Getting my kids to eat healthy has become a challenge

Getting my two kids to eat healthy has become a challenge.

Especially now they are influenced by their environment outside of home. I find them becoming even more fussy eaters.

They are constantly bombarded with unhealthy foods everywhere. At the supermarkets, our local village shops/cafe,parties, other social events and at school. And even at church…no surprise here!!

So I find ways to incorporate vegetables in everything I make at home. In soups, stews, pasta sauces, juices, smoothies, cakes and breads. And because all of my cooking is done from scratch, I get to add as much or as little vegetables and other health benefiting ingredients to my dishes. Sometimes they know what’s in them, sometimes they don’t have a clue. Either way it gets eaten. And that’s my goal..!

Like these seriously scrumptious Gluten Free Chocolate Beetroot & Flaxseed Mini Cakes I made today.

They are so children friendly because they are made with coconut sugar which is much healthier than refined caster sugar. Even though its healthier, I tend to use less sugar when I’m baking for the kids.

And may I say that they are Hormones Friendly too. So I could have one if I like too..!

Oh and they are ever so easy to make. Because I had three steamed beetroot in the fridge which I cooked last Sunday, I was able to whipped them up in just about 25 minutes.

The kids didn’t know it was made with beetroot until I told my daughter she was eating beetroot. Its one of her most disliked vegetables ever.

“Mum I couldn’t imagine its made with beetroot, its the best chocolate cake ever”she said. She helped herself to two of them. And I caught her pinching a third…!

Recipe

Ingredients

125 g Coconut sugar

125 g Real butter chopped in cubes

2 eggs

3 medium size steamed beetroot

200 g Gluten free all purpose self rising flour

50 g Organic coconut flour

25 g Flaxseed – grounded

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tsp baking powder

3 heap table spoons raw cocoa powder

100 g dark chocolate melted

Chocolate chip optional

How to make

Preheat the oven at 180

Get 2 muffin tins ready with paper cups

First blend the beetroot and almond milk together and set aside.

In a mixing bowl add all the ingredients,except the melted chocolate.

Mix together with a hand blender until smooth texture.

Add melted chocolate and stir in with a mixing spoon.

Add more almond milk or water if the mixture too thick.

Pour into muffin tin and bake for 18 minutes

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

The Wellness Reset Program

The Summer Wellness Reset Program£50 discount for the month of July!NOW £29.99

Source: The Wellness Reset Program

Summer Antioxidant Rich Dessert to Enhance Natural Beauty

 

Summer is around the corner, finally giving cold desserts their moment and the oven a break. And here in Briton, summer means desserts and lots of it, like Ice cream and Popsicles and of course strawberry cream teas. But no doubt the high sugar content in these shop bought or even homemade dessert can be well over our recommended daily intake which should be less than 5% of our total energy intake.

 

 

Fatty, sugary desserts are the enemies of weight loss and clear skin. Excessive amounts of sugar can lead to skin imperfections, weight loss, and bloating. However, there are a variety of delicious, antioxidant-rich desserts that can actually be friendly to your natural beauty. These detox desserts not only help you meet your weight loss goals but satisfy your sweet tooth. Here are a few recipes from my Summer Wellness Rest Program which aims to reset your body from the inside out.

 

Berry and Beet Popsicles

 

Summer means popsicles. Fruits and vegetables are perfect ingredients to make delicious frozen treats in a variety of colors and flavors. Beetroot is rich in antioxidant properties and a healthy dessert option.

¼ cup freshly squeezed beet juice

1 cup berries

½ cup water

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Evenly distribute mixture into Popsicle containers, add a popsicle stick, and freeze until the mixture is solid. For easy removal, run water over the popsicle container to loosen them.

Enjoy!

 

Orange Chia Pudding Parfait

Chia is rich in fiber and omega 3, and oranges are a great source of vitamin C, which helps prevent diabetes and reduce weight gain. Orange Chia Pudding Parfait is a delicious and healthy breakfast combination that provides a filling meal and satisfies that sugar craving but doesn’t derail your diet.

