Holistic Nourishment + Recipes | Cyntra in the City

Recipes

Today’s Clean Meal: Homemade Seeded Bars

Difficulty: Easy Use by: Two Weeks Carry to work: Yes

It is often hard to find quick and healthy snacks when you are on the run. Seemingly “healthy” bars you will often find are loaded with sugar. It is difficult when you get up early, run to the gym, have about a half an hour turn around before you have to dash to work to find something small and nutritious which you can carry with you to give you that energy boost you need.

We are bombarded with “health” foods and sports nutrition which (in my opinion) are as about as nutritious as a chocolate bar! Working your socks off in the gym to get the summer bod you need to then ruin it by picking up an energy bar which ruins all your hard work.

This is when you need to set yourself a little time to make some Homemade Seeded Bars. These little bad boys are full of good fats and supply you with that little boost of energy you need when dashing around. They carry well in a hand bag or gym bag and you can even make a batch to last the week and leave them in tupperware in your work fridge!

Right – Ingredients

200g Mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, linseed, sesame, poppy)
30g Chia Seeds
Ripe Banana (yellow – about to turn brown)
1 tsp Cinnamon
Pinch sea salt
Squirt of Honey
4 tbsp Tahini (sesame paste)
2 tbsp of Coconut Oil
if you want any additional toppings or flavours you can add goji berries or cacao nibs to make a variation.

Then – Method

Blend together: Banana, Tahini, Cinnamon, Salt and Coconut oil. Pulse until you get a paste. It should look smooth with no bumps in.

Add 3/4 of your seeds (mixed) and add all of your chia to the mix. Pulse this again till thoroughly mixed in with the paste. Pour the mixture in a bowl and add the rest of your seeds. This will give a nice texture when set.

Line a tin with greaseproof paper or coconut oil and pour in the mixture. At this point you can top with additional ingredients such as cacao nibs or goji berries but if keeping it simple lightly drizzle the honey in a zig zag motion.

Press down the mixture with the back of your spoon and place in freezer for about an hour.

Remove and cut into squares. Keep this in tupperware. These will last about two weeks. You can separate them out into freezer bags so you have some in your handbag for a quick snack or in your work fridge when the 3pm snack gremlin arrives.

Delicious and Nutritious

Recipes

Todays Clean Meal: Coconut Scrambled Eggs

Love creamy scrambled eggs but want to get rid of the cow’s milk?

Why not try these Coconut Scrambled Eggs.

Very simple and very tasty and full of great fats and protein to start your day.

Ingredients:

3 Eggs
Coconut Milk (2 tbsp)
Coconut Oil
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Drop of water

Method:

In a skillet – heat a knob of coconut oil till hot.
Meanwhile beat the eggs, coconut milk and seasoning. Add a drop of water
Turn the heat OFF on the pan and add the eggs
With the heat of the pan fold the eggs till cooked all the way through – the heat generated should cook the eggs all the way through

And voila – a nutritious and delicious breakfast ready to go

Recipes

Today’s Clean Meal: Cook Book Recommendations – pre-order

So here is my latest list of must-haves in the kitchen

Coming out May 7th The Detox Kitchen bible…the Detox Kitchen philosophy is all about: fresh, bright, delicious, and nutritious food that will leave you radiant with health. Use this as a guide to nourish and support your body

Where most diet books tell you to banish fat – this book revolutionises what we all think and know about staying healthy and maintaining a healthy weight

This book is fantastic for those who have acquired some stubborn fat. The Magic Soup compiles soup recipes from all over the globe. In particular the main soup was developed in Mauritius and was given to new mothers to help shift baby weight! Definitely worth a read. Their beetroot soup is to die for

Also you should look into adding the following to your utensils in the kitchen

Best thing since sliced bread

All your soups and smoothies made easy! and portable! what every busy worker needs when keeping healthy

Happy Shopping

Recipes

Today’s Clean Meal: Chili chicken wraps

A light and protein filled super snack or meal for any occasion

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon hot chili

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil or olive oil

3 chicken breasts

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro/ coriander

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts

12 iceberg lettuce leaves

Method:

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well.

Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes or until done. Add onions, and sauté 3 minutes. Add lime juice mixture, coriander, and mint; sauté 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in peanuts.

Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture onto each lettuce leaf, and roll up. Add tomatoes for extra salad

Recipes

Todays Clean Meal: Get your protein

These cheeky little brown shells that most of us have in our fridge can actually be a solution to the morning grumble that usually hits us all around 11am.

Eggs are full of protein! Studies have shown that protein numbs the signal from our tummies to our brains telling us we are hungry. Those little gremlins that make our stomach rumble….actually known as ghrelin… sends a signal to our brain telling us we are hungry. Diets high in protein are a good way to keep hunger in check. Protein in the diet is effective at keeping ghrelin in check, while carbohydrates and fats don’t work that well. Suppression of ghrelin is a way to lose appetite. Fats suppress ghrelin quite poorly. Proteins suppress ghrelin quite well. Carbohydrates suppress ghrelin well at first, but levels rebound later, rising to an even higher level. Carbohydrates eventually make people even hungrier than before they had eaten.

Eggs are a great solution! You can boil them the night before and grab it out of the fridge as you run out the door to work!

They come in their own little packaging which you can dispose of…so no carrying around a bowl, spoon and a bottle of milk…

A large egg weighs in approx 70 calories!

All together the winning solution to maintain weight, keeping full and generally a happy tummy!

Recipes

Today’s Clean Meal: Liven up your lunch!

The beginning of this year has marked a re-shuffle of my cookery books and diving in to some of the best new cookbooks on the market!

There are so many good books out there I could never give them all justice

But to help out I am going to share with you my top three!

Honestly Healthy: Eat with your body in mind, the alkaline way

Honestly Healthy is the original alkaline diet cookbook, packed with recipes, tips and tricks to help you look and feel great. Gourmet vegetarian chef and blogger Natasha Corrett, has created a book designed with nutritionist Vicki Edgson to help your energy levels soar. Its simple, easy and the recipes are delicious. It helps educate you on how to re-charge and freshen your body. Definitely recommend!

Hemsley + Hemsley: Art of Eating Well

I just cannot get enough of these two: I read everything they do in vogue, on their blog and live in their book! Discovering bone broth has revolutionised my cooking and is now an addition to my weekly shop. The girls have style, talent and class – I would highly recommend adding this little number to your collection. They make eating healthy and naturally fun and stylish.

Yotam Ottolenghi: Plenty More

This book is incredible. It teaches you how to cook plant based food and use vegetables in a way which transforms meals! I think I pretty much bought this book for everyone this Christmas! Learn to use the vegetables in season around you. Nourish your body and get your 5-7-9-a-day!

I hope you enjoy these books as much as I did. Get the hardcover or kindle – either way they are most definitely worth a read!

Happy Cooking

Recipes

Today’s Clean Meal – Gluten and Grain free bread

I have been obsessed with Hemsley + Hemsley recently. So chic and their food so delicious it leaves me wanting more and more.

Pure British Nutritious Rock’n’Roll

I picked up Red Magazine the other day and stumbled across this delicious gluten/ grain free bread – perfect for those of us who can’t eat wheat or want to start the new year clean.

Its is so simple to make – it took less that 15 mins followed by half an hour cooking!

The bread is soft, tasty and moreish!

Packed full of protein it is my winning find of 2015!

Go online to http://www.redonline.co.uk/health-self/nutrition/hemsley-hemsley-7-day-healthy-eating-plan to get the full recipe

The finished product – wrap in parchment paper and tin foil and store for up to 7 days

Delicious and Nutritious!

Recipes

Today’s Festivities: Festive Veggies

We are over the hump of the festiv period but not close to the end yet! I have enjoyed every minute of seeing family, slowing down and relaxing at home. With the bubbles on endless supply and the carols on full volume I truly have felt the Christmas bug.

