Home made trail mix
Author avisha Categories Blog, Food & Nutrition, Recipes Posted on 0 Comments

Homemade Trail Mix

Snacks are by far the number one “food group” that I get asked for help with.  As it goes we are ready to put in the time for the three main meal preps but when it comes to snacking we are still in the grab and go mindset.

So with that in mind I offer up to you the Homemade Trail Mix.  No fixed recipe to follow and virtually no preparation time.  Mix and match your favourite nuts, seeds and berries.  You can make a large batch and dip in to it as needed.

Have this on hand all of the time.  The good fats, protein and fiber in your trail mix will satisfy you when hunger pangs begin and will help to stabilize your blood sugar as it begins to dip between meals.  In doing so you will avoid the need for a mid afternoon nap or the urge to tear a strip off of a bad driver on your way home.

Just to give you a glimpse of the healthy benefits of the trail mix that I made, here is today’s creation (I use raw, unsalted nuts and seeds):

Brazil Nuts

Most notably brazil nuts are a good source of selenium.  As with most nuts they contain healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber.

Cashews

Cashews are a source of monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein.

Almonds

Almonds are a source of vitamins, notably vitamin E, minerals, monounstaturated fats, fiber and protein.

Goji Berries

Goji berries are a power packed little berry.  They contain fiber, vitamins, notably A & C, minerals and are great antioxidants.

Manuka Raisins

I LOVE Manuka raisins.  My favourite trail mix sweetener.  They are good source of fiber, contain calcium, antioxidants and they contain oleanolic acid.

Dried Aronia Berries

A nice counterbalance to Manuka raisins,  these berries are a little bit on the bitter side.  Their benefits include being high in antioxidants, high in anthocyanin concentration and high in proanthocyanidins.

Dried Pomegranate berries

These are a treat.  Really tasty and high in antioxidants and fiber.

Sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are a good source of vitamin E, selenium and magnesium.

So be creative.  You can used pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate chips, puffed quinoa.  The sky is the limit and changing things up means you won’t get tired of it.

 

Author avisha Categories Blog, Food & Nutrition, Recipes Posted on 0 Comments

Food meeting Function: Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

When foods are consumed that have a positive effect on health and go beyond basic nutrition they are called “functional foods”.  As I am sure you can imagine there are many but today I would like to introduce you to a relatively obscure one.

Meet the Jerusalem Artichoke.  These little fellas may not be the prettiest of vegetables but as a functional food they are beautiful!

Jerusalem Artichoke

Jerusalem artichokes, sometimes referred to as sunchokes, are root vegetables.  They can be eaten either cooked or raw.  When cooked they have a creamy texture similar to potatoes. Eaten raw their taste is comparable to the taste of a water chestnut.

So let’s take a look at some of their health benefits.  Jerusalem artichokes are a very good source of minerals and electrolytes, especially potassium, iron, and copper.  They contain small amounts of anti-oxidant vitamins C, A and E.  And 100 g contain approximately 3.4 mg of iron.

But perhaps the greatest health benefit of Jerusalem artichokes lies in their prebiotic function. These root vegetables contain a non-digestible soluble fiber called inulin.  Inulin belongs to a class of compounds called fructans. And inulin feeds our good gut bacteria greatly enhancing our intestinal health.  And when cancer is considered, or any disease for that matter,  the gut must always be addressed.

This is a super tasty soup, that is easy to make and full of function!

 

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

Ingredients

3 TBSP butter

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, chopped

½ tsp. salt & pepper

500 grams Jerusalem Artichokes, peeled and halved

Pinch of chili pepper (optional)

1 liter of chicken broth

5 fresh sage leaves

Directions

  1. Melt butter in a soup pot
  2. Add garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Cook until softened.
  3. Add Jerusalem Artichokes, chili pepper (if using), chicken broth and sage leaves.
  4. Bring to a boil
  5. Reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes until artichokes have softened.
  6. With a hand or stand up blender, puree soup and serve.

Serves 4

 

Author avisha Categories Blog, Food & Nutrition Posted on 0 Comments

My Cold and Flu Natural Medicine Kit

As the Christmas season fades in to memory, we move in to cold and flu season.  And this was the topic that we were asked to speak of on Daytime Durham.

In general our best defence against disease is ensuring the following:

  1. Eating a whole foods diet rich in colourful fruits and vegetables
  2. Getting 7-8 hours of good quality sleep each night
  3. Staying well hydrated
  4. Regular exercise

But when cold and flu season rolls around having a natural medicine kit on hand to give an added boost to our immunity and remedies if a cold or flu takes hold is recommended.

There really are so many remedies that could be included in my kit but the ones that I always keep on hand are: Chaga Tea, Oil of Oregano, Manuka honey, Holy Basil tincture, Bee Propolis, lemon, garlic, ginger and a good probiotic.  And the reason is that these items play dual roles. They help to build up immunity which aids prevention and they help combat infection when it takes hold.

 

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Chaga Tea

Chaga is a type of mushroom found growing predominantly on birch trees.  Chaga tea is full of minerals, vitamins and amino acids. It is antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral.

