23 Tuesday Dec 2014
Posted in Random Stuff
It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas here at Casa TSL…
A BIG thank you for all your support during 2014.
Wishing you a very warm and wonderful holiday season in your wee corner of the world.
LM and I are off to New Zealand to celebrate the festivities with my family, so TSL will be taking a wee break for the silly season. I’ll be offline until the middle of January. BUT! – I look forward to seeing you back here in the new year.
16 Tuesday Dec 2014
Tags
AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, British Dietetic Association, Diet, Dietitians' Association of Australia, Health, Lifestyle, Paleo, Simon Sinek
(Simon Sinek image from here)
Recently, there has been quite the hullabaloo in the press – both here in Australia and in the UK – about the Paleo diet.
In fact, in its annual ‘Top Celebrity Diets To Avoid in the New Year’ list, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) ranked the Paleo Diet as the second worst regime (after ‘Urine Therapy’, which advocates drinking your own urine for apparently supposed health benefits). Incidentally, Sarah Wilson’s ‘I Quit Sugar’, came in at number three (which blows my mind).
Now I’m not a massive fan of labelling the way I choose to eat, but you will know that for the past year I have been following the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). This can loosely be described as ‘Paleo on Crack’! And, it is true that AIP is a restrictive diet.
BUT! The WHOLE point of both Paleo and AIP is that they are healthy and nutrient dense ways of eating
From where I sit, there are many (cynical) reasons organisations like the BDA and the Australian equivalent, the Dietitians’ Association of Australia are not fans of the new wave of lower-carbohydrate style eating. Despite increasing evidence that for many of us it is a more healthful approach to eating. Not least of these reasons is the question of where they get their funding.
What I do find fascinating – in a car crash kind of way – is the vitriol behind their extreme anti-Paleo stance. Is it a case of protesting too much…?
(Image from here)
Sure, you can interpret a Paleo-esque approach as an unhealthy meat-fest. And, there are probably people who do just that.
Alternatively, you can see it as a whole-foods approach which eliminates unhealthy processed foods, refined carbohydrates, sugars and trans-fats while encouraging a more sustainable nose-to-tail way of eating – along with an increased variety of local, seasonal and pesticide-free fruits and vegetables. In my experience, eating like this has increased my vegetable intake by at least 200%. Whichever way you cut it, that has to be a good thing.
And, whether or not you choose to have dairy in your diet depends very much on your body’s ability to tolerate it.
Is this not a good thing?
There is a difference between giving directions and giving direction. (Simon Sinek)
Me – I’m a believer in personal choice. Especially when it comes to what you elect to eat. If you feel better with properly prepared whole grains in your diet, good for you. I really hope that eventually I will be able to indulge in some, too.
And, if you choose to have jam donuts for breakfast every day. That’s your choice, too. I won’t ever think its the best idea in the world, but I’ll defend your right to choose!
I do get that my extreme AIP caper is not for everyone. But, rather than focus on the excesses of a ‘Paleo approach’, can we not acknowledge a more moderate view on the benefits of cutting the crap, increasing veggies AND the other lifestyle aspects of this school of thought – improving sleep, more movement, introducing a mindfulness practice.
Paleo may not be for everyone, but it is equally clear that the average current lifestyle is not healthy, either.
(Image from Dr Kate)
Did you know that according to the Australian Government, 3 in 5 Australians are either obese or overweight. Scarier still is that 1 in 4 children are obese or overweight.
Professor Alan Lopez, a researcher working in the area of health and weight, says Australia’s numbers should be of concern – “We are at the levels of overweight and obesity as the US is, three decades ago obesity levels in Australia were a half to a third of what they are now.” And, if you live in New Zealand, the numbers are even worse.
The big picture doesn’t just come from distance; it also comes from time. (Simon Sinek)
I have personally experienced significant health improvements following an AIP approach. I hope to transition to a more moderate ‘Paleo-type’ way of eating eventually.
Along the way, I have come to believe that an holistic approach to my lifestyle, nutrition and exercise choices that are more compatible with my evolutionary past are key to my health. At the same time, it must also be said that I don’t believe that it is possible or even practical for me to exactly mimic life in the Paleolithic in today’s world.
Rather than maligning a style of eating that promotes overall health and well-being, would organisations advising the public on nutrition not be better served in advocating a reduction in the amount processed carbohydrates, sugars and trans-fats available in the majority of packaged food we consume?
10 Wednesday Dec 2014
Tags
AIP, Autoimmune Protocol Reintroduction, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Healthy Banana Bread, Paleo, Paleo Banana Bread
(Image by TSL)
I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here. This recipe contains nuts and eggs – both ingredients that are part of the reintroduction phase of the protocol.
