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Crushes are abound this week! And I’m excited to share with you the top 5 things that are making my body sing with delight, as always I’d love you to share what’s making YOU go yay this week – so please leave a comment below and share the good feelings!

♥ Organic Muesli & Coconut Water for Breakfast

I’m not much of a cold cereal girl. Give me porridge or a green smoothie and I’m good to go. So I’m not sure what drew me to this organic muesli when I spied it on the shelf, but I knew it had to be mine. With all organic ingredients and not a preservative in sight, I was very happy to discover that it is also incredibly tasty. Sulphite free dried apricots, raisins, coconut, sunflower seeds, almonds and pumpkin seeds are all added goodies which make this super delicious. My breakfast this morning was a triple whammy of organic goodness, with the muesli + C coconut water + soy milk all being of non-pesticide origin.

As an added bonus this brekky made me feel awesome and gave me lots of sustained energy. It’s a keeper!

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♥ Eskal Raspberry Vegan Chocolate

Sweet baby hound dogs this stuff is delish. I’m always on the hunt for healthy chocolate alternatives; and this raspberry dark chocolate treat definitely does the trick. So much so in fact that the three blocks that I was sent for consideration all managed to disappear within the space of a week… “Dark chocolate is good for your health!”. The bitter-sweetness of the chocolate, mixed with the crushed up bits of raspberry make this my latest fave. YUM!

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♥ Iridology and VLA and Naturopathy Consultation at Endota

Things got a little Frankenstein-y when my current naturopath, Marnie Downer, ran the verrrry interesting VLA test on me! I learned that for optimal health and wellness I should put on 4 kilos (!!!) – 3 of them muscle, 1 fat. I also found out that my cells were all nice and plump, which is a good thing. And that my cellular age is 26 (I’m currently 27.999), but we can get this down even further if I get my muscle mass up. Marnie operates out of Endota Spa Perth CBD & also a clinic in Mt Lawley. I will be doing a more thorough review soon, so stay tuned!

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♥ Sauna and Steam Room

One of my favourite parts of going to the gym is heading to the steam room and sauna after I’ve taken a yoga class, completed my mini weights routine or done my Couch-to-5K session! I absolutely love, love, love the glow that my skin gets afterwards, and I find that it completely relaxes me and I feel great for the rest of the evening. The only thing is that I’ve found I don’t sweat in the sauna! I don’t know why, maybe I am not staying in there long enough. Any sauna experts care to share their tips? Everyone else in the sauna is sweating up a storm and I’m there dry as a soy bone. Enlighten me if you can! 🙂

Thanks for reading about my crushes, I would LOVE to hear yours! Please share your current joy snippets in the comments below.

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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In celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder’s (above) book The Beauty Detox Solution, she advocates drinking her glowing green smoothie every morning for increased health, vitality and radiant skin. Being a smoothie lover and willing to try anything that promises glowing skin and extra energy, I jumped on the green smoothie bandwagon and set myself a goal to drink her infamous smoothie for every day in June.

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Every Saturday I would head down to the local farmers market to pick up all the organic produce I needed to make the smoothies for the week. The total cost usually amounted to around $35. That’s $5 per smoothie- bargain! I would prep all the ingredients on the weekend.

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I’d come home and chop everything up, put them in individual bags and freeze the 7 portions to save time on weekday mornings. Each night before I would take a bag from the freezer and leave it to defrost in the fridge overnight.

So, overall how did it go!? I ended up drinking the smoothie everyday in June up until the 27th (When I jetsetted off to Melbourne for a food filled weekend :P)

How did I feel by the end of the month? Absolutely FANTASTIC!

When I first started I was skeptical that the smoothie would be filling enough to keep me going throughout the morning, however it was surprisingly satisfying. When I sipped the smoothie throughout the afternoon (as a snack) I had a constant level of energy (and no afternoon sugar cravings!). Another bonus- it kept me extremely hydrated. And my skin? Well I only got 1 pimple the whole month. No complaints from me there!

Knowing that I’d had over half my recommended daily intake of fruit and veg before 10am felt great and I would recommend that everyone try this smoothie at least once!

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Kimberly Snyder’s Glowing Green Smoothie

Ingredients


♥ 1 & 1/2 cups water

(add more water to make smoother)
♥ 1 head organic romaine lettuce, chopped

♥ 3-4 stalks organic celery


♥ 1/2 head of a large bunch, or 3/4 of a small bunch of spinach

♥ 1 organic apple, cored and chopped

♥ 1 organic pear, cored and chopped

♥1 organic banana


♥ Juice of 1/2 fresh organic lemon



Optional


♥ 1/3 bunch organic coriander (stems okay)


♥ 1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems okay)



*Note: I added parsley but not coriander. I also usually added about 1 teaspoon of honey or bee pollen for added sweetness and nutrients.

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Directions 



♥ Add the water and chopped ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.

*Note: I halved the recipe and found this made enough for 1 L of green smoothie every morning and occasionally leftovers to sip on during the day (depending on how much water I added).

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My other tips:

♥ I thoroughly recommend spending one morning per weekend prepping all ingredients. It keeps fresh in the freezer for 7 days and saves so much time during the weekday mornings.
♥ Drink the smoothie cold. If making fresh I suggest adding lots of ice.
♥ Make sure to blend the smoothie well. Otherwise you’ll end up with chucky, grainy bits that are not very nice. Add more water if it looks sludgy.
♥ Drink the smoothie slowly, relax and enjoy it. Drinking too fast may lead to that bloated uncomfortable full feeling.

