Cake Face!

Cake Face!

I came across this expression for the first time a few days ago and laughed out loud in the middle of the cafe I was sitting in!

 

The article I was reading was all about Ageless Aging, about achieving younger looking skin and was advocating low carb – or what I like to refer to as slow carb – eating. The theory is that eating sugar and processed white carbs in any form, breads, cakes, biscuits, white rice and pasta result in bloating in the body due to water retention, which is particularly noticeable around the face.  

 

Naturally I had a good long look around the cafe I was in and lo and behold, lots of examples of people consuming sugar and white carbs and lots of examples of “cake face”! So don’t say you haven’t been warned – ditch those nasties now and replace them with brown alternatives, more fruit, vegetables and water and watch that bloating melt away.     

What is Toxic Load?

I don’t know about you but I have been bothered about the food that my family and I  eat for many years now and have spent many a long hour trying to figure our how to avoid processed foods, preservatives, colourants, too much salt and sugar, and how best to ensure maximum nutrients in our diet. That said you would assume that if I was that concerned about what went into our bodies I would have been equally concerned by what went on to our bodies! 

I was 21 when I got hayfever for the first time, 30 when I had my first asthma attack (thought to have been triggered by chemicals on a carpet in a house I was renting at the time), 32 when I had a massive dermatitis attack on my back due to living in a house we were renovating and was mid 30’s when I had a vega testing session which told me I was intolerant to lemon, garlic, dust mites, guinea pig and cat hair, and other unknown environmental chemicals.  You think I might have wondered about the “whys” of all of this a little more – I am inquisitive by nature –  but these were busy years for me, busy working and procreating, my time was not my own to procrastinate over the little things. It is only now that I realise that there is a pattern to all of this and that allergies, intolerances and sensitivities are all ways of your body giving your warnings that all is not well. Your natural bodily defenses are being overwhelmed and not working as well as they should. These are not the little things – these are the big things that I should have been paying attention to. 

You see, your toxic load, is the many chemicals that you use on and around your body in an average day and yes they are cumulative. They are foreign to our bodies and our systems can’t process them efficiently so they build up and can be found in biopsies , mastectomies, etc at a later date. Hair dye ingredients can be found in your urine within 30 mins of applying the gunk to your head. Your soaps, creams, toothpaste are all highly likely to include known carcinogens, irritants and allergy causing chemicals, endocrine disprutors too  and there is the possibility that some of these nasties could make you infertile. 

We trust too easily and we believe the labels which say “natural”, “organic”, “hypoallergenic”, unfortunately the beauty industry is largely self regulating and therefore these terms are not strictly defined and can mean simply that there is a natural or organic ingredients – it doesn’t mean that all of the ingredients are natural or organic and it does not mean that there aren’t ingredients in there that are toxic to your body. Likewise, “Hypoallergenic” just means that there are less allergens than normal – not that there aren’t any and it is anybodies guess as to what the starting point was!   

So my question for this week is what can we do to help our bodies and reduce the toxic load? Expect several more blog posts on What Kind of Symptoms you Might Experience if Your Toxic Load is High,  How To Reduce Your Toxic Load, What Are the Top Chemicals to Avoid and Why,  Natural versus Organic. So watch this space.    

 

Carrot and Celery Soup with Chili and Lime

I made this soup last night for my Colour Client today who I had been told was on Weight Watchers and would only eat soup with no points or very little attached! With no time to shop I delved into the fridge and dragged out the carrots, celery, parsnips and onions and started chopping. Not one for bland flavours I tossed in some coriander and cumin, still not satisfied so in went a couple of red chili peppers and stock and it simmered for 20mins or so. Only at this point did I realise that I had made it far to spicy and in a mad panic I squeezed the only 2 limes left in the fruit bowl into the melee. Great tip if you happen to fall into the trap of adding to much fresh chili – citrus of any kind will bring the heat of the chili down really well and balances out most dishes. My clients loved it and asked for the recipe so here it is!

