New to Hip & Healthy’s wellness offering is Luminosity Crystals! To celebrate the new brand on our site, we sat down with founder, Juliette Thornbury, on why she advocates introducing the healing power of crystals into your life.

How have crystals played a role in your life?
From a very young age, I have had a growing interest in any sort of crystal or stone I could find. I come from a family of jewellers too so this definitely had an impact. As an adult, it became more than a hobby as I began researching and expanding my collection further. It eventually became such an important part of my life that I decided to turn it into an actual job that I love to do.

Was there a particular moment or event that inspired you to create Luminosity Crystals?
Luminosity Crystals was first created a little over two years ago and it was an idea based around the hope to share these beautiful pieces of nature with others all around the world. I feel like there wasn’t a particular moment that inspired me – It was more of a built-in idea that just took a little time to develop into something bigger. I am so fascinated by the thought of each stone having its own story, and I love that I can now provide others with a little treasure that will assist them on their own path.

Why and how do you incorporate crystals into your daily health and beauty routine?
I am drawn to crystals for all kinds of reasons, especially for their countless benefits to our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. I try to incorporate them in my everyday life, even when I’m not working. I keep them all around my home, in order to remain centered and grounded throughout the day. I also like to wear them in jewellery to carry this positivity throughout my daily routine. I have started working on a range of room sprays and scents containing essential oils and crystals – These will be launched later in the year and are the perfect combination of aromatherapy and crystal healing for you and your home.

How do you pick the crystals? And where do you source them?
Our stones are sourced from all around the world. I have multiple suppliers throughout India, Nepal, China and Brazil that hand pick each and every crystal carefully for their beauty, quality and healing properties. I also source many pieces myself within Australia too – I am always passionate about stocking not only the highest quality specimens, but also the most beautiful and unique.

We will be stocking Amethyst, White Apophyllite, Raw Rose Quartz, Moonstone and Candle Quartz. Could you tell us a bit more about each crystal and how they are used to enhance wellness and healing?
This beautiful collection that you will be stocking revolves around positivity, light and wellness. Each of these lovely pieces contain their own unique healing properties.

Apophyllite is known to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, fear and worry. Placing an Apophyllite in a room will allow it to send its spiritual energies out to anyone nearby. They are great for filling a room with high vibrations of peace and love.

Rose Quartz is a stone of the heart, a crystal of unconditional love. It carries a soft feminine energy of compassion, peace and healing. Opening the heart on all levels, it dissolves emotional wounds, fears and resentments.

Candle Quartz is a mysterious crystal with a gentle but strong energy. It is a crystal for bringing in hope and comfort where there was unhappiness or pain. Candle Quartz is also another heart stone that can open, balance and soothe the heart chakra.

Rainbow moonstone has a gentle, calming energy. It helps to strengthen intuition, enhance creativity, compassion, and inner confidence. It is a stone of protection that brings balance, harmony and hope. Moonstone is also said to bring abundance to one’s life, as well as love of all kinds.

Amethyst is one of the most powerful stones to protect and guard against negative energies. It enhances spiritual awareness and psychic consciousness while containing strong healing and cleansing powers. Amethyst is extremely beneficial to the mind, encouraging deeper understanding and focus while reducing anxiety, depression and insomnia.

Of all the crystals is there one that means the most to you? Why?
It’s always hard for me to pick a favourite, however, I have always loved natural, unpolished crystals the most – especially Clear Quartz, Amethyst & Citrine. These three are staples to any collection whether you are an expert in crystal healing or just have an interest in them. They are definitely among some of my greatest favourites as they are found in so many beautiful and unique formations. Their colours, shapes and of course positive vibes are just a few reasons I have fallen in love with them. Placing these around your home or workspace will not only help to remove any negativity from the room, but also generate a positive and grounding environment.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working on Luminosity Crystals? How do you make sure you have a healthy work-life balance?
Working from home has so many benefits, but one downside is that it can be difficult to shut off from your work. I think it’s important to spend time with family and pursue other interests that aren’t work-related. For me this can be difficult since I also live in my workspace. To ensure I have a healthy work-life balance, I make sure that on most days I stop working by 5pm and I also try to reserve the weekends for my own time, usually spent with friends and family.

SHOP Luminosity Crystals online at Hip & Healthy!

