Staple Diet

Hello folks! It's a beautiful day...for sitting indoors, once more. I think today definitely calls for a run, considering the sun is out and all.

I'm in the process of deciding which long-distance run to go for this Summer - I did the Bristol 10k last year, but I think 2013 could be the year of my first Half Marathon. This is daunting for me, as I've only ever ran a maximum of 7 miles in one session - so 13 miles seems like a bit of a stretch! I suppose I do have a fair few months worth of training to build up my stamina...alas, we shall see.



Boredom taking its toll, I decided to put together this snazzy collage of my 'staple' daily diet, consisting of the basics that I tend to gorge upon mostly every day (give or take a few things). I'm not particularly adventurous in terms of my food choices, as you might well note - however, they serve me well, and I love each and every single item - they all offer a little 'something something', whether that be flavour, nutrients/vitamins, energy, liquid, protein, natural carbs, fat...or a partial combination of the above.

What forms your staple diet, and do you think there's anything glaringly MIA in mine? x

Black Bean Chocolate Cookies

Yes, that's right...I am still on the black bean hype. What can I say; I had leftover beans, so I had to use them up somehow - and what better way than a batch of fresh chocolate cookies?



I found the recipe from Eliza's blog over at Eliza's Edibles, and just had to try it for myself (despite adapting the ingredients somewhat) using all the leftovers of my chocolate cake from the day before - the ingredients being:

200g black beans
4 tablespoons almond milk (the original recipe suggest 2T - I had to add more due to the dry consistency of my batter)
1.5 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil (Eliza used olive oil - perhaps this is why my consistency wasn't quite right)
1 tablespoon coconut flour (Again, Eliza used 3T wholewheat flour - so my recipe could be considered faulty on various levels. However, the internet informed me that coconut flour is more absorbent in comparison, thus you should divide the original measurement by 3 if you're subbing it for normal, wheat-based flour. And I trust the internet more than my own judgement, obviously)
2 tablespoons agave nectar (same thing again; she used 1/2 cup plus 1T sugar. I'm anti-sugar... thus agave)
1 teaspoon baking powder (nothing has changed here. Did wonder why there were no eggs in original recipe if there's baking powder? Is that a stupid query? I don't understand baking)
Half a vanilla pod (or 1t. vanilla essence, pick as you choose)
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch salt
30g dark chocolate chips (90%, the Lindt stuff as per)

I will say this now: the food processing trick absolutely failed me this time. I don't know what happened, but save to say I was pretty disappointed after the triumph of using it the day previously. Lesson has been learnt; don't always trust the food processor, and a bit of elbow grease is sometimes the best way to do things, even in 2013.

You can choose the food processor option as your own risk - it took a lot of shaking (the blender, I mean. Despite my fury, I was not physically shaking) and forking to get the batter looking a little less... bean-y. I blended everything at once (except the dark chocolate chips - another error of my ways, probably.



Pre-heat your oven to gas mark 6 (erm, 375C?) line your baking tray, grease with oil and chop up your dark chocolate into random sized chunks. The consistency of your batter should be stodgy-dodgy enough to roll into balls (I managed to get 16 out of the mixture) and place on your baking tray with no risk of sloppy-ness. Chuck in your chocolate chunks with fairness to each and every cookie, and place into the oven for 15 minutes - though mine were in a little longer as they were too soft for my liking. Even so, they crisp up considerably once left to cool.



And there we have it; a batch of happy, gooey, healthy chocolate chip cookies, perfect as a supper treat with a cup of milky tea or a glass of delicious almond milk. Me and baking have a love-hate relationship at the moment - it's all a bit new and exciting and weird, to be honest, not to mention a rather 'trial and error'..especially when I decide to change 80% of the original recipe's ingredient list. All in a day's work. Do you have any recommended baking recipes, or even any tips or trick of the trade to share?

Chocolate Cake with a Twist (Secret Ingredient!)

In my eyes (and stomach), there's nothing better than discovering 'secret' key ingredients that can be substituted in for all the bad stuff in classic baking recipes. And, on this occasion, I'm talking about the classic chocolate cake, no less. Guys and girls, take note - I can guarantee you'll be wanting a taste of this good stuff by the end of my chit-chat (not by my skills in the power of written persuasion, either - solely by the mere irresistibility of this cake. Trust me).

