Health Series | DIY Lean & Green Juice Recipe

Now that Christmas is over, it's time to put down the tin of Roses (they're chocolates for those of you unfamiliar with the product!) and get your body back into shape! Something that I'm really getting into lately, are homemade juices. Shop bought juices can be dodgy as they often have extra bits thrown into them and often contain a ton of sugar. If you make your own juice, you can control exactly what goes into the drink so it is often a lot healthier. Today's juice is what I have called a "Lean & Green" juice drink. It's packed with fruits, veggies and tons of vitamins and antioxidants. Plus it tastes good!

Makes: 1 glass of juice

What You Need:

• 1 whole (green) apple
• 1/2 a cucumber 
• 3 kale leaves
• 1 cup of grapes (about 28)
• 1/2 cup of water

Method:

1. Core and chop up your apple.

2. Slice cucumber into thick slices.

3. Throw in all your ingredients into your juicer.

4. Taste your juice and add more of any of the ingredients you like including watering it down to taste.

5. Enjoy your yummy and healthy juice!

Health Benefits:

There's loads of brilliant benefits to this juice. Cucumber contains vitamin K, calcium and copper which helps with things such as blood clotting and boosting your immune system. Of course we know that 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' but did you know they also cleanse your liver and can prevent cancer? Flavonoids and phenolic acids are proven to prevent the development of cancerous tumour cells. Kale can also help prevent cancer, in particular cervical cancer. It also contains lots of vitamins and minerals including K, C, B, magnesium and calcium. Finally, grape juice is great for lowering cholesterol and surprisingly, it's also great for your brain. Apparently, it can help you retain knowledge better. I guess I'll be downing some grape juice before exams from now on!

The end product- add a slice of cucumber for extra style points!

As you can see, juicing has so many great health benefits. It's a really easy way to get in the majority of your 5 a day, in one glass! There are so many different juices, and if you like this one stay tuned for lots more healthy and delicious recipes soon. 

DIY | Homemade Frozen Yogurt

I'm *trying* to eat healthier recently. No crazy diets, just cutting out junk food here and there. However, those sugar cravings can be a killer. One thing I love and has become a bit of a fashionable food, is frozen yogurt. I find it difficult to find in shops so I decided to make my own!

What you need:

• Yogurt - Preferably organic. Use whatever flavour you want your froyo to be. Mt favourite brand is Glenisk!
• Vanilla essence/extract.
• Sugar (optional)
• Honey

Method:

1. Grab a small bowl and put as much as yogurt as you like into it. I use 4/5 dessert spoonfuls per person.

2. Pour a drizzle of honey into the bowl. 

3. Add a drop of vanilla. Use this sparingly as it's very strong!

4. If you want it a bit sweeter, and to taste more like the frozen yogurt you but in shops, add a little bit of sugar. 

5. Mix it all together! You can add more honey, sugar or vanilla to taste. 

6. Pop your mix into the freezer for at least 2 hours. Make sure to mix at least every hour as otherwise only the outside will freeze, not the inside. By mixing it will solve this problem.

7. Eat up and enjoy your healthy treat!

I hope you enjoyed this little recipe! It's a nice little step away from the beauty and fashion. Let me know if you try it out and what you think :)