Juice Detox!

I've been thinking for sometime that I was in need of a juice detox. Since I was back in Singapore and had less commitments such as uni and work, I decided that I could have more time to do a juice detox. And I did one! I didn't experience any strong detox symptoms as I already did once detox in Brazil over a weekend- so 3 days. Also, I didn't experience symptoms like hunger pangs or fatigue. I really believe that my constant consumption of green smoothies and raw juices have really gotten my body accustomed to consuming less calories and even less food on some days. On my juice detox, I was not really craving food as long as I sipped juice throughout the day. I would drink about 3 litres of juice each day with 3 types of juices, 1 litre each. Below is the breakdown of what juices I drank when:

Day 1

Morning: beet, carrots, apple and celery, cucumber
Lunch: Pineapple and orange (my fav)
Dinner: Watermelon

Day 2:

This was watermelon day so I drank blended watermelon and lime throughout the day and also had cut watermelon for lunch. Once again, this was heaven for me because cold watermelon lime juice (i drank it with the pulp since it was blended) is heaven in a hot country like Singapore. This recipe is so sweet and refreshing, its so easy to only drink this for a day!

Day 3:

Morning: A wheatgrass shot (my first in a long time)
Lunch: Pineapple juice blended with papaya
Dinner: Beet, carrot and apple juice
I also ate half a papaya as a snack as I had some papaya that would go bad if it was not eaten

I didn't really have much creativity for the recipes as it was an impulse decision to go on a detox. I did not have much coming up in the next few days and thought it would be a good time detox on juice.

I decided to do a watermelon day on the 2nd day because watermelon flushes the liver and the kidneys and this would help facilitate the body in a detox. The liver would be able to get rid of the toxins already stored and detox the body better. I think a 3 day watermelon detox would be good to help clean the liver and allow it to function better. Could be an idea for a future detox weekend..

Now on to something not as pleasant. The wheatgrass shot. What can I say ? Wheatgrass is...horrible.. tasting! It is amazing for your body but we can escape from the fact that it does not taste any good! I had to drink water right after my shot as I could not take the smell and taste of wheatgrass. I then felt nauseous and just.. weird and this could be that it is so detoxing. I think I drank too much wheatgrass for the first time since I juiced about 150g of wheatgrass..So the way would be to start with 1 ounce and then increase it as you become more accustomed to it's taste and effect on your body.

All in all, I do not have plans to do another juice detox soon. I will be increasing my consumption of green smoothies. So far I have about 1 litre in the morning for breakfast and then I proceed to have my juice.  I think I would also include more herbs in my green smoothies. I am really excited to imcld parsley because I heard it cleans your body and prevents bacterial growth. Also, since I back to the magnificent tropical land- Singapore, it is time to take then chance and include fresh turmeric in my juice. I will definitely start including ginger, turmeric and lemon in my juice just to give that extra detoxifying boost to my juices and my body!

So thats all I have for my detox post folks!

I have been listening to some pretty amazing songs lately and such music makes me so happy! Links are :
Novo Amor by Henri Pfr
Lost and Found by Odesza

Both were discovered from Mimi Ikonn's videos! Happy listening :)

xx

Vegan Sandwich Adventures -

Once again, I came across this recipe by chance. I was at the supermarket and decided that I would have guacamole for dinner with some chopped vegetables. Then, I came across some real good bread from the Swiss bakery in Singapore and thought, why don't I just put everything together into a kick-ass sandwich, and boy that sandwich was kick-ass. I combined a lot of what I had in the kitchen and got this amazing sandwich which I have had 3 consecutive days for dinner! -it's that delicious !

Here's the recipe:

Vegan Guacamole Sandwich

2 slices of bread( per serving)
1 medium ripe avocado, mashed
handful of cilantro
pomegranate seeds( I used from half a pomegranate)
lime juice from 3 small limes
pinch of salt, I used himalayan salt

For the toppings you need
A tomato sliced, or cherry tomatoes would be amazing in this
Sliced cucumbers
Sprouts- I used sunflower sprouts
Any other vegetables you like

Mix all the ingredients with the mashed avocado. You can add other spices such a paprika or cayenne if you like it hot.

Doesn't the guacamole look so pretty with the red pomegranate seeds?


I like to toast the bread and rub some garlic on it. Then I spread the guacamole. Next, I add the organic cos lettuce, chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and sprouts. Aaand there you go, a sandwich meant to be devoured!

Here is what the sandwich looks like all layered with the different ingredients.

I have another recipe only mind with red pepper hummus or just regular hummus. I'm still trying to create this one and I already know that it's gonna taste so good. Who says vegan food or rather vegan sandwiches aren't any good, huh ?

I have eaten this so many times this week, I can't even keep track!

A normal summer Monday in Fortaleza and my vegan meal plan

I had an appointment today to do my hair and it turned out all well. I have much lighter hair now and surprisingly, it complements my skin tone really well. I am really proud with myself since I strongly refused the tiniest urges within me to eat fast-food in uni. There are the days when Brazilian fast-food seem so tempting and delicious after a tiresome class. But today. No. Despite a friend devouring a huge Cheese Egg Bacon burger in front of me, I was pretty determined to get home and eat my latest addiction. Honestly, its a pretty good addiction considering that its vegan and all healthy. So its just brown rice with carioca beans.  Its been about 2 weeks and i'm still in love with it.

