Thursday 27 November 2014

Superfood

Rule 65

Superfoods.

You hear about it all the time, especially from yogi and vegan people but everybody should have some superfood added to their diet (even bodybuilder, crossfitter, powerlifters and bikini athletes).
So what are the most popular superfoods out there?

Just to clarify, the “usual suspects” include cancer, diabetes, heart attacks, cold, flu indigestion, overweight and the rest of lifestyle diseases.  
·        
      Goji berries (also known as wolf berries) - coming to us from China and packed with nutrition! Great for overall health and protect against the usual suspects.


·       
          Acai berries – coming to us from the rain forest, also named as “secret weight loss pill”, they’re very healthy and protect against the usual suspects but you won’t lose weight by eating it, you still got to move and not eat junk.


·         
      Maca root – coming to us from Peru, this root is not only great for skin and anti-ageing purposes, but also helps with everything to do with hormones and sexual health (PMS, fertility, menopause, mood balancing and more). Great for energy. Don’t take more than 5 grams in a dose!

·        
      Chia seeds – coming to us from Mexico. These seeds are packed with fiber, protein and omega 3 and of course protect against the usual suspects.


·       
            Hemp seed – coming to us from all over the world. Because its cousin (marijuana) is not legal to grow in some countries. But it’s a superfood - not a drug (it doesn’t have THC and it will not make you high). It’s not just super healthy, packed with nutrition and protects against the usual suspects; it can also be used to make cloths, ropes and papers! Nature at it best J


·       
            Cacao powder/nibs – you know why! In case you forget check the post about it: cacao post



·        
      Cayenne pepper – coming to us from Guinea (formerly French Guinea), this is a must if you’re trying to lose weight. You eat it and like all spicy food it makes your heart beat faster for a few second and that helps you to burn fat (same as HIIT cardio). It also protects against the usual suspects and tastes good!


·         
      Cinnamon – you know why! Check the post about it:cinnamon post


·        
      Turmeric – coming to us from India, this orange coloured root protects against the usual suspects and promotes brain health (helps you study and stay focused at work instead of Ritalin)



·         
      Stevia - sweetener and sugar substitute extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana. Looks like a mint leaves and has zero calories. It’s a healthy, easy to enjoy sweet thing without using sugar or its very unhealthy substitutes.



And now, I’m sure you want some recipes how to use them?

Goji berries & Cacao:

Ingredients
·         100g 90% dark chocolate (or you can make the chocolate by yourself  click for recipe
·         2 tbsp coarsely chopped almonds
·         2 tbsp Goji berries

Directions:
1. Melt the chocolate using the “2 bowls method” 
2. Lay out a sheet of greaseproof paper over a tray or plate.
3. Divide the melted chocolate into 8 rounds on the baking paper and sprinkle the tops with almonds and GojiGoji berries (press them down gently to make sure they stick in the chocolate). Place the plate in the fridge.
4. Leave in the fridge until the chocolate has completely hardened again, at least 20 minutes.

Check the Facebook page for more recipes like Goji tea or Goji and cacao nibs protein bar click here

Acai berries and chia seed “ice cream”:

Ingredients
·         1 packet of frozen organic acai berry pulp
·         2 heaping handfuls of organic spinach
·         1 frozen banana
·         ½ cup your choice of milk, unsweetened
·         2 tablespoons of chia seeds (soaked for at least 20 minutes in some of the milk)
·         dash of cinnamon
·         ice as needed to thicken

Directions:
1.       Simply add all ingredients into your Vitamix or high speed blender until thick and creamy.
2.       The texture should be very thick, if too thick then add more milk. If you stick a spoon into the mixture, the mixture should be able to be thick enough to stay on the spoon; if not, add ice or more frozen bananas.
3.       Eat after making.

Chia pudding:

Ingredients
·         1/4 cup Chia seeds
·         200ml your choice of milk
·         1/2 tsp sugar free vanilla
·         2 RAW pitted date

Directions:
Put everything in a bowl. Let it sit for 30 min and stir every few minutes. You can add fresh fruit to it like blueberries or pomegranate.

