WIAW: Gluten Free Diet

Hiya

It's time for What I Ate Wednesday. The UK weather has been going downhill, rainy and getting pretty cold in the evenings. :(

My boyfriend and I have decided to go on a gluten and wheat free diet. Well, not a strict one but try to avoid as much gluten and wheat as possible. This is because he reckons he is allergic to wheat and possibly gluten since every time he eats something that is made with wheat he will get bad stomach pains. He hasn't been to doctors to get it diagnosed though. And why am I going on it? Well, I can't to be honest. I'm Chinese and soya sauce is one of our main seasoning ingredients and it contains gluten lol. I'm not going on it to try to lose weight or whatever because it doesn't help you lose weight according to nutritionists. Gluten free products tend to have more fat than products with gluten. I just want to feel less bloated, gassy (sorry for saying this lol) and sluggish after eating certain food. I will just swap certain ingredient like pasta and oat to gluten free to help increase energy. Pizza Hut is doing a gluten-free base and I always get quite ....(not very feminine to be talking about it lol) after eating pizza so maybe that's something I could change lol. 

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye which means most pasta and bread contains gluten. It gives bread that spongy texture, makes pizza dough stretchy and is used to thicken sauce and soups. Some people who has celiac disease cannot eat gluten, if they do they will get stomach cramps, diarrhea and bloating. But some may not have this disease but just may be sensitive to gluten.

The thing is with gluten free products or anything that is free from tend to be a lot more expensive. Why? It's so unfair. Why do people with certain allergy or celiac disease have to pay extra to get food? 

Anyways, going on a gluten free diet isn't too hard for us since vegetables and fruits are gluten free and we have a lot of that anyways. I bought some gluten free oat, gluten free pasta and and gluten free plain white flour the other day.

On Monday, I made a gluten free meal, Cauliflower and cheese pasta. Using Tesco's free from pasta, Dove's plain white flour and Tesco's free from almond milk. And obviously other vegetables.

Not brown enough I know. I made the white sauce with some onions and threw in some mushrooms.
The sauce was really good in fact, I think this is the best I've made so far lol. I did change the milk half way, I used Koko's coconut milk so the sauce was a bit sweet. The pasta just taste like regular pasta.

Yesterday, I made salmon and prawn spaghetti for dinner. I subscribed to Simply Cook recently which I will blog about later, they had a recipe for this and provided the seasonings so I tried it out. It wasn't bad at all but using creme fraiche as a sauce was quite sickening- the recipe said use creme fraiche.

Are you allergic to gluten or wheat?  What gluten free dishes do you make? 

Trained my friend during a rainy weekend

Happy Sunday! How has your weekend been? We've had some rainy days in the last couple of days here in the UK. I'm not going to complain though because we needed it, it was a bit too humid before and now we can breathe. However, the humidity isn't as bad as Hong Kong, its like a sauna out there.

Yesterday, I managed to drag myself out off my bed to go gym at 8am. It was a good time to go, as it was pretty empty (no need to fight for equipment and machines) and lots of parking spaces. I trained my friend and that was partly my motivation to get up that early lol.  I like it when I train someone because I feel like a real personal trainer and usually I'm the one who's being trained (by my boyfriend). The best thing was, my friend said she likes it when I train her and then feel the pain the following day. lol. We did a full body workout consisting 8 exercises.

We started off with about 15 minutes of cardio; that definitely woke me up. Then I did 2 sets of 20 power cleans, my friend tried to do it but she couldn't lift the bar, lol, so she skipped that. Maybe next time when she has stronger arms. After the power cleans, I challenged us to 5 minutes of squats whilst holding a medicine ball in our hand (I remember I once read about Mariah Carey's workout in a magazine, it says that she does 45 minutes of squats. The 5 minutes of squats we did was a killer, how on earth does she manage 45?!). Then about 3 minutes of walking lunges with a medicine ball. My friend wanted to work more on her arms so I introduced her to a couple of arm exercises; throwing and catching a medicine ball (not sure what you call this workout) against a mini trampoline to work the triceps and shoulders. We did 2 sets of 30 of that. I also introduced her to the lat pull down, this is actually one of my favourite upper body exercises because I can feel my triceps working instantly. From that we moved back down to our lower body by using the hip abductor and finished off with some ab workout on the captain chair.

Prior to the workout I made a shake as a light breakfast and for some energy boost.

 I added;
-1/2 a cup of oat (fibre)
-1 1/2 cup of soya milk (protein)
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (omega 3)
- 1/2 scoop of hemp protein powder (protein)
- 1 tablespoon of goji berries (antioxidant)
- 1 teaspoon of baobab powder (energy boost)
- 1 teaspoon maca root powder (energy boost)

It doesn't look very pleasant at all when its all blended together lol but it tasted good.



After the workout I made another smoothie and a small breakfast number 2.

