good bye 2011 and a big hello to 2012

happy new year everyone!

i would have to say that i have absolutely loved every second of 2011.  it was a great year, i accomplished a lot and the relationships that i forged in 2011 are stronger than ever.  

i am looking forward to starting another great year.  i can feel that there are some big things in store for me this year, and sure just like every other year, i'm sure that 2012 will have its ups and downs but nothing that i can't learn something from.

i've had a great start to 2012, and i suppose that i have been a little mia for the last couple of days, but we've been camping and off to music festivals, so it's been a little difficult to keep my blog up-to-date.

i had to make sure that i was prepared when we went camping, so i bought along some of my raw chocolate brownies, a couple of avocados and a few boiled eggs.  we stopped in and went through a couple of the local shops and i came across an organic grocers.  i bought some local, organic, unheated honey, which is so delicious.  i also found some organic veggie chips, which had absolutely no preservatives and only the vegetables that were in the product.  not something that i will go for all the time, but was a great alternative to having the chips and biscuits that are normally included at a gathering.

i also had to be a little prepared for the music festival that we went to yesterday.  there was plenty of beer, vodka and redbull to go around for everyone, but i stuck to water.  i was also not able to bring any foods into the event with me.  the only foods on offer were burgers, dagwood dogs, pizza and red rooster.  i at least had water, but really couldn't eat anything for the afternoon, but listening to all the great bands kept me distracted.  i did have plenty to eat in the morning and a decent lunch before we left to go to the venue, so i managed to get through.

by now most of you will have made some sort of a resolution for the year, my one tip for making a resolution that you can stick to is to make sure that you make achievable mini goals to help you get to your bigger goal.

i hope that you all have had a great start to 2012 and that you all have big plans in mind for this year.

NK x

super food saturday - raw cacao

welcome to superfood saturday.  

every saturday i will explore a new superfood and tell you as much about it as possible so that you can make your own mind up about adding it to your own diet.

cacao powder

today's superfood that i'm exploring is cacao. i have been using cacao in my food quite a bit lately.  it's really been satisfying my chocolate cravings, but that's not all its been doing, unlike processed dark chocolate, antioxidants are preserved in raw cacao.  the antioxidants found in raw, unheated cacao include the following:

• proanthocyanidins have antioxidant activity and they play a role in the stabilization of collagen and maintenance of elastin – two critical proteins in connective tissue that support organs, joints, blood vessels, and muscle.  the cacao plant has the highest traces of this powerful antioxidant.
• reservatrol – studies show that it helps lower blood sugar levels, it can help fight against skin cancer and also has anti aging properties.
• polyphenols: catechin and epicatechin – which studies show, among other things, that it may have antibacterial activity useful to combat tooth decay.
• phenethylamine - pea, the feel good neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of love!
• omega 6 fatty acids - which when heated become rancid and cause inflammation
• tryptophan - a commonly deficient amino acid in those who consume a diet of mostly cooked food
• serotonin – which helps with intestinal movement
• as well as the preservation of vitamin c
• magnesium - relaxes muscles, improves peristalsis in the bowels and relaxes the heart and cardiovascular system.

so it actually turns out that all the bad things that are commonly attributed to non-raw chocolate bars, such as cavities, weight gain and diabetes, are actually caused by the dairy, sugar and other fillers added to the dark chocolate.

cacao bean in a cacao pod

the above health benefits of chocolate when it is in the form of raw cacao beans, butter, powder.  i have bought organic cacao powder and have used it quite a bit in my cooking and added to smoothies.  also try to choose organic when buying.  there are fairtrade cocoa producer groups in belize, bolivia, cameroon, costa rica, dominican republic, ecuador, ghana, haiti, india, côte d'ivoire, nicaragua, panama, peru, sierra leone and sao tome & principe so try to buy your cacao from those countries.

so i hope you add this super food to you diets.  its a guilt free pleasure to start the new year with.

enjoy

NK x

day 23 - food journal

I didn't eat very well again today. I'm on holidays and a little more relaxed and i've been out and about a little more, which essentially means that I'm a little more limited with what there is to eat. I will have to be a little more prepared with some snacks to take out with me to eat during the day.


