Although I really love my Berries & Coconut Extraordinaire for breakfast, as we head into the depths of winter, the cool
and refreshing nature of the recipe that I enjoy in the warmer months just isn’t
cutting it. While I would love to do a big fry up every morning with eggs,
bacon and tomato (that's right - I said I would have bacon and eggs every day - what are you going to do about it?), waking up at 5am for a 5:50am start doesn't really allow for
it.
So, this morning, I decided to adapt, only slightly, the
summer recipe to make it more of a winter warmer, and I can confidently say it
was delicious! So delicious that by the time I realised I should have taken a
photo I had already gobbled everything up! Sorry! And to be honest, it wouldn't really have made for good food porn. So instead, you can have a
random photo of my local bay that I took on my walk the other morning, and
picture yourself snuggled up inside in your jammies enjoying this tasty brekkie, thankful that you are not outside in this cold, foggy spookiness....
Have you got the picture in your mind? Are you snuggled up
and ready to warm your belly with a nutritious meal to start the day? Here you
go:
1-2 handfuls mixed berries (I used a handful each of frozen blueberries
and raspberries)
1 tsp cinnamon powder
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 small handful nuts, chopped
Full fat coconut milk – I think I used about a cup, but feel free to add
more or less (taste as you go and adjust to your liking)
1 egg, whisked separately
1 tsp raw organic honey (optional)
1 small handful coconut flakes (optional)
This will take about 5-10mins to prepare. Heat the oil in a
saucepan over medium heat. Add berries and powders, stirring to mix. Then add
coconut milk, nuts and egg, stirring frequently. As the mixture gets warm, add
honey and coconut flakes, if using. Keep stirring the mixture until it is quite
warm-hot*. Serve and enjoy!
*Note: It is important to ensure the mix is well heated as
raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin, which can bind with
biotin (a B vitamin which plays an essential role in many metabolic processes)
and prevent our absorption, potentially leading to biotin deficiency (which
looks a little like depression, skin rashes and hair loss – not ideal!).
Cooking the egg whites will denature this protein and prevent the binding from
occurring. If you don’t want to heat the mix that much, just add the egg yolk
and leave the white out.
I hope you all enjoy this one! Keep warm and stay healthy!
Do you have any yummy grain-free brekkie recipes on the go
for winter? Please share!
Supplements are all the rage these days. It seems that unless your pantry is filled with acai berries, spirulina, mutli-vitamins and protein powders, you are a)not as healthy as you could be and b)not as cool as you want to be. Lots of people ask me for my opinion on these often expensive, but seemingly beneficial dietary additions. Do we need them? Are they worth it? Well, to that I say….it depends – who are you? What is going on in your body? What is going on in your life?
If you are consuming a nutrient-dense diet with lots of variety and are relatively stress-free and have no massive health conditions (e.g. cancer) going on, then I would say no, for the most part, you don’t need them. There are certain circumstances however when one may need a little extra boost in the form of a supplement if they do not have access to, or choose not to consume, the actual food, or if the food they are consuming is from sub-optimal sources.
So, for the purposes of this post, you are free from life-threatening health conditions and your stress and sleep are OK. I will address other circumstances briefly at the end.
Now, what we are going to do is play a game of “Would you rather….” But instead of “Would you rather go on a date with Johnny or have a quick pash with Billy” (my answer is neither by the way – I’m married, silly), this is going to be more like “Would you rather consume this nourishing food or spend a shite load more on this expensive supplement??”. Can you see where I’m taking this, peeps?
1.Would you rather spend $50 on a jar of isolated probiotics in capsule form or $10 on some sauerkraut?
Now I’m not denying that we need probiotics…we definitely do need those bugs in our belly and with today’s lifestyle factors, such as stress, alcohol, dodgy food and medications (both over-the-counter and prescribed), there is an even greater need to get the goods back to balance. Why? Well, here is a little list, but more and more research is coming along with other reasons why we should cherish these little critters and obtain them from fermented food sources:
Aid digestion – this is particularly important for anyone who suffers from irritable bowel syndrome or anything similar
Improve immunity – 80% of our immune system is in our gut!! If our gut is not happy, neither will the rest of our body and this can manifest in a myriad of ways, such as infections, colds and flus, skin rashes….
Boost your mood – your gut and your brain are intricately linked – if one if out, so is the other, which is why you need to work on getting BOTH healthy in order to experience optimum health. If you think about it, when you are really nervous, you get nervous runs, right? Or is that just me……awkward…..
Boost your mood factoid #2 – 95% of serotonin is located in the gut – if your bugs aren’t happy, then neither are you!
Increased amounts of vitamins and minerals in foods, such as biotin, nicotinic acid, riboflavin, thiamine and vitamin B12 (note to vegetarians!!!)
I could go on, but there are more questions in this game. If your answer to this one - “I would rather some sauerkraut please, as these fermented foods sound much more beneficial than taking a probiotic in a pill”, then good job! You have passed level one (when did this game become a quiz???!).
