Coconut Flour Chocolate Muffins

 Note: if you don't like the taste of coconut please don't worry - these really don't taste of coconut at all! They are light and moist and taste heavenly!

Ingredients (makes about 8 muffins)

·         50g butter (or coconut oil for dairy free cakes) melted

·         2 tablespoons coconut milk

·         3 medium free range eggs beaten

·         1 tsp vanilla essence

·         3 tbsp honey (raw is best)

·         20g coconut flour

·         20g organic cocoa powder

·         Pinch salt

·         1 tsp gluten free baking powder

·         50g dark chocolate (70% solids or above) chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade

Blend together melted butter, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla essence and honey 

Combine together the coconut flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder
 
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until there are no lumps

Add the chopped chocolate (or good quality chocolate chips)

Pour batter into 8 muffin cases (silicone is good as its non-stick)

Bake for 12 mins on the middle shelf 

Coconut Flour Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins

These muffins are really light and moist and make a great treat with a cup of tea!

Ingredients (makes about 8 muffins)

50g butter (or coconut oil for dairy free cakes) melted
2 tablespoons coconut milk
3 medium free range eggs beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 tbsp honey (raw is best)
Juice and zest of one large organic lemon
30g coconut flour
Pinch salt
1 tsp gluten free baking powder

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade
Blend together melted butter, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla essence, honey and juice and zest of the lemon
Combine together the coconut flour, salt and baking powder
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until there are no lumps
Pour batter into 8 muffin cases (silicone is good as its non-stick)
Bake for 12 mins on the middle shelf

Note: if you don't like the taste of coconut please don't worry - these really don't taste of coconut at all!

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Frittata

I made this today as I had a friend round for lunch and it tasted amazing! Really good way to use up left over veggies, you could put almost anything in it but I would include the cauliflower as it does give it body so you can cut it into slices. The cumin adds a bit of warmth to it and eggs provide a powerhouse of nutrients including good quality protein, Vitamins B2, B12, vitamin A, vitamin D, selenium and iodine. An inexpensive way to get so many nutrients in one meal. I added some greek feta cheese on top but if you don't include dairy in your diet then leave this out.

Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods money can buy - they are a natural source of many nutrients including high quality protein, vitamins and minerals. A medium egg contains less than 70 calories.
Eggs are naturally rich in vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium and iodine. They also contain vitamin A and a number of other B vitamins including folate, biotin, pantothenic acid and choline, and essential minerals and trace elements, including phosphorus.
- See more at: http://www.egginfo.co.uk/egg-nutrition#sthash.35gvAhM5.dpuf

You will need:

6 free range (preferably organic) eggs
1 small cauliflower cut into florets
1 small sweet potato, cubed
4 large salad onions, chopped small
1 tsp toasted cumin seed, lightly crushed
1 tsp coconut oil
50g feta cheese, chopped (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steam the cauliflower and sweet potato for 10 mins or until tender

Beat the eggs then stir in the cumin, salad onions and vegetables. Season to taste.

Heat the coconut oil in a 20cm (8 inch) frying pan and pour in the egg mixture. Cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes until almost cooked and then scatter on the cheese.

Preheat the grill to medium and cook the top of the frittata for 4-5 minutes until golden and completely cooked all the way through.

Slip the frittata on to a board, cut into wedges and serve with a large salad.

This would make a great portable snack to take to work for breakfast/lunch as it is just as tasty cold.

Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods money can buy - they are a natural source of many nutrients including high quality protein, vitamins and minerals. A medium egg contains less than 70 calories.
Eggs are naturally rich in vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium and iodine. They also contain vitamin A and a number of other B vitamins including folate, biotin, pantothenic acid and choline, and essential minerals and trace elements, including phosphorus.
- See more at: http://www.egginfo.co.uk/egg-nutrition#sthash.35gvAhM5.dpuf

Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods money can buy - they are a natural source of many nutrients including high quality protein, vitamins and minerals. A medium egg contains less than 70 calories.
Eggs are naturally rich in vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium and iodine. They also contain vitamin A and a number of other B vitamins including folate, biotin, pantothenic acid and choline, and essential minerals and trace elements, including phosphorus.
- See more at: http://www.egginfo.co.uk/egg-nutrition#sthash.35gvAhM5.dpuf

Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods money can buy - they are a natural source of many nutrients including high quality protein, vitamins and minerals. A medium egg contains less than 70 calories.
Eggs are naturally rich in vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium and iodine. They also contain vitamin A and a number of other B vitamins including folate, biotin, pantothenic acid and choline, and essential minerals and trace elements, including phosphorus.
- See more at: http://www.egginfo.co.uk/egg-nutrition#sthash.35gvAhM5.dpuf

Get back into your jeans with a paleo style diet

In the past I have been a traditional dieter, counting calories, eating low fat foods and diet meals and ending up in the diet/binge cycle. Luckily I have never had what I considered an 'eating disorder' but my eating could be considered disordered as it wasn't consistent and I was ignoring basic signals such as hunger and satiety.

For the last two years I have been eating a mainly paleo 'caveman' style diet which is naturally high in good fat and low in carbohydrate and amongst many other health benefits I have found it easy to maintain a weight I feel happy with without constant hunger and cravings. So how does this happen?

Five reasons a paleo style diet can work better than a traditional low fat high carb diet:

1. Fat and protein fill you up for longer than carbohydrates so you don't feel as hungry in between meals.

2. Carbohydrates (especially processed carbohydrates such as cakes, biscuits) cause insulin to be released from the pancreas to 'mop up' the glucose in the food and send it into the cells of the body for energy to brings your blood sugar levels down. If you are on a see saw of eating a lot of processed carbs regularly your blood sugar levels will be unstable causing hunger and cravings for more carbohydrates making it much more difficult to stick with a diet.

3. The hunger and deprivation caused by dieting causes psychological problems such as binging which has an impact on self esteem - who hasn't thought "I'm useless because I can't stick with this diet".

4. When you restrict calories you will lose weight at first but your body will compensate by slowing your metabolic rate (the rate at which you burn food) making it more and more difficult to lose weight on less and less calories.

5. Low calorie dieting can cause nutritional deficiencies, especially when a lot of low fat processed diet meals are being consumed.The body then craves more food in the hope of making up the nutritional deficiency. 

Be aware that you may not notice any changes on the scales when you eat a higher fat and protein, lower carbohydrate diet but you should notice it in your clothes especially around the middle where you would normally store excess weight. Find a pair of jeans you want to get back into and keep trying them on! You will notice a difference. 

Superfood Omelette

I was tempted not to post a picture of this but just leave it to the imagination as its not too pretty! However it tasted great and is packed full of nutrients and superfoods so ignore what it looks like and try it!!

2 eggs
Any cooked veggies/mushrooms/tomatoes
1 scoop supergreens powder
1 tbsp coconut oil

Whisk the eggs and supergreens powder well

Heat the coconut oil and gently fry any vegetables of your choice until warmed through

Add the egg mixture to the pan and wait until they start to set. Turn the omelette over and cook until the underside is set.

The Supergreens powder I use is from Neals Yard Remedies and contains the following nutrients:

• Spirulina Powder – Antioxidant and promotes vitality
• Spinach Powder – Rich in chlorophyll to help maintain a healthy alkaline balance
• Parsley Powder – Supports healthy function of the kidneys
• Chlorella Powder – Purifying and supports immunity
• Seagreens® Wild Wrack – Helps support healthy digestion
• Barley Grass Powder, Wheat Grass Powder – Raw food source of essential nutrients
• Green Tea Powder Extract – Promotes breakdown of fats
• Acerola Cherry Powder Extract – Excellent source of vitamin C
• Oat Grass Powder – Beneficially promotes the body’s detoxification processes

