3 Day Juice Cleanse - Fuel Station

I believe in eating and eating well to keep the metabolism alive and feeling good and looking great!

However sometimes our body needs to reset from food and absorb essential minerals and nutrients in a way which is gentle to our systems and can eliminate bad toxins. I felt I needed this therefore thought I would try a juice cleanse.  These usually consist of 1, 3 or 5 days and I opted for the three day one as I am a beginner to this but was also looking for a challenge!

Picture from www.fuel-station.co.uk

There are a variety of juice cleanses and companies on the market which offer packages.  Many are pricey and not all deliver nationwide.  I decided to try the Fuel Station juice cleanse as it was recommended by a friend and also was reasonably priced for a first time try!

I ordered online & received a box of all my juices and instructions fairly quickly... meant there was no opting out to kick starting the cleanse fairly quickly! All juices are freshly squeezed vegetables & fruits, tailored to meet the times of days they are consumed and based on the human body's need during the course of the day.

The rules are very straightforward, the juices are clearly numbered 1 - 4 and in numerical order to be sipped throughout the day.  One to be taken when wake up and each three hours thereafter. No food is to be consumed throughout the juice cleanse for best results and plenty of water and hot water and lemon is recommended for results to be most effective.

I was hesitant at first, however I was left feeling energetic and not hungry at all as the juices are very filling.  I was not so keen on the taste of some and it was difficult to keep motivated however there was nothing to stop me continuing as I felt I didn't need the food but and I was focused.  Also I made sure to continually hydrate myself with lots of water!

Once the 3 day cleanse was over I felt full of energy, detoxed and my body felt like I did not want anything toxic or unhealthy to be put into it again!  I definitely felt I lost pounds & was not bloated at all.

Whilst the juice cleanse is good I would treat is as a good kickstart to a healthy diet and lifestyle or a good reset frequently, perhaps once a month for maximum benefits.  It is also vital to reintroduce the right types of foods slowly back into the body post cleanse.

I was impressed with Fuel Station's juice cleanse and would use them again.  I also read that the juices can also be frozen for future use if your juice cleanse does become interrupted for any reason which is also handy to know!

F & F

xx

The Garden - Hale (Cheshire)

When a good friend of mine suggested The Garden for a leisurely and super healthy lunch, I was keen to try it and i'm glad I did!

This quaint little cafe is set in the beautiful area of Hale on a road full of cute boutiques, cafes and restaurants. It's rather exciting to have an organic cafe serving earth friendly food in the north of the UK as most tend to be in the London area.

The cafe is light, spacious and airy set in neutral pastel shades and also has an outdoor seating area for those summer days! The menu was impressively extensive, making it very difficult to decide what to order as everything is guilt free!

To start, I ordered a cold pressed juice of coconut water, fresh aloe vera and fresh peppermint for a soothing juice which would help banish the bloat!

I then had the home made hummus with raw seed, black olive and sun-dried tomato cracker breads. This was presented very nicely on an au natural log of wood and was delicious!

I then had the kale and quinoa salad with a fillet of poached salmon topped with sprouts.

The desert menu looked to good to miss so to finish I ordered an almond milk cappuccino together with a berry crumble, a delicious warm comforting berry compote topped with an oat and seed crumble served with a non dairy coconut ice cream! This was amazing and has to be one of the best guilt free deserts I have tried!

To top it all off, there was a great selection of healthy snacks and treats to buy which was too good to resist!

I can't wait to visit again!

F & F

xx

Bob Bob Ricard - London

If your looking for a special place to dine in central London, then look no further than Bob Bob Ricard, which offers luxury Russian and English classic dishes.

This art deco inspired restaurant in the Soho district is the perfect place for a birthday, anniversary or just a special get together with family/friends.

The glamorous decor, dim lights and individual booths as you enter makes this a very intimate setting. Think Gatsby! Chandeliers, crystal glasses and lots of gold!

For dinner I ordered the Hand - Rolled Pasta with Mushroom & Truffle, with a side of fries.  This dish was perfectly done and so delicious.

Then for dessert the Eton Mess En Perle - which was toooo pretty to destroy! The beautiful pink ball was full of goodness - lime meringue, strawberry sorbet, raspberry, marshmallows & cream! I'm not even a huge fan of meringue but this was a winner!