We all know that someone who smugly walks into work full of beans, with their lunch prepped, and their dinner prepped… and their breakfast, lunch and dinner prepped for tomorrow too! Well now it’s time to make that someone you! It will save you time, it will save you money (and it will save you from being jealous of that someone… and jealousy doesn’t look good on anyone!) With Hip and Healthy’s 6 tips to meal prepping like a pro you’ll be doing just that in no time, so read on and follow closely for maximum meal prep happiness J

Write down your meals for the week. If you write it down you’re much more likely to stick to it. You can make this a fun activity too, like searching new recipes online or going through all your cookbooks you just haven’t found the time to browse! With so many recipes available to you, you’ll plan a week full of exciting and delicious meals, so there will be no risk of getting bored of your food.

Shop according to your meal plan. Keep your cupboards stocked with a variety of ingredients that can be the base for many different meals, then top up your fresh produce twice a week. Legumes, dried beans, bulgur wheat, quinoa, brown rice, rolled oats, frozen veg and nuts are all examples of ingredients with a long shelf life that can be incorporated into so many different recipes. If you constantly have these on hand, then you can buy your fresh ingredients when you have time throughout the week without breaking the bank! Plus, there’ll be way less waste!

Use Sunday as your food prep day. It doesn’t have to take all day to meal prep, but it would be handy to get all the long stuff out of the way! So, put aside a couple of hours on a Sunday to roast your veg, cook your quinoa, and marinate your fish. What’s more you can do all this in front of your favourite TV show, or listening to your favourite podcast… what’s not to love about that?!

Make double batches when you can. As Madeleine Shaw encourages, “cook once, eat twice”. If you’re cooking in the evening, why not make double the amount so you can save a portion for your lunch the next day! Or even if you don’t want to eat the same thing two days in a row, you can freeze the extra portion for a lunch or dinner next week! Simples!

“Embrace the #TUPPLIFE”. Dr Hazel Wallace (aka. The Food Medic) advises her followers to do all the meal prepping in one day and to keep it all in Tupperware. Put Monday-Wednesday’s meals in the fridge, and the rest of the week in the freezer. Glass Tupperware is great for storing stews in the freezer and fridge, and Mason jars are perfect for your jar salads, healthy pot noodles and your overnight oats! If you’re using plastic Tupperware make sure its BPA free!

Don’t be afraid to start small. Just like if you’re starting a new class or starting at the gym, don’t be too ambitious! Even just prepping your snacks for the week, or your overnight oats for breakfast the next day is enough! Once you’re comfortable with these then you can start prepping more meals for the week. And be realistic – you’re bound to want to treat yourself to lunch or dinner out one week so don’t over-prep because you don’t want to end up with more waste!

If that doesn’t sound easy, we don’t know what does. Follow these tips to help you stay on top of eating healthy and delicious throughout week, even if you have a busy schedule! After no time you will be prepping like a pro… and everyone in the office will be asking YOU how you do it… if they do, don’t forget to pass on Hip and Healthy’s 6 steps!!!!

words by Kate Harrison

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Research shows that we will spend over 90,000 hours of our lifetime at work. Working and being in the workplace takes up more than 60% of our waking hours. As the pace of modern life has increased and advances in technology mean we are able to work anywhere at anytime, this has blurred the boundaries between work and play.

Stress is now a modern epidemic whilst stats show that musculoskeletal problems are disabling (excuse the pun), many workplaces. We take a look at the pioneering businesses revolutionising the workplace.

BEST FOR… WORKPLACE WELLNESS – WELL AWARE

Well Aware is the UK’s leading provider of innovative workplace wellbeing solutions. They believe that in order to make long-lasting positive change, it starts with education; engaging, equipping and empowering the individual with the necessary tools and skills so they can thrive at work.

With their own unique philosophy, ‘Well Mind + Well Body = Well Being,’ it’s this holistic approach which is embedded throughout their services that is part of the secret formula of their success. As the Wellness industry has become increasingly saturated, Well Aware have created their own programmes that cut through all the noise and pseudoscience, drawing on the latest scientific research. The result? A series of credible, accessible, and life-changing programmes which can be delivered in a number of formats to meet the demands and needs of your workforce.

