Ow ow ow

I think a mule may have kicked me in the eye while I slept last night.

Yesterday morning I thought I�d got off quite lightly in terms of the swelling and bruising I was warned might occur.

Nope.

As far as bruising goes there�s very little visible discolouration, but swelling? My eyelid is so huge its hard to open the eye at all. And while yesterday my only real pain reminded me of when I first tried to wear contact lenses � the irritation that I used to feel after a few hours and then I�d rush to take them out  - today its more of a half-my-head ache. I guess maybe yesterday there was still some anaesthetic in my system keeping things under control and now it�s all worn off?

F**k me it�s sore. Why are there no OTC painkillers that take effect INSTANTLY???

I spent yesterday lying on my bed / the sofa, mostly with my eyes shut, bored out of my skull. To cheer me up we did book a cruise for August, about which you will hear more later. The cheering up effect wore off when I woke up with the mule-kicked feeling, but I expect it will return when the painkillers kick in. Right now I�d gouge the damn thing out with a spoon if I didn�t suspect that would hurt quite a lot more.

Thanks for all the lovely comments � apologies for repaying you with loads of moaning.

But in case I didn�t make my point � OW.

ETA the Paramol is beginning to kick in a bit� phew

Berry 'Oat free' Porridge

An easy on the go recipe, can be prepared in minutes and left in fridge overnight to expand and grow ;)

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds
• 1/3-1/2 jar Almond milk
• 1 scoop protein powder ( i used vanilla )
• handful of chopped berries
• handful of chopped hazelnuts
• 1 empty jar - optional ( could be one of your left over nut butter jars )

Method

• Put all the ingredients into the jar.
• Place the lid on the jar and shake it up.  ( extra exercise in here )
• Continue until all the ingredients are combined. 
• Put the lid on the jar and place in the fridge overnight to set.
• In the morning take out the jar, and eat. 

You could also place a few berries and chopped nuts on top for serving. 

I prefer to eat this cold but it could be heated up.

Again with this you can add any flavours you want, play around with it and find a combination that you like.

For high carb days i would use mashed banana instead of berries with walnuts and cinnamon. 

Another ingredients option would be chopped strawberries, flaked almonds and a Tbsp of natural yogurt. 

Home safe & mostly sound

Hi, just a quick post today to say my op went off as planned yesterday - I felt like crap afterwards from the general anaesthetic but they let me come home and I was glad to be out of there! Not feeling spectacular today and my vision is very poor - not just the bad eye, which appears to be swimming in blood, but the other one is struggling to compensate so if this appears to be incomprehensible drivel that's my excuse...
Anyway, normal service will be restored asap

Is it Monday already?

I'm not sure where the weekend went,apart from spending hours in the kitchen both days. I made a new batch of Paleo mayonnaise from which I made 3 different salad dressings; I baked a loaf of grain-free bread, made an oxtail stew, cooked a pork tenderloin and some chicken & froze them, made homemade pork scratchings, roasted a little gammon joint... I didn't actually eat much home cooked food though as celebrating M's birthday carried over into Saturday with a kebab for dinner.
I wanted a couple of long walks but unsettled and very windy weather led to me taking multiple short walks instead - less interesting and overall lower mileage but it helped me avoid showers & cold blustery winds. We also watched the second Hunger Games movie and season 4 of The Big C on DVD, so my weekend must have been split between short, fast walks, hours on my feet in the kitchen, and hours flat on my back on the sofa. I actually stayed in bed till 6 am yesterday - very rare for me! But possibly needed as I had way more energy than usual yesterday morning.
This morning was a very different story - I woke up about 3am and never got back to sleep. Once I got up all I could do was stumble around the house mumbling 'I don't want to go to work...' and then go to work...
At lunchtime I fitted in an extra walk - about 2.5 miles - for some shopping. It started off freezing cold & blustery but then the sun came out and it became quite mild and pleasant, so I enjoyed it in the end.
M was given an Easter egg at work today and brought it home for me as a comforting treat before my operation <3 p="">Deniz, thanks for stopping by to wish me luck for tomorrow. I know you've got a lot going on in your life right now but I always love hearing from you and appreciate your support.

Food today:
Breakfast: raw ginger soup
Lunch: raw Kreamy dill soup
Dinner: pork with cheese sauce (a recipe from Barry Grove's book Natural Health & Weight Loss), broccoli & leek
Snacks: cashews, homemade pork scratchings, chocolate!!!

Coconut Pecan Bites

So if any of you have tried nakd bars and liked them, then this ones for you. I tweaked a few ingredients and tried out a few flavours and this one is really nice and works well. I added protein powder too, to give it a good long lasting punch :)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup dates
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 3 TBsp coconut oil melted
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Method

1. Add the pecans to the food processor and blend till fine consistency.
2. Add the dates to the food processor and combine with pecans until fine.
3. Add the coconut and protein powder and combine.
4. Melt the coconut oil and add to and combine all together. 
5. Take out the mixture and place between two pieces of baking paper. 
6. Roll out the mixture to about 1/8 inch think.
7. Place in the freezer to set.
8. Remove from freezer and break into bite sized pieces.
9. You can place them back in the freezer to store. 
10. Ideal for on the go snack or with a cup of tea.

Almond Butter Eggs ( like Copycat Reese's bites)

One great source of recipes for trying out new things for me is Melissa on My Whole Food Life . Amazing recipes and lovely food too :-)

So for easter i tried out her Copycat Reese's "Peanut Butter" eggs and they were lets just saw OMG :) Yumm

I had to reduce the recipe on her site because i'm the only one that was going to eat them and well i know it was easter.. but i still would have been in a food sleep.

Ingredients
Filling

• 1/4 Cup Almond Butter
• 3/4 Tbsp Maple Syrup 
• 1 Tbsp Coconut flour

Chocolate Coating

• 2 Tbsp dark chocolate
• dash Almond milk

Method

1. In a food processor combine the filling ingredients.
2. Roll the filling into small egg shapes.
3. Place the eggs on a lined baking sheet and place in the freezer to firm up.
4. 
5. In a bowl over hot water melt the chocolate and almond milk mixture.
6. Take the eggs from the freezer.
7. Roll each of the eggs in the chocolate mixture till covered. 
8. Place them back on the lined baking sheet and place back in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
9. 
10. Store these in the freezer. 
11. 

