Does this sound familiar? 

Sunday: This week, I’ll finally eat healthily! I’ve just done a grocery shop so, I’ll make delicious and nourishing dinners every night with fresh produce, create vegetable-filled lunches every day, and I know that I’ll feel amazing, have so much energy, and suddenly, my skin and life will be problem-free. 

Ideal you on a Monday evening: I’ve just printed out this recipe for Lee’s Kale and Orange Salad. I’ll make that with dinner and then create the Chocolate Chilli Beef Zoodles for tomorrow’s lunch. 

Real you on a Monday evening: It’s 8 pm. You’re tidying up the dinner you made, and the last thing you feel like doing is making a whole dish for lunch tomorrow.

Tuesday night: Takeaways it is.

If you ever have lovely intentions to cook and use all of the food you buy in a week, and then find it’s Friday night and you’ve had takeaway every night this week, you’re not alone.

But, let’s get one thing straight – cooking, eating healthily and not wasting produce doesn’t have to be so complicated, time wasting (or expensive). 

Let's go through some tips to understand how to use and store leftovers. Trust me when I say that the future you will thank you!

1. Plan your meals. I know it may sound a little dull or like it takes effort, but think about what you want to eat at the start of the week. Then, think about how you can use those leftovers. It’s a time and budget saver in the long run. For example, if you prepare double the vegetables you need for dinner; you’ll then be able to eat them for lunch the next day or cook them in a soup another night.
2. Store food in clear glass containers. Using a glass storage container makes it easier to see what’s inside so, you’ll be more likely to use the food you already have. 
3. If you’re freezing foods, use a zip-lock bag and put the date on a piece of tape, so you know when it was made.
4. Before you serve dinner, put some away in a container for lunch the next day. We often just eat what’s in front of us so, if you put some away beforehand, you’re more likely to be left with enough food for leftovers. 

Here are my favourite ways to repurpose your foods. 

1. Homemade Stock 

You know what they say – one man’s trash is another man’s vegetable stock. Instead of throwing away perfect vegetable scraps, like the ends of onions or a tomato core, stow them away for delicious homemade vegetable stock. Keep a stock container in the freezer and add to it whenever you cook something new to use in future recipes.

Here’s my delicious Best Ever Vegetable Stock recipe. 

2. Soup

Soup is an excellent way to use up leftover vegetables. Whether you have leftover carrot, potato, tomato or greens, throw them all into your next soup.

If you’re looking for soup-er inspiration, try my Oven Baked Veg and Garlic Soup, Cauliflower and Pumpkin Soup or my Sweet Potato, Broccoli and Ham Soup. There is soup for just about every occasion. 

3. Baked Vegetable Bowl

While this one sounds a little fancy, it’s just a bowl filled with deliciously nourishing ingredients you have lying around. These flawless bowls are bouncing with whatever vegetables you have leftover, any protein you like, grains, greens, nuts and seeds. Everything and anything goes.

For inspiration, you can’t go past my Bohemian Baked Vegetable Bowl.

4. Bone Broth

Have you ever cooked chicken for a family of four and accidentally cooked enough for a whole village? Same.

If you’ve roasted an entire chicken, turkey, pork, lamb or fish, and have too much leftover, why not cook it into a warming broth?

Whenever I have leftover chicken, I’ll throw it into my slow cooker with celery, carrots and spices to make a gut-healing broth.

Depending on the week, I’ll either portion it out into containers and keep it in the freezer or just store it away in the fridge and drink it as is. I love my Beef Pho Broth, and my Gut Healing Turmeric Chicken Broth is forever a winner. 

5. Family Pizza

If you’re looking to healthify your favourite food, why not turn your leftover eggplant, wrap, sliced sweet potato or mushroom top into a pizza base?

I love spreading tomato sauce over any of these vegetables, adding leftover veg, some cheese and protein and baking it in the oven for 10-12 minutes. If you want to make your own fancy base and add leftover vegetables on top instead, head over here for a pizza recipe the whole family will love. Or it's easy to buy a gluten free pizza base to use as well.

6. Stir-Fry

Whenever I make a stir-fry for dinner, I always tell myself to do it more often because it’s just so quick and easy. Making a stir-fry with leftovers is one of the simplest things you can do and is perfect for lazier nights.

