Today I want to talk about how to top your favourite dishes (or any dish really) with healthy toppers that can add to your nutritional quota.

Not only does adding toppings supercharge the flavour of your meals, but it can also increase the health benefits. I think you’ll find once you start topping, there’s no stopping! 

So, do you need to top every salad with toppings?

Well, no, but let’s think of a typical Wednesday night. You’ve just come home to an empty fridge, and, I mean, who goes grocery shopping on a Wednesday? You settle on making something simple enough for dinner, like my Bunker Baked Beans on Toast or Delicious Pantry Pasta, and you’re looking for a side salad. You find a few lettuce leaves, a limp looking carrot and a tomato that needs to be used today otherwise it’ll be in the compost bin tomorrow. Cue: tasty toppers.

Sprinkling tasty toppers can take your side salad, dinner or porridge from meh to a-meh-zing in a flash.

You look after the bottom, and these will look after your top. It’s time to stock up your pantry with delicious and belly-friendly toppers.

These additions will take your lunch-bowl from satisfactory to satisfying and they are ingredients that you may already have in your pantry!

First up, Apple Cider Vinegar: is it really worth all the hype? Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, which aids in digestion, and has an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and alkalizing impact. It’s been used as a remedy for digestion in traditional medicine for centuries. Apple Cider Vinegar, or ACV, as the cool kids on the block call it, will give your soup a kick up the flavour profile, for that just-off-the-stovetop feeling. ACV makes a sneaky appearance in my Pumpkin, Mushroom and Sage Brown Rice Risotto here.

Next up, Celtic Sea Salt: a lot of people are salty about salt because, in excessive amounts, it can increase your blood pressure. Does this mean you should cut it out altogether? Absolutely not. A pinch of Celtic sea salt is rich in minerals, helps maintain healthy blood pressure and is essential for nerve and muscle function. You can bring in a mini pot of sea salt to enhance the flavour of your favourite soup or salad. Many sea salt brands come in portable tins and containers. 

Chia seeds: Ah, chia seeds. Chia puddings made the rounds a few years back, and I’m sad that they’re slowly being forgotten about; just because it’s not as trendy anymore, it doesn’t mean they’re not as good for you. I stand with chia seeds. Where was I? Oh yes, chia seeds! They offer an excellent source of essential fats, and they do wonders for our digestion. Uniquely, they’re a complete vegan protein, which means they contain all of the amino acids. Sprinkle them onto breakfast cereals, salads and soups, or use them in muffins as an egg replacer.

Cinnamon is a wonder-spice that was traditionally used as a carminative for gastrointestinal complaints. Cinnamon can help promote insulin release and enhance insulin sensitivity, as well as reduce inflammation in the body, helping to regulate blood sugars and solve sugar cravings. This rich and warming spice goes all over my sweet meals, but can also be used to balance the richness of savoury meat meals. 

Are you ready to be bold? Cracked pepper! Grind bold flavours onto your lunch bowl and wave goodbye to tasteless paper pepper packets for good. I love adding cracked pepper to almost every meal to add a little bit of pungency and texture. Pepper also contains a constituent called piperine, which has traditionally been used for centuries as a digestive aid. Let’s push it with pepper; Ooh, baby, baby! 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, you know there’s nothing a little oil can’t fix. Extra virgin olive oil is one of my favourite oils to cook with, boosting the anti-inflammatory properties of anything you’re eating. Filled with gut-healing fats and benefits for the immune system, extra virgin olive oil is something I consume on the daily. New research shows extra olive virgin oil keeps healthy properties when used for cooking, contrary to popular belief.  I also drizzle EVOO on salads, on top of soups, and to help cook my Tray Baked Salmon with Pumpkin and Avocado Mash here.

Dulse flakes, there’s nothing dull about them. I like to think of dulse flakes as sprinkles of fibre-rich goodness and iodine; essential for healthy thyroid function and a healthy nervous system. I shake shake shake this mellow sea vegetable over mashes or soups for an extra layer of seasoning on any and all savoury dishes. 

Fulvic Humic Concentrate: humic and fulvic acids are natural organic plant substances that do wonders for your metabolism. Fulvic Humic Concentrate supports the integrity of the gut lining by strengthening tight junctions while replenishing the gut microbiota. It’s rich in minerals, containing over seventy trace minerals. These flavourless liquid drops can help if you’re suffering from bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, gas or leaky gut. I top my water daily with up to 6 drops, and I’ve certainly noticed the difference. 

Hemp Seeds: Hemp seeds are an easy salad, pumpkin soup or porridge topper, full of alpha-linoleic acid and insoluble dietary fibre which is a saviour for our digestive system.

Gee, I love ghee. Ghee is clarified butter that allows our bodies to absorb fat-soluble nutrients, such as vitamin A, D, E and K. Ghee is also full of plenty of vitamins itself, including vitamin K2, which is essential for the health of our bones and teeth. Ghee is terrific for our gut and cardiovascular health too. Ghee is my go-to when it comes to cooking Indian food, like my Eggplant Bharta and Indian Dosas. 

