by Sal Prothero | 10, Mar, 2018 | Recipes
After a very busy week, I decided to celebrate the weekend by making these delicious pancakes for my family. This recipe is super easy and full of only the good stuff. If you make these pancakes for your own family (or maybe just yourself ) comment below and let me know what you serve them with.
The power of food is amazing at making you feel your absolute best. If you need help to understand the best food for your body and your mind, then you should consider talking to a Nutritionist.
Ingredients
- 1 cup spelt flour
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar/raw sugar
-
1 tsp baking powder
- Oil for cooking pancakes
Method
Stir the spelt flour, milk, egg, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar in a large bowl to remove all clumps.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on a moderately low heat and pour a small portion of batter into the frying pan to make a circle, as large or as small as you want.
When bubbles start to form across the pancake, flip it over with a spatula and cook the pancake on the other side.
You can serve the pancakes with fresh berries or banana or maple syrup.
by Sal Prothero | 10, Mar, 2018 | Recipes
If you are busy running from work to school pickups to after school activities, or need to fill some lunch boxes but are stuck for ideas, make sure you give this banana bread recipe a go. It’s the best one I’ve come across and is now a staple in my house.
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas, peeled and quartered
- 10 medjool dates, seeds removed
- 3 tablespoons almond butter*
- pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
- squeeze of lemon juice
Method
Preheat your oven to 175° or 350°F. Grease and line your loaf tin. Mine measures 19.5cm x 9.5cm.
Place the bananas, dates, nut butter, salt and cinnamon into your processor and blend until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Add the coconut flour and eggs and mix to combine. Add the bicarb and lemon juice and mix to combine.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out cleanly. Leave the loaf in the tin to cool for five minutes before gently transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Slice. Serve. Eat and enjoy!* you can substitute the almond butter with unhulled tahini to make this nut free.
by Sal Prothero | 15, Feb, 2018 | Blog
Let me show you how to feed your brain
Do you want to think clearly? Do you want to improve your mood? Do you want to sleep better? These are some of the challenges many of us face each day but for some, it could be a rollercoaster of a ride into depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. I know what this is like. My teenage daughter suffers from social anxiety. She’s not a freak or a loony. She is a smart and intelligent girl but the anxiety takes over and it stops her from doing normal activities. It’s easy for me to say, ‘Eat better or eat these foods’ but for someone with anxiety and/or depression, this is like climbing Mount Everest – impossible! All other factors need to be looked at such as loneliness and social support. Nutrition isn’t going to ‘fix’ mental illness but it definitely helps to manage it and keep it under control.
Let’s start with the facts
One in five (20%) Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year and it is estimated that almost half (45%) of Australians will experience a mental illness sometime during their lifetime. The most common mental illnesses are depressive, anxiety and substance use disorder (Mental Health Foundation Australia 2017).
The onset of mental illness is typically around mid-to-late adolescence and Australian youth aged 18-24 years have the highest prevalence of mental illness than any other age group. Adolescents and young adults are less likely than the population as a whole to either seek or receive treatment for a mental illness (Int Journal of Mental Health Systems 2008).
Being the Detective
What you eat each day plays a large part in how you cope with everyday life. Eating the foods below will help but you need a qualified healthcare professional to give your diet a closer look. For example, you may not be able to absorb your food sufficiently resulting in nutrient deficiencies. These nutrient deficiencies may be affecting your brain chemical production. You may have increased inflammation or your cells may not be functioning properly. Your gut health may need improving. You may have been experiencing stress for a long period of time which depletes some nutrients. You may have an underlying biochemical imbalance or undiagnosed health condition. The list goes on …….. Qualified holistic healthcare professionals are there to take a full medical history and work out what’s going on. It’s not a quick fix. Sometimes, it can take a while to identify the issue but it’s better to get help rather than leave it until it’s uncontrollable.
Here are some of the whole foods and nutrients that can help:
Magnesium
Long term stress and anxiety can deplete us with this important mineral. Magnesium helps muscles relax and promote a calm mind and relaxed body.
The best magnesium rich foods include almonds, nuts, seeds, bananas, green leafy veggies, wholegrains, avocado, dark chocolate.
B vitamins
We need B vitamins for energy production and optimal brain function. B vitamins are vital for the production of our neurotransmitters (brain chemicals). Include wholegrains (brown rice, brown basmati rice, quinoa, buckwheat, oats, amaranth, millet), meat, nuts, seeds, green leafy veggies, bananas, legumes, lentils in your diet.
