A healthier way of life... cleansing!

Right time to start cleansing. After cleansing, you feel light and full of energy. So, why not take these simple day-to-day healthy habits that will make these wonderful effects last? 

Hydration
First, if you are a coffee addict, try to switch to a chicory-coffee mix (chicory is better for your health) and/or to green or peppermint tea. There are plenty of shops selling amazing flavored teas, I particularly love Pukka Teas.
If you don't already have a juicer, buy one! Try to experiment with good ingredients like lemon, ginger, mint, Cayenne pepper, cinnamon, seasonal fruits and vegetables…
And most importantly, don't forget to drink plenty of water too.

Food
Try to buy local, fresh and organic. The better the quality of ingredients the tastier they will be! Find the best organic green grocer in town.
Try to reduce dairy: it can often be one of the causes of bad skin and bad digestion. You can replace cows milk with almond, rice, and oat milk. You can use coconut fat to cook and almond butter to spread instead of butter.  And to ensure you are still getting a good amount of calcium in your diet, try eating these foods: Nuts (Brazil nuts and almonds are our favorites), dried figs, olives, spinach, leek, fennel, celery, broccoli, cabbage, seaweeds like wakame (13 times richer than cows milk), kombu, nori, fresh herbs like basilica, thyme, parsley, cinnamon, sage and dill.
Always try to start the day with a good breakfast: start well, end well!
Avoid processed, fatty and sugary foods: whole foods can be delicious. Try to cook your own dishes where possible, just use simple ingredients and lots of fresh herbs. Only buy wholegrain bread, rice, cereals - more fibre, less sodium, it's all good!
If you are not vegetarian eat omega-3 rich fish (salmon, mackerel…) twice a week, and for the rest of the week try and stick to white meat and fish. To ensure you are getting lots of good proteins in your diet, eat lots of grains, beans, pulses and seeds. All supermarkets now offer a wide variety of choices.
Eat as many different kinds of fruit and veggies as possible every day to get your daily top up of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Seasoning
Use only vegetable and organic oils: olive, sesame, walnut and rapeseed oil are the best.
Get used to using lemon juice as a seasoning. We put it in all our food as it has many health benefits. It also gives food a good depth of flavor.
Use lots of garlic, onions and ginger, they are all great cleansers.
Fill up your spice cabinet and grow a herb garden. Turmeric, coriander, cayenne, cumin, cinnamon, parsley, rosemary are really easy to use and have impressive therapeutic effects and health benefits.

General
Clear your head as often as possible. Practising yoga and exercising are excellent ways to do so. On weekends, go walking, breathe clean air, be happy.
Try to use natural beauty products. Why not try making your own facemask from avocado, oats and eggs… I love Dr Hauschka's products!
And SLEEP! The hours of sleep you get before midnight are the most regenerating.

I hope that these excellent habits will help you feel beautiful from the inside out!


See more at: http://www.detoxkitchen.co.uk/blog/2013/

The Detox Kitchen

Harvey Nichols has opened a detox kitchen and deli, where you can go to buy food from the deli shop or order their detox delivery service, which offers juices, salads, vitamins, snacks, muesli etc all to your door step. AMAZING!

The Detox Package

They provide the freshest ingredients for you to discover or rediscover, cleverly woven into imaginative dishes. No wonder Grazia calls it "The best 'diet' food I've ever tasted!"

A detox program that celebrates what you can have, not what you can't - that's what they believe in.  A celebration of brilliantly fresh, seasonal ingredients you already love (or have forgotten you do), brought together in imaginative combinations and cooked with pride and passion.

All that's missing are the things that make you feel bloated, blotchy or listless (wheat, caffeine, red meat, sugar, alcohol and dairy).

Look at their delicious deli menu's too... we need this in SA!

the garden

Gathering some ideas for my organic deli/cafe/lifestyle store I want to open. Still looking for a location on the North Coast of KZN that will work and get foot traffic.
I want to emphasize my organic, local, fresh produce idea by putting a living wall in the store, as well as re-cycling and re-using where ever possible. I love the use of reclaimed crates as shelving units and then I found this great idea of a living wall made out of reclaimed crates (see below).

Banana Bread

I made this yummy, sticky banana bread today (had to do something with my off bananas). I tried to make it a bit healthier too by adding brown sugar and brown flour but I didn't have any butter so had to use olive oil spread (so it's dairy free too). I also sprinkled on some seeds (pumpkin and sunflower) for extra crunch and goodness. 

Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas, mushed. 
1 1/2 cups whole-weat/all purpose flour.
1/3 cup melted butter/margarine.
1 egg, beaten.
1 cup brown/white sugar.
1 tsp vanilla essance.
1 tsp cinnamon (optional).
1 cup chopped pecan nuts (optional).
1 tsp baking soda.
pinch of salt.

