Feed Your Skin From The Inside Out

I don’t know about you but the British summer plays havoc with my skin. What with the weather being hot and humid one minute and cold and wet the next, my skin can really suffer.  You would have thought I’d have found the answer in a pot by now, but having tried my fair share of skincare brands over the years, I’ve found it hard to find the right product that’s suits my sensitive skin and modest budget!  

So a few years ago I started experimenting with the idea of feeding my skin from the inside, to see if it made a difference. Using the saying ‘we are what we eat’ as a starting point, I looked into fruits, vegetables and supplements that help support collagen production, maintain balanced hormone levels, and aid digestion, all areas of the body which will affect how your skin looks if they are not functioning properly. I wanted to find and maintain a healthy glowing skin, and I finally found the answer in food!

The key components of my ‘skin friendly’ eating plan are keeping well hydrated, eating fruit and vegetables that contain powerful antioxidants, and making sure I have a healthy dose of essential fatty acids. In particular, eating foods that contain omega 3’s, as they encourage the body to produce anti-inflammatory compounds, which are particularly helpful for inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.

Having been a lifelong eczema sufferer my skin has never been as clear, as healthy, and as fresh and plump looking as it is today. I put this all down to eating well and, eating the right types of food to feed my skin.

On that basis here is a recipe I’ve been tinkering away with in my Chiswick kitchen. It’s a delicious smoothie pudding recipe, which contains all the key ingredients to feed your skin, from the inside out.  I must confess to liking my smoothies so thick you can spoon them out of the glass! So these ingredients and measures give you the consistency of a greek yoghurt. You can make it as a pudding, and serve in small glasses with a spoon. Or alternatively, you can have it as a straight smoothie, adding more coconut water to thin it out and drink straight from the glass. As always, don’t forget to share your healthy living treat with friends, family or partner, and enjoy!

Feed your skin smoothie pudding

250ml coconut water

Half a ripe avocado

3 frozen broccoli florets

Handful of spinach

1 apple -chopped

2 dsp ground flaxseed

Pour the coconut water into your processor and add the frozen broccoli and ripe avocado, blend until the broccoli is fully broken down which may take a while depending on the power of your blender. Then add all the other ingredients and whizz away until fully blended. If you’re having as a pudding decant into 4 small glasses and serve with a teaspoon. Or, add more coconut water to your desired consistency and you’ll get two good size glasses to drink. Be sure to consume as soon as possible after making, it’ll be cold, fresh and very, very tasty!

Do let me know what you think of it by adding a comment below, or responding via facebook or twitter. I’d love to hear from you!

© Rachel Lawrence. All rights reserved. No reproduction without permission. 

Pineapple Post Easter Detox Smoothie

I love Easter for so many reasons, the break from work, the sunshine, the cherry blossoms that start to appear on the trees, and not least of all the possibility of some extra chocolate. I do love my chocolate! But after the Easter break, I can feel a bit lethargic and in need of something fresh, clean and healthy so here it is. My post Easter detox smoothie, a perfect antidote! 

It’s got a zing from the lime, and tastes exceptionally fresh and clean.  The pineapple is packed with Vitamin C, essential fibre, and potassium so great for heart health, digestion and clearer skin. There is also a little known fact that the enzyme it contains Bromelain has been found in studies to reduce swelling, bruising and pain associated with injury and surgery. So one to add to the recipe book for those occasions. 

Coconut oil is a 'must have' ingredient, it has too many benefits to list here but a key one to note in relation to Easter and chocolate is its weight loss properties! It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. Furthermore, it increases the body’s metabolic rate by removing stress on the pancreas, thereby burning more energy which in turn helps to lose weight. 

So drink, enjoy, and feel a little bit smug that you're doing something incredibly healthy for yourself.

Ingredients
Half a small pineapple cut into chunks
1 banana
1 apple cut into chunks
Juice of half a lime
250 ml Coconut water
1 dessertspoon coconut oil
2 dessertspoons of Linwoods Milled flaxseed, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts and co-enzyme Q10

I like to keep things simple so put it all in the blender and whizz until fully blended.  You can have this as a meal replacement (I had it for breakfast today) in which case drink it all. If you're having it with a meal then share with a friend/colleague or get the kids to drink it with you! You never know you may convert them into smoothie fans too!