In my eyes, pumpkin can almost do no wrong (oh, except for pumpkin spice lattes, they’re a little wrong), especially its seeds. Pumpkin seeds, known as pepitas, are rich in zinc, which is vital for our nervous system, and are linked to a reduction of stress and anxiety. Zinc is also a key player when it comes to our immune health, so perfect for sniffle season. I sprinkle pumpkin seeds on pretty much, well, everything, but they do a play a central role in my Homemade Berry Crumble. 

Tahini is made from sesame seeds that have been soaked and crushed, and tahini is one of my favourite cupboard essentials. My garlic tahini drizzle is a show-stopping, drool-worthy addition to any salad. Feast on the recipe here. Tahini is so wonderful because it contains a high amount of calcium, as well as omega-3 and 6, which can all be hard to find on a dairy-free diet. Spread tahini on crackers or use it on every salad you ever make. Seriously, I won’t judge.  

Golden Gut Blend: Do you believe in magic? I have a sprinkle of gold magic that grants my body wishes! My Golden Gut Blend, full of diatomaceous earth, organic turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper, provides powerful medicinal properties that can help reduce bloating and improve digestion. I sprinkle it on my eggs and avo, put a whole heap of it in my nice cream and add it to my porridge or I make these delicious Golden Gut Granola Clusters. Who says magic doesn’t exist? 

Wheat-free tamari: A gluten and wheat-free alternative to soy sauce, wheat-free tamari is a naturally fermented flavour-enhance for all of your favourite soups and mashes. If you watched MasterChef this year, you’d remember the obsession with the umami flavour profile; tamari is just that. It’s a little less salty than regular soy sauce but can be used in Asian and non-Asian cooking to add a full, savoury flavour to your dishes. 

Nutritional Yeast Flakes: a sprinkling of cheesy-flavoured yeast flakes will move you one step closer to creating the lunch bowl of your dreams. These bright mustard-yellow flakes make a fantastic natural flavour enhancer. Loaded with B vitamins (a little less than 1 tablespoon supplies the adult recommended daily intake of vitamin B12), amino acids and minerals, they can be used in cooking, as a condiment or warm beverage. Because the yeast is no longer living, it does not feed yeast overgrowth in the gut, making it gut-friendly. They can be purchased from health food stores or online. They’re particularly fabulous when cooking for the dairy-free, so give them a go in my Vegan Lentil Moussaka here or my Cheese Kale Chips here for a snacky snack. 

Love Your Gut Powder: If you’re looking for the ultimate gut-loving topping, you can’t go past my OG - Love Your Gut Powder. It’s no exaggeration to say that Love Your Gut Powder changed my life, and it’s a gift I feel honoured to share with you all. It gently cleanses the gut, boosts energy, is rich in many a mineral, including silica and helps digestive complaints; anything from flatulence to bloating to parasites. Whatever you need, Love Your Gut is your go-to. I love sprinkling it on my juices and smoothies, and dusting some onto my meals like this Sweet Potato, Broccoli and Ham Soup.

What can top that? 😉 

Lee xo

To effectively lose weight, it’s essential to look at every facet of our health; our digestive system, stress levels, exercise regime and diet. To accomplish this, a weight loss coach can provide valuable guidance and strategies.

So, what are my simple weight loss tips?

1. Drink more water. Drinking water can increase feelings of fullness and bring overeating to a halt. Studies show that drinking water may promote weight loss in overweight women.¹
2. Reduce your intake of added sugars, as they’re associated with increased weight gain, as well as a heightened risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.²
3. Speaking of sugar, let’s cut back on the refined carbohydrates too – think white pasta, white bread and white rice. Instead, go for the whole version whenever possible, like brown rice, whole oats and spelt.
4. Aim for at least 30 grams of fibre a day to improve the body’s response to insulin, increase fullness and help out the ol’ digestive system. Fibre keeps up full, which means we’re less likely to reach for the chocolate and chips… and ice-cream… and burgers… and pizza.³
5. Incorporate a mixture of aerobic and resistance exercise to support healthy body weight and mental health, too.⁴
6. Sleep is highly underrated when it comes to weight loss, but is just as important as food and exercise. Poor sleep can increase our hunger hormones, increasing our consumption of energy-rich but nutrient-poor foods.⁵ Aim for eight hours of sleep a night.

You’ll be well aware that the ‘gut’ is now regarded as the last frontier of the body, with trillions of bacteria swarming in there. We're only beginning to fully understand the importance of healthy, balanced and happy gut, and significance of the gut/brain axis.

As we now know, the health of our gut contributes to our ability to gain or lose weight. When the microbiome is in balance, it can help control our appetite and battle hunger cravings effectively; when it’s out of balance, we can feel more stressed, hungry and tired (I’m looking at you, 3 pm sugar cravings). Prebiotics are positively associated with weight loss and help support the gut by promoting the growth of probiotics. Who doesn’t want to kill two birds with one stone?

If you’re looking for a healthy and maintainable approach to weight loss (that doesn’t involve eating air for three weeks straight), I’ve just discovered a new product which can help. OptiBiome is a patented formula created by Stephen O’Hara, a scientist and microbiologist.

