Recipe collecting made easy

Happy New Year everyone! That is me back to work and back to normal life after a couple of weeks of family, friends and some super indulging. I doubt I am alone when I say that any attempts at healthy eating in December goes right out the window in favour of lindor for breakfast and countless nibbles through the day- I am struggling to adjust to dinner not being at least two full courses!

Fun as this always is, it never fails to leave me feeling a total sack of crap come January back to work time so in times like this I turn to my little online recipe wonder that I have realised I have never shared on here before. I know how many readers are big fans of cooking so hopefully this will be as useful for you as it has been for me. I absolutely love scouring the internet for healthy eating ideas and always struggled to keep a track of where I had seen things, working between various computers meant recipes were getting lost on bookmark bars and my iphone was stacked full of photos of recipes that I couldn't keep up with. I decided someone out there must have been smart and come up with some kind of online recipe collator to use and lo and behold that is just what I found with Kitchenbug.

This site has been an absolute godsend for me, you download a little clipper to your tool bar and whenever you com across a recipe you want to keep you just click on it and it takes the link, the ingredients and the directions and compiles them into a stored recipe for you which you can then file into different 'boxes'. You can then browse the site ( which is pinterest esque in layout) which is a compendium of the all the users boxes and find even more ideas there and put them in your personal collection too which is how I have found loads of fab ideas! I love how it even analyses your recipes and gives you a nutritional breakdown for them which is perfect if you are looking to follow a particular regime or want to avoid certain things.

It is so easy to use and navigate and now they handily have a free app which is amazing to then using for reading the recipes when I am in the kitchen, or adding to my boxes when something catches my eye. If you made a resolution to eat healthier this year then this is just the thing for you, you can see the recipes that have caught me eye here and if you make a profile let me know so I can follow you too!

https://www.kitchenbug.com/ruthjack

This is in no way sponsored, I just realised this is an amazing resource that I have been keeping to myself!

Glasgow Reviewed; The Green Cleanse from Juice Warrior

My mega box of cleansing juices

So if you have not read my first post on Juice Warrior and their one day skin boosting Cleopatra Cleanse, then you catch up HERE.

Following my successful first day it was time to move on to a slightly more 'advanced' plan. The Green Cleanse is a strong juice pack aimed at those who prefer veg juices over fruit and is a more experienced cleanser who is looking for a challenge. I was definitely a little apprehensive after such a nice light day full of fruity goodness on the Cleopatra cleanse but I do love my veg so was ready to get stuck in. After speaking to the very knowledgeable Megan from Juice Warrior and reading through the info pack I received with the cleanse, I knew I had the choice of having no food and giving my digestive system a complete cleanse or enjoying the juices as part of a healthy raw diet. I do enjoy testing myself and have completed a full cleanse before but decided on this occasion to add in a couple of things over the two days. I incorporated my normal Saturday and Sunday breakfast smoothie ( spinach, banana, flax, chia, blueberries and some peanut butter) and also had an apple in the afternoon on both days. Other than that I only had the juices, some water and herbal teas to keep me going. I found having my usual smoothie first thing really helped me feel full for a long time and gave me the energy boost I needed for a busy day volunteering on the Saturday.

Following the Cleopatra cleanse I slept really well and woke up feeling sprightly, not at all lethargic or hungry like I feared. I started off the day with a shot of Chlorella from the Green cleanse which I was ready for after trying it the day before, I left it ten minutes then had my usual smoothie and went about my business until I was ready for my first juice about 3 hours later.  Juice one was the Evergreen that I had already tried and enjoyed, a good start to the pack it is not at all offensive or too 'green' just fresh and appetising and nicely filling. It actually tasted so much sweeter to me today than yesterday which is probably thanks to a good amount of hours being sugar free. I then moved on to Green Powerhouse which tasted very green but not at all in a bad way. It was just less fruity than some but tasted incredibly healthy and by now I was feeling a little peckish so I was totally ready for it and very much enjoyed it as my body was obviously craving lots of greens!

I was feeling full of energy all day which was great, I tucked right into my third drink which was the beetroot one I had sampled on the Cleopatra Cleanse. I actually enjoyed it so much more today, definitely might be coming round to the beetroot blends- hurrah! The next juice was Green Spice and it was the one Megan had warned me was 'VERY STRONG',so I was a little nervous... This was by far the only drink I actually had to force down, it was not the prettiest tasting but I knew it was loaded with goodness (one of the most alkalising, healthful drinks they produce) so I got on with it. I had pals over to watch a film at night and managed fine as they enjoyed some tasty snacks sitting out which is testament to how filling I find the juices. My last drink of the evening was Broc on which was so nice in comparison to the last one that I guzzled it down! Bright and refreshing, it was a nice end to the day and I loved that it had broccoli in it- one of my very favourite vegetables!

going mad for fruit and veg for post cleanse

I woke up pretty early the next morning due to the 'cleansing effect' kicking in... I wasn't sure what to expect but certainly the Green Cleanse is one to clear the pipes out with ( sorry, gross but necessary) The juices were obviously doing their work! The rest of the day was fine however, I took my juices in the same pattern as yesterday and all ( bar the Green Spice) went down a treat and kept me going. I wasn't feeling particularly hungry or drained and just enjoyed a nice lazy day which felt the perfect end to my cleanse.

I woke up on the Monday feeling properly on top of the world and invincible following the 3 days. My body was clearly thanking me for everything good I had put in and I didn't want it to stop so I was really organised and planned to spend this week eating as raw and clean as I could. I have been enjoying my favourite weekend green smoothie every single morning for breakfast, tucking into huge raw salads for lunch and keeping dinner jam packed with veggies too and I am happy to still be feeling totally amazing 5 days after finishing.

tasty lunchtime salad 

I can highly recommend both the products and the service provided by the dynamic duo at Juice Warrior who have been a huge help throughout the process. I find their passion for what they are doing so admirable and encouraging and they have inspired me to keep up my new good habits! Before long they will be adding in raw snacks such as kale chips, nut butters and dehydrated fruit packs into what they offer which is super exciting for those trying to keep healthy in Glasgow City Centre and I can't wait to try them out.

