Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins

These muffins are very tasty and satisfying. They make a great snack or even a meal replacement if you are in a rush. They are a great on the go breakfast option. 

200g almond flour (ground almonds)
1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp runny honey (raw organic is best)
Juice and zest of one large organic unwaxed lemon
60ml good oil (olive oil, macadamia nut oil or avocado oil)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Method

Heat the oven to 180 degrees (160 fan oven)

In a large bowl mix almond flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt 

In another bowl mix honey, lemon juice, oil, eggs and vanilla essence

Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well

Add poppy seeds and lemon zest and mix well

Spoon into muffin cases

Bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean

All these ingredients can be bought from the mainstream supermarkets in the UK. Ground almonds are usually found with the nuts. Avocado oil is in some supermarkets and macadamia nut oil can be found online.

Spanish Chicken Stew

This is a really nice easy dish and is great either in summer or winter. Serve with cauliflower rice or sweet potato wedges and a green salad or green veg. This dish can be prepared in the morning and cooked on low in a slow cooker all day. Who needs processed convenience foods?



Spanish Chicken Stew

Serves 4

You will need:

12 chicken drumsticks/thighs (I use a mixture of each)

1 large onion chopped

2 garlic cloves crushed

1-2 tsp paprika (smoked paprika is nice)

2 slices smoked bacon chopped

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1/4 litre sugar free chicken stock (home made is best)

65g pitted black olives (optional)

Salt and pepper

Method

In a large casserole dish fry the chicken in batches until browned then set aside.

Add bacon, onion, paprika and garlic to the pan and fry gently until  the bacon and onion are cooked.

Add the chicken back into the pan stir in chopped tomatoes, olives (if using) and stock, season well and simmer on the hob for 1 hour until chicken is thoroughly cooked thorough.

(I also added some cooked sausage left over from last night about half an hour before the end of cooking.)







What to do when your motivation deserts you........

You know how it is, you are going full steam ahead with your diet and exercise programme, eating well and going to the gym/exercising a few times each week. Then wham, something (or sometimes several things) happen which de-rail your efforts and you stop or reduce the exercise and start eating foods you know will not support your weight loss efforts. This happened to me recently (coaches are not exempt from these blips!) so I thought it was worth sharing. Setbacks are all part of life but you can recover before all your efforts are totally wasted.

A few weeks ago I had a bad bout of flu, the first illness for years that forced me to stay in bed, probably brought about by some intense stress I had been under. I actually find being ill a personal affront to my healthy lifestyle which is quite irrational but probably brought about by me telling people 'I never get ill'!! 

Once I was feeling a bit better I was really hungry all the time, normally my protein and fat based breakfast of eggs, veggies and coconut oil will see me through until lunchtime but I was finding myself hungry by 10.30am and wanting to pick at food. Same mid afternoon, by 4pm I was craving something to eat. I also found myself wanting to drink a lot of tea. 

I was snacking too much and picking at food far too much and had started gaining some weight. So what to do about it? These tips will help you to manage your lack of motivation and hopefully help you to find it again:

Take small steps to gain your momentum back. If you try and do it all in one go you might find it too overwhelming. Make one change a week. For example I know that if I drink hot water with lemon first thing in the morning it supports my digestion and helps with elimination. For some reason I had got out of this habit and started drinking tea first thing in the morning. So, this week I have started drinking the lemon water again, starting the day as I mean to go on. Every one of these small steps will support your health and weight loss goals and will become habits if you repeat them every day.

Be kind to yourself - if a friend was telling you a story about being under a lot of stress and then being ill for a couple of weeks you would sympathise with them and say things like 'your body needs time to recover' and 'take it easy for a while until you are much better'. Why then don't we give ourselves this kindness? From now imagine you are your own best friend and not your own worst enemy. Make that voice in your head kind and loving not harsh and critical.

Try not to have an all or nothing mentality about healthy eating - for example 'if I can't eat well/stick to my diet all the time I might as well not bother at all'. This will sabotage all your efforts. Eat well as often as you can. 

If you are hungry between meals make your snacks nutritionally worthwhile if you can, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, raw veggies and dips, natural yogurt. Snacking on sugary grain based foods, even those advertised as healthy options such as cereal bars, granola, flapjacks etc will cause you to crave food even more.

