♥ YUM!

At age 19, I can honestly say I’ve started to find balance in what I eat. I never weigh myself or count calories, but focus on eating fresh, wholesome food. I love going to Farmers Markets and buying produce that’s in season, and creating simple and delicious recipes. Lately, I love recipes which taste indulgent but are really super healthy and packed full of nutrients. These Superfood Raw Fudge Balls are a perfect example.

Why not take these bite sized delights to your next party to share, or wrap up & give as a gift

Recipe:

Ingredients-

♥ 1 cup dates (medjool work best)
♥ 1 cup walnuts
♥ 1/2 cup shredded or desiccated coconut, plus extra
♥ 1/4 cup raw cacao
♥ handful of goji berries (use dried cranberries for a cheaper alternative)
♥ handful of chia seeds

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Method-

1. Blend all ingredients together
2. Form into balls. If they fall apart, simply add more blended dates to the mixture
3. Roll in shredded/desiccated coconut

Ta-daaa!

This recipe can be altered according to taste or what you already have. Feel free to swap the walnuts for almonds or the dates for prunes. I decided to wrap about 10 of these for my ballet teacher the other day. Here’s how to wrap them up…

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Simply take 1 sheet of baking paper and 1 sheet of cellophane, as well as a longish piece of string

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Place about 10 fudge balls in the centre

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Wrap the baking paper around the fudge balls first, then the cellophane. Tie the string around to secure.

Gift complete! How easy was that? Does this look like something you’d like to make/scoff down?

Recipe by Hannah, a full-time nutrition student and blogger at Dear Asparagus!

Be well,

xoxo

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♥ Joshi’s Holistic Detox

I picked this up randomly when a lovely little bookstore near me was having a 50% off closing down sale. Never one to say no to the possibility of a bargain, I dashed in and came across Dr Joshi’s book which I’d been intrigued by previously but never bought.

While I don’t need to be slimmer, healthier I can always go for. Basically Dr Joshi draws on Ayurvedic wisdom, as well as the principles of alkaline eating to help you feel your best. You will go without a few much loved things for 21 days, incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and veggies (some are out though), gluten-free products, herbal teas, supplements and other good-for-you treats. It’s a really well designed program and leads you through everything with LOADS of information and reviews/testimonials from many of his well known clients, including Gwyneth Paltrow.

The only thing that is personally detrimental is that the majority of recipes call for chicken stock (even the veggie ones), so as a vegetarian it would be hard to follow the supplied detox menu. That said there ARE options, and I’m sure you could use veggie stock, but there’s a lotta chicken in this book – organic, free-range naturally! Which reminds me of THIS wonderful Youtube…

Despite the chicken qualms, I’d totally recommend this book if you’re game for a detox, but want to know all the little details behind how/what/where/why, in an accessible and interesting format. I really enjoyed it, go Joshi! Available on Amazon for about $21 USD.

Have you ever tried a detox or wanted to? If so let us know your experience / reason for wanting to try!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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There’s a lotta love to be had for products that have more than one use, not only do you save money and time, but you also save on precious bathroom bench space, something which is worth an increasing amount these days!

Here are my three current favourites:

♥ Jane Iredale Antioxidant Spray

Packed full of antioxidants and smelling like delicious oranges/tangerines, this product has a lot more uses than just pepping up your face on a hot day.

♥ Sets mineral makeup, of which Jane Iredale produce some pretty awesome varieties.
♥ Use to wet brushes to use with eyeshadow and make liquid liner, genius!
♥ Spritz over hair to control static.

The great news is that you can do all of this while smelling like summery citrus fruits. RRP $39.

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♥ Essential Kit Multipurpose Wonder Balm

This stuff beats regular paw paw balm any.day! It’s certified organic, smells absolutely amazing – kinda like a chocolate orange, and 100% of the ingredients are from a natural origin. Plus NO animal testing or animal products and it’s made in Australia! SIGN ME UP It even tastes yummy… should you accidentally (or not so accidentally) lick your lips.

Can be used for…

♥ Lip balm, smoothing eyebrows, giving your cheeks a highlighted glow, moisturising nails & cuticles, a thick body moisturiser, smoothing flyaways, soothes dry heels, protecting cuts, shaving… AND under wetsuits on long swims apparently!!!

It’s fast becoming a staple and comes with me everywhere. So much love! RRP $22.95.

