Health to Glow Episode 10- SMOOTHIES! Yum!

This week watch Mel and I whip up TWO delicious smoothies using Coconut Water.

Mel and I were lucky enough to stumble upon CHI coconut water which is the

LOWEST SUGAR

coconut water on the Australian market.

More importantly, it is the only coconut water that I have found comes vaguely close to the REAL thing!

If you want a laugh, have a look at me trying to down a banana smoothie at the end…

Anyone who knows me, knows I HATE BANANA’s! 

The things I do in the name of education/entertainment/heath….

Health to Glow Episode 9- Delicious Delights, Guilt Free Chocolate Mousse!

 

So a while back I ranted on about my Chocolate Ice Cream…I didn’t get a massive vote of confidence from many as the main ingredients was..

AVOCADO…

And I think most people can’t seem to wrap their head around a savoury staple being morphed into a decadent chocolate cream.

Trust me, it’s been done, and it is

a little bit amazing…

Watch Mel and I tackle the EASIEST dish since a cheese toastie and eat half the contents of the food processor…

I implore anyone who manages to snatch a cheap box of avocados to make one big batch and freeze some for later and eat the rest now….

You will thank me.

😉

 

 

Beauty Food for Cellulite

 

Everyone wants to rid their cellulite – it is without a doubt the most common query that arises in my inbox.

Without wanting to sound like a television commercial-

‘cellulite happens’

and while there is no pinpoint solution, there are so many mechanics within your body that you can support in order to even out your skin tone down there.  Seriously.

Firstly, cellulite does not occur simply from excess fat – I know of many a skinny girl who is covered in the stuff.

Celullite is

– Hormonal (too much estrogen)

– Genetic (dam)

– Lack of connective tissue (food to the rescue)

And with many people taught to choose skinless and boneless meat cuts for fear of animal fat there is little wonder that they will ever develop the connective tissue they desire.

Collagen-rich bone broth will give your skin the equipment that it needs to help itself. This is why I love a good osso buco, lamb shank stew or bowl of authentic chicken soup. Anything where you add animal joints to a meal will increase the collagen content – and boy does it taste nice too!

Gelatin rich bones are fantastic for boosting your ow collagen. Gelatin, essentially the cooked form of collagen, is also a much cheaper form of botox if you were thinking of going down that route…

Traditionally diets were filled with gelatin, as most people knew the importance of stewing a whole joint of meat in order to extract the full array of minerals and amino acids from the meal (and also to prevent wastage!). Today, we remove all the ‘offending’ bones, meaning we miss out on integral nutrients, nutrients that help to pacify inflammation – it is little wonder why we always get sick!

Now while it is all very well to make your own bone broth and wack it into your diet- why not incorporate the bone into a recipe?

Below is my recipe for sexy skin:

a gelatinous, creamy soup that melts in your mouth..perfect for these colder winter nights.

Cauliflower & Ham Hock Soup

Serves:

4-6

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced

1 Head of Cauliflower roughly chopped

1 Litre (4 cups) water (can add more if you want a thinner soup)

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 ham hock

2 carrots, diced

1 cup sliced celery

Celtic sea salt to taste

cracked black pepper to serve

Method:

1. Put the onions, water, pepper and thyme into a large saucepan.
2. Add the ham bone, bring slowly to the boil, reduce heat and simmer half-covered for an hour.
3. Add the carrots celery, cauliflower and cook for another hour.
4. Remove thyme and discard.
5. Take out the ham bone, cut all meat from the bone removing any skin, shred the meat up.
6. Allow the soup to cool and with a barmix, blend the soup until creamy.
7.  Return all the meat back to the soup. Prior to serving add a dash of salt and cracked black pepper.

If you let this cool and let it sit in the fridge- the next day you may notice that your soup has turned to jelly.

That’s gelatin.

That’s what you want.

Rest assured once you heat it up- the soup will melt back into a creamy consistency.

And on a plus side- this soup is excellent to transport to work because you are guaranteed it won’t leak into your handbag. 😉

Cashew Nut Burgers

Sealed with a Kiss…x

Despite what we read, soy is not the miracle health food it is claimed to be.

Rather it is SUPER cheap to produce and the profit margins are HIGH. 

SO why not tell everyone to drink, eat and be merry with fake milk, fake meat and fake energy bars?

Soy is a relatively new food, which is probably why it is one of the top allergenic foods, coming closely behind, gluten, dairy and corn. Soy, like grains, also contains phytates. These are chemicals which bind to important minerals so you can end up short on zinc, iron and other nutrients if you eat them all the time.

