Six spring health tips

When it comes to spring-cleaning, we know our stuff.

Here are our 6 top tips to use this spring as the launchpad for a great summer:

1. Listen to your body

As you transition from the cooler months into the beautiful balmy breeze of spring, listen to your body! Don't go cold turkey on the warmer, more nourishing foods – ease out of your winter diet slowly, gradually integrating more raw and cool foods into your diet.*

2. Take time for you

Every day. 15 min. Do what YOU want to do.

3. Slow down

You may have a spring in your step but that doesn't mean you have to live in fast forward. Be mindful. Eat slowly. Live thoughtfully.

4. Get yourself outside

Warmer weather means more of a chance to enjoy the outdoors. It's amazing what a bit of sunshine and fresh air can do for your health. Get your body moving while you're outside and you've killed two birds with one stone.

5. Indulge in health

Instead of focusing on what you can't eat, indulge in the healthy foods you can enjoy. Spring means gorgeous fresh produce, and new varieties of fruit and veg.

6. Keep it simple

Real, fresh wholefoods. Local and in season if poss.

*We'll be slowly easing you into our soup-free spring summer menu from October.

If you want your cleanse soup-free before then, try out a combination of our 6-packs.

Image courtesy of Kiyoshi Jiro, Kitchen Art.

How does detoxing help your skin?

You've undoubtedly heard that detoxing is good for your skin. In fact, healthy and radiant skin is the top detox benefit reported by our cleansers. Cleansing helps give your skin that sparkly, dewy, fresh look, and it also helps ease common skin conditions such as acne, dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema. But why and how?

The role and functions of your skin

The skin is the largest organ in your body. It protects you from external pathogens, regulates temperature, facilitates vitamin D absorption, enables tactile sensation, and importantly plays an active role in detoxification.

Its detoxification function has the biggest connection with skin appearance. If you’re overloaded with toxins – playing too hard, eating too much (or too much of the wrong things) and sleeping too little – it all takes its toll on your skin. Dehydration lines, breakouts, rashes and skin irritations are all signs your skin needs some serious TLC, and your body could do with a cleanse.

Detoxing and its impact on your skin

When you detox, provided you are avoiding all the right foods (our cleanse does just that), you are naturally eliminating skin aggravators and inflammatory agents such as dairy, yeast, sugar and gluten.

Juice cleansing gives your digestive system a rest, stimulates detoxification (gently clearing out all those skin-clogging nasties), and floods your body with delicious nutrients all at the same time. It's a recipe for skin success!

If you think a juice cleanse might be for you, check out our spring/summer menu. Our Fruit & Greens and Zingy Uplifter six packs are also a perfect skin-friendly supplement to a healthy diet. More info here.

A truly remarkable man.

The Urban Remedy girls went on a very special kind of date earlier this week. We put on our Sunday best and ventured down to the Sydney Opera House to listen (avidly) to one of the great minds of nutrition. If you haven’t heard of him already, he goes by the name of Pollan. Michael Pollan.

Why is he so special? Well, probably because few people combine such a harmonious assortment of attributes and interests in such an easy-to-listen-to package. Pollan is first and foremost a journalist and a teacher but his area of expertise (and passion) is nutrition/health, and he brings to the table the so often missing ingredients of history, culture, government policy and sustainability. After all, nutrition without these key elements is like bread without butter, a roast without gravy, salad without dressing… you catch our drift.

Back to Pollan. One of his best works ‘Food Rules’ (which lays out some really simple but powerful guidelines to healthy eating) can be summed up in seven tiny but mighty words:

 “Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.”

We think they deserve a little elaboration:

Eat food.
If it doesn’t look like food (and your grandmother wouldn’t recognise it as food) it probably isn’t! Pollan wants us to eat food the way nature intended, food that’s alive, food that rots! And this means no need for additives, wonder ingredients or complicated production methods. Food is food. You shouldn’t need a dictionary to interpret the ingredients list.

Mostly plants.
This is self-explanatory. Eat mostly plants (this includes grains, nuts and seeds – non-refined of course). However, Pollan is not suggesting we avoid meat/protein altogether – on the contrary, he encourages sustainably-farmed and cruelty-free fish, free-range eggs, and/or moderate servings of organic meat. Remember to wash veggies thoroughly or if possible go organic. Even better still, grow your own!