Pouring...

What a horrible day (weatherwise)... Rain, rain, cold, rain, rain.... Cold, rain.. I took an hour longer than usual to get to work due to travel issues and frankly was really tempted to turn around and head for home to work there instead. I was really grumpy by the time I got there. On the plus side I stopped for a consolatory latte on the way and wasn't even interested in any of the high carb junk food I saw - not interested, not tempted in the slightest.
I figured that the day was only going to get better after that start but was proved wrong when my pc crashed and died mid-morning for no apparent reason. So more frustration.
It's M's birthday today so there was no dieting this evening. We're trying to cut back on our spending so we just got an Indian takeaway and some booze at home.

Food today:
Breakfast: raw carrot ginger soup
Lunch: raw Kreamy cucumber soup & flapjack
Dinner: Haryali tikka / pork sekuwa starter followed by lamb haryali & plain rice
Snacks: cheddar cheese and a little cashew butter

Protective Style Lookbook || Banana Clip Updo

By popular demand, this is a series showcasing various protective hair styles.  Protective styling does not have to be boring. :o)

Model: Chrissy

Difficulty level: 1/5

Description: Roll and tuck style with a banana clip.

Product Review || Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner

NOTE:  This product was purchased at Walgreens.

Purpose: "... creates softness and strength while protecting your hair from harmful styling heat and UV damage ..."

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycol Stearate, Glycol Distearate, Ceteareth-20, Isopropyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Citric Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Panthenol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Yellow 5 (Cl 19140), Red 40 (Cl 16035), Fragrance (Parfum).

Number of trials: ~3-4

How I used it:

Applied to the ends (the last few inches) of freshly washed hair.
Waited for 3-5 minutes (as instructed).
Then rinsed.

_____________

THE REVIEW:

This conditioner was okay.  It did not leave me blown away or wanting to purchase more.  I get the same (or probably a bit more) softness and strength from my ORS Replenishing Conditioner and ApHogee 2-Minute Keratin Reconstructor. 

___________________

PROS: pleasant smell, nice consistency (not runny or watery), pretty bottle

CONS: over-priced (~$6.99 for 13 fl. oz.)

RATING: Overall, I give the Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner 2.5 out of 5 stars.  

This product is ideal for those who:

- experience a little (but not severe) breakage and splits

Planning and preparing

Diane, that was either the best or the worst idea of all time... I had a quick look at an ice cream maker on Amazon and now I want one desperately... Which means I'm scared to actually get one in case I end up gaining 11 stone in a month... :-)

I spent some time today editing my myfitnesspal.com account so I can start recording my food again. I'm not very happy with my weight - and the total lack of progress I'm making unless on a whole30 - so I need to up my efforts, and since it is looking increasingly like I might actually be operated on next Tuesday I have to focus on my intake rather than making vague promises to myself about increasing my exercise (I somehow doubt if even walking will appeal immediately following the op and anything strenuous would risk hampering the healing - even if there was a chance in hell that I'd be up for it) My first focus has to be on remaining fully gf, as I don't want to feel like crap while healing, and ideally grain-free, with the possible exception of white rice, as I've been eating it about once a week lately and having no problems with it. I'm upping my carbs to fuel the process - my current plan is 20-30% of calories, coming from potatoes, sweet potatoes and vegetables primarily. I'd like to try for 20% protein and the rest fat. I will be open to changing any and all of it except the gluten based on how I feel though - even if my body is demanding chocolate & crisps! So I expect to gain more before I hopefully start losing :-(

Food today:
Breakfast: raw coconut tomato soup
Lunch: raw curried cilantro cucumber soup (except I replaced cilantro/coriander with parsley because I already had some) and an apple
Dinner: baked salmon fillet with stirfried vegetables
Snacks: satsuma, mini homemade sausages (made from yesterday's lamb cumin burger mix)

banana bread cookie? or muffin?

So many of you have loved my grain-free, low-sugar Banana Bread recipe, so I thought I'd create a variation...with icing! Raw chocolate icing, the kind that also happens to be good for you. 

The first time I tested the recipe I made the mixture into muffins. They are deliciously dense and perfect with a big dollop of raw chocolate icing and a sprinkling of raw cacao nibs. However, I thought the dense texture would lend itself nicely to a cookie...so I made them into cookies next time around and topped with a swathe of the icing and a sprinkling of coconut. Either way works, so go with whatever floats your boat. I personally prefer the cookie version.

As usual, the recipe is grain-free, refined sugar-free and it's also nut-free for those (like me) who can't handle too many nuts. If you're not a fan of coconut flour, you could substitute almond meal or another nut meal and just add a little extra (because nut meals don't soak up as much moisture as coconut flour).

The muffin version, waiting to be iced.

ingredients

For the cookies or muffins:

• 1 large (or 2 small) banana
• 2 eggs
• � cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• � tsp vanilla powder or extract
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp raw virgin coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened and no preservatives - ingredients should just be coconut)

For the raw chocolate icing:

• 2 tbsp raw virgin coconut oil, softened
• 1 tsp tahini or nut butter (optional)
• 1-2 tsp rice malt syrup or raw honey
• 2-3 tbsp raw cacao powder
• Pinch of salt
• Raw cacao nibs and/or coconut for sprinkling on top

preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 170�C. If you're making the cookies, line a baking tray with baking paper. If you're making the muffins, line a muffin tin with 4 - 6 muffin cases or squares of baking paper (depending how large you want to make them).

2. Mash the banana in a bowl with a fork until smooth. Stir through the eggs, lightly beating with the fork to combine. Sift the coconut flour into the bowl to remove any lumps, then stir in the cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and salt until everything is well combined. Stir through the melted coconut oil and the desiccated coconut. This should thicken the mixture.

4. If you're making the cookies, form the mixture into balls and press onto the lined baking tray about 1cm thick. The mixture will feel quite wet, but it should hold together. If it's not holding together, add a little extra coconut flour. If you're making the muffins, spoon the mixture into the lined muffin tin. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes and the muffins for 25-30 minutes. 

