The latest Healthy Cookbooks for 2015

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Bored of plain salads and endless bowls of kale? If you’re desperately trying to shift those last few mince pie induced pounds, then fear no more as Harriet Tisdall has rounded up the best new diet and nutrition cookbooks, which alongside our selection of delicious recipes, ensure healthy needn’t mean taste free.

Deliciously Ella – Ella Woodward

This student turned nutrition guru needs no introduction and her long awaited cookbook filled with gluten, dairy- and sugar-free recipes is guaranteed to fly off the shelves. Expect healthy twists on classic dishes, from Lentil Bolognese to Coconut Scones and Key Lime Pie.

Deliciously Ella: Amazing Ingredients and Incredible Food That You and Your Body Will Love by Ella Woodward, Yellow Kite, £20

Eat, Nourish, Glow – Amelia Freer

Written by top nutritional therapist, Amelia Freer, Eat, Nourish, Glow replaces fad diets with ten easy steps to improve wellness. Covering a range of issues from why to eat good fats to the benefits of ditching gluten, Freer’s scientifically proven advice is accompanied by a range of delicious recipes including Crunchy Crab Salad and Salted Caramels (yum).

Eat, Nourish, Glow. by Amelia Freer, HarperCollins Thorsons, £16.99

Juice: The Ultimate Guide To Juicing – Liz Earle

Having been an enthusiastic juicer for over thirty years, the skincare guru lets us into the secret behind her glowing complexion, with a range of delicious recipes, lifestyle tips and pantry staples.

Juice: The Ultimate Guide to Juicing for Health, Beauty and Wellbeing by Liz Earle, Kyle Books, £14.99

Honestly Healthy Cleanse – Natasha Corrett

For her third release, alkaline guru, Natasha Corrett from Honestly Healthy has focused on cleansing, with four easy to follow detox plans to help reset the body. With everything from #feelgood, a short term, three day program to #ifechanging, a month long cleanse, there is a plan for everyone.

Honestly Healthy Cleanse by Natasha Corrett, Hodder and Stoughton, £25

Plenish – Juices To Cleanse, Boost and Heal – Kara Rosen

Plenish’s range of delicious juices are a longstanding favourite and founder Kara has created a comprehensive guide of recipes and cleanse programmes for detox, wellbeing and vitality. Sure to attract everyone from seasoned juicers to first timers, we can’t wait to try the Cacao Cashew Mylk.

Plenish: Juices to Cleanse, Boost and Heal by Kara Rosen, Mitchell Beazley, £12.99

Crazy Sexy Kitchen – Kris Carr

The follow up to Crazy, Sexy, Diet offers over 150 recipes to nourish the mind, body and soul. A veggie manifesto for anyone following a plant-based diet, expect to find lip-smacking recipes alongside inspiring nutritional advice.

Crazy Sexy Kitchen: 150 Plant-Empowered Recipes to Ignite a Mouthwatering Revolution by Kris Carr, Hay House UK, £18.99

Gut Gastronomy – Vicki Edgson & Adam Palmer

Based on the award winning Grayshott Spa’s successful programme for cleansing and healing the digestive system, Gut Gastronomy features over 100 mouthwatering recipes designed for a healthy tummy.

Gut Gastronomy: Revolutionise Your Eating to Create Great Health by Vicki Edgson & Adam Palmer, Jacqui Small LLP, £30

Pure: Juicing For Life – Sarah Cadji

Founder of health hotspot, Roots & Bulbs Sarah Cadji has created an easy to follow guide to incorporating juices into your everyday diet, with recipes for weight loss, detoxing, improving skin and more.

Pure: Juicing for Life by Sarah Cadji, Quadrille, £15

Five: 150 Ways to Eat 5+ A Day – Rachel de Thample

Prepare to eat the rainbow with this range of mouthwatering recipes designed to help incorporate more plants into your diet. With each dish detailing how many of your five a day it contains, there is no longer any excuse not to eat enough veggies.

Five: 150 Effortless Ways to Eat 5+ a Day by Rachel de Thample, Ebury Press, £14.99

Chocolate Covered Katie – Katie Higgins

On a diet but still want a sweet treat? Then this is book is your answer, with over eighty healthy twists on delicious favourites, meaning you can enjoy brownies, cheesecake and more minus the guilt.

