Golden Turmeric Mushrooms over Hummus

Everything about this bowl feels super Autumnal; from the mushrooms themselves to the gold and brown they turn, lightly spiced in the pan. It also felt good to cook with onion again, something about it just feels wintery even if copious consumption there of is not conducive to close up cuddling. 

Gently warming the hummus really brought this home as a comfort dish. As did the feeling of cooking to the season’s will and be rewarded by its ripest, fullest flavours. 

Base Ingredients:

  • two cups of chopped mushrooms
  • one onion
  • tomato
  • spinach (a good couple of handfuls)
  • turmeric
  • salt and pepper
  • thyme
  • oregano
  • tapioca starch (optional but does crisp the mushrooms nicely)

Toppings:

  • tahini dip (1 part water to 1 part tahini then a squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt if making your own)
  • sumac

Oil free hummus:

  • 1 cup of cooked chickpeas
  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
    All blended until smooth

Method:

  1. Make the hummus first (to the above recipe and instruction) warm it in a double boiler or microwave and spread in your bowl.
  2. Then start chopping your mushrooms and onion into thin slices, ready to go into a non stick pot or pan.
  3. Heat pot/pan to a med-high heat and once hot add the vegetables, allow these to cook down and soften with the salt and pepper. Once softened, add the turmeric, thyme and oregano. Cook for a further 3 minutes. Take a moment to smell the transfusion of spice and herb, notice how it wafts through your kitchen and thinking on how these ingredients came to your kitchen. Spices that may have traveled far and mushrooms that were hopefully grown local.
  4. Next, eke out the sprinkling of the tapioca starch, just bit by bit till mushrooms are coated and a ‘stickiness’ forms in the pot/pan. Add your handful of spinach and cook till wilted (perhaps a minute of more) and turn off the heat.
  5. Slice tomato into quarters and arrange on the bowl. The juiciness makes for a pleasant cut through.
  6. Spoon the mixture of flavour and veg over the hummus spread and let settle. Then spoon the tahini dip (as mush as you serves you, remembering it is calorie dense but tasty)
  7. Sprinkle with sumac and additional salt and pepper to your own taste.

I loved this with a seedy, crunchy toast and a poached egg or two wouldn’t go a’miss either so feel free to get creative with your add ons. Feeling into what your body needs more or less of.

Macros:

The above with no toast or eggs, just as it is make for two serves. The nutritional values below are per serve.

Each: 109cal 7.5gP 6gF 12gC

Please note that toast, extra dip and cooking the mushrooms in butter or oils will add calories, eat for your goals and to serve your body. No more, no less. Two poached eggs/ tofu and toast is recommended to make it a meal. Otherwise, this makes a fantastic snack or side.

A Little More Plant Based On Balance 

A recent trip to New Zealand spoilt me with stunning vistas as well as time to reflect. How might I live lighter and thrive on simpler? I arrived at deciding to cut down my meat consumption.

I feel super excited about this! My mind has run away with how to go about this new plant-based journey and all the great new recipes to try. I intend to be vegetarian 4 days a week, enjoying fish, chicken, and red meat on the other days of the week. 

Avoiding Nutritional Deficiencies

Many people (including myself 2016-2018) have dabbled in Veganism only to lose energy, get sick, burn out, weaken their immune system and atrophy their muscles due to a lack of knowledge on how to supplement and what foods to include in your weekly routine. Becoming deficient in Iron, B12, zinc, magnesium, protein etc is needlessly common and easily enough avoided. Why does this happen? Simply, meat is extremely nutrient dense and packs a massive mineral punch per calorie consumed it also offers these nutrients in their most bio-available forms (meaning they are more easily absorbed and used by our bodies than minerals and proteins from plants, in most cases). I love being my own Guinee pig and intend to monitor myself through the whole process. I will be tracking my bloods but also just checking in with yourself to see how you’re feeling for energy, mood, concentrations levels is helpful. 

Likely deficiencies best supplements

Protein: You need enough everyday as your body is constantly repairing and growing so a range of the amino-acid building blocks are critical. There are nine essential amino acids that cannot be made by the body and are critical to our function to ensure a ready supply of these. Collagen is the scaffold of our body as well as hugely important for gut health 
Zoo nutrients: L-carnosine, creatine, taurine and Heme iron are unavailable from plant but essential to our energy systems, immune systems and cognitive function
B12 & vitamin D3: essential for nervous system function, immunity and energy systems, they are unavailable from plant sources 
Zinc, magnesium, calcium: these can be found in plant foods but not in the abundance we need them and so supplementing is key. Our nervous system, skin, reproductive health muscle health and regeneration rely critically on them. Simply, our cells do not talk to each other and cannot create any effective action without these key electrolytes.

