3 High-Energy Alternatives to Wheat

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food yoga, gluten free food, gluten free grains, potato, seasonal food, seasonal recipes, sweet potato, yoga diet, yoga health

Wheat is not necessarily unhealthy food, unless you have an intolerance or coeliac disease, but it often comes in highly processed forms such as bread, crackers, biscuits and cakes. Eating a lot of these foods adds sugar, salt, fat and fillers into your diet which you don’t really need.

But, reaching for a sandwich, bagel, or nutrition bar is a quick fix. What to do?

Here are three high-energy, healthful alternatives to wheat to keep your engine running.

Photo by Juno Jo on Unsplash

Potatoes

This cupboard staple is available year-round and can be eaten in countless ways. Not only that, in addition to being carbohydrate-rich for energy, potatoes have a high water content ensuring you stay hydrated too. Boil, mash, roast or steam some spuds for an easy breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Sweet potatoes

Tasty, and packed with vitamins A and C, and potassium, sweet potatoes should be a regular in your veg basket. Try a warming sweet potato soup, add to stir-fries, roast, bake or steam and toss with herbs and olive oil. However you eat them, they are a great way to stay fuelled while increasing your nutrient intake.

Socca

If you need a bread fix, socca, aka chickpea flour flatbread, is easy to make, delicious, naturally gluten free and vegan. The flatbread is perfect for a quick lunch, snack, or to serve along with soup and salad as a light dinner.

What’s your favourite gluten-free carb? Share in the comments.

Four Ways to Eat Real Food

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clean eating, Guardian, healthy eating, seasonal foods, ultra-processed foods, whole foods, yoga diet, yoga food, Yoga With Paul

How hard is it to eat real food? Very difficult, according to a recent Guardian article highlighting the dangers of ultra-processed foods. In it, food writer Bee Wilson wrote about the enormous presence of these foods in our diets, explained the science linking them with obesity and disease.

I hardly ever eat fast food, I thought, so I must be all right.

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Turns out, ultra-processed foods are not just the obvious things like fast food burgers, flavoured crisps, or chocolate bars. According to the article, ultra-processed foods are anything that are so processed it is hard to determine the underlying ingredients. This means things like non-dairy milks and yoghurts, vegan or vegetarian meat substitutes, even apparently innocent foods like bread and soup (if they have a significant amount of fillers, stabilisers and other additives).

This got me thinking. It is pretty easy to have an almond milk latte in the morning, a vegan energy bar in the afternoon, and indulge in a vegan burger at dinner. None of these are “bad foods” but, eaten regularly, they increase our high consumption of ultra-processed foods.

The challenge is, these foods are tasty and convenient. How can we replace them and enjoy a healthy, whole food diet without spending hours in the kitchen? Here are 4 tips to make it easier to eat real food.

Cook what you can

Obviously, not all of us have the time or desire to cook every single day, nor are we all gifted in the kitchen. However, instead of letting our shortcomings hold us back, we should focus on what we can cook — and do so regularly. Soups, stews, jacket potatoes, rice, stir-fries, and salads are all simple, delicious and easy.

Invest in Tupperware

Once you’ve identified the dishes you like and enjoy cooking, make them in bulk. Popping a few servings into the fridge or freezer insures you can eat whole food every day, without having to prepare it from scratch.

Befriend a baker

Fresh bread, made from natural yeasts, without preservatives or additives, is a good staple food. Build a filling breakfast by adding nut butter, avocado or eggs, or make a hearty veggie sandwich with hummus. To keep bread fresh, slice it immediately then freeze, toasting slice by slice what you need.

Snack on fruit and veg

This might sound obvious, but if you want to eat fewer processed foods, you need to eat more whole foods. Fresh fruit and veg are the simplest way to get nutrients as most of them can be eaten raw — so you spend zero time and energy cooking!

Check out my blogs on seasonal foods for tips on what to eat now!

