The Third Eye Chakra: The center of Intuition

The Third Eye chakra is the sixth chakra in the body’s energy system. The purpose of the Third Eye chakra is to help you to gain awareness of your higher self and the existence of a greater life force. By gaining awareness of your higher self, you realize that there is something beyond yourself, a higher life force that connects everyone in the Universe.  From this realization, you gain faith, hope, and peace.

The Third eye chakra strengthens intuition and sparks imagination.  It uses your imagination and intuition to help you align with your true path. It enables you to think outside of the box and find solutions to blockages in your life.

A well-balanced third eye chakra helps you dream of possibilities of what could be, while you are still conscious of reality.  An imbalanced third eye chakra creates a fantasy, a non-existent reality, which is an escape from reality.

SIGNS OF A BALANCED THIRD EYE CHAKRA

• Clear eyesight
• Inspiration
• Adaptability
• Faith
• Clear headed
• Intuitive
• Wise

SYMPTOMS OF AN IMBALANCED FOREHEAD CHAKRA

• Headaches
• Far sighted
• Near sighted
• Sinus infection
• Trouble concentrating
• Confusion
• Panic
• Nightmares
• Stroke
• Learning disabilities

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Location: forehead between the eyebrows

Represents:  imagination, intuition, wisdom, psychic

Development Ages:  36-42

Corresponding chakra:  sacral

Sensory Function: sixth sense

Associated body parts:  lower brain, face, ears, nose, sinuses, central nervous system, pituitary gland

BALANCING COMPONENTS OF THE FOREHEAD CHAKRA

Colour: violet

Symbol: winged circle

Element: none

Spice: lemongrass, poppy seed

Food: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries

Gemstones: blue tourmaline, blue sapphire, opal

Aromatic Oils: lemon grass, violet, jasmine, lavender

Bach flowers: crab apple, vine, walnut

TECHNIQUES TO BALANCE THE FOREHEAD CHAKRA

CRYSTAL MEDITATION

Find a comfortable and quiet spot to lie down. If it is a nice day outside, take the opportunity to lie in the grass and look at the clouds while you re-energize your forehead chakra with meditation.  Place one of the third eye chakra crystals— blue tourmaline, blue sapphire or opal— on your forehead between your brows. Try to be aware of the heaviness of the crystal as it sits on top your forehead.  Take a moment to sense the shape of the crystal. Once you have the outline of the crystal’s shape, try to picture the colour of the crystal. Relax and soak in the crystal’s healing energy.

AFFIRMATIONS

• I am in touch with my inner guidance.
• I am wise, intuitive, and connected with my inner guide.
• I nurture my spirit.
• I trust my intuition.
• I forgive the past and learn what was there for me to learn.
• I love and accept myself.
• I know that all is well in my world.
• I am connected with the wisdom of the universe.
• I am open to inspiration and bliss.
• My life moves effortlessly.
• I am at peace

 

6 ways to conquer the weights room

Do you feel uncomfortable, intimidated and have no idea when it comes to the weights room? I remember the first time I ever walked into that section at the gym years ago. I felt all of the above and more so I stuck to the cardio for a fair while and just didn’t see the results I wanted. If you are new to working out, gyms or weights and you feel a little hesitant to step in there, I get it. Today I thought I would share with you a few ways to break down that barrier, feel confident getting in the weights room and possibly put some of the men to shame.

1. Stop thinking that lifting weights is going to make you look like the hulk! Stepping off the X trainer/treadmill and into the weights room isn’t going to ruin everything and instantly make you look like a green giantess. Without injectable help, women’s physiology doesn’t allow us to put on that kind of muscle. The women that do have high muscle mass didn’t get to that point by doing what you would be doing. It has taken years and years of strict training, nutrition and supplements to look like that – so don’t fret!

