Smoothies That Will Make You Smile

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Whether they are part of your breakfast, a mid-morning snack or post workout boost, smoothies are a brilliant way to get vital vitamins and minerals into your body, and reach that five a day. They can be eaten at home, in the office, at the gym or even on the go, and are way better than grabbing a sugary energy drink or bar of chocolate when hunger strikes.

You don’t need fancy equipment or special powders to make a great smooth, and we have put together some recipes that prove this point.

The Tropical Treat
If you kick your day off with this fruity blend of passion fruit, mango, orange and banana, not only will you be on top of your five a day, but you’ll get a blast of vitamin C, too.

You will need:
3 passion fruits
1 banana, peeled and sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 small mango, peeled, stoned and chopped (you can use frozen pieces too)
1 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
300ml of orange juice
Ice cubes

Scoop the passion fruit pulp into your blender, then add the chopped banana, mango and orange juice, blend with the ice cubes until smooth and drink immediately.

Go Green
This gorgeous green smoothie is great for breakfast on the go and also makes a great mid-morning pick me up.

You will need
1 banana, peeled and sliced
200g of fresh or frozen spinach, washed if fresh
1 handful of green grapes
1 green apple, cored but with skin left on
10 cm of cucumber, sliced with skin left on
250ml of apple juice
1 lime
Ice cubes

To make:
Put the banana and spinach in a blender and pour in the apple juice together with the spinach, grapes and apple, then blitz.
Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice into the blender, then add the ice cubes and blitz all the mixture until smooth.

The Seed Smoothie
This is a great smoothie if you are hungry and while it takes a little preparation, it is so worth it.

You will need:
20g of cashew nuts
20g of blanched almonds
45g of mixed seeds
2 teaspoons of goji berries
1 banana, peeled and sliced
100g of raspberries and the same of strawberries
100g of blueberries
Water
A lemon
Ice cubes

To make:
The night before, put the cashews in a small bowl and pour over 100ml of cold water, then cover and leave to soak overnight.

In the morning, put the seeds and goji berries into the blender and blitz until you have a fine powder, then add the soaked cashews and almonds, then blitz again.

Next put in the raspberries, blueberries, strawberries as well as the banana in the blender, squeeze in half the juice of the lemon, plus the ice and blitz until smooth.

You can either drink straight away, or put in a flask and enjoy later.

Ginger and Orange Blitz
This is a really lovely smoothie with zing and warmth.

You will need:
A 2cm piece of fresh ginger
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 small mango, peeled, stoned and chopped (you can use frozen pieces too)
200ml of fresh orange juice
1 lime

To make:
Scrape the skin off the ginger, then finely grate into your blender and add in the carrot, mango and orange juice. Blitz, add the juice of the lime and the ice cubes, then blend until smooth and enjoy.

The Big Purple Smoothie
If you love your berries, you will love this smoothie which is perfect if you are peckish and don’t want to eat cake!

You will need:
1 cup of blueberries
1 cup of purple grapes
1 banana, peeled and sliced
8 strawberries, chop off the stalk
1 large banana, peeled and sliced
1 cup of almond or oat milk
2 teaspoons of honey
Ice cubes

To make:
Place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth and creamy. Pour into tall glasses and serve, or take with you to work in a vacuum cup.

Got a recipe you think we will like?

Send it over, we would love to try.

Team Pure Beauty

Feed your skin with superfoods from Elemis

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amazing, anti-oxidant and omega-rich Broccoli, antioxidants, avender, avocado, balance, Barley, beauty regime, blended, blog, bright, Broccoli, coconut water, complexion will look luminous, concentrated plant-based superfoods, cream, cucumber oil, daikon radish, easily absorbed cream, Elemis, Elemis Superfood Day Cream, Elemis Superfood Facial Oil, Elemis Superfood Facial Wash, Elemis Superfood Night Cream, essential fatty acids, face, facial wash, fall asleep, feel, flax seed, fresh, fuller, ginger, glow, goji berries, goodness, greasy, healthy, healthy diets, healthy salad, hydrates, IG feed, influence, kale, lant-based, look, magazine, massaging, match tea, natural barrier, natural sugar derived prebiotic, neck, Nettle, nourishes, nutrient-dense ingredients, nutrients, outdoor glow, pre-biotic, Pumpkin Seed Oils, quinoa, radiant, Relax, replenish, retain moisture, revives and refreshes, salads, scroll, shakes, shiny, sleep, smoothies, snooze, soft, soothe, spinach, sterols, summer, Superfood Skincare System, supple, Sweet Almond Milk, Vetivert Essential Oils, vitamins, vocado, Wheatgrass, winter, Ylang-Ylang, youthful glow

Turn the page of any magazine, read any lifestyle blog or scroll through pretty much any IG feed, and you are bound to come across someone, somewhere talking about the latest superfood that will make you look, and feel, amazing.

