by Siobhan | Mar 21, 2019 | Breakfast, Desserts, Grainfree, vegan
This indulgent creamy chocolate chia pudding with avocado which gives it more bulk and richness is the type of breakfast that will make you WANT to get out of bed for.
As the avo is blended into the chia pudding and topped with fresh fruit you get at least 2/5 a day plus a whole host of other goodness including fibre, antioxidants, vitamin C, good fats and a happy tummy afterwards.
Sneaky greens
This sneaky dish is also a good way to get some green stuff into little ones or any family members that say they don’t like avocado, top it with their favourite fruit and toppings then let them eat it first before telling them anything.
Manuka honey
Years ago I never paid much attention to manuka honey because there wasn’t much known about it, however the research has really developed and we now know more about its benefits.
This honey comes from the manuka bush found only in New Zealand and some parts of Australia (one of the reasons it’s so expensive) and contains unique compounds, some are hydrogen peroxide based others are non peroxide based. One of the main reasons (but not only one, see below) why manuka is so antibacterial, is due to MGO (methylglyoxal), the higher the level of the MGO in the honey (indicated on the jar by the number/score) the more antibacterial it is. There is even medical grade manuka honey which is the strongest and is used in hospitals to treat infections that haven’t responded to other treatments. Manuka can also be scored by UMF (unique manuka factors) which include MGO and other compounds.
high strength manuka
Gut health
I’ve started to use it myself to help treat my digestive issues and heal the gut as this antibacterial activity has been shown to reduce the number of bad bacteria linked to gut issues, whilst leaving the good bacteria intact. It also contains a type of prebiotic that encourages the growth of good gut microbes which make it a more gut friendly sweetener option compared to refined sugar, yes it does still impact blood sugar so don’t go mental but regarding gut health it’s a better option which is why not all types of sugar are the same in my opinion.
Furthermore, it can help coat the stomach and gut lining (which can already be compromised in people with gut issues) so that the gastric acids won’t be able to damage it as much and has been shown to reduce colonic inflammation.
Although it’s very early days, there’s even evidence that antibacterial compounds in high strength manuka can kill off bad gum bacteria that lead to gum disease such as gingivitis.
To maximise the benefits, try to use it raw, when heated, some of the compounds and the enzymes will be destroyed, but not all, it will still retain benefits as the MGO is more heat stable than other compounds.
If you simply can’t afford it then raw local honey from your region is also a good option especially for hayfever sufferers as the local pollen and microbes in it teach your immune system to tolerate local allergens and also has a degree of antibacterial activity.
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by Siobhan | Mar 14, 2019 | Grainfree, Lunch, snack, vegan
As you can tell from the colour, it really is super green AND filled with super greens! A healthy snack to either prepare you for or recover from St Patrick’s day (giving your liver some greens will help keep it in good shape).
This is a variation on my Hulk dip, with the base being peas and avocado plus a touch of spirulina for that deep green colour and a boost of B vitamins (and others) but this time the big flavour comes from spicy hot sauce and fragrant fresh basil.
Making your own dips like these with nutritious ingredients is so easy and much healthier than store bought options, when I’ve cooked up some bread or something nice to go with a dip I’ll make a big batch of it so that I’m sorted for the next few days.
It’s also a really easy way to squeeze extra veg and goodness into your meals by centring the bulk of the ingredients around veggies or pulses.
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by Siobhan | Mar 8, 2019 | Dinner, Grainfree, Lunch, vegan
Grain free, healthy, high fibre chickpea flour pizza!
Not only are you getting to eat pizza but it’s made from a veg!
Chickpea flour AKA gram flour is so cheap and easy to get once you know where to look, it’s usually in the continental/world food section of the supermarkets so I urge you to try it out, it’s not expensive and is a healthy, easy way of cooking with new flours.
For another chickpea flour based recipe check out these Veggie slices
Note: You will need a small circular pie base to hold and shape the mix as it’s runny until baked, I used a small silicon rubber pie mold. You could possibly use a small frying pan that’s oven safe however I haven’t tested this so let me know if you do.
Once you have the flour it’s easy and quick to make this pizza, you don’t have to knead anything, plus it’s naturally high in protein and fiber, grain and gluten free so it should be suitable for many diets. Bloat free pizza anyone?