If you're not hungry but just want to eat try and do something else instead. Have a drink of sparkling water or herbal tea and move away from the kitchen. 

Think of eating a healthy diet and avoiding grains, sugar and processed foods as supporting good health first and foremost rather than focusing on weight loss. Eating well will do so much more than help you stay a good weight. Improving energy levels, alleviating joint problems, longevity, disease prevention - a good clean diet will support your long term health and well being. Good health is the most important factor in your quality of life; every aspect of your life is adversely affected if you don't have good health. Many people find when they remove the emphasis from weight loss and focus on improving their health their motivation becomes much stronger.

Listen to your body when it comes to exercise. If you normally run three times a week but don't feel up to it walk instead. Swim and have a sauna if you can. Weight train with slightly lighter weights until you get your energy levels back. Remember to be kind to yourself when your voice in your head tries to tell you that it's not good enough. 

Do things you like to do whenever possible. The pace of life today means we don't get much time to ourselves to pursue what we like to do most.  

Open your mind to stress relief techniques like meditation. Read a self-help book (The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle will help you live more in the present and banish the worries and anxieties about the future). You may think these things have nothing to do with healthy eating and weight loss but stress and the quality of sleep have a huge impact on hormones which need to be in balance if we want to be lean and well.

Whatever you do don't try to go for a quick fix by starting a low-fat calorie controlled diet or a meal replacement diet. These kinds of diets are unsustainable and will end up giving you uncontrollable cravings for unhealthy foods. Eat real food at every meal, listen to your body, be forgiving of yourself, manage your stress and get 7-8 hours sleep each night and slowly your body will respond.

So do I have my mojo back? Well partially, but not quite. I am taking small steps every day to get back to full health, eating cleanly, listening to my body, exercising lightly. My appetite is slowly getting back to normal so the weight I gained is slowly disappearing.  In the past a 'blip' like this would have spelled the end of sensible eating for several months which would have taken me back to square one with my health and weight loss goals. Now I have a good foundation with the paleo style of eating I can get back on track reasonably quickly. Motivation is easier because I eat well and exercise consistently so that is the norm for me, healthy habits are formed and my body will unconsciously seek to retain this healthy equilibrium. 

Healthy (and yummy) chocolate muffins

How to get your kids to eat healthy food? It's the age old problem and one that is particularly important to me as a nutritional advisor who eats mainly paleo style and would like to pass the benefits on to my kids (who are twins of nearly eleven). Dinners are not too difficult, meat and veggies and some carbs are staples and good sources of proteins and fats, vitamins and minerals. However it's the snacks that are so difficult, shop bought biscuits and cakes often contain undesirable fats such as corn oil and always contain refined flour and sugar and worst of all artificial colours and sweeteners which can be toxic to the body over time. So I decided to try and find a cake recipe that they would like, contains healthy ingredients and would be packed full of good nutrition and this is it!
I have adapted my recipe from this one http://www.thehealthychef.com/2012/02/flourless-chocolate-cupcakes/, I just added some dark choc chips and some melted dark chocolate on the top to add to the chocolate experience. I didn't tell the kids that these were 'paleo' cakes, just waited until they tried them and said how lovely they were and then let them in in the secret! Now when I put a cake in their lunchbox I don't feel so guilty!

You will need:

150g ground almonds
21g cocoa powder (I used green and blacks)
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
2 free range eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp honey
60ml avocado oil, macadamia nut oil or good olive oil
60ml milk, either dairy, coconut or unsweetened almond
50g dark chocolate chips
50g dark chocolate, melted

Method:

Mix the ground almonds, cocoa powder, chocolate chips and baking powder together 
Mix the eggs, vanilla essence, milk, oil and honey and add to the dry ingredients
Spoon into 12 cup cake cases or 8 muffin cases
Bake for approximately 20 minutes on 180 degrees C (160 fan oven)
Allow the cakes to cool
Melt the dark chocolate in a pan over a saucepan of hot water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water)
Spread the melted chocolate over the cakes and allow to set 
Enjoy!

Shas's chicken curry with raita

Thanks to Shas for this authentic curry recipe passed down from her mother. This is a really delicious fresh and healthy curry which is so tasty. Eat with natural yogurt raita and salad for a low carbohydrate paleo friendly meal. Don't be put off if it looks complicated because it has quite a lot of ingredients, it is actually pretty quick and easy to make.