And if you don’ think you eat soy all the time…then have a look at

 99% of prepackaged food and there will be a soy ingredient in their to fill it out.

These GMO sources of Soy are often processed in aluminum casks that leach aluminum into the final product. Little wonder then, when I first had my hair mineral analysis read, my aluminum (among other things) was off the scale. I can hypothesise this is in part due to a teenage diet comprised of ‘healthy’ prepackaged crackers, bars, milk and crap chocolate.

Of course, when prepared properly and eaten every so often, not everyday, soy foods such as miso and tempeh are perfectly fine. However, if they become your go to sources of protein, than I would start to worry about

a) the lack of variety in your diet

b) your hormonal profile (as an endocrine disruptor, soy can and does wreak havoc on your hormones)

Enough said?

In the interests of the vegetarian friends I have, I have decided to whip up a ‘veggie burger’ devoid of the usual soy fillers, weird numbers and suspect ingredients. They are super yummy, super simple and quite fun to make – if I do say so myself.

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Cashew Burgers with the lot

1/3 cup buckwheat soaked overnight in 1tsp of Celtic Sea Salt and filtered water

1.5 cups cashews

2 tbs coconut flour

½ red onion – cut into chunks

2 cloves garlic

1 cup of flat parsley (or your favourite herb)

2 tbs macadamia oil

1. Drain the buckwheat of its water. Rinse the buckwheat to remove all starch.
2. Add buckwheat to a small pot, filled with 2/3 cup boiling water. Bring to boil and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove and fluff with a fork.
3. Combine all ingredients except for oil into food processor.
4. Form into patties and refrigerate for an hour to firm up. ( If you are in a hurry, skip this step)
5. Remove from the fridge and heat oil over a medium heat.
6. Add a few of your patties and seal them to cook. Say 2 minutes a side. Do this in batches to ensure that each patty has the care and attention it deserves.

Et voila! Meatless, soyless, processed foodless vegetarian patties, for my veggo friends.

x

Dairy for Calcium – is it a Must?

I haven’t drunk milk in years.

Even as a child I found dairy overdose left me nauseous and sick in the stomach (what an understatement that was).

As a result, this negligence in the dairy department has left me without a soft spot for the calcium rich beverage. And don’t get me started on cheese. I just find the whole thing far too pungent – much to the dismay of my French home stay family. Try explaining to a French family, in your entry level French that you found cheese…. unappetising. ‘Quelle horreaur!”

A few of my nutritionally savvy friends like to scare me with the horrors of osteoporosis. Where will I get my calcium from if I don’t drown myself in glasses of milk, cheese and low fat ice-cream?

If weak bones were a result of calcium deficiency, then why don’t Australians, who consume more dairy products than 80% of the world, have some of the strongest bones?

Indeed, Americans, who take more calcium supplements than any other country, also top the list for the most fractures and brittle bones.

Interestingly, in a study from Harvard Medical School, women who drunk two or more glasses of milk per day had a 45% higher risk of hip fractures than the women who drank less milk. And yes, while studies such as these are not a cause for conclusion, it does lead you to question whether the push to consume more than a glass of a milk a day is enforced by the ulterior motives of Australia’s agricultural department.

Ensuring your body is in a state of equilibrium is your answer for all over health, including strong bones.

Make certain you eat real food that doesn’t inflame your system and make sleep your priority.  

Bone health can be supported with an integrative approach – one that involves whole foods that are easily digested and a few simple practices each day.

1. Get your rays – Vitamin D is vital for bone strength. Try to get 20 minutes of sun exposure daily.  Egg Yolks are also a good source of Vitamin D; so don’t chuck out the yolk!
2. Green veggies with each meal! Breakfast doesn’t need to be a carb fest!
3. Fishy fishy- the tinned stuff with all the bones is excellent for calcium. Essential fatty acids are great for bone strength too so consider supplementing with fish oil if you think your intake of fatty fish is slim to none. 😉
4. Lift like a bro – that’s right, weights 3 times a week. Stop running on the treadmill (which is friggin boring anyway) and push your way through the macho fest at the gym. Lift heavy = strong bones = sexy body.
5. Happy hormones – Get your bloods tested for estrogen levels. Low estrogen is an indicator for osteoporosis.
6. Nuts so fast – with your handfuls of nuts, but don’t remove them! Nuts have great protein, fibre and fat content. A good all rounder snack. Plus they are high in minerals, particularly calcium and magnesium. Interestingly magnesium is necessary for your body to process calcium, so stop taking a calcium supplement if it has no magnesium in it!

