Aloe Vera Juice - Give it a Go!

Happy Tuesday everyone!  While on my healthy eating crusade I have stumbled along Aloe Vera juice.  This little green bottle has been teasing me as I line up to go through the self-serve at Coles, I’ve been so unsure about giving it a go.  I would pick up the bottle and look at the packaging thinking “Aloe Vera juice… this is the stuff that mum used to rub on us if we got a cut or burn, we never drank the stuff” and would put it straight back, then finally one day I hesitantly decided to give it a go, and I’ve almost been drinking it every day since.

The little green bottle is full of little Aloe Vera chunks that are refreshing and a little sweet to taste.  It’s actually quite nice to have something soft to chew when you’re drinking this juice.  I really like to have my juice after lunch; I have been finding that it gets me through the afternoon without really needing to snack on anything else.  I feel refreshed and it soothes my stomach, which I didn’t know needed soothing until I had my first bottle.  I’ve finally gotten around to doing my research on drinking this juice, as I haven’t really heard a lot about it.

It turns out that it’s quite good for you.  It would be even better in its rawest form of course, but until I can either grow my own or find some fresh Aloe Vera at some markets, this may have to suffice.  After doing a little reading these are the main benefits that I have found for drinking Aloe Vera juice.

• It’s really good for your digestive system:  this juice encourages the bowels to move and helps with elimination.  It helps with stomach cramps and has a soothing effect on the whole digestive tract.  There are even reports of people who have cured or improved their symptoms of I.B.S
• It is a great pain reliever and reduces inflammation:  Aloe Vera juice comes filled with mucopolysaccharides (the amino sugars needed for the regeneration of body cells), which helps to improve joint flexibility.  It also assists in strengthening joint muscles which therefore reduces pain and inflammation in weakened or aged joints.
• It is a great support to the immune system:  With winter around the corner, we all want to start boosting our immune systems so that we can avoid the dreaded office flu.  The polysaccharides in Aloe Vera juice stimulate macrophages, these are the white blood cells that fight viruses.
• It’s really good for your skin:  I know that my mum used to rub a fresh cut of Aloe Vera on cuts and burns; admittedly I thought it was a bit silly when I was younger, but she was onto something.  When Aloe is applied topically to a wound, it can speed up the healing process.  Also drinking the juice can help improve skin quality and complexion.  It contains many nutrients and antioxidants which are vital to skin health, such as vitamin C, E and the mineral zinc.  This nutrients help protect the skin from external toxins in air pollution, as well as helping to detox internal toxins. Other benefits of Aloe Vera juice for the skin include: providing proper lubrication, helping maintain the elasticity of the skin, removing dead skin cells, and helping with the regeneration of skin cells.

As soon as I get my hands on some fresh Aloe Vera cuts, I’m going to try to make my own juice.  Here is a method I have found if you want to give it a go.

1. Cut a large healthy Aloe Vera leaf off of your plant, then let the resin drip out by holding it upside down so that it drains where you cut it. The gel won’t come out, so don’t worry about that.
2. Cut it in half and then filet the gel out of the inside. Just be sure you don’t get the yellow stuff that comes out near the outer skin. You could also do this by first cutting the top layer, then the sides and eventually the bottom. There’s a photo tutorial on this here that shows how to do this really well.
3. Place in a blender and cover with 3 cups of fruit juice or fresh fruit and water. You can pretty much use anything you want here. Try coconut milk or almond milk if that suits your taste better.
4. Blend well, chill and then serve. Refrigerate leftover juice.

This recipe is from: http://www.thethriftymama.com/aloe-vera-juice.html

The brand that I have been drinking is called ‘aloe Verde aloe Vera drink’.  I’ve been buying it from my local Woolworths.  Give it a go if you’re interested, the taste will be a little different on your first sip, but after that you’ll really enjoy the drink.

