For all my London and UK pals – this one’s especially for you!

Are you looking to lose weight, supercharge your energy and feel great?

I’ve got the solution!

I’m about to embark on my world book tour for Fast Your Way to Wellness where I’ll be speaking all things fasting, wholefoods and of course, getting my cooking on!

Intermittent fasting is something I live by and I can’t wait to share it with you!

My next stop (and one that I’m super excited about) is London where I’ll be returning to the beautiful Planet Organic store on the 22^nd of March at Westbourne Grove for a book launch and cooking demo.

The health benefits of intermittent fasting are powerful and potent so get ready to be seriously mind-blown! I’ll be answering all your questions about intermittent fasting – the what’s, the when’s, the why’s and the how to’s!

By reducing calories on two days per week, you can kick-start weight loss, rejuvenate the body’s systems, repair cells and restore vitality.

Not only will I be speaking about the benefits of fasting, I’ll also be whipping up one of my favourite recipes from Fast Your Way to Wellness– my scrumptious Veggie Nori Wraps!

I’ll be talking about lots of different low-calorie recipes that are simple, nutritious and delicious for those fasting days. If that doesn’t convince you enough, all of those who attend the event will receive a Planet Organic goodie bag! Hands up who’s in?

I’m so excited to meet you all there! So, come on down to Westbourne Grove for from 6:30-8pm on Wednesday the 22^nd of March. Go onto Planet Organic to find out more or register here now!

As much as the health world idolizes the beauty of eating poached eggs and greens for breakfast – sometimes we just can’t hold back from our morning sweet tooth! Sometimes fluffy muffins, crunchy cereals and chewy choc-chip cookies are calling your name and the last thing on your mind is eggs and kale?!

Instead of fighting cravings, let’s embrace them! Listening to your cravings is so important and can indicate a lot about what you’re needing both emotionally and physically and can help to highlight the foods that you may have become addicted to.

If you’re craving chocolate, it could mean you're magnesium deficient. Magnesium is available in fish, dark leafy greens and nuts. Craving sweet foods like pastries, white bread and pasta may mean that you're chromium deficient. Chromium can be found in oats, sweet potatoes and eggs.

Thinking about cravings rationally and listening to them can help us lead healthier and happier lives.  So instead of ignoring cravings, why not just make healthier choices and fill up with healthy versions of favorite foods?

I'd love to introduce you to my new delicious No More Muffin Top Muffin recipe and I’ve made sure that they'll not only improve your gut health and waistline but also fill your daily ‘eggs and greens’ quota!

If you’re not already on the healthified sweets train, these muffins will make you jump on board! Forget the traditional, sugar-filled, gluten-packed muffins and swap to a new world of healthy, refined-sugar free and absolutely tasty muffins. There are no strange ingredients here – just healthy wholesome baking ingredients.

Who could pass up the chance to start the day with fluffy, yummy muffins? The chromium-packed eggs and vitamin-filled zucchini makes sure these beautiful muffins stay moist, while my Love Your Gut powder (a raw vegan plant based whole food) ensures that you're getting good gut-healing straight off the bat.

My Love Your Gut powder is high in absorbable iron which helps to support tiredness and fatigue and it doesn't leave you constipated like traditional synthetic iron supplements do. That way you can get your necessary iron via real plant based foody-goodness.

Magnesium-packed almond-meal is a delicious gluten-free flour that is great for baking so I threw it into the mix too. This recipe also contains a touch of butter, which contains healthy saturated fats and fat-soluble vitamins. Butter helps these baked treats stay fluffy and keep their texture. Yum!

So, make up a batch and let me know what you think? They freeze well too!

No More Muffin Top Muffins

Makes 6 large or 12 small muffins

Make these the day before and then just warm them in the oven for 10 minutes before enjoying. They're surprising filling and full of veggie goodness.  Take them as a snack to work too.

• 11/2 cups) almond meal
• 1/2 cup) toasted walnuts
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 
1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp stevia powder
• 1 tbs LYG powder
• 11/2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup additive-free coconut milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Place zucchini in a sieve over a bowl and sprinkle with a little salt and let sit.

Line a muffin tray with muffin liners and preheat oven to 180°C

In a medium bowl, place all the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon

With your hands, very tightly squeeze the zucchini to remove any excess moisture.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, coconut milk and butter together. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and then very gently stir in the zucchini.

With a spoon, carefully spoon mixture into the muffin tray liners  and place into the oven for 45 minutes until cooked through- you can test with a skewer.

Let cool on a wire rack.  These can be kept in the fridge for 4 days in a sealed container.

Lee xo

Fellow Cookie Monsters - This one's for you!

Do you ever remember as a child coming home after school to the smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through the house? That feeling when you're floating on clouds and happy at the thought of eating cookies? A feeling that lasted the whole afternoon. Or perhaps it's the childhood memory of a burnt finger with the excitement of releasing your inner-cookie monster and gobbling down a few delicious bites? Or fighting with a sibling over who was going to get the last one?

I'm sure you'll all agree that here's nothing quite as wistfully wonderful and terrifically tasty as cookies that have just been airlifted out of the oven. 

