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Easy Healthy Recipes, Health Tips & Raves!, Lovin' for the Fur kids

Have Your Juice and Eat It Too!

October 14, 2014 Stephanie Carrington Leave a comment

From detoxing, cleansing or just to get that extra vitamin boost-juicing is all the rage these days! Almost everyone has some kind of juicing gadget at home or has heard of or tried some sort of juice detox. As I mentioned in my previous post….I tried two! :p

After my awesome cleanse experiences I decided to start juicing at home regularly…..until the day my juicer decided to clonk out on me. So my search in getting the best juicer in the market began! Apparently slow juicers are then best kind to get as it’s said that they provide you with more of the fruits and veggies that are juiced, providing you more flavour and most importantly, more vitamins and nutrients. But this comes with quite a hefty price tag! So I made sure I did ALL my research and trials, which took about a month, before heading out and finally settling on the one I got. I love my new juicer and I now juice almost everyday! 🙂

There’s so many different tasty combinations we can experiment with to ensure we get our daily recommended dose of fruits and veggies. The options are endless! Now, I don’t know about you but after juicing I feel if I had to throw the pulp away. Feels so wasteful! So I did some experimenting, as I do, and found a couple useful options when it comes to the pulp left over from juicing! Below are a couple recipes using leftover juice pulp. You can also freeze whatever pulp you don’t use for another time. Yay! No more wasting!!! 🙂

Vegetarian Lentil Chilli Soup

1 cup of juice pulp (mine was beetroot, celery, carrot, apple)
1 cup dried red lentil (thoroughly cleaned)
2.5-3 cups vegetable stock
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 chopped green chilli pepper
2 tablespoons chilli powder
1 chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic-minced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
pepper & salt to taste

Heat oil in a sauce pan and sauté onion until translucent
Add remainder of ingredients except salt and pepper and simmer for around 15 min or until lentils have softened
Add salt and pepper to taste
Dish up and serve with a dollop of greek yogurt

Lentil and Veggie Patties

1 cup of juice pulp
1 cup of cooked lentils
2 eggs
1 Tbs flaxseed meal
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs sesame oil
pepper to taste
chopped fresh coriander (optional)
1 Tbs of coconut oil

Mix all ingredients except coconut oil together in a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes
Heat coconut oil in pan and place a large spoonful of the patty mix onto the pan
Heat thoroughly on both sides (about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown)
Repeat this with remainder of patty mix (makes around 5-6 patties depending on how big you make them)
Dish up and serve with a nice green salad or with a slice of cheese and have it as a burger! Yummy!!

You can even use the juice pulp as a treat for your fur kids. Cobey loves his with a bit of chlorella and a drizzle of flax oil! Yummy! 🙂

Health Tips & Raves!

Cleansing……The Juicy Way!

May 10, 2014 Stephanie Carrington Leave a comment

I was always into making smoothies as a quick on-the-go meal and felt they were more filling compared to juices. I would juice occasionally and really only on weekends or on days I wasn’t working as my previous juicer was such a pain to clean. So you can say I wasn’t soooo into it as everyone else was and I didn’t see fit to only consume pure liquids for consecutive days. I’m well aware that a glass of freshly squeezed juice is packed with loads of vitamins and nutrients and I’ll have one in between meals or with my meal…..it’s just that I felt there were other ways you can keep the body healthy, without having to deprive it from solids. Well, I was wrong!

I got offered to try out a couple of different juice cleanses earlier this year and I thought why not give them a try to see what the whole rage was about. Both of the cleanses were for three days with six bottles of juice for each day (so thats 18 in total!!). Three days worth of fresh, organic juices were delivered to my doorstep the night before I was to start my cleanse with thorough instructions to ensure the process went smoothly. As I have quite a healthy eating habit, during the cleanse I didn’t have much of a problem with cravings and to my surprise I didn’t suffer too badly with hunger either. It was the act of chewing and the different textures of solid foods that I missed the most. Believe it or not, the three days went by quite smoothly, although I have to admit I did slip in a salad or two. Shh….dont tell! :p However, at the end of each cleanse I felt great! Refreshed, rejuvenated with an extra bit of energy!

The two different juice cleanses I tried were equally great and each had their perks! The first one I tried was Hic’ Juice. The juices came in 6 large glass bottles, each numbered from 1-6 so you just had to follow the order of the juices as they were numbered each day. You are encouraged to drink plenty of water and herbal tea in between and ‘chew’ your juice which I thought was a bit weird but apparently this helps in digesting the juices. The bottles were HUGE so there wasn’t an issue of getting hungry…..actually sometimes I felt so filled with liquid I would have to wait awhile to finish the juice. Overall the juices were quite tasty. My favourites were the popeye smoothie and nut milk.

The second one I tried was from Beauty Cleanse. The 6 juices for each day came in plastic bottles that were slightly smaller than those from Hic but the juices were still quite filling and I especially loved the creamy nut milk! These juices weren’t numbered and you are to pick and choose which you wanted to have. Again, you are encouraged to drink plenty of H2O and herbal teas. My 3 day program came with a couple of organic herbal tea sachets and supplements to aid in the cleansing process. They offer a ‘cheat sheet’ in case you suffer from a major case of the munchies which suggest nibbling on celery sticks.