2. Don’t pay attention to anyone else around you. I used to think that people were looking at me when in the weights room. The truth is, most people are so focused on themselves, their own workouts or looking at themselves in the mirror to monitor their form (and for some their biceps and their own heads in general), they don’t even know you are there. If you are getting some side eye from the guys, give them something to really look at and impress them with your fabulous technique and form.

3. Work with a personal trainer to produce a program/be trained. This would be the most helpful in gaining confidence you need and also the knowledge you want. If you want to get better results than just aimlessly walking around picking weights up and doing random exercises you saw the person next to you do, ask a professional to put together a program which is suited to your goals. This way, you will feel confident with them next to you and on your own when you venture off and do your own thing.

4. Get some tunes pumping. We all know those songs that get you feeling good and amped up. Pop some headphones on, turn up the music, block everyone else out and focus on the task at hand.

5. Workout with a buddy (who knows what they are doing). Training with a friend can be way more enjoyable if you aren’t one who likes working out. Make sure it is someone who is dedicated and focussed on the task at hand and won’t let you slack off and just chit chat the whole way through. Be wise who you choose to do this with and make sure you have similar goals.

6. Don’t overdo it. Your muscles need time to recover in between workouts, so make sure you give your body that time. It can be tempting to workout on rest days if you love it, but just remember, less can be more. Make sure you get adequate sleep too in order for your body and immune system to bounce back after the stress it has been put under.

I hope this helps when it comes to the visit to the gym today. Give me a yell if you would like anymore help

Be well

A x

Spring clean your health and fitness

Aahhhhh, the sweet smell of jasmine in the warm breeze, the flowers are blooming and the days are getting longer again. This has to be my favourite time of the year! Spring is definitely here a little early (yay!) and with the change in season, comes the opportunity to change the way we think about being healthy and staying active. If you need to give yourself a little shake up in the health and fitness department, and get excited about your training again after winter, here are a few ways to do it:

Buy New Running Shoes

Who doesn’t love a new pair of kicks? If you’ve been hitting the gym/treadmill/road all winter, chances are, you could be due for a new pair. Most running shoes last somewhere between 400-800km, but if you use them to walk around a lot, that wear and tear counts, too. Go to a running specialty store to get fitted so they can find the best shoe for you. What’s even better is that there are so many cool colours and styles these days to choose from!

Clean Out Your Pantry

Still have that packet of lollies from the party you had a few weekends ago or a box of chocolates from Easter? Get rid of them. And while you’re at it, throw away other foods low in nutritional value, like chips, sugary cereals, white bread etc. Fill your fridge and pantry with fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables and organic grass fed meats and fish etc to ensure you are eating a wholesome diet.

Pump Up Your Playlist

Still listening to the same tracks from the beginning of the year? BORING! Give your iPhone/mp3 player a “spring cleaning” by downloading a fresh workout playlist to get you going so you can bop along and use power tracks when you really need them to get up that hill or lift those weights.

Get some new threads

Are you working out in daggy clothing which you feel a little blah in? Go from frumpy to fab and throw away the old worn-out workout duds and replace them with shorts, tights, tanks and tees in funky styles/colours to give yourself a boost. Just because you are working out, it doesnt mean you cant be stylish at the same time!

Take A Trip

Outdoor exercises are great, but if the weather’s still cool where you live, take a “health” vacation to a resort with healthy eating plans, hiking, biking and other activities (plus warm weather), or sign up for a yoga retreat – heaven!

Get Sporty and Social

Break up your routine with outdoor exercises like tennis or golf, or team up with friends for an afternoon of frisbee or beach cricket. Even better yet – join a team sport such as netball, basketball, touch footy etc to keep you motivated and have fun while you’re at it.

Get Off The Scale

As you start to increase your exercise, you may notice the scales going up due to putting on some muscle. Girls especially – don’t freak out! This is what you want in order to change your body composition! Don’t get caught up in the numbers game. To get an accurate measure of your progress, use a measuring tape or a pair of jeans as something to measure your progress. Don’t forget that if you start to add a little mass to certain areas such as your bum (girls) or biceps (guys) your clothes may feel a little tighter in some areas but you will look better!