For more on fermented foods (what they are, how to make them, why you should care) simply do a Google search, or two excellent resources I would recommend are Sally Fallon’s book, Nourishing Traditions, and http://www.wildfermentation.com/. I’m actually going to make some Ginger Carrots from Sal’s (I’m going to pretend we’re friends) book this afternoon. Watch this space!
If, however, you are against the idea of sauerkraut and/or other fermented foods, then yes, I would probably recommend taking a good quality probiotic supplement, but remember – whole food will always be better than any of its individual components.
2.Would you rather take a calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus supplement, along with a joint supplement, a digestive aid, a cold and flu tablet, and wack on some anti-cellulite cream to top it off, OR have some bone broth?
Seriously folks, bone broth is the cheapest super-food on the planet! Not only is it an excellent source of calcium, which most people I know are concerned about, and other minerals, it is rich in gelatin, which helps to heal the gut and treat intestinal disorders such as Chron’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Other benefits of bone broth include:
Improving joint health – reducing inflammation and symptoms of arthritis
Minimise cellulite – the collagen in the broth helps to reinforce the collagen layers in our body, thus preventing the occurrence of Mr Orange Peel.
Like fermented foods, broth can improve immunity and help to prevent or shorten colds and flus.
Glycine, an amino acid in broth, helps to aid in muscle recovery, and improve digestion by increasing stomach acid secretion, which is required for the proper breakdown and hence absorption of foods
Gelatin can also improve skin and nails, aid sleep, and help reduce sugar cravings
It is so so very cheap, even when using the best quality bones. I think each batch I make costs me around $5, and that makes about 4L. What?!!?
This kind of sums up how I feel about bone broth….just substitute “bird” for “broth”…( know it doesn’t rhyme, but whatever – just enjoy it already!)
Oh how I love Family Guy.
Anywho - I have started having bone broth daily and I’m absolutely loving it! I have it first thing in the morning or in the afternoon if I am feeling a little peckish before dinner, in fact I am having a mug right now! If you don’t want to drink it straight-up, use it to add to soups and stews instead of crappy store-bought stocks which have lots of added nasties and are devoid of all benefits.
By now you are probably thinking I’m a bit of a weirdo, but trust me on this friends, these foods are the goods.
Now, if you said “I would rather bone broth” then good for you! Here is a recipe
First of all, you need yourself a slow-cooker. Seriously, how many times do I need to say this? It will revolutionise your life! OK – got it? Good. Now in your slow cooker (the bigger the better – ours is 6.5L and digital), add the following:
½-1kg bones from organic, grass fed animals (I think beef tastes best, but all are good)
2 organic celery stalks, chopped
2 organic carrots, chopped
6 small cloves organic garlic, smashed (this is important to do BEFORE chopping to release the beneficial phytochemical (P.S: “Phyto” = “plant”. You’re welcome
1 organic onion, chopped
Sprigs of fresh herbs – rosemary, thyme and sage work well but I’m sure you could add in whatever you like
Kelp or other sea vegetable for trace minerals that are hard to otherwise find, such as iodine (very important for thyroid health and foetal development)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
¼ cup organic apple cider vinegar (this is essential for drawing the minerals out of the bones)
Filtered water – enough to cover everything.
Instructions: throw everything in the pot. Cover. Cook on low for around 20hrs. Allow to cool and then strain off the liquid (including the fat) into glass storage containers. Refrigerate. A really good broth will go like jelly, however I have thus far only managed to do this with beef bones, so if you find the secret to the others, then let me know (I have heard chicken feet work wonders….hmm).
3.Would you rather an expensive synthetic multi-vitamin or a teeny bit of yummy pate?
Firstly, a word on multi-vitamins: I’m not a doctor, so you don’t have to take my advice if you don’t want to, but I would generally not recommend taking a multi-vitamin. In fact, I believe they can be potentially dangerous and/or useless. If your urine is bright yellow after taking a multi-vitamin, chances are you are not absorbing half of the vitamins in that supplement. That’s some expensive pee! Also, most multi-vitamins have multiple vitamins….ha! I know, I know very obvious. However, the multiple vitamins that are in these little pills often compete with each other for absorption. For example, zinc, copper, calcium and iron all compete with each other, meaning you will probably end up with either none at all (once again – expensive excrement) or you may potentially cause a deficiency, although deficiencies are more likely when you take supplements in isolations, such as zinc. When it comes to iron, taking it in supplement form can be quite dangerous. Our bodies generally have a mechanism to take up just the right amount of iron as we need it, both from animal and plant sources. If our iron stores are full from animal sources of iron (haem iron, which is readily absorbed), then we will not absorb the iron from plants (non-haem iron). An exception to this rule is those with the genetic condition known as haemachromatosis. The problem with supplements is they can override this block and be readily absorbed and can potentially cause iron overload, which can be incredibly damaging, and even fatal!!
But what about if you are iron-deficient? Well, the answer to that my friends is liver (check out this story from my friend Roni)! Liver is an excellent source of iron, along with many other important nutrients which are often lacking in our diets, including:
Note: liver is a very concentrated super-food that does not need to be eaten every day. 85-100g per week is plenty.