Not too much.
Pollan’s least popular piece of advice. However, far from suggesting extreme calorie restriction (or counting), Pollan is simply inviting us to moderate and listen to our body’s needs. Instead of supersizing everything, we should focus on quality over quantity and learn to recognise when we are hungry or full. Our body will guide us to wellbeing if we listen closely enough.

And here are 5 handy tips to get you started:
1. Ask yourself where your food came from and how it was made
2. Make your own meals when possible, or buy them from a reliable source
3. Tune into your cravings – they could be telling you something!
4. Rediscover the pleasure of eating (it’s fun, let’s enjoy it)
5. Eat mindfully. Eating is an experience. There is no need to rush it.

Here's a link to our favourite Pollan book & to one of his many amazing talks.

Time for a little coaching?

When it comes to health and wellness, we’ve got your back here at Urban Remedy. So much so, that we are taking cleansing to a whole new level to keep you healthy, well and of course happy!

Drum roll please! Introducing our brand-spanking-new...

Urban Remedy

Health Coaching Programs

What is health coaching, we hear you say? Well, we’ll let Claire answer that.

Meet Claire Obeid, our very own Resident Health Coach, who just happens to be a little bit (okay, a lot) keen on health and wellness:

“Health Coaching is a fantastic opportunity to work one-on-one with a knowledgeable (certified and trained) advisor who will provide you with the support, guidance and information to set health and wellness goals, but also help you achieve them in a sustainable way!”

Think about this. Have you ever wanted to change something in your life – your relationship with food, your fitness level, your overall happiness, your lifestyle habits – but you didn’t know where to start, how to make it happen, or even what change really looks like?

That’s where a Health Coach can help. Our delicious and nutritious (if we do say so) cleanses are an amazing way to kick-start new healthy habits, but sometimes we need a little push and shove to stay on track and build the healthy habit momentum. 

Claire will devise a personalised program – based on your needs and where you are at on your own wellness journey – that will radically improve your health, wellness and happiness. If you’re not ready to launch into a full blown program, Claire can start you off with an individual session and you can take it from there, no strings attached.

Want better skin? More energy? Less stress? Would you like to feel balanced? Learn how to cook? Understand your body? Be aware?

Do we hear a YES? Well then, get in touch. If you would like to check out our individual sessions and health coaching packages, or just want a little more info, it’s all here.

What are you really hungry for?

Staying healthy and happy isn’t as simple as counting carbs and calories. The reason we love cleansing so much at Urban Remedy is that it allows you to take some time out from the rat race, to re-centre and examine the areas of your life that are falling short. Are you working too hard? Have you had a few too many beers or champagnes lately? Are you not spending enough time with friends? Have you fallen off the exercise wagon?

According to the lovely folk at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York, what we eat is secondary food. The other stuff – career, relationships, spirituality, exercise – is primary food. We believe this is where cleansing plays such a crucial role: by taking the dilemma of secondary food out of the equation, it gives you time to think about the primary food in your life and address the areas you may be lacking in.

Take a look IIN’s nifty little (primary and secondary) food pyramid here.
     
Now, trace a point in each segment of the ‘circle of life’ below to note how happy you feel about each area in your life. Next, join the dots. The dips in your circle are areas that need some tender loving care. Get onto it.

Here's to a well rounded life!

How to eat well and fit into your skinny jeans!

On the menu this week: we answer our final two top questions. Enjoy!

1. What should I be eating?

This is an interesting one. There is no ‘one diet fits all’ solution. In fact, one man (or woman)’s food is often another man (or woman)’s poison! The concept I am referring to is that of ‘bio-individuality’. We are all unique individuals with our own individual dietary requirements and our own responses to particular foods.

What we should eat also varies according to location and season. There’s a reason everyone is talking about eating locally-sourced, seasonal produce. It’s good for the environment but it’s also better for us. Put simply, it’s more natural to be eating what is readily available to us in our surroundings.

Finally, the word ‘should’ when combined with ‘eating’ rings alarm bells to me. Eat what you want to eat, when you want to eat it (within reason) and you will often find you eat far more healthily (and far less) than if you impose restrictions on your diet (and end up reaching for the nearest pack of Tim Tams).

2. How do I lose those last five kilos?

Most of us have a normal weight and a ‘skinny jeans’ weight. I think the issue of losing the ‘last five kilos’ is really about something entirely different: letting go. Obviously I don’t mean renouncing all willpower and reaching for the nearest pack of chips. What I mean is letting go of our OCD calorie counting, treadmill pounding and habitual self-loathing. We are officially a nation of ‘orthorexics’ – people unhealthily obsessed with being healthy. Sounds ironic, doesn’t it?!

