Are you on a diet?

Consuming without conscious understanding for where your food came from, how it was made or what it consists of, is a sure sign your on the ‘Detached Diet’.

In this month’s mission we explore human relationships with food and how this influences our health and the future of earths resources.

Objective: To replace a Detached Diet with a Discovery one that encourages a deeper appreciation and understanding for the foods you eat.

3 Step Consumption Connection

Tracing the roots of a recipe- Before you can bite into a burger the ingredients must first be sourced. Getting to know how things grow may surprise and shock you.

Experience is the best teacher so consider a trip to the farm where age old traditions are still practiced and you can taste produce before it is processed. Farm folk are a friendly lot willing to share both passion and wisdom for managing the land and enjoying the best nature has to offer.

If you have friends or family who own a farm ask if you can stop by and help out for the day. Alternatively, many commercial and community farms encourage visitors as part of an integrative approach to inform consumers about farming practices, produce quality and heritage.

Some visitor farms offer guided tours which explain the intricacies of farming with cattle or sheep. You might have an opportunity to witness a demonstration of a sheepdog working, or sheep shearing and children may get to pet a pony, or to cuddle a rabbit.

Some farms specialise in cheese-making or organic horticulture; others are deer farms, or farms with rare breeds of pigs or poultry. Most have a children’s play area or a coffee shop.

Many of the farm tools and household implements on display in some of these farms are gathered in from the community, and celebrate a way of life still linked to today’s countryside through family memory and tradition. It’s a wonderful way to re-connect with our resources!

A Cooks Connection- Once you understand the effort involved in growing good flavoursome food it’s time to use your newly found appreciation for produce to plate up a ‘real deal’ meal. Microwave meals that are ready in minutes maybe convenient but lack a quality ingredient – a cooks connection!

Serving a supper made from scratch that simmered for hours developing depth of character has more flavour, colour and aroma than boxed buys. But most importantly provides the cook with a sense of satisfaction, appreciation and understanding of where, how and what went into each moorish mouthful.

Share your Discovery- Complete the connection by sharing the Discovery Diet with others. The most powerful way to make an impact on preservation is to inspire people with your passion.

Take them on a journey of discovery through your eyes, spread the word about sustainable practices and connecting through cooking so people understand how a knowledge of both can help restore good health and replenish earth resources.

Topical skin care products help your skin look radiant and healthy, but your skin still needs to glow “within” and that means eating the right skin loving foods.

Selenium: This is a mineral that is useful by your body to create a protein with antioxidant properties. The best source for this skin loving mineral is Brazil Nuts. Other nuts will do but Brazil Nuts are found to be the best source of selenium. Whole wheat, turkey and fish are helpful sources too.

Antioxidants: Yes, I know, we hear so much about antioxidants. But you need antioxidants to protect your skin from pollution and UVA radiation. Include these foods in your diet that are chock full of antioxidants perfect to help your skin battle free radicals. Citrus fruits, cacao, blueberries (organic -non organic are loaded with pesticides), prunes, leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach. And, drink your white and green tea.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Those of you who worked with me on skin care regimens know that I’m big on Omega-3 Fatty Acids. By helping to maintain healthy cell membranes they battle pre-mature aging by keeping your cells hydrated and free of toxins. Some best food sources are wild salmon (just watch the bones), chia & flax seed, walnuts and sardines.

Liquids: Although almost all fitness lovers realize they need plenty of hydration, I’m often surprised at many who don’t consume enough fluid. Thirsty? If so, it means your skin is also. “Juicy” fruits and vegetables are great for hydration and pack vitamins for healthy skin. Include strawberries, watermelons, apples and cantaloupe in your diet. And, of course, drink plenty of filtered or spring water.

Next time you indulge in these foods remember you are not only doing your body good, but your skin will show it too!

Should you have any questions, please contact me at: salcide@fbscc.com

‘Stress Busting’ is ‘Big Business’ earning pharmaceutical companies and therapists considerable coin every year but a quiet revolution of recipe touting tension tamers are encouraging people to consider food as an alternative fix!

For centuries culinary remedy has been embraced by cultures around the world more often to treat digestive ailments or boost general wellbeing. In recent times studies examining the effect food has on our feelings indicate nutritions broader benefit on both mind and body.

Using natures resources to recipe a remedy for managing our moods can be both therapeutic in practice and according to many nutritionalists a culinary way to combat stress.

