writer, Samantha Organ, swaps her latte for a green juice, to see what all the fuss is about

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juice genie

writer, Samantha Organ, swaps her latte for a green juice, to see what all the fuss is about

THE CRAZE
From wheatgrass shots to kale smoothies, the concept of ‘juice detoxes’ has taken the world by storm. With the likes of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Millie Mackintosh promoting the detox concept through their enviable bikini bodies, it’s become a quick and popular solution to kick start a healthy lifestyle and rid the body of built up toxins. We decided to see what all the fuss was about.

The stigma surrounding juice detoxes is both positive and negative, and in all honestly, I found the prospect of drinking nothing but juices for three days somewhat daunting. Would I have enough energy to focus at work? Would I suffer the dreaded ‘detox symptoms’ which include headaches, weakness, dry mouth, nausea, cramps, constipation and worst of all, gas? For me, these were enough reasons not to try the juice detox, however, I was adamant that I would give the 3-day programme a go and form my own opinion about this seemingly drastic quest for cleanse.

My detox company of choice? The most reputable juice cleansing company in Hong Kong, The Genie Concept. Founded by two fashion models, Cara Grogan and Melanie White, both women knew first hand that a healthy diet was the key to high energy levels, glowing skin and a fresh mind, all of which are vital to make it big in the modelling world. The Genie Concept is designed for the everyday working girl, keen to eliminate toxins, make those healthy lifestyle changes and kick healthy eating habits.

WHY DO IT?
Working closely with renowned nutritionist, Joyce Marot, The Genie Concept have created their juices to allow you to receive the required amount of nutrients needed to function properly on a daily basis. As Joyce so aptly put it to me, ‘would you like to travel in a Jalopy or a Ferrari?’ – a question which I now ask myself at least three times a day! Joyce was kind enough to explain the theory behind juice detoxes…

“Fresh fruit and vegetable juices have been shown to possess remarkable health-promoting properties loaded with vitamins, minerals and enzymes that are readily absorbed into the bloodstream. Within minutes, the cells are then nourished and hydrated without taxing the digestive system.  When it comes to bioavailability, meaning how quickly the body absorbs nutrients, fresh, raw and unpasteurized juices are the efficient and effective way to get as many nutrients as possible, quickly.” Joyce Marot

THE PROGRAMME
The Genie Concept offers three levels of detoxes: the beginner, intermediate and expert. The expert level contains more concentrated vegetable juices, whereas the beginner level is a more fruit juice based programme. Clients are able to choose from a 1 – 6 day cleanse, again depending on past juicing experience and the end goal of the detox. For me, a 3-day juice cleanse programme was ideal. Having never tried a juice detox before, the beginner level, 3-day programme came highly recommended by the genie girls.

The Genie Concept process couldn’t have been made easier. The night before my detox commenced, the juices were delivered in a sleek black cool bag accompanied with an ice-pack, straw and two packs of seeds (chia and psyllium husk) for early morning and afternoon consumption. The first 2 day juices were delivered, with the third day’s juices delivered on the evening of the second day. The bag itself was light, easy to carry and could be taken inconspicuously into work – perfect!

3 day detox programme:  

9am – Smooth Operator

A deliciously smoothie containing banana, avocado, spinach, chia and vanilla. Supplying the body with potassium, healthy fats and antioxidants.

11am – Garden Gnome

The second juice contained apple, pear, lime and ginger spirulina, delivering a very sweet yet tangy taste.

1pm – Four Leaf Clover

Containing spinach, apple, parsley, celery and pink Himalayan salt, this was the ‘lunch time’ portion and what I considered to be the first of the ‘vegetable juices’. This juice has been specially designed to fill the body with antioxidants and vitamins, whilst fighting against free radicals and cancer.

3pm – Life Blood

Containing beet, carrot, apple and cucumber, this juice strengthens the blood through the nutrients, magnesium and potassium contained within the beetroot, whilst the cucumber and apple act as sources of antioxidants and a natural diuretic.

5pm – Hawaii H20

Containing coconut water, pineapple, spinach, chlorophyll and mint, this juice was a full of antioxidants and was a superfood powerhouse.

7pm – Sweet Dreams

As a dessert type drink containing filtered water, raw cashew, raw cacao, raw agave, cinnamon, coconut flower sugar and pink Himalayan salt – an enjoyable way to finish the day.

THE EXPERIENCE

The programme is designed to allow you to have one juice every two hours. So, despite any preconceived notions, the pang of hunger is not as prevalent as you might think. The programme recommends starting each morning with a hot water and lemon, followed by a glass of water mixed with the full of fibre, Psyllium Husk seeds, so before you’ve even started the juices you’ve already began the detoxing process.

