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I’m trying to improve my health through diet and exercise, it’s easy enough to find recipes for healthy eating, my biggest problem so far has been snacks and sweet treats…

As part of my journey to healthier living, I recently purchased Janella Purcell’s Eating for the Seasons: Cooking for Health and Happiness with the intention of introducing more wholefood options into my diet.
Janella Purcell is a Naturopath, Nutritionist, Herbalist and Iridologist, she is “passionate about good food and feeling great.”

Bliss Balls are the first recipe from this book that I have made and they have quickly become a family favourite. They satisfy the sweet craving, providing a healthier option. Although I have to admit that they are very more-ish, it’s hard to stop at just one bliss ball.

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Bliss Balls – adapted from Eating for the Seasons: Cooking for Health and Happiness – Makes 24 balls

♥ 1 cup puffed rice
♥ 1/3 cup sesame seeds
♥ 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
♥ ½ cup desiccated coconut
♥ 1 cup mixed nuts; unsalted, chopped (I used almonds, pistachios and cashews)
♥ 1 cup dried fruit
♥ ½ cup tahini
♥ ¾ cup honey
♥ Sesame seeds or coconut to coat

How to

Put the seeds and nuts in the food processor blitz until chunky. Next blitz dried fruit.
Add seeds, nuts, fruit, rice and coconut in a bowl and mix together. Put ingredients in food processor and gradually add tahini and honey. Taste the mix and adjust the sweetness to your taste.

Using wet hands roll a tablespoon of the mixture into a ball. Coat balls in sesame seeds or coconut. Store in an airtight container.

I’m so happy with the results of this recipe, I’m going to try some variations and I can’t wait to try some of the other recipes from the book!

What are your favourite healthy sweet treats or snacks? Have you heard of Janella Purcell before? Leave a comment below!

Review by Megan – creating a new me with diet & exercise!

Be well,

xoxo

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1. Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation

Have you noticed Michelle Bridges is everywhere at the moment? There’s good reason for it. This woman is making a big difference to waistlines around the country, including mine! I signed up for the 12 week body transformation program for $199 and I was not disappointed. A weekly meal plan (breakfast, lunch, dinner is on there with a snack suggestion list accessible on the site) with calorie details, exercise plan and shopping list is emailed to you on a Thursday to begin the next Monday. It took some discipline and hard work on my behalf too of course (as Michelle says, she can’t do the training for you), but over the Christmas period I still managed to finish with 2.5kg lost and 20cm gone from around my body. Meals like butter chicken (minus the butter but just as tasty), nachos, pancakes and plenty of interesting salads were some of my favourites. It was thorough, inspiring, very well-thought out and I would recommend it to anyone who needs some direction and inspiration for their health and fitness.

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3. Zevia

The ingredient list of diet drinks is frightening and the sugar content of soft drinks is too high – but for those of you who can’t give the fizzy drop up, I have the answer. Zevia is a naturally sweetened (with stevia, a plant from the sunflower family) drink with zero calories. It comes in loads of yummy flavours (I like pink grapefruit and grape the best) and I found mine at the Subiaco Farmer Jacks (they stopped stocking it recently, but I’ve put in a request for it to return which they promised it would!) or PAWS in Northbridge. Try it!

4. Youngblood Lip Glosses

Ok, I love having bright matte lips like any gal around town at the moment but nothing screams summer like slightly pink, shiny lips – amirite? I love Youngblood’s lip gloss in “Devotion” which is a peachy pink with a hint of shimmer. Pucker up!

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5. Tulsi Sweet Rose Tea

I need something sweet after dinner. I know I shouldn’t and all the anti-sugarists will be shaking their heads and sighing at this, but I do and I like it! However, this new-to-me tea hits the spot without diving head first into a block of chocolate. Perfectly sweet, with a gorgeous rose flavour I just feel like a lady drinking it! Poured into my pink yummy mummy cup, there ain’t a better way to finish a lovely day. Available from most health food shops!

What are you crushing on this week? Share your current loves in the comments below!

Article by Lisa O’Neill, freelance writer, mama & sugar-free soft drink advocate!

Be well,

xoxo

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Hi I’m Lauren and I’m from Perth.

At the end of 2011, at age 22, I had been eating whatever the hell I wanted for a very long time. I did very little physical activity. I had atrocious skin, no energy, no confidence and could be pretty damn negative about life more often than not. I had very high blood pressure – somewhere around 150/110. My Doctor suggested I go on blood pressure medication for the REST OF MY LIFE.

I decided that being on that medication was pretty silly as a young person who had a long life still to live (if lucky!). I was convinced that diet and lack of exercise was my problem – I thought if I really tried hard to sort this issue out by changing my life, then there would be no need for medication. If it didn’t work, then at least I tried. At least I had taken control of the situation, rather than letting life happen to me. We have so much more power than we think we do!

I got a personal trainer (Chris Vavakis from Mobile Trainer) for a few sessions, so that I could start somewhere. I increased the amount of vegetables I had in my diet, decreased the sugar and salt and ate only lean protein with my meals. It was hard and I slipped up a lot. Every time I slipped, I remembered why I was doing what I was doing and I KNEW that it was worth all the hard work. I got back on that wagon.

