The 'C' word

I don't mean that C word.  

I mean the other one that polite ladies don't usually mention in public!

Candida!

I know right!   

Everyone at some stage gets up close and personal with it but no one likes to talk about it!

If I do a search on the changing habits forums I come up with the maximum 20 pages, so over 200 posts where 'it' is discussed.  Certainly not uncommon while doing the protocol.

How do I know this exactly?  

Well, during my first round I became re-acquainted with candida and started searching to see if it was common during the protocol.  

Computer says "YES"

Because our bodies are detoxing when we do the protocol it is completely normal for it to go into overdrive as it tries to eliminate all the build up of crap.  During phases 2 & 3 we stop feeding the candida which is a naturally occurring yeast bacteria that lives in our digestive system.  When we have an unhealthy diet based on sugar, wheat and other highly processed foods it thrives and can go into overdrive causing unpleasant symptoms such as:

*bad breath

*itchy skin

*throat infections

*vaginal infections/discharge/itch

*irregular bowel movements

*wind/bloating

*CRAVINGS

I put that last one down simply because I am constantly reading about people doing the protocol and having cravings.  Even without the protocol how many of you had sugar cravings?  

what does candida need to survive?  

Yup, not just warmth and moisture but like any other bacteria.

This wants sugar!

So, are you wondering why you get this on the protocol.  Particularly when you are eating a healthy diet and taking your probiotics?

They say it takes a month of good health to make up for every year of crappy diet and health.   So this too will take time.

The candida symptoms you might be battling are simply a sign your body is fighting to become healthy.  

I have found that after phases 1-3 I have to be careful not to eat fruit that is too sweet or use any sweeteners like honey/agave/rapadura/maple in excess.  It is as if the candida knows it is dying off and will grab whatever it can to survive.  I have something wrong to eat and start to feel the onset of candida overload.  

The sugar cravings you get are simply the candida channelling through your body and wanting to be fed.

What can you do to beat candida and heal your digestive system?

Probiotics   

Make sure you take them daily because they are high in good bacteria which help to kill the bad bacteria.  If you are in phase 4/5 then why not try 

water kefir, kombucha or other fermented foods like sauerkraut.  

All of these will help the good bacteria grow and are known for their gut healing qualities.

Foods to avoid are sugars, yeast products, moulds like mushrooms, alcohol and I personally would avoid wheat products too.  

Some people say to eat yoghurt but when you consider most yoghurt has only about 3 strains of bacteria compared to the 60 that the average kefir/kombucha has, I wouldn't waste my time on it.   

Having said that if you have an outbreak and need soothing in your nether regions you can apply plain, good quality yoghurt straight onto your pink bits!

AAAAAAAHHHH!

At the end of the day, if you are following the protocol by the book, all you can do is trust that your body is doing what it needs to do to achieve wellness.         All you need to do is be patient. 

What happens when the scales are fine?

I am finding that doing the protocol is such a huge education in how my body works. 

Although I have been an advocate of 'listening to my body' for a long time, it turns out I really had no idea at all!

Prior to the protocol I really didn't feel a huge reaction to food. Other than the common tummy bloating from wheat or milk I never thought anything really affected me.  I would occasionally get tired after eating something with pastry but that was as extreme as it got.

Imagine my surprise when I introduced coconut milk at the end of round one in phase 4, and nearly vomited from the combined nausea and stomach pain.   I was blown away.   I have always had coconut milk and never noticed anything. 

Then I started thinking about reactions that may have gone unnoticed during phase 2. 

Initially I thought that any reaction I had to a veg or protein would show on the scales.  I knew there might be other symptoms but thought they would go hand in hand with an increase in weight.  How wrong was I!   Yes, often there is a weight gain but occasionally the inflammation will manifest itself in some other way. 

For me I have noticed liver and kidney pain, joint pain, headache, itching, sinus, bloating, constipation, runny/itchy eyes/nose, back pain, cramps, nausea and my ribs go out of joint on the odd occasion.  All of these have happened during round two with very few gains on the scales!   

