This is one of my favorite salads to make when the air grows cooler and my body is craving something healthy and warm. The roasted sweet potatoes add heartiness to the greens and the warm vinaigrette, inspired by Ina Garten, is the perfect complement. The first time I made this, my husband said it was one of the best salads I have ever made (and trust me, I’ve made a lot)!
{photos courtesy of Justin Chesney}
Ok, so I’ll be honest, I’ve never had banoffee pie before, but I’ve been craving it! Is it even possible to crave something you’ve never had? I would say it is! I had heard of this ‘banoffee pie’ before, but it wasn’t until I watched Chef April Bloomfield whip one up on The Mind of a Chef (which is a must see show on PBS for all you food lovers out there!) that I started dreaming up making one of my own. While watching the show, I began brainstorming a way to make this traditional English pastry a bit healthier and I think I succeeded. Tell me what you think! Continue reading
Fall is now upon us and I thought it fitting to share a recipe for a hearty soup. Last night my husband said he was craving a savory soup called Zuppa Toscana he used to eat at a chain restaurant called Olive Garden. While I have never had the soup myself, I did some researching and was determined to come up with a healthy version of this nostalgic stew to nourish and fill our bellies. Watching my husband fill his bowl with seconds leads me to believe I did something right.
{Today we have a guest post from Sarah Nicholls of Nutritional Bliss. Sarah is a holistic nutritionist, registered nurse and all-round wellness lover. She helps soul-centered women to create glowing health, get bounce-out-of-bed energy, and generally feel more awesome.}
The Holiday season is here, and many of us are getting excited about a break in work and possibly a little holiday somewhere. Whether it be, overseas or just locally, travelling while having to be gluten free can be really daunting.
Here is an extract from my up and coming eBook, about my tips for staying healthy and travelling gluten free this Christmas time!
First step: I want you to sit down and learn how to say “excuse me, is that gluten free?” in every language.
Okay, I’m just joking. But you have to admit that the idea of travelling gluten free can be a little overwhelming when you start out.
I love to travel, but I completely understand that it can be somewhat daunting to travel into the unknown and not know what you will actually be served to eat.
But the good news is that I have traveled quite extensively, and eating gluten free abroad has not been as challenging as I thought it would be.
Here’s what I do:
Research.
Where are you going? What is the local cuisine in that area? This is best to know before you go! For example, if you are going to Italy, what is the traditional diet? Pizza, pasta and gelato! Can you eat this? Probably not, but instead of being disheartened when you get there, start looking for other traditional Italian foods that you can try while you’re on holidays. For example, say you’re going to Japan. Can you eat Japanese food? Soy sauce is a very common condiment in the Japanese diet. Can you eat this? No. So pack your own GF soy sauce or tamari. Easy, right?
Another option is to jump online, with the majority of the world being pretty internet savvy these days, a simple Google search can go along way. Have a search for the area you are going, and what they have to offer. Other places online, which may help, is Facebook. I have found just putting the word out on Facebook can be helpful, “travelling to Fiji, does anyone know of any resorts that are gluten savvy” or also jumping onto online travel forums.
Some websites which may also help:
www.happycow.net – predominately a vegan/vegetarian guide however it also has links to health food stores and gluten free restaurants from around the world.
A little research can go a long way when holidaying! Depending on where you are going, you can also look at booking a self-contained apartment, sussing out the local markets and buying your own food. This can be especially handy when making breakfasts and snacks during the day.
Flying gluten free!
I have some awesome news for you: airlines now carry gluten free meals. Pretty good, right? All you have to do is double check that GF is available when you book your flight. Then, add in a note to the special dietary requirements segment of the booking form (being sure to use the special word ‘severe’!).
But, the bad news is that airline food is pretty dismal. It’s highly processed and unhealthy. So, the best option really is to pack your own food for the flight. Pack yourself a little lunch box with a meal and some healthy, gluten free snacks. It is completely fine to take food onto a flight, but remember that the food you don’t eat will have to be thrown in the rubbish bin at the airport of your next destination if you’re flying overseas, or state to state. You will notice food disposal bins in the airport lounge or ask the flight attendant where you can dispose of the food. When taking foods onto a flight, be mindful of the liquid limit and keep water, juice or salad dressings to a size appropriate for this.
When arriving at your destination.
Your first stop is to speak to the hotel. This can be very helpful in terms of finding out local restaurants to eat at, or at least finding out how to say gluten in their language!
Until you become comfortable in your new holiday destination, eat with caution. Be mindful of sauces, packaged foods in languages you can’t understand, and foods you have never heard of.
The last thing you want to do is to become unwell on your holiday, but also, you don’t want to feel stressed either. You are on holidays, so relax and enjoy your trip!
Rescue remedies to pack:
1) Hot water bottle, to soothe any abdominal pain & discomfort.
2) Herbal tea, to aid in digestion and to soothe the stomach, I always travel with peppermint, ginger and fennel. Another great tea’s to include are green and liquorice.
3) Essential oils, peppermint rubbed on the stomach externally is great to soothe pain.
4) Natural anti-nausea tablets (ginger is the best for this)
5) Slippery elm powder. This is a super herb, which lines and stomach and protects the digestive tract from mouth to anus. You can purchase this from any health food store, it is great to talk travelling and to use daily. Start by taking ½ teaspoon daily, mixed in 1 glass of water, and you can increase this dose up to 1 teaspoon, twice daily if your pain and bloating persists.
6) Probiotics, to restore gut health, I recommend a high strength probiotic
I hope this helps!! And have a beautiful and safe holiday season
You can connect with Sarah here:
www.nutritionalbliss.com.au
www.facebook.com/nutritionalbliss
http://instagram.com/nutritionalbliss
Oh how I love a good cookie! Since my elimination diet, I haven’t really had sugar and I’ve felt better because of it- less drowsy, my cravings have gone way down, and haven’t had any headaches or that ‘foggy’ feeling I would experience after having sugar. However, everything in moderation, right? Last night I was craving a good cookie and wanted something simple and warm and peanut buttery. I remembered a flourless cookie that I had made years ago, and decided to update the recipe to include coconut sugar rather than refined white sugar. Coconut sugar is an unrefined sweetener, in which the micronutrients are left in tact, and it’s made from the sap of the coconut tree. It has deep caramel like flavor and acts as a 1:1 substitute for white sugar in baking recipes. Just remember that moderation is key when choosing any sweetener, even natural sweeteners. Continue reading
I have been wanting to try this bread recipe for awhile after I first saw it on Sarah’s blog, My New Roots, back in February. Months later, I finally got around to it, and I’m so glad I did. This bread is different than traditional breads–it doesn’t include yeast or flour, instead it is dense, and full of nuts, seeds, and chewy oats. Psyllium seed husks are the ‘glue’ that binds this bread together. These little husks are also a great source of soluble fiber, which expands when ingested, helping to ‘scrub’ the intestines and aiding in the transport of waste and toxins through the intestinal tract. Yay!
We had friends over for dinner the other night, and one affectionately called this ‘bird seed bread’, and proceeded to ask for another piece. It may look different than traditional bread, but trust me, it’s delicious! Full of fiber and protein, this bread keeps you satisfied for hours and would make a lovely breakfast, topped with smashed avocado, a little squeeze of lemon, sprinkle of salt and red pepper flakes or on the side of a steamy bowl of soup with a smudge of butter or as a post workout snack with nut butter or jam–the options are endless. I think this bread will become a staple in our house, and I hope the same for you. Continue reading
Bloom & Nourish 
