Top 5 Steps To Mindfulness

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If you’re looking to get down to the core of what wellbeing is really about, then look no further! Read on for a selection of tips and tricks that will help you to think and feel your best this year…

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness has been recommended by the Department of Health and other healthcare professionals as a therapeutic practise that can help people to achieve an improved state of wellbeing. The idea is that we become more aware of our behaviours, thoughts, attitudes and actions in order to gain a better grasp on our lifestyles. It is a practise that involves being ‘mindful’ or aware of the present moment, and being able to remain focussed and in control of our feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations. The practise has been shown to significantly reduce stress and incite feelings of calmness and peace when practised on a regular basis.

Tips

Here’s a few ways that you can begin to practise mindful behaviour in different ways throughout your day…

Mindful Eating – This is a great way to stay healthy in 2016 and remain in control of your eating habits. A mindful exercise is to try and adopt a ‘childlike’ curiosity of the food that you are eating as though each bite is something new and amazing. Start by analysing and viewing the food in front of you and imagining its journey from the fork to your mouth, and all the way down your digestive system. Start to savour each mouthful as though it is your last, chewing slowly to assess the wonderful flavours that are released. Then, when you feel ready, swallow each bite, paying careful attention to the sensation of digestion.Mindful eating is a great way to remain in control of portion sizes and being able to assess when you are full. The practise is also a great way to gain awareness of what we are eating as well as why we are eating.

Mindful Moving – Our movements have sped up three-fold over the past decade as we feel increasingly stretched for time during our daily lives. Many of us tend to race around in a morning in order to get dressed, grab breakfast and dash out of the door to work. This can send our cortisol (i.e. our stress hormone) levels through the roof, which, over time, can supress immunity and cause a surge in blood sugar levels. Practising mindful moving is incredibly beneficial for our stress levels as we try to slow down our actions and not do too many things at once. Start by setting your alarm to wake up 20 minutes earlier in the morning. Give yourself that time you deserve to feel at ease and experience the pleasure in daily activities by bringing your attention to your speed and behaviour. Slow down and start to feel human again – we are not robots, after all!

Mindful Talking – This is a fantastic way to achieve more control and peace in your life, simply by bringing your awareness to your speech. Are you a notorious chatterbox? Do you often find yourself reeling off a dozen sentences every 30 seconds? If so, see if you can try to slow your speech rate down throughout the day. When you talk fast, you trick your body into thinking it is under a state of stress. Being mindful of how we talk helps us to stay in control of what we are saying as well as encouraging feelings of ease.

Mindful Relationships – Relationships are crucial in health management and it is super important to surround yourself with the right people in order for you to remain at peace. When interacting with people both in our personal and professional lives, it is important to always stay mindful of our behaviours and attitudes towards individuals. Try to be kind and treat people the way you wish to be treated, without letting the influence of other behaviours stand in your way. Staying in control and maintaining healthy relationships is a great way to increase total wellbeing!

Mindful Thinking – Many of us can gravitate towards negative thoughts, particularly those that are self-critical and self-damaging. These thoughts are self destructive and will only hinder one person – yourself! Whenever you notice a negative comment pop into your head, bring yourself back to the present moment and become aware of this behaviour. Try to switch your thinking to constructive and positive thoughts, such as ‘what is your proudest achievement?’ or ‘what is your favourite personal feature?’ The more you acknowledge the good in yourself, the less you will take note of the bad.

These tips are just a basis for you to go off and can be practised throughout the day. You may feel silly when doing these practises, but again, being mindful of our thoughts is all part of the practise and we need to recognise these thoughts as random, and return our awareness to the present task at hand, without judgement or negativity.

Be mindful. Be happy. Live well!

Words by Lauren Windas

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How To Get Healthy In A Hurry!

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Filling up on healthy, nutritious food throughout the day can be quick and easy, we promise! Thinking ahead and being prepared means you won’t be slaving away for hours in the kitchen or grabbing a chocolate bar from the nearest vending machine when your sugar levels are low… read on for tips!

Plan your meals for the week ahead

A simple step to cut down on what you are spending is to plan your meals for the week ahead and do a shop up on the weekend. We would highly recommend Madeleine Shaw’s Glow Guides app, which provides you with weekly shopping lists, daily meal plans and recipes to really keep you on track. This way you will know what you will be eating in advance and your fridge will be chock full of nutritious foods to get you glowing. This is a must do for those of you who are particularly busy, in order to avoid the call of a takeaway come evening time!

Batch cook

This way you can cook big batches of scrummy meals that will last you throughout the week, such as roasted veggie and quinoa salad to pop in your Tupperware for lunch at work. This will of course take time out of your day but we promise you this saves heaps of time in the long run! We also love cooking big batches of veggie soups or curries as these can be heated up in no time and will last in the fridge for a few days. Another way to zap time preparing brekkie in the morning is to make a homemade granola full of nuts and healthy fats to get your skin glowing. We also would recommend whipping up a creamy bircher muesli to store in the fridge, which you can simply top with coconut yoghurt or fresh berries before serving – yum!

