Halloween is here, and with it comes jack 'o' lantern making and trick or treating. Once the hullabaloo of halloween is over, the question is, what to do with the leftover pumpkins?

I'm taking the horror out of your carved to perfection creations with some not so scary repurposed pumpkin recipes.

At midnight your cinderella coach can be transformed into the crunchiest crisps, spiced up porridge, raspberry studded pie, golden loaf or a hearty salad for the whole family.  

And if you're keen for more recipes and ways to understand your pumpkins better, read my spotlight on pumpkin here.

Here are five delicious tricks for pumpkin treats!  Let me know how you chose to repurpose yours?

Pumpkin Pie recipe here.

Golden Gut Pumpkin and Nut Loaf recipe here.

Lamb and Spiced Pumpkin Salad

Serves 2

Warm salads are colourful, packed with nutrients and wonderful for digestion. The slow-roasted baby tomatoes and spiced pumpkin can be prepared in advance and warmed prior to serving to allow for quick assembly. For a dairy-free option, omit the goat’s cheese.

• 150 g (5½ oz/1 cup) cherry tomatoes
• 1 butternut pumpkin (squash), skin on and cut into small wedges
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, plus extra for pan-frying
• Celtic sea salt and freshly ground
• black pepper
• 3 large handfuls of mixed baby mesclun
• 250 g (9 oz) lamb backstrap
• 1 handful of basil leaves
• 60 g (2¼ oz/½ cup) goat’s cheese

DRESSING

• 2 tablespoons tahini
• juice of ½ lemon
• good pinch of Celtic sea salt and freshly
• ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F/Gas 2).
To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a jug. Whisk thoroughly, gradually adding a little warm water until the dressing is smooth, thick and creamy.

Place the tomatoes on a baking tray and cook for 2–3 hours, turning every hour or so, until they are shrivelled and bursting with sweetness. This step is best done ahead of time to allow for a very quick assembly. Reheat the tomatoes slightly before serving.

Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Place the pumpkin, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and ginger in a bowl and use your hands to mix well. Place the pumpkin on a baking tray, drizzle with the melted coconut oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

Season the lamb. Add the coconut oil to a frying pan over medium heat and pan-fry the lamb for 3 minutes on each side (it should still be pink in the centre). Let it rest for
a few minutes before slicing into 5 mm (¼ inch) pieces.

To assemble the salad, make a bed of salad leaves and top with the warm pumpkin, lamb and tomatoes. Drizzle the tahini dressing generously over the top, scatter with the basil leaves and goat’s cheese and serve warm.

A Supercharged Tip
Lamb backstrap is a tender, grade-A cut of lamb that can be prepared simply and easily. Try pan-frying, searing, grilling (broiling), or oven roasting.

Happy Halloween!

If you’re a keen foodie who's always riding with the food trends, there’s no doubt you’ve already jumped on the Buddha bowl bandwagon.

These flawless bowls are bouncing with all the veggies, perfectly-packed protein and avocado that's diced up a little too neatly (Seriously, HOW do they do it?!). 

Here at Supercharged HQ, we're not into the neat and the pretty - the flat-lays of life. We love the messy, the real and the raw (or baked in this case). That's what life is after all. There's beauty in the irregularity and that's why my Bohemian Baked Veg Bowl, brewed in the hinterland of Byron Bay is a forever recipe.

Have you heard of the Bohemian Baked Veg Bowl ever?

Probably not because it's a Supercharged special!  Until someone decides to permanently borrow it of course. (Blogger jokes ;))

The Bohemian Baked Veg Bowl is all about getting real and letting out your true colours. Finding your loosest pair of harem pants, letting down your flowy hair (or at least pretending to) and getting the groovy music going, man. I’m starting a revolution and inviting you to get amongst it, baby!

Viva le bowlolution!

My Bohemian Baked Veg Bowl is also full of nutrients to tell you the truth. It’s truly a melting pot of flavours where everything is welcome and loved, in all it's mess and glory!  

This bowl is aesthetically pleasing (perfect for the keen instagrammer), versatile and well… delicious. Plus, it’s super simple to make and not very time consuming either. Essentially, it’s a bowl with all the good stuff – lots of veggies, greens and seeds. Oh, and let’s not forget a creamy tahini dressing that’s almost too good to be true. *Wipes drool from side of mouth*.

