Enjoy a healthy sweet treat fix - with superfoods

A healthy diet needn't mean the end of desserts and the odd treat. Remember, everything should be enjoyed in moderation! It is also perfectly possible to maximise the nutritional value of your favourite sweet items by making a few careful swaps and by incorporating nutrient-dense superfoods - which supercharge your health and give you fantastic energy, health benefits and an overall zest for life - into your diet.

A soothing smoothie 


If you are craving chocolate, it could be a sign that you are deficient in magnesium. Luckily, you can find this in avocado and banana, both of which make a great smoothie. Whizz them up with a handful of berries and you've got a delicious, reviving smoothie that is thick and nourishing.


Chia pudding

Protein-packed chia seeds are one of the hot ingredients at the moment. They make a great breakfast pudding if you soak a couple of tablespoons in a pint of nut milk of your choice. By morning, they will have created a set pudding, which is wonderful with nuts and fresh fruit. Why not sprinkle a little maca powder on top for energy and vitamins galore?

Cacao wonder 

Pure and unprocessed cacao is packed with nutrients, including the vitamin spectrum, iron and fibre. You can use it instead of processed cocoa to make all manner of treats. Stir a spoon of raw cacao into coconut or almond milk for a soothing evening drink and sweeten with a little honey and cinnamon. Mix up cacao powder with avocado and raw manuka honey for a rich and indulgent pudding - and make little cacao bites by blending cacao powder, dates, nuts and almond butter. Serve them raw to maximise taste and nutrient profile.

Spirulina

You can even use spirulina in sweet treats! Try adding it to a green juice with spinach, banana, kiwi and lime - or add a little to a raw nut ball recipe with nuts, dates, manuka honey and chia seeds for a powerful protein and vitamin-packed health punch!

Living Healthy on the Go

“Work to live, don’t live to work” is a saying I hear so much these days. And so often I meet people who are completely burnt out from working all hours, a lack of sleep, eating fast/convenient foods and not taking the time to rest or nurture themselves.

I completely support high achievers and admire career driven individuals who thrive on success. I do however hugely encourage everyone to create a healthy work/life balance. Making time and space to relax, give yourself a little TLC and feed yourself nourishing, live and vibrant foods is so important.

I also understand it’s not always easy to make this time when you have a career, children, a commute to or travel with work while also maintaining a social life. The pressures of balancing all these things can be hugely demanding.

I have lived in the London rat race and know first hand how easy it can be to slip in to an unbalanced lifestyle that in the long run is unsustainable. So here are a few suggestions I have learnt along the way for living healthy on the go…

Hydration Hydration Hydration

Keeping hydrated is absolutely fundamental to maintaining your health. Ideally we need to be drinking at least 2 liters of water each day. This will simultaneously help with the flow of key minerals in to your cells while aiding the elimination of toxins. Drinking this much water can help clear headaches, retain concentration and keep you awake. Trying having a pint of water instead of a coffee and see how you feel…

TIP: If you travel a lot, particularly on airplanes, it is especially important to keep the water up. Flying is one of the most dehydrating things we can do to our body so really bug those air stewards for regular water top ups.

Meals on the Move

Finding truly healthy foods when you’re grabbing a bite from a local supermarket, deli or train station can be really difficult. Often the options include poor quality ingredients on soggy white bread. Take a well-known supermarket (who shall not be named, but my Dad calls them Mordor) meal deal, a sandwich, a packet of crisps or choc bar and a fizzy drink for a few pounds… it hardly screams ‘healthy’ to me.

• I suggest preparing some wholesome snacks on a Sunday ready for your busy week ahead. A trail mix with dried fruit, nuts and seeds will fill you up, contains essential fats and vitamins and can be carried around easily. Or make oat and nut bars, store them in an airtight container and take one with you each day.
• One-cup smoothie makers are perfect for a morning mineral and fibre injection. Blend up fruit and nut milk with your favourite superfood powders or use it for making a portable chia pudding.
• Make a big batch of soup that can be divided in to portions and frozen. Then grab one each day to heat up in the office.
•  For me fruit is the ultimate snack, there’s nothing better than a juicy nectarine or box of blueberries to satisfy a hunger pang on the move.

