Lose weight, start juicing today!

I always get asked which juicer to buy as there are so many out there.  I have just updated my old juicer that I've had for years and have bought the Jason Vale Fusion Juicer which I found on the Clifford James website for £99.  It comes with a handy blender which converts to a bottle so you can take it on the go.  Also includes wall planner and handy recipe book and DVD.  It sells for £139.99 on Jason Vale's website so grab a bargain now!  How to use it?

Juice an apple, carrot, orange, spinach & lemon then blend the juice with banana, avocado and acai berries with a big glug of linseed oil, delicious!  Enough for 2 pints of juice/smoothie.

For lots of tips and motivation on juicing follow the Juicemaster Juicing Club or follow Jason Vale.  Thousands of members all sharing their stories!

Check out the excellent wall planner below with lots of recipes, guaranteed to shift the pounds before summer!

Delicious wrap with delicious beetroot, carrot and apple juice!

A great idea for lunch that your digestive system will really thank you for.

Buy some wraps - I usually get the wholemeal variety, there are also a spelt variety which is a much gentler sort of wheat.  If you are wheat intolerant try these which you can get online. Corn Flour Wraps
I have searched the supermarkets for wheat free wraps to no avail.  Please post a comment if you know where you can get them.

Now for the rest of the ingredients and the list is endless. Here are a few examples!  These ingredients also make a great salad if you don't fancy the wrap.

Chopped mange tout, courgette, celery
Grated raw beetroot, carrots, butternut squash, radishes
I like it spicy so I always add some chopped chillies (not good for IBS but great for constipation)
Alfafa and or sprouted seeds (you can get these in bags in fridge department of Holland and Barrett, cost about a £1)
Flaxseed oil and cider vinegar which I mix together with some black pepper - use good dollop of oil, our bodies need lubricating just like our cars!
Cherry or any type of tomato, cucumber, cress
Herbs like fresh parsley or coriander
Red onion and garlic (great antibiotic and anti fungal)
crumble some feta cheese over the top
I always sprinkle sesame seeds over everything as they contain loads of calcium

I either mash up an avocado and spread on the wrap like butter or I use hummus or both. Then I spread out all the ingredients over about three quarters of the wrap, then pour over oil and vinegar mixture and roll up. If you put too much on top then it's hard to roll! It's absolutely delicious and really filling.

The drink in the photo is beetroot, carrot and apple juice. Looks like red wine but won't make you feel lethargic! quite the opposite, it will increase your energy levels, instead of feeling a dip in energy that we often get in the afternoons.

Make your own super healthy raw chocolate!

There is a chocolate out there that doesn't have any refined sugar in it, hasn't got any bad fats in it, nor dairy, wheat or gluten.  In fact it doesn't have anything bad in it at all.  Sounds too good to be true?  I am by no means a culinary expert so to top all this good news, this chocolate is super easy to make, in fact it takes 10 minutes to whip up and you and your children will love it!  To get you started I would buy 500g cacao (raw chocolate powder, £11.50), 500g cacao butter £13.50, 250g mesquite powder £5.50, 250ml raw agave syrup £5.75, 200g cold pressed virgin coconut oil £3.80, vanilla extract (not essence - this is expensive but a million times better than the essence.  You will also need plastic chocolate moulds. Buy these from Cakes Cookies & Crafts Shop.  Or you could simply use ice cube trays. All other ingredients you can buy on line from Goji King. If you just wanted to literally make a small amount to try it then just order 250g each of powder and butter.  The start up cost is about £40 but I have made heaps of chocolate so far and still have lots of ingredients left.

Put 100g of the butter, 2 dessert spoons coconut oil and a good dollop of the agave syrup in a plastic bowl. Place it over a pan of boiling water until it all melts.  Make sure you don't get any water in the mixture. Add about 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Measure 60g cacao powder and 10g mesquite powder together.  Add this to the melted butter and whisk together until smooth.  Pour carefully into the moulds and put in the fridge.  In less than an hour you have mouth watering HEALTHY chocolate which I guarantee won't be in your fridge for long.

Check out the benefits of cacao powder - it is one of the most powerful antioxidant foods!

I was very proud at my first attempt at chocolate making, it really is so easy and the children loved them! Now you can have your chocolate and eat it!

Why is processed food so cheap?

I saw this quote on face book the other day and thought how true it is!  Why do people complain that eating healthily is so expensive yet often don't bat an eyelid at the cost of a large glass of wine (average price £5-£6?) or few on a night out!?

I bought some delicious chicken sausages from a farmers market on the weekend made on Clayford Farm in Wimbourme. They have been recommended by Slimmers World as they contain only 1% fat which is a lot lower than your regular supermarket sausage!  They don't have a website but you can see where they are at local farmers markets or the lady informed me that you can call their number to order anything.

Yes of course you can buy lots more sausages for the same price but ask yourself "why are they so cheap?" How can they be made and then still sold for a profit, what exactly is in these sausages?? I'm sure if we followed something like this being made from start to finish then we'd think again but is ignorance bliss? I say try and eat as healthily as you can afford, shop around. Markets at the end of the day sell lots of cheap fruit and veg!

Gluten Free Wholegrains

I am often advising my clients to try and avoid or cut out wheat and dairy out of their diets for a period of time. The gluten found in wheat and the casein found in dairy products can be very difficult to digest for some people therefore omitting it can often show a reduction in digestive complaints. I came across a really informative website that I wanted to share which is jam packed full of information. Whole Grains Council.

I am always looking at the alternatives out there for people who need to make changes in their diet rather than telling people they can't have this and they can't have that!

My favourite grain to eat is Love Life red and white quinoa and bulgar wheat. I can't seem to find it anywhere but in Waitrose. Quinoa is a fantastic source of protein and both quinoa and bulgar wheat are gluten free grains and are certainly better options than sticky gluey pasta!

Check out this great video to learn more about gluten.

Coconut sugar as an alternative to processed sugar

I was sitting in the dentist today reading one of the magazines and I came across an article about coconut sugar as an alternative to sugar.  I am always trying to find out alternatives rather than say to clients, don't have this, don't have that!! So please check this out for yourself..

Enjoy the heavenly taste without worrying about sugar content!  Coconut sugar - A guilt free sugar replacement

Use as a normal sugar, great in tea and coffee

Pulsin Bars with no hidden nasties!

I came across these bars when I was in Holland and Barrett in Bath. The sales assistant was giving out free tasters and I've been buying them ever since!  These bars are a great healthy snack, very filling, dairy free, gluten free, no added sugar and far fewer calories than a regular chocolate bar. They come in different flavours and I buy them from the  Pulsin website.  Check out the Great reviews on Amazon. Yes they are more expensive than a normal chocolate bar, average cost is approx £1.40 per bar compared to probably 60p for a chocolate bar but you can't put a price on your health! 😄😄

I also buy the Pulsin protein powders which I add to my smoothies. Check out My smoothie receipe.