RECIPE: Healthier Blueberry Muffins

 Hello!

"get a couple of ingredients... and throw them all together - simples :)"

The same question pops up time and time again, during this point in the week: What's happening in the weekend?! Well, here's an idea that is super fun and super yummy! If you're a total sweet tooth like me, you could never resist a chance at cake, and when you're offered a slightly healthier version - well, why not?

Click HERE to Download

There ya go! Just save a copy, get a couple of ingredients (most of which you may have at home) and throw them all together - simples :)

I hope you enjoy-  and what fruit/toppings would you put in?

Healthy, Yummy, Quick Snacks

Hello! 

New year. New, healthier, you!
So, with the Christmas and winter, we tend to have slightly overindulged with the oh-so-yum Chocolate and pies that are available! So, we need to get set on a healthier route again, right?

I, too, may have received one too many chocolate gifts for Christmas which I will need to hide away from now on!

Here are some easy snacks which are yummy as well as healthy. A lot of the time we think healthy tasting disgusting - and yes, honestly, sometimes it does! But these ideas taste so yummy, you won't think they're healthy!

1. Cereal in a Bowl - without the milk

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I LOVE Raisin wheats by themselves. They provide a serving of dry fruit, as there are raisins inside the mini wheats. Also, they are a great serving of wholewheat and fibre. Many of us don't have enough fibre in our diets due to the fear of Carbs, yet we need the 'good' carbs in our life and fibre to help with digestion! So, Raisin wheats are sweet and crunchy. A perfect easy-to-grab snack.


2. Carrots with Hummus 

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Carrots are veggies. Veggies are good for you! I am not likely to eat just a plain carrot on it's own. Hummus is a dip made from Chick Peas. Chick peas are full of protein, low in fat and taste nice. Therefore, hummus tastes nice! Pairing these two items is a match made in heaven. I wasn't a big hummus fan myself until a few days ago, and I've been having this for the last two days straight!
Just get baby carrots or cut slices from big carrots and dip in the hummus (about 2 tablespoons) - enjoy!
You can also eat with cucumber slices, pepper slices and even grapes - yes, I tried it with grapes and it's nice!


3. Apple and Peanut Butter

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Many people will look at this and think 'Ergh.. Peanut butter is NOT healthy' - let me tell you: it is! Actually, I once told somebody about this and they said 'How can peanuts mixed with Butter be healthy, have you lost your mind?!' - well, actually peanut butter is not peanuts and butter - contrary to the name! It is actually roasted peanuts blended to a spread-like consistency. Therefore, no saturated fat is in natural peanut butter! It is all the good unsaturated fats! These improve cholesterol levels and lower risk of heart disease. Though, peanut butter is calorie dense, so 1tbsp with an apple is perfect! Peanut butter tastes incredible! Apples are also a natural teeth whitener, so eat up for those pearly whites!

Those are my 3 favourite go-to snacks! I hope you have a healthy, tasty and happy New Year!

What are your favourite snacks? 

BerryHealthy: Charming Cherries and Pick-Your-Own Farms

Hello!

Hope you guys are making the most of the sunny weather - going to have picnics, going to the beach, having dinner in the garden or... going fruit picking! We have a tradition to go fruit picking every year during the summer months, usually we go to a local strawberry farm but this year we decided to pack up and take a mini road trip to the cherry farm, which is slightly further away but still not that far! YAY Road Trips!

Cherries are in season in July in pick your own farms and they are so yummy! Not only that but they are full of vitamins and minerals that are great for your body! Did you know, these beautiful fruits are 75% water?! I didn't know that until I dug down into some research!

We entered the farm and there were multiple rows of these trees with little red ball-like fruits hanging off them. The entire first 2-3 rows were left almost bare of cherries but there were still so many delicately hanging from the other trees. These cherry trees were quite short - which is good for me because I'm short and then I can reach the highest cherry and it makes me feel like a giant - come on, I'll never get to feel like that with normal trees!