You can contact Megan and Daniel by emailing juicewarriorglasgow@gmail.com or follow them on twitter  or facebook 
  

Gym and Juice with Currys

As most readers will know in the years since I have started this blog, my appearance has changed quite a bit. I have actually lost just under 4 stone in these last few years, it has been slow and steady just making gradual changes to my once over excessive diet ( hello allllll the booze and hangover foods!) It has led me to develop a big  interest in health and nutrition, if you follow me on instagram you will often see my pics of attempting healthier dinners and snacks and I love reading up on the changing technologies and different ingredients on offer. I love trying out new forms of exercise and was enjoying dabbling with making smoothies at the weekends already when the team at Currys wanted to set me a little healthy challenge which sounded right up my street.

Ready to burn some cals in Nuffield's super pretty changing area

I was tasked with heading to my local Nuffield Health Centre to try out a class of my choice and man was that a difficult one- I had never used one of their gyms and turns out they have LOADS of amazing classes on offer. I was totally torn between trying my hand at the Power hoop class to shaking my stuff at a Sh'bam class and in the end settled for my first ever experience at a good ol' legs, bums n tums class. I headed along after work and checked out the facilities before the class and I was thrilled, they have everything you could want- excellent equipment, a beautiful pool,  and a great workout studio. I am so glad  I went for something I hadn't actually tried before as it was a fab work out, the instructor was great ( I was really impressed at how he managed to pick out all the newcomers in a  busy class) and made it easy to follow while still being an excellent work out- I was absolutely shattered afterwards! Although it was hardcore it has given me a real kick up the bum for getting properly stuck into exercise and working up a sweat.

The next part of my challenge was to create my first ever juice which after an intense workout I really needed! Now juicing is something that I have been reading a lot into and was already keen to try my hand at it when this challenge came along. I was super excited to try out my new Philips HR1863 from the Viva Collection and rushed to Tesco after work to get my ingredients for my first attempt. With so many juice combinations out there I decided to whip up my own special blend- I give you the Ruth Boost, containing apples, pears, celery, sweet potato,clementines ( and a bunch of left over carrot sticks which you don't need to add but I add them left over from the week!) Together these offer a vast wealth of vitamins and minerals while helping lower cholesterol and blood pressure, boosting your immune system and giving me that much needed energy boost after my work out. Refueling with these ingredients are great for balancing any fluids and electrolytes lost in a sweaty gym sesh and the sweet potato is fab complex carb to help restore the body's glycogen level.

The juice maker was a dream to use, strong and sturdy and incredibly fast and quiet- it blended my ingredients in seconds and was a breeze to clean. I love that the feeding tube on this model is extra wide so you don't even have to waste any time chopping, you simply feed in and away it goes!This bad boy can make up to two litres of juice all in one go and the parts are even dishwasher safe which is a dream for busy families. I already use a Philips Smoothie maker in the house to make greens smoothies at the weekend and it performs really well so it was great their juice model was just as impressive. To give you a better idea of our drink making adventure- here is my co chef Ally to show you how it was done....

I adore experiencing new things so thanks so much to Currys for setting me such a fun challenge- I have absolutely loved getting to grips with juicing and have a new found passion for exercise thanks to my visit to Nuffield. If the Ruth Boost doesn't tickled your fancy, you can read up on the team at Curry's ideas for a the perfect post workout smoothie here. So many tasty recipes- I can't wait to try them out. After making my first juice I couldn't help but whip up the left over apples, pears and celery straight away for an extra treat!

This isn't the last you are going to hear about my adventures in juicing, next up I am going to share my journey on my first juice cleanse- look out for a full review coming up soon.

Juicer and class provided gratis for the challenge. As always all opinions 100% my own.

Getting to know: Real Foods

Getting up in the morning is certainly not something I am usually looking forward to, this week however I am actually excited about it! That makes me sound totally crazy I know, but it’s because all this week I am trying out different types of muesli thanks to the lovely team over at Real Foods and they all sound so delicious it is impossible not to rush out of bed.

 

I mentioned before that I am doing an open university short course in nutrition right now as It is something I have become super interested in the last couple of years, I love looking up healthy recipes and alternatives to food and discovering new things to try. I came across Real Foods when hunting for various products I was keen to try at a decent price and based in the UK as I had been previously having some things sent over from the US and thanks to custom charges and long waits it really wasn't ideal. When I came across the Real Foods site I was thrilled, they have all the things I have been looking for, and so many more ( my wish list is MASSIVE!) and even more exciting is that they are based right here in Scotland, with fab looking stores in Edinburgh. Coming across them was definitely fate as over on their facebookthey were looking for people to try out some products so of course I jumped at the chance!

So as of today I am enjoying a different one of their mueslis every day for the week, I will be posting up some pics on my instagram and twitter so make sure you come and follow me!

I can already tell you Day One has been a huge success- I am utterly stuffed after a bowl of the healthy start muesli with hemp milk. Chocked full of  bran flakes, raisins, honey banana chips and toasted coconut and it is an excellent source of fibre, vitamins and minerals and felt like a really healthy boost at the start of the day.

I can’t believe I am looking forward to getting up tomorrow already!

This is not a sponsored post at all, muesli is being sent for my review but all opinions are my own and just wanted to share as I know there are lots of other readers really interested in healthy eating who would love these products!