These were previously called ‘My Favourite GAPS Muffins’ and if you search for them on this site, their original post will still come up.
Earlier this year, my mates Jo and Foo released their beautiful cookbook ‘Life Changing Food’, which contains a slight adaptation of said GAPS muffins that Jo dubbed ‘Rachel’s Fat Bomb Muffins’. This recipe has been very well received and I keep getting tagged all over social media alongside photos of these darling cakes being made by their readership. It’s very humbling and super-duper exciting.
It’s been a while since my last “a day on my plate” post and I figured, I’ve actually got time to do a blog post (this chicken is up-to-date with her uni assignments). Let’s take a peek at my veg-a-licious eats.
Okay, so I’m actually only going to be talking about 3 or so shades of vegan today, but I wanted a captivating, snazzy title and “two-to-three shades of vegan” doesn’t sound anywhere near as thrilling.
Those of you that have been loyal readers since this blog’s very beginning – way back in late 2014, will know that I’ve had quite a rollercoaster ride with my health. I’m a firm believer that diet and lifestyle play a huge role in health outcomes and so this is always the area I come back to when thing’s aren’t right. I’m not against medications in all instances, but was on so many for so long, that if I can avoid them, I will – simply so that my liver and kidneys have less to deal with. I’ll also avoid surgery wherever possible, especially after the gallstone dilemma of 2016! Which brings me to today’s topic of discussion – where am I up to now?
I was the queen of digestive distress for nearly a full decade of my life (and I’m only 20!) – a crown I’m stoked to have shed. Unhappy digestion is multi-factorial in nature. Rarely is there one lone trigger or underlying cause. Whilst this list is by no means exhaustive (and is a bit generalised – not taking into account YOUR unique situation), you will hopefully still find it a good reminder of the basic rituals, habits and practices that can help alleviate what ails you; nausea, constipation, gas, bloating, pain etc.
No messing about here today sweet friends, let’s get straight down to business. Kitchen wastage. I hate wasting food, but conversely, know there are days where I’m simply not in the mood to use up the lonely looking pumpkin in the crisper or create a stock from that leftover chicken carcass.
I don’t have all the answers, but here’s what I’m loving lately to reduce mine and my family’s wastage quota. Remember that sometimes less is more, and if we allgot on board in making just 3 small changes (that suit our diet and lifestyles of course), then the world would be a very different place. You don’t have to do it all, you just have to be willing to play your part.
The thing that helps keep me on track with eating nutrient-dense meals is having key ingredients on hand. When we a) love a recipe, b) have the ingredients available to us, and c) find said recipe easy to prepare, we can say winner, winner broccoli for dinner!
Life is busy for most of us. Whether we realise it or not, busy = stress city. Often however, we get so used to being “busy” that we don’t realise our poor little bodies are burning the candle at both ends. Unless we get to crisis-point stress, such as the “oh-dear-Lord-I-have-an-exam-tomorrow-that-I-have-no-idea-whether-I’m-going-to-pass-or-not” kind, that we actually go, “oh, hang on a second, my heart is racing and my stomach is turning somersaults”.
Cooked and cooled rice is a source of resistant starch. Resistant starch (as the name suggests) resists digestion in the small intestine, instead acting as more of a fibre. It’s an incredible fuel source for our gut bugs to keep them thriving and healthy (super important for digestion, amazing skin, immunity and mental health).
The coconut milk is a brill source of fatty acids for nourishment and energy and the warming spices help to balance blood glucose levels. Pair this with the fibre- rich dates and the zinc-loaded pumpkin seeds and you’ve got yourself a pretty snazzy make-ahead brekkie.
Though I’ll never know everything there is to know, among friends and family I am considered “resident nutrition expert”.
The most common question I get asked is this; “in your opinion what is the healthiest diet for someone to be on?”.
Here’s my answer …
We are all different and thrive on different foods. There is no single diet that will work for anyone for the entirety of their life. The only thing I know for sure is that real, food is the best starting point for anyone. From here, we can evolve the diet to suit our current needs.
