Eating the right way on holiday

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Big breakfast buffets, all-inclusive cocktails and free after dinner chocolates and liquors are par for the course when you are on holiday, but if you go full speed ahead and fill your boots every night, your jeans might not be quite so happy when you get home.

Yes, holidays are all about relaxing and having fun, but if you go all out on the cheese boards and local wines when you are away, all that hard work spent in the gym and cooking from scratch the rest of the year will be wasted.

It’s not about being a kill joy and missing out on the good things but rather going for the healthier options and having the odd treat here and there so you get the balance right.

We have some easy to follow tips that will mean you enjoy all there is to offer without having hangovers all holiday and muffin top when you get back.

One great thing to is pack snacks for your trip. It is easy to overdo it on crisps and chocolate but if you have bags of nuts and boxes of dried fruit as well as energy bars, we love the new Deliciously Ella ones, then you will be less tempted to eat empty calories.

If you have a buffet at your hotel, look at the salad and fruit options and always start you day with a decent protein based breakfast that will keep you full and balance your blood sugar levels.

When you eat out, look for restaurants that are busy, offer local food, fresh fish and have a vegetarian option – if you search a little you will be surprised at what gems you find.

When it comes to menus, start off with deciding about a decent serving of protein. Go for grilled chicken or fresh seafood and you can then add local salads and vegetables to balance out your meal.

Chips are always up for grabs but think about which carbs you go for, especially if you are away for a couple of weeks. Rice, quinoa (ask about this if you can’t see it on them menu), baked or sweet potatoes are all good options and if you can’t find anything other than the deep-fried stuff, a lettuce wrap for a burger can be a great option too.

We know we need some fat in our diets so drizzle olive oil on salads, add avocado to your eggs and make sure you have some nuts on your cereal.

Cakes and pastries are all there for the taking when it comes to deserts but make the most of luscious fruits and cooling sorbets if you do have a sweet tooth.

Drink plenty of water (go easy on the ice depending where you are visiting) and keep a bottle with you at all times and this will keep you feeling healthy and hydrated. While you might be less partial to a coffee or cup of tea when you are away, the temptation to have an early G&T or glass of wine can really win when you are on holiday. We aren’t saying don’t drink, you are on holiday after all, but remember that alcohol adds calories and makes you hungrier and those beach hangovers in the heat the next day are no fun.

Have a great holiday and enjoy finding some great places, and thing, to eat!

Team Pure Beauty

Get your clothes clean, whatever you throw at them

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14, 4, 4 months, 40, absorb, bleach, blood, blot, blotting, boiling water, bright red stain, brush, calm, chemicals, chocolate, clean, cloth, clothes, clothing, coffee, cold water, cool, create, dab, deodorant, distilled white vinegar, dry, excess, foundation, freeze, friend, grass, hairspray, kitchen paper, lifts, lipstick, liquid, litre, machine wash, make-up, material, melt, mild hand soap, mix, mud, nightmare, normal, nude tights, pain, paste, pink, products, Red wine, rinsing, salt, soak, stain, stained, sunshine, sweat, sweaty garments, teaspoon, texture, throw, tissue paper, wash, washing up liquid, water, wax, white shirt

Whether you are 4 months, 14 or 40, it is inevitable that your clothes will get stained and the worry will be it won’t come out in the wash.

Yes, you can go for bleach or products loaded with chemicals, but we are here to save the day when it comes to looking after your laundry the kinder way.

Blood – don’t freak out! Once you have dealt with the patient, soak the stained clothing in cold water before gently rubbing with mild hand soap before rinsing with cold water.

Chocolate – run the stain under cold water then rub with washing up liquid. Soak in cold water for 15 minutes then wash as normal and you will never know it had been there.

Coffee – rather than rubbing this stain, blot with a kitchen paper, then dab the area with distilled white vinegar before washing as normal.

Deodorant marks can be a nightmare but rub the stain with a pair of nude tights and the texture of the material will work wonders and leave nothing behind.