When I ate beef in round 1 I didn't really notice anything happening, yet this round I get excruciating pain in the first knuckle of my ring finger on my right hand.  Without fail!     If I have milk in my coffee my rib goes out of joint! 

Would I have connected these pains with food prior to the protocol?  Absolutely not.  I would have passed it off as 'god knows what' and kept ignoring it.  In fact, my health was so bad and I was in such constant pain anyway I probably didn't even notice it was happening.

I asked some other people on the protocol what their symptoms have been when their bodies have rejected certain foods and the list is vast.

• full body pain
• aches in various parts of the body
• headaches
• joint pain
• bloating
• instant diarrhoea
• diaphragm pain
• breathlessness
• blocked nose
• eczema
• gall bladder pain (under right rib)
• wind
• stomach pain
• rumbly tummy
• skin rashes
• candida/thrush
• stiff joints

All things we would normally pass off as something completely different. Sometimes accompanied by a weight gain but not always.

When people refer to the protocol as a 'diet'  I have very quick to correct them.  It is not a diet, it is a change in how we eat and think.  This is a life change for me and not merely a way to lose weight.  The weight loss is awesome, don't get me wrong but being almost free of pain is the biggest bonus for me.  

The list of foods I can't really tolerate include: beef, milk, cabbage, wheat, corn.  I can only eat leeks, garlic, onion and tomato in small doses.   A small sacrifice in the bigger scheme of things really.  Doesn't mean I have to go without them but I do have to be aware that if I eat them there are consequences.    It also doesn't mean that it will be permanent.  I still have another couple of rounds to go and things do change over time.  Things I couldn't eat last round I can eat this round and vice versa.   

It really is an ongoing educative process.   Listening to your body and gauging responses from foods.  Even long after you have finished the protocol you can always go back to phase 2 foods to give your body a rest.  Like having a 'safe place' for your dietary needs.

If you have any other symptoms or side effects I would love to hear them and what caused them.  Please share them so I can add them to the list :)

One for the vegetarians

I often say I could so easily be a vegetarian, if bacon grew on trees.   Having said that I do cook a lot of veggo meals as my daughter is vegeterian.  Yeah, my house is a bit like a bloody cafe when I am in phase 2!  Something for me, something for her and something in between for the boy child.   This meal was a late home from a meeting meal that I threw together as I was starving!

Was it good!  In the words of my wise old dad "by oath!"

Now, you have to make sure you have a container of roast sweet potato in the fridge that you cooked for said veggo daughter, who then decided she didn't want it.  nuff said.

THEN, sift through the veggie crisper for whatever takes your fancy, can be eaten or is allowed in phase 4.  I had spinach, silver beet, leek and celery to play with.  

I then sautéed the veg in loads of butter (cos I can).  Whisked two eggs with salt and pepper and poured in to the pan.  

Scramble then eat!!

You seriously can not do much better than that when in a rush for a meal!

Eating out on the protocol

One of the things I hear from people is "oh I couldn't do that, I like to go out too much!"   

I am sure you are familiar with this if you are doing the protocol. Or perhaps you are put off from doing the protocol for this very reason.

Now I have to admit at this point that I don't go out to eat very often due to finances (or lack thereof).  But if I do it is usually to catch up with someone more than the actual convenience of a meal out.

The total days of a round on the protocol is approximately 90 days.  I figure that phase 2 is less than half of that.  A small sacrifice in the bigger scheme of things.

The fact that I am probably going to feel less than ordinary if I go out and eat what I want anyway is a good motivator in itself to stay true.

Obviously the loading phase is the best time to cash in on no restrictions and go to town LITERALLY!  

For both rounds so far I have had a 'last meal' and gone out for something healthy but full of good fats for loading.  A great opportunity to fill up before the six weeks.

