Mothers Day – Last Minute Gift Guide

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Mothers day is just around the corner and it’s not too late to show just how much you love her, by indulging her with one of these lovely gifts. There’s nothing like a bit of spoiling to make your mama feel special; here are some suggestions for that perfect Mothers Day gift…

Neom’s Real Luxury Scented Candle (3 Wicks)
By handing over this calming candle, you give the gift of relaxation. Created to instil calm and banish stress, it’s the perfect gift to transform the way she feels with soothing lavender, jasmine and Brazilian rosewood.

Hip & Healthy Box
Our very own Be Well Box, which we created in collaboration with Liberties of London, to help you feel fantastic in both body and mind. Containing a beautiful selection of products, from a deeply nourishing facial repair mask, to a soothing scented candle, to a super light weight tank top for any healthy or yummy mummy out there!

Jo Malone Vitamin E hand treatment
This deliciously rich and truly nourishing hand cream is packed full of Vitamin E to leave hands soft and supple. It is sweetly scented with pomelo and cassis, leaving a delicate scent. A perfectly luxe Mothers Day gift!

Raw Halo choccie boxes
Does your mama have a sweet tooth? These luxury organic chocolate boxes are the perfect way to treat her. Boxes come in 76% dark, milk and vegan chocolate, so fear not, if you prefer to stick with a healthier option, Raw Halo have you got back. Guilt-free and made with a whole lotta love, these pretty chocolate boxes are a must buy!

Talbot Avenue – Magoa Grey Long Sleeved Top
The perfect gift for any yogi mummy – this super luxurious long sleeved top from Aussie brand Talbot Avenue is sure to make her feel special! From her pilates mat to brunch with her friends, she won’t have to worry about feeling comfortable and looking stylish!

words by Flora Crichton

Baked Stuffing Loaf With Mushroom Sauce + Shaved Sprouts & Pecorino Salad

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The best kind of IQS feast, this baked stuffing loaf and shaved sprouts and pecorino salad will be sure to please even the fussiest of eaters…

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

-5 cups (750g) chopped raw veggies (a combo of cauliflower, sweet potato and celery is great; or a combo of parsnip, pumpkin and carrot also works well)

-1 onion, chopped

-4 cloves garlic, skin on

-3 eggs

-1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

-1 tablespoon chopped thyme plus extra sprigs to garnish (optional)

-Good pinch of sea salt

-3 tablespoons flour (editors note: we love almond)

-40 g coconut oil, melted

-1 cup (150g) chopped pistachios

Mushroom Sauce

-3 knobs of butter

-Pinch each of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

-150 g button mushrooms, sliced

-1/2 cup (125 ml) cream

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius (gas 6) and line a baking tray and a loaf tin (23cm x 13cm) with baking paper.

Place the vegetables and garlic on the baking tray and roast for 30 minutes. Transfer to a food processor (squeeze the garlic out of its skin first) and pulse until the vegetables resemble bread crumbs. Add the eggs, herbs and salt and blend until combined, leaving some chunks. Stir through the flour, coconut oil and pistachios.

Pour the mixture into the lined loaf tin andbake for 40-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. (Remove from the oven after 25 minutes and press the extra thyme sprigs into the top of the loaf, if you like.) Set aside to cool a little.

To make the mushroom sauce, place the butter, salt, pepper and mushrooms in a small frying pan over a low heat. Cook the mushrooms for 10 minutes until softened, then stir in the cream. Reduce the sauce until the desired consistency is reached.

Lift the loaf from the tin and slice into thick slices. Serve with the Shaved Sprouts and Pecorino Salad (see below) and the mushroom sauce.

 

Shaved Sprouts And Pecorino Salad

Serves 6-8 as a side

Ingredients

-1 green apple, cut into match sticks

-400 g Brussel sprouts, shaved or grated

-1/2 cup (125 ml) Powerhouse Dressing (Pg 53 of Simpilicious)

-2 big handfuls of rocket or watercress leaves

-1 cup (100g) grated pecorino or parmesan

-chopped hazelnuts and pomegranate seeds to garnish (optional)

Method

Toss the apple, sprouts and dressing in a large bowl and leave to sit for 20 minutes. Serve with the leaves and grated cheese and sprinkle over the hazelnuts and pomegranate seeds, if using.

