CARBS- NO LONGER THE DEVIL

It's finally time to stop fearing carbohydrates and start eating them. Low GI carbohydrates, that is. GI or Glycaemic Index is the measurement of glucose (blood sugar) level increase from carbohydrate absorption. Certain foods trigger an increase in blood sugar, which the body responds to with a large spike of insulin. These foods are the 'bad' or high GI carbs, as high glucose/insulin levels in the body are damaging to various blood vessels and arteries, and can therefore increase the chance of developing serious illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. The low GI carbs are very beneficial to our bodies, as they release a steady stream of blood sugar in the body and produce lower levels of insulin. Basically, these low GI carbs leave you feeling fuller for longer, provide you with a boost of energy, reduce the chance of developing life-threatening illnesses, improve your concentration and can assist in weight loss. 

Want these health & weight benefits? All you have to do is consume low GI foods. Below is a detailed list of low GI carbs:

• Most non starchy vegetables (green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, cooked carrots, cucumber, capsicum, cabbage, peas etc)
• Low-fat yoghurt, with or without sugar 
• Lentils & beans
• Several fruits (including cherries, plums, grapefruit, peaches, apples, pears, grapes, oranges)
• Bulgur
• Long-grain rice
• Fat-free milk & soy milk
• Whole wheat spaghetti
• Chickpeas
• Pineapple & grapefruit juice
• Whole grain breads
• Untoasted museli & porridge 
• Peanuts Untoasted
• Tomato soup

And some High GI carbs to try to avoid:

• Bagels
• Corn chips
• White bread & french bread
• Jelly beans
• Doughnuts
• Vanilla wafers
• Mashed potatoes
• Pretzels
• Instant rice 
• Puffed wheat 

Benefits of a low GI diet

The instantaneous benefit of such a diet is improved concentration and a boost in energy. This is due to the steady supply of blood sugar/glucose that the body receives when you consume low GI foods. In addition, a high GI diet is linked with acne and oily skin. Research has shown that switching to a low GI diet can reduce acne by 50% in 12 weeks. 

Another benefit of consuming low GI carbs is the reduced risk of contracting bowel & breast cancer. This is due to the decrease of circulating insulin in the blood. A low GI diet also reduces the risk of heart disease in two different ways. Firstly, a low GI diet elevates the levels of good cholesterol in the body while decreasing the levels of bad cholesterol. Secondly, consumption of low GI food decreases the inflammation of blood vessels. 

Avoid Diabetes

A super scary statistic- an estimated 3.5 million Australians have diabetes or pre-diabetes. That is 1 in 4 adults over 25 years of age. Half of the 3.5 million have no idea that they have diabetes. A low GI diet can greatly help to decrease the risk of developing this disease by keeping your weight under control and within a healthy range. Choosing a diet of low GI carbs and lean protein will keep you feeling full for longer, therefore making it easier to eat less and lose weight, if need be. 

How to change your eating habits NOW

Making the switch to a low GI diet may mean completely restocking your pantry and developing totally new eating habits. Purchase wholegrain bread, untoasted muesli and old-fashioned porridge, and say farewell to white bread. Consume low GI rice (no instant rice) and gluten-free pasta. Branch out by cooking with lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans and reduce your consumption of potatoes and other starchy vegetables. Decrease your intake of cookies, crackers, cakes and other baked goods. Add a dash of lemon or vinegar to your cooking whenever possible, as these acids can slow down the breakdown of carbs to blood sugar. 

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LIGHT PORK SALAD with PLUM SAUCE

Below is my first Pork dish. EVER. Big steps here people. I suppose what has kept me away from cooking this meat for the past year has been a number of things; 1. I thought all pork was fatty, 2. It is an understatement to say that it is difficult to cook correctly and 3. I was scared of cooking something new and so foreign to me. I grew up in a very red meat and three vegetables type household. Well, more like seven or ten vegetable childhood. However, the year 2012 is almost up and its time to stop being a wuss and try new things. Hence the pork.

Now you may be thinking that a salad was not very creative or brave for my first pork venture. Well that may be, but we all have to start somewhere. The plum sauce marinade softened the hardness of the pork and the garlic, ginger and goat’s cheese all added their unique essences to the dish. Definitely a meat I will cook with again.