The best part about my bohemian veg bowl is that it’s fool-proof! Yep, almost anyone who knows how to work an oven and shake ingredients in a jar can make this one. Plus, you probably have everything lying in your fridge and store cupboard anyway.

I know you're just as excited as I am by this discovery so let's dive straight to it!

(more…)

Blue Rust Images

If you're in Australia, you'll know that winter's finally out of here and we're gearing up for everyone's favourite season - summer!  It's time to start prepping for beach days, clearing away the cobwebs from your bathing suits and readying those blenders up for smoothie sipping.

But, even though winter's out, have you noticed that the tissues and sniffles are here to stay?

With the change of season comes great sniffle-sponsibility. Allergy season has hit us big time this year so, it's time to up your immunity. Don't worry, I'll be right here with you!

I've created three perfect recipes to help you move into the light and sunny days of summer, sniffle-free. These three allergy-friendly blender recipes will boost your immune system and keep the teary eyes at bay.  The best part about these recipes is that you can make them your own. If you don’t like dairy, you can swap it out for an alternative milk like almond or coconut, if you’re not nuts about nuts, you can give seeds a go instead.

Because of our increasing dietary needs and desires, the way we’re cooking and shopping is constantly evolving. I recently held a yoga and smoothie bowl making event at Sprout Market, an online store that gives you the ability to shop for groceries in the comfort of your own home (or the work office… ssssshhhh!). They have a whole list of categories to choose from to make shopping that much easier. Hellooo online shopping!  By the way, you don't need to be a member to shop with these guys as non-members are now able to shop as well. If you're hesitant about committing to a membership or simply looking to place a one-off purchase, simply select the regular price option at the checkout page and pay the recommended retail price. For existing members, you'll continue to pay the wholesale price. 

The event was so much fun and I enjoyed a morning doing all three of my favourite things… *Insert Julie Andrews frolicking through flowers over a mountain here*

To kick things off I taught a Hatha-style yoga practice, followed by a deeply calming meditation. I love yoga because it’s the ultimate way to connect your mind, body and spirit. Doing yoga can also help decrease stress levels and increase our chances of a better night's sleep, helping us fight off allergies and those downward dogs keep our immunity up up up!

I then demonstrated my latest, and arguably, one of my most delicious smoothie bowl recipes ever. Everyone who joined me at the event will know how good this bowl tasted and now, you can too! I’m sharing the recipe down below so you can pretend you were right there with me, blending up our bowls together.

First, let’s start off with some frozen mixed berries. Berries are high in antioxidants, low in sugar and they taste delicious. They also help to boost energy. Berries are high in vitamin C so they're just like best friends when it comes to immunity! We couldn’t have a nerdy-nutritionist smoothie bowl without sneaking in some greens – so let’s throw in some spinach. Spinach is a vital component of the smoothie bowl, not so much for its taste (you can’t actually taste it!) but for its nutrient value! Spinach is a great source of plant-based iron and can help gut health. If you don’t like spinach, you can swap it out for another one of your green favourites – I’m going crazy for rocket at the moment.

Staring lovingly at breakfast. As you do.

Speaking of all things green, avocado, the delicious fruit (yes, fruit!), adds a perfect creaminess to a good textured smoothie bowl. Avocado provides a healthy source of fats to help absorption of vitamins and nutrients. Speaking of vitamins and minerals, avocados contain nearly all twenty essential nutrients! And last but not least, just remember, nothing gets likes on Instagram more than the mighty avocado 😉

Bowls at the ready!

To top it all off, add some coconut water or coconut milk to the recipe to keep you refreshed and hydrated all day long.

If we’re going to be real, much like icing is the best part about cake, toppings are the best part about smoothie bowls! At the event, we went totally cafeteria style with the toppings – so pick what you want and take what you feel.

I added some fresh blueberries and strawberries to add some colour.  Berries are also high in antioxidants which means they help protect our cells from damage and, prevent those constant allergy sneezes. 

I also made sure to include flaxseeds to this master bowl. Flaxseeds, also known as linseeds, are full of Omega-3 fatty acids that help us avoid brain fog, produce energy and strengthen our immune system. They’re also high in fibre to help regulate our bowel movements (sorry for the TMI) and can even help balance hormones, beautify our skin, promote weight loss and reduce sugar cravings.

An underrated but delicious nut, pistachios make for a great smoothie-bowl topper. Not only do pistachios add a satisfying crunch to our smoothie bowl, they also deliver an extra protein boost.  Strong immunity comes from having a well-balanced diet that contains proper amount of nutrients, especially protein.  Pistachios are full of high-quality protein and B vitamins to give us an extra energy boost in allergy season. 