To follow is a recipe incorporating methods of tension relief and mood enhancing ingredients…

Positive Pizza

Kneading dough offers an outlet for pent up frustration, strangle that stress as you squeeze, pummel and roll your way to relief!

Maca is a nutritious vegetable cultivated on ancient terraces in the Junin plateau of Peru’s central highlands at around 14,000 feet above sea level. Also known as an Adaptogen, Maca is a food that boosts the body’s ability to deal with stress and disease.

Broccoli is chock-full of stress-relieving B vitamins and has the added benefit of containing folic acid, which is also part of the B vitamin family. Folic acid helps relieve stress, anxiety, panic, and even depression.

Coconut Oil is a healthy source of cholesterol needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain. Low cholesterol levels are linked to aggressive and violent behaviour, depression and suicidal tendencies. Cholesterol is also a primary ingredient for our ‘repair & recovery’ hormones that allow us to recover after a day of hard work and other hormones that maintain steady blood sugar levels (energy levels), proper mineral balance and blood pressure. Coconut oil also supports healthy thyroid function.

Base Ingredients:

250ml water
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tbsp maca powder (for fair trade organic maca visit Loving Earth)
2 cups steamed broccoli
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp coconut oil (for fair trade organic coconut oil visit Niulife)

Method:

Stage One- Place the water and ground flax into a bowl and let stand for approximately 1minute, it should absorb the water and turn into a gel. Next add the broccoli and herbs then puree using a hand held or Vitamix blender. Once you have a lump free batter gradually incorporate the maca powder until you form a dough.

Stage Two- As this pizza uses no yeast the cooking method requires a different approach. Heat a lightly oiled fry pan and add the dough, cooking for approximately 1-2 minutes or until golden before flipping and repeating on the other side.

Stage Three- Add toppings and place pizza under a grill or into a pre-heated oven (450° F) for 1-2 minutes or until toppings are evenly cooked (ie. cheese has melted).

Topping Options:

Wakame (dried seaweed) has anxiety-fighting properties. It is packed with stress-relieving magnesium, as well as pantothenic acid and vitamin B2 (riboflavin).

Cottage Cheese is a good source of vitamins B2 and B12.

Wild Game Meats are mineral rich and supply fat-soluble vitamins A and D which are catalysts for the assimilation of protein (aminos) and minerals. Vitamin D, whose only food source is animal fat, can fight fatigue, depression and SAD (seasonal affective disorder).

‘Veg Alternative’ Beans lentils contain the B-vitamin, Folate as do chickpeas and black-eyed peas.

Bell Peppers have very high content of vitamin A, C and E (all anti-oxidants) that help to effectively neutralise free radicals. They also contain the whole range of vitamin B (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B9) and the minerals potassium, manganese, thiamine, molybdenum, tryptophan, copper, cobalt and zinc.

Arugula, a peppery, nutty-tasting herb, and good source of folate.

Basil calms your nerves by helping your body resist stress and increasing physical endurance.

Tomato which is rich in the anti-oxidant lycopene.

Say, ‘Bon Appetite’ as you Bust them Blues!

Why some of us are designed to drink milk and others aren’t ‘The answer lies in evolution and genetic changes and not in ideology,’ says Glenn Cardwell.

What is lactose intolerance? Our major source of lactose is milk (cow, goat, sheep, domesticated buffalo, camel and human) or yogurt. It is not found in hard cheese or butter.

When we are born, we have a digestive enzyme called lactase to break down lactose in breast milk to its constituent sugars, glucose and galactose, which are then absorbed into the blood.

By the age of five, many people no longer produce their lactase enzyme and can’t digest lactose any more. For them, large amounts of lactose can cause intestinal cramping because gut bacteria convert the lactose to gas and lactic acid. Not comfortable. They are now lactose intolerant.

Why some of us can continue drinking milk after early childhood Scientists have been able to check DNA from around the world and by marrying their findings to human history (who lived where, when), have given us a better understanding why some of us can enjoy milk and yogurt and ice-cream right throughout our lives and others can’t.

Around 10,000 years ago, when humans started to keep cattle as a beasts of burden and a source of meat, the ability to handle lactose in adulthood was absent. However, at some point over the next thousand years or so, a mutation occurred which allowed some people to be able to drink milk well past their fifth birthday and on into adulthood.

