From Clearer Skin To a Leaner Bod – The Teas We Turn To To Achieve All This & More

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Here at Hip & Healthy HQ we are herbal tea hedonists. We adore our daily cups of warming and nourishing plant-based goodness, but it’s not only for their delicious taste and the lovely comforting feeling they induce. Pukka teas offer a whole host of additional health benefits all in your daily cuppa. Read on for the teas we turn to for a healthy mind, body and soul…

For a leaner bod… Pukka Detox + Detox w Lemon 

The two teas we’re making sure to make the most of during our cleanse this week is Pukka’s Detox and Detox with Lemon teas. Brimming with cleansing superstar ingredients such as sweet aniseed, crisp fennel, sweet liquorice, peppery coriander and cleansing celery seed, this tea has been designed to support your body in ridding of unwanted toxins, soothe the digestive tract and get your body functioning at its optimal level – crucial for a flat tummy and weight management.

For long-lasting energy… Supreme Matcha Green 

If you’re yet to switch from your daily cup of coffee to matcha tea, detox week is the perfect time to do so! Whilst we love treating ourselves to a frothy matcha latte, when we’re feeling like something a little lighter with just as much of an energizing kick, we turn to Pukka’s supreme matcha green tea. A mix of matcha powder blended with the goodness of three fairly-traded whole leaf greens for an added boost of antioxidant rich nourishment, try this in the afternoon when you start to feel your energy flagging for a healthy pick-me-up.

For a strong immune system… Lemon Ginger + Manuka Honey

One of our favourite all-natural immune boosters, Pukka’s Lemon, Ginger & Manuka Honey tea is our cold weather essential. A spicy-sweet blend of sun ripened whole Sicilian lemons, slow-dried ginger root, FairWild elderflowers and a velvety kiss of manuka honey, this deliciously soothing winter warmer not only boosts the immune system to ward off flues and colds, but is a great tea to take when experiencing dreaded winter viruses thanks to its superchargerd array of cold-busting ingredients.

For a calm mind… Three Tulsi 

Dubbed ‘Holy Basil’ in India, Tulsi is a sacred herb known for its mind uplifting and body calming properties, three tulsi is our go-to tea tonic during busy times (or simply when we crave that zenned out feeling). Featuring green tulsi to sweep away inward clutter, purple tulsi for uplifting the spirits and zesty lemon tulsi to inspire you onwards, Three Tulsi has been created by Pukka’s Master Herbsmith Sebastian Pole to help bring out the best version of you – we love!

For a heart full of love… Love

When we’re feeling in need of a little soul nourishment, there’s nothing that hits the spot more than Pukka’s Love Tea. Featuring natures gift of FairWild flowers paired with a touch of rose to fill your heart and chamomile and lavender to soothe your soul, this fresh and fragrant tea has been made with love, dedicated to love and called love to inspire that warm and fuzzy feeling within us all. If we’re having a bad day or in need of a gentle pick-me-up, this sweet, loving tea is what we turn to.

Words by Zsa Zsa Vella

MORE: The Best Detoxifying Workouts | Top 5 Detoxifying Foods

The Best Detoxifying Workouts

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We’re on day 4 of our 7 day detox with Pukka! Read on for the workouts you should be incorporating into your week of detoxing and beyond…

Whilst we all know that exercise is an integral part of every healthy lifestyle, there are more positive benefits to it that meets the eye. As well as helping us to become stronger, more toned and improve our cardiovascular capacity, a lesser-discussed benefit of getting your sweat on is detoxification. Just be sure when partaking in any of the more strenuous varieties that you are making sure to consume adequate amounts of protein, healthy fats, complex carbs and veggies (discover our favourite foods to eat on a detox here).

Whilst our bodies are always detoxifying on their own accord, regular exercise creates the perfect conditions for the body to breathe, circulate and sweat out unwanted toxins on a daily basis. Read on for the most beneficial detoxifying exercises you should be adding to your fitness schedule.*

Yoga

A great one to practise if you’re challenging yourself to a juice cleanse or a specific detox that requires rest and recuperation as opposed to high intensity exercise, yoga is a great way to get the body moving both externally and internally. If you’re incorporating yoga into your everyday as a means of enhanced detoxification, feel free to participate in more strenuous, sweat inducing varieties like Ashtanga and Power yoga to reap the greatest benefits. Just be sure you’re keeping your water intake high! Alternatively, if you’re on a juice or smoothie cleanse, gentler varieties such as Yin or Iyengar are styles that will best suit you.

