Grow your own!

The good weather we've been having lately has finally got me out into the garden. To be honest I'm not really into flowers but I reluctantly planted a couple of hanging baskets under the strict supervision of my husband! Despite my initial lack of enthusiasm and after a forced trip to the local garden centre last weekend, I was surprisingly inspired to plant some herbs and strawberries. You can see from the photo that the strawberries are coming along quite nicely. They've doubled in size since last Sunday!

We're building an extension later in the year so I can't do much in the actual garden so I'm trying to make good use of pots and containers. I've even got an old sink filled with herbs. Why don't you have a go? Herbs are so expensive in the supermarket and there's nothing nicer than picking them fresh from the garden.

My horticultural adventures are being closely monitored by my Dad who truly is a gardening genius; every time I speak to him he gives me a really useful tip. I'm currently compiling all of his 'top secret' suggestions and one day I might just share them with you.

Love Charlotte x

The Toxic Carrot

I absolutely love carrots and I'm always trying to come up with new ways to eat and drink them. I'm on a mini detox at the moment but last night I really fancied a tipple. I'm quite into into cocktails so I decided to do some experimenting. I made some fresh juice from apples, carrots and ginger, added a slice of lemon, loads of ice and a measure of vodka. Ta daaaaaa....The Toxic Carrot! Enjoy...

Love Charlotte x

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Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is probably one of my favourite TV chefs/celebrities which is pretty ironic considering he's a major meat-eater! However I have to take my hat to the man because he eats proper meat and by that I mean organically reared livestock (usually out of his back garden!). Although I'm a vegetarian I'm not against people eating meat as long as it's decent stuff! I'm sure you'll have heard all about his 'Chicken Out' campaign, well here's what he has to say...

Roast chicken is an iconic dish in British culture. It probably ranks close to the top of most people's list of favourite foods. It may be affordable for the masses, but it is also fit for a king.

But how many of you know about the life your fresh supermarket chickens lead before they reach your table? That their short, intensively farmed indoor existence is managed like a factory production line, to ensure the big retailers can sell them to you for as little as £2 a bird? Is that all the life an animal, born and raised to feed us, is worth?

For more information click on the link below and sign up to show your support!

Love Charlotte x

The Feel Good Club

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Thank you to everyone who emailed me about 'Fat Wednesday.' It was interesting because most of you are actually on the verge of starting a new health kick in preparation for the summer so there was some truth in the fat phenomenon stated by The Sun. However there didn't seem to be any evidence of you scoffing your faces with cakes, burgers and beer!

Today I'm launching a new service to tie in with the post Easter health frenzy. It's not a fad diet or an expensive weight loss programme. It's called The Feel Good Club and it's a community designed to inform, inspire and motivate you to fit a healthy diet into your busy life. So how does it work and more importantly how much does it cost?

As a member, every Tuesday I will personally email you a PDF (so it's nice and easy to print out and keep) containing the following.

• Healthy and easy to prepare recipes (including ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, smoothies and treats)
  
• Useful food facts
• Tips and tricks to increase the nutritional value of your food
• Healthy alternatives to everyday foods
• Articles
  
• Discounts and special offers from me and my personal network of colleagues and practitioners
• Feel Good Support via email once a month.

So how much does it cost?

For all of the above you pay £5.00 a month with a minimum subscription of 6 months. You pay a one off amount of £30 and at the end of your 6 months you'll recieve an email from me inviting you to continue your membership. It's that simple! You can securely pay for your first 6 months membership via paypal by clicking here.

If you have any questions or you'd like more information please go to www.charlottehunter.co.uk

I look forward to welcoming you to the club,

Charlotte x

It's Fat Wednesday!

No, I'm not joking because today is officially Fat Wednesday! According to The Sun, today is the most "belly bulging 24 hours of the year so far" as Brits will scoff an average of 4,000 calories.

This is double the government recommendations of 1,940 calories a day for women and 2,550 for men. It is also the most indulgent day since Christmas when on average, we eat a whopping 7,000 calories. So, why is this? Well today sits between 1st January when we all start our New Year diets and the post Easter period when we start our health kicks to slim down for summer.

What do you think? Have you scoffed your face will all those left over Easter eggs or are you having a pre-bikini diet binge?

Charlotte x

PS If you're interested in receiving a weekly fat-busting Feel Good Recipes please contact me via www.charlottehunter.co.uk