OptiBiome is transforming the way we approach weight loss, offering a healthy and safe way to manage weight (starvation not included) while caring for the gut. OptiBiome uses a weed and feed approach to help suppress harmful bacteria and encourage the positive kind.

OptiBiome’s OptiSlim combines three prebiotic ingredients to help conjure up a perfectly balanced digestive system to support your weight loss journey.

Konjac root, known as glucomannan, is rich in dietary fibre and low in calories, helping to increase feelings of satiety while delaying gastric emptying. Glucomannan helps regulate blood glucose levels and relieve constipation.

Chicory root fibre helps stimulate the growth of favourable bacteria in the gut, increasing micro-diversity and promoting a positive mood. Chicory root is also excellent for our liver health, helping our liver detoxification pathways.

Chromium is a mineral that helps stabilise normal blood glucose levels by enhancing the bodies use of insulin to assist carbohydrate and fat metabolism.

I know what you’re thinking, this sounds great, but I’m here for weight loss, not solely gut health – and to that, I say: have I ever lead you astray before?

OptiBiome helps cure sugar and fat cravings, with consumer studies showing an average weight loss of up to 1.3kg per week, reduced systolic blood pressure and reduced caloric intake by up to 20%.

I'm was very interested to know more about the product, so I sat down to ask all of my questions to Stephen O’Hara himself and find out some more information.

Here’s what he had to say:

Who is the OptiBiome recommended for? 

OptiBiome is a weight loss and wellbeing formula that is recommended for anyone that wants to lose and maintain a healthy weight. OptiBiome could be used by people who want to drop a dress size for a special occasion or people with health issues related to weight and obesity.

OptiBiome is safe to use by everyone.

Why is fibre important for a healthy gut?

The principal advantage of a diet high in fibre is that it improves the health of the digestive system. Dietary fibre also contributes to other processes, such as stabilising glucose and cholesterol levels.

A high-fibre diet is protective against weight gain, as high-fibre foods tend to have a lower energy density, which means they provide fewer kilojoules per gram of food. As a result, a person on a high-fibre diet can consume the same amount of food, but with fewer kilojoules (calories); this is because fibrous foods are often bulky and therefore filling.  

What essential prebiotics does Optibiome contain?

An enormous quantity of bacterial communities colonises the human gut, and there is a complex interaction between bacteria/microbiota and the gastrointestinal and immune system.

OptiBiome contains the prebiotic Chicory Root Fibre that helps stimulate the growth of positive bacteria in the gut, increasing micro-diversity and good gut health.

Is it suitable for people with gut issues/IBS?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) develops in as many as 1 in 5 Australians at some point in their lifetime and is twice as common in women as it is in men. Around one in five Australians experiences the unpleasant symptoms of IBS at some time. These include abdominal pain, mucus in the stools, and alternating diarrhoea and constipation.

Used correctly, OptiBiome is suitable for people with IBS as it regulates digestion through fibre and prebiotics.

How does it work and do people get hungry when replacing meals?

The OptiBiome products can be used as a partial meal replacement by replacing two meals per day and incorporating a third well-balanced meal and two OptiBiome hunger buster snacks in between meals to prevent hunger.

OptiBiome promotes satiety and satisfaction throughout the day due to the action of Glucomannan.

Alternatively, the OptiBiome shakes can be used as part of a VLCD program, providing less than 800 calories per day by replacing two meals a day and incorporating a third meal from the VLCD meal plan available on their website.

And I think that about covers it!

OptiBiome’s OptiSlim is available in four different delicious flavours – espresso, chocolate, vanilla and a variety pack (but chocolate is my favourite, obviously.). There are ten gluten-free, protein and fibre-rich shakes per box. OptiBiome even has a hunger-busting snack bar to keep hunger at bay between meals.

OptiBiome is available in Chemist Warehouse and Woolworths from November 2020.

References: 

¹ Stookey, J.D., Constant, F., Popkin, B.M. and Gardner, C.D. (2008), Drinking Water Is Associated With Weight Loss in Overweight Dieting Women Independent of Diet and Activity. Obesity, 16: 2481-2488. doi:10.1038/oby.2008.409

² Vermunt, S.H.F., Pasman, W.J., Schaafsma, G. and Kardinaal, A.F.M. (2003), Effects of sugar intake on body weight: a review. Obesity Reviews, 4: 91-99. doi:10.1046/j.1467-789X.2003.00102.x

³ Nancy C. Howarth, M.Sc, Edward Saltzman, M.D., Susan B. Roberts, Ph D, Dietary Fiber and Weight Regulation, Nutrition Reviews, Volume 59, Issue 5, May 2001, Pages 129–139, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2001.tb07001.x

⁴ Joseph E. Donnelly, Bryan Smith, Dennis J. Jacobsen, Erik Kirk, Katrina DuBose, Melissa Hyder, Bruce Bailey, Richard Washburn, The role of exercise for weight loss and maintenance, Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology, Volume 18, Issue 6, 2004, Pages 1009-1029, ISSN 1521-6918.