4.Would you rather spend $50 on Acai berry powder or spend it on something worth-while?
I realise I am not going to be making any friends in the supplement industry from this post. Oh well. Someone needs to say it.
Do we need anti-oxidants? Yes. Yes we do. We need anti-oxidants to protect us from damaging molecules called “free-radicals” which can cause oxidation in the body (hence the term “anti-oxidants”). These free-radicals, if left to their own agenda, can cause damage to lipids (fats) in cell membranes, DNA and proteins.
Where do free-radicals come from? Everywhere – our body produces them, we eat, drink and breathe them, we absorb them. Holy crap! Give me some of that Acai berry!!
Stop. Breathe. Listen.
Thankfully, our bodies have their own anti-oxidant system. Yes, that’s right, our body, when healthy, is perfectly equipped with a fully-functioning anti-oxidant system, which is quite capable of halting the oxidation process. So, not only do we not need to consume extra anti-oxidants, supplementing can actually cause more harm than good. There is evidence to suggest that if we consume too many anti-oxidants in supplement form, not only can they potentially become pro-oxidants in the body (bad. Very bad), but they can cause the body to stop/slow down the production of its own anti-oxidants (again – bad. Very bad). Same goes for vitamin C.
I will say, though, there are certain circumstances when one might need to consume more anti-oxidants, such as cancer. I am not at all in a position to suggest this as a treatment however, but if you are suffering from such a condition, or you know someone who is, I suggest you head over to http://www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au/ and read about how Jess is using The Gerson Therapy to heal her body of cancer without chemotherapy. Full on, but nothing short of amazing.
So, by now you are probably thinking I’m some weird hippy chick, but to be completely honest with you, I am not currently taking any vitamin/mineral/anti-oxidant supplement and I have never felt better! Not to mention I am saving money for a fabulous 2 month adventure at the end of the year! So, take what you will from this post – if nothing else, I hope I have enlightened you on the benefits of eating a variety of traditional whole foods. While I do have more to say on this topic, including supplements I do recommend, I’ll save it for next time.
And to finish off with a laugh (and a bit of a piss-take), I give you The Bondi Hipsters (it’s relevant…maybe):
Yes, I am officially a slacker when it comes to regular blogging. I apologise! Uni is kicking my butt big time. Hopefully I can get a couple out over the next few weeks. But for now, my favourite partner in crime, Aaron, has kindly agreed to write a guest post for me! My very first guest post! Woo hoo! So, without further adieu, please welcome (drumroll) Aaron Callaghan – fellow nerd/husband/personal trainer extraordinaire (in that order???).
(Side note: I will put my own 2 cents worth in here and there in red – cos’ that’s what wives do, right?)
OK you’ve made some changes to your diet and your energy levels are rising. Hey, you haven’t felt this good in years. Maybe it’s time to start moving again? That would be great but there is no time because of work, study, kids etc.
Here are five tips to accelerate your results in minimal time: 1. The body regards training as a stress. If we get the volume and intensity right the body adapts and increases its capacity to do work. If we get it wrong the body stops improving, gets injured or you get sick. As a general rule for longevity, wellness and vitality - less is more. If your training is well structured it should take you less than an hour a week to get the results you’re after. (Seriously folks – you read right – 1hr per week, not day)
2. To boost your metabolism, perform high intensity intervals once or twice a week. Choose any exercise which uses the large muscles in your body (no, not your guns). For example - squats, bike, sprints, burpees, battling ropes. For best results make the hard hard and the easy easy (jogging is neither). Work intervals between 30-60s with a 1:1, 1:2 or even a 1:3 work to rest ratio (i.e. work for 20s and rest for 60s) have been shown to be very effective for fat loss and increasing work capacity.
3. When in the gym perform paired sets to get a great anabolic effect (this means growth – but not necessarily in a “Madonna-arms” kind of way…unless that’s what you are after…). Here is a basic example template:
A1 Lower body 2-4 sets x 8-12 reps (e.g. squats)
A2 Upper body push 2-4 sets x 8-12 (push up)
B1 Lower Body 2-4 x 8-12 (lunge)
B2 Upper Body pull 2-4 sets x 8-12 (row).
Keep rest periods under 60s
4. If you can’t get to the gym, perform a bodyweight circuit at home or at the park. Again we look to keep intensity high but the overall duration short (under 15mins). Perform a light warm up and then perform 2-4 rounds of this bodyweight blast:
10 squats then 10 push ups, 9 squats then 9 push ups …..1 squat then 1 push up. Rest for 2mins then complete 2 or 3 more sets. (this is a lot harder than is sounds!!)
5. If you’re going to lift weights make sure you work within a rep range of 6-12 reps (i.e. only lift it 6-12 times). Once you have the technique perfect, a general guide with regards to intensity is to leave a couple of reps in the hole e.g. if you’re doing 8 reps select a weight that if you really needed to you could do 10 reps. This ensures that you’re working with enough intensity to boost metabolism but not over reaching and teaching the body and brain how to fail.