6. While the cookies or muffins are baking, prepare the icing by mixing all of the icing ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

7. Once the cookies or muffins are completely cold (I put them in the freezer for a few minutes because I'm impatient), they are ready to ice. If you try and ice them while they are still warm, the icing will melt and run all over the place. It's best if the icing is a paste consistency. If your icing is too runny, place it in the fridge for a few minutes then take it out and give it a good stir. If it's too hard, sit the bowl in some hot water until it starts to soften, then give it a good stir. Once you've iced the cookies or muffins, top with some raw cacao nibs or coconut and place in the fridge until the icing sets.

Makes about 8 cookies or 4 large muffins.

NB: I use a 20ml tbsp. If you have a 15ml tbsp (if you're in the US or UK), you can measure out 4 tsp in place of each tbsp.

Dull day

There was some sunshine today, early on anyway, which was a nice start to the day. I forgot to take an antihistamine before leaving home this morning, so I was a bit snuffly though not as bad as I was before I started taking them. Maybe the pollen levels are finally tailing off a bit.
Nothing interesting happened today.
You might notice if you stayed awake through yesterday'spost and look below that I'm eating more raw soups at the moment (from Ani's 15 day fat blast). If you've been around a while you might remember I tried to follow her full plan once but failed (even though I liked the savoury recipes) after about 3 days. I'm obviously not attempting the plan again, but I'm sick of salads and feel I've been eating too much protein, not enough carbs (though I'm not going high carb) and not enough fat. This is my way to address that - soups heavy on avocado, coconut oil, or nuts, for healthy fats, and plenty of leafy green & salad vegetables. It actually meets a lot of the nutritional guidelines apart from the fact that most of them contain miso paste - but I'm ok with that as it's fermented and mostly in relatively small quantities.

Food today:
Breakfast: raw 'minestrone' soup
Lunch: raw Kreamy tomato gazpacho soup
Dinner: lamb & cumin burgers (homemade, recipe in Paleo Primer) with salad
Snacks: cashews, mini homemade sausages (made using the same recipe I told you about before, except that I replaced the pear with an apple and cut down on the black pepper a bit)
Supper: M is the spawn of the devil... Ben & Jerry are his accomplices. I had ice cream

State of the Blog, Lightened Up Dressings and Sauces AND a Reader Advice Request! Phew!

I'm not going to go into a whole song and dance about the state of this blog, but I'm sure it's obvious that I have done less blogging lately than I used to. The simple fact is that while I absolutely love and adore blogging (I really, really do), there are other things in my life that need my attention right now (my kids, my health, my business, my home).

It literally pains me to say that, but I have to say it out loud, to you.

I wish I could be a full time blogger AND do all of the other things that I love and need to do. But I can't, so blogging needs to take a backseat to everything else right now.

I'm not going to stop blogging altogether, simply because I really do enjoy it that much. So you can expect HGK blog posts from time to time, and maybe even a new recipe or two. If you miss me (and I hope that you do), I am able to be much more active at this time on Facebook and Instagram, two platforms that literally take minutes to connect with like-minded peeps, rather than the hours and hours that a single blog post requires. So if you haven't started an Instagram account yet, what are you waiting for? It really is fun.

But back to something interesting, right?

Read more �

Where did the bank holiday go?

I lost Friday to a hangover. I can't say how embarrassing it is to be that hung-over on 3 beers (stronger than my usual choices, but still only 3). I got up quite early to take alka seltzer for my upset stomach & the ice pick in my skull, threw up twice within an hour, and generally suffered my way through the morning. (I'm not asking for sympathy btw, I know I brought it on myself). For lunch I had a Krispy Kreme and felt much better.
Saturday I went into Reading for a little shopping & walked maybe 3 miles total then watched the movie Safe with Jason Statham (The Transporter by another name).
Sunday I got quite a good morning walk before the rain arrived. We had quite a bit of thunder overhead and some torrential rain later on so I didn't go back out, just vegetated indoors and cooked some stuffed lambs hearts in the slow cooker for dinner.
Yesterday was more of the same - a couple of shorter walks rather than 1 long one to get around 4 miles in total (carrying an extremely heavy rucksack for a  couple of them) and I ate a couple of hot cross buns (not gf - but it's only Easter once a year...)
The rain was back today but very light and drizzly a lot of the time. I walked 2 miles and left it at that.

Food today:
Breakfast: raw curried zucchini cucumber soup
Lunch: garlic bell pepper raw soup
Dinner: meatza with beef crust, topped with mushrooms, broccoli, red onion & cheese served with sweet potato oven chips and broccoli slaw                                         Snacks: cashews, Greek yogurt

Easter Egg Bites without the guilt

These are sooo simple. They taken even less time it would take to go to the shop and buy a calorie filled easter egg. 

A friend posted a comment today on how many burpees would equate to balance out some easter treats.

1 creme egg - 120 burpeess..

1 regular easter egg - 524 burpees.

So for this year i'm skipping the regular easter eggs, but i'm going to have these instead. A little treat for easter.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup hazlenuts
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder (i used green and blacks)
• 1/2 Tbsp agave (maple syrup or raw honey)
• 4 dates pitted

Method

1. Combine all the ingredient in a food processor and blend up until fine.
2. 
   
   
3. Take a heaped teaspoon of the mixture and roll and compact into egg or ball shapes.
4. Eat :-0 

Yes its that simple.. HAPPY EASTER 

I'm a bit... hic...pi**ed

After what could only be described as a slow motion binge yesterday (crap at lunchtime then more on the way home) I woke up this morning feeling like I never wanted to eat again (my body saying 'don't do this to me any more - if you can't eat real food don't bother at all' perhaps? So I skipped breakfast and had just a plum & some cashews for my morning snack. I'm not boasting here - I was quite literally completely uninterested in chocolate, or any of the other things I've been overdoing lately, so no willpower was required.
The hayfever has almost completely subsided - my nose still felt a bit stuffed but not runny and I wasn't sneezing any more either. Hurray for antihistamines!
But today wasn't all good - I got a phone call from the hospital this morning, apparently the surgeon who will be operating on my eye is not going to be there on the 22nd so my operation has been put back to the 29th. Just marvelous. I can't believe they booked me in for a surgery on a day that the guy wasn't actually physically in the hospital... Oh who am I kidding, I do believe it, and I also believe it's perfectly possible he decided to take a holiday after they booked it, and just told them to reschedule everybody. Soooo frustrating. I'm now equally scared of the op and desperate for it to be over so it's not hanging over me any more. I hate the f***ing NHS....