For the sauce you will need:

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2cm piece ginger, chopped small

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 red chilli, chopped, seeds removed or 1/2 tsp flaked chillis

1 bayleaf

3 green cardamon pods

1 black cardamon pod

1/4  tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp coriander seeds

2 cloves

cinnamon stick

10 black peppercorns

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

10 curry leaves

To make the sauce

Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil and add the onion and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and spices and fry for a further 3 minutes, stirring to coat everything with oil.

Add the tomatoes, cover and simmer slowly for 30 minutes.

Add 10 curry leaves and 1/2 tsp of salt cook for a further 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in two tablespoons natural yogurt.

Add the chicken (see below) to the sauce and mix together.

Note: Dry roast and grind the dried spices together in a pestle and mortar before adding to the onion and garlic if you prefer ground spices to whole.

For the chicken:

You will need:

4 chicken breasts

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 medium onion

3/4 tsp ginger powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

Melt the coconut oil and fry the onion for 5 minutes until soft.

Add the spices and stir fry for 2 minutes being careful not to burn the spices.

Add the chicken and stir fry for 10 minutes until cooked through.

Stir the chicken into the curry sauce.

For the raita

You will need:

4 tablespoons full fat natural yogurt

1/2 tsp cumin

Mix the cumin into the yogurt until it is well distributed.

So what has the paleo diet done for me?

Whilst I was running through the benefits of the paleo diet with a prospective client and coming up with more and more positives to tell her I was reminded of the part in the Monty Python film Life of Brian where they ask 'So, what have the Romans ever done for us?'. Of course the reply comes 'well there was the aqueducts  then the sewers, then the roads, sanitation, irrigation, education, public baths, peace, etc etc. The reason I'm bringing this up is because it is how the Paleo diet feels to me, there are just so many important benefits that have been life changing for me (maybe not quite as important as the ones the Romans brought to humanity!)

Firstly my long standing IBS symptoms have gone after about 20 years suffering from stomach pains, bloating, gas and all the other unpleasant symptoms of this really debilitating condition. I used to have a bloated stomach every evening and would go thorough phases where the pain was so bad I would need a hot water bottle on it. I can honestly say that since cutting out grains and sugar about 90% of the time I haven't had any IBS attacks and my stomach is pretty flat (for someone who has given birth to twins!).

I can eat a lot of food and still stay lean! I love my food and hate being hungry. If ever I was 'on a diet' in the past I always felt hungry about 2-3 hours after meals because I was following the low fat calorie counting type of diet. I now eat low carb, moderate protein and high fat and I can stay a very good weight, I don't get too hungry between meals and I really enjoy all my food. 

My 'all or nothing' approach to dieting has been replaced by eating 80-90% paleo throughout the year and then eating other foods I enjoy such as crisps, paleo cake, dark chocolate, red wine, crackers and cheese the other 10% of the time. I used to eat very sensibly for a few months never deviating, but then I would eat pretty badly for another three months. I now believe that my body was rebelling and trying to regain lost weight to make up for deficiencies in nutrients. I find it easy to get right back on track now after my 'cheat's'.

My cellulite has disappeared! Although I have always been fairly slim I always had unsightly cellulite in my thighs. My thighs are now the best they have been for years and I feel so much happier showing them in public.

I have energy and enthusiasm for life most of the time and I don't get mood swings. Previously I did have times when I felt low but I can honestly say that I generally feel 'up' and I am sure that is to do with feeding my brain with good fats and eating in a way that balances my hormones.

I have learnt to listen to my body and most of the time give it what it needs. If I'm hungry I give it food, if I'm not hungry I wait until I am. Years of having an unhealthy relationship with food meant that I would always eat at mealtimes or when there was food around regardless of whether I really needed it or not.

So when anyone asks what a paleo style diet means to me you can understand why it's quite hard to shut me up! I started EatRealFoodUK so I can pass on all these positive benefits to as many people as possible. If you would like help and support in the transition to paleo style eating to help you to lose weight and gain better health contact me on eatrealfooduk@gmail.com.

Can you have your (paleo) cake and eat it?

