Sunday Detox

Too much fun was had yesterday. Today, it's all about slowing down and expelling nasty toxins, starting with a very apposite cup of tea.

Green Smoothie by Mary McCartney

 

I am currently in training for the Brighton Marathon next year, I'm also looking to lose weight in the process. So while I am scrutinising my waste line every morning and saying no to chocolate more often than I would like, it is very important I get my diet is rich in nutrients so that I have the energy to train every evening.

I have recently been inspired by Mary McCartney who's super-charged morning pick me up looks gross but tastes fantastic! The recipe goes as follows:

• 1 spoonful of Amazing Grass Green Superfood Powder
  http://www.amazinggrass.co.uk/green_superfood
• 1 scoop of whey protein
• 1 cup of rice milk
• 1 spoonful of Omega 3,6,9 oil
• A handful of flax seeds
• 1 banana

 Et Voila!

Let me know if you have tried this too, or if you have any other green smoothie recipies that I could try!

Pukka Cleanse tea to purify the skin

 

 This week's beverage fave is Pukka's Cleanse herbal tea.

Pukka have kindly blended together an array of herbs including nettle leaf, dandelion root, peppermint leaf, fennel seed, aloe vera and licorice root. All of which boast 'fantastic purifying properties' to help maintain a glowing complexion. I guess the help maintain is the loop hole that gets them out of trouble when disgruntled drinkers try to take them to court if they don't look like Carey Mulligan after three cups, but as a girl who drinks a lot of water throughout the day it's no extra effort for me to add in some herbal qualities.

Whenever people discuss gimmicks in the health and beauty industry, herbal teas often come up as a point of reference, it's my opinion that if there is a product out there that encourages you to drink more fluids that don't contain alcohol, caffeine or sugar, surely herbal tea deserves a nod of respect.

Cleanse tea has a very smooth, gentle taste with peppermint as the most prominent flavour. Try replacing your 9-5 coffee frenzy with a few of these and make up your own mind at just £2 for a box of 20.

Tip- the flavour in each bag is strong enough for you to be able to use more than once throughout the day, so your box of 20 can go much further!  

Orange and Carrot Juice

This morning I'm kicking off the weekend (and banishing my hangover) with some super juice from M&S.

If consumed regularly, carrot juice will enrich your system with glorious Vitamin A and it's great for your skin.

Personally I think the best places to get hold of carrot juice are those that can make it fresh, on-site like Pret or Crussh but this little bottle of Orange and Carrot will do me just fine- AND this will give me 2 of my highly coveted 5 a day. Being healthy is easy peasy.

Hangover Battles

Oh, that terrible feeling when you finally open your eyes with vague memories of getting home and a realization that you have the hangover the size of Kent and it needs dealing with immediately. That was (or perhaps, still is) me today.

So, it was a friend's housewarming party in Bethnal Green, I drank prosecco before leaving the house (makes getting ready sooo much more fun) and then progressed onto pear cider- until 5:30am when my boyfriend and I finally called time and left for home.

Raging hangovers can often be a great opportunity to take the time throughout the day to really relax, detox and recharge making you ready and energised for the week ahead.

First things first; for you to battle your hangover effectively it is very important that you anticipate it's actually going to happen; before you leave for a party or night out with friends plan ahead; have a large bottle of water, ibuprofen, cleanser and tiger balm by your bed so that the minute you wake up you can re-hydrate, remove all traces of makeup and blast that headache before the moaning and wailing begins. Rub some tiger balm on your temples and inhale the relaxing vapors for a super soothing, natural remedy.

Then it's all about flushing out the toxins and putting some moisture back into your system so I try to avoid caffeine and go for antioxidant rich redbush tea instead and aim for about 2-3 liters of water.

Next up is beetroot, raw, peeled and chopped. Beetroot is actually a highly effective hangover aid as its jam packed with beta cyanin- this is important because it speeds up the detoxification process in your liver, so its basically like giving your toxins from the night before an express ticket out of your system in super fast time. You only need to munch on something the size of a small apple too so it's quick and easy.

Make sure you keep hold of the redbush tea bags after use; soak them in some icy cold water (as pictured) and rest them over your eyes (like you would do with cucumber slices) for about 5 minutes and get an instant brightening effect. I've been doing this for years and I am yet to find an eye gel that does a better job.

Today I have done all the above and while I am still cursing pear cider and making no sudden movements, I am feeling much more relaxed and fresher than if I was to just reach for the leftover pizza and after a good nights sleep I know I'll be full of life and productivity tomorrow morning.

Crussh Super Juice

Crussh is a great resource to have in London, with around 20 outlets in the city I'm hard pressed to walk past one without popping in for freshly made juices or smoothies.

In this post I'm going to talk about their Super Juice which offers 100% organic carrot, spinach, beetroot and cucumber. They themselves warn newcomers its not for the faint hearted and they'd be right if you're expecting the usual mix of sweetly crafted berries but in all honesty, I find their Super Juice has a very mild taste. Fans of carrot juice will see the appeal instantly as it is the dominant ingredient do it bypasses any of the bitterness that spinach or beetroot can bring.

If you do have the stomach for it you'll be rewarded with a very comprehensive injection of vegetable goodness, it's also very low in sugars and with a calorie count of 136 per 100g it's a fantastic, guilt free way to add some nutrients into your diet.

Raw Beetroot Devotion

Here I have taken an uncooked beetroot, peeled and chopped into bite sized chunks. In the past I had heard many things about the benefits of beetroot but the only easy option in a supermarket comes boiled or pickled in a jar for God knows how long. I tried organic beetroot juice an actually vomited afterwards, which if you are familiar with the colour and consistency of beetroot juice, its not a pleasant experience.

Raw chopped beets were the last chance saloon in my bit for beta cyanin Nirvana and it finally worked for me. This tastes nothing like the beets you get in a jar or vacuum pack and thank goodness it's a far cry from the juice, in fact it's pretty close to raw carrots.

My understanding of raw beets are that a portion every day like the one I have pictured (the size of a small apple) works wonders for eradicating toxins from the liver (helping you recover better from hangovers), combats blood pressure, enhances seratonin, boosts the immune system and provides essential vitamins C and B6! Zoot Alores! I'm exhausted.

This is my mid-morning snack (with a redbush tea, obviously).

My Redbush Tea journey

They (as in, the internet and magazines) say if you drink at least two cups of redbush tea every day for a couple of weeks, your skin thanks you with a brand new, fresh flush of youth.

Well, my own obsession with this claim is increasing at a rapid rate and it's certainly not doing any harm. For a start it's caffeine free (so it won't dehydrate you) and is rich in antioxidants (much like Vitamin C, antioxidants fights ill health). It is also actually very pleasant to drink and furthermore, it is fast becoming a major player on the supermarket shelf, saving you the schlep to your nearest health food shop.

I'm currently finding articles from the Redbush Tea Company very useful in understanding the benefits https://www.redbushtea.com/redbush_latest_news.aspx. I'm not sure what my caffeine riddled system will have of this new hustler long term, but its nice to feel smug at my desk now and then.