A Nati's Nutrition Notice!

Hello all,

Just a quick note to say that there might be a little delay in my getting my next nuggets of health info/recipes to you, whilst I write up some notes and decide what to include next. Until then here are some upcoming highlights:

1) Superfood Salads

2) Heart Health 101

3) Brilliant bones 101

4) A day of my diet

Also, if any of you reading this happen to be interested in make-up, check out my sister's blog for all things beauty:

http://beautybunnie101.blogspot.com/

Write to you soon!

Nati xXx

And finally...

Here are the last last three juices from the 6 categories, and one smoothie that I just made today. It was mighty delicious, so I thought I'd include it!

4) Circulation

Ingredients

2 Bananas

250ml Unsweetened Soya/Rice Milk

2 tablespoons Bio-Live yoghurt/Soya yoghurt

1 teaspoon Cocoa powder

1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder

(If you want to be a little bit risky and experiment, put a little bit of chopped red chilli in this juice to really get your blood pumping!)

Put the bananas, milk and yoghurt in a blender, and mix until smooth. Then place on the hob in a pan and heat until simmering.

Add the cocoa, cinnamon (and chilli, if you're a braver soul than I am), mix well and enjoy. Alternatively, place all ingredients in a blender and enjoy cold.

5) Positive Thinking

Ingredients

3 apples

2 oranges, squeezed

1 lemon, squeezed (the smell alone of citrus fruits is meant to increase our feeling of well-being, hence why many household cleaning products have a citrus fragrance!)

Half a head of lettuce (I use iceberg, but it's up to you)

If using a juicer, then put the apple and lettuce through, then squeeze in the lemon and oranges and drink. In a blender, chop up the apple and lettuce first.

Lettuce is known to have soporific and calming effects, which is great for positive thinking and well-being!

6) Healing

Ingredients

6 strawberries

2 kiwis

Handful of blueberries (packed full of antioxidants!!)

2 passion fruits

200ml of Pomegranate juice

Then just blend the fruit, and add the juice.

Finally, here's a quick smoothie I made today. Sorry for the inexact measurements, I made it by eye and taste:

Berry Cherry Delicious

Ingredients

A punnet of raspberries

A handful of cherries

6 strawberries

Small cup of crushed ice

2 tablespoons fat free Greek yoghurt

1 - 2 tablespoons honey (depending how sweet you want it to be)

Blend and enjoy!

Hope you like these, they're such a great way to get huge helpings of fruit and veg without even realising you're doing so!

Nati xXx

Just Juices!

As promised, here are some more juices for you all to try out, tying in with the 6 categories I described previously. The instructions for juicing/blending are the same as for the first juice, and if there is an ingredient you're really not a fan of in any juice (for example, I know some people might not be big fans of ginger), then just cut it out. In most cases, however, the different flavours of the fruit and veg will just blend together nicely, and you probably won't taste the one you dislike...Enjoy!

2) Immunity
Ingredients
- 3 apples
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 small beetroot
- 1/2 cabbage, raw (try red cabbage to really add to the juice)
- 1 inch square of ginger (about the top of your thumb

Then just juice/blend as previously described.

3) Cleansing
450ml soya milk/rice milk (check that the soya milk doesn't have any added sugar, as some do!)
2 tablespoons Manuka honey
1 tablespoon ground almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon (speedsup the metabolism, so this juice is a slight fat-burner, as well as being cleansing!)

On a side note, I also take Aloe Pura Detox Aloe Vera Juice for cleansing occasionally. I take the pomegranate flavour, and mix 1 and a half tablespoons of it into a glass of water. It also contains burdock and green tea, which are great detoxifying ingredients. The label recommends drinking it twice daily, but for me once daily is enough for a week, then on the second week I cut it back to every other day, then the third week only once or twice etc.

Just so this entry isn't too long and juicy, I'll leave it there, and have the next three juices for you soon :)

Nati xXx

Juices That'll Have You Jumping!

In this entry, (and possibly the next few as well, depending on how much I have to say!), I'm going to focus on healthy juices and foods under 6 categories, denoting the particular health benefits they bring:

1) Energy
2) Immunity
3) Cleansing
4) Circulation
5) Positive Thinking
6) Healing

For example...