Have healthy snacks on hand

To avoid the temptation of sugary treats, we urge you to carry some healthy snacks in your handbag for when the midday munchies hit! Fix up some chocolate protein balls – these can literally be made in an instant by chucking a few ingredients into your blender. Simply blend some nuts of your choice, raw cacao, coconut oil, dates and whatever else takes your fancy (think desiccated coconut, nut butter, goji berries, cacao nibs). If you are short on time, pop some nuts, dark chocolate or a piece of fruit into your handbag; this will nab any hunger pangs and keep you on the straight and narrow!

Schedule 15 minutes of exercise each day

This is all we are asking of you, just 15 minutes. Now you really have no excuses. Just 15 minutes will enable you to get fitter, see changes and strengthen your body. In fact, studies show that smaller bouts of exercise are far more beneficial, as over exerting oneself can raise cortisol levels and this in turn can lead to weight gain! Try a circuit of 15 squats, lunges and press ups (do this three times over) to create muscle and get your heart rate pumping. Moving your body will also lighten your mood and is a proven way to relieve stress. Now get going!

Store healthy staples in your pantry

By keeping quick and easy-to-make healthy staples in your pantry, you will be satisfied and nourished with filling meals when hunger beckons. We adore Clearsprings latest range of healthy grains and flours made from the finest organic and gluten free ingredients such as buckwheat and chia seeds. These include Omega 3 rich power porridge to fuel you throughout your morning, a nutritious quinoa trio salad for lunch, and polenta or veggies crusted with brown rice bread crumbs for dinner – delicious!

Words by Flora Crichton 

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Cleanse The Hip & Healthy Way With Plenish

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Here at Hip & Healthy, February is a particularly busy time of year, so we really couldn’t think of a better time to embark on a 3 day juice cleanse with Plenish.

Offering 3 levels of cleanses suitable for juicing newbies to seasoned aficionados and depending on the goals of your detox, we decided to go with a gentler option; level 1, as our first juice cleanse of the year.

A great choice for those who have never tried a juice cleanse, the Level 1 cleanse is also highly beneficial for anyone looking for some liver loving and digestive system support. We thoroughly enjoyed the 6 varieties of fresh cold-pressed juices allowed per day, from our morning LIFT to our bedtime BUILD, each of which provide a varied array of health benefits.

Whilst I’m usually someone to shy away from juice cleanses (I miss solid food too much!), Plenish’s 3 day cleanse was surprisingly easy to follow, thanks to the generous portions of juice provided in each one of the 5 juices and 1 delicious nut m*lk that I eagerly awaited each evening before bed. Read on for a breakdown of the juices included and the nourishing and nutritious benefits that each provides. Happy sipping!

LIFT: Pear, cucumber, romaine, spinach, kale, basil, broccoli lime

Our morning rocket fuel, LIFT is super rich in vitamin C thanks to the combo of greens, perfect for this time of year when warding of winter bugs is our first priority!

CALM: Pineapple, apple, mint, aloe vera

Our favourite of all the juices, not only is CALM true to its name sake, it is also the most digestive soothing juice we’ve ever tried.

BOOST: Spinach, kale, parsley, romaine, cucumber, pear, lemon, ginger

A potent hit of greens with a subtle hint of sweetness, BOOST features a plethora of antioxidant rich, skin glowing greens.

KICK: Lemon, Red Chilli, Lime, Coconut Water, Filtered Water

A delicious mid-afternoon pick-me-up, think of KICK as your cleansing coffee alternative.

PUMP: Beetroot, Carrot, Cherry, Lime, Filtered Water

The perfect evening treat, PUMP features cherry to calm and centre, potassium rich beetroot and carrot to help detoxify the liver.

BUILD: Cashew, Vanilla, Dates, Cinnamon, Himalayan Salt, Filtered Water

Featuring 13.2G of plant protein in every bottle, BUILD includes sleep inducing magnesium rich cashews, blood sugar regulating cinnamon and organic dates for a boost of iron. Plus it’s seriously delicious!

To find our more info on all of the cleanses Plenish offers or to book one for yourself, click here.

Words by Zsa Zsa Vella 

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If You Only Do One Thing This Week… Wake Up Happy!

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Wakey wakey rise and shine! Starting the day feeling refreshed and ready to go is something we strive to achieve everyday here at Hip & Healthy. Creating a good morning routine and getting a sufficient amount of sleep each night not only makes you feel fabulous, but it always, without fail, sets you up with a positive mindset for the whole day ahead. Read on for our top 5 tips to add to your morning routine, so you can enjoy waking up feeling your very best every single day!

