Also known as seaweed, marine algae is recognized to be beneficial for female health, beauty and longevity1. They are packed full of nutrients and minerals like iron, iodine, calcium, Vitamin A, B, C, manganese and magnesium. Sea Vegetables are great for your teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails and help to keep your thyroid in good health. Seaweed supports optimal hormone health due to its high levels of minerals.
Research has investigated the cholesterol lowering properties as well as positive effects on cancer prevention. Seaweed boosts fertility due to its ability to remove excess estrogen from your body which is essential for conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts. For shiny hair, add seaweed to your diet today. (more…)
Marine Algae for Women’s Health
Is the hCG diet the answer to weightloss?
A new diet to hit Australia is the hCG diet which is based on Dr. Simeon’s 1954 book Pounds and Inches. HCG is a hormone only found in pregnant women. The theory is that as we age, our brain becomes lazy regarding how it handles fat, basically “hiding” and forgetting about it. With the aid of HCG, the brain is re-trained to “seek-out” and use fat stores again. (more…)
What does your body say about your Nutrition?
A few weeks ago I did a master class with Dr Ashleigh Berry, an integrative GP who has extensive experience working with chronically ill patients. He has studied with the guru of nutrition in Australia, Professor Melvyn Sydney-Smith (http://www.nutritionmedicine.org/index.php?id=8) who I have done a few workshops with.
Dr Berry showed us some clever ways to get an insight into clients’ nutritional status through physical examination. Here are my top 12 that I learnt. Please ensure that you refrain from self-prescribing and discuss your concerns with your practitioner!
If you have dark rings and puffiness around your eyes you have an allergy to something, most commonly a food.
Acne occurs due to too much sugar and not enough zinc and essential fatty acids. Skip the sweets and head for tahini and smoked salmon on rice cakes
Acne scarring shouldn’t happen and if it does, you are probably suffering from an undiagnosed food intolerance. Ask your practitioner for a comprehensive IgG intolerance test to reveal the culprits.
If your heels are cracked your vitamin E levels are far too low. Tender calves are also caused by a deficiency of vitamin E.
Excessive sweating can be embarrassing and usually due to a deficiency of the minerals calcium & magnesium or an accumulation of the toxic metal, mercury. Ask your practitioner for a comprehensive hair mineral test to determine your levels.
Want to know if you are eating enough protein? Turn your hand palm upward and gently press on your top finger pad. It should bounce back immediately and if even slightly delayed, means you need to eat more protein
If you have soft nails with white spots your zinc is too low.
If the muscles just under your eye twitch then your magnesium levels are deficient. […]
The Importance of Hydration
Staying hydrated this summer is essential in keeping you going from sunrise to sunset! Summer is fun and there’s always lots going on whether you are out with friends, at the beach/park or even working and it’s so easy to get to 3pm and realize you haven’t had a sip of water all day – it’s almost like we need an alarm to go off every hour to tell us to drink. Why is it so important to keep hydrated? Well first and foremost our body is made up of about 75% water, which can be mostly found in our cells, but the problem with our hydration levels occurs when the water expenditure (meaning when water is expelled from our body during breathing, sweat, and via our urine and bowel movement) is greater than our water intake.
Dehydration has an impact on your kidneys, liver, bladder, digestion, bowels, nerve function, brain, skin and is responsible for premature ageing!!
There is no set rule on how much water to consume throughout the day because we all have different body weight and activity levels so rule of thumb is a glass of water every hour, obviously you may need more during those hot summer days.
Symptoms of Dehydration
Foggy thinking
Dry mouth, lips
Fatigue
Headache
Dark coloured urine and a decrease in output
Muscle cramps
Heart palpitations
5 of the Best Hydrating Foods
Watermelon – 92% water and packed full of magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium
Cucumber – contain vitamin C and caffeic acid and about 92% water
Lettuce – contains about 94% water!
Capsicum/bell peppers – jam packed full of vitamin C, beta carotene, folic acid, vitamin B6, thiamine and contain about 92% water.
Cantaloupe – rich in vitamin A and contains about 90% water
Always carry a bottle of water with […]
What Artificial Sweeteners Should You Avoid?
How much do you know about artificial sweeteners? Many people may think they are doing the right thing by choosing ‘sugar-free’ or ‘diet’ products to reduce their sugar intake, but the reality is, many artificial sweeteners have dangerous side effects. The main artificial sweeteners used today are:
Aspartame
Saccharin
Sucralose
Neotame
Acesulfame potassium
Aspartame regularly hits the headlines because it has been studied for decades. Aspartame is essentially made up of 50% phenylalanine, 40% aspartic acid and 10% methanol. The bi-products of these chemicals are formic acid, formaldehyde and Diketopiperazine (DKP), which is a proven brain tumour agent.
Due to the highly addictive nature and overconsumption of aspartame, many studies suggest that this chemical can cause headaches, migraines, confusion, balance problems and seizures. Research also suggests that diet soft drink consumption was linked to higher incidences of stroke, vascular problems and myocardial infarction.
The best thing to do is get to know your labels…look at the food additive names and numbers and know what they mean. If you do need a sweetener try Stevia, which comes from the species Stevia rebaudiana. Stevia is a great alternative as it is about 300-400 sweeter than sugar and is widely available at all health food stores and some supermarkets. For more information on the Top 10 Food Additives that you should avoid, click here.