- For more energy, avoid refined carbs (i.e. white bread, white sugar).
- For a stronger immune system, eat more oily fish.
- For cleansing, eat celery and drink dandelion tea.
- For better circulation, eat garlic and onion. A clove of garlic a day is meant to be really good for you - just have some chewing gum handy!
- For positive thinking, eat wholegrain products and white fish.
- For healing, eat berries and kiwi (these two happen to be my favourite fruits, so I'm happy about that!)

I will blog about juices for each of the 6 categories, of course, but to start you off, here is one to boost your energy levels!

The Popeye Potion

Ingredients
- 2 apples
- 1 Small beetroot (raw or cooked, with the skin or without - but most people will prefer it cooked in the juice. Just boil in water until soft.)
- 1 carrot (don't bother peeling it!)
- 1 cucumber
- Handful of spinach (basically half a supermarket pack, raw)
- Watercress (again, a handful)

How To:
- If you have a juicer, just put all the ingredients in whole, juice them, then drink
- If using a blender, then cut the apples, beetroot and cucumber into smaller chunks first. Place into the blender with the other ingredients, add half a cup of water to help the ingredients to mix, blend them, then enjoy!

More juice recipes to follow!

Nati xXx

A Fast Fishy Fact.

Just a quick, but important note about tuna. I put it under the 'Fish' section of my previous entry, and whilst it's a great fish to eat, it's REALLY important that you only buy line-caught tuna, and not net-caught, as they are severely over-fished - almost to the point of extinction. The most famous tinned tuna brand (I don't know if I'm allowed to/should mention the name here, but the last name rhymes with Best...) uses net-caught tuna, and I urge you not to buy it. Line-caught may be more expensive, but we have to look after our animals, and food sources, on this planet....not use them to death and the brink of extinction.

Thank you, and goodnight!

Nati xXx

Super Foods Summary.

I thought in this entry I would write a quick list of some great foods that we should try and include in our diet, due to the vitamins they contain, and health benefits they can bring us. I've tried to just include ones that we might not eat a lot of in our daily lives, just so I'm not repeating information and advice that you've probably heard 1000 times! As previously, I've included 'Eat With' information, so that you can maximise the vitamins and minerals you absorb from the food - refer to the 'Vital Vits' entry if in doubt as to which foods have certain vitamins. At the end I've included some other foods we should all consider eating more of...and some to limit our intake of!

1) Beans etc.

- Aduki Beans

- Soya beans

- Tofu: Eat with Vitamin C

2) Dairy and Eggs

- Eggs (obviously! Just eat the whites, which are pure protein, if you're watching your diet. The yolks are fat.)

-Probiotic and prebiotic yoghurt

- Cottage cheese: Low in fat

3) Fruit

-Guava: Eat with fats

-Apricots: Eat with almonds

-Grapefruit

4) Fish

- Sardines

- Tuna: Eat with spinach and quinoa for a superfood salad! (Go easy on the dressing - some olive oil and lemon juice will suffice!)

5) Herbs and Spices

- Cinnamon: Sprinkle on food at breakfast to really kickstart your metabolism

6) Nuts and Seeds

-Almonds

-Brazils nuts: Eat in salads

-Hazelnuts

-Sunflower seeds

NOTE: While nuts ARE healthy, and contain GOOD fats, don't go overboard - they are high in calories, and their intake should be fairly limited

7) Vegetables

-Butternut squash: Eat roasted, with olive oil drizzled on top

-Kale: Eat with fish

-Sweet potato: Eat with olive oil and sunflower seeds sprinkled on top

NOTE: Squeezing lemon juice on your veggies helps the body to absorb the minerals!

8) Grains etc.

-Brown rice

-Cous Cous: Eat with live yoghurt

-Spelt (find it in spelt bread, and use in baking)

9) Lean meat

-Chicken: Eat with mushrooms, grilled and with no skin

-Turkey: As above

10) Try and include more of these in your diet:

- Grape juice & green tea: Packed full of antioxidants

- Miso: A great thing to eat at the start of a meal to help metabolism, and encourage you to consume less in the rest of your meal

- All oily fish, i.e. salmon

-Apples: Eating two a day has been proven to be great for heart health....So I guess it's a case of 'Two apples a day keeps the doc away...'