⁵ Nedeltcheva, A. V., Kilkus, J. M., Imperial, J., Schoeller, D. A., & Penev, P. D. (2010). Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Annals of internal medicine, 153(7), 435–441. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-153-7-201010050-00006

Please raise your hand if you’ve ever felt personally victimised by the health food industry.

Keep your hand raised if you’ve ever tried a different way of eating and felt bad/guilty/ashamed when it didn’t work for you.

Same. 

One of the most controversial areas of the health food industry is around the idea of snacking.  

Should you snack? 

Will it make you put on weight? 

Is it ‘bad’ for you? 

If you’re not hungry, should you still have a snack?

The truth is, it’s entirely up to you, so can we please stop the fear-mongering? If you’re hungry, you should eat. It’s as simple as that. Snacking doesn’t need to be something unhealthy, something that makes you feel guilty or something you have to avoid.

For many, snacking has become a pastime during isolation, helping to alleviate stress or solve boredom. While food can act as comfort during stressful times, it shouldn’t be your only option.

Personally, I’ve been trying to use the time to up my game when it comes to mindful eating. You can read more about mindful eating here.  So, if I do feel the desire to alleviate stress and think about a bar of chocolate in my house, I’ll first try speaking to a loved one, walking around the block or doing a meditation app, and then I’ll reassess how I’m really feeling and what I’m craving. If I find I still want a snack, I choose something that will help sustain my energy like this sardine mash pot or if I'm really hungry I'll put it on this delicious toast. 

That being said, there’s a difference between snacking on cut-up veggie sticks and finding yourself falling into the daily habit of being elbow-deep in a large packet of potato crisps, then licking your fingers to erase any evidence. There is nothing wrong with snacking, but snacking excessively, or on discretionary foods everyday, isn’t advisable for long term health. 

If you’re deciding whether or not snacking is right for you, have a think about your meals. If you’re not intermittent fasting, I recommend consuming three balanced meals daily, including a source of fibre, protein and healthy fats at every meal. If you find the hours between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and dinner, unbearably long, a snack mid-morning or mid-afternoon may suit you. If you ignore tummy grumbles mid-afternoon, you may find yourself stuffing yourself silly with the chocolate you have in your secret chocolate cupboard after dinner instead. #weareonlyhuman. 

So, you’ve decided to snack, now what? Rather than eating on the run, sit down take a big breath and really savour each bite. This can feel silly at first, but it can help you align with your own specific hunger cues and understand when you’re hungry and when you’re snacking out of boredom, emotional cravings or anything else. I love to savour this banana bread, it's a must and really satisfies cravings!

If you’re looking for a snack, and not the dating kind, you’ve come to the right place. 

When choosing a snack, look for something satisfying, but not overfilling. Like when you make meals, I recommend combining protein, fibre and possibly a healthy fat, to keep the grumbles away and help you feel fuller for longer. Some great snacks include: 

• Chia Overnight Jar
• A Bliss Ball
• A Healthy Muffin
• A piece of fruit with a tablespoon of nut butter 
• Nibble Mix
• Cut up veggie sticks with hummus 
• Collagen and Flax Bars
• Sea Nuts

Now THAT'S a snack!

These snacks are balanced and can help stabilise blood glucose levels, which can prevent overeating later on during the day. Sit down and enjoy your snack, one bite at a time.  

Whether you snack or not doesn’t need to be a binary. Some days you may feel the need to, and others you won’t. While a million health bloggers will give varied advice, remember that you are unique; you have a different body, schedule, and lifestyle to work with, and you’re the best judges of what is best for you!

Which brings me to another contentious topic; dairy. I know that cow’s dairy isn’t for everyone, but calcium sure is! Calcium is required for healthy bones, nerves, cardiac health, muscles and teeth. Sources of calcium include unhulled tahini, almond butter, dark leafy greens such as kale and collard greens, calcium-fortified milk, tofu and, of course, dairy.

If you can’t tolerate cow’s cheese, why not consider goat’s cheese? Goat’s cheese has less lactose than cow’s dairy, and many find it easier to digest. It’s rich in vitamins and minerals and tastes very delicious. While it may be a little more expensive than the run of the mill dairy, it’s well worth it! 

Done mindfully, snacking can boost energy and keep hunger at bay. If you’re ready to take on the ultimate snack party platter, or, possibly just your regular, average afternoon snack, try out my Omega Cheese Crackers with a delectable dip. Combined, this take on your regular ‘cheese and crackers’ is a supercharge of flavour, fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals and essential fats. 

So, go on, I know you want to.

 Omega Cheese Crackers 

{MAKES ABOUT 24} 

Home-made crackers are a great way to save money, save the earth by reducing package waste, and just make dip dunking and snacking so much more gratifying. These crispy flaxseed meal crackers are a weekly bake in my household, and the addition of nutritional yeast flakes gives the tastiest cheesy flavour. Great for entertaining, afternoon snacking and kids’ lunchboxes. 

•     200 g (7 oz/2 cups) flaxseed meal 
•     185–250 ml (6–9 fl oz/3/4–1 cup) filtered water 
•     2 tablespoons coconut aminos 
•     1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes (optional) 
•     Tiny pinch of sea salt 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper. 

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix until they form a smooth dough. 