Essential Fatty Acids
For a healthy brain and nervous system, omega 3 fatty acids are essential. Foods include oily fish such as mackerel and sardines, mackerel, walnuts, flaxseeds, avocado.
Vitamin D
Although Australians live in a sunny part of the world, it is still possible to be deficient in Vitamin D. Whether you live in a sunny country or in the northern hemisphere, it’s definitely worth getting your Vitamin D checked out.
Foods that contain Vitamin D are oily fish and eggs.
Protein
Without protein, we can’t produce our neurotransmitters which are essential for healthy nervous system function. My general guide for protein intake is 1g per kg of body weight depending on whether you’re sedentary, active, very active etc.
Protein rich foods include meat, dairy, legumes, nuts, seeds, eggs, tofu, tempeh.
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by Sal Prothero | 16, Jan, 2018 | Blog
My 10 top reasons to see a NutritionistThere are so many health professionals out there, it’s no wonder people get confused as to who to go to. Most people think a Nutritionist mostly deals with weight loss and digestive issues but there’s much more to us than that. Here are my Top 10:
- General dietary advice – bewildered by what’s healthy and what isn’t? You know what to eat but not sure how to put it all together? You think you eat healthily but maybe there’s something missing because you don’t feel as good as you thought?
- Feeling tired or lacking in energy all the time – you may need some small changes to your diet or there may be a more complex reason for this.
- Specific health condition – discover how the power of food can support and manage your condition.
- Weight loss – you may be wanting to lose weight or have tried to lose weight in the past but can’t shift those extra kilos. Those stubborn extra kilos may be due to an imbalance in hormones and gut bacteria. Or you could have a medical condition such as hypothyroidism. Chronic stress also plays a role.
- Niggles – you may have symptoms that are constantly there in the background but don’t pay much attention to them or you think they’re normal. These may include aches and pains, menstrual cramps, irritability, irregular bowel movements, lack of sleep.
- Anxiety/depression – yes, nutrition and nutritional supplements can really help and can work in conjunction with any medication.
- Cravings – you may be craving carbohydrates, sweet foods or any type of craving!
- Low mood – you eat well and sleep well but you still don’t feel right. Your diet may need a few tweaks or you may need tests and discover you have a specific condition or biochemical imbalance.
- Teenagers – you may have kids in this age group who are suffering from anxiety or depression. They may be vegan or be vegetarian and need professional advice instead of following social trends. Their diet may not be that great and wonder why they feel crap.
- You’ve tried everything else – Nutritionists are very good at being detectives! We look at you as a whole person and not only the symptom(s).
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by Sal Prothero | 18, Nov, 2017 | Blog
How a week away changed my life
If you’d asked me a year ago to spend a week away with a group of women, I would have told you where to go. Being an introvert/extrovert, I value my time on my own and to be honest, I struggle getting a word in edgeways. Women like to talk!
Before I left for the Bali retreat, I was slightly anxious about sharing a room, being in a large group of women I didn’t know that well and the humid climate. OK, I didn’t have much time to myself but it didn’t matter because I was with like-minded people who shared similar values, beliefs, goals and professions.
Before I left, I was burnt out and my confidence had taken a nosedive. Life was a treadmill and I didn’t know how to get off it. I know it sounds cheesy but the retreat has changed my outlook on life and I’ve let go of a lot of ‘baggage’.
These are the key things I’ve learnt:
- Let things be – be more accepting.
- Slow down – I was rushing around like a headless chicken and where did that get me?
- Learn to say no.
- Be more assertive – if I don’t like something, say it (nicely!) and make more of my own decisions.
- Me more mindful – I notice nature, sounds, the sky etc and how it makes me feel.
- Women – the power of sharing thoughts and emotions with like-minded souls.
- The housework wasn’t done when I was away – so what?
- The kids didn’t prepare their school lunches when I was away – so what? These are not first world problems. By the way, I plan to have a ‘How to prepare your school lunch’ class soon with my kids. I’ve also discovered that they really don’t have time to make their lunch in the morning. High school means more homework, more stress and less time.
- My kids didn’t rush to me and say ‘I missed you so much Mum!’ – they’re teenagers.
- I LOVE food and everything it stands for – not everyone is like that.
- I discovered ginseng coffee!
- I can do anything I want to do if I set my mind to it.
Running a retreat myself hadn’t crossed my mind before but I would happily organise one now. I’m passionate about empowering women to be physically and mentally well. Everyone else comes first and this needs to change.
Have you been on a retreat? I would love to hear your thoughts ………
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