Fudgy Choc-Banana Brownies (flour free)

These deliciously easy to make flour free fudgy brownies require just 4 ingredients!

At approximately 100 calories per flour free brownie and a whole lot of goodness including:

magnesium
antioxidants
potassium
healthy fats
low GI carbohydrates
protein

These sweet treats are the perfect 3pm pick-me-up…
Find that spring in your step when the afternoon slump hits!

It is important to snack smart. Foods that support and regulate healthy blood sugar levels will ensure you continue on your way feeling content, headache free and full of the kind of energy that lives on throughout your busy day.

A good quality snack should not be high in refined carbohydrates and saturated fats but it should contain a healthy balance of quality healthy fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Simple Fudgy Choc Banana Protein Brownies (flour free) Recipe

3 medium, overripe bananas (the riper they are the sweeter they are)

1/2 cup smooth pure almond butter, or any other pure nut butter (no added salt, sugar or nasties)

2 tablespoons cacao powder

¼ cup Prana Chocolate Protein

How to prepare and cook your brownies

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius, line and grease a small loaf pan.

In a microwave friendly bowl or small saucepan on the stovetop, melt the almond or other nut butter. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, add banana, nut butter and cacao powder and mix well with a beater (if you have a kitchen aid use this to mix for a smooth consistency).

Transfer the brownie mixture into the pre-greased pan. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the brownie from the oven and allow to cool before slicing into pieces (this will ensure it holds together).

Cut into approximately 12 slices and store in the fridge for later enjoyment.

Why else are these brownies so awesome?

They:

contain no added sugars, refined sugar free (all the sweetness come from the natural sugars in the bananas and the stevia in the protein powder)
have no nasty additives
contain no added saturated fats (just the healthy fats contained in natural nut butters)
are dairy free, meaning they are vegan friendly
gluten free, meaning they are perfect for coeliac and gluten intolerant (ensure that you select only products that are labelled gluten free if coeliac)

March 9, 2018July 23, 2018

Garlic & Chive Aioli

How good is aioli with some delicious oven baked sweetpotato fries!

Try this amazing aioli recipe. Believe it or not, homemade aioli can be healthy..

How you ask? Well the yolks of eggs and olive oil offer some amazing anti-inflammatory benefits and add to your daily healthy fat intake.

Egg yolks themselves provide a sturdy amount of B1, Zinc, Calcium, Iron, B6, Folate, B12 and vitamins A, D, E and K.

Olive oil boasts antioxidants to reduce tissue damage, skin health (keeping us looking fab and with moisturised plump skin), protect heart and cardiovascular health, is anti-inflammatory to reduce pain, inflammation and tissue damage and offers Vitamins E and K.

So get that oven baked chip and dig in!

Garlic & Chive Aioli

1/4 tsp Himalayan/Celtic Salt

1/2 Lemon Juiced

4 Garlic Cloves (hint* roast them and it will taste even better!)

300mL good quality olive oil

bunch chives chopped small

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 whole egg

Place garlic, mustard, egg and chives in a processor/blend bowl. Process or blend until combined (roughly 10 seconds).

keep the motor running and slowly had the oil over the top until combine (approx. 2 mins) – be careful to add this very slowly.

The mixture should begin to thicken, once thickened stop the machine and add the lemon juice and salt and pulse. If mixture creeps up the side, use a spatula to scrape it down. Pulse a second time until nicely combined, smooth and thick. Leave aside for half and hour before consuming. Place remaining mixture in a glass jar and place in the fridge for up to one week.

March 8, 2018July 23, 2018

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month

March is

Endometriosis Awareness Month

Endometriosis: It is more common than you think

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is the abnormal growth of endometrial tissue (the tissue normally inside of the uterus) in places outside of the uterus.

How many women are affected?