Chocolate-Covered Katie: Over 80 Delicious Recipes That Are Secretly Good for You by Katie Higgins, Grand Central Life & Style, £11.56

Words by Harriet Tisdall

Top Fitness Classes To Try In 2015!

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New year, new you? Forget Zumba and endless pounding on that treadmill, now is the time to try one of the latest fitness classes to hit the capital and change up your workout routine.

Project Fit

What Is It? Promising to burn 1,000 calories in just an hour, Project Fit presents the challenge ‘you vs your body,’ using treadmills, free weights and medicine balls to guarantee a full body workout.

The Verdict: Expect to feel the burn with a vengeance as you switch between treadmill intervals and floor exercises that will leave muscles trembling. However, the uplifting soundtrack and charismatic instructors ensure we got through even the second, high interval treadmill blast.

 

HiitGirl Yogabomb

What Is It? Short on time but want serious results? Then head to HiitGirl for a guaranteed workout in 30 minutes. Their new class Yogabomb fuses yoga with cardio, for a class with a difference.

The Verdict: Combining fifteen minutes of hardcore HIIT exercises, with plenty of burpees, jacks and lunges, followed by another fifteen minutes of power yoga with the heat turned up to increase intensity. We left feeling sweaty and exhausted, yet energised and relaxed at the same time.

 

XtendBarre

What Is It? Known as the premier barre workout for blasting fat, toning and sculpting, this 55 minute class has become a favourite worldwide for fast results.

The Verdict: Combining cardio and dance with signature pilates moves, expect to feel serious burn, particularly in the glutes as you are guaranteed to sweat. With benefits including improved posture, enhanced flexibility and a ballerina body, this fun workout is one not to miss.

 

ZUU

What Is It? Meet the Paleo diet in exercise form. Founded in Australia, ZUU is based on high intensity, primal movement patterns with strength and endurance body weight exercises, burning up to 600 calories in half an hour. Elite athletes, military forces and personal trainers have been flocking to classes down under.

The Verdict: With moves including the ‘Gorilla’ and ‘Frog,’ expect to laugh as you crawl along in this high intensity class, which has a fun, family atmosphere with plenty of high fives. However, because the majority of us aren’t used to crawling around like a primate, you will feel muscles you never knew existed.

 

Girls With Guns

What Is It? Just a glance at Millie Mackintosh’s latest Women’s Health cover, shows that #girlswholift needn’t mean a bulky physique. Girls With Guns at Thirty Seven Degrees focuses on strength training, using a variety of weights to really work those arms.

The Verdict: This is the workout for those who find the male dominated weights section of the gym intimidating, lead by a self confessed, ‘Duracell Bunny,’ this class works with for all levels, with a series of reps designed to boost cardio. Be prepared to say ‘hello biceps,’ as strength notably improves after just one session.

words by Harriet Tisdall

If You Only Do One Thing This Week… Make 2015 Your Most Abundant!

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We all love a good, old new year’s resolution, especially at this time of year. Be healthier, get fitter, richer, work harder, get promoted. All this pressure on ourselves to do more, achieve more, be better. Doesn’t it sound like utter hard-work? And let’s be honest, the odds are dead against us, we’re destined to fail and beat ourselves up. Resolutions are made to be broken, simple as!

So why not go easy on you this year and make the commitment to be more abundant? To feel full and satisfied with life and all it offers, resulting in a much better life for you. Sounds simple? It really can be. Let’s jump on board and go on an abundance journey with treasures at the end.

To understand abundance, we need to recognise lack. It’s a big deal when transforming your life.

Is one of your mates living life through a lack mentality? Meaning they’re stuck in the ‘I don’t have / feel enough’ cycle. They moan about their lack of cash, they can’t afford that shiny, sexy Topshop dress, Alo Yoga leggings, Nike ID trainers, hot yoga class. They whine about their “flabby” legs, grumble about the absence of dates, sigh about their pay…get the picture? They’re set on autopilot, shifted to lack, and they’re quite literally draining themselves.

Or maybe that friend is you? Are you feeling the lack or drain of life? Are you stuck or blocked?

