Imbibery London: cold-pressed juice

Cold-pressed juice has quickly become the latest craze on the health scene, and drinking it is an ideal way to give your digestive system a rest and to flood your body with nutrients.

Eager to get in on this healthy fashion and try it for myself, I decided to read up on what the different juice brands have to offer, and settled for Imbibery London in the end as I have been following them on Instagram for a while and they have been recommended by so many healthy food bloggers who I love, such as Deliciously Ella. This London-based juice company was founded by two American best friends, Meryl and Lily, and all their juices are cold-pressed, raw and unpasteurised to ensure optimum nutritional benefits. 

As well as ordering a vast quantity of different flavoured juice online, I ordered two nut mylks and three "shots" (Turmeric Kick, Hot Shot, and 100% Pure Ginger). Imbibery offer so many different flavours of substantial juices to sip on, and personally, I found the taste of the juices very refreshing and I looked forward to each one. 

One of my favourite juices was the Green Juice (spinach, cucumber, celery, apple and lemon). Although it contains mostly vegetables and not much fruit, this juice tasted relatively sweet thanks to the apple, in comparison with many other green juices that I've tasted in the past, which have been much less enjoyable to drink.

I also really enjoyed the "Hot Shot" which contained ginger, lemon and cayenne pepper. This shot boosts your immune system as well as your metabolism, and I mixed it with warm water to make a tea that was bursting with health benefits.

The two mylks I chose were Mind Mylk and Cacao Mylk. Mind Mylk was specially formulated by Dr. Tara Swart, a neuroscientist who is passionate about health and wellbeing. It is made up of matcha, cucumber, cashew, chia seeds, coconut oil and date, which means that it is full of antioxidants, magnesium, Vitamin B, protein and omega 3 fatty acids. I found it absolutely delicious and I loved its rich and creamy consistency.

Above all, my favourite Imbibery drink would have to be the Cacao Mylk, which I was very much looking forward to trying since I have a super sweet tooth! This is a delicious combination of cashew, cacao, coconut oil, date, vanilla and Himalayan sea salt, and tasted like dessert in a bottle - almost like a chocolate milkshake! 

The wonderful thing about Imbibery is that their juice is not made exclusively for "cleansing", but is also encouraged to be consumed alongside a healthy diet - but if you choose to do a juice-cleanse, in which you only consume these and do not eat any other food, I suggest drinking several litres of water throughout the day - try infusing your H20 with a squeeze of lemon and slices of cucumber to make it more exciting!

After finishing each juice, I felt incredibly energised knowing how much nourishment my body was receiving. Whilst some people like to do a full cleanse every now and then, I have come to the conclusion that cold-pressed juice is the perfect complement to a balanced diet. It makes me feel invigorated, gives me glowing skin and boosts my energy levels!

I highly recommend Imbibery juice, whether it is for a cleanse or not. If you are interested, head over to their website: www.imbiberylondon.com, where you can find information on the cleanses, stockists and prices. 

How to cope with exam stress

Exam season = stress. Depending on how you react, this could mean sleepless nights, constant tiredness, anxiety attacks, poor appetite, emotional eating, headaches and negative mindsets.

Here are my top tips to help you cope with stress around this time of year.

1. Nutrition

Fuel your brain as well as your body. A balanced diet is the key to optimal cognitive functioning. 60% of your brain is fat, so be sure to consume lots of Omega 3's, such as avocado, salmon, nuts, flax seeds and chia seeds.

Protein contains amino acids, which are vital for brain functioning. Some of the best sources include meat, chicken, fish, lentils, beans, quinoa, oats, nuts and chickpeas.

Carbohydrates give you energy. Ideally go for wholegrains, pulses, fruit and vegetables - there's a reason marathon-runners are known to have a pre-race banana!

Vitamins and minerals are crucual, particularly iron, vitamin B and zinc for preventing tiredness, and can be obtained from kale, spinach, red meat and lentils.

In addition, beware that too much sugar and processed foods will make you feel tired and sick, cause energy highs and lows and even insomnia!

2. Hydration

The average human body is made up of well over 50% water, the brain being about 85% water! It is obvious that dehydration will severely impact your ability to focus. 

I start the day by drinking 1 litre of water, and  carry a bottle of water with me to sip on throughout the day, which I like to infuse with slices of lemon and cucumber for a refreshing taste. I also drink plenty of green tea and peppermint tea, but avoid coffee as too much caffeine can make me feel jittery. 

3. Exercise

When you're busy and stressed, it's understandable that you might not want to exercise - but nothing de-stresses the mind faster than physical activity, so try to find a way to build it into your timetable. Exercise is great for helping you concentrate and it's also a real mood booster, plus it makes you sleep better! Being stuck indoors all day is not fun, so go for a walk outdoors and soak up some vitamin D!