Running

Whilst aerobic exercise of any kind is a great way to get your sweat on, nothing quite beats running, especially when convenience and budget are considered! In addition to firing up digestion, increasing circulation and lymph, whilst we all know about the mood boosting nature of exercise, scientists in Sweden have recently found a direct correlation between running and reduced incidences of depression and stress. This is thanks to an enzyme released by the muscles during physical activity that is believed to detoxify harmful substances linked to incidences of psychological distress. A detox for body and mind!

HIIT

HIIT is a great way to get your body moving and sweating in a short period of time, perfect for when you’re not in the mood for a longer training session or don’t have much time on your hands. There are lots of workouts out there that embrace this super detoxifying mode of movement (check out pinterest for an extensive selection), however it’s just as beneficial to keep it simple and focus on alternating between sprints and rest periods on a treadmill, the pavement, bike or elliptical. To get yourself started, try this workout right now:

  • 30 seconds jumping jacks, 10 second rest
  • 30 seconds high knees, 10 second rest
  • 30 seconds burpees, 10 seconds rest

Repeat 3 times!

*If you’re planning a juice or smoothie cleanse, gentle yoga or walking are the best exercises for you. For everyday cleansing where adequate nutrition is consumed, more strenuous versions of yoga, running and HIIT are all appropriate.

Words by Zsa Zsa Vella

 

MORE: Top 5 Detoxifying Foods | How To Detox Your Home + Beauty Cabinet

5 Minutes With Tiny Fish Founder Kristina Carman

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Looking for some hump day inspiration? This week we sat down with ex-ballerina, yoga teacher and activewear designer to chat about her career, day-in-the-life and healthy living essentials…

What inspired you to start Tiny Fish?

I really wanted to create something that combined my yoga training and fashion/art background.

Here at H&H we love the beautiful Tiny Fish designs! What do you look for when selecting a new print?

I love colours, movement, patterns and fabrics, all of that is a big inspiration for me, but also I believe what you wear and how you wear it creates emotions and sets the tone to how you run your life. It may sound shallow but if you are happy with your look (whatever that may mean to YOU) then the energy around you changes as well.

What made you decide to train as a yoga teacher?

I am a trained professional ballet dancer, but stopped due to injury. Yoga was what I started practicing after dance as a way to cope with the life change. Then once I had my boys, life changed again and I really wanted to feel in my body and mind again – to do something totally for myself. It was truly the greatest thing I’ve ever done. Even if I decided never to teach, taking on this intense yogic journey changed every area in my life in such a positive way.

 Do you have a favourite yoga pose?

Strangely, I really enjoy inversions. Yes, they are challenging and need the proper technique, but as we spend so much of our lives upright, to get upside down is such a beautiful release. I also LOVE twists, so good for digestion.

What does a typical day-in-the-life of Kristina look like?

Wake, take a breath and let the madness of a house with two boys needing to get to school take over. Once they are dropped off, if I haven’t got London meetings then I go home and practice yoga, then I’m at my desk by 10. I like to pop out mid afternoon to walk my dog – fresh air and time out does wonders. Before I pick the boys up I’m queuing at the post office dropping off orders, then once I’ve got my kids its dinner, homework, bath and bed. Once the boys are down I try to have a 10/20 minute meditation and a hot bath or something lovely for myself. I’m not really a big TV person, but I’m a HUGE reader and writer, so I’ll settle in next to the hubby and read or journal while he watches TV. I’m not a night owl so its lights out between 10/11pm otherwise I cannot function the next day.

Have you always been interested in wellbeing, or was it something that came to you later in life?

It was definitely something that came to me in later life. I think I was always aware of it, but certainly because on the yoga training I became more aware of how the body and mind work. Then I took more courses and now, genuinely find learning and reading about wellness interesting. There is so much to know and I love how we can have such control over how we feel and live our lives.

Name five things we would always find in your kitchen…

Well, beside two small boys, a husband and a dog – almond milk, avocadoes, lemons, chia seeds and gluten free bread.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

What you think about you bring about. Work hard! Nothing comes by sheer luck alone, we ultimately make our luck by hard work and hard work sometimes means doing the uncomfortable – putting yourself out there and being available to the opportunities. Oh and kindness is essential, kindness is always remembered, people remember how you made them feel.

