Hip & Healthy Discovers The Model Method!

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In her dedicated studio, Pilates PT founder, Sweaty Betty ambassador and all-round super trainer Hollie Grant is putting women through results-driven, metabolism-boosting, muscle-building sweat sessions with a workout known as The Model Method.

The Model Method makes for one hardcore, super intense workout that will leave your body aching but feeling longer, leaner and stronger after just one session. Hollie devises her Method around a winning combination of weights and high intensity moves to torch calories and build strength and stamina complimented by reformer Pilates to stretch and lengthen for a balanced approach. Just when you’ve reached the zenith of exhaustion from TRX work, box jumps and plyometric exercises, you move on to the reformer section, which keeps your body guessing and aids in the sculpting of that much sought-after lithe and toned physique. It’s all very genius and the results are undeniable.

Hollie has clients wearing a heart rote monitor and stats band to provide immediate feedback on how hard they are working, enabling her to adjust accordingly to offer the most effective workout. With sessions burning up to 650 calories and maximum heart rates rocketing to 100% you know you’re getting the best and can see the results right there on your wrist.

Despite its unique approach, what sets The Model Method apart is Hollie herself. She is the most lovely caring person who immediately has you feeling comfortable, motivated and ready to sweat! During the 60 minute session, Hollie supports, guides and pushes you just enough to keep you going through the burpees and strikes that perfect balance between gentle guidance and knowing when to push you to your max. And it is this which makes The Model Method workout experience so special.

words by Natalie Glaze

If You Only Do One Thing This Week… Discover The “It” Superfoods For 2015!

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That’s right, it’s time to loosen your grip on your bunch of kale, there are some new metabolism-boosting, de-bloating, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, nutrient-rich, yet still surprisingly subversive superfoods ready to claim space in your pantry and see you to your most nourished, alkaline, radiant self for 2015 – so if you’re tired of chia and over cacao, give these new wellness warriors a try.

 

Charcoal
Superfoods have taken an edgier turn for 2015 with the arrival of charcoal on the shelves of your local health shop. Announce to your non clean-eating friends that you’ve begun eating charcoal and they will likely strike you off as a health freak past the point of return, but if you have caught on to the benefits of activated charcoal then you can have the last laugh knowing that you have boosted your health to exponential levels.

Once reserved purely for lighting barbeques and for naughty children, those into charcoal now, though, are most definitely good girls, when it comes to diet, at least.

We know it is a little scary looking but charcoal is one fear definitely worth overcoming. Despite being the new kid on the superfood scene in this era, charcoal has been implemented as a medicinal supplement for centuries. The black stuff is a powerful detoxifier, removing toxins from the digestive system and carrying them safely from the body thus leaving you in a state of intestinal health. It also reduces bloating and gas so is a fantastic supplement to use on the approach to summer or when you’ve indulged just a bit too much!

Made by burning sources of carbon such as wood or coconut shells (ahh coconut – now we have your attention, superfood lovers!), activated charcoal is also antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral meaning it can aid in a whole host of bodily ailments – from binding to impurities in your system to removing coffee stains and whitening teeth to cleansing the skin of everyday toxins – so even if you can’t quite bring yourself to chug the stuff you should certainly add it to your skincare regime. Due to its potency, charcoal should be used medicinally and not every day, as overconsumption can lead to vital nutrients being absorbed along with the toxins.

 

Moringa
Derived from the ‘Miracle Tree’ of South America, the Moringa leaf is considered to be one of the world’s most nutrient-dense plants. Known to naturally increase the body’s defenses and boost metabolism whilst keeping blood sugar levels stable Moringa makes for a powerful energizer and also reduces tiredness and fatigue due to its high iron and vitamin A content.

The Moringa leaf is also used to purify water, is an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc and can even aid you in stress management for those times when your many commitments get just a little overwhelming as it’s high B6 concentration aids in the functioning of the nervous system to help you feel chilled and ready to tackle the day!

Moringa is found mostly in powder form in the UK and is great blended into juices and smoothies for a truly healing start to the day.

 

Banana Flour
We know it sounds a bit bonkers and you’d be forgiven for thinking the health world has gone ‘nanas itself and truly done it all when it comes to wheat flour alternatives, but banana flour is a surprisingly versatile superfood.

Banana flour is produced by drying and grinding green bananas to leave a flavourless powder that is abundant in resistant starch. This type of starch is what gives banana flour its superfood status as it is necessary for optimum gut and digestive health.

The flour can be used as a tummy-friendly direct substitute for all kinds of wheat flour baking and is available to buy without added preservatives, additives or ingredients you can’t pronounce – just lots of good ol’ bananas! If you are not a fan of the taste of bananas then you are not excluded from the banana flour club as the flour has a neutral taste, meaning it can be used inconspicuously in both sweet and savoury dishes, as well as in raw dishes and smoothies, making banana flour one baking aid sure to have you raw vegans and fruitarians excited!

 

Mulberries
You have probably seen this sweet and chewy little fruit cropping up of late in your local health food stores. Mulberries are a great source of the anti-inflammatory resveratrol and moranoline, which delays the absorbsion of carbohydrates into the bloodstream, so those of you still fearing carbs (NO NEED) can pop a handful of mulberries and rest assured that your blood sugar levels will stay lovely and steady.

And as if that wasn’t enough power in one tiny berry, mulberries also boast a strong antioxidant profile, support the immune system and aid in stress relief. They have also been used for centuries to treat fatigue and anemia. And they taste delicious to boot, the raw cacao covered varieties are our faves!

 

Aloe Vera
We all know of the ability of this spiky plant to heal cuts and provide us with silky soft skin by now, but have you tried eating Aloe Vera?

Often dubbed the ‘wonder plant’, a moniker most certainly deserved, the gel-like substance found when you snap open the leaves of the Aloe Vera plant is packed full with more than 75 essential nutrients and minerals including iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and zinc as well as vitamins A, C, E and most of your Bs. Wonder plant indeed.

