The Perfect Red Smoothie

What a week it’s been.

And yes, that is the most beautiful beetroot ever.

If you know me, you’ll know there’s nothing more I hate than doctors, medicine and anything else related to that field. It may actually be a phobia… surely that exists, right?! However, this week has consisted of 3 doctors visits and an optician visit. Not fun.

Actually, it’s so much more than just not being fun, it’s brought me tons of anxiety. The worst! Well, with feeling pretty low and having poorly eyes (that are now hopefully on the mend thanks to my wonderful optician) I have been trying to up my juicing and raw food intake to make me as healthy as possible. I may be full of a cold and have eye problems but it doesn’t make me any less determined to eat as healthy as possible. At the end of the day, I have an auto immune problem and I’m (unfortunately!) on immune suppressants, imagine where I would be without my healthy eating? My prediction is that I’d be much more poorly.

On the upside, at one of my doctors visits, they checked my vitamin levels, as early last year I was told I was folate deficient and it turns out my iron and folate are back within normal range – thanks fruits and veggies! This makes me even more certain that being a plant based eater is the healthiest way to be! I don’t take any supplements apart from a vitamin D supplement (which I believe everyone should take) and a B12 supplement (highly important if you are vegan or vegetarian) so all of my nutrients come from what I eat. People presume being vegan you will be low in iron and other vital minerals but I can now prove them all wrong! My doctor also told me many months ago that I needed to take a multi vitamin because of my restricted diet (I obviously ignored this silly advice and trusted in the foods I was eating) and I’m happy to say I was right! Hip hip hooray! Remember GPs get very little, if any, nutrition training.

Iron is super important and one of the most common deficiencies, are you feeling tired? No energy? Well, here are some great natural plant based sources of iron:

– spinach and other dark leafy greens
– sun dried tomatoes
– tahini or sesame seeds (I can eat it by the spoonful!)
– goji berries
– dates
– quinoa
– chickpeas (eat your humous!)
– dried apricots and dried peaches
– super foods – Spirulina and bee pollen are great sources!

Men need lower amounts of iron per day than women so if you are a woman it’s probably wise to check you are getting enough. People believe the richest sources of iron is meat but then why are many meat eaters iron deficient? I say start upping your green juices and start spoon feeding yourself humous! Oh and have dried fruit for dessert! Don’t forget plant based iron sources are also loaded with other important vitamins and minerals, making them far more superior than meat.

Oh and one last thing, always consume your iron with foods that contain vitamin c as it helps absorption. Another reason green juices are so fantastic, also I make homemade humous and put lots of lemon juice in (jam packed with vitamin c!).

So, now you’ve heard me moan about my week and show off about my healthy vitamin levels (apologises for that!), this week while testing out new ways of supercharging my diet I came up with what can only be described as the yummiest smoothie ever. I do realise I’m slightly blowing my own trumpet here but seriously I’ve made it 3 times in 5 days and I’ve fallen more in love each time. Don’t judge it by its ingredients as I realise they sound a little thrown together, especially if you are new to juicing or plant based eating but trust me on this one – give it a go.

The Perfect Red Recipe:
– 1 beetroot (thoroughly clean the outside and chop the little tail thingy off)
– 1 courgette
– 2 carrots
– 2 handfuls of spinach (hello Iron!)
– 1 lime (if organic, juice the skin too)
– 1 apple OR 1 orange (both work really well)
– 1 stalk of celery
– half an avocado

Right, so you have all of your ingredients at the ready, all you need to do is juice all of your ingredients except the avocado. Once it’s all juiced and lovely and red, you want to pour the juice into the blender with the avocado and some ice and blend for 1 minute until smooth. Pour into a pint sized glass or bottle and enjoy.

If you want to add an extra nutrition kick add a small teaspoon of spirulina into the blender before blending.

So healthy and so delicious. I think it tastes like a sweet!

The reasons why you need this smoothie in your life:

– Beetroot helps fight inflammation, helps ward off the growth of cancer cells, helps lower blood pressure and helps break down toxins in the body (Bascially it’s a superfood!).