Well fear not lovely one, you’re not alone. The majority of us are programmed to focus on lack and how little we have, as opposed to being grateful and accepting of what we do have. Maybe it’s left over war-mentality embedded into our family belief system, passed down through the generations. Who knows? But it’s not getting us anywhere very fast, in fact it’s stopping us dead in our tracks. So how do we shift from a place of lack into a place of plenty? Let’s continue the journey.

Abundance is an overflowing quantity of something. It’s a feeling of fullness, affluence and richness of life. Often linked to money and wealth, abundance can be found in every area of your life; relationships and love, health, work opportunities, friendships.

As we move into 2015, take a moment to think about how which areas of your life you’d like more abundance. Where in your life do you feel limited or restricted? Why do you think that is? There’s no reason to feel this lack when abundance can be accessed relatively easily…

“Abundance is not something we acquire, it’s something we tune into” – Wayne Dyer

As the quote suggests, abundance is already here. It’s waiting for all of us to “tune into” like a radio frequency and bring into our lives. Our natural state (without all the baggage) is abundance and we ALL have access to this. It’s only ourselves, with our fears and limiting beliefs that stand in our way.

Everything is energy and vibration (vibes), including us. When our energy is high we feel great and positive and we attract in more amazing things. When our energy is low, we feel blocked, down and negative and we attract in more of the crappy things. This is how the universe works, it’s a law of attraction that states we attract in what we give out and we are constantly giving off information based on how we’re feeling and what we believe. So why am I telling you all this? Stay with me…

Here are some other ways to create more abundance in all areas of your life starting today:

I Am Abundant – Use this as a daily affirmation and repeat every morning. Say it slowly and consciously and observe how it feels when you say the words.

Where am I abundant now? – Notice where you’re abundant now and celebrate it. Rejoice in the ways you are abundant right now.

I Am Grateful – Be grateful for everything, even when you feel a lack of something. Gratitude creates more abundance as you are acknowledging the greatness in your life. You will immediately shift the energy around your life and all will become more positive.

Connect to your passion – Make a list of things you love to do, and make a commitment to yourself to do them often. When you love doing things, abundance naturally flows in as you’re in your love groove.

Celebrate other people’s successes – Be super supportive of other people’s abundance / success / wealth. By doing this, you’re raising your vibration and are wide open to attract it all into your own life.

Give often – Share things with others, be generous. If you see a homeless person, give them food. Your generosity will come back to you in abundance.

Words by Jody Shield – www.jodyshield.co.uk

It’s-Beginning-to-Smell-A-lot-like-Christmas!

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Christmas, what an enchanting time of year! Here at Hip & Healthy, our thoughts are on the weeks ahead: on family time, on the presents we’ll be gifting, the food we’ll be enjoying and the special scents that will be filling our homes. Ah yes, the familiar scents of Christmas: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pine, oranges, mince pies, mixed spice, mulled wine…even this list is enough to flash back to times of merriment and itchy Christmas jumpers. Feeling fabulously festive (as you might have guessed), we recently caught up with Tessa Williams, author of Cult Perfumes, to mull over the extraordinary power of perfume, what makes us feel good and what’s likely to be at the top of our wish lists this Christmas!

In your book, many of the perfume “greats” talk in detail about how they have used scent to capture specific memories from their childhood. Are there certain scents which make you feel nostalgic?
Oh yes, absolutely. Mitsouko by Guerlain reminds me of my mother and I love it for this reason! It instantly makes me picture her getting dressed to go out, looking beautiful and then leaving the house with a gorgeous gust of perfume behind her. In fact, my love of perfumes goes back to the early age of 6 or 7 as my Grandmother used to gift each of her grandchildren with the smallest bottle of Chanel No.5 pure perfume. I was absolutely fascinated by this incredible liquid that had the power to transform my mood – a magical substance of sorts.

Speaking of moods, winter is synonymous with dark mornings, the biting cold and an overwhelming desire to retreat to our duvets. Are there any ingredients or scents that you would recommend to inject a little joie de vivre into a frosty winter’s day?
I find that tuberose is one of the most uplifting scents. It’s a floral scent with a big personality which can be found in Bubblegum Chic by James Heeley, the Parisian perfumer (www.jamesheeley.com). Citrus and bergamot scents can also boost your mood; one of my favourites is Cala Rossa by Santa Maria Novella. Sicily is an amazing citrus scent too (www.smnovella.it).