Reward Yourself

Don’t forget to take care of your hard-worked body! A sports massage is the perfect way to pamper yourself, releasing tight muscles and speeding up recovery. Yes they may hurt a little and you may white knuckle it a few times and want to clock the masseuse in the head, but as soon as you feel the difference in your muscles, it will be worth it!

Change the Scenery

Work out in a new place to make things more fun! Try your home, backyard, a park or even the beach instead. Sometimes just switching up the scenery can make a big difference.

Hire a Personal Trainer

Working out under close supervision can provide better results and also allows you to try new things that you may not have thought of yourself. If you are on a budget, get into group training and be social at the same time!

After winter, I am definitely in need of a shake up myself so you may catch me down at the beach or in the park doing my thing! Feel free to contact me for any details on personal or group training.

A x

How to make exercise a habit

For many, exercise is perpetually a low priority, something you only do for a few days at time, here and there. Many people also believe that exercise requires a large daily time commitment, or that it has to be physically difficult and demanding. But the truth is that even small amounts of light activity can make a big difference in your weight-loss efforts. Today, lets have a look at a few ways to make exercise a habit:

1. Set a time. Decide whether you’re more likely to stick with it in the morning or lunchtime or evening, and stick with that time. If you don’t do this, you’re more likely to put it off until you have more time or energy, and then put it off until the next day. Soon, it’s not a habit at all.
2. Send yourself a reminder. In this day and age, we are so busy with work, kids, and every day life that we can forget what we are doing next! There are a number of ways to send yourself an email or an alert, so you’ll never forget to get your training session in. When you get the reminder, try to get your session in as soon as possible.
3. Start small. This is perhaps the most useful suggestion of all. When you first try to make exercise a habit, chances are, your body won’t be used to that kind of stress. The key: only do 20 minutes in the beginning, and do it nice and easy. Nothing hard. Even 10-15 minutes is fine at first, if you’re just starting out. The key is to get out there, get your body slowly used to exercise, and form that habit.
4. Progress later. Once your body is used to exercise, you can slowly start to bump things up a bit by altering the time you train, the frequency, intensity, and type of exercise you do. Just don’t do this all at once 🙂
5. Make it pleasurable. Pick exercise you like doing and commit do doing it .If you associate a habit with pain, you will shy away from it. But if it’s fun, you’ll look forward to doing it. If need be start slowly, enjoy the scenery, the fresh morning air, the beautiful sky as the sun rises, the quiet time of solitude and contemplation. An mp3/ipod with some great music can also help.
6. Lay out your gear. The fewer obstacles and less friction there is in forming your new habit, the more likely you are to be successful. If you have to not only wake up early but get a bunch of gear together while half awake, you might just want to go back into bed. But if you lay out your workout clothes and shoes and music player, or whatever you need for your exercise, you’ll be ready to go with no friction at all.
7. Just head out the door. My rule is just to get my running shoes on and get out the door. Don’t worry about how long you have to go or how hard it will be. Just get out and get started. Once that’s done, it’s a piece of cake.
8. Mix it up. The great thing about exercise is that you can try a variety of different types and work different muscles. Don’t do the same thing every day; mix it up so that you give them a chance to recover and to keep things interesting and you motivated.
9. Have rest days. Recovery is very important. You need to give your body rest days to give your body a chance to bounce back from all the activity you are doing. Too much exercise will suppress your immune system and lead to over training and fatigue.  If you want to stay active on these days, a nice walk will get you outdoors and the blood flowing.
10. Find an exercise buddy. A workout partner can be immeasurably helpful, because you have a responsibility to your friend not to talk yourself out of exercising. Try to choose a buddy who is reliable and will keep you accountable.

If you are struggling to get a routine going, try these ideas out! Good luck!

A x

 

Ways to cease the cellulite!

Whatever you want to call it – orange peel, hail damage or cellulite…. Do you have it? Want to know what causes it? Keen for a few ways to help minimise it? Well read on!