 

Easy Organic Christmas

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clean eating, Farmdrop, food for yoga, healthy holiday food, organic food, yoga diet, yoga holiday food, yoga nutrition, Yoga With Paul

Dreaming of an effortless, organic Christmas? I am… but I’m not sure how to fit it in around work, Christmas parties, gift shopping and spending time with loved ones.

One idea is to use online delivery services to help keep the fridge and pantry full of good, healthy, clean, seasonal food.

Photo: Farmdrop

I did a bit of poking around (read an Independent article) and found Farmdrop, a site that lets you buy from local farmers.

“Local” is a relative term, but most products are sourced in a 100 mile radius — making it a lot more local than South American strawberries, or what have you.

Farmdrop covers all categories of food — including booze! — but what I really like is the fruit & veg category. Eating plenty of fresh, seasonal produce is difficult this time of year. Especially when you don’t have much time to shop.

Buying a veg box is a great way to ensure you have delicious organic ingredients on hand, when you need them. Having good food available is one of the best ways to avoid overindulging. Give it a try!

Know a great organic/local food supplier? Share in the comments!

Spicy Veggie Ramen Recipe

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clean eating, cleansing food, food for yoga, healthy food, vegetarian ramen recipe, veggie ramen recipe, winter recipes, yoga diet, yoga meditation, Yoga With Paul

If you’re in need of something hot and delicious to get you through January, try this spicy ramen recipe courtesy of Umami Girl. Ramen is one of my favourite dishes because you can mix and match vegetables and toppings, depending on what you’re in the mood for or have to hand.

This recipe calls for a soft-boiled egg, for example, but you could easily make it vegan by leaving off the egg and adding extra mushrooms or tofu for more protein. Grab the ingredients below then visit UmamiGirl.com for the full instructions.

Photo via UmamiGirl

Ingredients

• Low-sodium vegetable broth 
• Dried shiitakes 
• Tamari or other good soy sauce
• Vegetable oil
• 1 small yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• Fresh ginger
• Butter (or coconut oil)
• White miso paste
• Mirin (rice wine)
• Baby spinach
• Eggs
• Fresh shiitake mushrooms
• Fresh or dry ramen noodles
• Baked tofu
• Scallions
• Gomasio (sesame salt)
• Toasted sesame oil with hot chili

Click here for instructions

 

 

What’s your favourite winter warmer dish? Share in the comments!

 

 

6 Super Probiotic Foods

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clean eating, clean food, food for yoga, good bacteria, gut health, probiotic food, probiotic ingredients, weight-loss food, yoga diet, Yoga With Paul

In my City Solicitor interview I talk about the importance of clean eating. You can’t have a clear, calm, strong body and mind if they are undernourished, or full of unnecessary junk. This is one of the reasons that healthful veggie food is a cornerstone of Yoga Holiday With Paul — it is essential to put good things in your body to get a good result.

Probiotic foods are rich in bacteria that is thought to benefit our gut and overall well-being. Here are six super probotic foods to add to your meals.

1. Yogurt:
   Eating natural yogurt is a great way to get a big dose of gut-friendly bacteria. It is one of the most popular probiotics because it is also rich in protein and calcium, making it an all-around good addition to your diet. If you don’t eat dairy but still want the benefits of yogurt look for soya yogurt with live cultures.
2. Sauerkraut:
   Sauerkraut is a great addition as a side-dish, or a snack, and is full of the same Lactobacillus bacteria that is found in yogurt. You can make your own, if you’re patient, or look for unpasturised sauerkraut at the health food store. The pasturised stuff has been heat treated to kill bacteria, so it won’t provide the same benefits.
3. Kimchi:
   If you are a fan of Korean food you’ve probably already tried kimchi. It is a fermented veggie dish made from cabbage, radishes, and scallions, blended in a paste of red pepper, salted shrimp, or kelp powder. It contains loads of live cultures, as long as it isn’t pasturised.
4. Olives:
   Did you know olives are a naturally fermented food? Salt-water brined carry live cultures, just like sauerkraut and kimchi. For maximum gut benefits you’re probably best off buying bulk olives from the market or deli. They are less likely to have been heat-treated and sanitised like the tinned or jarred varieties.
5. Miso:
   Whether enjoyed on its own as a soup, or used as a base for brother, or another dish, miso is a great way to get more probiotics. Miso is made of fermented soybeans so it not only benefits your gut, it is also a complete protein.
6. Tempeh: 
   This Indonesian staple is a great, gut-boosting alternative to tofu in sandwiches, salads or stir-fries. Made from fermented soy (and sometimes other grains) it has a lovely dense texture and nutty flavour. Like tofu, it soaks up marinade and seasoning, making it a great ingredient for all kinds of dishes.