After this rant and rave- I still like a good creamy beverage that packs a taste punch. Forgive me if I may appear blunt, but milk is pretty much null and void of taste. That is if you don’t pour it over a bowl of cocoa pops and watch the milk transform to a creamy brown. (A fond pastime of my former years…)

Which is why, if I want a smoothie, a bowl of buckwheat porridge or a glass of goodness to keep the ‘bed bugs from biting’ I like to make my own ‘mylks’.

Always. 😉

My favourite nut milk so far, was inspired by a recent conversation I had with an Indian/Malay friend of mine – as we reminisced about the wonders that is a Sri Lankan Love Cake (if you have never tried it – ask your Sri Lankan acquaintance to make one).

Sri Lankan Love Cake, although filled with many variations, is often infused with cashews, rosewater and cardamom with bucket loads of sugar. It is also usually gluten free!

Obviously this milk, comes sans the sugar but with lots and lots of LOVE 😉

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Cashew Rosewater, Cardamom Milk

1.5 litres (6 cups) water

3 cups of unsalted cashews (try to get these from a supplier who has a high turnover, the stuff in the supermarkets are just rancid – until you try the taste difference, you won’t believe me)

2 tsp of liquid Stevia

2 cardamom pods, bashed

1 tsp of rosewater (less is more, don’t overdose!)

1. Blend the first three ingredients in a good blender. Do this in batches and ensure it is smooth.
2. Decant your milk into a large jug and add your cardamom.
3. Let stand for 2 hours.
4. Strain the mixture through a muslin cloth or nut milk bag. Stir in the rosewater and extract then serve.

NOTE: (With the cashew solids, discard the cardamom and use in baking to thicken batter. Experiment with making pancake batter or adding the same ratio of soaked buckwheat for creamy breakfast porridge – experiment, but don’t chuck it! SO wasteful!)

Pumpkin Hazelnut Crackers

I love a good grazing session, as much as the next person – unfortunately, I don’t think grazing is really great for those with delicate digestive systems which is why I try not to bring things into the house that will encourage grazing. It is best to leave temptation at the door to prevent my eager eyes getting the better of me.

Yes…will power is evasive at the best of times and when there is a block of dark chocolate or jar of almond butter in my way these can get the better of me.

Despite this conundrum, I do appreciate that snacks in all their shapes and sizes are hard to avoid – especially when it comes to socialising and family get togethers, which is why I always advocate bringing your own lovingly prepared creations to the table to ensure that there are tasty and nutritious options for you to eat and to avoid you looking somewhat socially inept. Tis true, but not eating can appear to be an anti-social behaviour among people, that and not drinking. But that’s a whole other article.

Which is why today I bring you the best ‘cracker’ since the Sakata. It has a sneaky vegetable in it, healthy fats and packs an awesome taste punch!

Ready to Mix and Bake?

 

Pumpkin Hazelnut Crackers

1/2 cup grated raw pumpkin

2 eggs

3 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons coconut flour

2 tablespoons hazelnut meal

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

1. Grab all your ingredients and stick them in your best blender – blend well into a smooth batter.
2. On a lined baking tray, spread a thin layer of batter.
3. Bake for 15 minutes
4. Remove from oven, cut into nice uniform squares (well as uniform as you can!)
5. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes until the crackers are crispy.
6. Sprinkle with a little more Celtic Sea Salt and then serve!

(should get about 20 crackers…and if they look all out of whack and resemble hexagons instead of rectangles…remember rustic is de rigueur)

Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins

As you can see, I have a preoccupation with creating protein snacks.

I find that I am on the run a lot and HATE taking pre-prepared food that requires a knife and fork. While a lot of people would debate that my desire to use raw protein powders, kind of goes against the whole ‘whole nutrition’ thing, I see a good quality protein powder as added insurance that my body gets enough protein, since I weight train on a fairly consistent basis.

I am also aware of the realities of most store bought snacks and believe these to be the lesser of two evils for the every day on-the-go girl/guy.

So yes- while real food would be a beautiful slow roast piece of lamb, served on a bed of wilted greens- I am quite sure no one has the capacity at work to bring in haute cuisine Monday-Friday.

Plus I like to bake. 

A good protein powder is super easy to digest, doesn’t leave you bloated and a has a great amino acid profile to ensure your body can easily escort all those nasty city consumed toxins we receive on a daily basis.