So as a quick summary less is more when it comes to vitality, wellness and looking better naked (woot woot – sorry, couldn’t help myself). Listen to your body - when energy levels are high, you can push a little harder, but if energy levels are low, back it off.....and instead do something more like this:
Just thought I’d start you off with a random advert from back in the good ol’ days. Now onto the post (it’s related, I promise):
Other than giving up bread, I have noticed what makes people squirm is the idea of consuming more fat. “But I’ll get heart disease!” they say, or “Fat will make me fat!” To this I respond with a swift “No” and “no”. But I understand the fear. After all, it has been jammed into us for at least the last 30 years that we should cut down on our intake of fat, especially the “devil fat” (saturated), and increase our intake of “healthy whole-grains”. This, we were told, would be our solution to the heart disease and obesity epidemic that was sweeping the world. Turns out things didn’t go quite to plan! Not only are we fatter, but we also have higher rates of heart disease (not to mention diabetes, atherosclerosis, and autoimmune conditions, to name a few). But WHY? Are people just inherently lazy and not following the government guidelines? Should we be exercising more and eating less? While there are a number of factors that play a role in these conditions, I would like to entertain the idea that perhaps we got it wrong. Perhaps fat isn’t the foe and is, in fact, our friend. So here goes….
Often I am frustrated by the nutritional guidelines mentioned above. I believe these guidelines to be misguiding because:
a) I know many people (myself included) who have experienced fantastic results in doing the exact opposite of these suggestions, without dying, and b) I have learnt from some fantastic researchers around the world, such as Robb Wolf, Chris Kresser, Chris Masterjohn, Mark Sisson and Denise Minger, reasons why we should ignore these guidelines and go with a more traditional approach
What I haven’t done is look at the scientific evidence myself, and I mean really decipher the data presented in the studies that are used to provide evidence for “the guidelines”. Until this weekend. Yep, that’s right folks, my Easter weekend was awesome! My latest assignment involves researching The French Paradox – why French people have a high intake of saturated fat yet have one of the lowest rates of heart disease. To cut a long story short, heart disease is not caused by saturated fat intake, and prevention of heart disease involves many, many factors. To name a few:
Drink more red wine – tick! (Although apparently the French have higher rates of liver disease. Hmmm)
Eat lots of fresh vegies and fruit and cook them slowly and gently to preserve the anti-oxidants
Eat foods rich in folate and B12 (e.g. pate from pastured-animals)
Avoid vegetable oils such as soybean, canola, corn, sunflower, safflower
Enjoy rich, full-fat foods from whole, natural sources
Eat mindfully!!
But I digress. Back to the fat issue.
What I found was insufficient evidence to support the recommendation of “decrease your intake of fat”. In fact, one document by the NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council) that goes through the evidence for the guidelines actually warns against the dangers of an extremely low fat diet (1)! Shame this info isn’t expressed in the media! I don’t know about you, but the message I hear is “if you cut out all fat from your diet, you will be one healthy chicken (or cucumber??!)”
WARNING – SCIENCE TALK – READ ONLY IF FEELING MOTIVATED TO GEEK OUT:
And if you can’t be arsed reading, here is a video which gets the basic idea across:
There are two keys studies which are often cited as “evidence” for minimising your intake of saturated fat:
1) The Seven Countries Study by Ancel Keys (2)
Keys is often vilified as the man behind all this saturated fat hoo-haa. Why? Because he “studied” 11,000 people from 7 different countries and found that the more saturated fat one consumed, the greater their risk of heart disease. And he went on to present a little graph that looks something like this one on the left:
*Thanks to the fabulous Chris Masterjohn from The Daily Lipid for this beauty!
Convincing, right? Sure – until you realise what is wrong with the data. First, and probably the most widely acknowledged problem, is that Keys actually studied 22 countries and when all the data are plotted in a similar fashion, the pretty graph looks like the one we see on the right (above). France, with all their fatty goodness, occupies position 8 – quite high on the fat intake but one of the lowest rates of death from heart disease! Tsk tsk Mr Keys!
Aside from this, the diet information obtained to plot his graph was collected via weighed food records (where you weigh everything you eat over several days). While these are the best way to obtain information on dietary intake, they still have many inherent limitations. Keys himself acknowledges that there are “extreme limitations of dietary estimates for individuals”. Of greater concern, however, is perhaps the fact that “the estimates of the average diets of each cohort were based on 80-150 seven-day dietary surveys”. That works out at between 1,200 - 2,250 individuals for whom we have data for. And this was supposed to be representative of THE WHOLE WORLD!! What the….??? And finally, what we all need to remember, and what Keys kindly states towards the end of his paper is that “relationships shown here….are not claimed to be necessarily causal”, meaning we cannot say that fat causes heart disease just by showing an association between the two! Chris Kresser actually provided a nice analogy on correlations which goes something like this (para-phrasing):
‘In the past few years, the popularity of Facebook has increased, while the debt crisis in Greece has worsened. Does that mean the popularity of Facebook caused the Greek financial crises? Or vice versa?’ I rest my case.