The 9am smooth operator was quite simply delicious. With a thicker consistency compared to the other juices, I felt as though I had consumed a good breakfast which mentally and physically allowed me to start the day on a positive note. The taste of banana and vanilla really came through in the smoothie, whilst the avocado and spinach contributed to the colour, but not so much the taste. In the same respect the 11am juice was also delicious and upon reflection I would say my favourite juice. Taking the form of a proper juice consistency, ‘Garden Gnome’ curbed any sweet cravings I had due to the potent combinations of the lime, ginger and apple. Throughout the three days, I felt great every day.  I was energised, positive and not hungry at all.

The 1pm and 3pm juices however, were much more of a personal challenge for me. In an unfortunate twist of fate, the two vegetables I have a rather strong dislike to, beetroot and celery, were the two vegetable tastes dominating the 1pm and 3pm juices. However, the great thing about a juice detox is that you don’t have a choice, so there is no point in even reminding yourself that you don’t like these superfoods. This is where the straw came in handy. It is known that half the taste is in the smell, so by taking small regular sips of these juices through the straw, the experience wasn’t quite the deadly situation I’d conjured in my imagination. Ironically, by day 3, I actually quite liked them! I found that by thinking of all the goodness in each juice and the health benefits I was constantly reaping, it’s easy to drink something you may not be too keen on. And so I did.

Between 3pm and 5pm, every day of the juice detox, I did start to feel headachy with the occasional hunger pang. This is completely normal. The Genie girls recommend having a glass or water or herbal tea between each juice, a tip I found quite rewarding. Not only does this allow you to have a break from the juices, but it relieved my headache instantly, allowing me to continue as normal. The 5pm juice completely transported me to the tropics with the prominent taste of coconut water and pineapple, acting as a quenching anti-oxidant and was a welcoming refreshing afternoon beverage.  Around 6pm each day, I began to realise just how week I actually was. I knew that my normal evening run/gym workout was off the cards as I would be going straight home from work to rest. Again, this is a common side effect when detoxing.

The genie girls recommend going for a gentle walk or even taking a yoga class, so as not to exert yourself when your body is not fully energised. Each day, I went home, relaxed and waited for the enjoyable 7pm juice. Designed as a more dessert type drink with a more creamy consistency, the ingredients of raw cashew and raw cacao were prominent and delicious! Each night I was in bed by 9.30pm in a bid to get the recommended 8 hours sleep and I have honestly, never slept so well.

THE EFFECTS
I won’t lie. I found the 3-day detox hard, simply because I love trying new dishes and cooking, but as I said before, you don’t have a choice. In terms of ‘juice detox symptoms’, mine were limited, it is though important to remember that every person and body type is different. My biggest concern when starting the detox was the warning of ‘constipation and gas’, something which terrified me greatly as you can imagine! Fortunately, I experienced neither. Of course, when you’re consuming that much juice a day, you are naturally going to urinate more than normal, so my advice would be to plan your juice detox during a quiet work time when you’re not going to be in meetings all day.

THE RESULTS
The results of my 3-day juice experience were not just short-term. As amazing as it was, to have high energy levels, picture perfect skin and a more curbed appetite during and immediately after the cleanse, juice detoxes are not a sustainable way of living. Rather, The Genie Concept is fantastic for kick starting a new healthy lifestyle. It has helped me to look at the foods I am now consuming and understand the importance of nutritional content, anti-oxidants and good carbohydrates. Yes, the detox was hard and was it worth it? Absolutely! Since, I have found myself making green juices of my own and continuously referring back to Joyce’s car analogy. I, as I’m sure most of you would, want to be the Ferrari. Of course, life is all about balance, so I would never deprive myself of an indulgence here or there, but I now understand where the line must be drawn and when to put the chocolate bar down!

For more information visit www.thegenieconcept.com

CLEANSE COMPANIES IN LONDON

For those of you looking to try cleanse companies nearer to home, take a look at these great cleansing companies in London…

Plenish – founded by Kara Rosen, former magazine writer and jetsetter, Plenish delivers three levels of juices, Harmony, Clarity and Purity, each in a 3-day or 5-day programme.

www.plenishcleanse.com

SoupaJuice – offers clients three cleansing options including ‘soupajuice cleanse’, ‘soupagreen cleanse’ and ‘soupaman cleanse’. Founders, Danni and Lisa, have also developed a bespoke option to fit dietary and allergy requirements.

www. Soupajuice.co

Nosh Detox – with multiple programmes to choose from including the ‘red carpet cleanse’ and ‘green cleanse’ Nosh Detox works to help eliminate cellulite, whilst supporting weight-loss, thyroid healing and fertility struggles.