A new client was asking me about a muffin recipe that I had given her Nut and raisin muffins (press ctrl + click to view recipe). She was a bit confused that the recipe contains raisins and honey which are on the list of foods to eat rarely or never as they are very high in sugar and carbohydrates. As the Internet is chock full of cakes and desserts tagged as paleo friendly I thought I would clear up this confusion and explain my position on the place these baked goods have in your healthy eating and weight loss journey.

When you first take on a new way of eating, especially if it supporting any weight loss goals you have, you are normally full of good intentions and often find it easy to do for a few weeks. However on traditional calorie controlled or low fat high carbohydrate diets the fact you are often hungry and your body is not getting the nourishment it needs will mean that you end up 'crashing' your diet and eating all the wrong foods again, often quickly gaining weight you have lost. There is also the psychological factors, not being able to go out to eat for example and for many people the agony of NOT HAVING CAKE! Tea and cake is a very British tradition and often can be a social event with friends and family. Therefore on my EatRealFood plan I advocate following the paleo style guidelines strictly 80% of the time and then enjoying other types of food (namely CAKE) 20% of the time.

So does this mean you can devour a whole chocolate fudge cake from the supermarket? I wouldn't advise it for many reasons. Shop bought cakes contain a wide range of processed fats, refined carbs such as sugar and sugar substitutes, additives, grains and all sorts of other questionable ingredients. They raise your insulin levels sky high and put your body into fat storage mode. They will probably make you feel quite ill now you have been eating paleo style for a while. 

Of course there may be times when eating a piece of shop bought cake is unavoidable, birthdays for example, and this is fine. Just have a moderate amount, enjoy it guilt free and then go back to the plan. Just remember shop bought cakes and other baked goodies are empty of nutrients where as the paleo cakes will still provide you with healthy fats and vitamins and minerals and will not sabotage your weight loss efforts as they shouldn't cause nasty sugar cravings. 

Search for paleo brownies, muffins, cookies, fruit cake whatever is your particular favourite.  Most recipes use coconut flour or almond flour which you can get online if you can't find it in your local supermarket or health food shop. These nut flours are much lower in carbohydrate than grain based flours. The recipes use healthy fats such as butter or coconut oil and natural sweeteners such as honey and dried fruit. The end products are usually very filling and nutrient dense. (I would always use paleo/primal recipe sites as low carb web sites often still use artificial sweeteners in recipes which should be avoided).

A word of warning. These goodies are still high in calories and although this diet doesn't count calories they do still matter in the overall scheme of things. If you are just replacing a  cake habit with a paleo cake habit and eating them every day it's unlikely you will see much weight loss. They are still a treat food, maybe saved for weekends or holidays. It is important that 80% of your diet is based around meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds and healthy fats Ctrl click to see this post if you want more information about the paleo style of eating).

Beetroot Soup with Stilton

This recipe is one of the quickest easiest soup recipes I have ever made, it is done in about 10 minutes and the only prep involved really is chopping an onion. Not only does this soup taste really great but beetroot is a rich source of antioxidants and nutrients, including magnesium, sodium, potassium and vitamin C so you are on to a win win situation, healthy and tasty!

You will need:

250g pack cooked beetroot, roughly chopped or sliced

1 onion, diced

 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed (or pinch garlic granules)

1 tbsp healthy oil (butter, avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, coconut oil)

375ml sugar free vegetable stock

25g grated cheese (I used stilton which complemented the soup perfectly)

Method

Cook the onion in the oil for about 10 minutes until soft.

Add the garlic to the pan and gently fry for another 2 minutes.

Add the beetroot and stock and bring to the boil. 

Turn down the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Blend the soup until smooth, ladle into bowls and sprinkle with grated cheese. Makes two servings.

If you don't eat dairy you can swirl a couple of tablespoons of coconut milk or cream into the soup instead of the cheese.

Curried Squash and Swede Stew

This is a really lovely dish which you can modify by adding more or less curry powder and also adding different root vegetables such as parsnips and carrots or different green veggies such as broccoli or cabbage. 

You will need:

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 onion chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 red chilli, seeded and finely sliced

450g swede, peeled and diced

2-4 tsp curry powder to taste

600ml sugar free vegetable stock

450g squash, peeled and diced

Pack green beans, diced

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges or some cherry tomatoes

Method

Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan, add the seeds and cook for 1 minute.