Aloe Vera is also a powerful digestion aid, its ability to promote friendly gut bacteria along with its superior amino acid and enzyme profile help cleanse the bowel and ease constipation, stomach inflammation and IBS. Our immune system doesn’t lose out on the benefits of the plant either – the polysaccharides in the plant’s juice stimulate white blood cells to take action against those pesky free radicals that are so good at making us ill. In this way, Aloe Vera helps us fight colds and infections, so is a must for all the busy bees amongst us who just don’t have the time for the sniffles.

Be sure to source the best quality, least processed forms of Aloe Vera to reap the biggest rewards.

 

White tea
Let’s face it, here in Britain it doesn’t take much to get us excited about tea. It took us a while, though, to accept that there is more to tea than an Earl Grey with milk and two sugars. The nation came round to the idea of Green tea in the end and now there’s a new super-tea ready to get a brewin’ in every health-conscious cuppa-addict’s pot – white tea.

Made from the buds of the plant, whilst green tea is made from the leaves, white tea is the least processed of all teas and is very low in caffeine. White tea possesses incredible anti-aging properties due to its high phenolic content which strengthens elastin and collagen – so a few cups of the wonder beverage a day could save you from ever having a freak-out and considering scary invasive procedures.

Brew your tea in water heated below boiling and let steep for 3-5 minutes before cuddling up with your mug and a good book!

 

Parsley
Until recently, parsley was known primarily as the garnish you relegated to the side of your plate to reach your fish and chips. Now we know that the herb definitely needs to be recognised in far more than just a supporting role.

Parsley is a blood-purifying, alkalizing, detoxifying super-herb and contains three times the amount of vitamin C of an orange. It is also a diuretic and boosts kidney function, this means that including it in your diet promotes the passing of water and sodium through the body, leading to gas and bloat reduction, improved circulation, clearer skin and possibly even a reduction in the appearance of cellulite. In ancient Greece, victorious athletes were crowned with wreaths of parsley, so you know it’s good.

Add sprigs to your dinners and soups and throw a bunch of fresh leaves into your green smoothie to really up the nutritional profile.

words by Rachel Bednarski

 

 

Superfood Cocktail Recipe – Imbibery

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As you may already know… Hip & Healthy is all for the balanced lifestyle. We encourage people to live a healthy and fulfilling life and we embrace a little naughty indulgence from time to time. Life is simply to short! Taking part in happy hour or enjoying a girly night in shouldn’t feel like a crime so the wonderful team at Imbibery have created a uber healthy (but still slightly cheeky) cocktail that tastes delicious but has far more nutrients that your average, run of the mill cocktail! Recipe and method below!

Cucumber Spritz

Ingredients

35ml Belverde Citrus Vodka

70ml Imbibery 100% Pure Cucumber Water

Method

Blend all ingredients and build over ice and top with a dash of sparkling water. Garnish with a cucumber slice for a fancy detail!

Enjoy!

Get your Imbibery Juice here!

Fitspiration – Dylan Jones

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Tell us a bit about your new, exciting venture! What exactly is P4 Virtual Trainer™ and how can it help us achieve our goals?
P4 Virtual Trainer™ is basically personal training in your pocket! Unlike many other Apps and online systems, P4 is 100% bespoke and your trainer is a real person tracking and monitoring your progress as you go. You don’t need any equipment or previous experience and most of our clients do their sessions at home in their living room.

The simple reason people don’t achieve their goals is barriers. Whether it’s not having the confidence to walk into a gym, the knowledge of what to do or simply the finances to invest in a trainer, P4 has blown every barrier away making it possible for everyone to get the body of their dreams!

 

What inspired you to found P4?
My main inspiration was witnessing the positive changes you can make to someone’s life when you’re equipped with the right know-how. In the past I was limited to the amount of people I could work with due to geographical implications and time restraints and I wanted to reach out to more, in fact as many people as I could, so that’s when I decided that online was the way I could deliver our personalised system to the masses and P4 was born!

At P4 we believe that everyone has a right to the best possible health and should be happy and confident in the life they live. Why should training, free from the risk of injury, be reserved only for the minority? Being able to work out wherever you are in the world, at home or away has become a powerful tool for our clients’ results. We believe we have developed a system that gives everyone the ability to regain control of his or her own health and body!

 

How do the four Ps work together to create ultimate wellbeing?
One cannot work without the other. Posture, Performance, Programme and Physiology cover each aspect of our body, mind and soul, so in order for everything to work in synergy each area must be addressed to find the optimum balance in the body. The way we stand, move, eat, sleep and feel all play a vital part in our ultimate wellbeing, if one of the Ps has not been addressed then it is possible that the other Ps are affected which creates a weakness or imbalance that will produce sub-optimum results.

Whether it’s a blood sugar imbalance from your diet, leading to poor sleep and therefore stubborn weight gain or a new mum pushing it too hard in the gym while still breastfeeding, everything we do has a knock on effect. Look at the bigger picture and you have nailed it!

 

You do a lot of work with rehabilitation, correctional exercise and hormone balancing – where do these aspects of wellness fit in with exercise and training?
These areas commonly get overlooked by a lot of people and are vital during the initial phases to prepare the body for more intensive exercise. Training with hidden issues such as underlying injuries and muscle imbalances will significantly slow your progress down and cause unwanted stress on the body and raises cortisol levels. The same goes for anyone with hormone issues generally caused by bad choices and lifestyle habits, add a gruelling workout to this and you’ll be literally piling on the pounds with each session not losing them.

P4 looks at your lifestyle, stress levels, physical condition, fitness ability and of course what you want to achieve before we design your programme and include any corrective exercises and lifestyle recommendations at the same time so you are constantly making positive changes as soon as you start, we have found that this speeds up the process and guarantees results that are more sustainable.