What’s your favourite probiotic food or dish? Share in the comments!
photo credit: CulturedGuru Ma Pao Tofu via photopin (license)

Spotting Hidden Fructose

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byrachelmartino, clean eating, food for yoga, fructose vs glucose, hidden sugar, nutrition, style, whole foods, yoga diet, Yoga With Paul

This article on hidden sugar was recommended by nutritionist and yogi Rachel Martino. We all know that cutting down on hidden sugar is a good idea, but it isn’t just how much you eat, but what type of sugar you eat.

AuthorityNutrition.com explains the difference between glucose, which we need for energy, and fructose, which has a different effect on our body.

There are two simple sugars: glucose and fructose.

Glucose comes from starches like potatoes, our bodies produce it and every cell on earth has glucose in it. Glucose is a molecule absolutely vital to life.

Fructose, however, is not. Humans don’t produce fructose and throughout evolutionary history have never consumed it except seasonally when fruit were ripe.

Glucose and fructose are metabolized very differently by the body.

The key thing to realize, is that while every cell in the body can use glucose, the liver is the only organ that can metabolize fructose in significant amounts.

When people eat a diet that is high in calories and high in fructose, the liver gets overloaded and starts turning the fructose into fat.

What’s the best way to cut your fructose consumption? IQuitSugar.com has the following information to help you spot, and reduce, your intake of fructose.

1. Fructose makes up half of sucrose (table sugar).

When people think sugar, they generally think of the granular white stuff you add to tea and coffee. This is called sucrose, which is half glucose and half fructose.

2. Fructose is also in agave, maple, dates and honey.

Ah, yes. The so-called “natural” sugars (despite the fact that sucrose is totally “natural”, too). People often defend agave, dates, honey and maple syrup on their vitamin and mineral content, but the high percentage of fructose outweighs that small benefit. If you want the health benefits of natural sweeteners, just eat a piece or two of whole fruit, a pile of veggies or some whole grains!

3. Fructose is mostly metabolised by the liver.

Unlike glucose, which is readily absorbed into the bloodstream for energy, fructose is primarily metabolised by the liver. And it can’t deal with too much of the stuff at once, so it stores what it can’t get through as fat.

4. Fructose mucks with your appetite.

Ever demolished a whole pack of biscuits… and still had room for more? There might be a perfectly good reason for that. A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association found that fructose doesn’t lower appetite hormones after ingestion like other foodstuffs do, leaving you hungry and prone to overeating.

5. Fruit is the best way to eat fructose.

While we’d never recommend fructose in juices, powders, syrups or dried fruit we have no problem with fresh fruit. Fruit is full of vitamins and minerals, but unlike honey or maple syrup, it has plenty of fibre and water to slow down absorption and keep you full.

Share your favourite sugar-reducing tip in the comments!

Food for Yogis: Olives

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anti-cancer foods, anti-inflammatory foods, antioxidant foods, clean eating, clean food, food for yogis, olive diet, olive health benefits, olives, vegan nutrition, yoga, yoga diet, yoga food, Yoga With Paul

Olives are possibly the most delicious, nutritious natural snack going. If your only association with olives is as tiny, chewy black rings on cheap pizza, think again. Olives come in all shapes, sizes and colours; all equally good for you. Here are four reasons (science stuff courtesy of World’s Healthiest Foods) to eat more olives:

Antioxidants

Antioxidants help repair the cellular damage done by stress, pollution, exercise and less-than-perfect diets. Olives are a good source of antioxidant vitamin E, and they also contain small amounts of antioxidant minerals like selenium and zinc. However, it’s the phytonutrient content of olives that makes them unique. Perhaps the best-studied antioxidant phytonutrient found in olives is oleuropein. Oleuropein is found exclusively in olives, and it’s been shown to function as an antioxidant nutrient in a variety of ways.