Hope you’re choosing health over anything else

NKx

chicken skewers with satay sauce

this meal is a great source of protein, and doesn't skimp out on flavor.  i've tried to buy organic as much as possible for this recipe.  my one tip is that if you can't buy organic chicken, make sure that you remove the skin because that's where many of the toxins are stored.  here's how to make it:


for the sauce:
ingredients
half red onion
clove of garlic
1 stalk of lemon grass
1 cup peanuts 250ml coconut milk
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 chilli chopped up finely (if desired)


directions
place the chopped red onion, clove of garlic crushed and stalk of lemon grass finely chopped into the fry pan.  cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes; remove from heat.  In food processor, crush the peanuts; add the onion mixture, the coconut milk, cumin, fresh lime juice, sea salt, soy sauce and chilli.  Process until smooth.  (you can also make this in a blender)

not much for left overs... had to be good :)

for the chicken skewers:
ingredients
1 double breast of chicken
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon of coriander leaves crushed
1 large clove of garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 stalk of lemon grass, chopped lengthways in half.


directions
in a bowl, place the fish sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, coriander, garlic, cumin and lemongrass; stir to mix well.  place cut up chicken into the mixture and allow to stand covered for at least 20 mins - the longer that you leave it marinating the better the flavor.  Once you've let stand, thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers.


Cook chicken under a hot grill, i used my george forman to cook mine.  make sure that the chicken is cooked through so its not pink inside.


serve with the satay sauce and enjoy.  o and there wasn't much for left overs, that's gotta mean it was good - yay.



NK x 

sweet potato hummus

the humble sweet potato is an ideal food for dieters to ward of hunger.  its orange flesh is high in carotene's and cholesterol-lowering compounds.

sweet potatoes are richer in nutrients than potatoes and lower on the glycaemic index, and so are of benefit for diabetics and dieters and for regulating blood sugar levels.  They also contain plant sterols and pectin that can help lower 'bad' blood cholesterol.  They are extremely high in beta-carotene as well as being an excellent source of vitamin E, magnesium and selenium.

this sweet potato hummus tastes great and is really easy to make.  this is what you'll need:

ingredients

• 1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

directions

1. set a steamer basket in a large pot. fill with enough water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. transfer to a food processor.
2. combine chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, oil, cumin, and garlic in the food processor. puree, about 1 minute; thin with water if necessary. season with salt and pepper and let cool; refrigerate, in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

why not give this a go over the weekend, its great to have in the fridge to snack on with celery, carrot and capsicum sticks.

NK x

happy australia day

i hope everyone enjoyed their australia day celebrations yesterday.  we did have a trip to fraser island booked, but due to the crazy rain that we had early this week we decided to post pone that trip till easter.  i have my fingers crossed for great weather at easter.


know i have today off and i'm super keen to do some cooking today and try out some new things. i've been very busy lately, and i have actually found some time today to tell you all about some things that i have found and been trying.

breakfast

on my list of things to cook today is sweet potato hummus, this sounds so delicious and i think will be a nice alternative to the traditional hummus.  i'm hoping that the taste of this one will be a little more crowd pleasing than the traditional hummus as well.


i'm also going to try chicken skewers with a nutty sauce for dinner.  i'll make plenty of these so that we have heaps to eat over the weekend.



i've started my day off with roasted cherry tomatoes and sauteed herb mushrooms, absolutely delightful.  to make this, i chopped in half about 8-9 cherry tomatoes and sprinkled a little pink rock salt on top and popped them into the oven, set at about 180 degrees.  i then chopped the mushrooms in half and placed in a fry pan on medium heat.  i added some different herbs and spices, be creative add which ever herbs and spices that you like best, then added about a tablespoon of water, or enough to just coat the bottom of the pan, then covered the pan with a chopping board, leaving just enough room for the steam to come out.


i always use water to cook my mushrooms now, and stay away from any oils and fats, as this cooks them a lot nicer and holds a lot more flavor and moisture.


be back with you shortly with some recipes.


yours in health


NKx

pizza party...

i made pizza for dinner tonight - yum!  i made everything from scratch, the pizza dough and the sauce.  it was so simple, i can't believe that i've never made pizza bases before.  when i embarked on this challenge i thought that i would never eat pizza again.  o how wrong i was.