We are advised to add Avocado, Goji Berries, Nuts, Coconut Water and Spinach to smoothies, shakes and salads to give us the nutrients we need to glow and feel fuller, for longer.

We are all for healthy diets, but it is good to remember that what you put on your skin can also influence how good it looks and this is why we love the Superfood Skincare System from Elemis.

Made from a blend of plant-based, nutrient-dense ingredients, as well as a natural sugar derived prebiotic, these products can help to replenish your skin and feed it with the vital hydrating nourishment that creates a healthy, outdoor glow.

There are facial washes and then there is the Elemis Superfood Facial Wash. This gorgeous nourishing facial wash revives and refreshes the skin while deeply cleansing it, so it is left feeling fresh and soft. Just like a healthy salad, this product is made from Avocado, Broccoli and Pumpkin Seed Oils which all help to balance the skin’s precious microbiome. Wheatgrass, Kale, and Nettle have also been added to the mix and mean that your complexion will look luminous, bright and radiant.

The Elemis Superfood Day Cream combines Ginger and Matcha Tea which work together to leave your complexion looking healthy from the very first application. Goji Berries, which are super rich in vitamins, essential fatty acids and antioxidants, help protect the skin’s natural barrier from the elements, which is what you need in both summer and winter. The easily absorbed cream should be used after cleansing and your skin will feel soft and supple all day long.

You might not think an oil would work as part of your beauty regime, but believe us when we say you need the Elemis Superfood Facial Oil in your life. This blend of concentrated plant-based superfoods nourishes and hydrates the skin, but doesn’t leave it greasy or shiny. The goodness comes from anti-oxidant and omega-rich Broccoli, Flax Seed and Daikon Radish as well as Cucumber Oil, which all help to retain moisture and soothe the skin. Massaging just a couple drops of drops into your face and neck each morning, will soften and smooth the skin and leave it looking healthy and bright.

Superfoods don’t stop working when you sleep, so we would suggest using the Elemis Superfood Night Cream if you want to wake up with skin that has a fresh, youthful glow. A pre-biotic has been blended with Barley, Quinoa and Sweet Almond Milk so that your skin is nourished as you snooze. The cream is rich in the omegas and anti-oxidants that feed the skin and thanks to a blend of Lavender, Ylang Ylang and Vetivert Essential Oils being added to the mix, this cream also helps you to relax and fall asleep.

For more information, get in touch and we would love to find a superfood solution that is perfect for you.

Team Pure Beauty

Be berry-licous this summer

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acid berries, almond milk, almonds, amino fatty acids, anti-oxidents, B12, banana, berries, berry, beta-carotene, blue, bone building Vitamin K, boosts immune systems, cereal, Christmas, coconut water, cranberries, diet staple, dynamos, energy-boosting mineral, farmers market, fit and well, flavonoids, Fresh cranberries, fridge, goji berries, homemade ice cream, iron, kiwi, low in sugar and carbs, manganese, mango, natural goodness, natural infection-fighting super berries, old fashioned green grocers, phytochemical, pie, preserve, purple, red beauties, selenium, smoothie bar, South America, sugar heavy muffins, suggests, sunflower seeds, superfood hero, supermarket, traditional Chinese medicine, trees, urinary tract infections, vitamin B2, Vitamin C, yogurt, yummy superfood

Berries are here, there and everywhere. From the supermarket to the farmer’s market, the smoothie bar to the old-fashioned green grocers, those little nuggets of natural goodness are there for enjoying at every turn we take.

Given that there is so much choice out there, we are going to look at which berries might be best for you.

Blueberries
Long gone are the days when these berries were the preserve of sugar heavy muffins. These little blue (well, more purple) dynamos are full of the energy-boosting mineral, manganese, and bone building Vitamin K. Add a handful to salads and smoothies or sprinkle them on top of cereal and yogurt, and you will be glad you did.

Acia Berries
These tiny, dark purple berries grow on trees in South America and pack a punch when it comes to the amino fatty acids that keep us fit and strong and the Vitamin C that boosts immune systems. One of the easiest ways to enjoy this yummy superfood is to blend with other fruits such as banana, mango, kiwi as well as a little coconut water or almond milk and you will be set for the day.