H&H Top Tip: we all have our own personal mind maps of scents. However, if escapism is what you’re after, check out Efflora by ODIN New York. It’s a fantastic scent that instantly transports us to a hot summer’s day (www.odinnewyork.com).

As well as memories, it’s clear from your book that perfumers draw inspiration from the finer things in life such as flowers, herbs and nature which very much compliments the Hip & Healthy ethos of appreciating the everyday. What makes you happy day to day? 

For me, seeing my daughter happy always lifts my spirits and being with my partner and family makes me happy too. Perfume also makes me happy – I don’t know why but it’s one of the only few legal things that really can change your mood!  I love seeing good news on the TV or in the papers as well as hearing inspiring stories of people who have succeeded against all odds. I believe we’re in charge of our own happiness; you have to seek it out however you can.

H&H Top Tip: Lululemon are running a great campaign entitled ‘Give Presence’ – why not ditch the distractions this Christmas and focus on being with the ones you love?

No doubt a number of readers will be treating their loved ones to a new scent this Christmas, which boutiques would you recommend in or around London to find that something special?

I do love Santa Maria Novella, they have three stores in London but their iconic flagship store in Florence is a must visit for any perfume lover. I was lucky enough to have an event there for Cult Perfumes in summer. In London, I love Roullier White (125 Lordship Lane, London SE22 8HU), also Ormonde Jayne (192 Pavilion Road, off Sloane Square), Floris (89 Jermyn St, London SW1Y 6JH) and Les Senteurs (71 Elizabeth St, London SW1W 9PJ).

H&H Top Tip: if you know someone who’s always on the go, how about a solid perfume that they can take with them?  Priced at £10, Pacifica has a great range of affordable solid perfumes (www.pacificabeauty.com).

If you’re looking for something a bit different, are there any new scents “shaking up” the world of perfumery? 

There are some fantastic new scents like Incitatus by Electimuss that really does smell of a horse! Smell Bent have created some exciting new scents too; St Tropez Dispenser is a great one that smells very similar to Hawaiian Tropic – kind of like a beach in a bottle. For my new book, A Scent for Every Day – I have discovered over 365 different perfumes. It’s been quite a journey!

H&H Top Tip: if you’re not looking for something quite so adventurous, woods and spice are often linked to the winter months and so people tend to embrace dark, woody, spicy Orientals at this time of year. Nevermore by Frapin and Fortis by Liquides Imaginaires are two warming winter fragrances.

Last but not least, what scents are you gifting next month? 

I’m very excited to be launching my own range of Perfumed Candles which are aimed to evoke The Elements; Earth, Water, Air and Fire. I worked with a perfumer/ candle maker to produce what I believe to be the scents of these hugely influential elements.  I’m excited to share them with my friends and family.

H&H Top Tip: We love ‘Fire’ – because we’re all for cosying up with a cup of warm almond milk!

www.tessawilliams.co.uk

words by Alexandra Salisbury

image from Hush: https://www.hush-uk.com/christmas_gifts

Discover Your Slope Style With Our Ski Lookbook!

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Perfect Moment Imok Pant – £223

Ski (or snowboard!) loud and proud in these bright and bold performance pants from Perfect Moment! They’re sleek, figuring flattering and offer low-volume insulation that will keep you perfectly cosy without feeling hot and sticky. Nobody wants that! Perfect Moment recognize that comfort is key so they’ve made sure these pants have a stretch brushed tricot waistband so you can slide (and sometimes slip) with ease (maybe not grace though!).

 Catch Me Legging:Neon Pink:Front:£46:www.everysecondcounts.co.uk

Every Second Counts Catch Me Seamless Legging – £46

Every girl needs a dash of pink in their wardrobe so these awesomely bright and cheerful leggings will make the perfect thermals to don under your ski gear! Totally seamless and incredibly lightweight, these neon babies feature a 4-way stretch fabric for support, moisture-wicking technology and engineered zones for ventilation. Pretty snazzy right?

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Sweaty Betty Anon Ski Goggles- £80

When it comes to hitting the slopes, safety should always be a priority. H&H love these super chic ski goggles from Sweaty Betty – they may look stylish, but they certainly match up in the function department too. Featuring anti-fog and scratch resistant materials whilst offering protection for your eyes with their 100% UV protective lenses, you can feel confident as you slalom down the mountain!