Before that, I had about 600ml of fresh squeezed orange juice and then about 5 medium bananas with passionfruit pulp. Happy to say, i'm addicted to these as well. I can't live without orange juice. It's my version of coffee. Nothing better to any morning then gulping down fresh vitamin rich juice, feeling all healthy and having a right start to the day. I then had brown rice with Carioca beans. This is a typical brazilian dish and I love it ! It's also vegan and gluten free so thats a plus.

xx

All the way from the other side of the world

Oi from Brasil !

So, I Have made the big move to.... BRAZIL!! I moved here in the beginning of August for a year from Germany. I will be spending an amazing life-chainging year here in Fortaleza, Ceara. I have been so stoked for Brazil since it is tropical and this just makes be a million times easier to eat he way I like- and that is of course with an abundance of raw fruits and vegetables because what could be better.. right ? It's amazing the amount of fruit Brazil has and large variety of it. It is also much cheaper here than in Germany. It's also cheaper than Singapore so i'm gonna make the most out my year stuffing my face with delicious, delicious fruit.

I am going to be posting much more often now since it has finally dawned to me that I should use this experience to do what I have always wanted to do- write about my passion. Time flies like it always does and 2 months have come and gone by. It's October and though I think about autumn and winter so much, it ain't coming, not here at least. The Northeast part of the Brazil has 365 days of summer- I've just gotten too used to Brazil since a Singapore girl should feel right at home in this never ending heat right ?

I will be doing a month of serious dietary changes and that means a green smoothies everyday- to complement my commitment to the Simple Green Smoothie Challenge and also I will be combining this with Freelee's Raw Till 4 and tons of fresh detoxifying juice. Its also going to be the month I finally get back in the gym- come on SQUATS, I have been waiting too long! This may all seem like too much, but no- some challenge won't hurt. After all you know what they say, no pain, go gain ;)

Also, I have fallen in love, yes , fallen in love, with Sam Smith's amazing songs so here's the playlist.
https://soundcloud.com/samsmithworld

Till tomorrow xx

Daily Beauty Regime

I've been wanting to write on this for some time since I have seen an increasing number of articles on how people switch from using regular face wash to natural D-I-Y options. I have been using 2 ways to wash my face:


Raw Honey

 I started to wash my face with raw honey 2 years ago and I never looked backed :D I soon noticed that my skin started glowing and generally looked much better. Over time, my skin looked good enough for me to not need to wear foundation and even when I moved the winter, my skin remained soft and glowing without moisturiser (y).

Oil Cleanse

This is my current favourite.Its done with pure castor oil and raw honey.

First, I apply castor oil to my whole face and then followed by the raw honey and a little of water. When raw honey comes into contact with water, it becomes a humectant and works better. Then, the best part, apply a steamed towel on the face (I soak mine in really warm water). I do this several times since I just love it :D I also use the towel to massage my face to remove any dirt/oil. The steamed towel helps open pores and allows the castor oil work to much better by pulling out more dirt/toxins. The origin of castor oil has been debated about a lot since many sources are known to be not safe and hence it's better to use pure, organic, cold-pressed castor oil, which can be found on amazon. This castor oil cleanse has made my skin really glowy and prevents and cures acne really quick.

Since, I have only positive experiences with using home made recipes an alternative to commercial face wash, I would highly recommend it. It's worth sticking to regime for at least 1 week to see obvious results.

As for using makeup, castor oil  and other oils such as Pure Coconut oil remove makeup totally and thats a plus point too as you won't have unnoticed leftover makeup on your face.

Weekly Mask:
Raw Honey and Pure Himalayan Sea Salt scrub

I just read about the healing benefits of Himalayan Sea Salt and how it contains many minerals. I then proceeded to do what I always do, and that is to try out the recipe. I first applied raw honey onto my face. I then took half a teaspoon of the salt and dabbed it all over my face and massaged my face. I apply the salt after the honey as I fine it easier then combing the 2 products first. I left the mask on of ragout 10  minutes and then washed my face. Results were pretty good since my face wash really smooth and looked brighter. I have only used this mask once and will only do so once a week as its still really cold here in Germany and I wouldn't recommend more uses as salt can be really drying.

So thats all I had to say today :D I will do a post on ice cream and how it can be made raw and healthy :D Its funny that its really cold outside and I, for some absurd reason, have been craving it for a few days now. I bought an Organic Mango Passion Fruit frozen yoghurt from Vitalia today but I am determined to make my own :D


Till then <3

Life Hacks the Healthy way

So I am back from a major, long hiatus. What have I been doing? Almost everything ;) Being the  usual university student in Germany, travelling, learning,growing(the right way ;) ) eating - healthier as the days go by and just.being.me .

