The (new and improved) Green Monster Smoothie.

Ever since discovering it, I've been IN LOVE with Iowa Girl Eats' Green Monster Spinach Smoothie. It's brilliant, so healthy but tastes so sinful. Insane. But after making it so many times, tweaking the ingredients a bit each time, I've come up with a new recipe for a Green Monster Smoothie. This smoothie is quite high in calories, however it contains healthy fats and carbs which tend not to accumulate as body fat, and are instantly used by the body instead. It can be consumed as a meal replacement smoothie, and is also my go-to post-workout smoothie, as it's high in protein and very hydrating. And it does not taste healthy. At. All.

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana (slice it beforehand).
• A handful or two of fresh baby spinach leaves, or 3-4 cubes of frozen spinach.
• 1 tbsp peanut butter.
• 3/4 cup coconut water (I use Vita Coco).
• 1 tbsp coconut oil.
• 1 tbsp honey.
• 1 tsp gelatine.
• 1-2 tbsp greek yoghurt.
• 1 stalk of celery.
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein (optional).

Blend, blend, blend, and enjoy!

Healthy Pina Colada.

I've been on the hunt for a healthy Pina Colada recipe for a while now, but I just couldn't seem to find one. So I made my own.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen pineapple pieces (make sure to cut up the pineapple BEFORE freezing it).
• 1 tbsp coconut oil.
• 1 cup coconut water (I used Vita Coco).
• 1/2 frozen banana (once again, slice it up beforehand).
• 1-2 tbsp greek yoghurt (optional, I added it to make the smoothie creamier).
• 1 tbsp honey.
• 1 tsp gelatine.
• 1 tbsp vanilla whey protein (optional, if you want to make this a post workout smoothie).

And now just put all of the ingredients into a blender, blend blend blend, and you've got a healthy Pina Colada!

Low(er) Calorie No-Bake Raspberry Pie.

Recently, on Pinterest, I came across a recipe for Strawberry White Chocolate Pie by Jamie Cooks It Up. Needless to say, I was left lusting for that no-bake summer treat. But I've been such a good girl with my eating recently, I didn't want to just throw it all away with a creamy dessert. So, I decided it was my mission to invent my own version of this dessert, cutting down on the fat and sugar content, making it lower in calories. I also made a smaller portion, as I felt that too much of a lower calorie dessert would accumulate either way. And here is the outcome. Creamy goodness.

DIY Beauty: A quick pick-me-up.

Recently I've been getting pretty lazy with my skincare routine. I've been doing the basic minimum every morning and evening; cleansing my face, swiping with some toner and slapping on some cream. But I haven't been paying attention to my problem areas, let alone used any treatments on my face. I know, I know. Shameful. 

After examining my face in the mirror today, I was horrified at the amount of tiny breakouts spread out across my face. My skin hasn't been this bad for months. I decided that was my cue to get myself together and do something about it. I don't currently have any face masks or treatments lying around, as I am moving countries this summer and therefore attempting to go through and finish all the tonnes of thousands of products I own. I hence decided to give good old nature a try.

This quick routine is great for a bad skin day, and is also something I quite often turn to before a night out or special event, as it reduces the redness, causes any swelling around blemishes to go down and tightens pores. It is also a great temporary face lift for those who need it.

So, here is what I did: