♥

I’ve always restricted my diet for one reason or another – vegetarianism in my teens, a milk intolerance picked up in my twenties. Over time, I’ve come to appreciate that my somewhat ‘sensitive’ system does better without dairy, wheat and sugar. A helpful discovery, yes, but one that makes me feel quite isolated as I scour menus for an item I can actually eat, and makes me cringe when friends invite me over for dinner. It can also make cooking a bit of a challenge which, to be honest, I’ve always been a bit lazy about, relying on a few tried and tested basics.

So it was with great delight that I recently came across Lee Holmes’ wonderful book Supercharged Food: Eat Your Way to Good Health.

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The book emerged from Lees’ own health struggles with an auto-immune condition that left her barely able to function. Through trial and error, she discovered that radically changing her diet to exclude wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar led to a dramatic improvement in her health. Inspired, she set out to share her message and ideas with others, and the Supercharged Food brand was born.

♥ Photo from Superchargedfood.com

The book includes over 90 recipes based on Lee’s dietary philosophy. It is beautifully presented, with gorgeous photos that make your mouth water, enticing you into the kitchen. There’s also helpful information about healthy living, as well as support with getting organised for a new way of eating, such as sorting out your ‘supercharged pantry’.

The sign of a good cook book is that it doesn’t stay pristine for too long and my copy of Supercharged Food is now happily splattered with my culinary experiments! Current favourites are the genius ‘Crustless Quiche’ which finds its way into my lunch box most days, salmon and turnip patties for a simple but tasty supper (who’d have thought a turnip could taste so amazing?) and the gorgeously named ‘Vegetable soup on a cold night’.

Lee’s website is also fantastic and includes an online shop where you can source some of the ingredients for her recipes, such as stevia, as well as other yummy healthy stuff.

Supercharged Food has totally reinvigorated my relationship with cooking (and eating!) and I’m so looking forward to creating many more of Lee’s appetizing delights!

Where do you get inspiration about eating more healthily? Are there any books or websites that have ‘supercharged’ your food?

Review by Karen, who has a big appetite for both food and life!

Be well,

xoxo

I used to think that having a large meal for breakfast would give me the most energy for an enthusiastic and energetic day, but for the last 2 years or so my breakfast has pretty much always been a smoothie. I feel lighter, more focused and full of calm vitality rather than bogged down looking for that caffeine kick which I used to.

If my body isn’t working hard to digest a big, dense meal, then that energy can be put towards living an amazing life. The amount of vitamins and minerals, good quality omega 3 fats, easily absorbable sprouted proteins and just enough low glycemic index carbs in this smoothie keeps me full, yet light and energetic for hours.

I’m not saying I don’t like a delicious meal. I love to eat! But after playing with different ways to start the day, this definitely works best for me. Imagine trying to get all of this goodness in solid food form as you get ready for work in the morning! It would be like having a huge bowl of greens, a hand full of olives, a whole bunch of sprouted seeds and nuts, mushrooms, herbs etc. If you down this smoothie all that goodness is straight into your system.

♥ Stu’s Smoothie

The recipe!

♥ However big you want your smoothie, put that much water in the blender.
♥ A serving of Sunwarrior protein which I get at Prana Healthfoods

Or

♥ A serving of Garden of Life Raw Protein
♥ 1 teaspoon of Spirulina and 1 teaspoon of Chlorella, both which I get at Prana or Organic on Charles.
♥ About 1 teaspoon of Himalayan Crystal Salt, which I get at Prana.
♥ 1 teaspoon of maca root
♥ 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper if you like a little kick.
** ♥ ½ teaspoon of ashwagandha
** ♥ ½ teaspoon of triphala
** ♥ 1 teaspoon of reishi mushrooms, all of which I often get directly from India or from https://herbsupplies.com.au/ or http://www.indiaabundance.com

** With these herbs, do your research or see an ayurvedic practitioner and/or naturopath to find out if these herbs are suited to you. Every body is different. As for the rest of the herbs they’re suited to most people.

Blend all of this up and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of either agave nectar or honey for sweetness and if you want extra thickness and carbs add a banana.

Next step; enjoy!

Stu’s smoothie will give you enough energy for THIS!

Stuart is a yoga teacher and holistic life coach based in Perth, Western Australia. He is known for his unique, heart-felt self expression and inspirational style of teaching. Stuart’s classes incorporate Vinyasa Flow Asana and Akhanda Yoga with most of the emphasis being on transformation and healing.

He teaches with raw yet compassionate honesty which helps his students and clients bring the qualities practiced on the mat into daily life. 

The combination of the ancient wisdom of yoga coupled with Western approaches to wellness, such as life coaching and fitness training has allowed Stuart to form a highly effective and unique approach to wellness and to life itself.

Pics by http://nkphotographyblog.com/

What do you think of this super smoothie?

Be well,

xoxo