Food today:
Breakfast: none
Lunch: gammon salad
Dinner: sirloin steak with chips, mushroom, a few (very few) peas and half a tomato... Plus 3 beers!!!
Snacks: cashews & plum

Choco Coco Sweet Potato Cookies

Perfect with a cup of herbal tea when friends pop over for a chat.

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato mashed (approximately 1 cup)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips ( or carob chips)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil melted
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 2 eggs, beaten

Method

1. Steam the sweet potato for 20 minutes or until soft.
2. Combine the cinnamon, vanilla, egg, coconut and dark chocolate chips in a medium bowl.
3. Mash the sweet potato in a separate bowl.
4. Add the melted coconut oil, to the sweet potato. to give the mixture a creamy consistency.
5. Preheat the oven to 190degC.
6. Combine the sweet potato to the remaining ingredients and stir until everything is fully combined.

1. On a large lined baking sheet spoon out the mixture, in heaped teaspoon sizes.
2. You can flatten them out or leave as is.
3. As th�se don't really spread out you can pack them close together.
4. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes , until firm and slightly browned at the bottom.
5. Remove from oven and let cool before eating.

And above all enjoy :-)

sniff

Still being hammered by the pollen - not as sneezy but my nose has been flowing freely! As a result I stayed indoors at lunchtime to avoid re-exposing myself to any more pollen. By early afternoon I was feeling better, so I think the antihistamines are building up to useful levels and I hope they'll get things under control soon.
As I wasn't going out at lunch I entertained myself reading more eye surgery forums and had to stop because I was feeling rather unwell... I have decided not to watch the video of the surgery by the way - I think I'll be happier letting the whole thing just happen around my unconscious and unknowing head. Of course today I was reading a story about someone who woke up just as her surgery was supposed to start due to inadequate supplies of gas in the equipment... Also last night I had an anxiety dream (at least I got to sleep for long enough to dream) - it took a consistent format for me that recurs whenever I'm worried and makes no effort to reflect real life in terms of the situation worrying me. Basically it's always a dream about arriving at the airport to go on a fantastically expensive holiday only to realize I left my passport & tickets at home.... Then I spend the rest of the dream racing around madly trying to get the paperwork and return to the airport before the flight takes off. Yes, my brain focuses on incredibly trivial stuff when I sleep...

Food today:
Breakfast: eggs scrambled with gammon, red onion & mushrooms
Lunch: soup
Dinner: Mexican pork chops with roasted Brussels sprouts
Snacks: cashew nuts and toasted coconut, and a truly enormous quantity of crap....

Hair Diary || A Month of Chunky Twists to Hair Boredom

Throwback pic (Dec. 2013).

Okay, it has been a while since I've posted in the "Hair Diary" ... largely because I've been bored with my hair as of late and do not want to think about it.  My thoughts have gone from cutting my hair down to neck-length to putting in some highlights to loc-ing to relaxing it ...

*Gasps from the readers*

Yep, for the first time in years I've thought about relaxing.  Why?  For ease of care.  The detangling process on my natural hair really gets on my nerves sometimes, and I start to reminisce on the relaxer days when fingers and combs would glide effortlessly through my hair.

At the end of the day, though, I do not miss the regular application of relaxer just to keep those roots straight, the breakage, the scalp burns, the relaxer smell, and the permanent straightness.  After all, if I want straight hair, I can always pull out the flat iron (which I eventually did do recently) on my natural hair.  What's so funny is that the "straight" phase always passes within a couple of weeks because flat-ironed hair is so boring to me after a while.

Agh, anyway, as I figure out how to spice up my hair boredom without doing something drastic, here are some more hair pics from last month:

First set of chunky twists.  Overall, I had to re-twist my hair weekly (as expected) which is too much manipulation for me. Back to my usual smaller twists.

The front of that set.

This was more of a big/medium size set of twists.  In the following week, I did some actual chunky twists.  (No pics for that unfortunately.)

Other angles of the above look.

Study || Herbal Oils as a Natural Sunscreen?

According to quite a few studies, certain herbal oils can provide a level of protection from the sun.  The calculated SPF values range from 0.248 to 7.549.  Olive oil and coconut oil are among the highest ranking ones.

Now, though these oils provide some sun protection, I would not go so far as to use them in place of a regular sunscreen.  After all, many dermatologists recommend that women of color wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or even 30.  Olive oil and coconut oil have an SPF of only 7.5 and 7.1, respectively.  Some of these oils, however, can decelerate damage caused to the skin after sun exposure ... which is something that sunscreens generally do not do.   (Check out my earlier post on olive oil after UVB-exposure.)  Additionally, these oils can provide our hair with a level of sun protection. :o)

SOURCES
SPF DETERMINATION OF HERBAL OILS IN COSMETICS (2010)
OLIVE OIL ON UV-INDUCED CANCER (2000)
EFFECT OF ALMOND OIL ON UVB-INDUCED PHOTOAGING (2007)

So, what's Healthy World Cafe all about?

In April, Healthy World Cafe vice chair Patrick Walker was an invited guest on Faith in Community, a public access show hosted by the Rev. Kate Bortner on White Rose Community Television.

Take a look as Patrick outlines some of the needs that have inspired pay-how-you-can cafes like Healthy World Cafe here in York, and illustrates how we aim to build a sustainable community by providing nourishing food for all!



Want to get involved? Check out a list of upcoming volunteer opportunities and find out how to sign up! You can also find a list of other pay-how-you-can cafes in the United States.