Spread the dough to about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick on the prepared baking tray. Score into squares or diamonds so the crackers can be broken apart easily when baked. 

Bake for 20–30 minutes, until crispy. 

Lemony Goat’s Cheese Dip 

{ MAKES ABOUT 375 G [13 OZ] } 

• 220 g (7 3/4 oz/1 cup) hummus 
• 150 g (5 1/2 oz) goat’s cheese 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor. 

Serve with omega cheese crackers.

Give them a go and let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Lee xo

When we talk about chemicals, we often look at our consumption of chemicals and pesticides in food, and the potential impact they may have on our health. But have you ever thought about the chemical impact of your cookware?

Why think about cookware?

Most traditional non-stick pans release toxic fumes when overheated, which can increase the burden on our (often overworked) liver. Non-stick pans contain harmful chemicals such as PFAS, Gen X (not the generation – Gen X are part of the PFAS class of synthetic substances that create a non-stick coating), PTFE and more. Every time you overheat your pan, these toxic chemicals get released and slowly accumulate in our body and the environment.

Cooking with non-chemical cookware is a healthier option that minimises the consumption of toxins, emits less carbon dioxide than traditional non-stick pans and can handle high heats.

Choosing toxic-free cookware.

If you’re looking for a pantastic new pan, why not try GreenPan^TM? Their 100% toxic-free ceramic non-stick coatings are made with natural materials and don’t contain any nasties so you can say goodbye to toxic fumes for good. After all, healthy cooking starts with healthy cookware. GreenPan^TM has a wide selection of ceramic and metal pots and pans which are dishwasher friendly to spare you the stress of cleaning up. Using GreenPan^TM promotes healthy and toxic-free cooking. You can read a review here.

Which collection should you choose?

If you’re thinking, “I have no room for MORE cookware,” the Smart Collection is for you. The range of space-saving stackable frying pans will easily fit into your kitchen cupboard. The V-shaped handle on the Smart Collection will help minimise heat transfer and ensure a comfortable grip, so you can goodbye to burnt hands. The Thermolon^TM Infinity Professional ceramic non-stick coating is durable and glittered with diamonds for an extra bit of sparkle.

If you need an all-in-one, The Craft Collection uses heavy gauge materials that allow for intensive daily use. The cast handles utilise black titanium, and the stainless-steel lids have etched details that give this collection a luxe look and feel – get your Insta-worthy shots ready! The smart design even provides you with 25% more extra cooking surface and is simple to use and clean.

Are you looking for smart technology and a sophisticated look? Cue: The Copenhagen Collection. With premium materials for professional results, this collection is modern and sleek, finished off with a unique handle in brushed stainless-steel. It’s the perfect addition to the modern kitchen.

The Melbourne Collection heats quickly and evenly on your stove thanks to its construction and technology, performing exceptionally on all heat sources. The silicone handles on this collection adds a comfortable and secure grip. As a bonus, each pan and pot uses drip-free edges for easy pouring without the mess.

My Favourite Collection

The Venice Pro Collection is my personal favourite, with a hard-anodised aluminium exterior that’s stylish and handy, complete with Magnetio^TM induction technology for top performance. The stainless steel handle allows your cookware to transfer safely from counter to oven. The glass lids are great for easy monitoring and reduce the chances of heat escaping; perfect for the impatient cook or baker. It’s a collection that can do it all and ticks all the boxes.

Check out that stackability!

If you’ve got no fry-dea what you’d cook with a new pan, allow me to introduce to you to my fifteen-minute immune-boosting vegetable broth. This recipe is as immune-boosting as they come, containing antimicrobial garlic, antioxidant-rich carrots and flu-fighting ginger.

It’s incredibly fibre-licious and straightforward. The best part about this broth is that it’s cooked in one pan. Say goodbye to hours of washing up and use that time to enjoy this broth with your family and friends. I can’t wait for you to try it out for yourself.

Fifteen Minute Immune Boosting Vegetable Broth 

Serves 2 

• 4 cloves garlic sliced fine 
• 1 carrot thinly sliced lengthways 
• 2 sticks celery sliced 
• 1 zucchini chopped into cubes 
• 1-inch piece of ginger sliced
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock 
• 2 tbs nutritional yeast flakes
• Sea salt, black pepper and coriander to serve 

1. Place all ingredients into the pan. Bring to a boil then simmer, for ten minutes until vegetables are cooked. 
2. Pour into a bowl and season to taste, then stir in nutritional yeast flakes if using.
3. Serve immediately with fresh coriander. 

GreenPan^TM can be found on Amazon.com.au or in Target, Myer or Kitchen Warehouse.

Find out more about Green Pan here. Socialise with Green Pan on Facebook here and Instagram here.

We all know I have a little bit of a green thumb; and love tending to my garden, growing an abundance of herbs, planting new seeds and foraging.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking, isn’t this a blog about prebiotics? And yes, you are right of course.

A few years back in my Gut Health 101, I gave the analogy of the gut as being like an Amazonian rainforest. We’re going to dive a little deeper into that concept today and discuss the gut environment. 