breakfast - super smoothie: 1 cup rice milk (homemade, see my previous post for the recipe), 1 cup frozen berries, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp coconut oil (see previous post for benefits of coconut oil) 
snack - a raw chocolate brownie (see previous post for recipe) 
dinner - left over mexican chicken wraps.


i still am feeling really good. as time is going by, it's getting easier to make the right choices and i really don't have any cravings for other foods. last night my man bought a pizza for dinner, and even with a delicious smelling pizza in the house, I didn't have any desire to eat any. 


hope every ones looking forward to new years 


NK x

mexican chicken and bean lettuce wraps with avocado mash

this meal went down an absolute treat last night.  this would be a great one for families and wrapping the food up in lettuce leaves makes the meal even more fun.


the meal is done in 4 parts, it probably takes about 30 mins to make, if your super keen you can marinate the chicken at the start of the day, otherwise it would be fine if you made the marinaded chicken and let that sit while you prepare the rest of the meal.  try to buy organic where possible.  


here is the recipe:

the finished product

marinade
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


mix the spices, crushed garlic and oil together.  pour over the chicken, cut into bite size strips and marinate for up to 20 minutes.


chilli bean salsa
400 g tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (make sure that you buy the beans that don't have heaps of extra sugar, check the ingredients list)
1 red chilli, deseeded and diced (use half for the chilli bean salsa and half for the avocado mash)
1/4 cup coriander or parsley leaves
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 tomato, finely diced
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice


mix the beans with the cilli, herbs, onion, tomato and juice together.  set aside.


avocado mash
1 avocado
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh coriander or flat - leaf parsley, chopped finely
1 red chilli, deseeded and diced (the other half of the diced chilli from the salsa)
salt and freshly ground black pepper


scoop the flesh from the avocado and mash in a bowl with the lemon juice, coriander or parsley, and cilli.  season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.


the rest
200g chicken breast fillet, sliced
1/2 iceberg lettuce shredded
the large leaves from the outside of the lettuce kept in tact for wrapping


heat extra oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium - high heat and saute the chicken until well browned and cooked through, for around 4-5 mins.


to assemble, place the chicken, chilli beans, lettuce and avocado mash in the cup of the lettuce leaf.  fold the lettuce leaf sides inward and the lighter end of the leaf inwards to keep everything in the wrap.


then enjoy.


NK x

day 22 - food journal

i ate pretty poorly today.  while i was cooking i ate a couple of the dates and some of the nuts, and i was running around like a crazy person for most of the day trying to clean our home, shopping for ingredients and cooking all these goodies.

breakfast – smoothie, 1 cup of frozen berries, 1 cup of organic soy milk, 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, 1 teaspoon of organic honey, 1 teaspoon of organic cocoa powder

snacks – 2 dates and a couple of walnuts, some raw brownies (so delicious)

dinner - mexican chicken wrapped in lettuce with red kidney bean salsa and avocado mash (recipe coming tomorrow)

tomorrow i will post the recipe for the mexican chicken and also the salted caramel tarts.  get excited and get cooking, as everything is so tasty and all so good for your body.

living happy and healthy

NK x 

raw chocolate brownies - f*#k yeah!!!

these were so easy to make and are so tasty.  for something that has absolutely no refined sugar and hasn't been cooked they are amazing.

my raw brownies - ah-ma-ZING - yum :)

try to buy organic as much as possible for this recipe.  


all that is left to say is just give them a go, you'll be so impressed with how healthy they are and how amazing they taste.


enjoy my lovelies


NK x


ingredients:
2 cups whole walnuts
2 ½ cups medjool dates, pitted
1 cup raw cacao 
1 cup raw unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
¼ tsp. sea salt

directions:
1. place walnuts in food processor and blend on high until the nuts are finely ground.
2. add the cacao and salt. pulse to combine. 
3. add the dates one at a time through the feed tube of the food processor while it is running. what you should end up with is a mix that appears rather like cake crumbs, but that when pressed, will easily stick together (if the mixture does not hold together well, add more dates). 
4. in a large bowl (or the pan you plan on putting the brownies in), combine the walnut-cacao mix with the chopped almonds. press into a lined cake pan or mold. place in freezer or fridge until ready to serve (it is also easier to cut these when they are very cold). store in an airtight container. 


this is a recipe is from sarah britton, my new roots.

getting my cook on - rice milk

me and my new food processor

i got a new food processor for christmas, and i'm super excited to try it out today, plus i haven't seen my man in over a week, so i'm making my version of christmas dinner.

today i will be making:

- rice milk

- raw brownies (uh huh, brownies = awesomeness!)