If you're wondering about the cheats quick and easy version, all you need to do is just sauté whatever protein you have, leftover vegetables, ginger and spices in a pan with tamari, serve it with rice or quinoa, and you’re ready for a delicious meal in less than thirty minutes. If you want to diversi-fry you’re stir-fry, my Beef Stir-Fry with Peaches is one that’ll impress even the harshest of critics.  

7. Smoothies

If you’ve been around here long enough, you’ll know that I love smoothies because of their chuck-in-abilities (I know that’s not a word, but just roll with me).

My favourite smoothies always happen when I just randomly throw fruit, leafy greens, chia seeds, water or milk and gut-healing powder (I’ve heard Love Your Gut powder or Golden Gut Blend is great ;)) into your blender and watch a smoothie swirl to life.

Right now, I’m loving this smoothie. 

8. Wraps

Okay, okay, maybe it’s time to wrap it up. I may not be the best rapper, but at least I’m a great wrapper.

To make a delicious homemade wrap, use either a leftover wrap, nori or lettuce leaf and fill it with leftover veggies, protein and a homemade sauce. Try my Vegetable Nori Wraps here.

9. Banana Bread 

This is a petition to stop throwing good, ripe bananas in the bin!

Ripe bananas are ideal for banana bread, and banana bread is ideal for everyone. When my bananas start to brown, I’ll either use them in this banana bread recipe.

Or I’ll peel and store them in a glass container in the freezer to use for future banana bread or banana-based smoothies like this one which is a great Gut Immunity Smoothie.

10. Pesto 

Do you know what I love about pesto? You can make it with literally any dark green vegetable or herb you have – coriander, kale, basil, or mint can all be turned into a scrumptious pesto. Just blend up your herbs, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and some salt and pepper. I use pesto as a dip or add it to my pasta, salad or protein of choice. 

If you’re looking for a delightful new recipe to utilise your leftover vegetables, you can’t go past my Vegan Roasted Sweet Potato with Basil Pesto and Chopped Salad. It’s a perfectly adaptable recipe that shines excellently on its own.

While this one sounds a little fancy, it’s just a bowl filled with deliciously nourishing ingredients you have lying around. These flawless bowls are bouncing with whatever vegetables you have leftover, any protein you like, grains, greens, nuts and seeds. They remind of the amazing Veestro meals. Everything and anything goes.

Vegan Roasted Sweet Potato with Basil Pesto and Chopped Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

• One sweet potato halved lengthwise 
• 2 tbs olive oil plus extra for dressing salad (or use olive oil spray)
• Pinch sea salt 

Chopped Salad

• 2 cups leafy greens 
• 1 cucumber chopped into cubes
• Handful of cherry tomatoes halved
• 4 baby capsicum (optional) chopped into cubes
• Handful of seeds such as pepitas and sunflower seeds

Basil Pesto (makes one jar)

• 1 cup pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups packed basil leaves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice plus a small bit of zest
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp Celtic Sea Salt

Sweet Potato

Method: 

1. Heat oven to 185 degrees Celsius.
2. Place sweet potato on the baking tray, spray with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
3. Place in the oven for 45 mins or until tender.
4. Half way through cooking, use a fork to make grooves along the sweet potato.

Basil Pesto 

Method: 

1. Place basil in food processor and process. 
2. Add nuts, garlic, lemon and nutritional yeast flakes and salt and pulse. 
3. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until consistency is as you like it. 
4. Add more olive oil if necessary.

Chopped salad

Method:

1. Place leafy greens in a bowl and add remaining ingredients, sprinkle with seeds and add a drizzle of olive oil and lemon if preferred.

Serve all together and store the leftovers for lunch the next day. 

Why not give this recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments section below?

Lee x

Inflammation.

I’m sure you’ve heard the term before, but do you know what it means?

Well, for your inflammation, inflammation is a mechanism the body uses to respond to a foreign agent, infection or injury.

Inflammation activates the immune system and begins the process of healing. In acute cases, like when you scratch your knee, inflammation is beneficial, short-term, and essential to protection.

Inflammation can become problematic when it turns into chronic inflammation – when the body is under a constant state of inflammation or inflamed for an extended period of time with no threat of a foreign invader.