Method: 

• preheat oven to 175 degrees c.
• mix with wooden spoon bananas and butter in big bowl.
• add egg, sugar and vanilla essence to banana mix.
• sprinkle in baking soda and salt. mix.
• add the flour (pecans and cinnamon) last.
• pour into buttered/lined 4x8 inch loaf pan.
• sprinkle over a seed mix with pumpkin and sunflower seeds. 
• bake for 1 hour.
• cool on rack and slice. 

Love Coffee

Got my morning fix with the most delicious almond milk cappuccino at 'love coffee' on Windermere Road, Durban. I loved its cool, sustainable interior and yummy snacks, I had to give in to a cinnamon twist... Definitely visiting again soon!

Homemade Health Muesli Bars

I also made these delicious, gluten, dairy and sugar free muesli bars, perfect for a snack or on-the-go breakfast. I hate the shop brought 'supposedly "health" bars' which are packed full of sugar, butter and preservatives, basically the furthest thing from healthy... you may as well grab a chocolate bar!
So I decided to make my own gooey, crunchy, fruit and nut bars.

Ingredients:
1 cup raisins.
1 cup dried cranberries/cherries or blueberries.
1 cup prunes or dates pitted.
1/2 cup roasted macadamia nuts, half rough and half finely chopped.
1 1/2 cups oats.
1 cup roasted pecan nuts, half rough and half finely chopped.
2 tbsp oat bran.
2 tbsp flaxseed/sunflower/pumpkin seeds.
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt.
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.
3 tablespoons honey.

Method:
1. heat oven to 150 degrees celsius.
2. put prunes in a pot and cover with water, bring to a simmer, drain and puree. 
3. coat a 8 inch baking pan with baking paper.
4. mix oats, chopped nuts and fruits, bran, seeds, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
5. mix in prune puree and honey.
6. press down hard into tray and bake for about 25 mins, till edges are golden and centre firm. 
7. cool on wire rack. Slice into bars. 

Homemade Health Muesli

I made some delicious homemade health muesli today for a perfect start to the day, this quick and easy to make muesli is also gluten, sugar and dairy free.

(The ingredients are only a guide and substitutes for the nuts and dried fruit can be made).

Ingredients:
250g cups oats.
1 cup raisins.
1 cup dried cranberries.
1 1/2 cups oat bran.
1 cup brasil nuts, roughly chopped.
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped.
1/2 cup sunflower seeds.
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds.
1/2 cup mixed omega seeds.
1 cup pecan nuts, roughly chopped.
1tsp cinnamon.
1tbsp honey.
1tsp salt.

Method:
1. put the oven on grill.
2. pour oats, cinnamon and honey over an oven tray, grill until golden brown (watch carefully so it doesn't burn!).
3. toss once before leaving to cool.
4. mix together all chopped nuts and dried fruit.
5. Finally mix all together in a large jar and shake.
6. serve with natural yogurt, fresh fruit and honey. YUM!

Painting

I finally finished my nguni oil painting which has pride of place on my kitchen wall.

Outdoor Dining Area

I livened up my outdoor dining area with these beautiful white roses and cotton table cloth. I also added two end cushions in indoor/outdoor fabric Kravet Soleil : Ogee Knot ocean. As well as three bargain seat cushions from Mr Price in indigo blue and white. This area is slowly coming together, just need some more table decorations and my hanging light. 

Headboard

I just got a double headboard made for my guest bedroom/study. I used the left over fabric from my lounge cushions, I love the print and on trend soft grey colour. The fabric is from St Leger and Viney and is called Imperial Trellis. 

I am still looking for a swing wall light (similar to above) to go above the side table and finish off the room, but in South Africa this is becoming impossible.  

New Wallpaper

Before and after images of the wallpaper in my bedroom. I used a wallpaper from the Wall Street range of Hertex fabrics. It is a textural wallpaper and creates a suede paint effect, adding warmth and interest to the room.

Afternoon Drinks

I made these cute hummingbird cut outs to put on top of my wine glasses, and opened up the glass folding doors in my conservatory to enjoy the spectacular view of the indigenous forest.

Brazilian Beauty

I fell in love with this Brazilian house in the July issue of Elle Decoration. Surrounded by tropical greenery, simple furnishings and with its laid back feel, it is a sanctuary for the New York based family that use it as a holiday home. It has a modern rustic look that reflects the traditional and local style.

Home Decorations

Today I made a DIY herb garden in my kitchen, I recycled metal food cans and planted basil, rosemary and thyme in them. I also brought a colorful new tablecloth in a blend of blues, and a grey weber BBQ, bringing a touch of the Mediterranean to my outdoor dining area. Another great decorating idea if you have people coming over is putting single roses in individual different size glass vases. 

Green Living

Just seen these amazing new online organic stores, a step in the right direction for South Africa and its need to go "Green". I'm so happy, I will definitely be buying from them! 

faithful to nature
Green Love

La Grange Interiors

I recently went to the Durban La Grange showroom and fell in love with almost everything they had in store. I would love to get hold of the 'wall light Karel' but they didn't have it in stock. So sad to hear they are closing down the Durban store...