ta-dah pizza time

i'm pretty sure that you should all throw out the number for dominoes and start making this instead.  there is something so empowering about making your own pizza, and it tastes so much better.

my little pizza dough resting

i made the base using spelt flour, click here to find out more about spelt, it was really simple, and only required 4 ingredients.  because of the time limitations i had (with working and everything) i made the dough last night and then let it sit in some glad wrap in the fridge until i needed it this evening.  i'm not sure if this is the best way to store the dough, but it seemed fine when i cooked it tonight.  this is the recipe for the base:

spelt pizza dough

3.5 cups of spelt flour (you can get this from your local health food store)

3/4 cup luke warm water

1.5 tablespoons of dry active yeast (the non-instant kind)

3 tablespoons of olive oil

directions:

1. sift the flour into a large mixing bowl

2. dissolve the yeast in 3/4 cup luke warm water, add to flour and stir in with the oil

3. continue stirring until you have a uniform texture, then start kneading by hand in the bowl, or on a large, clean surface.  knead for about 5 mins.

4. cover ball of dough with flour and place underneath a damp towel for 1-2 hours until the volume is approximately double.

5. divide dough for 4 small pizzas, 2 large or 1 party size

the tomato sauce

1/4 cup of olive oil

400g can of organic crushed tomatoes

3-4 cloves of garlic

a squeeze of lemon juice

directions:

1. heat the oil and garlic in a cold saucepan over medium heat, while stirring

2. sauteed just until fragrant - do not brown the garlic and do not let the oil smoke

3. add the can of tomates and heat until it reaches a gentle simmer

4. add the squeeze of lemon into the pot and stir

5. add salt and pepper to taste

get creative with your toppings, tonight i did the tomato sauce with chopped up red onion, goats cheese and green olives sliced; and the second pizza had a basil pesto, green olives, sliced quarts of red onion and goats cheese.

once you've got your toppings on the dough, place on a pizza tray lined with baking paper and then into a preheated oven, around 180 degrees.  bake for around 20 mins, or until the base feels cooked through.

i was accompanied by a great friend who helped me taste test my first ever home made pizza. i think it went down a treat.  followed by some fresh made banana ice cream, click here for the recipe, with beautiful fresh passion fruit pulp added.  it couldn't have been a better night!

get cooking my lovelies, i want to hear all about the different pizza toppings that you try.

NK xx

who likes ice cream... i like ice cream!!

i thought that the raw chocolate brownies were pretty amazing... but i take it back.  i really think that this has made my life ten times better... i can eat ice cream guilt free - yipee!


if you like banana's then you will love this healthy creamy ice-cream.  the best thing about this recipe is that there is only one ingredient.  you don't need any special equipment like an ice cream maker, you only need a food processor, or a handheld blender.


i couldn't believe that banana's could be whipped into perfectly rich and silky ice cream, with no additional dairy, sweeteners, or ingredients needed whatsoever.


i even started experimenting by cutting my batch in half and mixing one half with cacao powder and a little cashew nut butter, divine.


ok here are the steps to making this delicious recipe.


- i bought about 5 banana's and let them sit in the cupboard for about 2 days so that they ripened a little, i don't really like the taste of over ripe bananas so i bought them quiet green to start with.


- i then peeled the bananas and broke them in half and popped them in the freezer over night, if you break the bananas into smaller pieces before you freeze it will be easier on the blender.


- i took the banana's out of the freezer and put all the pieces into the food processor.


- blend the frozen banana pieces for about 5 mins.  you have to keep starting and stopping.  the banana's will break up a little first then you'll notice it start to turn into a creamy texture.


- there you have it, delicious creamy banana ice cream


enjoy and let me know of some of your flavor creations.