 

What do you consider to be the perfect breakfast to fuel for a busy day?
I’m big on breakfast, I love it! I often go to bed looking forward to what I’ll eat first thing. It’s got to be quick and easy due to the incredibly early start so soft boiled egg (cooking while I shower) with a slice of seed health bread and avocado is a favourite then off I go.

 

The best exercise for perfect posture?
This is a tough one to generalise because it depends on the posture. It is most common for people to be more Kyphotic (rounded shoulders) due to the way we have evolved in our everyday lives, using computers, texting on our phones and sitting at a desk all day has caused us to lock up and loose mobility in our upper back and also tighten in areas of the neck, chest and hips which can become quite painful and greatly effects posture. So in that instance a mix of thoracic towel mobilisation, upper back pull, hip flexor stretches and lower abdominal activation is a winning combo for us.

 

Where do you find your motivation to keep inspiring others on their fitness journeys?
From our incredible clients! It’s infectious; honestly it’s awe inspiring, each and every day we see clients achieve things they never thought they could. Your health and physical appearance is so connected to every other aspect of your life, once you feel happy on the inside some amazing things manifest on the outside.

 

Who do you consider to be your own personal fitspiration?
My wife Linda! Her strength, stamina and determination during some tough times while having and caring for our 20 and 5 month old girls inspires me each and every day. Whenever I feel tired or run down I think of her hard work she puts in for our family and I’m driven to be a better a stronger person.

 

What would be your one piece of advice to somebody wanting to achieve optimum health?
Stick with it. You can never do too little when it comes to improving your health. People often want quick fixes and to change everything in one go but that can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed. If you make one tiny change each week soon enough you would have made a dramatic difference to your whole life.

 

What is your own favourite way to train?
I like to mix it up. I believe boredom kills motivation and drive so keeping things fresh is key to my consistency. I do 3 – 4 old school weight training sessions per week which is mainly lifting, run once or twice, do a Jiu-jitsu class and every Sunday I lead our P4 Dirt Dash which is basically a mud run using trees, logs, rocks, hills and anything else out in the open as an assault course.

 

How do you like to chill and unwind after a busy day?
Spending time with my two little girls! Days can be long but nothing makes it feel more worthwhile than seeing those little faces waiting for me to get home.

 

How important do you consider nutrition to be for performance?
It’s paramount; you wouldn’t buy a top of the range sports car and fill it with cheap fuel! Not only will eating the way nature intended help you get results sooner, but you will feel and look better along the way, win win.

 

They say abs are made in the kitchen – is food choice really that crucial for aesthetics?
Most definitely! It’s a cycle really, eat bad, feel bad, look bad. A healthy, nutritious diet will make you feel more energised, benefiting your training which, will then change the way you look aesthetically.

 

Give us your top 3 essential healthy foods.
Avocado, blueberries and fillet steak.

 

What does a typical working day look like for you?
I’m an early riser so 5am start, a good breakfast and organic coffee. Then I will start the working day with responding to client emails and making sure everyone has their online programme for the day. My one-to-one clients start at around 7am but I am constantly working on P4 programmes, content, answering questions, writing articles and generally trying to give our clients an awesome training experience. I try and allow 60 minutes a day for my own training and then a good lunch. I’m home by 8pm and hit the sack by about 10pm ready to fight another day!

If You Only Do One Thing This Week… Get Fit Without Going To The Gym!

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When it comes to motivating yourself to exercise, the gym can at times be the last place you want to go – it’s too far, too cold, too expensive, too busy. We’ve all made excuses! This week we want to ensure you no longer have any excuse not to workout… a number of the world’s top trainers are now offering online classes from the comfort of your living room. From energy-boosting yoga poses to sweaty dance routines we’ve rounded up the best on offer!

 

Strala At Home! – Tara Stiles
Named ‘coolest yoga instructor ever,’by Vanity Fair and a long-standing Hip & Healthy favourite, it is fair to say Tara Stiles classes are in demand! Fortunately for those without the time to head to New York for a one to one session, Strala now offer online classes; whether you’re brand new to yoga or a long-standing practitioner, these fun videos split into easy-to-follow sections will get you feeling flexy and calm in no time. From £8, TaraStiles.com

 

Barrecore Online
Founded by Niki Rein, Barrecore focuses on toning, lengthening and leaning the body through a series of ballet based, burn-inducing repetitions! The series of online workouts are designed to fit effortlessly into a busy lifestyle, with everything from the 30 minute blasting barreEXPRESS to the less challenging barreBEGINNERS. Plus, you can buy an accessory pack, complete with ball and stretching band to bring the studio home. From £4, barrecore.co.uk

 

The Podium Effect
The brainchild of ex-Olympic heptathlete Louise Hazel, The Podium Effect is a 60 day fitness and nutrition challenge designed to create the body of an athlete. Formed of 60 high-intensity, 30-minute workouts that utilise body weight and a complementary low-carb food plan; expect to stay motivated by Hazel’s regular tweets as you get fitter, stronger and leaner. From £39.99, ThePodiumEffect.com

 

Sleek Technique
Just looking at the figures of professional ballerinas of Victoria Marr and Flik Swann is enough to get you motivated to workout. Split into a mixture of pre-recorded fitness classes and live sessions, the technique uses the principles of ballet mixed with aerobics and cardio. For those taking part in the live sessions there is no excuse to slack, as the instructors correct your technique via a Skype like chat, ensuring those plies are done with perfect form! From £7, SleekTechnique.com

 

That Girl 2.0
Created by two industry insiders, That Girl is a fitness programme designed to help you become that toned and in-control woman we all yearn to be. A-list trainer Christina Howells’ – known for whipping fashions finest into shape – has teamed up with a variety of editors to make high-intensity videos which are just the ticket for a spring-ready fitness kick, alongside a bespoke nutrition programme from The Detox Kitchen. £25, ThatGirlLondon.com

 

