My Mum’s Muesli
In large microwavable bowl put:
2Tbsp honey (manuka for a stronger flavour)
1/4c oil (not olive) rice bran, grape seed, canola
1/4c brown sugar
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp vanilla
Microwave 30secs till honey melted
Add and mix:
6c rolled oats (or rolled barley, rolled rye)
1/2c of whatever you fancy making 4c in total – sliced almonds, sesame seeds, linseeds crushed and whole, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, bran, chopped cashews, coconut, walnuts, pine nuts etc
Microwave 6 times of 2 minutes stirring between each 2 minutes.
Add some dried fruit (cranberries, apple, raisins, gogi berries etc) at last microwave.
This can also be done in the oven under the grill. Just make sure you stir often to prevent it burning.
Cool and store in airtight container
Vitamin D – to tan or not to tan?
We have listened and we have slapped on large quantities of sunscreen to protect ourselves from our hot New Zealand sun. But the information has again become cloudy and less defined. Now we are being told that we should actually be getting some sun on our skin – to prevent the risk of becoming Vitamin D deficient. We have listened so well that studies done in New Zealand have suggested up to 48% of us may have deficiencies. So what is the message about sun protection now? Do we tan or do we not tan?
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a hormone that is required for everyday health assisting in calcium and phosphate absorption. It has a role in healthy bones (preventing rickets and osteoporosis), joint, muscles and nerve function. There is evidence to suggest it may reduce the risk of cancers (including melanoma, ironic perhaps), heart disease and benefit our immune system. Those of us who struggle through winter will know that Vitamin D is important in preventing seasonal depression and sleep disorders.
Vitamin D is produced by the ultraviolet light (UVB) and our cholesterol in our skin. It is also found in small qualities in food sources such as oily fish, eggs and meat. Fortified foods are becoming more common.
In winter we become more at risk of Vitamin D deficiency, particularly those in the South, older people, those with darker skin and those not willing to go outside. We are able to store Vitamin D for 30-60 days to help us get through winter. However, we must have sufficient stores at the end of summer to help us with this.
How much we need is debated. It is suggested that we could require between 50 nmol/L to 80 nmol/L. Also just how much exposure we need to the sun is not clear, nor well studied. The experts at this stage are unable to provide definitive guidelines, putting it down to the variation in our skin colours, seasonal UV rating and even our location in the country. They are suggesting that more research is required.
Current recommendations
- Avoid sunburn
- It is preferable to expose larger areas of skin for shorter periods of time. Do this without sunscreen on either side of the peak burn time, i.e. mornings and late afternoons. Do not burn; therefore the exposure time should only be a few minutes.
- We may need to consider using supplements or fortified foods. Look for foods listing Vitamin D on the packaging. Dairy foods are often fortified due to their calcium content. Particularly those at risk should be considering food sources of Vitamin D. These are the people with darker skinned, those that cover their skin with clothing for religious or ethnic reasons, elderly, house bound people, the obese and during winter.
So the message is lacking in precise detail. Vitamin D will be an area of hot debate for some time, until some true clear guidelines can be achieved. But still remember the most important thing is to avoid sunburn.
Honey and Ginger Salmon
Serves 1-2. Prep 15min. Cooking 15min
Marinade ingredients
1 large Tbsp melted honey
2 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce or reduced salt soy sauce
Juice of half an orange
1 heaped tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1-2 pieces of fresh salmon steak – with the bones removed
Method
Place 1-2 pieces of fresh salmon in a bowl or bag with the marinade and leave for 15-30 minutes. Gently turn the bag or spoon the marinade over the salmon occasionally.
Remove the salmon from the marinade and place skin side down, on a non stick oven tray, cover with tin foil and grill for approx 10 minutes. Remove the tin foil and grill for a further 5 minutes to allow to brown slightly. (Cook 10-15min per 2.5cm thickness of salmon)
Place the remaining marinade in a pot and simmer gently for about 5 minutes until it just thickens slightly.