Achoo

Beautiful day today, with blue skies, sunshine... And high pollen count!!! I never had hayfever until I was 16, and 3 or 4 years later it stopped again - but now it's back. I don't know if it's a side effect of all the pollution that blew over this way the other week, but I can't say I'm particularly happy to be sniffling & sneezing my way through the day. Because it's been clear for so long it never occurred to me to take an antihistamine before work - or bring them to work - even though M has hayfever for the first time in 3 or 4 years as well. So irritating! 
At lunchtime I popped to the nearest pharmacy to buy some antihistamines and then fled back indoors as quickly as possible to give them a chance to work. So no walk at lunch today (mind you I had time to make up from yesterday so needed to cut my lunchbreak short anyway). Annoyingly the antihistamines stopped me sneezing but did very little for my runny nose, leaving me with an antisocial sniffle for the afternoon.
I still walked 2 miles today, but couldn't force myself to do more given the high pollen count. 
Confession time:
I'm eating lots of crap just now. I wouldn't call it comfort eating so much as distraction eating... I'm really worried about my op and the healing process, I've never been operated on before or under general anaesthetic and since birth have only spent one night in hospital - observation when I had a kidney infection years ago - so I'm pretty scared to be honest. I'm cutting myself some slack right now because I don't have the energy to worry about diet as well. So no food diary today...

I have a date....

I had my pre op assessment this morning. I basically worked from home for about an hour and a half, then headed for the train station to get into Reading for 9. The appointment was dead on time amazingly - possibly because it was so early - and the staff nurse was very nice even if she did have to ask me my age and weigh me - two of my not favourite things these days.
The op is booked for the afternoon of April 22nd - a week away in other words. I can have breakfast so long as I eat before 7:30, then nothing but water, black tea, or black coffee as it will be done under general anaesthetic. So long as there are no complications I should be allowed home the same day, around 7pm.
Due to my appointment I walked about 4 miles, and came home to finish the day working from home. If you glance at the food diary below you will see that I comforted myself after my appointment with a very indulgent treat from one of Reading's independent coffee shops. I did stay gf and don't feel any guilt / regret about it.
The weekend was pretty uneventful btw. I wanted to take it easy and just chill out, so I didn't do much - fairly short walks, a bit of grocery shopping,some time out in the garden in the sun yesterday (barbecuing dinner). It was nice, and I did feel relaxed most of the time anyway.

Food today:
Breakfast: Barbecued pork chop and large slice of gf chocolate cake
Lunch: soup
Dinner: chicken & veg topped with homemade pesto
Snacks: some roast gammon

Catch Health World Cafe TWICE in April -- Go Green in the City and at lunch!

We've been working hard behind the scenes as we prepare to open at 24 S. George St. this summer. Thank you to the community for donations and support!

Curious to what you'll find on the menu in our new location? Well, you have two chances in the month of April! Join us this month for Go Green in the City, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 19, in the first block of North Beaver Street in downtown York, where we'll be serving up delicious, locally sourced eats.

Menu:
-- Farmer's harvest chicken soup
-- Focaccia served with arugula hummus
-- Chickpeas with spinach and honeyed sweet potato
-- Mushroom and gruyere quiche
-- Mixed, dried fruit and oatmeal cookies
-- Citrus- and herb-infused tea and water
-- Spring Salad with roasted vegetables, feta, beans and a dollop of arugula hummus

Then, swing by for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, at First Moravian Church, 41 N. Duke St., York. Some of our menu overlaps with Go Green, but we've got plenty of new dishes to temp your taste buds. And, all are locally sourced dishes!

Menu:
-- Farmer's harvest chicken soup
-- Roasted garlic and parsnip soup with sage lemon butter
-- Focaccia served with:
*Nettle walnut pesto and sliced radishes
*Arugula hummus
-- Spring salad with roasted vegetables, feta, beans and a dollop of arugula hummus
-- Chickpeas with spinach and honeyed sweet potato
-- Wheat berry, mushroom, celery and shallot salad
-- Asparagus quiche
-- Mixed, dried fruit and oatmeal cookies

Of course, our menu is always based on what's available from our farmer friends, so check back for updates.

At Healthy World Cafe, we always feature our "eat what you want, pay how you can" philosophy. The ability to pay should never be a barrier to accessing delicious, unprocessed, healthy food.

Housekeeping items worth noting:

-- PARKING: When coming to the cafe for our Wednesday lunches, please DO NOT park in the private lots surrounding 1st Moravian Church.  You may park on the street (metered), or you may park at First Presbyterian Church at E. Market and N. Queen Sts. in the un-numbered, yellow-lined parking spots, and please include a sign on your dashboard to indicate you are a Healthy World Cafe volunteer. Then, walk one block west down Clarke Ave. to First Moravian (and enter on north side)!

-- TAKE OUT: Take out orders for lunch are available by e-mailing your selections (by 10 a.m. April 23) to healthyworldcafe(at)gmail(dot)com.

-- VOLUNTEERING: In order to better respect our volunteers' time, we split the Wednesday lunch into two volunteer shifts: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon to 3 p.m. Feel free, of course, to sign up for both shifts, if you wish. For Go Green in the City, this applies as well to Saturday's shifts. 

Here's a breakdown of our volunteer needs:

Go Green in the City:
-- 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 17 -- Food prep at First Moravian Church (FMC), 39 N. Duke St., York.
-- 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 19 -- Food prep and serving at Go Green in the City, in the first block of North Beaver Street in downtown York. Meet at YorKitchen inside Central Market. Shifts will be 8 a.m. to noon, and noon to 4 p.m. Feel free to sign up for both, if you wish. If you can't work a full shift (say, you can be there 10 to 2, but not as early as 8), please email sarah.e.chain(at)gmail(dot)com and let us know when to expect you!

April lunch:
-- 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday, April 21  -- Food prep at First Moravian Church (FMC), 39 N. Duke St., York.
-- 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 22 -- Food prep at FMC
-- 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23 -- Food prep and serving at FMC. We're now splitting our lunch days into two volunteer shifts to better respect our volunteers' time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon to 3 p.m. Feel free to sign up for both, if you wish. If you can't work a full shift (say, you can be there 10 to 2, but not as early as 9), please email sarah.e.chain(at)gmail(dot)com and let us know when to expect you!

Sign up to volunteer through our calendar on VolunteerSpot.