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 50g goat's cheese, roughly torn 
• 1/2 a large cos lettuce, washed and roughly chopped

Plum sauce

• 300g lean pork cutlets, fat trimmed and cut into even 4cm pieces
• 3 tablespoons gluten-free plum sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 3cm fresh ginger, finely grated 

COOKING 

1. Combine all the ingredients for the plum sauce and toss to combine. Marinade in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes (Don't cut corners and skip this refrigeration step, as the garlic and other ingredients need this time to tenderise the tough pork). 

2. Meanwhile, combine the lettuce and goat's cheese in a large serving bowl. 

3. After 30 minutes, heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Cook pork pieces, stirring, for 5-7 minutes or until cooked and there is no pink flesh remaining. (It can be really tricky cooking pork! One minute too long and the meat is very tough, one minute too short and you can end up with food poisoning. Just make sure you are constantly around the cooking pork, and cutting a few pieces open to make sure it is no longer raw). 

Serves 2-3 as a main / 4-6 as a side 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes

Total Cooking time / 7-9 minutes 

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BBQ CHICKEN, BAKED SWEET POTATO & FETA SALAD

I often find that I acquire much of my cooking inspiration by eating out at restaurants. I don’t allow myself to dine out as often as I’d like to, particularly now, as starting a business and moving house is not cheap. However, I’ve recently discovered the importance in enjoying a nice meal out with my significant other and have made it a once a week occurrence. The other night we went to a burger joint in Southbank and ever the gluten-intolerant being; I had no choice but to order a salad. I was already planning my second dinner in my head when my salad came out. Succulent large chicken pieces, baked to perfection eggplant & sweet potato and spicy, yet sweet red onion. This totally blew my preconception about salads being not filling right out of the window. So of course, the next day I re-created this substantial salad in my inferior, but homey kitchen. The bbq chicken seasoning can be pre-purchased as taco or chicken seasoning if you do not have the time or number of spices to create it yourself. Whatever type of lettuce you have on hand will do, just make sure you roughly chop it. If you keep your eyes open, creativity and inventiveness is everywhere around you.

INGREDIENTS

BBQ Chicken Seasoning

• 250g chicken breast, preferably free-range, cut into even 4cm pieces
• 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• a generous pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper each
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped/crushed 
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil

Salad Ingredients

• 300g sweet potato, peeled & cut into thin, even slices
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 60g feta, crumbled or cut into small cubes
• 4 cups of a mixture of baby spinach and any type of lettuce, washed & roughly chopped
• a splash of balsamic or apple cider vinegar 

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-force oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine the sweet potato with the teaspoon of oil in a medium bowl and toss well. Place the potato in a single layer on one side of the prepared oven tray. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. 

3. Whilst the sweet potato is baking, combine all the BBQ chicken ingredients in a medium bowl and toss well. Place the baby spinach, lettuce (I used shredded iceberg) and feta in a large serving bowl and 

4. Once the sweet potato has been baking in the oven for 10 minutes, place the chicken in a single layer on the empty half of the prepared tray. Bake the chicken in the oven for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken meat is white inside (to check this find the biggest piece of chicken and cut it in half). Remove the tray from the oven and place the sweet potato and chicken in a large serving bowl. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

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THE ETERNAL SUGAR BATTLE

How many times have you tried to lose weight and found that the hardest thing to give up is your sugar intake? So many of us are addicted to sugar and find this the biggest obstacle or challenge to weight loss and attaining our desired body. I recently got up close and personal with myself and admitted that I suffer from a sugar addiction from time to time. I decided to tackle this dependence head on by consuming no sugar whatsoever besides fruit. Mu journey without sugar has not been easy and I would go as far as to say that I have been experiencing several withdrawal symptoms for the past few weeks. On a positive note, I feel more energised and less lethargic, my muscles are recovering from exercise faster and I feel much, much healthier.

Let’s delve a little deeper and ask the following question; why do we all find it so damn hard to cut sugar out of our lives? 

Our Biology

In a 2007 study, researchers conducted an experiment in which participants were given a choice between cocaine and sugar-water. The study revealed that these participants, rats, chose the sugar-water over the cocaine every time. It did not matter whether the sugar-water was natural or artifical, the rats were consistent in their choice. Surprisingly, when the amount of cocaine was dramatically increased, the rats still chose the sugar-water. 

