nutrition

  1. Weekly Tip- Top 5 benefits of adding chia seeds to your diet

    Chia seeds are good for your digestive health
    Chia seeds contain about 10grams of fibre per 2 tablespoons which is nearly half your daily requirement of fibre! Because of the rich fibre content chia seeds do wonders for our digestive health. The fibre not only acts as a prebiotic feeding the good bacteria in our gut, but also helps promote
    regularity.
     
    Chia seeds are rich in antioxidants
    Chia seeds are a great way to get more antioxidants into your diet. Antioxidants are important in protecting our cells from free radical damage and inflammation which can lead a whole range of different illnesses and premature ageing!
     
    Chia seeds help improve heart health
    Chia seeds contain more omega-3’s than salmon gram for gram! Although it’s important to
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  2. Thai aubergine and chickpea curry

    This is a delicious hearty way to get some extra veg in and quick dinner for the whole family. It can be made in advance, frozen - or whipped up in 30minutes. I always make a double batch and freeze the other half for quick healthy dinners.

     

    Ingredients

     

    • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
    • 1 onion diced
    • 2 thumbs of ginger grated
    • 3 cloves of garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric
    • 2 tablespoons thai red curry paste
    • 1 large aubergine chopped into chunks
    • 1 red pepper diced
    • 1 can coconut milk
    • 1 can chickpeas drained
    • 1 cup garden peas

     

    Method

     

    1. Using a large pot, add coconut oil, followed by onion, ginger and garlic. Saute until the onions are softened.
    2. Add the red curry paste and turmeric to the pot and cook for another minute.
    3. Add the
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  3. Weaning Veggie Muffins

    With this week being National Weaning Week, I though I would share one of my favourite healthy baby friendly recipes. I started making these for my son when he was around 10months old. They are great snack to have stored in the deep freeze.

     

    Ingredients

     

    • 50g unsalted butter
    • 140g plain flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon bicarb
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 egg
    • 150ml greek yoghurt
    • 1 cup of finely grated courgette
    • 1/2 cup of finely grated carrots
    • 30g finest grated cheddar cheese
    • 1 red pepper finely diced

     

     

    Method

     

    1. Preheat the oven to 180degrees.
    2. Sift flour, bicarb and baking powder together
    3. Beat egg and yoghurt and melted butter together.
    4. Squeeze any excess water out of the courgettes (you can use a muslin or just your hands
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  4. Weekly Tip - Ginger Root

    Ginger Root and the benefits Ginger (zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant, but we mostly know it for it’s root (rhizome) which has been used for hundreds of years for its health benefits and as tasty ingredient when cooking. You can find it in many forms, including the whole root, powder, capsules or even essential oil. Ginger contains a wide range of important vitamins and minerals. It also contains gingerol an active chemical component that is related to capsaicin and pipeline, and it’s what gives chilli peppers and black pepper their spiciness. Gingerol is a potent antioxidant with anti inflammatory benefits.

    Some of the benefits of ginger root:-

    • Ginger root contains powerful anti fungal properties, and this makes its excellent for helping to kill off fungal infections.
      Helps treat nausea - a natural remedy for motion and morning sickness. Some studies have shown it to be as effective as anti-nausea medication. Ginger has been shown to calm you
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  5. Weekly Tip: Vitamin D Foods

    During the cold and wet winters months when sun exposure is very limited, you need to make sure you are getting enough vitamin D through your diet or from a supplement. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is very crucial to our health and wellbeing. It's needed for everything from normal functioning of our immune systems, to regulating the absorption of calcium into our bones. Deficiency in Vitamin D can result in fatigue, general feeling of being unwell and weakness in the muscles.

    By increasing your intake of foods from the list below in your diet regularly you will be reducing your chance of becoming deficient in this very important nutrient.

    • Fatty fish (salmon, herring, mackerel) 
    • Fortified foods (cereals, breads, yoghurts, tofu, milk etc) 
    • Cod liver oil
    •  Canned tuna 
    • Egg yolks 
    • Mushrooms
    •  Beef liver 
    • Cheese
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  6. Recipe: Christmas in a cup - Cinnamon hot chocolate

    Warm up with cup of healthy hot chocolate with a Christmassy twist. I always make hot chocolate from scratch vs the shop bought mixes as you know exactly what goes into it and you can adjust the flavour to make the perfect cup.