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♥ Tisserand Ethically Harvested Lavender Oil

I’ve only just started to really get into essential oils and candles, but have always had a soft spot for lavender. Ah, quell-er of stresses, easer of sleeps! It’s always been good to me, and I’ve recently discovered that it has a lot more uses than I initially thought, lets have a look:

♥ A natural way to take the sting out of burns
♥ Super successful zit zapper – have been hitting this one up a lot lately, and it’s working!
♥ 6 drops on a damp flannel to help a headache
♥ Disinfectant for cuts & to help new skin grow
♥ And of course, a few drops on the pillow to de-stress & help you fall asleep

What are your favourite multi-tasking beauty & wellness products? Share with us below!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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This crushes edition is pretty product-centric because there are just so many amazing things that have flown into my world in the past few weeks, I’m super excited to share ‘em with you, so lets get started

♥ Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser

I’ve been a longtime fan of the regular Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser, and probably a little reluctant to venture away from what I know and love! The illuminating version takes it to the next level, while you can wear it on it’s own (it’s SPF 20), my favourite way to use this is mix a dollop with my regular, fairly matte foundation and watch the compliments roll in.

If you want a fresh faced glow, this is going to go a long way towards getting you there! Add plenty of sleep, green tea and exercise in and you’re set. It also comes in 4 shades, I use ‘Bare Radiance’, am a total ghosty-face and I LOVE it. RRP $78 from Adore Beauty.

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♥ Seven Wonders Argan Oil Spray

This stuff makes sleek, shiny hair almost too easy to achieve. Having tested out the rest of the range in a previous crushes post, I was a fan, but I was finding that having to rub the oil on your hands and apply to the hair was putting me off a bit. And then swoops in this guy, all spray-nozzle and thinner consistency.

Through a bit of trial and error, I’ve found the best way to get shiny, but not oily, hair is to spray one pump onto your brush and then run through slightly damp hair. This goes against the key beauty rule of NEVER BRUSH YOUR HAIR WHEN IT IS DAMP EVER EVER EVER, but really, I think we all secretly do. If you don’t, comment below and I will heap some praise on you!

This method has given me a lot more control over rogue flyaway hairs & will also make the bottle last a looooong time. Approx. $32.

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♥ Franc Essential Serum

I’m loving this crazy right now. As a girl who is obsessed with her rosehip oil almost exclusively, this serum took me by surprise. It actually does contain rosehip oil, as well as: macadamia, apricot kernel, avocado, carrot, centella, evening primrose, vitamin e, geranium, lavender, rose & sandalwood oils. Quite a few of which are organic. The vitamins that make my skin react so well to rosehip are in here, as well as a whole party full of other good stuff as you can see.

The smell is also far superior, kind of a musky-candy scent, and a little goes a loooooong way. I’m still testing this out but I can safely say that my skin really enjoys drinking it up at night, and I am thoroughly enjoying the way it looks in the morning. Winnah. RRP $72.

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♥ Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colour in Sweet Nectar

Before Sweet Nectar, I’d never worn a bright lip colour. Reds & multiple shades of pinky nudes yup, anything a bit out there – nup. I adore this, slicking it on gives me that little bit of extra confidence, even on a regular day at the office. It goes on super easily, and when worn with a glowy foundation (as above), some mascara and a little creme blush you’ll have the ultimate easy beauty look. It also contains an SPF of 12 which is handy!

While the RRP is $44, there are some awesome deals available on StrawberryNET with some of the other Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colours from $14.50!!! Worth a look if you’re after some high-quality, but cheap, lippies.

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♥ Detoxing Clay Bath

At the moment I’m reading a detox book (more about that in the next crushes edition) and have become interested in possibly doing a light detox of my own. Nothing too full on, just a lot of healthy eating, green smoothies, yoga, quinoa salads, tofu and veggies, and no junk. The last part is the trickiest! Even though I do eat healthy the majority of the time, I am quite keen on my indulgences too.

When I heard about the detoxing Mojave Green Clay Powder, I thought it would be a good way to ease into a detox. It felt great to have a clay bath, though I didn’t have any symptoms of detoxing such as a headache afterwards, I’m going to keep up with them once a week or so and more frequently when I start my real detox and see how I go! $19.90 for 450 grams.

That’s it for this week, hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions or suggestions about my crushes then feel free to leave a comment below!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

I used to think that having a large meal for breakfast would give me the most energy for an enthusiastic and energetic day, but for the last 2 years or so my breakfast has pretty much always been a smoothie. I feel lighter, more focused and full of calm vitality rather than bogged down looking for that caffeine kick which I used to.