Oil of Oregano

Oil of Oregano is packed with vitamins and minerals.  It is an immune booster, fights infection and is a strong antioxidant.  This is the first remedy my family grabs when we feel anything trying to take hold.  It is VERY strong.  If you are using it for the first time my recommendation would be to add a drop to one cup of water and sip until finished.  As you become more used to it you can build up to taking one or two drops straight on your tongue.

Manuka Honey

Manuka honey is produced from the pollen of the manuka, or tea tree.  It contains more vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants than other types of honey.  It helps to boost the immune system preventing colds and flus.  It is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory.

Holy Basil Tincture

In Ayurvedic medicine Holy Basil is used often as a remedy for cold and flu.  It eases bronchitis, earache and fever.  Holy Basil is considered an adaptogen thus helping to normalize body function.

Bee Propolis Throat Spray

Bee propolis is made by bees and is used to cover the inside of the bee hive to act as a disinfectant and to seal small holes and gaps in it.  Bee Propolis has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.   It also has healing, analgesic, anesthetic and anti-inflammatory properties.  The throat spray is an easy way to incorporate bee propolis in to your regime.

Lemon

Lemon is a star in my kit.  It has vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc,copper, manganese and selenium.  And I use it in combination with honey and ginger to make great tasting homemade cough syrup and lozenges.

Garlic

Garlic is touted for many medicinal purposes including preventing and fighting colds and flus. As well as containing nutrients such as selenium, manganese and vitamin C,  garlic contains an organo-sulfur compound called Allicin.  Allicin has antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties.

Ginger

Ginger is antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and aids digestion.  It is a strong antioxidant and is a natural antibiotic.

Probiotics

The seat of your immunity resides in your gut.  Probiotics help improve immunity by enhancing gut health.

It’s an easy task putting a natural medicine kit together.  Start by using things that are right in your kitchen cupboard and build out from there.

 

 

sweet potato muffins
Author avisha Categories Blog, Recipes Posted on 0 Comments

Sweet Potato Protein Muffins

Last night social media and left over sweet potatoes came together and we enjoyed delicious sweet potato protein muffins thanks to a timely posting by Joy McCarthy of Joyous Health.  I followed her recipe in every way except for the type protein powder used. I used NaturePro Grass-Fed Australian Vanilla Whey protein and it definitely worked out just fine!

These muffins contain complex carbohydrates and fiber from the sweet potatoes, good fats from the coconut oil and protein, vitamins and minerals from the eggs and protein powder.  Even the sweetener, maple syrup, offers a host of naturally occurring minerals. Not your everyday sweet treat!

I do recommend making your own almond milk to use in this recipe.  Store bought almond milk, in most cases, contains added ingredients that you just don’t want to be consuming.  And making your own almond milk is easy and extremely cost effective. You can find the recipe for almond milk right here.

Here is Joy’s recipe.  You can enjoy these muffins for breakfast, as a mid-day snack, quite honestly whenever you get a hankering for a little sweet treat.

I got 12 muffins from this mixture.

Sweet Potato Protein Muffins

by

Joy McCarthy of Joyous Health

Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup coconut flour
  2. ¼ cup Vanilla protein powder
  3. 2 tsp baking powder
  4. 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  5. 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  6. 2/3 cup sweet potato puree
  7. 1/3 cup maple syrup
  8. 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  9. 5 eggs, whisked
  10. 3/4 cup almond milk
Instructions
  1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
  2. Then add the wet to the dry ingredients.
  3. Place batter into muffin tin cups.
  4. Bake at 180 degrees C for 30-35 minutes or until a fork inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.

 

cauliflower
Author avisha Categories Blog, Cancer Coaching, Food & Nutrition, Recipes Posted on 0 Comments

Roasted Cauliflower with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Capers

 

Cauliflower is a versatile vegetable that has a host of health benefits.  It is a great source of Vitamin C and a good source of manganese and dietary fiber.

Cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables along with others such as broccoli, kale, bok choy, cabbage and brussels sprout.  Cruciferous vegetables have antioxidant nutrients that help boost Phase 1 of liver detoxification and sulfur containing nutrients to boost Phase 2 of liver detox.

Cruciferous vegetables also contain indole-3-carbinol (I3C).  I3C is the result of the breakdown of indole-3-glucosinolate through cutting, chewing or light cooking.  A great deal of research has been done indicating anti-cancer properties of I3C with various cancers such as prostate and breast cancers.

Cauliflower is one of my favourite vegetables. It can be used in so many ways from dips to pizza crusts.  Its mild flavour lends itself to the use of many different ingredients.

This particular one was a hit with my family so I thought I would pass it alone.

 

Roasted Cauliflower with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Capers

Serves 4

1 Head of Cauliflower cut into florets

5 Anchovy Fillets

½ cup Sun-dried tomatoes

4 TBSP Melted Coconut Oil

2 TBSP Capers

4 Cloves of Sliced Garlic

Salt and Pepper to taster

Juice of ½ a lemon

 

Preheat oven to 220C.

Toss together florets, sundried tomatoes, coconut oil, capers, garlic, salt and pepper then put mixture on roasting pan.

Cook for about 20 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.

Put cauliflower mixture in to serving bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Serve immediately.

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