Category Archives: Health and Nutrition

CarolCooks2 weekly roundup… 20th February-26th February 2022-Monday Musings, Health, A-Z World Cuisine, Australia, Porcini Mushrooms and Saturday Snippets.

Welcome to my weekly roundup...
February is nearly over we are in the last few days of the month… Snow is still falling in
some parts of the world…but I am already seeing images of the first snowdrops which means
spring is on the way…We have had rain all this week the first  in months and very welcome it
was by all of the plants and us too as it cools the air…
What is in store for you then this week if you are catching up…  My new A-Z  World Cuisines
featuring food from Australia has been very well received I have had some lovely comments
plus it’s fun to research and write… Monday Musings are just some findings from the week
before which I either find amusing or not, … and on Tuesday there was another  Chicken
recipe…

Friday review and the subject was Porcini Mushrooms which I love plus I found the research most interesting I love how nature depends on other factors i.e certain trees for its reproduction a bit like how humans depend on humans …Saturday Snippets is always a joy to write for me…and this week it was the “Tongue”  all part of the the face…

Right…enough of my chatter…Let’s have look at last week…

Monday Musings!

Monday Musings is a short post for me…lol…just a few topics that have caught my eye during the previous week…this week there was an interesting podcast on Rotisserie chicken and one which although it didn’t surprise me in many ways …still made me decide I would not be buying it any more…Counting Crows as the theme of the song just fitted the subjects of the posts today plus some good news that land was being returned to its rightful guardians and that made me happy as over centuries there has been too much land grabbing and marginalizing of indigenous peoples…

Monday Musings…21st February 2022…Counting Crows, Carrots, Rotisserie chicken 

After Monday’s podcast on Rotisserie Chooks(Chickens), it seemed on right that I should offer you a fitting substitute which you can make at home which equally delicious if not better x

CarolCooks2 in my kitchen…Love Rotisserie chicken but don’t have a Rotisserie? Not a problem!

You probably know by now that not only do I love a one-word prompt but also have fun researching and writing A-Z’s…currently it is on world cuisine and last week it was Australia…and Marmite rules in my world…

CarolCooks2…A-Z World Cuisines…Part 5…Australia…Is not just Roos and Vegemite!

We eat plenty of onions and garlic plus it is lovely to hear how good it is for us as well and probably why the mosi’s don’t like my blood…Please head over to Sally’s to read how good eating plenty of onions and garlic is for you…Garlic breath then chew parsley and keep a packet of mints handy …

Smorgasbord Health Column – Food Therapy Rewind – The pungent defender’s Onions and Garlic by Sally Cronin

Porcini mushrooms are another mushroom that relies on trees to grow particularly pine trees or chestnut trees …

CarolCooks2…Friday Food Review…The Porcini Mushroom…

Thus far over the last 4 weeks, the one-word prompt has been face, eyes, nose and now tongue any guesses as to next week’s one-word prompt…no prizes just the satisfaction that you know how my brain works…lol

Saturday Snippets…26th February 2022…Tongue…Can you touch you nose with your tongue?

Thank you for joining me today...if you leave a comment it will surely brighten this day as we have Covid in the house..our grandson tested positive yesterday…Covid is certainly not going away anytime soon it seems…

Have a great Sunday and laugh a lot…its free and good medicine xxx

 

 

Smorgasbord Health Column – Family Health A-Z – Allergies and Intolerances – Part Two – – #Dairy #Leaky Gut

An interesting and informative post from, Sally…#recommended read for anyone who suffers from allergies and intolerances Part Two…Dairy and Leaky Gut…

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2021/05/13/smorgasbord-health-column-family-health-a-z-allergies-and-intolerances-part-two-dairy-leaky-gut/

Smorgasbord Health Column – Family Health A-Z – Allergies and Intolerances – Part One – The difference between them by Sally Cronin

An excellent post from Sally on allergies and intolerances # recommended read. Living with allergies and intolerances can be a nightmare for many and sometimes knowing your triggers can make life so much easier…It is however always good to be prepared for an emergency and Sally tells you how #recommended read.