Superfood brownie:

Ingredients
·         1½ cups walnut kernels
·         10 Medjool dates, pitted
·         ½ cup raw cacao powder
·         ½ cup Goji berries
·         1 tbsp chia seeds
·         1 tbsp Maca powder
·         1 tsp cinnamon powder
·         1 tbsp spring or filtered water

Directions:
1.       Add walnuts to the bowl of a food processor and process for a few seconds until walnuts form a coarse meal.
2.       Add the rest of the ingredients (except water) to food processor and run until a crumbly dough has been formed. Using fingers to 'pinch' dough together, checking it if will stick together. If mixture is too dry then add water, a little at a time and process again for a few seconds, until it holds together
3.       Take tablespoon amounts of dough and use hands to roll into balls. Enjoy, or store in a covered container in the fridge for up to one week.

And that’s it for now. Hope you learn and get healthier now.
Remember…Health is fun and easy J

Research and writing by Dana Gat ©2014


Monday 24 November 2014

Iron bomb

Rule 64

Iron.

How many of you take iron supplement? About 65% of people take or have taken iron supplement. How many of you actually need it? (And I don’t mean how many of you THINK they need it I mean how many of you actually need it) - 4%
That’s mean 61% of people self-medicate themselves and you don’t understand the damage you cause to yourself!

Iron supplement is a success for marketing companies because so many people take it. But the amount of iron you need is so small, you can get it from food.
The number of people who actually suffer from anemia is so small; there more people who suffer from celiac diseases!

I had a lot of clients and you know how many of my client actually needed iron supplement? 1!
You know how many took iron supplement? Over 60%!

I swear women think that taking iron supplement is sexy, it supports their “princess waiting for prince charming to come save her” image.

Taking too much iron might cause severe stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, falling teeth/ grey teeth, hair loss, premature ageing (both skin and menopause) and more lovely things you can’t always fix.
Of course it has benefits too: hemoglobin formation, oxygen carrier, muscle function, brain function and more.

Also, not a lot of people know it but you CAN’T take iron supplement with: any other supplement, dairy, veggies, grains, coffee or teas. You can take it with orange. And you must wait 2 hours before you consume any of this food.

Or you can just get it from food like: beef, pork, chicken (or anything else that had a mommy in some point), seafood, brown rice, squash, pumpkin seed, peanuts, cashew, almonds, sesame seeds, broccoli, potato and more…so really…why are you taking iron supplement?

Dana’s Iron Bomb:
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1.5 cups sauté broccoli
9 oz lean beef strips cooked
3 tbsp  sesame seeds
4 tbsp sesame oil
Direction:
In a big bowl mix everything. And eat it!
Makes 3 serving J

so easy, so tasty, sooo sooo healthy!
Just the way I like it!
stay update

Research and writing by Dana Gat ©2014


Thursday 20 November 2014

Carob

Rule 63

Carob.
Most of you never have heard of it before but I’ve been eating it for years now and I just had to share it with you!

The best description I heard of it was “the magical alternative to chocolate”
It’s: raw, dairy-free, gluten- free, low in calories, low in fat and low in sugar.

It also has other benefits like: Protection against cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attack, osteoporosis, diarrhea, anemia and more.

In 1 TBSP carob powder has 8 grams carbs (most of it fiber) and zero fat/protein.
It also has plenty of calcium, potassium and magnesium and the very sneaky vitamin E.
When you cook or bake you can switch carob powder for cacao powder or for chocolate milk and save calories and sugar J
And now for more yummy recipes:

Carob Brownies:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons roasted carob
¾ cup stevia
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Direction:
Preheat oven to 350° F / 176° C
Grease a 18 cm pan.
Place dry ingredients (minus the stevia) in a bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.
Set aside.
In another large mixing bowl, combine coconut oil and stevia and cream the mixture until fluffy and white. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
Add dry ingredients and nuts (optional.) Beat just until wet and dry ingredients are combined. Scrape brownie mixture into prepared baking pan. Make sure it’s not too thick a layer.
Baking is in a metal pan – for about 25 minutes at 350° F / 176° C OR for about 35 minutes at 325° F / 163° C (if using a glass pan.)

Carob Fudge:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup creamy natural almond butter (roasted or raw are both fine)
1/4 cup carob powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened cacao powder
2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice), to taste
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Line a very small loaf pan (4" x 8") with plastic wrap for easy removal.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
With a spatula, scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out.
Freeze for about 20 minutes, or until solid.
Slice into squares and enjoy! Store leftovers in a container in the freezer as it melts quickly at room temperature.

Carob Balls Vegan:

Ingredients (makes about 10 balls):
2 cups pitted dates
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tbsp carob powder
1-2 tbsp water

Coating suggestions:
Shredded unsweetened coconut
Carob powder.
Sesame seeds.
Chopped nuts.
Cinnamon.