This female menstrual condition affects one in ten women worldwide and has no medically recognised cure or prevention.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms that endometriosis sufferers experience include:

– Painful, cramping periods

– Heavy periods

– Irregular cycles

– Bloating

– Fatigue

– Anxiety/Depression

– Painful sexual intercourse

– Pain and cramping during bowel movements and/or urination

– 30-40% of women with Endometriosis have trouble conceiving

– Lower abdominal and lower back pain

– Diarrhoea/constipation

– Low iron levels/anaemia

– Bloody urine during menstruation

An every day struggle

Endometriosis affects the lives of those who suffer dramatically, in all aspects of life. Imagine living day in day out with fatigue, anxiety or depression, anxiety over the anticipation of having painful sexual intercourse with your partner, the stress of infertility or troubled conception, alternating between diarrhoea and constipation and living through the weakening pain.

What supports are available?

Because many of the complaints of endometriosis are linked with hormonal patterns and inflammation, some nutritional treatments may prove effective in treating and lessening symptoms of the warriors who suffer with this debilitating condition.

Endometriosis month was created to generate awareness for the warriors of the condition and strive for more research into its future treatment. Support groups are available to all the strong women living every day with Endometriosis. Fight like a woman ladies!

March 3, 2018July 23, 2018

Keto Buzz: What is it all about?

The buzz word in the diet realm currently seems to ring ‘Keto’. There are so many FAD diets around and so many that have come and gone over the many years that people have been ‘weight’ conscious. Most diets have their pros and cons and it is evident ‘diet’ is not a one size fits all protocol and the ‘Keto diet’ is no exception.

So, what is it?

There are several forms of the ketogenic diet geared towards different people including: Standard ketogenic diet: Very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat. Cyclical ketogenic diet: Phases of higher-carb reloads with majority ketogenic days (5:2). Targeted ketogenic diet: Carbs are consumed around workout times. High-protein ketogenic diet: The standard Keto diet with additional protein.

The most common however, is the standard very low-carb, high fat concept, where protein is left at a moderate intake. The diet is time consuming and leaves people open to obsessing over their ‘macros’. Counting total carbohydrate intake is the aim of the game. You can see how this may become problematic for those with eating disorders or addictive behaviours.

The goal is less than 50g of net (total minus fibre) carbs per day. In doing this, you are working towards the primary target of regearing where energy is derived from. Therefore, as glucose is our main energy source on a normal diet, our bodies will begin to utilise or create other energy sources, ‘ketones’ which are produced in the liver from the breakdown of fatty acids, essentially accelerating fat metabolism and weightloss.

Possible Benefits

– Ketosis has beneficial effects on blood sugar and may, benefit ‘some’ of the diabetic community along with other related blood sugar dysregulation conditions.

– It has been shown to benefit some with neurological disorders (epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s).

– It has shown benefits in sustaining healthy blood lipid levels for cholesterol control (when the correct fats are also consumed)

– Supports happy hormone levels and other hormonal related conditions

– Effective for some who wish to lose weight, if done properly.

On the flipside if poorly executed or with a lack of professional guidance, nutritional deficiencies can arise, hypoglycaemia may present, a temporary energy loss may leave one unable to live a normal life and too much weightloss may present.

What I suggest… Do lots of reading and research before you jump into any diet regime and seek the guidance of an extensively trained professional who can educate, support, guide and monitor your health.

March 3, 2018July 23, 2018

Is Stress Impacting Your Health?

Stress: The commonly used 6 letter word unveiled…

We are all subjected to stress at one time or another in our lives. In today’s busy lifestyles we are probably subjected to it more than we have ever been in the past and more and more on a daily basis. Some stress is beneficial. It keeps our minds active, our blood pumping and our problem-solving skills in check.

Stress causes a fight or flight response within us, where our stress hormones are released from our adrenal glands. These hormones are known as adrenaline, epinephrine, cortisol and noradrenaline. These are released to protect us from danger, if a bear or lion might be chasing us, so to speak in cave man terms. When cortisol and adrenaline are released, the liver is prompted to release glucose from its stores to provide fuel to move rapidly and trigger the brain to kick into action and the heart to beat faster to pump blood to the muscles. This creates elevations in blood pressure.

This process is great in short bursts.

Like anything, too much of a good thing can also be harmful. Prolonged, frequent and long term stressors can send our stress hormones into overdrive, deplete output from our adrenal glands and cause havoc throughout our body. This havoc can present in the form of elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, elevated blood glucose levels (contributing to diabetes), and neurotransmitter depletions making it even more difficult to respond normally to stressful and emotional situations and contribute to reductions in libido and reproductive function due to the body switching off its parasympathetic systems and turning on its sympathetic nervous system. This switch also switches off digestive processes in order to focus on the task at hand, leading to symptoms of IBS, constipation, reflux and more.

