Best Recipe Websites for Inspo!
If you are seeking me out to hand over endless customised meal plans, you have come to the wrong person. A few years back I dabbled with starting a recipe blog. At the time there weren’t as many options as there are now. But it all ended very quickly when I started feeding the chickens too many times with my failed recipe attempts. I just couldn’t handle throwing my creations into the chook pen anymore (coconut flour is a real pain in the arse to work with).
I LOVE cooking and I also enjoy eating too! But with so many recipe websites available now, it can get a little overwhelming to know what is right for you and what also tastes good too.
Over the years I have noticed that I generally recommend the same websites over and over. So now is the time to share these websites with you!
If you are anything like me, I often go to a recipe and adjusted it if I don’t have the ingredients or I would rather choose a different ingredient.
The list you have been waiting for!
The Healthy Chef- Teresa Cutter
You might notice that many are Australian and a few that live in Perth, Western Australia…
If I have forgotten any, I will update this again (or if I discover new ones!)
Enjoy!
What is a naturopath?
I often get a puzzled look when someone asks me what 'I do'. So I thought there must be a lot of people that don't know what a naturopath is. And it's kinda tricky to say too, isn't it?
What a naturopath studies...…
A naturopath student requires four years of studying to get their degree. And over this time we are taught many things such as:
Herbal medicine- how to use herbs to treat common health conditions that will enable your body to regain balance, support and tonify any weakened systems.
Nutrition- nutritional bio-chemistry was one of my favourite subjects when I was studying. I loved learning all about the vitamins and minerals (it doesn't just end there either) and what foods they are found in, how your body processes them and what functions they have within our body. Food and what you eat is such an integral part of what naturopaths do!
Body systems- from the immune to reproductive, naturopaths learn all about the body and how the systems work together (and perhaps not work together).
Diseases- yep, we know the basics AND the not so easy ones too. This is when you might come across a naturopath that 'specialises' in a particular area. Just like you find specialists like a gynaecologist in main stream health care.
Diagnostic Testing- to help get a better picture on your health, a naturopath might ask you to go for extra testing. This can be from bloods to stool or even your hair! Naturopaths will have a general understanding of any previous tests that you may have had done in the past too.
Naturopaths treat the whole person, not just the symptoms.
Case taking- Your first consultation with a naturopath will be generally the longest. We take your full health history, talk about what is happening in your body systems and what has been working for you or not working for you. Some naturopaths might even do a little bit of 'in house' testing such as, take your blood pressure, weight or blood glucose.
Iridology- Naturopaths have studied iridology as a student. this is where a microscope is used to look at your iris and see if there are any weakened areas within your body. Did you know your organs are represented in your eyes?
Tongue and nail analysis- checking your tongue and nails give naturopaths extra clues on how your body is functioning. Every little bit of information helps.
Emotions- How you are as a person is very important to us. Are you sensitive? Do you get stressed easily? Do you loose your temper? Sometimes this can take a little bit of time to work out, especially in the early days.
Lifestyle- How do you live your life? Do you work full time? do you care for others? How do you destress? Your lifestyle plays a huge part in your current health status. Diet and lifestyle advice is always given.
Evidence Based Research- Naturopaths use critical based research to support their treatment protocols.
Treatment- Naturopaths will generally offer herbal and nutritional support to help with your healing. Diet advice is given and if this is not enough supplements are prescribed when needed. Short term and long term treatment plans are established, so you don't feel overwhelmed. After all, we just really want you to feel great again!
In a nut shell...…..
A naturopath offers support, education and treatment that you want to do. Our job is to empower you and take control of your health, so that you can achieve your health goals.If you would like to book an appointment to reach your health goals, check out what is available in the online booking system below. var initResizer = function() { iframes = iFrameResize({}, "#widget-inline-embed"); }
Why Short Chain Fatty Acids are the Key to Optimal Health
Short chain fatty acids (S.C.F.A's), sounds like something that you should be avoiding all together. But you couldn't be more further from the truth.https://www.facebook.com/Thenaturopathshop/videos/2196534210567444/?ref_page_id=1518149341739271&acontext=%7B%22source%22%3A5%2C%22action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22page%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22main_list%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A%22%5C%22[]%5C%22%22%7D]%2C%22has_source%22%3Atrue%7D
So what are SCFA's?
SCFA's are made in your colon. They are produced by your gut bacteria, when you consume carbohydrates and I'm not taking about refined carbs either- more on this later). SCFA's are a 6 carbon chain (hence the name short) and can either be of 3 metabolites- butyrate, propionate, acetate (there are a couple of others but they only make up 5% of total SCFA's).Butyrate can be used instantly by some cells in your colon; while the rest can transported to your liver and enter the rest of your system by your blood.
The benefits of SCFA's..............
Studies have shown that SCFA's reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity (basically metabolic syndrome) and some colon cancers.Research has also shown that SCFA's are anti-inflammatory, and that people who had ulcerative colitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), had lower than normal levels of SCFA's.
How Do I Increase my SCFA's Levels?
SCFA's are influenced by diet. Yes, the food you eat. As I mentioned before; SCFA's are made by your bacteria when they digest certain carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are mostly found in vegetables, fruit, wholegrains and legumes.All these foods also have one thing in common, they contain high amounts of fibre.
What FIBRE????