Directions:

Place the dates in a food processor and blend until you have a smooth paste. Add in 1 tbsp water if necessary to get the desired consistency. When that is completely smooth add in all the remaining ingredients and resume processing. Again, add in a bit of water if needed, but only use this as a last resort. Thoroughly scrape down the sides of your food processor before adding in any liquid. Once the mixture is properly combined, scoop it out and place in a bowl.
Grab about 1 tablespoon of the dough and roll it in between the palm of your hands. Take the ball and roll it around in whatever coating you want and place it on a plate. Repeat until all the dough is spent and you have about 10 balls in total.

And there you go!

You’ve learned something new and exciting J


Research and writing by Dana Gat ©2014


Tuesday 18 November 2014

Low carbs and vegan

Not really a rule, just me trying to save your life…

My mission is to get you to realize how the industrial revolution (the one in the 18th century) screwed up our health in more ways than we can imagine!
What we call “normal” is not normal and this is the point where we start screwing our nutrition (when you think about before the 18th/19th century the only “lifestyle disease” was famine…and that’s hardly lifestyle related…
We used to die from natural causes and now most of us die because we don’t know how to live healthy! How messed up is it?

Seriously! Stop reading for a second and think about it, we kill ourselves with how we live! It’s sad!
When cereals have been labeled as “healthy food choice” you know we’re in deep sh*t!
Let’s check one of the “healthier” kind of cereal…Like special K blueberry flavour, its super healthy if you don’t mind about the 8 different kinds of sugar in it (not including the “natural flavour” that no one really knows what it means; beaver anal juice does make berries flavour pop out…) 
And of course a few kind of flours… but it’s healthy because it’s only 100 calories and NO FAT…
Do you mean that it’s much more important to not eat fat than to not eat 8 different kind of sugar…

NOT REALLY!!!!
Recently I’ve been named a “low carb expert” and I really want to take this time and remind you: carbs are not bad for you. They’re actually very good for you; the problem is with flour and sugar!
Yams, oats, fruits, veggies, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, honey and maple syrup are bad for you but how many of you are eating other types of carbs like…bread, pasta, white/brown sugar?
I don’t cut carbs I cut crap!
And no, I’m not on a gluten free diet either. I just don’t eat crap and guess what, if you don’t eat crap you won’t have gluten in your diet.
That’s all!

People are so afraid from cutting carbs and for a good reason: you shouldn’t cut carbs from your diet or you will die! Eventually… but if you won’t cut crap from your diet you’ll die a lot sooner…
So what’s scarier? Giving up on processed sugar for nature sugar or die from a heart attack, diabetes, obesity, depression, cancer, flu, weird bugs and more?
Our body can’t process crap so stop abusing your body!
For the last 300 year we thought it’s good for us and it’s so hard to change the way we think so forgive me because I won’t give up the fight and every little while I will remind you in the hope that you understand it more.

And because somehow I became a “low-carbs” expert and vegan expert (don’t ask me how it’s possible - I don’t know. People like to label..)
Here are some low carbs and vegan recipes to keep those people happy…
I’m just kidding… It’s impossible because there’s carbs is every veggie or legumes but I like when people label me…

Research and writing by Dana Gat ©2014



Friday 14 November 2014

oats

Rule 61
The most basic high protein grain out there… The stuff you can make with it is just unbelievable!  So healthy! Such a good source of carbs. It is the perfect carb! High fibre, high protein and super low sugar…
Here are some of the benefits of oats:
  • Lowers cholesterol.
  • Stabilises blood sugar levels: Oats keep you fuller for longer without sugar highs and crashes.
  • Lowers the cancer risk: Oats have high levels of fibre, which lower oestrogen levels, which prevents cancer.
  • Reduces high blood pressure: 1 in every 3 adults suffers from hypertension.  Oats are high in soluble fibre which helps to reduce hypertension.
  • Keeps bowel movements regular: The high fibre content helps speed up the passage of the food through the body, reducing constipation.
  • Helps you lose weight: Oats help you feel fuller longer which curbs your appetite.  Studies have shown that children who eat a bowl of oatmeal a day are 50% less likely to suffer from obesity.
  • Improves athletic performance: It has been shown that oats alter metabolism and enhance performance if eaten about an hour before exercise.
  • Oats help in having a longer, healthier life: Of all the grains, oats have a higher and better balance of protein, and a good balance of essential fatty acids.  Oats have a great range of vitamins and minerals and beta glucan which helps the body to heal quickly.
  • Oats can help you sleep: According to Dr. Oz, oats are also good at night time to help beat insomnia.
Sounds good to me! And of course one more benefit… its taste is delicious!
And now…time for recipes!!!