4. Socialising

You can't spend the entire month of exam season locked away in your room studying! Plan your breaks and give yourself some time off and enjoy life! Having that balance makes a real difference to your wellbeing and stops you feeling depressed and isolated. Why not combine revision with socialising? You could form study groups where you can share notes and motivate each other!

Keep things in perspective and stay positive - it is possible to survive exams and there is life after exams - just think how great summer is going to be!

Good luck!

Healthy pancake recipe

Anyone who knows me will know that I am a huge fan of pancakes. They are the perfect weekend breakfast as they feel like the ultimate indulgent treat yet they are so versatile and with a few simple modifications, you easily can transform them into a perfectly nutritious yet equally decadent stack! It all depends on which ingredients you choose to use - swapping the white flour and refined sugar for ground oats and maple syrup is a great place to start.

If you avoid gluten and dairy like myself, or if you're just looking to enjoy your favourite weekend breakfast in a more healthy way, look no further! Here is my step-by-step guide to making the perfect healthy pancakes:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 mashed ripe banana
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground flaxseed

1 tsp maple/date syrup

2 tbsp almond milk

Optional add-ins: 
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
Handful of blueberries
Dark chocolate chips

Topping suggestions:
Fresh berries, homemade fruit compote, banana slices, maple syrup, raw honey, date nectar, peanut butter, almond butter, homemade cacao sauce (healthy chocolate spread), freshly squeezed lemon juice, desiccated coconut, cacao nibs...

Method:
1. Mix the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another.
2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk everything together thoroughly.
3. Heat a frying pan with some coconut oil and add 2 tbsp of the batter per pancake. 
4. Cook for about 2 mins per side until golden, then flip.
5. Add as many toppings as your heart desires - the more the merrier! 

How To make the perfect healthy hot chocolate

Who doesn't love hot chocolate?! It is warming and soothing in the colder months, provides a feeling of comfort on rainy afternoons and brings back memories of winter evenings spent by the fire.

Although I avoid dairy products, I have succeeded in creating my own hot chocolate, using almond milk instead of regular cow's milk, and rich cacao powder instead of the shop-bought cocoa powders which are full of sugar and additives. I like to add a pinch of cinnamon and a little vanilla extract to add depth to the flavour, and sweeten it with a teaspoon of organic date nectar for a caramel undertone.

Ingredients:
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 drops vanilla extract
1 tsp natural sweetener (honey, maple syrup, date nectar and coconut sugar all work well)

Instructions:

Bring the almond milk to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, then whisk in the cacao powder, cinnamon, vanilla extract and natural sweetener. Pour into a mug, sprinkle with extra cinnamon and enjoy every sip!

Daylesford

Daylesford Farmshop & Café is a beautifully decorated restaurant in the heart of Notting Hill. Almost all the fresh ingredients are organic and grown locally on the Daylesford farm in Gloucestershire.

The breakfast options include chia, goji berry and flaxseed Bircher muesli with natural yogurt and stewed fruits, or scrambled egg whites on sourdough toast with smoked salmon. There are several seasonal salads on offer, such as raw winter vegatables with avocado oil and cider vinegar, and raw green kale, butternut squach and spirulina crusted pumpkin seeds. The supper dishes range from the steamed lemon sole or Daylesford beef burger, to chilled raw cashew soup with spirulina, kale and pumpkin seed pesto.

To top everything off, their cold-pressed juices are to die for!

Cereal Killer Cafe

The opening of The Cereal Killer Cafe on Brick Lane has caused a lot of hype with a simple concept. It's menu consists of 120 different cereals from around the world, along with a choice of 20 toppings such as strawberries, marshmallows, walnuts and crumbled Oreo cookies. In addition, you can choose from 30 different varieties of milk, from almond milk to chocolate milk. 

The cool hipster setting in Shoreditch, East London, has a bubbly and fun atmosphere. Obsessed with all things cereal, this nostalgic cafe displays hundreds of pieces of merchandise and memorabilia all over the walls from the 80s and 90s and plays retro music to bring back childhood memories. From Cocoa Pebbles to Froot Loops, Cinnabon to Lucky Charms, the cereals come from a variety of countries including the United States, Mexico, Australia and South Korea. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even mix and match cereals into a single bowl. To top it all off, they are open until 10pm, so what better way to end your day than having breakfast for dinner?

If anyone out there loves cereal as much as I do, then you need to get down there ASAP!

New TriYoga Location

TriYoga has moved from Primrose Hill to a new location in Camden: a renovated beautiful Victorian warehouse, originally a piano factory. There is a wide range of classes on offer, varied enough that there is something for every level of experience, whether it's advanced Ashtanga, Hatha or Vinyasa Yoga, or beginner's Pilates. The teachers are all professional, committed and attentive, and the high ceilings and natural light add to the spacious atmosphere. Don't forget to pick up a fresh juice after your class!