Article by Kavisha, self confessed ‘health foodie’ who believes a little dessert is good for the soul. She is currently studying for her Master of Wellness at RMIT University and blogs at Style My Coconut.

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♥ A Basic Green Smoothie Recipe – if you’re new to green smoothies, let this be your introduction! Apple juice (not too much, and as high quality as you can afford), baby spinach, banana, frozen fruit (berries or mango).

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♥ Magnificent Energising Morning Smoothie – frozen banana, blueberries, apple, spinach, pepitas, vitamin b.

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♥ Stuart Watkin’s Green Smoothie – Spirulina powder, chlorella powder, protein powder, himalayan crystal salt, maca, cayenne pepper, ayurvedic herbs (a unique smoothie for experienced smoothie makers!)

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♥ Avocado, Apple & Berry Smoothie – avocado, apple, frozen berries (any kind but I used mixed), flaxseed oil.

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♥ Green Smoothies – A New Kind of Beauty Therapy – article on green smoothies for skin health as well as a recipe: pear, apple, avocado, grated ginger, spinach.

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♥ Double Whammy Banana and Blueberry Smoothie – vanilla soy milk, bananas, frozen blueberries, spinach, wheatgerm.

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♥Friday Night Smoothie Delight – Chocolate soy milk, banana, frozen blueberries, wheatgerm. Note: spinach not in original recipe but can be added and still be delish! 🙂

♥ Blueberry, Banana and Cashew Butter Smoothie – bananas, frozen blueberries, organic cashew butter. Note: my original recipe doesn’t mention spinach, however a handful or more of baby spinach or greens thrown into this would be a great idea!

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♥ Mango/Raspberry and Spinach Smoothie – Frozen mango or raspberries (not both, though it could work, let me know if you try it!), spinach, banana, apple & pear juice, wheatgerm.

♥ Q & A: Green smoothies on the go AKA How long will my green smoothie last? – a question we get asked a lot here, check out how to make the most of your smoothies throughout the day!

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It might sound a little odd coming from a 20-something female with a mild case of credit card reliance, but I really can’t stand perfume. That sickly sweet, acidic smell makes me wrinkle my nose and pray for sweet release every time I walk past the fragrances counter. I may as well be sniffing bleach. I’m the odd one out amongst my peers, but I much prefer more natural, and less pungent products rather than 100mls of olfactory assault dressed up with Justin Bieber’s seal of approval. Ick.

I am not a Belieber. Sorry Justin.

Scent has a large effect on the emotions, and its not just a concept dreamt up by poets. For example, the smell of lavender relaxes me, cinnamon excites me, and the smell of Kim Kardashian’s latest release makes me twitch anxiously. Our olfactory receptors (our sense of smell in every day terms) are directly connected to the part of our brain responsible for emotions. Each scent may be different for everyone, but generally when a person smells something delicious their mood improves. Kind of like when you smell chocolate, or freshly baked cupcakes. Instant happy high!

This is the philosophy that the Aromatherapy Company has employed with their products. Using 100% essential oils, their wares contain no nasties like chemicals or preservatives. I managed to score some of their goods recently on a particularly crap morning, and they definitely wiped the angry princess sour puss scowl off my face.

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♥ Juniper Berry and White Thyme Massage Oil

The scent from this baby is subtle, relaxing and quite pleasant. It’s supposed to be used as a massage oil, but I found it works perfect as an after-shower all over body moisturizer. After the general slipperiness has subsided, my skin feels baby-bottom soft afterwards. It takes about 10 minutes for the product to absorb, and leaves little to no oily residue on clothes or bed sheets.

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♥ Cocoa, Vanilla and Cassia Soy Candle

You can’t really go wrong with Soy Candles. Their scent is far more potent than bees wax blends, they’re environmentally friendly, and soy wax is soooo much easier to clean off the carpet! Trust me! I find that this is the perfect candle to burn throughout winter – it reminds me of baking scones, drinking hot chocolates, and is temptingly spicy and warm. Perfect for the chillier months when you’re wrapped up in your doona cocoon, and the packaging is sleek and stylish too.

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♥ Lavender, Manuka and Wild Chamomile Essential Oil Blend

If you’re a light sleeper and like me have a serious case of ‘monkey-mind’ come bed time, give essential oils a go for a completely natural method of relaxation. This one’s made for use in a burner to achieve the best effect, but I can imagine adding a few drops to a nice, hot bath would be a sweet experience too.

Stockists: The Aromatherapy Company products are available from David Jones stores, and a few other select locations.

Have you tried aromatherapy products before? What are you favourite scents and benefits?

Review by Camilla Peffer, “Follow your inner moonlight; don’t hide the madness.”

Be well,

xoxo

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Check out the upcoming Hillarys Wellness Expo weekend hosted at Hillarys Boat Harbour over the 27th, 28th and 29th of April, which is perfectly timed for post-Easter indulgence recovery!

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Hillarys Wellness Expo is a free biannual event divided into three branches including Spiritual and Emotional Wellbeing, Holistic Health and Wellness and Conscious Sustainable Living, inhabits a multitude of exhibitors, educators, health practitioners and performers.

There will be free activities, live music, yurts (!), meditation classes, exercise classes and so much more.

Get down to Hillary’s and amp up your wellness this weekend 🙂

Be well,

xoxo