Yes! Here's the glitch.....you might be currently following a low FODMAP, SIBO, or a High FAT/Low Carb diet. All of these diets dramatically reduce your intake of natural fibre. You can avoid this by really focusing on the vegetables you can eat, so this doesn't happen. This is why long term Low FODMAP diets aren't recommended for long periods.This can be the hardest part when you are healing your gut. Especially if you have IBS/SIBO and feel like you bloat even from water. This is because your gut lining is hyper-sensitive and you need to go extremely slowly when you are starting to re-introduce regular foods.Legumes are a fantastic source of fibre, but many people just can't tolerate them. So after you have done adequate healing of your gut (can be different for everyone). You can start with brown lentils, drain the can, and freeze them into ice cube trays. This way you are just introducing a tiny amount daily.There are many types of fibre, but some fibres in food are also called 'prebiotics'. This term is used a lot more these days. The way I like to explain it is that prebiotics are 'feeding' your gut bacteria, which will make them grow big and strong. This method is excellent when you have low numbers in a beneficial bacteria (all you need to do is eat the right foods to build them up again). The end result will be that you have built up your gut ecosystem naturally with foods.
Foods That Feed Your Gut Microbiome
Listed below is a snap shot of foods that feed your healthy gut bugs - these foods contain either inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides, galacto-oligosaccharides.Jerusalem artichoke, yacon tubers burdock roots, chicory roots, dandelion roots, garlic, onion, leeks, asparagus, globe artichoke.Legumes, Brassica-family, vegetables, fresh beans, rye sourdough, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, LSA mix.Polyphenols also feed your gut bugs. Polyphenol foods are:black elderberries, black currants, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, blackberries, plums, raspberries, apples, black grapesFlaxseed meal, chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, purple carrots, red carrots, purple potatoes, red cabbage, spinach, red onions, broccoli, carrots, red lettuceRed rice, black rice, red and white quinoa, whole grain, rye brad, olives and olive oil
How Do I Measure SCFA's?
This can be done only by stool testing. There are quite a few on the market that give you varying results. But you can easily find more about your SCFA's levels by completing a CDSA (Comprehensive Diagnostic Stool Analysis) or by a UBIOME test.If you would like to know more about SCFA's or specific stool tests; fill out the contact form below and I will get back to you.[contact_bank form_id="2" form_title="show" form_description="show"][/contact_bank]REFERENCESCheng et. al. (2017) Effects of Functional Oligosaccharides and ordinary dietary fibre on intestinal microbiota diversity, Frontiers in Microbiology, 1-11Edwards et. al. (2017) Polyphenols and Health- interactions between fibre, plant polyphenols and the gut microbiota, Nutrition Bulletin, 42, 356-360Ros-Covian et. al. (2016) Intestinal short chain fatty acids and their link with diet and human health, Frontiers in Microbiology, Vol.7, Article 185, pg.1-9Singh et. al. Influence of diet on the gut microbiome and implications for human health, (2017), Journal of Translational Medicine, 15:73, 1-17
How food impacts your mood
We have all seen the classic scenario of when kids are given birthday cake; and within 5 minutes they are running around going crazy!Then 1-2 hours later, it's all about the post party come down. Tears, inconsolable, melt downs and unreasonable are the nicer terms of when your child has hit their sugar low.Fast forward 30 years or so, and does it get any different for us as adults?Fortunately we might be able to contain our selves when we eat a little cake here and there. But how often do we rely on what we out in our mouth for a short pick me up?Coffee would be the first one that comes to my mind.I'm sure you have heard.....
Talk to me after I've had my coffee.
How about the snack draw in the office to appease the afternoon lull?There's nothing wrong with having a coffee or a quick little pick me up here and there......it's how often, and what with that can be the problem.Traditionally, food can bring families, friends and communities together. It can involve joy, celebrations and connection. Food gives us energy and provides us with essential nutrients so we can function on a daily basis. But unfortunately in Western society, the abundance of choice and variety of food can often contain 'empty nutrients' that don't serve our bodies or mind.The over consumption of sugar has impacted the health of many people, causing obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines and brain fog.Alcohol is a depressant.Wheat consumption can also lead to brain fog.Additives & preservatives can impact behaviour.So we need to start thinking of the LONG term effect of how food and drink impacts not just our physical being, but our mental being.There is enough evidence now that we know that the brain and gut speak to each other via the vagus nerve and autonomic nervous system. And that the gut sends it's own messages via the enteric nervous system.We also know how high sugars can make our blood sugar levels go high and then crash not long after. If we keep feeding into this loop of quick fixes, the long term impact can effect your health in more ways than one.90% of serotonin (feel good hormone) and 50% of dopamine (your motivation hormone) are derived from your gut. So it would be fair to say that if your gut health is in poor shape, then these 2 neurotransmitters will be too.Making the right food choices can not only keep your blood sugar levels in check. But what if you were eating something on a regular basis and had no idea how it could be sending you down the road to poor physical and mental health?My tip for you is to keep a food and mood diary (and poo if your super keen). This way you can track what your have eaten, and see if there is any connection to your mood. I have a template that you can use here... Food_Mood_Poo_Diary.If you feel the food is effecting your mood, please get in touch below.[contact_bank form_id="2" form_title="show" form_description="show"][/contact_bank]
REFERENCES
Lerner et. al, The GUT microbiome feelings of the brain: A perspective for non-microbioligists, Microrganisims, 2017, 5, 66 pg. 1-24