Inside each of us is an inner rainforest that needs to be nurtured; this is known as your gut microbiome. Just like a rainforest, your internal ecosystem requires the right soil, seeds, plants and fertiliser to blossom and grow.  

To create vibrantly coloured plants, we need a diverse range of bacteria and plant food. This is where varied fibre-rich whole foods come in, known as prebiotics.

Prebiotics are found in your everyday vegetables and legumes such as asparagus, lentils and onion, as well as more exotic foods, like your chicory root and Jerusalem artichoke. They promote the growth of friendly gut bacteria to improve metabolic issues, health maintenance and protection against disorders.

Prebiotics not only have protective effects on the gastrointestinal system but also on other parts of the body, such as the central nervous system, immune system, and cardiovascular system. TAG: triacylglycerol; LDL: low-density lipoprotein; IBS: irritable bowel syndrome; IL-4: interleukin 4; IL-8: interleukin 8; IL-10: interleukin 10; NK cells function: natural killer cells function.

Probiotic foods, like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha, are also going to help your inner ecosystem flourish and grow. Probiotics look after the gut by promoting good gut bacteria and ridding the body of any harmful bacteria. Enhance your gut health further with Gundry MD Mct Wellness, a supplement crafted to support your overall well-being. With a blend of MCTs and other key ingredients, it complements the benefits of probiotic-rich foods, promoting a healthier and more balanced gut environment.

To tend to the rainforest, firstly it needs to be cleaned and free of bad bacteria and residue that inhibits absorption (mucoid plaque). If you're looking for ways to show gentle cleanse your internal rainforest and sweep out impurities,  Love Your Gut Powder, Love Your Gut Capsules and Golden Gut Blend can help. They're a naturally vegan source of organic quality, food grade diatomaceous earth, that help sweep out impurities and reduce bloating. Golden Gut Blend is a mineral-rich anti-inflammatory blend that helps create a healthy alkaline environment in the body.

It’s time to plant new seeds in your ecosystem, so welcome to the garden club! If you’re looking for a fertiliser, Fulvic Humic Concentrate contains natural plant substances that play an important role in healthy metabolism and gut lining and is particularly useful if you are suffering from increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut). You can read more about leaky gut on Harvard Health here. 

Because your bacteria need to be nourished too, today I'm sharing a list of some of my new favourite prebiotic rich foods that you might want to add to your diet for great gut health;

Chicory Fibre

Chicory root is packed with a soluble fibre called inulin, a type of fructan. Inulin can be found in some of our more well-known prebiotics, including artichokes, onions and garlic. Inulin promotes healthy digestion, is excellent for relieving constipation, fighting inflammation and improving the absorption of minerals. Inulin, like all prebiotics, passes through the body undigested, helping to ease digestion. Chicory is commonly added to packaged foods to boost their fibre content, but I think we should dig straight to the source!

While chicory isn’t found in your general grocer, it can be found in some special grocers or health food shops. If you can find chicory root, boil it and then eat the leaves and roots as you usually would eat your greens.

If you’re looking for an alternative to coffee, like dandelion tea, chicory can be used as a caffeine-free alternative and is often combined with dandelion root in tea bags.

It’s seriously delicious, and great for your liver too. You might like to try this Mocha Banana Smoothie Bowl  and use dandelion and chicory tea. Or go for a Proplant complete shake.

Konjac

Used in traditional Chinese medicine as a weight-loss supplement for years, konjac is an Asian root vegetable full of soluble fibre. It contains glucomannan, helping maintain blood glucose levels and relieving constipation while being very low in calories.

While it sounds exceptionally exotic and fancy, konjac can be found as a noodle alternative in the health food section of the supermarket. They make for an excellent pasta alternative for anyone looking to up their fibre, without the gluten, grains or sugar.

Enjoy konjac noodles with vegetables and protein, like my delicious pantry tuna pasta.

Cassava Flour

I’ve always rooted for cassava root! The cassava plant is found in South America, Asia and Africa, and is a starchy carbohydrate, similar to potatoes, taro or yam. The cassava vegetable, also known as yuca, is transformed into an unstoppable flour when we peel and dry it, making it rich in dietary fibre.

It contains a resistant starch known as RS3 and is high in nutrients while being gluten, grain and nut-free. It’s practically the holy grail of gluten-free flours and can be replaced on a 1-1 scale to regular white flour in many recipes.

Why not try this Celeriac Fries recipe and swap it out for Cassava. 

Chickpea Flour

Legumes have bean around the town when we talk about prebiotics, so why not spin it around, turn it upside down and process it into flour?

I know, it’s getting wild up in here!

Enter – chickpea flour, the answer to your high-protein flour prayers (just me? Okay, fine.). Chickpeas contain antioxidants called polyphenols, and are rich in protein, containing 20g of protein per cup of flour. It is low GI, meaning it won’t have an impact on blood glucose levels either.

You can typically find chickpea flour (Besan or Gram flour) online, or at a health food store. One of the best ways to use chickpea flour is to turn it into a flatbread called socca bread, which uses a ratio of 1-1 chickpea to water. It’s so chic!

