Did you know that raw organic cacao is the highest plant-based source of iron?
Did you also know that it contains more calcium than cow’s milk?
Say what?!
However, as the iron found in raw organic cacao is non-heme (as is all plant-based iron), you’ll body will get maximum benefit if you combine eating it with vitamin C.
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Blackberries. I've not found them to be so plump, sweet and berry like in flavour than the one's I enjoy when in France.
Big, juicy blackberries where the little pips get stuck in your teeth and the juice dribbles down your chin, staining your lips.
So what to do with the extra basic raw chocolate you've just made?
You don't need to be a rocket scientist to know where I'm going with this....yep, add in a blackberry!
Read MoreSo no grains and legumes, huh!
No problemo. I've been off gluten for over a year now and kicked refined sugar to the curb over 2 years ago. Grains and legumes. Easy peasy.
And then I thought about it.
I thought about the brown rice I have cooked and frozen in my freezer for emergency meals. I thought about the simple mid-week meal I often whip up of roasted pumpkin and chickpeas. I thought about how I use white beans as a simple quick "mash" instead of cooking up potatoes. And I also thought about the lentil salads I loved, especially when using my favourite legume of all...du puy lentils.
Holy cow! To say I'm now overwhelmed is an understatement.
Read MoreSuffering the horrible effects of thyroiditis? I hear ya sista!
For me it varies, from a swollen/sore thyroid, a splitting headache and extreme lethargy to dry skin, mood swings and the desperate wanting to curl up in a ball and not interact with anyone!
Chatting about these symptoms with my everyday GP last year, I was told there was nothing I could do – this was just “how it was”. Seriously????
So you guessed it, I started to research this fact for myself.
I turned to whole, organic foods and I listened to my body…very closely. Straight away I implemented 3 simple everyday steps into my daily routine as an experiment. So far, I haven’t looked back. Perhaps you may also like to experiment with them? I figure, anything is worth a shot when trying to support your healthy thyroid.
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Vitamin A. A fat soluble vitamin, which means it MUST be consumed with fat in order to have optimal absorption.
A vitamin I am sadly deficient in, as revealed by my naturopath.
Vitamin A is essential for our vision, for boosting our immune function and for giving us healthy glowing skin. It is also needed in the production of T3 (thyroid hormone) – which is just one of the many reasons I suffer hypothyroidism symptoms (and perhaps you too?)
Did you know that without this essential vitamin, our thyroid levels can suffer?
Did you also know that there is a strong connection between vitamin A deficiency and hypothyroidism?
Read MoreCoconut Flour.
A pain in the arse to bake with, but when you get the combination right....oh my!
One of the first struggles I encountered when I took gluten from my diet was the vast array of "gluten-free" alternatives out there. The supermarket shelves these days are packed to the brim with them and I found it hard to decipher between those that were actually nourishing and helpful to my body, and those that are synthetic, processed, bleached and potentially contain gut irritating soy products. Clever marketing can be very persuasive.
I don't know about your story or reasons for going gluten free, however removing gluten from my diet was for health reasons, so I certainly didn't want to then start adding all that crap into my body, just because it didn't contain gluten.
Read MoreShould you quit sugar?
It’s a big, and somewhat daunting question.
Perhaps you could ask yourself this:
If you ticked yes to the above (I ticked yes to all!) then perhaps sugar is playing a bigger role in your health and your life than you thought.
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Pecans. Rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, they can help decrease “bad cholesterol” and increases “good cholesterol” levels in the blood.
Seriously. A simple nut can help do this?!
They’re also a wonderful nut to consume for those of us suffering the effects of hypothyroidism, as they’re a rich source of manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium.
Read MoreAbout 2 years ago a dermatologist insisted that steroids were the answer to the mind-numbing “scratch till you bleed” rash that was taking over my body (and my patience).
That was the day I left her office in tears (without the prescription) and stumbled across the I Quit Sugar website. I was signed up to the program within minutes, and have never looked back.
By the end of the 8 week program, the rash had all but gone, my eyes shone, my skin glowed and I once again felt in control.
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The time has come for me to bid au revoir to the Secret Recipe Club.
A club I have been a part of for quite a number of years, and one I’ve enjoyed immensely.
Having been told I had Hashimoto’s (hypothyroidism) a few years ago, I made the big decision to focus on my health as naturally as possible - speaking with natural practitioners and through the goodness of seasonally grown organic food prepared as nutritionally as possible and with a whole lot of love.
“Let food be thy medicine”…. and all that stuff!
Read MoreI mentioned the other day that one of the most frustrating issues with having Hashimotos is the constant, ever present game I play with my weight. It falls of me within a matter of days, and then what can feel like a matter of hours, be back with a vengeance. No signals, no warnings, no SMS messages.