This doesn't mean that I don't go out during phase 2.   I just do it a bit differently. I opt to meet in a park or similar and take my own lunch.  Or, there is a great cafe in Launceston called Amelia Expresso that you can take your own food to and just purchase a cuppa (they also offer pastries, cakes and light snacks too).    I think more places should do this.  Even if not on protocol I find it expensive to take my kids out but would probably do more if I could take our food and just buy a drink for us!  A few places will also let you take your own food if you explain you are on a restricted diet but don't expect it across the board :(

During phase 4/5 it is much easier, although can still be challenging.  Particularly if you live somewhere that has limited choice of eateries.  We are lucky in Launceston as we have a great range of places to get good, healthy and interesting food.  Some places will be more than open to tweaking a dish to suit your needs too.

However, there are things to watch out for, in particular menu descriptions.  I was out last week with family, we went to a local pub (not my first choice but I didn't get to pick the place) and I ordered a prawn and avocado salad with no dressing (suspecting it would be out of a bottle and loaded with junk).  Sounds simple enough, the menu said quite clearly 'Prawn and AVOCADO salad'.  Yup, I assumed that meant slices of avocado, which was obviously a poor assumption to make.   Firstly, the meal came out drowned in salad dressing.  I explained that I couldn't eat that and that I had requested no dressing.  With much huffing and puffing the waitress took it back and eventually came back with a replacement.  This time no dressing but a huge dollop of commercial 'avocado' dip.  This was the avocado portion of the salad!!  I explained that no, I couldn't eat that either, I had been expecting sliced FRESH avocado.  Was met with a tirade of rudeness so I requested a refund and decided to eat when I got home.  They did try to tell me the dip was just mashed avocado but it most definitely wasn't.  I am not stupid!

 Lesson learnt!

ASK

ASK

ASK

If you are not sure, don't make assumptions.  Ask what is in the dish and double check you can eat it.

Last night I went out for dinner  ( I know, I really don't go out often!  LOL) with friends.  We went Mexican.  I made a decision that after sticking to protocol for six months I would have what I wanted!!  I had a dish that stuck to my phase 4 pretty much, I did have a small tortilla wrap and a few corn chips.  My downfall was having two margaritas and I gained overnight and felt a bit icky this morning.  But, this was my decision and I knew I would have consequences from my night out.  If I had wanted to stick to protocol I could have avoided some of the items on my plate and had water to drink.

Mind you, I am in round 2 and this is not my last round so I can probably afford to cheat a tiny bit.  When it comes to my last round I most definitely will not take these liberties as I will be endeavouring to achieve LS (leptin sensitivity).  I am thinking I probably have another 2 rounds!

What I am saying is that you don't have to stay at home and eat zucchini and chicken every day LOL  You can go out, you can mix it up a little and be creative and maintain that social life.  At the end of the day, the worse you can do is get a tummy ache and a bit of a gain.  There is always tomorrow :)

How to avoid coughs and colds this winter!

Did you know changing habits are having a sale?

Yup you heard right!!  

A SALE!

Take advantage of the discounted products such as the Inca Inchi Oil, vanilla beans or the immunity booster.   Just click on the links in my side bar to take advantage of the specials.

As much as  I like winter I do not like the coughs and colds that often come with it.  These can be avoided or at the very least reduced in severity if you prepare for them.  Boost your immunity and boost your health!

First thing I take in the morning is my 'eurgh concoction'.  Yeah, it doesn't sound pretty when I take it and doesn't usually taste all that great but as someone who was always prone to coughs and colds I can put up with the taste!   I have done this for six months and no cold, not a cough not a sniffle!   This from someone who has done seriously hospital with pneumonia and bronchitis on more than one occasion. In other words,  I swear by this stuff.

So what exactly is in my 'eurgh concoction'??

In a glass I mix a couple of dessert spoons of colloidal minerals, a tsp of supreme green powder, a tsp of probiotics, a tsp of camu camu, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and about a 1/4c of water.  The trick is not to put too much water as you want to be able to down this as fast as possible, in one gulp if you can.  Then you need to have a full glass of water at the ready as the chaser.  (think scotch/beer or timtam/tea!)  And there you have it, a solution to a snot free winter!