Recipe for Carrot and Celery Soup with Chili and Lime  

4 medium to large carrots – more if smaller, diced

1 Parsnip, diced

4-6 celery stalks, diced

2 medium to large onions, diced

1-2 tsps dried coriander

1-2 tsps dried cumin

2-3 red chili peppers, minced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1.5 litres of stock – use stock cubes of choice I used Kallo Organic Chicken stock cubes 1 for every 500mls of water

juice of 2 limes

Put in everything but the lime juice in a large pot with stock. Bring to boil then simmer for 20 mins. Add lime at end and puree to smooth consistency.

Serve and enjoy.

I decorated with red chili and fresh coriander leaves.

Serves 6-8

Kitchen Essentials

 

We all have them, those items on our weekly shop which we deem essential to our very well being. Go on you can’t deny it everyone has something they really can’t live without. I have quite a number if I am honest, those pesky little things that have the power to create palpitations in my chest when the Tesco driver hands over the list of “not available’s” or “substitutions”. I couldn’t care less if they substitute my butter or have no semi skimmed milk. I can cope admirably without my continental cheeses and freshly squeezed orange juice, but if see “ginger”, “garlic”, “chili peppers” or “coriander” and it is a whole other story. The poor Tesco delivery guy can feel the vibes from across the room, I know it is irrational but it makes me twitch, it upsets me to the core all the same – irrational or unreasonable is really completely beside the point!

You see I revere my ginger, garlic, chili peppers and coriander. They make my life a little better just by the knowledge that they are snuggling cosily in the fridge drawer between the lettuce and the cucumber. I realise that at this point you may think I really have lost any touch with reality so I will try and enlighten you. Maybe by the end of this blog post you too may be a closet reverer of the humble garlic, chili, coriander and ginger.

I love to cook with these ingredients as the tastes individually and combined are incredible, they stimulate the taste buds and elevate a boring everyday soup or salad to an entirely more satisfying meal, but that in itself is not enough to make them so special. I discovered a long time ago that all of these vegetable, herbs and spices have very special qualities indeed. Qualities that make me feel safe in the knowledge that I am doing a little bit of extra good for myself and my family on a daily basis. Here are the facts about these wee gems of ingredients:

Garlic is a member of the onion family, raw it is a powerful antibiotic (we use it liberally in salads and dressings) that fights bacteria, parasites and viruses. It has been known to cure Encephalitis (swelling of the brain) in high doses. It is good for heart diseases, 2 or 3 cloves daily lessen the chances of heart attack. It boosts immunity, contains many preventative , anticancer compounds and antioxidants. It is good for colds as a decongestant and expectorant. Even works as an antidiarrheal. It lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, relieves wind, works as an antidepressant.

Ginger is good for nausea and travel sickness, helps prevent headaches, rheumatoid arthritis. It is an antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory. It boosts HDL cholesterol and lowers LDL (the bad one) cholesterol. Also functions as an anti-diarrheal and is thought to rank high in anti-cancer activity. Asians have used it for chest infections, headaches, colds, diarrhea, rheumatism, nervous diseases , stomach problems and sickness, for a long time. It is thought to be anti-clotting and to fight ulcers.

Coriander prevents infection from minor cuts. Is a digestive aid.  It kills bacteria and funghi. Is and anti-inflammatory that may help arthritis and may help reduce blood sugar levels.

Chili Peppers  contain a phytonutrient called capsaicin, that dissolves blood clots, opens air passages, acts as an expectorant and decongestant. It helps prevent emphysema, bronchitis and stomach ulcers. It speeds up metabolism when in food, which burns calories. May alleviate headaches when inhaled, joint pain when injected. A pinch of cayenne pepper in warm water will help relieve chest congestion. Hot paprika is a natural aspirin.

Will you be including them in your next shopping?

Salmon Thai-like Curry

Salmon Fillets x 4

1 x Red Bell Pepper cut into strips

150g Sugar Snap Peas

150g Baby Sweetcorn cut in half length wise

100g Carrots cut into batons

Coriander – 1/3 cup of shredded

Basil – 1/3 cup of shredded

6-8 Red Chili Peppers finely minced

4-6 Garlic Cloves minced

Ginger 2inches grated

Coconut Milk – one 400g tin

1-2tbsps Soya Sauce – to taste

1-2tbsps Fish Sauce – to taste

Juice of 2 limes (or 1 lemon if you don’t have limes)

Peanut Oil/Olive/sunflower 

 

Pan fry the Salmon fillets in a little olive oil and leave to the side.