For further details have a look at this website
 https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/julieshore/area/shop-online/category/supplements/product/5402/organic-greens-complex-100g/

The main reason diets fail and what to do about it - Part One

Here's the thing - you have been on a weight reducing diet for a few weeks, sticking to it rigidly even to the extent of refusing invitation out to dinner because you don't want to stray off the diet path.  You are possibly weighing and measuring all your food and counting calories. You may be weighing yourself once a day, or even twice. You are euphoric when you see the number on the scales go down and miserable if it hasn't moved, or worse and moved up. You might have joined a weight loss class and are buying all their special 'diet' foods and magazines. You think about your diet a lot and talk about it with friends who also might be joining you on the quest to lose some weight.

Then comes an occasion that you can't dodge, a family birthday, your birthday, Christmas, a good friends party. You go to the party/restaurant/dinner party and there is an amazing array of food there. You start to tuck in and end up eating a lot of food, chips and cake maybe as you haven't had them for so long and drink a few glasses of wine or beer or some sugary soft drinks. You go home feeling full and a little bit cross with yourself for 'breaking the diet' and vow to start again the next day.

But, and this is the big but and cause of many diet failures, you find that you can't get motivated the next day to eat 'diet' foods or even healthy foods. It's like a switch has gone off in your brain and you want to eat all the time, sabotaging your weight loss efforts. You think 'oh well I've broken my diet, I'm hopeless at dieting, I can't lose weight, I might just as well eat what I like'.

A TV programme in the UK on BBC2 demonstrated this very phenomenon in a very clever way. A group of people who had been on a diet for around 8 weeks were split into two groups and each offered a slice of cake as a reward for doing so well for the last two months. The first group were told the truth about the cake, that it was highly calorific at 700 calories per slice; the second group were told that it was a special low fat and sugar cake and only contained 190 calories. All the participants ate the cake but something very interesting happened afterwards. Both groups took part in cake making classes later on in the day and were told they could eat what they had made. The group who thought that the original cake was low calorie and compliant with their diet ate EIGHT times less cake than the ones who thought they had broken their diet.

It's clear that many people have an 'all or nothing' mentality around what they eat. They are either 'on a diet' or eating whatever they like, often unhealthy processed foods that taste good but aren't filling or nutritious and can be highly addictive. So, how can you get off this merry go round?

Firstly find an eating plan that contains mainly fresh unprocessed foods. Ditch all 'diet' foods. Eat protein (meat, fish, eggs, cheese) with every meal. Eat some good fats like nuts, coconut oil, butter, avocados. Eat high carbohydrate foods (pasta, rice, bread) sparingly. Avoid foods containing sugar and sugar derivatives whenever possible. Eat like this 80% of the time and you should be able to indulge in little treats without sabotaging your weight loss.

So what do you do when you do go out and indulge? How do you make sure you can stick with the 80/20 and not throw in the towel and go back to old habits. Look out for part two of this post which will give you strategies to manage the day after the night before!

Sweet Potato, Carrot and Ginger Soup

This sweet and spicy soup is absolutely scrummy and packed full of nutrients. Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutrient rich vegetables you can buy and a great source of good carbohydrates. They are packed with calcium, potassium, and vitamins A and C. Carrots are a rich source of Vitamin A particularly in the form of beta-carotene, which gives them their vibrant orange color. Beta-carotene converts into retinol, the most usable form of vitamin A. Ginger is a culinary herb that has been used as a natural remedy for many years and can strengthen the immune system which is always a good thing during the winter when there are so many illnesses lingering around.

You will need:

1 tbsp coconut oil

400g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

400g sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped

1 onion chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger 

1 litre bone broth or sugar free stock

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1tsp garam masala

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook onion on low heat for 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, sweet potato and ginger. Stir together and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the stock, season and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the veg are tender. Season well with salt and pepper and add the garam masala. Blitz in a food processor until smooth. Gently reheat to serve adding a little stock or coconut milk to thin if needed.

