Spring loving, had me a blast.

Spring loving, happened so fast.

I met a girl, crazy for me.

Met a boy, cute as can ah… ahh... ahh… ahchoo!

Spring fever got you down?

While Spring brings with it a sense of lightness, florals and warmth for so many, for others, the only thing that comes to mind when I say spring is suffering with sneezes and sniffles – bless you!

If the very thought of seasonal change makes your nose itch and eyes water, you’re not alone. While you can plough through the anti-histamines, decongestants, tablets and sprays or even wear a mask to protect you from days with a high pollen count, there are easier ways to clear out seasonal allergies. And it all starts in one of my favorite places - the gut.

Today at Supercharged Food HQ, we’re talking about seasonal allergies and how looking after your gut can actually help you reduce your seasonal sniffles!  If you don’t believe me, let it be known that about 70-80% of your immune tissues actually live in the gut. This means that by looking after your gut you’re also caring for your immune system.

On the other hand (or other side of the soggy tissue), if you have problems with your gut, it can trigger immune-related conditions such as seasonal allergies.

So, if your gut health is compromised by, for example, consuming seven chocolate mud cakes and three bottles of wine for several weeks in a row, you can increase the inflammation in your body and worsen your reactions.  

Today I'm sharing my Supercharged Seasonal Food Guide.

Are you looking to become a pro of the biotic?

Well first up, I'm going to let you in on a little secret, one between us pro's. Not everyone necessarily needs to take a probiotic supplement. Sometimes, just a spoon full of Sauerkraut keeps the good gut microbes satisfied.

If you’re reading this and you’ve never really understood probiotics, I’ll start from the beginning.

Our gut microbiome is made up of a community of bacteria that’s responsible for far more than our digestive health. The health of our gut can impact our immune system, sleep, hormones, energy levels, weight, skin and more.

A healthy microbiome involves a great number of probiotics, known as our friendly bacteria, and a smaller number of pathogenic bacteria. To keep our guts flourishing, probiotics are necessary to help the growth of the good bacteria within your gut.

To replenish your strains of good bacteria, try consuming a small amount of probiotic-rich foods at least a few times each week. Personally, I take a probiotic supplement daily and consume a range of prebiotic and probiotic foods to widen the diversity. 

However, some sensitive tummies can suffer from gas and bloating when consuming probiotic-rich foods initially. It’s best to start slowly with a teaspoon and build up from there.

Below are my top six probiotic-rich foods and their benefits. By including a range of the following ingredients into your daily meal rotation, you'll be helping contribute to a thriving digestive system that will benefit the wellbeing of your entire body!

Sauerkraut is finely cut cabbage that’s been fermented, making it more nutritious than its raw variety. It can help improve digestive health and even contains high levels of iron which is great for boosting energy. Although, be mindful of the salt!

Sauerkraut can be high in sodium, so be wary when choosing store-bought varieties. Look for sauerkraut that's in the fridge at your local deli or health food store, as those kept at room temperature often contain additives and preservatives that can cause more harm than good. I love to top off my salads, such as my Bohemian Baked Vegetable Bowl, with a spoon of sauerkraut. I've included my cultured vegetable recipe below for you to try your hand at too! 

When you were a kid, did you ever enjoy drinkable yoghurt?. Nowadays, a handy drinkable yoghurt to try is kefir, a thick, nutrient-dense and deliciously creamy fermented milk product that can help support immunity, enhance detoxification and of course, reduce digestive issues.

It’s made using kefir grains that help grow live bacteria and yeast cultures. You can find it in a dairy form or, if you avoid milk, there are some vegan varieties available. How to have it? You can drink it straight, add it to smoothies, whip it up like cream cheese or use it as a dressing.