Whilst they have global ambitions to become the world’s leading and most impactful corporate wellbeing provider, their founder Bex Fairbother explains that their “current focus is to make Britain’s workforce the healthiest, happiest and most productive it has ever been. In doing so, we believe everybody wins.” Bex is clearly onto something as Duncan Selbie, the Chief Executive at Public Health England recently remarked that, “Everyone benefits from a healthier workforce: employees, who will enjoy better health and be less likely to be off sick; employers, who will reap the benefits of increased productivity; and the NHS, which will have less poor health to deal with.” It’s the strong vision and unwavering passion that Well Aware has to transform the lives of the people they work with that had led to their success.

BEST FOR… COWORKING SPACE – HAUS

For the entrepreneurs out there looking for a fun and affordable place to work, HAUS may be the workplace for you. Creating exclusive spaces for working, meeting and socialising, Haus takes over restaurants, nightclubs and other hidden spaces, which are empty during the working day, transforming them into innovative coworking hubs.

Haus’ first ‘takeover’ is in Holborn, Central London at the restaurant Sway and already has a loyal client-base. Their aim is to build a community of members who not only share the same workspace but can also share ideas and feel inspired. No longer is there a need to work in a packed coffee shop with unpredictable internet connection. Haus guarantees space, reliable wi-fi and free coffee, all for £100 plus VAT a month – the start-up dream!

BEST FOR… TEAM LUNCHES – FEEDR

For those who are always tied up in back-to-back meetings over the lunch hours, often forfeiting your nutrition and potentially derailing your productivity in the afternoon, Feedr will ensure you and your team don’t have to compromise on a healthy lunch. Gone are the days when lunch was a rich source of beige, lacking in any greens or vegetables. We all now know the benefits of a diet rich in vegetables and Feedr wants to ensure you not only get fed but will also get the vital nutrients you need to stay focused throughout the day.

A curated online marketplace bringing together over 100 healthy, nutritious food and snack vendors, Feedr are creating a new way for people to access high-quality food on a regular basis at their workplace. They are the only aggregator focused on health and nutrition and use a distinct operations model to enable access to nutrient-dense meals at more affordable prices.

Since launching in early 2016, Feedr have grown rapidly, serving 1000s of meals to companies and employees in London. Pick from 100+ carefully selected caterers, restaurants and eateries including: The Detox Kitchen, Deliciously Ella Delis, Bel-Air and Farmstand. You can also customise group orders to the needs of your office – genius!

BEST FOR… INDIVIDUAL, TAILORED NUTRITION – SPRING GREEN LONDON

Do you lead a busy lifestyle and struggle to find time to meal prep but want to keep on top of your nutrition? Spring Green London is the brainchild of Bonnie Stowell, a Michelin-star-trained-chef who has seen first-hand the positive and transformational effects a good diet can have on you.

Spring Green London came to inception after Bonnie took it upon herself to devise her father an eating plan rich in plant-based food when he was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. Years of working late, relying on pre-packaged and processed foods had contributed to her father’s disease and it was through her low sugar, nutrient-rich meals that Bonnie helped reduce his symptoms; normalising his sugar levels, leaving him looking younger and feeling better than ever.

Bonnie’s experience of the power of fresh, nutrient-rich, multitasking foods and this keen awareness of the power of food to shape our health has fundamentally shaped the ethos of the company. Spring Green London is not about fads or quick fixes; it’s intelligent eating for the future, the perfect antidote to busy modern lifestyles where good nutrition can sometimes be overlooked and sidelined when work and other commitments take over. Where do you we sign up?

words by Rebecca Fairbrother

We all know what’s lying right ahead of us in winter: colds, the exchange of germs and infections, tiredness and a lot of Christmas pudding. There are ways to prepare for the colder months by getting our bodies ready and working at its optimum. One way this is possible is to stock up on essential winter supplements that will give you the boost you need to maintain a strong defense and boost your immunity. That’s not to say that supplements are the only way to ensure optimum vitamin levels though. Eating natural and whole foods is also vital in maintaining a strong, healthy body. Below are five key supplements to think about adding to your shopping list or worth checking for in a multivitamin!

Vitamin D
This is a no-brainer! Winter limits our exposure to sunlight and our ability to absorb vitamin D. In 2016 Public Health England said everyone should consider taking a supplement containing 10 micrograms during the winter months because it is difficult to meet this requirement through food alone. Vitamin D regulates the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body so is important for healthy bones, teeth and muscles.

Natural sources: Oats, mushrooms and egg yolks

Omega 3 Fish Oil
A great fish oil can help boost low mood during the winter months and can improve brain function. That’s because a fish oil contains two types of fatty acids; DHA and EPA.