Chronic inflammation can lead to a whole host of health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, arthritis and accelerated skin ageing (yikes!).

What causes chronic inflammation?

There are a number of things that can contribute to the development of chronic inflammation such as...

1. Poor diet: I’m sure no one is surprised that this is number one on my list. A diet high in refined sugars and carbohydrates, processed meats, alcohol, poor-quality dairy, trans fat and lots of gluten can increase inflammation.
2. Compromised gut health: A healthy gut is vital for reduced inflammation. Unfortunately, our ability to provide an anti-inflammatory environment for our gut microbes, with a strong barrier, declines as we age. When the gut's lining is compromised, endotoxins and undigested food can pass through easily and enter the bloodstream, triggering inflammation. If you want to strengthen the lining of your gut, this is what I use, it's called Fulvic Humic Concentrate and it's excellent if you're suffering from gut issues or leaky gut. Scientists now know that gut microbes influence immune cells and that reducing inflammation levels within the gut is a key driver to overall good health.
3. Inadequate omega-3 intake: Omega-3 decreases bodily inflammation so, it’s time to up your oily fish, eggs, chia seeds and flax seeds intake.
4. Nervous system imbalance: High amounts of stress, causing ongoing cortisol, is a one-way ticket to inflammation town. You can read more about my ten ways to manage stress over here.

FYI: Here are seven foods that reduce inflammation...

As a food-first clinical nutritionist, I believe one of the best and easiest tools we have to reduce inflammation is food!

If you’re looking to lower your inflammation, aim for a balanced diet based on whole foods. Below are some of my favourite anti-inflammatory ingredients and recipes you can incorporate into your diet today.

1. Bone Broth

Bone broth helps heal and seal the gut lining, reducing levels of inflammation. My Gut-Healing Turmeric Chicken Broth is rich in minerals and helps the medicine inflammation go down! It’s charged with anti-inflammatory turmeric, fresh ginger and a whole chicken. A cup of broth is just what the doctor ordered.

2. Salmon

Salmon is full of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. It’s also rich in protein, antioxidants and minerals. Feast on salmon in my Crispy Salmon with Saffron, Aioli, and Smashed Green Peas. It’s a deliciously fresh meal full of anti-inflammatory salmon and antioxidant-rich herbs and veggies. Perfection!

3. Cruciferous Vegetables

Crucife-what? You know those vegetables you love but can sometimes you leave feeling a little bloated and, well, gassy? They’re part of the cruciferous vegetable family. Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, brussel sprouts and cabbage, have been shown to lower inflammation.

I recommend introducing these vegetables into your diet slowly, and make sure you cook them before eating them to help your body adapt to their fibrous nature! Adding spices such as turmeric to the cooking process helps too! My favourite cruciferous vegetable recipe at the moment is my Oven-Baked Broccoli and Cauliflower Steak.

4. Chia Seeds

Let’s all cheer for chia seeds. Chia seeds contain an antioxidant called caffeic acid, which helps fight inflammation in the body. They’re also rich in anti-aging omega-3 fatty acids that help keep your heart and gut happy. If you've never considered making your own jam, why not try out my Raspberry Chia Jam. You can thank me later 😉

5. Flaxseeds and Flax Oil

Like chia seeds, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein and fibre. Flaxseeds can help you reach your omega-3 target while keeping your digestion running smoothly (literally)! Up your omega-3 with my Omega Cheese Crackers.

6. Brightly Coloured Berries

Do you know what’s berry good? Berries. Berries are rich in polyphenols; specifically an antioxidant called anthocyanin, which can help lower inflammation. The richer the colour of the berry, the higher the anti-inflammatory effect.

If you’re after my favourite berry recipe, it happens to be a Homemade Berry Crumble. PS: you don’t need to be rugged up around the lounge with cute winter socks to enjoy a delicious crumble; it deserves to be loved no matter the weather.

7. Golden Gut Blend

No anti-inflammatory list is complete without my Golden Gut Blend. Containing bioactive and ginger turmeric, both shown to reduce inflammatory markers, Golden Gut Blend is an anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antioxidant-rich powerhouse – now that’s upping the ante ;). Plus, diatomaceous earth makes Golden Gut Blend a cleaner and primer for your insides. It’s the superstar in my Golden Gut oatmeal cookies and nice cream.

