GLUTENFREE – Page 9 – KATIE MORGAN

NN DAY 8 – GROOVY SMOOTHIE

Published on November 8, 2014November 8, 2014 by Katie morgan4 Comments

Soggy spinach? Bruised mangoes? Spongey apples? Brown bananas? PERFECT!! Don’t throw them out. Throw them into a blender instead for the perfect groovy smoothie! They taste delicious and are jam packed with nutritious vitamins, minerals and fiber. Smoothies are a great on the go snack and are super quick and easy to make. And considering most things go into the one blender – there isn’t much mess to clean up after. (Unlike a juicer with its million parts)

If you chose to have a smoothie as a ‘meal’ ie for breakfast, then make sure you add substantial protein and healthy fats to keep you going. A simple scoop of protein powder, a raw egg, 1Tbs LSA, chia seeds or a handful of cashews are bound to do the trick! Cashews, macadamias and other nuts give smoothies a real creamy texture – so why not chuck a few in next time you blend!

To blend or juice? Unlike juicing – where you extract only the water and nutrients from the vegetable/fruit, smoothies include the whole content, fiber and all. When you remove the fiber from the produce, the liquid juice is absorbed into your blood stream quickly. If you are only juicing fruits, this would cause a rapid spike in blood sugar and unstable blood sugar levels can lead to mood swings, energy loss, memory problems and more! Fiber is also filling and without fiber in the juice, some people tend to get hungry again quickly. If you do however prefer a pulp free ‘juice’ over a thick smoothie, make sure you don’t throw out the pulp. Use it to make vegetarian patties, burgers or add it to your next spaghetti bolognaise.

MY TWO FAVOURITE SMOOTHIE RECIPES BELOW – THE GREEN GODDESS AND THE BANANA-CHOC COCONUT

GREEN GODDESS SMOOTHIE – serves 1

1 frozen ripe banana (doesn’t have to be frozen but it makes it more creamy if it is)

1 cup frozen mango or pineapple diced

1 handful of spinach or kale

1TBS chia seeds (extra for topping)

1TBS LSA or protein powder

2-4 Medjool dates

2tsp vital greens or spirulina powder

1/2 cup milk (almond, dairy, coconut or soy)

1/2 cup coconut water (add extra if desired based on texture)

BANANA-CHOC COCONUT SMOOTHIE – serves 1

1 frozen ripe banana

2TBS shredded coconut (extra for topping)

2TBS cacao powder

1TBS chia seeds

8-10 cashews or macadamia nuts

2-4 Medjool dates

1/2 cup coconut milk (can use almond, dairy or soy)

1/2 cup coconut water (add extra if desired based on texture)

HAPPY BLENDING UP THESE GROOVY SMOOTHIES !!!

NN DAY 5 – GRAB ‘N’ GO SNACKS

Published on November 5, 2014November 12, 2014 by Katie morgan2 Comments

(above) Lunch box packed for the flight back to Perth last week – all the goods!!

If there is something that I excel at in life… it is snacking! Road trips, aero plane flights, weekend escapes, movie dates… you name it, I’ve got the snacks covered. I am honestly like a child. The only way to keep me happy is occupying me with food. When it comes to planes, boats and cars I blame this on my motion sickness. For some reason the only way to keep the nausea away is by eating. Literally as soon as I finish chomping my last mouthful, the motion sickness sets in. So that’s why I always have food handy!

And my draw at work. Well that is another whole kettle of fish. Unlike the limited space of a woman’s handbag my draw is STOCKED full of the essential snacks to keep that HANGRY feeling away. Nothing gets me in quite a rage like being so insanely hungry that it turns to anger. Admit it – we have all been there.

Here are my 5 favourite grab-and-go snacks kept on hand to avoid the “hangry” stage;

1. Rice cakes with nut butters, fruit, cottage cheese or avocado. (photo sourced from @mb_motivation)

2. Banana and handful of nuts/trail mix

3. Protein bars or homemade muffins (banana date muffin recipe HERE)

4. Carrot sticks with hummus

5. Medjool dates with peanut butter or almonds

Try and combine healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates into the one snack for optimum nutrition. That’s why you cant go wrong with the above snacks!!