Now, I’m not saying that you can get fat by just worrying about it or look at a slice of cake and turn into one. But you can definitely shed the kilos if you stop agonising over your weight and just let go! If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. When you are relaxed and happy, you sleep better and make the right food choices. You get outside more and laugh more. You lower your stress hormones and boost your mood!

So next time you catch yourself obsessing over what to eat for dinner, take a step back, breathe and remember to live a little. You might even make a more sensible decision...

Goodbye wobbly bits, hello PowerPlate!

This week, we put PowerPlate to the test. Buckle up, we’re in for a ride!

The experiment:
5 x 40-minute PowerPlate sessions over two weeks

So what is PowerPlate?

It’s the latest celebrity craze of vibration training that blasts your jiggly bits and gets you fit and toned in 2-3 short sessions per week. It was in fact used (long before celebrities) by Russian cosmonauts to fight the effects of zero gravity, improving muscle strength and bone density.


Classes are in groups of 2-4. I went with my (extremely brave) partner.

You stand on a vibrating platform in regular gym gear (no space suit, alas) and do a series of exercises including squats, lunges, push ups, the plank (could we be any more 2011?) and tricep dips. The vibrations stimulate the muscle-pump effect and increase blood flow (is it me or does that sound a bit rude?), which in turn improves the body’s ability to transport oxygen, assimilate nutrients and disperse toxins.

Studies have shown that adding a PowerPlate to your workout increases its effectiveness by 57%. Yes please.

The guinea pig: 
Me, exercise-phobe extraordinaire

I’m super healthy and I walk a lot but let’s get one thing straight – I’m no gym bunny. I used to dance ten hours a week when I was younger (and run and play tennis), and… like all good things in large doses… I got sick of it. The mere thought of exercising makes me want to whip out a box set of Gossip Girl and climb under the doona.

The verdict:

I have to say, after the initial excitement of free exercise, I started to wonder if my not-so-gymtastic body would be up for the challenge. I struggled in the first two sessions but found myself improving so quickly and so noticeably that I stayed motivated and didn’t feel disheartened by my lack of fitness.  My partner and I both felt like we had improved leaps and bounds by session 3, and were tricep-dipping and push-upping like pros in the last session ;)... you should see my plank now!!

I loved the fact that you could feel every muscle working, and that you could target particular muscles with such precision. The instructors at the studio in Bondi Junction were amazing. They definitely knew their stuff and checked in on us regularly, asking if there were areas we wanted to target (aka jiggly bits) and making sure we were activating each muscle correctly (read: working hard enough).

After the workout, you also get to look forward to a mini cellulite-banishing massage. A way to kiss goodbye to wobbly bits and cellulite in 40 minutes? Definitely a man (or woman)'s best friend.

Given my hate-hate relationship with exercise, I didn’t expect to fall in love with PowerPlate but (it’s official) I most certainly have. And so have my new found abs. Now all I have to do is convince them to stay there.

Less Gossip Girl, more PowerPlate? Who am I kidding, a girl can multi-task.

         xoxo

Are you full of beans?

Last week, we looked at the health (and environmental) benefits of cutting out meat and dairy for just one day per week. The facts are pretty astonishing. 

But if you do decide to give them up and have a Meatless Monday or a meatless any-other-day, where should you get your protein from instead?

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Free-range, organic eggs: 
Eggs are a complete protein, meaning they contain all of the essential amino acids.

• Milk alternatives:
- Nut milks
- Soy milk

• High protein grains: 
- Amaranth
- Buckwheat
- Kamut
- Quinoa
- Seitan
- Soba noodles
- Spelt
- Whole oats
- Wild rice

• Legumes and beans: 
- Adzuki beans
- Black beans
- Broad beans
- Butter beans
- Chickpeas
- Green beans
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
Click here for a full list of beans.

• Tofu and tempeh

• Nuts and seeds

• Nut butters:
Our favourite is ABC spread.
Almonds + Brazil nuts + Cashews = complete protein

• Seed butters:
- Sunflower seed spread
- Tahini

• Green veggies:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Kale
- Spinach
- Watercress

Next week, we’ve got some super healthy, meat-free, high protein and carbon-friendly recipes for you. Stay tuned…

Food for your skin

The skin is the largest organ in the human body. It protects us from external pathogens, regulates temperature, facilitates vitamin D absorption, enables tactile sensation, and boosts detoxification.