Your beauty bag essentials are…

Coconut oil, concealer, cream blush and my fave Bryedo Perfume roll on oil.

How do you like to relax after a long day?

 Bubble baths with candles and reading a great book.

Interview by Meryn Turner

MORE: Shop Tiny Fish | 5 Minutes With Em Furey

 

Top 5 Detoxifying Foods

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It’s day 3 of our 7 day cleanse with Pukka! To celebrate, we’ve rounded up our top 5 favourite detoxifying foods to enjoy whilst detoxing and beyond!

  1. Avo

One of our all time favourite foods, avocadoes are full of antioxidants and beneficial fats that help rid the body of unhealthy cholesterol and free radicals whilst keeping us full and nourished! Our detox staple, avocado is additionally surprisingly high in protein, making it a great ingredient to incorporate into any meal. Once feared for their high fat content (now known as the good kind of fat!), a recent study published in the Nutrition Journal found that people who included avocado in their diets had healthier body compositions than those who shied away from the humble avo. Bonus!

  1. Ginger

A root veg whose medicinal value dates back to ancient times, this medicinal herb offers anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer and antioxidant activities. Ginger is also known to stimulate digestion, circulation and sweating, serving to cleanse the build-up of waste and toxins in the colon, liver and other organs. Juice alongside your favourite veggies or grate and add to stir-fries and other Asian inspired dishes.

  1. Turmeric

One of our pantry-essentials, as well as being one of the most anti-oxidant rich spices on the planet, turmeric has also been shown to assist the livers in detoxifying toxic chemicals from our bodies by increasing the levels of two important liver detoxifying enzymes needed for optimum detoxification. What’s more, in a recent study, researches concluded that turmeric used widely as a spice in cooking could potentially mitigate the effects of several dietary carcinogens. Check out this recipe for a yummy turmeric latte made by our friends at Nutrition Stripped.

  1. Sea Veggies

Boasting an amazing amount of antioxidants which help alkalize the blood and strengthen our digestive organs, sea veggies contain a potent detoxifying compound, alginic acid, best known for its ability to absorb and remove toxins from the digestive tract. Sea veggies also include the broadest range of minerals you can find in any food out there. We love adding sea veggies to soups, stews and of course sushi! If you’re hesitant to use seaweeds in your cooking or are simply looking for an added boost of sea veggie goodness, get your hands on Pukka Clean Greens featuring their signature Seagreens formula.

  1. Blueberries

Loaded with detoxifying antioxidants, blueberries are one of our favourite cleansing additions to our daily diets. A recent study published by the World Journal of Gastroenterology found that the consumption of blueberries was able to actually slow the progression of liver diseases without the side effects common with conventional treatments. We love adding ours to our morning oats and chia pudding, smoothies and salads.

Bonus…

  1. Pukka Detox Tea

If you’re feeling like you want to take your detox to the next level (or simply love a good ol’ cup of herbal tea) then Pukka’s Detox Teas are for you. Available in Detox or Detox With Lemon, both are fantastic for giving the body and liver a helping hand when on a cleanse and beyond. Pukka Detox teas contain sweet aniseed, crisp fennel, warming cardamom and liquorice root to cleanse and nourish mind, body and soul.

Image: Nutrition Stripped

Words by Zsa Zsa Vella 

MORE: If You Only Do One Thing This Week… Detox With Pukka! | How To Detox Your Home & Beauty Cabinet 

 

How To Detox Your Home + Beauty Cabinet

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Whilst eating as organic and possible may seem like a given when trying to avoid unwanted chemicals, pesticides and herbicides, what you may not know is that there are a range of other ways that you can reduce your toxic load. Read on for the lowdown…

Detox Your Beauty Cabinet

The most crucial step to reducing your toxic load is to detox your beauty cabinet and make the switch to natural beauty. The skin is our largest organ, so it comes as no surprise that what we put on it sinks in. With the average woman applying up to 128 toxins on her skin each day from her beauty products alone, if you’re at all concerned about your exposure to unwanted chemicals, rethinking your beauty routine is a great way to begin to minimise your contact. The great news it that there are so many amazing brands out there now offering natural alternatives to your beauty essentials. Our favourite brands for skincare are Pai and Oskia, and for makeup RMS and Ilia Beauty.