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Perfect Moment Polar Hat – £32

Who doesn’t love a cute bobble hat to keep you head and ears warm and protected? We think this polar bear hat from Perfect Moment is super cute, especially with its festive red colour! Featuring an inner headband to provide extra comfort and stability, we think this will make the perfect stocking filler for any mountain obsessive!

 Take Your Time Hoody:Front:£109:www.everysecondcounts.co.uk

Every Second Counts Take Your Time Seamless Hoody – £109

Pair with the ESC Catch Me Leggings and you’ve got yourself a winning, seamless combo! Light as a feather and superbly sweat-wicking, you can wear it underneath your ski jacket or slip it on après ski while you toast marshmallows around the fire. We love the chevron knit pattern and the pink accent zip!

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Hurraw SPF Sun Balm – £4.49

We’re crazy about SPF and we never leave our chalet without it on our lips. It’s easy to disregard SPF on cloudy, winter days but sun exposure can still cause cellular damage even through the thickest of clouds! We love this organic, raw SPF Sun Balm from Hurraw due to it’s delicious tangerine, vanilla flavour and it’s handy, compact size. Slip it easily into your skipass pocket and touch up all day long!

words by Molly Jennings

Main image: Perfect Moment

Winter Workout Wears!

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Here at Hip & Healthy, we laugh in the face of harsh winter weather, and let nothing stand in our way of a good, energizing workout. So, if you’re like us, you’re always on the lookout for the best activewear to support and protect yourself from the outdoor elements. By dressing correctly for your activity, you give yourself the best chance of performing to your optimum active ability, which allows you to reap the benefits of all those pleasure-inducing endorphins that exercise enables.

But this is precisely where the problem lies: sometimes it is not the lack of motivation that prevents us from working-out outdoors; it’s actually our lack of adequate gear that prevents us from venturing beyond our regular gym studio.

But this is where Cotswold Outdoor comes in…

Starting up in 1974 by selling a range of basic camping accessories from a small outbuilding in the Cotswolds, four decades of subsequent experience in outdoor retail has enabled the company to grow and prosper into an award winning, multi-channel retailer with stores throughout the UK. Evolving from the heavy, sub-standard outdoor kit on offer from the 70s, in the present day, Cotswold Outdoor supply the most cutting-edge products, from an impressive selection of over 250 internationally recognized brands. Presenting collections from Berghaus, Osprey and Regatta to name a few, Cotswold Outdoor really do live and breathe all your outdoor needs and desires by providing a unique retail site to set the foundations for your outdoor adventures and pursuits.

But don’t just take our word for it – check out the products for yourself. We love the women’s Ashford 3-in-1 Parka from Jack Wolfskin. With Texapore technology to keep you dry and warm with a clever, practical and detachable faux-fur hood to protect your head, face and ears through extreme weather conditions, this is a must-have if you love skiing or hiking – their really ‘ain’t no mountain high enough’ when wearing this brrrriliant Parka (see what we did there?)

But whilst Cotswold Outdoor pride themselves on the newest, most innovative technology (they have tents that weigh less than 1 kilogram, watches that can navigate and ultra-warm jackets that fold into their own pockets!), what hasn’t changed is their absolute passion for the outdoors. Offering expert advice, kit-talks, personal fittings (and not to mention the countless partnerships with other outdoor organizations, race teams and sponsored expeditions!) it is clear to see that the brand is truly passionate about outdoor products, people, and places.

Here at H&H HQ, it is this passion that sets Cotswold Outdoor apart from other outdoor-wear companies. We all know that living a healthy, active lifestyle promotes the very best version of you, therefore wearing the correct gear for your desired activity, indoor or outdoor, is crucial for achieving your goals, and promoting overall happiness and wellbeing. And so, when deliberating as to whether you wish to get your jog on in the snow, or snuggle safely on the sofa, take a moment to glance at Cotswold Outdoor – and your decision will be made for you, as if by magic.

Visit www.cotswoldoutdoor.com for more info.

words by Olivia Murphy

Perfect Paleo – We Check Out Notting Hill’s Newest Health Haunt, Pure Taste!