Practise gratitude

‘When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love…’ We love this quote from Marcus Aurelius, as it really embodies a positive and appreciative outlook on life. Being grateful for what you have goes hand in hand with happiness and positivity. The benefits of practising gratitude are endless! It is proven that people who regularly reflect on things that they are thankful for, will generate more positivity, feel more alive, and show more compassion and kindness. When you wake up, list five things in your head that you are grateful for; from the bed you are sleeping in to the food that you will eat for breakfast. It is so easy to forget how lucky we truly are!

Add some stretching

Exercising in the morning can be a challenge for many of us, but incorporating some simple stretches into our daily routine reaps many different benefits from easing out any nasty muscle tension or stiffness to increasing blood flow to all parts of the body, especially the brain. If you don’t already, try to practise a few stretches as soon as you get out of bed. Not only will this leave you feeling energised and limber, but will increase your concentration levels for the days work ahead! Stretching also improve ones posture, which is vital to the majority of us who sit in front of our computer screens all day long. Stretching will help loosen muscles up and increase flexibility, not to mention improving our posture and making us look both longer and leaner – yes please!

Dish up a hearty but healthy breakfast

Hydration is incredibly important first thing upon waking. After a full nights sleep, your body is craving rehydration! Sipping on a large glass of water as soon as you wake up will instantly give you that much-needed energy boost you need. We love to throw in a slice or two of lemon as this amazing citrus fruit will aid in the detoxification process of your body as well as kick-start your digestion in preparation for breakfast.

Ensuring a good breakfast not long after you wake up (we try to eat within half an hour of waking) will break the fast that your body experiences as you sleep and kick start your metabolism, so you’ll be torching calories all day through! Choosing high quality protein such as poached eggs on sourdough or porridge with lashings of almond butter will give you lots of energy and keep you full until lunchtime.

Try an alkalising green juice

One of our favourite morning pick-me-ups is a green juice. Packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, it will alkalize and nourish your body from within, reducing sugar cravings as leave you bursting with energy! Having a green juice as a mid-morning snack or alongside your breakfast is also a brilliant way to get one of your five a day in first thing. Starting the day with healthy choices means that you are far more likely to continue making great choices all day long!

Breathe deeply

Don’t forget to breathe properly! Focusing on the rise and fall of your breath for a few minutes in the morning can restore our sense of calm and settle any nerves we might have about the day ahead. Too often in our hectic lifestyles, we forget to breathe properly, however making sure we’re doing so properly releases tension as well as that all important carbon dioxide, a natural waste product of your bodies metabolism.

Words by Flora Crichton 

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4 Steps For Landing Your Dream Job

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The average person spends 99,117 hours at work – the equivalent of 11 and a half years! With this in mind, why would you want to spend your years in a job that didn’t satisfy, inspire and enable you to reach your full potential? Here at Hip & Healthy, we are firm believers that your career should be as fulfilling as your greatest passion! If you’re lacking for inspiration in the career department and ready for a change, read on for our top 5 steps for landing the kind of job you’ve always dreamt of.

  1. Figure out what you it is you desire

The first and foremost important step in deciphering just what job it is that will set your soul on fire, ignite a fire in your belly and see you jumping spritely out of bed every morning excited for what the day will throw at you is figuring out what it is you desire to do. Whilst this may take some time, especially if you’re so used to thinking of work as something separate from your passion/s. If you’re still unsure of what it is that you want to do, write down a list of your strengths, next to it write a list of things that you love to do in your pastime. This way you should be able to start to make connections between what you love to do and where your strengths lie. If this alone doesn’t give you a clearer idea of possible dream jobs, turn to your friends, family and those who know you best for advice. Chances are, they’ll have a few great ideas up their sleeves based on the strengths and passion they see in you! If you’re still lost for ideas, ask yourself this question: What would I do if money were no object?

  1. Perfect your passion

If you’re someone who can easily decipher your dream job, you probably already spend your down time working on your passion which is great! As we all know, practise makes perfect! If you already spend a lot of time learning all there is to know about the area your interested in and practicing regularly, trust us when we say you’re closer than ever to making it a reality, all it takes is a leap of faith! If you’re dream job aspirations aren’t as clear or have only just become apparent to you, start to put aside a few hours each week to work on whatever it may be. If it’s a fashion magazine you dream of working at, spend time looking at footage and photos from fashion week and create your own trend reports. If you have always dreamt of becoming a yoga teacher, try and attend as many different yoga classes as you can and work at developing your flexibility and agility. If you’ve always loved cooking, plan a few nights per week to recipe test and post successes on your own blog and instagram. Whatever you love to do, start doing more of it!