Why the 3:4 day balance?

I value the nutritional benefits meat delivers as well as the social connection I feel sharing meat with family and friends. This is not to say I don’t feel connection to friends over lentils and mushrooms, rather, meat has strong roots in my culture and Sunday roasts and winter meat stews hold a special place in time and memory. I will look forward to and enjoy these occasions all the more for feeling into the novelty of it, knowing I will enjoy a different way of nourishing my body the rest of the week. Three days a week eating meat will allow me the flexibility added nutritional opportunities I thrive on. To this, I also really enjoy meat, the textures, and flavours as well as the nostalgia. Getting to keep it as a smaller part of my diet will ensure the sustainability of this foodie journey and keep me interested.

Relationship to the planet 

Humans have so much to offer, we are the only species that can plan ahead, the only species with our level of communication abilities and its time we put these skills to use for the better. As things stand we’re a burden and will be for the next few generations but making a few key changes here and there helps. Sometimes it does just feel like a drop in the ocean but being the mindset of wanting to do better feeds into the positive values: 

  • You deserve to live in a great environment and so should take care of it. 
  • You can be happier living simply, less is more.
  • It feels good to rise to the occasion rather than hoping the politicians will turn the tide, feel into the sense of stewardship, think on the planet you want to leave your kids and give it your best shot, the shot you feel good about. 

Mindset

When I started thinking about cutting down on meat, I thought one or two days a week would do but soon my mind was a’spin with so many ideas. Silken tofu-based dips, cashew cauli soups, sautéed mushrooms over hummus and I thought, I’ll need an extra couple of days. I’m jumping to pull back out my old pumpkin bread recipe and polish off others as well as uncover new foods. It’s a big wide world out there and the thought of experimenting has me dreamy for markets and my kitchen, it feels good to be this excited about cooking again and this is how it should be. Change can be daunting, and often our first thoughts are horror at what we will have to cut out and have less of rather than what we will get to add in and have more of.  I understand completely it will be harder (not impossible) to put muscle on and progress with my strength but I feel so blissfully content with where I am and look forward to focusing on other aspects of my health. 

Need help on finessing your own plant-based journey?

As a certified nutritionist and personal trainer I can help you uncover the bigger picture of your health and how to best achieve your goals as well as simplify the finer details that can make such a difference.

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Easy Chocolate Love Slice

So called due to the featured rose petals which lend a mild fragrance and subtle chew. They will happily be made without these but certainly make and share with love

Base Ingredients:

  • 1 cup hazelnut meal (almond meal works well too)
  • tbsp honey
  • 1/4cup melted coconut oil

Next layer:

  • 1/4 cup Date paste
  • which can be made by soaking 1/2 cup of dates in water (30 minutes does the trick) and blitzing them

Top:

  • 120gish of high quality, dark chocolate
  • then garnish as you like: I used salt and rose petals but you may be moved to try seeds, nuts, dried fruit, cinnamon or granola for a bit of crunch

Method:

  1. First get your kettle onto boil. Then, in a double boiler melt coconut oil and mix with other base ingredients. Once something a bit doughy and sticky has formed, press into a previously coconut oil rubbed cake tin. Keep your double boiler on the go to melt chocolate later.
  2. Then scoop your date paste over and smooth down evenly.
  3. Taking a clean bowl, break chocolate into small pieces and place over double boilers to melt, stir until a smooth consistency appears. Pour into cake tin and pop into the fridge to set (about 30 minutes-2 hours) depending how you like it

Macros:

The above makes 6 serves, the macros described are per serve:

Each: 330cal 6gP 24gF 21gC

After the workout, eat right for you goals

The correct nutrition will see you through to better performance, recovery and results. Our body is a pretty incredible and sophisticated machine and a bit of strategy can go a long way.

How does a workout affect your body?
During the workout
– The rate of ATP turnover goes up (what your body uses for fuel). As the workout goes on your body will start to mine the stored energy (glycogen and other nutrients) from your muscles and liver as well as your bloodstream for other available nutrients.
-Your heart rate goes up to meet the demands for oxygen enriched blood to reach tissues.
– Hormones such as dopamine and adrenaline are released in greater supply.
-If it is a particularly intense workout your body may enter into a sympathetic (fight or flight) state. This is your nervous system amping up giving you a burst of energy.