Cherries are a great source of potassium, consumption of potassium leads to lower blood pressure. This is done as potassiums removes excess sodium in our bodies - so when you're not feeling like eating a banana, grab a handful of cherries for similar benefits! Cherries also help fight cancer, due to the dark pigmentation we can see that they're great antioxidants! Cherries contain an antioxidant called Flavonoids that help fight cancer by preventing cancerous cells from growing.

Also you insomniacs that like cherries may be happy to know that cherries help you get a good nights sleep - tart cherries contain a hormone called melatonin which promotes sleep. So, you want a good nights sleep? Have a glass of cherry juice before bed - check this post why squeezing your own fresh juice may be better than cartons from the store.

Moreover, cherries contain anthocyanin which is shown to improve memory! So, you need a study snack? Try some cherries to make sure the notes you're reading stick! Anthocyanin is also said to increase insulin production by 50%, this is great for diabetics.

Cherries are also said to be great for the skin, the vitamin A and high carotene content allows this fruit to be great for the immune system and to beautify your skin!

With all these benefits, I couldn't help but put a basket together for me to take home - well, it was a pick-your-own farm, so obviously I was going pick-my-own!

I picked all my cherries in twos so the stem contained two cherries at the end of them - because to me, that looks cute... and this way the cherries don't get lonely! LOL! Is it just me that thinks like this?

Also, the pick-your-own farm had other fruits like strawberries and raspberries, but during this time cherries were the main attraction! Oh, and they had loads of wheat!

 They looked lovely in the sun, all yellow and happy-looking! Did you know if you rub this between your hands you get sunflower seed-like seeds which you can just eat? They tasted nice and chewy - and this was legit WHOLE-GRAIN wheat - with the total nutrients.

Oh, and don't forget to check out my Watermelon Wonders post to see the benefits from watermelons!

So, yes, that was how I spent my Sunday and I had so much fun! How do you like to make the most of the sun? Comment below!

xoxo,
BerryBloomXO

Info from here, here and here. 

BerryHealthy: Watermelon Wonders

Hello!
Summer's in full blast at the moment, especially in England where the weather has been phenomenal for the last couple of days! I've been enjoying sitting out in the sun with my cold beverage and platter of yummy fruits while I read my book or watch the boys play sports!

One of my favourite fruits to enjoy in the summer is Watermelon!

I LOVE pretty much all types of fruit and this is one is no exception! There are so many benefits to eating fruits that contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals which are obviously bound to be great for the human body in numerous ways.
I enjoy researching about the foods I eat to gain knowledge about how they benefit me and wanted to share with you!

1. Hydrating
Even in the name you can guess that this fruit is full of water! It is made of 92% water and therefore is very hydrating. This is great in the heat when you tend to sweat (unfortunately!) and lose water, so it's important to stay hydrated to avoid headaches and... quite frankly, dehydration!

2. Antioxidant
The Red Pigment of the watermelon is a great antioxidant. It is also found in other fruits such as Papaya and pink Grapefruit. This pigment is found to reduce risks of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer!

3. Vitamins & Minerals
Watermelon contains vitamins C and A. This means it is great for eye health too. In addition, it contains traces of vitamins K and B. Loads of minerals are also found in watermelons, such as Manganese, Copper and Iron. It is also a great source of Potassium which helps muscles and nerves function properly which is essential for good health. In addition, is reduces inflammation which leads to diseases such as asthma and diabetes.

4. Nutrition
Watermelons are very low in calories with only 43 calories per cup! This is great for those looking to slim their waistline. It is also virtually fat-free and contains very, very little saturated fat. It is also low in sodium and contains no cholesterol, caffeine or alcohol.

There are over 1,200 varieties of watermelon grown worldwide - in Japan, you can even get square watermelons! This was done so it fits in fridges perfectly! haha! Oh, and did you know watermelons are originally from South Africa?!

Watermelons are one of the 15 'most clean' non-organic fruits - although seedless varieties are less 'clean' and not as organic.

There are SO MANY recipes you can create with watermelons, some ideas here:
Watermelon 'cake', smoothies, ice-cream, juice and throw in with some feta cheese and mint for a salad!

I hope you enjoyed this health post!
xoxo,
BerryBloomXO

Photo from HERE
Info from: here, here and here