Add grated cheese, coconut oil or coconut milk to make the soup more filling.

Home made Tzatziki recipe

Tzatziki is my favourite dip but I had never made it until last weekend. I couldn't believe how easy it is, how little clearing up is required afterwards and how gorgeous it is when you make it yourself. I had half this portion for dinner on Saturday evening with carrot and pepper batons and crackers made from thin slices of seeded paleo bread (recipe can be found in October 2012 of this blog) which I toasted until crisp. These made a more healthy low carb wheat free alternative to traditional crispbreads or crackers. 

You will need:

250 ml full fat natural probiotic yogurt (organic if possible)
1/2 cucumber grated (I didn't use all the seeded bit in the  middle)
1 garlic clove 
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped finely
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Mix it all together in a bowl and eat immediately or chill in the fridge for a while.

Grain free breakfast muffins

I made these to take out shopping with me on Saturday with my daughter as I knew tea and cake would come into the equation somewhere and I wanted to be prepared. They are really nice and very nutritious. You could add other healthy fruits or nuts or even some grated carrot or sweet potato. I used butter but you can make these dairy free by using coconut oil.

You will need:

30 g coconut flour
30 g butter (or coconut oil for dairy free)
4 tbsp coconut milk
3 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
1 tbsp coconut sugar (also called coconut nectar)
30 g raisins
30 g shredded coconut
30 g chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
30 g sunflower seeds

Blend together eggs, butter, coconut milk, vanilla essence.

In another bowl mix coconut flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, raisins, nuts, coconut and sunflower seeds.

Pour wet ingredients into dry and blend well until there are no lumps.

Spoon into muffin cases and bake at 170 degrees C for 15 minutes.

Carrot and Coriander soup with coconut milk

I made this soup this morning for lunch, it was really quick and simple to make, as with all soups there's always a certain amount of clearing away afterwards especially when you use a food processor. However home made soup tastes so much better than shop bought and you can leave out any nasty added ingredients like sugar and preservatives. I had my soup with a salad, I find a bowl of soup isn't enough for lunch and I also find the crunch and the time it takes me to get through a big bowl of salad more satisfying.

You will need:

1 tbsp coconut oil or avocado oil
400g carrots, thinly sliced
1 onion chopped
1 garlic clove crushed (optional)
1 tsp coriander seed crushed or handful fresh coriander
750 ml vegetable stock
150 ml coconut milk
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion, garlic and coriander seed until the onion is soft.

Add the sliced carrots and stock, bring to the boil briefly then simmer for 20 mins.

Blend the soup with a hand held blender or food processor.

Add the coconut milk and salt and pepper to taste (and coriander if using fresh rather than seeds). Reheat gently and serve with a salad.

Note: coconut milk adds good fat to any soups and is ideal if you are avoiding dairy.

Dairy and Grain Free fruit and nut muffins

I made these cakes for a new client last week to illustrate that you can still enjoy a cake now and again whilst sticking with a grain and dairy free diet. They are packed full of nourishing healthy ingredients and taste very good with a cup of black or green tea.

You will need:

30g coconut oil melted

3 tablespoons coconut milk

3 medium eggs beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

 30g coconut flour (tiana do a good one)

1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar (again tiana do a good one)

25g raisins or dried cranberries

25g chopped mixed nuts (or any combination, I use walnuts)

¼ teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Handful sunflower seeds

Method

Mix together the coconut oil, coconut milk, eggs and vanilla essence 

In another bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, coconut sugar, chopped nuts, raisins and sunflower seeds.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Spoon into cake cases and bake for approx 12 minutes  at 170 degrees C or until firm to the touch.

Cool on a wire rack.

