London takes on a whole new persona when the summer sun shines. People are friendlier, happier, brighter. Sunny dresses are out in all their girly glory, as are the sandals and sun cream. Summer also means lazy BBQs and refreshing salads – hooray!! Most definitely, my favourite time of the year.

After a super indulgent Wales trip followed by a decadent birthday weekend, my body craved some clean eating. Thankfully, the summer sun is feeding my healthy eating drive and I’ve been whipping up tasty salad storms.

Be:Fit is London’s largest exhibition devoted entirely to women’s health, nutrition and fitness. Formerly known as the Vitality Show, Be:Fit London was held over the weekend and I attended the show for a few hours on Friday.

Old Billingsgate Market (the venue) was buzzing with excitement on the first morning and from what I hear, the energy only got more electric as the weekend crowds rolled in.

Here are a few photo highlights from  Be:Fit London featuring my favourite discoveries and moments!

A postcard view of Tower Bridge outside Old Billingsgate Market (the venue).

I had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Christy Fergusson aka The Food Psychologist a few days ago. Dr. Christy Fergusson is a psychologist, nutritional therapist and clinical hypnotherapist who uses her personal experiences and training in nutrition to counsel young girls and women through a range of health issues.

Image provided by WIre Media

Christy’s own health troubles started at the age of 12 and lasted throughout her teenage years with a range of diagnoses such as chronic fatigue syndrome, severe acne, bulimia, endometriosis, poly cystic ovaries, depression and more. Her battles with her own health sparked an interest in pursuing psychology and clinical nutrition at university. However, the turning point for Christy was a consultation with a naturopath following which she realised that the source of all her illnesses was nothing else but a poor diet. Once her diet changed, everything changed.

Happy International Women’s Day to all the incredible women in my life! Today is all about proudly celebrating our strength and femininity and there couldn’t be a better opportunity to introduce you to an inspiring women’s health and fitness festival coming up in London in a few weeks.

Be:Fit London, previously known as The Vitality Show, returns at the end of March with London’s largest women’s health and fitness event. Be:Fit London celebrity ambassadors include inspiring Olympic athletes  such as Victoria Pendleton and Denise Lewis, supermodel and sports personality Jodie Kidd, as well as Sky Sports News presenter Kirsty Gallacher who will formally open the show.

Today marks exactly one month of my love affair with the NutriBullet. I’ve juiced up a storm with fresh vegetables and fruit every morning and couldn’t be happier with this healthy new addition to my life.

Gorgeous fruit and veg ready for the NutriBullet!

I have had my share of bad luck with juicers in the past. They have been too bulky, tough to store and a pain to clean making it really difficult to form and sustain a healthy habit.

I was invited to attend a breakfast at The Marylebone Hotel yesterday to meet Joe Cross, the author of ‘The Reboot with Joe Juice Diet’ who is in London on a book tour. The event was held at the hotel’s 108 Marylebone Lane restaurant which is also home to The Juicery.

The invitation was  timely since my brand new NutriBullet  (featured on my top 5 foodie Christmas gift list) was finally being delivered and some healthy juicing inspiration was much-needed.

The liquid breakfast began with a potent shot of lemon, ginger and cayenne pepper.

I read a book by Mireille Guiliano some years ago, annoyingly titled ‘French Women Don’t Get Fat’. The book focused entirely on how French women manage to look good and stay healthy whilst enjoying a diet rich in bread, cheese, wine, steak, chocolate and other good things.

I couldn’t help but think about this book throughout my recent Parisian food adventure. Yes, I savoured every bit of the deliciousness on offer but indulging in Paris for more than 5 days is a dangerous thought.

Cold salads on wintry January days aren’t easy.  Especially, when it is gloomy outside and all you want is a hot plate of comfort.

I wanted something fresh, spicy and Thai yesterday. And, I needed it to be raw. A gorgeous Thai green papaya salad came to mind but I wasn’t going to find a Thai green papaya anywhere in my neighbourhood. Luckily, there was an unripe green mango at home with my name all over it. 😉

It took no effort to put together this cheerful Thai style Mango Salad. It is packed full of flavour, healthy and so easy. Try it sometime – it makes being good, taste fabulous!

The countdown has officially begun – there is only ONE month till Christmas.  I am still recovering from the big fat Diwali binge and it is already time to eat, drink and be merry. There goes the detox.

Thankfully, I’ve got all the holiday party hangovers sorted thanks to a fresh stock of Prefunc.

If you have spent time with Mr. A & myself recently, you will know how much we love and swear by Prefunc. Our lives have changed (and how!) since the little one and yes, we do still get out and about but as with any parent, everything in life requires planning. Even a hangover!

Judging by the enthusiastic response to my blog on Post-Diwali Detox, it is clear that many of you are craving a clean-up!

I am sticking with the detox theme today and sharing a simple tip that I learned on my recent spa break at the Thermae Bath Spa. My massage therapist spoke to me at length about trying the simple technique of dry body brushing to help the body’s natural detoxification process.

