5 x 150g bags (a month’s supply) of RioLife organic freeze dried acai

Our last Acai giveaway proved very popular, and the generous RioLife team have offered to share a little more. Each serve of acai berries is equivalent in antioxidant levels to eating about 120 blue berries. With Omega’s 3, 6 and 9, it’s a slow release source of energy, with plenty of fibre and other vitamin’s and minerals to keep us healthy.

These acai berries are sustainably sourced and wild harvested from the Amazon rainforests of Brazil. RioLife add absolutely nothing to their powder, they’re certified organic, and the Australian boys behind the brand donate part of the sales to ACAIMU,

a project of the Amazon Friendly Program to help build and fund schools in the areas where the Acai berries are sourced.

To be one of the five winners, simply buy a copy of my I Quit Sugar ebook here, before the end of the day. We will pass on five names to RioLife, and the team will send you your berries!

Things to note:

• Acai berries contain pretty much no sugar.
• They’re one of the most anti-oxidising things going around.
• Sprinkled on a range of different “treats” they make for a great dessert, and are a KEY ingredient in my sugar-free pantry.

I’ve written before on some ways to use the acai powder here and here.

Thought you might like to read my thoughts…

It’s a year to the week that I quit sugar.

And because I’m about to bang on about the need for more transparency in this world, some disclosure: I wrote an ebook about it. So it could be said I have a vested interest in this topic.

Anyone who’s quit sugar would know what I mean when I say that the most challenging-slash-intriguing part of quitting is The Resistance. People get affronted. Angry.

It’s funny. If I told people I no longer ate frozen peas, no-one would care. I wouldn’t get the outrage. The anger.

But sugar? Well…

Earlier today it was revealed a team of scientists from the University of California has called for sugar to be treated as a poison, in much the same ways as alcohol and nicotine. They’ve suggested sugar, too, be taxed heavily and come with warnings, better labelling and education campaigns.

In an article published in science journal Nature they argued sugar isn’t just a bunch of naughty, empty calories. It’s making us fat and killing us. Sugary food, they say, is responsible for 35 million annual deaths worldwide.

They point out that, at the levels consumed in the West, sugar alters metabolism, raises blood pressure, disrupts hormone signalling and causes significant damage to the liver that is still not fully understood, leading to heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

And boy has it brought on The Resistance. Today I’ve watched online as nutrition experts around the world railed against the idea.

But why? I mean. Why?!

Surely none of them think sugar is good for us? Or would disagree with the claim that we’re consuming too much of it? Why not push for better labelling?

As one of the article’s authors said, “We’re not talking prohibition. We’re not advocating a major imposition of the Government into people’s lives. We’re talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated dose.”

Some of these experts are arguing sugar is entirely avoidable. No it’s not!

Have you been to a supermarket or food court lately? Sugar’s in everything, and insidiously so. It’s so well hidden it shocks when I tell people that barbecue sauce is 50 percent sugar, that pasta sauces can contain more sugar than chocolate topping.

That low-fat tub of yoghurt with “no added sugar” walloped on the front? It contains six teaspoons of the stuff.

A 350ml juice can be festooned with “no added sugar” labels. But if you know how to read the label with the small writing on the back you learn this: it contains 10 teaspoons of sugar, as much as a can of Coke.

I’ve heard this one, too: but sugar is natural! To which, I say: so is arsenic and petroleum.

But we’re meant to eat it… we need it… it’s dangerous to cut it out! Actually, no. Sugar didn’t exist when we evolved as humans and so we don’t have the metabolism to deal with it. When we eat it, our body freaks and turns it immediately to fat, thus wreaking metabolic havoc.

Plus it’s the only foodstuff to which we do not have a corresponding hormone that recognises it in our bodies (more proof we weren’t designed to eat it). If our bodies don’t recognise it, we have no “sugar off switch”. Ergo, we keep eating it. And eating it.

Moderation is key, say others. Impossible in the case of sugar. Two major studies have shown it’s as addictive as cocaine. And, as I say, we binge on it. Me, I can’t eat just one TimTam. You?

But warnings? Really? I’d say sugar needs them more than any other toxin on the planet.

I was talking to David Gillespie, author of Sweet Poison about this last night. He made this stellar point: we know when we’re drinking booze or smoking nicotine; they’re not hidden. With sugar you never know when you’re eating it.

But there’s no science to back all this baloney up! Really?

I should point out the team behind the report includes Professors Robert Lustig, a highly regarded endocrinologist and arguably the world’s leading expert in childhood obesity and whose work I’ve followed for several years. His lecture “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” has developed a cult-like following on YouTube. (Brace yourself – it groans with scientific proof. For a more digestible overview check out New York Times science writer Gary Taubes’ essay Is Sugar Toxic).

Lustig knows The Resistance all too well and has been working for years now to gather conclusive proof to the claims published today.

But the more interesting question here is, why would anyone resist the article’s suggestions? I’m not going to wade too far into the trenches. Frankly, I don’t have a big enough bank balance to defend myself.

But I do advise anyone interested in the war going on to Google some of these resisters.

I dunno. I find it interesting. Some, I’ve discovered, represent food advisory bodies that are funded – wait for it – by global companies that peddle junk food and soft drink. I’ve encountered others who have, say, a range of low GI products that they sell. Fructose (the toxic component of sugar) is low GI (as well as toxic). As Gillespie points out, the best way to lower the GI of something (and thus be eligble for the faddish low GI tag) is to whack in a whole lot fructose. Case in point: Nutella is low GI.

Surprised? Sadly I’m not. We live, after all, in a world where the heart foundation “tick” can be bought for $300,000.