NN DAY 2 – SUNDAY BRUNCH

Published on November 2, 2014November 3, 2014 by Katie morganLeave a comment

Sunday is my favourite day of the week closely followed by my Friday nights in. Sunday for us means walks, coffee, sleep ins, food shops, yoga, brunch and catching up on things to prepare for the week ahead. And nothing like a large indulgent dessert (like my instant chocolate mug cake, recipe HERE) or a glass of wine on a Sunday night to celebrate a week of good health and nutrition, knowing that you can start a clean slate on a Monday morning. But before we get too carried away in indulgent desserts lets skip back to the MOST important meal of the day… BREAKFAST!!! If your daily breakfast routine consists of an alternating cycle of PB banana toast one day and soaked oats the next – then you will appreciate the enjoyment of making a nice exciting breakfast without a time limit. Yep I am talking smoked salmon, poached eggs and avocado on toast or a quadruple layer stack of peanut butter coconut pancakes, recipe HERE. It’s the simple things like actually sitting down and setting the table instead of scoffing my oats whilst making my other half’s smoothie or shoveling my toast down whilst walking out the door.

A few of my favourite Sunday brunches are;

1. Peanut butter coconut pancakes. Recipe on the blog HERE

2. Smoked salmon, soft boiled eggs and avocado on toast

3. Jumbo mushroom omelette

4. Smoothie bowl with granola

5. Fresh Bircher muesli. Recipe below

FRESH BIRCHER MUESLI RECIPE – serves 2

1 cup oats

3Tbs chia seeds

1tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1-2 oranges freshly squeezed

Milk (enough to cover the oats)

1 large apple grated

½ cup coconut shredded

1/3 cup honey or maple syrup

½ cup goji berries

1 cup greek yoghurt

½ cup mixed nuts

2Tbs pepitas

Blueberries and 1/2 banana sliced for topping

Extra cinnamon, coconut and honey

The night before in a large bowl combine oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange juice, apple, coconut, honey and goji berries. Stir until combined and pour enough milk so the ingredients are comfortably covered. Cover with cling wrap and leave in fridge overnight.

In the morning remove cling wrap and add the yoghurt. Pour in the nuts and seeds and stir until combined. Serve up 2 bowls and top with the cinnamon, honey, coconut, berries and banana. Get creative and enjoy!!

The most important part about healthy eating is enjoying what you eat. I personally get excited lying in bed at night thinking about what marvelous creation I am going to whip up for breakky in the morning!!

So get planning and make this Sunday a special ‘healthy’ brunch to kick off a fit, healthy and nutritious November.

NN DAY 1 – BUT FIRST… COFFEE

Published on October 31, 2014November 1, 2014 by Katie morganLeave a comment

Welcome to Nutritional November. Firstly CAN YOU BELIEVE it is November already and will be the year 2015 in only 8 weeks?? I know I can’t. After much motivation this last month from the gorgeous ladies Jayne and Katie from Sweat and Oranges, I have decided to do “Nutritional November”. Each day of the month I will be posting tips, facts, recipes, workouts and other helpful healthyness to get you feeling confident and be the best version of yourself… just in time for December. Think of it as a little revamp of your health life to keep you motivated, on track and making progress!! So here goes. Day 1 – but first… coffee!

I don’t know about you but I am a creature of habit, not one who likes too much change, and someone who falls into a routine very comfortably and fast. Ok ok yes these are sounding like excuses you are right. These are the things that I tell myself every day when I think … “do I have a coffee addiction?” and the answer is yes. I do. You probably do too. Coffee is the most consumed beverage in the world. Although negative effects of caffeine have received most attention from health writers, coffee is a complex mixture of antioxidants which are beneficial to our health. Caffeine is one of the most commonly consumed stimulant ‘drugs’ occurring naturally in tea and coffee and other plants and when withdrawn entirely from a diet can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, stiffness, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, depressed mood and irritability. Well – want to avoid such symptoms??? DON’T STOP DRINKING COFFEE.