 

Add oil to wok or large frying pan (with lid ideally) heat and stir fry the garlic, ginger and chili pepper for a few minutes. 

Add Red Pepper, Baby Sweetcorn, Carrots and Sugar Snap Peas and stir fry for 8 mins.

Add Coconut Milk cover and simmer for 10 mins. 

Add coriander and basil

Add Soya sauce and Fish sauce to taste. 

Cut salmon into biteable chunks and add to pan.

Cook for further five minutes

Add lime Juice and serve with brown rice.

 

 

 

 

Fantastic Food Leads the Way

I had the loveliest client this morning for Colour Class, very bubbly, chatty and a really good eye for colour which is always helpful!  We were talking about obesity as she deals with it in her job and we were musing about how it can be possible in this day and age that some people genuinely are not aware that Irn Bru and Coke are bad for you, that sugar is not your friend….., that genetics are not likely in most cases to affect your ability to maintain a healthy weight.

 I keep magazines around my studio for clients to browse in and having gone back and looked at the article content for the last few weeks, amazingly I found 28 articles on food, diet and health. Undoubtedly fad diets do not help sustained weight loss or indeed understanding of healthy foods and options but they do draw attention to the fact that we have ever increasing percentages of the population who are overweight and obese, plus a growing diabetes problem from childhood up.

So the lack of knowledge of what is good to eat and what is bad can’t be due to the lack of information our there, however the information out there is very confusing and contradictory. Is it better to eat low fat or reduce your carbs? What does “eat in moderation” mean? What is a standard portion size? Could it be that it is too big a leap from our comfort zones to cook new things? The unknown? Do people believe they will “miss out” if they move to a healthier diet? 

I have a dear friend who believes that it first requires a mental shift in the head before a person can apply positive changes to the body. I believe contrarily that the mind would not be misfiring in the first place if the body had been fed correctly (food being what the body uses for energy) and was in fine fettle. Regardless of which, if either, you subscribe to it is clear that the body and mind affect each other, and possibly it applies differently for different individuals. I should add that what you eat also directly relates to how you look. An awful lot of skin problems are routed in diet – not all granted – but most can at least be helped by the move to a healthier way of eating.

It is simple for me, the better quality of food I put into my body the better my body and mind function. Life is too short (and I am too busy with three kids and two jobs!) to eat wasted empty calories. Large bowls of pasta and hunks of white bread hold no allure as I know that these act as sugar in our bodies as they are very over-processed and actually if you remove them from your diet you will not crave them. Processed foods were never really an option for me and all the additives and preservatives scare the pants of me to be frank.

I couldn’t and don’t believe that you should live without carbohydrates but I do stick to brown rice and slow burn carbohydrates like lentils, pulses, parsnips and carrots. I am no saint either I should add, I do allow myself treats and they do feel like treats as I don’t have them very often. A glass of wine or two at the weekend, a dessert when out for a meal or a slice of cake for special occasions and birthdays. Most importantly of all though is that I never sacrifice on taste – I love food and I love to cook.

I want to believe that if you could teach the entire population to cook tasty healthy food then the obesity epidemic would disappear………..and on that note here follows my first recipe of this blog in honour of eating healthy and well! Enjoy.

 

I have a dream

I have a dream
Of purity in cream
Choice and versatility
Price not used as vice

I have a dream
pungent if you choose
but twice as nice
without the price

I have a dream
no to blotches
goodbye dryness
no secrets, no nasties

I have a dream
buy it here
make it there
reuse and recycle

I have a dream
control is yours
produced by me
produced by you

I have a dream
training optional
local not vocal
all people focal

I have a dream
naturally on the inside
reflected on the outside
inspected and respected

I have a dream
no tears to bear
destinations reached
life’s limits breached