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We’ve all heard of the “Paleo” diet and in case you haven’t, it is the one where you eat like a caveman, where grains are a no no but you can gobble plenty of fish, eggs and almonds (read more here). The Paleo lifestyle has millions of followers globally including some hot bods like Megan Fox and Jessica Biel (clearly, there is something to it). So it is not surprising that London is now home to the UK’s first Paleo restaurant, where we can eat out like cavemen (well, almost).

Pure Taste opened this month in Notting Hill, West London, funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign. Clearly investors believed that the Paleo style of eating is more than just a fad. The brain behind Pure Taste is that of Holly Redman, a chemistry graduate turned nutritional therapist, nutrition lecturer and chef extraordinaire. Holly believes firmly in the Paleo way of living and as a coeliac, she has noticed the difference it has had on her health as well as the health of many of her nutritional therapy clients. As a result she wanted to show the world that Paleo doesn’t have to be bland and you can eat a lot of very yummy things, even chocolate tart.

The menu at Pure Taste is carefully put together, nutrient dense and delicious. And fear not, every single thing on the menu is coded so you know whether or not it is Whole 30 compliant, egg-free, nut-free, FODMAP compliant, vegan, low-carb etc. Oh, and in case it wasn’t obvious, everything is gluten-free and dairy-free. In short, there is something for everyone and it certainly isn’t just a place for the girls. They have grass-fed steaks and organic chicken plus their take on sticky toffee pudding is enough to win over those healthy food sceptics. Hip and Healthy also loves the fact that there are even petit-fours to have with your coconut milk coffee if a big pud is too much – mini healthy salted caramel and pecan brownies anyone? Yum!

As well as being a free-from heaven, Pure Taste is a fine dining experience. A lot of healthy eateries serve homely, wholesome dishes – the sort you would probably make at home – but Pure Taste presents exquisite, fancy-restaurant style plates (the sort you probably wouldn’t have time to whip up at home!). The restaurant even boasts biodynamic wines, gluten-free beers, superfood cocktails and mocktails.

At this time of year, when cheap chocolate, puddings and booze are aplenty, Pure Taste is a haven away from the stodge. Pure Taste leaves its diners feeling comfortably full, energised and quite virtuous – not a common sensation after a three course restaurant dinner in December.

Pure Taste is open 6 days a week (closed Mondays) for lunch and dinner. Bookings can be made online here or by phone 0207 727 5000. The website also has some interesting information about the Paleo diet, a few delicious recipes and the menu for those who like to browse yummy food before their dinner (who doesn’t love looking at a good menu!).

words by Kathleen Fleming

If You Only Do One Thing This Week… Tame Your Green-Eyed Monster!

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Nestled deep within our emotional spectrum, lays an untamed wild beast, waiting silently behind the scenes to expose itself and destroy our serenity. It’s one of the most common and unsettling emotions, revealing the absolute worst in us, even when most of us know better. When triggered, it’s uncontrollable and leaves a trail of destruction in its path, throwing your rational thinking out the window. It’s unattractive, it’s painful and it’s damaging. Girls, it’s time to take action and tame your green-eyed monster.

Picture this, you’re having a quiet night in watching X-Factor and your new boy has a “mate-date” with his bestie. Except his bestie goes by the name of Lucy, is a gorgeous blonde with kissable rosebud lips, sapphire-blue twinkly eyes and is the one all his mates want to date. You tell yourself: “It’s all good, they’re just hanging out”, but you can’t escape that niggling feeling that something could happen. Slowly and steadily the desire to compare yourself to luscious Lucy creeps in, and a couple of wines later you’re imagining your boy curling up to Lucy in front of a crackling fire after a 3-hour romp. They’re whispering sweet nothings to each other and snogging endlessly, covered by a cashmere throw…

Finally, your poisonous visions are interrupted by your phone bleeping. A text from your man, checking in. Your response is short and bittersweet, no kiss. He calls to find out what’s up, but you don’t answer. You’re too pissed off and you want to make him suffer. Let the games begin!

Jealousy is an ugly emotion, a destructive cocktail of possessiveness, suspicious rage and humiliation. It sneaks up uninvited like a silent assassin (especially after a few wines) and before we know it we’re in too deep, over-powered by our alter-ego who wants to lash out, cause trouble and behave irrationally. We become consumed by it, it undermines our self-esteem and it can destroy the very thing we’re jealous of.