I’m glad this debate has emerged again today. It can get us all talking and doubting.

And looking about. And noticing how odd it is that while we all eat more low-fat products than ever before, and join more gyms, we’re only getting fatter and sicker. And perhaps noting that it’s at a rate proportional to the increase in our sugar consumption.

But, of course, take what I say with care. My interests are vested.

What do you reckon??

image via justine pocock flickr

Simple Savings was set up by Fiona Lippey eight years ago, to help people lower bills,  and is on the government’s official Money Smart website. They’ve also released “The $21 challenge” book, and we’re giving away a few copies….see below.

For this post I asked Fiona to share THE BEST of her food efficiency tips, that make the most of your groceries and are about using subsitutes (to save heading to the shops to buy a whole new packet of something…more petrol, more wastage, more clutter, more effort):

1. Next time you run out of eggs, don’t panic! If you need them for baking you can simply substitute by using two tablespoons of cornflour per egg and adding a little milk to mix.  Or for cakes and muffins you can use one mashed banana or half a cup of apple sauce. You won’t notice the difference!

2. Grate cheese for a good saving.  Cheese is hugely expensive but you can make it last much longer by simply buying a block and grating it (much cheaper than buying it ready-grated).  Once it is grated you tend to use it a lot more sparingly but don’t notice any difference in the flavor.  If you go through a lot of cheese and would rather have your cheese sliced, it’s well worth purchasing a mandolin slicer, as it cuts the cheese much thinner than a regular knife.

3. Make that chicken s-t-r-e-t-c-h!  A real lifesaver when money is getting low is Rubber Chicken – which tastes a lot better than it sounds!  Basically it’s just a handy term for making a whole cooked chicken stretch to as many dishes as possible.  This is how you can stretch it five ways:

• Enjoy your freshly roasted chicken, then put all the leftovers in the fridge.
• Use some leftover meat in a pie – don’t use it all though!
• Add some more leftover meat to make a healthy stir fry.
• Still got some left?  Make chicken salad sandwiches, panini or wraps.
• Finally, throw the whole carcass into a pot with some vegies and turn it into a nutritious soup!

4.  Bulk out your mince.  One of the great things about mince is that it’s so easy to make it go further,
without going to the expense of having to buy more meat.  You can give all sorts of mince dishes a
nutritious boost by adding oats, kidney beans, chick peas, finely chopped mushrooms or leftover
vegetables.  Simply whizz up your vegies in a blender or food processor and add them to your favourite
mince recipes – nobody will even know they’re in there!

5.  Bangers beat beef mince.  Here’s a great example of how a cheaper ingredient can taste just as good as
a more expensive one. For spaghetti bolognaise or any pasta dish that requires mince, you can use
sausage meat. Simply squeeze the meat out of the sausages and cook it with pasta sauce. OK it may not
be very authentic but it’s cheaper than mince and very tasty!

6.  How to get six eggs from four! When frying eggs to put onto burgers or bacon and egg sandwiches, you
can get six serves of egg from just four whole ones! Just crack four eggs into a medium sized frypan and
let the whites join together, so that you have one giant egg white with four yolks. Then break each yolk
and using the egg flip, gently spread the yolks over the white. Now you have one giant egg! Let cook for
a little longer, then use the egg flip to cut into six even pieces before turning each ‘egg’ to finish
cooking. Easy!

7.  I can’t believe it’s not Nutella! If your children love Nutella but you don’t love the price, try this!  Simply
get a jar of smooth peanut butter and mix it with some cocoa to taste. The kids won’t notice the
difference but you’ll notice the saving!

The gracious team at Simple Savings have offered

ten copies of their “The $21 challenge” book as a giveaway to readers

The book is a one-week grocery slashing marathon. You have to stretch the food you already have in your cupboard, pantry, garden and freezer to stay within your $21 budget.

To win a copy, simply go to my facebook page, like it, and post your simple saving tip (nothing fancy…just share) by COB today…

We’ll announce the ten winners, and Simple Savings will send you a copy of their book! We have some sample pages if you’d like to check it out here.

For another great food-saving tip, check out Taste. There’s a feature where you can type in what ingredients you have, and it will do a search for recipes including those ingredients. A great way to use up what’s in your fridge! Thanks to Sam for that tip.

Any great tips you have for storing and using food wisely? 

image via lavoile tumblr

Over 200 viewers live, plenty of questions… and plenty who watched later on…

I answered:

* Are lemons OK?
* Why some people lose weight and others don’t when they quit sugar (there is a reason!)

* What are some portable snacks that aren’t veggie sticks and nuts

* What exercise do I do

* Plus more…

I know many of you asked via twitter and facebook whether you could find the video later if you couldn’t watch live. Here she is: on my Ustream page. I’ve also posted it on facebook, and you can watch it here.

I’ll be doing another one shortly.

In the meantime, if you have any more IQS questions for next week, please add them in the comments section here.

photo by www.marijaivkovic.com

Fuzzy and I actually met via Twitter. I’d read something she’d posted about being grateful for the death of her Dad as a young child. I commented. She replied. We’ve stayed in touch since. Her joyous energy always makes me smile.

 Faustina says: Happy Chinese New Year! I’ve been GF for about 8 months now and have loved making dumplings in the past. With CNY, I wanted to revisit my love for dumplings by changing the regular wheat wonton skins I used to use with rice paper. Hoorah! It worked!