Whether you are doing the HCG protocol,  21 steps or hunter gatherer protocol you have the right to take charge of your health and wellbeing.  These products can help you do that.

And you know what, they will even help your family.  Don't tell my kids but you know their breakfast smoothies??  Yeah, sneaky huh!   I am sure you get what I am saying without me having to spell it out.   Their smoothies may or may not have 'special' ingredients LOL   shoosh!!!!

They love their smoothies, as do I!

Disclaimer:  I have not been asked to write this post and have not been gifted or paid for doing so.  However, ass an affiliate of Changing Habits I do receive a small percentage of any sales made via advertisements on my blog.

Phase 4 and counting

I am at the end of week one of phase four.  Haven't loss much weight at all which is disappointing.  I just don't get what is happening this round, nothing seems to make much difference at all.

So far I have tried butter, olive oil  and a tiny bit of coconut oil.  The latter isn't conducive to my blood type (A) so I find  I can have small amounts but that is all.   I haven't had any gains at all which is good news though!

I have been enjoying mixing up my veg though and love that I can have a stir fry again LOL
It really is the simple things in life isn't it!

This coming week will be much of the same as last week. Oh, and because I am right into fermenting 'stuff' at the moment I have been having some water kefir daily and putting whey from my milk kefir into smoothies.  All great for your gut and inner health.

Bellini birdseed bars

We are big fans of raw treats like bliss balls.  However, I am not a fan of rolling them and getting sticky mucky hands.  I took the lazy approach with these and made them in a baking dish and then cut them into pieces once they had chilled and firmed up.

Were they good? HELL YES!!  Okay, I may have accidentally got a small piece that flew from the bench into my mouth tried a small piece.  My kids, who are my guinea pigs food testers gave it the thumbs up and that is all that matters really.

These have no sweetener at all as I had run out of maple syrup and you know what, they didn't need it as the coconut oil and dried fruit are sweet enough.  I also didn't use dates in this like I usually would.  I only had dried and didn't want to wait for them to soak.

Ingredients:

1c nuts ( I used a mix of almonds and cashews)

6 dried apricots

1/4c hazelnuts

3tbs raw cacao powder

1/4 shredded coconut

1/4c chia seeds

1/2c buckinis

1tsp cinnamon

1/2c coconut oil

Method:

Put the cup of nuts in your bowl (or food processor) and blitz until relatively fine.   Tip into a separate bowl.   

Put coconut oil and raw cacao in bowl, if your oil is solid (I live in Tassie) then heat at 50c for 20sec on speed 2 or until completely melted and smooth.   

Add all other ingredients including blitzed nuts and mix on speed 2 until well combined, about 10-20sec (I left cutting blade in).  I didn't want to do it too much as I wanted some texture but found this worked fine.

Line a dish with baking paper and spoon mix in.  I used a 20cm x 20cm dish and it was about 2cm deep.  Flatten very well so it is even.  I use a freezer bag spread over top so I can press mix down hard with the heel of my hand.  

Freeze for at least an hour then cut into pieces and refrigerate.  

Baked fish

Last phase two meal this round.  What a way to finish!! I am not a huge fish eater so really struggle trying to eat it more often.  

BUT!!! 

This was just delicious!

I had ratatouille the night before and had some leftovers. I just topped up the zucchini by making some chips for myself.  This was a great way to cook fish, especially when you are not able to use oil etc for frying.

Ingredients:

1c zucchini sliced

1/2 onion cut into thin strips

2 cloves garlic

1/2c tomato puree

S&P

1/2tsp basil and oregano

100gr white fish fillet, I used blue grenadier

Method:

Saute (in a tbs water) onion, garlic, herbs until tender then add zucchini and saute until they gain a bit of colour.  Add tomato and simmer for about 30min until zucchini is cooked and sauce has reduced.  I use my home made tomato puree that is a bit runnier than tinned tomato so I like to let it reduce quite a bit for the flavours to intensify.  Season with S&P.