Coconut Water – The Facts on the Fad
I have been drinking coconut water for over 2 years and love how I feel! When filming Eat Yourself Sexy, I swore that coconut water kept my skin hydrated on set and my energy levels high. Coconut water is the perfect base for all my smoothies and even just plain as a hydrater. Here are the facts on the coconut craze:
The Facts: Coconut water contains more potassium (at about 294 mg) than most sports drinks (117 mg) and most energy drinks.• Coconut water has less sodium (25mg) where sports drinks have around 41mg and energy drinks have about 200 mg.• Coconut water has 5mg of Natural Sugars where sports and energy drinks range from 10-25mg of Altered Sugars.• Coconut water is very high in Chloride at 118mg, compared to sports drinks at about 39mg. Data is based on a 100ml drink
Coconut water is the liquid that is taken from unripe coconuts. If coconuts get ripe the liquid that is inside will harden and become a part of the white flesh of the coconut
Coconut Water Hydrates the Body: Coconut water is an isotonic solution which replaces the fluids and minerals that the body loses during physical activities. For this reason, many athletes and persons who work out regularly are encouraged to drink coconut water to replace all the minerals and fluid that they lose while working out. Even the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) attest to the benefits of drinking coconut water when it fought for a patent in 2000 to market coconut water as the next big sports drinks.
Coconut Water Relieves Urinary Problems: If you consume coconut water on a regular basis it can reduce urinary problems. People who suffer from strangury, polyutra and other […]
Let Me Spill the Beans on Fresh vs Frozen Vegetables
Until I was asked the question, I always assumed that fresh is best. After researching for this article I am still convinced of that, but I now look upon frozen vegetables in a whole new way. Lets look at the pros and cons of both fresh and frozen vegetables and see what comes to light.
Fresh vegetables do taste better and have a nicer texture but they tend to lose water soluble vitamins such as vitamin C and B as they get older. According to Tara Diversi, a lecturer in the Human Nutrition Unit of the University of Sydney, spinach kept at room temperature (20°C) for two days loses half of its vitamin C.
Frozen vegetables are usually snap frozen immediately after they are picked with machinery getting the produce to -18°C in minutes. This ensures that their nutrients are kept stable until you cook them. Frozen veggies are uber convenient but tend to go soggy when you cook them.
A question also arises about how to cook vegetables to retain their nutritional value. How you cook your vegies may be more important than whether they are fresh or frozen. Boiling vegies in a large amount of water for a long time leaches the vitamins out of the veg and into the water. To limit nutrient loss use as little water as possible and steam them. The leftover water can then be used for making a stock so you don’t miss out on any vital nutrients. Microwaving certainly does destroy water soluble nutrients so be aware that you are losing nutrition when you go for convenience.
A word of warning, check your packet of frozen veg for added salt or sugar as you may be a little surprised […]
Heavy Metal Detox Pesto Recipe
I love this recipe that came from Dr Junger & the clever people from Hungry for Change, which is my fav video right now. I am off to the organic markets tomorrow morning to gather my ingredients!
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup Brazil nuts (selenium source) or macadamia nuts
1/3 cup sunflower seeds (cysteine source)
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (zinc, magnesium sources)
1 cup fresh coriander
1 cup parsley
2/3 cup cold pressed olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice (Vitamin C source)
Big pinch of sea salt and or dulse flakes to flavour
Soak the seeds and nuts over night to release the enzyme exhibitors. Process the parsley, coriander and olive oil in a blender until chopped. Add the garlic, nuts, and seeds, salt, dulse and lemon juice and mix until the mixture is finely blended into a paste. Store in dark glass jars if possible. It freezes well too!
What is Spirulina?
I use spirulina daily and if you look through my recipes you will see that it features in many of them, so what exactly is spirulina? Well it’s a blue-green algae (don’t be turned off) and it’s been used by the Aztecs since the 16th century. This Superfood is found in fresh water lakes in hot climates and has thousands of varieties. Spirulina is picked and made into a thick paste before it is dried and turned into capsules, tablets or powder.
The reason why it is so good is because it is jam packed full of many nutrients and amino acids like:
Protein – Spirulina is packed full of protein (about 70%)
Vitamin A – This is in the form of beta-carotene and essential for the health of red blood cells, retina health and your immune system.
Vitamin B12 – Essential for the brain and nervous system as well as blood formation.
Vitamin E – Important in fighting free radical damage therefore preventing diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Iron – Super important nutrient for the health of red blood cells.
The best way to use Spirulina is by adding it to your smoothie….you can’t taste it and you are still getting all the health benefits!
Nutritional Punch of Hemp Kernels
I have been eating hemp kernels for a while now and love their nutritional bang. I add them to smoothies, make milk by soaking them, blending and straining and also put on my fruit for a protein hit. Hemp seed oil is also a wonderful addition to a salad dressing or add a drizzle over cooked vegetables. Although a little challenging to find, hempseeds and oil are well worth the effort. High in protein and anti-inflammatory fats as well as vitamin E, these little darlings are the answer to radiant skin.
Hemp kernels are produced by removing the outer shell of the hemp seed, with no other processing or additives. The kernels are raw and free of chemicals and artificial additives.
Hemp seed contains both Omega 3 and Omega 6 in an ideal ratio of 1:3 along with uniquely high levels of vitamin E, which protects and preserves the delicate oil from oxidation. Further, unlike marine Omega 3, hemp seed is free from dioxins, PCB and other contaminants, making it an ideal choice for pregnant women and children.
Many modern diseases are caused by nutritional deficiencies due to the industrialisation of our food supply. To gain greater shelf life for their products, manufacturers chemically alter and adulterate foods.
Why eat hemp kernels?
Hemp kernels contain a complete range of amino acids and are suitable for those who choose vegetarian or vegan diets. Because they are low in carbohydrate, they are also suitable for diabetics.
Hemp kernels can be eaten straight from the packet, sprinkled over cereals of fruit salad, or added to a variety of sweet or savoury food. It is generally not recommended that kernels be cooked, although they can be added to baked goods, biscuits or breads, to […]
