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

♥

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

♥

♥ 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.

♥

♥ 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!

♥

♥ 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.

♥

♥ 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

♥

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.

♥

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