 

¾ cups of fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 sliced banana

½ cup fresh berries

 

Combine chia seeds and orange juice in a bowl and let set until the chia seeds have fully absorbed the orange juice. Pour the mixture into a glass, alternating layers with fruits and maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Berry Sorbet

 

 

Summer desserts seem incomplete without seasonal fruit, and berries are a great choice for a cool, refreshing sorbet. They are low in calories and contain only natural sugar, helping you keep your weight in check.

 

1-cup strawberries or any other berries that you like

½ cup coconut water

10 mint leaves, plus a few for garnish

 

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until well mixed. Gradually add ice and blend until mixture is a smooth, thick consistency. Scoop out into a bowl or glass and garnish with mint leaves.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Programmes

Source: Nutrition Programmes

Our miracle baby…. She was born to be called Hannah.

Love at first sight!

Unto us a child was born, a gift was given and responsibilities are upon our shoulders as parents. To bring her up our child healthy in body, mind and spirit so that she can grow up into the women God has created her to be.

I was told by many of my friend and a few family members that I won’t be able to carry a child, let alone to full term. Because I had multiply miscarriages – five in total. But as always God had other plans for me.

The joy Hannah brought into our family’s life is beyond our expectations. That is why one of her middle names is JOY.

We didn’t know the sex of our baby, but most people told us we were going to have a boy. So I sort of engraved that in my brain ‘as you do. We had names for boys sorted but no girls names. We were going to call him Samuel, not after my dad who’s name was Samuel but after Samuel in the bible. I though Samuel would be the most appropriate name for him. Because I prayed every day to have a child, just like Hannah in the bible did – Samuel’s mother. I could have identified with Hannah because she had child bearing problems. Only that Hannah could not bear a child, but she prayed every day to God to have a child and several years later she bore a baby boy and call him Samuel. Which in Hebrew means: “Name of God; asked of God; heard by God”. While me, I was able to conceive but wasn’t able to carry to term. I would have spontaneous miscarriages – five in total before Hannah was gifted to us.

And so when we had a baby girl! And so we were stock for names for about a day and half. I wasn’t in any fit state of mind to think of a name after my traumatic labour anyways.

So when my mother-in-law and her husband came to the hospital to visit me ( I was in there for eight days),she suggested we call her Shahalia after her sister – baby number four who we lost at twenty four weeks a year before.But Shaun wasn’t too keen nor did I. I was still too weak to even think. But when she mentioned the name Hannah that’s when I felt like something came alive in me again. I said yes that’s the name.

You see,as a little girl I always said that when even I grow up and if I ever have a girl child I was going to call her Hannah. But I did not remember at the time,that I had told my cousin Claudette several years ago. So when she rung me to find out how me and baby were doing and if I had a name for her get. She reminded me that I told her if ever I had a baby girl I would call her Hannah. As you can imagine I was in floods of tears then, and in ore of how it all came together. She was born to call Hannah.

And the Hebrew meaning for Hannah is “favour” or “grace”.

Hannah was born at thirty six week, a bit early than I expected. She was born by a very traumatic emergency cesarean section and look normal healthy baby girl weighing 7lbs 12oz, with a head full of black hair, bright dark eyes and the loudest cry in hospital. She was the most beautiful little thing I have ever seen, when I got to meet her and hold her. And one of the best feelings I ever had ever experienced. Well, apart from our wedding day.

I would have like to have had her via normal virginal birth but given the risk both me and her were in at the time, there were no choice but to consent to it and prayed that all was going to be well.

My faith was stretched to the max during my whole pregnancy. I allowed God to carry me; I put all my faith in Him and well…some in the medical professional. I had the most graceful consultant and I felt so blessed that she was a part of my journey at that present time.

Fruity Nutty Linseed Buckwheat Pancake

 

Who likes pancakes? I don’t think you like them more than my two munchkins,they absolutely love em!!

Pancakes is more than a weekend treat for us. I try to sneak in at least one batch a week on a school day morning for breakfast. I usually make healthy gluten free options and topped with the weird and wonderful healthy toppings like sugar free crunchy peanut or smooth almond butter, and my very own sugar free chocolate hazelnut spread, raw honey drizzled on fresh strawberries, blueberries, bananas or any fresh fruits in season. My five year old even likes to sprinkle chopped cashew nuts on his…queer I know :).