You may have heard of ‘superfood’ green powders that include vegetables from the sea and algae. While that may sound a little bit off-putting, do not be turned off by the sea! Chlorella and spirulina are not just for the lovable grass-chewing hippies. They can act as wonderful probiotics that provide a nutrient-boost with every spoonful. These green powders are made of nutrient-dense organisms found in salt water. Spirulina is comprised of more than 70 per cent protein, as well as vitamin E, chlorophyll and fatty acids. While, chlorella is a green microalgae that’s rich in chlorophyll, protein and carotenoids. Chlorophyll is a probiotic that’s seriously powerful for the gut. You can mix green powders into a glass of water or, add them to your smoothie, like my Berry and Avocado Smoothie Bowl and you won’t even know that they’re there!

Kimchi is traditionally a Korean fermented vegetable that’s made with a mix of veggies including cabbage with seasonings such as chilli, garlic, turmeric and ginger. This antioxidant-rich mix contains bacteria to aid digestive and immune health. Kimchi is rich in digestive enzymes, making it the perfect fix for a sluggish digestive system. You can use it to add a kick to your seasonings or on its own but use it sparingly as you may run the risk of burning your mouth!

Move aside regular pickles, we’re talking about the real dill! Pickles that have been lacto-fermented (i.e. fermented in salty water, not vinegar), are bouncing with probiotics and full of live bacteria. They’re best served organic and locally made, if possible. Feel free to include them in your sandwiches, toss them through your salads, or serve them next to my Turmeric Scrambled Eggs.

I couldn’t write about probiotics without including yoghurt. Both Greek yoghurt and most coconut yoghurts contain a probiotic known as Lactobacillus Acidophilus which helps show pure love to your gut. Biodynamic organic yoghurt (dairy or plant-based) is where it's at! Be sure to read the labels and watch out for any high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners and flavours added to it. Also, look for “live and active cultures” – this is what you’re after. The probiotics within yoghurt help quickly build up healthy microbes in the gut lining which helps increase the absorption of food and reduce bad bacteria. You can try your hand at making your own Coconut Frozen Yo-Gut here. 

While you wouldn’t usually think of Apple Cider Vinegar as a probiotic, it actually has probiotic enzymes that help balance gut bacteria, helping improve nutrient assimilation and balancing pH levels. It’s also seriously good for our overall wellbeing – in fact, it’s one of the first things I pop out of my cupboard when I feel a cold or flu coming on.  ACV is one of the star ingredients in my Apple Cider Gummy Bears. Yes, I said gummy bears. However, if you’re not into all things tasty, delicious and chewable (but seriously, who isn’t?), you can also drizzle some over your salads like I’ve done here.

If you want to try out fermenting for yourself, I've included my Fermented Vegetable recipe for you below! Once you get to learn the process, fermenting can be lots of fun. Start by choosing vegetables you’re familiar with, so it doesn’t feel intimidating. Fermented vegetables can be served as a side dish — just start with a small amount, such as a teaspoonful, and work your way up.

Also just a final tip if you’re not absorbing your food well or have a sluggish digestion cleaning it first with Love Your Gut Powder can help! You can find the powder over here www.superchargeyourgut.com

If you've been following me on the gram, you'll know that I've just been working back home in the beautiful UK, one of my favourite places in the world. I was doing in-stores over at Planet Organic and sampling the Love Your Gut powder and Golden Gut Blend.

Whilst I was home, I also managed to squeeze in a short sailing trip to The Isle of Wight, which is a quaint island off the coast of England and home to wonderful wildlife, natural beauty, absolutely delicious food (I had one of the best soups of my life- the one I'm sharing today) and little nooks and crannies to explore.

This cute island is situated just off England’s South coast and is only a few hours away from London. Most people travel to it by ferry, or if you're like me and enjoy sailing and get the chance, you can sail over there too.  

The best part is that it's an island that's protected from the busy mainland, offering more of a calm and peaceful environment.  In true English fashion, the Isle of Wight was home to many famous poets and Queen Victoria (who knew?). She built her summer residence and final home there - and we all know I’m a sucker for a good Royals story!