Joan's On Third

Today I had lunch at one of the the trendiest places in Los Angeles. Joan's On Third is a marketplace, gourmet deli and café all rolled into one, with great outdoor-seating for people-watching. From the moment you step inside, you are instantly brought into a world of aromas and delectable delights. They have prepared foods to the left, an open kitchen in the middle, a cheese and charcuterie counter up front, a bakery to your right, and a grocery in the far back of the restaurant: a true Disneyland for foodies like myself! 

The place was bustling with an energetic crowd and a trendy atmosphere. In terms of the food, everything on the menu is made from fresh, seasonal, gourmet and high quality ingredients with unique flavour combinations. My favourite section was, of course, the bakery, where everything on offer is flawless in both presentation and taste, with goods such as nutella marble loaf, brown sugar pop-tarts, blueberry coconut muffins, peanut butter cookies and marshmallow-filled chocolate cupcakes. 

Utensils and napkins are in a wooden container at the table to help yourself, which added a very homey feel to the dining experience. The service was quick and efficient and the staff were all extremely friendly. 

The only downside is that most of their items are quite pricey - but then again, what would you expect from a prime spot in LA?

Eos lipbalm

Eos lipbalms are my new favourite thing to leave my lips looking and feeling smooth and nourished. They are fully natural and 95% organic, containing soothing shea butter and antioxident-rich vitamin E and jojoba oil. It has a wonderfully fruity smell and I love the different flavours and the interestingly shaped packaging. They are available online and at UK stores including Selfridges. The only downside is that they are prices at £6.50, which seems to be rather a lot for a lipbalm!

How to overcome winter blues

When I think of winter, I think of shorter days, dark gloomy skies and dreary mornings. My mind is flooded with images of never-ending rain, bitter cold, whistling winds, pale skin, bright blue veins, layered clothing, thick woollen socks, colds and flu, dull faces and early nights.

However, I have realised that perhaps winter isn't so bad after all. Although summer is undoubtedly my favourite season, winter is a good excuse to drink hot chocolate with marshmallows at any time throughout the day, curl up with a hot water bottle, go shopping for cashmere sweaters, admire the Christmas light displays, smell the roasted chestnuts along Oxford Street, go ice-skating, drink from Starbucks' seasonal red cups, visit Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and indulge in candy canes and gingerbread men!

Good things about today

It really is the little things in life. A little positivity goes a long way...

I woke up

Morning stretches

Green tea

Breakfast with my best friend

Cereal :)

Uni lectures in French, Spanish and Portuguese; constantly learning new things

Fresh kiwi-pineapple-banana smoothie

Spoke to my brother on the phone

Sweated in the gym

Listened to songs that resonate with an aspect of my life

Washed my hair with coconut shampoo

Let it dry naturally

My ASOS order arrived with my first pair of New Balance trainers

Got a load of washing done

Lit my favourite Dyptique scented candle 

Ticked some things off my "to do" list

Painted my nails

Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant
Vanilla ice-cream

Spotted the beautiful moon

Bed

Excited for another day tomorrow!

My Top 14 Fashion Blogs

Happy Monday!

To kick off this week, I thought I'd share some of the best fashion blogs with you. There are countless bloggers who inspire me but I've selected 14 of my absolute favourites. The links are below for you to check them out:

Susie Lau: www.stylebubble.co.uk

Rumi Neely: www.fashiontoast.com

Chiara Ferragni: www.theblondesalad.com

Rosie Thomas: www.thelondoner.me

Bryan Boy: www.bryanboy.com

Peony Lim: www.peonylim.com

Emily Schuman: www.cupcakesandcashmere.com

Scott Schuman: www.thesartorialist.com

Rosie Fortescue: www.atfashionforte.com

Olivia Palermo: www.oliviapalermo.com

Julie Sariñana: www.sincerelyjules.com

Yvan Rodic: www.facehunter.org

Millie Mackintosh: www.millie-mackintosh.com

Aimee Song: www.songofstyle.com

Joe and the Juice

This trendy chain of juice bars originated in Denmark and now has six stores in the UK including London's Regent Street and King's Road. It offers blends of organic fresh fruit and vegetables, with healthy choices such as "Joe's Green Kiss" (spinach, apple and ginger). In addition, Joe and the Juice has a variety of mouth-watering salads and sandwiches, from "Tunacado" to "Joe's Club".

London College of Fashion - Short Course

This summer I completed a Short Course in Fashion PR and Marketing at London College of Fashion located in Hackney, East London. This course was ideal for me given my interest in the business side of fashion. 

I gained experience in the areas of fashion marketing, communications and public relations and learned about various aspects including a history of fashion, the fashion calendar, analysing and creating press releases, the influence of social media, generating editorial coverage and distribution strategies. 