I’d love to know – what’s your favourite anti-inflammatory ingredient? Let me know in the comments below.

Avaline is the name of a new brand of organic wine released by Hollywood actor Cameron Diaz and her entrepreneur friend Katherine Power.

Even though Avaline has only been around for a few months, it’s already being touted as the “top organic wine brand for 2021.” Some wine connoisseurs have even called Avaline the most authentic organic wine in the world. The amount of buzz Avaline has been generating is exciting.

So what makes Avaline the top organic wine brand for 2021 and so special?

To understand Avaline’s strengths, it's good to go back to the beginning and explore its origins, manufacturing ethos, and characteristics.

Avaline: History & Background

Avaline has entered into the crowded wine market as a passion project and the ethos, characteristics, and history have been a long standing project for Cameron Diaz, the woman behind the beverage.

Cameron Diaz is widely known for her dedication to healthy and organic living. She’s incredibly cautious about what she puts into her body, only consuming drinks and foods that are organic and vegan. Imagine her surprise when she realised that most wines aren’t actually organic OR vegan and that most of them contain over 95 additives!

What alot of people are unaware of is that most wines contain dozens of chemicals, pesticides, insecticides, artificial flavours, sulphites, and other components. And what is even more disturbing is that wines branded as “organic” and “natural” may not be all they claim to be — because the wine industry is so unregulated, it's very easy for manufacturers to slap an “organic” label on any old bottle of wine regardless of it's contents.

When Cameron Diaz discovered the wine industry’s not so healthy practices, she dedicated herself to producing a truly organic wine that everyone could enjoy. She zig zagged across some of Europe’s best organic vineyards to learn and understand more about the manufacturing processes. Avaline came into being as a product of Cameron Diaz’s passion for organic beverages and uncompromising spirit and her friend Katherine Power’s business savvy.

The name “Avaline” was chosen from an online resource for female baby names because Diaz and Power wanted a name that embodies feminine energy.

Avaline: Organic & Vegan

Most wine brands, even those marketed as “organic,” contain over 95 additives and these are added for various reasons. Some of them are functional — increasing shelf life, killing bacteria, preventing insect infestations, etc. Some of them are taste-related — artificial flavours that enhance the wine’s strength and taste. And some of them are purely cosmetic — Mega Purple is only used to make the wine look stronger.

Avaline doesn’t use chemicals or unnecessary pesticides in the production and manufacturing process so it's truly organic and they use biological methods to kill bacteria and prevent infestations. For example, certain animals or insects are introduced into the vineyard to naturally kill the dangerous insects and bacteria. Avaline isn’t filtered through animal by-products, like egg whites and fish bladder, either. That makes Avaline truly organic and vegan.

Avaline: Transparency

Considering the lack of regulation in the wine industry, one would be right to ask, “how can we trust Cameron Diaz’s wine?”

Well, Cameron stands by her wine. Avaline Wine bottles feature a large label listing all the ingredients used throughout the manufacturing process in bold and legible letters.  The good news is that you can scour the ingredients and research them for yourself. Avaline is completely transparent and authentic. And that’s why it’s the top organic wine brand for 2021!

Cheers to that!

Here at Supercharged Food HQ, we’re no stranger to talking about the best diets for our gut and, well, *clears throat*, our gut (hello, covid kilos!), but today I wanted to discuss the best diet for your heart.

If you, or your family, have high cholesterol levels, elevated blood pressure or systemic inflammation, eating a heart-healthy diet is essential for your wellbeing. 

So, what do I recommend? 

An anti-inflammatory diet filled with an abundance of plant foods is the best way you can eat for a healthy heart. (1)

But, it’s not always that simple. If I was to give you a list of do’s and don’ts for a healthy heart it would look a little something like this…

DO:

• An overall approach is “Fresh” is always best. Eating a wholefoods diet filled with predominantly fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains and legumes will be a good long-term plan.

  My go-to fresh meal will forever be my Bohemian Baked Vegetable Bowl - every health blogger needs one and it's just so filling and scrumptious ;). 