Not only is the Isle of Wight home to the Queen, it's also home to the most
beautiful, fresh and absolutely delicious produce you can find. Many restaurants and pubs offer delicious menus based on locally grown produce.

If you talk to anyone in town and even mention the g-word (garlic), you won’t hear the end of it! Garlic is practically the national treasure of the Isle of Wight. It’s been successfully grown there for many years and is even exported to France – so be sure to send them a 'thank you' postcard next time you go to France and enjoy a croissant with garlic butter…

Besides classic adolescent mood swings, menstruation and menopause, how much do you actually know about hormones?

Well, as it turns out, there’s a lot more to hormones than meets the eye. Period. (sorry, I promise I won’t make any more hormone jokes). Hormones play a crucial role throughout the body, every single day. 

Hormones control our sleep, our immune system and even our libido! (Hot flush alert!)

Are you ready to control those hormones for good?

If this sounds like you, Michelle Chevalley Hedge from A Healthy View and Jennifer Flemming have released their latest book The Australian Healthy Hormone Diet, and I highly recommend it!

The extremely knowledgeable Michelle Chevalley Hedge is an American nutritionist, health writer, presenter and a close friend of mine. She created The Australian Healthy Hormone Diet to help you uncover what your hormones are actually trying to tell you! 

The Australian Healthy Hormone Diet offers a four-week nutritional plan that encompasses both lifestyle and nutritional changes to help bring your life, and your hormones, back into balance. If you’re looking to start your hormone-healing journey but you’re not even sure where to begin, Michelle shares countless stories to help you understand just how hormone imbalances can manifest throughout your life and how it’s something every single one of us can experience.

For example, if you’re someone who experiences high stress, your cortisol levels could be through the roof, if you have metabolism issues, you may want to check your thyroid and if you suffer from anxiety, it’s time to up that serotonin!

The Australian Healthy Hormone Diet will show you how to find balance in your life through delicious recipes and simple lifestyle tips for lasting changes. I love the little informative tid-bits she includes throughout the book, discussing things like the fat vs. skim debate and the importance of sleep!

Enjoy my interview with Michelle and don't forget to check out her delicious recipe for her Brussel Sprouts Chicken Caesar Salad (um... yum!) below.

- Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started your health journey?

I have always been interested in food - madly interested. My mum is Italian, with 5 sisters, so I grew up in a home where ‘food is love’.  I thought I would go into medicine and health as a career but as life has it, I ended up getting a scholarship to a business school and a fellowship for a Masters in Computers.  This landed me a career in education and marketing for Microsoft here in Australia 26 years ago.  I often tell people  how I came here to speak at a conference, and fell in love with a man and a country - in 24 hours!!!

While I was working at Microsoft, like most time-poor working people, my physical and mental health began to suffer.  My moods, brain clarity, energy, and sleep was unbalanced, not to mention my weight would fluctuate 2-3 kilos a week  due to my stress hormone, cortisol being overloaded.  In retrospect, I am so lucky to have that career, as now as a nutritionist I can say to most super busy time poor people….’I get you! I truly understand wanting to get healthy without an extreme approach!'

- Do you subscribe to a food or wellness philosophy?

I like ‘a healthy view’, not an extreme one.  I educate our clients on how food needs to be tasty, easy and affordable.  If it is not, then it is not in our books, plans or cleanse programs.  I believe in eating as much real food as possible and when we are not that is ok, but make a conscious, mindful choice.  For example, if you are going to have a couple of Friday night champagnes then perhaps that day you don't have sushi rice with your meal because you know you're going to have a fair bit of sugar from your champagne. 

- What are your top 3 cooking staples? 

Oh, that is difficult to limit to three!  Food-wise… it would be flaxseeds, avocado, and eggs.  I could live on those three yummy things to keep me satiated and my bowels moving!  Equipment wise… it would be a NutriBullet, case iron fry pan, tea pot.