Immediately after the workout, you may feel a sense of depletion as:
-Metabolic by-products build up, ATP turnover slows down, nutrients such as glycogen are in less supply from your liver and muscles.
-Your central nervous system (the governing rule of your body) initiates a coordinated response with your muscles to lose intensity, to essentially calm down so the rebuild can begin.
-Your immune system will be briefly depressed (before the workout ultimately boosts it for the better.)
-Micro-damage to muscles and other tissues that includes the breakdown of protein has ensued.
-Inflammatory hormones (a certain amount is good and necessary for recovery) are released to deal with the cellular damage.

Post Workout Nutrition Aims to:
– Replenish glycogen
-Decrease protein breakdown
-Increase protein synthesis
So that:
– You can top up energy stores
-Increase the size and/ or quality of your muscle
-Repair any damage caused by the workout.

Post Workout for Muscle Gain and Maximising Performance

Protein:
Protein in general is over hyped but when resistance training your needs are certainly increased as you are breaking down muscle and need those amino acids. You want a protein source with a good variety of amino acids but especially the amino acid leucine is best. Regardless of when you trained however, protein synthesis is maximised between 5am and 10am. As mentioned before, when you max out your protein intake your body will go through the unpleasant work of converting it into glucose (via gluconeogenesis) which will have negative affects on your energy levels and recovery. Further to this, if you are spending all your calories on protein you have fewer left for carbs and fats which as you have read play critical roles in your hormonal function, performance and recovery.
Aim for 20-40g post workout but try to get most of your protein in the earlier hours of the day if muscle building is your goal

The role of fats:
–  Assisting the bodies anti-inflammatory response and repair processes by consuming high quality fats, rich in omega 3s and MCTs. Salmon and grass fed meats offer the highest levels of these, mackerel, coconut oil, walnuts, flaxseeds and walnuts make lesser but still great contributions.
-For performance you don’t need much fat though you do need enough to sustain optimal testosterone production (females too) aim for at least 20% of your macro split to be geared towards fats.

Carbohydrates:
Will replenish your muscle glycogen. Glycogen being the usable source of fuel that your body gets from breaking down carbohydrates.
Glycogen saturation happens in a 24h window but is enhanced in the 90 minutes post workout. “Hard gainers” may especially find this helps in preventing their bodies metabolising their muscle if the workout is particularly long or intense. Carbs will also support insulin’s role of shuttling nutrients around they body to where they are most needed. The insulin response from carbohydrates will also work as a shut off valve to cortisol (stress hormone) to assist your bodies transition into a parasympathetic state (recovery mode.)
50% of your day’s total carbohydrates or at least 30g after your workout will do the trick.

Liquid carbs
High intensity training bouts that last beyond 90 minutes  could call for the ingestion of around 30g liquid carbohydrates during to improve performance and save muscle. Look for brands that offer a mixture of maltodextrin, glucose and dextrose

If  You Are Training For Fat Loss

Strategy doesn’t matter as much as caloric deficit.
What matters more is the quality and quantity of the nutrition. You still want to be getting adequate protein and carbs post workout as well as the above mentioned healthy, anti-inflammatory fats. Supporting muscle growth will improve metabolic markers and support weight loss so you still want to tick these boxes. Just be aware that essentially what matters more is a caloric deficit.

In saying that, there are still a couple useful strategies for leaning up…
Including 20 mins of cardio after weight training to lean up.
If you can tolerate them fasted workouts will encourage your body to tap into stored andipose(fat) tissue rather than more readily available nutrients from recently eaten meals.

Some go to macro-friendly snacks and smart swaps
– Eggs (boiled or poached rather than fried or scrambled)
– Mixing your protein shake with water rather than milk
– Roasted pumpkin rather than rice or sweet potato
– Protein porridge
– Use your hand as a guide for portion control, eat slowly and mindfully.

If you would like your own customised meal plan, get in contact and let’s get started!

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Reasons you ate when you weren’t actually hungry…

  • You felt triggered or disappointed by an email, text or remark
  • You felt stressed
  • You had just checked your phone
  • It was just “there”
  • It was late at night

And what to do instead….

  • Keep a journal, noting down things that disappoint or trigger you and unpacking why they did so to increase your resilience and to respond better as you learn more about yourself .
  • Embrace a routine rich  self-care techniques to avoid becoming stressed (walks, calling friends, self massage, a breathing practice) and then fall back on these techniques when you recognise  stress.
  • Didn’t get the likes you thought you would? Didn’t see that message pop up that you had hoped for? Or you received a stressful message? Pause, breath and carry on, one step at a time.
  • “it was there” is not a good reason. There is always something better you can have later. Keep food in the pantry or the fridge and recognise you have the ability to control yourself around food.