• Anti-inflammatory foods are your new best friend. Including foods such as oily fish, salmon, sardines or mackerel, and chia seeds, nuts and hemp seeds. 

• When it comes to dietary fibre this isn’t just great for your gut; your heart’s a big fan of it too! Try to add more beans, oats and flaxseeds to help lower total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. Studies also indicate that high-fibre foods have other heart health benefits, like reducing blood pressure and overall inflammation – fibre is the gift that keeps on giving. Having a clean gut is also important to absorb all of the goodness from your food. Love Your Gut powder can help with that. 

• Calcium is a mineral which is essential for a well-functioning cardiac muscle and regulated blood pressure. Calcium-rich foods include dairy, dark leafy greens, tahini and nuts. 

• Foods rich in the mega-mineral magnesium (cue: holy light shining from the ceiling with angels singing) are your go-to. Magnesium helps to maintain a regular heart rhythm and a healthy cardiovascular system. I recommend upping the avocados (not that you need an excuse), pumpkin seeds, spinach, nuts, tofu, whole grains and oily fish. 

  Why not try my Ginger-seared tuna with avocado?

• Human studies show intermittent fasting has a positive impact on cardiovascular health. (2).  If you want the low-down on intermittent fasting, check out my Fast Your Way to Wellness program.
• A healthy diet isn’t the only way to a healthy heart; your heart also needs movement. A combination of resistance and aerobic exercise is essential for a strong heart.
• Health encompasses more than just diet, and exercise according to https://fitnesstodiet.com/; we need to look at the connections that we have with others, too.  Having strong social bonds is proven to affect the risk of cardiovascular disease. (3)  So, if you’ve been looking for a sign to call a friend or family member, this is it.
  

DON’T: 

• I don’t mean to be salty, but it’s time to cut down on the salt! The western diet is filled with sodium, which raises blood pressure and puts unnecessary strain on the heart. Swap the table salt for herbs and spices and maybe, stop placing the salt on the table altogether! Reduce your intake of high-salt food, like potato chips, sausages, salami, hot dogs, instant soups or pasta and pre-packaged sauces like tomato sauce and soy sauce. Choose salt-reduced foods wherever possible. Sea and river salt can be a better option than traditional table salt.

• I hate to be the fun police but cutting down on the stimulants, like coffee, tea, chocolate and alcohol is better for heart health. These foods increase both your heart rate and blood pressure, not to mention the impact they have on your mood, energy and waistline. 

• Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol and increase our risk of heart disease, so avoid them as much as possible. Trans fats are in most processed foods, like processed meat, fried foods and desserts. 

• Keep the stress to a minimum. Stress can bring on arrhythmias (an irregular heartbeat) and place pressure on the heart. Include stress-busting activities in your weekly routine, like speaking to a loved one, meditating, walking, journaling or yoga. 

• When it comes to a healthy heart, aim to keep stress to a minimum. Stress can bring on arrhythmias (an irregular heartbeat) and place pressure on the heart. Include stress-busting activities in your weekly routine, like speaking to a loved one, meditating, walking, journaling or yoga. 

• Smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your heart. Not only does smoking increase the formation of plaque in blood vessels, but some chemicals in cigarettes can cause the blood to thicken and form clots inside veins and arteries. If you’re a smoker, I highly recommend quitting. 

• Now that’s out of the way; I’m sure you can’t wait to get going on your heart-healthy way!

• If you want to get started now (go you good thing!), get amongst my heart-healthy Crispy Salmon from my latest cookbook Supercharge Your Life.

Crispy Salmon with Saffron, Aioli and Smashed Green Peas

Full of anti-inflammatory salmon, antioxidant-rich herbs and veggies, this quick and fresh meal is one that will make your heart happy. Oh, and your mouth water, too.  

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets, skin on
• sea salt, for rubbing
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, sliced and roasted, to serve (optional)
• chives and edible flowers, to serve (optional)

Saffron aioli 

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• pinch of saffron threads, soaked in a little lemon juice
• 375 ml (13 fl oz/1 ½ cups) extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Smashed peas

• 200 g (7 oz) frozen peas
• 50 ml (13/4 fl oz) vegetable stock or filtered water
• pinch of sea salt
• 30 g (1 oz) butter
• juice of 1 lemon
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
• handful mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon snipped chives

 Method:

To make the saffron aioli, whiz the garlic, lemon juice, salt, egg yolks and mustard in a food processor. 