– Celery reduces inflammation, soothes the nervous system thanks to the magnesium content, alkalising on the body therefore reducing problems of acidity in the body.

– Courgette is full of Vitamin C (Your immune system will thank you!)

– Carrots contain vitamin A, C, D, E, K, B1 and B6. They are also rich in minerals such as biotin, potassium, calcium and so on. They are so healing and fantastic for the skin.

– Spinach is loaded with flavonoids which protect the body from free radicals, a great anti inflammatory food, high vitamin C contain, high in iron and folate and a great plant source of protein!

– Orange/lime are both high in vitamin C and are great additions to support a healthy immune system. They are great at detoxing the body and very alkalising on your system.

– Avocado is high in healthy fats and protein. Proven to benefit the heart, the skin and individuals suffering from diabetes.

Enjoy,

Leah xo

The Perfect Carrot Juice

I am juice crazy at the moment and gearing up to my 5 day juice detox starting tomorrow! I have been watching Joe Cross on repeat, studying his website, stocking up on organic produce and creating some awesome juice recipes to follow. Whenever I decide to go juice only, I aim to up my juice intake the week before and I’m so glad I did as I made the most perfect carrot juice earlier in the week. It was that nice it actually felt like a treat, yet with every mouthful I remembered how many nutrients I was consuming! This is why I just love juicing. I mean, lets face it, you might enjoy eating that ice cream but what about the feeling after? Doesn’t feel so good now does it…

Well, juicing never let’s you down. There’s no catch, there’s no hidden ingredients, there’s no nasty side affects. It is just pure, real, natural and 100% dependable.

Green juice is important (as I’ve previously said) but I think it’s equally important to ensure you juice a variety of vegetables trying to include lots of colours. Eat the rainbow people! Carrots are super sweet so they make a great juicing vegetable, they also taste amazing and produce a wonderful colour. Not forgetting they are jam packed with nutrients!

Carrots are loaded with vitamins – Vitamin A, C, D, E, K, B1 and B6. They are also rich in minerals such as biotin, calcium, potassium and phosphorus. Lastly, the number of phytonutrients in carrots are endless – Lutein, lycopene, alpha, beta and gamma carotenes and so on. Just imagine how healthy a glass of carrot juice is?! All these vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients help heal the body, help fight illness whether it be a cold or a more serious disease. What I’m trying to say is… No matter who you are or what your health situation is – Go and make this juice! Your body will thank you.

The recipe:

– 4 Large Carrots
– 1 Large Apple
– 2 Celery Stalks
– 1 Lemon

Juice all the above ingredients, pour in a glass over ice and drink up. It’s that simple!

I highly recommend using all organic ingredients so you don’t ingest any nasty chemicals or pesticides. However, if you can’t get hold of organic, at least make sure you use an unwaxed lemon. I just the whole lemon including the skin, however, not all juicers can handle the skin of a lemon so please check your juicer instructions! I not so long ago made one of my juicers smoke uncontrollably due to a lemon skin, so trust me on this one, its always best to check. I think most fast juicers require the skin to be removed prior to juicing.

I think most people presume you juice because you want to lose weight but there are so many more reasons to juice! I often get asked why I go on juicing only days when I already follow a plant based, vegan lifestyle. My main reason is to up my micronutrient consumption, to consume only raw nutrients, to rest my digestive system and allow my body to get on with other more important tasks – repairing, regenerating and healing!

Digestion takes up to 70% of the body’s energy, removing this task for a few days allows your body to focus on more important things and essentially heal the body. Micronutrients are so important if you want your body to operate in its optimal state, these micronutrients are found in all natural plant foods and it is even better if you intake these micronutrients in its natural form (without cooking). So, juicing just makes sense, right?

I haven’t even mentioned that juice detoxing rids the body of caffeine, alcohol, dairy, meat, refined sugar and any other processed junk! If you consume any of the products mentioned above, a juice detox is essential. Otherwise you will become sluggish, fatigued and more than likely poorly whether its catching every bug you come in contact with, increased blood pressure, skin problems, increased blood sugar levels or something more serious. I personally don’t consume any of these things, however like Joe Cross I do suffer from an autoimmune disease (Lupus) so juicing is my saviour! As I have a compromised immune system due to my illness it’s essential I give my body exactly what it needs to stay in tip top condition. That means plants, fruits and vegetables are my best friends! And resting my digestion every so often is so important in order for my body to rebalance and repair.