- mexican chicken and bean lettuce wraps with avocado mash

- salted caramel tarts (a little something for desert)

so far i have made the rice milk, and it was surprisingly easy, i haven't added any flavoring to it so that i could taste the original blend, and it tastes just like the stuff you buy from the supermarkets, except its a little more watered down.

this is how you make rice milk:

step one: rinse 1 cup of brown rice

step two: put rinsed rice in a blender

step three: add 2 cups of water (filtered preferably)

step four: blend for around 3 mins or until most of the rice has turned to a mush at the bottom

step five: strain the milk

step six: give it a go

some tips:

- if you want to you could add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of honey to the rice while blending

- try adding some vanilla

- make chocolate rice milk by adding some cocoa powder.

- make sure that you use the finest strainer that you can get to separate the grit from the milk.

- keep the rice milk in a sealed glass container for up to four days.

coming up next is my attempt at raw chocolate brownies...

NK x

the great coffee debate - to drink or not to drink?

the first thing that i will cover here is why too much caffeine will make you fat.  in fact its not really the caffeine itself that is bad for you - it's the way that most of us drink it that's the problem.  often a coffee comes with cream, milk, sugar and syrups, which can make your cup of coffee equal to a whole meal's calories.  

also excess caffeine, meaning two or more cups of tea or coffee per day, can stimulate your nervous system, causing your adrenals to pump out cortisol.  cortisol is the hormone that helps the body respond to stress.  cortisol is a great hormone for holding onto excess body weight, so if you are drinking caffeinated drinks all day, switching between v's to red bull's to coffee to coke, you'll have all that extra cortisol floating around your system for hours, so essentially your flooding your body with fat-storing hormones.

there is good news to come out of this story.  there are some benefits to drinking coffee, if you drink it the way it was intended and that is organic coffee with minimal milk and no sugar.  (i only ever used to drink my coffee with soy milk, or rice milk).  drinking caffeine correctly can help the body burn fat and boosts your performance when you're exercising, if you have it at least 30 mins before a work out and preferably not before an evening workout.

organic coffee is also packed with antioxidants, and it's also is a great diuretic, which help get your bowels going in the morning, keeping your body nice and clean and toxin-free.  so opt for your organic coffee in the morning, and try adding a little cinnamon for a little extra kick.

green tea also contains caffeine, but i love green tea as it contains less caffeine than coffee, so you can have more of it.  i like to make a water bottle of cooled green tea every morning at work.  its great to sip on all day at my desk.  i do this by putting 1 green tea bag into my aluminum water bottle, i then add about a cup of boiling hot water and let this sit for a couple of minutes, then top the rest of the bottle up with cold water.  once you've filled up the water bottle with cold water, the tea bag will float to the top and you can take it out and dispose of it.  there you have it cooled green tea.

NK x

cleanse day

ok, well there is a couple of days until new year celebrations, why not use these days to cleanse your body to give it a break from the christmas / boxing days food and drink intake.

your body is working to clean itself all the time, and after the last couple of days it'll be working twice as hard.  so help it out and give it a bit of a break by eating meals that are easily digestible. i'm also a fan of doing juice detox's however, after feeding your body heavily for a couple of days, it would go into overdrive releasing toxins, and would make you feel very lethargic, headachy and really not very well at all.  it's best to slowly guide your body back to health.


here is my plan, which you could follow for the next two days.  again you should always do some of your own research and make your own mind up about the foods that you are putting into your body.  i find that eating like this works for me, but it may not be exactly right for you.


breakfast - hot cup of lemon water.  after 30 mins - super shake including: 1 cup of organic rice, soy, almond milk, 1 cup of berries (i use frozen blue berries and i leave the ice out if i use the frozen berries), 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, 1/2 cup of ice, a teaspoon of organic cocoa powder (you could leave this out if you want).  Blend together and enjoy.