2) The Nurse’s Health Study, by Hu et al (3)
This one aimed to show the relationship between different types of saturated fats (they come in different lengths) and heart disease. What did they find? Nothing significant!! Here is their summary table:
Now this probably means nothing to you. But trust me, in terms if saturated fat, after adjustment for confounding variables (other factors that can influence risk of heart disease), there is no significant relationship with risk of heart disease.
And if you don’t trust me, take a look at the numbers in parentheses. These are upper and lower limits of statistical analysis. If the number 1 is within this range, then the results are not significant. For example 1.19 (0.98, 1.46) is not a significant result as the value 1.00 lies between 0.98 and 1.46. Get it? Don’t really care? OK, let’s move on then. Now what do you think the authors’ conclusion, following on from these insignificant results, was……
“Our results support recommendations to substitute poultry and fish and low-fat dairy products for red meat and high-fat dairy products to reduce the risk of CHD”
FAAAAARRRKKK!!! So you see – this is the kind of dodgy science that our recommendations are based on!! Frustrating right?
OK, enough science-talk, let’s get back to the goodness of fat! Here are just some of the important roles fat plays in the body:
They keep our cell membranes in-tact, allowing things in that are supposed to be there but keeping out those that are not, which is extremely important for proper cell functioning
They are important for healthy bones – for calcium to be effectively utilised in bones, at least 50% of dietary fats should be saturated
They protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins
They are needed to allow us to properly utilise the essential fatty acids, such as those obtained from oily fish and grass-fed meat
They have anti-microbial properties and protect us from bad bacteria in the gut
They enhance our immune system
They are required in order to absorb key vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins A, D, E and K, which our diets these days are often lacking in (any guesses why?!)
Alright, so we have established that fat is good, right? But which ones are the good fats and the bad fats? This definitely needs to be discussed, as the bad can be very bad. Here are the fats you should avoid at all cost:
trans fats. This is science-code for “mutated fat”. These can be naturally occurring, as in red meat, but it is the processed ones you need to be wary of. They are found in margarine, biscuits, cakes, potato chips…..you get the gist. If you see “partially hydrogenated” anywhere – throw it as far away as possible.
Vegetable oils such as soybean, sunflower, corn, canola, safflower. These are all extracted at high heat and pressure, which leaves them damaged and damaging. They should never be used, and especially never heated.
And then the good fats:
Tropical oils, such as red palm oil, coconut oil, coconut milk: Coconut oil is especially rich in lauric acid, which is the fat found in abundance in breast milk. Anyone going to argue that breast milk isn’t the bee’s knees? Nope, didn’t think so. This little baby is rich in anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties, just to name a few benefits. This is my staple fat and I probably consume up to 2tbspn of it per day! Because it is quite saturated, it is safe to use at high temperatures, so use it in your cooking to give your meat a nice “I feel like I’m in Thailand” flavour.
Butter. Yep. Your Grandma knew it, and so did her Grandma, and her Grandma. Unfortunately we have pushed this traditional wisdom aside and instead opted for the “I’m very similar to plastic” margarine. Butter, like coconut oil, has many anti-microbial, anti-tumour, and immune-system supporting properties. It is also rich in conjugated linoleic acid which has been shown to prevent weight gain and encourage muscle growth. Always opt for organic brands from New Zealand, as their cows are all pasture-raised, which is especially important for ensuring high levels of vitamin A, D, E and K in the final product (go Kiwi’s!!). Butter is also OK to cook with.
Animal fat, such as beef tallow, lard, chicken fat: if from organic and humanely-raised sources, these fats are perfect for cooking with at high temperatures. Cue more random adverts for lard:
Brilliant. Just Brilliant. Now where was I?? Oh - the good fats - they just keep on coming:
Olive oil: rich in anti-oxidants and extremely healthy to use on salads. This one is best kept for cold, low heat use, as it is more fragile and susceptible to damage than the others. Always buy cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil in dark glass bottles and keep in a cool place (not the fridge – I made this mistake once).
Flaxseed oil: rich in omega-3 fatty acids, important for reducing inflammation in the body. Keep this one in the fridge in a dark glass bottle, use sparingly on salads, and NEVER heat.
Natural occurring fats, such as avocado, nuts (use sparingly), whole unprocessed milk and cream, eggs
So this is all good and well, but what would a typical day of eating look like, incorporating these fats. Well, I can only speak for myself, as there are a myriad of ways you could work these into your diet, but this is what average day looks like (with some more bullet points, if I may):
Before breakfast: mug of warm beef broth – contains beef tallow (post on benefits of broth to come)
Breakfast: Berries and Coconut Extraordinaire (coconut milk and sometimes coconut oil)
Snack (if needed): mug of beef broth or a dandelion tea made with coconut milk
Dinner: Chicken curry made with yellow curry powder (no sugar), chicken thighs, onion, garlic and coconut cream; served with steamed vegetables that may be topped with butter and/or ghee.