Sugar (well, the removing of it) was one of the big factors I changed in my “diet”. The other; grains.
Ho hum.
Read MoreSomething I read recently … “A healthy thyroid keeps the body warm, youthful, and energized”. Hmmm….this ain't me anymore.
But I’m working on it!
One of the biggest things I decided to change in my diet about a year ago was to go 100% gluten free, and I’ve never looked back. There was an almost instant difference in the way my body felt, especially in both my tummy and thyroid when I made the commitment to stop “fluffing” around the edges. I’m not coeliac (I’ve been tested), but having experimented on myself with this subject for quite some time – gluten will not be passing these lips any day soon……not sure how I’ll go when I head back to France though….hmmmm….
Read MoreWhat contains magnesium, zinc, iron and manganese, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B9, C and E, contains essential heart-healthy fat, protein AND fibre?
My Easter present to you does silly.
Read MoreCoconut Butter.
I'm a "singing from the rafters" convert for this white stuff.
Simply the ground up dried flesh of the coconut made into a fine silky smooth butter, it contains both natural oils from the coconut oil as well as fiber from the flesh. Though it doesn’t have quite as many uses as coconut oil, it’s still a brilliant addition to my diet, as it is:
AND
Read MoreSo what type of snacker are you?
Not too long ago, I was "the bored snacker". You know the one, the person mindlessly snacking in front of the TV, not tasting the food being put into my mouth, and it had nothing whatsoever to do with being hungry.
Over the last few years, I've managed to rid myself from snacking. It took time, but my body eventually adjusted, and then poof, gone - foggy 3pm brain, and gone - constant need to think about food. Wow...food freedom is utterly addictive!
So why ask this question now?
Read MoreThe cat is well and truly out of the bag.
In just over a months time, I'll be packing my bags, pocketing my passport and flying off to a little town called New York City.
A snowy Winter wonderland awaits me in the Big Apple where I plan to ice-skate, walk aimlessly for hours discovering the best food places this town has to offer and perhaps indulge in a little New York Cheesecake....or two.
In ode to this up coming adventure and inspired by my utter love of all things French, I present to you a combination of some of my favourite ingredients and flavours in life - my petite "no-cheese" cheesecake.
Read MoreFar far away in a little town called Paris lives a pretty, yet unassuming restaurant called Yard.
This little Parisian gem is not interested in being amongst the hustle and bustle, but can be discovered hiding down a little back cobbled lane, away from prying tourist eyes. An hours walk from our apartment brings us inside this oasis where you'll find me...hungrily and impatiently waiting for the seasonal (albeit limited) menu to be placed in front of me.
And each year I walk away having indulged in and subsequently voted for "the dish of the trip"
Read MoreThis is seriously one gorgeous cookbook.
No bullshit.
When the lovely people of Murdoch Books sent me the cookbook Love, Aimee x by Aimee Twigger, I was hooked from the first turn of the page. Oh who am I kidding, the cover alone had me reaching for my rolling pin and apron. From the photos and home-crafted recipes, to the beautiful styling (and even the font used throughout), this book is feminine, pretty and utterly indulgent.
Aimee Twigger is the incredibly talented lady behind the blog Twigg Studios and her first cookbook is not only filled with beautiful recipes it's filled with wonderful crafty tips for beautifully wrapping and presenting her creations to be given as edible gifts for any occasion. Perfectly timed for Christmas!
Read MoreBreakfast.
Who the hell would ever knowingly miss eating it? It's my favourite meal of the day and a meal I would NEVER miss.
My usual breakfast of choice is savoury, based around eggs, avocado (which I can't get enough of lately) and veggies. It's usually packed full of protein, fat and greens that keep me going right through until those first stirrings of hunger around midday.
Some days, not often, but occasionally, I crave something different. A little crunchier. A little sweeter. Like this chocolate granola that I keep stashed in my freezer for such times.
Don't be fooled. This breakfast cereal still packs a protein and fat punch and will keep you going through to your next meal....no need for mindless snacking between meals with a bowl of this baby in your tummy....
Read MoreCookies.
A word my bro despises (preferring ‘biscuits’).
A word that conjures up sugar and gluten laden treats.
A word that brings back memories of New York (interested in why, see here).
However, these cookies are different. They’re part of my religion as they’re mixed, rolled and baked so often in my house. Containing only the smallest amount of sweetener, they’re refined sugar, fructose, gluten AND dairy free. They’re crunchy and delicate, and they’re addictive. Trust me.
Yesterday, I tweaked them with macadamias.
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