snack - 1 cup of sliced cucumber and a green tea.


lunch - steamed or raw greens (spinach, mesclun mix, bok choy, watercress, snow peas, broccolini etc); 100g lean protein (white meat chicken, lean beef or fish)


snack - 10 asparagus spears, blanched (pop into some boiling water for 1 min); 1 cup of green tea.


dinner - steamed or raw greens; 100g lean protein (mix it up a little from what you had at lunch.  get creative with your meal, why not chop up your meat and greens a little differently and eat it with chopsticks.)


why not make up a liter of green tea in the morning and add a couple of mint leaves or some fresh ginger and leave it in the fridge all day so that you have a chilled drink to go back to all day.  make sure that you drink at least 8 cups of water during the day.


get moving as well, go for a walk or a bike ride, or take your family to the park with a soccer ball and kick that around for 30 mins.


enjoy and let me know how you go.


NK x

day 20 - food journal

a cup of hot water

breakfast – a nectarine

lunch – fresh prawns and oysters, fresh tossed salad

snacks – fresh fruit salad and water melon

dinner - 2 chicken satay skewers that i made christmas eve (recipe below)

i had a great day yesterday.  i didn't go too crazy, and really did enjoy myself.  i hope you all had a great christmas day.

mine didn't look like these, but similar :)

here is the recipe for the satay chicken skewers, they taste great and are good for you too.

preheat the oven to 180 degrees.  place 1 tablespoon of in a small pan over a medium heat.  add half a chopped red onion, 1 clove of garlic, crushed and 1 stalk of lemongrass.  cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes; remove from heat.  in food processor, crush 2 tablespoons of peanuts; add the onion mixture, 180ml of organic coconut milk, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and a small chilli.  process until smooth.

soak the bamboo skewers, cut the chicken into strips and thread onto the skewers.  place the chicken skewers into an oven proof dish and pour the spicy peanut sauce over the skewers and place into the oven for 20 mins.

NK x

quick 100

Lunges

good morning, and merry christmas!


before you leave your rooms for the day, kick start your systems with a quick burst of exercise. it will rev up your heart rate and help keep your metabolism going for the day.

sit up

do a quick 100 reps of any exercise of your choice. i'm going to split my 100 into 25 lunges, 25 sit ups, 25 squats and 25 reverse crunches.










if your feeling super energized this morning, why not throw in as many burpees as you can manage as well.

Squats

Reverse crunch

again, merry christmas and I hope you all have a wonderful day, and for those on the roads, please stay safe!


NK x

burpees

tips for staying healthy this christmas

I know that we will all be enjoying our christmas day with good food and good company.  but enjoying good food does not mean you need to sabotage your intentions to eat clean.


here are some of my tips to help keep you on track and some easy ways to cut calories this festive season:

• embrace the special foods of christmas and summer holidays and ditch the food guilt.  lighten up with a selection of seasonal produce by filling up your plate with a little extra salad, fresh seafood and summer's best fruits that nature has to offer.
• say no to soft drinks, fruit juices, shakes and smoothies and sugary, syrup types of alcohol.  (that includes beer and wine, try to have things like gin or vodka with soda water if you need to have a drink)
• feel satisfied and not stuffed like a turkey.  listen to your hunger cues and know when enough is enough.
• savour every mouthful, sip slowly and enjoy the conversation.
• be mindful of the pre-lunch nibbles and enjoy just enough to take the edge off your appetite.

most of all, enjoy yourselves and make sure that you stay safe.

one more sleep until the big day.

NK x

day 17 - food journal

a cup of fresh lemon juice and hot water

breakfast – 100g smoked salmon, a boiled egg and 1 cup of spinach

lunch – mixed sashimi

snacks – nuts, fresh pineapple juice (juiced half of a pineapple)

doing the epsom salt cleanse.  probably not a great idea to do it so late in the afternoon, as it takes up to 4hrs to kick in.  i couldn't hold out any longer so i had to do it tonight.