TIP: For best digestion if you have the time, allow the flour and water to soak for a few hours
For more inspiration on toppings why not use up leftovers from your fridge or freezer like a veggie meatball or sausage (I like Gosh brand) like this one below, with Bolognese sauce for the tomato base too.
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by Siobhan | Mar 2, 2019 | Breakfast, Grainfree, Lunch
I’m so pleased with how these turned out as grain free based pancakes are notoriously difficult to flip, don’t usually stay together and can be kinda dry, especially the coconut flour ones but I managed to make decent ones using a combination of pea protein, ground almonds and a pinch of coconut flour.
Flavour is added with almond extract (really gives it that bakewell/marzipan flavour) and cherries with lashings of almond butter, meaning it’s low sugar too, you can add honey if you need it sweeter. All this equals easily digested, healthy, guilt free pancake stacks that also pack a protein punch!
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by Siobhan | Feb 27, 2019 | Desserts, energy balls, Grainfree, snack
These bars are great for anyone with gut issues and also pre or post workout plus they’re way better quality than most protein bars on the market. I used a hydrolysed collagen based protein powder here (not suitable for vegetarians) as it can have a number of benefits for different areas of the body such as joints, skin and gut. (See the link further on down for more info).
Tip: Collagen protein can be hard to find in the UK so I get mine from amazon.
Gut help
Collagen powder may sound strange but it’s a great protein and supplement to add to your diet if you’re trying to heal any gut issues due to its high content of glutamine, glycine and proline which help your mucosal lining “heal and seal” i.e. helps gut cell repair. Your gut lining renews itself frequently so any help it can get is good.
This recipe is also grain and refined sugar free which are big irritants to the gut, instead I’ve used baobab and lemon for flavour, lots of the goodness from the lemon is in the oils that come from the zest which also gives lots of flavour.
Baobab is a low sugar fruit powder that has a citrus like flavour and is filled with antioxidants and good vitamin C content, plus it tastes great when combined with tropical coconut. In addition, it also acts as a prebiotic which means it’s fuel for the good bugs in your gut. If you’ve never tried it before and have gut issues, try a small amount first to see how you tolerate it then make this recipe.
Honey helper
I’ve also added just a touch of raw local honey which is some of the best kind (and quite affordable), this is because when you consume raw local honey you also get pollen and microbes from your area which help you to digest food better, it can also help over the long term with seasonal allergies such as hay-fever by slowly allowing your body to build up a tolerance/defence to the local pollen and allergens. Get as local as you can and use it raw whenever you can (don’t plunge it straight into boiling tea).
Benefits:
-vit C in baobab helps reduce muscle soreness & provides antioxidant protection
-good fats (MCT’s) from coconut used quickly as energy and digested easily
-collagen protein for workout recovery and great for your joints + gut
-low in sugar & grain free
Although more studies need to be done, the combination of vitamin C and collagen protein may be helpful for ageing skin as vitamin C acts as an antioxidant to protect skin but also boosts collagen production by your own body, plus, getting collagen through your diet can be helpful as it depletes as we get older and it is one of the substances that keeps skin looking tight, young and with less wrinkles.
For a deeper understanding of collagen benefits see here where Dr Axe explains it further.
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by Siobhan | Feb 19, 2019 | Breakfast, Dinner, Grainfree, Lunch
This faux egg fried “rice” dish is such a good way to sneak some cauliflower into your meals while at the same time reducing your intake of white rice/refined white carbs in favour of a higher fibre option.
The spices, creamy avocado and eggs really add flavour to this dish so don’t worry about any weird cauliflower taste (because let’s face it who likes bland cauliflower?), honestly, this is one of my favourite ways to consume cauli (and it’s one of my most hated veg!)
Cauli haters just try this dish ONCE just to see how tasty it can be, then thank me after lol!
Tip
I cannot stress enough how important the spices are here, plus a good hot sauce really lifts it, don’t leave them out, especially the ginger as it’s what adds flavour, the tamari/soy sauce adds lovely salty umami flavours too so I urge you to follow the recipe closely as if you don’t it’s basically plain cauliflower. The avocado really compliments this well too and bulks out the meal so please also have a ripe one handy if you plan to make this.
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