Kirsten Tremlett

Carrot and Brazil Nut Cake

Try this deliciously healthy cake and eat without the guilt!

Ingredients:

7 carrots

2 ½ cups of brazil nuts

1/2 cup brown or golden flax seeds, soaked overnight

1 cup raw honey

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup raisins

3 tablespoons psyllium powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:

Grate carrots. Blend brazil nuts and flax seeds, add raisins, vanilla, shredded coconut, cinnamon and honey and mix in processor until fully blended. Last of all mix in psyllium and process a little more.

Put mixture into cake tin and put in fridge for 1 hour to set. Once set, remove cake from tin and spread icing on top.

Icing:

1 cup honey

1 cup brazil nuts

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend brazil nuts, honey, lemon juice and vanilla in a blender until mixture is thick and creamy. After icing the cake garnish with your favourite chopped nuts.

Setting New Year’s Resolutions

Are you guilty of setting a New Year’s Resolution only to give it up soon after because it seem too hard to maintain? Or maybe you didn’t even give it a go at all?…..

We’ve all done it and if we keep our goals and intentions small and realistic then they will be achievable and we can we will be able to keeping them ongoing.

Here’s some ideas and tips on how we can make our resolutions achievable

Gluten free Muesli Recipe

Make up your own nutritious and delicious gluten free muesli for the fraction of the price it costs you to buy!

Create your own mix from any of the ingredients below-make sure the ingredients are raw, unsalted and organic where possible.

Ingredients:

2 cups puffed brown rice

3 cups rolled brown rice

2 cup srice bran flakes

2 cups quinoa flakes

1 cup puffed buckwheat

1 cup puffed amaranth

1 cup hemp seeds (optional)

½ cup dried pears, chopped

½ cup dried apricots, chopped

1/2 cup goji berries

¾ cup pistachios

1 cup linseeds/flaxseeds

1 cup almonds, chopped

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup walnuts, pecans, cashews, brazil nuts, chopped

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup shredded coconut (organic)/dried coconut flakes

3 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

Mix the puffed and rolled rice together with the rice bran flakes, chopped fruit and

pistachios in a bowl. Grind the linseeds, almonds and sunflower seeds in a food

processor until they’re broken up but still retain texture.

Serve with fresh fruit and ricemilk/almond milk or yoghurt.

Natural Energy Boosters

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?

Do you wake up after a full night’s sleep still fatigued and not refreshed?

If so, there are many natural supplements that can safely and effectively boost your energy levels. These include:

Magnesium:This mighty mineral is used in over 300 biochemical processes in the body and is essential for the conversion of sugars, fats and proteins to energy.

Carnitine: This nutrient plays an important role in fat metabolism and energy production. Carnitine may be helpful if you are wanting to lose weight and improve energy at the same time.

Coenzyme Q10: CoQ10 enhances cellular energy production and is also a powerful antioxidant.

Lipoic Acid: This nutrient is important for the transport and conversion of carbohydrates into energy. It is also a powerful antioxidant and protects the mitochondria (the ‘powerhouses’ within every cell) from damage.

Omega 3’s: The essential fatty acids found in fish and krill oils are vital for the cellular health. They stimulate the growth of the mitochondria thus enhancing energy production.

HERBAL HELPERS:

Here are some of my favourite herbs I use to support tired adrenals and increase energy levels:

Licorice Root, Rehmannia, Rhodiola, Siberian Ginseng, Korean Ginseng, Oats and Withania.

Of course it is also important to make sure you are eating a healthy well-balanced diet, drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly and managing stress levels to optimise energy levels.

Gluten Free Christmas Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 kg mixed dried fruit
1 cup glacé apricots, chopped
¾ cup glacé cherries, chopped
¼ cup glacé ginger, chopped
⅓ cup walnuts or almonds, roughly chopped
½ cup brandy
Canola oil spray
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1 orange)
2 cups gluten free plain flour
½ cup gluten free self raising flour
1 ½ teaspoons mixed spice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup blanched almonds
1 meter length of wide Christmas ribbon or plastic Christmas decoration.

METHOD:

In a large bowl, combine the mixed dried fruit, chopped glace apricots, cherries and ginger. Pour over the brandy and toss through. Cover and stand overnight. Add the nuts and toss through.

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Prepare a 20cm round cake tin, sprayed lightly with the oil and lined with non-stick baking paper. Make sure the paper stands 5cm above the edge of the cake tin.

Place the brown sugar, oil, eggs, orange juice and vanilla essence in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth and has turned a light brown. Add to the fruit mix and combine well.

In a separate bowl, sift the flours, mixed spice and cinnamon and stir through to combine. Fold the flour mixture into the fruit mixture, making sure the flour is mixed through well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, levelling out evenly with the back of a spoon. Tap the pan gently on the bench to remove air bubbles.

Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 3 hours or until a skewer is inserted into the centre and comes out clean. Remove from the oven, wrap in a clean tea towel and allow the cake to cool.

Decorate the cake with the blanched almonds; place them evenly around the top of the cake, gently pressing into the cake mixture. You can wrap some Christmas ribbon around the cake or place the plastic decoration on top.

