Tag: whole food

How To Cook Buckwheat

Why do bodybuilders eat buckwheat?  Because they “eat clean” to build lean muscle.  Buckwheat is a super-food, high in protein and fibre, rich in nutrients and antioxidants.  And, like most whole foods high in fibre, buckwheat has a low GI which means, it releases energy slowly and keeps you full for longer.  Consequently, it helps you lose weight, when eaten as part of a calorie-controlled diet.

Buckwheat is gluten-free. It is not a whole grain; it is a seed, completely unrelated to wheat, barley or rye.

What are the benefits of buckwheat?

  1. It improves heart health, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure
  2. Contains antioxidants which help fight against cancer
  3. Provides highly digestible protein
  4. High fibre content helps improve digestion
  5. Low GI helps prevent diabetes
  6. Gluten-free
  7. Good source of vitamin B.

Buckwheat is an ancient food.  It knows its origins to Asia and is a staple in Russian cuisine – used as a breakfast cereal, in soups, salads and stews.  In the recent past, the versatility and nutritional benefits of buckwheat have become recognised in the Western world.  Buckwheat flour is used in making pancakes and muffins.

How do you cook buckwheat?

Buckwheat has a subtle nutty taste, but similar to quinoa, it benefits from being used with tasty ingredients for a boost.  I paired it with mushroom and kale and the result was great!

Chopped vegetables
Buckwheat, mushroom and kale
Mushroom and kale buckwheat

Here’s the recipe for you to try …

Serves 2

  • one cup dry roasted buckwheat – rinsed
  • one medium-sized onion – finely chopped
  • three garlic cloves – crushed and chopped
  • good pinch of dried, crushed chillies (optional)
  • two tbsps olive oil
  • 150grms mushrooms – wiped and quartered
  • 150grms kale – rinsed, stalks removed and leaves torn in bite-size pieces
  • 375ml vegetable stock (I used two tsps Swiss Bouillon powder dissolved in hot water)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

Put the oil in a sauce pan and saute the onion until soft.  Add the garlic and chillies (if using).  Then add the mushrooms and kale leaves, stir and saute for two to three minutes.  Tip in the buckwheat, stir until the seeds are covered with the vegetable mixture. Add the hot stock, stir well and cover with a tight-fitting lid.  Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat and leave to stand for a few minutes. Remove the lid, season with salt and pepper to taste, fluff with a fork and serve.

Try it and leave me a comment to let me know how you got on.  It’s so quick and easy to make … and the result is amazing!  Enjoy …

My thanks go to:

Colette Cumbo6 Comments

Why Choose a Plant-Based Diet?

Have you ever considered moving to a plant-based diet?  I can hear some of you say, “No way!” But what if you have to move, for health reasons? Would you move to a plant-based diet, if you have to?

By a plant-based diet I mean completely vegan – i.e. no meat (including fish), no dairy, and no eggs. Admittedly, it can be challenging and takes getting used to – especially, if meat is a staple in your diet.

Why opt for a plant-based diet?

A plant-based diet is sustainable whilst livestock is a major contributor to greenhouse gases.

In her book Plant-Based Cookbook, Trish Sebben-Krupka, refers to the United Nations’ 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Sebben-Krupka, quotes the report as saying, meat and dairy account for 70 per cent of global freshwater consumption, 38 per cent of total land use, and 19 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.

A plant-based diet is also clean when compared to the meat industry.  The amount of meat recalls over the years suggest serious problems within the industry.  Livestock farming is increasingly being linked to antibiotic resistance – a serious threat to human health.

What are the benefits of a plant-based diet?
Cardiologists recommend a plant-based diet for the prevention of heart disease.  This diet is also linked to the prevention of a number of illnesses, such as, diabetes, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and a host of other diseases.

Besides, a plant-based diet helps you control your weight, gives you healthy skin and hair plus plenty of energy.  What more could you ask for from your diet? Who would not want to feel and look good?

What do you eat?

wfpb-food-pyramid (1)

Nowadays a quick search on the Internet gives you plenty of ideas for vegan recipes.

A vegan diet consists of:

  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Beans and legumes (chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans etc.)
  • Whole grains (basmati wholegrain rice, kamut, farro, quinoa etc.)
  • Nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, cashews, chia, flax seed, hemp etc.)
  • Meat substitutes (organic tofu, tempeh and soya products)

How do you become a vegan?

Unless you are very determined, you do not become a vegan overnight.