Phase Out Your Cleaning Products

Similar to your beauty cabinet contents, conventional cleaning products are high up on the toxin scale. Containing chemical laden bleaches, fillers and disinfectants, opt for products of a more natural, organic and eco-friendly variety that can thankfully now be found in most supermarkets and health food shops. We love the brands Ecover and Method.

Wear Organic

Whilst cotton is one of the most common fabrics (chances are you’re wearing an item of cotton clothing right now), unless it’s organic, it’s also one of world’s most sprayed crops when it comes to pesticides. This of course has a detrimental effect, not only on our health but on the environment too. Whilst wearing organic is important, considering other materials that you regularly come into contact with such as bedding and towels is equally as important. Make an aim to buy organic or bamboo sheets, towels and pillowcases on your next home wares shop.

Counteract Your Toxic Load

Whilst achieving all of the above is not always possible, ensuring we counteract our toxic load as much as possible is, thanks to Pukka Clean Greens. An organic daily blend of 11 super-rich green foods including Nettle, Kale Sprouts, Wheat Grass Juice and digestive herbs, Pukka Clean Greens is made with some of natures finest herbs and is designed to naturally support the body’s ability to cope better with the pollutants, chemicals and toxins we come into contact with. We love!

Words by Zsa Zsa Vella

MORE: If You Only Do One Thing This Week… Detox With Pukka!

Reclaiming Fit: How To Get Yourself Back On Track

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If the chaos of Christmas and New Years has caused you to slack off on your exercise routine, it’s time to get yourself back on track! Read on for our top 5 tips to reclaim your fitness and make 2016 your fittest year yet.

  1. Schedule your workouts as you would meetings

Our number one rule when it comes to staying on track with our fitness goals is scheduling in our workouts as we would meetings. This way, our daily sweat sessions become non-negotiable parts of our day to day. Figure out a time of day that works best for you, whether that’s early morning, your lunch break or straight after work, the most important thing is to choose a time that you will be able to realistically stick to. Be as specific as possible when pencilling your workouts into your diary including the type of exercise and duration.

  1. Workout with a buddy

Whilst sometimes there’s nothing’s better than a solo yoga session on a Saturday morning or an evening run after work to clear our heads – when it comes to keeping it consistent, there’s no better individual to hold us accountable than a buddy. Team up with a friend and motivate each other to keep active, try new fitness classes together and make a date of it!

  1. 15 minute workout

Whenever we’re feeling uninspired or not at all in the mood for our scheduled sweat session, we set our timer for 15 minutes and commit to a short burst workout that will get our hearts pumping without the need to partake in an hour long session. Try this on a treadmill, elliptical, bike or outdoors: Jog or spin at a comfortable pace for 1 minute, sprint for 30 seconds. Repeat until the 15 minutes is up.

  1. Set out rewards and incentives

Whilst becoming fitter, stronger and faster is incentive in itself, sometimes we all need a little extra encouragement when it comes to sticking to a new routine or regime. This is when rewards and additional incentives come into play. For every goal reached or month of regular exercise completed, treat yourself to a manicure, spa treatment (or new piece of activewear – more in this below) to encourage you to continue on your quest to becoming the best version of you.

  1. Treat yourself to awesome workout gear

When it comes to workout motivation, there’s nothing more inspiring than having a wardrobe full of awesome activewear and accessories! Click here to stock up on the latest and greatest workout gear that will get you excited to make this year your most active yet!

Words by Zsa Zsa Vella

MORE: Overtraining + Undereating… When Is It All Too Much? | 5 Ways To Combat Stressful Fitness Moments 

If You Only Do One Thing This Week… Detox With Pukka

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With the New Year upon us and the festive season officially over, we’ve teamed up with Pukka to bring to you seven days of detox tips designed to help you enliven the hippest and healthiest version of you in 2016! By joining us for the next week, you can expect to become equipped with all the info you need to know to establish healthy habits that we hope you’ll carry on implementing into your daily health regime once the initial detox period is over.