- Garlic: Helps to thin the blood and aid circulation

Limit....

....red meat to twice a week, as it's high in saturated fats, and hard for the body to digest, putting stress on the gut, and making us feel lethargic.

....feta cheese: very high in fat. This can be said for many cheeses, so always check calorie and fat content before consuming.

...never consume raw egg - sounds obvious, but I used to put egg yolk on steak tartare (as is the traditional French way) before I had my health epiphany, and also used to eat cake batter - it is not good for your digestive system!

Hope that's helpful!

Nati xXx

Curve-Conscious Chocolate Cookies.

So, I think it's time for one of these 'healthier' recipes I've been going on about, and it's chocolate cookies! Now due to the fact I've used natural fruit sweetener as a replacement for sugar, and also as I use wholewheat flour, (I told you these were healthy!!), these will inevitably turn out less sweet than traditional cookies. To up the sweetness whilst still being healthy, I suggest chopping up 100g of dark chocolate (70%-85% cocoa solids, please!) and adding to the combined mixture before baking! I've also used soya butter, instead of regular, which should be available in most supermarkets. Enjoy!

Ingredients

200g Wholewheat flour

1/2 Teaspoon baking powder

1/4 Teaspoon salt

175g Natural Fruit Sugar Sweetener/Agave Nectar

125g Soya Butter

1 large egg

2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

35g Cocoa powder

100g Macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts, chopped

1- Preheat oven to 180 degrees centigrade (fan-assisted)/Gas mark 4/350 fahrenheit.

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2- Beat all wet ingredients (butter, extract, sweetener, egg) together with an electric whisk until smooth.

3- Stir in sifted dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cocoa powder).

When combined, stir in chopped nuts.

4- Scoop small amounts of mixture onto baking tray, flatten with a fork.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins - Checking every few minutes after they have been in for 10, to check they don't burn and go hard!

5- Leave to cool on a wire rack, then enjoy :)

Nati xXx

Super Supplements

In my last entry I mentioned how I think supplements/vitamins are a great way to add to a healthy diet, so I thought I'd talk a bit about the ones I take, and why.

Eskimo-3 : Omega 3 fish oil capsules with added Vitamin E

Why?: Helps maintain skin and blood vessel elasticity, joint suppleness, helps circulation, and can help people with high blood pressure, amongst other health benefits.

I also have very dry skin and eyes, and was advised by my optician to start taking fish oil supplements.

Collagenics : A blend of vitamins and minerals

Why? I have had back and neck problems since childhood, and started seeing a chiropractor at the age of 9. I was advised to take Collagenics as it helps maintain healthy connective tissue, which of course is a vital part of back health, and flexibility!

Perfectil (Skin Plus) : A well-known multivitamin to help women's skin, hair and nails - this particular supplement has two tablets, one of which is Skin Plus.

Why? : My sister used to take Perfectil and recommended it, and having started to see my skin breakout more often, I started to take it, using the Skin Plus version to really pack a punch. It has been truly incredible.

I immediately saw that my skin cleared, my nails broke less often, and there was less breakage in my hair. The minute I stop taking it my skin breaks out and my nails break - not kidding! I really recommend it if you're looking for a fantastic women's vitamin.

Mannatech Ambrotose Tablets: Completely plant-based supplement, totally natural and containing plant polysaccharides that we don't normally consume in daily life.

Why? : Again, directed to this by my chiropractor - it helps cell health, cell communication and your immune system. Sometimes, if cells are not sending chemical signals properly to each other, health problems can occur, and we can just generally feel run-down.

A really great vit because it's made of completely natural plant products. One word of advice though - when you start taking Mannatech products, your body can go through a mini-detox, as the supplements replace all the baddies in your body with healthy stuff - so drink lots of water; definitely more than you usually would!

Mannatech Plus Supplement: Again, formed from natural plant products and nutrients

Why? : It helps to support your endocrine system, which uses the chemical messengers known as 'hormones' to regulate your metabolism, maintain healthy tissue, and balance your mood!

Once again I would say drink lots of water when you first start taking these supplements.

So there are just a few supplements that I take, that you might want to consider! The market is so overloaded with vitamins and supplements that it's worth talking to shop assistants in health stores when thinking about trying a new one out - they can probably give you better advice than I can!

