For those of you who can tolerate nuts, they're a great way to boost your intake of protein and good fats - helping to keep you satiated, and I've got the most delicious muffin recipe, highlighting the humble almond, for you to indulge in . . .
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Florentines. As a child, no other biscuit made me feel more like a gown up than this one did. Typically stuffed full of glace cherries, nuts, sugar and chocolate, they were my biscuit of choice when I wanted to impress (and I got to scoff all the leftovers). Win/win.
When I said goodbye to the white stuff a few years ago, I also tearfully said au revoir to the super sweet florentine.
And then the angels sang. As inside the pages of the I Quit Sugar Chocolate Cookbook Volume II, this little Superfood Florentine recipe jumped out and waved it's little muscly arms at me. Oh sweet Lord. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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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 MoreChocoholic. Nope, not me.
In my past life I was what you’d call a lolly-oholic. I could inhale bags of jelly frogs and snakes in a heartbeat, and would you believe that I thought this was the healthier choice….because I wasn’t eating fat! Jeez Louise!
Now in my current life, I’ve turned to chocolate. But not just any chocolate. You’ll find none of those sugar laden supermarket brands in my trolley. No siree. All you’ll find are 4 simple, no-fuss, organic ingredients:
Read MoreI don’t know the facts behind this little statement, but I’m assuming this was before we bastardised raw cacao and processed it into the cocoa we know and consume today. I could be wrong!
What I DO know, however is that this quick, nourishing and clean hot chocolate recipe, IS super good for you and your body.
Wanna know why?
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.
Read MoreHazelnuts.
Wondering what so good about them?
Wonder no longer people as I have the answer you’ve been waiting with baited breath for. These little beauties are wonderfully rich in protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals and are brilliant for your heart, nervous system and overall digestive health.
Don’t believe me? Here’s a little snapshot of just how good they are:
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.
Read MoreAlmond Meal. Probably my favourite gluten-free “flour” to bake with as I substitute it 1:1 with any plain flour recipe.
I absolutely love its soft and moist texture, however sometimes it does need a little hand to hold so it can keep its shape - like adding in a little buckwheat flour or perhaps some brown rice or quinoa flour.
To store, like all nuts, I keep enough almond meal/flour readily available in a glass jar in my fridge. It will last for up to 6 months this way, although mine disappears a hell of a lot sooner as I bake A LOT! The remainder, as I buy in bulk (soooo much cheaper to do so), gets stored in the freezer.
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 MoreFor those of us living with Hashimotos or any thyroid disorder, keeping the weight off is one of the most frustrating things EVER!
One of the things I’m doing/have been doing/will continue to do is keep off sugar. Did you know it is 4 x addictive as cocaine? Not only does it cause havoc with your blood sugar levels and create a false sense of hunger, it causes considerable inflammation in the gut …. and this includes “natural” sugars.
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 MoreDid you know that our thyroids cannot function without magnesium? It’s something I’m learning a lot about at the moment.
It’s actually responsible for converting the inactive T4 thyroid hormone into the active form of T3, which is extremely important for those of us out there with hypothyroidism. This is what affects our metabolism and is something I’m working on with my naturopath at this very moment, as it’s a depressing sight when you see your weight increasing as if by magic in such a short amount of time.
Read MoreA punch of lemon, the crunch of nuts and a soft, sticky texture - these little cakes are pure Summer in a white paper wrapper, waiting impatiently to be de-robed and gobbled greedily.
They stick to the wrappers a little, giving you total permission to indulge in the lady like ritual of "licking the paper". A favourite past time of mine, normally completed behind closed doors, but when taken to a picnic on a hot Summers day.....bring it on, is all I'm sayin'.
Read MoreCoconut Sugar. The most nutritious with the lowest glycemic index of any natural sugar and a deep caramel colour which is perfect for recipes with chocolate, caramel and nuts.
So why don't I use it very often?
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