My go to juice for both taste and mood/energy/beauty enhancing benefits.

•2 raw beetroot

•1 habanero pepper

•1 head of celery

•1 big chunk of ginger

•1 Apple

•1 lemon, skin left on if organic

Chop and add ingredients to the juicer. Give it a quick mix, pour into container of choice and enjoy.

Many times when people make the switch from a meat based diet to a more plant based one they find it challenging to maintain their muscle mass and strength. Often this is partly through the inability to find a dense and absorbable source of plant protein to fill the gap left by omitting meat. Two go to foods to help cover this issue, among several others that can occur on both a vegetarian and carnivores diet, are shelled hemp seeds and bee pollen. Here is my favourite recipe that I have daily to ensure I am covering my bodies protein needs. 

As a side note many people who think they have an allergy to bee pollen (itchy, scratchy throat symptoms) are actually just eating rancid pollen. To sidestep this issue choose one which has been dried and processed properly. My two favourites are from TOCA Honey and GFM Honey. Even better would be sourcing from a local beekeeper in your area. If symptoms still persist even when trying other sources then it may be a true allergy and best left out of your diet.

Chocolate Protein Milk

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4 cups of water
1TB Organic bee pollen 
1/4 TSP vanilla powder (or one vanilla bean)
1/2 to 1 cup shelled organic hemp seeds (more makes it richer and vice versa)
1 TB of your sweetener of choice ( I used organic honey for the one in the picture above)
Pinch sun dried sea salt
1 TB Raw cacao powder 


Add everything to a blender and blend. Can be drunk immediately or refrigerated and drunk as and when required.

Melon Whip

An ideal drink to replace electrolyte loss after sauna and/or exercise induced sweating.

Melon Whip 

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•1 ripe melon

•1/2 cup of ice ( optional)

•Juice of one lime (optional)

Slice melon and cut the rind of it and discard it. Cut melon into chunks and remove seeds. Put into blender with lime juice and ice and blend for one minute. Can be drunk immediately or stored in fridge for use as and when required.

Chipotle Hot Chocolate

Breakfast staple at the moment.

Chipotle Hot Chocolate 

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•4 cups of hot water

•1/4 TSP vanilla powder (or one vanilla bean)

•1/2 to 1 organic desiccated coconut (more makes it richer and vice versa)

•2 TB of your sweetener of choice. I used raw organic honey for the one in the picture above

•Pinch sun dried sea salt

•1/2 to 1 TSP chipotle chilli powder

•Herbal/medicinal extracts of choice. I used 1TB maca and 1 cap of Paradise Herbs Imperial adaptogen (optional)

•1 small 35g bar of dark raw chocolate. 

Add everything to a blender and blend. Heat on stove to desired temperature and then enjoy.

Book of The Day #4

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BOOK OF THE DAY #4

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Healing with Whole Foods brings together authentic traditions of Oriental medicine with current Western research on health and nutrition to create the most detailed source-book available on planning and preparing an optimal diet.

Pitchford says in his dedication that he hopes the reader finds "healing, awareness, and peace" from following his program. The diet is certainly ascetic by Western standards (no alcohol, caffeine, white flour, fried foods, or sugar, and a minimum of eggs and dairy) but the reasons he gives for avoiding these "negative energy" foods are compelling. From the adrenal damage imparted by coffee to immune dysfunction brought on by excess refined sugar, Pitchford spurs you to rethink every dietary choice and its ultimate influence on your health. Without being alarmist, he adds dietary tips for protecting yourself against the dangers of modern life.

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"When emotions are relatively balanced, we naturally sense self respect and therefore find that quality choices in food represent the most desirable action. Moreover, we discover that inferior foods simply aren't interesting. Their energetic qualities are negative and we naturally prefer not to pollute our bodies and degrade our minds with them. Such a relationship between food and awareness is a key to feeling complete and having emotional equilibrium. Greater awareness breaks the emotional attachment-link to food. Such simple processes are often hardest to see; we may think our emotional conundrums need a complex cure , yet by having practices that calm the mind and brighten the spirit, by being abundantly active, and choosing quality foods, we ride the emotional train to harmony! One purpose of this text is to promote world peace in a unique and highly practical way - by encouraging the healing of our overly aggressive desires and emotions with self reflective practices and better quality biological choices, including food choices."

-excerpt from 'Healing With Wholefoods' by Paul Pitchford

Tip of The Day #7

Since ancient times, pomegranate has been used for medicinal purposes. Know as "natures power fruit", the pomegranate is one of the most antioxidant rich foods in the world. 

Native to the Middle East, pomegranates (Punica granatum), like most fruits, are rich in vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. What makes the pomegranate stand out though is its remarkable levels of antioxidants and inflammation suppressing phytonutrients. Researchers have identified more than 120 different phytochemicals in pomegranates with a study in 2008 finding the juice to have greater antioxidant capacity than even red wine, green tea, and acai berry juice. The most exciting research to date has come from studies on the pressed juice and a compound in it called Ellagitannins and their potential to exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on cancer cells. While more research is needed to make a definitive claim on the juice against cancer, research carried out in 2006 stated the juice to be a possible "nontoxic option for prevention or delay of prostate carcinogenesis." 

Again when something has a long standing historical use, tastes great, and has no (known) toxic effects then it makes sense to include it in your daily regime. 

When choosing the juice make sure to get 100% percent juice, otherwise you are paying for added water and sugar and diluting/negating most of the benefits to be had from the fresh juice. A great brand to look for is 'Biona Pomegranate Juice'. The juice tastes great alone or can be added to sparkling water, freshly pressed juices, and blended smoothies.

Ginger Benefits

Who has had their ginger today?