 

Pancakes don’t have to be always leaden with refined sugar and lemon juice or shop bought sugary toppings. Especially for little ones. You can read about the harmful effects sugar have on children here– healthier options are best for their little growing bodies. There is freedom in making pancakes and even more freedom with their toppings – the possibilities are endless when it comes to topping.

 

Really, there is no comparison between making pancakes yourself and buying the ready-made version or even the ready-made mix from the supermarket which usually have long shelf lives and therefore not ideal for our health.

 

As Pancake Day is almost upon us – less than 2 days to go. Hooray!

I am sharing with you my easy peasy Fruity Nutty Linseed Buckwheat Pancake Recipe using my Nutribullet to mix my batter. And I have also picked some of my favourite healthy homemade pancakes recipes for you from other foodies like me.

 

Recipe:Fruity Nutty Linseed Buckwheat Pancake

Makes 8-10 pancakes

Ingredients

50g buckwheat flour

50g einkorn flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbs linseed

1 medium egg

180 ml goat’s milk or coconut milk

Coconut oil or ghee, for cooking

Sliced fresh fruits and avocado for topping

A dollop of peanut butter

Method

Put both flours, cinnamon, linseed, egg and milk in  Nutribullet cup. Blend into a smooth pancake batter.

Heat a frying pan and very lightly grease the base of it with a piece of kitchen paper dipped in coconut oil or ghee.

Pour a thin layer of batter over the base of the pan. Cook it until the edges start to curl back. Either toss the pancake, or use a palette knife to loosen it around the edges and then use the palette knife to help flip it over.

Cook the pancake briefly on this side, then slide it out on to a plate.

Cook the rest of the mixture in the same way.

Serve pancakes warm with toppings

Enjoy!!

 

Fish Pie Stuffed Pancakes

by Fuss Free Flavours

Guilt-Free Chocolate and Banana Pancakes 

By Lean Living Girl

 

 

Green Smoothie Pancakes

by Runnin Srilankn

 

As I said, there are no limits to the flavours and toppings I make, once they are healthy and my kids love them that’s all that matters.

So this pancake day I challenge you to explore, be adventurous with your pancake flavours and toppings and you will taste the difference.

 

Happy pancake day 2017 !!

 

 

Nuts About Nuts – Seriously Chocó lately Hazelnut Spread

Just 4 Ingredients for this seriously chocolately nutty spread! Roasted Hazelnuts Raw cocoa powder Melted dark chocolate Olive oil Nutmeg oil or vinella (Optional) I think you guys are going to lov…

Source: Nuts About Nuts – Seriously Chocó lately Hazelnut Spread

Nuts About Nuts – Seriously Chocó lately Hazelnut Spread

Just 4 Ingredients for this seriously chocolately nutty spread!

1. Roasted hazelnuts
2. Raw cocoa powder
3. Melted dark chocolate
4. Olive oil

Nutmeg oil or vanilla (Optional)

I think you guys are going to love this spread! It’s

• Creamy
• Chocolatey
• Rich
• Perfectly sweet
• Spreadable
• Simple
• Versatile

It’s dairy free and definitely gluten-free!

There’s something so comforting and indulgent about spreading nutty chocolate on a hot pancake and let it slowly melt or a dollop of it in a bowl of quinoa porridge…yum! yum!

I must confess, I’m a nut lover – full stop! I love any and all kind of nuts and I’m fortunate that I can eat them all without any allergic reaction to them. My two kids are NUTS about nuts too. Especially my five year old, his favourites are cashew and almond, while my seven year old daughter absolutely NUTS about pistachio and adore cashew nuts. My husband is secretly NUTS too!!!

For us, nuts are a daily part of our diet, they are perfect snacks for the kids after school. Me and my husband take them to work as snacks too.

But this Seriously Chocó lately Hazelnut Spread I made two days ago has got to be one of my guilty pleasures. And its virtually sugar free! Its dairy free and definitely gluten free!.