The SBC Experience
A place at one of SBC’s in demand classes is harder to reserve than a table at Chiltern Firehouse, so our Fitspiration Russell Bateman is bringing the experience online. Due to launch in the Spring, The SBC Experience will be a dynamic online platform that allows women worldwide to access Russell’s sought after workout and exercise plan, including videos, exercise plans, nutritional guidelines and membership discounts. Price upon request, TheSBCollective.com

 

Crunch Live
The mantra of this popular New York fitness studio is to make working out fun – and this is evident in their range of online classes including Burn ’n’Firm Pilates and Cardio Kickboxing. With a variety of lively instructors and classes depending on ability, keep your routine varied. From £6 per class, crunch.com

 

BeFit
If you like to mix up your workouts, try the popular YouTube channel BeFit, which has recruited the best instructors in the business including Jillian Michaels and Ballet Beautiful’s Mary Helen Bowers to create dynamic online videos designed to sculpt problem areas within 60 days. Don’t miss the daily workout, a total-body session which will make you sweat. Free, Youtube.com

 

The Viking Method
A functional training method like no other, super babe Svava Sigbertsdottir’s The Viking Method has until now been exclusively for private clients only (aka Suki Waterhouse and Nicole Scherzinger). Now on Youtube for anyone and everyone to see, you can now train like a supermodel for free! With a mixture of crawls, interval and HIIT training exercises designed to shock the body into burning fat, you’re guaranteed to achieve a lean, sexy physique! Free – Youtube.com

words by Harriet Tisdall

Learn To Love YOU!

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Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to be only about cards, chocolates and flowers. If you cringe every time a delivery of red roses arrives, or are planning on just sleeping through it all then now is the time to make Valentine’s your own with a day of complete self-love. Whether you are coupled up or happily single, here are seven ways to look after yourself – as they say, ‘to truly love another, we must first love ourselves,’ so there are no excuses!

 

Love Your Body

We often feel under pressure to have a so-called perfect body, with women in particular constantly criticising their shapes and sizes. Well, we say ‘no!’ to this; Without mentioning your appearance at all, make a list of ten positive attributes about yourself and reflect on these. Considering your skin replaces itself once a month, your stomach lining every five days and your skeleton every three months, we think the body is a pretty extraordinary place that deserves lots of appreciation!

 

Love Your Tummy

There is no better way of practicing self love than treating yourself to your favourite foods. Though every day needn’t be a cheat day, head to our recipe section for healthy twists on treats from chocolate cupcakes to cheesecake, with no added refined sugar or guilt.

 

Love To Dance

Let yourself be totally silly, close the curtains, turn your favourite tunes up loud and move like no-one is watching. This is a great way to let down your guard, getting rid of any built up frustrations and letting those endorphins do their thing!

 

Love To Exercise

Find a method of exercise you enjoy and do it regularly. Whether this is running, barre or boxing, make sure that you are not simply slogging it at the gym and that there are plenty of feel-good hormones involved. Don’t exercise simply to lose weight, we feel at our best when our bodies are healthy and strong, so getting the most out of every workout is important. Fancy trying something new? Call a friend and attempt a class together.

 

Love To Relax

Taking time out for yourself, even if it is only for five minutes, is one of the best ways to show self-love. Run yourself a bath with Epsom salts (magnesium is a proven muscle relaxant), make a cup of tea or pick up your favourite book, take a deep breath, relax, and indulge in some important me-time.

 

Love Your Mind

Mindfulness has been a buzzword in wellness for a while now, and the ever popular app Headspace, described as a ‘gym membership for the mind,’ has countless advantages for your mental and physical health, including lowering stress levels and warding off depression. Use your app for ten minutes a day, or simply try spend some time just being; just closing your eyes and feeling your breath for five minutes will make you relax and bring immediate calm.

 

Love Others

Show some gratitude today, whether it is thanking a friend or partner, giving someone a compliment or donating to charity. If you haven’t spoken to a friend in a while, pick up the phone and call them, you’ll never regret it.

words by Harriet Tisdall

New, Healthy, London Hangout – CPress!

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Half way down the Fulham road, between Fulham Broadway and Parson’s Green, there is a slice of Southern California which goes by the name of CPress.

Only launched in September of last year, CPress has already garnered a following of city workers, busy mums and health and fitness advocates, they even catered for Nike’s NTC Week. So it makes sense that they are already working on a second location to meet the city’s demand for organic cold-pressed juices and nutritious superfoods.

The bar caters to every type of juice consumer, from wary first-timers who prefer a little sweetness to ease them in to hardened, vegetable-only, green swiggers. There are cold-pressed juices to meet your every need and mood as well as nut milks, waters, cold coffees and hemp protein smoothies for something with a little extra staying power.

Where CPress comes into its own is with its cleansing programmes. Carefully designed to promote ‘positive health and vitality through clean, organic, wholesome and nutritious produce’ the cleanses can be personalised to suit your needs and range from a single day to a whole week detox. As an alternative to the punishing regimes of ubiquitous juice cleanses, CPress offers its cleanses as a way to recharge and complement people’s normal routines rather than inconveniencing busy lives, demonstrated through the option to add a light superfood salad to your programme. Your cleansing packs can be delivered to your door every two days. It’s all very Hollywood.

This is all special enough you’d think, but CPress boasts a whole host of other commendable qualities which make it a forerunner in the health food field. The cafe proudly holds organic certification through The Soil Association and every single product on the menu is certified organic, save the coconuts for their coconut water. This also means the packaging they use is 100% recyclable and chemical and residue free so a visit here really will leave you in a total state of detox. The menu is carefully compiled by in-house nutritionist Zoe Stirling, who is also on hand to answer questions of those on CPress cleanses. Filtered water is used for everything, including washing the fruits and vegetables to preserve their certified organic status and ensure all food and drink is absolutely free from toxins, pesticides, heavy metals and nitrogen. They also serve a superlative coffee.

