Monday 30 April 2012

2 Delicous Carb Free Ways to Eat burgers

If you are gotta have a burger, try this way!

Sometimes you just gotta have a burger, but instead of going for a Whopper at Burger King (because your trainer will not approve and then you'll feel guilty which will make you cheat more...etc) how about trying this:

Burger #1:
  • Ditch the bun, unless you are so lean that your nutritionist allows you to eat it.
  • Add sliced tomato instead of the bun.
  • Add thinly sliced sauteed onion.
  • Add Dairy, lactose free cheese. (Cheddar flavor)
  • Beef burger, no fillers or additives - gluten free.
  • Enjoy!








Burger # 2
  • Lean Beef and Chicken Burger.
  • Add egg and Buckwheat flour for binding. Add Thyme and Sage to the meat when mixing in the egg and Buckwheat flour.
  • Serve on a bed of lettuce and sliced tomato.
  • Top with fresh Basil and herb goats cheese.









If you are Vegetarian or Vegan, you can make mushroom and walnut burgers. Since I am still carnivore, I have not gone that route yet.

Monday 23 April 2012

A NEW DISCOVERY!

If you have known about this for a while, then you will not find my discovery particularly wonderful, but in light of the last blog's confessions, this is amazing! I have discovered COCONUT Nectar and it is granulated.

Now, it is "Igor Approved" so that means I can use it to slightly sweeten things without the after taste that Stevia has.  What is this Coconut "sugar" exactly?
It is actually granulated Coconut Nectar which is a low Glycemic natural sweetener which is a good alternative to Stevia and Agave Nectar. To purchase some online click here.

According to the company that produces it:
Madhava Natural Sweeteners Organic Coconut Sugar is an unrefined sweetener produced from the flower buds of the coconut tree. Madhava's Coconut Sugar is grown sustainably in Indonesia and is an all-natural alternative to processed sugar and artificial sweeteners. Madhava Coconut Sugar has a caramelized maple flavor and can replace light or brown sugar in recipes.
Coconut Sugar: Sustainably Grown and Happily HarvestedMadhava's Coconut Sugars are organic, unrefined sweeteners made from coconut tree buds. The coconut palm is ideal for sugar production, as the trees are sustainably grown and harvested without causing deforestation. Coconut palm trees produce 50-75% more sugar per acre than sugar cane, and use 1/5 the resources.
Nutrition Rich
From a health and wellness perspective, Organic Coconut Sugar has a nutritional content far richer than cane or beet sugar. Naturally occurring nutrients include magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, B vitamins and amino acids (including glutamine).


Personally I have found it to be wonderful. I can slightly sweeten my sheep's yoghurt or goat's yoghurt and it is totally satisfying without the addictive qualities of cane sugar. A little goes a long way.
This is what I did with mine:

First off let me qualify that I didn't just make this so that I could have something sweet and full of empty calories. Yes, I wanted something to nibble on when I needed a quick snack, but it needed to be something that would meet my nutritional needs. This is Lemon and Poppy seed loaf was made with Quinoa, Buckwheat flour and almond flour. I sprinkled in some Chia seeds which add to the nutritional value and of course the poppy seeds are good too for various reasons, the main one being that it adds fiber to the loaf. Made with freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest, it is fragrant and moist.

While I was at it, I made a carob loaf which was also mouth watering. I added carob chocolate chips to it. I could not believe that it was so delicious and decadent and above all that, good for me! (below Carob pods) To find out more about Carob and it's nutritional value, click here. For one carob is caffeine free. I only use unsweetened Carob powder and a little goes a long way.


As far as my sugar cravings go, once I was back on track they soon left me and as my blood sugar stabilized, so did my sugar cravings.
On the adventure front, I accepted a position that I love and I am so excited to be following my passion in what I do and contribute to something meaningful!
It is a part time position, but I believe as we grow, so will the opportunities.
I will be working part time for the non-profit organization with whom I went to Siberia. I can't tell you how fulfilling it is to do something that matters.

To find out more about what they do go to www.Agaperu.org