Radiance - The Juice Cleanse Co.

At Radiance, we've been trying out this delicious recipe for healthier Hot Cross Buns from Women's Health.

These buns are a lighter, more nutritious take on the traditional Easter treat. Spelt flour and oats give added fibre, while agave and apple keep the buns sweet and moist. Healthier they may be, but don’t be fooled - these spiced buns are just as delicious as their buttery cousins and make the perfect spring breakfast.

INGREDIENTS

• 500ml dairy-free milk
• 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 4 cloves
• zest of 1 lemon
• zest of 2 oranges
• 300g spelt flour
• 300g strong white bread flour, plus about 100g extra for kneading and the crosses
• 1 tsp salt
• 100g oats
• 1 x 7g sachet fast action yeast
• 50ml sunflower oil
• 3 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 apple, coarsely grated
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 60g currants
• 2 tbsp apricot or fig jam, ideally a no added sugar brand

METHOD

1/ Bring the milk to boil with the cardamom pods, cloves, lemon zest and zest of 1 orange. Set to one side and allow to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, sift the flours and salt into a large mixing bowl. Tip in the oats, yeast, oil, agave and beaten egg. Once the milk has cooled, remove the cloves and cardamom and pour into the bowl.

2/ Mix together until the ingredients are well incorporated. Then tip the dough onto a generously floured work surface and knead for a good 10 minutes, either by hand or using the dough attachment of a table top mixer. It will seem like a very wet dough, but keep working it, slapping it onto the work surface to develop the gluten. It will eventually come together to form a sticky, but elastic dough. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel. Leave to prove in warmish place for about 1 hour, until risen.

3/ Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface and flatten slightly. Mix together the apple, cinnamon, currants and remaining orange zest and sprinkle over the dough. Knead briefly to distribute all the ingredients. Divide the dough into 16 even pieces and roll into smooth balls. Ar

range the buns on 2 lightly oiled baking sheets in rows of 4, about 1 cm apart. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for a further hour.

4/ Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200/gas mark 7. In a small bowl mix together 30g of flour with 2 ½ - 3 tbsp water, adding the water gradually until you have a thick paste. Scrape into a small sandwich bag. Once the buns have risen and puffed up, cut off the tip of one corner of the sandwich bag and use to pipe crosses over the buns. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, swapping shelves halfway through. Meanwhile, heat the jam with 2 tbsp of water in a small pan until the jam has melted and is syrupy. Sieve into a small bowl and use to brush over the buns as soon as they come out of the oven. Transfer the buns to a wire rack and allow to cool before tucking in.

Read more: http://www.womenshealthmag.co.uk/nutrition/recipes/1126/healthier-hot-cross-buns#ixzz4bVG1OsL3

We absolutely love nut milks. They are so versatile. You can drink them solo, use them as the base for a smoothie or mix them with chia seeds or gluten-free oats for your breakfast. We include a smooth, nourishing cashew nut milk in each of our Classic Cleanses, for a hit of protein and good fats. Here's a macadamia-based recipe to try at home.

Goji & Vanilla Macadamia Milk

Makes 3 cups of nut milk

Ingredients:

1/3 cup raw macadamia nuts, soaked overnight 
3 cups filtered water
1 tablespoon coconut butter
1 handful goji berries, soaked overnight
3-5 dates, soaked overnight (depending on how much sweetness you like)
1 pinch Himalayan pink salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (not essence)

Method:

1. Drain the macadamias, goji berries and dates, and discard the water.
2. Put all of the ingredients into a blender.
3. Pulse a few times, then blend until really smooth.

Tips:

• Turn this into a post-workout drink by adding a scoop of your favourite protein powder. We like Sun Warrior.
• You can use different nuts, such as almonds or pecans. If you like a completely smooth milk, you will need to add another step to the method, since these nuts have skins. Blend the nuts with the water first, then drain the mixture through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth before blending with the remaining ingredients.
• Try adding your favourite spices instead of vanilla, such as cinnamon or ginger.

We don't mind admitting that we are OBSESSED with the miracle make up line that is RMS Beauty. Its inspirational and opinionated founder, Rose-Marie Swift, treated us to a gluten-free muffin in New York and we repaid the favour with some bespoke green juices when she came to London. Rose-Marie is Miranda Kerr and Gisele Bundchen's preferred make up artist, so we were all ears for her philosophy on skincare and make up. Here are her thoughts.

What is your philosophy on nourishing the skin from within?

I am honestly trying to educate every woman to be more aware of not just what they put on their skin but also what they put in their bodies. Your skin is a “mirror to your gut” so whatever is being put into the body is reflected in the skin. Eat healthy, eat wisely, and don't underestimate the power of clean water, fruits and vegetables. Living a healthy life is what gives us beautiful, healthy, glowing skin.  

How have you found changing your diet affected your skin?

Big time....not only has a good diet effected my skin but also my emotions.  Dead food makes me depressed and I have no energy. Raw food, and skin products for that matter, have to have their life-force intact so eating organic and raw when you can is a never-ending source of pure energy for life. You will not help but notice that the skin will improve immensely.  Meat is acidic and hard to digest and that extra work on the system will show through the skin. Processed food is dead food and void of any nutrients whatsoever. Food from the ground is always the best way to go when it comes to your health and your skin. Simple as that.

What is the benefit of green juice for your skin?

Green juicing has all the life force elements the body needs from enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals in their purest unadulterated state.....not synthetic.  Most of our daily intake of bottled vitamins are actually not doing us any good due to the fact that they are synthetic, come from GMO sources (Vitamin C for example) and are full of debatable chemicals and preservatives. The body needs good wholesome food from the earth to support itself....... not from labs.

What makes RMS Beauty different from other make up lines?

After many years in the fashion and make-up industry, I’ve learned a lot about the impact of daily exposure to chemicals in beauty care products. I know first-hand the price our health can pay in the pursuit of beauty. I realized that what women need is a cosmetics line that is as pure as possible, one that creates a solid foundation for anti-aging and long-term beauty.

I have researched from the ground up on how raw ingredients are grown, processed and the end manufacturing techniques etc. This knowledge is so valuable in the making of beauty products and is also very rare.

One of the most obvious differences is that it is not another powdered mineral line. I took the concept of pure, organic skin care (for its moisturizing and healing properties) and added the color minerals into it. I suspended the minerals in the cream base in order to avoid the drying effect minerals alone have long term on the skin.

RMS Beauty is also about not covering up and hiding the skin under heavy foundations and tons of powder. These age the skin and are not pleasing to the eye where RMS Beauty is a veil of lightweight, luminous coverage that allows the skin to be glowing and radiant. That is what makes the skin look youthful.