 

HOW TO MAKE ROASTED HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE SPREAD

Ingredients

• 250g raw or roasted hazelnuts
• 50 g  dairy free dark chocolate, chopped (see notes for cacao version)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 4 drops of nutmeg oil
• 1/2 tbs raw cocoa powder
• 1 tsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Heat the chocolate in a pyrex over a saucepan of slowly boiling water and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and add hazelnuts to a baking sheet in a single layer. If raw, roast for a total of 12-15 minutes. If already roasted, roast for 8-10 minutes just to warm the natural oils and loosen the skins. This will make it easier to blend into butter.
3. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Then transfer to a kitchen towel and use your hands to roll the nuts around and remove most of the skins. But doesn’t worry if its not perfect!
4. Add hazelnuts to a food processor or high speed blender. Blend on low until a butter is formed for about 8-10 minutes.
5. Once the hazelnut butter is creamy and smooth, add the melted chocolate, raw cocoa powder, oil and vanilla/nutmeg oil. Blend until well mixed. Taste and adjust to your best taste and texture.
6. Divide between sterilised jars and store for a few weeks at room temperature and use as desire.

Enjoy!

 

 

Winter foods that are filling and nourishing.

It is only natural during the winter we crave warmer and heavier foods. But the good news is; winter warming foods doesn’t have to be all fatty and stodgy.

I like to cook more comforting foods while still maintaining some form of raw foods or slightly cooked vegetables to my dishes, like my favourite lentil and carrot soup topped with steamed spinach (dip in and out of hot water).I love cooking soups and keep it in the fridge, its handy for taking to work or as a light snack when I get home from work.

I love adding warming spices like ginger to my smoothies, juices and cooked foods. Roasted root vegetables like sweet potatoes, beet, parsnips, carrots and salad potatoes, dusted with turmeric, paprika, salt and oregano herb roasted in coconut oil is one of my all time comfort foods.

My kids favourites are curried chicken or vegetable curry with brown rice. Shepards pie  and chicken pie with steamed carrots and broccoli. My seven year old daughter loves spaghetti in mummy’s special sauce – all sorts of steamed vegetables blending together into a sauce with sauté tomatoes, onion, garlic and herbs.

In the past, personally I had never liked salads during the winter and I would try to avoid eating them at all cost. But since I have changed the way I eat, I now enjoy salads in the Winter. I would combine hot and cold foods like my warm chick peas or lentil topped onto a leafy salad – yum!

I though I would share with you two of my favourite Healthy and Nourishing Winter Warming recipes.

I resently had some tomatoes given to me by my friend, so I decided to make some soup before they go off.

Roasted Tomato Soup & Cassava Bread

Serves 4

Ingredients

1kg ripe tomatoes

4 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Small bunch of basil, separated into leaves and stalks

600ml beefbone broth I made and stored in the freezer

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

Extra virgin olive oil to serve, salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 190C and cut the tomatoes in half . Arrange, cut-side up, in a baking dish, drizzle with half the oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about an hour, until softened and beginning to char around the edges.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat and add the onion, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 7 minutes until softened. Meanwhile, chop the basil stalks, and then add to the pan and cook for another minute.

3. Add the tomatoes, plus any juices from the dish, to the pan along with the broth. Stir and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, cover and leave to simmer for 25 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft. Leave to cool slightly.

4. Use a hand blender to purée the soup, then stir in the cider vinegar, and season to taste. Reheat gentle and drizzle olive oil on top.

Serve with cassava bread or your favouriate bread.

Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 chilli

thumb-sized piece ginger

peeled and finely chopped

1 ½ tsp ground turmeric

1 ½ tsp ground cumin

1/2 medium size cauliflower

1 red and green sweet peppers

1 large courgette

250g green split lentils

300ml vegetable stock

1 cup coconut milk

4 spring onions

celery

Method

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion and cook over a low heat for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli, cook for 1 min, then add the spices and cook for 1 min more.

Add the lentils, stock and some seasoning. Bring the liquid to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 20 mins until the lentils are tender then gently stir in the vegetables and coconut milk. Cook for five minutes, top with the spring onions and celery to serve. Eat on its own or serve with cooked brown rice.

Enjoy!

How to stay well this winter season!!

My proven strategies for preventing colds and flu, and some simple, natural cold and flu remedies I use.