Researchers who have studied the DNA from skeleton remains in central Europe, report that about 80% of people in this area had the mutation for tolerating lactose about 7000 years ago. This is a rapid spread of a mutation, strongly suggesting that it offered a survival advantage to milk drinkers, according to a new book (and a really terrific read), The 10,000 Year Explosion – How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution (Gregory Cochran & Henry Harpending).

Over time, the mutation became more dominant in parts of Europe through to northern India. It is thought the mutation occurred independently in parts of Arabia when the camel became domesticated and camel milk became part of the local diet.

In fact, being able to tolerate lactose in the diet, allowed the expansion of Indo-Europeans, tracked by both the spread of lactose tolerance and the Indo-European languages (e.g. Spanish, English, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, German, French). Put another way, if your native language was Indo-European in origin, then there was a good chance you could handle lactose over the last 7000 years or so.

It also explains why eastern and southern Asia, Japan, parts of Africa and the indigenous folk of Australia have both a very different language background and the inability to handle lactose after being weaned.’

Glenn’s complete article is HERE!

Reclaim your Energy and Enthusiasm with a Re-boost to your System!

Several months into a New Year when stress mounts and motivation wanes, routine can creep in and rob you of the inspiration to reinvent yourself. But rather than resign your fate to a subpar state, why not try re-boosting your system?

Repetition and poor nutrition can wear down your energy reserve, leaving you physically and mentally exhausted. To fight this fatigue and loss of enthusiasm the mission this month involves an integrative approach of simple supplementation and mental stimulation to replenishing your reserve.

Mission: Re-boost your System with Supplementation and Brain Breaks!

Objective: Enhance immune and digestive function whilst engaging the mind in activities which invigorate and inspire you.

How to Re-boost your System

Not unlike a computer which processes and filters copious amounts of data everyday, our body must defend against unseen bugs and bacteria. Without adequate security to act as a firewall against hackers, bugs and viruses your hard drive maybe compromised and the same can be said when the immune system is not operating optimally we become susceptible to illness.

Step one is to de-bug your system: Vitaklenz is a blend of 12 active herbal ingredients traditionally used in Asia, Europe, America & India to help the body eliminate unhealthy organisms, and to support a healthy digestive system.

The formula for this herbal treatment was carefully designed by Dr Bernard Barber, one of the world’s foremost parasite experts in consultation with leading health supplement provider Genesis to maximize the anti-parasitic and anti-yeast properties of each of the herbal ingredients. An extra layer of help has also been included to assist the body to rid toxins that build up from the parasite die-off.

This places Vitaklenz in a unique position – the powerful double action of hitting both parasites and candida yeast hard, but with liver stimulants present to help cope with any unpleasant side-effects of the cleanse.

Step two install supportive software: Once you’ve eliminated any parasites placing extra stress on your system, it’s time to install ‘supportive software’ which will provide security against future invasions. This equates to supplementation which nourishes healthy bacteria and strengthens your natural defence system.

Vitaklenz Recharge is a powerful probiotic naturally cultured through a traditional process. Containing 19 fermented superfoods and 15 beneficial strains of bacteria. Easily assimilated your body will immediately start to metabolize the nutrients in Vitaklenz Recharge.

No bacterial agents are introduced during manufacture – all beneficial bacteria are cultivated within the powder through natural fermentation – just as nature intended!

As a concentrated food powder, you can take it in a variety of ways- sprinkled over cereal, mixed into water or juice, baked into home-made bread or added to your favorite fruit smoothie drink, Vitaklenz Recharge is easy to take.

Just one teaspoon per day is all you need to nourish your system with millions of viable, living beneficial bacteria. Of course you can take more if you like, with many regular users finding success with 3 or 4 times that amount. Vitaklenz Recharge may be taken on an ongoing basis to supplement your nutritional intake, boost your body’s defences against infection and balance your digestive system.

Step three re-boost your system: With new software installed it’s time to relaunch your computer and enjoy the benefits of a ‘bug-free’ system which include improved efficiency and faster processing time. Our body responds to the benefits of supportive nutrition in the same way finally able to utilise energy otherwise depreciated by poor health and digestive function.

Now, revitalised by good health the best way to maintain your motivation is with brain breaks especially from mentally challenging or repetitive tasks. Setting aside as little as a few minutes everyday dedicated to activities which stimulate your senses and encourage creativity will balance stress and boost inspiration!

The Ten Minute Holiday: Try making a list of express escapes such as- sitting down to hot chocolate and a good book, playing frisbee with a friend, going for a walk in the park, getting a massage or picking-up a paint brush.