Anti-inflammation

Inflammation is our body’s response to stress. Even beneficial activities like yoga can cause inflammation as our bodies adapt. Extracts from whole olives have been shown to function as anti-histamines at a cellular level. By blocking histamine receptors components in whole olive extracts provide with anti-inflammatory benefits. Whole olive extracts have also been shown to lower risk of unwanted inflammation by lowering levels of leukotriene, a common pro-inflammatory messaging molecule.

Healthy fats

Healthy fats are essential for vitamin absorption and metabolism. Olives are unusual because they provide almost three-quarters of their fat as oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid. (In addition they provide a small amount of the essential fatty acid called linoleic acid, and a very small amount of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid.) The high monounsaturated fat content of olives has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cancer fighting

When our cells get overwhelmed by oxidative stress, that is damage to cell structure and function by overly reactive oxygen-containing molecules, and excessive inflammation, our cancer risk is increased. By providing rich supplies of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, olives can help avoid this dangerous combination of chronic oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.

What’s your favourite type of olive? Share in the comments!

 

Chickpea Un-Tofu Recipe

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chickpea flour recipes, clean eating, food for yoga, gluten-free recipes, soy allergy, tofu recipe, whole food cooking, yoga diet, yoga health, Yoga With Paul

When is tofu not not tofu? When it is made our of chickpeas instead of soy.

To be honest, the thought never occurred to me until a Veggie Zest recipe for “chickpea tofu” popped up in my feed. Tofu is made from soybeans so it makes sense that you can substitute another bean. What I didn’t expect was how simple it is to make this. Chickpea un-tofu only needs five ingredients and about a day to prepare, most of which is just the mixture resting. So minimal time commitment and a good alternative to tofu for anyone who is allergic, or prefers to not eat too much processed soy. It is also gluten free.

Photo via Veggie Zest

Check out the full recipe at Veggie Zest.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
6 cups water
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric

Preparation

1. In a large pot mix together the chickpea flour and water. Whisk to form a lump free mixture. Cover with a lid and keep on your kitchen counter overnight or for 8 to 10 hours.
2. Uncover the pot and without disturbing the mixture remove 2 to 3 cups of water or as much of it that floats on top of your mixture.
3. Prepare a 10 x 10 non stick dish (preferable glass) by generously coating it with oil.
4. Place a heavy bottom pot on medium heat and add oil to it.
5. Slowly pour the chickpea mixture into the pot without disturbing the bottom too much. You will be left with a thick sludge at the bottom. Keep aside.
6. Add Salt and turmeric and start cooking on low heat stirring the mixture continuously.
7. Once the mixture starts turning thick in about 4 to 5 minutes add the rest of the chickpea mixture that was left in the bottom of the pot. Now mix rigorously as the mixture will turn thick very quickly. If you don’t stir continuously then the mixture will become lumpy. Keep mixing on low for about 2 to 3 minutes and turn the heat off.
8. Pour the thickened mixture into the prepared pan and level the surface of the mixture using a spatula.

 

Have a favourite recipe variation or tip? Share in the comments.

 

3 Herbal Smoothie Recipes

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clean eating, cleansing foods, healing plants, herb recipes, herbs, smoothie recipes, vegan recipes, yoga, yoga detox, yoga diet, yoga food, Yoga With Paul

This time of year our bodies need all the nutrition they can get! Cold, damp weather; stress; lack of sunlight; and surplus holiday weight can add up to low immunity, lethargy or feeling sluggish. Fresh herbs are a great source of nutrients and chlorophyll. They also taste delicious!

One of the easiest ways to eat them is to blend them into smoothies. That makes it easy to get the health benefits without nibbling away like a rabbit, plus the flavour adds a twist to your favourite green or fruit blends. Here are three great herbal smoothie recipes from the annmariegianni.com. Visit her site for more recipes!