In a small baking dish place your fish fillet and season with S&P again then top with ratatouille.

Place in a 200c oven and bake for 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish.  If the fish comes apart easily and is white in the middle rather than opaque it is done!

I found this a complete meal but you could add a salad or serve on a bed of spinach if you wanted a little more.

Phase two complete for another round and

looking at having a successful phase 4 and 5.
I feel a bit disappointed with this phase as I didn't lose nearly as much as last round.  I attribute this to not paying enough attention to phases 4&5 last round.  I think  I carried across a lot of inflammation and it really affected my losses.  Lesson learnt!

I also believe that our body's needs change each round.  Last round I couldn't tolerate fish, other than small amounts of tuna.  I ate loads of beef (which I love) but this round I found that fish was much better than beef (*sob*).  I also think tomato in large amounts affect me negatively.   I hope that by the end of my rounds I will be ok eating all of these in balanced amounts.

Over all I lost 8.6kg which is bugger.  HOWEVER, it is 8.6kg lighter than I was 6wks ago and that is good :)

Preparations for p4 this time include:

• Reading Anna's book The HCG Protocol Companion over and over.  I cannot recommend this book enough. It has fabulous advise and tips that can mean the difference between a successful or average  round.  Particularly for phase 4
• Make sure I keep up with drinking loads of water.  And then, drink some more!
• Following the list for food introduction strictly.  This means I will only introduce a food every 3 days and not try to rush.
• Not getting down.  I know I have another 2-3 rounds until I have reached leptin sensitivity. This is all part of a bigger picture of health.
• Be thankful everyday for what I have achieved so far and enjoy my improved health. 
• Continue sharing with others on the Changing Habits forums and the HCG facebook page.  The support, ideas and camaraderie is invaluable.
• Slowing down and not being so impatient!!!!

For the blog we move onto a new phase as well.   I still have a couple more phase 2 recipes to share and then we will move to my phase 4 foods.   I look forward to sharing these and hope they give folk some ideas for meals.   I also want to document what foods I am introducing and whether they have an effect. I know how challenging it can be at times to be inventive on such a limited range of foods.

However, I have learnt through this journey that sometimes we alter flavours of real food so often that we forget how great they taste when we leave them alone.  We also combine food way too much and lose the individual flavours.   I am really enjoying food rather than just seeing it as a means to an end and relish the natural flavours.  I know I am putting in good raw ingredients and gaining so much from them.

The changing faces of me

The pictures tell it all really

Tuna curry

I am not a fan of really spicy hot curries so this was perfect for me.  I just used a basic curry powder from the health food store that had only spices/herbs and no additives or thickeners and it turned out beautifully.

Ingredients:

1/2 onion

clove garlic

100g albacore tuna

1 cup zucchini zoodles

handful of spinach 

heaped tbs of curry powder

S&P

Method:

saute onion and garlic in a splash of water.  When well cooked add curry and 'fry' it off for a bit.  Add zucchini and tuna and fry well then add a splash more water to make it saucy.  Season with salt and pepper and add spinach leaves, 

Serve over the noodles or alternatively you can pop the zucchini in to the curry as well.

Chicken Dumpling Soup

Another winter warmer.  I think I have mentioned I love soup!  This one is a super quick and easy recipe much like the Asian meatball soup 

Sometimes, when you have beautiful fresh and home made ingredients less is more and this is definitely the case.  I added very little to this in the way of seasoning and relished the flavours of natural ingredients.

Ingredients:

2c Chicken Stock 

100gr chicken mince

1/2tsp oregano

2tbs psyllium husks

S&P

1c broccoli florets halved

handful of spinach

Method:

Put your broccoli into the stock to cook.  Mix herbs and seasoning into the chicken mince and the psyllium husks.  I haven't used these before but thought they might make the meatballs more moist.  I really didn't see a huge difference to be honest.

