These banana coconut muffins are a lot different from the super sized cake like muffins you’d buy at the supermarket.  They’re made with spelt flour which makes them good for people with IBS who follow a low FODMAP diet. O and they’re super tasty!  I’ve been having them in my lunch box this week.

Ingredients

1 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup ground almonds
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup macadamia nut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 /2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 180  degrees Celsius.  Put dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir to combined.  In a jug mix together the oil, maple syrup, egg and milk. Add this plus the mashed banana into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Don’t over mix or it will lead to tough muffins.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes.

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As far as I’m concerned there’s nothing better than a warming bowl of porridge for breakfast on a cool morning.  It’s something I’ve been having every winter since I was a child.  Mum or Dad used to make a big potful in the morning and I’d eat it smothered with spoonfuls of brown sugar and milk.   Today it’s a bit different though – I don’t add huge spoonfuls of brown sugar, but add yummy fruit, nuts, seeds and sometimes yoghurt for a nutrient packed breakfast that provides a nice slow release of energy.b

This version of porridge contains linseed and chia seeds, both of which provide plant based sources of omega 3.    I discovered dried cherries at a local food store last week and they’re so delicious, so I thought I’d add them as well as some hazelnuts I got given.

Recipe for 1 serve

1/3 cup of oats
2/3 cup  + 2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons linseeds
2 teaspoons chia seeds2 teaspoons coconut
3 drops stevia
small handful of hazelnuts
1 – 2 tablespoons dried cherries

Cook the oats with the water in a pot until the water is absorped.  Using a pestle and mortar, grind the seeds.  This helps make the nutrients available for digestion, otherwise they’ll pass straight through you whole.   Mix the seeds and the coconut into the cooked porridge.  Add the stevia drops and mix.  Top with the hazelnuts and cherries and serve with milk.  You could add a little honey as well if you wanted it a little sweeter.

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Lunch time is a good opportunity to pack some veges into your diet but as it get’s cooler salads are becoming less appealing. I made a big bowl of this the other day to last me a couple of lunches and it was really yummy.  With roasted beet, pumpkin and Brussels sprouts it’s a bright rainbow of colours which means lots of antioxidants and nutrients.

It also contains feta cheese which adds a little bit of salty deliciousness, as well as  a sprinkle of sunflower seeds for some healthy fats. The  chickpeas provide a  source of protein and carbohydrates, so it’s a good balanced lunch.

PS if you think Brussels sprouts are gross, give these a chance as they are quite delicious roasted.

Here’s how:

Ingredients (makes 2 serves)

1/4 pumpkin, chopped into small pieces
2 small beetroot, chopped into small wedges
A couple of handfuls of Brussels sprouts, ends chopped off and cut in half
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
sprinkle of herb seasoning
50g feta cheese
3 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
1 cup chickpeas
3 teaspoons olive oil + 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.   Pat down the beetroot with paper towels to remove any excess redness.  Place in a roasting dish along with the pumpkin and Brussels sprouts.  Drizzle with oil and mix through garlic and  herb seasoning.  Roast for 25-35 minutes, or until tender.

Place roasted veges in a bowl, and add feta cheese, sunflower seeds and chickpeas.  Stir gently to mix.  Mix together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and drizzle over the salad.  Eat and enjoy!

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Wow April just flew by which means it’s time for the prize draw for those who joined in on the challenge. Congratulations to commenter number 9 – Jenny. The lovely Kikki K journal will be coming your way! Check your emails for more info.

Over the past month I achieved two things that I wanted to, which were to attend cross fit at least 2 x a week (except the week I was away) and exercised 4-6 days every week as well as to eat lots of vege based lunches!

I hope you found the tips and info useful over the past 30 days and achieved your goals for the month. Feel free to share what you achieved in April in the comments below.

My next goal is to start getting back into long distance running and train for a marathon in October. It’s a great way to keep fit over winter and something I want to tick off my bucket list.

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When we think about foods, we often just think about nutrients, but did you know foods do have the power to influence your mood.  As we move into the cooler months I think a few of us get a case of the winter blues – myself included!  I think I get cabin fever – I like to be outside, gardening, running, or just sitting outside with friends enjoying a wine or two… But the cooler weather makes these things a little harder to do.

