From the streets: Coconut oil

Published on August 21, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, Featured, Reviews, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

Wholesome Seduction has featured a few recipes containing coconut oil recently so I think it’s time to explain my (and the UK’s) latest love. Apart from transforming sweet potato wedges into sticky and crispy comfort food, the health benefits of this miracle fruit (botanically a drupe) are so extensive, fitness gurus are eating the oil by the dessert spoon. Literally.

For the full lowdown find out why I fell in love here. Think metabolism boosting, energy sustaining, bacterial and viral infection fighting and apparently, weight loss!

There are countless raw or virgin varieties available in wholefood shops. Unfortunately, at £10 a pop they don’t come cheap. There’s now a ‘cuisine’ (non raw / refined) option for a fiver which makes sense if you’re cooking.

What’s the difference? In all honesty, I attribute most of the (crazy £10!) cost to marketing and fashion. South India’s awash with palm trees and the smell of dosa (a kind of breakfast pancake staple) being fried in coconut oil. A year’s supply wouldn’t even set Amma back a tenner. Having said that, there is something in the raw / virgin tag line.

Refined vs. raw coconut oil

All coconut oils are refined as the oils need to be extracted from the whole fruit; raw has just been less so. As goes with the raw argument, such foods are said to retain higher levels of their nutrients and antioxidants. The (more) refined version doesn’t alter the medium chain fatty acids so still ticks all the virtues that make this a Storehouse Seducer.

I stock up on £2.50 tubs of KTC, an Indian brand, when I can get them. Note: KTC (above) is more easily found by the bottle but given the oil sets outside of tropical climates, not ideal as it can’t be poured. #globalsalesstrategy #fail

Since I sub other oils for coconut wherever taste is either improved or uncompromised, I go through quite a bit so use two types: Raw for energy balls, shakes and spreading on toast, and KTC for scrambled eggs (yep), roasting and frying kale and fritters. The good news: many dishes taste infinitely better. When cooked, coconut oil has a creamy flavour and adds a crispiness that would turn the local chippy green with envy.

KTC: £2.50 from Asian shops and Tesco World Food aisle. Biona and Lucy Bee: £9.95 from Wholefoods or Planet Organic. Biona Cuisine: £4.95 from Wholefoods. Amazon also has slightly cheaper bulk buying options and rumour has it Lidl plan to get in on the cut price action.

Some more coconuts:

For the purpose of this post, I’ve focussed on the oil, but actually, so extensive are this drupe’s merits, it comes in every imaginable incarnation: dairy free ice cream (amazing), yoghurt (ditto) and of course, the water celebrities practically bathe in.

All of them at prices requiring a conversation with the bank manager. Who’d have thought this stuff grows on trees?

Storehouse Seducer: Coconut oil

Published on August 21, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

MOST ATTRACTIVE FEATURES

This one’s a keeper like no other. Said to boost energy levels and metabolism (cue: calorie burn) and promote thyroid health and weight loss (tall order…). It can fight bacterial, viral and fungal infections including candida; there’s even evidence to suggest the effect of Alzheimer’s may be reduced and type 1 and 2 diabetes improved.

Athletes and fitness freaks dollop it in their shakes for sustained energy levels. And beauty experts smother it on their skin and hair to combat skin conditions and maintain glossy locks. Coconut oil is indispensible inside and out it seems.

WHY I FELL IN LOVE

By no means a new kid on the block, coconut oil won South East Asian hearts centuries ago. Catching on to the countless virtues, it now seems there’s not a health or fitness savvy man or woman in the UK who can live without their daily fix.

Seasonal Seducer: Lamb

Published on April 25, 2014 | Posted by Nadine Sharkey

Posted in: Uncategorized

MOST ATTRACTIVE FEATURES

Protein, Palmitoleic acid, zinc, iron, B12 and carnitine.

WHY I FELL IN LOVE

For a while there poor lamb got itself a bit of a reputation. But having shed a bit of fat in the last decade or two, it’s coming into its own. I fell for its unique levels of carnitine (nothing else quite matches it for this). Carnitine is the amino acid that our bodies use to generate energy from fatty acids, making our hearts happy.

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From the streets: Bounce Natural Energy Balls

Published on April 9, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, N, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

Bounce’s gluten, dairy and (refined) sugar free balls of protein and goodness have been kicking around in yoga centres, gyms and health shops for a while. But at nearly £2 a pop, I needed some convincing. Until I tasted the Coconut & Macadamia…

Thanks to the lovely people at Bounce sending me a truck load of samples I’m now hooked.

A filling protein and energy hit for when you get caught out on the go surrounded only by crisps or Cadburys. This seems to happen to me a lot. On a recent cycle home I inhaled 1/2 kg of dry roasted peanuts. Bounce has since become a handbag staple.