It’s been almost two years now, and – small confession – I still miss really good bread. You know the kind I mean – artisan-style sourdough made by bakers who take their bread-making very seriously. Here in Sydney, I mean bread like Iggy’s.
Don’t get me wrong, though. I may miss good bread, but I won’t be having any anytime soon. Probably never again. Gluten is not my friend. And, ‘gluten-free’ definitely does not cut it when it comes to bread.
Life is full of banana skins. You slip, you carry on. (Daphne Guinness)
But, this post is about banana bread. Not bread bread.
And, banana bread is not really bread in the true sense of the word. It’s not made with yeast, water and flour. Rather, its made with bananas. Doh! So, really it’s more like a cake or a loaf.
And, while banana bread can easily be made gluten-free, because it’s not bread (which requires kneading and proving to allow the lovely-yet-naughty gluten to work its magic), it still tastes AWESOME. Some might even say it tastes better…
Better still, (for me) the discovery that I have recently reintroduced eggs successfully back into my life after nine whole months without them.
So, I reckon I deserve a wee celebration!
Having eggs back in my cooking repertoire means the occasional baking treat is back on the table. As good as they are, a girl can only make so many Jaffa Balls!
I started thinking about banana bread at the markets last Saturday. The good peeps at Kitchen Green, who offer the most delish’ gluten free banana bread, had me salivating. I would have bought some, too. Only, theirs features chia seeds. And I have recently discovered that chia seeds and me are ‘no bueno’. So, I resolved to make my own…
SCRUMPTIOUS Loaded Banana Bread
(Image by TSL)
Bananas lend themselves to healthy baking because they add a natural sweetness and they keep your baking moist.
The thing is, LM is not such a fan of bananas. So when I experimented with this wee number, I added some lemon zest to the batter. To offset the banana-ness of the loaf. And, I reckon it was a winner.
By now, you know that I’m not a particularly finicky cook. I like lots of flavour and not too much fuss. So, while I was playing with this wee baby, I threw in some of the activated (soaked) nuts I had in the pantry and, because I love it, some shredded coconut, too.
The end result is a beautifully moist and crumbly nutty loaf with a lovely citrus kick. YUM!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 x cup shredded coconut
1 x teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
Pinch of salt
Zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (I used activated mixed nuts because that’s what I had!)
3 x very ripe medium bananas, mashed well
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 x cup honey
4 x happy eggs
Method:
1. Heat your oven to 180° C (that’s 350° F). Grease a loaf tin with coconut oil and line with a piece of baking paper (I leave a little overhang of baking paper to aid in removing the cooked loaf from the tin).
2. Using a fork, mix your dry ingredients – almond meal, coconut flour, shredded coconut, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and chopped nuts – in a medium-sized bowl.
3. Pop your eggs and honey into a separate bowl. Whisk. Add your mashed bananas and whisk until very well combined.
4. Pour your egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Add melted coconut oil and stir again until combined.
5. Pour batter into your loaf tin. Tap on the bench a couple of times to release any air bubbles. Cook for 40 – 45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
6. Once cooked, allow to cool for 5 minutes in the loaf tin before turning it out onto a wire rack.
This loaf really is best eaten on the day it is cooked but will keep in the fridge for a few days in an airtight container. It also freezes well.
E N J O Y !
04 Thursday Dec 2014
Posted in Food, Random Stuff
Tags
Autoimmune Protocol, Cooking, Jamie Oliver, Luke Mangan, MTHFR, Nigella Lawson, Nightshades, Pete Evans, Recipes, Sophie Digard
…only I’m not NEARLY as fit. Or as flexible. And, I don’t have any tattoos. And, frankly, my singing voice sucks. But otherwise…
(Image from here)
Of course, these are the ‘All Time Greatest Hits’. So, depending on when something is posted may well have an impact on its popularity.
It’s interesting (to me, anyway!) just which posts make the top ten. Some of them are no brainers. Jamie and Luke tend to compete for 1st and 2nd place. But some, like my failed attempts to crochet (which is STILL holding firm at number 11) remain a mystery.
And, a couple of my own recipes – AIP compliant, no less, are fast moving up the ranks… Woop! The AIP movement is growing, too – two of my more ‘information oriented’ (and recent) posts on subjects like MTHFR and nightshades have surprised me in their popularity.
Hope you enjoy this wee trip down the memory lane of TSL’s most popular posts…
(Image by TSL)
…and, in case you’re interested, THAT crochet post!
