by Siobhan | May 15, 2017 | Advice, Health
Have you ever been in the position where you’re at a social event or just out with a friend and you guys decide to grab something to eat, but when you go to order you begin to make excuses for what you want to choose?
“Oh, I did a really hard workout this morning so I’ve earned this bit of toast” or “I haven’t really eaten much today/this week so it’s ok for me to have this scone rather than the green juice”.
Well, you’ve just food shamed yourself, feeling like you shouldn’t have that scone even though you really want it because you’re afraid of what the other person might think or say, after all, you are meant to be the healthy one, right?
Or even more annoying is when someone else does it to you, “oh you’re going to eat that are you, I didn’t think you’d ever eat that?!”
I’ve got this a few times and I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to hear.
We all have our good days & bad days
Being an honest healthy eater
I feel this is an important topic to share because if people view healthy eating/wellness as something that never involves the occasional indulgence or means never being able to have a slice of toast again it puts people off ever trying in the first place, or worse, it could encourage a very negative, restrictive relationship with food.
As a person who is passionate about and promotes health and wellness I do try to show people that there is a balance which makes it easier to stick to and to be honest that not all wellness gurus are perfect kale chompers 100% of the time. Furthermore, I feel that for most people it’s nearly impossible to do this, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been at a restaurant where they don’t do a single wholegrain option and I’m not a big meat eater so it’s either choose some white rice risotto or have nothing but a plate of veggies. Likewise when I’m socialising with friends I’ll loosen the reigns and enjoy the get-together by sharing a few slices of pizza with my friend. (more…)
by Siobhan | May 9, 2017 | Breakfast, Lunch, vegan
This gluten and dairy free hemp quinoa bowl is a great plant based way to start the day off right and makes a nice change from smoothies. It’s a refreshing dish with lots of benefits, you get a great dose of antioxidants from the pomegranate seeds and juice, slow release energy and fibre from the quinoa and beneficial (and for some people, hard to get) anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats which are perfectly balanced against the omega 6 fats, one of which is GLA which can benefit hormone balance as well as skin health.
Another of the benefits of hemp is that it is a plant based complete protein source, meaning that it contains all of the essential amino acids that our bodies cannot make and that we therefore need to get from food.
Considering the combination of plant protein, fibre, beneficial unsaturated fats and low sugar content of hemp foods this makes them fantastic for your heart, so I really do encourage you to add more of it into your diet if you don’t already.
For this recipe I used 2 different products from the Good Hemp food company, their hemp milk and hemp seeds.
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by Siobhan | May 8, 2017 | Advice, Desserts, Health
UPDATE: Co Couture has now re-opened after being closed for a few months. Hooray!
Belfast chocolate lovers rejoice!
I thought I knew about all of the best spots in Belfast to grab a quality bite to eat/a treat but I only recently discovered the amazing, gourmet, Co Couture chocolate shop that resides beside City hall (left at city hall, past Cafe Nero, down some steps). When you first enter the shop, you’re immediately greeted with the smell of warm, melted chocolate, oh what a greeting it is! I was not the only customer to notice or appreciate this and it’s due to the chocolates being made on site with no door separating the seating area and kitchen, allowing the smells to float through.
The second thing that grabs your attention is the selection of chocolates and cute mini brownies on display. During my visit there were two brownie flavours: classic and salted cashew butter (gluten free). As for the chocolates, there was quite a range (and still more to come), some of which included: orange, hazelnut creme, Japanese cherry sencha (this was my choice) and even Irish whiskey truffle!
You get one of these chocolates with your order of coffee/hot chocolate and the rest are 80p each, which is an absolute bargain when you understand the high quality of these treats, evidence of which could be seen from the many awards that sat upon the shelves.
Impressive chocolate flavour
Immediately upon tasting the chocolate you’ll realise that these are very different from your average box of chocs that claim to be “dark” yet are only 40% cocoa solids. These differ not only in terms of darkness (most are 72%) but the flavours as well, which is also extended to their hot chocolate drink.
As the makers have slowly replaced raw unrefined cane sugar with the smallest amounts of honey, this allows the flavours to come through so much more, plus, you aren’t hit with a sugar rush which is why I feel most people would be satisfied and satiated with a small selection as opposed to having that uncontrollable sugar craving that is commonly associated with standard chocolate.
Quality
As I’ve just briefly mentioned, one of the key factors behind the rich flavour is that nearly all of them are now refined sugar free with only small amounts of honey being used and a bonus for those who are lactose intolerant/avoiding dairy is that the dark chocolate is dairy free. Furthermore, the base couverture chocolate that is used is organically sourced and originates from Madagascar, which provides a more developed, fruity flavour.
Another major plus which I loved is that because they use couverture chocolate in bar form rather than sourcing and grinding the beans themselves, this provides x4 times the profit for the cocoa farmers meaning that they get a better wage, now if that wasn’t a good enough reason to get you in there then maybe this next point is. The ganache that is made here to create the truffle centre is water based rather than cream, meaning it’s lower in calories but due to the overall rich cocoa content of the chocolate it does not affect the flavour.
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by Siobhan | May 3, 2017 | Breakfast, Grainfree, snack, vegan
So just for funsies try saying the name of this dish 3 times fast! =)
This energising chia pud is easy to throw together the night before, so that you have a quick breakfast the next day and one that will keep you focused for the day ahead. Matcha (green tea powder) is great for energy as it has some caffeine but not loads so won’t leave you feeling jittery, it is also full of antioxidants, ready to help you with any stressful situations that may come your way. The maca powder is optional but I personally love the taste of it with the banana plus it contains some B vitamins and iron which also help with energy.
*As maca may balance out hormones, if you’re on HRT then speak to your doctor before you start long term use, also, as matcha can speed metabolism, those with thyroid issues should talk to their doctor before regular use. I also encourage using gelatinised maca which has less starch and has been cooked making it easier to digest.
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by Siobhan | Apr 24, 2017 | Breakfast, Grainfree, snack, vegan
A simple yet yummy smoothie to keep you going for a few hours in the morning. This smoothie has a good balance of fruit, fats and fibre and the ingredients are easy to get hold of, most of which you’ll probably already have in your kitchen making it a great speedy breakfast.
If you make this for later in the day be aware that it will thicken over time as the flaxseed absorbs some of the moisture, this is perfectly fine, I’m just letting y’all know incase you’re wondering why the consistency suddenly changed!
I love using flaxseed in my breakfast, it goes so well with some yogurt, berries and nut butter and also great for bulking out smoothies plus you get a good omega 3 fat hit from it, which is a type of beneficial anti-inflammatory fat that most of us tend not to get enough of, but if you don’t have this then just sub it with any seeds you have in your cupboards. (more…)