If my body isn’t working hard to digest a big, dense meal, then that energy can be put towards living an amazing life. The amount of vitamins and minerals, good quality omega 3 fats, easily absorbable sprouted proteins and just enough low glycemic index carbs in this smoothie keeps me full, yet light and energetic for hours.

I’m not saying I don’t like a delicious meal. I love to eat! But after playing with different ways to start the day, this definitely works best for me. Imagine trying to get all of this goodness in solid food form as you get ready for work in the morning! It would be like having a huge bowl of greens, a hand full of olives, a whole bunch of sprouted seeds and nuts, mushrooms, herbs etc. If you down this smoothie all that goodness is straight into your system.

♥ Stu’s Smoothie

The recipe!

♥ However big you want your smoothie, put that much water in the blender.
♥ A serving of Sunwarrior protein which I get at Prana Healthfoods

Or

♥ A serving of Garden of Life Raw Protein
♥ 1 teaspoon of Spirulina and 1 teaspoon of Chlorella, both which I get at Prana or Organic on Charles.
♥ About 1 teaspoon of Himalayan Crystal Salt, which I get at Prana.
♥ 1 teaspoon of maca root
♥ 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper if you like a little kick.
** ♥ ½ teaspoon of ashwagandha
** ♥ ½ teaspoon of triphala
** ♥ 1 teaspoon of reishi mushrooms, all of which I often get directly from India or from https://herbsupplies.com.au/ or http://www.indiaabundance.com

** With these herbs, do your research or see an ayurvedic practitioner and/or naturopath to find out if these herbs are suited to you. Every body is different. As for the rest of the herbs they’re suited to most people.

Blend all of this up and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of either agave nectar or honey for sweetness and if you want extra thickness and carbs add a banana.

Next step; enjoy!

Stu’s smoothie will give you enough energy for THIS!

Stuart is a yoga teacher and holistic life coach based in Perth, Western Australia. He is known for his unique, heart-felt self expression and inspirational style of teaching. Stuart’s classes incorporate Vinyasa Flow Asana and Akhanda Yoga with most of the emphasis being on transformation and healing.

He teaches with raw yet compassionate honesty which helps his students and clients bring the qualities practiced on the mat into daily life. 

The combination of the ancient wisdom of yoga coupled with Western approaches to wellness, such as life coaching and fitness training has allowed Stuart to form a highly effective and unique approach to wellness and to life itself.

Pics by http://nkphotographyblog.com/

What do you think of this super smoothie?

Be well,

xoxo

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just whipped up this beautifully yummy, fresh and light summer quinoa salad – it’s full of nutrients and is also quite filling! It’s also super quick and easy!

Ingredients

1 x cup dry quinoa
1 x cup diced cucumber
1 x diced medium sized tomato
1/2 x diced apple
1 x tbsp pepitas
1 x tbsp sultanas
sprinkling of sesame seeds
sprinkling of dried cranberries

Cook the quinoa as per the instructions on the pack (I like to use a rice cooker as it’s very simple and I can do other things while it’s doing -its- thing). Add in the pepitas & sultanas at the very beginning so they plump up.

Once cooked, leave to cool and mix in all the other ingredients. Serve, eat and enjoy.

The best thing about this quinoa salad is that you can make it with whatever’s on hand at the time that you need to use up and the quinoa provides a perfect healthy base. It is also packed with nutrients to give you sustained energy and plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Some other ideas to add in are:

♥ Sweet potato
♥ Cashews/almonds
♥ Pieces of orange
♥ Celery
♥ Absolutely anything you want!

Hope you like it, please share your recipes below, bon appetit

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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♥ Volcano Foot Mask

I’ve been having a bit of a love-in with Lush recently. Along with hosting our latest competition (check it out!) and featuring the Divine Whale soap, I recently felt my feet needed a little holiday so took them for a leisurely trip to a Volcano, courtesy of Lush.

The Volcano Foot Mask contains clay, fresh papaya, fresh tomato, lemon, anti-fungal essential oils & cinnamon which makes for a pretty gnarly combo on first whiff, but the smell definitely grows on you and my housemate remarked it smelled quite ‘Christmassy’.

After soaking your feet for 5 minutes and then applying, wrap your feet in some leftover plastic wrap or a plastic bag and take it easy for 10 minutes. I have to say that after 5 minutes my feet were feeling pretty spicy hot, and after 10 I was definitely ready to wash/scrub it off!

The tingly heat continued for about 20 minutes afterwards and my feel smelt pretty delightful and VERY smooth! I would definitely recommend this mask for anyone whose feet need a little tough love. Sensitive folk may need to steer clear though! RRP $19.95 for 250gm.

