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How I’ve Stayed Refined Sugar Free for 6 Years
This year will mark the 6th year of being refined sugar free. After being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes I radically changed my diet and lifestyle, and eliminated refined sugar, highly processed foods, along with gluten, dairy and animal products (in the last couple of years). I went cold turkey initially, and I can say that this option is probably not the best for most, but it worked for me at the time. I implemented rigid ‘rules’ concerning my diet and deciphered what I could and would not eat. I did my research (extensively) and made personal decisions according to how I felt and what effect certain foods had on me and…
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Sweet Potato Waffle Rostis
Moving to a new country can come with many new things to learn and get used to. New places, new mannerisms and new names. For me, one of those new names is Kumara aka. Sweet Potato. Here in New Zealand, the Kumara is a staple in many diets. Now I also know that sweet potatoes/kumara make up a large portion of most plant based eaters diets too, and there is a number of reasons why. Firstly they are so delicious! They are sweet and when steamed they have that ‘melt in your mouth’ sensation. Sweet potatoes have a lower GI than regular potatoes, which means they won’t spike your sugar…
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Sunflower Seed Cookies
Love is not only an amazing feeling that brings such joy and warmth, it is also an vital tool in well being. Living your life from the perspective of love can seriously have a positive ripple effect on every aspect of your life. Learning to love, feeling love and seeing the world through love are some of the topics I’ll be delving into this post, including all the goodness of these Sunflower Seed Cookies. Quite fitting as it is the month of love, but let’s not forget about ourselves and the practice of self-love. Self respect.
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What I Eat in a Day + VIDEO
I’ve seen loads of blog posts on this topic and have watched a few Youtube videos too, and they always tend to inspire me and spark ideas, so I thought it’s definitely time for me to share what my nourishment looks like in a day. It’s always so interesting to see what other people eat, when they eat, and how much they eat. Interesting to me that is! And I also find inspiration in the creativity of the food that people eat. Food is so personal. It can tell a story. It can tell you about a persons culture, what they were craving, what they enjoy. So intimate! Food sustains us…
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Chocolate Hazelnut Smoothie
Hope you’re all easing into the New Year well. It’s been beautiful weather here in Nelson. The sun’s been shining brightly these last couple days and the cool, refreshing breeze has been a breath of fresh air. I love this time of year, so much! I love getting out on the weekends, going on unknown adventures, and being immersed in nature. The sun kissed glow to the skin is always welcomed. We met up with a gorgeous friend at the Nelson Saturday Market on the weekend (which was fab), and I stumbled across some deliciously fresh hazelnuts which I just had to have. Now, I must admit, I may have…
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Gingerbread Men Cookies (Vegan)
I love this time of year! Holidays, summer sunshine and lots of creative juices flowing in the kitchen. There’s always so many awesome Christmas recipes flying around the net this time of year, and I could just burst with all the inspiration everywhere. This year, my Christmas recipe is for these delicious Gingerbread Men Cookies, which just so happens to be refined sugar free and 100% vegan! Not that that dampens any of the delicious flavor these cookies have. The texture! It’s that perfect crunchy and incredibly addictive texture that keeps us coming back for “just one more”.
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Beetroot Coconut Ice
I set myself a challenge with this recipe. That challenge was to create something delicious out of the ingredients I already had. No additional purchases. Just make do with what I had in the kitchen. So, with inspiration and creativity flowing, this Beetroot Coconut Ice Recipe was created. My hope is that you also have similar ingredients in your kitchen to create this recipe, and if not, then to use your imagination and have fun creating something with what you have already. My mentality and drive behind this recipe, was being so grateful that I actually have all the ingredients I need to create something nutritious and delicious. Being grateful…
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Creamy Vegan Bolognese
Slow cooked, aromatic bolognese is one of the ultimate comfort foods. When you’re craving something dense and wholesome, this is a favorite for many! However, for some it can leave the digestive system feeling burdened rather than nourished. So, I decided to put my own twist of this Italian classic, substituting ground beef for lentils, and dense pasta (which is iconic for a bolognese dish) for butternut squash noodles. With the addition of a creamy vegan white sauce, the result was a deeply flavored dish with a creamy twist, all elements complimenting each other perfectly!
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Vegan Cinnamon Waffles
I have been dying to get a waffle maker for ages now, and it finally happened! So you can guess who’s recently been having waffles galore! It’s so nice to experiment and try foods that you wouldn’t normally eat. Though of course these still fall between the lines of being gluten free, refined sugar free, healthy and vegan. Experimenting and creating different dishes, trying new ingredients, and really just having fun with your food can be so rewarding, especially if you know that the food you’re eating is doing your body a whole lot of good (as well as your mind π )
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Salted Peanut Butter Cashew Fudge
I was recently invited to speak at Revolution – Women Empowering Women, which was a charity event in Nelson. The event was in aid of raising funds for the wonderful Whole Lotta Life foundation which was founded by Kristine Paterson in 2013. This foundation aims to provide those diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 20-45yrs a community filled with knowledge, guidance, hope and support. It aims to give people what they need – a community with support and access to information that’s related to them specifically. This foundation raises funds for retreats where inspiration flows and hope is restored. It’s such a great cause and it was such an…