Cranberries
While many people only get these bad boys out for Christmas, cranberries are natural infection-fighting super berries that need to be in the fridge all year round. Packed with flavonoids, they can help to lower the risk of urinary tract infections but are also a tasty way to keep fit and well. Fresh cranberries make a great addition to smoothies, jellies and homemade ice creams but you can also add the dried ones to your breakfast cereal and mix with almonds and sunflower seeds for an on the go snack.

Strawberries
These red beauties are a diet staple and for good reason. They contain Vitamin C and B12 as well as clever little phytochemicals and anti-oxidents which help us feel, and look good. Whether you slice them over ice cream, blend into a smoothie, add to a cheesecake or just eat them on their own after dinner, always add them to your weekly shop and enjoy whenever you can.

Blackberries
Blackberries might not be as sweet as other fruits, but they are just as good for you. Often found in hedgerows and gardens come September, the blackberry might be small but it is mighty in goodness and comes with plenty of Vitamin C, A and E was well as potassium and copper and is perfect in a pie or preserve.

Goji Berries
Dried goji berries, have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, but in more recent times have become a superfood hero in the Western world too. As well as being a good source of Vitamin C, they are also loaded with beta-carotene, iron, vitamin B2, selenium and can be added to pretty much anything from energy balls and salads to smoothies and wraps for an instant health boost.

Raspberries
While these are found in everything from shakes to smoothies, we bet you didn’t know that the humble raspberry is packed with fibre and are exceptionally low in sugar and carbs? They also contain copper, magnesium and Vitamin K so make sure you pick up a punnet the next time you are shopping.

Team Pure Beauty

Keep your sweet tooth at bay

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banana, cake, chopped banana, cinema, coconut flakes, cravings, cream cheese, cucumber, December, delicious, dried fruit, eat, five a day, frozen berries, fruit kebabs, goji berries, good quality dark chocolate, Greek yogurt, healthy, hummus, January, kiwi, low-fat, mango, melon, nuts, oats, organic, peanut butter, popcorn, portion sizes, Pumpkin and sunflower seeds, Pure Beauty, refreshing, seeds, sliced apple and pear, snack, spinach, sugar, time, trail mix, work

December is a time when we sit back, enjoy life and over indulge. Sugar is on pretty served on tap over the festive period and now many of us are looking to make some sensible, healthy swaps.

This said, you don’t have to live on water and dry crackers to get healthy but we have to tell you, the only way to kick a sugar habit is to cut right back.

This won’t be easy but over time your body will crave sugar less and you will feel so much better.

We have had a look at some delicious alternatives to sugary snacks and drinks that will keep your cravings for the white stuff at bay.

Porridge with sliced fruit isn’t just a brain boosting breakfast but can also be a filling snack. Keep a stash at work and you won’t be tempted to reach for that chocolate cake.

If you want a healthy snack with a naughty edge, go for rice cakes with peanut butter and chopped banana.

Popcorn can be a great, healthy treat. We aren’t talking about the mega buckets at the cinema but instead fresh popcorn made at home with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Give it a go; we think you will like it, a lot.

Organic oatcakes with hummus and slices of cucumber make a protein packed snack that will keep hunger locked up until lunchtime.

Bananas are great on cereal and smoothies but peel and chop ripe ones into bite-sized chunks and you have crunchy treats that are full of Vitamins B6 and C, potassium, and a serving of fibre too. Frozen grapes are pretty good too.

For an on the run snack that is as easy to make as it to eat, go for homemade trail mix. Throw together coconut flakes, dried fruit, goji berries, raw ruts and seeds and you have an instant, delicious snack that will keep you away from the vending machine. Just watch portion sizes.

Keep a stock of frozen berries in the freezer and add them to low-fat Greek yoghurt for an evening treat. This tastes great but it’s low in sugar and high in protein so will keep you fuller, for longer.

Chunks of melon, strawberries and grapes make tasty fruit kebabs and top up that all-important five a day quota.

Pumpkin and sunflower seeds with a handful of nuts are a cracking combination.

For a real taste bud tingle go for an ice-cold smoothie packed with mango, banana, kiwi, cucumber, spinach, a splash of coconut milk and a little lemongrass. Delicious and refreshing.

Low fat milk with a little honey can give you the sweet hit you need without blowing the plan out of the water.

For a sugar free savory winner, how about sliced apple and pear with a layer of low fat cream cheese?

If you are having a bad day and only chocolate will do, we will let you have a square or two of good quality dark chocolate, but don’t eat it all.

Got a winning combination? Let us know what healthy snacks work for you.

Team Pure-Beauty