- If you could cook a meal for one person, what would you make?

I love eggs, poached, boiled, or scramble for breakfast or lunch with wild flavours added but I will tell you my favourite, easy, peasy dinner.

A piece of fish rubbed with some moroccan season and oil to marinate in the fridge before I leave for work.  Arrive home and chop a sweet potato in small chucks ( smaller chucks means less cooking time) and toss in boiling water for about 15 minutes.  Drain and mash, adding some olive oil, salt and pepper. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, I decide if I'll bake this fish or pop on the BBQ for only 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.  I'll use any veggie I have, often broccoli, cauliflower or green beans.  Toss them in oil and a tiny bit of preserved lemon, finely chopped.  Place the veggies alongside the fish either in the oven at 200 degrees or the BBQ for about 8-10 minutes or until cooked.

Lay the sweet potato mash on a white plate.  Place the fish on top and pop the veggies alongside.  Yum!

- How do you know if your hormones are out of whack?

Do you ever wake up tired after 8 hours of sleep? Do you have trouble losing weight or maintaining weight despite eating like a bird?  Do you go to bed exhausted but lie there - tired but wired?  Is your weight going straight to your tummy?  Are you hungry all the time? Are you moody, anxious or depressed and cannot understand why?

These are just a few of the signs that something is hormonally out of balance.  

It could be that you are on cortisol overload from food and life stresses.  It could be a sluggish thyroid hormone hijacking your weight.  Perhaps it is your insulin levels, creating high testosterone levels and cascading into PCOS.  Or oestrogen excess and heavy periods or cystic breasts?  Our humble hormones have a lot to answer for. 

 - What are your top tips for people who are trying to balance their hormones?

Take 4 weeks out of your life and eat clean, real food that is low sugar, no gluten and low dairy.  Make sure you have someone or a book to guide you and provide you with easy recipes that taste delicious.  If your food is tasty and satiating, then it is repeatable and becomes a habit and will most likely continue beyond the 4 weeks because it's easy to follow. 

- I'm in menopause, what foods do you suggest for people like me?

I love talking about menopause, but this book is for men and women of all ages not just with menopause hormone issues.  But since we are on this hot topic let me say that doing our 4-week rebalance that is included in the book will bring back you energy, shine, and perhaps even your libido.   The 4-week program is designed to get your liver clean, tummy flat, digestion working and brain firing.  We do that with recipes that are nutritionally dense, high in fibre, with good fats and quality proteins. 

- What inspired you to write your latest book, The Australian Healthy Hormone Diet?

In our clinical practice, A Healthy View and at our corporate speaking engagements, we were seeing an alarming number of people who were angry with themselves for lack of willpower and self-discipline.  I want people to stop beating themselves up and start looking beneath the surface of weight gain, exhaustion, belly back, fat and muffin tops!  I want people to start exploring if their fat storage hormone, insulin, is out.  I would like people to explore if their stress hormone, cortisol, is keeping weight on their belly or perhaps it’s an undiagnosed, sluggish thyroid hormone.  People who are suffering from PMT, fibroid and fertility issues - could it be that your oestrogen is out of whack? Men who are exhausted and gaining a ‘dad bod’ need to know what is going on with their bodies, brains and hormones and its connection to food.

- Tell us about The Australian Healthy Hormone Diet?

It is a 4-week, step by step recipe and lifestyle program to rebalance your hormones.  It starts off in Part I with real people, sharing their true experiences of PCOS, exhaustion, brain fog, lack of libido, and anxiety.  Those clients then go on to explain how the 4 week hormone rebalance has become part of their life because it is so easy.  It includes delicious recipes in a food combining way. 

 - What’s your favourite recipe from The Australian Healthy Hormone Diet?

Brussel Sprout Caesar Salad. "Lock up your Brussels Sprouts"…as Lee says!  This dish is scrumptious and nutritious.  I love the flavour of the dressing and I am in a race to out caesar my Italian mum in New York.   She is hands down the queen of caesar dressing.  The added benefit of Brussel sprouts being liver cleansing just takes this dish to the next level.