© Rachel Lawrence. All rights reserved. No reproduction without permission. 

Purple Perk Me Up Smoothie

With the lighter evenings and the wonderful glimpses of sunshine we’ve had in London over the last few days it feels like spring is on the way. So I thought I’d bring a little more sunshine into your day by rustling up a new smoothie.

I’m an advocate of buying local and supporting those unsung heroes of the high street; the individuals, the one off businesses who work hard and keep the character of our high streets unique. One of these is my local fruit and vegetable stall. Every week, I’ll pop along and buy a selection of whatever they have and then make something out of it. It’s great fun as it challenges me to think more about what I’m eating, as well as be more creative with my cooking, rather than sticking to the same old recipes.

This week they had an abundance of blackberries and mangos so here’s my little smoothie experiment!  I call it the Purple Perk Me Up as it’s refreshing, revitalizing and a great way to start the day.

Ingredients

10 Blackberries

1 Mango –flesh chopped into chunks

Handful of Spinach

250ml Coconut Water

2 Dessertspoons of Linwood’s Milled Flaxseed with bio cultures & Vitamin D

Blend the coconut water and spinach first, then add the rest of the ingredients and whizz until fully mixed. There’s enough for two so share the love around and give a glass to someone who looks in need of a perk me up too.

The Science bit

Apart from being fresh and tasty, this smoothie is full of goodness. The blackberries are rich in bioflavonoids and Vitamin C; the dark colour ensures blackberries have one of the highest antioxidant levels of all fruits. Antioxidants are well-known for lowering the risk of a number of cancers. Blackberries also have a healthy dose of Vitamin K which helps the muscles to relax.

Mangoes are an excellent source of Vitamin-A and flavonoids, which have been known to have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy skin. Mangoes are also a good source of potassium, which is an important component of cell and body fluids and helps control the heart rate and blood pressure.

I’ve added the Linwoods flaxseed with vitamin D to boost the vitamin D levels after all the long, dark nights of winter. What’s also good about this particular flaxseed mix is it contains good bacteria for a healthy gut, great for improving digestion. And finally, it also contains Omega 3, which contributes to healthy blood and cholesterol levels.

The science bit done, it’s just really tasty so give it a go and let me know what you think!

© Rachel Lawrence. All rights reserved. No reproduction without permission.

Got a cold? Try my cold busting smoothie

Broccoli and Apple Cold Busting Smoothie

I’ve just made this after tinkering around in my kitchen, and it’s not only absolutely delicious but packed full of the health giving green stuff.

Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse, it’s rich in Vitamin A, K, B-Complex, Iron and just 100g gives you 150% of your recommended daily Vitamin C intake so especially good if you are fighting off a cold. I've added apple for an extra cold busting kick as it also contains Vitamin C, along with minerals including Calcium and potassium. The coconut water is to keep your body naturally hydrated, the wheat germ gives you a fibre boost as well as a good source of vitamin E. And finally the flaxseed with almonds and walnuts adds a nutrient rich pick me up to keep you going until your next meal.

Ingredients

300 ml coconut water

4 Raw broccoli florets (I used straight from a freezer pack)

1 Apple (chopped)

2 Dessertspoon of Jordan’s natural wheatgerm

2 Dessertspoons of Linwood's milled flaxseed with almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts

Very easy this one, just pop the coconut water, broccoli and apple into your blender first and whizz up. Once mixed, add the wheatgerm and flaxseed and whizz until mixed in. If you like your smoothie a little bit more runny just add a little more coconut water to taste. You can have this as a meal replacement if you’re not feeling like eating a full meal, or you can share your healthy drink with a friend and treat them to a bit of green goodness too!

Enjoy! 

Fancy a Date? Smoothie that is....

Well, I had to get your attention somehow didn't I? I've been tinkering around my West London kitchen working on new healthy recipes for smoothies and absolutely love this one. 