You will notice that I only have three meals. I am able to do this quite comfortably without getting “hangry” (hungry + angry) due to the fat in my meals being quite satiating, as opposed to having meals high in carbohydrates, which will cause blood sugar spikes and crashes and the need to eat every 2-3hrs. On that note, if you do increase your fat intake, you will need to simultaneously reduce your carbohydrate intake in order to avoid potential complications.
Last time I checked, my diet consisted of 70% fat! And just so you can see that my body is not 70% fat (I often float around the 13-15% body fat mark), here is a gratuitous shot of my butt (I’m the one on the right):
Hopefully I have convinced you that no, you will not get fat and die from eating fat. In fact, just the opposite – eating the right fats will make you healthier and hotter! So go forth and get your fat on!
*If you are interested in reading more on the benefits of fat and how to incorporate it into your diet, I can strongly recommend purchasing Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon (4)
References:
1) National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and New Zealand Ministry of Health. 2006; Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand including Recommended Dietary Intakes, Canberra, Australia
2) Keys, A. et al; 1986; The Diet and 15-year death rate in the seven countries study, in American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 124, No.6, pp.903-915
3) Hu, F.B et al; 1999; Dietary saturated fats and their food sources in relation to the risk of coronary heart disease in women, in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 70, pp. 1001-8
4) Fallon, S. and Enig, M.G; 2001; Nourishing Traditions, New Trends Publishing, Washington, DC
I am on a mission! All too often, I am met with a resounding “oh your diet must be SO boring”!! To which I say “Au contraire mon ami, au contraire!” As I enjoy my glass of red wine (I’m only human) on this cool autumn eve, I write this post to enlighten you on the joys of experimentation (with food, for now). Really, if we are being honest here, I’m out to prove a point – that you CAN eat a 100% clean, nourishing diet that still tastes good, nay, amazing!
Note: Chocolate Mousse tastes better than it looks!!
I, like many people, love chocolate! Unfortunately, most of the chocolate available does not contain much actual chocolate, but just some dregs of chocolate along with a vast array of other damaging ingredients. So while you may be convincing yourself that the chocolate you are eating is good because it contains anti-oxidants and all that jazz, do yourself a favour and check the ingredients label. If it contains any of the following, put it down and walk away:
Sugar (as sugar, fructose, maltose, dextrose, agave, corn syrup, rice syrup – this baby could seriously have a thesaurus to itself)
Wheat (or any other gluten-containing grain)
Soy (including soy lecithin)
Vegetable oil – these are incredibly damaging to your health! Get them out of your life! Now!!
Milk solids – the milk used in most products is processed to death. Literally. There is no life in the milk we are sold. Real milk, which contains an abundance of nutrient-providing enzymes and beneficial bacteria is illegal for sale for human consumption. Go figure.
What to do then?? Make your own and reap the benefits of this super-food!
‘Super-food’, you say? Tell me more!!
Okey dokey! Cue list of benefits of organic cacao (read – “real chocolate”):
An anti-oxidant content that blows acai, pomegranate, cranberry, blueberry and other hyped-up super-foods out of the water
Lowers blood pressure and improves circulation
Improves insulin sensitivity and aids in weight loss
Healthier arterial function (read – “better cardiovascular health”) and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
Lowers LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and increases HDL (“good cholesterol”) while reducing the oxidation of LDL (which is one of the real causes of atherosclerosis, rather than just having high levels of LDL)
Joy. I don’t know about you, but chocolate makes me happy!
Alrighty then, so we have established that chocolate, in its raw, unadulterated form, is really good for you! If, however, you want to get your geek on a little more, Mark Sisson wrote an excellent post (backed by scientific evidence) on the benefits of dark chocolate which you can find here.
Where to next? The recipe of course! I have made this Chocolate Mousse 3 times in the past week (not all for myself) and it has been extremely well received by all involved, including “real” people (as opposed to “freaks like me”):
The goods (makes around 4 non-greedy serves)
1 ripe avocado, mashed (OR the flesh of 1 young coconut)
½ cup water (OR coconut water from a fresh young coconut, not bottled)
1 tbspn coconut oil
¼ cup dates (around 4 dates) finely chopped
The process: Throw everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Place mousse into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1-2hrs. Serve with fresh berries and coconut cream (I actually prefer it without the coconut cream, but Az preferred it with).
Now I’m sure you don’t need any more convincing to eat this, but if you are after some more benefits to shove in the face of your health-conscious friend, here goes:
Avocado – excellent source of healthy fats; good source of Vitamin B6 (helps make red blood cells and serotonin to keep you happy!); high anti-oxidant and fibre content
Cinnamon – anti-clotting properties (help prevent stroke); anti-microbial activity (prevent Candida/yeast/fungal infections); improve insulin sensitivity and normalise blood sugar levels; boosts brain function (via the scent)
Vanilla bean powder – a healthy substitution for sugar; contains traces of minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, iron and zinc; anti-cancer properties
Raw honey – improves blood lipids, lowers inflammation, and has minimal effect on blood glucose levels; anti-bacterial activity; read more here.
Coconut oil – this is THE super-food that everyone should be consuming on a daily basis, and no, it will not make you fat. If anything, it will help you lose fat. The benefits are numerous. If you are interested, check out this site.