For more information, check it out here. 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 x 150 g skinless chicken breast fillets
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 500g brussel sprouts, thinly sliced
• chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 3 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed
• Sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper (optional) 

Method:

• To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, tamari and capers in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and season if required
• Place the chicken in a glass or ceramic dish, then pour half the dressing evenly over the top. Set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes (though if you can, prepare this in the morning or even the night before so it's had plenty of time to marinate). The dressing will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator
• Preheat the oven to 180°C
• Transfer the chicken breasts to a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. Alternatively, cook them on the barbecue
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the sprouts and sauté for about 5 minutes or until just tender. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Toss the remaining dressing through the sprouts.
• Slice the chicken and scatter over the top, then garnish with flat-leaf parsley and serve

There’s only a fine line between youthful and ageing skin…

If you’re looking for an Australian-made product that’s full of superfoods to support healthy ageing, liver and gut health, or to strengthen your hair, skin and nails, you’ve come to the right place.

Vita-Sol, created by leading Australian nutritional experts, is here and it’s extraordinary. Using only the highest quality ingredients from around the globe, these blends are here to help you look and feel amazing from the inside out. Each powder contains a high source of vitamins, minerals and herbs to support healthy living and wellbeing. All the products are vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free, so perfect for any dietary requirements. Every product has been tested for toxic heavy metal safety and contains no synthetic ingredients.

Vita-Sol have three different types of Wholefood products.

Infinity Wholefood is full of organic superfoods to support cells for healthy ageing. It protects the skin from damage and is definitely my favourite one because we all know there’s only a fine line between youthful skin and ageing skin.

Purity Wholefood is perfect for supporting liver and gut, including organic alkaline greens and sprout blends to strengthen liver function. The blend is so well-balanced that it nutritionally supports and assists in the getting rid of skin conditions such as acne, eczema and hormonal pigmentation.

Flexibility Wholefood is a multi-action formula and deliciously warming mineral spice blend to support the health of your joints as well as skin, hair and nails. It’s nutritionally-dense and packed with antioxidants to provide the ultimate support for your insides and get your outsides glowing too.

To find out more about these beautiful products, click this link here.

Are you looking for recipes to supercharge your gut?

Or, are you thinking to yourself: “why on earth do I need to look after this irrelevant part of my body?”

Whether you’re one extreme or the other, help is on the way!

Looking after the gut is your gateway to the health of your overall body. Inside you there are trillions of living microorganisms and the majority of them live very happily in the gut.  It's not just the area where you digest food, it also has important connections to your brain and immune system, as well as influencing the interplay of hormones in your body.  Can you believe that your gut health can even affect the length and quality of your sleep?

When your tum's a little disgruntled and out of whack, it makes your body more susceptible to a multitude of  conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, inflammation, obesity, and anxiety and depression, as well as insulin resistance.

If you’re keen to improve your health and maintain energy levels one way to do it is through nutrition and by eating high-quality, wholesome food, just like this lovely Greened up Shakshuka recipe from my book, Supercharge Your Gut. 

That sounds great and all, but surely, it’s easier said than done. Who has time to slave over a stove every day?!

That’s where you’re wrong!

Much of your gut health is in your own hands. When looking to supercharge your gut, it’s so ok to be simple with it. By taking one easy step at a time, and not stressing about being perfect, you can be on your way to looking after your body’s most influential part for good. If you want to find out more about just how to supercharge your gut, be sure to check out my latest book or my two-day Supercharge Your Gut Program.

Do you ever get to 3pm and realise you've forgotten to eat the whole day? You’ve been so busy working and keeping on top of things you’ve forgotten to eat!

Perhaps you’re tired of always being tired?

Or maybe you’re fed up with another fad diet that just never seems to work and leaves you tired and starving?