As with most households the Christmas Dinner is a marathon and for the person cooking the feast it can be stressful. This year I decided to get involved and to take the task of the vegetables off the Chef: My dad. As this was my one role I wanted to influence the meal with my style of clean eating cooking and bring some fun flavours to the table.

My choices were:

Tenderstem broccoli with roasted hazlenuts and garlic
Cauliflower mash with chives
Steamed leeks and peas with herby vinaigrette
Brussel sprouts roasted in coconut oil with cranberries (thanks hemsley+hemsley)

(as it was christmas and we had a phone ban I was un-able to take my own photos so I have borrowed some from the internet to give guidance for the recipes)

Tenderstem broccoli with roasted hazlenuts and garlic

1/2 cup hazelnuts
Tenderstem broccoli – Waitrose do three for two
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 180c. Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes; roughly chop.

Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan with 1 inch of water and fit with a steamer basket (or fill a large pot with 1/2 inch of water). Bring to a simmer.

Place the broccoli in a steamer, cover, and steam until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan, cook the oil and garlic over low heat until the garlic is just golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the hazelnuts, lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Drizzle over the broccoli.

Cauliflower mash with chives
3 heads of cauliflower
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp light sour cream
salt and pepper
snipped chives
Remove outer greens from cauliflower and chop the florets into small sections.

Bring a pan full of water to a simmer in a pot, then add the cauliflower. Cover and turn the heat to medium. Cook the cauliflower for 12-15 minutes or until very tender.

Drain and discard all of the water and add the milk, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and mash with a masher until it looks like “mashed potatoes.”

Top with chives. So healthy, low carb and truly delicious.

Steamed leeks and peas with herby vinaigrette
- 6 even-sized medium leeks (about 1kg)
- 350g frozen peas
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp clear honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped mint
Wash the leeks and cut into bitesize slices. Heat a steamer, add the leeks and cook for 8 mins. Tip in the peas and cook for 2-3 mins more until both are tender

Meanwhile, whisk the oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and seasoning together in a serving bowl to make the vinaigrette. Add the hot vegetables and herbs, and mix well.

So delicious and really brightened up these greens

Brussel sprouts roasted in coconut oil with cranberries

http://www.hemsleyandhemsley.com/recipe/coconut-roasted-sprouts-with-cranberries/ – check this site for more beautiful recipes
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 4 cups of small Brussels sprouts
- 1/2 cup fresh cranberries 1/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 200°c and place a large roasting tray with the coconut oil in the oven to melt.

Slice off the ends of the sprouts, remove any brown or yellow skins and halve any larger ones. Make sure all the soft and juicy leaves are left

Remove the roasting tray and add the sprouts and cranberries, season and toss in the hot coconut oil.

Roast for 20 mins, stir and roast for a further 10 minutes until the sprouts are just tender and starting to caramelise.

Such a delcious inspirational take on the good ol brussel sprout

This years Christmas Dinner went down stress free, full of flavour and indulgent in colour

Enjoyed by all on Christmas Day and Boxing Day too!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Recipes

Today’s Clean Meal – Baked Eggs with tomato, quinoa and spinach

Another day and another clean meal to add to the winter repertoire…

Baked eggs have become quite the fashionable addition to the brunch menu in most restaurants however it also makes a perfect vegetarian winter warmer which is packed full of protein.

Ingredients
4 eggs
2 tins of tomato
1 sachet of waitrose love life quinoa
Tsp cumin
Balsamic vinegar
Onions
Garlic
Bag of spinach
Ball of mozzarella

Recipes

Today’s Clean Meal: Healthy Vietnamese – Saigon Lotus

Another day in Manchester and another quest for Healthy food.

I had a bit of a big night this week after celebrating a friends birthday and only slipping in 5 hours sleep on a school night! By the time it got to the end of the day I was on the hunt for something homely, nutritious and light. My aim was to get delivery and indulge in my hotel room comforts for the evening.