Water – self explanatory
Is there anything negative about cacao? Yes, actually. It has quite a high caffeine content, so if you are sensitive to caffeine (or if you are a small child), maybe this isn’t the treat for you. Also, raw cacao does contain phytic acid, which can bind to minerals and prevent their absorption, so don’t go crazy – have this as a treat 1-3 times per week and ensure the rest of your diet is from whole, natural foods.
So there you go. Now you can wow your friends (if it makes it out of your house) with an insanely tasty AND nutritious dessert.
Here are just some of the comments I have received thus far in response to this delicacy:
“F#@king amazing!!!”
“Give me the recipe….NOW!!”
“Winner!”
“Do you have to give it to her? Can’t we keep it” (this was my husband’s response when I told him he couldn’t have the 3rd batch I made as I was taking it to my friend in hospital)
Holy moly it has been a busy week. I really should have
appreciated my uni holidays more. Apologies for the delay in posting this blog
(I was trying to establish some sort of regularity, in case you were
wondering). Due to my lack of time to even scratch myself, I have found an ever increasing need for fast, yet delicious recipes. I’m talking
10-30mins all up, friends. So without further ado, I give you
(drumroll please)……
Marvelous Mince -Makes 4 serves
1tbspn extra-virgin coconut oil
500g organic grass-fed beef mince
1 large onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1-2tbspn tomato paste (depending on how tomatoey you like
your food)
2-3 splashes balsamic vinegar
1 large carrot, grated
Bay leaf
Optional extras
Mushrooms, chopped
Kale (or silverbeet), washed and chopped
Zucchini, chopped
Curry powder (around 1tbspn)
Herbs and spices (e.g. basil, oregano, rosemary – get creative!)
Add in mince and balsamic vinegar. Stir together with onions
and garlic until meat is slightly browned.
Add tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, bay leaf, herbs and
spices and carrot. Stir together and turn heat down to medium and allow to
simmer. Now is also the time to add in your optional extras and allow to simmer
until vegies are cooked to your liking.
I generally just serve this with steamed veg, however you
could definitely go all gourmet with your side dishes if you so please.
Not only is this a fabulous, healthy and simple dinner
recipe, it also makes a great lunch and even better breakfast (it’s actually
better the day after cooking). I love to add some poached eggs and avocado to
really score some brownie points! I am yet to come across someone who doesn’t
like this meal - even my 2 year old niece helped herself to THREE servings!!
She’s such a little trooper. It's also just as good cold, so pack it in your lunch box and you are good to go!
Hopefully you also noticed that I stated to use “organic
grass-fed beef”, for reasons
which I have previously stipulated. And if you need another reason not to
buy shoddy supermarket meat, check this out:
If you are one of those “I read/listen to/watch the news every
day and scientists say that red meat is going to kill me”, and if you feel like
nerding it up big time, check out this
witty, yet objective and informative article posted by Denise Minger over
on Mark’s Daily Apple. If you can’t be arsed getting your geek on with that
much sciency information, I will summarise for you: red meat will not kill you.
Ta da!!
I hope you enjoy the recipe! Feel free to make your own
tweaks and changes – I would love to hear what does/doesn’t work! Stay cool
peeps.
First of all, before you get all “don’t you dare take my
nuts from me, girl!”, let me start by ensuring you that I am not entirely anti-nut. I love
them! They are my go-to for a healthy snack or tasty addition to an otherwise
sub-par meal. So then – why did I cut these glorious little morsels out of my
life for a week? Well, it was an experiment of sorts….
A while ago, I read an interesting article by Chris
Kresser on the potential negative effects of nuts, namely their phytic acid
content, which can bind to minerals (such as iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium)
in the gut and prevent their absorption, hence leading to possible nutrient
deficiencies. So I cut down my nut intake a little, but did not remove them
entirely from my diet.
More recently, Emma Sgourakis
wrote a blog on the perils of nuts, very similar to Chris’s. Now what I wanted
to do was ignore them both and scream “They CLEARLY don’t know what they are
talking about!!” but I didn’t, because they do. They are both very clever cats
when it comes to nutrition and I respect their opinions. That and I checked out
the studies they mention and they seem pretty legit.
So a week ago, Aaron and I decided to ditch the nuts
and see if we noticed any difference. This was not an easy task, so we made a
competition out of it (whoever breaks before a week loses) and we hid the nuts
out of our sight. Did someone say addict? At least we weren't this bad:
The first couple of days were hard – what would we eat now? Well,
it turns out there are a lot of options! Who’d have known!? Here’s a little run
down of breakfasts:
Smoothie made with berries, banana, cinnamon, raw honey and
goat’s milk kefir
Coconut pancakes with berries and chocolate sauce
(definitely the highlight)
As you can see, we survived and in fact thrived on a variety
of different meals!