Go switch your juicer on, grab some veggies and fruit and juice!

Leah xo

The Perfect Green Juice

If you’re are anything like me, you’ll have your good and bad days when it comes to juice making. I’ve learned (through much experimenting) that juicing is an unpredictable business. The trick is to write down all of your ingredients, so if the juice turns out great you’ll know what to do next time! Some would say this is a pretty simple rule to follow, however when reality takes over and juicing isn’t a leisurely past time but part of your day to day routine, organisation flys straight out of the window. This is when I find disaster juices are created and you end up gulping back a juice that tastes more like a medicine. Yuk! Does this matter? You are still flooding your body with nutrients, right? Of course it matters! If you are going to fall in love with juicing and make it a life long habit, it has to please the taste buds! Trust me when I say… Green juice really can be enjoyable.

The recipe for this green juice is just so delicious and it’s cram packed with goodness. I honestly believe it will please both experienced juicers and those who have just unpacked their juicer for the first time! A pint of this juice and your body will be thanking you for providing it with an abundance of vitamins and minerals, leaving you feeling super healthy. I also have a quick tip for turning this juice into a smoothie if you’re looking for something more filling (that’s breakfast sorted then!). 

I can’t take all the credit for this recipe, my beautiful sister passed this one on to me and I haven’t looked back. It’s such a staple recipe and can be adapted in a number of ways to suit your taste or to simply suit what’s left in the fridge! 

Right, lets juice!

The Perfect Green Juice (for 1 person):

– 2 apples (No apples? Pineapple would be great too)

– half of a lemon 

– 1 stalk of celery

– half a cucumber

– handful of spinach (No spinach? Pak choi or rainbow chard would be perfect)

– 2 leaves of kale 

– small slice of ginger

– small slice of tumeric (optional)

All you need to do is juice all of the above ingredients. I would recommend juicing your kale and spinach first and then the other ingredients afterwards. This just makes sure all the kale and spinach goodness ends up in your glass and doesn’t hide in the juicer! Cucumber and celery are great at flushing the juicer through! 

To turn this juice into a heavenly smoothie, simply juice all ingredients, pour into a high speed blender along with one ripe avocado and some ice. Blend it all together until smooth. The avocado will make it so creamy! Its like magic. Don’t forget adding avocado will give your body a hit of healthy fats and protein! Yum. 

Enjoy the juice and remember if you are new to juicing and find the above recipe a bit too strong, simply add more fruit until your taste buds have had time to adapt to your new juicing life!

Leah xo

Why I turned to greens…

My transition to a vegan/plant based diet wasn’t your everyday ‘I need to get healthy’ kind of story. Although, I very much did need to get healthy! It was a tad more serious than that for me and maybe one of the reasons I’ve fallen head over heels in love with this lifestyle, something that I cannot ever see changing.

I fell ill in March 2013 and was finally diagnosed late last year with an autoimmune condition called Lupus or SLE. Life was a bit of a struggle but as I started to research my illness, I came across so many changes I could implement myself and these little changes snowballed into me becoming a fully fledged vegan, plant based, lover of raw food fanatic!

Now don’t get me wrong, it all takes time, I didn’t get better over night and I still have my good and bad days but those good and days are worlds apart from the ones I experienced in 2013.

Your body is a wonderful, amazing powerhouse and I honestly believe if we feed ourselves with fresh, organic nutrients on a daily basis we will all be much healthier! And trust me, there becomes a point when you don’t want to put anything else in your body… It craves the good stuff!

If you are interested in health, juicing, food, being vegan, living a plant based lifestyle then I think you just may enjoy this blog. I’m going to post delicious recipes, tips and general nuggets of information to make you fall in love with your greens! The information I plan to share will be about fab products I use, books I read, documentaries I watch and most importantly… What all our fruits and veggies are good for! Leah xo