Grass – create a paste from your usual washing powder and a little water and dab onto the stain. Let it texture of the material for 15 minutes then put through a normal wash.

Ink – blotting the ink to remove any excess liquid is the first task here, then cover the stain with hairspray and then immediately put through the washing machine as normal.

Foundation can be a real pain when you see if on a white shirt, but rub a little washing-up liquid into the stain then wash on a hot cycle and you will never know any make-up had been worn.

Ketchup – dab the bright red stain with a clean cloth then cover with washing-up liquid followed by distilled white vinegar. Soak the item in cold water for half an hour, then dry, ideally in the sunshine, and wash as normal.

Lipstick- your friend for this stain is hairspray. Spray generously onto the stain and leave for 15 minutes. Go back and blot the area with a clean cloth soaked in warm water, then put in the wash as normal….and be more careful next time!

Mud needs to dry before you can brush it off. Soak the piece of clothing in cool water with half a teaspoon of washing-up liquid and a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar.

Oil is best dealt with by keeping calm and rubbing with a mix of washing-up liquid and water. Then simply rinse in cool water and machine washing as normal.

Red wine – no need to throw that shirt away, simply cover the stain in salt and brush away after ten minutes and pink. Then pour boiling water onto the stain, carefully of course, and allow to sit until the stain lifts.

Sweat – add four large tablespoons of salt into a litre of cold water and soak the sweaty garments for 30 minutes. Rinse and leave to dry before then putting through cool machine wash.

The best way to deal with wax is to freeze the clothing to harden the wax, then scrape it away with a teaspoon. You can then cover the affected area with tissue paper and iron it to melt the remaining wax on to the tissue and wash on a cool setting.

Got any great ideas, let us know, we are all ears.

Team Pure Beauty

Life is easier with happy hacks

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#embracehappy, anti-fungal, bacteria, bed, bottom, brush your teeth, buffet, bus, busy, cleanses, clothes, cold tap, Commuting, crisps, damage, detoxification, digestion, easy, end of the month, eye strain, gummy sweets, hard earned cash, head, health hacks, hot, immune boosting, irritation, jeans, kettle, love, lukewarm, M&Ms, meditate, party, Pinterest, read, spinning, stomach, teeth whitening products, train, water, yoga

In a world that is super-busy, never has it been so important to take care of ourselves been so important, but this isn’t always easy.

You might think that not removing your make-up or skipping that dentist appointment might not matter, but overtime these little blips add up and could actually be more damaging that you thought.

We have put together some really easy health and wellbeing hacks that won’t eat into your day but will make a big difference to your life in the long run.

While many of us reach for the caffeine first thing, a mug of lukewarm water with lemon and cayenne pepper (we know) is way better. This creative combo wakes up your organs and both lemon juice and cayenne pepper have anti-fungal, immune boosting, detoxification properties that you will love more than the taste. Lemon juice also naturally helps with digestion and drives away bacteria and cleanses the system. What are you waiting for, put the kettle on.

We know that snacks like crisps, M&Ms and gummy sweets aren’t good for us but it is better to have a few rather than the whole lot. Why not put small portion into plastic bags and keep ONE in your desk drawer to curb that 4 p.m. craving?

The 5/7 diet is pretty popular and can be effective, but do you know about the 20/20/20 rule? If you stare at a computer all day and want to reduce eye strain and irritation, take 20 seconds to look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes. Go on, we dare you.

The buffet at a party can be a real draw, especially after a drink or two. To stop the damage to your waistline before it starts, eat a plate of raw veggies before you leave the house to give your stomach a head start and allow yourself to feel fuller for longer.

If you are an habitual class dodger, book your yoga or spinning session in advance. The thought of being charged and wasting your hard-earned cash could be enough to make you get up and go.

Looking for inspiration for changing your home? Don’t splurge on magazines which will be out of date by the end of the month, instead make Pinterest your friend…you won’t regret it.