While the prebiotics listed above are a little different to your usual onion and artichoke, don’t be alarmed! The regular vegetables that you’re already buying are already helping to feed your prebiotics and form good gut bacteria; go you good thing!

If you’re wanting some more regular prebiotics to get your inner ecosystem going, I’ve got you covered here too;

I won’t un-leek too many jokes here because I don’t want to bring you to tears ;). Leeks and onions contain inulin, helping to promote healthy gut bacteria and break down dietary lipids.

Leeks and onions are on my weekly shopping rotation, and there's hardly ever a roast veggie tray in my house without them.

Why not try this one on for size, it's my popular Prebiotic Tray Bake with Garlic Tahini here.

Still rooting for root vegetables (try to say that ten times fast!)? Me too! I mean, is there anything they can’t do?!

Starchy root vegetables like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, turnips and parsnips are easy-to-digest, great for your digestive system and incredibly cleansing for the body. They tend to be sweet in taste but don’t spike your blood sugar.

They get extra brownie points for being rich in vitamin A and C, essential for our skin and immune health.

If you’re tired of the typical roasted vegetables, try mashing them up in a chunky root veg mash… mmm…  

If you’re looking to please even the toughest of critics (in my experience, this is typically children under the age of 12 ha), my sweet potato, broccoli and ham soup is your new go-to. I mean, for real, who can say no to ham?

If you’re going ham just thinking about it, make sure you find a passionate butcher and invest in quality free-range or organic nitrate-free ham. However, if you happen to be cooking for the ham averse, just leave out the ham for a delectable veg-filled soup. I assure you; all taste buds will be singing from the first taste.

Sweet potato, broccoli and ham soup

SERVES 4

This soup is so delicious and easy to throw together. It’s also great to freeze, for use as a quick midweek work meal. In my eyes, ham is one of the most scrumptious, joyous, flavour-filled foods in the world. But not all hams are created equal. Make sure you find a passionate butcher and invest in quality free-range or organic nitrate-free ham, which will be browner and not so pink (pink ham has been treated with nitrates). The taste is second to none, and you only need small amounts to bring an immense salty ham flavour to your meals.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 leeks, pale part only, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 thin nitrate-free ham slices, chopped
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 turnip, chopped
• 1 head broccoli, chopped
• 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) vegetable stock or filtered water
• 2 teaspoons picked thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs to serve
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 80 ml (21/2 fl oz/1/3 cup) coconut cream

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then cook the leeks, garlic and ham for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients except for the coconut cream, then bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked.

Transfer half the soup to a blender, allow to cool slightly, then purée until smooth.

Return the puréed soup to the pan to heat through.

Ladle into bowls, swirl in the coconut cream and serve garnished with thyme sprigs and a grind of pepper.

SUPERCHARGED TIP 

Roasted sweet potato slices make a lovely garnish for this soup, as do edible flowers. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think of this or any of the other recipes in the comments section below.

If Disney taught me one thing, it was this; Sleeping Beauty was onto something!

We all know what we feel like when we don’t get enough rest; it feels like it’s harder to do everything. We hinder our work performance, finding the strength to do physical activity can be that much more difficult, and we’re more likely to get run-down and feel aches and pains feel or sniffles coming along.

We all know we need sleep, so if it has become a problem for you, maybe now is a good time to prioritise it. Rest is a massive piece in the puzzle of health and is vital for our brains, immune system, digestive system and ability to function as a human being.

Sleep gives us a chance to recover, rebalance and reset for a new day. Sleeping is also essential for brain health, allowing our neural networks to slow down and go back to baseline each night, so we don’t get overloaded and overwhelmed in the morning. On top of this, research is now suggesting that sleep can impact our mood, with sleep deprivation amplifying our response to negative emotional stimuli. So, when you lack sleep, your reactions to situations may differ significantly to when you’re well-rested.

Sleep is also essential for regulating our metabolism, particularly with the hormones that control our appetite, leptin (the hormone that signals satiety) and ghrelin (the hormone that increases hunger that is produced and released mainly by the stomach with small amounts also released by the small intestine, pancreas and brain). Sleep helps suppress ghrelin and stimulate leptin. Without sleep, these can reverse, which is why we’re likely to grab a chocolate bar mid-morning after not getting enough sleep!

Before we dive into specific foods, I'd love to touch on the importance of sleep hygiene; the things you can do daily to improve your sleep. I hope that these tips help you. 

My essentials for sleep include:  

1. Create a sleep schedule. I recommend going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. We want to be getting at least 8 hours of sleep per night.
2. Help your body wind down, switch off cortisol and retire for the day with a calming night-time routine. Try out a warm bath or shower, a delicious candle, writing or drawing in a journal, meditating or deep breathing, a relaxing self massage for the tummy, listening to relaxing music, chatting to your loved ones or reading a book. 
3. Watch your stimulant intake. Consider your consumption of caffeine, alcohol and refined sugar, especially in the latter part of the day. It’s said that two glasses of wine before bed can negatively impact sleep by up to 40%! 
4. Your room should be your sanctuary. Let me repeat that: your bedroom should be your sanctuary. Stop doing work on your bed! Before bed, your room should be pitch black, at a cool temperature and as quiet as possible.
5. Avoid foods that are super spicy and rich, overly fatty and stimulating, especially before bed.
6. I recommend staying hydrated throughout the day and try not to drink too much liquid before you go to bed – no one likes waking up for bathroom trips several times throughout the night.
7. Exercise regularly throughout the day, aiming to get outside in the earlier hours of the morning. Regular exercise in daylight tells your body that it’s daytime, which is vital for our circadian rhythms. This increases our alertness throughout the day.

