Recipe for Tab’s Brown Rice Salad
26/09/08 02:44
A delicious recipe that makes 4-6 lunch or dinner meals
Boil 3 cups of brown rice. While the rice is cooking, heat a large fry pan or wok with1-2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Add to the fry pan:
3 cloves garlic chopped finely
1 bunch shallots chopped finely
2 red capsicums chopped finely
Optional one chile without seeds, chopped finely
(ALL INGREDIENTS ARE CHOPPED TO APPROX SIZE OF A FINGERNAIL)
Once these ingredients have softened, add:
1-2 bunches chopped asparagus
1-2 bunches chopped broccolini
any other chopped green Chinese veggies
1-2 finely chopped carrots
1 cup of frozen peas or corn or both
(for extra taste, add 1 tsp sesame oil and 1-2 tbsp tamari to fry pan)
Add one bunch of finely chopped coriander towards the end
Cook all ingredients until medium soft.
Once the brown rice is cooked, rinse well and put in a large bowl.
Add the stir-fried veggies to the same bowl and stir rice in with veggies well.
Add 1 tbsp of sesame seeds
Add 2 x 185g cans Sirena Tuna in oil or Paramount red Salmon or Mackerel (drain oil)
Optional, add one can red or brown lentils (drained and rinsed) for extra fibre and protein.
Mix all ingredients and eat hot or cold. Enjoy!
Note: This keeps well in the fridge in Tuppaware (transfer to tuppaware only once the food is room temperature – never when hot), and is a great lunch to take to school or work.
Note: Don’t feel limited to the ingredients above - add whatever veggies you enjoy - the more colour, the better.
Boil 3 cups of brown rice. While the rice is cooking, heat a large fry pan or wok with1-2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Add to the fry pan:
3 cloves garlic chopped finely
1 bunch shallots chopped finely
2 red capsicums chopped finely
Optional one chile without seeds, chopped finely
(ALL INGREDIENTS ARE CHOPPED TO APPROX SIZE OF A FINGERNAIL)
Once these ingredients have softened, add:
1-2 bunches chopped asparagus
1-2 bunches chopped broccolini
any other chopped green Chinese veggies
1-2 finely chopped carrots
1 cup of frozen peas or corn or both
(for extra taste, add 1 tsp sesame oil and 1-2 tbsp tamari to fry pan)
Add one bunch of finely chopped coriander towards the end
Cook all ingredients until medium soft.
Once the brown rice is cooked, rinse well and put in a large bowl.
Add the stir-fried veggies to the same bowl and stir rice in with veggies well.
Add 1 tbsp of sesame seeds
Add 2 x 185g cans Sirena Tuna in oil or Paramount red Salmon or Mackerel (drain oil)
Optional, add one can red or brown lentils (drained and rinsed) for extra fibre and protein.
Mix all ingredients and eat hot or cold. Enjoy!
Note: This keeps well in the fridge in Tuppaware (transfer to tuppaware only once the food is room temperature – never when hot), and is a great lunch to take to school or work.
Note: Don’t feel limited to the ingredients above - add whatever veggies you enjoy - the more colour, the better.
The Importance of Nutrition
02/03/08 01:57
Every day you make choices about food, and these choices have a direct impact on the health of your body. Diet has a profound influence on your short and long term health, and can contribute to the onset, prevention and management of many chronic diseases. Nutrition is the study of how food nourishes the body. The nutrients on food become the building blocks of our cells, hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, organs and body systems. Nutrients are also necessary for the growth and repair of the body, and are absolutely fundamental to the maintenance of homeostasis or ‘healthy-harmony’.
A Naturopathic Nutritionist may define Health as:
Relatively few people are truly healthy: many exist in a substandard state, reflecting that it is our lifestyles, eating habits, excesses and stresses that bring us into a state of imbalance. Many factors have a negative impact on our access to nutrients within our foods, such as changes in farming methods, depleted soils, processing, food storage, micro waving, eating-on-the-run, poor digestion and assimilation, caffeine/alcohol/nicotine intake, and the list continues!
state of balance, supporting you to achieve and maintain optimum health.
A Naturopathic Nutritionist may define Health as:
“A fully integrated state in which all bodily, mental and spiritual functions are operating in an optimum manner and are harmoniously co-ordinated.; the natural defence systems are operating completely; the nutrient intake is complete and balanced; the mind is free from tensions, repressions, conflicts; the spirit is active, awake and co-ordinates the body-mind within the mighty laws of nature.”
Relatively few people are truly healthy: many exist in a substandard state, reflecting that it is our lifestyles, eating habits, excesses and stresses that bring us into a state of imbalance. Many factors have a negative impact on our access to nutrients within our foods, such as changes in farming methods, depleted soils, processing, food storage, micro waving, eating-on-the-run, poor digestion and assimilation, caffeine/alcohol/nicotine intake, and the list continues!
state of balance, supporting you to achieve and maintain optimum health.
Food for Thought
02/02/08 01:54
Food is one of life’s greatest sources of pleasure, and eating the right kind of foods and preparing them in the healthiest possible way is essential to wellbeing. It is all too easy to resort to heavily processed, nutrient poor, calorie dense ‘convenience’ foods within our hectic lifestyles. These foods are often loaded with unhealthy fats, added sugars and salt, and an array of other unwanted substances.