  1. Create your own opportunities

If you have a vision of yourself working for a particular company or brand, reach out now! Don’t waste your time waiting for a job opening to be announced. Get your CV in order, write a cover letter explaining why you’d love to work for the company and which part of the business you believe your expertise could benefit and how. This way, even if the business isn’t even thinking of hiring, when a position becomes available requiring your skillset or strengths, you’re more likely to be considered as opposed to somebody whose CV is simply lumped in amongst the hundreds of others come job opening.

  1. Never give up

Sometimes it can seem daunting when you feel like you’re putting yourself out there and not getting an immediate response, but trust us when we say that your hard work and perseverance WILL pay off. Here at Hip & Healthy we NEVER give up on the things we love, and you certainly shouldn’t either! We believe in you. So go out there, chase your dreams and choose a career path that inspires you to shine.

Words by Zsa Zsa Vella

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The Tribe Is Gathering: Hayhouse Presents A Day Of Wellbeing, Self-Love & Optimum Health

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Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity – a day dedicated to wellbeing, self-love and optimum health – brought to you by Hay House Ignite!

Hosting a number of motivational speakers, expect to be inspired from this tribe of like-minded people, uniting together to share and present their individual journeys and life changing advice.

Guests will include some amazing authors presenting throughout the day; absolute must see – Kris Carr, the New York Times best seller and creator of the Crazy, Sexy wellness revolution. Further guests will include Sandy Newbigging, Julie Montagu, Charlie Morely, Gale Darling, Lucy Sheridan, Jo Westwood and Rebecca Campbell.

The event will celebrate Kris Carr’s first ever UK appearance; she will reflect on her motivational books and share her transformative journey. Kris was told she had incurable cancer, but her dedication to holistic recovery through self-healing, nourishment and wellness mean she now lives a fulfilling, healthy life. Come along to hear some of her secrets for achieving a balanced and inspired life.

All speakers featured are a true reflection of the wellness revolution, and the best in their fields. The event will celebrate the importance of nourishing yourself, tuning into your own intuition and listening to your body. Speakers will focus on the benefits of meditation, handling the pressures of daily life and will give their top tips on how to cultivate all-important self-love. We hope to see you there!

Date: 12th of March, 2016

Location: The Light Friends House, London

Click here to book your early bird ticket ticket to long-lasting wellness and happiness before midnight on the 25th of February here to save an amazing £40.

 

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Smoothie Ingredients To Supercharge Your Results

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Let’s go beyond the green leaves, frozen blueberries and chia seeds to introduce some new micro-nutrients to your body.

#1 Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)

Almonds and cashews are a great frozen banana substitute but pumpkin seeds are potentially even more nutritious. An anti-aging multi-vitamin, just one handful will go a long way to achieving your daily requirement of magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese, vitamin E and protein. That means energy, weightloss, skin firming and a stronger immune system.

One cup of pumpkin seeds will make your smoothie thick and satisfying, and the subtle flavour will allow the other ingredients to do the talking.

#2 Camu Camu

The word superfood does not do this Amazonian fruit justice. It’s the highest source of vitamin C on the planet. And by a long way. One teaspoon of freeze dried powder is 12 times your daily vitamin C needs. That means an immune system so strong that it slows aging and even prevents oxidative stress that leads to cancer. It’s great for skin, provides mental clarity and even elevates mood. It’s subtle citrus flavour blends in quietly to any smoothie, allowing other ingredients to shine. You only need one teaspoon per smoothie.

#3 Hemp Seeds

Banned for human consumption in Australia, but don’t let the uninformed fat cats control you. Hemp seeds are an unbelievable source of essential fatty acids (omega-3 & 6), promoting weight-loss, lowering cholesterol and providing energy. They are expensive in Australia but you only need a couple of tablespoons for a powerful serving. Hemp seeds are that potent. They’ll also thicken up your smoothie like chia seeds would, only with twice the protein and all nine essential amino acids.

#4 Mint

A simple suggestion but not to be underestimated. Mint soothes indigestion and inflammation, plus it can even reduce pimples. Equal to the digestive power is the flavour. You can make any green smoothie taste like peppermint ice cream with some cacao, dates and fresh mint.

#5 Plant Based Protein

Protein isn’t just for muscles. It’s actually for weightloss, particularly when you have it in the first 30 minutes of your morning. If you find the right flavour you won’t need to add any other sweeteners for your smoothie either.

Your protein powder has to be plant based as whey, like milk, isn’t biologically designed for human consumption. The best plant based recipes are much cleaner with complimenting ingredients too, because they are made for fussy health nuts like us that read labels. Our favourite brands from the States are MRM Vegie Elite and Rawfusion. We also just discovered Prana On in Australia and love their coconut flavour.