In terms of how we felt, we both noticed our “digestion”
(code word for poop) was significantly better. This may seem trivial to you,
but do not underestimate the information you can obtain from what’s in the
bowl (yes, we are a little odd). Consistency, shape, size and regularity can all be key indicators of how
well you are digesting your food and therefore, how many nutrients you are
actually getting into your body. You see, we need to remember that eating a
food is not the same as absorbing the goodness. If your gut integrity is
compromised, or if you are eating foods which may prevent absorption, chances
are you are not actually reaping the benefits of the foods you put in your
mouth.
So are we going to stay off nuts for good? No. But we are
going to cut down substantially and we are going to try and only consume activated nuts,
which have a lowered phytic acid content (more on this later).
It is also important to understand that all whole foods have some sort of
defense mechanism to protect them from consumption. That’s right vegetarians,
just because they don’t have legs, claws or teeth doesn’t mean your vegies want
to be eaten! We clearly cannot avoid all foods. That’s just idiotic. But we do
want to minimise our intake by varying our diet and also weighing up the
cost/benefit ratios. For example, yes nuts may have some anti-nutrients and the omega 6 content may be a little high, but if
prepared properly and enjoyed in moderation they can be an extremely nutrient
dense food:
High amounts of protein and good fats
Dietary fibre
Vitamins (such as folate, vit E, niacin, vit B6
Minerals (copper, magnesium, potassium, zinc)
Anti-oxidants
Studies also suggest intake is correlated with lowered risk
of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and some cancers
On the other hand, if we take something like grains, the
costs far outweigh the benefits:
Costs: High levels of anti-nutrients including phytates,
lectins, gluten and saponins (more on these another time) which not only bind
minerals and prevent nutrient absorption but also damage the intestinal lining
and cause systemic (whole-body) inflammation, which can lead to many chronic diseases.
Benefits: contain some vitamins, such as B vitamins, however
these are required in higher amounts in order to digest the very grains eaten
(less grains eaten = less extra B vitamins required) and they are available in
higher quantities in other foods, such as meat; other vitamins and minerals
which are added in synthetic form and
not as easily digested.
If nothing else, this experiment has encouraged us to add
more variety to our diet and so, instead of buying 4-6 bags of nuts per week
(no joke), we will probably stick to 1 or 2.
Should you give up nuts? Well that
depends on who you are and what is going on inside your belly! If you suspect
you may have any “digestive issues”
(these may manifest as diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, excess gas, skin
problems, or low energy, among many other symptoms), then it wouldn’t hurt to try
a couple of weeks to a month without them and see how you go!
As a final note, if you were wondering which nut is best? It’s
the macadamia nut, mainly due to the lower omega-6 content than other
varieties. And the worst? Almonds, with the highest omega-6 levels.
Now I’m pretty sure that ever since I mentioned it, you have
been thinking about the Coconut Pancakes with Chocolate Sauce and so here is a
picture for you to drool over…..
And my plate afterwards.....
And what a small child would look like after eating said pancakes......
And finally the recipe…..adapted from The Primal Blueprint
Cookbook by Mark Sisson:
Makes around 12 small pancakes:
6 eggs
6 tbpsn coconut oil
½ cup coconut milk
1 tsp honey
¼ tsp organic vanilla bean powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup coconut flour
1-2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tsp baking soda
Extra water/coconut milk – around 1 cup
Instructions: in a bowl, whisk eggs, melted oil, coconut
milk and honey. In another bowl, mix all dry ingredients then stir in wet
ingredients until smooth. You will probably need to add the extra water/coconut
milk to get the consistency right – add SLOWLY until you are satisfied with the
consistency. Heat some coconut oil or organic ghee in a pan over med-high heat.
Once the pan is hot, add batter (make small pancakes – easier to flip) and cook
until browned on both sides. Place cooked pancakes on a plate ready to serve
(if you want to keep them warm, pop them in the oven on low heat while you are
cooking the rest).
Chocolate sauce:
4 tbspn coconut oil
Organic cacao powder (1-4 tspn depending on how chocolatey
you want it)
1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions: in a small pot, on low heat, melt the oil and
stir in the cinnamon. Add the cacao powder 1 tsp at a time until you reach your
desired flavour (careful to cool the chocolate a little before you taste it – I
learnt this the hard way).
Warm berries:
1-2 handfuls of frozen berries per serve (we used
blueberries and raspberries) melted in a pot over low heat.
To serve: On a plate, stack 3 pancakes. Scoop over some
berries and drizzle over some chocolate sauce. You may want to drizzle over
some coconut cream as well!
ENJOY!!
As a side note: You may think we are quite strange, experimenting with our food and eating patterns, however, the profession we work in entails us providing nutritional advice to clients on a regular basis and we feel more comfortable trying things out on ourselves before suggesting our clients alter their diet. This way, we have a better understanding of what the client can expect and if they will benefit from such alterations!
References:
Ros, E. et al. (2006) “Nuts: nutrition
and health outcomes” in British Journal of Nutrition, Vol.96(suppl. 2), pp.S1-S2
Sabate, J. and Ang, Y. (2009) “Nuts and health outcomes: new
epidemiologic evidence” in American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition Vol. 89(suppl), pp.1643S–8S
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