Lemony Lentil and Kale Soup

Functional Foods for Menopause - These are foods that actually do stuff in the body. On one level, the food you eat can help balance your blood sugar and energy levels. On another it keeps you feeling satiated and also nourishes you. The cherry on top is to use the very subtle yet magical powers of food to help support your body in times of need.
 

At this time of your life, that means phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are plant-based chemicals (the good kind), which are structurally similar to oestrogen and exert a weak oestrogenic effect.  They include soy beans, lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu, barley, rye, oats, alfalfa, apples, pears, carrots, fennel, onion, garlic, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, liquorice root.
 

This delicious Lemony Lentil Kale soup fits perfectly and tastes great. Wonderful for the colder weather too. 

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsps ground cumin
Juice of 2 lemons
250g red lentils
1.5 litres of good quality stock
4 handfuls of kale, washed, trimmed, and shredded

Seasoning

Method

1. Heat a large pan and add the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until soft and golden
2. Add the spices and fry for another couple of minutes until fragrant. 
3. Add the juice of 1 lemon and stir thoroughly.
4. Next, add the lentils and stir well, followed by the stock. Simmer for 25–35 minutes, or until the lentils have cooked through. Add the juice of the second lemon and season to taste.
5. Sauté the kale in a olive oil until it slightly softens and goes bright green.
6. Serve the soup topped with the kale.
7. Enjoy!

Simple Red Lentil and Tomato Soup

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut or olive oil

1 large red onion

2 garlic cloves

2 tsp ground cumin

700g cherry tomatoes

200g red lentils

2 vegetable stock cubes

Small bunch fresh parsley/coriander (optional)

Black pepper

Method

1. Finely chop the red onion and garlic
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden
3. Add the cumin and mix thoroughly for 1 minute
4. Add the tomatoes and cook over a high heat, stirring frequently until the tomatoes turn into a bit of a mush
5. Rinse the lentils well and add to the pan
6. Make up the stock using the stock cubes and 1 litre of boiling water. Stir to combine before adding half of the stock to the pan. Leave the lentils to cook until soft, about 15-20 minutes, adding more stock if required to loosen the mixture in the pan
7. Once the lentils are soft, add the remaining stock and, using a stick blender, whizz to a smooth consistency
8. To serve, add a few twists of black pepper and sprinkle with chopped herbs
9. Enjoy!

Set Yourself Up for Holiday Success

In life, we have many agreements – explicit agreements with others about the things we will do or not do and the implicit agreements we make with ourselves about all sorts of things, including how we will eat and live our lives.

When we honour promises to ourselves and others we feel good.

 

Every time you break one of these agreements (including those to yourself) you cannot help but be impacted – even if you feel it’s not such a big deal. But over time, these broken promises build up and, before you know it, you’re just not feeling great about life. You start feeling life is hard or you haven’t what it takes, and your motivation to eat well dips. 

Holidays are often very different to your everyday life and this is why it is critical to create a new set of agreements around what you will or won’t do on holiday. 

That way, you get to keep your word to yourself, and everything is great. When you don’t – and you’ve, therefore, broken ALL your rules - you are likely to find yourself in the nutritional wilderness, continuing to make those ‘holiday choices’ when you return. 

So, the first thing to do is to work out what your new agreements are. You will need to choose whether you have an ‘anything goes’ policy for the duration of the holiday with the explicit intention of returning to your regular pattern when you return. 

Or you take a view on the kinds of things you don’t always do but you want to do more of on holiday. 

The important thing is to be clear which of these paths you are taking. If you do not actively choose, you are in a grey area, which will ultimately end in you feeling unsatisfied because you’re likely either feel deprived or that you have over-indulged.

Be clear on what matters most

If you are choosing to stay close to your plan but you don’t want to eat all the food and drink all the drinks and have to deal with the fallout later, you’ll have to consider what matters most to you when it comes to holidays - and do that but no more. 

Work out what’s important when you go on holiday, what the dealbreakers are that – if they’re not part of the holiday – you will feel it’s incomplete. 

You might love most about holidays is the freedom of not having a specific schedule, catching up on sleep, reading a few of those books you’ve been promising yourself all year. And it might mean a great suntan, letting your hair bleach in the sun, spending quality time with your partner, and having someone else do the cooking. 

When you look back on your summer, it might feel great to know you’ve really rested and recharged, that you’ve laughed every day, and that you’ve enjoyed special family moments. 

You might reflect that, although your summer holidays normally include an ice cream every day just because everyone else is having one, really you’re not that fussed. 

It may work for you to bring a snack with you (nuts are very portable wherever you are) and to enjoy these while others are having the ice cream because that’s what you choose to do. 

Ask yourself these questions:

• A holiday is incomplete without…
• When I look back at my holiday, I want to feel…
• I don’t want to feel…
• When I go on holiday, the most important things for me are...
• Things I normally do over the summer that don’t work for me or I’m not that bothered about…
• I will know I’ve had a great summer / holiday when… (how will you measure it?)

If you are clear about what you want from your holiday – and what you don’t want – you can put a plan in place that works for you and allows you to get the most out of your holiday. And don’t forget to plan for when you get home. How long would you like these holiday rules to apply? 

And if you’d like to know more, why not download my free guide – The Ultimate Holiday Eating Strategy.

Mason-Jar Salad Recipe

New recipe!! You might have seen mason jar salads on social media. They’re great – and not just because they look cool in a photo. It’s easy to make a couple of day’s-worth in one go, saving you time in the kitchen. 

It is a kind of upside-down way to make your salad but ensures the whole lot doesn’t go soggy by lunchtime. Simply empty it out onto a plate when you’re ready for it and the ingredients you put in first (the wetter ingredients) end up on the top, while the more delicate ingredients like the salad leaves end up on the bottom without being squashed.