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♥ Chilled Eye Pillows

As we’ve found out over the past week or so, summer is upon us, draping its heat all over our little city like a big, humid blanket. Can you tell I’m a winter-spring kinda girl? In order to survive the season, I’ve got to rely on many cooling tips and tricks. One newie is to put a wheat/rice/yoga eye pillow into the fridge during the day, and then drape it over your eyes when you get home. Pure bliss!

I also like to pop it on my neck too, or anywhere else that needs some chillin.

My favourite is the Pure Joi Eye Pillow ($20), cos it has lavender in it too – double chill out!

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♥ Iced Rosehip Tea

Last night I brewed up my first iced tea of the season! It was awesome. Just brew whatever tea you like in a regular cup, wait til it cools then pour into a large jug, top up with cold water, ice cubes, lemon slices, mint sprigs – whatever takes your fancy. Pop it back in the fridge for a while and soon you will be sippin on sweet iced goodness.

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♥ Lots of new yoga studios opening in Perth next year!

I’ve been hearing many whispers from lots of different sources that a whole bunch of new studios are going to be opening next year! Bikram fans will be happy, as will fans of less intense types of yoga Stay tuned…

Link Love

♥ Lush Divine Whale Soap – all profits go to the Sea Shepherds to save the whales!
♥ Mega Christmas Giveaway – Win 10 x Chrissy packs!
♥ Product Review: Bloom Belle de Jour Colour Collection – if you’re keen to see a pic of my mug, go here!
♥ Wellbeing CD Review: Mindfulness Skills – love this CD for chilling out.
♥ Alison Jade Mineral Illuminator – A local alternative to YSL Touche Eclat.
♥ Product Review: Prive Shampoo & Conditioner – a unique article about a unique product, check out the amazing pics!
♥ Beauty and Wellbeing Crushes: My Current Skincare Heroes – the last edition of crushes!

That’s all for now guys, take care!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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I’ve recently found a new friend on my wellbeing journey, he goes by the name of Dr Russ Harris. The good doc often chats to me in bed at night, and while this sounds like something that could make my boyfriend jealous, I’ve occasionally brought Dr Harris along when the boy has stayed over and he has been more than accommodating of his presence.

Before anyone gets too carried away, I am of course I’m talking about a CD!

Dr Harris has put together his Mindfulness Skills (Volume 1!) CD and it’s the perfect accompaniment for anyone who leads a busy or stressful life. That’s most of us right?

So what exactly is mindfulness and why should you be interested in it when there’s a million other things on your plate?

Dr Harris defines it in the following way:

“Consciously bringing awareness to your here-and-now experience, with openness, interest and receptiveness.”

At the outset he makes an interesting point that relaxation is not the aim of listening to the CD, although it often is a by product of working towards mindfulness… tricky tricky.

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So why do I love this…?

♥ There are 4 different tracks that you can listen to depending on how you’re feeling and what you’d like to cultivate.

♥ Mindfulness of Breathing: As the name suggests, this track focuses on getting you to be mindful of your breathing through a variety of exercises.

♥ Mindfulness of Emotions: Ever get anxious about being anxious? I do. This track helps you to see and accept your emotions as they are, that even though they may be uncomfortable, they are just emotions and will pass. This is perfect to listen to when you feel overwhelmed by any particular negative feelings.

♥ Leaves on a Stream: My favourite track and the one I find myself listening to the most. Place any thought, feeling, sound, or vision that comes into your mind onto a leaf and let it float away down a calm river, even if that thought is “this activity is ridiculous!”, you can place it on the leaf and send it away. I love this so much, my river has a lot of leaves

♥ The Observing Self: Probably the trickiest mindfulness exercise on the CD, this one requires you to notice that you’re noticing something. A really useful exercise that is mostly too brain-bending for me at night, so I recommend working on this during the day when you have some time out.

♥ I feel peaceful afterwards. Despite being told not to expect relaxation, it often shows up and I’m happy to let it snuggle right next to me as I drift off to sleep.

Could you do with some mindfulness in your life? Ever tried it? If you have any tips or questions I’d love to hear them!

Mindfulness Skills Volume 1 by Dr Russ Harris is available for purchase through Exisle Publishing for $24.99 – a bargain price for the benefits that it delivers.

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥

Poynter Farmers’ Market, ahh to have a Saturday off, visiting this place was definitely on my list of things to do. It may be small but it’s loaded with fresh local produce, rainbow beetroots, carrots, silverbeet, sweet mangoes, berries and amazing bananas – all the seasonal foods you’d hope for!