Photo courtesy annmariegianni.com

Parsley & Pear

Parsley contains the flavanoid luteolin, which acts as a powerful antioxidant. Its essential oils, particularly one called myristicin, is amazing.

Not only that, but a mere half cup of parsley gives you 500% of your daily vitamin K—great for tightening and firming the appearance of your skin—and 50% of vitamin C—which can have a light plumping affect.

To balance out parsley’s strong flavor, I put two ripe, sweet pears in this recipe. Plus lemon for more vitamin C and ginger.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup parsley
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger
• 2 ripe pears
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 2 cups of spinach, packed
• 1.5 – 2 cups water

Directions: Assemble ingredients in blender, fruit first. Blend together and enjoy.

Melon & Mint

Mint contains rosmarinic acid, which is an antioxidant. It’s also naturally cooling.

This herb can be tricky in smoothies because its texture is a little… noticeable. Adding seedy blueberries rounds out the texture since honeydew melon has practically no fiber.

Another special ingredient in this recipe is the matcha green tea powder. This type of green tea is especially rich in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is rich in magnesium, a mineral involved in the activation of many enzymes in your body.

Ingredients:

• 3 heaping cups frozen honeydew chunks (I cut up a fresh honeydew and froze it for a few hours)
• 1 heaping cup frozen blueberries
• 1 tsp matcha green tea powder
• 1 tsp honey
• 6 mint leaves
• 1.5 cups of coconut milk or water

Directions: Assemble ingredients in blender, fruit first. Blend together and enjoy.

Pineapple & Coriander

One of coriander’s unique benefits is that it helps remove heavy metals from the body, such as mercury and lead, the accumulation of which can contribute to chronic disease.

Coconut water in this keeps you hydrated and keeps this smoothie light. With a good two cups of greens in here, your skin gets a ton of vitamins A and C, supporting the appearance of good skin tone and texture.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of greens, packed (I recommend spinach, lettuce, or 1 cup of each)
• 2 cups frozen pineapple
• Juice from ½ orange
• ½ cup cilantro (about 10 sprigs, including stem)
• 1.5 – 2 cups coconut water

Directions: Assemble ingredients in blender, fruit first. Blend together and enjoy.

Share your herbal smoothie recipe suggestions in the comments!

Roasted Carrot & Radicchio Salad

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carrot recipes, food for yoga, salad recipes, seasonal eating, seasonal food, vegetarian recipes, yoga, yoga diet, yoga recipes, Yoga With Paul

Salads in winter? Not always the most appealing idea. At least not if you define “salad” as involving cold iceberg lettuce and shredded cabbage. Luckily, there are plenty of creative salads that go beyond the chilly confines of convention and are perfect seasonal food.

This salad from a Food Republic recipe is based on roasted carrots, which are sweet and delicious. You could also use parsnips or sweet potato as a base. The radicchio adds bitterness — you could also use Swiss chard or a robust green like kale. Toasted hazelnuts add crunch and protein; use pistachio or almond for a variation.

 

Roasted Carrot, Hazelnut And Radicchio Salad With Honey And Orange

Ingredients

• 1 blood orange, Cara Cara orange or tangerine
• 2 pounds young heirloom carrots, scrubbed
• 3 small or 2 large shallots, quartered
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 small head radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
• flaked sea salt such as Maldon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Take two swipes of peel off the orange with a vegetable peeler and set the orange aside. Toss together the carrots, shallots, orange zest and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium bowl. Season with fine sea salt and pepper, toss again and spread out on a baking sheet. Roast until the carrots are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Place the orange on the cutting board and cut off a little bit from both ends to create flat surfaces. Set the orange on one of the flat ends. Using a large, sharp knife, shave off the skin, peel and as much of the pith as possible along the curve of the fruit. Squeeze any juices from the skin into a small bowl and reserve.

Share your favourite warm salad recipe in the comments, or Tweet @YogaWithPaul