www.noshdetox.com

Raw Fairies – offer a 5-day nutritional cleanse containing raw food, fresh fruit and vegetable juices designed to improve energy levels and aid weight-loss, whilst promoting clearer skin and mental clarity.

www.rawfairies.com

 

The Beauty Cleanse

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It’s not often that my husband notices a change in me. I have had my hair dyed an entirely different colour before and all he has said is “is that a new top?”. But only one day into my Radiance Greens cleanse and Nick said “Gosh, you look good – you look like you’ve had loads of sleep – have you had loads of sleep?”. The next day he remarked that my skin looked amazing – he actually used the word amazing – The only time I have heard Nick  that enthusiastic about what I look like was on our wedding day. I had just completed my first day of the three-day Radiance Greens Cleanse, the first of it’s kind in the UK.

Im not going to lie. The Greens Cleanse was tough. It consisted of three days of nothing but green juices and one cashew milk a day. I never thought cashew milk could taste so good, but when sandwiched between four (marginally) different green juices, it tastes as sweet as a sugar-filled milkshake. I am not good at seeing cleanses through, I have a track record of breaking on the last day when that jar of peanut butter that sits in the cupboard taunting me finally gets too much and it takes me about two seconds to inhale three teaspoonfuls. But not this time. Every time I felt hungry or tired or just wanted to chew on something, I thought of my husband’s comments and it spurred me to finish it this time.

These daily juices became my new found and loved beauty elixir. I had heard that juice cleanses can do this but I was yet to see a noticeable difference in myself as a result of going on one. I did some more research as to why this particular cleanse made such a difference to my appearance, and in just three days!

Firstly, the cleanse is incredibly alkalising, which not only promotes detoxing but also helps get the body to work a lot more efficiently. Dr Robert Young, author of the PH Miracle comments that we should “forget cholesterol count. Forget calories and fat grams. Forget blood pressure, blood sugar, hormone levels, or any of the other markers of office. It turns out the single measurement most important to your health is the pH of your blood and tissues – how acidic or alkaline it is.” One of the best ways to balance your body’s pH is by eating more greens as their chlorophyll content has this incredibly alkalising effect. And, secondly, by juicing these greens your body is much more effective in absorbing all the nutrients as it doesn’t have to go through the hard task of breaking everything down.

Once your body is balanced to a wellness-warrior like status it can then work super efficiently. The liver becomes free of toxins and therefore can cleanse all the other organs allowing for nutrients to be delivered where they are needed. Resulting in, you guessed it, clearer skin, stronger nails, glossy locks and brighter eyes. I was amazed that it only took one day for a noticeable difference, which made me think that I might try and do one day a month where I give my body a break from digestion and order in a day’s worth of green cleansing.

As kermit the frog once said “it’s not easy being green” but what he didn’t tell you is that if you persist with it and see it through, you’ll look and feel much better for it.

Want to get gorgeous now? We speak to Radiance Cleanse founder (and total beauty herself), Clare, on what her beauty tips to implement now are:

Clare-2

1. Schedule a seasonal cleanse. Whether it’s a juice cleanse or your preferred detox diet, giving your digestive system a break, resetting your healthiest eating habits and focusing on your wellbeing, even for a short period of time, is just as important for your skin as a regular facial.

2. Hydration is key to youthful-looking skin. Using a good moisturiser helps, of course, but we need to add moisture from the inside as well. Aside from drinking enough filtered water, we’re huge fans of coconut water (our latest love is Unoco Raw Coconut Water ). However we can eat our water too by consuming lots of water-rich vegetables such as raw cucumber, celery, salads and fruit.

3. Good fats are essential for radiant skin. Eat them in foods such as avocado, nuts, seeds, oily fish and cold pressed olive, hemp, avocado or coconut oil.  You can also top up your intake with a supplement. We like Viridian 100% Organic Ultimate Beauty Oil  and Udo’s Ultimate Oil Blend

4.We are huge believers in natural and organic skincare products that don’t load the body with toxic chemicals. Our favourite place to get advice on the right personalised skincare regime is Content in Marylebone, which has a fantastic online store as well.

5. Getting enough high quality sleep is an often neglected key to good skin, and good health more generally. Treat an early night as you would a gym session – make it a priority and don’t let social commitments or distractions like emails get in the way.

For more information visit: Radiancecleanse.com

words by Sadie Macleod

A Runner’s New Best Friend: The Beurer PM200+ Running companion…

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A Runner’s New Best Friend: The Beurer PM200+ Running companion…

Beurer PM200+ Set

 

What is it?
This little fitness gadget tells you just about everything you would want to know about your run. It goes beyond the usual running app or heart rate monitor kit (which it does also include) and tracks your progress – distance, speed, time, calories, altitude and pace.

