Homemade Almond Butter

February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The other day one of our clients asked me if I knew were he could buy almond butter. I suggest that you make it yourself. It’s easy, cheaper and you know exactly what the
ingredients are.

Ingredients
350g of raw almonds
1/2 cup of coconut oil
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract (if desired)
salt (if desired)

Method
Heat oven to 180-200°C and roast raw almonds until golden brown about 5-10min mix the nuts occasionally. Let cool.

Process almonds in a food processor until they form a fine meal.

Add a tablespoon of coconut oil at a time, while the almond butter is processing.

Continue to process until the almond butter is creamy (this may take a while, and use more or less coconut oil as needed to get it fairly fluid).

Add the vanilla extract and salt, and continue to process for about a minute.

Pour almond butter into a jar and set aside.

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What is emotional eating?

February 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In one simple sentence I can tell you what it is:

“Emotional eating is eating for reasons other than hunger”

You might ask yourself if you are an emotional eater. I can let you know that everybody has experienced emotional eating. We all have celebrated birthdays, Christmases, weddings etc on those occasions you indulge in fantastic tasting food and drinks that might not be the best choice for your health, weight and wellbeing. But to do that when we celebrate something special every so often is normal.

Emotional eating can become a serious problem when it leads to negative emotional and physical imbalances in our lives.

Food can often bring comfort, at least short term as our brains remember that we often turn to food to heal emotional problems instead of dealing with them.

Emotional eating triggers are; depression, boredom, loneliness, chronic anger, anxiety, frustration, stress, problems with relationships, and poor self-esteem – they can all result in overeating and unwanted weight gain.

Common signs of Emotional Eating

Do you recognise any of these?

-Eating when not physically hungry.
-Eating during times of strong emotions, like anger or depression.
-Eating when bored.
-Rapid eating.
-Eating immediately after arriving home from work.
-Eating alone out of embarrassment at the quantity or type of food being eaten.
-Eating until uncomfortably full.
-Feelings of disgust, depression, or guilt after overeating.

Below are some of the characteristics of emotional hunger

-Emotional hunger comes on suddenly.
-One minute you’re not hungry at all and the next minute you’re starving.
-Emotional hunger often craves specific food, like pizza, chocolate, ice cream or a cheeseburger.
-Emotional hunger begins in the mouth and the mind, not the stomach.
-Emotional hunger often accompanies an unpleasant emotion.
-Emotional hunger involves automatic or absent-minded eating.
-Emotional hunger isn’t satisfied when you’re full.
-Emotional hunger makes you feel guilty.

 
If you think (or know) that you are an emotional eater the most important thing is to know what the triggers are to the excessive behaviour. I highly suggest that you keep a food journal and write down everything that you eat and drink and your emotions and thoughts. When you do this you will more then likely begin to identify patterns to the excessive eating and therefore are able to do something about it.

 
How do I break the habit of emotional eating?
You have now identified the triggers that make you eat even if you’re not hungry. It is a very, very important step. Now it is time to break the habit.
If you feeling that you’re reaching for food as a response to a trigger try one of the following
-Read a book or magazine or listen to music
-Go for a walk or a jog
-Take a relaxing bath
-Deep breathing exercises
-Play cards or a board game
-Ring a friend
-Do house work, laundry or some gardening
-Wash the car
-Write a letter or e-mail
-Or do some other activity that you enjoy until the urge to eat passes.

 

Please remember that you are not alone. It is VERY common to eat because of emotions. I have done it, it is nothing to be ashamed of and always remember that you are not a “bad” person because of the emotional eating.

Let’s find out the triggers and the best way for you to overcome your emotional eating.

Time to make your health and wellbeing the number 1 priority.

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Baked Curry Cauliflower

January 26, 2012 By 1 Comment

I love cauliflower it can use it in many different ways. This is one of my favorites. Just add you piece of preferred protein and you will have a fantastic dinner or lunch.

 

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 cups cauliflower florets

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric

Sea salt and Pepper to taste

 

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C

In a mixing bowl toss the cauliflower with the coconut oil until all the florets are coated in the oil.

Sprinkle all of the spices over the cauliflower and stir again until all florets are evenly coated.

Spread the cauliflower evenly into a glass baking dish and bake for 20-30min, until cooked and a bit crispy. Stir every now and then.

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Lemon scented pork salad

January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I suggest that you serve a fresh refreshing rocket salad to this zesty lemon and herb pork for a filling lunch or light dinner. Can be prepared the night before.

Ingredients
Serves 4

4 lean pork rump steaks or thick cut loin steaks
2 lemons juiced and zested
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tablespoons mint leaves shredded
Salt and Pepper to season

Rocket and parmesan salad to serve

Method
Trim steaks and season with salt and pepper.

Combine the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, garlic and mint leaves and rub into the steaks. Allow to marinate for up to 4 hours.