Back again

Well, on Wednesday night I was felled by a migraine, so no post. Thursday morning I was still suffering from the headache along with nausea & dizziness, so no work or post. I did work from home in the afternoon when the drugs finally took effect (or maybe the sugar... I always crave sugary foods before & during migraines and yesterday I wallowed in them)
I slept quite well last night - over 8 hrs for a change! - and feel much better today, so I did make it in to the office and managed to walk 2 miles as usual (yesterday I still walked almost that as I had to go into town for more drugs - a painful experience with a migraine since it was a beautiful sunny day that would normally have made me very happy)

You'll notice below that I'm not cutting out nuts any more. This is because after several days of replacing healthy (in moderation) delicious raw cashews with less healthy snacks... (even on one occasion a Mars bar!!!! And several spoonfuls of peanut butter) I decided to stick with the lesser evil. So small snackpacks of cashews are back on the menu.

In other news, the eye hospital called me at lunchtime. I have my pre op appointment on Monday at 9am. So now that they have been reminded of my existence it looks like they're trying to squeeze in under the 2 months estimate he gave me.

Food today:
Breakfast: Pear, fennel & sage breakfast sausage with cherry tomatoes, hard boiled egg & sauerkraut
Lunch: gammon & salad
Dinner: turkey stirfry
Snacks: toasted coconut flakes, cashews

Almond Cracker Biscuits

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoon flaxseed , ground
• 1/3 cup arrowroot powder
• 1/4 tsp gluten free baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 Tbsp coconut milk, full fat
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp raw honey

Method

1. Combine almond flour, flaxseed meal, arrowroot flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients, coconut oil, coconut milk, vanilla and honey.
3. Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients together to form a batter and place in the fridge for 30minutes.
4. Place the chilled batter between 2 sheets of parchment paper, and roll the dough into a 1/8th inch thickness using a rolling pin.
5. 
6. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and cut dough into 3 inch squares with a knife, but don't separate the pieces,
7. Lift parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake at 180degC for 9-11 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges.
8. 
9. Remove from oven and immediently cut each square again.
10. Leave until cool before separating the pieces.
11. Let cool on baking tray over a wire rack

Crackers can be eaten as is or topped with homemade Almond 'Nutella'.

Almond 'Nutella'

Ingredients

• 1 heaped Tbsp Almond Butter
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 tsp coconut palm sugar

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly and store in an air tight container.

Turkey and Broccoli Stir Fry

A simple but tasty stir fry which even tastes better the second day

Ingredients

• 300g Turkey Breast Steaks
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3-4cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 3-4 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 6-8 florets broccoli , halved
• coconut oil for frying

Method

1. Cut the turkey into thin strips and put them into a large bowl.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, chill, spring onions.
3. Add the oil and stir well. 
4. Cover and leave to marinade for few hours.
5. Lightly steam the broccoli.
6. Heat a large pan until very hot and add some coconut oil.
7. Put the marinated turkey and ingredients into the pan and add the broccoli.
8. Stir fry the ingredients together until the meat is cooked through.

Could serve this on its own or with the Cauliflower Rice

chia fish cakes

These Chia Fish Cakes are a quick, easy and palatable way to get the nutritional benefits of a particular fish that many people hate...sardines. Before you go "ugh, disgusting" and swiftly hit the back button, I encourage you to give these a chance. My boyfriend (and taste tester) has a severe dislike of sardines but loves these - even after I told him that the 'mystery' fish was sardines.

 

Sardines are high in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron and very low in mercury, which makes them one of the best fish to eat. The chia seeds provide a crispy crunch and they are deliciously salty, so perfect with some avocado spread on top. They would also go nicely with some poached eggs for a protein-packed breakfast.

ingredients

• 190g sardines, drained (about 5 large fillets) *
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp coconut flour
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• Black pepper
• Coconut oil or butter for frying

preparation

1. Place the drained sardines in a bowl and mash well with a fork. Sometimes it's the 'insides' of sardines that puts people off, but once they are mashed, you won't notice them.

2. Stir through the eggs, coconut flour, chia seeds and some cracked black pepper until everything is well combined. Leave the mixture to sit for about 5 minutes so that the chia seeds absorb any excess moisture and thicken the mixture. If the mixture is still too runny, add a little more coconut flour and/or chia seeds.

3. Heat a little coconut oil or butter in a pan over a medium heat. Form the mixture into patty shapes with your hands (they will feel slightly wet) and place in the pan. Fry on both sides until lightly golden. You may need to do this in a couple of batches.

Makes 6 cakes.

* It's best to get sardines that are canned or bottled in olive oil (rather than vegetable/seed oils, which I avoid for the reasons discussed here). Check the ingredients list - sometimes the labelling states 'in olive oil' but when you read the ingredients list you see that it's actually a blend of olive oil and vegetable or seed oils.

Cashew Cookie Dough Bites

So.. had a dilemma this morning. Was meeting a few friends and didn't want to arrive empty handed. So i had to raid my presses and time was of the essence so i couldn't really afford to bake anything,

Hey presto. no bake cookie dough bites. The beauty again of this recipe is the speed at which it can be made and its one that can also be varied with different ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cashew nuts
• 1/2 cup dates (pitted)
• 1 Tbsp carob chips (optional)

Method

1. Put the cashews into a blender and blend until very small pieces, but not quite flour consistency.
2. Put the dates into the blender and blend until combined and dates chopped up.
3. Add in the carob chips and mix together with a spoon to ensure they are spread evenly through the mixture. 
4. Take a tablespoon of the dough and roll in your hands to form a ball.
5. 
   
   
6. Continue until all cookie dough is used. 
7. Store in an air tight container in the fridge. 
8. 
   
   

Not the best day. Not the worst either

Walked 2 miles
Ate peanut butter & chocolate & almonds (ground, in a raw soup)
Was not low carb or grain free (but was gluten free)
I was hungry most of the day, and grazed all day (TTOM) but despite the evidence below didn't go into binge mode (desperately cramming as much food as possible down in the shortest possible time)- my overeating took all day

Food today:
Breakfast: Pear, fennel & sage breakfast sausage with cherry tomatoes
Lunch: raw soup - Ani's 15 day fat blast Kreamy dill delight. My first raw soup containing broccoli. (the recipe also contains cashews, I subbed in ground almonds as I have a large bag in the freezer.) followed by natural yoghurt & blueberries
Dinner: fried rice with chicken & ham
Supper: peanut butter straight from the jar
Snacks: toasted coconut flakes, small bag of minstrels, pork scratchings

Healthy Living || Health and Fitness Goals Are About Total Life Transformation

By Stephanie of Infinite Life Fitness

 

When I work with clients I try to put all of the focus on improving all aspects of their life.