Commuting by bus or train needn’t be a headache. Use this time to meditate, do an online shop, read or catch up on emails.

If you want a few extra minutes in bed, layout your clothes the night before. From pants and socks to jeans and glasses, get your look sorted before you go to sleep and life becomes instantly easier.

Feeling hot? Run your wrists under the cold tap for a minute and you will soon start to cool down.

We are constantly seeing scary stories about teeth whitening products so why not take away the risk and use banana peel instead? You have read right, banana peel can whiten your teeth! Take some peel and rub it around your top and bottom teeth for around a minute, and leave it on your teeth for a further 10 minutes. Then, brush your teeth and after doing this a couple of times a week, you will start to see a shiny difference.

Put a motivational meme on your phone and computer, it will work, #embracehappy

Got a hack you love, let us know so we can put it to the test.

Team Pure-Beauty

Three ways with turkey

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bird, Boxing Day, breadcrumbs, buffet, casserole, chopped tomatoes, cloves of garlic, copped and diced, curry paste, egg whites, film, fizz, garlic, glass of white wine, mango chutney, mayo, mixed herbs, naan bread, new potatoes, olive oil, one pot wonder, onion, peeled and crushed, rice, root vegetables, round patties, salt and pepper, seasoning, strong plain flour, sweet potato, turkey, turkey burgers, Turkey curry, two thick slices of bread, water, Worcestershire sauce, wrapping paper

The crackers have been pulled, the hats have been worn, the fizz has been drunk and the wrapping paper is in the recycling box.

What’s left of Christmas is a lot of memories, a few sore heads, some great photos and of course, turkey.

Rather than throwing your bird out with the bottles and soggy sprouts, we have put together three easy to cook, delicious recipes that will have you realising that turkey isn’t just for Christmas after all!

First of all, on Christmas day don’t let the meat sit around all day uncovered, put it in the fridge once cool and eat within two days of cooking. We would suggest putting wrapped meat on the middle shelf away from raw meat and fish. You can freeze meat and if you do so wrap it carefully, ideally in a sealed container, and date it.

Once you are feeling hungry again and are ready to cook, turkey burgers are a good place to start. You will need to mince your turkey for this recipe, but we promise that the effort is so worth it. For around ten burgers, you will need:

• 1.5kg minced turkey
• 30g breadcrumbs, we like fresh ones
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 organic egg whites, lightly beaten
• A small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• Salt and pepper to season

To serve

• Burger buns
• Sliced beef tomatoes
• Cheese
• Ketchup and relish

Mince the turkey then place into a large bow. Mix the mix with the breadcrumbs, onion, egg whites and parsley and season with the garlic, salt and pepper. Form the dough into round patties then either grill or cook over a medium in a frying pan. Once well cooked, put into buns, garnish and enjoy.

A winter winner is a casserole and turkey is perfect for this one pot wonder.

You will need:

• Your leftover turkey, chopped and diced
• A selection of root vegetables, copped and diced
• 1 large onion
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of mixed herbs
• 2 tablespoons of strong plain flour
• 500 ml of stock – vegetable or chicken
• A splash of Worcestershire sauce
• Dumplings – frozen, pre-made are pretty good

Fry the onion until they softens in a deep pan, then stir in the herbs, flour, Worcestershire sauce and stock. Boil the veg and then add these and the turkey and stir well so all the flour is dispersed. Cover the pot and gently simmer for around 30 minutes until the turkey is piping hot. Enjoy with sweet potatoes or jackets and a glass of white wine.

Turkey curry tastes great and can be welcome addition to any Boxing Day buffet or New Year celebration if you froze your meat.