The secret power ingredient of this cake is the simple black bean. Well, many simple black beans - 240 grams, to be exact. Now, don't be put-off! The beauty of the black bean is down to their rather bland taste (no offence, black beans. We know you're out to cause no harm) - and yet, they're packed full with fibre and protein, all the while being fairly low-cal and nutrient-dense.



Who'd have thought it, eh? At last, we're appreciating beans in their original, sauceless form (Heinz, begone with you). And, before I get too carried away, the credit for this recipe goes out to Josephine of A Tasty Love Story. This is a brilliant blog with an array of similarly delicious recipes to try out - all masterfully photographed, too - definitely one worth adding to the reading list!

So, without further ado, along with the beans (I repeat: 240 grams, cooked beans - the italics are just there to clarify for those worst at baking than myself, not to seem massively patronising or anything), this recipe calls for:

3 medium/large eggs,
3 heaped tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder,
1 tablespoon instant coffee (optional, but a good one - especially for the coffee-fanatics among us),
the teeny beans of half a vanilla pod,
1 teaspoon baking soda (NOT to be confused with baking powder! A difference partially understood after a lot of confusion and a phone call to Mum being made),
the juice and zest of 1/2 orange (or 1 clementine, in my case),
a pinch of salt,
100g demerara sugar (I guess you could say this is the 'worst' ingredient in the recipe. If you dare, you could sub it for agave nectar, honey, or any other kind of natural sweetener you can think of. However, in my opinion, I think this cake calls for the sugar, plain and simple. It's not an awful lot if you divide it by portion size, either).
PLUS! Not forgetting 30 grams of dark 90% Lindt chocolate (my preference).

Another new discovery as a result of this recipe was the use of the blender in place of the (practically ancient, now I come to think about it) technique of hard-graft and a wooden spoon. It saved me a whole lot of hassle, needless to say. The hardest part of the making of this was in fact, the beans - which required tender loving care and attention in the form of 12+ hours of soaking, bath time (overnight), a good rinse over, then 10 minutes boiling time, followed by a whopping 40 minutes on the simmer! Divas or what?

Whiz (or whaz, in the words of Jamie Oliver. A phrase that, might I add, does tend to grate on me somewhat) up the eggs, cacao powder, beans, baking soda, coffee, vanilla beans, orange zest and juice, salt and sugar - and you're so almost there.

Pre-heat your oven to gas mark 4 (175C? I hate looking up conversion rates. Seriously. You'll have to double-check me if you're really worried) and line a loaf tin with greased parchment paper. I used coconut oil to grease mine as I'm super cool and healthy and the like (I seem to be getting more sarcastic as I go, here. For that I'm really sorry. These are not my true colours. I'm just tired).

Nearly there. Chop up your dark chocolate however you like. I went for a scraping approach that called for a fair few spectators, and a very furrowed brow - the latter mainly down to pure concentration, because I tend to hover on the cautious side of events wherever knives are involved. You wouldn't blame me if you knew how clumsy I can be (my boyfriend can concur with that one).

Pour your lovely chocolatey liquid blend into the lined tin and sprinkle your dark chocolate on top. If you like, you can poke the chocolate into the mixture a bit, but I left it as it was on the top. Delicious. Cook for 35 minutes, and leave to cool. This makes a smashing Saturday night pudding combined with a dollop of greek yoghurt and blueberries - yum. It was still slightly warm when we had it, but as the original recipe goes, it tastes just as good (if not better - time will tell) eaten straight from the fridge.



Moral of the story? One: don't judge beans unfairly. And two: this cake will make your life approximately 23% more complete. Which is a fairly worthy percentage increase, wouldn't you agree? PS. When divided into ten slices, each slice is 100 calories - and seriously low-fat.

Seriously, though - please let me know your opinions if (or should I say when?) you try this. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Alternatively, has anyone any other 'secret' baking ingredients worthy of hollering about?