Form chicken mince into balls and drop into simmering stock.
Simmer until well cooked.

In a serving bowl place your spinach leaves and pour hot soup over the top.

Again, you could make this in bulk and divide up the servings.

all you want to know about prawns and no more..

I am on a red meat clear zone at the moment.  So, rather than heave at the sight of another tin of tuna I went out and got me some prawns.  RAW PRAWNS!!!

Through a few things together (few being the operative word here) and came up with this dish.  I'm not sure what to call it so perhaps you can leave a comment and tell me what to name it.

Ingredients:

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2cm grated ginger

1 clover of garlic finely diced

1/2tsp ground cumin

1/2tsp ground coriander

pinch of dried chilli

100gr shelled and tailed prawns (I had 10)

1 c finely chopped brocolli 

handful spinach

  

Method:

In a bowl mix lemon juice, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, chilli and prawns.  Let marinade for at least 30minutes.

In a frypan steam your brocolli until softened then turn heat up as high as possible and add prawns and all the marinade.  Stir fry quickly until prawns have turned white and firmed up.  Should only take a couple of minutes.  Throw in your spinach leaves and mix through.  I don't like to cook my leaves really, I prefer them to just be stirred through and wilted slightly.

Remove from heat and devour immediately!!

This is a challenge for me as I am not a big seafood eater but I loved these and can see them becoming a regular menu item!

What is your bevvy of choice?

What is your beverage of choice when doing phase two of the protocol?
I drink more coffee now than I ever have before!    When I was pregnant with my first child 12 years ago (OMG!) I gave up coffee.  After having him I was so excited to have coffee again and  the first one I tried I nearly puked!  I couldn't stomach it any more so just gave up.
A couple of years ago I started having the occasional mocha and really enjoyed it. This was the gateway to the hard stuff, before I knew it I was on the slippery slope to lattes.
Starting the protocol I knew I would have to succumb to the truly hard stuff and go black (think blue ice).   Surprisingly this wasn't as hard as I thought and I now actually enjoy good black coffee.  'Good' being the key word here!  You must have good coffee and I buy mine locally from potluck coffee .  No instant crap!

If on the protocol you will hear about Crio Bru and Yerba Mate.
Crio Bru is a chocolate type drink.  It come in hard granular form like grated chocolate.  It is basically grated  cacao bean that you make in a plunger.   Firstly, let me say it smells divine!   My daughter loves the stuff and I don't mind it but find it lacking.  It seems'watery' or just not creamy. I am not sure, I think it is because when I think hot chocolate I think of warm and creamy not watery.  However, it is quite tasty if left to brew for at least 15minutes and you can add stevia to sweeten.  If you aren't on phase 2 you can even have milk or make it with milk.

As for yerba mate, let me say first up I am not an avid tea drinker!   For me this tasted like every weed in the universe blended and poured into my cup!  LOL
Plenty love it and it has great health benefits, being likened to green tea.  So, please try it, especially if you are battling hunger!

My next fave is Egyptian Red Hybiscus Tea.  This is just lovely and can be drunk hot or cold.  Bare in mind that if you have it hot it does lose some of it's vitamin benefits due to the heating process.  I tend to make a large plunger of it and drink cold during the day, any left over I have put into my smoothies the next day.  It has great health benefits and is diuretic and anti bacterial.

So, what do you like to drink during phase 2?  Please send me a comment and share your poison!

And thanks for the bolognaise

Have you noticed I love red meat!  I really do.  Beef in particular, not so much lamb unless it is a shank or roast but beef,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, oh drool.
So it is very sad news that my blood type (A) isn't uber compatible with beef.  Last round I couldn't tolerate fish at all but chicken and beef were fine.  This round I have been eating mostly beef and seem to be slow losing.
Soooooo, dare I say it but I am cutting beef for a week to see what happens.
I know right!
Therefore, I shall have to live and drool through blog posts like this one.