The conclusion that John Rosania, an urban Wellness Coach, draws from this experiment is that humans are hypersensitive to sugar and sugary products. If we consume sugar-rich products, the sweet receptors in our brain become over-stimulated and our ability to exercise self-control is revoked. Have a think about this; have you ever told yourself that you will just have one tiny bite of ice-cream, chocolate or cake and after that one bite you forget all about your promise to yourself and consume much more than you initially planned? This is because your brain is actually telling you to eat more. We are powerless to sugar. 

Five Simple Ways to Break the Sugar Habit

If it is this easy for sugar to negate our self-control, we need to take action! How can we reduce our body's natural craving for sugar? We discuss five simple ways to break your sugar addiction for good below. 

1. Eat frequent low-sugar, whole foods every day. When we don't eat enough of this type of food during the day, our body craves calories by the afternoon or night. How many times have you felt a powerful craving for chocolate or lollies in the early afternoon or evening? Our bodies are very smart and know that sweet, sugary foods are filled with calories. How often have you binged on sugary foods when arriving home from work? For the majority of us, the answer is more than once. The fastest and easiest way to reduce sugar cravings is to eat ample amounts of low-sugar, whole foods throughout your day. If you find yourself craving sugar, ask yourself why. Have you skipped any meals today? Did you eat enough breakfast and/or lunch? Try taking vegetables, greens, grass-fed meats, fish, gluten-free grains like quinoa and millet, and good fats like avocados and coconut to work with you everyday. This will reduce your chance of running down to the vending machine for an afternoon 'pick-me-up' treat. Incorporating some or all of these whole foods into your daily diet will greatly reduce your sugar cravings. 

A little tip: Have afternoon tea waiting for you when you get home from work, such as steamed veges or a green smoothie. 

2. Stay Hydrated. Cravings for sugary foods frequently come about due to dehydration. When you feel a desire for sugar, drink 2 glasses of water. A healthy habit to incorporate into your daily routine is to start your day by drinking at least one glass of water and a healthy smoothie or juice for breakfast. These liquids will hydrate your body and brain and provide your body with easily digestible nutrients. Try to drink a minimum of two litres of water a day. 

Handy tip: Carry a waterbottle with you in your bag whereever you go. 

3. Eat fruit and use stevia.

When you crave something sweet, substitute junk food for fruit or stevia. Stevia is a plant containing sweet leaves that is used as a low-carbohydrate, low glycemic sugar. An interesting fact about stevia is that it does not cause cravings. Stevia can be added to teas, smoothies and deserts, such as natural yoghurt or fruit. Challenge yourself to only eat fruit or stevia instead of artifical sugar for two weeks. Stevia can be purchased at any good health food store. 

Natural sugar Drink recipe: add a sprinkle of stevia and apple cider vinegar to water.

4. Eat sour and fermented foods. A very interesting and unknown trick. When you desire sweet food, eat the opposite. Eat sour and fermented food like kimchee, pickles and sauerkraut. These foods contain probiotics and several nutrients as well as reducing sugar cravings. Look for unpasteurized krauts at your health food store and kimchee at asian grocery speciality stores. 

5. Take a daily probiotic. When our digestive system is out of balance, we crave sugar. Probiotics assist in replenishing the good bacteria, removing the bad bacteria and strengthening the balance of our gut. Just one teaspoon of a probiotic mixed with water is all you need to take once a day. Probiotics are available at all good health stores. 

Interesting fact: most probiotics have no flavour and do not taste like anything. 

Lastly, take away from this article that your body is designed to be naturally hypersensitive to sugar. It is not your or anyone else's fault that you crave sugar so much and so often. Give these five simple strategies a try by incorporating them into your daily regime. You can say no to sugar! 