Add the onion and garlic and chilli and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.

Stir in the swede and cook for 3 minutes. Add the curry powder and vegetable stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the squash and green beans and simmer briskly for a further 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Season to taste. 

I had a bowl of this stew with a diced chicken breast cooked in coconut oil but you could serve with courgettes or cauliflower for a completely vegetarian meal. 

A day in the life of a paleo diet.....

When I say to people that I don't eat sugar, grains or processed foods they often say 'what on earth do you eat then'?. I thought it would be good to post pictures of what I have eaten today, all really tasty meals that are very nutritious and will enable me to maintain a healthy weight and give my body what it needs to be strong and healthy.

So, breakfast......

Scrambled Eggs, smoked salmon and watercress

I added a teaspoon of butter to the scrambled eggs both for taste and to keep me from getting hungry until lunchtime. Good fats such as butter, coconut oil, olive oil, macadamia nut oil and avocado oil can be added to all meals instead of high carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, bread and pasta. Your body will learn to burn the fat in your food and on your body rather than using carbohydrate for fuel. Fats take longer to burn and so will keep you full for longer and don't cause spikes in blood sugar levels which tend to make you hungry and can cause symptoms of hypoglycemia such as headaches and shaking.

Lunch............

Goats cheese and roasted vegetable salad

.I used a mixture of salad leaves, some cherry tomatoes and celery and then added roasted onions and peppers left over from a meal of fajitas last night (a good meal for all the family, I just substitute large salad leaves for the wheat tortillas to make it paleo friendly). Whenever I have a salad I always add a good serving of my home made salad dressing which I make up with 1 part olive oil, 1 part avocado oil,1 part macadamia nut oil and 1 part apple cider vinegar (raw if possible but the normal stuff you get in the supermarket will do). If you find the avocado and macadamia nut oil too expensive just use all olive oil, the best you can afford. 


Dinner..........

Mackerel fillet, braised red cabbage, courgettes and broccoli

Oily fish makes a great choice for a filling meal and is packed full of nutrients. I braised the red cabbage with spices and steamed the green veg, then added a tablespoon full of coconut oil.

Snacks during the day were a handful of mixed nuts and a miniature bar of green and blacks 85% cocoa solids chocolate. I drank two cups of builders tea with a tiny splash of milk and two cups of green tea. Also had hot water with lemon when I got up and a couple of mugs of nettle tea and about 6 medium glasses of water.

I really enjoyed all my meals, felt satisfied but not stuffed and all these foods will support my efforts to lose the couple of pounds I put on over Xmas and get me back on track with clean eating. It's not completely perfect with the builders tea and chocolate but it's the little things like that that make it sustainable long term. Without those small but healthy(ish) treats the deprivation often gets the better of us and we then start to binge eat the things we miss. Consuming small amounts of these foods or drinks regularly is better than being super strict for a few weeks and then caving in and giving up completely. 

Use this effective technique to stop those cravings...

You know how it is, you've been cutting back on unhealthy foods and alcohol for a couple of weeks or even months; clothes are feeling looser and the scale is going down. Then suddenly you get a strong craving to eat or drink something that is off plan even though you are not hungry. The following technique is from a book called 'Pause Button Therapy' by Dr Martin Shirran and I have tried it out a couple of times and it really works!

So before you go to the fridge/cupboard to reach for chocolate/crisps/wine or whatever is your particular foodie weakness STOP and imagine you are watching yourself on a film and press the PAUSE button. Then press FAST FORWARD and imagine how you will feel both physically and mentally after you have eaten/drunk whatever it is you are craving; frustrated, disappointed, further away from your weight loss goals, nauseous, headachey. Then press REWIND and imagine yourself walking away from the temptation and how you will feel then, calm, pleased with yourself, a little bit nearer to your goals, a boost for your self esteem, healthy. Now press PLAY again and get on with it, I think 9 times out of 10 you will choose the second scenario and can walk away.

Of course there are times when eating non supportive foods has its place, for example Xmas, birthdays, meals out and special occasions, this is part of the 80/20 rule that I advocate to ensure this lifestyle is sustainable long term. These are planned indulgences based around special events or weekends. However if you struggle on a day by day basis to stick to your weight loss plan then this technique is well worth trying.