Another superstar topping is tasty granola. Make sure you’re not buying granola that's just a box full of processed ingredients, artificial sweeteners and sugars. Instead, opt for a home-made granola made with ingredients like grains, nuts, Buckinis and yummy spices.

For a little treat, add some dried mango to your bowl. While this tantalizing treat juicy and sweet, it provides a wonderful source of vitamin A to help regulate metabolism.

Berry and Avocado Smoothie Bowl

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Smoothie:

• 2 cups frozen mixed berries
• 1 cup chopped spinach (can use frozen)
• 1 firm ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1 TBS Love Your Gut powder
• 1 ½ cups coconut water or coconut milk
• 6 drops liquid stevia or sweetener of choice (optional)

Topping Suggestions:

• Handful of blueberries
• Handful of raspberries
• 2 tbsp flaxseeds
• 2 tbsp granola
• 3 pieces dried mango 

Method:

Add all smoothie ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth

Divide into 2 bowls

Top with desired toppings

Golden Gut-time Soft Serve

Say goodbye to boring old vanilla ice cream and get ready for my golden take on the creamy dessert. My Golden Gut-time Soft Serve will have you breezing through summer and spring without a care in the world. Goodbye Kleenex!

So, what makes this dessert so nice?  The ingredients!  This soft serve contains only REAL ingredients. It’s rich in a plethora of vitamins and minerals to boost your energy, keep your skin glowing and your tummy happy. It's perfect for any and all dietary requirements too. It doesn’t take hours to churn or require copious amounts of sugar either. I guess you could say it’s soft serve supercharged style.

The best part about making soft serve is that it’s so easy to make - all you need is a blender, a few minutes, some delicious ingredients and you’re good to go!

People who say to not eat food that comes in a package had clearly never seen a banana! Bananas have proven to help maintain blood pressure, stop runny noses and look after our heart health because of their high levels of potassium. They also contain fibre that help speed up our digestion and keep you well-regulated. Bananas are a great pre-workout snack because they help reduce muscle cramps before training. Freezing them makes them the perfect base for our soft serve, providing the perfect amount of creaminess and sweetness.

Of course, the essential component of this recipe – the one that takes it from silver to gold - is my Golden Gut Blend. Golden Gut Blend is a raw whole food blend that does all the hard work for you. It can improve nutrient absorption, regulate metabolism and is full of anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties to fight off any allergy that comes your way. Just think of it as your magical golden fairy dust. You can read more about it and how to use it in your recipes here.

What's next? Ahhh... maca powder! Maca powder can help balance hormones and increase energy. It's a great mood-lifter and can make you feel more awake and energised. The best part about maca? Its taste. Maca adds a caramel and honeycomb taste so it's the perfect addition to this Golden Gut-time Soft Serve. 

You can't have ice cream without a topping... or five. Activated Buckwheat, also known as buckinis, are your Low GI, gluten-free and dairy-free answer to ice cream toppings. Buckwheat is rich in protein and many minerals such as zinc, iron, copper, manganese and B vitamins and lots of heart-healthy fibre.

Supercharged tip: peel the bananas before you freeze them for ultimate soft serve making ease.

Golden Gut-Time Soft Serve

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs Golden Gut Blend
• 2 frozen bananas
• 2 tbs Maple Sunflower Butter
• 1 tsp maca powder
• 1/4 cup chilled coconut milk
• ½ tsp vanilla powder
• Pinch of sea salt 
• Buckini seeds to sprinkle on top 

Method:

Blend until desired consistency adding extra coconut milk if required.

Sprinkle with buckinis

Coconut Vanilla Bean Matcha Chiller

Swipe right and find your greatest matcha yet with my Coconut Vanilla Bean Matcha Chiller.

There's nothing I love more than starting my day by sipping on a nutritious matcha chiller. Matcha is popping up at every health store and café and I sure know why! Not only because of the earthy and wholesome taste but because of all the health benefits it provides.

