A- Z of Amazing Fruits... E is for Elderberry

( Photo taken from - http://siera104.com/bio/PlantTax/Group2.html)

E... Is for Elderberry.

Well, this is the first time I am writing about something I know absolutely nothing about. But I’ve done some extensive reading about the elderberry, its uses and benefits and hopefully have picked out the best bits of info for your reading. If you have used elderberries, please feel free to add info and especially recipes in the comments section below. One thing that was surprising while I was researching was the amount of sites dedicated solely to the Elderberry. For a little berry that I knew almost nothing about, there is a lot of love across this great planet and the info below will explain why. 

Like all fruits that have a dark reddish-purple colour, elderberries are a great source of anthocyanins which are powerful anti-oxidants (see my article on blueberries for further reference). It is this high level of anthocyanins that has a dramatic effect on a person’s immune system, boosting it to levels that quickly help to heal damaged cell tissues and reduce the symptoms of the flu and other diseases and illnesses. In 1995 the juice of elderberries was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama and in Israel, they use elderberries to treat cancer and aids patients as it has such a strong and positive effect on boosting the immune system. It has also been used to lower cholesterol, improve vision, improve heart health, fight coughs and colds as well as bacterial and viral infections and tonsillitis. It is not just the anthocyanin properties that have such a great medicinal effect but the fact that elderberries increase inflammatory cytokine production, hence the reason it has such a substantial effect on symptoms. They are also high in potassium and contain large amounts of vitamin C.

Be warned however, you can’t just eat these little berries by the handful like you can blueberries. Elderberries actually contain poisonous toxins that can make you quit ill and need to be cooked before eating. The berry and flower both have medically beneficial properties but all must be cooked however steer clear of the roots, stems and twigs as well as unripe berries. 

The Elderberry flower is actually very pretty and can be used by pressing into tonics and is a very popular wine and champagne brew. Like the zucchini flower it can be lightly battered and made into fritters or used as a sweetener in muffin and cake recipes. The berry itself is often made into jellies, jams, pies, baking, extracts and syrups. It’s strong colour can also be used as a dye or coloured flavouring. 

This recipe has been taken from - http://www.justberryrecipes.com/ber-elder009.html 

Again, I’ve never used the elderberry so am unsure as to how this will work out but from its popularity on the web, I’d say it will be a hit. Now I just need to find some to try it out!

Elderberry Grape Jelly 3 lb Elderberries 3 lb Half-ripe grapes Sugar Wash elderberries. Remove stems. Cover with water. Cook until soft. Drain through jelly bag. Wash grapes. Remove stems. Cover with water, cook until soft. Drain through jelly bag. Combine elderberry and grape juice in equal proportions. Add 3/4 cup sugar to each cup juice. Boil rapidly until jelly sheets from spoon. (3lb is just under 1.5kg)

A - Z of Amazing Fruits - D is for Date...

I’ve been eating dates for years. I love them and especially since becoming vegan - they are apart of my daily diet. A natural sweetener, dates are widely used to replace sugar in cooking and in raw vegan dishes, they act as a wonderful sweetener and binder. Although always a strong advocate, I never the knew how astoundingly nutrient dense this fruit is until now. If you didn’t eat dates before, you had better start!

Cholesterol free and loaded natural fibre, dates are like a digestive miracle pill. They aid in the relief of many intestinal disorders, help to build up healthy gut flora and can easily relieve constipation. Because they are very easily digestible, their absorption rate is under 30 minutes (as opposed to minimum 45 minutes for a banana) and therefore you feel the benefits of dates quite quickly. Also, as they are nutrient power poppers your body will let you know when you are full a lot sooner than many other foods which decreases your chance of over eating. 

Rich in iron, they can aid in problems with anemia; as well as being high in calcium and potassium. Potassium helps to maintain a healthy nervous system and naturally lower your blood pressure as well as alleviate diarrhea. But didn’t I just say it helps with constipation? Yes indeed but as I also wrote it helps with almost all digestive ails. So basically, you eat the date and your body will figure out what you need to take from it and make it work! How good is that?

If you are worried about the sugar content and what effect it may have on your teeth, don’t. Dates are also teeming with fluorine which actually slows down the process of tooth decay, so they are great for the kids too. Not only good for the teeth, but the eyes as well. According to www.organicfacts.net, the American Cancer Society claims that the consumption of 1 date per day will ‘help you maintain your healthy eyes for your lifetime’. 