* You can switch up the mince and added ingredients to your liking e.g. if you like prawn dumplings substitute pork mince with prawn mince and add shredded carrot with a splash of fish sauce, and if you like chicken dumplings switch to chicken mince and add cooked sweet corn kernels.

gluten free dumplings

• 500g Pork Mince
• 1 garlic cloved chopped finely
• 3cm nub of ginger chopped finely
• 1 bunch of coriander washed thoroughly finely chopped including the root
• A tiny splash of tamari soy sauce
• A few drops of sesame oil
• A tiny splash of peanut oil
• Season with salt and pepper
• A packet of small rice paper approx. 6 ½ cm in diameter

Sauce

• Tamari Soy Sauce
• Chopped up Chilli

Line your bamboo steamer with with baking paper and drizzle the paper with olive oil so the rice paper doesn’t stick

Mix up the mince with the rest of the dumpling ingredients

Pour some hot/warm water into a bowl dip the rice paper into the water til soft

Place rice paper onto a plate and place 1 tablespoon of dumpling mix in the middle

Gather the rice paper around the dumpling mix and twist the top of the dumpling to make a money bag shape

Place your dumplings into the bamboo steamer make sure they don’t touch one another otherwise they’ll stick

Place your bamboo steamer on top of a pot or deep fry pan of boiling water and steam for 5 minutes

Serve with chilli soy sauce in steamer immediately

 You can follow Fuzzy on twitter, or facebook. The gorgeous images are by Marija Ivkovic, a very smart, very funny Melbourne photographer with some FO business cards that have magical man-pulling abilities. You can find her here.

Here we three are in Melbourne last night. We had dinner together at Mamasita. We were this (—–) excited about these corn cobs (which everyone in town just has to tell you to try). FYI: everything – I REPEAT EVERYTHING – on the menu is 100% gluten free!

Some quick housekeeping

* OK, I’m doing my first webinar tonight. I’m doing it on ustream and you’ll need to either go to my #IQS Facebook page or here (if you’re not on Facebook) to register. You’ll be able to “chat” with me and post questions…and it should be fun and it SHOULD work…

Three things:

1. I will have to do this at 6pm, NOT 6.30pm AEST now. I hope this doesn’t muck any of you around.
2. If it does, the video will be up on ustream and Facebook…I’ll send around links tomorrow.
3. This is a bit of an experiment for me…so bear with me…fingers crossed it worked (and please suggest any tips!)

* Little reminder: it’s your last day to register for Febfast. Go on. Do it. Here.

PS I was on The Circle this morning chatting about Febfast…there I am…And will be chatting with Yumi and Chrissie Swan on radio – The 3pm Pickup - tomorrow about #IQS…tune in.

A few elevator pitch statements

OK…all that aside I thought I’d share a few elevator pitch statements with you that come in handy when people say, “what’s this no sugar thing, in a nutshell”? People only want nutshell, chomper-size soundbites, mostly. So serve it up to them!

* In caveman days sugar – or fructose – was so rare that when we DID stumble on it, we were designed to binge on it AND store it instantly as fat. Our biology hasn’t changed in the 10,000 years since the agricultural revolution, nor since the 1800s when sugar was introduced. We’re still designed to binge on it and store it as fat.

* Fructose is the only food molecule that we a) don’t have a corresponding enzyme in our brain that says “we’ve had enough” and b) that goes straight to the liver as fat.

* Yep, sure sugar is natural. Fruit is natural. But so is arsenic and petroleum.

* Our grandparents didn’t eat four pieces of fruit a day. Plus the fruit back then didn’t contain as much sugar. Fruit day has been “bred” to be sweeter.

* A glass of Coke and a glass of apple juice – the same amount of sugar is in each…about 10-12 teaspoons.

Of course, if this fails…you might want to just point out how good you’re looking.

Or show them this lovely comment from Matt, which I thought I should share in case you missed it on the forums:

I’ve lost 11kgs to date, now am at a perfect weight for my height and eat as ‘much’ (quantity-wise) as I used to but am now eating the right things. Really important difference, as I’ve discovered. I’m bouncy, have clear, glowing skin and am just generally enjoying life without the lethargic, dark cloud that was sugar hanging over me constantly. Back to acting how a young guy should be acting, really.

A reader questioned whether it was more about doing exercise than just being about sugar….

To be honest Leila, when I read posts on this blog, I think the same thing. Oh, they must have exercised while quitting sugar, done something else etc. Other than lifting the occasional 20kg dumbbell in my backyard (which I have always done, mind you) I’ve exercised no more than usual.

The whole experience has just been incredible. I started at 98kg in November last year, am now at 87kg as of this morning.

I followed Sarah’s recommendations, but went cold turkey on all sugar from the first day of the plan. I still ate berries over the entire experiment (couldn’t cut it all out) and loved my coconut products, nuts, bread, eggs, cheese, yoghurt etc. I even continued to eat pizza (thin base, home made, fresh topping and minimal sauce) and pasta (pre-made Latino branded stuff even) about 1 or 2 times a week. As long as it fell into Sarah (and David Gillespie’s) sugar content per 100g guidelines, I just stuck by it.

I have strong willpower when I want to do something, so sticking to the plan was easy for me (once I got through the first 2-3 weeks).

I love my fruit, but used to eat it in such copious amounts. I also have a very sweet tooth, so it was something I wanted to change.

Living this experiment has just opened me up to a whole new way of living life. It has become everything Sarah talks about and more.

Obviously no person is the same, so it will work differently for everyone. I’m also a student, with no kids so I can worry about myself a lot more than I’m sure parents can.

You’ve just got to stick to in for the long haul and the results will come!

A detox product to try

I love this tea by Aphroditea, run by Therese and her sister. Their Clarity tea has licorice, anniseed, peppermint and fennel in it – great for digestion and for a “sweet hit” and their Harmony tea is PERFECT for anyone having detox pain: black cohosh, dong quai, licorice, ashwaganda, St John’s Wort etc…Buy it here.