I am sorry for those nutritional therapists or natural foodies that I offend in saying that but if there is one thing I believe and stand by more than anything whilst living a clean and healthy lifestyle, is not depriving yourself or completely removing anything from your diet. God knows I have tried to quit. I gave it up for 30 days once and it made no difference. I didn’t feel the slightest bit healthier or better and I craved it just as much on day 30 as I did on day 1. For me coffee is social, fun, exciting, brings happiness, makes me alert, picks me up, burns my tongue (have got to stop demanding extra hot), gives me energy, lifts my mood and not to mention tastes AMAZING!!! And why would I deprive myself of those feelings on a daily basis. Not to mention the amazing antioxidant benefits of a daily coffee. I know that I can stop although I am not in the least concerned. I drink coffee because I LOVE IT!! Hell if my body would fit inside the takeaway cup (yes it HAS to be in a takeaway cup) then I would jump head first straight into it and bath in its creamy hot goodness. I am a sucker for anything coffee – desserts, slices, cookies, ice cream and smoothies.

So stop listening to all of those one liners about coffee being bad for your health. Yes if you consume 10 cups a day, but anything in excess is bad for you. Even Kale!!! Yep I said it… kale can be bad for you. Kale is a cruciferous vegetable similar to broccoli, cabbage and brussels all of which when consumed in excess can lead to problems with your thyroid glands. Proof!!

Here are the top 13 evidence based health benefits of coffee that have been confirmed by human studies.

Coffee can improve energy levels and brain function
Coffee can increase fat burning and boost your metabolic rate
Coffee can improve physical performance
Coffee is full of essential nutrients such as riboflavin, manganese, potassium, magnesium and niacin.
Coffee may lower your risk of type II diabetes
Coffee may protect you from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
Coffee appears to have protective effects on the liver
Coffee can fight depressive moods and make you happy
Coffee is the biggest source of antioxidants in the western diet

Of course too much coffee can make you jittery and potentially cause high blood pressure and increase heart rates. Drinking more than 4 coffees a day is not recommended.

However I would be more worried for my bank account if I was consuming 4 coffees a day more than the effect it would have on my overall health.

So be reasonable. If you feel like a coffee HAVE ONE. If you have already had 3 and crave another… ask yourself do you really need it or are you bored/hungry/tired. Sometimes when you crave a coffee or something sweet your body just needs a little fresh air or a break. Take 5 minutes away from your desk, get some sunshine, go for a walk or drink a large glass of water. If you still crave the coffee… have it!!

On that note… I’m off to my fave ‘Edgar’s Inn’ for a darn big creamy coffee!

