Easter is tricky for those with special dietary needs. Here are my three tips to make a happy Easter…
1. For a chocolate treat without the guilt
In a bowl, combine two teaspoons best quality cocoa powder, one teaspoon maple syrup, two teaspoons dessicated coconut. Stir in half a cup of plain Greek yoghurt. Tangy. Delicious AND good for you.
2. Instead of chocolate bunnies and eggs, why not go Greek?
Traditional Easter fare is to boil fresh eggs in water with onion skins, or a non-toxic red dye. A bowl of these red jewels look amazing. In traditional Greek and Orthodox households, the eggs are used in a game: playing in pairs, each child takes turns bopping their egg on their partner’s egg. The last to crack the shell is the winner…and the eggs are eaten. Often it’s ‘winner takes all’, but the eggs are redistributed equally later.
3. Practice mindfulness
Whatever your spiritual beliefs, take some time over Easter to practice mindfulness with regard to eating, bringing awareness and appreciation to each mouthful and meal.
One of the pleasures of Easter is celebrating together, so if someone in the family is allergic to egg, dairy or chocolate, make sure there’s a dark chocolate, egg-free or gluten-free option for them to enjoy as well. Here’s my gluten-free hot cross bun recipe.
Working dog Felix, at rest
And, finally…
If you are planning on going to the Royal Easter Show, see the working dogs for me and take a bottle of Rescue Remedy just in case you:
a) lose a child in the show bag pavilion;
b) realise too late you have got on the Wild Cat 2 instead of the ferris wheel;
c) can’t find your car in the carpark.
Why not take some nuts or healthy snack from home so you can more easily resist the allure of blue fairy floss, pluto pups and other show ‘delicacies’?
Have your own Royal Easter Show survival tips or family games and traditions? Share them in the Comments or over at our Facebook page
The Paleo diet is a recent version of diets that style themselves on the diet humans supposedly evolved on, way back when, in the Stone Age.
Personally, I am swayed by this philosophy of avoiding food that has only been ‘invented’ in the last few thousand years. After all, our anatomy and digestive physiology has changed little over hundreds of thousands of years.
A rock fossil of a fish, a food that was once in plentiful supply and made up a large part of the Paleolithic, or Stone Age, diet
The Paleo Diet recommends we eat mainly raw foods, or as little cooked as possible. All flesh foods are acceptable (after all we were supremo carnivores) as well as fruits, vegetables and nuts. On the ‘no go’ list are all processed foods, sugar, grains and legumes. It’s the latter two, grains and legumes, that many people find difficult to digest! After all, aren’t whole grains and legumes are high in fibre, low in fat and full of nutrients? Well, yes they are. But…
Agriculture and the practice of sowing and reaping crops is a relatively recent human endeavour, around for roughly 12 thousand years. A mere bagatelle in human development. Out they go, as well as all that delicious pasta, pizza, fresh crusty bread and wholesome lentil soup… boo hoo. I rather like Paula Goodyer’s pragmatic approach of adopting the best of both worlds… or maybe I’m a Paleo sook.
Have you heard of the Paleo Diet? What are your thoughts?
For many years, caffeine has had the reputation of being harmful to your health. However, recent studies show that a certain amount of caffeine is actually beneficial.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring substance found in coffee, tea, cocoa, mate and guarana. Recent studies have shown that small to moderate amounts of caffeine will increase alertness, mood, concentration, motivation, stamina and reduce fatigue. Bring me a cuppa NOW. The beneficial range is from 40 to 400mg caffeine daily. Larger amounts of caffeine can be problematic with symptoms including anxiety, restlessness, insomnia and irritability. Some people are very sensitive, and as little as one cup of tea or coffee can cause them to feel a bit jumpy.
The amount of caffeine in beverages varies significantly. For instance, a cup of instant coffee contains around 75mg of caffeine, whereas a strong espresso contains a whopping 200mg of caffeine per serve. Tea contains around 50mg of caffeine per cup. Green tea contains slightly less than this. This is surprising because green tea and black tea are made from the leaves of the same bush, Camelia sinsensis.