When you are working towards a health and fitness goal it is not just about working out and losing weight.  It is a total life transformation!  You have to think and act differently on a daily basis.  You have to be less critical and grow a patience not only for yourself but for other people that are around you.

When you create health and fitness goals I also suggest to create other life goals.  This journey is not just about losing the weight; it is also about becoming a better person! You have to condition yourself to think differently and that also means having less negative thoughts about yourself and other people that are around you.

The more negative things that you limit or try to cut out of your life, you will start to notice the smaller and more enjoyable things that happen day to day.  There are so many great and beautiful things around you if you take a moment to stop and notice them! People who are negative usually are to wrapped up in what is going wrong with their life to notice all of the good things that are going on.

When working towards your health and fitness goal you have to work on all aspects of your life.  You have to work on your physical, mental, and emotional challenges.  Once you start to better these areas in your life, your journey will have so much more meaning and you can enjoy the process (and the results) so much more!

My motto for this year...."It could always be worse".  Try to cut out all of the negativity and focus on the good things that happen to you!  No matter what is going on, or how bad your day is, there is always someone else out there who is going through something worse than you are.  I am not saying that your troubles are not meaningful; I am saying do not let them define you!  Yes we all go through rough times in life but it is how you overcome them that helps to build you into a better person!

Today's challenge:  Try NOT to complain about anything!! Someone at work is bothering you? Walk away from them! Do not go and gossip about them with your co-workers or your boss.  Is a friend or family member bugging you today?  Try not to answer their phone call or tell them that you are busy and can not help them today.  You may notice you may enjoy the day a little more when you have less things and people to complain about!  Try this for a day (or for all week) and see if this starts to help you on your journey!

This is Stephanie from Infinite Life Fitness. Please feel free to stop by my blog for more health and fitness tips!

Mixology || Recipe for a Conditioner-Based Leave-In

This leave-in is great for reviving a wash-n-go or dry hair.  It can also be used after a fresh wash.

Ingredients:
4 oz distilled water
1 oz Tresemme Naturals Conditioner (the original white label) or Suave Naturals Conditioner
1oz avocado or olive oil

NOTE: If you prefer to use a conditioner other than Tresemme or Suave, just be sure that it is an instant conditioner that is NOT heavy in protein or silicones.

Directions:
1. Pour all the ingredients into a spray bottle or mister.
2. Shake the bottle well to thoroughly mix the ingredients together.
3. Can be used on damp, freshly washed hair or on dry hair.
4. Store in a refrigerator to prolong the shelf life.

No nuts today

It is hard for me... Not eating nuts. They tend to be my go to snack, but also of course a bit of a binge trigger when I'm that way inclined, and so energy dense...
But they taste good and are crunchy and there aren't enough crunchy foods in the lower carb world. Still, today is day one of trying to break my cashew nut addiction. I left them off my weekend big shop shopping list, and now I'm a cold turkey.
Today was a lousy day (in terms of weather, not nut withdrawal). Rain. Rain. And more rain. I managed 2 damp miles, but couldn't force myself to add another 2 at lunchtime :-( It was disappointing but at the weekend I did approx 5 miles a day despite yesterday also being rubbish so I don't mind too much - I'm still building my distances back up.  The weekend was quite good for food (including nuts) and walking, but did involve a few beers, so not perfect. Also I watched Thor - The Dark World. They smashed up Greenwich, where I spent part of my last day in London, and I always enjoy movies that come with built in 'I've been there'. The less good part of that was that the movie was in 3D - and after watching it I developed a bad headache. The same thing happened the weekend before, when we watched 2 3D movies - after both movies. Apparently it's quite common for 3D movies to cause headaches in people with a range of conditions affecting their eyes, including retinal detachment. So much so that a few sites on the web suggest headaches after 3D movies are actually a warning sign that you should get your eyes tested in case of problems. Annoyingly I've been prioritizing 3D movies on my Lovefilm list to watch them before my surgery as afterwards I simply won't be able to see the 3D for a short time while healing. Ah well. In the grand scheme of possible undesired consequences of this problem of mine, having to watch movies & TV in 2D isn't going to make the top 1000.

Food today:
Breakfast: Eggs scrambled with gammon & tomato
Lunch: raw soup - Ani's 15 day fat blast tomato bisque - with some cold meat
Dinner: lambs liver & onions with cheesy cauliflower mash
Snacks: toasted coconut flakes, homemade meatballs

Alyse Co-cliff...from model to health coach

Meet Alyse Co-cliff, Holistic Health Coach, founder of www.anappleaday.net.au and author of three beautiful recipe books filled with real food recipes that revolve around seasonal produce.

I first met Alyse when we were modelling with the same agency a few years back. Alyse's story is similar to that of many models who have felt the extreme pressure to maintain the 'perfect' body (I certainly experienced this pressure during my years of modelling - I remember the panic that set in every time I booked a big underwear or swimwear job - and to be completely honest, the pressure and self-critical thoughts still linger for me).

After a period of brutal workouts and restrictive eating to maintain the �perfect� body whilst modelling in the US, Alyse was left with hormonal imbalance, poor digestion and general exhaustion. Knowing that her body was suffering, she took it upon herself to find a way to start healing the damage. She is now an in-demand Holistic Health Coach who is leveraging her knowledge and experience to help others heal and achieve optimal health and wellbeing. 

I sat down with Alyse to chat about her experiences, her top tips for staying fit and healthy and her popular Choc Chia Loaf!

Following a successful modeling career, what inspired you to become a Holistic Health Coach? 

Throughout my modeling career, I always thought I was the �healthy� one. I would work out for at least an hour (sometimes 2 hours) a day, I would restrict fats and carbohydrates; I skipped the naughty stuff and would only indulge in vodka, lime and sodas when I hit the town, I did all the things I was told to do, but I could never maintain �that perfect body�.

