BIRTHDAY DRINK!

 

Say Hello to our limited edition, Birthday cooler! The Watermelon Chia Cooler. It has been designed and made specifically to help commemorate this glorious occasion that is our birthday. Can you believe we have been in ifc mall for one year! Time flies! Thank you to all of our supporters – couldn’t have done it without you!

Now, lets talk coolers. Made with watermelon, coconut water, lime and chia seeds, this will be your go-to refresh this August. Watermelon is made up of 80% water meaning its very hydrating. It is also delicious and packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants! Coconut water as you know is our go to hydrator. Loaded with electrolytes, minerals and enzymes that are vital when it comes to fluid replacement. Coconut water has many other benefits – you can read about them in this blog. Lime is loaded with vitamin C and skin boosting enzymes whilst the chia seeds a protein packed and will give you a nice hit of fibre.

What an all-rounder.

This drink will only be on shelves for the month of August so get down and try it out! Snap a photo with it, tag #geniejuicery and you go in the running to win some exceptional prizes! We also have an online discount running for the month of August. Use discount code: happybirthdaygenie to get 15% off all your online purchases this month!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GENIE JUICERY!

 

FOOD AND STRESS: THE LOWDOWN

Food and stress have often been linked. It’s a widely researched fact that someone with a healthy and well balanced diet is likely to be far less stressed that someone with a poor diet.

Wholesome, healthy, nutritious food – foods that we promote on a daily basis here at Genie Juicery – along with exercise, are known to be the simplest forms for relieving stress. Not only cost effective, but readily available and with no side effects! So pack away those pills, ditch the ciggys and take a closer look at your diet as it seems the answer to your tension could be there.

Ok so it seems a little obvious at this point which foods we need to be avoiding. As per our philosophy, it seems that the processed, sugar laden foods which are oh-so accessible in this city, are out! And the wholesome, real foods are in. In times of stress you are probably more likely to reach for the cheeseburger, but hold strong. The processed meat and cheese, the sugary bun and preservative full sauces are only going to ignite that stress receptor – feed it if you will. Causing you to feel more stressed, adding to your anxiety and getting you on the fast spiral downwards. But lets not focus on this. Lets look to the good stuff. Fresh fruit and vegetables provide an array of vitamins and minerals that are great for reducing stress. Lets take a closer look…

Green Leafy vegetables – These abundant greens, such as spinach, contain folate, which produces dopamine, a pleasure inducing brain chemical, helping you to keep calm and carry on. Depression symptoms are lowered when folate is consumed on a regular basis and the general feeling of calm and happiness is abundant. We use spinach in a majority of our drinks so if you haven’t turned green maybe its time you hopped on that wagon.

Yoghurt – Lots of research correlates to stress and your gut. When we get stressed it causes an inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal system, which can block communication flow between the gut and the brain. Basically if the gut aint happy the head aint happy. If you are familiar with our probiotic rich yoghurt, you’ll know that it contains the good bacteria, to sweep out the bad bacteria, creating an environment down there, that is content and cheerful. Plus its loaded with protein and calcium – you cant go wrong there!

Berries – These guys often get a mention and their high levels of antioxidants and phytonutrients are getting another shout out. The more antioxidants you eat, the better defence your body has when it comes to dealing with the stress and fighting stress related free radicals. Nom nom nom!

Dark Chocolate – Chocoholics rejoice. Dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa, has the power to regulate stress levels. It can trigger the walls of your blood cells to relax, lowering blood pressure and improving circulation. It also gives you a sense of euphoria. But make sure its the good stuff. We stock a local brand called Raiz The Bar and they are serving up cold pressed, raw, vegan chocolate that is boasting with the benefits. Sign me up for that!

Seeds – flaxseeds are a great source of magnesium which have been linked to regulating our emotions. magnesium helps alleviate depression, fatigue and irritability. Magnesium, a naturally occurring mineral,  can also be found in leafy green, yoghurt, nuts and fish! Its the new age, tablet free, depressant! Find them in our delicious flax snack!

So there you have it. If you are feeling low, and need a mood enhancing booster, pop into Genie. We will sort you out!

 

 

VEGAN RECIPE: Roasted cauliflower with cumin, coriander & almonds

The cauliflower. A very underrated vegetable, but one that should not be overlooked. For one thing, its readily available year round – supermarket, local markets – your trusty cauliflower will be there. Ready for the taking. On another note, its cheap! This vegetable has a plethora of ways you can cook, blanch, steam, roast, process or mash! You will also be pleased to know that it contains an impressive array of nutrients including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants!

But if that isn’t enough to saw you its way, check out this delicious recipe that we stumbled across on the Jamie Oliver website. It looks mighty delicious. And its vegan. WIN WIN!

SERVES: 4

COOKING TIME: 25 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:

head of cauliflower, broken into florets

Sea Salt

Olive Oil

1 knob butter

2 Teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1-2 dried red chillies

1 handful blanched almonds, smashed

zest and juice of 1 lemon

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Blanch cauliflower in salted boiling water for a couple of minutes then drain in a colander, allowing it to steam dry (you don’t want any water left in cauliflower or it wont roast properly). Toss it in a good lug of olive oil and the butter. In a pestle and mortar, bash your spices and chillies with a pinch of salt, then mix with your almonds and put in a hot dry ovenproof pan to slowly toast them. After a couple of minutes, add the cauliflower. When it gets a nice bit of colour on it, add the lemon zest and juice and mix around well. Fry for about a minute longer then pop the pan into the preheated oven for about 15 minutes to crisp up.

BERRY BERRY GOOD!

Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, raspberries. They may be small but boy do they pack a punch! The initial, most notable aspect of these fruits are their vibrant colours – the blues, purples, pinks and reds, which are a result of a compound called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are the universal plant colorants responsible for creating the red, purple, and blue hues evident in many fruits and vegetables. But this compound isn’t just responsible for creating colour, there is significant evidence which shows the reduction on blood pressure, improvement of eyesight, strong anti-inflammatory an antimicrobial activities and act as potent scavengers for free radicals! Basically consumption of this compound links to preventing life-style related diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

The berry family also boost your vitamin C intake. Now we all know that vitamin c is a great immunity booster. Consume when feeling a little under the weather to give your immune system that welcomed boost. However, not everyone will know that Vitamin C is great for your skin! It strengthens blood vessels which results in a boost to your skins elasticity and strength. Thats a natural face lift right there – sign me up for that!

Finally lets talk about the berries contribution to weight loss. As these fruits contain mostly water, they are great for filling you up quickly whilst scaling very low on the cals. Berries also contain fibre and folate which are great for the digestive system. Win win!

Try our Bo-Yo and Beaches for a berry hit! We also add them to our new Nice Cream and Chia Puddings! Thats all sounds berry berry good to us!