Matcha teas didn’t start off as the funky health drink that we all know and love today. Matcha originates from Japan where it’s drunk as part of a religious tea ceremony. I don’t know about you, but any ceremony which has tea in it is one I want to be a part of 😉

On a nutritional level, matcha is equal to about ten cups of regular green tea. It’s packed full of antioxidants, making it protective against anything from nasty colds to heart disease. It's even great for ageing gracefully (woo-hoo!). Not to mention, matcha can boost metabolism and even lower blood sugar, preventing insulin spikes. This makes matcha amazing in slowing down the development of type 1 diabetes and can help to regulate glucose levels in diabetics.

The thing I love about my matcha chiller is that it provides the lovely ritual of an iced coffee without the not-so-lovely coffee and sugar side-effects. While matcha provides a great boost of energy because of its caffeine content, it contains a specific amino acid which helps calm the mind and avoid those coffee jitters. Say hello to antioxidant-rich, wrinkle-free smiling faces.

I’ve combined the goodness of matcha with a hint of vanilla powder, for the ultimate concoction. Vanilla powder is also rich in many nutrients and minerals and gives our latte a velvety vanilla taste and total immune-boosting power. 

This chiller is silky smooth and just sweet enough to satisfy all your matcha cravings!

Coconut Vanilla Bean Matcha Chiller

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
• 1 teaspoon matcha powder 
• 1 cup coconut water water
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 cup coconut milk 
• 8 cubes of ice

Method:

Place all the ingredients in the blender

Blend until frothy

Pour into two coffee cups and enjoy

Let me know what you think of these three easy allergy friendly blender recipes in the comments section below.

What's better than eating a mango or banana?

Drinking a mango AND banana!

Switching up your berry smoothie with this healthy gut banana and mango smoothie is sure to put a smile on your face. This mouth-watering and simple smoothie is as easy to whip up as it is to digest.

Bananas can help curb cravings and satisfy your sweet tooth. They're also rich in fiber and really filling. Banana's dynamic smoothie partner, mango, can help benefit your eye, skin, bone and hair health.

This smoothie also contains Love Your Gut powder, which is an all natural food-based ingredient  that'll give your gut that little daily spring clean it craves. It's a naturopathic-grade, organic and fresh water diatomaceous earth that helps to gently detoxify the gut and improve our digestion.

If you don't have all the right ingredients, you can use our Golden Gut blend and just add mango and banana and milk of choice.

 You can also find the recipe to this delicious smoothie here. 

Ps Don't forget to download your FREE Love Your Gut powder eBook here.

Though their usage and popularity has been relatively stable over time, this year has seen purple vegetables gaining fair momentum down under and in the UK. Clean eaters who’ve long embraced rainbow plant-based diets know the benefits of beets, but it's good to finally see friends and family getting wiser with their food choices.

Roasted, chopped, baked, powdered, pickled, juiced, boiled - there are several ways to consume this incredible summer vegetable. In terms of nutritional value, beets bring a kickass combination of antioxidants, potassium, Vitamin C, folate, and iron. The approval ratings for the modest tuber have never been so high, and menus across the country now list not just soups, sandwiches, stews featuring the vegetable, but even desserts and lattes!

On top of being beneficial for skin, brain, or just basic cellular health, beets help ‘healthify’ otherwise overindulgent treats with natural sugars, all while improving the overall texture and freshness of baked goods. Plant protein snack companies have also turned to the veggie for diversifying their product lines, as it contains nitrites and amino acids essential for physical activity - no wonder the Romans considered it an aphrodisiac.

The beet effect isn’t lost on industry players either - aggregators like Deliveroo contribute to the hype, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that its taste profile is rather sweet and mild, explaining why it pairs so well with chocolate.

Here are some fantastic healthy recipes to try out, especially if you’ve still unconvinced about the versatility and power of the beet. 

My Broccoli Bhajis + Chia Jam and Carrot and Beetroot Raita

If you're not familiar with the bite-sized Bhaji, it's a well-loved street food in India that's typically spicy. It's similar to a fritter- traditionally served on top of meals as a crunchy addition, but has also become appreciated on its own as a delicious snack enjoyed at Indian festivals, as a starter before meals, and as a comfort food. Enjoy these brilliant bhaji's warm as a light meal or snack served with my chia jam and carrot and beetroot raita.

Warm Beetroot, Carrot and Pear Salad 

If you're looking for that perfect in-between season salad, this is the one. It's a nourishing salad filled with herbs that make it sweetly satisfying and equally grounding.  The addition of pear adds a delicious crispness to this salad that everyone will go crazy for! 