How does it work?
After downloading the app, you insert the small square piece of technology  into the headphone socket of your smartphone. It also comes with a heart rate monitor, which feeds the information straight back to your phone where it is recorded and a specially designed arm band holder so that your hands are free to concentrate on your work-out.

What’s it good for?
It’s perfect for the running fanatic who wants to really track their training, or anyone looking to increase their fitness levels. It is the ultimate self-improvement companion in that way. It is also very easy to set up and takes no time at all. I loved the weekly updates on how my training is going and would certainly recommend it to anyone taking on a racing challenge that they are training for.

Where do I get one?
The Beurer PM200+ smartphone runner’s kit is priced at £79.99 and is available from Argos.

 Beurer PM200+ with smartphone

 

 

Simple, Summer, Strawberry Salad

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recipe by Saskia Gregson-Williams

Summer is the perfect time to add in more fresh greens and vegetables to your diet. As the weather gets hotter and the sun shows it face more and more, our bodies start to crave fresher, sweeter tastes. Adding a bit of natural berry sweetness satisfies your post-lunch sweet tooth and you won’t find yourself longing for that habitual cube of chocolate, sounds good no?

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

4 handfuls green salad leaves

1 cup strawberries, sliced

1/2 cucumber, diced

1 avocado, cubed

1/4 cup mint, minced

Dressing:

Juice 1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Prepare all ingredients for salad and place in a mixing bowl. Combine all ingredients for the dressing. Toss well and serve!

Summer Cleanse: The pros and cons of going on a detox

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 Juicing cleanse sceptic, Francesca Londoño-Brasington, is converted after discovering the benefits of going on a detox

At long last Summer has arrived taking us by surprise after the coldest Spring in 50 years. Gone are the numerous layers of jumpers, black tights, jeans and scarves – bikini season is well and truly upon us and those limbs are out to be seen! With that in mind, many of us who are looking for a healthy summer regime to kickstart this with a detoxing cleanse. Google the word ‘cleanse’ or ‘detox’ and hundreds of sites pop up offering diet plans/juice plans with promises of losing weight and feelings of happiness and vitality. But why are these cleanses suddenly so popular and do we really need to cleanse and detox our system?

The theory behind cleansing is to eliminate all the toxins that have built up in our systems from our every day lives. So simply put; a detox. Each day we absorb thousands of toxins from environmental pollution, food additives and pesticides to cleaning and cosmetic products. These toxins put our body under stress and often mean we become run down and ill. Different companies offer different types of cleanse but the most commonly known are cleanses that offer a juice plan which are said to rid the body of these toxins and restore it back to normality.

As part of my own research into cleansing, I was offered to trial a cleanse from Raw to Door. I have always been a bit of cleansing sceptic and I wasn’t sure if it would be for me, I like to eat! Plus I’d always wondered whether it was actually worth all the hype. However, after researching Raw to Door I thought I’d give it a go especially because I really liked the philosophy behind the company. Raw to Door is a cleansing company set up by Natasha Davey, a passionate healthy eater and foodie. After being uninspired by the cleanses available on the market, she decided to go alone and subsequently devised juice plans with a nutritionist, whereupon Raw to Door was born.  Along with the juices, Natasha already a keen cook, developed her culinary skills further and reinvented herself as a vegan cook which she has incorporated into the Raw to Door cleanse. Natasha’s main aim was to offer appealing, healthy juices and food that not only looked good but tasted good.  And I can verify, they truly do taste good! Over the years, Raw to Door have developed four different types of cleanse, three of which involve juicing only and a fourth gentler one which I opted for; Raw to Four. This involves juicing throughout the day followed by a vegan supper in the evening. All the food is organic, wheat, gluten and dairy free and may I add, absolutely delicious!

My main reason for being cynical about cleansing is because of the juicing process –  I’d always wondered how the juices remained fresh especially since I’d read that fruits begin to lose their nutrients as soon as they’d been squeezed. However Natasha explained that Raw to Door use a Norwalk Juicer which grinds then hydraulically presses using limited heat meaning the juice oxidation process is slower. The slow oxidisation rate gives the juices a longer shelf life proved by the fact the juices do not change colour. Also Raw to Door ensure the juices are immediately bottled and then kept chilled. This method yields 3-5 times more nutrients and enzymes than other methods and allows them to deliver a three day supply to clients with a four day shelf life.  This is unlike a home juice which you’d have to drink straight away for any benefits. Natasha is also keen to ensure her suppliers only bring her the freshest produce.