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Results came slow but I grew to love the feeling of burning muscles. I knew that meant that my muscles were repairing themselves much stronger than they were before. I loved all the changes I began to see in my body and delighted in the knowledge that I was getting stronger! I became an exerciser and enjoyed the activity in itself! I used to hate cooking but grew to love the challenge of using spices instead of ready-made sauces and trying a difficult dish. Everything tasted so much better and I felt better about myself ten fold because I was doing this all for myself!

My skin improved, I slept better, I felt more positive about EVERYTHING. I became more confident in all aspects of my life. People started asking me for advice about exercise and healthy eating. I lost 20 kilos.

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I cannot describe to you the absolute feeling of euphoria and sense of accomplishment I felt when I first learned just how far I had come. After 9 months to 1 year of hard work, my blood pressure was a perfect 120/80. I went home and cried and laughed and screamed. I fist pumped in the car! I was on top of the world – I had changed my life. I am convinced there is nothing in life that feels as good as knowing that you have achieved something so incredible as changing your future – I could have easily taken that medication, but instead I changed my physical situation and I changed how healthy I was. Just me – I did that!

I’m an ordinary girl. I have 24 hours in a day. I went to university, I work full time. I have loads of awesome friends and a kickass family. I’m lazy and stubborn sometimes, I like to eat sweet things. I bet we’re pretty similar.

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Why does it matter how similar we are? Because there is nothing that I have, that you don’t! Where I succeeded, it was because I didn’t give up. I don’t have any special knowledge or training. I’m not better at exercising – I started out at the bottom, just like everyone else and learnt along the way. I didn’t let my brain tell me that I needed to be at any particular level before I started trying. All champions of anything start out failing, again and again and don’t stop until they get there.

There is no secret. You CAN do it, you just have to try. You are stronger than you think you are. Do it for you.

Have you ever wanted to change your life? Do you have an inspiring story as well? Leave a comment in the below as we’d LOVE to hear from you!

Article by the incredibly inspiring Lauren Foreman, life changer and health & fitness lover.

Be well,

xoxo

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A new year, a new home in sunny Dunsborough (yes Samudra calls my name even more regularly now), a new favourite coffee place (that know my name and coffee already, yes local status!), a new beachside jogging track and a new list of crushes that are at the top of my lust list. I’ve found these goodies not only look after the outside of my body but their ingredients are making my insides happy too.

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♥ La Mav Omega-3 Advanced Nightly Repair Crème

As women, at a young age we begin our beauty rituals, and whilst the products may change in bottle size, price and effects – we will always go back to what works for us. I feel that this crème is one of those products. In its stylish white and silver bottle La Mav Nightly Repair Crème (OFC certified organic and Australian made and owned I must add) is wonderfully thick and absorbing and has been leaving my skin feeling nourished and smooth from night to morning. It’s list of organic and delicious sounding ingredients (Raspberry Seed Oil, Avocado Oil, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice) is endless, and they all work together to support the skins barrier function and enhance it’s repairing action. Available from Organic Glow for $59.95.

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♥ Apteka Relief Scalp Shampoo

In our ritual, whilst we want our products to feel nice and make us look nice, we also want them to smell lovely too. Apteka Relief Scalp Shampoo has no parabens, sulphates or artificial fragrances and smells like fresh peppermint, that means yummy smelling hair. I would recommend this product to anyone with a sensitive scalp, especially in these warm summer months. Their healing blend of organic rosemary, organic pepperming and organic tea tree will cleanse and refresh the scalp after all your time playing mermaid at the beach and frolicking in the sunshine. Available from Organic Glow for $29.95.

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♥ Cookbooks

I know we all wish that the vibrant photographs in the pages of our favourite cookbooks would just magically materialise into the bowls in front of us without the necessary food shopping, prep and cooking time. Alas, this only happens in dreams (and if we are talking dreams the food would also have no calories and be followed by a very chocolately dessert). However I have found with my two new favourite cookbooks that cooking can be quick, easy, colourful, healthy and delicious.

Now who doesn’t have a Donna Hay cookbook or 5 in their bookshelf? I’ve found with her newest edition Fresh and Light that her recipes have taken a healthier, lighter and more exciting turn. Still using her signature few ingredients and easy to follow cooking techniques, but she has introduced favourites like quinoa, light but flavoursome salads and less of the heavy carbohydrate focused meals.

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Jamie Oliver’s 15-Minute Meals
has followed a similar path too and after flicking through the pages I found myself wanting to re-creating the majority of the meals featured. And whilst there has been much debate over if these meals really take 15 minutes (take it from me, they don’t!) they are simple, so tasty and will impress anyone you whip them up for. Yum!

Do any of these beauty products or books take your fancy? What skincare and haircare are you loving at the moment? And what cookbooks? Would love your recommendations!

Written by Jade, new down south local and mermaid.

Be well,

xoxo