Grain Free Granola

Many of my clients find it difficult to eat eggs every morning and even though I believe that eggs are best way to start the day sometimes it is good to get some variety and have something different. Typical breakfast foods such as bagels, cereals and toast are high in carbohydrates (and often sugar) and can lead to a mid morning crash involving hunger and cravings for more carbs. If you fancy something delicious that is similar to cereal but that is healthy and nutritious and will keep you full until lunchtime this fits the bill. You can add any nuts, seeds and dried fruits you like. A word of caution though, if you are trying to lose weight eat this sparingly, a little goes and long way. Eat sprinkled on full fat natural yoghurt, on its own or with a little milk of your choice (if you avoid dairy then coconut milk is a great alternative).

You will need:

150g mixed nuts and seeds
100g mixed dried fruit
50 g shredded coconut
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tsp cinnamon

Method

Chop or pulse the nuts and seeds
Add the dried fruit and coconut flakes to the nuts and mix well
In a saucepan slowly melt the coconut oil, cinnamon and honey until it foams
Add the oil and honey mix to the dry ingredients and mix well
Spoon into a baking tray and press down. Refrigerate for 2 hours and then break up into small pieces and store in an airtight container.

What kind of diet saboteur are you?

In a previous post I talked about those people who are doing really well with eating healthy foods in sensible quantities, finding themselves losing fat and fitting better into their clothes and then BAM! something happens and they find themselves tucking into a burger, fries and milkshake or a huge piece of cake and then deciding that they might as well eat whatever they like because they have ruined their 'diet' anyway. This is self sabotage. 

I've just read a very inspirational book called 'Finding the Future that Fits' by one of the UK's leading life coaches, Louise Presley-Turner. In the book she talks about how we sabotage our best efforts to move our lives forwards and how she tends to come across certain sabotaging styles when working with clients. I could really identify with these sabotaging behaviours in our efforts to eat well and live a healthy lifestyle. So which kind of diet saboteur are you?

Procrastinator - these people are always going to start eating well tomorrow, or after their exams, or after their house move or after their birthday or holiday. There is always a reason to start another day. The best way to deal with this is to just start NOW! Start now and then make some adjustments around the event you were waiting for and then get back to the plan as soon as it's over. You can enjoy a holiday or a birthday just as much if you are eating well and allowing yourself a few treats, in fact you may enjoy it more as you should be feeling much more healthy.

Perfectionist - this is when you expect 100% adherence with a diet plan and won't settle for anything less. It generally means an all or nothing approach to weight loss, if you are not on a strict calorie controlled diet you might as well eat whatever you like whenever you like. Instead focus on an 80/20 approach, if you eat a paleo style diet of fresh unprocessed foods 80% of the time you can have some flexibility to eat out with friends or have a glass or two of wine at the weekends. You are far more likely to stick with it.

Dreamer - this person spends so much time thinking how great life will be when they lose the extra weight they are carrying. Instead enjoy life NOW and live in the moment as much as possible. Be aware of the benefits of being a healthy weight and eating good food but don't put your life on hold until you reach these goals, it may be that taking the pressure off will enable you to change your behaviour to support your goals.

Lazybones/Blaming others - it's our partner's fault because we have to cook for them, our parents fault for passing on a genetic predisposition to carrying excess weight, our boss's/children's fault for making us stressed so we comfort eat etc etc etc. Its very easy to blame others but we have to take responsibility for our bodies and our lives. We are the ones who put the food into our mouths, we are the ones responsible for making sure that food supports our health.

Airhead - you are disorganised and never get around to buying the right supportive foods or organising yourself so you have good healthy food with you and don't have to resort to eating junk foods. Eating well does require some planning, use the weekend to spend some time looking at your week and planning packed lunches, snacks and main meals that will support your health and weight loss goals. Cook some batches of healthy muffins, soups and casseroles that you can freeze. Put some raw nuts such as walnuts, almonds and madadamia nuts in a pot and  take them everywhere with you in case you find yourself hungry and with no other options.