SPINACH STRATA

I like to think that I’m not a huge complainer, however sometimes the no gluten & no dairy diet gets to me! I think about all the rich, soft cheeses I cannot eat (without a bloated stomach) and the sourdough, ciabatta, white and French bread that I must pass by. I initially looked at this Spinach Strata and thought there was no way that I could make this taste edible whilst being gluten & dairy free. However, after a few days of serene sunshine and uninterrupted hours of reading, I decided I was strong enough to take on the challenge. Rice milk is a wonderful alternative to fresh cow’s milk, finely grated pecorino sheep’s cheese tastes superior to feta and the new gluten-free & dairy-free bread range at Woolworths carries a pretty bright flame to stale white bread. I definitely recommend sprinkling some herbs right before baking this strata in the oven, particularly if you are cooking it GF & DF, as the extra flavour goes a long way. A perfect breakfast, lunch or dinner dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 slices day-old & stale gluten-free bread, cut into 1cm cubes (if not stale place in a 180 degree celsius oven for 15 minutes) 
• lemon zest of 1/2 a lemon, finely grated
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 2 heaped cups of baby spinach, washed, drained & finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
• 1/4 cup pecorino sheep's cheese
• 6 eggs, preferably free-range, lightly beaten
• 2 cups rice milk
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, plus extra to grease (liquid form)
• Optional- 1 tablespoon fresh basil/chives, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Lightly grease a cake tin/baking dish with coconut oil. Sprinkle the lemon zest evenly around the bottom of the tin and set aside. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

2. Combine the coconut oil, mustard, a drizzle of the milk and a generous pinch of sea salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the eggs and the rest of the milk. 

3. Place the cubed bread into the prepared tin and sprinkle the cut spinach and half of the cheese on top. Gently toss the ingredients, just so everything is combined. Slowly drizzle the egg & milk mixture over the top of the bread and sprinkle the remaining cheese and optional herbs on top. Bake in the top part of the oven for 45-55 minutes, until the egg is completely set in the middle and the edges of the strata are browned, but not burnt. This can be a little tricky to tell; therefore you may need to poke around the strata with a skewer or knife to determine that the egg is set. 

Serve warm, with extra cheese or more herbs if desired. 

Serve for breakfast, lunch or dinner! 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 55-65 minutes 

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CAULIFLOWER SOUP

A glance was all this recipe was given when I first bought Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day cookbook. I thought to myself ‘who wants to eat cauliflower soup?’ Not I. I tend to always choose broccoli over cauliflower or any other vegetable, come to think of it. On a productive day at home last week, I pulled out this cookbook hoping to be inspired to cook something for lunch. I opened the book and there was this soup, just staring at me and for some reason, I was compelled to make it. And I am so glad I did. I recommend cooking croutons in this style for almost every soup you make (or fattoush salad). The croutons were flavoursome without being too decadent, the cauliflower was nutty yet mild and complimented the glorious sweetness and tartness of the Dijon mustard. I beg all of you to put your preconceptions about cauliflower aside and try this recipe – you will never look at this vegetable the same again.

INGREDIENTS

Croutons

• 3 pieces of gluten-free bread, roughly torn into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon dairy-free butter (such as Nutalex)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 heaped tablespoon dijon mustard
• a pinch of sea salt 

Soup

• 1 large potato, peeled & cut into small cubes
• 1/2 a large cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 4 cups gluten-free vegetable stock (Massel makes a great broth)
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard 
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• A generous sprinkle of pecorino sheep's cheese, finely grated
• Optional - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 

2. To make croutons - place the torn bread pieces in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and coconut oil over medium heat. Remove from heat when melted and whisk the dijon mustard and sea salt until combined. Pour the warm mixture over the bread and toss so that all bread pieces are lightly covered. Place the bread pieces in a single layer on the prepared baking tray and bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, start making the soup. Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and pinch of sea salt and continue to stir until the onions are soft. Add the potato cubes and stir, then cover and let potato cook for 4-5 minutes or until the cubes have become tender. Uncover the saucepan and add the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, double-checking that the potato is tender (you can either sample on at this point or poke a fork into a potato cube; if it inserts with no effort, the potato is cooked) and then add the cauliflower. Stir the cauliflower into the liquid and then cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Remove from heat. 

3. Pour the soup into a food processor or blender, adding most of the pecorino cheese and dijon mustard.  Process/blend the soup for a few seconds, until the soup takes on a thicker consistency. Just a side note- if you think the soup is too thick, add more stock or water to thin. Taste and season if you like. 

Serve soup sprinkled with the baked croutons, the last of the cheese and fresh chives, if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25-30 minutes 

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