 

Here’s how you make your own in simple steps: 

1. The dressing goes in first. This is really important as it guarantees the leaves don’t get soggy. Add enough so it can (eventually) coat all your ingredients.
2. Next pop in your robust veg like beetroot or fennel.
3. You can then add any softer veg like cucumber or green beans.
4. Don’t forget your healthy fats – put in some olives or avocado.
5. Add a layer of protein – tuna, chicken, egg, tofu – as well as any other things you’re using like cheese, nuts or seeds – those ingredients that you want to stay dry until just before you eat it.
6. The leafy greens go in last. That way they’re kept nice and dry and, when you turn the jar over and empty onto your plate, the leaves make the salad bed.
7. Enjoy!

Ways to Restore Body Confidence

How often do you look in the mirror and criticise the image reflecting back at you? Or look at a recent photo and inwardly cringe at your arms / legs / bum / tummy?

Chances are...this happens quite regularly.

But what do you think your friends or family would say if they looked at the same photo? Would they criticise, or would they be more likely to mention how much fun you looked like you were having? How great your hair/skin/clothes looked?

We can be our own worst enemies when it comes to negative self-talk. Having objectivity and focusing on the good points is something that many people just don’t do. I’ll bet you promise yourself that the next diet will be the one that works, that if you could only lose a stone life would be so much better...

The reality is that feeling good is not a number on the scales or a smaller dress size. It comes from within, and no amount of weight loss will change that. If working on turning your inner critic into your biggest cheerleader is something that you need help with, then read on. I’ve put together a series of exercises to restore your body confidence and help you feel fantastic every day.

How to learn to love your body

Throughout history, and across different cultures, body shape has always been a determiner of attractiveness and desirability and is often linked to wealth, health, and status.

The rise of social media has made it easier than ever to compare yourself unfavourably with others and lead you to aspire to a way of looking that is unrealistic and unattainable for the majority of people. No wonder you are so dissatisfied...

In 2020, the UK Government’s Women and Equalities Committee conducted a survey on body image and found that 61% of adults and 66% of children feel negatively or very negatively about their body image most of the time.

Women spoke of needing to feel thin and curvy, while men expressed a desire to be taller or more muscular. Children as young as 11 gave ‘images on social media’ as being the thing that influences them the most, perhaps not fully understanding that these are often photoshopped and edited.

Does this sound familiar?

Learning to accept your body just as it is

You may not love your body right now, but even if it is not your ideal, it is important to accept your body for how it is. Constant negative thoughts and criticism will not only make you feel worse, but also make you far more likely to rebel with ‘what difference will it make?’ thinking. If you wouldn’t say it to your friend, then don’t say it to yourself.

Positive reinforcement is much more effective - if you use kind words and praise when you think about your body, you are much more likely to succeed in your health goals.

So next time you catch yourself focusing on your ‘worst’ bits in the mirror, switch your view to the bits you like best instead: start redressing the balance.

What can you do to improve your body image?

Mirror work: Look at yourself in a mirror for a few minutes each day. Work up to accurately and honestly describing each part of your body - but using no negative words. Stop the exercise if this happens and return to it the next day. This is all about creating an acceptance of your body for how it is now.

Wear clothes you look and feel good in – store or throw away anything that doesn’t fit.

Don’t weigh yourself more than once a week (less if possible).

Avoid influences which continuously push the ‘ideal’ and encourage you to compare yourself. Look for healthy, inspirational social media feeds to follow instead.

Use positive self-talk and affirmations to reinforce and support yourself. You can be kind and honest to yourself - what would someone who loves you say to you? Be your own supporter and you are much more likely to succeed.

Start being your own superfan

It’s all too easy to focus on how you look, without giving any time or energy to other areas of your life. So, let’s take a minute to think about your other strengths – do people tell you you’re an amazing cook, a wonderful mum or a great colleague? Are you incredibly organised, the life of a party, or always there for your friends?

Everyone has their signature strengths, strengths that are a unique combination. Take a little time now to think about three things that you really like and admire about yourself.

• What three things do I like and admire about myself?
• What do I consider to be my greatest strengths or personal characteristics?
• What would a friend or family member tell me is the best thing about myself?
• What do I do well that other people might not even know about?

Whenever you hear your inner critic starting to whisper negative thoughts, focus on these three things (from the exercise above) instead. Rehearse them regularly and they will start to be part of the way you think about yourself.

Reminding yourself of what is great about you provides the right balance to support lasting change.

Would you like to know more? Contact me for my full guide with exercises to help you restore your body confidence. I’m here to help.

Butternut Spicy Stew

This is a great recipe for energy balance as it includes wonderful slow-release energy from the butternut squash and chickpeas. Coupled with the anti-inflammatory spices and zesty lemon, this is a fab Summer dish.

Ingredients - Serves 4 

400g can coconut milk

1 tsp vegetable bouillon (or veg stock cube)

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp turmeric

½ tsp ground cardamom

2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

400g tin chickpeas

400g can chopped tomatoes

1 butternut squash peeled and cubed (about 800g)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

Pinch salt

2 tbsp lemon juice plus 1 tsp lemon zest

2 large spring onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp plain live yoghurt

Method:

1. In a large saucepan mix together coconut milk, vegetable bouillon, curry powder, turmeric, cardamom, 1tbsp grated ginger.

2. Add chickpeas (and their liquor), tomatoes, butternut squash, and onion, and mix to combine.

3. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20-30 mins.

4. Make lemon-onion drizzle: in a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and zest, spring onions, remaining grated ginger, and pinch salt.

5. Serve the stew with quinoa or half a baked sweet potato, plain yoghurt, and drizzle with lemon-onion drizzle.

6. Enjoy!