Beef Bolognaise, how I love thee.................
oh and did I mention I am cutting tomato too........... can life get any worse??

I have given amounts for one serving but I usually do a kg at a time and divide into 10 portions and freeze.

Ingredients:
100gr BEEF, GLORIOUS BEEF!
1c zucchini zoodles or you can grate into BEEF and serve with slim noodles
1/2sm onion diced fine
1clove garlic chopped fine
1/2tsp oregano
1/2tsp paprika
2tbs tomato paste
S&P
1/4 tomato pulp

Method:
Saute onion, garlic, spices and mince until cooked through. Add tomato paste and let it sizzle for a bit (another technical French cookery term!) to bring out the flavours.   Then add your tomato pulp and mix well.  If it is too thick for you then add a spash of water to thin out.  Let simmer for 15-30minutes

 Create your zoodles by either cutting very thin strips or use a veggie spiraliser.

Steam for a minute or two to tenderise.  I like to put a dash of seaweed salt in mine for seasoning.

and there you have it!!  A really yummy zoodle bolognaise.

now I will go cry in a corner :(

Egg white clouds

After a facebook discussion on what to do with egg yolks I thought I would do a post about egg whites!  Makes complete sense doesn't it LOL  I had actually made icecream for the kids and had five egg whites left and no idea what to do with them.

I really had no idea what I was doing but wanted it to be sugar free.  First thing is to turn your oven on to 200c.

I started with the egg whites obviously and I whipped them until they formed stiff peaks.  Make sure your bowl is clean, give it a wipe out with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice is always a good trick and a teensy pinch of salt.

 Once the eggs were stiff I added about 4 drops of stevia and a tsp of raspberry essence.

I then folded through 1/4c of desiccated coconut and 1/2c of almond meal

Blob (french cookery term) spoonfuls onto a lined baking tray.  It doesn't matter how close as they don't expand.

Bake for about 15min or until the edges are starting to colour.

These won't crisp up or look overly pretty because they have no sugar in them.  They are very light and tasty and the kids were happy with them.  

Bare in mind they won't keep well so need to be eaten within a day or so. 

Perfect for P5 too.

Bone Broth goodness

The nutritional value of bone broth has been long known by our grandmothers and their grandmothers.  In this age of time poor folk it seems to have been totally forgotten.  Instead, people reach for a stock cube or a carton of 'stock' off the supermarket shelves.  They pale in comparison as a nutritional and healthy meal option. They may add flavour, due to their MSG or yeast extract content,  to a risotto or a soup but that is about all.

For real nutritional value nothing beats a home made broth.  The other day I took you through the steps to make a chicken stock/broth.

Today I have a beef bone broth for you.  This is a medium level broth, when it comes to time and energy.  When I was studying my chef subjects at college we learnt how to make the best broth ever!  It is time consuming but well worth the effort.  It required 5 cuts of bone/meat, several hours of roasting and then simmering and ending with purifying the stock with egg whites.
If I was making bulk broth in a commercial kitchen I would do that but as I am not and you are unlikely to be, this is my offering:

Ingredients:
1kg beef bones, I used neck bones this time but you can use osso bucco but it is quite fatty.
12 litres of water
1 onion peeled and cut in half
10-12 peppercorns
2 stalks of celery (I would put more veg if not in P2)

Method:

Ask your butcher to cut them to small pieces.  This helps all the yummy marrow and gelatins to come out.

As with the chicken stock, pop your bones and veg into a pot or slow cooker and cover with water.  I added about 12litres to 1kg of bones.

Simmer, for a loooooooooong time.  I did 15 hrs and it was divine!   Let it cool and then remove bones. They should look like they have had the life sucked out of them!

Remove the fat from the top.   This stock won't be as clear as chicken stock and that is ok.  If it bothers you, warm and put some egg white in to clarify.

I got five containers of stock and lunch out of my lot.   I have to say this was the best bone broth I have made in ages!

