ACAI SMOOTHIE BOWL

Eating a smoothie out of a bowl may seem unusual as opposed to drinking it out of a glass but it appears to be the newest, trendiest way of getting your daily fruit and veg hit! The fun thing about a smoothie bowl is creating and designing the toppings! You can mix and match your toppings to create a nourishing, flavoursome bowl each day. I find it’s a great way to use up fruit at the bottom of my fruit bowl and by adding various toppings such as nuts and seeds, it keeps me feeling fuller for longer so I can last until lunchtime without snacking.

My ultimate favs are acai smoothie bowls! I fell in love with acai after discovering it in Australia and I’ve been obsessed ever since. I really admire the healthy lifestyle that Australians adhere to and after learning about the benefits of acai, it’s something I try and incorporate in my diet often. Acai is a type of berry, that is extremely high in antioxidants (it beats the blueberry, raspberry, strawberry and goji berry family by containing the highest amount of antioxidants!!). It's also believed to increase energy, prevent heart disease, increase metabolism and control appetite hormones. They also taste delicious!

What’s your favourite smoothie bowl? 

Don’t forget to leave a comment below or tag #headoverhealing on Instagram so I can see your beautiful smoothie bowl creations! 

Ingredients:

2 large frozen bananas 
3 ice cubes
1 cup of strawberries
1 cup of cashew milk - or any other nut milk (I use Plenish nut milk)
1 tbsp. acai powder 
1 tbsp. pea protein powder - optional 

Toppings:

1 tbsp. unsweetened desiccated coconut
1 tsp. sunflower seeds
1 tsp. pumpkin seeds
1 tsp. almonds and flaked almonds
3 strawberries 
Sprinkle of cacao nibs 

Method:

Blend all the ingredients together, excluding the toppings, in a blender / food processor and transfer into a bowl. 

Add the toppings of your choice and enjoy! 

MYKONOS AND SANTORINI

I recently had the pleasure of exploring two beautiful Greek islands, Mykonos and Santorini. I was so blown away by the stunning views and delicious food, that I had to share my experience with you all!

I visited for 6 days in total, spending 3 days on each island. As they are relatively small, this felt plenty of time to explore and of course, relax.

Mykonos:

Our first stop was Mykonos! We arrived at the airport in the afternoon and got a cab straight to our hotel. We stayed at the Vencia Boutique Hotel, which is AMAZING! Vencia is situated in an idyllic spot, with an infinity pool overlooking the whole town and sea. The staff were so warming, welcoming and helpful that we instantly felt at home upon arriving.

Vencia Boutique Hotel

Boutique Hotel

The Hotel is a 6 minute walk from the town centre which is very small and lively with plenty of local shops. Don't be fooled by the size though, the unique streets of Myko will have you wondering aimlessly for hours! All the streets are very narrow (no cars) and look identical! I loved getting lost in the white-washed lanes, not knowing where I would pop out (this was especially fun trying to navigate home in the dark).

Restaurants in Mykonos:

Nice n’ Easy; This is an organic restaurant offering plenty of gluten free, dairy free and vegan options as well as fresh fish and meat. They even had dairy and sugar free ice-cream on the menu but UNFORTUNATELY they had ran out when we ate here, so no ice-cream for Charlotte – boo. Located in Little Venice, on the water front and right next to the iconic windmills, it’s a perfect place to watch the sunset. It's also next to lots of lively bars if you fancied a late night boogie!

Sunset @ Nice n' Easy, in Little Venice

Karavaki: 

The hotel restaurant offered a self-service buffet breakfast with plenty of variety ranging from; fresh fruits, natural Greek yogurt, nuts, seeds, jams / honey, bread, pastries, eggs, meats, cheese, salads, quinoa, freshly squeezed OJ, coffees and a selection of herbal and English tea. Most mornings I opted for a big fruit salad with a dollop of Greek yogurt, topped with nuts, a drizzle of honey and freshly squeezed OJ. 