Start by making small changes to your diet.  Replace one meal a day; go with whole foods as much as you possibly can.

Plan your food. Clear out your larder and stock up on beans and pulses, rice, and other grains.  Cook ahead and keep a stock of raw fruits and vegetables (frozen fruit and veg are also good for you and can be used in cooking).

Increase your plant-based meals as you go … until you achieve your goal.

Trish Sebben-Krupka says, “If you fall off the the plant-based wagon, just dust yourself off and start again the next day.”

Finally a quote from Albert Einstein (Nobel prize 1921): Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.

My thanks go to:

Plant-Based Cookbook by Trish Sebben-Krupka
Time for Change
Jamie Oliver – Vegan
Web MD
Image – Carla Golden Wellness / The Wall Street Journal

Colette Cumbo1 Comment

How to ‘eat clean’

‘Clean Eating’ is trending in the world of nutrition.  It is not a fad diet; it’s a chosen lifestyle and celebrities like Katy Perry and Gwyneth Paltrow are two of the many fans supporting this trend. So, what is ‘clean eating’ and how is it good for you?

Definition of ‘clean eating’?

Put in simple terms, ‘clean eating’ is the consumption of unprocessed food.  ‘Clean eating’ consists of whole food – real food – from its origin to your plate.

clean-eating-pyramid
Clean-eating Pyramid

It does not mean eating only raw food.  Some whole foods benefit from cooking because it removes toxins and kills bacteria.  However, with the exception of food like white meat (which needs to be cooked through), it is best not to over-cook your food cause you lose out on nutrients.

What are the benefits of ‘eating clean’?

Plant-based diets are good for you.  And ‘clean eating’ is mainly made up of fruit and veg.

A diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables

  • helps in reducing / preventing high blood pressure
  • prevents type 2 diabetes
  • prevents cardiovascular disease
  • helps you maintain healthy weight
  • gives you glowing skin and healthy hair

Is that a good enough reason to ‘eat clean’?

How do you ‘eat clean’?

If you would like to ‘eat clean’, avoid processed foods. ‘Eating clean’ begins at the supermarket.

Processed foods are stripped of all nutrients and they

  • contain salt or sugar or both
  • may contain fat
  • may contain flavouring
  • contain preservatives (those words difficult to pronounce or those E numbers)
  • contain added vitamins

Carlos Monteiro, professor at the Department of Nutrition at the School of Public Health, University of Sao Paolo says, processed foods claiming they contain “less fat”, “less sodium” or “vitamin enriched” are bad for you.  This is the manufacturer’s cunning plan to make highly-processed food look ‘healthy’.

“The key is to avoid foods that are ‘ultra-processed,'” says Jessica Fanzo, Assistant Professor of Nutrition at the Columbia University. ” … basically, anything food-product-like or ready-to-heat.”

Foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are also a big NO NO! GMOs are linked to cancer and infertility.

Just in case you’re not put off by processed foods yet, bear in mind that additives in highly-processed food make you crave junk food.

What is considered to be ‘clean’ food?

‘Clean’ food is unprocessed food such as fresh fruit and veg, dried legumes, nuts and farm-fresh eggs.

In addition to the four groups of unprocessed food above, you can add the following food which is slightly processed

  • unrefined grains – as in wholewheat bread, pasta, oatmeal, quinoa and brown rice
  • frozen fruit and vegetables
  • unprocessed meat
  • hormone-free dairy
  • oils

Organic food can be costly.  But when possible choose organic to avoid pesticides, hormones and chemicals in your food.

Wild and sustainably-caught fish have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Whilst grass-fed livestock is also rich in omega-3 fats.

If you are unsure of the origin of your food, ask where it’s coming from.

How do you cook ‘clean’?

Cooking ‘clean’ is easy.  The secret is – keep things simple and avoid fats.

Dos and don’ts

  • avoid sauces and gravies; go for simple olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice
  • do not deep fry
  • do not stew using animal or vegetable fat
  • do not over-cook your vegetables to a pulp
  • stir-fry or steam your food

You  will soon learn how to appreciate the good taste of ‘clean’ food.  Sauces and gravies musk the taste of your food and increase your waist line.

Food portions play an important part in your ‘clean eating’ lifestyle.  Do not over-eat; aim to have three fifths of your plate full of veg, one fifth of protein and one fifth starchy carb.

And you wondered how celebs look good?  Now you know how … enjoy!

My thanks go to

 

 

 

 

 

Colette Cumbo2 Comments