Some readers’ tips for craving curbers

Some of you have provided some GREAT tips… thought I should share cos they’re really rather brilliant.

Emma says: I chill a tart tea (like cranberry, raspberry or pomegranate) & then add this instead of juice to smoothies, or in baked items like pancakes.

extra reading

Some of you have asked about kids’ lunches…here are some links that might help

The Nourished Kitchen has posted 10 days of healthy, sugar-free school lunches (they tend to be on the paleo end of the spectrum)

This post has a few healthy kids “treat” ideas, but only half are sugar-free.

And these coconut chips might just get you out of a pickle!

See you at 6pm and don’t forget to post your questions below. I’ll be answering them tonight and in next week’s newsletter…

photo via bauhaus

A lot of the sunscreens out there do NOT protect us against harmful UV rays, plus they can contain chemicals that affect our hormones, damage our skin, and sometimes increase the risks of skin cancer. Oh, the tedious, messy, modern-life irony of it all! Today’s post is going to try to get to the bottom of the sunscreens that are purposeful AND harmless.

However, my advice, first and foremost, is:

don’t use sunscreen

Covering up with a hat and clothing, and not staying out in the sun too long, is the best tact. No chemicals, no “stuff” and far more economical. But also (and, yes, I know it goes against how we were raised)…

Getting sun, without sunscreen, is actually good. Better than good actually. Recent studies reveal that people who spend more time outdoors without getting sunburnt, actually decrease their risk of developing melanoma. The benefits of Vitamin D exposure (which can only be reaped without sunscreen) actually protect against many types of cancer; including breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, ovarian, bladder, gallbladder, gastric, pancreatic, prostate, rectal, and renal cancers, as well as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Indeed, more people die of Vitamin D deficiency-based cancers than from melanoma. I’ve written about it previously here.

Get sun every day, but only for 20-40 minutes at a time and, if you’re in Australia, before 10am and after 5pm.

Just don’t get burnt. (In countries with less harsh sunlight, any time of day is fine for sun…and in fact advisable by many doctors these days.)

I get sun every day. BUT I never stay out sunbaking. AND I stay out of the sun in the middle of the day. I personally wear sunscreen ONLY if I’m outside longer than 20 minutes in the middle of the day…the sun here is just too strong. I share below which one. So. If you use sunscreen…

zinc oxide is best

Sunscreens come in two forms:

• physical sunscreens, containing either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which form a film on top of the skin that reflects or scatters UV light. 

These are your best option.

• chemical sunscreens, which absorb UV rays before they can do damage.

The Environmental Protection Agency‘s graph below features chemical and physical sunscreen ingredients, as well as the type and amount of ray protection that they provide and their class. Note how zinc oxide fares.

don’t want zinc? what next?

If you’re going for a chemical sunscreen, you need to know this:While chemical sunscreens can protect against damage from UV rays, they can also contain a host of nasty chemicals which are all absorbed through the skin and end up circulating your blood stream. Not Good.

1. Always check the label.

There is a long list of problematic chemicals in sunscreen that we should avoid…too many to absorb, so…

Worst offenders? Dioxybenzone and oxybenzone. These two are some of the most powerful free radical generators around as they can disrupt hormone function.

What about PABA? Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) is common in many sunscreens, acting as a dye that absorbs ultraviolet B (UV-B) light in much the same way as oxybenzone. PABA contains a benzene ring in which electrons can shuffle, or resonate, between different locations within the six-sided structure. This electron dance matches that of the lightwaves of UV-B rays, absorbing and blocking UV-B energy by converting the light to heat.

PABA releases free radicals, damages DNA, has estrogenic activity, and causes allergic reactions in some people. You can read more here and here.

Also … octyl methoxycinnamate:  The main chemical used in chemical sunscreens to filter out ultraviolet B light is octyl methoxycinnamate.

• OMC kills cells in mice even at low doses.
• OMC’s also particularly toxic when exposed to sunshine….so a double whammy of stupid pain!

Finally Benzophenone: Nicole Bjilsma, a naturopath, acupuncturist and building biologist, recently blogged about BP,  a sunscreen ingredient which prevents sunlight from breaking down the products in the sunscreen. Nicole says it’s a hormone disrupting chemical that interferes with thyroid function and lowers testosterone, and there are serious concerns about its impact on male fertility. You can follow Nicole’s blog here.

2. Check your sunscreen rating on the EWG.

The Environmental Working Group rates sunscreens (amongst other things) based on safety and how well they protect against UV rays. You can download EWG’s handy tipsheet on what chemicals to avoid in the beauty aisle. But, the info is geared towards the US market. Australia has different regulations (SPF limits etc) and the great majority of the ones the EWG recommend are not available on the Australian market.

Nneka Leiba, a research analyst at EWG who works on their cosmetics and sunscreen databases suggests:

Pay attention to where a questionable chemical falls in the ingredient list. Active ingredients are cause for more concern because they can constitute a significant proportion of the product. “It’s like food. What you see first is the highest percentage.”

so what brands to buy?

Me, I use:

Wot not

on my body.

Invisible Zinc tinted daywear

on my face. It’s zinc oxide in “micronised” particles, not nano particles (see the chart below).  Note: there are mixed reports as to whether the newer formulations contain preservatives…but I have an old formulation…this debate on the FIN forums suggests the kids’ range is still definitely preservative free. It also appears this product’s been reviewed by EWG, but not approved yet.

Here’s what some of my toxin-free friends use:

Nicole Bjilsma says: Finding a sunscreen was more challenging than I thought it would be! After an extensive search of sunscreen products, I found one that I would be happy to put on my kids: 

Banana Boat Mineral Protect Sensitive

however it is thick and greasy to apply. Here is a link to my article on sunscreens.