NK xx

sushi rocks!!

before rolling :)

i really love sushi, and before i flushed out all the toxic and rubbish food from my life, i used to eat it 2/3 times a week... not very good, considering majority of the sushi is pretty much a chicko roll rolled in seaweed.

my man has been dragging me along to sushi bars still and i am getting sick of eating sashimi, don't get me wrong, i love sashimi, but it can get quiet repetitive.  i still get a little buzz of excitement when i see a soft shell crab roll come past me on the train, but i reluctantly decline and stick to my raw fish.

i decided that enough was enough, tonight was round one of home made sushi, the healthy way.  i zipped off to coles when i got home and bought the nori (seaweed paper), some avocado, mushrooms and some fresh goats cheese. (by the way I'll eventually get to why you should completely ditch all dairy out of your diets and get on the goat band wagon).

Here we go...

ingredients

nori (seaweed paper)

mushrooms, use whatever type you like

1 clove of garlic

avocado

a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

a little coriander

goats cheese

to make

- i started by cutting the mushrooms into strips

- then put the mushrooms into a medium heat saucepan with about a tablespoon of water and the crushed garlic, saute the mushrooms until they are soft, keep topping up the water a little so that the mushrooms don't stick to the pan (don't go crazy with the water though you don't want to drown them)

- while thats sauteing scoop out the avocado into a small bowel, add the lemon, salt and pepper and coriander, add the last three ingredients to your own taste and then mash that all together

- take out the mushrooms and place on a spare plate

this is the best that my iphone could do

- take out a sheet of the nori and place on a bamboo sushi mat

- scoop the avocado mash onto the nori, and start to spread evenly over the nori, leaving a 1cm space around the edges

- place the mushrooms along one edge of the avocado paste, and then crumble a little of the goats cheese on top.

- lets start rolling, lift the front of the bamboo mat closest to you, with the mushroom and goats cheese and begin to roll the sheet tightly.  apply gentle pressure to join the edges of the nori, the avocado helps to keep it stuck together

- then slice, i found that its easier to run the knife under boiling water and then slice while its clean, the seaweed does go a little soggy so get to it as quickly as you can to cut it up.

ta da!  and i've eaten my dinner and let me tell you i loved it!  give this a go, next time your pining for sushi and you wont be disappointed.

NK xx

day 32 - food journal

exercise - i went for a big bike ride this morning and felt great for it

breakfast - cup of hot lemon water; smoothy made up of: frozen berries, home made rice milk, unheated organic honey and cacao

lunch - went out for lunch today and had a green salad with lamb at our local turkish restaurant.  this was the best possible thing that i could of had on the menu and it was delicious :)

snacks - dates

dinner - i made carrot and miso soup for dinner tonight see the recipe below

carrot and miso soup

ingredients

- tablespoon of olive oil

- 1 kg bag of carrots, roughly chopped

- 1 brown onion, finely chopped

- 1 small piece of ginger, grated / shredded (add as little or as much as you like depending on the taste)

- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed and roughly chopped

- 4 cups of vegetable broth, i used vegetable stock tonight

- 1 tablespoon of miso paste

to make:

heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat, add onion and garlic and saute until the onion is glossy, add the carrots and allow to saute for around 10 mins or until the onion is translucent.  add the vegetable stock and ginger, cover and simmer until the carrots are tender when pierced stirring occasionally for about 30 mins.

pour about a 1/4 cup of water in a jug and mix with the tablespoon of miso until the miso paste is dissolved.  puree the soup in a food processor and add the miso mixed with the water while the food processor is going.  add more water if needed for the desired consistency or add more miso if you like the taste.  season with salt and pepper if desired.

this was a delicious meal to end the weekend with and i have plenty of left overs for the rest of the week.  i find that i like to try and cook a couple of meals over the weekend so that i have some food to eat over the rest of the week.  it helps save money instead of buying lunches and snacks everyday.

NK x

day 31 - juice cleanse

after a sluggish feeling week, i thought that i needed to break the cycle.  it was time for a juice cleanse.  juice cleanses are an awesome way to re-start and re-boot your body.  a really good juice cleanse can rid your body of toxins and give you a rejuvenating, energizing boost.

i have done quiet a few different detoxes / cleanses over the years and today i decided to put together a few of my favorite juices to kick start my weekend off with.  

i will normally drink up to six juices in a day, but you could have more or less if you prefer.  i just find that when the hunger kicks in i'd rather make another juice instead of trying to ride out the hunger pang and give into something not so juicy.

beet, carrot, apple & mint

these are the juices that i have been doing today:

1/2 pineapple and 1 piece of ginger

2 grapefruit, 3 carrots and 1 piece of ginger

2x 1 beet root, 3 carrots, 1 apple and some mint leaves

1 cucumber, 1/2 broccoli head, 4 celery sticks and some mint leaves (definitely the greenest of the lot and not really a favorite, but the vitamins and minerals this juice packs is definitely worth it.)