Bonus Tip:

Smoothies and coconut water go hand in hand. Subtle sweetness and hydrating potassium. The problem is some brands cost a fortune. Don’t rule out getting your coconut water from Asian grocery stores. Whilst those tin cans don’t appease your love of packaging, tin can actually keep the coconut water fresher. The tetra pack variety is two or three times the price, just because of the branding. This stuff literally grows on trees so don’t let branding break your bank or prevent you from making that delicious green smoothie.

Article courtesy of Green Press.

Green Press is an organic cold pressed juice and health food company located in Melbourne. A true pioneer in the health and wellness space, Green Press dispels the stigma that health is boring. Run by brothers James and Miles McLoughlin, Green Press was created to help people feel alive. Their flagship cafe, informative blog and online store offer an inspiring insight into the world of healthy living. Receiving their nutritional education in NYC, where Chef Miles worked at multiple Michelin Star winning restaurants in Manhattan whilst James managed both a Manhattan restaurant and a juicing food truck, the brothers decided they were ready to go out on their own and moved to Melbourne, Australia and open the city’s first organic cold pressed juice bar, launching Green Press in November 2013.

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The Smart Girls Guide To Getting Things Done

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Here at Hip & Healthy, we believe that the key to staying on top of things starts with a positive mindset and a can do attitude! We know that filling our bodies with nutritious foods, getting lots of sleep and exercising when we can really gives us a sense of empowerment and a positive outlook on life. Whether you are struggling with motivation to eat healthily, exercise daily or get things done at work, we’ve collated a fail-proof productivity guide to help you on your way to becoming the best and most organised version of you!

Get adequate sleep

Sleep is seriously undervalued in our society. Getting enough shut eye (we recommend 7-8 hours of precious beauty sleep per night) will make waking up early far easier, so you have more time to get things done!

“Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it” – Richard Whately

Try to switch off electronic screens an hour before bedtime to enable optimum sleep quality as these bright lights can interfere with your natural body clock as it tries to wind down. Many studies show that the key to productivity is waking up before everyone else’s alarms go off. We know this might sound a little daunting but fear not, February is here and spring is on its way so our days will be longer, lighter and brighter!

Try to manage your stress levels

In this extremely busy lifestyle we lead, little time is left to truly focus and appreciate ourselves. In order to perform well and stay on top of things, we really need to manage our stress levels. We would recommend a relaxing yoga session, some stretching before bed or when you first wake up, or take a warm bath to ease muscle tension. Don’t forget to breathe deeply – try focusing on your breath for a few minutes per day as this can really restore our sense of calm. These tips will allow for a more positive outlook on life and allow you to take on anything life throws at you!

Keep a list of things you need to do

Achieving our goals and making our deadlines can sometimes seem really daunting. Yet keeping a running list of things you need to get done either on paper or on your phone can make your life significantly easier. Visual lists will allow for a clearer sense of what you need to get done, and allow you to prioritise the most important things first. Not forgetting the most obvious, a list will keep you from forgetting what you are supposed to be doing in the first place! We do urge you to keep these lists as simple as possible though – try not to take on too many things at once and learn to say no. Too often in our busy lifestyles, we are so concerned with solving other people’s problems that we neglect our own priorities and push them to the side.

Set yourself goals

Try writing a list of goals you hope to achieve in 2016. By actually writing these down or telling your friends and family, these goals are way more likely to become a reality. Trying to stick with your fitness regime this year? Schedule in weekly classes with a friend so you have no excuse but to go, or book a series of classes. We love yoga as it strengthens our bodies, reduces stress, not to mention its benefits for our mental health. We all know how good exercise makes us feel, and enjoying it with a friend only adds to these benefits.

With regards to healthy eating goals and staying on track, yet again keeping a food diary proves to be a tried and tested way to ensuring you’re sticking to your healthy eating plans. Reflecting on our daily intake really heightens our awareness of exactly what we are consuming, making us more mindful and more inclined to choose nourishing whole food options as we go about our day.

Words by Flora Crichton

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Waste Not, Want Not Multi-Seed Quinoa Bread

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One of the best and yummiest ways to use up all your leftover juice and nut milk pulp is in this bread. The pulp still has a lot of flavour and nutrients, not to mention its healthy fibre. In this vegan loaf, the vegetable pulp adds both freshness and blasts of colour, while the seeds and quinoa flour provide a distinct nutty, earthy flavour.