Narelle Chenery, Director of Research and Development at Miessence shares: We make one! It’s called

Reflect Outdoor Balm. SPF 15,

(although it is actually SPF 27, we can’t claim it as such because it’s not classified as a primary sunscreen).

You can find it here.

Jess Ainscough, writer, blogger at Wellness Warrior and certified holistic health coach says: I eat a clean, plant-based diet with lots of carrot juice to build up an internal sunscreen, and then apply organic coconut oil to my skin for added protection. Since cleaning up my diet to this extreme, I never seem to get burnt! However, if you’re after an organic sunscreen off the shelf, I recommend

Wotnot or Soleo.

I recommend you also check out Jess’ recent blog post on the best natural body care brands.

Jo Immig, ecologist, freelance writer and researcher, also currently the coordinator of the National Toxics Network, says: I try to avoid using them if I can – long sleeves etc. If I have to I use

Wotnot or Soleo 

They are physical blockers (zinc) but don’t go too white, and haven’t got nanotechnology in them.

Sue Dengate, psychologist and Australian of the Year finalist 2009 and force behind Food Intolerance Network, says: I prefer to avoid unnecessary chemicals on my skin so my first choice for sun protection is to cover up with broad brimmed hats and long sleeves. If I have to wear sunscreen, I prefer a blocker rather than a chemical UV absorber. I want to avoid nanoparticles so I look for a sunscreen that is rated safe by nano.foe.org.au. I want a fragrance free sunscreen due to personal intolerance and because endocrine disruptor chemicals called phthalates in many synthetic fragrances may be linked to cancer and even weight gain. And finally, I want to avoid paraben preservatives such as PABA (para amino benzoic acid). I would prefer totally preservative free but that seems impossible so my next choice is

Invisible Zinc’s Junior low irritant sunscreen with micronised zinc

so, what about nano technology?

There is a lot of debate about nano particles and what they do. The fear is that they’re so small they seep in through our skin cells, but the jury is still out on the damage they may do. The Therapeutic Goods Act (TGA) from 2009 says:

• The potential for nanoparticles in sunscreens to cause adverse effects depends primarily upon the ability of the nanoparticles to reach viable skin cells; and
• To date, the current weight of evidence suggests that nanoparticles do not reach viable skin cells; rather, they remain on the surface of the skin and in the outer layer of the skin that is composed of non-viable cells.

However, Australia’s Cancer Council says on it’s website that while it takes into account the TGA findings, it’s sunscreens do not contain any nanoparticles.

Check your sunscreen’s nano technology levels on the Friends of the Earth Australia sunscreen guide. 

 An alternative: drink your sunscreen

This recipe, by My New Roots, is full of goji berries – to neutralize free radicals, slow the oxidative process, and prevent free radical damage caused by sun exposure – and fresh ginger, which is also incredibly high in antioxidants.

Goji Ginger Lemonade

• 2 Tbsp. goji berries
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 tsp. ginger root, freshly grated
• ½ lemon, juiced
• raw honey to taste (optional)

Soak goji berries in water for at least one hour to soften.

Pour goji berries and soak water into a blender with remaining ingredients, blend on high until completely mixed.

Pour into a glass with plenty of ice and lemon slices.

Other super-antioxidant add-ins:

• açaí berry powder
• blueberries
• vanilla bean
• raw cacao powder
• fresh peppermint
• golden raisins
• raw cranberries
• blackberries

and if all else fails: a bonus home remedy for sunburn

I DO NOT advocate burning. In fact – as Jo will attest – I abhor it. But, if you get caught out, a home remedy for soothing painful sunburn is right in your kitchen cupboard – apple cider vinegar. Soak a cotton ball or small sponge in apple cider vinegar and dab it on the burned spot, or make a compress for larger areas. If severely burned, repeat two to three times a day. If you are sunburnt head-to-toe, it’s best to take a bath in the stuff – simply add 2 cups of apple cider vinegar to the tuba and soak for at least 15 minutes. Apple cider vinegar applied to skin effectively neutralizes the burn, relieves pain, and prevents blistering and peeling.
Note: you may smell like a pickle, but a little coconut oil will remove most of the odor, plus add moisture to your skin. I’ve blogged on the benefits of coconut oil before. You can read more about that here. 

Hope that helps…feel free to add your own advice or tips….

photo via happy blogger

Weird dreams that don’t make sense? Who better to ask about them than someone who spends their days as a dream analyst, therapist, and alchemist. I chatted to Jane Anderson about some weird and wonderful dreams a few of us have been having lately…

q. Sarah and I were talking. She has ‘breast-stroking through the air’ dreams. What’s the deal?

Sarah describe it like this: “I’m usually chased and have to springboard off precarious surfaces – like tree limbs or balcony bannisters to get “traction”…I have to breaststroke for hours, trying to keep off the ground, and trying to get “traction” from the air.”

 Jane: You feel that aspects of your practical life are precarious, and respond to this by exploring ideas you’d like to get off the ground. You’re working hard at this but your efforts may be unconsciously more driven by escaping practical issues than finding solutions for them. You may feel that you springboard from one precarious situation to another, but you always hope that this time hard work and the right mental approach will save the day. To manifest ideas, to make them happen, we need the right balance between mind and body, between developing ideas and establishing practicalities.

[Actually rings very true - Sarah]

q. Your job is to investigate and interpret dreams. How did you get into that?

Jane: My curiosity grew throughout my years at university studying science where I specialised in developmental neurophysiology – how the brain interprets the world. In the end, it was a leap of faith, driven by passion, that got me into this field.

q. This reader dreams about wolves…?