That was until I discovered Saigon Lotus

http://www.saigonlotus.com/home/

I walked through the Northern Quarter and up to Oldham Road where I discovered this small little family run restaurant.

The insides were humble and I was greeted by a small but welcoming host who asked how she could help. I was going to continue with my path to pillow and get take out but there was something so homely and cute that I decided I would stay and eat in.

The restaurant prides itself of being a family run establishment providing the healthiest and freshest home cooked Vietnamese food to the heart of Manchester

I read through the menu checking out all the delicious offerings from Vietnamese Salads to the traditional Pho

I settled on Prawn Summer Rolls and Chicken Pho.

Phở, (pronounced fuh) is one of the healthiest and most delicious Vietnamese dishes eaten every day by the Vietnamese for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Pho is a fresh, nutritious & tasty broth-based noodle soup. The dish is served with a side plate of fresh herbs, sliced-up chillies and lime wedges. The best part is that you can customize your Pho to what you desire to suit your taste.

My Summer Rolls arrived – so fresh and low in calorie. I was taking delight in text-ing a friend who was also out at the birthday bash who was feeling a bit worse for wear. The thought of this bowl of health that was about to arrive was making me feel rather smug in my quest for health.

The Pho arrived and it looked and smelt beautiful

I added my fresh veg and some added chilli to give it a kick. Chillies despite their infamous reputation of adding heat to a meal – have a plethora of health benefits from lowering LDL, high in vitamin C, A and B and high in a number of minerals

I left Saigon Lotus with a belly full of goodness and a smile on my face. I would definitely recommend for dining on your own, with a partner or out with friends.

Definitely a 5 star for service, taste and ambience.

<a href=”http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/13225755/?claim=7mbtzn5s7kj”>Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Recipes

Today’s Clean Meal – Frozen Buttons

Ahh we all have those days when we crave a sweet treat! When the sun is out and our appetite isn’t quite there. Well over the weekend a little advert came on with a guide to making Frozen Yoghurt Buttons – well I couldn’t resist

Ingredients:

Frozen Yoghurt (fruity flavours work best)

Strawberrys, blueberries or any other frui

Freezer!

You will need a baking tray and some parchment paper.

Once you have that choose which yoghurt you want and the fruit combo and make button sized shaped up the paper

Then select the fruit combos and place the fruit in the middle of the buttons. Leave some plain as these are wonderful to suck on 😀

Place in the freezer for about 15-20mins and voila – a tasty light and low calorie

Happy summer xxx

Recipes

Juice Cleanse – Overview Day 2

6am Woke Up: I slept like a baby – really the best sleep I have had in a long time. I felt cosy, warm and naturally sleepy something which doesn’t come to me easily. Quite often I am a light sleeper and it takes me a while to get to bed. As I sat downstairs watching tv the night before my body was telling me its time for the land of nod…first 8 hours on a school night in a while!

6.45-7.45am Hot Yoga – The session was HOT again! The class was full and the poses and we were doing Yoga Flow which means not many breaks and vinyasa between each pose. I left 5 minutes before the end of the class as I was a tired and didn’t want to over exert myself

8.15 Shot of Ginger and Apple – Delicious and welcomed. The staff at yogahaven are so wonderful and warming that they really set me up for the day

9.30 Breakfast Smoothie: Glo Beet Smoothie: This is made of apple, carrot, beetroot, berries and flaxseed oil. This delicious smoothie (pictured) is one of my favourites – sweet and savoury and full of goodness. Flaxseed is a wonder food and is a great addition to the morning smoothie

Flaxseed oil also helps to:

Reduce the risk of cancer.
Aid in the growth of healthy hair and nails.
Promote healthy skin.
Reduce menopause symptoms.
Play a role in burning body fat.

1pm Brunch Juice: Parsnip Punch: This is made up of apple, pear, parsnip and lime. My colleague at work held up my brunch juice and I was starting to feel very weak. This juice was BROWN – looked foul but tasted wonderful. I let a couple of my colleagues try it as they couldn’t fathom that something so odd looking could be so nice.