Ginger is one of the best herbs/foods to use in the Winter to help keep blood flowing freely and to assist with the break down of the heavier, heartier fair that most are drawn to during cold spells. 

Not much is needed for an effect. Try a shot of fresh ginger juice before a meal, or a teaspoon in a smoothie, even a small amount added to a soup or stir fry will provide some benefit.

Plant Diversity Challenge

One of the fascinating things about human beings is the extraordinary variety of what we eat. From the primarily flesh based diets of the Eskimos from one side of our planet, to a more plant based style of eating by the Okinawa's on the other, humans have, and do consume a wide and varied number of foods. 

With this in mind, and researching a bit more closely the potential negatives of the very limited diet we eat in the U.K (One example: In Ghana yearly, over 100 species of wild plants are consumed vs next to none here), I have made it one of my goals for 2016 to increase the variety of what I am eating, especially in regard to wild foods. To widen the scope of nutrition I am receiving, to experience new tastes, and to have more fun with my food.

Be sure to join me for the challenge. All you have to do is to add one new plant food to your weekly diet, learn its history and benefits and how to use and prepare it.

First up for me is Agretti (Monks Beard in English), a green originally cultivated by the Cappuccino Monks in Tuscany, which is similar in taste and look to the more common Rock Samphire found in the U.K.

Here is what I did with it.

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STEAMED AGRETTI WITH GARLIC AND LEMON

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•1 bunch agretti

•1 small garlic clove crushed

•juice one small lemon

•3TB organic extra Virgin olive oil

•salt + pepper to taste

Steam greens and toss with all other ingredients and enjoy immediately.

Tip of The Day #6

 

 

 

 

 

 

The research results are in: quality sleep has a massive impact on your overall health and well-being, and not surprisingly in our pedal to the metal culture, few people are getting enough. According to research almost 25% of people struggle to get the quality sleep they need to function at their best. As a result more and more people are relying on external aids, such as prescription drugs, to remediate their problem.

If you are researching natural ways to alleviate these struggles it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. Often old wives tales (which may work) are passed as scientific truths when in fact this is not true. Sometimes, these two paths do cross though, as is the case with tart cherry juice, and recent research looking at its effects on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality.

Cherries are small sweet fruits usually classified into two categories: sweet cherries (Prunus Avium); and tart cherries (Prunus cerasus). Both are nutrient packed, health giving fruits yet, it is the tart cherry which has received much press over the last few years as a natural sleep aid. A study published in 2011 in the European Journal of nutrition examined the effect of 60ml of the juice taken daily and it effects on sleep patterns. While the study was only done on twenty people the results showed improved sleep duration and quality by those who consumed the juice verse the placebo.

As always there are no magic bullets to complex multifaceted issues such as sleep. It takes work, and time, to get to the route of sleep problems, and when we can do something fun, tasty, and easy to stack the odds in our favour it makes sense to do so.

Cherries are generally in season from May through to August. They are also available frozen and dried for the rest of the year, although fresh and local is preferable when available.
When buying cherry juice, or any fruit/vegetable juice for that matter, look for brands which contain 100% percent juice. The juice can be drunk straight or added to smoothies or sparkling water.

Cherries go great with raw chocolate. The rich magnesium content of the chocolate assists in relaxing your muscles for a deeper sleep. Some people find raw chocolate too stimulating. If this is you then skip the recipe below and opt for the straight juice.

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ALMOND, CHOCOLATE + CHERRY SHAKE
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•60ml tart cherry juice
•2TB raw cacao powder
•2 cups homemade almond milk
•2TB raw sweetener of choice

Add everything to the blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately or keep in fridge for as/when required.

The Hanging Challenge

Getting back on board with the hanging challenge for the month of January.

Getting back on board with the hanging challenge for the month of January.

One of the benefits of training on the gymnastic rings is that very quickly you are made aware of your muscle weaknesses and imbalances. Most movements require multiple muscle groups to be strong, stabilised, and working together in sync for an exercise to even begin, let alone to be seen through to completion. Anything you lack then from this criteria will manifest as leaks in the chain (shaking muscles, incorrect range of motion) at the site of these weak points, leading, if serious enough, to a complete disconnection of the chain and an abrupt end to the movement. In short - you can see and feel where you are weak from where the movement chain breaks.

For me this was my wrists, forearms and shoulders, particularly on my left arm, due to a previous break. Since hanging more, via the rings, these areas have begun to increase in both strength and flexibility, and continue to improve the more I do it.

Be sure to check out the challenge at the link on the image, and most importantly to incorporate more hanging into your day. In doing so you will regain and increase your shoulder, arm, and wrist health.

New Video Content

An abundance of new video content will be coming down the pipeline for 2016.

Expect more in depth and guided recipe and exercise tutorials interspersed with shorter, spur of the moment movement practice, all to inspire you into a healthier and happier 2016.

Stay tuned at our you tube channel.

Clear Language gives Clear Results

Chalking up my hands for a ring routine to get started early on my exercise and movement goals for my New Year.

A tip I give to my clients when coaching them with goal setting - be specific.

''I want to be happy.'' - too vague!

With whom, in what ways, shapes and forms, about what specifically, enjoying what exactly, in what situations, for how long, blessing who?

The more specific and personal we are in our desires the easier it is for our own brain, and those of others, to guide us on how best to get there.

So as you set or review pre-existing goals either today, or at a future date, be sure to keep this checklist in mind:

☑ Who? 

☑ What? 

☑ Where? 

☑ When? 

☑ With whom? 

☑ Feeling what?

☑ How often? 

☑ Personally?

☑ Here? 

☑ Now?

Remember clear language gives clear results. Keep this in mind when writing your goals.

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"If your language is confused, your intellect, if not your whole character, will almost certainly correspond." 

~ Sir Arthur Quiller Couch