That's why I wanted to create a new kind of cookie- a healthier version 2017 style! Not only are they the perfect cookie to have with your afternoon tea, they’re a great balance of equally chewy yet crunchy; a combination any cookie connoisseur will understand.  These will leave everyone in the household smiling because of that delightfully homey and oh so nostalgic: we-just-baked-delicious-cookies smell. If that doesn't make for a nostalgically good cookie, I don't know what will! 

Different from your regular sugar-laden, gluten-filled, artificially coloured cookies, mine are all the frees and tummy friendly. The main two ingredients are banana and quinoa and they make for a tasty, yet unlikely duo.

I have combined the magical power of protein-packed quinoa with comforting coconut flour to make these cookies gluten-free and because I'm all about gut health, I've added a sprinkle of my magical Love Your Gut Powder! Just a little bit of LYG powder can really go a long way. Sneaking it into treats, like these cookies, is a great way to give your gut a nice boost without ever having to think about it! I’ve done the all the hard work for you, I'm nice like that 😉

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In my life, I like to embrace nature in everything whenever and wherever possible. I enjoy my food clean and from the earth and I like the people I surround myself with to be real and honest. There’s no reason why I would want the beauty products I use be to be any different.

Unfortunately, many products that label themselves as natural are not as ‘natural’, ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘organic’ as they want you to believe.

As there is no governing standard in Australia that brands have to meet to call themselves natural, brands can do two things without breaching Consumer Laws. Firstly, companies can use words such as ‘naturally inspired’ to lead consumers into thinking that their products are natural when that is not the case.

They can also use words, like ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘botanical’ so that the consumer believes they are natural, when in fact they’re not. They can also include ingredients in products that aren’t truly natural – in a ‘fake natural’ product, it’s often you might see a natural oil listed next to a mineral oil.

This lack of governing standard means there’s lots of confusion amongst those seeking out truly natural products, and an even greater need to be vigilant to know what phrases and ingredients to look out for and which ones to avoid.

It’s unclear if this level of regulation is likely to change in the future, however if people continue to voice their concerns about misleading labels then hopefully we can see some change.

Often, companies will mask unnatural products by throwing them next to a natural one in the label so it can get really confusing when searching for truly natural skincare. It’s my mission to encourage and provide you with information about how to read a label and understand what is best to avoid so that you can be on your way to becoming a naturally glowing version of yourself.

Natural, to me, means both the product’s activities and its formulations are plant-derived ingredients. I define fake naturals as products that call themselves natural but aren’t truly natural. Products that contain fake naturals can cause serious skin issues such as allergic reactions, dermatitis, skin sensitivities and blocked pores.

While these may not seem so serious to the average person, what we put into our skin is absorbed into the blood and then the rest of our body! There’s never been a more important time to take care of your skin and be aware of what you’re applying onto it.

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The humble apple is one of my greatly adored kitchen staples and today I'm sharing an apple recipe from my brand new book Fast Your Way to Wellness.

Affordable, nutritious and versatile, they’re a scrumptious fruity must-have that I love to continually replenish within my kitchen. Whether sliced thinly and thrown into salads, baked and stuffed with nuts and oats, stewed and made into apple sauce, or lovingly formed into a classic crumble, apples are the jack of all trades and a loyal friend that awaits transformation into all kinds of delectable creations.

Apples are nutritional ninjas, boasting loads of wellness boosting properties. Did you know that apples are a wonderful ingredient for regulating blood sugar? Recent studies have shown that the polyphenols contained within apples can help to prevent rollercoaster blood sugar spikes. Particular flavonoids like quercetin have the effect of inhibiting enzymes like alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase which normally break down carbohydrates into simple sugars. Therefore when you eat apples, your body deals with less simple sugars and releases you from spikes in blood sugar. (more…)

There’s only one word I can use to describe this one pan meal from my brand new cook book Fast Your Way to Wellness and that is Delicious!  

I cannot tell you how many times a good old one-pan has rescued me from the potential stress of last-minute dinner guests, and tired weeknights where it would be ever-so-easy to order in.

With a kitchen filled with plenty of veg and a variety of proteins, herbs and spices, there’s always the possibility of a creative and delicious one-pan that will satisfy the belly and nourish your body.

This particular meal is of the seafood variety, so it’s perfect for warmer days, and a great way to tick off your fish quota for the week.

Interestingly, in all my years of studying, researching, reading, and searching for supercharged foods, seafood has recurred as one of the most healthful ingredients humans can fill their bodies with. Studies show that people who consume fish regularly have a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes, and death from heart disease. More studies have shown that people who serve fish up on their plate have lower rates of cognitive decline, and scientists believe that it may increase grey matter in the brain, protecting it from age related degeneration. Grey matter is the stuff that acts as the major functional tissue in your brain; containing the neurons that are responsible for storing your memories, processing information, and basically making you human!

Fish is a dream to cook with, as it provides protein in a lighter form, it digests beautifully, is versatile, and is high in one of my most highly adored nutrients for inflammatory conditions: omega 3 fatty acids.

Fish oils are one of your best whole food sources of anti-inflammatory fatty acids. There are two types of these fatty acids in fish oil; EPA and DHA. These guys are total legends, as they inhibit the signals of inflammation within the body. (more…)