As health professionals become more aware of scientifically proven links between diet and disease, it is becoming increasingly imperative that we consider the quality of the foods we are ingesting: if you have a well-nourished body, you will not only cope better with all aspects of daily life, but will improve your resistance to disease and automatically reduce your stress levels.
Improving the quality of fuels we put into our system is all about getting back to basics and eating food as close to how nature intended, ie. The less wrapping, the better! It’s about eating fresh, minimally processed foods with an abundance of colourful fruit and veggies, whole grains, legumes, and small servings of raw nuts and seeds, small deep-sea fish and lean, organic red meat, with a focus on variety for maximal nutrient and phytochemical intake.
Nutrient content aside, please consider the vitality in the foods we ingest, and how this life force may be passed onto us when we choose live foods such as fresh and raw fruit and veggies, sprouts and fresh culinary herbs! Including a weekly organic F&V shop or delivery has the triple advantage of minimizing pesticide exposure, improving mineral content of foods from richer soils, and supporting earth-aware, sustainable farming methods. In addition to this, most people can taste the richer flavours, and organic foods offer increased vitality and energy to us.
Simpler cooking methods such as lightly steaming or a quick stir-fry are optimal cooing methods, so as not to overcook or destroy water soluble vitamins, enzymes & phytochemicals in the foods. Including good quality fats (omega 3 & omega 6’s) and minimizing saturated fats and trans-fatty-acids from animal products and pastries/cakes/biscuits is also a key factor in improving the quality of our food intakes.
The perfect balance in diet is unique for each person. To find balance, it is important to know ones own individual needs, the properties of foods, the best preparation methods, and to choose a broad range of high quality foods. When a good attitude and ample exercise are combined, one finds no limit to total health: healthy body, healthy mind and healthy spirit.
It is recommended that roughly 30% of our total energy intake comes from fat: which on average translates to 55-85g/day. More importantly than amount of fat, however, is the type of fat we ingest. Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids (polyunsaturated fats) are known as Essential Fatty Acids because they are essential to the health of every cell in our body.
Omega 3’s are found in oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon and trout; in flaxseed oil and meal, & in walnuts. Omega 6’s are found in nuts and seeds and their oils. Monounsaturated Fatty acids such as in olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds are always best raw, and extra-virgin olive oil is great for cooking due to it’s stability.
Other types of fats such as Saturated fats from animal sources should be minimized, including fats from red meat, poultry, full cream milk & yoghurt, cheese, butter, cream etc. Trans Fatty Acids should be avoided where possible, ie from cakes, pastries, biscuits, croissants.
As health professionals become more aware of scientifically proven links between diet and disease, it is becoming increasingly imperative that we consider the quality of the foods we are ingesting: if you have a well-nourished body, you will not only cope better with all aspects of daily life, but will improve your resistance to disease and automatically reduce your stress levels.
Improving the quality of fuels we put into our system is all about getting back to basics and eating food as close to how nature intended, ie. The less wrapping, the better! It’s about eating fresh, minimally processed foods with an abundance of colourful fruit and veggies, whole grains, legumes, and small servings of raw nuts and seeds, small deep-sea fish and lean, organic red meat, with a focus on variety for maximal nutrient and phytochemical intake.
Nutrient content aside, please consider the vitality in the foods we ingest, and how this life force may be passed onto us when we choose live foods such as fresh and raw fruit and veggies, sprouts and fresh culinary herbs! Including a weekly organic F&V shop or delivery has the triple advantage of minimizing pesticide exposure, improving mineral content of foods from richer soils, and supporting earth-aware, sustainable farming methods. In addition to this, most people can taste the richer flavours, and organic foods offer increased vitality and energy to us.
Simpler cooking methods such as lightly steaming or a quick stir-fry are optimal cooing methods, so as not to overcook or destroy water soluble vitamins, enzymes & phytochemicals in the foods. Including good quality fats (omega 3 & omega 6’s) and minimizing saturated fats and trans-fatty-acids from animal products and pastries/cakes/biscuits is also a key factor in improving the quality of our food intakes.
The perfect balance in diet is unique for each person. To find balance, it is important to know ones own individual needs, the properties of foods, the best preparation methods, and to choose a broad range of high quality foods. When a good attitude and ample exercise are combined, one finds no limit to total health: healthy body, healthy mind and healthy spirit.
It is recommended that roughly 30% of our total energy intake comes from fat: which on average translates to 55-85g/day. More importantly than amount of fat, however, is the type of fat we ingest. Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids (polyunsaturated fats) are known as Essential Fatty Acids because they are essential to the health of every cell in our body.
Omega 3’s are found in oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon and trout; in flaxseed oil and meal, & in walnuts. Omega 6’s are found in nuts and seeds and their oils. Monounsaturated Fatty acids such as in olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds are always best raw, and extra-virgin olive oil is great for cooking due to it’s stability.
Other types of fats such as Saturated fats from animal sources should be minimized, including fats from red meat, poultry, full cream milk & yoghurt, cheese, butter, cream etc. Trans Fatty Acids should be avoided where possible, ie from cakes, pastries, biscuits, croissants.
