The Highs and the Lows of Carbs

I am definitely a carbs loving girl 🙂 Running, exercising and eating carbs are all part of the same family in my eyes.

But not all carbs are graded equally. For the most part, I try to make the right decisions when choosing my grains to ensure the carbs that make up the bulk of my diet are low GI (body-friendly).

Without getting too technical, the glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrates depending on how they effect blood glucose levels. When eating a lower GI food, the rise in the blood glucose levels is alot slower than when eating a high GI food. Lower GI foods take longer to digest and have benefits for weight control because they help control appetite and delay hunger. Check out the Glycemic Index website for some more great info.

My Favourite Low GI foods (Click on the links for more info and recipes!):

-Oats (Health Benefits of Oats)
-Muesli (Homemade Muesli recipe)
–Multi grain, wholegrain and sourdough bread (Check my Homemade Bread Loaf recipe! Beware that every bread is made differently and there is no real standardised labelling of bread so it is important to check the specific brand of bread you eat, a GI under 55 is considered to be low)

-Fruits and Vegetables (getting more technical, GI levels of different fruits and veggies differ, check out this ‘GI Diet’ website for a more specific breakdown)

 

So do your research on your carbs, and do choose wisely. Let them fuel your body and keep your blood-sugar levels at bay.

What carbs do you include in your daily diet?

*Please note I am not a dietician, the information provided on my blog is based on my own research from reputable and cited websites and my own experiences!

How to throw together dinner in 3 easy steps

At my home we use a simple 3 step ‘formula’ to create delicious, healthy and incredibly satisfying dinners.

Just follow these 3 steps:

1) Choose a good quality protein. Whether it is fish, chicken, eggs, beef, lamb, tofu or lentils.  We love to do as much as possible on the BBQ, especially in Summer.  We try to minimise using processed ingredients/sauces and usually stick with olive oil, fresh herbs and spices. Good for the bank and better for your health.

2) Choose a grain and/or substantial vegetables.  Favourites for us include brown rice, sweet potato, corn or pumpkin. Alternatively a mixed stir fry with noodles can be inserted here 🙂

3) Go mad with salad! We have a large, fresh salad at every dinner sitting. We pile in the spinach leaves and add whatever vegetables we have in the fridge. Occasionally, depending on what else we are having, we will add a cheese, nuts or fruit. For dressing, we use a good quality olive oil and vinegar. Rock salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon to add the final touch.

Spinach, Bocconcini and Cherry Tomato Salad

Spinach, Fig and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Roast chicken, vegetables and salad

Oven baked salmon, roast veggies and salad (click for more details on this!)

*Please not that cold winter nights call for something a bit more heart-warming.
That is tonight for us. My mums cottage pie is on the menu.. with a large green salad ofcourse 🙂

Happy dining!

Please share your dinner tips (in the comment section bellow) with me!  

Delicious Thai Dinner Idea

Thailand is a feast for the senses! The beautiful beaches, the delicious cocktails, the wonderful people, the affordable massages and the clear, blue waters perfect for snorkelling, kayaking and swimming.

However, one of the highlights from my recent trip to Thailand was the Thai cooking class Josh and I took in Koh Samui.

What attracts me to the Thai cuisine is the abundance of vegetables and fresh herbs. My protein of choice (When it comes to Thai) is usually always Tofu.

When we arrived at our hotel outdoor dining area, a wonderful array of ingredients and a portable stove had been set up.

Some of the herbs, spices and ingredients

The Chef never spoke any English, so the receptionist translated for us 🙂

One of the delicious dishes we cooked, was the Gaeng Kiew Waan (Green Curry). We were told that it originated from Central Thailand and is loved by most people as it is not as hot as other Thai dishes. In other words if you can’t handle the heat – this dish is for you!

We happily chopped, diced and sliced out little hearts away

 

And we came out with a delicious dish- our teacher was proud of us 😉

We sat down and enjoyed the fruits of our labour

Tom Yum Soup and Green Curry (center)

So, I recommend you give it a try. It is creamy, tasty, full of veggies and you can add any protein that tickles your fancy.

Here is the recipe:

Gaeng Kiew Waan (Green Curry)

Ingredients:

• 100g meat / chicken / fish fillet / tofu
• 50g green curry paste
• 20g red chilli
• 5g sweet basil
• 10g fish sauce
• 300g coconut milk
• 50g eggplant
• 50g beans
• 10g sugar
• ** add any other vegetables! Peppers, broccoli and carrot all work well

Method

• In a pot, put the green curry paste and a bit of coconut milk
• Stir and blend for 2 minutes
• Add the protein
• Add more coconut milk and vegetables
• Add sugar and fish sauce to taste

Tips

• Be sure to taste along the way, and modify to suit your preferences
• It is hard to reverse adding too much fish sauce, so don’t be too generous!
• Check out your local Asian grocer for any ingredients you have trouble finding

Enjoy! And let me know how you go!

Now, I turn to you. What is your favourite cuisine to cook at home?