Rather than a traditional centrifugal juicer which heats and adds oxygen to juice, CPress uses an x1 cold-press manual juicer which gently squeezes produce so every vitamin, mineral and enzyme is preserved and easily absorbed for optimum nutrition. Everything in the CPress fridges has a 2 day shelf life and the kitchen carefully regulates its production to ensure minimal waste and donates to community programs after its 48-hour best.

Of course, this is London and we are not quite as hardcore as the Californians. We like to eat as well as juice and CPress has listened to the demand for nutritious, cleansing food and answered with a menu bursting with healthy treats and meals to compliment their cast of juices. The menu is mostly raw, and totally gluten, refined sugar and dairy free and includes gigantic, hearty salads, soups, granola, cheesecakes, activated nuts, chia puddings and kale chips all designed as diligently for optimum health boosting as the juices. The Rainbow Circus and Five Seasons salads are the stars on the CPress walk of fame, featuring spiralised celeriac, cauliflower rice, chickpea falafel, and tamari sauce between them. Add a side of kale chips and you have yourself a winner. You can rock up hungry and thirsty and leave happily full and alkaline-d.

There is an endearing honesty to CPress that derives from their transparency in listing all of their ingredients along with their welcoming staff and laid-back minimalist space you can kick back and while away an afternoon in. So whilst the weather outside may be distinctly un-LA, you can know you’re treating your body to a cold-pressed feast any veritable juicing, bikini-clad Southern Californian would be proud of.

Visit their website here!

The New-Mums’ Beauty Cupboard Essentials!

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Editor of Hip & Healthy, Sadie Macleod, fills us in on the go-to beauty products that any new yummy mummy should be keeping in her bathroom cabinet.

Four-months ago I had my first son… Max. Since having Max, one of the first things to fly out of the window was keeping up any sort of beauty regime. This is from someone who moisturised every inch of her body religiously after any bath or shower – now i am lucky if I brush my teeth twice a day (no jokes). Although, over the past few months I have found some trusty beauty products that have become some of my closest allies as I navigate these totally uncharted waters, which I wanted to share. As something I have discovered is that if anything helps in the first few months after having a baby it is worth sharing just in case it helps someone else!

 

The Moisturiser – Calm Balm, Skin & Tonic
Let’s face it – whether your babe sleeps through the night from week one (unlikely) or has you up every 45 minutes for a feed you are going to feel like you need much more sleep than you are getting and this shows on your face. For me – my skin reacted by getting so dry that it resembled something you would sand a table with and so a fantastic moisturiser has been key in giving my skin it’s glow back. Skin & Tonic’s Calm Balm not only hides all manner of sins but it aids sleep as two of its five (yes… FIVE) organic ingredients are Chamomile and Lavender. Rub the balm into your palm to create an oil before applying to your face then take three deep breaths whilst cupping your hands over your nose for the ultimate in relaxation technique.

 

The Mask – GlamGlow YouthMud
When I heard that there was a mask on the market that Hollywood A-Listers used in oder to give their skin a youthful boost before any award ceremony or public appearance (Jourdan Dunn, Nathalie Portman and Usher are all fans) I had to give it a try immediately and it is the best mask I have ever used! When you first apply GlamGlow it tingles so much you think it might be burning your skin but stick with it for it is actually working its magic. Once the mask has been removed (wipe it off with a muslin) you’ll notice your skin is instantly brighter and feels so much smoother. It is an instant pick-me-up for your face.

 

The Hand Cream – Aveda Hand Relief
When a newborn is around, clean hands are essential and after changing nappies 30 times a day, you’ll be washing them a lot! This can result in very dry, itchy skin around the fingers and wrists particularly. Hand cream will be your life saver. I love this one from Aveda as it is super thick, smells yummy and totally natural. It also contains licorice root, which is an anti-irritant helping to calm any redness or soreness.

 

The Beauty Oil – Pai Bio Regenerate Oil
Made from skin-loving rosehips, this super oil is perfect for sensitive skin and is the most concentrated rosehip oil on the market today. It’s high levels of Vitamin A will help boost your skin’s natural healing process, meaning that scars, wrinkles and even sun damage will be fainter for it. I found that particularly because of the dryness and the tiredness, my skin aged terribly when Max was first born, but after a few applications of this oil it became so much fuller and went back to what it once was pretty quickly. It also doubles up as an amazing stretch mark oil so use it freely on any areas that you would like to improve.

TOP BEAUTY TIP: Use your nipple cream as a lip balm at night too as it is super moisturising!

words by Sadie Macleod

If You Only Do One Thing This Week… Burn Fat With These Foods!

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Yes, it’s true, certain foods really can give you a flatter stomach. While this gives you no excuse to miss that workout, these superfoods can aid you in your quest for washboard abs so be sure to chow down to a trimmer physique!

 

Eggs
Not only are they packed full of protein and vitamin B12 which helps the body to metabolise fat, but recent studies have proven that you burn more calories digesting this superfood than a carb-heavy alternative.

 

Almonds
The most tummy-friendly member of the nut family, almonds make a perfect snack for curbing hunger between meals. Almonds are not only high in protein, fibre and good fats, but when eaten in moderation they promote weight loss and improve cholesterol levels. Their high magnesium content is what will really see you on your way to a six-pack for summer as your body needs in order to regulate blood sugar and prevent those energy dips that leave you reaching for that doughnut fix.

 

Avocado
An avocado may have the same calories as a Mars Bar, but that’s where all similarities end. Full of mono-unsaturated fats for healthy skin, hair and nails, avocados are also a great source of fibre, which keeps you fuller for longer. The perfect excuse to eat the buttery fruit all mashed onto warm toast, whizzed up into cacao mousse, straight from the skin with a spoon…

 

Peanut Butter
Our favourite childhood snack is totally great to eat now we are grown up too, just skip the bread and jam… Packed with niacin, which keeps the digestive system on track and prevents bloating, peanuts are also a good source of protein and healthy fats to keep you feeling full. Check the labels and opt for unprocessed versions though, as some jars are laden with added sugars – a surefire way to send those abs into hiding!