The reader asked: “Wolves howl at my bedroom window. I think I’m safe because they’re outside, but they howl for ages, and their voices raise in pitch, until finally the high pitch shatters the window. And then just as they’re about to come into the bedroom I wake up.”

Jane: The wolves represent an energy or instinct you’re trying to keep at bay. It all depends on how you see the wolves. If you see them as hungry, ask yourself what hunger you are trying to keep away. If you see them as having to raise their pitch beyond howling simply to break through, ask yourself where this applies in your life – where do you feel you would have to scream to be heard, and why are you trying to ignore this inner voice? This is about setting your personal boundaries and keeping perspective. Imagine having a conversation with the wolves. What might they say to you and how might you negotiate a peaceful outcome?

 q: How can we train ourselves to wake up from a dream that is upsetting?

Jane: It’s best to run the course of a dream if you can, as the dreaming mind will often find a solution, and this is healthy for you in the long run. You may dream that you are falling and be feeling all the terror of that, but when you stay in the dream and hit the bottom, you’ll often bounce, or step out of your dead body and move onto something pleasant.

When a dream finds a positive solution, the rewards spill into waking life the next day

when you find yourself suddenly feeling ready to release something, or automatically seeing a solution to a problem.

q: what about recurring dreams?

Jane: If you have a recurring dream that terrifies you, and your dreaming mind doesn’t seem to be able to find a solution,

the most powerful approach is to interpret your dream so that you understand how it relates to your waking life

and follow up with dream alchemy. The dream is unlikely to recur, but tell yourself that if it does, you’ll change the ending of the dream. When you understand your dream and its symbols, it’s easy to rewrite a better ending that not only transforms the dream experience but transforms your waking life for the better too.

q: secrets, balloons, and the inability to speak. What’s happening here?

This from a reader: I’m trying to tell a friend a secret, and I can’t speak. My body freezes and shuts down. Then she hands me balloons and we laugh, and I can talk while I’m holding the balloon, but not when I let it go. When it pops, I wake up.

Jane: The secret is something you need to admit to yourself, but fear has been freezing you out. What feels shut down in your waking life? Why are you afraid to speak your truth? A light-hearted approach helps, so try to not to take yourself or heavy issues so seriously. Balloons are uplifting; have you been feeling depressed? Have you experienced breathing difficulties (asthma), the body counterpart of feeling restricted, of not having enough space to express yourself? Think of the balloons as lungs filled with air.

q: Let’s talk about sex dreams.

Jane: Your sexual drive can spill over into your dreams, but not all sex dreams are the result of hormones. Look at who you’re having dream sex with, how you feel about it, and how the sex fits in with the rest of the dream story line.

One tip is to give three words to describe the personality of your dream sex partner. Since everyone in a dream represents something about you, your dream suggests you’ve been intimately bringing at least one of those personality traits on board in your life during the last couple of days. Good dream sex suggests you feel good about this; bad dream sex suggests it’s time to reconsider your approach.

 q: What about the old ‘don’t eat cheese before bed or you’ll have bad dreams’ deal? Valid?

Jane: Food, and a number of external stimuli such as ringing alarm clocks, sudden temperature changes, drink, a blocked nose, can find its way into a dream, but usually not in a literal way. Your dream might interpret a biting mosquito as a syringe injection, or that cheese-induced indigestion as an intruder sticking a knife into your guts. Like sex dreams,

the interesting thing is how your mindset works the mosquito or indigestion into the dream story line.

 q: There’s a lot of talk about some dreams being the outworking of past lives. True?

Jane: Dreams set in a past era are more likely to be symbolic – a soldier symbolising conflict, or a serf symbolising servitude – than actual past life memories.

If there is outworking of past lives to be done – and yes, I believe this is likely – then remember that this is done in the context of your present life. Dreams process your experiences of the last 24-48 hours, so look into your dreams to understand how your current mindset is processing your current life. You have the power to transform any unconscious belief that is currently operational for you, and there will be enough references to your current life experiences to be able to understand context.

q: What happens if someone we love dies in a dream?

Jane: Dreams are symbolic, not literal. What does this person represent to you? Which three words would you choose to describe their personality or approach to life? Your answers define something you feel is dying (ending) within yourself.

Jane consults worldwide through her website.

Readers can enjoy a 20% discount on Jane’s services (Dream Therapy by skype or phone; Interpretation by Email; Life Coaching) until Friday 3rd February 2012.

To claim, email Jane at JaneTeresa@dream.net.au to make your booking.

PS My personal favourites are the turnip bake and the “corn cakes”…clever!

PPS For my previous paleo breakfast ideas (nut balls, egg + spinach in a cup etc)  go here and here and here.

berry crumble-top muffins, recipe below

blueberry crumble top muffins

From Maria at RestCo: This recipe uses both coconut and almond flour. It is best to make these a day ahead and let the flavors meld overnight. Baked goods made with coconut flour taste best completely cooled.

In a food processor or kitchen mixer process the following wet ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup birch sugar (or sweetener of choice)
• 2t vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4t salt
• 1/4t baking soda
• 1/2T cinnamon
• a few grates of nutmeg

• 4T cold butter chunks
• 1/4t salt (skip if using salted butter)
• 1T coconut flour
• 1T almond flour
• 1/2T cinnamon
• a few grates nutmeg
• a splash of vanilla
• 2T birch sugar (or sweetener of choice)
• 1/3 cup nuts (I used almonds)
• 1/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1/3 cup blueberries

sweet breakfast omelette, from Health Food Lover

paleo porridge, from Girl On Raw

• 1/2 cup of quinoa – soaked and rinsed.
• 1 cup of almond milk blended with 2 dates for sweetness
• 1/2 t of pumpkin pie spice

Place almond milk and rinsed quinoa in a pot and bring to the boil, then place on simmer until the quinoa has ‘popped’ and all the liquid has soaked into the seed, similar to cooking cous cous or rice.