Here at Hip & Healthy, we don’t believe in deprivation or faddy detox diets that can often leave you exhausted, burnt out and worse off than when you began. Instead, we focus on incorporating a healthy dose of detoxifying foods, supplements and workouts into our day-to-day lives, to make the most out of the benefits of a cleanse whilst still enjoying a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle.

Stay tuned for a week of expert tips and advice, detoxifying workout ideas, and the cleansing foods and supplements we’ll be incorporating into our diets this year (spoiler alert: clearer skin and a leaner bod may result). Keen to join us in bringing in the new year the Hip & Healthy x Pukka way? Here’s how you can get started straight away…

Cut The C.R.A.P

To us, the first step to detoxing every day is by cutting out the C.R.A.P: caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol and processed foods. Whilst these things are ok to have occasionally, for the next seven days and as often as you can thereafter, attempt to significantly reduce your intake. Instead, make sure to load up on lots of greens, fresh juices, lean proteins, fruit, veggies, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats! Keep your eyes peeled for our favourite healthy alternatives and daily detoxifying eats that we’ll be posting on social media for the next seven days to keep you inspired!

Break A Sweat

Exercise is an incredibly important factor in the detoxification equation. Whilst it’s generally important to mix up your exercise regime to prevent boredom or over-working one particular area of the body, during the next 7 days, focus on incorporating more strenuous, sweat inducing exercise such as spinning or HIIT into your usual routine. Vigorous exercise such as these increases lymph flow and circulation, aids in digestion and will help sweat out those unwanted toxins pronto!

Add These To Your Diet…

In addition to the foods we eat, we love making use of natural supplements to help bring us one step closer to our health and fitness goals. This is where Pukka comes into play. This week as we cut the C.R.A.P and take our workouts up a notch, we’ll additionally be making sure to incorporate detoxifying supplements and herbs into our daily routines. Join us in drinking 2 cups of Pukka’s delicious Detox or Detox with Lemon Teas throughout the cleanse as well as ensuring you get in your daily serving of Pukka Clean Greens – an organic blend of 11 super-rich green foods designed to naturally support the body’s ability to cope with toxins. We love adding ours to our morning green juices and smoothies for a hit of goodness first thing in the day!

Consider Your Home + Beauty Products

Whilst focusing on what you eat, your supplements and your exercise regime is a great way to ease your way into living as toxin free as possible – when you’ve mastered the above, it’s important to begin to consider the toxins lurking in your cosmetics and home cleaning products. If you tend to favour cheaper, conventional products over their eco-friendly, more natural alternatives, chances are you’re exposing yourself to an additional abundance of toxic substances. If this is the case, throw out (or phase out) your current home cleaning and beauty products in favour of more natural alternatives. Keep your eyes peeled for more on how to detox your home and beauty cabinet later this week.

Subscribe to our newsletter and be sure to follow us on insta to receive your daily dose of detox inspo to stay inspired throughout the next seven days!

Words by Zsa Zsa Vella

MORE: Avocado + Matcha Face Mask | Top 5 Post-Workout Beauty Treats

 

How To Make Your New Years Resolutions Stick

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HAPPY NEW YEAR HIP & HEALTHIES!!!!

We hope you all had a relaxing and restorative holiday season in preparation for what we just know will be an amazing year ahead! We have SO many exciting things planned for 2016 and we cannot wait to share them with you! But first up, lets talk New Years Resolutions. Whether you’ve decided to healthify your daily diet, put a new workout plan into practice or get that promotion you’ve been dreaming of, we’ve put together a list of our top tips for making this years resolutions stick!

  1. Start small

When it comes to goal setting, especially when we’re feeling particularly inspired or motivated, we can all have the tendency to set the bar higher than is realistically possible. Unfortunately, this type of planning often ends in disappointment or feelings of failure that can lead to an abolishment of a goal that could have otherwise be employed in a much more constructive manner. This is especially true of goals or resolutions concerning lifestyle changes. Whilst it’s all well and good to aim high, when it comes to making lasting, sustainable change, start small, considering any additional work done a much welcome bonus! What you’ll find more often than not is that the positive feelings that arise from achieving a smaller goal lead you to take your resolution to the next level effortlessly!