Or if you are grabbing lunch out, these are a few of my fave healthy eateries around the UK...

-       Tanyas Café – Chelsea, London

-       Sweet Greens – Bournemouth, Dorset

-       Café Kino – Stokes Croft, Bristol

Yoga on the Train

Yes you heard me, I did say yoga on the train.

Last year I went to Colourfest Yoga Festival and met Eugene from AcroYoga Brighton. He taught us about his fantastic idea of fitting exercise in to your life even when you think you don’t have time.

Now, I’m not talking about headstands in the aisles or down dog on the seats, but you can often find space in the corridors or near doors to do some stretching, a few back bends or even a cheeky warrior pose. You might get a funny look or two but be brave, your body will feel the benefits far beyond the blush that your cheeks feel!

Sophia Harvey is one one of the owners of the successful online health food retailer DetoxTrading.co.uk and is currently studying to become a nutritional therapist with the nutritional healing foundation. Complementary therapy has been in the Harvey family for four generations, Sophia's great grandfather being one of the UK's first Osteopaths.

The Breakfast Dilemma

The Breakfast Dilemma   

For years now, since I left home  and started living on my own really (and that’s 10 years now), my morning have started the same every day. With an indecision, a dilemma, a quandary...what should I have for breakfast?

I’m sure I’m not alone in my breakfast struggle. My appetite first thing in the morning isn’t large, but also I can’t hold off until lunchtime. I want something healthy, light, fairly quick and delicious of course. Bread leaves me bloated and I don’t want all the sugar that cereals contain.

In the last year however I have discovered some amazing breakfasts that suit my lifestyle, are super healthy, are easy to make and taste great.

So here are a few of my absolute fave’s…

Chia Pudding

A new favourite with a number of the healthy cook books this is so simple to make and you can alter the flavour  depending on what goodies you’ve got in your cupboard to go with it. I love mixing it up between coconut and cacao powder, summer berries or  warm spices (cinnamon, ginger etc). Simply soak 1 tbs of chia seeds in 3 tbs nut milk of your choice. Leave for 15/20 minutes to gelatinise then mix with fruit, nuts, seeds and super food powders to taste.

Breakfast Bars

There are great because you can make a batch to last you all week. Not restricted to being bar shaped, I tend to go for pattie style squashed balls ;)

The base ingredients for these are rolled oats, flax seeds and chia seeds. Blend 1 cup oats in the food processor to make a crumble/flour texture. Mix this in a big bowl with 2 cups oats, ½ cup flax seeds, 2 tsp cinnamon and 1 cup dried fruits. I love mixing figs, apricots, dates, goji berries and mulberries.

In a separate bowl make a chia gel (soak chia’s for 15 mins,  1 tbs chia to 3 tbs water). Once gelatinous add to the food processor with ½ cup apple sauce and ½ cup raw agave or pure maple  syrup.

Once blended add this to the big bowl and stir all ingredients together well. Mold in to equal balls and squish in to pattie shapes. Bake in the oven for 20 mins on 180 and store in a air tight container. Yummy!!

Berry Smoothie

The perfect choice for those with very little appetite in the mornings, a really easy drinkable brekkie that you can cram  full of nutrients and super food powders.

Best made fresh every morning this recipe is for a big vitamix style blender so adapt if using a 1 cup blender.

Add all ingredients to the blender and pulse until smooth…

1 handful strawberries

1 handful Raspberries

1 handful blueberries

1 banana

1 pint coconut milk (or almond/hemp milk)

2 tbs maca powder

1 tsp maqui/acai powder

1 tbs lucuma powder

3 medjool dates

½ lemon squeezed

Since discovering the variety of healthy breakfasts available, my mornings have been revolutionised. So why not start the day by giving your body what it needs, a blast of vitamins, minerals and fibre. there are tonnes of other amazing breakfasts you can try, from home made raw granola to fruit salad. More recipes to come, make sure you give us a thumbs up if you found this useful.

Enjoy!

By Sophia Harvey