Cellulite is the term given to those lovely fat deposits that sit just below the skin. For most people, it can be seen on the thighs and bum and is said to appear on your body due to hormonal reasons, poor diet and lifestyle choices, age and genetic predisposition. The biggest culprit of all however, is the accumulation of toxicity in your body.

Toxicity levels build up over the years from things such as packaged foods, cosmetics, pesticides, exposure to environmental pollution and chemicals, smoking, alcohol, pharmaceutical and recreational drugs etc. We are overloading our bodies with toxins faster than they can remove them.

The key to reducing cellulite is to remove the accumulation of toxins from your body and prevent further build up of toxins. How do we do this?

FOOD

A poor diet reduces skin elasticity and slows down circulation, so in order to help decrease cellulite, increase your brightly coloured fruit and veg. These foods contain the most antioxidants, which help our bodies to shed toxins. Focus on foods such as:

• Berries are high in antioxidants, so make sure you include either raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or blackberries etc in your diet.
• Bananas and mangoes are renowned for boosting blood flow, which helps prevent cellulite, so tuck into those as often as you can, as well as papaya, which studies show helps prevent tissue damage under the skin.
• Foods rich in vitamin C are also excellent cellulite-busters because they boost levels of collagen in the skin, which promotes elasticity and keeps things firm and taut.
•  A quick way to smooth out the appearance of your skin is to amp up collagen production with sulphur packed foods such as cucumber, celery, black and green olives etc. Vegetables that are rich in vitamin-A may also aid in boosting collagen production in the human body, so incorporate more raw carrots, cantaloupe and sweet potatoes into your weekly food plan.
• Other skin-strengthening foods include oily fish, chicken, grapefruit, tomatoes, apples, spinach, carrots and avocados.

WAYS TO TREAT IT

Dry body brushing
Stimulating the lymphatic system (the lymph sits just underneath the surface of your skin) through dry bristle skin brushing and massage helps toxins to be circulated into the elimination channels for release. Start the day with dry body brushing. Before you turn your shower on, or get in the bath, lightly sweep a dry body brush all over – start from your ankles and always brush in the direction of your heart. This will give your circulation a great boost and help eliminate toxins.

Exercise
Exercise won’t get rid of cellulite entirely but it will help you lose weight, get your blood flowing and tone things up – which all help banish that orange-peel look.  If you have cellulite on your bottom and thighs, squats and lunges are the best moves. You can do either anywhere and they only take seconds. Even better, incorporate weight training in your weekly workouts.

Hydrate and flush
For smooth supple skin, you need to drink enough pure, clean water and organic hydration from fresh fruits and vegetables to keep toxins flushing through you. Water is essential to life and it is also essential to reducing and preventing further cellulite. Drink pure water every day as the first thing you consume. If you don’t like your water straight up, add some lemon slices or cucumber etc to jazz it up. Herbal tea is also great as well as fresh veggie juice!

Salt
Swap your refined table salt for Celtic or Himalayan salt as refined options are very acidic , leach minerals from your body, are highly dehydrating and will only add to the accumulation of toxicity in your body. Crystal and sea salt are alkaline,  full of beneficial minerals and tastes way better!

Moisturiser
Instead of using cheap commercial products on your body, which contain many harsh toxic chemicals, nourish your skin with moisturising natural oils and creams such as coconut oil (my fav), jojoba or rose hip oil or a nice organic moisturizer! You will feel a big difference in the look and feel of your skin.

So there are a few ways to help keep the lumps and bumps at bay – and just in time for this warmer weather!

A x

The Throat Chakra – The Voice Within

The Throat Chakra: The Voice Within

The throat chakra is the fifth chakra in the body’s energy system, and its purpose is to act as the voice that is able to speak your authentic truth.

The throat chakra balances mental and emotional energy as it moves from the heart chakra to the forehead chakra.  This chakra provides clarity between what is right and wrong for you.  It helps to form the authentic truth in your belief system, and it enables you to be assertive in expressing that truth to others.