Snacking for Nourishment

Hello! I hope you've all triumphed your way through the least favourite day of the week - at least for all those Monday-Friday workers, anyway. What helped get you through the day? Did it come in the form of something edible, by any chance? ;)

Today I wanted to discuss snacking. Something which, by society's standards, is considered a bit of a NO-NO in a world obsessed with weight-loss yet riddled with rising levels of obesity (yep, it's a crazy, messed up world we live in!). But, in the eyes of every athlete, snacking is an absolute YES-YES, and for good reason, too!

Snacking during the day (I'm talking something small every hour or two, not every 10 minutes guys - soz) is the sure-fire way of keeping your metabolism and energy levels up, and your blood sugar levels stable. Otherwise, chances are your body will crash into a slump that will inevitably lead to bad diet choices being made, because you're not giving it the energy it needs to keep running throughout the day! Snacking = energy, not unwanted calories. And more so than when you should snack is the key issue of what you should snack on - afterall, it's this that will determine how often your body will send those signals requesting a refuel, and it's up to you what to feed it with.

My snacks of late are predominantly fruit-based, mainly because they are ultimately the easiest, non-fuss option available, plus they offer me an all-natural sugar buzz, and taste great. Snacking pre- and post- workout is also super important - re-energising the body after training results in maintained/growth in muscle mass and strength, and you should be reaching for something that offers a good mix of lean protein and carbs. This evening, this came in the form of apple slices with peanut butter dip and some grapes on the side. Heaven.

Besides pre/post workout snacks, I've listed some other suggestions to keep your body afloat between your main meals, most of which I've tried and tested, and many which I tend to go for when my body's craving some kind of nourishment.

100g no-fat cottage cheese with plain greek yoghurt (choose the lowest sugar option available - many yoghurts contain a heap of sugar and/or sweeteners, despite claiming they are diet/low-fat on the packaging)
A handful of blueberries with a drizzle of honey
A small one-egg omelette loaded with leftover vegetables
One-egg banana pancakes (see previous post!)
A glass of almond milk (again, look out for the low sugar version - many are very high in sugar. This might require a scan of the nutritional labels, a habit that is a keeper for avoiding the supermarket snack-attacks)
Kale or carrot crisps (or any other vegetable you want to transform through the efforts of fine slicing and oven-baking - plus a smidgen of oil)
A couple of dates or dried apricots (I love dates at the moment. However, like most dried fruit, they are high in calories, so it's best to limit your intake somewhat)
GRAPES. A winner/many winners every time...
A small square or two of 90% cacao chocolate (I'm guilty/not even guilty at all for this little snack today), AND/OR hot cacao made with boiling water and almond milk if you require an additional chocoholic treat
A small handful of nuts
Any kind of homemade juice/smoothie that incorporates fruit, vegetables and a smidgen of almond milk/natural sweeteners, i.e. honey or lemon juice.

There are so, so many more snacks you could choose apart from those I've listed - all of which absolutely do not involve anything processed or refined - the latter merely being choices we make through dietary habits, and that can easily be changed through a couple of weeks of clean eating. Trust me - I used to be all for the crisps and cereal bar approach, as I was brainwashed by the marketing of such products. One example being the Special K cereal bars that are under 90 calories - they might well be low calorie, but they contain around 15g of sugar and offer no nutritional benefits whatsoever. It's a similar idea with crisps - a pack of Quavers (a fellow old prerequisite) is less than 90 calories, yet they are practically the snacking equivalent to air when it comes down to it!

Needless to say that I've learnt my lesson, good n' proper. A round up: it's a double thumbs up for snacks that offer your body the nutrients and goodness that it deserves for getting through the day (particular Monday), and a massive thumbs down to preemptive food marketing. We don't need your "snacks" anymore, thank you very much (so long, suckers!).

Flourless Banana Pancakes

As proposed yesterday, I made these banana pancakes (recipe courtesy of Detoxinista) for a (very) late lunch prior to my shift at work.




Let me say this from the beginning: these are a melt-in-the-mouth delight. And, from the perspective of a cooking phobe, they are so easy to make - just one mashed banana, an egg, a pinch of baking powder, plus a dollop of peanut butter (optional, but obv the best kind of option you could make at this point in time) and any other kind of sweetener/thickener you're craving. For me, that came in the form of my new obsession - ground cinnamon. I added about a teaspoon (most likely heaped - my measuring sensors are somewhat warped when it comes to my common kitchen faves).