Mums-to-be as well as breast feeding mothers should stock up on these sticky globs of wholesomeness. Eating in abundance towards the end of your pregnancy helps to strengthen the uterine walls which enables a smoother delivery. (Don’t quote me on that one but heaven knows I’ll be trying it when my time comes!) Their super digestibility comes into play again when mothers eat them during breastfeeding as all the nutrients can be readily absorbed and transferred directly to their baby. 

And last, but certainly not least; one of the number one reason we should be eating dates is because for hundreds of years they have been used a super tonic for enhancing sexual endurance. By soaking them overnight in goat’s milk then grinding with honey and a dash of cardamon powder, you can deftly make yourself a sweet little love potion without the scary side affects of that little blue pill. (Gives a new meaning to D is for Date!) This tonic has also been known to aid with sterility due to functional disorders.  

As mentioned earlier, dates are great in desserts and you will find numerous recipes with a simple google search. Check out my website www.youonyget1.com for a bunch of great recipes and I will leave you now wit one of my favourites.

PINEAPPLE-POPPERS!

1 fresh medjool date

1 chunk of fresh sweet pineapple (about a 1 inch square)

raw cacao powder

Take one fresh medjool date and wash it well. Split it in half and remove the seed. Place the pineapple in the middle and sandwich with the date. Dip into cacao powder (as much or as little as you like) and POP straight into your mouth! Instant pineapple lump but wayyyyyyy better! Your only problem will be stopping at just one! xx

A - Z of Amazing Fruits.... C is for Coconuts

So anyone who has read my website knows that I go completely loco for cocos! Coconuts are my all time favourite food in the world because not only are they amazingly good for you, but they can be used in so many different ways. I truly believe they are one of the most versatile foods on the planet.

If you scroll through my archive you will find a paper I wrote on Coconuts for uni which has a lot more in depth information about them. In this blog I’ll outline some of their best features, ways to use them and most importantly, how to open one - as this will make or break your friendship with the almighty coconut!

Baby coconut water has one of the highest electrolyte levels of any fruit. Drinking the water  from just one baby coconut (often called thai or drinking coconuts) is literally the equivalent of drinking 3 or 4 gatorades; without the sugary carbohydrate hit and artificial colours and flavourings. In fact, this luscious liquid is the closest thing to human blood plasma in nature and in WWII they actually used to intravenously inject the water into war victims who needed blood. Straight from shell to body! Can you imagine how good your body would feel having one of these post work out? Let me tell you... amazing!

One thing I will say is fresh is always best. I'm sure you've seen a mass of tetra packs that claim to be 100% coconut water. Some have a little added juice or pulp.... forget it. Nothing beats the real thing on flavour or nutritional value. 

But lets not stop at the water. The flesh of a baby coconut is also full of minerals, nutrients and protein. As it has not yet matured, it hasn’t had time to develop a lot of fat so adding it to smoothies, muffins, desserts and soups will not affect your daily fat intake. Coconut flesh can also be dehydrated and used in more creative vegan recipes.

Coconut oil, like avocados, is not the scary fat we are constantly lead to believe it is. I urge you to please read my full paper to discover the benefits of coconut oil.

How to open one of these bad boys....

Most people think that you need to forcibly hack through the peaked top of the coconut. WRONG....  Flip it over and cut from the base.

Cut as close to the inside shell of the nut that your can. (you will feel it as you won't be able to cut any closer)

So once you have the base off you should be able to see a little soft spot, or circle that you can just press through to get the liquid.

Use a spoon to poke through the hole and scoop away the flesh that is blocking the hole.

And now simply stick in a straw and drink it's natural goodess. Mmmmmm

 (or take a sip then add some Malibu and pineapple juice but you didn't hear that from me!)

Or, tip it into a glass and enjoy. xx 

A - Z of Amazing Fruits.... B is for Blueberry

(pic taken from www.freedigitalphotos.net)

We all know that blueberries are super high in anti-oxidants, right? But isn’t just about every new super food or ancient fruit seed from the Aztecs or Brazilian Jungle? So what makes blueberries so special? Well blueberries aren’t just high in anti-oxidants, they are the highest of any fresh fruit on the planet. The blue pigmentation in blueberry skin is loaded with the anti-oxidant anthocyanin which is super powerful in the fight against many cancers, brain diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia, a plethora of viruses and the dreaded curse of aging! It is for the latter that I like to call them ‘Beauty Berries’.