Why I’m hooked:

100% natural (not just a strap line) and made only with stuff that does us good
42 filling grams of protein or fibre
Gluten, dairy and refined sugar free
No artificial preservatives
Under 200 calories
Winning flavours: Macadamia & Coconut; Spirulina & Ginseng; Peanut; Cashew & Pecan; Almond… I like them all!

£1.79 from Wholefoods, Holland & Barrett, Waitrose or health shops. Or you can buy boxes of 12 online at Bounce: £19.45.

The Anti-diet: Get off the sofa

Published on March 25, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: Uncategorized

You knew this was coming, right? Pre the industrial revolution we’d burn more calories in a day than Michael Phelps. Thanks to Henry Ford et al., circuit training and cardiovascular drills have been since added to our vocabulary. I confess to not being a fan of the gym. For me, counting down the minutes on a treadmill to a symphony of MTV and grunting men is to be dreaded and procrastinated. Yet, I’m not ready to trade in those barbie proportioned jeans…

So, I swapped the Northern Line for a bike. Not only do I burn off lunch, I get home earlier, having ticked off exercise and avoided half an hour squished into a random armpit.

I also discovered I quite like yoga. Not only does it tone, detoxify and burn countless calories, it calms our chatty brains. Note: Addiction. Is. Not. Zen. Or conducive to a social life or relationships. I’m all or nothing, it seems. #onetoworkon

You’ll shed pounds being cheesy in Zumba or running around a Volleyball court or football pitch. And call me crazy, but clip-in shoes and padded spandex aren’t a pre-requisite to getting on a bike. If on the other hand, you’re spurred by mastering countless triathlons, I salute you.

For more Anti-diet tips click on the Tag on the right or type Anti-diet into the Search box at the top of the page.

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The Anti-diet: Carbs v. protein

Published on February 19, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: Uncategorized

I once paid exorbitant amounts of cash to see a fit guru who promptly rigged me up to a mask attached to lots of wires, while making me stretch my poor little heart to breaking point on various apparatus. I only learned calories the year before (goodbye family size trifle) and have zero comprehension of my weight, so this was a little out of character. It was surprisingly useful however: I learned that eating nothing but kumquats can make you fat.

Apparently, the body likes a little protein with carbs. If eaten in isolation, carbohydrate may as well be a lump of lard, it would seem. OK, maybe this is a slight exaggeration but I find the visual helps me focus.

It’s all down to our blood sugar levels. In the interests of keeping you awake, I’ll abstain from the over convoluted workings of the Glycaemic Index, just heed this: High GI foods (the white stuff: tatties, pasta etc) turn almost instantaneously to sugar in the body, producing insulin (= sugar rush, then slump), which tells your body to store fat. So you see, starving yourself on Snack A Jacks and blueberries will not only make you miserable, devoid of dinner party invites and probably unwell, you’ll gain weight.

Before you frantically renounce all ingredients bar celery, however, we need carbohydrates for energy, and to prevent us being likened to an irritable Devil Wears Prada Diva. All our shrewd bodies crave is a mix of protein, fat, fibre and carbs.

Mother nature (and the supermarket World Foods aisle) has fortuitously provided us with a cornucopia of options, not to mention wheat alternatives, if we’re ever so slightly open minded.

As our Seducers explain, pulses and quinoa, with their mix of carbs, fibre and protein, are a veritable gift from the Gods to be coveted. They’re also super easy to incorporate into soups, stews, salads and fritters: Quinoa, lentil & feta salad, Courgette & prawn fritters (made with chickpea flour).

Eggs, olive oil, nuts, lean meats and avocado are not to be avoided on pain of death; they are our friends. In moderation (blah blahhh). Now, I don’t know about you, but I think this is pretty good news.

Some other protein hit recipes: Hummus, Garam masala & tamarind chicken, Bramble Bircher or Almond butter.

For more Anti-diet tips click on the Tags on the right, or type Anti-diet into the Search box at the top of the page.

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The Anti-diet: Keep calm & hydrate

Published on February 11, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: Uncategorized

Yup, the old 2 litres a day mandate. Groan! Believe it or not though, hunger pangs are often our bodies signalling for fluids. Have a glass of water and give it 10 minutes before eating; you may be surprised.

Either way, the dull old hydration debate is not to be sniffed at. Water aids digestion and reduces the fat we absorb from our meal. It flushes out toxins and excess sodium, prevents fluid retention, is crucial for our organs and helps concentration. Even low levels of dehydration can cause attention levels to plummet.

And in the same waiting vein, sitting to enjoy and chew your food properly is key. I know there are never enough hours in the day but scoffing at break neck speed means we tend to eat more than we need before realising we’re full: It takes 15 minutes for the gut to clock it’s at capacity.

There’s also the matter of our poor digestion. When we’re on the move blood is diverted to the muscles, causing our colon to work at half speed. So women, sometimes multi-tasking isn’t all its cracked up to be.

For more Anti-diet tips click on the Tag on the right or type Anti-diet into the Search box at the top of the page.

