Saturday 12 April 2014

Become more alkaline

If your body is too acidic, it'll be stressed out, and you'll find it very hard to loose weight and live a full healthy life.  This is a little science-y but, if you want to loose weight and look amazing then you need to become less acidic and more alkaline.  The best way to put your body in an alkaline state is to eat plenty of alkaline foods and reduce acidic forming foods.

Essentially acid forming foods place extra stress on your body, and stops you creating lots of lovely lean muscle, which makes you look amazingly toned and speed up your metabolism.  Too much acidic food also inflames your body, especially your gut, which is why people with highly acidic diets tend to have a bloated tummy.  These are some common signs that your body might be too acidic:


  • You frequently get colds;
  • You have low energy levels;
  • You have an inflamed, sticky-out stomach;
  • You suffer from headaches;
  • You frequently have problems with your digestive system - such as indigestion, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, bloating etc.
  • Your joints ache
  • You're prone to nasal congestion
You don't need to follow an entirely alkaline diet, in moderation some acidic foods can be good for you and are necessary.  The key is to tip the balance in favour of alkaline foods and away from the acidic ones.

As a general rule, make 70 per cent of the foods in your diet alkaline, and 30 per cent acidic.  For example, for each serving of protein on your plate you should have 2 big portions of veggies.

Below is a list of foods that are alkaline / acidic forming in the body.



Nic xx

PS. This is my first attempt at making a table in indesign... It's something I'm learning, I promise they'll get better looking as I go :).  Also don't forget to sign up to my newsletter so that you don't miss a beat.  Click on subscribe above xx

Wednesday 2 April 2014

Seasonal Eating – The best foods to eat for Autumn


There are so many good reasons to eat seasonally.  Aside from being that seasonal food is fresher and tends to be tastier and more nutritious without pesticides and other nasties coating their permeable skins.
 Eating seasonally can mean you eat more locally grown produce so you contribute to:
  •  reducing the energy – and associated CO2 emissions – needed to grow and transport the food we eat around the world.
  •  avoiding paying a premium for food that is scarcer or has travelled a long way.
  •  re-connect with nature’s cycles and the passing of time.
It is very important to remember that in Coles and Woolworths the food produce is imported from around the world – to ensure that shelves look the same week in week out – providing comfort and familiarity during the shopping experience.

If you think about it, when you are living in Australia it is a bit silly to buy tomatoes and asparagus flown in from South America, when for many weeks or months of the year some awesome, superior tasting, local grown foods are here to enjoy very fresh, and often at a lower cost financially as well as environmentally.  Bear in mind that whenever a home grown food goes out of season, you can guarantee that another delicious food has come back into season to tempt us all, just don’t be afraid to incorporate it into your kitchen.
 So here’s a guide to seasonal eating for Autumn.

Below is a list of the foods that are right and ready to eat and sure to be locally grown:

Fruit:
 

  •  Apples
  •  Bananas
  •  Figs
  •  Grapes
  •  Kiwi Fruit
  •  Lemons
  •  Watermelon
  •  Peaches
  •  Pears
  •  Nashi Pear
  •  Persimmons
  •  Plums
  •  Quinces


Vegetables:
 

  •  Asparagus
  •  Beans
  •  Bean shoots
  •  Beetroot
  •  Broccoli
  •  Cabbage
  •  Carrots
  •  Cauliflower
  •  Cucumbers
  •  Eggplant
  •  Lettuces
  •  Mushrooms
  •  Potatoes
  •  Pumpkins
  •  Snow Peas
  •  Spring Onion
  •  Sweet Corn
  •  Tomatoes
  •  Turnips
  •  Zucchini

My Favourite Pumpkin Soup


As the days get shorter and the cold begins to creep in, I love to make this warming Pumpkin Soup.


1 medium pumpkin – chopped and de seeded
1 tub of yoghurt (CoYo, full fat, greek or natural – whatever floats your boat)
1 Red Chilli – chopped (deseeded if you don’t want too much spice)
1 tsp grated Nutmeg


Roast the pumpkin in coconut oil with the chilli. Once cooked, stir in the yoghurt and grated nutmeg and use a hand blender to whizz it all together to a thick, tasty soup. Garnish with a drizzle of Basil oil and black pepper.
Serves 4

Poached Pears Dipped in Dark Chocolate


I like this sweet desert to have occasionally, great for entertaining, or to enjoy all on your own.


4 ripe pears, peeled, cored and halved
100g dark chocolate 75% or more (I prefer Green’s Organic 80% as its dairy free)
50g almonds, crushed

Place the pears in a pan, cover with water and poach very gently for 8-10 minutes until tender, then drain.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
Place the crushed almonds ready in a bowl, and have 4 serving bowls.
Dip each pear in the chocolate until lightly coated, then in the almonds so that the almonds stick to the chocolate.

Serve immediately.
Serves 4

One way you can have a nutritious and varied diet is to eat seasonally this will help you stay happy and healthy in the long run.
Nic
xx


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