If you’ve seen any anti-aging cream advertisement on TV you would know that boosting the collagen levels in our skin is the most efficient way to banish wrinkles. Blueberries are not only packed full of Vitamin C but they help to enhance the effects of Vitamin C in our bodies; and it is Vitamin C that is responsible for collagen production and conservation in our skin. Therefore every mouthful of these baby blues takes you one step closer to that Catherine Zeta Jones flawlessness we all strive for.

So if that didn’t send you hurtling to the fruit isle, perhaps this will. Research done on rats ( ...i know, it makes the vegan in me shudder too) shows that a diet with a high intake of blueberries can actually reduce belly fat. Yes, specifically abdominal fat; with lower triglycerides, lower cholesterol and lower insulin sensitivity to boot!

Blueberries are also great brain food. High in selenium, among other mineral and nutrients they can aid in the prevention of late onset degenerative brain diseases and also improve your memory - look out Olivia Newton-John! These blue bubbles of goodness are also a great ‘mood food’ and contain properties that have an anti-depressant like affect, therefore helping you become a little less ‘blue’ (excuse the pun). Keep in mind that the darker the skin - the more powerful the anti-oxidant and mineral level, and Wild Blueberries are said to be the most potent of all. But alas, before you don a wicker basket and head for the hills, rest assured that many of the snap frozen varieties available from your health food store or local market are in fact wild, just be sure to check the label.

So let me just summarize this for you. By eating blueberries you can potentially become a cancer and virus fighting powerhouse with the face and body of CZJ, be smarter than Sandy and get a little bit giddy along the way! Why are you still sitting at your computer? Go! The frozen food isle beckons. xx


*Add blueberries to smoothies, salads, on top of your cereal, desserts... anything you can justify really! Or try this great recipe below:


BLUE-BREAKY-BLISS

1/2 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen - if frozen allow to thaw for 5 minutes or so)
1 ripe banana sliced
a splash of fresh lime juice (according to taste)
a handful of mint leaves

Throw all ingredients into a bowl and toss to combine.

ENJOY... 

A - Z Amazing Fruits - A is for AVOCADO....

(pic taken from www.freedigitalphotos.net)


Avocados... they are truly one of the most amazing fruits on our planet so I am stoked to have them as my first entry in the A-Z files. 

Many people are scared of Avocados due to their ‘high fat content’. But as with many of the fruits, vegetables and superfoods I will highlight in this series - not all fats are bad and scary. In fact, many of the natural fats found in whole foods are ESSENTIAL... other wise known as EFA’s or Essential Fatty Acids. So yes, avocados have a high caloric content and yes they have a high fat content. BUT they DO NOT contain a high percentage of those scary fats - the saturated or trans fats; and DO contain more of those EFA’s than almost any other fruit on the planet. AND they contain a very large amount of fats that dramatically lower your cholesterol levels. So the reason many people don’t eat avo’s is exactly the reason that they should!

Now I’m not saying you should be eating avocados for breakfast lunch and dinner.(Although they are that versatile a fruit that you could! Check out my Avocado dessert below) We all know that moderation is the key and adding a smear to your sandwiches, a good chunk in your lunchtime salad or a big spoonful to thicken up a soup are great ways to enjoy this green ball of greatness. If you, like Moi however are a vegan and thus do not ingest high fat foods like animal protein, dairy, eggs, processed foods etc - you have even more reason to enjoy avocados regularly as your levels of saturated fats would naturally be quite low.

Still not convinced? How would like to feel fuller for longer and get a mass of nutrients which help to curb hunger cravings? As a natural appetite suppressant, avocados can assist with controlled weight loss. Also high in Vitamins B as well as C (for healthy plump and fuller looking skin, E (for healthy and strong hair, nails and skin) and K (rich in anti-oxidants with anti cancer properties and for a healthy liver). Lutein is an anti-oxidant that is great for eye health. It may help to prevent cataracts and macular degeneration as well as fight free radials in the body and guess what?  Avos are jammed packed full of it!

Avocados have long been known as the ‘Fertility Fruit’. The Aztecs called it ‘Ahuacatl’ which means the testicle tree. But it doesn’t get this nick name just because of its physical appearance but the high level of B vitamins may assist in hormone regulation of women.  The Avocado truly a gift from Nature’s Pharmacy of Nourishment. 

So now, knowing how great this super fruit is; I have just one more thing to say.... 

“Go’orn... ‘Av an AVO!” xx

• If you are looking for a new way to incorporate avocados into your diet try making dips or adding it to soups, smoothies, salads and sandwiches. Or if you are feeling bold try the delicious recipe for CHOC-GUAC below. 

CHOC-GUAC MOUSSE.

1 ripe REED Avocado

3 fresh medjool dates - pitted

2-3 tbs of raw organic cacao powder

pinch of celtic salt

strawberries for garnish

Place dates in a small bowl or container and just cover with warm water. Allow to soak for 10 mins. 

Cut and de-seed the avocado and lightly mush with a fork.

In a food processor blend the soaked dates and salt until smooth. You may need to add 1-2 tbsp of warm water. Add in 2 tbsp of cacao and continue to blend. Add in avocado in  and blend until smooth. Taste and add in extra cacao if necessary. Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 mins. Garnish with fresh strawberries before serving. 

ENJOY!!!

Bring it on!!! A-Z

OK Kidlets... I've decided its time to unleash some of the awesome stuff i know unto the world.

Starting tomorrow I will be doing an A-Z series of Blogs - the A-Z of all the things that can makes us all ridiculously healthy so please please please, send my blog link on to everyone that you know... I would so appreciate the follows!!!!

2011 - YEAR OF OPTIMAL HEALTH!!!!!! Lets make this year the healthiest so far.....

xxx smooches.

Reduce the size of your butt and thighs!

For many women, the thought of shopping for jeans is even more frightening than shopping for bathers. Whether you have a waist that is smaller than your thighs, or some skinny pins and a barrel belly; finding the perfect pair of jeans can be a very distressing experience. Toning up through your hip, buttock and thigh region can make this process a little bit less painful. Starting now will definitely get you in good form for the Autum/winter season.

These 5 butt busting moves will help you get that one step closer to jean perfection. Do 3 sets of 10- 20 repetitions of these exercises twice weekly.

1. STEP UPS - find a step or ledge about 20 - 70 cm high (this will vary depending on your height and fitness levels. Generally - a garden ledge or park bench is a good starting height) Starting with your left leg, step up on the ledge and follow with your right. Then step down with the left and again follow with the right. Do 10 repetitions (build to 20 as you get fitter/stronger) and then repeat on other side - start with the right leg and follow with the left.

1. LUNGES - Lunges are the best overall leg toning exercise you can do. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Take a big step forward with your right leg, keeping the feet shoulder width apart. Drop the back knee toward the ground making sure your hips drop downward, not push forward. (You will be able to control this by making sure your front heel is firmly planted on the floor - if you push forward into your toes you will be putting too much pressure on your knees. DO NOT LET YOUR FRONT HEEL LIFT) To ensure perfect form and reduce and risk of injury, make sure that when you drop the back knee you legs make two 90 degree angles - one with the front leg, one with the back. Push the body back upward and keeping the front leg forward, repeat the up and down motion 10 times. (Build to 20) Repeat on the left leg.

1. SQUATS - Stand with your feet just wider than shoulder width and have your toes pointing away from each other. Keeping your chest tall ( DO NOT LEAN FORWARD ), sink downwards as if sitting on a chair again ensuring your heels do not come off the ground. Push back upwards and SQUEEZE your buttocks together pausing and holding that squeeze for 2 counts at the top. Repeat 10 times (Build to 20)

1. GLUTE RAISES - Lay on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Place your hands by your sides with your palms flat on the ground for stability. Raise your hips toward the ceiling as high as you can possible go and SQUEEZE your buttocks together pausing for 2 counts before lowering yourself back down. Repeat 10 times (Build to 20)

1. SIDE LEG RAISES - Jane Fonda knew her stuff and good exercises do not go out of fashion - even if the high-cut leotard did! Lay on your right side with your legs out straight and prop yourself up on your right arm. Place your left hand flat on the ground at your waist for stability. Lift your left leg upwards as high as you can and slowly drop it back down half way. Repeat this 10 times (Build to 20) and trying not to let your leg drop all the way down before you have completed 10. Also make sure you pull your belly in and lock your abs on. Repeat on the left side.