Now that the basics are out of the way, it’s time to look at specific sleep-enhancing foods.

The meal before you go to bed, usually dinner, should include foods with a low glycemic index, combined with a protein and fat, e.g. non-starchy vegetables, a portion of your favourite protein and some avocado. Eating a whole and balanced dinner will help keep you full and satisfied, without feeling overstuffed.

One of my favourite minerals in the whole world is magnesium (sorry to any other minerals listening)! Magnesium performs over 300 biochemical reactions in the body and supports the health of the nervous system, musculoskeletal system and digestive system. It also produces specific neurotransmitters that regulate our stress and sleep response.

Many of us are magnesium deficient, so I recommend upping your intake of magnesium-rich food. Include nuts and seeds such as almonds and pepitas, bananas, avocado, spinach and beans. And after dinner and a few hours before bed, try chocolate. Who doesn’t want to be told by their nutritionist that they should eat chocolate? Try out my Collagen and Flax Chocolate Bars for a delicious magnesium hit.

B vitamins are an absolute must, helping us turn the food we eat into energy and regulating our stress response. They’re integral in supporting neurotransmitter production too. Specifically, vitamin B6 synthesises melatonin, the hormone that makes us sleepy. Foods rich in vitamin B6 include poultry such as chicken or turkey, oats, bananas and pumpkin. Fish is another source of vitamin B6, giving your body the heads up that it’s time to produce melatonin and get sleepy.

Fish is also full of omega-3 fatty acids, which help regulate serotonin, responsible for our sleep-wake cycle. Omega-3 fatty acids help regulate cortisol, the stress hormone and reduce inflammation. For a fish delight, get your hands on my Delicious Salmon and Coriander Fish Cakes here or my Supercharged Fish Tortillas here.

The gut intricately connects to the brain via the gut-brain axis. Essentially, this means that the gut impacts the brain and visa versa. So, if you’re struggling to fall asleep, have a look at your gut health. If your gut bacteria is getting you down, clean the gut as you sleep with Love Your Gut Powder, Golden Gut Blend or LYG Capsules.

One ingredient you may have not yet heard about is tart cherry juice. Current clinical research is discovering that tart cherries can increase our time asleep and sleep efficiency.¹ Tart cherry juice helps regulate our circadian rhythm (our sleep-wake cycle) and is also a potent antioxidant. Drink up!

If you’re a meat-eater, you’ll be happy to know that chicken and turkey are great for sleep. Both chicken and turkey contain the amino acid tryptophan, which helps make serotonin, causing a relaxing mood, which then helps produce melatonin. You don’t need to wait till Thanksgiving to have a turkey; supercharge every day with my Roast Turkey with all the Trimmings or give my Chicken Biryani with Cauliflower Rice a try.

Other natural sleeping remedies include teas that contain two powerful ingredients – passionflower and valerian. These herbs are both natural sedatives, reducing stress, calming us down and targeting sleep disorders.

Speaking of sleepy teas, how can we forget chamomile? While some people think of chamomile as hay water, I love the taste. Chamomile is a gentle herb that is incredibly soothing, and full of an antioxidant called apigenin that promotes sleepiness… I’m nodding off just thinking about it. Try these relaxing tea recipes here. 

We mentioned that nuts and seeds are rich in magnesium, but they also contain that serotonin-boosting amino acid, tryptophan. Including walnuts, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds and almonds every day will do wonders for your sleep.

If you’re nuts for nuts, you’ll love my Pumpkin Almond Bake. This supercharged bake, packed full of mood-lifting and sleep-enhancing foods, is a great side dish at dinner before you hit the hay at the end of the day.

Pumpkin Almond Bake

A couple of everyday veggies combined with the right spices and a sprinkling of toasted almonds – you’ll be amazed at the paradoxical simplicity and flavourful complexity of this dish. Easy to prepare and easy on the wallet, it’s a bake that’s big on flavour yet low in calories. What more could you ask?

Serves 4

• 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) pumpkin (winter squash), cut into dice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil, melted, or olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 400 g (14 oz) baby (pattypan) squash, halved if large
• 1 large brown onion, cut into thin wedges
• Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 45 g (1 1/2 oz/1/3 cup) slivered almonds, to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

Put the pumpkin in a roasting tray, drizzle with half the oil and sprinkle with the spices.

Roast for 20 minutes, then add the remaining vegetables and oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for a further 15–20 minutes, or until cooked through, turning once.

Meanwhile, toast the slivered almonds in a small dry frying pan over medium heat until light golden.

Serve the vegetables topped with the toasted almonds.

SUPERCHARGED TIP

You can replace the baby squash with zucchini (courgette) if you prefer.

¹ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28901958/