A big part of jealousy is comparison. Comparison is a nasty habit that we’re sure you can identify with. Someone has a nicer body or a better job or more money and instead of being happy or supportive, we compare and feel instantly inadequate. When we compare we get hooked on the belief that we’re better or less than someone else. Comparing creates jealousy, resentment, animosity and competition – a toxic mixture!

Now it’s time to ‘fess up, meet your monster head-on and heal. We have some tried-and-tested techniques to help you begin. As you work through them, our advice is to remain open to trying each one. It might be uncomfortable at first, but we promise you they work.

Here’s how to do it:

 

Accept your jealous side.

Know that at times, everyone is jealous and it’s human nature to experience these emotions. Rejecting your jealous side is rejecting a part of yourself. Trying saying out loud “I accept myself with compassion” and repeat until you feel accepted.

 

Be grateful for the jealous situation.

Shower a challenging situation with gratitude and it immediately transforms the way you feel about it. Say to yourself “I choose to be grateful for (insert the situation) as it’s helping me grow / heal.

 

Acknowledge your light.

Choose to know that the uniqueness (or light) you’re seeing in someone else is a reflection of your own inner light. Say to yourself “The light I see in them is a reflection of my own inner light”. This might feel strange at first, but give it a go and see what happens!

 

Why are you jealous?

Get clear about why. Make a list of people who you’re jealous of and why you feel jealous of them. Is there a common theme? Write it down.

 

Set yourself free.

Work through the list and imagine each person in front of you. Open your heart and send them love and gratitude. This can be very powerful!

And finally, but most importantly:

 

Find your uniqueness.

Learning to value, appreciate and love yourself is your jealousy medicine. Start a daily practice of writing down 3 things you value and appreciate about yourself.

We hope you use these techniques to find peace and harmony and tame your monster. He just wants to feel the love. Good luck!

 

Words by Jody Shield

Jody is an Alternative Therapist, Meditation Practitioner and Inspirational Speaker on Alternative health and wellbeing topics with a residency for London’s Soho House group. She practices globally with private clients and groups, using powerful healing techniques, life-changing coaching and psychological insight. Straightforward, contemporary and aware of the everyday issues you face, Jody believes self-help and inner healing should be available to all and has been referenced as an emerging leader in self-help and healing for the new generation. Visit her website here!

Silver Island Yoga Retreat – Reviewed!

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We travel to experience life from different angles and to open ourselves to new experiences. A lot of us are hoping to find something, to ‘find ourselves’ perhaps, and in our constant searching, what we invariably find are places and people which alter who we are forever.

I’ve spent my year travelling without a destination or a plan in mind. It’s been fun, sometimes painful, exciting, incredible and ultimately life-changing and wonderful in every way. I’ve also had a love-hate relationship with myself and with my yoga practice this year. It’s been one of those on again, off again things, every time I do it I know I am doing something extraordinary and wonderful that is changing the very fibre of my being. Then I get lost in some trivial pursuit that takes my attention away from having to focus on myself and my personal growth, because this single minded focus is uncomfortable, difficult and painful, and whatever I have found to distract me must be more important than the self-development I know I am supposed to working on.

I found something in all the travelling though. It happened in stages; it started on a moonlit beach in Thailand and it ended over dinner on a private Greek island paradise – both experiences, strangely, included swimming in bioluminescent plankton – the only two times I’ve ever even seen plankton! I’ve spent 20 days sitting in silent meditation in a Thai monastery trying desperately to escape myself; I’ve spent several hours standing on my head in front of 50 eager students trying to convince myself that this is where the learning was and that this was where I was meant to be. I placed too much emphasis on trying, and not enough on just learning to ‘be’. It sounds easy enough, all this talk of just being, resting and finding ourselves in the silence, and I’m sure it is simple, but we are human and therefore have a tendency to complicate things beyond recognition, making the simple act of just being quite challenging.