3.30pm: Feeling the fuzz – losing concentration, lack of emotion and focus. I found myself feeling the need to smoke – which was weird as I haven’t been a smoker for your years. I am hoping that this may have been some toxicity making its way out of the body – otherwise I have no clue

4pm Lunch Juice: Green Goddess: Kale, cucumber, broccoli, basil, lime, apple and wheatgrass. This was delicious and again welcomed. The brunch and lunch smoothies really highlighted to me when I am most hungry and lack of concentration. From 2-4pm I really hit a wall – maybe I was meant to live in Spain and have a siesta! This was interesting as now I will focus on making sure I eat for energy in these times of day and be more pragmatic about getting up and having some water or going for a walk.

6.15pm – Electrolyte: Orange, Salt, Honey, Lemon and water – I went to meet my friends in Las Iguanas. I was met with the same interest, fascination, negativity and facts that come with most people when doing a juice cleanse. “they say its bad for you” “you haven’t eaten you have to eat” “what the hell are you drinking” “what do juice cleanses do” “So expensive for just juice why don’t you buy orange juice” but I know most of this is comes from knowing people too long that they want to tease with love. You must be strong when doing a juice as you will get people out of pure ignorance or jealousy try and bring you down

8.00pm SOS fruit: Pear: After carrying a big bag all day, working harder at work and long commute home I really felt I wanted my pear. It was juicy and took me a while to eat and filled me up. Delicious. I didn’t have my SOS the day before so I must have needed it.

9.00pm Dinner: Glo Beet Smoothie: This is made of apple, carrot, beetroot, berries and flaxseed oil – could barely drink it – wasn’t hungry – so drank half. I went upstairs and started getting ready for bed. 10pm I was in the land of nod

Day 2 – Was a lot harder than day 1. I was a bit tired, fuzzy and all over the place. I felt the detoxification was really coming. To challenge myself I put myself into situations where I would be tempted which helped me stay strong. I had to deal with more people on this day which was a struggle as sometimes my capacity to think properly was a bit a miss. By the end of the day though I was feeling great I felt proud of myself that I had stuck to something. I realised that my body doesn’t need the endless coffee, sugary crap and picking throughout the day. I lost a total of 2.5lbs and slept better than I have for years. I woke up on the third day wishing I could have done it for longer. Next time!

Thank you Glo! Really enjoyed it

Recipes

Juice Cleanse – Overview of Day 1

Embarking on my first day of the juice cleanse – I thought it would be helpful to write a little diary of how I am feeling…the good, bad and the ugly…

6am Woke Up: Having dreamed about my juice cleanse all night I awoke up pretty tired. I also didn’t have enough sleep but that was due to seeing a screening of Boyhood which was incredible

6.45-7.45am Hot Yoga – The session was HOT! The class was full and the poses were strong. Towards the end I had to lie down as I noticed my internal temperature was not coming back down. I think this was primarily due to poor yoga cloth choices and that I drank alcohol last night

8.15 Shot of Ginger and Apple – I was supposed to have hot water and lemon but due to the fact that I was “glowing” from the session – slightly late – and grimacing at the fact I would have to take the Northern Line to work – GROSS.COM

9.30 Breakfast Smoothie: Glo Super Smoothie: This is made up of Apple, Lemon, Pineapple, Cucumber, Avocado and Wheatgrass. Glo kindly took the avocado out of mine as I am allergic. Feeling fresh and made the juice last for half hour

12pm Brunch Juice: Glo Super Detox: This is made up of Cucumber, Celery, Spinach, Apple, Parsley, Lettuce and Spirulina

2pm: Feeling the fuzz – losing concentration a wee bit but powering through

3.10pm Lunch Juice: Glo Tastic: Pear, Broccoli, kale, courgette, carrot, ginger and lemon. Could not have come sooner 😀

6pm – Electrolyte: Orange, Salt, Honey, Lemon and water – this would have been almond milk but i am allergic to Almonds 😀 It was weird drink – I didn’t really enjoy it as it was quite salty but it did the trick and perked me up to tackle John Lewis and Jo Malone to find a 21st birthday present.