A balanced throat chakra increases self-confidence; while a weakened throat chakra may increase shyness.  An over- charged throat chakra might lead to aggression and a rebellious attitude.

SIGNS OF A BALANCED THROAT CHAKRA

• Expressive
• Honest
• Charismatic
• Clear thinking
• Good listener
• Independent
• Assertive

SYMPTOMS OF AN IMBALANCED THROAT CHAKRA

• Sore throat
• Tonsillitis
• Tooth aches
• Shyness
• Stutter
• Tension headaches
• Neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Thyroid diseases
• Anxiety attacks

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Location: Throat

Represents:  Communication

Development ages:  29-35

Corresponding chakra:  Solar plexus

Sensory function: Hearing

Associated body parts:  Throat, jaw, breathing, voice, neck, hearing, thyroid, ears

BALANCING COMPONENTS OF THE THROAT CHAKRA

Colour: Sky blue

Symbol: Circle

Element: Ether

Spice: Salt

Food: Tart and tangy fruits, lemon, lime, and kiwi

Gemstones: Lapis lazuli, aquamarine, topaz, blue lace agate

Aromatic Oils: Eucalyptus, camphor, peppermint

Bach flowers: Agrimony, cerato, mimulus

TECHNIQUES TO BALANCE THE THROAT CHAKRA

• GIVE UP BAD HABITS

If you smoke, this habit has a negative effect on throat chakra and your whole energy system, but especially your throat chakra.  What a great way to clear your throat chakra by giving up the bad habit of smoking!  If you gossip or talk poorly about others, now is the time to change that habit.  These ill words will leave a residue of Sha Chi in your throat chakra.  Both of these bad habits create an environment where Sha Chi is transferred to other energy centers within your body.  By giving up these bad habits, you clear the way for fresh Sheng Chi to rejuvenate your throat chakra.

• TAKE TIME TO LISTEN

Too often in our busy days, we plug into some electrical or electronic device.  When was the last time you simply sat and listened to the silence?  The sensory function of the throat chakra is hearing. The following technique might sound a little obscure, but it actually increases your hearing ability. Find a quiet spot, get “comfy” and prepare to listen to the sound of nothingness.  While listening to the sound of nothingness, you hear the voice within.  Your authentic truths speak to you in the stillness. What a great way to recharge your throat chakra by boosting your hearing abilities!

AFFIRMATIONS

• I choose to express myself in my own creative way.
• I say what I mean, and mean what I say.
• I love and I trust in my own authentic truths.

To salt or not to salt? That is the question

You may have heard the mainstream media talk about how salt is bad for you? Depending on which type you use, it can actually be healthy to include in your diet.  Lets take a look at a few reasons why:

1. It makes your food taste good, adds a satiety factor and makes your meals enjoable!
2. Your body needs salt to maintain the proper stomach ph. Stomach acid is hydrochloric acid and salt is sodium chloride.  Proper stomach acid levels are very important for healthy digestion and with peoples poor diet these days, it tends to be low. Have a read of this article for ways to naturally increase it.
3. Salt lowers adrenaline spikes. Adrenaline is a necessary and important hormone. When levels/rhythms  are out, it takes a toll on the body.
4. Salt supports thyroid function by reducing circulating stress hormones. Cortisol is an anti-thyroid hormone and salt combats excess cortisol.
5. Salt improves sleep quality. It boasts anti-stress and anti-excitatory qualities due to its suppression of stress hormones and it increasing of the metabolic rate. This may explain why many people report that a low sodium diet interferes with sleep and an adequate amount of dietary salt improves sleep quality. Interestingly, if you often wake up to go to the toilet or with your heart pounding between 2 and 4 AM, it is probably because of an adrenaline spike. The most important thing you can do to help this, is to reduce both physical and mental stress, as well as eating a healthy diet. One immediate fix to help you go back to sleep is a bit of sugar and salt sprinkled on the tongue to calm the adrenaline peak . Have a look at this site for info and recipe for some amazing sleep dust.
6. Adequate salt supports balanced hormones. Hormone and nutrition researcher Dr Ray Peat explains the correlation between the salt regulating hormone aldosterone and mineral loss: ” One of the things that happen when there isn’t enough sodium in the diet is that more aldosterone is synthesized. Aldosterone causes less sodium to be lost in the urine and sweat, but it achieves that at the expense of the increased loss of potassium, magnesium, and probably calcium… Magnesium deficiency is extremely common, but a little extra salt in the diet makes it easier to retain the magnesium in our foods.”

