Strawberry & Mint Infused Water

We all know water is very important, and it is something we really should be drinking frequently instead of toxifying caffeine and sugar filled beverages. I have heard many people complain that water is too "plain" and flavourless, or even that they don't like the taste outright.  This is terrible to hear but I hope I can persuade some of you to change your ways.

Human beings really must have water in their diet. It filters out toxins and free radicals that can lead to many illnesses. We need it for so many health reasons including skin health, avoiding water retention & bloating, maintaining proper organ function and hydration and oxygenation of our blood. A good way to motivate yourself into increasing your H2O intake is to make a fruit and/or herb infusion that will be both beneficial and deliciously refreshing - I promise!

Ingredients:

• strawberries, sliced into halves
• fresh mint leaves
• honeydew melon, cubed
• blackcurrants
• ice cubes
• cold water, preferably filtered

Method:

This is going to be so simple, you'll wonder why you never tried it before!
Firstly get out your fruits and fresh mint sprigs, wash and prepare them for use. Now get your desired jar or pitcher and place your fruits inside. You can layer them or just plop them inside, your choice. Then get out a wooden spoon (or whatever utensil you have) to reach inside the jar/pitcher and give your fruits and mint a little mash. This will cause them to release more juices and minerals into your water.

We're almost done already! Pour in some ice cubes over your fruits and mint leaves. And finally pour in your cold water. Hooray! All done, now all you need to do is put on your lid (for your jars) and leave it to chill in your refrigerator. Leave your water for a minimum of 6 hours (preferably leave overnight) so the fruits can infuse which is what we are going for here. They will release all their wonderful flavours along with their nutrients and minerals.
This is very refreshing and definately a better alternative to fizzy drinks and concentrated juices. You can mix up whatever fruits, herbs etc you like. There are so many combinations to make for both nutritional benefits and taste. I hope you enjoy your water a little bit better from now on.

Yummy Avocado Bruschetta

I was thinking about posting some breakfast foods seeing as I have neglected that area thus far. In keeping with the "easy, healthy and quick" theme I thought I would share one of my favourite fast breakfasts, bruschetta. There are many variations of the bruschetta for you to explore, but I'm going to share my go-to recipe I absolutely adore, avocado bruschetta with black olives and cherry tomatoes!

Ingredients

• 2 medium cut slices of multigrain bread ( sour dough & wholewheat are good choices too)
• 1 ripe avocado
• 3-4 cherry tomatoes
• 2 black olives
• 1 clove garlic
• sea salt / kosher salt
• cracked black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Firstly peel and slice your garlic in half. Rub the garlic along your 2 slices of bread. Drizzle or brush your bread lightly with the olive oil (you don't need much, so be careful not to over do it). Sprinkle with salt and black pepper before placing your bread oil side down on your grill / griddle / pan. Repeat on the other side and leave to toast on medium heat for a few minutes. Flip over to toast both sides evenly.
Slice your avocado in half and remove the stone (I do this by cutting down into the stone carefully with a sharp knife and twisting it to the side, loosening the stone easily). Remove and roughly cut up the creamy green flesh and top your bread slices. Chop your cherry tomatoes in halves or quarters and chop or slice your olives before added to your avocado and bread. Season with a little more black pepper and/or salt.
Pretty easy, yes? And completely satisfying.

The nutritional value of this simple breakfast is amazing. If you use a good multigrain bread like me you will be loading up on your iron, calcium, lignans, folate, vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fats just from your 2 bread slices alone, which is fantastic first thing in the morning as it gives you natural energy for your busy day ahead. I like to use the multigrain bread from wholefoods which is packed with goodness from sunflower, pumpkin, poppy, sesame seeds, millet flakes etc etc.
The avocado is amazing and has so many health benefits you definitely should be aware of. Not only does it contain a wide variety of vitamins (e.g vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, that have antioxidant properties) and potassium but it also has high amounts of  monounsaturated fat which helps prevent cardiovascular issues, such as heart disease and lowers cholesterol levels!
Teamed up with anti inflammatory, monounsaturated, vitamin E filled black olives and carbohydrate filled cherry tomatoes is the perfect combination to get you going in the morning. I highly recommend you try this out for yourselves and create your own variations as well.

Notes:

"For an added 'pick me up' on energy major health benefits, sprinkle some flaxseed on top"
"Not only is this a great breakfast, it is also perfect as a snack, lunch or starter."