Heat a non- stick frying pan over a medium heat and cook steaks for 3 – 4 minutes each side. Allow to rest for up to 5 minutes prior to slicing.

Arrange sliced steak over rocket and parmesan salad and serve drizzled with a little olive oil and lemon juice.

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9 tips for you if you are serious about your weight loss

January 19, 2012 By 1 Comment

Even small changes in your way of eating and the way you think about the food you put into your body will make a big difference long term. Here a 9 tips that I want you to start with.

Plan your meals
It is often the things we put into out mouth in between the main meals that make us put on some extra kilos. It is easy to get a bit lazy with the snacks and let a few sugary “treats” become a daily part of your diet. Make sure that you plan your snacks and replace the sugary doughnuts, chocolates and muffins with a small piece of fruit, a few nuts and some cottage cheese. This will help you keep the sugar cravings away.

Eat breakfast
A lot of research shows that a healthy, filling and satisfying breakfast will prevent over indulging later during the day. Never, ever skip breakfast.

Think about what you do in the kitchen
Steaming, using your oven or BBQ are good ways of cooking. If you decide to fry your food make sure that you use a good fat, like coconut oil to cook with. It is a great idea to invest in a non stick pan.

Be smart with the choices of meat you eat
Cut down on fatty processed meat like sausages and salami, cut off the visible fat of your meat. Stay away from grain fed meats and stick to grass fed as much as you can.

Eat something from every marco nutrient in every meal
Remember that every meal you eat, even your snack, should consist of protein (size of your palm), vegetables (mostly things that you can pick above the ground), and a sprinkle of good fat (like olive oil or avocado)

Cut down on your portion sizes
Many of us eat way too much at each meal. Try to cut down your portion sizes by a third and feel if that amount will make you satisfied. A trick is to use a smaller plate.

It is ok to leave food on your plate
Please forget what your wise mum told you when you were a kid. You do not need to finish everything on your plate. If you are full then stop eating even if there are just 2 or 3 mouthfuls of food left on your plate.

Knowledge is the key
Knowledge is the key to better food choices. Don’t be fooled by “smart” advertising. Is that light or diet product really better for you then the real full fat product? Read the labels on the food you are getting from the supermarket. If there are any strange words or numbers in the ingredients list don’t buy it.

What are you drinking?
Alcohol, soda, juices and too many big milky coffees will make you put on weight. If you are thirsty drink water.

Let’s go ahead and use these 9 points every day……..

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Egg Muffin

January 15, 2012 By 1 Comment

The Perfect Snack

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10 reasons why you overeat continued……

January 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I hope you had a think about last weeks 5 reasons to why you might overeat. If any of those are  triggers for you I can assure you that just by knowing them it will become easier to find a solution.
Here are the next 5 reasons

You’ve drunk too much
Alcohol is a big one for many of us. It adds a lot of calories without you even thinking about it. To have a few alcoholic drinks before you eat can mess with your appetite and can stop you recognising that you are full. Also after a couple of drinks you are more likely to make the wrong food choices and reach for the salty, fatty snacks which then make you drink more alcohol because you are thirsty, the viscious circle has begun.

After a couple of alcoholic drinks it’s harder for you to feel full and satisfied so you keep eating. If you are planning on having a drink make sure to match every alcoholic drink with a glass of water, stay away from nibbles or go for the healthier option and only have one plate of food.

You’ve not drunk enough
On the other side of the spectrum, drinking too little (non-alcoholic drinks that is) can also cause you to eat too much. Symptoms of thirst can sometimes be mistaken for hunger. The daily recommended amount of water is around eight glasses, drink them throughout the day (not all at once), and take small sips often.

If you know that you don’t drink enough water a good way to come close to the recommended intake is to drink a glass of water before every meal, one when you get up and one before you go to bed. That’s five glasses done without you thinking about it.

You’ve already broken your diet
Have you ever had a cookie one day and started to think “well, that’s my diet thrown out for the day” and you finish the whole packet and continue with a loaf of bread followed by a couple of litres of ice cream.  This is when you need your willpower to kick in and stop. Recognise that one little mistake. One cookie is much better for you than the whole packet.

You feel like you’re missing out
There’s nothing worse than the feeling of missing out on all the good stuff you love and for many the word “dieting” means starvation and lettuce leaves. Diet actually means things you eat on a daily basis; it does not matter if it’s healthy or unhealthy. Remember that it is ok to have “forbidden” food every now and then because a total ban for certain foods will just make you crave them more — which can lead to eating more. Set yourself a treat day, a day where you can have one of the “forbidden” foods. Having something to look forward to will help you take your mind off food cravings day-to-day and will help you feel like you are not missing out.

You’ll start your diet tomorrow
“I’ll start the new way of eating tomorrow”, how many times have you said it to yourself? If you keep putting the healthier way of eating off and allow yourself anything you want that day because you will start tomorrow, then what happens if you don’t start tomorrow and keep putting it off? Those jeans will just get tighter and tighter. Make your tomorrow today and stop delaying your new eating habits.