What about the whole salt causes high blood pressure thing I hear you say? Some of that is discussed in this article too.

All salt is not made equal. Ditch the processed and refined table salt which is devoid of any minerals and can actually be harmful to your health (as discussed in this article), instead opt for the natural types such as Celtic sea salt, and Himalyan. If you cook your meals from scratch, food can be salted freely and to taste (instead of being laden with it and hidden in processed food). When your metabolism is slow and your thyroid not functioning optimally, you may want to add a little more to your meals or a pinch to your fluids. Most importantly, listen to your body. It usually knows best!

Be well

A x

Killer kettlebell exercises for a perky butt

It’s always good to mix up the type of training you are doing to keep your body guessing and to also keep you motivated and prevent you becoming complacent with your training. If you have never tried them before, Kettlebells can be great for high intensity workouts, which work lots of muscles at the same time, leading to a high calorie expenditure and a toned bod!

For all the ladies (and men) out there, I know how many of you ask about ways to tone that toosh, so I will give you 5 top kettlebell exercises to build your butt:

Kettlebell Dead-lift: This Can be done with one kettlebell or two

Stand shoulder width, place the bell or bells between your feet. Start to inhale slowly pushing your pelvis back while maintaining a straight (neutral) spine. Drop your arms and reach for the kettlebell(s) without rounding the spine. Squeeze the bell and stand, closing the joints (knees, hips) at the same time. Stand tall with good posture and exhale, squeeze your butt cheeks as hard as possible. Inhale and lower the bell in in the same fashion as the start.

Kettlebell Front Squat: One or Two Kettlebells

Safely pick up the kettlebell by the “horns” or sides of the handle and hold it at chest level (if using one) or by your sides (if using two). Pushing your hips back, Squat below parallel maintaining proper alignment of the spine. Make sure your knees are “tracking” your toes and your feet are planted to the floor, pause at the bottom for a second, push through your heels, squeeze your butt hard and extend your hips forward into standing position.

Kettlebell Back Lunge: Done with one bell or two

Holding the kettlebell at chest level by the horns (one bell) or by your sides (for two), step back into a lunge position. Make sure you step back far enough, so that your front leg will make a 90 degree angle. Have your weight in the front foot and sqeeze your butt as you push off back into starting position. Alternate legs

Kettlebell Swing: Done with one bell or two

Place the bell a foot in front of you, sit back on the heels while pushing your hips back. Maintain a straight neutral spine. Hike the kettlebell back between your legs and explosivley stand swinging the bell to your chest level making sure the bell handle never goes below the knees. Keep the bell high in your groin while swinging back and forth. Squeeze you butt as you stand straight until the top of each swing.

Single Leg Kettlebell Dead-lift: One of the best!

Find your balance standing on one foot holding a kettlebell. Using the same technique as the dead-lift, push your hips back while pushing the raised leg behind you. Hover the bell above your toe (or on the side), stand and squeezing your butt. This is a challenging move that will take practice but will make your butt lift!

Try these exercises and let me know how you go! If some of them don’t make sense to you, just youtube away.

Yours in health and fitness

A x

Crazy for coconuts!

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last while, I’m sure that you have at some stage heard people rave about the health benefits of the lovely coconut! I am a huge advocate for incorporating it in your diet daily (especially the oil), and since reading the book “Coconut cures” a few years ago, I use it for so many things!