That’s right – in order to get toxins out of your body you need amino acids. And where are amino acids? They are in protein.

So what are you waiting for? Get back in the kitchen and start making a mess.

x 

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 Chocolate Hazelnut Protein Muffins

Makes 8 muffins

Ingredients

½ cup of Chocolate Sprouted Brown Rice Protein Powder

1/3 cup of Pumpkin Puree

1 cup of Hazlenut Meal

¼ cup cocoa powder

2 tsp of baking powder

pinch of salt

4 egg whites

1 1/2 cups of Almond Milk

1 tsp of Liquid stevia

Instructions

Grease and line 8 muffin tins.

Preheat the oven to 180

In one bowl, place all your dry ingredients together and mix well.

An another bowl, add all your wet ingredients and give them a light whisk

Combine the two together and stir gently

Divide the mixture between eight muffin molds.

Bake for 30 minutes or until risen and golden.

Remove and cool on your bench top.

Wrap up into individual serves and enjoy at work or play!

Health to Glow Episode One

Welcome to Health To Glow TV a brand new segment on my blog. I am really happy to finally share something that I am passionate about…above and beyond writing too much!

Join my good mate Melissa and I for weekly videos where we will be sharing our love and passion for healthy clean living. Without giving away all the juicy details…please have a look, it’s 10 minutes of kitchen fun which I want to share with you!

I hope you like our first video thanks to Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar books.

Be sure to subscribe to our channel and comment below lovelies.

Thanks for all those people who have inspired me along the way…

Holly

x

Sensational Swede Soup

Photo Credit: pin add

I’ve been making a point of buying one new veg a week at the Farmers Market and working out

a) what the hell it is &

b) how on earth does one eat it (so it is delicious and not completely reminiscent of frozen carrots and overcooked green beans)

This has proven rather fun (oh the small things) and a challenge that has yielded some impressive results.

This swede soup has been one of them

…to the point where Swede’s are now a staple on my shopping list next to broccoli!

Swede’s, in my opinion, are the new ‘low carb’ cauliflower replacement. For all those paleoified low carbers, delving into their cauliflower crust pizza or cauliflower rice – may I suggest you have a peek at the simple swede?

Despite what looks like a discoloured potato, the Swede is actually part of the brassica family (hello broccoli, cabbage, kale etc)..which means despite it’s somewhat starchy texture –

it is significantly lacking in starch and carbs.

The perfect lower carb antitdote to creamy potato soup, which although is heavenly, can be quite carb laden and not really necessary when…

you have been sitting on your butt all day only to get up and down to traverse the distance between your couch and the fridge. 

The swede also contains a nice wallop of vitamin c – with 100g of the stuff containing 25mg of Vitamin c, 42% of the daily recommended dose.

The taste? It does have a slight (and I mean slight) bitter taste that is easily quashed with a bucketload of spices, herbs or a good tablespoon of butter, should you choose to mash it. And excellent mash it makes indeed!

For me?

I like a nice bowl of soup that fills me up without filling me out. 

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Ingredients: 

1 brown onion

2 tbs macadamia oil

2 cloves of garlic

2 tsp of ground coriander

2 tsp of cumin

2 tsp of mild curry powder

1 tsp of turmeric

1 tsp of dried ginger

Dash of dried chilli (I probably use a heaping tsp but I am a little more hardcore than the average)

4 Swedes (peeled and cut into smaller pieces)

Celtic Sea Salt

2-3 cups of Vegetable Stock or Chicken Stock . (See note)

Method:

1. Heat Oil in large pot and saute onion until translucent.

2. Add the garlic and stir until aromatic, then add the spices and let fry for a minute until aromatic.

3. Add the stock and the swedes and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until swedes are tender.

4. With a barmix blender stick, puree the soup until thick and creamy.

Serve straight away or ladle into pyrex and freeze . This is a perfect ‘meal in a moment’ on those weeknights where you have forgotten to plan ahead – remove straight from the freezer and defrost in your casserole dish on a low heat. Easy!

Note: Try to ensure your stock is clean and without any added unusual nasties. Homemade is obviously preferable – but we can’t always be domestic goddesses! As for the amount of stock, choose your weapon and go with how you prefer soup. Like a more broth like soup? Add more stock. Like it thick and creamy? Less.

– you get the picture… 

Photo Credit: joyosity

Chocolate Ice Cream (no ice cream maker required!)

Photo Credit: SweetonVeg

I presented this to my friends after a night in- complete with red wine and girly dvd’s. Sometimes life calls for a flimsy storyline.