 'Raw Food Real World: 100 Recipes to get the glow'.  I have to admit, although the recipes in this book look absolutely delicious, most of them require a lot of ingredients, many of which are difficult to track down. However, this was one of the ones that looked super easy and I decided to give it a go!

Raw Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho Soup

Just looking at the ingredients for this makes me feel healthy!  

Ingredients

3 cups watermelon seeded and pureed in a blender

1 cup seeded watermelon, diced small

1 cup seeded tomato, diced small (about 2 medium tomatoes)

1 cup peeled, seeded cucumber, diced. (about half a cucumber)

Half a cup red pepper, diced small.

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 small handful coriander leaves

1 teaspoon minced ginger

Half a small jalapeno (I cheated and used a few of the preserved jalapeno slices you get in jars)

1 spring onion, white and 1 inch of green minced

1 tablespoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Obviously as the recipe is 'raw' it means I saved a lot of time by not cooking the food, however, there was a lot of dicing and blending to be done, so it took quite a while.

I mixed it all together, added the blended watermelon, then chilled it for a bit.

It was rather yummy! I know that watermelon in this recipe sounds rather strange, but actually it worked really well. I did find it quite filling though, and the flavors are powerful, so I would suggest only having a small amount as a starter, or a light lunch. Chris managed to polish off the bowl pretty quickly though, so maybe that was just me.

Have you tried out any super healthy recipes lately? Please do share! You can join in the discussion on twitter using the hashtag #Healthkik

Laura xXx

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Join me in a super duper Health Kick

With my holiday at an end I feel that I need to make sure I keep myself motivated. Often I wake up groggily and come home from work lathargic.  I think what is needed is a good old health kick to keep my body working at its full capacity! The idea is not to loose weight but just to make sure I am doing everything possible to keep my body healthy.

"Sorry guys, I am going to have to eat you."

I am planning to tackle this in 5 different ways, and I hope you will join me! (more on that later)

1. Excercise - I am a bit of a wimp and feel I would be happier if I could sustain some sort of excercise regime. I plan to try out different excercise plans until I find one that suits.  

2. Healthy Eating - I hope to introduce more fruit and vegetables into my diet, as well as having a high percentage of 'raw meals' or at least raw vegetables in my meals.  Again, I am not looking at a diet that will help loose weight necessarily, but one that will make sure I am getting as much nutrition as I possibly can. After all, I like to have a cuppa and a cake now and then, and banning that would just be depressing. I'll just make sure I have a carrot or  something to make up for it afterwards! 

3. Eliminating Toxins - I absolutely hate the idea of all the toxic/carconogenic products we use, air fresheners, cleaning products, and even deodorants!  I am going to look into natural replacements for as many of these as possible.

4. Healthy Hair/Skin/Nails - There are many products that claim to give you all of this, but are they really as good as they say on the tin?  Again, I will be checking out what ingridients actually make up these products, and decide if the outcome is worth the potential risk, or if there is a safter alternative available.

5. Sleep - This one is fairly self explanitory, making sure I get enough sleep! But how much exactly is enough? I usually try to get 8 hours (and often fail) but perhaps it is healthier for me to sleep less/more. I'm going to look into ways of figuring this out.

There's a lot to think about! So I'm going to take it slow and concentrate on one thing at a time!

Laura xXx

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