Welcome to The Good Sort.

The Good Sort Go-to-Meals offer a delicious and natural range of food options and snacks for busy people on the go. They’re clean, natural and full of the good stuff. Just think of them as your go-to fulfilling fast food that provides the ultimate nourishing meal for when you’re on the move and don't want to be taking hundreds of supplements that just burn a hole in your pocket.

While this wonderful go to meal provides so much and more, one thing it’s not is another boring weight-loss drink with questionable ingredients. The Good Sort is for those of you who want to feel your best, improve your energy and be fuelled with natural, good-for-your gut ingredients. If that sounds like you, The Good Sort is the perfect choice. It’s nothing but the good stuff to nourish you from the inside out.

The Good Sort meal and snack replacements are convenient and easy to use. What’s so fantastic about them is that they come in single-serve packs for lasting freshness and ease of use. The Good Sort includes scientifically proven, organic vitamins and minerals alongside quality ingredients that target specific short-term and long-term health benefits for women.

The Good Sort uses Ganeden BC³⁰, a probiotic that has a stable, exceptional shelf life and better digestive transit than others. It helps support your digestive system and improve your immunity. The nutrients are quickly absorbed so you can feel instantly energised and satisfied.

The Good Sort products aren't just tasty and nutritious, they’re also individualised to your own personal needs. You’ll see a big improvement in different areas of your life such as digestion, energy and even an improvement in your hair, skin and nails.

This wonderful 100% natural go-to-meal comes in eight different delicious flavours to fit your mood with both dairy and plant-based options for those who are dairy free.

The dairy protein is great for any time of the day, especially when you need a boost. All of the sachets are perforated, meaning you can easily choose between having a shake as a full meal or a quick snack while still enjoying the same benefits. Dairy Protein Shake Flavours include Banana, Chocolate, Vanilla, Coffee and Strawberry. You might like to also mix and match flavours; banana and chocolate make a really tasty combination.

The plant-based protein contains a complete protein blend to help sustain your energy and keep you nourished and happy. It's great for supercharging your morning routine - just simply blend with 250 ml of your choice of milk, cold water or coconut water and you're sorted! Plant Protein Shake Flavours include Naked, Cocoa and Wildberry. I always use the Naked version when travelling as I find it so convenient to use when I can't find healthy options.

These wonderful nutritional meal replacements are truly one-of-a-kind. It's time to say goodbye to the 'hangry's' for good with The Good Sort and hello to natural nutrition made simple.

Read more about The Good Sort.

Follow The Good Sort on Instagram here: @thegoodsortofficial

Check them out on Facebook on this link here.

Do you know what ingredient needs more recognition?

Lime.

While we all praise lemon like the holy grail – drinking it in the morning, squeezing it onto salads and making lemonade with it, it’s poor little sidekick, lime, always gets left behind. He’s literally the middle child of the citrus family.

Lime is so much more than just zest to add to a drink; it can boost your overall complexion, immunity and help cleanse the body.

So, what do you do when life gives you lemons?  Push them to the side and ask for limes instead.

Limes are an extremely good source of Vitamin C, as well as dietary fibre, calcium, iron, potassium, copper, magnesium and phosphorus. They can be consumed orally or used topically to protect the skin from infections. Similar to lemon, limes can even aid the digestion process and relieve constipation.

What’s the best way to celebrate mother nature’s beautiful limey gift?

Lime Tarts.

There’s something about lime tarts that make me really happy. They’re equally creamy and tarty, tangy and sweet, satisfying and crisp with a crumbly texture.

Let’s talk raw chocolate bars.

What once was dubbed a crazy, revolutionary healthy phenomenon has become the new café norm. These days you can buy raw, vegan caramel slices, bliss balls, mint slices and chocolate bars at your local caff! Whilst these products are usually refined-sugar free, too often they contain a whole load of dried fruit, loads of nuts and are heavy on the sweeteners.