 

Green Tea
Green tea is rich in antioxidants that have been proven to speed up metabolism so switch your normal cuppa for a green alternative to promote a flat tum. Sip on a cup first thing to hydrate you and help rid your system of excess water and add a squeeze of lemon to enhance the positive effects on digestion. Sitting down to savour a lovely hot mug of tea is also a fantastic way to curb stress and lower your levels of belly-fat inducing cortisol. So unwind and drink up!

 

Cannellini Beans
Packed with resistance starch, a unique fibre that resists digestion, these legumes make the body work harder and burn more calories so you can wave ‘bye-bye’ to belly fat! Add to salads, sauces and stir-fries for a filling meal.

 

Porridge
Slave to the the 11am slump? Then swap sugary cereals for warming, comforting, hearty porridge. Oats are rich in fibre and release their energy slowly, so they keep you energised until lunchtime and help to beat blood sugar peaks and troughs that lead to hormone imbalances and the dreaded tummy pooch.

 

Hot Pepper
Capsacin, the compound that gives chilli peppers their characteristic kick, heats up the body and effectively melts additional calories. Add cayenne pepper to hot water and lemon for a metabolism-boosting drink and throw plenty of chilli into sauces and soups to reap those fiery rewards!

 

Lean Meats & Fish
Not only does protein have a high thermogenic effect (meaning you can literally burn calories as you chew), but lean meats and fish, such as salmon, are full of Omega 3 and saturated fat, vital nutrients for preventing stress chemicals (yep, think cortisol again!) that can result in weight gain, particularly in the abdominal area.

 

Whole Grains
Oats, bulgar, brown rice and quinoa (okay this one’s a seed but we’ll let it off!) are harder for our bodies to digest than processed foods, meaning they speed up the metabolism and burn more calories, which can lead to overall fat loss.

words Harriet Tisdall

When Exactly Is It Healthy To Be Healthy?

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Drinking water with lemon, early morning exercise and lots of sleep all make for a happier and healthy life. At Hip & Healthy we love healthy habits and there is never a bad time to be healthy. However, according to the book “The Body Clock Advantage” by Matthew Edlund, our bodies function in sync with a finely tuned internal body clock. In order to optimise our health, the timing of our healthy habits actually does matter. Obviously, by exercising and eating well you are one step ahead of those eating doughnuts on the sofa but you can improve your health even more by clocking in those healthy habits at the optimal time of day.

MORNING

Drink Water with Lemon

We’ve all heard about drinking warm water with lemon first thing in the morning. Famous healthies such as Madeleine Shaw and Ella Woodward (Deliciously Ella) swear by its benefits – apparently it stimulates digestion and gives you an immune system boost thanks to all the vitamin C in lemons. According to health experts, the reason for drinking it in the morning is because the citric acid in the lemon helps to get the body’s enzymes functioning after sleep, hence the better digestion. Also we wake up dehydrated and so the water returns necessary hydration to the body. Drinking water with lemon at another time of day isn’t going to be unhealthy, but starting your day with it is optimal. And remember to always use a straw as the lemon juice can damage your teeth over time!

Exercise Before Breakfast

Fasted-cardio has become a bit of a buzz word in the fitness world. Apparently, exercising first thing on an empty stomach stimulates fat loss (excellent!) as it forces the body to use its fat stores as fuel. However, Ollie Frost, fitness and nutrition coach at Reach Fitness, recommends that high intensity exercise done in a fasted state should be kept to less than 20 minutes – any longer and you risk muscle breakdown and fatigue (not good if you have a long day of work ahead). Ideally you want to fuel yourself before a workout session with a small snack such as one of our energy balls or Banola Bars.

And hold off on the handful of nuts post-workout. Ollie adds that fats should be kept to a minimum after exercising as they do not resynthesise glycogen, which we need to power us through the day ahead. Instead go for a mix of protein and carbohydrates such as eggs and quinoa.

Take Your Supplements

Our favourite supplement company Inner Me recommends that their vitamin supplements should be taken with a meal as some may cause nausea on an empty tummy. In addition to feeling queasy, if you take water soluble vitamins such as the Bs and C without food, they will pass out quickly as rather expensive urine. An ideal time to swallow your vitamins is with a good breakfast. Also vitamins such as Bs and C can help with energy and immunity so morning is the best time to take them. In fact, B vitamins support the breakdown of food into energy meaning you will get the most from them if you take them in the morning. Fat-soluble supplements such as vitamin D need dietary fat for absorption – a little coconut oil with breakfast is perfect!

Two supplements which should be taken at night instead are calcium and magnesium. Magnesium, in particular, assists with muscle relaxation and both have been shown to aid sleep. But before you start popping those pills, get some advice from a nutritionist or doctor.

 

AFTERNOON

Snack on Protein

Depending on what time you eat lunch, it is quite likely your blood sugar will slump mid-afternoon. Pre-empt this by making sure you snack on something every three to four hours. You want to avoid high sugar foods on their own such as dried fruits, sweets and fruit smoothies. These won’t fill you up and will cause a spike in your blood sugar level, meaning you will need another pick-me-up not long after – one biscuit is too many and five is not enough (you know the feeling). An ideal snack three to four hours after lunch is one high in protein and good fats which will sustain you until supper. At Hip and Healthy, we love snacking on almonds, Coyo’s coconut yogurt and nut butters.

Sleep

Also known as a power nap, an afternoon sleep at around 3pm can do wonders for our health. Instead of reaching for that bar of chocolate, take a 10 minute break and have a sleep. According to an Australian sleep study which compared power nap times, 10 minutes left participants feeling most energised and refreshed. Unfortunately most offices don’t offer nap breaks but a little breathing and meditation can have a similar effect. Headspace, a fantastic resource and app for guided meditation, states that meditation activates the “rest and digest” part of our nervous system which helps with stress management. Find a quiet space, focus on your breath for 10 minutes and you will return to work with a second wind (no sugar needed!).