As instructed by Megan, I went for the baking option over frying, as I've tried the one banana + one egg pancake in a pan before to not much avail... (cue severely broken/shredded 'pancake'). My baking tray only allowed room for two medium-sized pancakes - so in they jolly well went - 15 minutes at 400c/gas mark 6, cooked until sumptuously golden brown upon parchment paper lightly greased with coconut oil.

It's fair to say that I demolished these in a matter of minutes - clearly I couldn't even manage the patience of photographing them in all their glory prior to demolition, leaving the above pictures taken with a couple of bites to spare. Naturally, I glistened mine with honey for that all-important added punch of sweetness. I love the simplicity of these pancakes, so for me these are going straight on to my list of go-to snacks in times of attack from the hungry belly monster.

Next time, I'll probably go double/triple portion size and feed more than just the one hungry belly. Sharing is caring, after all. How would you adapt this simple flourless pancake recipe? Would you sub another natural sweetener/thickener for the banana? Let me know! I'm about to tuck into a delicious meal of honey-glazed gammon ham with plenty of veggies on the side - my Mum's home-cooking is the best - how am I ever supposed to compare?!

Food Combinations for Improved Digestion

I've come across so many great paleo/healthy food blogs in recent times that my blogger feed is now bombarded with healthy recipes of every kind! This, of course, is a good thing, and at the very least it encourages me to be slightly more experimental when it comes to the murky area that is cooking. Particularly cooking sans-flour, sans-sugar, low-carb, with all-natural ingredients...and so on. You get my drift.

The latest blog on my radar is Detoxinista, and I absolutely adore everything Megan has to offer! Her background knowledge seems pretty vast, as well, so as well as gaining some decent culinary tricks, you'll probably learn a thing or two in terms of your diet.

One post of note that really hit home for me addresses food combinations for a healthy gut and improved digestive system. I think digestion is a problem that affects many of us, including me, and it's partly down to the fact our meals incorporate a variety of foods that all have different digestion times. Watching TV shows like Supersize VS Superskinny (a guilty pleasure of mine), it's shocking to see the lack of knowledge people have about food in terms of the digestive process - the combination of foods on those programmes are honestly ridiculous! (and really quite sickening)



I'd never really thought of it properly before, but it completely makes sense. And Megan's chart (which I've stolen for reference above) showing foods separated into columns helps us to visualise what our meals could (and should) look like from here on - if we want a better rate of digestion, that is. I certainly do.

And now I'm off to attempt recreating her recipe for oven-baked banana paleo pancakes, seeing as I missed Shrove Tuesday last week due to the misfortunate circumstance that was work - pfft. Pics to come soon. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed pancake day more than I did! Let me know your favoured recipes, I do ♥ pancakes...or any egg-based meal, for that matter.

Leftover Porridge Recipe

If you're going to designate a day for baking, then surely Sunday is the most appropriate - agreed?

And what better reason to start baking than leftover porridge? (courtesy of my boyfriend, of course - 'leftover porridge' simply isn't in my vocabulary).




I mixed 2 eggs (but just one yoke) with the porridge (made from almond milk/water and oats), along with some raisins, crushed up honey roasted nuts (around 15g at a guess - these are SO addictive, beware!), a teaspoon of manuka honey, plus 2 tablespoons coconut flour and a quarter teaspoon baking powder. I distributed the mixture into muffin cases (Pudsey ones, no less! God knows how old they are...) and baked on gas mark 4 (350c) for 35-40 minutes, grating some 90% dark chocolate on the tops about 5 minutes prior to removing them from the oven!

This made 8 muffins plus 3 teeny-tiny taster ones (all of which I ate during the baking process because I'm too damn impatient for my own good). I've yet to give them a final verdict as I'm doing that normal thing of waiting till they've cooled before eating...yeah, it's a new thing for me, I know.