Nati xXx

Vital Vits

Now, I don't profess to be a nutritionist of any sort, or even very highly nutritionally informed, but I've learnt a lot from health books that I've read, and have always wanted a fool's guide to vitamins and why we need them - and here we are!

You may notice that some vitamins are missing - Vitamin C, for example - but that's because I've concentrated on ones that I didn't know a lot about before, and didn't know their best sources. I've limited health benefits, and food sources to a few key ones, so it's easier to take in. I have also been learning a lot about 'super-eating' - where you combine food stuffs together in order to maximise the benefits of the vitamins you're taking in, and certain vitamins work well together and enhance the absoprtion of the ones they are eaten with: this is the 'Eat with' section under each vitamin.

Here are a few:

Vitamin A

-Used for: Immune system, eye health, reproductive system

-Found in: Eggs, carrots, mangoes

-Eat with: Fat, animal protein

Vitamin D

-Used for: Bones, teeth, immune system

-Found in: Main source is sunlight, though can be found in soya products, oily fish (i.e. salmon)

-Eat with: As sunshine is our main vit. D provided, this is n/a

Vitamin E

-Used for: Antioxidants, protects against cancer-causing free radicals

-Found in: Vegetable oils, sunflower seeds

-Eat with: Vitamin C (citrus fruit for example, selenium-rich foods, see below)

Folic Acid

-Used for: Healthy cell formation, can prevent cancer, reproductivity

-Found in: Spinach, avocado, broccoli

-Eat with: B vitamins, e.g. red meat

Magnesium

-Used for: Bones, stress-control

-Found in: Brown rice, quinoa, wholegrain products

-Eat with: Calcium-rich foods

Selenium

-Used for: Antioxidants, thyroid health, immune system

-Found in: Nuts, chicken, salmon

-Eat with: Vitamin E, e.g. olive oil

Zinc

-Used for: Enzymes, immune system, heart health

-Found in: Protein

-Eat with: Vitamin B6, e.g. wholegrain products

Also important...

- All B vitamins, found in wholegrains and fortified cereals

- Pre and probiotics, found in many yoghurts

- Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), found in oily fish, and Omega 3 & 6 supplements

If you're looking for your vitamins to bring you specific health benefits, here they are categorised:

Immune boosting

-Vitamin A

-Vitamin C

-Zinc

-Probiotics

Stress-relief

-Phosphorus (e.g. nuts and seeds)

-Magnesium

-Vitamin B5 (e.g. red meat)

Digestive health

-Magnesium

-Calcium

-Probiotics

Energy

-Chromium (e.g. grape juice)

-B Vitamins

-Vitamin C

Heart Health

-EFAs

-Calcium (a really good source is soft-boned fish like sardines)

-Folic Acid

Skin

-Vitamin E (esp. avocado)

-Zinc

Joints

-Vitamin B3 (e.g. chesnut mushrooms)

-Vitamin C

-Zinc

So there is a very basic, fast guide to some essential vitamins. While I do believe supplements are a great addition to a healthy diet, nothing beats variety and colour (it's proven! a multi-coloured diet is a stellar one) and a good daily balance of nutrients and vitamins!

Nati xXx

A Freshly Baked Welcome!

Dear all!

Welcome to my new baking and healthy eating blog - I hope you're ready to fill your bellies! I've always loved baking; 'cake' and 'cupcakes' are two of the most magical words to me. Lately, however, somewhat of an internal battle has risen in me - I want to have my cake and eat it too, but also stay healthy, and in shape. An impossible situation, I hear you scream! While it's true that cake and baked goods will never be considered truly 'healthy', I have read many cookbooks, modified recipes, reduced sugar, butter and all those baddies, whilst maintaining moisture and taste, in a bid to prove that cake doesn't have to be the enemy!

Every week I'll try and share the health and nutrition knowledge I've learnt through reading health books, in layman's terms so it's easy to work into everyday life. I'll share some of my favourite 'healthier' cake and cupcake recipes, juice recipes, and other healthy foodstuffs, which I hope you'll enjoy. If you do, spread the word - tell your friends, family and co-workers - I always love to know that people are enjoying these recipes as much as I am!

Nati xXx