So here’s my picks for mood boosting foods to include your diet:

Salmon: Salmon is one of the best sources of Omega 3 fatty acids. There has been links between low omega 3 intake and depression, so including salmon in your diet is an excellent way to bump up your mood boosting omega 3 intake.

Walnuts + Chia seeds: Out of all nuts and seeds, these two have the highest levels of omega 3 fatty acids.  Add these plant based sources to your diet to keep your omega 3 levels up.

Beetroot: Beetroot contains a pigment called betaine, which relaxes the mind. It also contains the amino acid trytophan which our body uses to make serotonin. Serotonin is thought to produce healthy sleep and a stable mood.

Dark chocolate: There’s no denying chocolate makes a gal feel good. While I’m not condoning eat large amounts of chocolate, a small amount is fine. Plus it contains mood boosting tryptophan.

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I would be lying if I said I don’t have a sweet tooth.   It just wouldn’t be ANZAC day without ANZAC biscuits so I decided to have a play around and make a healthier version.  These turned out great! I think the only thing that would have made them better was if I had squished them down a bit flatter.

I used coconut oil which has a healthier fat profile than butter, mixed with macadamia nut oil. Macadamia nut oil is high in heart healthy monounsaturated fats and helps make the biscuits nice and crispy.  I also reduced the sugar slightly, and switched out some of the plain flour for wholemeal flour.

Here’s how:
 Ingredients:

60g plain flour
65g wholemeal flour
1 cup coconut
50g coconut oil
1/4 cup macadamia nut oil
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
100g sugar
1 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoon golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water

Mix together flour, sugar, coconut and rolled oats. Melt the coconut oil and golden syrup together and add the macadamia nut oil.

Dissolve baking soda in the boiling water and add to the oil and golden syrup.

Make a well in the centre of flour, stir in the liquid.

Place in spoonfuls on a greased tray and press down with a fork.

Bake 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

The post Healthier ANZAC cookies: 30 Days of Wellness appeared first on Eat Well NZ.

Image from here

One really important part of wellness is finding a sense of balance in your life.  Without it, it’s impossible to be well.  When I was studying postgraduate nutrition, I thought I could study full time, work 30 hours a week, exercise and have a social life on top of all that. Well – it didn’t go very well. I was exhausted, stressed and tearful – so in the end I had to cut my work hours down.  And while I had less money, I was so much happier, less stressed and balanced.

Even today, finding balance between my full time job, private consulting, writing work, home life, social life and exercise can be hard. I think the best thing to do is have a plan that works for you and listen to what your body needs.  Here’s how I find balance:

1. Getting enough sleep

Making sure I get enough sleep is vital for me feeling at my best.  I wish I could feel good with 6 hours, but I need 8-9 hours of sleep every night or I feel lethargic, sluggish and irritable. Without enough sleep I find it really hard to stay focused and find my mind wandering.   So while I might get more done if I stay up an extra couple of hours, it’s not worth it in productivity lost over the next few days.

2. Setting times/days for exercise

Exercise is a priority for me in terms of feeling and being well.  I have set days where I schedule in exercise so I know it will happen.  On Monday and Friday I do crossfit.  On Wednesday I either go for a run, or do cross fit.  Tuesday is yoga or a day off and Saturday I try and get a long run in or take the dog for a walk.  Exercise makes me feel great.  I know I’m doing something good for my body, it gives me time out and is a awesome for relieving stress.  If I’ve had a bad day or I’m grumpy, I always feel better after a good run.
3. Not over-committing
Once upon a time I’d say yes to everything.  Now, I’m trying hard not to – committing to things I really want to do rather than things I feel I should do.

4. Avoiding distractions
I could easily waste a whole day on the internet – reading blogs, scrolling through Pinterest, checking out Facebook… The internet is so full of distractions!  Now I make sure I have a set amount of time for doing these things, and when I’m working, avoid going on anything that is not relevant to what I’m working on.

5. Me time
Time alone is really important for me to feel balanced.  Some people thrive on being constantly busy and around others,. And while I do love socialising,  I need time alone to potter around and recharge my batteries.

How do you find balance in your life? 

The post Finding balance: 30 Days of Wellness appeared first on Eat Well NZ.