Add the saffron and process again.

With the motor still running, very slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will emulsify to a mayonnaise-like consistency. Season to taste.

To make the smashed peas, put the peas and stock in a medium saucepan, season with salt and cook over medium–high heat, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender. Remove from the heat, strain and stir in the butter.

Gently mash the peas with a fork, then stir in the lemon juice and black pepper. Mix in the olive oil a little at a time, until the peas have the desired consistency. Fold in the herbs.

Pat the salmon dry with paper towel and rub salt into the skin. Heat a large frying pan over medium–high heat, then add the olive oil and heat until the oil shimmers.

Place the salmon fillets in the pan, skin side down, and press on them with a spatula to ensure all of the skin is in contact with the pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes, until the skin is crispy and the salmon is still pink inside. Turn over with a spatula, turn off the heat and let the fish sit in the pan for no more than 1 minute.

Divide the smashed peas between four serving plates and top with the salmon and the roasted lemon slices, if using. Garnish with chives and edible flowers, if using, and serve with the aioli on the side. 

Enjoy!

1 https://www.journalacs.org/article/S1072-7515(08)00219-6/abstract 

2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7415631/

 3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10656835/

The Australian outback has approximately five thousand different native food species. The Australian Aboriginal people have a distinctive and innovative relationship with land and food, collecting nectar from bottle bush flowers or honey from ants’ stomachs.

Sounds a little different to our drive down to the supermarket for ready-made snags, right?

Unfortunately, with the loss of traditional land came the loss of this gorgeous and revolutionary style of foraging and cooking many years ago.

Luckily, there’s been a culinary uplift in Australian native foods over the last few years. Everyone from the home-cook to the two-hat chef has been embracing macadamia nuts, finger limes and even kangaroo meat.

We’re so fortunate to have some of the most distinctive flavours within our flora. It's time to expand our minds, and taste buds, to our very own homegrown heroes.

Kakadu plums are about the size of an olive and have a dry and astringent taste, but what they lack in size and sweetness, they make up for in health benefits.

Kakadu plums contain almost fifty times the amount of vitamin C than oranges! Traditionally, Australian Aboriginals used this exceptional ingredient as an antiseptic, and a soothing balm for aching limbs. Kakadu plum is excellent in sweet recipes, and fair dinkum, do I have the recipe for you!

My Kakada Plum and Blueberry Ice Cream is perfect for those with a sweet tooth among us.

Let’s talk about lemon myrtle (don’t moan about it, Harry Potter fans!). Available in oil or whole dried leaves, lemon myrtle is rich in vitamin A and E and hosts an impressive amount of calcium, magnesium and zinc. If you’re feeling stressed or trying to improve your sleep, lemon myrtle may be your answer. You can use it in sweet or savoury dishes, including marinades, roasts and soups.

Have you ever tried a bush tomato? Well, close your eyes and imagine combining a sun-dried tomato, caramel and tamarillo altogether and that’s what you’d get! It’s peculiar and tasty all at the same time. This peanut-sized tomato packs serious flavour and is only needed in tiny amounts to add its intense character to your stew or sauce. It’s also full of selenium, an antioxidant that’s great for thyroid health.

Now it’s time for our favourite nut, no, not your aunty Karen, macadamia! While these nuts require a little (or huge) dip into the wallet, they’re arguably one of the tastiest nuts going around. If the butter-like flavour isn’t enough to sway you, maybe the benefits will.

Macadamias, loaded with antioxidants and high levels of flavonoids, can help reduce oxidative stress. Macadamia nuts make delightful nut butter, add creaminess to soups, such as my Macadamia, Garlic and Parsnip Soup or can act as the foundation for raw treats like these tasty Supercharged Snickers Bars.

Let’s play a game: guess what ingredient I am.

Are you ready?

I’m a fruit with a zesty flavour, in the shape of a finger? Any guesses? You got it – the finger lime! This local ripper fruit, bursting with zest, tastes slightly tart and citrusy. Finger lime is rich in vitamin C, folate, vitamin E and potassium, and acts as a protective antioxidant in human cells. Try it in dressings, jams and sauces.

