Fat...it's not all bad.

We have grown so afraid of consuming fat in today's dieting world that we don't know how much or how often we should really consume it. Some people have become so fearful of it that they cut it out completely. We need fat, we just need to get it from the best sources for our body.

Why do we need fat?

Fat gives us energy, is helps us absorb nutrients, it lubricates our joints and protects our muscles. It regulates all the natural cycles of the body and best of all it releases endorphins. When you look at fat like this, you cannot afford to avoid it any longer. Fat free diets may result in loss of a menstrual cycle, early osteoperosis, reduced hair growth, low absorption of vitamins and fatigue. 

So, which fat do we want and where do we get it?

Look for the natural choices and you are usually off to a good start: nuts, seeds, avocado, eggs and oily fish. These good fats are a source of essential fatty acids, including omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids. The omega-3 fats have gained the most attention by researchers due to their anti-inflammatory action and positive effect on blood cholesterol levels. 

Oils: When cooking choose coconut oil or a little real butter as these are stable when heated. If using oil on salads choose cold pressed flax or olive oil. Go to your health food shop and browse your options. 

Which fats should we avoid?

We want to avoid crisps, cakes, pastries, too much cheese, pizza, ice cream, chocolate... 

These foods often contain trans fats and hydrogenated fats which have been treated to make them create certain textures or lengthen shelf life.  The body does not recognise these and uses them as if them as if they were a healthy fat - this may lead to a hardening of the cellular wall and affect healthy cellular activity.

Below I have a recipe for almond milk and date, flax and almond energy balls with the pulp that remains!  Start your journey back into fats with these healthy recipes.

Almond Milk

Use 1 part almonds to three parts water. Or less or more depending on how creamy you want it.

1 cup almonds
3 cups water
1 piece muslin/cheese cloth

Soak the almonds in water for about 8 hours. Place the almonds and room temperature water in a food processor. Blend until water becomes milky and all almonds are pulverised. Take a container and drain the almond milk through the muslin and squeeze until all the creamy-ness is in the milk. It is that easy. You can store this in the fridge for up to three days in a sealed container and use it in cereal, tea, shakes and smoothies. Banana, honey and almond milk is a lovely one, good energy, healthy fat and scrumptious.

Flax, Date and Almond Energy Balls

Almond Meal - 2 cup
Dates - 1 cup
Coconut Oil - a few tablespoons
Flax Seed - a few tablespoons

Ok, this is easy and you can play around with amounts depending on your preference. You can use the almond meal left over from the almond milk process or blend up some almonds seperately for a higher fat/energy boost (always soak them first).

Start by blending the dates up to make a paste, I use the smaller fitting that slots on the tabletop blender, you may have to experiment with your own tools. Remove the date pulp and put in a mixing bowl. Add the almond meal and mulch it all together with your hands. This is messy and I usually add the coconut oil while my hands are still covered in this gunk and get it all over the bottle. I add coconut oil so the balls solidify nicely in the fridge. I then add the flax seed and roll the dough-like mixture into balls.

Whack them in the fridge for a few hours and you can start to eat them in moderation. you need to leave them long enough that the flax has absorbed the coconut oil and is soft and digestible. Full of wonderful good fat and energy, perfect before the gym or before you leave the house in the morning. 

Josie

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How to fight the flu season...

The seasons are changing in most places around the globe in November, some transitions being more extreme than others.  Here in Samui the monsoons have hit hard this last month.  Although we are still in shorts and t-shirts here in Thailand, it is the equivalent of winter and everyone is falling ill with colds and flu. 

Whatever your climate, a change in the season hits us all with pressure changes in the air, the temperature shifting and perhaps a rain shower here and there.  This is a time where we have to pay attention to our diet more than ever, our bodies are so susceptible to illness and we are more likely to be huddled in dark places together, with the windows pulled tightly shut (a breeding ground for colds and flu).

So, how do we boost our immune systems in times of change?

We all think of orange juice immediately and load up on Vitamin C tablets, which is a great start.  However, there are loads of other brilliant ways of getting our immune systems impenetrable.  The best one is prevention of your immune system getting low in the first place. The best thing to do is start to get your body strong as you go along. If you were working too hard or partying too long as the winter approaches you are not in a good position to fight back.

Keep Strong As You Go Along - The Tips To Keep You Topped Up.

1. Here comes the green smoothie again, try and get one in every day of the year and your body will always be in a position of strength nutritionally.

2. Super foods.  Spirulina, goji berries...the list goes on. An immune BOOST INJECTION as you approach the cold.

3. Sleep.  We need healing sleep, under no circumstances miss out.  

4. Nourishing grains. Quinoa, brown rice, lentils.  Mix in with soups, dahl, stews and broths. Power food.

5. FRESH FRUIT and VEGGIES in all shapes and forms, some raw, some steamed. 

6. Supplements.  If you work too hard and your diet is lacking, then there is a place for supplementation.  

7. Laughter.  Keep it light, don't let winter blues get you down.  Feeling low is also the immune system's enemy.

8. Stay wrapped up.  I know this sounds obvious, but your Mum was right, keep that neck covered up.  This is maintenance for all seasons, hot then cold is never good, whatever the weather.  Air-con, central heating, it's all playing havoc with our bodies as we go in and out.

