No buy the junk, not eat the junk!

15^th April 2012

Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes but they don’t quit.  Conrad Hilton

Went to bed early last night with a cluster headache, not pleasant at all, but thankfully I’ve woken up fresh as a daisy, I also lay in bed this morning just enjoying the silence and looking at the sky, beautiful morning out there, will be going to enjoy it with Alfie shortly. 

Well my weekend is on course as planned, yesterday I looked through books etc found some recipes I fancy cooking and I went and did a big shop, all good nutritious food, even moms onboard she asked me only to get her yogurts and some wotsits, so she realises all the junk is not making her feel great.  I might look into making her some healthy puddings. I’ll mostly be cooking today and filling my freezer full of scrumptious, nutritious dishes. 

Healthy eating for me is not about strict nutrition philosophies, getting unrealistically thin, or depriving myself of the foods I love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping myself as healthy as possible– all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you.  I won’t be thinking at every meal time, “does this meal contain all the vitamins I need and is it nutritionally balanced”, I don’t need to because all the foods I’ve bought are healthy so however I put them together over the week means I’m eating a balanced diet. I haven’t bought any junk so I can’t eat any junk!

The rest of this blog is about food, it’s nutrition and also a couple of recipes;

FOOD FACT OF THE DAY

Broccoli is just amazing!  Not only is it one of my favourite veggies, but it is an excellent support of folic acid (people with depression are more likely to have a folate deficiency and also it’s good for ladies who want to get pregnant) If you need a natural lift – quickly (and without the aid of chocolate!) then apparently it is important to eat the broccoli raw, lightly steamed or stir fried, as thi is the best way to retain its nutrient value.  It also contains more vitamin C than an orange, which boosts the immune system and helps those with chronic fatigue.  It’s one of the richest sources of vitamin A, which benefits growth, development, reproduction, skin and vision, and will give us an added boost that we so need when we feel out of sorts.  It also has as much calcium as a glass of milk, which can help relieve mood swings.  Plus other stuff like a high amount of flavonoids, polyphenols, and sulphur compound – all of which are good for you of course. 

Guess who’s been reading books ;-)

Tomatoes are also fantastic foods, but I’m not gonna go into the hows and whys, just trust me and apparently the canned ones are even better!  Here’s a scrumptious recipes I found to make sure you enjoy them. 

ROAST TOMATO RISOTTO
A stunning risotto which is worth the wait while the tomatoes roast and turn themselves into a powerful mood meal.

(Serves 4 – 16pp each) Seems high but I’m guessing there really big portions so maybe split 6 ways for 11pp each.

500g/1lb tomatoes
6tbsp/90ml olive oil (23pp)
1 small butternut squash
1 onion, finely chopped
320g/120oz good risotto rice (29pp)
300ml/10fl oz stock
300ml/10fl oz white wine (7pp)
Bunch of chopped parsley
Pinch of dried sage
3 crushed garlic cloves
50g/2oz Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (6pp) (this cheese is similar to parmesan but made from sheeps milk)

Method: Place the tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle them with half the olive oil. Place them into a pre-heated oven, 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Roast for 30 minutes until the tomatoes are well cooked, soft and squishy. Peel the squash and chop the flesh into small pieces. Place the other half of the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan and gently fry the squash and chopped onion until they are soft. Add the tomatoes and mix, then stir in the rice and garlic and turn the whole mixture for 2 minutes. Add enough stock to just cover the rice. As the rice absorbs the stock, about 5 minutes, add some more stock to cover the rice and then continue with the white wine until the entire liquid is absorbed. Now, add the herbs, garlic and
cheese and mix on a low heat for 2 minutes. Serve
immediately - this dish needs no accompaniment!

And here is another recipe from the same book that I plan to make today;

A POT OF LOVE (32pp total)
Try this delicious one-pot meal with lentils, a rich source of iron to boost your energy and love you up.

1 tbsp olive oil (4pp)
2 onions, chopped
3 crushed cloves garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp cinnamon
4 sliced carrots
100g dried lentils (8pp)
200g  brown rice (20pp)
500ml  stock
1 diced apple (unpeeled)
4 sliced spring onions

In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat; cook onions, garlic, cumin, curry powder and cinnamon, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in carrots, lentils and rice; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Pour in stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice and lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the apple and spring onions, then cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until the spring onions are heated through. Serve with a dollop of live yoghurt.