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Sarah Wilson’s Day On A Plate

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Ever wonder what the queen of sugar free living Sarah Wilson eats on a typical day? Read on for the lowdown…

I wake up at around 6:30 a.m. and drink apple cider vinegar in warm water. I have breakfast at around 10 a.m. and at the moment, that usually includes a green smoothie, using up left-over veggies and a small amount of fruit. I’ll also have a few slices of my home-made bread, with butter and peanut butter. I’ll have a black coffee at around 11 a.m. But I generally don’t snack. I eat like I mean it at meal times.

Lunch is usually around 1 p.m. and again I love to use left-overs. If i’m in the office I might dig a stew out from the back of my freezer and have it with some steamed zucchinis. I’ll also tuck into whatever is being tested in the I Quit Sugar office.

Dinner is usually at around 7 p.m. I’ll often have something like my cauliflower pizza. I always have some cauliflower rice ready to go in the freezer and a tin of tuna in the cupboard. Dinner is also served with a glass of red wine.I don’t eat dessert, I eat large serves of dinner so I don’t need it. If I’m out for dinner with mates and everyone’s having dessert, I’ll order some cheese or a cup of tea.

Sarah’s new book Simpilicious featuring 306 simple and delicious recipes to get us all cooking is out now!

MORE: How To Make 2016 Your Most Balanced Year Yet

Cardamom and Sea Salt Ganache Tart

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One of our favourite recipes from Sarah Wilson’s Simpilicious, this Cardamom and Sea Salt Ganache Tart is a must-make at your next IQS dinner party…

Serves 16

Ingredients

-270 ml can coconut cream

-2 tablespoons cardamom pods, lightly crushed with a flat blade until the outer husks crack-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla powder or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or make your own; pg 45 of Simpilicious)

-100 g dark (85-90% cocoa) chocolate, chopped

-Pinch of sea salt, plus coarse sea salt to garnish

-Berries, edible petals and Activated Groaties (pg 27 of Simpilicious, to garnish (optional)

 Crust

-1/3 cup (75g) coconut oil

-4 tablespoons rice malt syrup

-2 cups (150g) shredded coconut

-1 tablespoon raw cacao powder

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius (gas 4).

To make the crust, melt the coconut oil and rice malt syrup in a saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the shredded coconut and cacao powder and mix well. Press the mixture into the base and up the side of a quiche or tart tin – no need to grease it – so that the mixture’s approximately 5 mm thick all over. Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool and firm up.

Meanwhile, heat the coconut cream, cardomom pods and vanilla in a saucepan to a simmer, then turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Allow to steep for 10 minutes.

Strain the coconut cream mixture into a bowl, reserving 4 tablespoons in the pan for emergency use later, if needed. Discard the cardomom pods (or save to spice up chai tea). Add the chocolate and salt to the bowl, whisking it through until silky and melted. If the fats separate and your ganache develops a chocolatey cottage-cheese appearance, just add the reserved coconut cream, whisking swiftly to bring it all back together.

Once silky, pour into the tart shell and refrigerate until the ganache sets (at least 2 hours). Garnish with a pinch of coarse sea salt and berries, petals and activated groaties, if desired.

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I Quit Sugar Founder Sarah Wilson On Her Wellbeing Philosophy

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In light of her recent visit to London to launch her brand new cookbook Simpilicious, this month, we caught up with New York Times best-selling author and I Quit Sugar founder Sarah Wilson to find our more about her healthy living philosophy. On a mission to inspire the masses to JERF (just eat real food), stay tuned this week for her top tips for quitting the sweet stuff, her favourite easy food swaps, day on a plate and two mouth-watering recipes from Simpilicious to get you inspired to live sugar-free for life! First up, her wellbeing philosophy…

What does wellness mean to you?

It’s very much grounded in simplicity in order to create more space. Restriction, or lack of space – between ourselves, between activities, and so on – are at the root of all illness and disease.

What is the first step we should take to upgrade their health?