Rainbow Salad with Tahini and Lemon Dressing 

Let me first start off by saying that this tahini and lemon dressing is next level, better than any pre-packaged dressing you could find at the grocery store. It so perfectly complements this fresh salad, filled with every colour of the rainbow, including of course, our star, the mighty beetroot. 

Beetroot Red Velvet Cupcakes 

Who needs red food colouring when you have beetroots? These red velvet cupcakes from I Quit Sugar taste as good as they sound! Soft, cakey cupcakes that don’t taste like vegetables? Check. A guarantee that you'll be able to remember portion control? Not applicable.

What's one of the most popular diets at the moment; a word that people can't seem to get off their lips?

The ketogenic diet or keto diet.

There are claims that the ketogenic diet can help you lose weight and reduce your likelihood of developing diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

So, what is the keto diet?

I thought you'd never ask!

Basically it's a very low-carb, high-fat way of eating that involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, and replacing it with fat. Once we starve our body of carbohydrates, our energy fuel source, we put our bodies into a metabolic state known as ketosis. Instead of using carbohydrates for energy, our bodies burn fat. Sounds great, right?

Whilst the ketogenic diet can help with weight loss and reducing blood sugar, I like to look at the ketogenic diet with a pinch of salt (which is one thing that actually is allowed in the keto diet.)

Once we demonise a whole food group, food no longer becomes our friend. Carbohydrates are not the enemy and everything, including carbohydrates, should be eaten and enjoyed in moderation! 

Not to mention that by cutting out carbohydrates, we lose out on the benefits of many nutrients that we need to support our gut function and immune system. In particular, we may miss out on very important prebiotics that are found in root vegetables, seeds, fruit and more. No, that was not a spelling error, I said prebiotics, not probiotics! 

We know that our microbiome is the community of bacteria that reside within our body and is responsible for more than just our digestive health. Within your gut, the healthy community of micro flora involves a greater number of probiotics or friendly bacteria, and a smaller amount of pathogenic bacteria. However our friendly, good guys need to be fed to maintain the survival of their colony. This is where prebiotics come in and in simple terms, they act as a food for probiotics.

Prebiotics play a major role in promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut and are incredibly important in helping protect and rebuild within the intestinal walls. Whilst probiotic foods and fermented foods have been getting a lot of media attention of late, it’s prebiotics that do all the behind-the-scenes work in our tummies. Without prebiotics, probiotics have a poor chance of surviving, as they are high in special types of fibre to support digestive health.

I like to think of probiotics as little babies with their mouths wide open waiting to be fed in order to survive. Prebiotics are the ideal food for these babies and when you think about the average good gut bug only lasting twenty minutes in the gut, it's even more important to feed them a healthy diet to keep them alive.

Foods that are rich in prebiotic fibre include jicama (Mexican yam), dandelion greens, asparagus, sweet potato, onions, garlic, chicory root, celeriac, cashews, pistachios, parsnips, lentils, kidney beans, and Jerusalem artichoke.

Now that we know that prebiotics promote the growth and proliferation of good bacteria in your digestive system it's interesting to understand that probiotics are live organisms, whereas prebiotics are the components of food that would otherwise not be easily digested by humans but are thoroughly enjoyed by your beneficial bacteria.

Root vegetables such as celeriac, parsnip and sweet potato can be significantly richer in prebiotics helping you to house significantly more diverse and thriving strains of good bacteria as a result of eating them.

Unfortunately many keto enthusiasts are ditching prebiotic rich vegetables because of their carbohydrate content which is not great news for a healthy and diverse gut. 

Prebiotic fruits that have extra punch in feeding good bacteria include avocado, custard apples, nectarines, white peaches, persimmon, banana, apple, pomegranate, and figs.

So, let's look at just a few of my favourite prebiotic-rich foods to include in your diet for a healthy and robust gut.

Onions – whilst chopping onions can bring on the water-works for some people, they’re so full of gut-boosting and health-improving properties that they may well be worth a few tears. Onions contain a high amount of fibre which helps to strengthen gut flora, improve digestion and break down fat. Onions contain a flavonoid called quercetin, which makes them high in antioxidants. Did you know onions can also play a huge role in improving your cardiovascular and immune systems? I love sautéing onions and having them as a deliciously sweet side and using them as a terrific base to soups and curries to bring out sumptuous flavours. Try my Red Onion Bhajis with Minted Raita which are delicious.