Has anyone else any leftover porridge recipes to recommend me?! I always have some leftover porridge in the pan, though when it comes to porridge I usually just have to finish it. Not that you'll ever hear me complain about that - I'm such a massive greedy guts when it comes to porridge in the morning. This morning, however, my stomach could not possibly warrant for 2.5x my regular portion size (which is large as it is...).

Ah, I do love me a nice Sunday recipe - especially when it consists of all my favourite ingredients! Hope you all have a relaxing day, guys :).

Exercise Benefits Cancer Patients

This is a guest post written by Melanie Bowen of the Cancer Alliance blog, Mesothelioma. Melanie is dedicated to the cause of alleviating the suffering of Cancer patients through the combined efforts of a healthy diet and regular exercise - something that can often be overlooked when faced with a dominating health scare like cancer.



When people are diagnosed with cancer, one of the last things on their minds is fitness. However, many doctors consider exercise to be an important part of cancer treatment. Furthermore, research has shown that if people exercise during cancer treatments, they will allow their heart and lungs to be fully functional, and exercise will speed up their recovery process.

Benefits of exercise during cancer treatment

There are many benefits to exercising during cancer treatment. During cancer treatments, patients will experience a lot of fatigue; therefore, they may feel that they do not have the energy to engage in any type of physical activity. However, even light exercises will be very beneficial for patients. By engaging in light exercises, the patients will increase their energy level, and this will allow them to approach their remaining treatment sessions with enthusiasm. In addition, for those who can do moderate exercises, those could prove to be even more beneficial for patients. When patients engage in moderate exercises, they will have more energy, be more positive and experience less fatigue.

Mesothelioma and other cancers cause the body to lose muscle strength. By engaging in strength training exercises, the patients will prevent their bodies from becoming weaker. Finally, exercising will improve the mood of the patients. Cancer treatment can cause the patients to become sad, depressed, or angry; however, when they begin to exercise, their bodies will release endorphins. These endorphins will help to prevent these negative feelings.

Benefits of exercise after cancer treatment

Although exercise is great during the cancer treatment, patients will also benefit from exercising after their treatment is complete. After the treatment process is complete, the patients will have an increased risk of developing heart issues, and they will have an increased risk of bone fractures. Some cancer treatments may cause the patients to experience a lot of pain however, by exercising; patients can actually reduce pain and reduce the chances of the cancer returning.

Cancer can be devastating, but with a daily routine of exercise, people can continue to maintain a high quality of life. Furthermore, exercising can possibly give them the opportunity to enjoy the same activities that they enjoyed before they were diagnosed with cancer.

Katie says: As Melanie has stated, the benefits of fitness and eating healthy are indisputable during and after a diagnosis of any kind of cancer. While each different cancer has its limitations, if one can keep a healthy body, they have a much better chance to overcome this awful disease. It's definitely a message that needs to be spread, especially given how common cancer is becoming among our generation today. If you or any of your close friends/family are in the process of overcoming cancer, take a look over on the Mesothelioma blog to find out more. Thanks, Melanie :).

Kale Blend

Ah, Kale. My new fave.

Following from the whole kale/carrot crisp escapade, I decided to use up the leftovers of my kale in a delicious smoothie blend. This was the (very green pigmented) outcome.




Ingredients for one large glass:

1 Banana
A few handfuls of Kale (more leaves, less of the stalk)
Juice of 1 lemon
150-200ml almond milk
100ml water
1 tbsp manuka honey (to sweeten)

Some experimentation was necessary to get the mixture to the desired sweetness, but the whole lemon did the trick. I enjoyed this as a lunch replacement smoothie because I was in a rush before work - luckily for me, it satisfied my appetite until dinnertime. However, there's not a great deal of protein in the mix so if you were looking for something a bit more substantial, I'd suggest adding a scoop of protein powder (something fairly neutral in flavour, like vanilla) or the addition of ground almonds (or a spoonful of peanut butter if you fancy).

Ultimately, this is packed full of energy and nutrients, which is why it can be suited for meal replacement purposes. Kale is big in the game of detox/cleansing smoothies - so the more the merrier, I say. Happy slurping!