Let's talk dried fruit. While fruit is great, being a source of vitamins, minerals, fibre and even water, when it's dried, it becomes smaller in size than it's fresher counterparts making it very easy to overdo it. This can lead to gastrointestinal problems, weight gain and quick sugar highs followed by bigger sugar drops. Consuming raw chocolate treats may mean you end up eating a lot more dried fruit with added preservatives and nuts than you usually would in one sitting, resulting in an overconsumption of calories and maybe even leaving your tummy in trouble.

So, I've come up with a delicious raw treat recipe that's so delicious and so tasty that it’s hard to believe that it’s actually good for you!

You know when you get a craving so strong that you literally don’t feel satisfied until you fill it?  

That’s me and snickers bars.

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you’ll know I have a little bit (okay, understatement – more like a lot) of a sweet tooth. I loooove anything chocolatey and nut butter-y. And because the blog is all about anti-deprivation, I love creating treat recipes that are healthy and enjoyable, without causing your tummy grief in the process.

My dried fruit-free, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, keto-friendly and vegan-friendly Snickers Bars are almost too good to be true. Wow that was a mouthful.

Speaking of a mouthful, these treats are absolutely delicious and will send your tastebuds back to the days of enjoying a taste-bud tingling snickers bar.

We’ve got melt-in-your-mouth nougat, chewy peanut-butter caramel all wrapped up in chocolate. I know, I know. Amazing. 

So where to start with this healthy treat?

Let's start from the base and work upwards. The nougat base is filled with one of the most delicious, creamy nuts ever – macadamia nuts. Although macadamia nuts are high in healthy fats (and in price), they’re packed full of nutrients and a little goes a long way! Macadamias have shown to improve blood sugar levels, improve bone health because they’re packed full of calcium and magnesium and help support gut health, plus they're blended fine to alleviate any tummy troubles.

I’ve combined these nuts with a blend of delicious ingredients including coconut cream, coconut oil, rice malt syrup, vanilla powder, almond meal, peanuts, a pinch of salt and some Love Your Gut Powder. Did we just make gut-friendly nougat? Oh yes, I believe we did!

Once our nougat’s in order, it’s time to make the caramel....because caramel is delicious and makes everything better. EVERYTHING. I’ve created a peanut-butter, cashew caramel for our centre. I want to speak more about it, but I can’t in case I start dribbling all over my keyboard… oops too late. You’ll just have to trust me on this one… it doesn’t taste as good as it sounds; it actually tastes even better. Speaking of peanuts – did you know they’re actually a legume, not a nut? They’re rich in Vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps protect our cells against oxidative damage. 

Vetivert & Co is a natural skincare brand based in the U.K. that uses the potent healing power of plants to provide visible skin transformation. The beautiful fragrances stimulate the senses by combining food-grade oils, rare plant extracts and the finest essential oils to create products that deeply nourish the skin.

Vetivert & Co hand-make their products out of cold-pressed, natural and organic plants to provide skin with maximum nutrition. They’re a brand committed to creating lovingly crafted botanically-powered skincare products that beautify the skin and relax the mind. 

They have a mix of organic face oils, rosehip oil, and hand and body washes for your ultimate DIY spa day!

Their face oils use a base of Organic Rosehip Oil, which is a powerful, regenerative oil packed full of naturally-occurring antioxidants and vitamins for all skin types. In fact, I use Rosehip Oil every single day. Their Organic Rosehip Oil is extremely rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C known to regenerate and resurface skin and boost collagen production. They extract it from the fruit and seed of the Rosehip for maximum potency. It has a delicate scent but is absolutely bouncing with nutritional properties.  Rosehip oil has been shown to helps in cases of hyper-pigmentation, fine lines, skin dryness and oil production imbalances.