Following this way of life, I always felt fatigued, I dealt with a lot of anxiety, I was sleeping but never woke feeling rested, I was bloated most as soon as I ate breakfast and my muscles were constantly under strain. Looking back, I�m not sure why I persisted; I guess I assumed you couldn�t look great and feel great at the same time� boy, was I wrong!

A real turning point for me was my stint in the US. I worked tirelessly to achieve the perfect body (I would spend hours on the treadmill, sometimes even at 11pm!), but nothing was ever good enough. Under pressure to �look my best�, I resulted to restricting calories. Whilst I got results, I began to feel even worse. I was willing to try anything; I went vegan, then vegetarian and whilst I convinced myself that I felt better, I began suffering from amenorrhea. I convinced myself this was because I came off the pill at the same time and it was �normal�. I was never unhealthy skinny, I looked great and clients started to agree. Before too long I started booking the big jobs and I put my concerns about my health aside.

I returned to my agency here in Australia and they were amazed at how great I looked. They were full of so much praise and enthusiasm. I tried to be excited with them. They asked me how I felt and all I could muster was �tired�. I was exhausted; I went home and slept from 11am through to 5pm that day.

I woke up that evening and I knew I had to do something different. All the advice from all the �diet books�, personal trainers, nutritionists etc. weren�t working. Always being a big fan of natural remedies, I began investigating holistic health. Turns out I had major hormonal imbalances, my digestion was all but destroyed and my body was in a constant sympathetic (stressed) response. I was a mess and needed some professional help. After searching high and low, I found some incredible people to help guide me through the repair process. I began to build my health from the ground up.

That�s when my life really turned around and I knew from that moment on, I wanted to help others do the same.

What do you love most about what you do? 

Without a doubt, I love helping clients reach that �a-ha� moment. That moment where good health is no longer a struggle, a chore or a guessing game, I love this. There is something incredibly beautiful about watching someone become so empowered it gives me goose bumps every time.    

What are the most common problems that you tackle with your clients? 

Digestive issues are a big one. With our constant exposure to the pill and other medications, environmental toxins, processed food, flavours, chemicals, additives and the like, our gut health is really struggling and this is one of the first things I look to address. As Hippocrates says �good health starts in the gut�. Another extremely common problem is that of PCOS. Unfortunately, this is becoming a much bigger problem in society today. We have had some great results with PCOS patients; it�s an area I am really passionate about.

We hear a lot about the powers of �superfoods� in the media. Are there any �superfoods� that you think truly live up to their reputation? 

One of the first things I explain to my clients is to ditch anything in their pantry labeled �super food�. We are constantly being told to buy this and buy that, in order to feel better, but in all honesty, a handful of Amazonian berries won�t help if you are still munching on foods that are causing you ill health. In my opinion, all REAL food (fresh, local, organic and seasonal food) could easily be labeled a super food in it�s own right, especially organic greens. I can guarantee that a serve of green vegetables at every meal and 2L of purified water daily will make you feel better than any �super food� ever will.  

How do you stay fit and healthy? 

I love to hike! After spending years on the treadmill, I love the outdoors and this is something I really enjoy doing. We just got back from the most amazing hike in New Zealand. I can�t wait to do more.

I also love to run barefoot in the sand, I love working with my amazing Pilates instructor (she has really changed me for the better) and I also love to indulge in the occasional Bikram yoga session.

Exercise is something I used to force myself to do. I used to smash myself at the gym for hours on end. Now I make sure that I keep active by doing the things I love. I have to work hard on keeping that stress response switched off!    

What�s in your fridge? 

Loads of seasonal vegetables! We pack our fridge full of greens and then aim to fill our plates with colors of the rainbow at each meal. Vegetables make up 80% of our fridge contents.

We don�t eat a lot of fruit, but if we do, it�s seasonal and organic and whilst I continue to repair my digestion (something I�ve had since I was a little girl), I like to eat things like papaya or pineapple for those added digestive enzymes.  We also have free-range organic eggs, grass-fed meats and wild-caught fish on hand throughout the week.

We don�t eat a lot of dairy but if we do, it�s goat�s cheese or raw grass-fed cream (for a frittata). We also have some ghee on hand, as well as some coconut oil (but usually in our pantry). Eating more fat has been one of the most incredible tools for balancing my hormone levels.

Then we have things like our sauerkraut and kombucha (to help increase gut health). And of course there is some dark chocolate � a girl has got to have some of that!

What�s your top tip for people trying to clean up their diet? 

Avoid the supermarket. I always ask my clients: �If there is such thing as a health food aisle in the supermarket, what does that say about the rest of the food in the store?� By skipping the supermarket, you automatically cut out all of the processed foods. This is a great place to start.

My next piece of advice would be to do your research, seek the help of a professional you trust (this would have saved me so much heartache) and skip the diet fads (they don�t work � trust me, I�ve tried most of them and the one�s I skipped, I know others who have� and each one of us has always failed).

Alyse was kind enough to share the recipe for her popular Choc Chia Loaf from her eBook Health, Happiness & Wholefoods, available here. The loaf uses zucchini instead of flour and is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free. It's rich, moist, full of chocolately goodness and contains chia seeds and magnesium rich cacao (nice!).

CHOC CHIA LOAF  

ingredients 

• 1 medium zucchini, shredded (equal to 2 cups shredded zucchini)
• 2 organic free-range eggs, whisked
• � cup almond butter (any nut or seed butter will work here)
• � cup raw honey, maple or rice malt syrup
• � cup cacao powder
• ?� cup coconut flour?
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• � tsp baking powder + 1 tsp lemon juice, combined
• 32g or 4 tbsp of chia seeds
• Pinch of salt 

preparation 

1. Preheat your oven to 180�C. 

2. Shred your zucchini either using the shredding attachment on your food processor or cheese grater. 

3. Place zucchini in a bowl with the rest of your ingredients; use ?a large spoon to mix well until all the ingredients are combined and you have a deep chocolate colour. 

4. Line your loaf tin with baking paper before pouring your ingredients into the loaf pan. 

5. Place in oven to bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when you poke it. Let it cool, cut and serve!

A huge thank you to Alyse for sharing her story, knowledge and delicious recipe! 

You can find her recipe books here. 

You can also follow Alyse on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.