If you are on a mission to lose weight or improve your fitness levels, it is important to be disciplined and adopt Good Fitness Habits. Luckily I have always been fairly disciplined when it comes to exercise. I also have exercise equipment at home, which is a big help. If you are less disciplined or you do not have space at home, then joining a gym, like Virgin Active or Sports Science Institute, would be your best option. [Read more…]
My 100 Healthy Days Maintaining a Good Body Image
Self acceptance and having a good body image, is something that does not come easy to many people, myself included! It has always been something that I have struggled with, especially post childbirth. The media and society certainly don’t make it easy but it is up to you to get your mind right! [Read more…]
Romantic Staycation at 15 On Orange
As a married couple, with children, I like to try to plan a night away, with my man, at least once a month! I think it is so important to reconnect, as a couple and spend some quality time together! We love staying in the Winelands but often that can be a bit too far for one night, so recently we have been opting for an overnight “Staycation” in the heart of Cape Town. There are so many fabulous Hotels, B&B’s and Apartments to choose from! A recent Romantic “Staycation” found us at 15 on Orange, in the heart of the CBD, which is part of the African Pride group of hotels.
15 On Orange
I have attended events at 15 on Orange but this was the first overnight experience for us. I had heard nothing but great things about the hotel and the Spa has recently changed hands and had a revamp, so I was delighted to receive and invitation to stay over and experience it for myself.
When we first arrived at the hotel our room was not ready yet, so we decided to hit Long Street for a bite of lunch. After lunch we were escorted up to our suite, by a very friendly porter! What awaited us was a rather stunning Suite, with lovely views over the city.
The interior decor is one of my favourite things about the hotels common areas and the suite was as stunning, with muted grey’s, pops of bright blue and metallic accents. Under-stated modern, elegance at its best!
As with the suite the bathroom was gorgeous – simple yet elegant, with the most stunning black marble tiles on the walls. I simply could not wait to take a long relaxing bath but first we had a trip to the Suntra Spa planned.
I could not resist a pic of my Black & White Mani against the bathroom tiles 🙂
As I mentioned the Suntra Spa, at 15 On Orange, recently changed hands and under went a revamp to make it bigger and more in line, with the rest of the hotels facilities. The Spa offers a range of specialty facial treatments by Guinot and Dermalogica, as well as an extensive array of body massages, exfoliation treatments, wraps and grooming essentials.
We were booked in for a back and neck massage. Once we had completed our customer cards we were shown to a couples treatment room, where we enjoyed a wonder half hour massage. We both sit at our computers, for most of the day during the week and I tend to carry all my stress in my neck, so this was complete bliss!
The staff at the Spa were knowledgeable, professional but above all really friendly. The treatment room was lovely and spacious but unfortunately a bit too dark to take any decent photographs!
Before heading back to our room we decided to take a look at the hotel rooftop pool, which is situated on the 7th Floor next to the spa. It was a bit cold and gloomy outside and definitely not swimming weather but what a view!
Once back in our suite we ordered a lovely, chilled glass of wine and I wasted no time at all, submerging myself into a hot bath!
Before dinner we popped into the Murano Bar, for a quick pre-dinner drink – I absolutely love the decor in the bar.
Dinner was lovely – a rather quiet romantic affair, just what we needed! A few of The highlights of the meal, for me, were the Salt and Pepper Fried Calamari, with Avocado salsa and squid-ink aioli and the Roasted Gemsbok Loin, with potato rösti, spiced red cabbage and black berry jus. Naturally, although really full by this stage, we could not resist at least sharing a desert, we opted for the Molten Valhrona Chocolate Fondant, with Blue berry frozen yoghurt. What arrived was a beautiful, edible work of art – which looked almost too pretty to eat!
It was definitely time to make our way back to our room and settle in for the night! One of my main worries with staying in the CBD is the noise, we have had a few bad nights away and been unable to sleep because of the street noise. Whether it was the extremely comfortable bed or excellent soundproofing – we both slept like babies.
Thank you 15 on Orange for a wonderful, pampered Romantic “Staycation” in the heart of Town – it was a real treat, definitely to be repeated!
Contact Details
Location: Corner Grey’s Pass and Orange Street, Mill Street, Cape Town. Telephone: 27 (21) 469 8000
CENTRAL RESERVATIONS: 0861 50 50 50, +27 21 430 5302 email: [email protected]
Disclosure Ranking: 2
Green Juice Cleanse Recipe
Following on from my post on from my post on Monday with my Beetroot Juice Cleanse, I thought I would share My Green Juice Cleanse Recipe.