Natural sources: Oily fish like salmon and mackerel

Vitamin A
Vitamin A boosts our immune system, fights infection and improves dry skin. Pregnant women should avoid taking too much of this as it can be toxic in large quantities.

Natural sources: Sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy greens, winter squash, lettuce, dried apricots and bell pepper.

Vitamin C
It is not uncommon to see everyone chugging down orange juice during the winter months and this is because oranges contain vitamin c, a great supplement for winter because it helps fight against the common cold and helps keep our body’s cells healthy and functioning at its optimum. Juice is normally high in sugar so consider taking a supplement or a multivitamin with Vitamin C.

Natural sources: Strawberries, citrus fruits, papayas, kiwis and bell peppers

Vitamin B-Complex
B Vitamins are shown to help symptoms of depression and Alzheimer’s and too much stress can impact levels in our body. Think, energy, great mood and skin!

Natural sources: fish, chicken, brown rice and oats

words by Zahra Khimji – @firebirdfit

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A vegetarian diet is a healthy choice and can even lower the risk of heart disease and cancer. However, eating a balanced vegetarian diet requires adding foods that will provide you with the nutrients found in animal products, most importantly protein, iron, and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Frida Harju-Westman, in-house nutritionist at health app Lifesum (www.lifesum.com), provides 10 tips on how to be a healthy vegetarian and ensure you’re receiving all the nutrients you need.

Protein sources
Protein is essential to any diet and if you are planning to go vegetarian, then you will have to find alternatives to add to your meals. Protein is responsible for promoting cell growth and repair, and you should ideally get some protein with every meal. Some great alternatives for protein include quinoa, beans, pulses, and lentils.

Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for heart health, but the majority of these can be found in oily fish and eggs. For a vegetarian, you should try and consume foods like almonds, walnuts and flaxseeds to get the necessary amounts of omega-3.

Get your vitamins and minerals right
Iron and zinc are important diet staples, as the first is key to red blood cells and the second is responsible for cell division. Sometimes, the problem with plant-based diets is that the body does not absorb these staples as easily as it would if they came from animal produce. Therefore, the recommended daily intake of iron for vegetarians is almost double to that of a meat-eater. To help your body absorb the metals, consume plenty of vitamin C, which speeds up your body’s absorption.

Whether you are just starting a vegetarian diet or have been following it for a little while, you probably require vitamin supplements, in particular B12, which is typically found in animal foods. A B12 deficiency can lead to side effects such as tiredness, weakness, and even depression. Make sure to eat foods that are fortified with B12, or consult a doctor before taking any supplements.

Track your needs
If you feel unsure about if your diet is daily providing you with all the nutrients and supplements you need, then downloading health apps, such as Lifesum (www.lifesum.com) or Wholesome (www.wholesomeapp.com), is worth doing.

Since over 10% of Lifesum’s users in the UK are vegetarian, compared to only 4% in Norway, the app has introduced a new vegetarian feature allowing users to select their food preference when using the app. What this means is that Lifesum can provide users with recipes to suit their lifestyle and make sure that they don’t miss any essential nutrients and lead a healthy lifestyle. If you just want to eat less meat, you can use the meat-free challenge feature where you can track how long you can go without eating meat – every time you do, just pause the challenge, and try to beat your record the next time around.

Wholesome suggests whole foods to fill nutrition gaps so you know the healthiest foods to eat next. While you cannot tell the app that you’re vegetarian, you can browse healthy and low carb recipes, are scored out of 10 points on nutrition density.

Follow health coaches
Sometimes you need a bit of motivation to keep you going, especially if you’re new to vegetarianism. Follow health coaches, nutritionists, and vegetarian chefs and get your daily dose of advice and inspiration. Some favourites include PT and blogger Faya Nilsson, from Fitness on Toast, vegan blogger Meghan Langhorn, from Naturally Meghan, and nutritionist Steph Lowe, from The Natural Nutritionist.

Replace wisely
It can be tempting to just replace meat products with processed foods such as pasta and bread, or alternatively soy meat. However, these ‘substitutes’ are often less healthy than high-quality meat, and the dangers and benefits of soy have been debated by scientists for a number of years. Make sure that you check nutrition labels and buy products low on sodium and preservatives.

Watch the sugar
Making the switch to a vegetarian diet can make it easy to overindulge on desserts and sweet treats. However, sugar actually possesses plenty of empty calories and no nutritional value. If you are craving something sweet, try adding maple-syrup or honey for extra sweetness or eating fruit for dessert.