Raspberry oat breakfast smoothie:
·         1 cup ice
·         1/2 cup frozen raspberries
·         1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
·         1 banana
·         1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
·         1 tablespoon honey
·         1 cup coconut water

Blend!

Spiced Oatmeal smoothie:
1/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use non-fat)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting
Pinch of turmeric
1 apple, cored and roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
A small squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 fresh date, pitted and chopped (optional)
Ice cubes
Blend!

Ginger-Pear Oat smoothie:
·         1 cup skim milk or plain non-fat yogurt
·         1 small ripe pear, cored, skin on
·         ½ banana
·         ½-cup uncooked oatmeal
·         ½-teaspoon minced fresh ginger
·         1 tablespoon flaxseed oil, optional
·         4 ice cubes

Blend!

Apple sandwich oats:
Makes 3 sandwiches
·         1 tablespoon rolled oats
·         1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
·         3 tablespoons unsweetened peanut butter
·         3/4 teaspoon honey
·         1 tablespoon raisins
·         1 medium apple

Combine the oats and cinnamon in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring occasionally, until the oats are golden. Cool before using.
Mix together the peanut butter and honey.
Core and slice the apple into 6 rounds. (If you don't have an apple corer, you can slice the apple first and then cut out the centers with a small cookie cutter or knife.)
Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on 3 of the apple slices and sprinkle with raisins and oats. Top with the remaining apple slices to form sandwiches.

Savory oatmeal and soft-cooked egg:

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons shredded sharp cheddar
  • 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion greens

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add oats and pinch of salt; stir, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a small non-stick pan over medium.
Coat lightly with cooking spray. Add egg and cook until white is set and yolk is still runny, about 3 minutes. Season egg to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve oatmeal in a bowl topped with cheese, egg, and scallion greens.

Banana Oatmeal:

Put in a pot: ½ cup oat, 1 cup your choice of milk and 1 banana.

When creamy put in a bowl and top with coconut and honey.

You can also boil 1 carrot and add it to the pot with come cinnamon and nutmeg to spice things up :)

Chocolate brownies oats.

The Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats cooked with 1.5 cups of water
  • 1 tsp raw, unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup 1% organic milk
  • 1 Tbsp walnuts
  • 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds
  • Honey, Agave, Maple Syrup, or Stevia to taste (I use about 1.5 tsp of honey)
Directions:
·         Mix the oats with 1.5 cups of water until the oats are fluffy and all the water has disappeared (I do this by cooking it for 2 minutes in the microwave, stirring, and cooking it for 2 more minutes.)
·          Add the cocoa powder and cinnamon to the cooked oats while they are still hot.
·         Stir until everything is fully combined, and your oats have a deep chocolaty color.
·         Add the walnuts, and the milk (you can add as much milk as you like – I use about 1/2 a cup to give the oats a nice creamy consistency)
·         Add the honey/agave/stevia/maple syrup, and stir to combine until the oats have the consistency you like.
I think that’s enough for this time!
If you have any request please share and don’t forget to go check the Facebook page for more recipes.


Research and writing by Dana Gat ©2014


Monday 10 November 2014

Honey

Rule 60!

Honey.
Just to clarify for North America peeps - I’m talking about RAW honey…this syrup that you buy in most grocery stores does not count as honey; it counts as poison.

It’s nature’s antibiotic!!!

Of course it has other benefits like treating acne and burns, but who cares when it’s a freaking antibiotic?!?!
The easiest way to have it in order to prevent the flu is as to add ½ tsp to warm water with lemon and/or mint leaves and have it as tea but you can also enjoy it in food, for example:
Make pancake from 1/2 cup oats and 3 egg white and add 1 tbsp honey :)
Or..you can make it fancy using one of this awesome recipes:

English muffins:
I don’t love flour but if you’re going to have some, you might as well have something with some health benefits to “proof” to flour from damaging your body….

Ingredients:
·         ¾ cup keffir yogurt
·         1 tbsp raw honey
·         4 tbsp coconut oil
·         2 cups flour of your choice
·         2 tsp baking powder
·         ½ tsp baking soda

Directions:
·         Mix everything in a bowl.
·         Roll out the dough to about 1 inch thick. Use glass or cookies cutter to cut it. Put in a pan and bake on 350f/170c for 12 min.