PANTRY ESSENTIALS

Published on October 30, 2014November 3, 2014 by Katie morganLeave a comment

“Don’t eat anything you can’t pronounce” … ever heard of this little saying/quote? Well yes 99% of this quote is true BUT (and there is always a but) there are a few exceptions; quinoa, chia, acai and freekeh to name a few. There are a number of nasty additives, artificial sweeteners, colours and preservatives added to foods these days so you have to be careful with what you chose. Of course this doesn’t mean spending an hour staring at the nutritional label of EVERY item you pick up but simple little things like looking for items with minimal ingredients lists that you can pronounce will make a big difference. Most of us, except for those lucky little buggars still living at home with an awesome Mum who cooks and cleans for them, have to do the weekly haul at Woolies or Coles that not only breaks our arms carrying it to and fro the car, but also breaks our banks. Yes I agree that eating a clean and healthy lifestyle is more expensive, especially if you chose to buy organic fruits, vegetables and grass fed meat. However I believe that your money is better spent on a healthy lifestyle than the medical bills and medicine that an unhealthy lifestyle and diet leads to. Little food shopping tip: To make sure that you are setting yourself up for a healthy clean lifestyle it is important to buy the right things at the grocery store and have a prepared pantry. Notice that all the FRESH produce ie the fruit, vegetables, eggs, milk, bread, meat and cheese are located around the ‘edges’ of the supermarket and the processed items in the centre aisles. You should be aiming to spend 80% of your time/money in the edges of the supermarket and 20% in the centre aisles on those handy tinned items, sauces, peanut butter, grains and of course chocolate = 100% perfect shop! Of course if you stock your pantry full of chips and lollies – you will eat chips and lollies. But if your pantry is stocked with quick easy healthy snacks like nuts, dried fruits, tuna, crackers and homemade cookies/slice – you will eat exactly that! And let’s be honest EVERYONE LOVES A PANTRY NIBBLE SESSION! Stock your pantry full of handy healthy staples and you won’t be able to make a bad choice. Be prepared – it’s the most important part of making a healthy lifestyle possible each day. I don’t know about you but I get seriously excited over a clean and organised pantry. Yes I am talking containers neatly stacked, correctly labelled, categorised and fully stocked! The best part about working as a nanny during my early 20’s was checking out everyone’s pantry and politely offering my ‘spring clean pantry organisational’ services. And let me tell you with 4 kids and a full time job the wonder women were more than ecstatic with my willing attitude and efforts. Mum… well not so much. As a very clean and tidy organised person herself she would come home and find me either making a huge mess and ‘experimenting’ with pantry items or pulling everything out, spending copious amounts of money on containers and then passing on the receipt. Fair to say that she probably spent more time looking for the flour or coconut over the next couple of months and restocking the things that I tossed. But seriously a tomato sauce expiring in 2011 has no place in today’s pantry! So back to today’s pantry. Firstly now is as good time as ever to pull everything out and wipe the shelves down and even rearrange the shelf heights (if possible) for a new clean start. And then comes the restocking phase. Yes if you don’t have these items your grocery shop will be quite pricey at first and probably blow the weekly budget but you only need to do this once. Then the pantry will be nice and stocked and ready to go. The following items are healthy lifestyle pantry essentials to add to your next shopping list. Oh and do yourself a lovely favour and buy LOADS of containers and get stacking. Recycled jars also make a cute touch. GRAINS Quinoa Brown rice Buckwheat Barley Oats Popcorn kernels Rice crackers Rice cakes/thins Raw muesli or granola (recipes to come) SEEDS AND NUTS Chia Pepitas Sunflower seeds Flaxseeds Almonds Cashews Walnuts Hazelnuts Pecans Pine nuts Trail Mix LSA (ground linseed, sunflower seed and almond) BAKING ESSENTIALS Buckwheat/Wholemeal/Spelt flour Coconut flour Almond meal Acai Berry Powder Cacao Powder Goji Berries Shredded Coconut Dates Dried Apricots SPICES AND SEASONING Turmeric Cinnamon Chilli flakes Paprika Himalayan pink sea salt Cayenne Pepper Dried herbs SPREADS/SAUCES Peanut butter Tahini Apple Cider Vinegar Tamari Coconut oil Raw honey Rice malt syrup / pure maple syrup Apple sauce CANNED GOODS Coconut milk / cream Crushed tomatoes Tomato paste Tinned fish; Tuna, Salmon, Sardines Chickpeas Lentils/5 bean mix Now you have the right tips and advice to get your pantry organised and stocked up with the essentials for a healthy and clean lifestyle. There really is nothing better than a big pantry spring clean and what a perfect time to do it with summer just around the corner. Up next: You have your pantry stocked and ready… now what? What on earth do I do with the quinoa? Blog post about how to use and what to do with all the new exciting healthy items in your pantry and some super quick snacks you can whip up in minutes. Stay tuned!!!! K

13 TOP FOODS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Published on September 18, 2014September 18, 2014 by Katie morganLeave a comment

With so many fad diets circling social media and the health and fitness industry it is hard to know what to eat. It certainly doesn’t help that the ‘gluten free’ diet is becoming a bit of a fashionable trend and people are focussing more on what NOT to eat, than what TO eat!

The amazing fitness health queen Lorna Jane stands by her quote “STOP DIETING – START NOURISHING” and proves this with some delicious and nutritious recipes in her latest cookbook Nourish – if you haven’t already got it, go and buy it now!! It’s a goodie.

Here is a list of the 13 top foods for weight loss; in no particular order these amazing wholefoods are simply designed to kick start your metabolism and burn that unwanted fat whist you munch. See how many you can fit in your day!!

Apples
Beef
Eggs
Bananas
Oats
Brown rice
Blueberries
Chili
Avocado and Olive oil
Chicken
Peanut butter
Greek yoghurt
Almonds

How many did you mentally check off in your head? Or how many of you took one look at the list and felt like a dog with his tail between his legs?