Smoothie made from:
- 1 cup of frozen blackberries
- 1 plum
- 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice

Mini breakfast:
- coconut yoghurt
- a handful of grapes
- a handful of blueberries
- a cup of granola.











I mentioned in last post that I've been picking tonnes of cherries from our back garden and so I've been eating them a lot. I snack on them almost every day. My dad is allergic to them, my mum and brother is in Hong Kong for a month so I'm the only one eating them. We have given lots away too. Did you know cherries is known as a superfruit? It is packed with antioxidants which aid in the reduction of heart disease and help fight cancer. They are high in vitamin A- Chinese people say cherries gives you a healthy glowing skin with that natural blush- and good source of fibre of course like any other fruits

My dad and I couldn't be bothered to get out of the house to do food shopping, luckily we found a frozen mini chicken, 2 fillet pieces of salmon, and a sirloin steak in our freezer. My dad marinated the chicken and steak and I cooked. I steamed the salmon the Chinese way and pan fried the steak (my dad diced it lol) with some onions and worchester sauce. As for the chicken, my dad only marinated the skin and I felt like making a roast chicken. So I stuff some fresh thyme and half a lemon into the chicken. I chopped some carrots, peppers and garlic and placed them under the chicken. After roasting it for 30 minutes (the chicken as tiny didn't take long to cook and we were in a rush to go to work), the vegetables were coated with the juice from the chicken. So yummy. The chicken tasted so good too. And guess what? It was my first time making a roast chicken. ^.^

The presentation doesn't very good but its all about the taste lol

As a person who don't eat much meat that was a lot for me and because my dad don't eat beef I had no one to help me to finish the sirloin steak. So had to leave it.

This morning, I was thinking of going gym at 8am again but wanted a lay in. As usual made a very fruity breakfast and a green smoothie.

I made the green smoothie for me and my dad, spinach, banana, gooseberries and 1 1/2 cups of water. The gooseberry made it really refreshing. I have developed a new love for them.

More fruits in my breakfast; granola soaked in soya milk, topped with chopped strawberries, gojiberries, cherries and more gooseberries.

So what did you do in this rainy weather? What time do you usually go gym?

Guest Post by Maya- Chemicals to Avoid in Everyday Products & How to Live Healthier

Chemicals to Avoid in Everyday Products & How to Live Healthier

Over the past few decades, the positive response to natural and organic products has risen, and with very good reason.  Due to popular demand, most companies are beginning to tailor their products to cater to an ever-growing audience of educated, eco-friendly consumers.  Unfortunately, even many of products on the market today that advertise with labels such as “all-natural” or “organic” still contain many harmful ingredients.  Believe it or not, a big portion of our household products contains potentially toxic chemicals, which can trigger anything from wheezing and headaches to much more serious conditions.  Let’s take a quick look at a few harmful chemicals you may be unknowingly harboring in your home.

Look for Artificial Ingredients in Beauty Products

Nowadays, most beauty products are touted as having “all-natural” ingredients; unfortunately, what they forget to inform you of is that they also contain a plethora of artificial ones too.  Sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS, is one of the most common ingredients in shampoos, soaps and detergents and has been known to cause skin irritation, canker sores and respiratory illness. Parabens, often found in cosmetics, deodorants, shampoos, and even toothpaste, have been extensively linked to cancer. Look for products that are SLS free or contain no artificial ingredients and harmful carcinogens. Also, when traveling, it’s best to bring your own cosmetics and beauty products instead of relying on the unlabeled sample bottles in hotels.

(I’m a huge fan of Lush and love their products)

Beware of Bottled Water

I never really understood the bottled water trend. I mean, whose idea was it to charge for bottled water anyway? The whole idea that bottled water is better for you is a misconception (except in some rare cases when your local water source may be contaminated). Bottled water is packaged in plastic, which in turn is made from petroleum distillates. This means that harmful chemicals can leach into the water you’re drinking. It’s also a misnomer that bottled water is safer than tap water, as tap water actually has more safety regulations in place, at least within the US.  

In short, I really feel that bottled water is bad: it’s bad for your wallet, it’s bad for you, and it’s bad for the environment, as the vast majority of bottles never make it to the recycling plant. Plus,the energy used in producing and transporting bottled water is the energy equivalent of fueling 1.5 million cars a year!  The bottom line?  Beware of bottled water.

(This photo even makes it look unappetizing!)

Watch What You Eat

The fight for toxic-free fruits and vegetables has been waging for decades now, and although we’ve made significant progress, we still have a long way to go.  Organic foods cost a lot more than the modified counterparts, and although all of us would probably like to only buy organic foods, our wallets won’t really let us.  That’s why it’s important to know which foods are the most susceptible to pesticides and other unwanted toxic byproducts.