Stir through pumpkin pie spice and enjoy either warm or cold like a pudding.

Optional: baked apple on top would just set this off.

paleo bread, from Modern Paleo

• 3 cups Almond Meal
• 4 Tablespoons Coconut Flour
• 1/2 cup Flaxseed Meal
• 2 tablespoons Walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 8 Free Range Eggs
• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
• 2 tablespoons Vinegar

Place almond meal, coconut flour, flax, salt and baking soda in a food processor and pulse ingredients together. Pulse in eggs, oil, walnuts, seeds and vinegar until well combined. Pour batter into a greased and lined loaf tin. Bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes. Cool and serve. Makes 25 slices. Slices freeze well, toast for breakfast and spread with lashings of butter.

sausage mushroom breakfast casserole, from Jan’s sushi bar

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 450g bulk hot italian sausage
• 220g white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lard
• 1 medium roasted red bell pepper, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, divided

Preheat the oven to 190C. Grease a glass 9″ x 13″ baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the lard.

Peel the sweet potatoes and run them through the shredder disc of your food processor, or shred them using the large holes of a box grater. Place them in a large bowl and cover with ice water; set aside.

Crumble the sausage into a large, heavy skillet and cook over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined bowl and set aside.

Without draining the fat, reduce the heat slightly and add the mushrooms in a single layer. Don’t crowd them – you want them nicely browned and almost crisp.  Too many in the pan at once will cause them to steam, rather than brown, once they begin to give off moisture. Cook them in batches if necessary. Once they are nicely browned, remove with a slotted spoon and add them to the sausage.

Add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of the lard, if necessary, to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the onions until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and add to the bowl with the sausage and mushrooms.

Lightly toss the roasted, chopped bell pepper with the sausage, mushrooms and onions. Set aside.

Drain the shredded sweet potatoes and pat them dry with a paper towel. Toss them with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, then spread them over the bottom of the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the sausage/mushroom mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes, covering them as completely as possible.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and coconut milk together with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until well-blended. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage and potatoes in the baking dish, making sure the eggs are distributed evenly.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the eggs are set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the foil and return to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, if necessary, to brown the top. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes; cut into 6 equal portions and serve.

eggs in purgatory, from The Paupered Chef

•  1/2 – 1 cup of marina (tomato) sauce or however much will cover the bottom of a pan
• Eggs
• Parmesan, pecorino, or any hard cheese
• salt and pepper

Pour the sauce in pan and bring to a simmer.  Crack the eggs and gently drop in the sauce.  Cover immediately and cook until the top white have set.

Remove with a spatula, or however you can easily do it.  Shred some cheese, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

quick and healthy banana bread, from Fitness in the City

• 300g ripe banana
• 3 free range / organic eggs
• 60g organic maple syrup
or honey if need be
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 60g macadamia nut oil
• Half-teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2tsp baking soda ( bicarb soda) + 1 tbsp lemon juice
200 g (together as the lemon juice activates the bicarb)
• (2 cups) almond meal
200g
• (1/4 cup) 25g ground flaxseed (linseed)
• Walnuts and blueberries to garnish

Preheat your oven to 160 C.

In your blender add: banana, honey, oil, cinnamon, vanilla, eggs, bicarb and lemon – then blend until the ingredients are the consistency of a thick smoothie.

Once blended pour into a large mixing bowl to finish the banana bread batter.

Add the almond meal and flaxseed and mix well.

Add baking paper to your loaf tin (the paper can hang over the sides of the tin as it makes it easy to remove after cooked.)

Spoon/Pour the batter into the tin, but before you pop into the oven add a handful of frozen blueberries deep into the batter using a spoon. Sprinkle several walnuts down the middle of of loaf, and finally, dust the top with some cinnamon for a nice golden crunch.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (a skewer inserted into the centre should come out dry).
The top should be slightly brown but don’t overcook.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before turning out the loaf on a cooling wire rack.

Keep in an airtight container – will keep for a week.

paleo cornbread muffins, from Paleo for Foodies

• 2/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) (If you cant eat butter, mix coconut butter and olive oil)
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Whisk together the coconut flour, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Whisk in the melted butter. Add the coconut flour mixture to the egg/butter mixture and stir to combine. I used a Kitchen Aid to blend quickly until if formed a dough mixture. Divide the batter amongst 12 greased muffin tins. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden browned. Take out of oven and let cool. Use in stuffing or eat just by themselves! YUM!

 breakfast salmon salad, from Janet Campbell

• Tin pink salmon
• Finely sliced fennel
• Fresh parsley
• Cooked cold broccoli florets (I slice up & use the stem too)
• Couple of stalks spring onions finely sliced
• About 2 tablespoons cooked cold brown rice per person (not paleo, but adds texture – & it’s a very small amount)
• Fresh lime juice & cracked black pepper to taste (optional)

Quantities of fennel and broccoli to your own preference.  Just mix all ingredients together and serve cold. Use the lime juice and pepper to season or invent your own mix to moisten and flavour the dish). Serves 2 with one 210gm tin salmon.

bacon and egg cupcakes, from Alan Osman

Alan doesn’t provide a recipe, but I’ve made these before – line muffin tins with bacon or ham, crack an egg in and bake in 200C oven for about 10-12 minutes… sprinkle with feta or chives.

Tried anything similar? Any paleo breakfast tips you’d like to share?