I have come up with a few great Life Hacks since I have spotted so many editions sporadically appearing on my social new feed. I developed these entirely from my experience and trial and error. I must say I'm pretty pleased with these..So now getting on to the point, the first one and the one I'm the most happy about is shampoo. These are all about food and beauty in case you are looking for something else..

Citrus Castille Soap and Coconut Oil Shampoo

I have been for about a year now experimenting with using more natural and even raw shampoos. Unfortunately and everything turning out the unfortunate way, many of the products I tried were pretty much not up to my expectations. I first switched to using organic and more natural brands like Logona, Sante and John Master's Organics. Though they did improve the condition of my hair(not that it was that bad to begin with) , it was really hard to upkeep using such products especially since they were kinda pricey and thats not something you wanna deal with while at university. I also went on and ordered the starter kit of Morroco Method's( raw and vegan) products. I believe these products are good and do not contain any harmful ingredients but I suspect they need to be used for several months in order to see results.. At least that was in my case. I ended up hang hair that felt not clean and buildup :/ I then read several blogs and discovered the hype about Castille soap and coconut oil shampoo. And since then, my life has never been better ;) ..I released since the first use, that this recipe would be a keeper because this shampoo foams up  without the addition of nasty chemicals and leaves hair clean, moisturised and just really nice. I don't even use a conditioner since raw coconut oil is really moisturising and good for your hair.

Recipe:
1 tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's liquid castle soap
1/2 teaspoon of raw virgin coconut oil

Mix the 2 ingredients just before you need it - it takes a minute and there you go! Quality shampoo without spending a much money and time :)

The ratio between the 2 ingredients can be change depending on how moisturising you want your shampoo to be. I tried 1:1 but it left my hair a little oily and the above mentioned combination works perfectly for my hair. After drying my hair, I just use a tiny bit of the raw coconut oil on my hair to keep it moisturised and shiny especially in the cold.


Castor Oil Face Mask

I am just so impressed with this mask. I saw it in one of the video's of Cloudyapples( a beauty blogger on Youtube) and decided to go ahead and try it. It's quick and works wonders and the best part, you don't have to remove your makeup before applying it.

Just rub some castor oil onto your face and above it rub on some raw honey( what I use) or coconut oil. The purpose of the latter ingredient, is to prevent your skin from drying out since Castor Oil is very efficient in pulling out dirt from your skin. After that just put a steaming towel on your face ..you can repeat this for 2 o 3 times.And also rub off the oil with this towel and you'll have a clean face..better that many conventional cleansers in the market. This aids the castor oil in pulling out toxins from your pores.

I have been extremely pleased with the results since..int he morning I notice that my skin is really bring and that any acne has been reduced and by the second use, they are usually totally gone.

Stuff needed
Castor Oil(pure preferred)
Raw Honey/Coconut oil/any other preferred cold pressed oil

Steaming small towel( by wetting it in warm water)

I use this mask every other day ..you can use it everyday(depending on your skin's condition).


Raw Chocolate

I am always craving chocolate and every other person or basically everyone knows too much of chocolate isn't good for you especially if its laden with diary,gluten and artificial sweeteners and chemicals.

So what do you do ? Go make some raw chocolate and be happy & healthy.

Here's how amazingly simple it is. Mix some raw coconut oil and raw cacao( antioxidants and this helps release the happy chemicals in your body)  in a bowl. Raw coconut oil liquifies above 20-30 degrees so it best to maybe keep the jar in the cupboard if you live in a cold climate. You can add a sweetener of you choice say agave nectar/ raw honey or some goji berries ..basically anything to your pleasure.. Now you can pour the mixture into small cupcake trays( I prefer the silicone ones) and just pop them in the freezer and andddd guess what ? Healthy chocolate in minutes and the great thing is ? You can eat to your heart's content and not have a single worry about putting on weight and what not...


Raw body moisturiser

One thing. Raw coconut oil. You can rub this on your body/hair /face as a moisturiser an it it works wonders and doesn't require a late amount which means a jar of this stuff will go a long long way and you'll keep your wallet happy. Whats not to love ;)

Raw Honey Face Wash

I love this stuff. I use raw honey as a face wash and I add some raw sugar to it and sometimes even some lemon juice since lemon juice is a really go exfoliator. I have noticed that this face was has made my skin bright and I don't need to wear makeup daily( especially foundation) in order to beat dull skin. I usually just leave the house with some raw coconut oil on my face and maybe something on the lips. Pretty easy isn't it.. And it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare it. You can store it in a little jar for 2 to 3 days.. I wouldn't suggest longer though since its better to have everything fresh

Ingredients

1 teaspoon raw honey
1 teaspoon raw sugar
Juice from half a lemon

Mix it all up. You can add more sugar if you want a thicker consistency and this brightens and exfoliates your skin. Raw honey when combined with water is a humectant which means it locks in moisture and it also is antibacterial...which does wonder for acne-prone skin.

Thats basically it. I would definitely add more to the list if I do find more convenient ways. Now back to studying and eating some awesome chocolate ;)


Oh and an amazing mix I chanced upon on 8tracks. Great for studying and generally feeling happy & calm.