8.30pm Dinner Smoothie: Glo Super Smoothie: Apple, Lemon, pineapple, cucumber, avocado and wheatgrass. To be honest I wasn’t even hungry – which I was surprised about! I did sip my drink but I didn’t have my SOS food and was not craving anything.

9.30pm Bed – from having 5 hours sleep the night before it was time to go into the land of nod

Day 1 – I felt this was a great success – it didn’t interfere with my day. I feel tomorrow will be tougher when I am in full throw of the detoxification!

Recipes

Juice Cleanse – Day 1

Juice Cleanses! We have all heard of them! They seem to the new nutrition trend of 2014 and have been acclaimed to be the best thing to do for you gut!

In a world full of toxins, acidity, pollution, stress, sugary and processed food – these juice cleanses are designed to help cleanse your digestive system to free up some energy!

As we are peak in summer I thought I would give one of these cleanses a go. I have started going to to hot yoga every day in Clapham at Yoga haven and Glo – Juice Bar is conveniently situated en premise!

I started doing hot yoga more frequently as I am finding from all my weight training that I am gaining muscle at a rate that I am not happy with and looking to find a way to lengthen and lean out my body. (I have taken before and after pictures and I will share these at the end). I felt the juice cleanse would aide with the new change I am looking for – ridding out all the crap and maybe lose a few pounds on the way

So – back to the agenda.

After my hot yoga I collect my juice package which has been freshly prepared for me. At the collection point there is a cup of hot water and lemon ready for my morning commute and shot of apple and ginger to kick-start my day.

I make my way to work and pick up the essentials (see below) cannot wait to read about Mrs Victoria Beckham in this months Vogue – after spending hours watching the tennis and of course the Beckhams – I still can’t work out who I am more in love with out of that beautiful power couple….

I open my package at my desk – inside there are tea sachets, my juices and smoothies for the day and an envelope listing my two day menu and some frequently asked questions.

So as I sit down to start my first Green Smoothie – I am going to fill my head full of the positivity and confidence in myself to stick and complete my cleanse and enjoy every moment.

Will blog later about my days menu, my thoughts and feelings, the ups and downs and any other info that may be helpful to the next juicer in line

Have a wonderful day xxx

Recipes

Today’s Clean Meal – On a plane

After finding out recently I am allergic to wheat – I have finally realised how this little grain is in absolutely everything!

I found out two days before I went on holiday to Santorini – not knowing when we booked the continental breakfast – this would practically leave me with nothing. Instead of being down in the dumps – I opened my eyes to see how much this little grain is used and that the primary source of its exposure is in crap food… carb lovers look away I am about to dissect!

1) Continental Breakfast – each morning we sat down to a freshly cooked breakfast consisting of Croissants, Baked bread, cheese pastry, Greek yoghurt and fruit. This was quite a revelation to me as I tucked into my fruit salad that if I had not known I was allergic to wheat and had tucked into this beautiful food I would have eaten about 800+calories mostly made up of refined carbs and sat fat!

2) Lunch – You can take away that fresh bread and butter – adding 200+cals on to the meal before I have even started

3) Poolside – crips – mostly covered in wheat flavouring – no thanks

4) Supper – oh hello bread and your +200cals – keep walking – oh and you mr pudding and your 500+ calories – I can’t have you and do you know what I am actually full – thanks but no thanks!

So this was the first holiday I actually lost weight – all these superfluous calories I had not even noticed until I could no longer have them.

But… and there is a but! Plane food – oh my goodness what a debarcle that was…

The menu was:

Bread roll – nope
Ham crepe – nope
Chocolate covered biscuit – nope
Pretzels – nope
Fruit

Rather than have an almighty strop – I realised that I had learned that this world is made of wheat and bought a banana and a peach on the plane – so i did my best with my plastic knife and the utensils provided to make this masterpiece…Where there is a will there is a way…!

Older Posts

Newer Posts