According to Eatingwell.com, apples contain the most pesticides out of any other fruit.  Peaches, strawberries and celery were also in the top five.  By picking a few foods and only buying them organic, you’ll significantly reduce the amount of harmful chemicals you put into your body.

Go Green!

I bet if you were to take a look at your basement, garage or shed, you’d find cleaning and pest control products that contain anunnerving amount of toxic chemicals. Take a look at the ingredient list on some of your cleaning products—the amount of numbers and random letters is simply baffling, and worse still is that they’re just sitting in your home!  Instead of using chemical-laden pesticides and detergents, try taking the green route by making your own.  Here’s a great resource that will help point you in the right direction and help keep the toxins you store in your home to a minimum.

If you live in an apartment complex, or travel often in hotels, they may use fertilizers or pest control methods with chemicals you may not be aware of. Don’t hesitate to voice any concerns you may have with your building manager or similar authority. Feel free to request that your flat or housing community use more environmentally-friendly lawn fertilizers, or that your favorite hotel chain guard against any hotel bed bugs with healthier pest control methods.

The fight for a healthier life starts with you.  Be sure to thoroughly check labels and ingredient lists before you buy a product; if you see an ingredient you can’t pronounce, then move on. DIY methods are wonderful and worth trying, and watching what you eat is paramount. By arming yourself with the knowledge of knowing which products are healthy and which are harmful, you’ll be doing yourself—and the environment—a huge favor.

Maya Rodgers tries to live every day a little greener and healthier. When she isn’t at work, she often plays with Mindy, the best dog in the world, chauffeurs her children between activities, and tries to give her husband any left-over attention.She can be found writing on her own site at http://www.petsandpests.com

WIAW- WAFFLES!

Hi everyone, it's Wednesday so it means its time for What I Ate Wednesday!

This Saturday was my boyfriend's birthday. I bought him a waffle maker. Not a very manly present?  Lol! Well he loves waffles and loves homemade food. So I thought that was ideal and I got him a few other stuff of course. 

I bought the waffle maker from Amazon, and it's a brand by Andrew James. It makes great waffles! See below. The manual also contains a few recipes. For my first attempt, I tried the apple waffles. It was so yummy. 

Been making quite a lot of breakfast similar to this. Either plain thick yoghurt or homemade fruit smoothie, served with fresh fruits, seeds, berries and superfood powder. So yummy and lasts me the whole morning. 

I didn't do a What I Ate Wednesday last week. So here's a couple of good food I had from last week.

Last Saturday, I went to a dessert place called 'Potty Pancakes' with my best friend. They don't just do pancakes, they do waffles too.

 I chose waffles with strawberries and cream. It was yummy, the waffles were really spongy. However, I think they've put too much ice cream. I couldn't really taste the waffles properly. The ice cream had melted on top and made the waffles all soggy. That's my only criticism.

I had Japanese with a couple of university friends on Wednesday evening. We went Shoryu Ramen soho branch. They had recently opened it, so to celebrate the grand opening they were selling all ramen noodles for £5. 

I tried the gluten free noodles (basically rice noodles) and some chicken. It was ok but a bit salty.

That's it for this week. Talk to you soon!

Cherry picking and Exploring smoothies

Hiya, summer holidays have officially started for some people, teachers and students. If that's you, what you got planned for the summer? I mentioned about going on a triple date to Amsterdam in August but that isn't happening now as we couldn't find a cheap apartment to rent. So now my boyfriend and I are planning to go to Paris, we've said that for months in fact. Lol.

I've been picking cherries with my dad this morning at our back garden. We spent an hour and a bit getting all those cherries down. It was too hot to carry on. There are still a lot on the trees. These are just 1/5 of the cherries. The best thing about them is that they are organic! Look at those beauties.

I immediately used some of the cherries to make my morning smoothie,  I also added some frozen blackberries, strawberries and soya milk. I even snacked a big bowl of them later on in the afternoon.

In the last couple of weeks I've been trying out different fruit combination, some turned out very nice but some turned out not so nice. 

The one below consists of a pear, 1 cup of papaya, a bit of fresh ginger and black soya bean milk. This tasted weird. If you like ginger and spring onion sauce then you will like this because that's exactly how it tastes like. lol. 

This one below is made with 2 small oranges, 1 cup of cantaloupe and semi-skimmed milk. I got this recipe from a smoothie app by Martha Stewart and it was quite nice This is suppose to aid weight loss, so if you're on a diet give this a try.

I've made a very nutty and seedy post workout drink; hemp protein powder, raw almond nuts, black sesame seeds, baobab powder, maca root powder and soya milk (sweetened). Not only was this full of goodness, it was delicious! 

I mentioned in my previous post about adding watermelon to my smoothies. This one consist of watermelon (obviously), frozen strawberries, fresh ginger and a cup of water. This was very refreshing and helps detox.