Their Balance Face Oil is a combination of mattifying oils for oily and acne-prone skin. It combines beautiful Rosehip and Grapseed oil with Tamanu oil, a South American fruit oil known to aid in the healing of acne scars and marks. Balance also contains Olive Squalane which is known to boost moisture levels in skin, as well as, lavender, tea tree and rosemary oils which all contain antibacterial properties to prevent further breakouts. The citrus smells hit you instantly and you seriously have to fight yourself from eating it… okay, maybe that’s just me.

Their luxurious hand and body washes are enriched with avocado and Jojoba oils and an exquisite blend of essential oils, safflower, Rosehip and dead sea salt minerals for the ultimate skin transformation. 

If you want to find out more about the amazing Vetivert & Co check out their website here.

It’s officially time of the year for stews, pho, dessert (or maybe that’s just me?), and of course, we can’t forget soups.

If you’re a meal-planner like me, this soup is a kitchen staple; you need to get it into that plan ASAP. It’s my secret new recipe and it may or may not change your life.

That’s right – I said secret. Consider yourself part of the Supercharged Food Secret Soup Community!

Welcome one and all!

I’ve created this roasted cauliflower, fennel and ginger soup to provide a super simple, delicious and healthy soup that's brimming with robust flavours and prebiotic rich vegetables to boost your gut health and immunity this winter.

It’s the perfect soup for when you feel a sniffle coming on or you feel like something a little zestier than your run-of-the-mill vegetable soup. But to be totally honest, you don’t need a special occasion to whip up this magic – it’s the kind of soup you could have every single day. It’s my everyday kind of soup.

Seeing as you’ve now officially joined the Supercharged Food Secret Soup Community, you’re probably wanting to know the "perks of being a cauliflower" oops member. Well, the main administrators for this soup are fennel, ginger and cauliflower. So, I’ll do the introduction – everybody, meet fennel, ginger and cauliflower.

Fennel loves looking after your bones and can even improve your skin health. If you’re feeling a little bit sluggish, it can help aid digestion and improve your mood and that's always a bonus.

Ginger is a bit of a zesty character but not one to be missed in this mighty trio! Single-handedly helping to fight off inflammation, whilst ginger can be very zesty, it'll always be there to pick up the pieces if you’re feeling nauseous or experiencing muscle soreness.

Finally, cauliflower is the head-honcho in this bowl of goodness. Full of vitamins and minerals to improve your overall health and  high in anti-inflammatory properties to keep you fighting winter bugs all pretty much year long, cauliflower is a long standing ingredient in the SCF soup community!

Add these three together and you’ve got quite the combination.

I've included my anti-inflammatory Golden Gut Blend in this recipe because it loves your gut. Containing diatomaceous earth, along with turmeric and other deliciously healing spices, it works to aid digestion and reduce inflammation to keep your insides glowing and happy. No soup is complete without it. Trust me on this one!

So there you have it - a new recipe for your weekly meal plans.  I hope you feel welcomed into our soupercharged community and feel ready to take on simple soup-making, one veggie at a time!

Roasted cauliflower, fennel and ginger soup 

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion quartered
• 4 garlic cloves
• ½ head large cauliflower (cut into florets)
• 2 fennel bulbs chopped and cored
• 500 gms stock of choice
• 3 tbs hummus (optional, I had this in the fridge)
•  1 TBS Golden Gut Blend   (or use 1 tsp tumeric and pinch cinnamon and black pepper)
• 1 tsp sage leaves
• pinch fennel seeds
• 2 tbs wheat free tamari
• 2 tbs lemon
• 1 knob ginger (peeled) 

Method: 

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius 
• On a baking tray place red onion, garlic cloves, cauliflower and the fennel. 
• Bake for 30-35 minutes until crispy. 
• Remove from the oven and place in a blender with remaining ingredients. 
• Blend until creamy. 
• Pour into heavy bottomed saucepan and place on stovetop. 
• Heat through on low to allow flavours to meld. 
• Season to taste. 
• Let cool slightly and serve warm. 
• Decorate with fennel fronds.

Happy cooking,

Lee x