  1. Be realistic

Touched on in the point above and above all the most important thing to remember when it comes to setting any kind of goal is to be realistic. A New Years Resolution should be a positive thing, and whilst we’re not saying achieving it will be easy, if it’s causing you to feel increasingly negative or anxious about yourself or your circumstances, it’s time to rethink your plans. Decide instead to be kind to yourself by choosing a goal that will still enable you to have a happy, thriving and healthy lifestyle. If you know deep down that your resolution isn’t very realistic (be honest), have a think about how you can make it more so, or focus on another aspect of your life to improve. Self-improvement is holistic so chances are improving one part of your life will lead to improvements in other areas you wish to upgrade.

  1. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again

One of our favourite mantra’s, when it comes to goals and resolutions, this quote couldn’t ring more true. If you’ve found you’ve fallen off the wagon a little sooner than you would have liked, whatever you do, don’t give up. Get back up, brush yourself off, and try again. Slip up’s happen to the best of us, but what differentiates those who achieve their goals from those who don’t, are those who refuse to give up. If you find yourself slipping, look at it as an opportunity to grow and exert self-love and self-discipline. After all, practice does make perfect.

  1. Let go of deprivation

New Years Resolutions are so often centered around depriving ourselves from those things that either bring us pleasure or cause us a sense of satisfaction. If your New Years Resolutions are focused on eating cleaner, giving up junk food or ditching carbs, remind yourself that deprivation often results in cravings and overeating. Truth be told, the body is smarter than we are, and if it senses any form of restriction, in most cases it will try to do everything it can to compensate. Instead of focusing on what you’ll give up, shift the spotlight to what you’ll add in. So instead of ‘I will stop eating chocolate after dinner’, try ‘If I am hungry after dinner, I will eat a serving of coyo with berries’.

  1. She believed she could, so she did.

Our favourite tip for envisioning any goal for yourself, is to simply start living the life you imagine yourself to live when you get that promotion at work, when you eat cleaner, when you exercise 4 x per week. Manifestation is one of the most powerful tools when it comes to self-development and improvement and we are firm believers in it’s magic. The amazing thing about it is that you can start living your goal, your resolution, your dream, in this very moment. Take a moment to close your eyes and envision yourself as the person you set out to be by the end of this year. How do you feel? What do you look like? Where are you? What did you need to do to get there? If you can imagine the above, you’re one crucial step closer to achieving what you so desire. Channel that feeling whenever you feel yourself sticking in your comfort zone, tempted to skip a sweat session or have that second helping of chocolate cake. Simply put: You become what you believe – Oprah Winfrey.

Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Insta for your daily dose of delicious content created to inspire you to be the best version of you all year long…

Words by Zsa Zsa Vella

MORE: Natural Energy Boosting Tips | DIY Quick & Easy Raw Snacks

New Year, New You! With Nosh Detox

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If you piled too much turkey on your plate, scoffed one mince pie too many over Christmas or you’re nursing a hangover from New Year’s Eve, it’s time to be kind to your body, and give your digestive system a break!

That’s why Nosh Detox are offering a 3 Day Juice Fast and 5 Day Low Carbohydrate Programmes, to help you make a great start to 2016 and meet one of your New Year’s Resolutions in January… because we all like quick wins!

Nosh Detox’s Award Winning
3 Day Juice Fast Programme is now at
ONLY £99 £165.81 

&

5 Day Low Carb Programme at
ONLY £165 £317.46

Take this awesome opportunity to start 2016 on the right foot and make this year your healthiest yet!

Head to Nosh Detox’s website to order your cleanse now.

MORE: 5 Tips For Sticking To Your Fitness Goals This Festive Season

 

Best Healthy Brunch Spots In London

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Here at Hip & Healthy, we are a little obsessed with brunch. So much so that we even stock a jumper with the word emblazoned across the front. Don’t say we didn’t warn you – the following brunch spots are seriously addictive. Read on for our London based favourites…

Granger & Co, Notting Hill

An oldie but a goodie, Granger & Co never fails to impress. With an Australian heritage (the Aussies are famous for their breakfasts – they are the pioneers of avocado toast afterall!) and a deliciously healthy menu featuring lots of healthy (and a few must-try not-so-healthy) dishes to choose from, you’ll leave feeling sweetly satisfied and eager to return the following weekend to taste test their other options.