3 carrots, 1 cup spinach leaves, 3 celery sticks and one apple

i also bought some fresh pomegranates yesterday so i will be treating myself this evening before bed to the sweet ariels inside the fruit.

i do have a juicer at home, this is an investment that i made quiet a few years ago and i have never regretted it.  i find that its best to make your juices from scratch the store bought ones have too many added artificial colours, preservatives and sugars, which are doing the complete opposite to cleansing.  

if you don't have a juicer, don't despair there are plenty of other great ways to do a cleanse day, click here to try this one.  or you could even buy a fresh made juice from a cafe in the morning to start you off and then stick to fresh vegetables and salads for the rest of the day.

just remember that you should always do your own research before giving this a go, this is something that i have found works for me, but it may not work for you.

happy cleansing

NK xx

day 29 - food journal

aahh its killing me to posts todays food journal, but i am being true and have to do it.

i ate a turkish delight today, i had a choice and i chose to eat it, and believe me, i don't feel awesome for having it.  not that i'm beating myself up over it, but i actually don't feel well.  my head has been throbbing all afternoon and the huge spike in my energy, followed by a giant crash, that almost put me to sleep at my desk (sorry work).  just reminds me why i'm doing this.  i understand that i'm only human, and i'm going to slip up sometimes, i'm not perfect, but it's these little moments of weakness that remind me that what i'm doing 98% of the time is really doing me a lot of good.

i'm going to try to get in touch with a nutritionist friend of mine, who years ago lead me in the path of being a vegan and gave me a lot of great tips nutritionally.  i'm going to get her opinion on what i'm doing, and what i could be changing, adding, or taking away to make this much more beneficial for me.  (and i'll pass on some of her wisdom to you too)

i'm going to take you through my journal now and show you where i went wrong today.

breakfast - cup of hot water with lemon

(i got out of bed really late today and therefore i didn't have enough time for a decent breakfast.  last night i started a new book, which i fell asleep at about 11pm half way through a page... not enough sleep for starters and definitely not enough to eat for breakfast)

lunch - green olives (marinated ones from the deli)

mushrooms with fresh garlic and goats cheese

(i also didn't have enough time to pack lunch and i had bought some marinated olives from the deli yesterday as a treat to have a couple in the afternoon, however i ended up having these for lunch.  again really not enough and not a substantial amount of food for the day)
snacks - desperately hungry by now, and not thinking straight, i went to the shop, i bought a packet of gluten free cheesles and a turkish delight (i thought i was in the health food isle so those chips must be good for me... and i used to eat turkish delight a lot as i thought that it was the better choice over all the other chocolates...)  after devouring my turkish delight and half a packet of chips an hour later, i really wasn't feeling that great.  the on set of my "great decision" had kicked in, urgh.  anyway, one slip up and back on track now.
dinner - portabello mushrooms, stuffed with fresh garlic and goats cheese, a little salt and pepper seasoning.  


to make these, i preheated the oven to about 180 degrees.  i popped two of the mushrooms, with the stalks removed and the fresh garlic cloves smeared on the flesh, seasoned with salt and pepper, upside down in a baking tray with about 1 cm of water in the bottom, into the oven for about 10 - 15 mins.  once a little softer to touch, or a little shriveled up looking, i took them out and crumbled a little goats cheese on top of each and then placed back in the oven to melt the cheese a little.  delicious :)


if i can give you one tip for the day - if you ever feel as though you have slipped up, deal with it, accept that you've done it and move on.  it's only one slip up and its really not worth ruining all your hard work over.


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

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.