You will need

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 large, red onion
• 1 green pepper, diced and deseeded
• 2 tablespoons of curry paste – choose the strength that is right for you and your guests
• 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 400g can of chopped tomatoes
• 150ml of water
• Leftover turkey, chopped
• Cooked, new potatoes, peeled and diced
• I packet of coriander, we like fresh
• Rice, naan bread and mango chutney to serve

With your ingredients prepared, heat the oil in a pan over a high heat. Cook the onion and pepper until starting they are softening and turning light brown. Slowly stir in the curry paste and garlic and cook for another five minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and the water, bring to the boil and allow to bubble for ten minutes. Next turn the heat down, stir in the turkey and potatoes and cook for another five minutes adding more seasoning as needed.

Scatter with coriander, serve and make sure you have a glass of water ready.

Of course, you could just put the meat between two thick slices of bread, add mayo and enjoy in front of a good film and the fire.

Team Pure Beauty

Kick off Christmas with cocktails

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Absolut, Amaretto Fizz, bubbly, Christmas, cocktail party, cocktails, creme de cocoa, Disaronno, drink responsibly, ginger wine, girls, glass bowl, home, ice, kiwi fruit, lime, non-alcoholic, orange juice, party, pineapple chunks, Pure Beauty, Secret Santa, smile, smooth, stem ginger, strawberries, sugar frosting, twist, vanilla vodka, vodka and tonic, water, Winter Wonderland Delight

With the big day getting closer by the hour, isn’t it time you started to wind down and enjoy a little Christmas cheer?

Forget going to the pub and waiting hours to be served a warm pint of beer or weak vodka and tonic, instead why not throw at cocktail party at home?

Set a date, organise a Secret Santa and get the girls round for drinks and and festive fun.

We have put together some super-easy, great tasting drinks we think you will love.

Christmas just isn’t Christmas without a Christmas Cosmo. This is the height of sophistication and we have added a little extra zing. You will need:

• A bottle of good quality vodka
• A bottle of ginger wine
• 1 litre of cranberry juice
• 5 limes
• Lime zest and stem ginger to garnish
• Ice to serve
• Cocktail glasses with sugar frosting

Mix the vodka and ginger wine in a chilled jug.

Add the cranberry juice and then the lime juice.

Garnish the glasses with ice, lime zest and stem ginger.

Pour, sip, repeat.

The Winter Wonderland Delight is a cool, smooth drink that is easy to make, easy to drink, easy to remake….what’s not to like?

You will need:

• 1 oz of cream of coconut
• A double serving of vanilla vodka – we will like Absolut
• 1½ oz creme de cocoa
• Lots of ice

First of all crush the ice in a blender, then add the cream of coconut, vanilla vodka and creme de cocoa. Give the blender a five second blast.

Shake until well.

Strain into glasses and enjoy.

If you are looking for something bubbly with a twist, look not further the Amaretto Fizz.

You will need:

• A small bottle of amaretto-flavored liqueur like Disaronno
• 1 litre of fresh orange juice – we prefer smooth
• 2 bottles of prosecco or champagne
• Strips of fresh orange zest
• Ice

First of all chill the glasses as this drink is best served cold, very cold.

Then mix together the Disaronno, orange juice and sparkling wine in a jug. Add orange zest to each glass, and some ice, then pour and put this Pure-Beauty favourite to the test.

It is a good idea not to leave anyone out, so have a bowl of non-alcoholic punch at the ready. We love this zesty, fizzy concoction as it tastes so amazing you mind missing out on the booze factor.

You will need:

• A small box of strawberries
• 1kiwi fruit chopped and peeled
• 1 tin of chilled pineapple chunks
• One bottle of sparkling apple juice
• One bottle of tropical fruit juice
• One bottle of sparking mineral water
• Ice

Put the strawberries, kiwi fruit and pineapple chunks into a large, glass bowl. Then added equal amounts of chilled sparkling apple juice, chilled tropical fruit juice and chilled mineral water. Serve with chilled glasses with ice and smile.

Remember to drink responsibly, eat as well as quaffing and have a glass of water between cocktails.

Happy Christmas.

Team Pure-Beauty