The EatRealFood diet plan based on primal style eating will help cut the physiological cravings that happen when you eat a diet high in grains, sugars, starches and processed foods. If you can then tackle the psychological aspects of food cravings by having some effective techniques up your sleeve then you can't fail!

If you'd like more information about the EatRealFood diet plan just drop me a line on eatrealfooduk@gmail.com

Let me know by leaving me a comment if you find the technique above works for you (or  if it doesn't).

Sweet potato and chilli soup

T
his soup has to be one of the nicest I have ever tasted. I adapted it from a recipe from the BBC Good Food website and it was really lovely. It is very thick, almost like a puree so if you like your soup a bit thinner then you can add some more water. If you are trying to avoid dairy then add some coconut cream/milk/oil instead of the cheese and double cream. It is important to add good fats to soups to make them more sustaining as without bread you can often feel hungry again quite quickly. Sweet potatoes are quite high in carbohydrates so this soup would be great on a day when you are going to be active.

You will need:

1 tablespoon good oil (butter, avocado or macadamia nut oil)
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 red chilli, seeds removed and chopped (or pinch chilli flakes to taste)
750g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
800 - 1000ml sugar free vegetable stock or water
Pinch paprika, sprinkle of cheese and double cream to taste (I added one tablespoon of cream as I don't like my soups too creamy)

\Method

In a large pan heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic, coriander and chilli until soft.

Add the sweet potatoes and stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.

Mash or blend until smooth. Add more water if it is too thick for your liking.

Before serving add double cream, cheese and paprika to each bowl.

I'll eat healthily and lose weight when........

So you are eating well, avoiding alcohol and sugar and losing weight and feeling less bloated and pretty pleased with yourself. Then something stressful happens in your life and wham you are back to drinking every evening and eating all the wrong foods. The weight starts to creep back on but you think and say to people 'I can't diet at the moment, my life is too stressful'. What you are fact saying is that your health and weight loss goals are not that important because you are allowing other things to get in the way. You are also saying that you are using food as an emotional crutch to help you through the bad times.

So what about saying to yourself 'My health and weight loss goals are important enough to me not to allow myself to be sidetracked by life. If I continue with my supportive habits and continue to feel better and lose weight at least one bit of my life will be going well. I have control about how much I let the outside influences affect my eating habits, it's not something that just happens by itself'. Of course life can be difficult and stressful at times but the idea that chocolate and crisps will make one iota of difference to those stresses is wrong. In fact it will just add to them because you will be angry and frustrated that you have allowed your weight loss goals to slip and the sugar and alcohol will cause mood swings which will put you on even more of an emotional rollercoaster.

So, next time this happens to you take a deep breath and say to yourself 'this is a bad time for me at the moment but my health and self esteem are very important to me. Rewarding myself with food may help for about 2 seconds while it is in my mouth but after that it will only add to my problems. I am going to reward myself with other things I enjoy, a nice walk, hot bath, massage, favourite TV programme. I am going to continue to eat supportively and reach my goals DESPITE everything else that is going on in my life'.

Healthy Cinnamon Pancakes

I have been trying for ages to make a healthy pancake that doesn't fall apart when you try and flip it. At last I managed to create one that is robust, healthy (if you are OK with dairy) and tastes really good.

Makes 1 good sized pancake, ideal for breakfast with berries or savory filling. If using savory leave out the cinnamon in the mix.

1 beaten egg

2 tablespoons double cream

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon coconut flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons coconut oil, avocado oil or madadamia nut oil for cooking


Mix the double cream into the beaten egg. Add the water.

Add the coconut flour and blend well.

Add the cinnamon if you are topping with fruit.

Heat the oil in a pancake pan until it smokes slightly.

Add the mixture and cook for a few minutes until the pancake is puffy and leaving the bottom of the pan (careful it doesn't burn though, the first day I did slightly burn one side!).

Flip over (it should flip in one piece if it's cooked enough) and cook for another couple of minutes. Fold over and add toppings.