With all the cool, wet weather I’ve been feeling like warm, healthy comfort foods and these mushrooms were the thing in the weekend.  I cooked some pumpkin along with onion and garlic, added some lentils and sunflower seeds, plus feta cheese and piled on top  of some nice fat juicy mushrooms.  It made a delicious healthy lunch.

Mushrooms are a great source of potassium, vitamin B2 and vitamin B6. They’re also a good source of the mineral selenium an essential trace element that functions as a part of an enzyme involved in antioxidant protection and thryoid hormone metabolism.  Selenium is a mineral that is low in the New Zealand diet, so mushrooms can provide an important source to our diets.

PS – sorry for no post yesterday – our internet was down.

Here’s how:

1/4 pumpkin, peeled and chopped into pieces
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1/4 cup brown lentils, drained of fluid
100g feta cheese, chopped
Fresh herbs  for garnish (I used oregano)
salt and pepper
Flat mushroom cups

Place the pumpkin, oil, onion and garlic in a pot and heat over a med-high heat until the veges start to caramalise a little. Add the vege stock and boil until the pumpkin is soft.  Drain the liquid from the pot and mash the pumpkin.  Add the sunflower seeds, lentils and feta cheese and mix.  Stuff mushrooms with the filling and bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 25-30 minutes, or until the mushroom is cooked.

Eat and enjoy!

The post Recipe for stuffed mushrooms: 30 Days of Wellness appeared first on Eat Well NZ.

1. Make your own almond milk

Image from Renee Naturally

I’ve been enjoying almond milk on my cereal or porridge in the morning and I found this post over at Renee Naturally on how to make your own.  I’ve yet to give it a go, but it looks easy and delicious.  And I’ve heard from a few people that home made tastes better than store bought.  Find the recipe here

2. Exercise myths busted

This was a really interesting post on common exercise myths.  There were a couple in there that I didn’t know – for example, according to this post, stretching before exercise reduces the risk of injury is a myth! The information comes from The American Council on Exercise. Image from Eating Bird Food

3. Quinoa Granola

I posted my recipe for quinoa granola the other day, but this version also looks delicious!

I love this chart that pictorially show what supplements are really evidence based. See more here

The post Nutrition and exercise inspiration: 30 Days of Wellness appeared first on Eat Well NZ.

So what’s a good lunch? It’s a mixture of lean protein, wholegrain/low GI carbohydrates, vegetables and a little healthy fats.
A small portion of wholegrain carbohydrates provides a steady release of energy throughout the afternoon, while lean protein helps keep you feeling fuller for longer.  At lunch, we still want to make sure we’re getting a serve of vegetables – minimum 1 cup of vegetables is a good guideline.   Last but not least, a serve of healthy fats is important too – some nuts, avocado or olive oil are good additions to get a dose for good skin and heart health.

Vegetable base ideas:

• Cherry tomatoes,  cucumber slices, black olives, red onion and baby spinach
• Grated carrot, avocado slices, rocket, baby spinach, red onion
•  Baby beetroot, sprouts, grated carrot
• roasted pumpkin + Brussels sprouts with red onion

Image found here

Carbohydrate options:

• quinoa
• brown rice
• wholegrain wrap/bread/bread roll
• kumara
• pumpkin (counts as a vegetable and carbohydrate serve, but is less starchy than potato/kumara)

Protein options:

• Chickpeas (these provide carbohydrate also)
• Lentils (these provide carbohydrate also)
• Chicken
• Tuna
• Salmon
• lean red meat (left overs are good)

Healthy fats:

• avocado (1/4 small avocado is a serving size)
• nuts
• seeds
• olive oil, or olive oil based dressing
• macadamia nut oil
• avocado oil

Here’s what it might look like:

1. Superfoods salad
Here we have lots of different coloured vegetables/kumara as our source of healthy carbohydrates/1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds as our healthy fats. Add 1/2 a cup of chickpeas or 50g of chicken and you’ll have a filling, nutrient rich lunch.

2. Mini Frittatas
The egg here gives you a good source of protein. Serve with some veges on the side along with a sprinkle of seeds for a healthy lunch. Find the recipe here

3.Pumpkin and Chickpea Salad
Add a handful or two of baby spinach for extra vegetables and you’ve got a great lunch.  Find the recipe here

 What’s your favourite healthy lunch?

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