The evening restaurant at Karavaki is voted one of the best in Mykonos on Trip Advisor and I can see why, the food is amazing. With a selection of creative salads, fresh fish, vegetables and so much more! The service couldn't be faulted and the staff were very accommodating with my allergies. We booked a private table one evening overlooking the whole town to watch the sunset, which was very romantic (also a great spot if you boys are ever thinking of popping the question ;-) )  

M-Eating: A beautiful restaurant in the town centre with stunning food and voted number 1. on Trip Advisor. This was my boyfriends favourite meal, they have something for everyone so definitely don't leave this one off your todo list! After eating here, we got to witness the local culture via joining in on an evening walk through the Mykonos town carrying candles to celebrate the Easter period. It was amazing seeing the locals come together to celebrate.

Island exploring;

Mykonos is quite small, so it's really easy to hop from one place to another by car or quad bike. We hired a quad one afternoon and zoomed all around the island, stopping off at various beaches along the way. Our first stop was Kalo Livadi beach, where we had the whole beach to ourselves! Although, this might not be the case if you go in the peak of summer. We went in early April when the season hadn't yet started, so there wasn't much open but I imagine in the peak of summer the beach will be quite lively.

We then drove to Paraga Beach which was less than 10 minutes away on the quad. I loved this beach. It was so quiet and beautiful with a stunning restaurant overlooking the whole beach. This was definitely my favourite spot.

If you’re after a beach party, Super Paradise beach has a lively bar and buzzy atmos. We wanted something a little more chilled so we didn't  stay long, however we enjoyed a refreshing  smoothie and a dip in the sea before heading off.

Enjoying a juice in the sea at Super Paradise Beach

Santorini:

On the 4th day we got an early morning ferry over to Santorini, which takes roughly 2 hours from Mykonos and then got a shuttle bus to our hotel. We stayed at Petit Palace Suites, which is very luxurious. Again, the staff here were so helpful and accommodating. The hotel is built right on the edge of the cliff, so we had stunning sea views from all over the hotel and were able to watch the sunset from the balcony in our room. We spent a day relaxing in the hotel by the pool and had a therapeutic aromatherapy couples massage, overlooking the beautiful sea view.

Couples aromatherapy massage @ Petit Palace Suites

Island exploring:

Black beach

I would recommend hiring a car / quad bike if you want to explore the whole island, as the bus routes are lengthy and taxi's are quite costly. We rented a car so we could see as much of the island as possible. Our first stop was Perissa, aka the Black beach, which is perfect for swimming and sunbathing. N.B. BLACK SAND IS VERY HOT - TAKE SHOES OR YOUR FEET WILL DIE. After enjoying a few hours in the sun we drove for approx. 10 minutes to what's known as the Red beach, located in Akrotiri. This beach is quite unique but it's not ideal for swimming as it's pretty small and crowed. I would definitely recommend this spot for food though as there are a number of traditional Greek restaurants by the water. We ate at a lovely restaurant called Asterias, where I had a huge vegan salad with lots of fresh produce and drizzled in olive oil. 

If you want to witness some breathtaking views, head to the highest point in Santorini, Profiti Ilia. Pick your time wisely when to visit though, as it's a popular tourist spot with limited parking. I would suggest going early morning or late afternoon to avoid busy crowds. 

Profiti Ilia

Following these amazing views, we headed to Fira and wondered around the pretty city to witness yet more stunning views N.B. Fira has lots of very steep hills. Petit Palace Suites recommended to eat at a restaurant called Naoussa, so we did. I'd say this was the most traditional Greek restaurant we went to. We got a real flavour of Greek cuisine. My boyfriend ordered mousakka and I went for a roasted ratatouille stewed veggies and it was all so delicious! From Fira you can walk all along the cliff all the way to Imerovigli, the walk is quite long and steep but the views are incredible. Imerovigli is so beautiful, I've never seen views quite like it!