Variety
When you find the foods that you can eat enjoy, it can be easy to fall into a routine where you just eat the same foods all the time. However, remember that the same foods might not meet your nutritional requirements, causing you to become deficient in certain minerals and vitamins over time. Make sure that your diet is as varied as possible and that you get enough protein, B12, iron, calcium, and vitamin D as a basis and work around this.

Don’t rush
If you are new to vegetarianism, make sure that you don’t rush your transition from your existing diet to your new one. Not only can it be difficult to get your head around all the things that you can, and can’t, eat but your body will also need to adjust. Start by adding more plant-based foods into your diet, while also reducing the number of animal products you eat.

Manage expectations
While a vegetarian diet can have several health benefits, it won’t guarantee that you will never fall ill or never experience health problems. The advantages of a vegetarian diet are environmental, reducing animal cruelty and your carbon footprint, with health benefits being a pleasant bonus.

About Lifesum
Lifesum (www.lifesum.com) is a Stockholm-based health app with over 20 million users. Using tech and psychology, it creates a tailored plan to help you live a happier, more balanced life. Whether your goal is to lose weight, build muscle, or just be healthier, Lifesum shows you how changing your small, everyday habits can transform your life. It is available on iOS and Android.

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It’s safe to say we’d all like to feel 100% body confident all the time… there’s no greater feeling than really being at one with your body and appreciating (and loving) it for all its amazing talents. But unfortunately, feeling that way all the time isn’t real life. We all have days when we’d prefer to hide behind an oversized jumper or feel frustrated by the fact that we can’t find anything in our wardrobe that doesn’t make us feel like a whale. It happens! So if you’re having one of those days, one of those weeks or even one of those months, here are 7 tips from Mel Wells, author and health psychology coach, for feeling more body confident!

Wear clothes that actually fit you. Throw out all the items you have held onto that are smaller sizes for ‘one day’. When you hold onto these items in your wardrobe or try to squeeze your body into them, you will always feel uncomfortable. Change the dress to fit your body – don’t change your body to fit the dress. When you are comfortable in what you’re wearing and can breathe, you will feel more relaxed and naturally feel more confident.

Forgive yourself. You are not a problem, you are not broken, you do not need fixing. If you do desire to change your body, you must love and accept your body as it is right now first. “To get a body I love, I must start by loving the body I have.” You cannot drive a car without getting into the car first. Do not try to change your body from a place of hate and punishment, but instead, speak to it lovingly and make loving choices for your body. Instead of hating yourself thin, choose to love yourself healthy. When you are empowered by the choices you are making for your body, confidence will ooze out of you.

Be naked by yourself more often. Spend time naked by yourself, walking round the house naked, cooking naked, doing the dishes naked, ironing naked, watching TV naked. The more time you spend naked and intimate with yourself, the more your confidence will grow.

Realise that you are not your body, you are your soul. True body confidence comes from inner confidence in oneself. Instead of focusing all your attention on the mirror, realise all your qualities as a human being. Celebrate who you are as a person, rather than putting all the emphasis on your reflection in the mirror or a dress size.

Unfollow accounts on social media that make you feel like you’re not enough. Treat your newsfeed like your friends’ circle – only invite people in that lift you up and bring positivity, joy and empowerment to your life. Instead of shaming yourself by following extreme fitness models, follow people who are body positive and practice self-love.

Throw out your scale. This is absolutely key if you want to be confident in your body. For every time you use the scale to judge yourself, you are validating yourself with a piece of metal on the floor. You are so much more than a number. Celebrate your accomplishments, your big heart, what a kind soul you are. A number does not define you so don’t let it dictate your happiness.

Fundamentally – realise for yourself that happiness does not come with a number or a dress size. Losing two stone may make you more ‘socially acceptable’ on the surface level for a short while, but on a deeper level, it will not make you love yourself any more. Happiness is an inside job. When you stop chasing numbers and start practicing self-love at any size, you will find true happiness and fulfillment for life. Self-love is not a destination, but a journey and a practice. Commit to being kinder to your body. Ask yourself with every decision: “What would someone who loves themselves do?”

words by Mel Wells
Bestselling Author & Speaker
Author, The Goddess Revolution
Healthy & Eating Psychology Coach
www.MelWells.com

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