The explanation lies in a bit of caffeine chemistry. Caffeine is water soluble. The hotter the water, the more caffeine is released. Black tea is generally made with water temperature over 200ºC, whereas it is recommended to make green tea with water temperature no hotter than 170ºC. Another fact about caffeine is that it is one of the first compounds released from the tea leaf. If you want to reduce even further the amount of caffeine, pour a small amount of hot water over the leaves, strain, return leaves to the pot, then fill with hot water.
Caffeine, like all things in life, is best in moderation. But I have to say I love my Assam Dimakusi. Do you have a caffeine beverage you can’t live without? Or maybe you’ve come off caffeine and are loving the new you? Share it in the comments…
Resveratrol is the latest nutrient to excite the natural therapies world.
A naturally occurring plant chemical, studies have shown that resveratrol extends lifespan. The mechanism appears to be the activation of an age-defying gene known as SIRT. It also reduces the formation of atherosclerotic plaques (a big part of heart disease), inhibits various tumour formation and delays the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Resveratrol is found in red grapes and wine especially cool climate varieties such as Pinot noir. In fact, it appears that resveratrol is the nutrient behind the ‘French Paradox’. Several years ago it was found that people who enjoyed a glass or two of red wine with their meals had a lower incidence of heart disease, even though their diet contained fatty foods. This effect became known as the French Paradox. Resveratrol is also found in peanuts, pistachios, pomegranates, and berries…although why bother to look further when you can enjoy all the resveratrol you need in a glass of delicious Domain Rogha Crois Pinot Noir? Learn more about the DRC Pinot Noir and other wines.
Did you know wine and tea share some health-giving properties?
Both provide antioxidants, and red grapes and wine contain resveratrol, which has been shown to have anti-ageing properties. No wonder then that I’ve made some new friends…
One of Canberra District’s premium wine brands, DRC specialises in cool climate grapes including pinot noir. With a Huon Hooke rating of 95 out of 100 the Domaine Rogha Crois 2009 Vintage Pinot Noir is really worth trying.
No sweet cravings….after the initial cold turkey week
Lose unwanted kilograms
Improved concentration
Less irritability
Reduced headaches
Improved mood
Reduce anxiety
Better complexion
No more bloating or flatulence
Improved memory
Reduce risk of certain cancers
Reduce risk of diabetes
Improve immune system - reduce infections including colds, cystitis, sinusitis
Eliminate candida
Improve skin conditions including psoriasis and eczema
Health Tip
Although it sounds drastic, it is easier to go ‘cold turkey’ from the start, rather than reducing…you will only keep craving.
Avoid ALL added sugar. Eg to breakfast cereal, tea and coffee
Avoid ALL obvious sugar. Eg jam (even ‘natural’ jam), biscuits, cakes, chocolate
Eat protein with every meal to keep blood sugars steady, and reduce craving. See protein fact sheet
Avoid dried fruit and grapes. Other fruit OK….just stick to 2-3 pieces daily.
Tell friends, family and work colleagues that you are going ‘sugar free’ for some time so that you don’t feel guilty when you DON’T eat that birthday cake.
Avoid artificial sweeteners. They only keep you in the loop of craving something sweet.
Learn more about artificial sweeteners: they don’t help weight loss anyway, Science Daily says.
Weight loss is always going to be a popular topic. Most of us have a few unwanted kilos we’d like to shed…
So, when a miracle weight loss product containing green tea appears in the market, many people feel compelled to give it a go. Especially when that product is endorsed by a scientific study.
Unfortunately, for every study that shows green tea causes weight loss, there will be another 2 studies showing that it does not. Of course, the miracle product will be quoting the one study that says ‘yes’ to weight loss, and not the other studies saying ‘no’.
As we know there are lots of health benefits to be obtained by drinking green tea, including reducing risk of certain cancers, diabetes and heart disease.
However, there seems to be one recurring outcome of the many studies on weight loss, green tea seems to definitely have an affect on the type of fat. In particular visceral fat, the fat lining our organs including kidneys and liver. This is the dangerous distribution of fat, inclining us more towards heart disease. In addition, given that tea without milk or sugar contains no kilojoules, it is a great addition to a weight loss diet. Green tea - not a miracle cure, but a really healthy addition to your diet.
Beaming with Health