Juice serves 1–2 Bread serves 12+

Ingredients

-Fennel, carrot and ginger juice

-Makes about 250–300 g (83⁄4–101⁄2 oz/ compact 13⁄4 cups) juice pulp

-1 large carrot (185 g/61⁄2 oz) 2 celery stalks (125 g/41⁄2 oz)

-1 fennel bulb (240 g/81⁄2 oz) 1 apple (125 g/41⁄2 oz)

-20 g (3⁄4 oz/3 tbsp) ginger Juice of 1 lemon

Quinoa bread

-2 tbsp chia seeds

-6 tbsp filtered water

-250–300 g (83⁄4–101⁄2 oz/compact

-1 3⁄4 cups) juice pulp (see recipe above)

-200 g (7 oz/compact 11⁄8 cups) almond

or hazelnut milk pulp from 1 x recipe

nut milk (see page 28)
-100 g (31⁄2 oz/3⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp) quinoa flour

-1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

-1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 1 tsp baking powder

-2 tbsp psyllium husk powder

-80 g (23⁄4 oz/1⁄2 cup) pumpkin seeds, preferably soaked for 8 hours or activated dried (see page 25) 80 g (23⁄4 oz/1⁄2 cup plus 1 tbsp) sunflower seeds, preferably soaked for 8 hours or activated dried (see page 25)

Methods

Fennel, carrot and ginger juice

Juice all the ingredients, except the lemon, then stir in the lemon juice at the end. Enjoy the juice and use the pulp in the bread. Everybody’s juicers vary, but if you, like me, get large pieces of vegetable chunks in the pulp, do not worry as they add a flavoursome and colourful surprise when eating the bread.

Quinoa bread

Preheat the oven to 160°C/310°F/Gas Mark 21⁄2 and grease and line the bottom of a 21 x 11 x 6 cm deep (81⁄4 x 41⁄4 x 21⁄2 inch) loaf tin with baking parchment.

Combine the chia seeds and measured water and leave for 15 minutes to form a gel. Put both pulps into a large bowl and add all of the other ingredients along with the chia gel and drained soaked seeds. Mix the dough with your hands, squeezing it through your fingers. With the moisture from the pulps, it should be just wet enough to stick together. Put the dough into the prepared tin, pressing it down well into the corners. Dip your fingers in water then smooth out the top of the loaf with your fingertips.

Bake for about 40 minutes, rotating the loaf after the first 20 minutes. Then, using an oven glove, remove the loaf from the tin, carefully run a knife around the edges, turn it upside down onto a baking tray and remove the baking parchment from the bottom of the loaf. Bake it upside down on the baking tray for another 10 minutes. When it is ready a skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean, the bottom should sound hollow when tapped, and the top should be a golden brown. Leave to cool completely.

Due to its moisture from the wet pulps, this bread is quite moist so it is best eaten thinly sliced and toasted. It can be kept in the fridge for at least four days and freezes well. Freeze in slices and toast straight from the freezer.

NOTES

If you do not have the exact quantities of either the juice or nut pulp, just increase one or the other to add up to 450–500 g (1 lb–1 lb 2 oz) in total, or you can add extra ground almonds (almond meal), which have been moistened with some water, again to add up to 450–500 g (1 lb–1 lb 2 oz). If you only have the nut milk pulp, halve the rest of the ingredients, except for the flour, and follow the recipe above but bake for 10 minutes less than stated above.

This loaf also works with buckwheat flour in place of the quinoa. Then try adding a handful or two of activated buckwheat groats. If the mix looks too dry add a little water.

For a nutty, grain-free version, replace the quinoa flour with chestnut flour or ground almonds (almond meal), or a combination of both flours, and add a nut mix such as dried activated walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts. You can add up to 200 g (7 oz) of nuts.

Recipe extracted by Clean Cakes by Henrietta Inman, photography by Lisa Linder, published by Jacqui Small (£20)

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Valentine’s Day FITSPIRATION: James + Christiane Duigan

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Happy Valentines day Hip & Healthies! To celebrate in true Hip & Healthy style, we caught up with the ultimate and healthiest power couple behind the super successful Bodyism brand to chat about all things fitness, life and love. Read on for the lowdown…

We are so exited for Valentines Day! Are you doing anything special to celebrate it together?

We are going away with some friends to Wilderness Reserve in Suffolk. We’ll do some long walks, eat good food, horse ride and enjoy time with our family and friends.

James, if you were going to cook a romantic meal for Christiane, what might you choose?

I cook a great lamb curry but I know that Chrissy would want to have a treat, so I would order in a 4 cheese pizza and peanut butter chocolate cake which was our wedding cake! Recipe in our Cookbook.

How do you juggle work commitments with raising a young family?

We have a lot of exciting things happening in the business at the moment including an expansion in to America which is all done with the motivation of our children in mind! We always get the kids ready for school and are home for dinner, bath, bed. We now also have a brilliant team so the weekends are purely dedicated to spending every moment with the children. We even get to have a dinner night just the 2 of us once a week too.

Being married as well as business partners must get tricky, what are your biggest challenges?

The challenges were mostly at the beginning and finding our roles within the business. Now they don’t really overlap and because the vision is the same and we work on separate things and (mostly) agree! It’s important to us that we switch off work after 9pm but because we love what we do, we don’t mind talking about things at any time.