All you need is a long-handled body brush from Boots or your local health shop. Prices range from £6 for a Boots body brush to £20 for the Elemis brush pictured below.

It seems like almost everyone in London (myself included) is down with one bug or another these days. Cold, flu, ear infections and a nasty tummy virus, there is more than enough going around to make a self-confessed hypochondriac like me cringe….eek!

Today’s post is recycled from my early days of blogging as I just can’t think straight AND needed a reminder to stock up on some elderberry syrup for the winter to ward off these nasty London germs. And, perhaps you do too! 😉

Organic Flu-Fighter  First posted on  26/4/2013

I think I have finally discovered the holy grail of super foods – Chia seeds. I first came across jars of The Chia Co seeds at Whole Foods a few months ago and have been curious about them ever since.

One of my purchases at Neal’s Yard Remedies last week was a packet of Chia seeds also known as Salvia Hispanica.

I was shocked when I heard about the nutritional potency of these tiny miracles and you will be too. Get ready for it!

2 tablespoons of Chia seeds contain:

My friend, Shikha, told me about a special event at the Neal’s Yard Remedies store in Wimbledon last week. Guests were being offered a choice between a free mini-facial or organic makeover and a 20% discount on everything at the store. Shikha knew this would be right up my alley and sure enough, up the hill I went for some shopping and pampering to the Neal’s Yard Remedies in Wimbledon Village.

Neal’s Yard Remedies is an organic health and beauty brand passionate about finding natural solutions to improve health and well-being. I have used a few of their products over the years and always been impressed by the contents of the signature blue bottles (specifically designed to keep light out and ingredients fresh!).

Many of you will remember my blog last month on  ‘The Beauty Detox Solution – Part 1′.  It has been the most popular post on Hungry Aphrodite so far!

I have embraced many of the ideas that Kimberly Snyder recommends in ‘The Beauty Detox Solution’ and am slowly easing myself into a new way of eating. Of course, there are occasional indulgences but I hate the way my mind and body feel afterwards so something is clearly working.

‘The Beauty Detox Solution – Part 1’ gave you a super brief summary of the first half of the book. As promised, here is Part 2!

I have gone crazy over raspberries this week. Bright red, plump and the perfect balance of sweet and tart – raspberries are clearly at the peak of the season and I  just can’t get enough. Finally, a healthy addiction! 😉

Raspberries are a lot more than a tasty fruit. Below are some very good reasons to grab yourself a juicy bowl of raspberries….NOW!

Immunity

Raspberries are extremely rich in vitamins, anti-oxidants, minerals and all the other good stuff. Raspberry anti-oxidants help to inhibit the growth of infections and protect the body from all sorts of damage. Research has also shown that a specific anti-oxidant found in raspberries can also help to fight cancer and other diseases.

After a sunny summer spent wearing pretty dresses, sipping cocktails/wine, and eating gorgeous food, it wasn’t much fun struggling to breathe in my ‘comfortable’ pair of jeans last week. Ugh. I think it might be time for another round of detox.

As a ‘foodie’, I don’t have the desire or discipline to ‘diet’ so my focus will be on eating right and making better choices.

In need for some serious inspiration and guidance, I turned to ‘The Beauty Detox Solution’, a book by celebrity nutritionist and beauty expert, Kimberly Snyder.  I am not even half way through the book and seem to have already found the motivation to make some changes.

I gave up coffee on June 1st. And I am still standing! Hooray!

Finding healthy (and tasty) replacements for my morning cuppa has been easier than I thought. I have a renewed love for green tea and am mixing it up with other detoxifying drinks such as hot water with honey and lemon (yum), wheatgrass powder (not so yum) and other fresh juices and concoctions.

I met up with a friend this morning at Le Pain Quotidien and tried a delicious detox juice from their seasonal menu  made with pink grapefruit, turmeric, agave syrup and sparkling water. Never knew detox could taste so good!!

A perfectly ripe avocado is undoubtedly my favourite ‘power food’. I was initially put off by the high fat content but the benefits of avocado in my diet make it very easy to overlook this technicality 😉

Avocado has the highest protein content of any fruit and is rich in a variety of vitamins and nutrients. It lowers cholesterol, helps to control diabetes and has also been known to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and improve side effects resulting from chemotherapy. It is high in folate and provides excellent nutrition to pregnant women and is also a nutritious addition to your child’s diet.

Honey is renowned worldwide for its health and beauty benefits.Besides being the world’s most natural sweetener, honey is also anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. It is used widely in alternative medicine as a cure for all kinds of ailments and is considered a ‘power food’ that should be included regularly in one’s diet.

Here are some simple ways for you to include some sweet honey in your life!

Weight Loss –  A spoonful of honey mixed with warm water and a squeeze of lemon is a well known weight loss aid and great for detoxifying the body. Have it every morning as soon as you wake up and you will see the results on your skin and general well-being!