 

It’s that time of the year again when the signs of a cold or flu settling in, about to derail us, however temporarily from our day-to-day live. I must count myself lucky or blessed not to get colds and flu. However if I do get any symptoms of a cold, I would quickly make myself some sort of home remedy to stop it right in its tracks. Trust me, it always works. My two favourites are lemon and raw honey tea and fresh ginger tea.

Both my husband and my seven-year old daughter have had colds recently. My husband caught it off my daughter. She caught it playing out doors on a very cold autumn’s afternoon without a cardigan or coat – not very sensible for a seven-year old.

For us, if an illness struck, natural and herbal remedies are our first port of call, it helps shorten the duration and get you feeling better faster.

We as a family have never had the flu jab, nor do we intend to take it, because of the long-term effect it has on the immune system. Instead of waiting until we experience the cold and flu symptoms, I tend to build up and strengthen my body’s natural defence mechanism–my immune system with a number of vitamins, minerals, herbs and essential oils that naturally boost our immune system. But most importantly we eat a well-balanced healthy whole food diet,consisting of mainly fresh whole and natural foods like good cuts of meat and fish, free range eggs, nuts, seeds, good fats, fruits and vegetables.

 

Get juicing this winter. Your immune system will love you for it !!

Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables is a great way to boost your immune system and benefit from Vitamin C and other phytonutrients found in fresh raw foods.

Choose orange fruits and vegetables like carrots to get more beta carotene, the precursor your body turns into Vitamin A. This nutrient helps your immune system by supporting healthy lungs and lymph.

Dark greens like kale and spinach contain beta carotene and Vitamin E that help your body fend off cold and flu infections.

Fresh red and pink fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, strawberries and pink grapefruit are especially high in Vitamin C.

We love juicing this time of the year, rather than making smoothies.

Orange, beetroot, kale and carrot juice – the kids loved it!!

 

Say No To Sugar

Sugar can cripple your immune system for up to 5 hours after eating sugar! So I stay well away from it. According to a 1973 study done by Loma Linda University, when you eat 100 grams of sugar, about as much sugar as you find in a 1 litter bottle of coke or fizzy drink, your white blood cells are 40 percent less effective at killing germs.

Some of my favourite natural remedies, essential oils and herbal supplements.

Echinacea acts as an anti-inflammatory, which can help reduce bronchial symptoms of cold and flu.

Garlic has antibiotic and antibacterial properties. In a recent study, people who took a garlic supplement for 12 weeks got about 60% fewer colds than those who didn’t and recovered faster if they did get a cold.

The best way to take garlic, other cooking with it, is to swallow a raw clove. I like to make garlic tea. But you can take garlic capsule as well.

Ginger naturally boosts the immune system. It believes that because ginger is so effective at warming the body, it can help break down the accumulation of toxins in your organs. It’s also known to cleanse the lymphatic system, our body’s sewage system.  Dr. Oz says, “By opening up these lymphatic channels and keeping things clean, ginger prevents the accumulation of the toxins that make you susceptible to infections, especially in the respiratory system. I do enjoy a good cup of fresh ginger tea, its so refreshing. As a child, when ever we get a cold or cough, my mum use to make us ginger tea to get rid of it and I do the same for my kids now.

Eucalyptus works as an expectorant and helps cleanse your body of toxins and harmful micro-organisms that can make you feel sick. My husband love adding a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil in our diffuser in the evening – it bring the room to life to say the least.

Vitamin C can boost the immune system and reduce the severity of cold and flu symptoms. I usually add about ¼ teaspoon to my kids water (700 ml) they take to school. And I take it in capsule form.

Vitamin D is produced in the body by sunlight and regulates the expression of over 2,000 genes, including those of the immune system. Recent research has found that low vitamin D levels are linked to higher rates of cold, flu and respiratory infections.

 

Homemade Vapor Rub

Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup grated Bees wax
• 20 drops peppermint essential oil
• 20 drops eucalyptus essential oil
• Glass jar

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour all oils in to a jar.
2. Place a saucepan with 2 inches of water over medium low heat
3. Place jar in saucepan and allow oils to melt. Stir to combine.
4. Once combined, allow to cool slightly and add in essential oils.
5. Pour mixture into metal tins or storage containers and allow to set.