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2021/05/06/smorgasbord-health-column-family-health-a-z-allergies-and-intolerances-part-one-the-difference-between-them-by-sally-cronin/

Smorgasbord Health Column – Family Health A-Z – Acidity in the digestive system – Acid Reflux – Triggers and Diet by Sally Cronin

Acid reflux used to be the bane of my father’s life when he was older and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone…A very good post from Sally which explains exactly how you can help reduce acidity in your digestive system…#recommended read.

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2021/04/29/smorgasbord-health-column-family-health-a-z-acidity-in-the-digestive-system-acid-reflux-triggers-and-diet-by-sally-cronin/

Homemade Protein Shakes…Raspberry and Beetroot…

 

I think this time of year always gets most of us thinking that better weather and longer days are on the way and also the excesses of the festive season sometimes weigh a bit heavy …we are finding we are wearing our Jim jams or joggers more often than our jeans or trousers/skirts(with) a fixed waistband and no elastic to give us a helping hand…

Couple that with the quarantine and restrictions put in place last year and for some they are still in place I know my thoughts are turning to the fact I need to move more and eat less of certain foods…too many comfort foods have been the name of the game… it all adds up…

This time of year also means that all the new diets appear and what promises lies they tell…Nothing will make you lose belly fat or any other fat that quickly and keep it off unless you are following an extremely restricted diet…

Doing more exercise also turns our thoughts and our thirst to drinks…Water is my go-to drink when I am exercising …If you are doing high-intensity workouts then it may be that your friends or the gym you attend tell you to take a protein drink to help decrease body fat or promote weight loss, but protein shakes aren’t a magic bullet for weight loss.

Replacing meals with protein shakes may help you reduce your daily calories, which can help you lose weight. They are also costly and may make you gain weight…

Which means choose wisely ..do your research…

It may be high in added sugars and calories. Some protein powders have little added sugar, and others have a lot (as much as 23 grams per scoop).

Some protein powders wind up turning a glass of milk into a drink with more than 1,200 calories. The risk: weight gain and an unhealthy spike in blood sugar.

The answer…How about making your own?

I know many people who exercise who take these… So I thought I would do a little research and make my own… Cost-wise it is a no-brainer against the cost of some most Protein powders I made one today and it was nice…It tasted good..my son was my guinea pig/taste tester and has been a protein drink customer in the past and it got the thumbs up from him.

The protein shake is 3/4 cup of liquid and 1/3 cup of your main protein…

Liquids:-

Coconut milk or water or Soya milk… It is important to get the right balance not what liquid you choose.

Proteins:-

Greek yoghurt, Silken tofu, nut butter i.e raw cashews ( which) require soaking overnight to soften.

Extra proteins:-

Chia seeds, hemp hearts, ground flax or whole oats.

Today I made a Raspberry Protein shake and for an extra boost could have used chia seeds.

Raspberry Protein shake.

Raspberry Protein Shake

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup of coconut water
  • 1/3 cup of Greek yoghurt
  • 1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
  • 1/2 medium beetroot(raw) peeled and diced.
  • 1 tbsp honey ( optional)
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds ( optional)

Let’s, Blitz!

Measure all the ingredients into your blender and blitz away… The colour was amazing a beautiful colour and it tasted very nice not too sweet and I did add honey.  Having never had a protein drink I do not know what they taste like although I have listened to others who say well they don’t taste great BUT I drink them anyway…Really! Why would you?

Personally, I like to drink something which tastes pleasant.

Thank you for dropping in I hope you have enjoyed the post and I would love to hear from you in comments…I love to chat…Love Carol x

 

Smorgasbord Health Column – Turning Back the Clock 2021 -Anti-Aging and pH balance Eating Plan by Sally Cronin

I think we all would like to slow down the march of time…Sally has clearly outlined how easily we can achieve this…Come and join us in the march against time…x

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Background to the series.

Sixteen years ago I had a series on radio called Turning Back the Clock, which I presented in response to listeners in their 50’s and 60’s looking for rejuvenation and tips on staying young. Like me they were exasperated by the claims of the cosmetic industry that the various ingredients in their products could knock ten years off their age. I was asked to design a diet that would help reverse the signs of aging and this developed into a weekly challenge that was undertaken by nearly 100 listeners. The series became a book in 2010.

I try to practice what I preach!  And certainly so far I have managed to maintain healthy key indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol without medication, much to the surprise of my doctor!

In my opinion the answer to turning back the clock by several…

View original post 2,060 more words