I have now gone through 10 “triggers” of overeating. I hope that you know which ones are yours and work out a solution to make the “binging” stop.

Live a life full of energy….. You deserve it……  

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Paleo Curry

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I got this recipe from one of our lovely clients thorough a Facebook message. I really like the look of this curry sauce. Easy and fast, all you need to do is choose your favorite protein and vegetables to go with it.

Ingredients

Serve 2

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small tomato, chopped

4 garlic gloves, crushed

1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, chopped

1 teaspoon salt free garam masala spice blend

1 cup coconut milk

 

Method

1. heat oil in non stick pan over medium heat.

2. Add onion and tomato.

3. Cook for five minutes.

4. Stir in ginger and garlic and continue cooking for one minute.

5. Reduce heat to low and simmer for ten minutes while stirring occasionally.

6. Add garam masala and continue to simmer for five minutes,

7. Remove from heat and cool for ten minutes.

8. Pour into a blender and puree until smooth. Return mixture to pan and add coconut milk. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly for ten minutes.

Serve warm or cold

Thank you Gen for sharing.

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10 reasons why you could be eating too much

January 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

During the next 2 weeks I will outline 10 reasons why you could be piling on the extra kilos without you even realising. It is called overeating, and the reasons we do it vary from person to person.

If you more often than not pig out, bingeing, stuffing your face when you eat you are likely to be overeating. This is something that we have to take seriously and find solutions for as too much food at once always leads to putting on weight. You start with all the good intentions, stick to the “rules” but then, bang, it happens and you find that you’ve managed to finish a packed of TimTams in record speed.

There might me special occasions that trigger the overeating. When you know the trigger to the binge it is easier to find solutions to make sure the temptation will never occur again and you and your body will become best friends forever.

Below are the first 5 out of 10 reasons why you could be eating too much……

Your friends
Even your friends can become your weight loss enemy and act as saboteurs. The following example might be you.

You and a few friends are out for lunch, you’ll often find it’s really hard to say no, or not go for a healthy option when your mates are piling on the fried food and encouraging you to do the same. You’ve have to remember it’s your body and the reason why you want to lose weight is to feel better about yourself, it’s not for them. You should always order what you want and I am sure that after a few lunches the friends will not even notice that you ordering something else that is better for you.

Your plate
It is “fashionable” to serve food on big plates in restaurants, it looks great. But to have the same size plates in your house might lead you to pile a lot more food onto the plates than necessary. Try a smaller version of crockery for a few weeks and monitor the effect of your food intake.

You’re tired
This one is a big trigger, it definitely is for me. Food is often used as a pick me up when we are feeling tired and tiredness can actually be mistaken for hunger. First off all make sure you get enough sleep, get to bed a bit earlier during weekdays and sleep longer during the weekends.

Think about the times when you feel tired the most, is it a mid afternoon or maybe just when you get home from work? You will find a pattern of when you tend to feel tired and it will then become easier to combat it by always carrying a healthy snack with you rather than emptying the vending machine or buying all chocolate bars at the corner shop.

You’re bored
Many of us overeat to fill time simply because we are bored, do not have anything interesting to do or to look forward to. When the boredom hits the most natural move is to end up in front of the TV which can lead to constantly snacking.

If you feel that your job starts to be unsatisfying and boring and you end up having constant walks to the staff canteen. Maybe ask for more responsibility, take on additional projects or even ask yourself if it’s time for a change.
If it’s at home find alternative things to do. Call someone, go online, read a magazine, anything that stops you from heading to the fridge.

Eating too quickly
How long does it take you to eat a meal, five, ten, fifteen minutes? If you finish your meal in less than 20 minutes then you could be at risk of overeating as it takes that long for your body to recognise it’s full and satisfied. The key is to eat slowly and really enjoy your food.
A couple of solutions to slow your meal time down might be.
#Make sure to chew your food properly
#Put down the cutlery between every mouthful and wait to load up the fork again until you’ve swallowed

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Breakfast Quichlette

January 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Jodie, thank you for this recipe of an outstanding fast breakfast. Everyone has time to eat breakfast in the morning….. Cooking Time =  1 minute

Serves 1

Ingredients
diced protein e.g pre cooked chicken, bacon, smoked salmon, beef
1 tbsp fried and naturally caramelised onion
grated cheddar cheese (optional)
1 tbsp coconut milk
1 tbsp chopped cooked spinach
salt & pepper to taste
1 large egg

Method
Mix all ingredients in a medium sized ramekin. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and microwave for another 30 seconds or until egg is set. Too easy!

Keep plenty of diced, cooked protein and caramelised onions in the fridge if you make this breakfast. It’s incredibly easy and fast.

Enjoy your 1 minute breakfast.

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