9. Balance.  We need an equal balance of work, play, rest, relaxation and spirituality in our lives.  If this is out of whack...good health is hard to achieve

10. Set boundaries at work.  Try to keep your work life balanced - over working is a recipe for a weakened immune system.

Josie

How to de-stress, lose weight AND work?

At an international detox centre I work with people who have hectic lifestyles and endless stresses - so I spend time thinking of ways to make a nourishing diet and lifestyle possible wherever you live. I advise people from all countries and climates with a wide variety of jobs and varying domestic arrangements and I can normally find something achievable for each of them as long as they are willing to put in a little effort.


It is unreasonable to try and change overnight. I think it is best to decide which area needs the most work and make one or two goals which are easy to implement; take baby steps. For example, if exercise is your weakness, decide to walk for half an hour a few evenings a week or go to the gym twice a week. Then, when you have achieved that goal, you can try to 'up that' to three sessions or add another form of exercise like yoga. If you do not manage your goal at first, ask yourself why?


1. Do not fall at the first hurdle, keep asking yourself questions about why, when, what and how it will work? Was it too much too soon? Was it too hard to get to the gym in time? Did you find it too hard to motivate yourself to do an exercise video - would a class with an instructor be better? Can you afford a personal trainer to get yourself going? Can you find a child minder to make time for yourself? Be your own lifecoach. Don't give up, ask yourself why and how? Try not to make excuses, instead attempt to find solutions.

2. If your diet is lacking, start by adding a green smoothie to your day, begin by adding good stuff rather than taking bad stuff out. Then once this is in place, add a salad once a day and take away something you know is bad for your health (e.g daily diet coke).


From my experience the best results come when you make a slow and steady change. It is so easy to lose motivation and slip back into old habits when you try to cut out EVERYTHING and try to do EVERYTHING. It is simply not achieveable and starts a cycle of 'I will start again tomorrows' and encourages feelings of failure and guilt. Horrible things, we want to avoid!


Tips for Fast Ways to Get a Nutrient Rich Diet


Superfoods - a little goes a long way.

Green Smoothies - prepare in the blender the night before and then whiz before work.

Supplements - a multivitamin to fill in the gaps.

Green Juices - before breakfast or dinner get your vitamin fix.

Raw Foods - keep snacks cut up in the fridge ready to grab.

Preperation - raw food snacks/brown rice salads in tuppaware for lunch night before.



Best of Luck.

Josie

How to start juicing?

Fresh, homemade juices are something I thought sounded like hard work.  When I lived in the UK I started to think about making them. The first thing that came to mind was that I would have to choose and pay for a juicer.  The thoughts usually stopped there; I did not get very far. 

However, when I came to Thailand to work in a detox centre where there was a juicer at my disposal, that first pathetic excuse was abashed with no defence. 

The best thing about juicing is the nutrient density. Imagine trying to eat two carrots, two handfuls of spinach and a stick of celery before you leave the house in the morning?!  With juicing you can fit the abundant goodness of all of these things into one juice as well as having room for an energy boosting breakfast.  A brilliant start to the day!

I have to admit (and no-one can deny) that a juicer is not the easiest piece of equipment to clean first thing in the morning. However, if you rinse it immediately, it really only takes a couple of minutes and is well worth the time.  

All fresh juices are packed with goodness, green veggies are packed with chlorophyll which helps to build our bodies in so many ways - it is the life inside all greens.  Think about energy being taken from the sunlight and creating luscious green life, this energy will give us an extra surge of life too.  Green juice is a delicious way to get a chrolophyll injection.  

Green veggies also supply our bodies with almost all the trace minerals we need as well as live enzymes needed to cleanse and detoxify. 

At a cellular level, your body will thank you!

So, how do you get started? 

Buying a Juicer

When it comes to juicers, you get what you pay for.  I recommend identifying your budget then going online and doing some research.  We are lucky enough now that there are endless reviews and choices at our fingertips.  A slow speed juicer is recommended as it is more gentle and does not heat the produce with a high speed blade.  I think it is best to pick something within your budget and if in the future you want to invest in something better, then you can.  I should add: the more you pay = the less parts there are = the easier the washing up! 

What to Juice?

As with the smoothies, I really think it is good advice to experiment with fruit and veg that you like.  It is good to start with a base of something sweet such as apples, carrots or beetroot and add dark green leafy veg such as kale, spinach or watercress.  Choose a balance you like.  

It is worth paying extra for organic when juicing as you are taking in such a large volume that you don't want an instant hit of concentrated pesticides along with all the goodness.  Again, it comes down to affordability, but do the best you can.  Always scrub veg well and peel any non-organic veg.  

Finally remember to chop all veg according to your juicers preference.  There should be directions which tell you how much your juicer can handle. A juice explosion could be a messy moment.

Below are some ideas to get started with.  You could start really simply with blends like carrot and ginger/apple and celery/cucumber and lime and try some more adventurous blends as you get used to it.

Beetroot Ginger Zinger

2 Beetroots

1/2 cup of Kale

Piece of root ginger to taste

If you decide to do a beetroot juice then do not wear a new white shirt.  I learnt this the hard way!

Pineapple n' Basil

2 Cucumbers

2 sprigs of Thai Basil

1 cups Pineapple

If you cannot access these ingredients experiment with local produce; swap pineapple for apple and thai basil for normal basil. 

All the best for now...Happy juicing.

Josie

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