It has to be one of the simplest recipes as well as the most delicious. Putting dates into a smoothie is a great way to get some fibre into your body, as well as satisfying a sweet tooth. Using only three ingredients you'll get a delicious drink packed full of essential, vitamins, minerals and nutrients. And if you've ever been partial to a bit of butterscotch then this is for you! It's really healthy and tastes just like it! 

Ingredients

15 Whole Dates

300 ml Coconut Milk

1 Ripe Banana

Make sure your dates are as squidgy as possible, de-stone them, chop in half then put into your  blender along with the coconut milk and ripe banana. Whizz away until you get that lovely butterscotch colour and you're good to go. As always don't keep it to yourself, be generous and share the love around by giving a glass to a friend, family member or work colleague. Enjoy! 

What does a Pilates teacher eat?

Being healthy and happy (which is my mantra) is all about looking after your mind and body in a way that not only feeds you in a literal sense, but feeds those feelgood receptors that get treated when eating tasty food.  

So whilst I’m mindful of eating lots of good stuff, it doesn’t come with the sacrifice of food with no flavour. Oh no. No blandiness (is that an actual word?) for me. It has to taste good as well as be healthy. So what does a Pilates teacher eat? Well, there are no set rules but teaching 20 plus hours of exercise a week I have to make sure I eat plenty of protein, as well as get a good shot of essential fats and fibre in each meal, so here was my lunch today.  And I can tell you it sure was tasty! Recipe below. Why not try it and see if healthy tastes good to you too?!

Toasted Goats Cheese and Nectarine Salad drizzled in Orange Blossom Honey

100g Goats cheese of your choice  (I used Chevre blanc)

Ripe Nectarine

Handful of Pumpkin Seeds

Handful of Walnuts

Generous handful of baby spinach leaves

2 teaspoons orange blossom honey

Salad dressing

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

½ cup Olive Oil.

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Assemble your spinach leaves on a plate, scatter the seeds and nuts over them, and add slices of nectarine. Slice your cheese into two pieces and grill on a greased baking sheet until bubbling and golden. While the cheese is toasting make up your salad dressing and pour a little (vary the amount to your taste) over the leaves. Remove the melted cheese very carefully from your baking sheet with a flat spatula and lay on top of your salad. Then comes the best bit, drizzle the honey over it, and eat. And for added va va voom, why not make my Summer Workout Smoothie to go with it. In previous post. Delicious!  

Summer Workout Smoothie

Summer Workout Smoothie

So I came up with this recipe recently when the London weather hit 28 degrees celsius (or that’s 82 Fahrenheit for my US friends)- I thought I’d try and create a drink that can double up as a meal pre workout. My summer workout smoothie has got protein, vitamins and minerals and it packs a punch with antioxidants (great for combating the effects of all that sunshine on your skin). Oh, and it’ll give you a fab boost, of energy.

250 ml Unsweetened Almond Milk

2 whole cooked beetroots (diced)

2 handfuls of blueberries

1 banana

Nice and easy this one, put all the ingredients in your blender and whizz away until smooth- just don’t wear white whilst you’re making it if you’re prone to the odd spill as you’ll end up covered in purple spots! Enjoy!

Papaya Peanut Smoothie

With summer in full swing here in London I thought I'd post a smoothie recipe that is full of  the exotic taste of the holiday season- papaya, lime and coconut with an added protein hit of peanut to give you a meal in a glass - great as a meal replacement or a pre workout boost. I'm drinking mine before an evening of teaching ballet barre workout and pilates, so lots of energy required and this is perfect pre multiple plies, and abdominal workouts!

Obviously if you've a nut allergy, leave out the nut butter,  it's just as tasty and you can always substitute by adding extra Greek yoghurt.

It'll make two large glasses so share the summer love around and give a glass to a friend in need. Enjoy!
 

Papaya Peanut Smoothie

1 papaya
1 banana
330 ml coconut water
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
2 dsp medium oatmeal
2 dsp peanut butter ( pure nut butter with no sugar,salt or additives)

Scoop out the papaya seeds and throw away, then scoop out the papaya flesh and put in a liquidiser along with the chopped banana and all the other ingredients- whizz up until it's fully mixed, decant into glasses and drink!
 

© Rachel Lawrence. All rights reserved. No reproduction without permission.