Notella - A Nutella alternative

You may have seen lots of articles in the press of late about how Nutella is potentially Carcinogenic (cancer causing). If you missed it read more HERE.

Whether the claims are true or not the fact is Nutella contains Palm Oil. This is a highly processed, unnatural and cheap oil that is used in many processed foods. Cheaper than olive oil and other natural fats, vast areas of rain forests in South America and Asia have been destroyed so multi billion dollar corporations can get even cheaper ingredients to make even unhealthier foods. Cancer or not AVOID PALM OIL like the plague. Even if it says 'Sustain-ably sourced Palm Oil' it just means they replant the trees but still wildlife and natural habitats are being destroyed.

Palm oil or not Nutella is so laden with sugar it should be avoided regardless. I myself have been known to eat it by the spoon full, spread it thickly on crackers, pancakes and bread as a treat and we all know once the jar is open...it needs to be finished. Even though judging by the sugar content I don't think this spread would ever go off. Even decades later!

So this news lead me to think about how you could make a more natural, just as tasty substitute without breaking the bank. Here it is my Notella recipe. Simple, quick and tastes so good. You can make a batch in advance and keep it in the fridge if you like the texture hard or at room temperature if you want it more spreadable.

Now don't be fooled this recipe should also be treated as just that, a treat. Try not to eat this by the spoonful (this is where I struggle!) as it is high in fats (good fats but still high!) and calories. However, I would want this over Nutella any day!

Ingredients:

2 heaped tea spoons of Nut butter of choice (I use Merian as it is Palm Oil free!)

1 dash of Olive Oil/Coconut Oil/Oil of choice (try and always get cold pressed, extra virgin oils)

1 teaspoon of honey (more if you don't mind the calories and want it sweeter), use Mayple Syrup to make it vegan

4 squares of 85% + Coco chocolate.

Method:

Using a small pan on a very low heat add the dash or oil (if you want a thicker consistency don't us any oil, providing you have a non stick pan). Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well until the chocolate is fully melted. 

Transfer into a clean jar or eat directly from the pot (No I have never done this I swear...)

Prep time:

1 minute to gather ingredients

Cooking time:

2-3 minutes to melt and stir

Dietary Information:

Refined Sugar free

Dairy free (if you use high % chocolate)

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Vegetarian

Vegan

Paleo (if you don't use peanut butter)

Dark Chocolate is high in antioxidants and good fats

Local, organic honey can lessen effects of hayfever 

Nuts are high in EFA (essential fatty acids)

Better than Nutella!

Storage Instructions:

If it lasts then it can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge or at room temperature ready for spreading! I don't think this will ever last the time it would take it to go off!

So there you have it Jeanies! Hopefully you have been inspired to check ingredients on the packets of processed foods you eat (If it's in a packet and has ingredients then yes it is processed!) and avoid any more suffering for forests, wildlife, local people, extra weight from eating this sugary goodness and also potential carcinogenic effects.

Golden Milk - The key to staying healthy this Winter

As the evenings are drawing in and the weather begins to change it's time to journey inwards and begin to look after yourself a bit more. Begin to spend more time indoors, eat more comforting foods to warm us from the inside out and get cosy in front of the fire with your loved ones. 

This is my go to concoction to not only make you feel warm and settled inside but to also stave off all those nasty colds, flus and tummy bugs that surface this season. A cup of this every night, or even every second night and I promise you, you will feel on top of the world. The benefits are huge and I've listed them below. 

Ingredients:

One cup of milk (Cow's/Goat's/Almond/Oat etc)

1 teaspoon of Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon of Dried Ginger

1 teaspoon of Honey

Optional: 1 teaspoon of Matcha Green Tea

Method:

Pour one cup of milk into a saucepan and heat on a low heat. Do not allow this to boil and froth.

Add in the dried ingredients and stir well. 

Once it is just about to boil remove from the heat and add in the honey. Stir well to dissolve.

Serve in your favourite mug in front of the fire under a blanket!

Note - you may need to stir it periodically throughout drinking. 

Dietary Information:

Vegetarian

Vegan (if you use alternative milk and no honey)

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Refined Sugar Free

BENEFITS! 

The benefits of this milk mixture are immense:

Ginger is good for digestion issues, nausea, natural anti-inflammatory and boosts the immune system. 

Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory with amazing healing and cancer fighting benefits, it boosts the immune system, lowers cholesterol and stabilises blood pressure. You can find more on the benefits in my post HERE

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

Matcha Green Tea is high in anti-oxidants (repair damage to the body), promotes calmness and relaxation, increases energy levels and boosts the immune system. 

Don't let the colour put you off. Have a sip and enjoy the sweet, milky goodness. I have come to really enjoy this drink although it did take me a good few cups to get used to the taste and texture. 

Touch wood it has been 2 years since I have been to the doctor or bought or taken any medication. I haven't been ill or out of work as I'm confident it is because I look after my body and make sure my immunity is boosted to the highest degree. This drink being part of that routine! Stay healthy my Jeanies and get that immunity sorted before you fall ill!

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!

Oat Bread - Eat Clean

So here is my recipe for Sourdough Oat Bread. This really is such an easy recipe and so adaptable. You can make it sweet or savoury and get so creative with ingredients! It's cheap, lasts long and is perfect for those days you are just craving carbs! I love having it on a weekend morning for breakfast. I toast it with some melted butter and eat with a runny egg! Delicious!

Ingredients:
1 x large tub of Natural, Organic Yogurt (about 500g)
2 x large tubs of Organic Oats (use the empty tub!)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 tablespoons of Coconut Oil/Olive Oil/Full Fat Butter

Method:
Empty the contents of a large tub of yogurt into a mixing bowl.
Fill the empty tub twice with oats and add these to the bowl.
Add the baking soda and oil and mix until well blended.
Line a bread tin and smooth contents of the bowl into the tin pressing into the corners.
Cook at 180 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Checking after 40 min mark to ensure the top isn't burning. You will know it is cooked if there is a hollow sound when you tap the bottom.

Prep Time:
This really takes less than 5 minutes!

Dietary Information:
Wheat free
Can be made gluten free using gluten free oats
Good fats
Vegetarian
Can be made vegan by using coconut yogurt
Oats are proven to lower cholesterol, be a good source of energy and high in fibre,
Yogurt which is natural and organic is packed with good bacteria, good fats and high in protein.

Storage Instructions:
This bread keeps in a sealed container for at least a week at room temperature.
I typically slice it and freeze it if I don't think I'll eat it all in the week. When I want some I remove a slice or two and toast it from frozen! Delicious.

Serving suggestions:

There are so many variations of this bread you can try both sweet and savoury.

You can add nuts and seeds to the recipe above such as chia seeds, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds or sunflower seeds.

You can make a sweet bread by adding fruit like mashed banana, goji berries, raisins, cranberries etc. Pictured here is a Cinnamon, honey and rasin bread I made. This is delicious toasted with some melted butter as a healthy treat on a Sunday afternoon. Just add 5 tablespoons of honey, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and a sprinkle of raisins (as many as you like!)

Send me on any other variations you come up with, pictures always welcome!

Enjoy!

Pink Salt anyone?

If you eat a clean diet and avoid processed foods, you may be taking in less salt than you need. It's a funny concept as we have been bombarded by marketing and health claims urging us to reduce our salt intake. But this is primarily because of the abundance of salt in convenience foods as well as the poor quality of this salt.  

This common table salt has typically be bleached white, processed and had lots of minerals and vitamins stripped from it. So in essence you are left with just the worst parts!

It is these minerals and vitamins that we need to function. They are responsible for the transfer of energy throughout the body as well as being key to the function of the nervous, lymphatic, muscular, digestive, excretory and many other systems in the body. 

You need salt to function but you need a good quality, healthy salt to function. I typically add Pink Himalayan Crystal Salt to my food (providing I haven't had any 'salt added' foods that day). I get it here in the health food shop in Paul Street shopping centre. But you can get it in most good health shops. It is €5 for a bag and I've had the same bag for over a year.

What makes this salt so special? Check out some articles I found here and here on the many benefits.

Basically it has been found to contain up to 84 vitamins and minerals found naturally in nature and needed for the function of the body. It can be ingested through food or even used in a bath to relieve tired and sore muscles. It is known as a 'full spectrum salt' and hasn't been bleached or stripped of any of its properties. It is in its raw state. The benefits are amazing and it also looks fancy at dinner parties!

Failing that try and get Organic, Irish Sea Salt as another alternative. Simplee do a fantastic range of naturally flavoured salts, they are Irish and care about nutrition. You can get them in most good supermarkets. They also have some fab recipes and suggestions on their page so check them out! Support Local people!