By now, I’m sure you know that it speeds up the metabolism, boosts the immune system, supports thyroid function, kills fungi, yeast and bacteria, improves digestion and bowel function, helps prevent sagging skin and wrinkles, improves calcium and magnesium absorption, reduces inflammation, supports the development of strong bones and teeth – just to name a few! Here are my top 5 ways to use it in your daily life to reap the rewards from the tree of life:

Cook with it

This is the most common use of the oil and it can replace your other cooking oils such as canola, peanut, vegetable, olive oil, which become toxic to your body when heated.

Use coconut oil as a moisturiser

This is one of my favs! Your skin will feel super soft and smooth after using it. I put it on straight after my shower to seal in the moisture (especially in winter when dry, scaly skin can rear its ugly head – who wants crocodile skin?). No need to buy lotions filled with toxins and chemicals which absorb straight into your skin. Decrease the chemical load on your body. Try to remember this – if you wouldn’t eat it, dont put it on your skin!

Coconut oil as a hair treatment

Take a tablespoon of organic virgin coconut oil and massage it into your scalp. Leave it on for at least an hour (or over night for an extra boost) and wash your hair. Do this a few times a week and your scalp and hair will be nourished and the condition of your hair will be amazing!

Add coconut oil to smoothies and hot drinks

Aside from cooking with it, I have some coconut oil every morning as soon as I wake. A spoon of coconut oil in my dandelion tea is my fav way to start the day. Pop it in your coffee to help decrease the adrenal response, gently melt it and add it to your yummy smoothies too for a extra boost!

Use it to make yummy treats

There are so many amazing healthy sweets you can make using coconut oil as an ingredient for yourself and the whole family! Here is a recipe for my raw chocolate brownies:

Base:

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup dates
• 4 tbsp raw cacao powder

Icing:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2tbsp raw organic honey
• 1/2 tbsp raw cacao powder

grind walnuts to a fine crumb in food processor, add dates, 4 tbsp cacao and process until slightly sticky and uniform in texture. Line a baking tray with baking paper and press mixture in firmly. Place coconut oil, honey, 1/2tbsp cacao into processor and process until uniform texture. If the mix is too thick add a few drops of water and then spread the mix over the brownie in tin with a spatula. Pop into the fridge for at least 30min +

I have had some really positive feedback from clients who have started using it. So jump on the band wagon and try it for yourself!

Be well

A x

 

Fine and dandy

Most people think of dandelions as those lawn weeds with bright yellow flowers and not really as something that can promote health. People have been using them however, for thousands of years, in a variety of ways, for their medicinal properties. Dandelion tea is made from the fluffy flower, with its leaves and roots dried and turned into tea and I go through boxes of the stuff! I try to encourage my clients (along with warm water and lemon) to have a dandy with a spoon of coconut oil in it in the morning for a nice kick start for your liver and kidneys after processing all your toxins at night. It can be bitter tasting so can be used as a good replacement for coffee too! Have a look at some of the other benefits that it can bring you:

• Age gracefully: as an antioxidant, dandelion tea is said to help improve the
  effects of ageing and protect the body from free radicals, which can damage the
  cells.
• A wee benefit: a US study recently found that dandelion tea may has a diuretic
  effect, increasing the body’s urine production.
• Blood sugar: initial studies have suggested that dandelion tea may help in
  regulating blood sugar levels.
• Cut cholesterol: some people credit dandelion tea with reducing cholesterol.
• Stay pure: some health experts say dandelion root purifies the blood and, in
  doing so, cleanses the kidneys and liver.
• Better digestion: since the flower is potassium-rich, it is also said to help with
  appetite control and improve digestion.
• Move better: your musculoskeletal system is also likely to benefit from a healthy dose of dandelion. The tea allegedly helps reduce the severity of arthritis.

So there you have it! Why not add it into your morning routine for some extra health benefits. Your body will thank you.

Yours in health and fitness

A x