Serve on a bed of brown rice with steamed green veges. Pour the marinade over the salmon and rice.
Does spring time mean detox time?
Spring seems to bring out the urge to detox. The detox diets have been around for years, continually reinventing themselves. The lemon detox diet recently used by Beyonce resparked the interest in detox diets. They promote themselves as a means of getting rid of impurities and achieving fast weight loss. Sounds like the perfect answer, but are they?
Getting rid of toxins and impurities.
Our own body is the perfect tool for removing unwanted toxins. Our liver removes drugs and alcohol, kidneys excrete waste as urine, our intestines breakdown and excrete waste, lungs filter and remove particles and gas waste, our immune system is designed to destroy toxins and pathogens, and our skin perspires, excreting toxins. We are quite simply, brilliant at removing waste and unwanted toxins. If you think for some reason that your body is not performing these tasks correctly then see your doctor, avoid self diagnosis and treatment with a box bought over the counter. There is no scientific evidence to support that detox diets work.
Weight loss
The detox diets promote weight loss. And yes this does happen. It occurs due to extreme limitation in calorie intake. Some detox diets prevent you from eating solid foods; others severely limit the types of foods you can consume. All limit the calories you take in. When you do not supply your body with sufficient calories and carbohydrates, the body gets the required energy by breaking down the protein stores in our muscles. This energy form is stored with water, so the rapid weight loss occurs due to break down of precious protein and fluid loss. It is not targeting the fat stores that we are wishing to lose.
This rapid weight loss also has the negative effect of teaching our body that there could be future starvation periods. It slows the metabolism, creates rebound weight gain and makes any future weight loss attempts significantly harder. Further the huge fluid loss upsets our fluid and electrolyte balance leading to headaches, dehydration, gastro upsets, exhaustion, bad breath, fatigue and irritability – enter stage left, the personality from hell!
Limiting the nutrients
By carefully following the instructions on the box you are severely limiting the nutrients that you are eating, you are starving your body of essential nutrients.
So is there any good in a detox diet?
Rather than buying the detox in a box – create your own. A detox is a good way to get you thinking about healthy eating. But make it the start of a new healthy eating regime, and one that you can maintain rather than just a quick 1-2 week process. Use it as a way to start introducing eating more fruits and veges (getting that 5+ a day), reducing your alcohol intake, eating more whole grains and unprocessed foods, cutting down on salts and added sugars and drinking more water. These are all the things you know, simple but effective. Unfortunately there is no magic bullet in weight loss and flushing toxins, so put the box down and start with making a few healthy choices instead.
Spinach and Smoked Salmon Crepes
Ingredients
Crepes
250g flour
4 eggs
250ml milk
250ml water
Pinch salt
2 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp sugar
1 large bag of spinach
Smoked salmon
Dressing
6 Tbsp plain unsweetened yoghurt
Juice of half a lemon
Zest of lemon
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
Method
Crepes
Rinse and cook the spinach in a large pot of water until it becomes soft and wilted. Rinse with cool water, drain and squeeze out excess water.
In a large mixing bowl put the flour, eggs, milk, water, salt, oil, and sugar. Blend well until very smooth.
Add the cooked spinach and blend again until the mix is smooth.
Over a medium heat use a non stick pan or a little oil in a griddle or pan. Ladle or pour approximately ½ cup of the mix into the pan. Swirl the pan in a circular motion until the base is covered evenly.
Cook for approximately 2 minutes until the base begins to become slightly browned. Loosen with a spatula and turn the crepe over to cook the other side.
Putting the crepes together
Lay the smoked salmon across ½ of the crepe. (For a less intense salmon flavour lay the salmon over just ¼ of the crepe prior to folding). Fold the crepe in half, and then fold again until it is in quarters.
Microwave for about 2 mins until warm. Serve immediately with the dressing.
Dressing
Mix together the yoghurt, lemon, lemon zest and dill. Set aside in the fridge until ready for use.
These can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an air tight container. Microwave until warm when you are ready to use them.