2 more sleeps until christmas - yay

NK x

epsom salt cleanse

i have done an epsom salt cleanse a few years ago and i was really impressed with the results.  i've been feeling awful and bloated for about three days now, and for what i've been eating i shouldn't be feeling like this.  i know that it has happened as i haven't had enough fiber in my diet.

i just drink one table spoon of epsom salt mixed with one glass of water.  it tastes horrible, believe me its not nice.  epsom salt is a natural occurring mineral that is made up of oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur and magnesium.  consuming it creates a laxative effect by relaxing digestive muscles.

this will clean out your intestines and colon, and will leave you feeling much lighter and cleaner.  last time that i did this i was amazed about what i saw come out... i'll leave it there, but i was like "wow, where did that come from??"

i had been advised about doing this from a trusted nutritionist, but it would be a great idea that you do some of your own research about this before giving it a go.

happy cleansing.

NK x

day 16 - food journal

a cup of fresh lemon juice and hot water

breakfast – 2 nectarines and a plum

lunch – mixed avocado, and 4 roma tomatos

snacks – snack dates and nuts

dinner – quinoa and salmon

exercise – rode to and from work today, that’s over an hour of riding.

feeling a little better than yesterday, however still feeling bloated and not 100%.  if i get an afternoon free im going to try an old remedy of drinking a glass on epsom salts with water to try and flush out my system.

i’ll let you know how i go J

NK x

health is the new black

i’m really inspired by seeing celebrities choosing health over drinking.  you see more photos of the likes of miranda kerr and heidi klum running together, and then when you hear about lindsay lohan out parting, she ends up in court... very un-glamorous.

i grew up thinking that after work you went home and had dinner and watched a movie, not that you went to a club or a pub.  with so much information about the negatives effects of alcohol, its no wonder that a lot of people are drinking less and less.

occasionally i like to have a drink with friends, but i’m starting to enjoy it less and less.  i love getting up early on the weekends and going for long bike rides or climbing up a mountain to see the sunrise, i love getting the absolute most out of my weekends and i always feel as though i’m wasting time if i’m lying in bed with a hangover.

here is a great juice that i like to make fresh which might help you over the silly season.  remember to take it easy, don’t overdo it and most of all i hope you all have a great time!

pineapple and ginger juice.

1 whole pineapple, cut the skins off

a little ginger, add more if you really like the taste.

put pineapple and ginger through a juicer and then enjoy.  you can serve with some ice for a refreshing drink in summer.

pineapple aids in kick starting the liver, and it also contains many essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin c, thiamine, vitamin b6, manganese, potassium, and magnesium.

ginger is a great remedy for nausea.

enjoy J

NK x

day 15 - food journal

breakfast – fresh pineapple juicewith some ginger

lunch – mixed lettuce leaveswith anchovies

snacks – water melon, anectarine and two gluten free rum balls

dinner – 1 avocado

exercise – walked to and fromthe city cat and then onto work

ok well its the start of week 3. i felt really crappy today.  i wasfeeling really bloated from dinner last night. too much protein and not enough fibre i think.  i felt very sluggish all day, and by the endof the day i could have fallen asleep.

the morning tea was really good. they had a really nice fruit platter, which i ate 1/3 of.  i did indulge in two gluten free rum balls,which left a burning sensation in my stomach after i ate them.  that didn’t sit well with my already bloatedfeeling.

i went straight to be last night after dinner, and really wantto put yesterday behind me.  i wasstarting to think really negatively about what i was doing.  i was thinking how could i be eating socleanly and be feeling like this.  butwhen i look at my diet from the last few days, i have had plenty of protein andnot enough, grains, and fibrous foods.  ihave woken up this morning and i am feeling much better.  i’m feeling much more like myself again andmy thought patterns are more inline.

i trust in my future to be positive.

NK x

daily affirmations

in the infinity of life where i am, all is perfect, whole and complete.  i accept perfect health as the natural state of my being.  i now consciously release any mental patterns within me that could express as dis-ease in any way. i love and approve of myself.  i love and approve of my body.  i feed it nourishing foods and beverages.  i exercise it in ways that are fun.  i recognise my body as a wonderous and magnificent machine, and i feel privileged to live in it.  i love lots of energy.  all is well in my world.
- louise l. hay