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The Anti-diet: Breakfast like a king

Published on February 4, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, LF, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

… and supper like a pauper. This is not an old wives tale. In actual fact, for many of us Brits consumed with work, breakfast is a coffee, and lunch a sandwich that can be eaten On the Go. The evening meal is our chance to blow all those daily-banked calories. You have the entire day to burn off breakfast; supper sleeps with you.

I‘ve counselled several baffled friends over their growing girths in spite of having abstained all day in anticipation of their man-sized pasta dinner with The New Boy. See last week’s Moderation tip (Side plate eating).

It’s like this: When you starve yourself, your body thinks it needs to conserve energy, goes into hibernation mode and so burns less calories. When you finally eat, your clever body stores (yup, stores) any fat as a back-up in the eventuality you’ll deprive it again.

Eating breakfast tells you you’re awake and kick starts your metabolism. Eating smaller meals (stopping when you’re comfortable as opposed to undoing a button), 3 – 4 times a day makes sense to your digestion. Let it do its job and it will reward you.

Breakfast like a king with Roast banana, bacon & maple syrup sweet-corn fritters and this week’s super healthy and energising juice recipe: Beetroot, carrot, kiwi & ginger.

For more Anti-diet tips click on the Tag on the right or type Anti-diet into the Search box at the top of the page.

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Beetroot, carrot, kiwi & ginger juice

Published on February 4, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, LF, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

I’m going to level with you: making veggie juice is a faff and your kitchen will resemble a war zone. I think it’s important you’re armed with the facts. For this very reason (and in the interests of keeping my job) I make a 3 ltr batch at the weekend, freezing 250ml bottles for morning shots. On the plus side, it’s quite therapeutic, systematically feeding mounds of goodness into a machine which instantly produces an elixir of health. And my skin and energy levels are rejoicing.

Makes: 3 ltrs

Ingredients

1.4kg carrots, sprout end removed
2kg apples / 18 apples, halved
14 kiwi, rough end removed
300g ginger, chopped 2″ pieces
500g beetroot, halved with stalks removed

Method

Soak fruit and veg in water with a tablespoon of vinegar for 10 mins to remove any wax and chemicals. Line the juicer bin with a bag for slightly less mess; this way you can throw the waste straight into the rubbish. Give or take…

Most veggies can go in your juicer whole, I tend to remove the particularly tough bits and drop veg into the feeder in stages as my juicer appears not to be fully up to the task.

Kiwi is an addition I wouldn’t do without; it adds body and a tangy smoothness that brings everything together. It’s also packed with Vitamin C.

Keep beetroot till last, unless you want red dye on EV-ER-Y-THING. Pour juice through a sieve to remove any pulpy foam.

Decant into bottles and keep in the fridge for a day or freeze.

Juicers don’t come cheap:

At least not the decent ones and if you find this is something you’re into, you’ll soon feel compelled to invest more pennies into an uber version. Amazon has a wide selection, including the following:

Sage (by Heston Blumenthal) Nutri Pro was recently recommended to me on the basis it does’t heat up. Think Cold Pressed, which preserves the ingredients’ nutrients, apparently. If it’s good enough for tech chef Heston…

Breville have lots of middle of the road options to start you off.

The Anti-diet: Blah blah moderation blahhh…

Published on January 23, 2014 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: Featured, Uncategorized

If you do nothing else, heed this tip. I could fill Santa’s sleigh with the Weight Watchers nemesis foods I sample each year, so it’s largely assumed I must have a chocolate spitting bowl. I don’t. It’s very simple but the vast majority of you won’t like what I’m about to say: I stop eating when I’m full.

As obvious as this sounds, it took me a good 6 months to master. Suddenly surrounded by food in my café, Root I got over excited. And of course, a Scot never throws away. Two years in, I was hit by the realisation that 30% of the food I consumed was surplus to requirements and I resembled a prize heifer. OK, maybe I’m exaggerating but it took a significant expanse of cortex to check if I really needed the entire family size trifle – Trifle for One as a friend aptly named it in my honour. For the record, I didn’t sell giant trifles in Root, this was more of a weekend indulgence.

If eating is the highlight of your day, you won’t like the next bit either: We don’t need the volume of food we think. Our stomachs are only the size of our not so giant fists. In fact, portions are 40% bigger than they were 20 years ago. Thank you Supersize America.

In this case, Victoria Beckham’s only eating off a side plate trick isn’t entirely off the mark. I’d gently suggest not taking your own receptacle to dinner parties if you want to keep your friends (and dignity), however.

Coming soon: Breakfast like a king, and why fat and carbs are our friends. Again, applying The Moderation Principle. In the meantime, munch on some wholesomely seductive winter recipes that won’t bust your gut: Zesty fish pie, Mash not Smash, Hummus, Almond butter; even Orange, almond & chocolate cake.

For more Anti-diet tips click on the Tag on the right or type Anti-diet into the Search box at the top of the page.

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