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We’ve gone COCO-LOCO for coconut oil!

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Everyone has gone coconut crazy recently. There are so many coconut products out there, from coconut water, milk, rice, yogurt, ice-cream, flakes, oil and a heap more!

With so many products available, we thought we would focus on one of the more diverse products to come from this craze, coconut oil.

 

What exactly is it??

When you buy coconut oil from us it will be white and solid because it is at room temperature but will melt into clear oil.  Using coconut oil can be a little funny at first because unlike other oils it changes form, but not to worry it is fine to reheat the oil after it solidifies again between uses.

You might have heard some negative things about coconut oil of late, but current research has confirmed that it does indeed have many diverse health advantages! Whether you are looking to lose weight, get added nutritional value in your diet or use on your body- this is one fantastic oil.

 

Weight loss, de-bloating & healthy fats 

Coconut oil is made from the meat of coconut, which contains MCFA’s (medium chain fatty acids). These fats behave differently to other fats and the good news? It helps with weight loss. The body metabolises the coconut oil fats in the liver where they can be quickly used for energy or turned into ketone bodies…therefore less likely to be stored as fat! Woohoo! If that wasn’t good enough- these fats also aid the digestion process, which make you feel less bloated and protect the body from insulin resistance. 

 

Reduce cholesterol 

If you suffer from high cholesterol levels then coconut oil may be a good oil supplement for you!

Lauric acid is a type of fatty acid found in coconut oil. It has been shown to increase the good HDL cholesterol in the blood, which helps improve the cholesterol levels in the body.

What’s more, coconut oil helps the thyroid to be restored to its optimal level of functioning, which is great because when your thyroid is not functioning optimally it can lead to higher levels of bad cholesterol.

 

Softens fine lines

Coconut oil can be used on your skin too!  Because of its hydrating nature, coconut oil helps the connective tissues in the skin remain strong, which softens the appearance of fine lines and gives your skin a healthy glow.

Additionally, coconut oil can be used as a natural skin cleanser because it does not contain petroleum byproducts.

 

Hair moisturizer

A natural hair mask! Coconut oil protects hair follicles, because of its high amount of vitamin E.  Apply a small dollop (slightly melted)  into your hand and quickly work through your hair. Pin/tie you hair up, pop on a shower-cap, sleep overnight and wash your hair in the morning.  The result? Your hair will have more shine and less frizz. Happy days!

 

It’s pretty clear we have gone coco-loco for coconut oil! If you want to go a little loco too, head down to Peaches today and grab a jar for yourself!

Hear me RAW!

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One of the most exciting current fresh food trends is the push towards organic, raw food. When we say ‘raw food’, we mean organic food that is unprocessed or uncooked, so it retains much more nutritional value and natural enzymes that are typically destroyed during the cooking process. Feeling tired? A raw food diet will give you the energy you need, keep your mind clear, and encourage general well being.

The best part about all of this is that there are plenty of delicious raw food recipes, some of which may surprise you! We really like this easy recipe for spicy kale chips by the Raw Food Kitchen!
Spicy Kale Chips
Ingredients:

1 bunch Kale

2 Tablespoons Red Thai Curry Paste (make sure its free from additives and preservatives)

1/2 cup of Tahini

4 tablespoons of Tamari

Juice of whole lemon

Water to thin the mix

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt

3 squirts Stevia

1 teaspoon Sesame Oil

 

Method:

Combine all the ingredients except the Kale into a bowl and stir to combine. If mixture is too thick, add water to thin. De-stem the kale and shred or tear the leaves off into large bite sized pieces, and place into bowl with sauce ingredients.

Massage the ingredients into the kale until coated nicely. Spread kale out onto baking paper lined dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 6 – 8 hours at 105°F.

Garlic is nothing to sneeze at!

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It’s that time of year again, when everyone around you starts sniffling and complaining about a scratchy throat… yes, it’s cold season!

With the average adult catching 2-4 colds each year, you need to do everything you can to avoid picking up the nasty virus. We’ve all heard the saying, “you are what you eat” and when it comes to preventing colds, there’s nothing more true!

When we’re sick, we don’t search for a pill bottle to help us recover, we go looking for our favourite herb, garlic! Garlic contains a whole list of vitamins that all promote healthy immunity. Garlic has high levels of vitamin C, although it may not be as much as citrus fruit, just 3 cloves of garlic will provide you with 5% of your daily intake. Vitamin C is important in maintaining cell walls as well as acting as an antioxidant to flush out toxins in the body.

The real cold fighting compound in this super food is allicin. But what is allicin? It’s what gives garlic it’s ‘hot’ flavour for one, but it’s also what makes garlic an antibacterial and an antifungal which is what helps kill colds!

The best way to get the most allicin out of your garlic is to chop, crush or chew up a clove as it is! We love garlic as much as the next person, especially roasted in a delicious pasta sauce, but the thought of chewing on raw cloves of garlic isn’t the most appealing idea.

That’s why we love Healthy Green Kitchen’s favourite sore throat remedy, garlic honey! When garlic has been infused with honey, you can barely tell that it’s garlic! All you need to do is get yourself some fresh garlic (we love fresh Tasmanian garlic) and some raw honey, Elixir Honey is a store favourite.

Visit her blog here to check out how to make this tasty remedy. Head to our Facebook page and let us know your home made cold remedies!

Make your mum breakfast in bed the healthy way!

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How do you show your mum you love her on Mother’s Day? For us, I’m sure you guessed, we show her through food! Every special occasion (and lets face it, most not so special occasions) mum slaves away in the kitchen, creating the most monumental feasts, making sure to include everybody’s favourite dish. It’s only fair that on Mother’s Day, you make something from the heart for her and what mum doesn’t like a surprise breakfast in bed!

Why not make your mum her very own not-so-average breakfast in bed with some amazing buckwheat pancakes! Buckwheat is an amazing super food, with about a million reasons why you should eat it. Try this scrumptious recipe for Gluten Free Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes from Gluten-Free-Vegan-Girl:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond milk (or other dairy-free milk)
  • 1 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1 cup dates, pitted
  • 2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • juice from 1/2 lemon, optional but recommended

Blueberry sauce:

  • 2 cups frozen blueberries (preferably organic)
  • 1/2 cup dates
  • 1/3 cup water (more if needed)

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Place the dates, almond milk, lemon juice and vanilla essence in a high-speed blender/food processor and blend until you have a smooth paste. Stir this mixture in with the dry ingredients until you have a relatively thick batter.

2. Heat up a non-stick pan on medium heat before pouring in about 1/4 cup batter per pancake. When the pancakes has started to firm up on the upward-facing side, flip around and cook on the other side until they are a deep
golden color. It is very important that you do not have a too high heat, as this will result in burnt and/or uncooked pancakes. Place the pancakes on a plate and place a towel on top to retain the heat. Repeat until all of the batter has been used.

3. While that is cooking we are going to make the blueberry sauce. Simply add all of the ingredients listed into a medium-sized pot and bring to a simmer. When the blueberries are no longer frozen (and the dates are soft enough to be blended) grab a hand-blender or transfer sauce to a regular blender, and pulse until properly combined. Pour this into a jar and set aside.

Now simply drizzle the sauce on to the pancakes, garnish with a handful of additional blueberries and enjoy!