Crush, grind and smush your way to a healthier, happier you!!! A few sterter recipes…

Pink Banana

Health facts

High in vitamin C and a good source of fibre and potassium.

How to make it

Take one large banana, one handful of strawberries or raspberries - they can be fresh, frozen or tinned.

Add a large glass of apple juice.

Try freezing the banana beforehand for an extra creamy experience.

Classic banana

How to make it

Take two large bananas, one stoned and peeled ripe peach, the seeds and pulp of a passion fruit and a teaspoon of honey.

Mix them all together in the blender and serve with ice

Try freezing the banana beforehand for an extra creamy experience.

 
Red and Racey

It was the ancient people of Troy that were the first to appreciate the fruitiness of the raspberry.

 Health facts

High in fibre and vitamin C

How to make it

Take three large handfuls of fresh raspberries, or packet of frozen raspberries.

Add 1/4 pint of cranberry juice and two bananas, peeled and chopped.

Blast together in a blender and serve immediately

Perky Pineapple

The pineapple was first called "anana" a Caribbean word which means "excellent fruit"

 Health facts

Very high in Vitamin C

How to make it

Take half a fresh pineapple (or 1 small one), or 1 large tin of pineapple in juice. Add 1 ripe banana and some coconut milk or ¼ teaspoon of coconut extract.

Mix all together and blend until super sumo smooth. Garnish with pineapple wedge.

A good workout in the morning could prevent snacking later in the day, according to data from Loughborough University in England. Exercisers who ran for 60 minutes at about 70 percent of their top effort (70% Max Heart Rate or 7 on the RPE scale of 1-10) before breakfast reported less hunger for two hours after eating, compared with those who did not exercise before the same meal. Their conclusion is that intense training may suppress an appetite-fueling hormone, so you’re less tempted to munch in between meals.

Many people find that morning exercise helps them regulate their appetites for the rest of the day. Not only do they eat less (since activity causes the release of endorphins, which in turn reduces appetite), they also choose smaller portions of healthier foods.

Although it is recommended that you eat something before a morning workout, many people wait to have breakfast until after exercise is done. Regardless of when you eat it (before or after exercise), breakfast helps speed up your metabolism and can aid in weight loss. Enjoying foods high in protein, complex carbs and healthy fats will help you avoid the temptation of the munchies before lunch.

Errrrr yes??!!  Breathing oxygenates our bodies… oxygen is essential to support life to stay healthy and strong!! Ok so it may seem like an odd question to ask !! 

But seriously.. if you were to monitor yourself you would probably find that you have a tendency to hold your breath for short periods but at regular intervals during the day!! It maybe when you lift things or exert yourself, maybe when you eat, maybe when you talk !!

Many of us don’t take in enough oxygen by breathing  deeply enough into the rib cage..this can lead to stress on the body in general but my particular favourite is the neck muscles!!  So many of us have stiff necks and attribute it to stress, posture, etc etc well when you don’t breathe deeply or regularly enough your brain tightens some of your neck muscles to lift your upper ribs upwards to enable you to squeeze a little more air into your lungs!! This done regularly, causes the muscles of the neck to become stiff,sore…overworked!! How clever are our bodies!!! But neck issues aside,  oxygen is essential to our bodily functions..our muscles need oxygen to work properly. If they don’t get enough oxygen then thay can’t work effectively, which can leave you feeling fatigued, unfit, unwell even.

So start breathing with this simple exercise to get your brain into the habit and your body feeling the benefits of effective breathing ….

It is called the 4-7-8 exercise for relaxing and relieving stress and is a formula from Dr. Andrew Weil.

Any position is good. I recommend lying in bed or sitting in a chair to begin. Start by putting your tongue on the ridge just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there during the entire exercise.

Exhale through your mouth - you will make a whoosh sound
Close your mouth and breathe in through your nose for the count of four

Hold your breath for the count of seven

Exhale completely through your mouth to the count of eight - yes, you will whoosh!

Repeat four cycles total. This takes practice but you will love how you feel. Don’t change the numbers as you get good at this exercise. More is not better. Four-seven-eight is the key to success.

My students are always asking me to repeat those special numbers, so remember them. Do the exercise twice a day, or more if you like. If you feel a little lightheaded, especially in the beginning, just take a break. It will pass. That’s why it is a good idea to begin in a chair or in a bed. You can do this wherever you are to reduce your stress, especially when you are upset. This will also help you fall asleep, too and, the very best part is - it works like a tranquilizer. It’s non-toxic and it’s free!

You may find this test useful to use of you have an issue with a food but are not sure which food….. Very simple test to do ….. 

This test can be used to give you an insight into some foods which your body cannot tolerate and will cause a reaction in your system. The reaction may be mild or it may be severe. This test however is safe to do unless you know you have an ALLERGY to a substance. In which case it should not be carried out with that allergen. You can use a heart rate monitor to help you with the pulse readings if you have access to one.

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Question: Is it possible to eat meals consisting entirely of healthy foods, such as carrots, fish, apples and whole wheat bread, and continue to gain weight?

 Answer: Yes, because you can still eat too much, even if everything is good for you.

Portions have grown hugely over the last couple of decades. Not surprisingly, our weight has followed right along with it. A huge part of the problem is that people tend to eat what’s in front of them, whether they’re hungry or not. To fight this problem, it’s important to find reasons to cut down on what you put on your plate in the first place.
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