Another reason I hadn’t initially been convinced by cleansing, is that eating fruit and vegetables is supposed to be much better than juicing as you get more fibre from the whole fruit. Again, Natasha helped to dispel my concerns by reiterating that juicing provides far more nutrients in one go rather than eating a single piece of fruit. There is no way you can eat enough raw fruit and vegetables to get the same quantity. Plus the juice is quickly absorbed into your blood stream within 10-15minutes penetrating and restoring the cells. And yes, fibre is lost from juicing but the point is to give the body easily digestible food so it can use all energy on repairing the body. This really reassured me and made me feel like I was doing my body a lot of good whilst drinking the juice.

After having my worries put to rest, I felt incredibly inspired whilst cleansing as I knew I was feeding my body with vast amounts of vitamins and minerals.  Plus Raw to Door had a wide variety of juices and meals and I neve had the same meal twice, which made it more interesting However I do believe it’s important to research the company before signing up to the cleanse as not every cleanse will offer such fantastic, nutritious products and it’s essential to know what you’re consuming. Based on my experience, I’ve listed a few Pros and Cons which you might like to consider before embarking on your own cleanse:

Pros

With a company like Raw to Door, it’s incredibly easy – there’s no shopping involved, all the juices and supplies are delivered directly to your door.  This also makes it quite exciting as each box is different so you never know what you’re going to get.

You sleep really well. I really noticed I didn’t have that wired feeling before going to sleep – I felt incredibly relaxed and slept deeply each night. I’m sure part of this was the fact that my body wasn’t getting it’s usual caffeine fix and it has since inspired me to cut down my caffeinated green and breakfast tea to herbal teas.

You feel great and virtuous. I remember waking up early on a Sunday morning for a run – I really appreciated making the most of the early sunshine and it was fantastic feeling so good!

It gives you a chance to be a bit inventive when socialising with friends – obviously nothing that involves alcohol or food! As well as exercise classes and running after work with friends, I did some cultural activities including a Shakespeare/Dickens London Walking tour which was brilliant!

Cons

You need to plan carefully and organise a cleanse for a week when you aren’t busy, if your job involves socialising which mine does, this can be very tricky.

You can experience ‘detox’ symptoms such as tiredness and an upset stomach.

You have to have a lot of will-power as it can be repetitive and ultimately can get rather boring.

Verdict

Many doctors are anti-cleansing as they believe the body is capable of detoxing itself. On the one hand, although this may be true, in this day and age, we subject our bodies to much more than they were designed for. We do eat processed food containing additives and e-numbers, drink alcohol amongst other bad habits and none of these things our body was designed to cope with, in-effect we are over-polluting our bodies. I therefore believe that from time to time, it might be a good idea to give your body a rest, a chance for it to heal and regenerate. I believe a gentle cleanse, like the Raw to Four option, is enough and offers the body all the optimum vitamins and nutrients.  A more intense cleanse might be reserved for a special occasion like a holiday or a wedding; something you want to look and feel amazing for.  Cleanses are tough but the upside is that you feel great and sleep well. Don’t go it alone if you can help it, having a cleansing buddy always makes it much easier.

 

If you only do one thing this week… Juice one of these five foods to this Summer

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Our Top Five Foods to Juice this Summer

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Cleansing Celery: A member of the parsley family, celery is fantastic for stimulating the kidneys and flushing out toxins. Three celery sticks makes up just one of the five recommended daily portions of fruit and veg – so be generous with it when juicing. It’s full of B-vitamins which are great for energy, and particularly important for women and you may be surprised to learn that it is also full of vitamin C too. It’s high in water content which makes it a good veggie to juice!

Skin-loving Strawberries: Strawberries are believed to enhance liver and gallbladder functions, and use to be the traditional way in which someone was treated for kidney stones and arthritis. Also packed full of vitamin C, the strawberry is considered a major skin-enhancer as this vital vitamin is essential for the manufacture of collagen – the stuff that makes skin youthful and wrinkle-free. Strawberries also contain ellagic acid, a phytochemical proven to help destroy toxins found in pollution and cigarette smoke, so we urge you city slickers to pile your juicer full of them.

Balancing Lemon: Although many think of lemons as acidic, lemons in fact have a very alkalising effect on the body. Used in Roman times to sweeten breath, lemon’s are still highly regarded as one of the most versatile fruits of all. Lemons contain limonene, a chemical that has been shown to slow the rate of cancer growth. Adding them to juices is a great way to get eat them as their bitter flavour is masked and often, bizarrely, adds a sweet element to green based juices.

Cool Cucumber: Full of water, just like the strawberry, the cucumber is known for it’s skin healing properties. But perhaps what you don’t know is that cucumber is great for you once you have had a tummy bug as it is so rehydrating and contains a bunch of vitamins and minerals too. Fresh cucumber juice is known to help alleviate acid reflux and indegestion and is also useful in the treatment of gum disease.

