Primal Pantry Opening Soon!

I've been watching the space a couple doors down from work for some weeks now, change from Salon Lounge to the Primal Pantry. To be honest, I am quite excited about what the space will bring.

Salon always seemed to have such dark decor but the new cafe has definitely brought light back into the place and I can't wait for the area to be buzzing with activity again. It's just a shame that we're moving out of our offices a couple doors down, just as they're opening their new business. On the plus side, we're just moving up the road but having a coffee place a couple doors down would have been bliss (provided they can make a good coffee).  

Primal Pantry is Brisbane’s first 100% Paleo Grocer and Café  and will offer 100% grass-fed, gluten-free, and organic meal options, made from scratch using only the freshest ingredients.

The new cafe opens its doors to the public on Thursday.

My First Homemade Green Smoothie

A lot of my friends have been hopping on the healthy bandwagon lately and making me feel guilty for giving into my pregnancy cravings. So today, I thought I'd try something different and give the whole green smoothie thing a try. I went with my own recipe because I couldn't find one I liked in my juices book.

Rach's Green Smoothie Recipe
- 1 1/2 sticks of celery
- 2 Granny Smith apples
- 1 medium carrot
- a handful of spinach
- 1 cup of water (the local store was out of coconut water)

I blended all the ingredients together (wish I owned a juicer) and then strained the mixture into a glass to make it into a nice juice to drink. Here's the final product. It might not look that appetising but it tasted delicious. If you like drinks sweet, I would suggest adding another apple or actually using coconut water.

You can find more Green Smoothie inspiration over at my friend's blog Adventures in Colour She was definitely the inspiration for me giving this a go today and I'm glad I did.

A Weighty Issue

2012 was going to be different. It was going to be the year of change, the chance to maintain a healthier body weight and lifestyle. The only problem so far...I'm failing dismally!!! So in a sheer attempt of desperation to help my motivation, I am now taking to my blog.

Image by Alan Cleaver

I don't like discussing weighty issues but once again, this post is written in an attempt to be truthful to myself and gain inspiration from others. So in attempt to be truthful, I will share the following with you:

• I currently weigh in at 66kg, 6-8 kilos heavier than I was at school but less than the start of the year...we won't even go there
  
• I was around 60kg at the time of my wedding 3 years ago, so what went wrong?
  
• I am a size 11 but should be at least a 10
• BMI of 24.2, on the edge of the healthy weight range
• My excerise rountine involves occasionally walking the dog
  

Now for my goals:

• To lose approximately 6 kilos
• To lessen my sugar intake, this includes cutting back on lollies, chocolate and coffee
  
• To try to abide more by the food pyramid
  
• To reduce my BMI to around 20.2 to 22
• To try to do more muscle related exercises and be a lot more active

So tonight, I say goodbye to delicious meals such as Eggs Benedict, as made this morning and cupcakes such as the St. Patrick's Day ones I made yesterday (both illustrated below) and hello to healthier alternatives.