I also thought it would be interesting to share a bit about why cold-pressed juices, are more beneficial than the shop bought juices, which more often than not have been pasteurized.
Cold pressing, on the other hand, extracts juice by first crushing the fruits and vegetables, and then pressing them to squeeze out the highest juice yield, all without using heat. This produces a drink that’s thicker and has about three to five times more nutrients than normal juice. The downside is that cold-pressed juices typically last for up to three days when refrigerated—if not, they develop harmful bacteria—so it’s crucial to buy them fresh and drink them quickly. ~ Shape
Each of the juice cleanse recipes I am sharing, are made to my own taste and contain ingredients, which are important for me at this stage of my wellness journey. You can change the recipe up to suit your own taste and needs but I found the combinations I have created both healthy and tasty!
Some background on why I chose this particular combination of ingredients…for starters did you know Kiwifruit are high in vitamins, flavonoids and minerals. In particular, they contain a high amount of Vitamin C (more than oranges), as much potassium as bananas and a good amount of beta-carotene. They also help form Carnitine, which transports fats into cells to be burned as energy.
The phytonutrients found in unfiltered Green Apple Juice can help regulate blood sugar while reducing bad cholesterol levels and enhancing cardiovascular health. Unfiltered apple juice is an excellent source of Vitamin A, which helps to improve vision and Vitamin C, which is a great antioxidant, to help strengthen your immune system.
Pineapple juice contains enzymes that can help digest proteins and offer anti-inflammatory benefits.One cup of fresh pineapple chunks provides 131% of your vitamin C needs for the day, 2% of vitamin A needs, 2% of calcium and 2% of iron.
Celery Stalks are an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C with rich supplies of potassium, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and plenty essential amino acids. Nutrients in the fiber are released during juicing, which help keep you regular!
Cucumber has an impressive amount of water (about 96%) that is naturally distilled, which makes it superior to ordinary water. Its skin contains a high percentage of vitamin A, so should not be peeled off. Cucumber contains alkaline-forming minerals and is an excellent source of vitamin C and A (anti-oxidants), folate, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, silica, sulfur, and lesser amounts of vitamin B complex, sodium, calcium, and phosphorus.
Ginger is a power house like no other! It is known to have more than twelve types of anti-oxidants, making it useful for treatment of many disorders and has way too many health benefits to list here!
Recipe:
- 1 Kiwi Fruit
- 2 Green Apples
- Half Pineapple
- 2 Stalks Celery
- 1 Small Cucumber or 1/3 Large Cucumber
- Knob of Ginger {this is very much to taste – I love lots of ginger!}
- 1/4 lemon
Remove outer skin from Pineapple and cut into chunks, remove the core from the apples and chop into chunks. Peel the Kwifruit and cut into quarters. Chop Cucumber leaving the skin on. Peel lemon and ginger. Slice the Celery stalks and you are ready to go. Using a juicer, I used my Bosch Electric Juicer, pass all the ingredients through, starting with the hardest component, in this case the apples, then add the rest of the ingredients. Once juiced add a splash of filtered water, if the juice is too thick and a few ice cubes.
Enjoy!
My 100 Healthy Days Beetroot Juice Cleanse
Beetroot Juice Cleanse
Last week I promised I would share a few juice cleanse recipes, which I have been using on My 100 Healthy Days with Well I Am Challenge. This Beetroot Juice Cleanse, is one of the first cleansing juices I tried, not only is it super good for you but it is delicious as well!
Beetroot is a Super Food and has many amazing benefits, I love eating Beetroot, so I thought it would be a good place to start my Juice Cleanse. Beetroot is Detoxifying, helps to Cleanse your Liver and Kidneys , reduces Blood Acidity, lowers High Blood Pressure, prevents Hardening of Arteries, as well as having Anti-ageing Properties! It is also great for Digestion and Regulating Metabolism, which is vital for weight-loss.
Recipe:
- 1 Small Beetroot
- 2 Green Apples
- 3 Strawberries
- 1 Small Cucumber or 1/3 Large Cucumber
- Knob of Ginger {this is very much to taste – I love lots of ginger!}
- 1/4 lemon
Peel the beetroot and cut into chunks, remove the core from the apples and chop into chunks. Chop cucumber leaving the skin on. Peel lemon and ginger. Using a juicer, I used my Bosch Juicer, pass all the ingredients through, starting with the hardest component, in this case the beetroot, then add the rest of the ingredients. Once juiced add a splash of filtered water, if the juice is too thick and a few ice cubes. Enjoy!
Are you doing a Juice Cleanse or Detox? I would love to here which juice recipes you have used and what detox has worked for you – please leave a comment below 🙂
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