Serves: 30

Preparation time: 10 minutes (day before) plus 20 minutes prior to cooking. Cooking time: 3 hours

Tip

If using a fan-forced oven, double line the cake tin with baking paper and loosely lay an extra circle of baking paper on top of the cake if it begins to darken too much. You may need to reduce the heat a little.

How to reduce your risk of getting Cancer

Want to minimise your risk of being diagnosed with cancer?

Numerous studies point to lifestyle changes as crucial to steering clear of cancer and enjoying a long, healthy life.

Follow these simple lifestyle changes and minimise your risk http://bit.ly/QHJBPC

Healthy Ageing

Do you want to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible?

Very few people are spending the last decades of their life feeling fit, healthy, energetic and full of life.

Health Practitioners can look at bio-markers such as overall muscle mass, muscle quality, blood pressure, and body fat percentage to help determine how old your body really is.

Follow these Keys for Healthy Ageing to live a long, healthy, happy life:

Good Nutrition: eat fresh seasonal foods, drink 2 litres of pure water daily, only eat until 80% full.

Rest & Relaxation: work/fun balance, listen to your body’s needs, get a safe dose of sunshine daily, get regular massage.

Social Networks: enjoy time with family and friends, meaningful conversation, spend time in nature, laugh and have fun!

Mental function: use it or lose it! Seek intellectual challenges, use your intuition, get good quality sleep.

Spiritual Connection: spiritual practice, make a difference, breathing, meditation.

Exercise: move, move, move! Get back to nature, attain structural balance and a healthy body image.

The following natural medicines can help your healthy ageing journey.

Resveratrol: A potent antioxidant which can slow the ageing process by mopping up free radicals which cause damage to our cells.

Multivitamin & Mineral: As we age, our nutrient requirements increase.

Fish oils: The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils are anti-inflammatory as well as being important for maintaining healthy cholesterol and brain function.

Probiotics: Probiotics are friendly bacteria in your gut which are fundamental to good health, and maintaining normal digestive and immune functions.

Raw Zucchini Fettuccini

Tools: Blender, spiraliser or peeler

Ingredients:

3 medium sized zucchini’s

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes-cut in half

1 carrot-peeled

1/2 capsicum-thinly sliced

handful baby spinach leaves

A handful of fresh basil, coriander, mint leaves

handful pinenuts

½ a large avocado

A squeeze of lemon juice

sea salt, cracked pepper

1 cup raw pesto (soaked cashews, olive oil, fresh basil, coriander, lemon juice, sea salt, cracked pepper all blended together)

Directions:

Turn the zucchini into “spaghetti” using the spiralizer. If you don’t have a spiralizer you can use a vegetable peeler to create the “pasta”. Place into bowls and top with all other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Top with pinenuts and dig in!!

Other sauce options include tomato, mushroom, tahini.

Herbal Flu Fighters:

A strong, healthy immune system is able to keep us well, even when those around us are coughing, sneezing and getting sick.

There are many factors that may contribute to the weakening of your immune system including stress, poor sleep, a lack of regular exercise, not enough rest and relaxation and making poor food choices.

Both the common cold and flu are caused by viruses, with the most common virus being rhinovirus. What many people may not realise, is that antibiotics target only bacteria and are not able to kill the viruses responsible for colds and flu. Fortunately there are herbs and nutrients that can help manage these viral infections and keep your immune defences strong.

Nutrients For Immune Support:

Zinc is crucial for immune function as a zinc deficiency may cause a weakened immune response, predisposing you to a longer or more severe cold. Zinc and vitamin C are nutrients essential to good health and have a growing body of scientific evidence to support their benefits in boosting immunity and strengthening the healing process.

The following herbs have been shown to improve immune function and reduce symptoms of the common cold and flu:

• Andrographis: An Ayurvedic herb with a long history of use for viral and bacterial infections. Clinical studies have shown that andrographis can reduce the severity and duration of cold and flu symptoms.

• Picrorrhiza: This herb has been used traditionally in Indian and Chinese medicine to help maintain a normal healthy immune system, and has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulating actions.

• Elderberry: Traditionally used for its anti-catarrhal and fever-reducing actions to help relieve the symptoms of colds, and recurrent or acute coughs.

• Baical Skullcap: This traditional Chinese herb has been used to reduce coughing, as an expectorant to clear lung congestion and for its anti-inflammatory effects.

• Marshmallow Root: Helps to soothe the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat, as well as decreasing any irritations in the lungs and respiratory tract.

• Liquorice Root: Liquorice is recognised in Western herbal medicine for its soothing, anti-inflammatory and expectorant properties. Liquorice may reduce irritation of the respiratory mucous membranes and aid in the treatment of coughs and bronchitis.

• Magnolia: This herb is particularly beneficial in treating moist coughs. It has been traditionally used for reducing phlegm and for calming the coughing and wheezing associated with lung congestion.

• Adhatoda: Adhatoda is another herb traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine for respiratory congestion and wheezing. It is a powerful bronchodilator with expectorant properties that assists in clearing lung congestion and phlegm.

How to Lose Weight & Keep it off…

Have you ever followed a weight loss program and shed some kilos but stacked them back on as soon as you stopped the diet? Ever wondered why this rebound weight gain occured?

I’m going to share with you the main reasons why people fail to lose weight and keep it off.

Read on…….