I was also exposed to the industry through undertaking a field visit to Westfield Stratford shopping centre where I carried out a competitor shopping research activity and had to present the results back to the class. 

I would highly recommenced the LCF and UAL (University of the Arts London) short courses to anyone that is interested in fashion, especially considering the wide range of courses available.

Neon Trainers

The trend of wearing trainers on a day-to-day basis has exploded onto the fashion scene of Spring 2014 and persisted throughout the summer. This season had me buying two new pairs of neon trainers: Nike free-runs which I bought in Cyprus, and orange Adidas kicks from an outlet mall in New York. These will brighten up any outfit and make you look sporty no matter what you wear them with - not just your gym kit! 

Harrod's Shoe Heaven

Harrods' Shoe Heaven consists of 17 boutique with 50 designers such as Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin. Two years in the making, Shoe Heaven has been created by the David Collins Studio and spills across 42,000 square feet (three times the size of Harrods' previous footwear area) on the Fifth Floor of the iconic department store in Knightsbridge. ‘From stilettos to sneakers, Harrods Shoe Heaven will be home to all the best shoes from the world’s leading and need-to-know designers,' comments Helen David, Fashion Director of Womenswear at Harrods.  

The Ultimate Packing list

As we are in the middle of the summer holidays, I thought it would be useful to compile a checklist of everything that needs to be packed before you go away. Over the years, I have learned the hard way of how easy it is to forget the simple things (from phone chargers to socks), so I have put together the ultimate packing list which I would like to share with you.

The most obvious thing to start with is clothes. Remember to pack T-shirts, smart tops, vests, dresses, skirts, shorts, jeans, cardigans, jackets, underwear, bras, socks, pyjamas and bikinis.

As for accessories, you will probably need a beach-bag, an evening handbag/clutch, jewellery, belts and of course shoes. Consider your choice of footwear carefully; will you be wearing flip-flops, sandals, heels, wedges, pumps, boots, sports trainers or all of the above?!

When it comes to toiletries, don't forget a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, conditioner, cleanser, moisturizer, exfoliator, deodorant, perfume, make-up, make-up remover, lip-balm, nail file, nail polish, cotton wool pads, insect repellant, tweezers, sun cream and a hairbrush. You may also need glasses, contact lenses and any necessary medictions such as paracetamol, antihistamine and multivitamins. 

Your hand-luggage should hold your passport, flight tickets, wallet, camera + charger, phone + charger, ipod + charger, laptop + charger, adaptor plug, sunglasses, chewing gum and at least two books. I also carry a travel journal with me whenever I go on holiday, which I write in every day and love to read back on old memories.

Packing Tips:

• Check your destination's weather forecast and pack accordingly.
• Pack in advance, never the day of the trip. Organisation is key.
• Pack shoes in shoe bags, not in pairs, and place in luggage with soles facing outwards.
• Stuff your packed handbags and boots with socks; it saves on space and helps to maintain shape.
• Lock your luggage, otherwise the contents are probably uninsured.

BROWNIE RECIPE: Gluten-, dairy- and sugar-free!

These brownies taste like heaven and have that melt-in-your-mouth texture that will satisfy any craving. They are sweet, gooey and rich, plus they're completely free from gluten, dairy and sugar, which makes them (almost) healthy! Scroll down to find out my delicious recipe.

To make 15 brownies, you will need:

175g (6oz) margerine

3 tablespoons of maple syrup or agave nectar

85g (3oz) dark chocolate chips

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

3 eggs

85g (3oz) gluten-free self-raising flour (I use a blend of rice, potato, maize and buckwheat flour)

50g (2oz) cocoa powder

a 22 x 30 x 2.5cm (9 x 12 x 1in) rectangular tin

Heat your oven to 180°C, 350°F. 

Line the tin with greaseproof paper cover in lightly spread margarine.

Put the margarine into a saucepan and melt it on a low heat. Pour it into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar and vanilla.

Break the eggs into a small bowl and stir them with a fork. Add them to the large bowl and stir well.

Sift the flour through a sieve into the large bowl. 

Add the cocoa powder and chocolate chips and mix everything well.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth the top a little. 

Bake it in the oven for about 40 minutes.

Chill in the fridge until set and then cut into 15 squares. 

How To make Fruit Parfait

My new favourite way to start the day is fast, easy, light and incredibly satisfying. Fruit parfait is a highly nutritious breakfast and versatile treat -  you can make it however you choose, mixing up a range of ingredients with different fruit and decorating it with a variety of tasty toppings. 

Ingredients:

Yoghurt (your choice of flavour), granola, muesli, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, banana, tangerine, kiwi, chia seeds, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sultanas, ground cinnamon, honey/agave nectar/maple syrup.

Instructions:

1. Alternatively layer the granola, yoghurt, fruit and seeds. 
2. Repeat until you have used up all the ingredients. 
3. Serve fresh in a tall glass.