And what are the best bits about working together?

It gives us another common interest that helps strengthen our relationship. We are working towards the same goal and vision so this makes it so rewarding. We also get to see each other all day!

James – what skill does Christiane have that Bodyism could not do without?

She’s a total boss hero and a wonderful example to me of strength, beauty and intelligence. A proper power woman! She is compelling evidence that you can live a healthy, happy life with a healthy energised body, mind and combine it with a job and family.

And Christiane – what do you most admire in James?

James is an inspiration to me. He has so much passion, strength and persistence in everything he does. He has an ability to build relationships like no one else i’ve met. He challenges me to always be better and brings out the best version of myself.

What are your top tips for couples going into business together?

Consider this carefully before you do! Before we started working together, we wrote down on paper and made a list of our visions for the business and the approach we would take to make this dream come true. It happened that everything matched up exactly. We didn’t jump in straight away as Chrissy would dip in and out of helping out from accounts, HR and marketing until it became a full time role, but wasn’t from the beginning.

 Do you ever work out together? If so, what does this consist of?

We enjoy long walks together whether it be through the park, on a beach or a hike but we do very different types of exercise! James loves doing Brazilian Jiujitsu, in fact he is British middle weight champion!

J: For me, it’s like a meditation, I feel so present, strong and calmer.

C: Nothing has transformed my body like ballet has, so I do a combination of this and yoga – the perfect combination for a long, lean body.

How do you like to unwind together at the end of a long day?

We’ve just moved in to a house that has a fireplace, so we often have an ‘I am Relaxed’ tea in front of the fire and chat about the day. We then sometimes take a hot bath.. (with pink sea salt of course!). Perfect way to end the day.

MORE: Meet The Face Of Healthy Baking

 

Win at February With Top Tips From Clean Beauty Co

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February sure can induce a serious case of winter-blues. It’s cold. It’s a little grey. Summer holidays seem like ages away and it’s no longer acceptable to wish people a happy new year. We are generally pretty happy-go-lucky gals, we don’t tend to let much get us down. ‘Thick-skinned’ is how we are often described. But there’s something about February that can wear down on even those with the thickest of skin and because of that, we want to share a little secret that’ll help to lift your mood when the evenings seem a little too dark.

It’s no secret that essential oils are used in most beauty products. Typically deriving from the flowering part of a plant, they are a fragrant, super potent substance and (because of their concentration) have endless benefits for both the skin and hair. Their qualities vary depending on which oil you choose; they can be anything from antibacterial to ultra-moisturising to anti-ageing. But – and here’s the secret – did you know that essential oils are also used for holistic wellbeing? In other words, they are a great way to stop the February blues in its cold tracks.

Aromatherapy is an age-old practice as essential oils have the ability to stimulate the mind and cleanse you from the inside out. Smell has an incredible link to your brain – if you think about the power that a smell has to triggering a memory for example. Essential oils are so potent that their fragrance are linked to all kinds of brain activity and we therefore use them not just for beauty, but also to lift our mood and help with productivity. Now, we don’t recommend that you cruise around sniffing tiny bottles of essential oils as we’re aware that that’s not particularly practical. The smarter way to inject some EO’s into your everyday routine is to double up with your beauty products, meaning both your skin and brain reap the benefits. Here’s our guide to the best scents and the cheat’s way of accessing them:

  • It’s believed that inhaling the citrussy lemon scent helps promote concentration and altertness. It’s zesty pong has also been linked to helping stress and having a general calming effect. We say use it when the work load is heavy and you need to focus on being productive, efficient and relaxed in the office. We love Dr Haushka’s Lemon Lemongrass Body Oil. A citrus blast that’s full to the brim with lemon, lemon peel and lemongrass. Slather all over to get your day off to an energetic start.
  • The scent of lavender is familiar to most people as it’s used so widely in health and beauty products. It’s the type of smell that reminds you of your grandma (in a good way). Lavender is awesome for those looking to bring a level of calm to their lives. It’s great for destressing, helps to soothe nerves and relaxes the mind. We say use it during the day to ensure your serene mood doesn’t falter. Many use lavender based bath soaks or oils at night to help them sleep which is great, but personally we find we’re in need of real relaxation when we’re rushed off our feet during the day. We love John Master’s Organics Sea Salt Spray with Lavender. Gives you beautiful, tousled beach hair and offers an endless supply of lavender scent right by your nose.
  • Rose is probably the most subtle fragrance of the oils mentioned today but it still packs quite a punch. It’s perfect for helping to relieve anxiety, depression and emotional unbalance. If you’re feeling a little glum then rose is probably the one for you. We say use it to brighten your mood, whenever you need it. We love Ren’s Moroccan Rose Gold Glow Perfect Dry Oil. Who doesn’t want to shimmer all day? This baby will bring a big, shiny smile to your face. Extremely moisturising with a subtle shimmer, the astringent and nourishing properties will get to work while you glow.
  • A fairly strong smelling oil but extremely powerful in its ability to help to ease physical exhaustion. You know those days that you just can’t get out of bed? Rosemary is wonderful in helping to fight that fatigue. It’s also been linked to memory retention as well as soothing headaches. Pretty impressive huh? We say use it in the mornings as part of your skin care routine. It’s anti-inflammatory properties will get right to work on tired skin meaning both your mind and face will be wide awake. We love Pai’s Rice Plant and Rosemary Bioaffinity Tonic. A light toner that’s great for sensitive skin.