Via Trendhunter

But first, some housekeeping:

• if you’re enjoying the detox process and want to take it further…Nutritionist Michele Chevalley Hedge is running a four-day Cleanse & Nourish Retreat in Byron late April. Find the details here. I’ll be dropping in for sure!
• A gentle reminder to get on board with me for FebFast. Join my team or donate here. I VERY much endorse quitting booze if you’re quitting sugar…it will make the process easier. And while you’re on a righteous roll…!
• I’m giving away 60 packs of sugar free The Muesli (worth $20)..it involves a quick questionnaire…details here…the offer ends THIS Wednesday COB.
• And, yes, finally, we’re going to do a webinar next Monday January 30 at 6:30pm.

You’ll need to join via my I Quit Sugar facebook page here 

But back to cravings and crankiness…I found some info this week that backs up my approach (and which I really implore everyone to observe):

Don’t push it. We’re experimenting, people. Everything’s cool.

Some of you are feeling guilty about giving in and lapsing. Like I’ve said before, not a problem. Sit. Observe what the cake or the chocolate or whatever did to your mood, your mouth, your vibe. And move on.

Some of you are also getting a bit fretty about whether you’re doing things “right”…all I can say is, Yep, you are (if you’re conscious of your habits now). And keep asking questions. The comments forum is proving a festy petri dish of tips and advice. Wade in!

Just quickly, I cam across this factoid during the week, which I find interesting:

An estimated 70 per cent of Americans do not consume sufficient nutrients – due to the amount of refined and processed foods eaten. Can you believe it??? Modern malnutrition, hey. Esteemed wellness guru Dr. Joel Fuhrman says malnutrition is what causes us to crave certain food. He says  to stop the “addictive drives and perverted cravings” we suffer from, it is essential to restore nutritional excellence.

Ergo, he says, eat nutrient-dense foods:  Green veggies, non-starchy veggies, beans, raw nuts and seeds, and it helps the cravings.

Try this for a sweet hit

Macadamia oil...I use this Brookfarm one…it’s local to Byron Bay (in fact Macadamias are native to the area). It’s a mono-unsaturated fat and is full of great nutrients…and it tastes seriously sweet! Don’t cook with the stuff – pour it on salads. I love it on steamed zucchini. I also pour it on some yoghurt with a sprinkle of celtic sea salt for an afternoon snack.

your questions answered

This week I have nutritionist Lola Berry and author of Sweet Poison David Gillespi answering a few of your questions. As well as my good self.

Jess Jantzen asks: So I buy smoked salmon 100g net – 5 slices in it. On the back it tells me: Serving Size 50g. So 50g divided by 4 = 12.5. So 12.5 teaspoons of sugar in this pack?

Sarah: Ahhh, I might have confused you. Go to the amount of sugar listed under the serving size column (as opposed to the 100g column). I imagine it would be very little. You then divide the sugar figure by 4.

Calculating sugar content is a little hit and miss, because some foods contain “sugar” but it’s actually only lactose (ergo, no fructose); some contain “sugar” but this figure is sucrose (1/2 fructose, 1/2 glucose) PLUS extra straight fructose (eg: fruit). Just do you best…

Sarah: I really like the Niugini Organic brand because it comes in a mason preserving jar (worth a good $8; I use afterwards for making sauerkraut etc). It’s also travelled the least to come here (from PNG)…so less carbon miles.

Amyer asks: Probiotics…I looked up Yakult and found that it has 11.4g of sugar, most of which is sucrose (and a small bit of glucose and lactose)…?

David: I’d avoid probiotics unless your doctor is telling you to have them (because say you’ve just taken a heavy course of anti-biotics) – many of them contain serious amounts of sugar (Yakult contains 2.5 teaspoons of sugar in a single 65ml serve) to make them palatable.  If you can find one without sugar and you really need to take one – then go for it.

Ellen asks:  I am still nursing my son, so I am afraid that I will not be able to get what I need to maintain milk supply and stay safe [if I quit sugar]

Lola: This is a great question, as you are eating for two your food intake and requirements will be much higher. The best advice I can give you is to listen to your body. If you feel like something sweet one of my favorites is a bowl of blueberries mixed with cinnamon and coconut oil. The blueberries give you that sweetness, the cinnamon balances blood sugar levels and the coconut oil will give you sustained release energy. Plus, as you’re still nursing you’ll need lots more energy, so coconut oil is something I would increase in the diet, it’s a healthy fat the body loves!

Erin asks: Tinned tomatoes in cooking ok?

Sarah: Yep. They’re less than 1g/100g and you really only eat about 150g in a meal.

Sarah: Not a stupid question. It’s a saturated fat, which we’ve been told is bad. But isn’t. Check out this post on saturated fat to read more. Butter is REALLY good (as long as you’re not casein sensitive). It’s one of the best fats to help with the absorption of vitamins in veggies, calcium uptake, immune function, and cell membrane structure. But always buy organic, NEVER the hydrogenated (spreadable) ones and never low fat.

Sarah: Can I suggest you check out Maria’s 21-day vegan sugar-free challenge over at scandifoodie?

extra reading

Just two apps this week that you might like:

The Eatery gets others to rate how healthy you’re eating…they have a specific philosophy behind this approach. You can watch the video here.

And this one…FoodSwitch…which allows you to scan the barcode on a grocery item and it tells you the healthiest option in the category. I’ve only just downloaded it and am still playing with it…it seems to be missing a lot of the foods in my pantry. Tell me if you’ve had better luck.

That’s all for now folks. Give me feedback on what else you’d like answered. And don’t forget to join in the webinar next Monday at 6.30pm…