Cheery Cherries: Cherries get less air time than other fruit but there is no reason why. These sweet little summer treats are potent free-radical fighters due to their flavonoid content. Cherries are also thought to be excellent detoxifiers and are a rich source of quercetin a strong anti-inflammatory, which helps relieve painful joints.

Image by Sam Folan.

Fat Facts: We interview nutritionist, Hayley, on the fats we should all be eating

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words by Helen Carr

We are constantly bombarded with advertising for “low fat” products, sworn to make you lose weight but enjoy your favourite foods. But what if it is not the fat in foods that actually make you fat? And what if increasing your fat intake can actually make you slimmer healthier and happier?

We automatically associate the word ‘fat’ with being fat, the word that has struck fear into our hearts since the 1970’s when obesity was rising in the US and the “low fat” craze began. However, thirty years later levels of diabetes, obesity, IBS, and cancer have become higher and we have stopped eating fat. This is because the “low fat” options are laden with sugar. For example, a popular branded fruit flavoured fat free yoghurt has 19 grams of sugar in a 4 oz. pot. That is nearly a whopping 5 teaspoons of sugar. Sugar is the biggest killer, the white poison. It fuels cancer cells, and we are addicted. Unlike sugar, fat does not make us fat this is SUCH a misunderstanding as we need fat in our diet to absorb nutrients, fight off infection and for essential repair to our body.

We talk to Hayley Stafford-Smith who is training as a Nutritional Therapist and is determined to re-educate the world about fat, she discusses the benefits of a full fat diet and how it can make you glow!

Why do you think there is such a misconception about fat?

I think the diet plans of the 80s, 90s and 00s have a lot to answer for. These approaches vilified the ‘calorie’ and because high fat foods tend to be larger sources of calories fat was, and still is, seen as bad. In my opinion these diet plans, which are often filled with hidden sugar, are a primary cause of (rather than solution to) the UK’s weight problem. Low calorie ‘diets’ tend to discount nutrition. Good fats are an important part of a nutritious diet and a nutritious diet supports life, promotes vitality and maintains healthy weight – no calorie counting required.

What is the difference between good fats and bad fats?

At this point I would like to quote Udo Erasmus from his ‘Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill’, a book I’d highly recommend.

‘The fact is that some fats are absolutely required for good health, while others are detrimental. Some fats heal and others kill. Whether a fat heals or kills depends on several factors: What kind of fat is it? How has it been treated – is it fresh, has it been exposed to light, oxygen, heat, hydrogen, water, acid, base or metals like copper and iron? How old it is? How has it been used in food preparation? How much was eaten? What balance of different fats do we get?’

 In a nutshell the fat we consume can come from 3 sources:

1) Essential fatty acids

2) Saturated fats (natural animal fats including meat and dairy products)

3) Hydrogenated trans-fats (processed fats).

Needless to say that group 3 should be avoided like the plague (margarine is possibly one of the most dangerous and polluting things we can eat) whilst the rest of our fat intake should follow a basic 75 percent essential fatty acid, and 25% saturated fats rule.

Purists would advocate banishing group 2 altogether but for many reasons, including the fact that they can taste wonderful, I would not advocate this. Our cell membranes are made up of 50% essential fatty acids. The cells in our brains are made up of approximately 60% essential fatty acids. Therefore, it makes sense that these essential fatty acids dominate our fat intake!

What sort of foods should we eat that include these good fats?

Essential fatty acids include the omegas, particularly 3 and 6, as our bodies cannot manufacture these on their own. Omegas can be found in foods such as avocados, nuts, oily fish, seeds and certain oils such as olive, walnut and linseed. Essential fatty acids are liquid at room temperature and therefore, as you can imagine, pass smoothly round our system, in and out of our cells with ease rather than clogging our systems up, which is what gloopy saturated fats and hydrogenated fats do.

How do we get started with a good fat lifestyle?

So there is a quite a lot to consider but most of the UK are beginners at this approach to eating so I’d advocate sticking to the 75 percent essential fatty acids and 25 percent saturated fats, no hydrogenated fats rule and learn to walk before we can run. It’s good to really read the label of anything you buy and try to stick to fresh organic dairy, meat and fish. If you don’t know what it is, I’d avoid it.

As a nutritionist what foods are staple in your diet, and what do you think is a healthy diet?