Juice cleansing isn’t just for the unfit or for those trying to lose weight…..even if you live a healthy lifestyle and have healthy eating habits, we sometimes just need to give our digestive systems a time out from having to constantly break down the food we eat. Whether it be juicing at home or signing up for a program, just like how we need a vacation to get away from our busy work schedule…..our bellies need some chill time once in awhile as well. It could be for five days, three days or even just for a day….give it a try-your insides will thank you and you will be able to see that from the outside! 😉

Healthy Travel Tips

Healthy Flying

March 3, 2014 Stephanie Carrington Leave a comment

When I’m at home I try my best to live a healthy lifestyle, with of course some indulging here and there (which tends to be chocolate! A girls gotta have her chocolate! :P). I’ve been doing quite a bit of traveling recently, for both work and holiday, and its not always easy to keep up with my healthy habits whilst away from home. Especially when I’m off on a vacation, as soon as I step foot on that plane my mind is automatically set on holiday mode, which means letting loose and indulging. Oopsies! But hey, thats what holidays are all about right? So its totally ok to enjoy yourself on vacation but I have noticed even if its a trip that isn’t too far, the flying part can sometimes take a toll on you.

So whether its for work or vacation, I thought I’d share just a few tips on how to kickstart your trip on a good note . 🙂

Stay hydrated: Just as it is important to stay hydrated when we are on land, it goes the same or more so, for when we are in the air. The air is extremely dry so hydration is key! I like to have a big gulp of water before boarding and I make sure to ask the flight attendant for water with my meal(s). With the strict security these days we’re usually not allowed to take bottled water onboard, so for longer flights I take an empty flask and ask the flight attendant to fill it up for me. This way it’s easier to remember to drink up and I don’t have to bother the flight attendant constantly.
Catch some zzz’s: I know it can be hard to get some sleep on the plane, but I try to rest up up as much as I can. I try to prep myself before the flight by not consuming any caffeine, drinking some camomile tea and carrying onboard some lavender oil which can help ease into slumberland, if not at least keep you relaxed. The main thing is you want to make sure you have energy to explore when you land. I’m never quite sure how my body will adjust to the time difference so I travel with some melatonin, which is a natural supplement that helps regulate sleep.
Go easy on the booze: Although tempting, I try to limit my alcohol intake to 1 maybe 2 glasses. Alcohol is super dehydrating and its even worse when you’re flying because its already soooo dry on the plane as is. Also, who wants to suffer from a hangover the first thing you get to your destination right?! Not fun!
Get movin’: During long haul flights I like to walk up and down the aisles and even go to the pantry area and do some stretches. A little is better than nothing I say!
Plan your meal: If you are really concerned about breaking your diet or want to save on the indulging for when you get to your holiday destination prebook your meal! For long-haul flights, most airlines allow you to book your meal preference 24hrs in advance online. If they don’t and you don’t mind putting in that extra effort, you can always pre-pack your own meal or take on board some healthy snacks. Honestly speaking, you have to admit, airplane food isn’t quite Michelin Star quality and can be a hit and miss……so if you really don’t want to risk having to eat nastified food and would rather save that appetite for whatever awesome food there is when you land……just do a little planning ahead. Thats all it takes! Otherwise, one bad meal won’t kill ya….so nothing to stress about either. 😉

If you have any suggestions or tips please do share as I would love to hear them! I’m always up for learning something new.

Happy healthy travels all!! Woohoo! 🙂

Healthy Travel Tips

Healthy Vacationing

April 25, 2013 Stephanie Carrington 2 Comments

Relaxing, wining and dining, feasting on local delicacies, or sipping on piña coladas by the pool…..that pretty much sums up what we look forward to when we go on vacation. This is the time to forget about those calories and totally chill! Sure….Why not? We’ll just deal with the consequences later. Right? Uhhh….Then after returning home it’s OMG!!!!! Bam! starts those ridiculous crash diets and killing ourselves at the gym to try and burn it all off. You have to admit…..We’ve all been there!

Indulging and chillaxing is what a vacation is for. So yah….totally go for it! We definitely deserve it after all that hard work! Here’s just a few things I like to do when I’m on vacation, whether it be at a tropical island getaway or exploring busy city streets, to prevent those OMG moments afterwards.

Kick start on a good note-Yes, it’s true even when we’re on holiday ….breakfast is the most important meal of the day! When planning my trip I like ensure that breakfast is included in my room rate so I know I’ll be sure eat breakfast every morning on my trip. Whether it be a buffet spread or ordering ala carte, I try to stick to wholesome and nutritious choices like oatmeal, fruits, eggs with whole meal toast, yogurt, etc. This way, the first thing my body gets is healthy goodness before I dig into whatever foodpornographic indulgences the day may bring! Also, revving our engines (bodies) with wholesome goodness will get our metabolism on the right track so we’ll have some assistants in burning those calories! 😉

Venture out and explore-Whether it be in a city or by the beach – get out there and explore! If I’m doing a cultural holiday, I make sure to pack a pair of comfy shoes and try to venture out by foot as much as possible or by bike. This way you shed those cals whilst still exploring and sapping up the culture and beautiful scenery. You’ll be surprised how much more you see and experience! If I’m going on a beach or resort holiday, I check out what activities the resort offers and venture out and explore the sea by snorkelling or canoeing or cruise around the resort or the neighbourhood by cycling.

Wherever it is, there’s always something to be seen and explore so I try to add some adventurous element to it by adding in some fun activities.

Pack those trainers-I know I know, vacations are about relaxing and taking it easy, but trust me just 30min of raising your heart rate feels sooo good AND you’ll feel a little less guilty when biting into that juicy burger by the pool. It doesn’t matter where I’m vacationing I always make sure to pack my trainers and at least one pair of gym gear. This is way, its in my bag, so there’s no excuse but to try and spare some time to do some exercise whether at the hotel/resort gym or jogging around the complex. Even a little is better than nothing! 😉

I find adding even just a bit of a healthy element to my holiday elevates the experience and I don’t feel as guilty for indulging. So next time you plan your holiday, try upping experience by adding some healthy goodness!

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