Must try’s…

The Fresh Aussie: Tea smoked salmon, poached eggs, greens, avocado & cherry tomatoes on sourdough 13.80

For something a little more decadent: ricotta hotcakes, banana & honeycomb butter 11.80

Andina, Shoreditch

One of our favourite healthy eateries in Shoreditch, Andina resides in a cosy enclave on the corner of Redchurch and Shoreditch High Streets. With an emphasis on some of our favourite superfoods such as chia, maca, amaranth and quinoa that feature liberally in many of the dishes on offer – the menu if full of hearty and nourishing contemporary twists on Peruvian classics. Well worth the trip to Shoreditch.

Must try’s…

Granola Andina: quinoa, amaranth, pumpkin seeds, rolled oats, coconut, almonds, cinnamon, goldenberry honey, maca root and seasonal fruits

For something a little more decadent: Huayno de Chocolate (vgf): chocolate and avocado mousse, tamarillo fruit sauce, purple corn crumble, chancaca syrup, sweet chifles

Farm Girl Café

Valuing fresh, nutritionally nourishing ingredients, situated in the heart of Notting Hill, Farm Girl is the perfect place for a casual brunch with friends. Equally as healthy as it is delicious, there really is something for everyone at Farm Girl. Founders Rose and Anthony grew up respectively in Australia and the the Swiss Alps – the pair have a penchant for the great outdoors and simple country living, a defining aspect of the wholefoods, fresh produce featured in every dish on the menu.

Must try’s…

Coconut BLT DF V: Coconut bacon, sliced beef tomatoes, guacamole & cashew cream

For something a little more decadent: Berry Pancakes – Homemade buckwheat pancake mix with amber maple syrup, fresh berries and coconut shavings

Esters, Stoke Newington

Nestled away in the picturesque streets of leafy Stoke Newington, ESTERS is a neighbourhood café serving the best brunch and coffee in North East London. Boasting one of the best home made almond lattes we’ve ever tasted, all food at ESTERS is cooked from scratch with the finest organic and seasonal ingredients.

Must try’s…

Bircher Muesli with house made yoghurt, pear and blackberry compote and hazelnuts

For something a little more decadent: French toast with ginger poached pears, crème fraiche, walnuts & bay leaf syrup

Daylesford Organic

One of our all time favourite healthy havens in London, Daylesford Organic’s brunch does not disappoint. Featuring fresh and local produce from their sustainable, organic farms in Staffordshire and the Cotswolds. We love their real food philosophy that favours whole foods over faddy diet trends. With a menu including organic dairy, meat and veggies, Daylesford grows, farms, produces and sells food according to the highest sustainable principles and in harmony with the environment .

Must try’s…

Super greens eggs benedict – a toasted english muffin smothered in seasonal greens, organic eggs & hollandaise sauce

For something a little more decadent: toasted fruit & walnut bread with butter (we are obsessed!)

Image: Farm Girl Cafe

Words by Zsa Zsa Vella

MORE: Peach + Avocado Porridge Recipe | 10 Nutrition Tips You Need To Know 

 

FITSPIRATION: Annie Clarke of Mind Body Bowl

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London based yoga teacher, personal trainer and all round lover of health and wellbeing, Annie Clarke AKA Mind Body Bowl has fast become one of London’s go-to gurus for all things healthy food and fitness. This week, we caught up with Annie to chat about her super balanced lifestyle philosophy, beauty essentials and activewear favourites…

What inspired you to start Mind Body Bowl?

When I first changed my diet and lifestyle, I felt quite isolated. A lot of my friends had just started working in the city and didn’t really understand why or what I was doing! I started my instagram account and then blog too as a way to entertain myself and connect with like minded people, to find and create a supportive environment that didn’t yet exist closer to home.

Was staying healthy something you were interested in as you were growing up?

As a teenager I was always interested in food and fitness but I think it was much more as a ‘how to be skinny’ thing rather than actually being healthy. So many girls go through that phase and my relationship with food an exercise wasn’t always healthy but I think it did give me a good foundation and understanding of our bodies and what we eat and how we move can really impact the way we look, feel and ultimately live our lives!

Name the 3 kitchen essentials that you cannot live without…

In terms of food it’s a pretty tough question. Maybe tahini, spinach and oats, but then theres avocados, nut butter, kale, and a million other things that I am not sure I could live without either!

What is your favourite thing to do to unwind and relax after a busy day?

I love to be around people, and especially the people that I love! And if I can’t be with them then yoga is of course a really big part of how I unwind.