I think that it’s important to map goodness over taste & enjoyment and I find that southern European diets do this effortlessly. Good food is beautiful when people are happy to be eating it; when it brings pleasure. The foods I probably consume most of are good quality bread, pasta, homemade when possible, lots of garlic, onions of all kinds, olive oil, salads, rice (white and brown depending on the dish, vegetables, potatoes, sweet and white, cheese, fresh and dried herbs, fish, well-sourced meat, beans, porridge, whole milk, pumpkin seeds and, seasonal fruit, and lots of water! Red wine and coffee also feature sometimes- remember that life is for living too and sometimes our minds need to indulge even if our bodies don’t!

Avocado Boats stuffed with Hummus & Carrot, Goji Berry and Ginger Sauce

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recipe by Saskia Gregson-Williams

We have gone a bit mad for avocados lately. They are so full of goodness, including great skin enhancing fats, that we find it hard to go a day without one. For a simple but different way to eat them try this recipe!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 avocados

4 handfuls of leafy greens

8 tbsp hummus

For the Sauce:

2 small carrots (makes 1/2 a cup when chopped)

1/4 cup goji berries, soaked in warm water until plump

1cm knob ginger

juice 1/2 a lemon

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp water

Method:
Wash and chop the carrots into small cubes, peal the ginger and place in a blender with all other ingredients for the sauce. Blend for 3 minutes or until combined well, but still chunky. Then, place a handful of leafy greens on 4 plates (we told you that this was simple). Half and de-skin the avocado, spoon in 2 tbsp of hummus into each avocado and place on the bed of greens. Finally pour 1/4 of the sauce mixture in and around the avocado boat and enjoy!

 avoboat1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Health Speak with Hayley Gait Golding, Founder of Super Healthy Snacks, Bear & Urban Fruit

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Health Speak with Hayley Gait Golding, Founder of Super Healthy Snacks, Bear & Urban Fruit

hayley bear

Hayley Gait Golding is 32 and Founder of yummy healthy treats BEAR and Urban Fruit made of nothing other than 100% pure fruit. It is the fastest growing healthy snack brand in the UK, loved by both kids and adults. BEAR adult fruit nibbles are particularly loved by grownups! We pick her wonderful healthy brain about snacking, start ups and staying young…

What is the first thing you do in the morning?
I drink more tea than is probably good for me and answer my early emails from all our farmers in the far east.

What do eat for breakfast?
Porridge and freshly chopped up fruit. A proper bears breakfast.

What is your work place like?
Our address is ‘BEAR’s big cave, deepest darkest woods…We’ve transformed an underground office in the city into a woodland cave with real wood carved out trees, bears, birds, and bees everywhere. Our meeting table is our favourite, it’s a big upturned oak carved into a picnic table for our meetings. We work hard at BEAR but love to find ways to make it really fun.

What do you eat for lunch?
I try and take my lunch to work but something like soup or tuna salad and lots and lots of fruit.

Do you snack?
It’s my job to snack. I do all our fruit picking and new product development so I’m constantly nibbling on the latest BEAR snack. It’s all healthy so I don’t worry about it.

What do you have for supper?
I eat a really simple diet of veggies and lean meat like fish or free range chicken. My gran thinks it’s awful when she comes for Christmas dinner as the amount of veggies we eat as a family is a bit disproportionate.

What made you start BEAR?
I founded BEAR because I was passionate about making snacking a whole lot healthier and tastier too. At the time I was a personal trainer and all my clients were struggling to find healthy tasty snacks without all the nonsense they could fit in with their busy lives. They were also shocked how much the ones for their kids were laden with added sugars and preservatives or made from concentrates instead of real fruit. I wanted BEAR to be the trusted favourite for the whole family and be made from great ingredients you could pick in a field or up a tree.

How does it feel owning your own business?
It’s amazing, I have to pinch myself every now and then to check it all really happened. It hasn’t been easy and there have been a lot of sacrifices in other parts of my life, like having time for friends has been tough, but I think all the stresses and diverse situations I’ve had to face have made me more capable.

What do you enjoy about BEAR the most?
 I enjoy the fact that it’s fun and it celebrates healthy in a happy positive way. The best thing (in the whole wide woods) are the lovely letters and emails we get in the cave every day from people who eat bear and write to tell us how much they love our snacks and 100 fun fact cards you get inside of every pack of Yoyos (pure fruit rolls). I also love the fact I get to travel the world to work with all of our farmers and find the very best in season fruit.

How do you keep fit?
I love running so I do a loop from my house on the Southbank around the river Thames about 4 or 5 times a week if I can fit it in. This year I’ve also started doing yoga and I’m really enjoying that. The tricky part is fitting in fitness when I’m travelling, which is quite often these days but I always take my trusty trainers and so have managed to grab some memorable runs through places like a safari park in South Africa, up and down a remote aeroplane landing strip and through the streets of Bangkok; which I think on reflection probably did my lungs more damage than good!

