No Milk? No Problem!

I ran out of “milk” so I used water instead. The result? Mouthwatering! (See what I did there?)

1/2 cup frozen blackcurrants
1 banana
2 strawberries
2 canned pineapple rings
3/4 cup filtered water

Simply blend everything together in a food processor or blender then top with favourites.

Post holiday diet

I have a love/hate relationship with Japan. Love because it’s a fascinating country and hate because it’s so darn difficult finding health-foods (and fookin expensive when you do!) For example, there are NO, seriously ZERO “healthy” options sold at the highway service areas. No fruit, no salad, no raw nuts/bars, just more instant additive-laden soup and noodles and white-rice rice balls and sweets, so many sweets with cream and anko (red bean paste).

The ‘sister visit’ was unforgettable but now, it’s time to once again, healthify my life especially seeing as it’s nearly the New Year and all.

Yeah yeah we’ll see how long I can keep this up for ;)

First: mixed seed crackers from The Breadman Organic Bakery (Christchurch), homemade ricotta, cucumber, avocado, raw walnuts and tomato.

Second: 1 banana, 1/2 cup unsweetened So Good almond milk, handful of freeze-dried blackcurrants blended together and topped with homemade granola, pomegranate seeds and silvered almonds.

The best smoothie bowl in a long time.

I was so blessed to receive an ample supply of ViBERi blackcurrant products (all organic) from my auntie and uncle in NZ, as souvenirs via my brother-in-law and sister and this morning I whizzed some into the best smoothie bowl in a long time. SO MUCH GOODNESS.

1/2 cup freeze-dried (or frozen) blackcurrants
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup plain yoghurt (use coyo if dairy free or vegan)
1 frozen banana

Simply whizz all ingredients in a food-processor or blender and top with desired toppings. I used organic kiwifruit, homemade granola and more freeze-dried blackcurrants which are crunchy and delicious!

Let wholesome, delicious food be your beauty secret!

Do you think it’s possible to get through Summer only eating smoothie bowls?! Yes, if they’re filled with this much healthy. This delicious choco berry smoothie bowl is jam-packed with natural goodness and flavour. In addition, it’s naturally free from dairy, gluten and refined-sugar. Forget proactive, for beautiful skin, eat wholesome, nutritious food instead!

Below, I’ve added some proof/excerpts from Jolene Hart’s incredible book Eat Pretty: Nutirition for Beauty, Inside and Out for more info: 

On banana:
“Bananas contain an amino acid that boosts healthy hair and nail growth and protects the body from ageing free radicals. They also contain silicon, an essential element for strong hair, nails, and collagen. They’re easily digested and soothing to the lining of the stomach, and they feed good bacteria in your gut.”

On raw cacao:
“This beauty superfood has a higher concentration of antioxidants than any other food we now know of, thanks to its powerful phytochemicals like epicatechin that block the formation of wrinkles. The catechins in cacao throw a one-two antigaing punch: they turn off age-promoting cell mechanisms while activating protective cell mechanisms.”

On oats:
“Oats are mineral-rich breakfast staples. They’re extremely high in manganese, which helps maintain healthy hair and hair colour and supports mitochondrial health. They’re also rich in the beauty mineral iron for strong hair and nails.”

On unsweetened almond milk:
“When you pour a cup or so over your oatmeal, you get about half of your daily dose of vitamin E, the beauty vitamin that keeps skin moisturised and protected from the sun, plus about 45 percent of your calcium and 25 percent of your vitamin D. Unsweetened almond milk is low in both sugar and calories, and it’s free of the hormones and antibiotics found in conventional dairy.”

And, last but not least, from my previous posts, you should know blackcurrants are insanely good for your health (containing higher levels of vitamin C than any other commercially available fruit or vegetable).

So what are you waiting for? Toss out that processed crumpet and instead, simply whizz together:

2 frozen bananas
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tbsp gluten-free oats
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup organic frozen ViBeri blackcurrants

To finish, top with whatever your heart desires! (My heart desired silvered almonds, strawberries and blackcurrants.)

GAGA Over Food

Where did summer go? This morning, I’m pretending I’m somewhere tropical with this incredibly delicious blackcurrant and banana smoothie bowl. The tartness of the blackcurrants paired with the sweetness of the bananas is undoubtedly a happy union. In fact, after giving my mother a mere teaspoonful to try, she requested I make her an entire bowl, too!

2 frozen bananas
1/4 cup ViBeri organic frozen blackcurrants 
3/4 cup almond milk 
2 tsp LSA powder (linseed, sunflower and almond)
toppings of choice (I used fresh strawberries and homemade granola)

*vegan
*sugar-free
*dairy-free
*gluten-free