It is extremely difficult to find balance in a rapidly changing and busy environment, with work, children, study, continuous moving of houses, finances, relationships and even things as small as driving a car.

It is important to take a moment each day to stop, reflect, take some deep breaths and enjoy life.

Go for a walk alone if you can, or with a partner, where you discuss the next exciting thing in your lives or take your kids to the park and play with them on the swings. Walk in fresh air along the beach, listen to some light music, read a book, do some light exercise or yoga. Anything that will allow you to just be at peach and let go of all the stressors in life even for just a moment.

Speak with a health professional on breathing or relaxing strategies that you can fit into your busy schedule.

March 3, 2018July 23, 2018

Dietary Fats are Healthy!

Well to a certain extent. When we consider the various types of dietary fats that present within our diets, unfortunately for the Western Diet, saturated fats or ‘bad’ fats and omega 6 are in higher proportion than beneficial, anti-inflammatory omega 3 healthy fats. Omega 6 another dietary fat converts to what is called arachidonic acid in the body, this is pro-inflammatory and disease promoting. Saturated fats are found in most packed and processed foods, take away foods, fried foods, some cooking oils, meats and dairy.

HEALTH SATURATED FATS

In small amounts stable saturated fats have shown some benefits to our health, such as those found in coconut oil (caprylic acid and lauric acid a medium chain triglyceride). The fats in coconut oil do not burn or rancid when cooked and are therefore more stable for cooking purposes.

COCONUT OIL

Although the jury is still out on the health benefits of coconut oil, lauric acids has shown some promise for enhancing metabolism, acting as a direct energy source due to their immediate absorption, improving skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and cradle cap on babies. It is considered to assist in anti-bacterial and anti-viral processes.

CAPRYLIC AICD

Caprylic acid, another saturated fatty acid found in smaller amounts in coconut oil has also shown promise for anti-bacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anti-inflammatory benefits.

PALM OILS

Other palm oils on the other hand are less stable releasing free radicals, particularly when heated and are said to be pro-inflammatory and disease promoting. Because they are cheap, they are used in many consumable items. Palm oils may promote heart health risks, weight gain, elevations in cholesterol and atherosclerotic plaques.

RED MEAT & SATURATED FATS

The saturated dietary fats found in red meats can also cause concern for cholesterol and heart health. Limited intake of fatty red meats should be limited. Choose lean cuts of meats and extra lean meats such as kangaroo and venison. Aim for 1-2 red meat free days per week. You can achieve iron and protein status through a range of different foods. Speak with your nutrition professional on how to meet this goal without the additional saturated fats.

HEALTHY FATS BENEFITS

Healthy fats form an essential part of a healthy, anti-inflammatory and metabolism enhancing diet. This is because healthy fats have a structural and protective role in the cells of our body, organs, hormones and tissues including our hair, skin and nails. Healthy fats help quash the free radicals that are produced through normal metabolic processes and through our environmental and dietary influences.

OMEGA-3 (Essential Fatty Acids)

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be low in most Western diets. These polyunsaturated fatty acids can be found in oily fish, nuts, seeds and some oils. Omega 3s support reductions in pain and inflammation, improvements in mood, anxiety and depression, regulate blood glucose levels, slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, reduce cholesterol, and oxidative damage and much more. Fats form part of our cellular membranes, particularly in the brain. To protect cognitive function, healthy fats are essential. Unfortunately, these fatty acids are not stable at high temperatures and therefore lose their nutritious nature if over-heated.

MONOUNSATURATED

Monounsaturated fats such as those found in avocados, some oils, nuts and seeds are also important protectors. These fats, like omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to assist in reducing inflammation, depression, insulin resistance, ADHD symptoms and preventing heart disease. Not to mention their sources are delicious!

One could go on and on about the benefits and pitfalls of different types of dietary fats but one thing we can be clear on is we need them in our diet in sufficient amounts for various body functions.