Nutrition
You are what you eat!
Each cell in the body replicates using the constituents of your diet, it makes a difference what you eat. Sometimes it may take longer to see a difference as some cells replicate slower than others but you will feel different- you are! You are a new person
There are many food groups, which will influence specific health problems. This is nothing new- there is the old wives tales of fish oil being good for joints and arthritis to the newer solutions of phytoestrogens to help with menopausal symptoms.
Western diets are full of pro inflammatory precursors. Inflammatory states are rife in our society, these make you age faster and with more chronic problems. Abundant Life will teach you what foods to avoid and which foods to include which are anti inflammatory.
In the sessions not only will you be given tailored diets to follow for specific health problems and recipes as well, but also the right choices to make when out shopping and even foods to taste so you can see eating healthily is not only nutritious but also tasty!
You will also learn what foods will keep you satisfied for longer, less calorific and are healthier than processed foods.
If you are unable to source and cook the healthy recipes because of time constraints to make life easier for you there will be the option of buying these foods cooked and frozen for you.
Nutritional Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 tbspn oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 tbspn curry paste
- 4 oz red lentils
- 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
- 1 can or carton of butter beans
- ½ pint veg stock
Method
- Heat oil in a hob and ovenproof casserole dish
- Fry onion until soft and transparent add all other ingredients
- Bring to boil and place in oven gas mark 5 for 30 minutes
- Serve with rice
Ingredients
- 1 marrow cooked
- Small amount of rape seed oil or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 clove garlic – crushed
- 1 chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Tumeric
- 1 teaspoon garam marsala
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
Method
- Fry garlic and onion in oil with the mustard seeds until they pop
- Add cumin, tumeric, tomato paste and cooked marrow
- Add tin of chopped tomatoes *
- Cook for 30 minutes in oven gas mark 5
- Add garam marsala, cayenne pepper 10 minutes before end
Serve with rice
* Can add 4ozs lentils here plus ½ pint vegetable stock
Low GI
284 Kcal per serving, Protein 12g, Fat 16g, Carbohydrate 22g, Fibre 8g
Ingredients
- 100g pearl barley
- 750mls water
- 2 medium size aubergines – halved long ways
- 2 large ripe tomatoes – diced
- 6 spring onions finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon of each thyme, oregano, marjoram
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 70 g parmesan cheese
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C
- Simmer the pearl barley in the water for 30 minutes until soft
- Scoop out the flesh of the aubergines, leaving a 1 cm shell, sprinkle the shells with salt and leave upside down on kitchen paper to drain. Dice the aubergine flesh.
- Combine the diced tomato, sliced spring onions and herbs
- Heat the oil in frying pan , add the chopped garlic and diced aubergine, sauté until the aubergine browns. Fold in the tomato mixture, then add the drained barley and stir in the parmesan cheese. Season
- Rinse out the aubergine shells with cold water and pat dry. Fill with the stuffing and bake for 30 minutes
- Serve hot
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 13 minutes
Low GI
Serves 4-6
Kcal 380 per serving Protein 13g, Fat 13g, Carbohydrate 53g, Fibre 15g
Ingredients
- 500 g wholemeal spaghetti
- 4 large courgettes
- 12 mangetout
- 50 g baby spinach leaves
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic crushed
- 8 basil leaves torn
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Boil spaghetti until soft
- Top and tail the courgettes and slice thinly lengthwise into long matchsticks. Wash and string the mangetout and steam both until just softened and still bright green
- Mix together the oil, juice, garlic and seasonings. Toss the vegetables, spinach, basil and dressing through the spaghetti. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
- Serve hot
High in Omega 3 and Low GI
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 150 g wholemeal macaroni or tube shaped wholemeal pasta
- 2 leeks thinly sliced
- 350 g half fat cheddar cheese- grated
- 2 teaspoons of wholegrain English mustard
- 1 pint semi skimmed milk
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 1 knob of butter
- 1 tin steamed mackerel fillets
- Parmesan cheese
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 C Gas mark 6
- Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling water until tender, add the leeks to the pan for the last 10 minutes of cooking