The aroma of fresh breads, pastries, cakes, chutneys, herbs and flowers decorate the entrance and I wanted to take it all home… but I could only fit what I could into my backpack, so I made sure it was an array of mixed colours, letting the leaf tops burst out my back pack to ride in the wind on my cycle back home.

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Before my cooking begins, a pot of herbal tea to hydrate the soul;

♥ ½ – 1 diced purple carrot
♥ zest of one large lemon,
♥ a good chunk of finely diced ginger

My market haul

Steep in your favourite teapot for 5 – 10 minutes and sip away whilst getting stuck into a Rainbow Beetroot and Purple Carrot Salad;

♥ 2 large purple carrots
♥ 1 large rainbow beetroot
♥ bunch of coriander
♥ 1 large green apple
♥ 1 lemon
♥ ½ red onion

You could dice all ingredients by hand or better still combine all ingredients into a processor or Thermomix (I don’t have one of these luxury items yet, but my mum’s is amazing) season with a wee bit of salt (or crushed celery seeds) and drizzle with some cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy on its own, with quinoa or a fresh salmon fillet.

Bon appetit!

Poynter Farmers’ Market is a fortnightly market located at:

Poynter Primary School
Poynter Drive, Duncraig

9am-12noon – check their website for the next market weekend!

Have you tried purple carrots or rainbow beetroot before?

Review by Adele Plumridge, Natural Medicine Naturopath & food coach; offers personalised consultations, detox programs plus food & health workshops.

Be well,

xoxo

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Being on my version of the Earth Diet Challenge: 365 days sugar free, preservative free, MSG free, artificial anything free, I’ve been looking at different ways of preparing food.

About two years ago I was at my diet was 100% raw and I felt absolutely amazing. I had recently been diagnosed with Graves Disease and the medication wasn’t working fast enough and so my specialist recommended removing my thyroid. Things go a little out of control without a thyroid as I soon discovered. I was tired, foggy and if that wasn’t enough I gained 10 kilos in 8 weeks! I ‘discovered’ the raw food diet on a google search and I seriously never felt better.

However as with most things, as I started feeling better the motivation to stay 100% raw diminished, as did my feeling great. Funny that.

I eat fairly well these days, and as I said earlier I committed to the Earth Diet Challenge 56 days ago now and was looking for new ways to prepare my food when along came a 2 for 1 offer to attend a raw food class so how could I say no to that?

I arrived to Michelle’s class and joined the other 10 ladies that were there, her classes are held at the back of her home in a gorgeous room with plenty of natural light.

Michelle started off by telling us about her story, her past health problems and where she gets her passion for raw foods. The best thing was she was totally upfront with all of us and admitted that she wasn’t perfect, not only was she not perfect but she had eaten a Krispy Kreme doughnut recently! Talk about making people feel at ease.

The other great thing about Michelle is there was no “all or nothing” approach. I’ve found that a lot of people who say they’re interested in your health have a belief that their way is the only way and they can be quite painful to deal with.

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She went through a dazzling array of equipment that she uses, but was quick to point out that we could start with just the basics of a blender and food processor, knife and cutting board.

♥ Michelle making a green smoothie, check out that glowing skin!

We then progressed to the food, and oh my goodness what a great way to convert people while educating them.

We started off with two different green smoothies, followed by Buckwheat Crispies, Cacao Crispies, Almond Museli, cinnamon gRAWnola and Walnut and Goji Crumble. And just in case there was a chance that we might be able to walk out the door rather than be rolled she then gave us Almond and Chia Porridge followed by my favourite, The Big Brekky! Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Guacamole on Sprouted Toast.

♥ Ingredients for the Buckwheat Crispies

♥ Some various raw food products

♥ The yummy looking tomatoes and mushrooms!

All this was made in front of us showing us just how easy it is to add more raw into your diet and how simple it can actually be to put it all together with no experience at all.

The price ($135) included all the above plus handouts with information on where you can get your nutrients on a high raw diet as well as equipment, methods, kitchen cupboard staples as well as resources to find all the above.

Best of all she gave us the recipes to all the food we sampled as well as a few more smoothie ideas.

Where: Hamilton Hill
What: Raw Food Classes
How much: Generally around $135 for 3 hours learning to prepare (and be filled up on!) fabulous raw foods
Website: www.foodinthenude.com.au
Email: michelle@foodinthenude.com.au

Reviewed by Chizelle S Salter, writer, extreme self-love expert and hostess of Chizelle TV.