Imerovigli

Imerovigli

Last but certainly not least was, Oia. I completely fell in love with this little village. It's here that you get to witness the white-washed buildings overlooking the sea and visit the famous blue and white church that are all over Greek postcards! It's quite a popular area for tourists, so it does get really busy but it's a perfect spot to witness a sensational sunset! If you do head to Oia, I would suggest making your way down to Ammoudi Bay which is a tiny port packed with buzzy restaurants. We ate at fish restaurant called Taverna, where there is plenty of traditional Greek music and dancing and also a very popular spot with the locals!

Oia

I really loved both islands but if I only had time to visit one, I'd say Mykonos would ever so slightly take the lead! If you want further recommendations in detail, drop me a message or leave a comment below. :)

2 MINUTE BREAKFAST

Breakfast is by far my favourite meal of the day! Knowing I've got something delicious to eat as soon as I wake up, makes getting out of bed that bit easier! This wasn't always the case though, breakfast used to be my least favourite meal because I never knew what to eat! Quite often I would skip it and by 11am I would be craving and binging on crisps and sugary biscuits, which would lead to a sugar crash shortly after. 

There's often a lot of chat about breakfast being the most important meal of the day and I completely get it now! Going back to the days when I used think it was 'slimming' and 'healthy' to skip breakfast, I would then overeat at lunchtime which made me want to nap after. My energy levels hit rock bottom in the afternoon and I felt so sluggish. 

Eating a sustainable breakfast gives you a boost in energy, kick starts the metabolism and stabilises your appetite to avoid binging and overeating, which can ultimately help with weight loss. I always try to include; fibre, protein and healthy fats with my breakfast as this keeps me really full until lunch and energises me throughout the day, so I'm not dozing at my desk. 

People often say they never have time to make breakfast, but this meal literally takes no more than 2 minutes to prepare and it is so delicious. You can even take the ingredients with you and prepare it at work. It will nourish your body with plenty of fuel and nutrition so you can tackle the day ahead. 

Ingredients: 

1 apple
2 medjool dates
5 almonds
1 tbsp. natural Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt
1 tbsp. almond butter 
1 tsp. flaked almonds

Method:

Chop the apple and dates into small pieces and place into a bowl.

Add a dollop of yogurt, drizzle with almond butter and sprinkle with nuts. You can mix up the toppings each day with different fruit and nuts to keep your taste buds fresh! 

It's as simple as that! 

Happy Monday beautiful people. xx

COCONUT AND ALMOND COOKIES

Paleo chocolate chip cookies that will help make your hair shine and skin glow! Yup that’s right – HEALTHY COOKIES!   

These little bites of deliciousness are completely free from wheat, gluten, dairy, grains and refined sugar! Crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle – just like cookies should be. I can’t stop making (and eating) them! I made a batch for my colleagues at work and they went down a treat.

Although they resemble the taste of traditional cookies, they have much greater nutritional value - made with carefully selected ingredients that promotes shiny skin and hair growth. These cookies are packed with Vitamin E, which is a skin friendly nutrient that helps prevent damage and will give you a healthy glow. The combination of fatty acids also helps to strengthen and nourish hair, that will shine all day!

Munching on these will give your energy levels a real boost due to the high magnesium intake and will keep you feeling fuller for longer, which will also help stop those unhealthy food craving!

Give them a go! They’re super easy to make and you can carry them around in your bag as a healthy snack throughout the day!

 Ingredients - 10 - 12 cookies:

1 cup ground almonds / almond flour
1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
1/2 cup almond butter (I use Pip & Nut)  
1/4 cup maple syrup 
1/4 cup cacao nibs  
1/4 cup flaked almonds
1/2 tbsp. GF baking powder
1 egg - beaten
1 tbsp. maca powder - optional
Pinch of salt

Method:


Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients together into a large bowl. 

Add in the almond butter and beaten egg and stir until combined. The mixture should be sticky.

Break off hand size pieces of the mixture, roll into a ball and pat into little cookie size shapes, then place on a lined baking tray.

Oven for approx. 20-30 minutes. Keep checking to make sure they don't burn. You want them to be crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle.

Store in an airtight container.