- Make the cheese sauce, by making a roué with the butter and flour in a pan and slowly add in the milk, stir until thickens, add the grated cheese and cook for a few minutes, add the mustard
- Drain the pasta and leeks, add into the cheese sauce and fold in the mackerel
- Spoon into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with parmesan, bake in the oven for 15 minutes until brown
High in Omega 3 and Low GI
Serves 3–4 portions
Ingredients
- 1 Pack of smoked mackerel fillets
- 2 leeks
- 1 large tablespoon of half cream fraiche
- 1 teaspoon horseradish
- 2 large sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Method
- Peel and dice the sweet potato place in pan of water, bring to the boil and boil 15–20 minutes until the potato is soft. Drain and mash
- Meanwhile wash, slice the leeks and place fry in a frying pan in the olive oil until they are soft
- Mash the smoked mackerel fillets in a bowl and add the leeks, stir in the cream fraiche with a teaspoon of horseradish. Mix together thoroughly
- Place the mixture into individual dishes and then cover with the mashed potato
- Place in an oven Gas mark 5 or 170C for 20–25 minutes until bubbling hot and serve
Ingredients
- 1 pack Silken Tofu
- 1 small butternut squash
- 1 small cauliflower – steamed
- 2 small courgettes
- 1 onion
- Olive oil for frying
- 1 pint vegetable stock
- 2 clove garlic pressed
- 2 teaspoons curry powder or 1 desertspoon curry paste
Method
- Steam cauliflower until soft
- Heat oil in frying pan and add garlic and onion, add curry powder or paste
- Add chopped up squash and sliced courgettes – fry for a few minutes
- Add steamed cauliflower and sliced tofu
- Add vegetable stock
- Transfer to casserole dish and placed in oven 180 C or gas mark 6 for 35 minutes
Serve with rice
Ingredients
- 4 oz Yellow split peas
- 1 medium size carrot
- 1 medium size onion
- 1 pint water
- 4 oz coarse oatmeal
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons marmite
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon of thyme and sage or cumin and chilli powder
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 4oz wholemeal breadcrumbs
Method
- Soak the peas in water overnight. Either grate the carrot and onion or process them in a food processor.
- Put the peas and carrot and onion in the water and bring to the boil, simmer until the peas are soft (about 30 minutes).
- Add the oat meal and cook for 5-10 minutes until softened then take off the heat and add in all the other ingredients. Leave to cool.
- Using floured hands and some flour on a board make into patties and fry for 10 minutes.
- Can freeze the patties – this mix makes about 8 patties/veggie burgers
Low GI
Kcal 110, Protein 8g, Fat 3g, Carbohydrate 17g, Fibre 2g
Ingredients
- 600ml Skimmed milk
- 100 g semolina
- 60 g Xylitol
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- Zest of one large lemon
- 1 egg beaten
- 125 ml apple juice
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 C
- Lightly oil 6 125ml soufflé dishes and line the base of each with baking paper
- Pour milk, semolina, xylitol into a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring constantly, reduce the heat and stir for 1 minute
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and vanilla essence
- Cover the surface of the mixture with Clingfilm to prevent a skin forming and let it cool. When cooled stir in the beaten egg.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared dishes and place them in a baking tin with enough boiling water to reach half way up the side of the dishes. Cover loosely with a large sheet of foil. Carefully place the tin into the oven and bake for 15 minutes till the puddings are set. Remove the puddings from the tin, run a knife around the puddings and turn them out onto a serving plate and remove the baking paper.
- Puree the berries (leaving some whole for decoration) with the apple juice to produce a coulis. Pour this around the puddings and decorate with whole berries.
Ingredients
- 6 oz SR flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4oz xylitol
- 4oz coconut butter
- 1 egg
- 6 Fl oz milk
- 3 medium eating apples
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of clear honey or algave nectar, or sweet freedom
Method
- Preheat the oven to Gas mark 6/400 F/200C
- Grease or line with greaseproof cake liner an 8 inch cake tin
- Sift together flour and baking powder. Rub in coconut butter and add xylitol
- Combine egg and milk and mix with the flour mixture until it forms a smooth batter. Pour into prepared cake tin.
- Core, peel and thinly slice apples and press lightly into the batter mixture (can also use stewed apple). Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and bake middle of oven 40-45 minutes. Brush the top with honey or Algarve nectar or sweet freedom. Serve warm as a desert of cold as cake
Can also be made using frozen berries (thawed) in place of apple.