Fitness Fridays: Smoothies!

Good afternoon lovelies!

A few weeks ago I posted about the Hip and Healthy box from Latest in Beauty which is now sadly sold out (though not surprising!). It was a lovely box  and contained not only a few beauty products but also some healthy snacks including granola, Bounce ball and a few powdered sachets.

It was the powdered sachets and the coconut water that inspired me to make my own smoothie. I rarely get to make them at the moment due to work and such a busy lifestyle at weekends but I do love getting a pile of fruit and yogurt and whizzing it all up; its such a tasty and easy way to get towards your 5 a day.

On a recent week off I got stuck into the Hip and Healthy box and decided to make myself a smoothie with the ingredients.

First of all I put the blueberries and a banana into the blender cup. I never measure these things, its always a few handfuls of this and that. If you make it too thick you can always add in some extra water or almond milk to thin it back out and if it's too thin you can add some oats to thicken it back up. 

I just find it so much more fun to throw it all in and see what happens!

Next up I added the powders. The Organic Super Blends powder that I received was an Omega 3 one, great for your heart and blood system as well brain function.

There are lots of other blends available from their website and you should check them out!

I love that the sachets stated exactly what was inside; only 6 ingredients and free from so many things!
This would be a great addition to your smoothies or cereal every day as your body can only get essential fatty acids like Omega 3 from your diet as it can't product them itself.

The second powder in the box was Aduna's Baobab, a powder made from the Baobab fruit which is super rich in fibre, antioxidants and vitamins great for your metabolism, immune system and fatigue.

After adding these I poured in some of the coconut water and whizzed away!

I've got a handheld blender; the one below is my mum's Braun one which just has one speed but i also have my own which has 2. Both of them are quite old so I wouldn't be surprised if there are some on the market with all the gadgets on! But these have been great and we use them regularly for soups and all sorts.

And low and behold one super easy, healthy, vitamin packed and low calorie smoothie.

I believe this comes in at less than 200 calories as I'm unsure of the calorie content of the powders so I rounded up. It's a great snack in the morning to keep you going until lunch or a breakfast if you can stomach a liquid one! I couldn't survive on a smoothie as its 5 hours from breakfast until my break and normally involves me running around, but on weekends I do often have them for breakfast as its a great change.

What do you think of my smoothie? Do you add additional powders for extra health benefits?

What's your favourite smoothie recipe?

L xxx

Hip and Healthy Box

Hey lovelies!

I've got an awesome post for you today. I'm sure you love beauty boxes just as much as I do....but Latest in Beauty have recently brought out their Hip and Healthy* box featuring a whole host of products including organic skincare, free from foods and interesting teas and powders.

They were lovely enough to send me a box to review after they loved my post on their Glamour Beauty Edit box before Christmas so I was very excited as I was already considering buying it when I got paid.

I love the presentation of these boxes, the tissue paper is always gorgeous and its always a feelgood thing to open these boxes with the pretty presentation.

There's a huge and varied selection of items in this box and you can see how tightly packed in they are!

There's a photo below of the full size products so you can see and even an example of a recipe:

Starting with the sachets below we have Teapigs Matcha Green Tea at the bottom, Aduna Baobab, Organic Super Blends Omega 3 powder and Together Health Multi Vitamins.

Teapigs Matcha Green Tea is green tea leaves ground to a fine powder. Just 1/2 a teaspoon has the same benefits as 15 cups of normal green tea.....FIFTEEN!!! That's unbelievable! This means it gives you a natural energy boost for up to 6 hours, has 70 times the antioxidants of orange juice and can boost your metabolism. The also claim that 60% had improved skin, hair and nail condition in just 2 weeks.I cannot wait to try this!

Aduna Baobab is created from the African Baobab and contains 14 essential vitamins and minerals. It is 50% fibre and has one of the highest antioxidant capacities in the world. Nickname the 'Feel Good Fruit' it can hlep with energy, immune system and a reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Not only all this plus it helping your skin look great on the outside it also helps sustain 6-8 million households in rural Africa. You can mix this into shakes, smoothies, yogurt and porridge for a boost your day.

Organic Super Blends have been created to suit different purposes and all are soy, dairy, gluten, wheat and sugar free (woo!). The main ingredient was Chia and then each of the blends; Omega 3, Skin Food, Alkaline Greens or Energise, have their own individual ingredients. These powders can be added in to smoothies, porridge etc for a nutritious boost.

I've just added both of these powders to a smoothie (recipe coming soon!) and can tell you they're both very tasty.

Together Health Multi Vitamins are made from the highest quality natural foods and contains no hidden nasties, not even preservatives, sugars, synthetics, wheat, gluten or lactose. They really are super pills! My sample only contained 4 capsules so I'm afraid I won't be able to comment on the effects of these too much.

As part of the beauty product offering the Neom Organic Hand Cream is packed with antioxidant extracts including Acai and argan oil to aid collagen production and tighten the skin. It's very absorbent and feel thick and luxurious.

Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm is an oil based balm with a combination of oatmeal and Arctic cloudberry (never heard of this!) to cleanse and smooth your skin just like a facial would.

Nourish Golden Glow Face Shimmer is a really nice product, a tiny bit goes a long way as its so moisturising. It's totally organic and whilst it's moisturising and helps reduce the appearance of uneven skin tone and age spots it also contains golden mineral powders for a healthy and vibrant glow. The shimmer particles in this are so fine that you can barely see them which I find is best in a highlighter, I don't want a glittery look!

Rude Health Ultimate Granola is a blend of oats, spelt, barley and puffed amaranth bked with honey and date syrup  and roasted nuts to create a breakfast cereal to keep you full until lunch time. My plan is to try this in the morning with Greek yogurt and some blueberries so I'm really looking forward to it! There's no added salt or sugar so you can rest assured that what you're eating is completely guilt free.

Jax Coco is 100% coconut water and is only 50 calories for the whole 250ml. It is allegedly one of the best ways to rehydrate after a workout and give you a natural boost. I mixed this in with the smoothie that I made with the above powders and it was really tasty. I'd definitely mix this into more things in the future!

I have previously posted about Bounce balls before and I'm already a huge fan. I have tried all flavours apart from the Walnut one and would recommend them all. The peanut and almond balls are great for filling you up with protein, the coconut ball is perfect for a sweet snack and the spirulina and ginseng ball is a great pick me up for your immune system.

This box was a great way to try new products as beauty boxes always are, but this box was even better with the new food products and so many different ways to try them out.

I've already made a smoothie with all of the powders and coconut water and will be posting a recipe soon.
Are you a smoothie fan? Do you like clean snack such as granola and bounce balls?

This box can be bought from the Latest in Beauty website for just £9.95 (plus £3.95 P&P) but is worth over £50. You also get a free days pass into a Virgin Active health club which would be a great way to try a new gym.

Do you like beauty boxes? Would you like to try the Hip and Healthy box?

L xxx