The evening was rounded of with a nice fresh mint tea... perfect!

F & F

xx

Anantara Dubai, The Palm Resort & Spa

I recently went on a quick stay-cation in Dubai, to the Anantara Dubai, The Palm Resort & Spa on The Palm.

My stay was enough to sample the facilities, enjoy the food & energise the mind and body.

The drive to the resort is lovely, as it's The Palm and at the very end of the right hand side of the crescent, you drive past The Atlantis and get great views of The Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Marina.

As soon as you enter, the whole resort is beautiful and you feel like you have been transported to Thailand.

I stayed in a water villa which was beautiful, a huge room with a double bed with views of the waters and the Dubai Marina. It also had its own private terrace with sun beds.

The bathroom was also big in size, with a bath, shower and an adjoining open closet area.  I also loved that they use one of my favourite brands here, L'Occitane!

The best feature had to be the glass under the coffee table where you can see the water below. It was pretty cool! (I won't lie I was a bit nervous walking over it the first time!)

In the afternoon I had lunch near the pool, at their restaurant called The Beach House. The food here was amazing, I have never seen that much calamari in my life!

Although I couldn't fit in a treatment that evening, I did go and check out the steam/sauna facilities... and I am so glad I did! They were the best I have experienced in Dubai so far. They had so many different types of steam rooms (the salt inhalation room, the crystal & gemstone steam room and the dry herbal sauna), they were all so relaxing.

I did have a restaurant reservation at their Thai restaurant Mekong later that evening but I opted for room service instead! Whoops!

F & F

xx

Babaji Pide Salonu - London

Alan Yau - a name in the Restaurant industry you should know of if you already don't! He is the brainchild behind some of the most well known food places like Wagamama and Hakkasan.

Very recently the London based Restaurateur has opened Babaji Pide Salonu - a Turkish pizza restaurant!

The restaurant is tucked away in the heart of Piccadilly Circus.

As soon as you walk in the eye catching feature is of course is the huge wood fire oven which is the focal point, and from where the hot Pide (Pizza) is made.

I've heard the wait time can be long, especially at weekends but fortunately for me we were seated upon arrival. Oh and another thing, they do not currently take reservations.

Starters are served tapas style so we dived in with the garlic/cucumber yogurt, shrimps with tomatoes/red pepper and finally the chili flake calamari. The dishes were light and full of flavor.

Our choice of pide was the spinach and egg version.  This came piping hot from the clay oven, cut into neat pieces which made it handy to eat.

Having enjoyed a taste of Istanbul, we finished with a cup of traditional Turkish tea, impressed with the decor and ottoman inspired crockery.

F & F

xx

Green Tea - The Benefits!

We have been sipping on green tea for many many years without even fully appreciating the benefits!

Many people dislike the taste of green tea, however we prefer green tea with jasmine for a more delicate floral taste.

There are many other blends and flavours on the market, which means there is something to suit everyone! (even salted caramel!)

Aside from the taste and warming up the soul on a grey day, below are some further benefits of green tea:


1. Powerful Antioxidants - these play a role in anti aging as it helps with wrinkles and also lowers the risk of various types of cancer.  Green tea also contains anti inflammatory properties which is also great for the skin.

2. Less Caffeine - means green tea keeps you awake without the feeling of being jittery when excess caffeine is consumed.  But it has enough caffeine to make an effect & improve brain function.

3. Increases Fat Burning & Physical Performance - known to be the most effective natural fat burner as it increases metabolism.

4. Dental Health - green tea can improve dental health and lower the risk of bacteria and infections. It can also help prevent cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

5. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels - high insulin spikes which result to fat storage are reduced.


You can also try adding other healthy ingredients to green tea such as fresh lemon or ginger.

Green tea can be consumed as little as 1-2 cups a day to 5 cups or more. It is important to note however it still contains caffeine therefore you may wish to limit your cups if you are trying to reduce your caffeine levels. Alternatively opt for decaffinated green tea!

Some of our favourites include:

• Jing Tea - Jasmine Pearls
• Whittard - Green Jasmine 
• Twining - Long Jing or Simply Sencha
• Heath & Heather - Green Tea Jasmine

With all of these benefits you'll wonder why you would drink anything else!

Sip away!

F & F

xx