Grilled honeyed chicken:

Ingredients:
·         ½ tsp coriander seeds
·         ½ tsp fennel seeds
·         5 tbsp raw honey
·         Juice and zest of 1 lemon, 1 extra to serve
·         Juice and zest of 1 orange
·         4 green onions, finely chopped
·         4 sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped from stalks and chopped
·         2 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped from stalks and chopped
·         1 sprig sage, leaves stripped from stalks and chopped
·         3 chicken breast cut to 4

Directions:
·         Toast the coriander and fennel seeds in a small pan until golden and then grind them in a pestle and mortar or grinder.
·         Warm the honey a little and measure it out with a hot spoon into a bowl, along with the orange and lemon juices and zest, green onions and herbs and finally the ground spices.
·         Toss the chicken in the marinade and leave for as long as you can, but for at least a couple of hours.
·         When you are ready to cook the chicken, put it in a grill until brown.

Salad dressing:
 1 tsp raw honey, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 tsp mustard. Whisk with fork and you have amazing salad dressing.

And that’s it!
Hope you enjoy and remember…being healthy is easy and fun!


Research and writing by Dana Gat ©2014


Monday 3 November 2014

Rule 58

Cacao powder.

Now I’m not talking about cacao nibs or chocolate. They’re both good. I just don’t want to make it too long and let’s be honest, writing about the benefit of chocolate I can fill a book!
Besides being one of the best foods known to mankind, cacao powder is also considered to be a superfood.

Nutrition Value: 1 oz has 120 calories and is high in iron (16% of your daily intake), high in protein (5 grams), manganese, copper, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, antioxidant, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B’12 and more.

Benefits: helps to lower bad cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, protects against heart problems, improves digestion and is one of the most important…appetite suppressants!!!
·         Make sure you’re buying cacao powder not cocoa powder! It is not the same! Cacao is the raw. The purest version and cocoa is the processed product, after milk and sugar have been added to it.
And now…recipes!

Hot Chocolate:

I found out that if you just want to enjoy it you can simply mix 1 tbsp of cacao powder with2 tsp stevia and water to get hot chocolate. You can also add dairy/dairy free milk to make it fancier.
Cacao powder has caffeine in it but the good kind, so if you need a “pick me up” afternoon drink or even morning why won’t you go for the cacao hot chocolate? True, it won’t give you a heart attack like coffee will, and it will help you lose weight in a healthy way but some people see it as a good thing…lol

Here a few more recipes to enjoy this amazing food.

Homemade chocolate:
·         
      Using the “2 bowls method” melt ½ cup cacao butter
·         Mix it with about ½ cup cacao powder
·         Add sweetener (honey, maple, stevia or silan)
·         Put it in an ice tray and freeze.
·         Optional – add nuts, herbs, spices, nut butter and even hot pepper to mix things out!

Cacao milkshake:
Be careful because this milkshake might bring all the boys to the yard…

Ingredients:
·         1 cup almonds
·         4 cups water
·         6 dates
·          ¼ cup raw cacao powder or to taste
·         1 tbsp vanilla bean extract
·         ¼ to ½ tsp  Cinnamon and cardamom
·         2 bananas
·         1 tbsp raw almond butter (optional)

Direction:
·         Blend the nuts and water at high speed
·          Strain using a cheesecloth or strainer. Retain the “milk”
·          Clean the blender. Add the remaining ingredients include the milk and blend until they are all blended well. Serve your shake immediately or after chilling for sometime

Flourless Chocolate cake:
I already gave you this recipe but in case you lost it or you’re a new member of this community:
·         You can make it vegan to if you want by substitute the eggs to “flax eggs” (mix 2 tbsp flax seed with 4 tbsp water per egg you need to replace)

Ingredients:
·         1 apple
·         6 oz homemade chocolate
·         ¼ cup coconut oil
·         ½ cup cacao powder
·         2 eggs

Direction:
·         Peel the apple and blend it with 4 tbsp water to make apple sauce.
·         Melt the chocolate using the “2 bowl method”
·         Add the rest of the ingredients include the apple sauce
·         Put in a pan and bake on 375F/180C for 25 min.

And that’s it my lovelies!
Don’t forget to check my IG account for more recipes :@dandgatfit

And facebook for more tips, articles and of course recipes : Eat Cake & Not Get Fat

Research and writing by Dana Gat ©2014