Root vegetables are just so easy to root for. Starchy root vegetables, like sweet potato, yams, turnips, parsnips and squash are easy-to-digest and cleansing for the body. They contain fibre and nutrients, meaning that they help keep us satiated. Whilst these vegetables tend to be sweet in taste, they have a low level of natural sugar and a low glycemic index level. Foods with a low glycemic index are less likely to cause an increase in blood sugar levels. They’re also high in vitamins A and C so great boosters for the immune system.

Jicama root, also known as a Mexican yam, is a great prebiotic choice and is packed with health-boosting vitamins and minerals to improve overall health. Jicama’s vitamin C content can help improve immunity, support skin health and even act as an anti-inflammatory. This vegetable is low in calories and high in fibre, helping improve digestion and is loaded with iron and a balance of all the essential amino acids, helping energy levels. Just a warning, jicama isn’t a vegetable that everyone can find at his or her local grocery store. If you’re on the lookout, maybe try your closest Asian grocer.

I love baking root vegetables in the oven with my favourite herbs and garlic and eating root veggie soups and always roast them first for maximum flavour then just add a splash of coconut milk, cumin and whizz it up in food processor. You can also mash them and add a touch of nut butter to make a beautiful Smashed Root Veg Bowl.

Flaxseeds – while flaxseeds have been gaining popularity in the health world over the last few years, these little nutrition-packed brown seeds have been consumed as a food source for around 6000 years. Whilst flaxseeds may look little, their benefits are anything but; they can help improve digestion, promote weight loss, balance hormones and reduce sugar cravings. Flaxseeds are one of my favourite beautifying foods – they help keep the skin clear and youthful. The fibre in flaxseeds helps promote regular bowel movements and reduce the amount of dietary fat that we absorb. They’re high in an antioxidant know as lignin, which helps balance hormones and increase the health of our cells. I love that flaxseeds a gut health cheerleader and can even help to eliminate bad bacteria in the body. In my kitchen, I like to sprinkle flaxseeds over my eggs, make a flaxseed crust with baked fish or put a tsp of ground flaxseeds in my porridge. 

Leeks – I'm so wanting to slide in a leaky gut joke here but I won’t. Leeks are a great prebiotic with inulin fibre to promote healthy gut bacteria and break down fat. Leeks are also high in Vitamin K and flavonoids, which are great for blood, bones and heart health. The slightly sweeter and subtle sister plant to onions and garlic, leeks contain flavonoids which keep our blood vessels relaxed and protected. These flavonoids also produce nitric oxide to help maintain heart health, increase blood flow and decrease blood clotting. Leeks are one of my favourite vegetables to roast and pan fry for toppings to soups and they’re delicious additions in casseroles. They also make a great stock for the basis of meals. Find my Bestest Ever Vegetable Stock recipe with leeks here.

Whole oats are a beautiful prebiotic grain that contain large amounts of a fibre known as beta-glucan and resistant starch. Beta-glucan has been linked to improving healthy gut bacteria, controlling blood sugar levels and slowing down digestion. Did you know that eating oats can keep our cholesterol levels in check? Oats are full of soluble fibre which reduces our absorption of the ‘bad’ cholesterol, known as LDL (low-density lipoprotein) in the bloodstream. Every spoonful of porridge you eat is doing you good and now you can look for the gluten free varieties. I like to start my day with gutmeal  or try your hand at my Bircher Muesli Bowl or Golden Gut Oatmeal Cookies. Some people like to use oat flour in baking as it has a sweet flavour and, for those who don’t like nut milks, oat milk can be a good alternative. 

Seaweed – this one’s for seafood lovers. Seaweed contains a cocktail of nutrients, vitamins and minerals including vitamin K, calcium and iron. It’s a prebiotic algae that's extremely high in fibre to enhance the growth of good gut bacteria, prevent bad bacteria and boost the immune system. Want to help build strong bones and regulate your blood pressure? Seaweed is the answer.  Intriguingly, seaweed contains fourteen more times calcium than milk does. You can often see me snacking on seaweed or twirling it singlehandedly into soups.  Read more about the benefits of seaweed here and try my delicious Seaweed and Sesame Salad.

If you’re a fan of ketogenic meals and love how you’re feeling and the results you’re seeing - that’s great!  Just remember to support your body with the right fuel it needs. I recommend supplementing with prebiotic rich foods and using my Love Your Gut Powder and Golden Gut Blend to ensure you’re giving your gut and body the love that it needs to work as efficiently as possible!