The suns finally out, and all of London seems to have a spring in their step. The weather has certainly been kind to London Health Week, an event showcasing some of the most creative and innovative health & lifestyle brands in the city at the moment. With so many interesting talks and workshops to choose from, I headed to Madd Hatter’s Cafe this evening to hear Charlie Thuillier, founder of Oppo Ice Cream, speak on “making the indulgent healthy”.
Juicing
Arriving a bit early, I had the chance to sample cold-pressed juices from B.fresh, one of the latest additions to London’s juicing scene launched by a third-generation farmer in Shropshire, UK.
Using hydraulic-pressed (rather than centrifugal-pressed) juice extraction, the cold-pressed method squashes fruits and vegetables during the juicing process, and so avoids producing or applying any heat which would lower the nutritional value by destroying sensitive enzymes. The last year has seen an explosion of new cold-pressed juice companies and even juice bars, accompanied by growing popularity of juice cleanses. Although the true extent to which these intensive cleanses can actually detoxify our bodies remains debatable from a scientific perspective, most people (including myself) do seem to find an overall sense of well-being and balance from regular juicing. While the choice now between the many different brands of juices can be quite overwhelming, personally I quite like experimenting as they tend to have distinctive tastes. Verdict on B.fresh: nutrient-rich yet quite delicious, subtly enhanced with natural flavours such as ginger or lemon for a zesty ring.
Time for some ice-cream!
It was then time for some ice-cream time, albeit on a guilt-free note! Charlie spoke of his adventures along the North East coast of Brazil, as he and his brother sought to break the world record for the longest unsupported kite buggy adventure. Running out of supplies along their journey, they came to rely on wild super-foods from coconut oil to acai berries, inspiring them to search for a way to make the most indulgent food healthy. And so Oppo was born. They only have three flavours at the moment (more are in works), each loaded with a super-food, each unbelievably rich and creamy. And the best part – each tub has fewer calories than an apple! Loved all, but my favourite is definitely the salted caramel, which derives its creamy texture from the fleshy Peruvian fruit lucuma, known as the “gold of the Incas”, and loaded with vitamins and antioxidants.
In the spirit of LH2015, I ended the lovely evening with some soul food at Wild Food Cafe, the mecca for pure and clean living tucked away in magical Neals Yard.
