Tuesday's Change Week 34 - Roam Free

You might have seen a discussion that started on my Facebook page recently over the difference between battery farmed/caged chickens and free range, organic chickens and the subsequent eggs they produce. I hope you all learned something new and if you missed it let me elaborate here.

Animal rights aside (I won't get into that discussion here!) the health benefits of eating properly reared animals and their by-products are vast. Take eggs for example.

Organic, Free Range eggs have been proven to contain:

• Twice as much omega-3 fatty acids.
• Three times more vitamin E.
• Seven times more pro-vitamin A beta-carotene.
• A quarter less saturated fat.
• A third less cholesterol

than caged or indoor chickens. (Source can be found here)

Now if that's not enough of a reason to buy Organic, Free Range eggs I don't know what is! - Oh yes that's right it's also kinder to the animals!

Female chicks are grown in extremely cramped and dark conditions and fed a processed diet full of hormones, pesticides and antibiotics. Once they reach laying age, they are put into cages less than half the size of an A4 sheet of paper, their feet often become deformed as a result.

Not only is this cruel and harmful it is not healthy for the chickens, their eggs and as a result, for you.

Unfortunately, some large-scale egg farmers have exploited lax definitions of free range chicken and have been able to use this label, even when they only allow their confined chicken out occasionally to concreted areas. See above. 

These are not true free range eggs. For this reason I always buy Free Range AND Organic. 

So your Tuesday's Change for this week is to switch to Organic, Free Range eggs. Eat as many as you like. I often eat up to 6 eggs a day. I have healthy hair, skin, nails, strong muscles and bones and NO my cholesterol is not through the roof. That is an absolute MYTH!

And you don't have to stop here. I urge you to start looking at where all your produce comes from. How are the animals treated? Are there unnecessary and dangerous chemicals being passed on through the food chain to you? 

For my followers in Ireland I know Dunnes Stores do 6 Organic Free Range eggs for €1.99 (just 10c more than their non Organic ones!). For my German followers Rewe do Organic and Free Range eggs again 6 for €1.99.

I know the English Market in Cork has a Chicken stand where the animals are all antibiotic free, free range and live happy lives. They have really competitive prices too! Wherever you live try and find a place where you're sure the chickens are healthy and happy!

My biggest advice is start to looking at where your food comes from. Get to know your suppliers and farmers. Question everything. For your health and those of the animals!

Chocolate Pancakes

I'm a big fan of pancakes. They are quick and easy to make, fill you up with slow releasing energy and taste so good too. I have these as a healthy treat. Maybe on a weekend for breakfast where you have time to sit and savour them with the morning papers or even a good book.

Check out my other recipes here for Paleo Pancakes and here for Oat Pancakes.

Ingredients:
100g of oats
1 large free range egg
250ml of water or milk
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of Chia seeds
1 tablespoon of Honey
2 teaspoons of 100% Cocoa Powder e.g. Bournville or Green and Blacks Organic

1 teaspoon of Coconut oil for cooking

Optional: replace some of the oats for the same quantity of Protein Powder.

Method:
Blitz the oats in a blender (or handheld) until they form a coarse powder.
Beat the egg, honey and milk/water together and fold in the oats until they are well mixed. 

Add in Chia seeds and 100% Coco and mix well.

I did all this in my hand held blender in the one jug which saves on wash up!

Fry in a ceramic pan in Olive Oil or Coconut Oil on a medium heat and flip once the underside is cooked.

Enjoy with a variety of healthy toppings!

Prep Time:
Less than 5 minutes!

Dietary Information:
Wheat free

Sugar Free (option to also leave out honey)
Can be made gluten free using gluten free oats
Good fats
Vegetarian
Oats are proven to lower cholesterol, be a good source of energy and high in fibre.
Eggs are full of protein, high in vitamins and minerals and great for your hair, skin and nails.

Chia seeds are full of protein, antioxidants and make you fell full for longer.

Cinnamon helps to lower your blood sugar and burn fat more effectively. 

100% Pure Cocoa Powder is packed with anti-oxidants and helps lower LDL cholesterol (the bad kind).

Storage Instructions:

These can be made in advance and when cool stored in a sealed container or frozen. These are a handy, high energy snack that can be enjoyed on the go with no mess or sticky fingers!

Serving Suggestions:
Enjoy sweet or savoury with your favourite healthy toppings such as:
Melted dark chocolate
Butter and lemon
Coconut cream
Fresh fruits
Cinnamon and raisins with a drizzle of honey
The world is your oyster. Get creative!

Fly away with me...

I do a lot of travelling. I fly at least once a month, if not more. So it's a good thing then that I love airports. I find them fascinating for people watching as well as the fact that they are packed full of the excitement and anticipation of all its travelers off on their many adventures. I love wondering where each person is going or guessing their nationality. You can learn a lot by just sitting and observing people. I guess it's a good thing I enjoy it so much as I sit here on my 5 hour wait for my connecting flight! I'm just back from Oktoberfest in Germany with my Husband.

When you travel a lot you begin to realise how nearly every airport is the same. Selling overpriced, cardboard food and packed full of cheap, sugary convenience snacks and drinks. Not to mention the lack of readily available drinking water.

So here are my top tips for travelling and trying to keep healthy.

1) First rule of the scouts is 'be prepared'. Bring food with you! Rice cakes and hard boiled eggs are perfect. They are light and don't take up too much room. They can be eaten with your hands and they keep well for long periods of time at room temperature. I always throw in some full fat real butter in a little tub too. An excellent source of good fat providing it's Irish and from grass fed cows. Here you have a quick and easy meal that has your clean carbohydrates, lean protein and good fats. It takes 5 minutes to prepare and you can bring them anywhere. Not just for airports!

2) Did you know reusable water bottles can go through security? Even if they are over 100mls! I always have a quiet, smug giggle to myself watching all the girls going through security who completely forgot the 100 ml liquid rule (which btw is completely redundant now. Who do I talk to about getting this removed?! Obama?) I always feel bad seeing them squeal with horror as the security guard tries to wrestle their oversized bottle of Clinque eye make up remover from their hands as they clutch it to their chest like it's their first born child! 

Anyway providing the bottle is empty and you show it to the security guards along with your zip locked bag or minis they have no problem letting it through. (I can regularly be spotted in Cork airport guzzeling the end of my water just as I approach the X-ray scanners!). Almost every airport has a water fountain airside, typically located outside the toilets, so once you are through security checks you can refill it and drink away to your heats content.

This will save you paying €3 for 500 ml of water (seriously Ryanair? Gold is cheaper!) and also make you drink more as you can go back and refill it as often as you want. It will also save the environment as you are producing less waste in disposable bottles. 

I've had my reusable bottle for nearly 4 years now and it has been to 4 continents with me! I have only bought a disposable bottle of water maybe twice a year since I got it. That's a massive saving on finances, the environment and as it's always glued to my side it reminds me to drink more.  Win win win. Check out my post here on the importance of hydration and how much you should drink each day.

3) Be selective with your food. Wander the airport, see what alternatives there are, is there a small shop or newsagents that might sell something healthier than the restaurants or on board menus. Ryainair have now marked all their menu items with the dietary requirements. There is still only 1-2 items that are gluten free (1 is their ketchup!) but at least you can make informed decisions when you do travel. They are still miles ahead of Aer Lingus who have 1 Gluten Free item on their menu! Which is friut! Good food will make you feel better when flying. Lots of water will help you feel less tired and groggy. You just need to put in the effort!

Happy travelling my little wanderers! Keep exploring and discovering new lands