Want to know how can you achieve all of these foods in the one day? SIMPLE – I would say that I easily consume 90% of this list EACH day… Chili is finally growing on me but that would probably be my least consumed. Side Note: Have you had that chili hummus dip? With the big red blob in the middle… fair to say the hummus part contains no heat AT ALL but that red bit… ouch it is 100% chili/ harrissa paste so either stir the whole thing up before you scoop or avoid the red like the plague unless you have a cucumber and glass of milk handy! I’m just going to stick to the plain or beetroot hummus thanks!

Please note these meal plans are based around what I consume daily. Different people require different levels of nutrition and portions to suit their physical activity and goals. I eat 3 meals, 2 snacks a day, drink 1 coffee on arrival to work (and then fight myself all day for a second until the coffee shop is shut) and have an after dinner treat 2-3 times a week!

Below I have constructed two examples of a simple one day meal plan that incorporates all of the 13 top weight loss foods: Try it one day this week… you won’t go back!

EXAMPLE ONE:

Breakfast:

Overnight soaked blueberry oats topped with a banana and dollop of Greek yoghurt

Mid-Morning snack:

Flat white

1 apple sliced and 1-2Tbs peanut butter

Lunch:

Grilled chicken, avocado, almond and feta salad. Health blogger, nutritionist and wellness coach Jess Sepel from ‘The Clean Life’ has an amazing recipe worth trying. http://www.jessicasepel.com/recipes/lunchdinner/alkalizing-salad-with-zatar-chicken/

Mid-Afternoon snack:

Handful of almonds/trail mix

2 boiled eggs

Dinner:

Beef mince chili con carne served on brown rice with steamed greens and diced avocado on top. My fave recipe for this is by Teresa Cutter; The Healthy Chef – check it out…. http://www.thehealthychef.com/2012/04/chilli-con-carne/

After dinner cleanse/snack:

Piece of fruit with a couple of slices of cheese (apple/cheddar or watermelon/ feta are some good combos)

Medjool dates are also the perfect sweet to fight those cravings. Otherwise have a piece or two of dark chocolate to give your body an antioxidant boost!

EXAMPLE TWO:

Breakfast:

Green brekkie smoothie; 1/2 large frozen banana, 1 cup frozen blueberries, ½ cup oats, 1 raw egg (you honestly cannot taste the egg and it ups the protein content) big handful of spinach and milk

Mid-Morning snack:

Flat white

175gms Greek yoghurt topped with seeds/nuts or granola (I am all about the toppings/textures and the crunch factor)

Lunch:

Thai beef salad with rice noodles

Great recipe by nutritionist Katherine Rothwell on the Eat Fit Food blog here:

http://www.eatfitfood.com.au/_blog/Eat_Fit_Food_Blog/post/meal-of-the-week-thai-beef-salad-with-rice-noodles-cashews-sesame-seeds/

Mid-Afternoon snack:

2 brown rice cakes with 1-2Tbs peanut butter and ½ large banana sliced (leftover from brekkie)

Slice of warmed banana bread with 1-2Tbs peanut butter, 1/2 large banana with chia seeds and cinnamon (This is a serious fave – pictured as the feature image) recipe for banana bread by The Healthy Chef here: http://www.thehealthychef.com/2013/01/gluten-free-banana-bread/ perfect when you have those funky looking brown bananas lying around and even better to bake, slice and freeze!

Dinner:

Chicken and red apple curry with almond couscous

Simple weeknight curry recipe from Clean Eating Magazine here: http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/chicken-curry-with-almond-couscous/

After dinner cleanse/snack:

Avocado raw chocolate mousse; simply mash/combine 1 avocado with 2 Tbs honey and 1Tbs cacao powder for instant creamy mousse; Serves 2)

It is THAT simple. There you have it – 13 weight loss super foods in the one day all designed to target fat loss, not to mention taste delicious.

There are so many different combinations of these foods that you can incorporate into your daily eating plan…Eggs for breakfast, yoghurt dolloped on or in your next curries, peanut butter in your stir fry or avocado in your smoothies. Get creative!

Your body requires a balance of carbohydrates, good fats, proteins and fibre to thrive and get the best results.

“Fail to prepare – prepare to fail”