Now for the ingredient of the hour, the humble wattleseed. The love child of coffee and chocolate, who wouldn’t want to dig right in? This unsung hero is high in protein, is as versatile as ingredients come, and has high concentrations of potassium, calcium, iron and zinc.

These shortbread-esque cookies are taking on a whole new culture. Celebrate Australia's gorgeous native ingredients by diving into my Wattleseed and Lemon Biscuits.

They are a wonderful treat with a cup of good Aussie afternoon tea.

Wattleseed and Lemon Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 100 g (3¹₂ oz/1 cup) almond meal
• 30 g (1 oz/¹₄ cup) coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• ^1/₄ teaspoon salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 110 g (3³₄ oz) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
• 110 g (3³₄ oz/^3/₄ cup) coconut sugar
• 100 g (3¹₂ oz/¹₃ cup) almond butter
• 1¹₂ teaspoons vanilla powder
• 1 TBS wattle seed
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 175°C (345°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.

In a medium bowl, mix the almond meal, coconut flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil and coconut sugar for about 1 minute. Stir in the almond butter, vanilla powder, wattle seed, egg and lemon zest until well mixed.

Fold the almond meal mixture into the egg mixture, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 16–20 balls, place on the prepared baking tray with at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) between them and press each one down with a spatula.

Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden, then cool completely on the baking tray. They’ll be soft in the middle but will harden as they cool.

Give them a try and let me know what you think in the comments section down below 🙂

Lee xo

When it comes to our health, many of us go to extreme lengths to try and protect, boost, and maintain good health.

There are lots of things that can have an impact on both physical and mental health such as your diet, exercise levels, overall lifestyle, career, relationships, sleep levels, and more.

Sometimes people prefer wellness products in order to help improve health, such as health supplements and vitamins.

One of the newer supplements on the block in the health and wellbeing space is CBD products, and this has gained huge popularity over recent years. You can even use it in your cooking. 

CBD has undergone a large amount of research, and this has highlighted the range of benefits that it can offer in terms of health and wellbeing. There has also been a lot of positive press, and changes in laws have made it easier for people to buy and try CBD products from places like CBDplanetuk.com.

How CBD Helps

There are various ways in which CBD helps when it comes to your health and wellbeing, which is why so many people are now turning to it for assistance. It can help with body pain and sleep. 

One of the ways in which it helps is by improving your sleep patterns and the quality of your sleep. As we all know, the quality of your sleep can have a huge impact on your mental and physical health as well as on other areas of your life. So, by using something that can help to improve sleep quality, you can also positively impact your physical health and mental wellbeing.

Another thing that CBD can help with is to effectively deal with pain and inflammation. This is something that can arise due to health conditions as well as through strenuous activities or injuries. Whatever the cause, being in constant pain and experiencing inflammation can make life very difficult. CBD products can help to ease pain and make it far more manageable. In addition, they can help to reduce inflammation, which means you can tackle discomfort with greater ease.

Anxiety and depression can have a massive negative impact on your life. CBD has been proven to help reduce the symptoms of anxiety and to lift mood by boosting serotonin levels. This makes it a valuable tool when it comes to tackling anxiety and depression, which can then have a huge positive effect on your mental wellbeing and a knock-on effect on your physical health and overall quality of life.

When Should You Consider Using CBD For Pain

If you’re in any type of chronic pain, using CBD might be an option to consider. We have looked at all of the information that you need about using CBD oil, but now let’s look at some examples. One would be if you have recently been in a car accident, perhaps the legal team of Dennis Hernandez & Associates have taken care of the legal aspects for you, but what about the pain? CBD oil may really help with this, especially if it has been a while and nothing else is helping.

Another example would be if you have a long-term chronic pain disorder and you’re finding that there isn’t much that can help. It’s worth a shot even just to see if it will work for you. Just keep in mind that it’s not a miracle cure, and isn’t guaranteed to help anyone.

Try the Benefits Yourself

These are just some of the ways in which CBD can help to boost your health and quality of life. The good news is that you can try it for yourself and experience the benefits.