Its detoxification function has the biggest connection with skin appearance. If we’re overloaded with toxins – playing too hard, eating too much (or too much of the wrong things) and sleeping too little – it all takes its toll on our skin. Dehydration lines, breakouts, rashes and skin irritations are all signs our skin needs some serious TLC.

To get your skin in tip top shape, we recommend these 5 nice and easy steps:

1. Avoid these skin aggravators:
- Dairy
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Alcohol

2. Eat lots of these super healthy foods:
- Fresh fruit and veg
- Oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines)
- Healthy oils: olive, coconut, flaxseed
- Nuts
- Water!

3. Maintain a simple but effective skin care routine:

Skin products often promise to fix your every skin problem; they won’t. That said, choosing a brand with pure, natural ingredients, or at the very least free from the nasty stuff, is key. We recommend Simple if you’re on a budget or, if you feel like treating yourself, here are some of our faves: Aesop, Origins, Aveda and Kiehl’s (all stocked at Myer, except Aveda).

Rather than getting a whole heap of products, just get a few really good ones – a great cleanser (this one doubles up as gentle exfoliant), a supercharged moisturiser (still looking for one, tips most welcome!) or soothing face oil, and a gentle make-up remover.

4. Supplement (if you can afford the extra splurge on your skin):

For acne and breakouts – as these are often linked to bacterial overgrowth (dysbiosis) in the gut, we recommend taking a high-strength probiotic and, if you can get to a naturopath or health store, ask them to mix you up a liquid herbal formula to support adrenal health and immunity, and combat dysbiosis.

For dry skin, inflammation and recurring skin irritations (such as dermatitis or eczema) – we recommend a high quality fish oil supplement.

5. Try a juice cleanse: 

We have had excellent feedback from customers with skin conditions. If you think about it, it makes sense – by doing a juice cleanse you are eliminating all of the aggravators, giving your digestive system a rest, stimulating detoxification, and adding in a whole heap of goodness!

What are your skin secrets? We’d love to know.

What's your ayurvedic body type?

Ayurveda is a 4000-year old Indian philosophy of healing and wellbeing. Translated literally, it means the ‘art of living wisely’ (or science of life) – it is a system which encourages balance in all areas of life, with the ultimate goal of improving health through lifestyle choices suited to one’s constitution, such as diet, daily routine, sleep, exercise, herbal remedies, massage and meditation.

According to the UK-based ayurvedic brand Pukka Herbs: “The wisdom of Ayurveda encourages us to take responsibility for our own health according to the different stages of our lives, the seasons, and the environment we live, work and play in. These factors all have a big impact on our health and it makes sense to adapt our lifestyle accordingly so we can continue to live in harmony with our body and stay at optimum health.”

The three doshas
There are three doshas – or mind-body types – according to the ayurvedic philosophy: vata, pitta and kapha. Each dosha is associated with particular attributes, predispositions and health priorities.  Most people are a combination of doshas, with one dominant type. When a dosha becomes out of balance, it can have a serious impact on our wellbeing – the goal of ayurveda is to restore balance and vitality.

Vata
Vata types tend to be fast-thinking, visionary and creative but when out of balance they can be forgetful, distracted, nervous and uptight. Vata types are prone to digestive problems (particularly bloating and IBS), anxiety or mood imbalances, and joint disorders. They are aggravated by cold, frozen or dried foods. They can be thrown by change or travel – rest and routine are a vata type’s best friend.

Pitta
Pitta types are confident, passionate and born leaders. They are organised, perfectionists but excess pitta can make them fiery, short-tempered and irritable. Pitta people have a tendency to suffer from skin irritations, inflammation, overheating, heartburn and ulcers. They should avoid excess heat and humidity, and should steer clear of fried, hot or spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol. Fresh air is a great pitta remedy!

Kapha
Kapha types tend to be loyal, calm, strong and nurturing but if imbalanced they are prone to fatigue, low energy and overindulgence.  Kapha types may suffer from congestion, water retention, weight gain and slow digestion. Their best medicine is to remain physically active, avoid icy drinks, excess sugar, bread or fatty foods. They need to break their routine every now and then – excitement and variety keep them energised!

Take this quiz to find out what your dosha is.