A new green smoothie combination; romaine lettuce, kiwi and pear. This was ok but I didn't like the prickly texture from the kiwi. It would taste better if I added some sort of sweetener. I actually need to make green smoothies more often. I can feel the result the next day every time I have a green smoothie. 

That's it for now. Hope you enjoyed it.

What kind of smoothies do you make?What's your favourite combination?

Glossybox July- seaside splash edition

Hiya. It's Glossybox time! This month's Glossybox theme is pretty cool, seaside splash. For those who don't know about GlossyBox, its a monthly subscription service where subscribers pay £10 + pp every month to receive a box of 5-6 samples of beauty products delivered to you. Most of the time you get a the full size of the product so well worth the price. It's very addictive. lol.

I am very happy with the products this month because I got 2 organic beauty products. 

Can you see what it says? Organic sunscreen. Been looking to get one and here it is through the post. It contains extract of cucumber and organic acai oil which has anti-ageing benefits.

Full size is 50ml for £25.99, available at Amazon.co.uk

The second organic product. Hair styling spray made from organic bamboo. Full size is 125ml for £23.00

Ciate London Nail Polish, a lovely pink colour. Full size 13.5ml for £9.00.

Sleek Makeup Pout Paint, the word pout has given it away. Its a lip gloss. Full size 8ml for £4.99

Anatomicals Spray misty for me Facial Spritz. I tried it straight away and it smells so refreshing and makes you feel freshened up lol. Really good for this hot weather. Full size 100ml for £6.00

Guest Post by Andrea Peterson- How to look and feel healthy inside and out?

In order to promote health and beauty, some people use products or undergo treatments that they believe are safe and effective. However, it is best not to believe everything that health professionals and companies claim about these products or treatments, whose side effects or potential harm are largely concealed in the name of profit.  

Here’s a list of procedures that may be harmful to your health:

1.       Bariatric surgery – Going under the knife is becoming popular a common solution to obesity. However, over 40 percent of these surgeries end up causing grave consequences within months. On top of that, anyone who has bariatric surgery done has to alter his lifestyle completely.

2.       Liposuction – Although this procedure lasts for hours, it can only remove only about 10 pounds of fat. It also carries a high fatality rate of any elective surgery, and recovery is long and can be excruciating.

3.       Laser hair removal – This procedure can impair your hair follicles and may scar your skin if not done correctly. In some cases, it does not completely remove hair, and effects may only last for a few years.

4.       Botox – Risks involved with botox include respiratory failure and death.

5.       Skin-whitening products – Out of the many hazardous chemicals found in skin-whitening products is mercury, which is a neurotoxin that accumulates in your body. Effects of mercury surface after years and include kidney and nerve damage. Another dangerous substance found in whitening products is hydroquinone, which is a carcinogen banned in Europe.

6.       Body piercing – Problems linked to having your nipples, genitals, or tongue pierced include breastfeeding problems, higher risk of STDs and allergies, and chipped teeth.

There are no shortcuts to optimal health and beauty. All products and procedures created to give instant benefits likely have detrimental side effects. 

The best way to stay fit, maintain good skin, and promote overall health is to start from within. If you eat and live right and avoid bad choices, you will feel AND look good.

What You Should Eat to Look and Feel Healthy?

Other than knowing what you should eat, you should be aware of the foods that are bad for you, such as alcohol, refined carbohydrates, sugar (especially fructose), and grains. These foods are sources of toxins, and to be healthy inside and out means you need to be toxin-free.

These foods can also overwork your organs of detoxification and affect your overall health. These organs are:

·         Kidneys and liver – These two organs work on an ongoing basis to detoxify your body. A poor lifestyle can wear them out.

·         Adrenals – Your adrenals are the source of essential hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone,testosterone, and DHEA. Hormonal imbalance can lead to a number of health problems, including skin breakouts.

·         Thyroid – Your thyroid works with your adrenals to produce energy. Poor skin condition is linked to poor thyroid function.

·         Small and large intestines – These two organs are tasked to manage nutrient absorption and elimination of waste products. One indication of poor digestive function is poor skin condition, as flawless skin is often a reflection of clean intestines.

Eat only whole, bioavailable organic foods, which will support your organs of detoxification and provide you with the nutrients your body requires for its biological functions. Once you eat right, you can manage your weight better and keep your skin in youthful condition. Foods to include in your diet include green leafy vegetables, animal-based omega-3 fats, organic eggs, and coconut oil.

Exercise is another contributor to optimum health. It is recommended not just to do hours-long aerobics. Also incorporate high-intensity interval training, strength training, core training, and proper stretching. Done properly, exercise will help reduce your aging rate.

About the Author:

Andrea Peterson is a beauty and wellness blogger who researches natural methods to stay healthy. He subscribes to online newsletters, such as Dr. Mercola’s natural health newsletter, to discover the latest about health and fitness.