Identifying if you are one of the above (or a mixture of some or all of the above!) may help you recognise the signs and stop the endless cycle of diet and diet sabotage that some people are on. The very best way to avoid this cycle is to a eat diet of fresh unprocessed foods with plenty of protein, good fats and vegetables and to avoid grains and sugar as much as possible. If you eat like this at least 80% of the time you will find you body gets used to being nourished and doesn't fight against you like it does when you count calories and eat 'diet' foods.

Carrot and sunflower seed muffins

These muffins are so light and moist and packed full of nutritionally dense ingredients such as carrots, seeds, coconut oil and coconut flour. They are gluten and wheat free - a sweet treat for those who want to try and cut grains from their diet.

You will need:

50 g coconut nectar (I used Tiana from Holland and Barrett)
70 g coconut oil
30g coconut flour (also Tiana from Holland and Barrett)
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
40g sunflower seeds
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs beaten
110g grated carrots (about 2 medium sized carrots)
50g raisins (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees (170 fan oven)

Mix the coconut sugar and coconut oil together until well combined

Add the eggs and beat well until eggs are mixed in. Add vanilla essence.

Mix together the coconut flour, baking powder, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, mixed spice, raisins (if using) and salt.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

Mix in the grated carrots.

Spoon mixture into cake cases or muffin cases and bake for 15 minutes for cakes and 20 minutes for muffins or until a skewer comes out clean.

6 STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING WEIGHT LOSS SABOTAGE

The tag line on my promotional postcards reads 'make this the last diet you ever have to do'. Nourishing your body with the right foods is the physiological part of the plan - but what about the psychological part, the voice inside your head that makes you reach for the biscuits and cakes when you might not even like them, makes you sabotage your efforts when you have been doing so well? Here are some strategies to use to help you overcome this inner sabotage.

1. Successful weight loss and good health are made up of small steps and decisions you take each day. Every time you make a good decision that will support your health and weight loss goals use your inner voice to praise yourself. Tell yourself how that decision was the first of many that will help you to reach your goals.Really give yourself a very strong pat on the back, most of us are very bad at being nice to ourselves.

2. Find a goal that is about weight loss and good health as a means to an end rather than the end itself. Although a large majority of people say they would love to lose some weight the fact that most don't do it or that they do and put it back on again points to the fact that the goal is not compelling and important enough in itself. Three very good motivators for me personally are remaining in good health into old age, being able to fit into my clothes comfortably and, probably the most compelling one, keeping my IBS at bay. Find your motivators yourself, or work with a friend or a coach to find them. These will keep you on track much more than just 'I want to lose half a stone'.

3. Ditch the guilt when you do eat something that is not on plan. Make a conscious decision to eat it and then savour every mouthful. See this as a choice not a mindless action. One meal or one day off the plan won't sabotage your goals too much but one week or one month sure will. Remember - progress not perfection!

4. There is evidence to suggest that good healthy habits need to be formed over a period of time. In the same way that you may be in the habit of having a biscuit every time you have a cup of tea or a glass of wine (or two) every night at dinner you can make new more supportive habits. Replace the biscuit with a small portion of nuts. Replace the wine with a glass of cold sparkling water with fresh lime. Do these things every day for a couple of weeks and they will become new habits.

5.You may having limiting beliefs at the core or your identity about your ability to be slimmer and more healthy. For example you may just know 'I'm not someone who exercises' or 'I'm not meant to be slim' or 'I don't deserve to be slim'. Replace this with some positive self talk such as 'I am someone who consistently chooses healthy foods to support my health and weight', I am someone who exercises every day to support my health and weight' and choose actions that match. For me personally when I see bread or pasta now I just know that 'I am someone who doesn't eat grains'. After a year this is a core belief. 

6 DO NOT put your life on hold until you lose weight!!! This is so important. Yes losing weight may make you feel better about yourself and hopefully you may feel many other benefits to your health that will improve your quality of life. However life is going on around you NOW and your future is made up of what is happening in the NOW. Try and be in the present as much as you can, make consistently healthy choices NOW and you will reach your goals. 

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.