Words by Elise at Clean Beauty Co | www.cleanbeautyco.com

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MORE: Meet The Face Of Healthy Baking 

Roasted Root Vegetable Tarts With Spiced Sesame Crust

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These sublime savoury tarts pack a super flavour punch. A spicy base made with sesame seeds and toasted pecans is covered in a light and creamy cashew béchamel, all topped off with an abundant mix of sweet and earthy carrots and beetroot. They are grain-free, vegan and perfect for a comforting but light lunch or supper.

Ingredients – Makes 6 tarts

Roasted root vegetables

-4 large carrots, about 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) 4 beetroot, about 550 g (1 lb 3 oz)
-2 onions
-2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed
-3 tbsp EVCP rapeseed oil or coconut oil, melted, plus extra for greasing Coarse sea salt
-Black pepper, optional
-Generous bunch of fresh herbs such as coriander (cilantro) and parsley, finely chopped

-Spiced sesame and pecan crust

-170 g (6 oz/11⁄2 cups) ground pecan nuts 105 g (33⁄4 oz/scant 1 cup) ground

-almonds (almond meal)
-1⁄2 tsp each ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger and cardamom
-11⁄2 tsp coarse sea salt
-65 ml (21⁄4 fl oz/1⁄4 cup) EVCP rapeseed oil
-2 tbsp filtered water
-85 g (3 oz/2⁄3 cup) black and white sesame seeds

Cashew béchamel

-25 g (3⁄4 oz/2 tbsp) coconut oil
-40 g (11⁄2 oz/generous 1⁄3 cup) gram flour 1 tsp Dijon mustard
-450 ml (15 fl oz/scant 2 cups) cashew milk (see page 28)
-3 tsp nutritional yeast flakes
-Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 175°C/345°F/Gas Mark 31⁄2. Grease six round 10 x 2 cm deep (4 x 3⁄4 inch) tartlet tins.

Peel and cut the tops off the carrots. Cut them lengthways into about 3 cm (11⁄4 inch) long pieces, then quarter into small crudité-sized strips. Scrub the beetroot, quarter them and slice the same thickness as the carrots. Peel, quarter and slice the onions. On a large baking tray, mix up the vegetables with the garlic, oil and a generous amount of salt and black pepper, if using. Roast for about 1 hour, checking halfway through. They are ready when a skewer inserts easily into the centre of the vegetables. Remove from the oven, adjust the seasoning while still warm, and set aside.

Meanwhile, to make the base, combine the ground pecans, almonds, spices, salt, oil and water in a food processor. Add the sesame seeds and blitz until the mix looks like breadcrumbs and sticks together when you pick up a piece of it in your hand. Divide the pastry mix between the greased tins, you will get about 70 g (21⁄2 oz) per tart, and press it down with your fingertips and a step palette knife (frosting spatula) to make the crust, pressing it into the edges and making sure it is even. Put the tins on a baking tray and bake in the same oven as the vegetables for about 15–20 minutes or until dark golden brown. Leave to cool.

To make the béchamel, melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan. Add the gram flour and whisk in vigorously. Add the mustard and then gradually start to add the cashew milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. The sauce should start to thicken and look smooth. Add the yeast flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Stir again and taste and season more if necessary. You can make this in advance for use later, but note that when it cools it will thicken slightly, so before filling your tarts with it, return to the heat and add some extra milk to loosen.

Finish off the vegetables by adding the freshly chopped herbs and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if necessary. Mix the béchamel with a whisk until really smooth, use it to fill the tarts and then top with all of the vegetables, pushing them into the béchamel slightly. Serve with salad or steamed green vegetables.

These tarts are great served warm or cold and keep well for three days in the fridge.

NOTE

To make one large tart, line a 27–28 cm (101⁄2–11 inch) tart tin with the above quantity of pastry and increase the baking time to 15–20 minutes or until dark golden brown, then fill as above.

Recipe extracted from Clean Cakes by Henrietta Inman, photography by Lisa Linder, is published by Jacqui Small (£20)

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