 

EVENING

Stop Eating Before 7pm

Often bandied around as a weight loss tip, no eating after 7pm has very little evidence backing it up. Often you hear celebrities talking about how they don’t eat anything at least 2 hours before bed time but that isn’t the reason that they are slim. The key to a healthy weight is ensuring you eat the right things throughout the day and physical exercise. However, for some people, having a cut off time works as they know that they are more likely to reach for the chocolate and ice cream later at night. According to nutrition experts, your metabolism does not stop while you are sleeping but it does slow down. In order to avoid things like indigestion, bloating and gas, it is sensible to stop eating a couple of hours before bed so you can sleep comfortably. Sadly, it isn’t going to make you any slimmer.

Epsom Salt Baths

Who doesn’t love a bath? Light a few candles, sprinkle some Epsom Salts, a dash of essential oil and you are in bath-time heaven. But an Epsom Salt bath in the morning is probably going to make you want to head straight back under the duvet. Epsom Salt is made up of magnesium sulphate, a compound of magnesium and sulphate, two important minerals for our bodies. These minerals are absorbed through your skin and are wonderful for soothing tired muscles and reducing a bloated belly. Ideally, run your Epsom Salt bath just before bed time to help you sleep better.

words by Kathleen Fleming

image – LIJA Activewear available to buy here!

An Inspiring Weekend with the Hay House Greats!

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Something very exciting is going down in London in the spiritual world this year. The world’s most superlative cast of inspirational speakers and spiritual teachers will be gracing the city for one exclusive weekend to create an exciting, inspiring hub of motivation to incite those elusive ‘a-ha!’ moments! Including Gabrielle Bernstein, Kyle Gray, Nancy Levin, David Hamilton, and Hip & Healthy favourite Tara Stiles, Ignite! London is a must-visit event for anyone wishing to develop their creativity and mindfulness – whether you’re nurturing a spark of interest in spirituality or you’re already a fully-fledged advocate of the movement, Ignite! London offers something for everyone to unite in like-minded wellbeing and spiritual celebration.

Hosting a diverse series of conference talks, Ignite! London is covering the spectrum of spirituality and wellbeing. Including discussions on lucid dreaming, intuition and self-knowledge and holistic nutrition to enable you to create your very best self and support you on your journey to being the happiest and healthiest you! Complete with opportunities to meet with your spiritual teachers and claim signed books from your favourite authors to motivate you into your transformative future.

Date: 14-15 March 2015
Location: The Shaw Theatre, London, UK

Optimise your total wellness, join the inspiring movement and be a part of igniting London – Book your Early Bird place before 28th February and save £20 on your ticket – Join in here: http://www.hayhouse.co.uk/i-can-do-it-ignite-london 

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If You Only Do one Thing This Week… Pimp Your Kitchen Gadgets!

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Every health foodie worth their organic pink Himalayan crystal salt knows that a strong army of gadgets ready to take on the nitty gritty of the raw and superfood worlds is a vital element to their kitchen. Being a mindful eater, and enjoying preparing and experimenting with healthy food recipes can be messy, time-consuming and often requires a lot of prep – so its necessary to have an elite group of gadgets at your disposal to aid your chopping, blending, juicing, spiralising, milking, blitzing, storing, and extracting and see you right in your wellness voyage!

Hip & Healthy has reviewed 2015’s top kitchen gadgets to assist and impress even the most experienced of raw, vegan, gourmet chefs. These super gadgets represent the best of what 2015 has to offer for the kitchen – they do everything save eat your creations for you!

 

Vitamix Total Nutrition Centre
When it comes to every kitchen goddess’s most important healthy creations tool, the blender, there is undoubtedly one brand which reins supreme. Vitamix. The secret weapon of many of the top professionals in the health food industry, Vitamix has a big following of loyal advocates including Miranda Kerr, Deliciously Ella, Madeleine Shaw, even the White House is rumoured to be a fan for goodness sakes! The Vitamix family of blenders has grown rapidly and choosing the perfect model can be tricky – if you are after a good quality all-rounder the Total Nutrition Centre is just what you need. This clever kitchen helper can chop, cream, blend, heat, grind and churn – yes, this blender does a whole lot more than just liquefy kale for your green smoothie.The gadget’s laser-cut blades are capable of whizzing at up to 240mph so they makes light work of tough skins, ice and nuts, so you, and your digestion, get the most from your whole foods. It even makes light work of creating homemade nut butters, hummus, dips and flours.

The jug of the Total Nutrition Centre allows for up to six servings of liquid to be prepared in a single blend, making meal prep for the week a doddle – just multiply your usual quantities, divide up and then freeze the rest for later in the week. It can even whip up hot, fresh soups, saving you a lot of time and even more washing up! And possibly the best thing of all? The blender is self cleaning – just add a drop of soap and hit ‘blend’. Available in four modest colours to suit your kitchen interior the unit fits right in as part of the family. That’s a kitchen BFF right there.

The Vitamix is a notoriously dear kitchen accessory, but we believe that if you are a true health fanatic, if you spend a lot of time making soups and smoothies, and if you like to experiment with cooking and baking then it is one well worth investing in.

 

GEFU Spiralfix Spiraliser
If you are not yet familiar with the aesthetic beauty of spiralised veggies then you must be absent from social media. The likes of Pinterest and Instagram are awash with swathes of pretty pictures of meals adorned with zucchini noodles, carrot spaghetti and beetroot ribbons of late and prettifying your food has become quite the trend amongst health-conscious cool-kids. All thanks to one quirky little instrument: the spiraliser. Worth their weight in gold for the low-carb, gluten-free, clean-eating brigade, spiralisers are valuable soldiers in your appliance army. Because nutrients taste even better when they look like streamers.

Spiralisers range in price from pocket-money hand held peelers to big daddy worktop appliances. A nice middle of the roader in terms of cost, but with superior ability to turn the straightest of carrots curly, is the Gefu Spiralfix Spiraliser.