I used frozen mixed fruit which I heated in the microwave (not very paleo I know!) with some cinnamon, cloves and mixed spice. Fantastic as a change from an omelette. I found this pretty much kept me going until lunch with the help of a few mixed nuts mid morning.  

Pumpkin, ginger and cheese soup

This soup is very heavy on dairy as it contains cream and cheese. Strict paleo dieters don't eat dairy at all but a moderate primal approach does allow dairy. It's very individual as to how you do on dairy, I seem to be fine with it but do choose to eat it in moderation. Other people find it causes them stomach problems or inhibits weight loss if they are aiming to lose some weight. On the plus side this soup is very filling as it contains a lot of fat and so it will keep you going throughout the afternoon if you have it for lunch. Many people (including me!)  find a bowl of vegetable based soup not enough to sustain them for several hours and so will find themselves snacking during the afternoon. This soup should be eaten alone, definitely not one to have with any bread or other carbohydrate based foods.

You will need:

1 large white onion, peeled and sliced
1 large leek, rinsed and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (or crushed)
3cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped
25g butter
25g coconut oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
600g pumpkin (or butternut squash) peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
600 ml sugar free vegetable stock
200ml double cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
60g coarsley grated strong cheese

Method

Saute the onion, leek, garlic and ginger in the butter and coconut oil over a low heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally, until everything is soft and wilted.

Add the turmeric, pumpkin or squash and half the stock and cook over a low heat with the lid on until the pumpkin or squash is cooked, approximately 30 mins.

When cooked mash it with a potato masher, it doesn't need to be smooth.

Add the remaining stock, the cream and plenty of coarsley ground pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer with the lid on and cook for 15 minutes.

Season with salt and add nutmeg to taste. Stir in the cheese and ladle into hot soup bowls.

If you want to freeze some or all of this soup don't add the cream or cheese before freezing. Once it is defrosted add the cream and bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, then add the cheese and serve. 

Apple, cinnamon and raisin muffins

I made these muffins last week and they were really tasty. Almond flour is a gluten free, low carbohydrate nutritious alternative to wheat flour with all the health benefits of eating whole almonds.

I didn't take any photos of these cakes but take it from me, they looked good and tasted even better!

You will need:

200g almond flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp cinnamon

60g butter, melted

3 tbsp honey (raw is best)

2 eggs beaten

1 medium apple peeled, cored and diced

1 tsp vanilla extract

50g raisins

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (170 fan oven).

In a bowl mix together the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon.

Mix the honey into the melted butter and add the beaten eggs, vanilla, diced apple and raisins.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients together and spoon mixture into muffin cases.

Bake for 15 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven.

ENJOY!

Seeded paleo bread

This bread has a dark colour and a chewy texture not unlike rye bread. Its good sliced and toasted topped with normal butter or nut butter.

You will need:

200g ground almonds/almond flour 

5 tbsp psyllium husk powder

2 tsp gluten free baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

200 ml boiling water

35g mixed seeds

Method

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C. In a large mixing bowl combine the almond flour psyllium husk powder, baking powder, seeds and salt.

Add the eggs and the boiling water and mix well until combined into a thick dough.

Form into 4 sub shaped rolls on a greased baking tray or put into a greased loaf tin. Bake rolls for 45 minutes, loaf for 1 hour and 5 minutes.

Sweet potato pancakes with cinnamon

These are work in progress, I'm planning on trying some different ingredients and consistencies but in the meantime these are perfectly edible and very nutritious compared to normal pancakes. Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, vitamin B, iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Although a starchy carbohydrate, they are absorbed slowly by the body so don't cause blood sugar to raise too quickly. Coconut flour is a good source of dietry fibre and iron. Coconut milk is a good source of omega 3 fats and calcuim (if you don't have coconut milk they work just as well with water however).

As you can see these pancakes don't look particulary pretty, I found it quite hard to flip them without them breaking and I did piece this one together for the photoshoot!! The key to flipping is to make sure one side is well cooked before attempting to turn them over!

Makes 4 pancakes

You will need:

2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon coconut flour
2 tablespoons mashed sweet potato
Tsp vanilla essence
Tsp cinnamon
100ml coconut milk
100ml water
Macadamia nut oil/avocado/coconut oil/butter for cooking

Put the flour into a bowl with the cinnamon and add the eggs, vanilla essence and coconut milk/water and whisk together.