What keeps you young?
Hopefully my expensive face cream. If not I’m going to send them an invoice in 10 years’ time.

Which three celebrities (dead or alive) would you invite to dinner?  David Attenborough to tell me great stories about the world…I’d have to mull over the others… I’m not really into celebrities.

What is your biggest luxury in life?
Honestly it is fruit. I spend far too much money on fruit and have a bit of a compulsion to buy everything that looks tasty even if I’m well stocked. I get a bit too excited when I travel and buy enormous bags of rambutans and mangosteens. I try and bring them back to the cave for the team to try too.

What three things can’t you live without?
Fruit, tea and exercise.

What gets you up in the morning?
Tea.

And what do you go to bed thinking about?
I’m usually mulling over something creative we’re doing in the cave like making the new fact cards. That means my brains full of random facts like did you know if takes the average person 7 minutes to fall asleep?

What motto do you live by?
Be fearless

Our New Workout Legging Obsession: Hey Jo

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This just in: workout wear doesn’t have to be boring. We have fallen head over heals for boutique active leggings brand, Hey Jo, and think you will too. Not only do they come in an array of rainbow colours (you have to be fairly bold to pull off the orange) but the leggings don’t fade and are durable too. Detailed with gold zips, my favourite of their two styles is the Cassini, which has both a useful but discreet pocket on the bottom (perfect for keys, credit card etc.) and a zip at the bottom of the leg. Although they don’t have a huge choice on style, what Hey Jo do, they do well. The leggings are not just for work-out time but for play time too, so you can literally go from sweating to socialising in a matter of minutes. But we do suggest showering first.

Visit http://hey-jo.co/store/ for more info

Health Speak with Olympic Heptathlon Athlete, Katarina Johnson Thompson: Find out how she stays so focussed

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Hip & Healthy chats to the gorgeous olympic athlete, who can run, jump, throw, train five days a week and still keep a balance in life, and she’s only 20… Rising star? We think so…

Talk us through a normal training day/week for you?
Because my event is the Heptathlon there are seven disciplines to train for, which means every day is different. Monday I do a gym session, then the rest of the week I work through each event from shot put, to running, long jump then high jump, as well as a sprint sessions.

What inspired you to forge out a career in athletics?
I got into athletics when I was young and really took to it. When you are good at something as a child you just want to continue to work at it, because you enjoy it and so you can get better and better. I decided I wanted it to be my career only last year after the Olympics. It was my first major competition and competing in front of a large home crowd made me realise it had to be my career.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Definitely the London Olympics, it is inevitable for any athlete that the Olympics is the pinnacle of their career and it being a home Games made it even more special.

What do you find hardest about your training?
I find it hardest when I am injured and actually not being able to train, particularly in the summer throughout the competition season. Out of all of my training I find running sessions the hardest.

What is your diet like? Strict? Relaxed? Talk us through a day in the life of your food habits!
I have a plan but it isn’t strict, I just try and eat the right things and ensure everything I eat gives me value to help me in my sport. Moderation and balance is really important.

What keeps you focused?
Music when I am competing. When I am in the warm up area I have a set playlist I listen to, the same one every time and in the same order, I don’t ever put it on shuffle. I have a system, fast songs when you are warming up and slow when you are stretching.

My goals keep me focused and they make it easier to train hard and put your body through pain if you know what you are doing it for. I think everyone finds this, whether you’re a professional athlete or not. The Nike Training Club App for example is great because it gives you targets to work towards and rewards you when you hit them.

The right training kit also helps me to keep focused I am currently wearing the Nike Dri FIT Knit Tank. It’s made of a seamless knit fabric that allows me to move more with no distractions as it is really comfortable and moves with me as I move.

Do you ever have off days?
I train 4 – 5 days a week, the rest days are very important to me to ensure I recover post training.

What are you training for at the moment?
The European Under 23s in Finland in July and the World Championships in Moscow later this summer. Both are really important for my development this year and are in the back of my mind all the time when I’m training.

How does it feel to be so successful in your career at such a young age?
It was very hard to get through the Olympic qualifiers in the Heptathlon, as you have to be strong across seven events. Last year I pushed myself because I knew competing in a home Games was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It definitely what pushed me to be successful.

What is your moto?
When competing I think ‘you can’t be nervous, you just have to give it the best you’ve got’. I always take one event at a time and focus on the present.

How do you relax?
I spend time at home with my family and have regular DVD boxset marathons. At the moment I am watching Breaking Bad as I just finished the entire series of Lost.

Image: Katarina trains in Nike Dri-FIT Knit, a new apparel innovation which features seamless knit fabric for zero distraction. www.facebook.com/NikeTrainingClubUK