I use it as a base for soups, stews or 

just to have a cup of in the afternoon to warm up.

Asian meatball soup

I love my soups.  Especially in winter. Something so comforting by a bowl of hot soup.  Although I have tended to gravitate towards creamier soups I have found since doing the protocol I am loving clear soups more and more.
This one was very easy and used my home made stock.   You can use beef or chicken stock really and whatever allowed or free veg you like.

Ingredients:

1-2c of lean stock  

100gr lean mince 

1/2tsp chilli 

pinch seaweed salt 

1/2tsp oregano

1/2tsp cumin

1/2tsp ground coriander

1/2tsp dried ginger

1c veg of choice (mine had zucchini and spinach)

Method:

Bring stock to simmer and add 1 c of veg of your choice plus any free veg you want.  Season with chilli, seaweed salt and ginger.    Mix mince with other spices and form into small balls and drop into stock.  Heat until meatballs are cooked through and veg are tender.

Experimental icecream

The kids wanted ice cream, I had 500ml of pure cream in the freezer so figured why not.  In the past I have made it with sugar as per most recipes but decided to stick to our changes and try to avoid that.  I only use good quality pure cream from Ashgrove Cheese and rather than waste the goodness of that I wanted to add other good ingredients.
Rather than using the regular caster sugar I have used coconut sugar, you could also use rapadura or stevia if you wanted.  I have also used the changing habits cacao wafers.  These are 100% raw cacao before the cacao butter is extracted, sugar free, rich and creamy!  This was the first time I had used them since buying them and I must say I was impressed.  Okay, I may have dunked a finger in the mix to test :P

Obviously this isn't a good recipe for phase 2, sorry.  Just know I am being tortured too :)  However, for loading it would be awesome and if you don't react to dairy you could have in phase 4 and phase 5 without a worry.

Ingredients:
5 egg yolks
1/4 coconut sugar
1/2c changing habits cacao wafers
500ml cream

Method:
In a small dish whip 400ml of the cream until it is very thick and put aside.

In a double saucepan combine egg yolks and coconut sugar.  Put over heat and gently whisk until the mixture starts to thicken to ribbon consistency.  DO NOT stop stirring or you will end up with sweet scrambled eggs!  Once this happens add the cacao wafers.  Keep stirring until melted then remove from heat and stir in the remaining 100ml of cream.

Fold in half of the whipped cream at a time and when all mixed through place in the freezer for around 8hrs or into the ice cream maker, which is what I did.  It took about 20min until it reached a good thick consistency then I transferred to a container and put in the freezer.

This has won a big thumbs up from the kids, I know they were doubtful as the wafers are relatively bitter.  They were  very surprised that it was sweet, chocolatey and creamy without too much effort!

Who would have thought it could be so easy and healthy.  Go! Go, have some now!

For more information on the cacao wafers visit the Changing Habits website.

Fish tacos

I am not a big fish eater, which is strange as I quite like it.  I think growing up with a dad who was a fisherman on the east coast of Tasmania has seen me become a bit of a fish snob.   I am very fussy and am hard pressed to find fish that is high enough quality for my liking LOL   However, I will drop my standards occasionally and buy some at the fish shop for our dinner,  this recipe used blue eye trevalla but you could use any white fish that is fairly firm.

Ingredients:
100gr fish
1cup celery
whole lettuce leaves
handful of spinach leaves
sliced tomato
1/2tsp chilli
1/2tsp paprika
1/2tsp cumin
1/2tsp oregano
S&P

Method:
Cut fish into strips and place in a plastic bag with the herbs and spices.  Shake gently to ensure fish is completely covered.   In a fry pan fry the fish on a hot temperature in a tiny bit of water until it turns white and will break apart easily.  Serve in lettuce cups with tomato and celery.
You could also serve with zucchini chips or any allowed veg you want really.  I like to throw a handful of spinach in most of my meals as they are so nutrient dense.