Recommended Reading

This post on naturalnews.com (a favourite for providing non-bullshit news based on facts and proven studies) pretty much sums up how I feel about weight-loss strategies - mainly, how to go about losing weight successfully, without needing to go down the route of 'miracle' slimming pills, starvation, malnourishment, eating disorders, etc.

I really believe in the power of 'mind over matter' - eating right is hugely psychological, just as exercise is. You need to push past what you consider your 'boundaries' in order to achieve the results you want to see - as your boundaries are basically non-existent, anyway!

Everything that Mark Adams says in this article is so, so fundamental and applicable to everyone attempting to lead a healthier, happier lifestyle. In fact, the whole website is dedicated to articles like these, which is why I love it so much. It's my go-to for research purposes as it's just full of wonderful, reliable information that you wouldn't find elsewhere (particularly in print).

Over the past few months it's really hit me how much our government and media/marketing 'Giant' brands control and dictate to us what's good/bad for us, without actually providing us with any of the crucial background details - i.e., why these kinds of foods are good for us, what it provides our body with, and how it is utilised within our dietary systems. We are mere puppets beneath their powerful grasp - but only if we choose to be.

Ultimately, the best way we can control our own destiny and our future health is by following the most natural diet as possible - to choose wholly natural, healthy, nutrient-rich food that also tastes great over those laden with fat and sugar. Simple as that. But definitely read the article as recommended before - he sums it up a lot better than I have!

PS. The photo is from a book I was gifted at Christmas, 'Information is Beautiful' by David McCandless. If you're into infographics and like looking at pretty layouts/design (like myself) it's an absolute coffee table must-have.

Vegetable Crisps for Saintly Snacking!

Hello!

I've been dying to make my own homemade vegetable crisps for quite a while now, after seeing similar recipes countless of times over the internet (I probably stalk too many health/fitness blogs for my own good). Today was the day granting my wish to put my extremely limited culinary 'skills' to the test. Not that these recipes require any cooking skills whatsoever, mind you - I think even a 3 year old could manage to make these.



So I began with the kale crisps - I rinsed the curly kale (one large pack cost me £1.25 in Tesco, so pretty inexpensive) in water and dried it slightly with paper towels. Apparently it's better to bake kale when the leaves are dry - don't ask me, I'm no kale expert myself (this is in fact the first time I've ever cooked or tasted kale! What a deprived life I've lived so far, huh?). I then spread out the kale on a foil-lined baking tray and drizzled around 1tbsp of Olive Oil on to the whole lot - followed by a dusting of salt (Himalayan sea salt, no doubt) and pepper. Et Voila - in the oven they go, bake for around 12 minutes at 400C/gas mark 6 for my old school oven.

In the meantime I decided to prep my carrots by washing them and cutting the tops and tails off. Now FINELY slice your carrots (I used two large carrots and that was enough for one tray's worth of crisps - do more if you wish, but you'll need to prepare a couple of baking trays so they're evenly spread). And when I say FINELY in caps locks...well, you know what you need to do.

Melt 1tbsp coconut oil in the microwave for a minute, and mix half a teaspoon plus a teaspoon of cinnamon powder separately. Mix your very finely chopped slices of carrot with the oil and spread evenly on to the baking tray, then dust with your mix of salt and cinnamon. By the time you're finished your kale should be nice and crispy, so replace them with the carrots and bake them for 20 minutes (or more depending on how good you were at chopping - I did a poor job and it meant my carrots didn't crisp as well as I'd hoped even after 30 minutes of baking. Apart from a few that were literally BURNT to a crisp. Not to worry, I ate them anyway).



And there you have it - delicious and moreish snacks to devour tonight in front of the telly-box with an alcoholic beverage or two. Beats Walkers hands-down, right? (don't be giving me that look - yeeeah I saw you!).

FYI: Kale is another amazing source of magnesium that you absolutely need to integrate into your diet, along with dark, high-quality cacao (see previous post!). If you didn't know already, our cardiovascular system, digestive system, nervous system, muscles, kidneys, liver, hormone-secreting glands, and even our brains all rely on magnesium for their basic metabolic functioning. It's a pretty cool mineral, you know.

Seriously - who ever said healthy food had to be boring? Pass this recipe along and join the buzz for healthy snacking! It's what 2013 is all about.