    Ingredients

    • 250ml koko coconut milk 
    • 1 tablespoon raw cacao 
    • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder 
    • 1 pinch of clove powder 
    • 1 teaspoon coconut oil 
    • 2 drops of stevia 
    • pinch of salt 
    • a few mini marshmallow for on top

    Method

    In a saucepan add the milk, raw cacao, cinnamon, cloves, pinch of salt and coconut oil and bring to a simmer - stirring continuously with a whisk. Remove from heat, add the stevia and give it another good whisk. Sprinkle with a few mini marshmallows on the top and enjoy.

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  7. Recipe: Warm winter brisket and bean stew

    There is not much better than a delicious slow cooked stew on a cold winter night! Filled with nutritious goodness and so comforting and warming for our bodies.

    Ingredients

    • 1kg x brisket on the bone 
    • 2 x tablespoons oil 
    • 1 x tablespoon flour 
    • 2 x large brown onions diced 
    • 2 x cloves garlic minced 
    • 1 x butternut peeled and chopped into chunks 
    • 2 x carrots chopped into chunks 
    • 2 x potatoes chopped into quarters 
    • 2 cups x baby spinach 
    • 500g x mixture of red kidney beans, black beans, white kidney beans soaked over night 
    • 1 x tin of sweetcorn 
    • 1 x tin of chopped tomatoes 
    • 2 x tablespoons tomato paste 
    • 500ml x vegetable or beef stock 
    • salt and pepper to taste 

    Method

    This can be cooked either in a slow

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  8. Cantamega Multi Nutrient Formula

    With winter well on its way and the cold and flu season in full swing its definitely time to be investing in a multi vitamin or better yet a multi nutrient supplement.

    Multi nutrients supplements such as FSC's Cantamega which contains 31 different vitamins, minerals, nutrients and herbs will help boost your immune system and fill in any nutritional gaps in your diet. This helps us to avoid nutritional deficiencies which can lead to fatigue, anaemia, weakness, hair loss, constipation, dementia and skin problems to name a few! By taking Cantamega once a day you are definitely covering all your bases!

    Top 5 Benefits of supplementing with a Multi Nutrient Formula

    1. As mentioned above, they help you avoid and correct any nutritional deficiencies you may have. This may not prevent you from catching a cold, but it will definitely help in reducing the severity and length of it by giving your body that extra boost in fighting off the illness. 
    2. Improve
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  9. Tip: Poaching the perfect egg

    Poached eggs were always something I treated myself to when out for brunch - never something I though I could make on my own. I thought you had to add vinegar, stir the water very fast and drop the egg quickly and this would keep it all together - i'm sure many people have had success this way - but I never did! I always ended up with an egg yolk and no white!

    My method of poaching eggs is definitely a lot easier than the above method and you wont get that slight taste of vinegar. Always use the freshest eggs possible for poaching eggs, if the aren't fresh the white wont stay together.

    Method

    Full a frying pan to almost full with water, put on the stove and bring to a boil. Once boiling crack your eggs in and leave to cook for between 2 and 4 minutes depending how runny you like the yolk. At the 2minute market I always use a slotted spoon to lift the egg out of the water and touch the yolk gently

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  10. Recipe: Butternut and Pulses Salad

    This is one of my favourite go to salads, full of goodness! Chickpeas and lentils are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals - along with being packed with folate, which is great if you are expecting! The butternut is good source of vitamin A and C and is cooked with a drizzle of coconut oil - providing you with lauric acid which is great for fighting off viruses, bacteria and fungi in the body. It can be served as a main meal or as a side along with your choice of protein.

    Ingredients

    2 butternut chopped into small squares
    3 tablespoons coconut oil
    1 can organic chickpeas
    1 can organic lentils
    1/2 block of feta Salt and pepper to taste

    Method

    Drizzle the coconut oil over the butternut and place in an oven for 30mins at 180 degrees.

    Use a sieve to rinse the chickpeas and lentils and add to your salad bowl. Once the butternut is cooked add onto of the chickpeas and crumble the feta on

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