Night binge eating is far more common than our industry would like to recognise.

Why do we do it?
We put pressure and expectations on ourselves to “eat better tomorrow”, “eat less tomorrow” or “burn it off tomorrow”
Remember who is in control and rather than threatening to punish yourself with less food later, focus on the next meal you will get to enjoy.

We felt lonely or bored
Loneliness sucks.  You are completely validated in feeling sad when this hits and I encourage you to actively  avoid this. Put effort into your friendships, schedule calls with friends or family and remember there are lines you can call and programs that can support you.

We have far less control at the end of the day compared to the start, its been a day full of decision making and we are starting to feel over it. So be prepared for this. Put the snacks where they are not so easy to reach. Have a cup of tea at the ready and practice a routine of hot shower, self massage, and winding down until it feels more natural than opening the fridge door.

Changing your mindset around food is the single most powerful thing you can do for longevity, improving your energy levels, sleep, focus and getting the results that you want. 

Be kind to yourself and remember you are not alone with feeling out of control when it comes to food. But realise that there is a future you who has healed their relationship to food and is thriving! 

For more on self care and help developing a destress routine: @saeyondhealth

Or

reach out to learn more about coaching tailored to you

Shakshuka W Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Cold morning, crunchy toast, warm bowl, gooey eggs.

We love a good smelling kitchen, we love a kitchen that is transfused with spicy tomato, smokey red pepper pesto and sweet roasted pumpkin.

This is a classic that delivers to the senses. Dip your toast in the gooey goodness, get messy and enjoy.

Base Ingredients:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tin of tomato
  • 1 tbsp ras el hanut spice
  • dukkuh
  • salt and pepper
  • additional toppings as you like V

Toppings:

  • Tahini dip
  • dukkuh (middle easter spice)
  • roasted red pepper pesto

Method:

  1. Slice 1/4 pumpkin into thin pieces and slice capsicum, ridding it of its seeds and top. Arrange in air fryer or oven roasting dish. Sprinkle a tsp of salt, pepper and middle easter spice mix (dukkuh) generously over the sliced vegetables. If roasting in an oven you may need a tsp of olive oil. Not necessary in an air fryer. Roast for 20 minutes.
  2. See separate recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Pesto below.
  3. Empty a tin of tomatoes into a pot on medium-high heat and add a teaspoon of ras el hanut spice, cover with lid and let it simmer until bubbling.
  4. Crack four eggs into the tomato mixture once it is pipping hot and cover with lid.
  5. While the eggs are cooking, get your bread toasting ( I choose paleo, for many reasons, it is a better alternative to conventional or most other gluten free kinds.)
  6. Arrange roasted pumpkin into a bowl.
  7. Once eggs have been cooking in tomato mixture and have hardened to your liking (3-4 minutes for a gooey centre, longer if you prefer firmer eggs) spoon out the tomato mixture into bowls and carefully scoop eggs into the bowl.
  8. Top with red pepper pesto, tahini dip (optional) salt and pepper to your tasting and more dukkuh spice.

Base Ingredients:

  • 2 cups roasted red peppers
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1 tbsp cashews
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp cumin seed ground

Blitz in a blender until all is velvety smooth

Macros:

The above with red pepper pesto makes 2 serves, the macros described are per serve and without toast or tahini dip:

Each: 301cal 18gP 13gF 28gC

Please note that the tsp of olive oil delivers another 25 calories per serve and 5g of fat, check the nutritional information on your bread and make choices that serve your goals.

Sumac Salmon With Avocado Cucumber Salad

I would call it 10 minutes max of traversing your local market to find all ingredients needed. Of course you’d want to take longer than that, the fishmonger might have tails to share.

Ingredients:

  • 2 salmon fillets (200g uncooked)
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cucumber
  • sumac
  • dill
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • top with lemon slices and parsley if you wish

Method:

  1. Season salmon fillets to your liking with salt and pepper, sprinkling a pinch of sumac and smattering of dill atop too. Place in the oven at 200C (390*F) for 18 minutes or an air fryer at 200C 11 minutes.
  2. While that is baking, slice cucumber into thin discs and peel and slice avocado into chunks, alay on each plate and dust with salt, pepper, more dill, sumac and arrange sliced lemon and parsley as an optional garnish
  3. Once salmon is baked, place next to it and enjoy this easy meal, perfect for those autumn eves or temperate Sunday mornings

Macros:

The above makes 2 serves, the macros described are per serve:

Each: 495cal 39gP 36gF 4gC
To save 100 calories, use 1/4 avocado instead of 1/2 and leave the salmon skin off

Seaweed Saltbush Scramble

A saline slipperiness rubs into your fingers, a mild saltiness on your tongue, a gentle seasoning to your food.

