The truth about Fats, that could change your life 

Fat seems to be the Buzz word these days, is it Good or Bad?  What fats to eat, what fats to stay away from. Knowledge is power. Understanding Saturated, Unsaturated and Trans fats allows you to make better food choices and stay healthy. The truth is there are good fats and there are bad fats. We need good fats as they are necessary for good health and wellbeing. Let’s look at the truth about fats.

Good Fats

• Make hormones
• Protect your organs and reduce inflammation.
• Make us feel full, as they take longer to digest.
• Suppresses the appetite and signals us to stop eating.
• Supply fatty acids that are essential for numerous chemical processes.
• Help the formation and function of membranes.
• Transport molecules into and out of cells.
• Are essential for brain function
• Fats transport and absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, A

Then there are Bad fats (Trans fats) which you don’t want to be eating, EVER.

Here is a breakdo...

A hot topic ….. are they bad, are they good. I have come full circle on this one. I cut out ALL carbs, to overdoing the carbs, to finding a healthy balance. I spent hours on this topic, wading through the articles and research papers about carbohydrates trying to understand them better. What did I find? Every person’s body is different and will require different carbohydrate intake. It turns out that high or low carb intake is less important than the type of carbohydrate you eat.

The Function of Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates provide the body with glucose, which is converted into energy and used to support bodily functions and physical activity.
• Carbohydrates provide fuel for the central nervous system and energy to working muscles.
• They prevent protein from being used as an energy source and enable fat metabolism.
• Carbohydrates are important for brain function.

Carbohydrates are split into two categories 

Complex carbohydrates

These consist of long chains of sugar molecules (...

Proteins are a fundamental building block of many of the cells in our body. Muscles, hair, skin and connective tissue are mainly made up of proteins. Many important things like enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and even DNA are partially made of protein. I think you are getting the gist, proteins are very, very important for us.

Some functions of proteins:

• Vital in maintenance, development and repair of body tissue.
• Hair, skin, eyes, muscles and organs are all made from protein.
• Protein is a major source of energy.
• Protein is involved in the creation of some hormones.
• Enzymes are proteins that increase the rate of chemical reactions in the body.
• Protein is a major element in transportation of certain molecules.
  • Haemoglobin is a protein that transports oxygen throughout the body.
  • Protein is also sometimes used to store certain molecules.
• Protein forms antibodies that help prevent infection, illness and disease.

What are Proteins made of?

Proteins are made up of...

According to the Webster dictionary, a micronutrient is a chemical element or substance that is essential in minute amounts to the growth and health of a living organism.

Micronutrients (like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants) are different from macronutrients (like carbohydrates, protein and fat) because they are only necessary in very tiny amounts. Even with these tiny amounts, sometimes less than 1/1000^thof a gram, micronutrients are vital to the proper functioning of all of our body’s systems.

Some functions of micronutrients: 

• synthesizing DNA
• facilitating growth
• producing digestive enzymes
• helping keep a strong metabolism
• breaking down carbs, fats and proteins into usable energy
• aiding in bone mineralization
• helping with hormone production
• allowing cells to rejuvenate
• slowing oxidation damage or signs of aging caused by free radicals
• allowing muscles to move and helping with tissue repair
• protecting the brain

• Every system within the body depends on combinati
...

Start the day feeling fantastic with the Hearty Wholesome Porridge!

Our porridge is a treat, it is full of nutrients, and it is incredibly simple and easy to palette! 

The Method

1. Choose one ingredient from each food group in the table below.
2. Soak your choice of Grain overnight in any milk of your choice or in some water. 
3. Bring your Grain to a boil in your chosen liquid in the morning and let the porridge simmer for 10 min.
4. Add your favourite fruit and flavour from the list below.
5. Sit back, relax and enjoy!!

Pancakes like you have never experienced before. Enjoy these delicious treats as a dessert or as a deeply satisfying breakfast.

The Base

First, you will need the base: Blend 2 eggs together with the ingredients in the table below. If you’re a vegan, swop the eggs for 4 tablespoons of soaked, ground flaxseed. (You can soak the flaxseed in water for 25 min.)

You will need one of each of the following food groups in your base. A fruit, a fibre,  a bit of milk, something to bind the ingredients together and something to add a touch of flavour.

Choose one of the ingredients from each group in the below table and blend them together with the eggs or the flaxseed to create your delicious pancake base.

The word Superfood has been spoken about so much in recent times, as people have become more and more conscious of all things relating to health and wellness. But, what is a Superfood? Is it an elusive expensive sachet filled with micronutrients? Or perhaps, superfoods are easily accessible to everyone! 

What is a superfood?

A Superfood according to the Oxford Dictionary is a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. Superfoods have extra-large doses of essential vitamins and minerals in them which can help us ward off diseases and live a longer, healthier life. They can also be a great source of antioxidants, shielding our bodies from cell damage and helping prevent awful diseases in the long run.

As much as there are many particular foods which fall into the Superfood group, there are no set criteria by the FDA and American Heart Association as to what is and what is not a superfood. We do know that certain foods are highly beneficial a...

If you walk down the aisle of the shops these days, you will find that most of the food we consume has been processed in some way or another. Whole foods, such as fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, have likely been cleaned, trimmed, shelled, husked, ground, or wrapped and this is a type of processing.  

Processed food is any food that has been altered in some way during preparation.

The real question you want to ask is, how has the food you eat been processed? The answer is pretty simple, it is one of two options. There is mechanical processing and then there is chemical processing:

Mechanical processing includes food that has been peeled, cored, and/ or cooked, this is a more natural processing method.

Chemical processing is when anything is added to the single ingredient food, for example, sugar, artificial flavours, colourants, etc.)

Processed food can fall on a vast spectrum from minimally to heavily processed.  

Minimally Processed Food

Minimally pr...