Quit sugar. Learn to meditate. Exercise every day (but it need only be a twenty minute walk).

What lessons have you learned since starting your health journey that have improved or enriched your life in some way?

That no matter how hard you try to steer things otherwise, life will come to you. I’ve had to learn this from decades of forcing and trying to steer things. It’s only when I’ve stopped doing this that life has rushed in and taken me to the next stage.

What is your favourite quote or saying to live by?

Where the mind goes the energy flows.

What is your exercise philosophy?

The key is every day. Doing something, every day. It need only be a twenty-minute walk, but it’s the every day bit that matters. At the moment for me, walking is one of my forms of transport. It means I get my exercise done, but it also ensures I have pockets in my day – when I walk to the post office, my office, to a meeting – where there is some time to think clearly and recalibrate. Most of us don’t need big slabs of time to recalibrate; just 5-15 mins here and there throughout the day is enough to stay on track.

Sarah’s new book Simpilicious featuring 306 simple and delicious recipes to get us all cooking is out now!

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EMOM and AMRAP: Two Fitness Acronyms You Should Know

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These two acronyms are your tickets to a fitter you. The secret? They are quick and efficient and essentially variations of HIIT workouts with two very different focuses.

EMOM:

EMOM stands for Every minute on the minute and allows for roughly 30-40 seconds of training followed by rest. Once the 60 seconds is up, you continue on to the next portion of the workout for the next minute and so on.

What’s the point?

The key with an EMOM is to practice a specific skill with quality repetition. Over-exerting yourself and performing the workout with bad technique is exactly what EMOMs aim to avoid. Instead, focus is placed on quality rather than quantity, allowing overlooked skills to be worked on.

Take a minute and think of what movements you hate doing in a workout class or want to improve on…

Do you loathe goblet squats, ketllebell swings and running? Perfect, because that is your workout plan done.

12 minute EMOM:

  1. 10-15 goblet squats
  2. 10-15 Kettlebell swings
  3. 100 meter sprint

Repeat these three workouts until minute 12 has been reached. And, while the aim is to work on quality rather than quantity, there is no rest until the last 20 or so seconds of each minute, enabling you to ramp up those energy systems.

 

AMRAP

AMRAP stands for As Many Reps as Possible. Similar to an EMOM, there are 3-4 movements to cycle through, but instead of focusing on each minute , the focus is on seeing how many rounds can be quickly completed in a given time frame.

What’s the point?

This one is all about mental toughness. When starting an AMRAP, the first question is: how much do you want it? A workout that focuses on conditioning, whether it’s 5,10, or 15 minutes, AMRAPs will gas you out and whip you into shape. It’s terrific for all levels of fitness as well. If you can do 10 pushups or just one, you will be challenging your own level of fitness without overdoing it.

According to Personal Trainer and CrossFit coach Mike Lee,

“If I come in and I’m tired, sore. I can still do an AMRAP and keep moving for the specified time and get a good workout.

Alternatively I can come in feeling like the bee’s knees and decide I’m going to see how much work I can actually perform today.”

What kind of workouts does an AMRAP call for? It’s as simple as transferring the EMOM workout mentioned earlier to an AMRAP one. The choice is yours.

What’s more, EMOMs and AMRAPs can be done anywhere and you can become your own personal trainer. Whether at the beach, a hotel room, or home if the mood for a workout strikes, you can do it then and there.

Mix-and Match:

There are plenty of basic body weight movements that you can do with an EMOM or AMRAP. See below for some ideas. Pick one workout from each section or really hone in on one portion of the body to really feel a targeted burn.

Core:

  1. planks
  2. v-ups
  3. crunches
  4. Russian twists
  5. bicycles

Lower body:

  1. lunges
  2. squats
  3. wall-sits
  4. pistol squat
  5. single-leg deadlift
  6. step-ups

Upper body:

  1. push-ups
  2. tricep dips
  3. donkey kicks
  4. handstand pushups
  5. superman
  6. arm circles

Full body:

  1. burpees
  2. tuck jumps
  3. inchworms
  4. mountain climbers
  5. prone walkout

Words by Victoria Engelmann

 

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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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