The machine is compact, modest in appearance and super simple to use. The Gefu Spiralfix works on a knob setting which changes the shape and width of your noodles so the whole process is easy peasy, just stick your desired vegetable into the barrel, decide whether you fancy yourself some 3mm, 6mm, or 12mm noodles, then turn the handle for a cascade of nutrition! The Spiralfix base doubles up as a handy, dishwasher-safe storage container once the lid is on so you are saved on the dishes and have yourself a big tub of courgette pasta ready to take to work within minutes.

So if you are a gluten-free gal missing her spaghetti, a parent desperate to get her little one happily munching on greens, or even just a foodie looking to jazz up her Instagram pics – the Gefu Spiralfix Spiraliser is a must have kitchen accessorry!

 

Tefal Infiny Press Revolution
While the juicing vs smoothie debate rages on we’ve decided that you can’t go far wrong with including both kinds of drinks in your meal plans. Blending food into smoothies is fantastic for retaining whole foods and serving as a meal in a glass, juicing, on the other hand, provides only the juice from fruits and vegetables and leaves behind the fibrous pulp. This results in a fast hit of nutrients to your system in a refreshing and easily-digestible form. The juicing set argue that leaving out the tough and fibrous parts of foods gives your digestive system a rest, which can be beneficial. Plus, a vibrant juice is always a great way to brighten up a morning, we think!

As the craze for juicing has soared it has become apparent that not any old juicer is capable of getting the most from our fruit and veg. One juicer which you can entrust your super-est of superfoods to is the Tefel Infiny Press Revolution. The Infiny is a cold-press juicer, employing a screw system to gently press out juice and as a result can preserve up to 75% more antioxidants from food than centrifugal blenders and juicers, which can destroy some nutrients through heat from their fast spinning blades. In the washing up stakes the Infiny Pro fares pretty well – Unlike traditional juicers which are notoriously difficult to get clean, the Infiny churns out all waste immediately instead of storing it within the unit and all removable parts are dishwasher safe so cleaning up is relatively simple.

 

Nutribullet Pro 900
So the Tefel juices and the Vitamix blends, that is all we need to get the optimum nutrition from our foods, right? Well, er, not quite.

Whilst blenders churn foods into smooth mixtures and juicers extract juice, the Nutribullet Pro 900 offers a whole new method for getting those nutrients in – extracting. Extracting your foods leaves them whole, as opposed to juicing, but unlike blending, extracting your fruits and veggies breaks down cell walls of food much more thoroughly leaving them in what is essentially a pre-digested state before they even hit your mouth, meaning your body can more easily absorb their nutrients. If you are guilty of mindlessly wolfing down your lunch on the go (don’t worry, we all are), then an extracted smoothie could be a great way to swap out a solid-food meal to aid digestion when you are busy. A nice touch is the recipe book that comes with each Nutribullet, detailing the benefits of the healthiest of smoothie ingredients.

But really, whether you are convinced or not, the Nutribullet Pro 900 is a highly powerful and most of all, convenient blender. The unit is small and compact and comes with a range of different sized jugs – each of which magically becomes a to-go cup once its flip-top lid is on, so you’re blending straight into the drinking vessel. Just throw in your ingredients, nuts and all, blitz, detach the beaker and you’re off! So if you struggle to get in your Green Machines in the morning the Nutribullet kicks all those ‘I haven’t got time’ excuses to the curb. Plus, anything that saves on washing up is a winner.

 

Hopps and Woolf Nut Milk Maker
You can’t have missed the renewed interest in nut milks of late. No longer a niche health food reserved for hardcore vegans and hipsters, the increasing awareness of the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle has seen a rise in the availability of dairy alternatives and almond, coconut and even macadamia nut milks, or mylks, as they are often dubbed, are cropping up in mainstream supermarkets and coffee shops all over the place.

Read the labels on the most ubiquitous nut milks, though, and you’ll see straight away that your favourite brand likely contains thickeners, preservatives, sugar and a very small percentage of actual nut milk. The answer to the hidden nasties in all processed food is, of course, to make your own

It is entirely possible, and lots of fun, to make your own nut milk sans machine, but the process can be lengthy and is sure to leave your kitchen looking like an explosion in Whole Foods. Unless you have a hardcore Sunday baking sesh planned then having a machine to do the milking for you whilst you get on with work/yoga/making raw brownies is a convenient and excuse-busting way to ensure you always have a supply in the fridge. The Hopps and Wolfe Nut Milk Maker takes only about 20 minutes to churn you up a bottle of fresh, clean, dairy-free milk and they have just begun offering a delivery service that sends the required nuts and beans straight to your door ready for milking! Simply soak the nuts, pop them in the sleek-looking kettle and press the button.

Excessive? Well, no. It may be a little more expensive to make your own nut milk, but being able to control what goes into your drink really is worth it and the flavour of fresh nut milk really cannot be replicated by cartoned varieties. Plus, you are left with the nutritious flesh of the nuts afterwards, which you can use as flour for gluten free baking! You don’t get that with your supermarket favourite.

Have fun experimenting with flavours and thickness – add a spoonful of raw cacao powder for a healthy vegan milkshake or a touch of maca for a superfood, hormone-balancing malty treat. Just be sure to activate those nuts first for the most tummy friendly of milks!

 

Bobble Water Purifying Jug
Perhaps the most underrated and most simple of all kitchen gadgets has to be the water purifier. Tap water has been shown to contribute to toxin build up in the body and continually buying bottled water is expensive and not good for our lovely earth.

We love the Bobble Jug. The domesticated relative of our favourite Bobble Sports bottle, the 2L jug is slim and elegant, made from recycled BPA-free plastic and is incredibly simple to use, making for a perfect kitchen companion. The non-reservoir design makes filtering quick and best of all, you get a lovely little email reminder when it’s time to refilter, so you are always guaranteed to have a pitcher of pure and cool water ready and waiting for you to rehydrate after your workout!

words by Rachel Bednarski