Add the sweet potato and mix until there are no lumps.

Melt some oil/butter in a pancake pan and add a ladleful of mixture when the oil is smoking hot.

Cook one side for approximately 4 minutes and then carefully turn over with a large spatula.

Cook the other side for 2-3 minutes.

Serving ideas:

Serve with berries or banana, a spoonful of butter or coconut oil, an extra sprinkle of cinnamon, a dusting of cocoa powder or for a very occasional treat a drizzle of maple syrup.

Coconut milk will make them more calorie dense and so more filling but water works just as well if you don't have coconut milk. Use 200 ml of water if you are not using coconut milk.

I found these pancakes (made with the coconut milk) filled me up for at least five hours so they make a good choice for breakfast if you know you are going to have a late lunch.

Why paleo dieting works (for me) - Day 16 of my 30 day Paleo challenge

I admit that I entitled this post Why paleo dieting works. In fact I would have left it like that but I decided that in the interests of being politically correct I would acknowledge that I am speaking from my own experience and that of my handful of clients who have dropped 3lbs to 5lbs in the first week of eating clean unprocessed foods such as meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, berries and nuts and seeds (see some of  my earlier posts for more details on paleo eating and some recipes to get you started). I would be absolutely amazed if there was anyone who stuck to this diet for at least 90% of the time and didn't lose weight, I really would.

What is so different about this diet than those from WeightWatchers, LighterLife, Slimming World, the Cambridge diet etc? Mainly it's that its about REAL food, the kind of food our bodies evolved to eat; not the so called 'frankenfoods' in the supermarkets which are a concoction of sugar, unhealthy fats and chemicals. (Most of the big diet companies have their own ranges of these frankenfoods which they are keen to push to those on their diets.) When you are eating real foods you feel fuller and more satisfied and as you are getting a good dose of nutrition at every meal the cravings you have for sweet sugary foods disappears over time.

Like every diet though you need help and support to make it stick. Habits are formed over time, and food and drink habits are very powerful based around social, physical and emotional thoughts and actions. Habits take time to change so you need to give yourself a good month of eating clean foods before new habits are formed and old cravings disappear. It's good to work with a coach, a group from your gym, friends who are also looking to lose weight and become more healthy or a spouse who also wants to make the change.

If weight loss in itself was enough to give people motivation then everyone that went on a diet would be successful and would keep the weight off but we know that is not the case. With a paleo or primal style diet (main difference for me is that primal is less strict and allows dairy) there are so many health and wellbeing benefits such as staving off inflammation in the body, preventing type 2 diabetes, staying young longer, better skin and hair, more energy (in the long term, it might take a week or two to adapt at first) that these in themselves are enough to spur me on. I am planning on living to a ripe old age and being active and mobile and enjoying myself not stuck in a chair in an old peoples home. There are no guarantees of course, but I would like to bet on the fact that I have more chance of making it than those eating a junk and processed food based diet.

If you want to join me for the last 14 days drop a comment below and I will support you through it. Go on, you know you're worth it (and it will do you a lot more good than using the right shampoo!!).

Paleo Scotch Eggs

Paleo Scotch Eggs

  8 eggs

 750g sausage meat (free range best quality if possible)

  Oil for frying (coconut, avocado or macadamia nut are best)

Instructions:

To hard boil the eggs, place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling rapidly, turn the heat off and cover the pot with a lid for 10 minutes.

Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When cooled, peel the eggs.

Divide the sausage meat into 8 equal portions.

Use your hands to form each portion of meat into a flat pancake a few inches wide. Wrap the meat around an egg, gently shaping it so there are no cracks and the egg is completely hidden.

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Pour just enough oil/fat into a deep pan to coat the bottom of the pan. Heat for 2-3 minutes over high heat on the stove until the oil is shimmering.

Cook two eggs at time. Roll the eggs around every few minutes in the oil so all sides of the meat become nicely browned. Cook each egg for about 8 minutes total.

Transfer to the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes more until the sausage is cooked through.

Eat the eggs warm or cold. Serve alone as a snack or with salad or mixed veggies as a main meal.

Store leftover eggs individually in freezer bags and pop into the freezer. Defrost overnight for snacks/breakfast.