Strawberries are sugar-sweet, irresistible, and omnipresent -- even if you can't pick your own, you'll find pints and quarts of them at roadside

Whether you're a morning person or you're not..lifestyle factors can pretty much change this with almost immediate effect! With everyone constantly and increasingly on-the-go all the time, there is almost an unspoken expectation to not give yourself time off, not have any time down, and constantly people measuring commitment/success by the amount of shut-eye they had the previous night. We’ve decided to come up with a few ways this can be changed, so that even the sleepiest of us can enjoy the mornings as they become lighter with a few simple lifestyle changes..
Strawberries are sugar-sweet, irresistible, and omnipresent -- even if you can't pick your own, you'll find pints and quarts of them at roadside
There are many reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables. Freeze dried or fresh, it doesn't matter as long as they are prepared in a healthy
There’s Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, of course — but this is also Heart Month and on February 5th its the British Heart Foundation National Heart day, dedicated to raising awareness of heart health.
Heart and circulatory disease takes the lives of more than 400 people in the UK each day. So let’s get red everywhere and help raise money for the British Heart Foundation’s life saving research.
We can use this month to raise awareness about heart disease and how people can prevent it — both at home and in the community.
Some simple ways to ensure keeping your heart healthy come from the following;
- A healthy diet rich in heart healthy foods (oily fish, avocado, grains, legumes, tomatoes and berries)
Try making some fantastic heart healthy recipes using our Giving Tree snacks - our strawberry crisps make the perfect addition to yogurt, porridge, smoothies, juices and even a substitute to fresh strawberries in baking! With all the same nutrition as fresh and 1 of your 5 a day you can't go wrong.
- Limiting alcohol in the diet
- Exercising - Physical activity can help reduce your risk of heart disease. It can also help you control your weight, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol and improve your mental health – helping you to look and feel great.
- Smoking increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, which includes coronary heart disease and stroke.
To get the pounds piling in, you can ask people to give a donation on the door, or pay to enjoy food and drinks as they go along.
Not feeling so energetic? No problem. Here are some easy other ways to make fundraising a team effort at work, school, college, your toddler’s playgroup, your workout class or wherever you’ll be on Friday 5 February:
Have a dress-down day, where everyone gives a donation to participate - while wearing something red of course.
Or, donate to dress up, perhaps with a prize for the best red outfit or fancy dress. Being a tomato, Red Queen, strawberry, Spiderman or lobster could be your winning ticket.
Organise a bake sale, showcasing everyone’s talents. Watch the money roll in!
Of course, Giving Tree snacks will be brought into the help of the special Red Day..
Here is a fantastic Strawberry Giving Tree and berry recipe to keep you going before all of the activities you're going to get involved in...
Ingredients.
Method.
Blend all ingredients and immediately consume for a deliciously heart healthy smoothie :)
Strawberries are sugar-sweet, irresistible, and omnipresent -- even if you can't pick your own, you'll find pints and quarts of them at roadside
There are many reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables. Freeze dried or fresh, it doesn't matter as long as they are prepared in a healthy
Granola. A breakfast staple to so many of you, with granola sales up by 20% last year (Grocer uk) and so many brands to choose from its a fantastic, energy fuelling 'go to' breakfast or snack.
However, be warned.. many 'healthy' granolas are jam packed with refined sugar and dried fruit coated in sugar which in reality does not make a healthy mornings breakfast. Along with the high sugar content, many brands add fats such as palm oil to their granola which raises saturated fat levels and overall makes a pretty unhealthy breakfast, that will leave you feeling hungry faster too.
This doesn't mean to say all granolas should be tarred with the same sticky brush!
We are loving Raw Gorrilla Strawberry Crispies at the moment, a completely Raw, Gluten free, Vegan, Paleo cereal! With no additives or preservatives and blended with amazing superfoods like raw cacao, lucuma & macs it goes perfectly with Chi Coconut Milk too!
We also LOVE making our own!
The most important bulk ingredient to the granola should be the whole oats. They are full of fibre, high in protein, and contain vitamins and minerals like folate, iron, and magnesium. Make sure when you buy your oats, they are labelled as 100% pure whole rolled oats, nothing that says “instant” or “quick cooking or any added sugar or sweeteners!
Nuts and seeds make a fantastic addition of protein, texture, flavour and Vitamin E. A small amount of unsweetened dried fruit is ok too, just make sure it’s unsweetened to keep the sugar content down.
Here at Giving Tree, we realised it's easier than you think to make your own delicious granola, which we found topped with Giving Tree fruit crisps makes a bowl of pure, healthy goodness!
Here's our favourite recipe, but remember you can add your own favourite additions too - just remember to check the back of ingredients and aim to avoid sweetened nuts and fruit. You can reach your own desired sweetness with the addition of coconut sugar (low GI) or a small amount of extra honey.
Giving Tree Granola Recipe;
Ingredients:
Happy munching :)
We love to hear from you so please feel free to say hello and tell us what you think of our snacks!
Strawberries are sugar-sweet, irresistible, and omnipresent -- even if you can't pick your own, you'll find pints and quarts of them at roadside
There are many reasons to eat more fruits and vegetables. Freeze dried or fresh, it doesn't matter as long as they are prepared in a healthy