Saltbush is excellent and dried saltbush can have many uses. Brewed in a tea, a garnish on salads as well as desserts, mixed with other spices and used as a meat or vegetable rub.

Here I have used it to complement the seaweed and add a satisfying chew factor to creamy, dreamy, scrambled eggs.

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs 
  • 1/4 avocado
  • a cup of tomatoes
  • a handful of asparagus spears
  • 2 sheets of dried seaweed
  • garlic flakes
  • grass fed butter
  • generous pinch of dried saltbush
  • Salt and pepper to taste 

Method:

  1. Slice tomatoes as rustically or as precisely as you wish, as with your quarter of avocado.
  2. Crack three eggs into a cup and whisk 30s seconds or less. Tear your two sheets of seaweed and add them to the egg mixture with a pinch of pepper (adding the salt only at the very last minute so as not to deflate the eggs.
  3. Heat a non stick pan to a med-high heat and add add your asparagus. Asparagus should be cut in half and you may want to rid them of the woody end bits. Season with salt and pepper and cover the pan.
  4. After 2-3 minutes in the covered pan, toss the asparagus and add the garlic flakes, cover and cook a further two minutes. Heat a second pan to a medium-high heat and allow a table spoon of your grass fed butter to melt within.
  5. Rescue your now softened (and slightly charred) asparagus from your pan and place on a plate next to chopped tomatoes and avocado.
  6. Pour egg mixture into the bubbling butter in the seconds pan, folding until cooked to your liking (well cooked would take 5 minutes) add a pinch of salt at the salt minute.
  7. Tip pan’s contents onto the plate and top with saltbush and any bit of garlic flake left from the asparagus pan. Season with more salt and pepper to your own taste and enjoy.

Macros:

The above makes a single serve, the macros described are per serve:

Each: 419cal 19gP 35gF 7gC

Note, you can save 100Kcal by cooking without butter.

Setting New Year’s Goals

…Is super fun and motivating when you first do it, when you are caught in that intoxicating New Year’s rush, new love or new ambition.

Often, after a while it can become a bit of a grind and you can forget why you started. So find your why. Find that most salient reason that you are doing it for. Remember too that picking a goal is like picking a partner. Pick one that excites, motivates and inspires you, something you feel deserves your time and effort.

Write it down, share with a close loved one and repeat the affirmation, come back to it as often as you need to. Goals amount to a long game, your end game so choose sustainable over unendurable.

Break It Down

Outcome
Example: “I want to get stronger”
This is what you want to acheive

Performance
Example: back squatting your body weight
Something specific that is indicative of what you are achieving.

Process
Example:Strength training 3 days a week 45minutes/session with balance and attention to  leg specific exercises.
These are the details, the day to day & month-month of how you will get to where you want to be.

Helpful Tips

Determine if your goals are worth it: example; Getting up 10 minutes early to meditate or do some core exercises vs joining a specialised handstand gym that may add a 40 minute commute to your workout. The goal should ultimately give more than the process takes.

Recognise the  potential barriers: and then jump on these early. You know you lack motivation at the end of the day? Plan your workouts for the morning. Do you know you get snack attack cravings around 8pmish? Plan ahead self massage, a cup of tea or a healthy dessert option ahead of time.

Self Reflect: by regularly checking in with yourself and how you are tracking you can head start potential improvements to your process to help your self stay on track. How did that workout make you feel? Do you find you have enough energy throughout the day if you are in a calorific deficit?

“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”

Muhammad Ali
Seek Support to Set Your Goals

Enjoying balance in the Silly Season

Take joy in time with loved ones.
100% that is what life’s about. Not your lifts, not your body fat %

Try new foods you don’t usually get to eat.
With an open mind and freedom of guilt.

Set boundaries with your work commitments.
The work will be there when you get back.

You don’t have to stick to your meals and workout plans.
It’s what you do 80% of the time that counts, don’t let your fitness goals take you out of  the moment.

You don’t have to get drunk at every event.
Social connections can and should thrive without alcohol

You don’t have to stuff your face and overload your digestive system.
There will be other occasions, other treats, it’s not your last meal and grandma won’t get that offended.