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We spend so much time fighting ourselves, instead of simply accepting where we are. It was only when I finally let go of every expectation I was holding that I found myself truly learning. It was in the moments when I found myself amongst new friends, or alone under an oak tree with the ocean breeze gently kissing my skin, that I really found what I was searching for. It was at the end of a long road that I ended up on Silver Island, an idyllic Greek rock that is home to a small cluster of beautiful white buildings and two wonderful hosts who made our time here more than magical. I felt at home from the moment I stepped onto the jetty, I felt at peace and somehow I stopped trying and just let myself soak it all up. Maybe it’s because I was too exhausted to keep trying, but I think it has a lot to do with the people around me, the place I was in and the quiet comfort of being so well looked after during my time here.

Silver Island Yoga Retreat is as private and exclusive as the unspoilt Greek Island itself. Hosting only 10 guests at a time, this is a holiday of peace and rejuvenation, where mindful living, appreciation, gratitude and a magical sense of wellbeing becomes the sole purpose of your stay. Enjoy the healing benefits of yoga, one two hour class at dawn, and a second at dusk, and experience the serenity of the surrounding beaches, coves, rolling hills and olive groves throughout the sunlight hours to really feel at one with nature, and above all, yourself.Typically rustic and yet wonderfully refined, this island paradise has moved me beyond words.  Lissa and Corne, our wonderful hosts, along with Lissa’s sister Claire, who coordinates all their admin from her home in South Africa, have created a unique, once in a lifetime experience; a space which is lends itself perfectly to the healing and nurturing of the human spirit. This is not a “yoga retreat” and it is so much more than a holiday destination – it is a brief glimpse into a way of life that allows time to stop and the body to be forced into a state of rest. It is rehabilitation for the busy mind and the restless soul, and it is from being here that I somehow feel whole again, as though I can now take the love I have cultivated for myself during my time on Silver Island, and with newfound strength and clarity, share it with the world.

Thank you to Lissa and Corne, Claire and Ernest, for everything you do and have done. You are a winning team and I wish you all the best with the future of your magical Island Paradise. I’ll be back soon, of that I have no doubt.

 

For bookings contact [email protected]

Visit http://silverislandyoga.com/

 

Bircher Muesli – Honestly Healthy

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Make up a batch of this on a Sunday night so you are prepared for the week ahead. This is one of the most nutritious ways to start the days it includes almost all of the key food groups – protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and fibre, all for slow release energy.

 

Ingredients

120g gluten free rolled oats

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

20g coconut shavings

2tbsp raw sunflower seeds

1 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds

7g raisins (or substitue chopped dried figs, dates or apricots)

420ml warm water

 

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl

Simply add the warm water to the dry ingredients and give the mixture another good stir. Leave to soak for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge.

If it’s really sticky after 2 hours add a splash of extra water to loosen up the muesli; some oats are super absorbent and others aren’t, so it’ll depend on the type you use.

Top with fresh fruit of you choice and enjoy!

Recipe from Honestly Healthy

IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING THIS WEEK: PIMP YOUR PORRIDGE

 

Winter Workout Style

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Baby it’s cold outside… so get warmed up with a wintery workout in these super stylish wears

Stylist: Chloe Waller

Photographer: Claire Brand

kalindi leggings

KALENDS BLUE LAGOON COMPRESSION LEGGINGS, £65

sukishufu shooting star

SUKISHUFU LEATHERBACK LEGGINGS IN SHOOTING STAR, £85

sukishufu

SUKISHUFU LEATHERBACK LEGGINGS IN UNIVERSE TAUPE, £85

alo yoga

ALO YOGA ILLUSION CAPRI, £59.95 AND GODDESS BRA, £38

YAS

YAS LIQUID TANK, £28 AND LIQUID LEGGINGS, £45

Quinoa Salad With Capers & Cranberries – Purple Balance

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Ingredients 

2 cups of quinoa (cooked)

3 tbsp of capers

1 handful of pecans

i bug handful of parsley

1 red bell pepper (diced)

1 bunch of arugula leaves

1/2 cup of cranberries

 

Dressing:

1/3 cup of cold pressed organic olive oil

1/4 cup of organic apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp mustard

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp cardamon

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

 

Method

Cook the quinoa for 15 minutes and let it cool off. Once cooled, combine with all the other salad ingredients and the dressing sauce. Finally scatter the capers and cranberries! It’s as easy as that!

Recipe by Purple Balance