Do you have a favourite quote or mantra?

Everything happens for a reason. If you think like that, you know that something positive will come from any experience – it’s a really positive coping mechanism for anything that life throws at me!

Do you have a favourite yoga pose?

I love any sort of arm balance or posture that tests me. I love the sense of achievement when I try something new or make progress in something challenging. It makes me feel strong mentally as well as physically.

Besides yoga, what else do you like to do to keep fit?

I like running, weight training, HIIT and spinning. I try to keep a balance between variety and consistency to get the most benefits (mental and physical) from working out.

What are your must-have beauty essentials?

I love RMS Beauty. Their products have transformed my thoughts towards wearing makeup. And then of course there is coconut oil which is my all round wonder product. I use it to take off my make up, moisturise, as a hair mask, oil pull – I even went through a period of using it as deodorant. I always have a little pot in my bag.

Do you have a favourite healthy-hotspot in London?

It’s so exciting to see more and more places pop up. Since introducing fish back into my diet, it has opened up my options a lot, but for veggies, vegans or just general health nuts it really is getting a lot easier to eat in the capital. 26Grains is probably top of my list and of course I couldn’t be more excited about The Mae Deli opening.

Describe your perfect holiday destination…

It’s hard to describe a perfect holiday because I think at different times I look for different things. Sometimes I want to be active and so will look for places where I can do lots of activities, and other times I just want to totally chill and so a bit of sunshine with some beach yoga will be perfect! I’ve recently done a few city breaks too which I love so I guess like everything, variety is the spice of life!

What do you look for when buying activewear?

A combination of appearance, performance and price. I’m happy to spend more on a good piece of activewear that I know will last well and be worn time and time again. It’s so great to have so much choice in brands and I really think there is something to suit everyone. It’s important to feel good in your activewear I think, especially if you often end up wearing it all day like I often do.

What are your top 3 Hip & Healthy activewear essentials? 

1. Alo Yoga Runway Pant in blue 

2. Varley Margot Python Snake Crop

3. I Am Vibes Dove Mesh Leggings 

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5 Tips For Sticking To Your Fitness Goals This Festive Season

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It can feel like somewhat of a challenge to stay healthy over the holiday period, and of course it’s really important to allow yourself some time to ‘switch-off’ and relax. However in order to start 2016 on a healthy note, its best to try and keep some kind of fitness regime ticking over. Below are 5 simple tips to ensure you reach January feeling your hip and healthiest self.

  1. Keep Moving

If you normally go to the gym three times a week, then stick with it and get active three times a week over the holiday period. If you’re hoping to give your body some rest and repair time over Christmas, then skip any intense regime and head out for a gentle walk or cycle instead – perfect for getting those endorphins flowing and alleviating any stress, keeping your Christmas cheer high.

  1. Workout with a Friend

The holidays are for spending time with your loved ones, but bonding sessions don’t have to be over copious amounts of alcohol, food, or TV boxsets – grab your friends and family and get active! You’ll most likely feel more motivated if you choose to exercise with friends, plus there’ll be no backing out once you’ve made a prior arrangement with your bestie, ensuring you stay on track with your festive fitness goals.

  1. Mix it Up

No one likes doing the same thing over and over, and inevitably boredom hits and enthusiasm fades. Try some different classes – Pilates, yoga, circuit training, HIIT, ballet, spinning – the list goes on! Sign up for activities that you look forward to doing and that you’re excited about. Not only will this be far more enjoyable, but your body will be forced to use different muscle groups, meaning a super effective workout!

  1. Stay Hydrated

A lot of fluid can be lost during exercise, up to a litre an hour, and when even the slightest bit dehydrated your body might mistake the thirst for hunger. Ensure you’re sipping water throughout the day, particularly before and after exercise, but also before heading off to any Christmas parties. It’s also really important to drink lots of water after indulging in lots of festive food and drink, this will aid digestion as well as helping to alleviate any bloating.

  1. Get Enough Sleep

Not getting enough sleep has a big impact on what’s happening inside your body as this is a crucial period when your body repairs itself. A poor nights sleep has not only been shown to decrease speed, accuracy, and reaction time during exercise, but can also lead to poor food choices and overeating due to a lack of leptin – the hormone which makes you feel satisfied after eating.

Words by Meryn Turner

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