Those of you who have read our first cookbook will be familiar with our tips on cooking with coconut oil, so apologies if you’ve already heard this! Here, we will hopefully give all you new converts to coconut oil some advice that we’ve picked up ourselves along the way.
I sound like a broken record saying this (and everyone who knows me tells me I do!) but a little goes a long way. One teaspoon of coconut oil is the general rule when frying a small quantity of ingredients and you can use it as a replacement for all processed oils. Don’t panic, though! It doesn’t make all your food taste of coconut. The flavour is generally lost when heated and instead it just enhances the taste of the other ingredients. You tend to only taste coconut when you’ve used too much (it’s ok – it happens sometimes).
Coconut oil is a medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA), a saturated fat that the body deals with incredibly efficiently. We opt for the unrefined kind, which is as natural and unprocessed as can be (extra virgin) as well as raw, organic and Fair Trade. The oil is extracted within one to four hours of the coconut being cracked open and is naturally white and clear, with a coconut aroma. This is versus those that are refined, bleached and deodorized, a necessary procedure when coconuts are split and left out in the elements for days before the oil is extracted; often the flesh can be mouldy and produce a brown coloured oil.
KEEP WISE AND ORGANIZE!
Planning ahead is a very important factor in a healthy lifestyle. My family and I always cook extra – it’s something we have got into the habit of doing and it often stops me from snacking on unhealthier things. One great idea is to cook a big batch of sweet potatoes. These work so well in omelettes, salads, or – a particular favourite of mine – as a jacket sweet potato; if you haven’t tried this, I highly recommend it. Or, if you are making pasta one evening, make enough to have for lunch the day after.
What’s really key is to not be wasteful. Our recipes here should be seen as simple guidelines that allow you to adapt them based on which ingredients you’ve got in the house. Run out of chickpeas? Throw in some cannellini beans instead! The same can be said for meat and fish. Buying whatever fish or meat is available at the fresh food counter or fishmonger/butcher can save you some cash: opt for cheaper cuts if they’re on offer.
‘OUR LUCY BEE COCONUT OIL IS RAW, ORGANIC AND FAIR TRADE. WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?’
‘MODERATION IS THE KEY – WE ALL DESERVE A TREAT. DON’T BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF.’
Buying organic products is another important way to shop for me. The number of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) used in farming today is alarming, as is the number of pesticides sprayed onto our food. That is why I prefer to find organic produce where I can.
That said, it’s not always possible to buy everything organic, so it might be worth noting the following items that, if possible, should always be bought as organic produce because they have the most pesticides sprayed onto them. These are:
Apples
Strawberries
Celery
Peaches
Cucumbers
Spinach
Courgettes (zucchini)
Tomatoes
(Bell) peppers
Collard greens
I’m very lucky that both my parents are brilliant cooks and on many occasions when they would cook me gluten-free versions of meals as a child, my friends would still want to eat mine! Of course, I gave them a bite – but only one. One of my favourite childhood recipes is the classic Pizza which I have adapted so that it’s a lot simpler to make.
I have always had an interest in cooking but haven’t always had as much confidence as I would have liked. Timings tend to be an issue for me. I feel like I either have all the time in the world or none at all. But since our first cookbook, that has completely changed. I now love cooking and experimenting with flavours, textures, gadgets and recipes. I am more of a ‘quick cook’ and like to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible, and this is reflected in a lot of the recipes here – achievable in a short amount of time but still full of mouth-watering flavours. There are also some longer recipes when you do have a little more time to spend in the kitchen. Food is here to enjoy, so it’s important to choose what you are cooking wisely and feel happy with the end result!
GETTING BACK ON TRACK
I’m a huge believer that life is about balance and moderation. It’s easy on social media to show a perfect life full of clean foods, regular exercise and lots of water – but that’s not always the reality. We are only human, after all, and want to enjoy life; we can be way too hard on ourselves.
The pressure of looking good can make us feel unhappy. I find when this happens, I end up bingeing and then feeling angry with myself for doing so. What I am trying to get at here is, if there is a day you want to eat, say, three burgers, two portions of chips and a couple of frozen strawberry daiquiris or glasses of wine, then do it and enjoy every minute! Then tell yourself you need to get back on track by planning your meals. Life is here to be lived, not to be constantly on a diet. By eating as close to nature as possible, your body will love you, and when you eat the right thing, you can actually eat lots of it (well, in moderation)!
When you feel like you’ve fallen off the healthy wagon, and the wagon is already halfway across the world, just stop and take a minute to think about your personal reasons for getting back on track. Could it be an event coming up? Just simply feeling tired and unmotivated? Holiday approaching soon? If that’s the case, I thought I would share some of my favourite tips for when this happens. I hope you find them helpful too.
Prep and plan. This really does make life easier for you in the long run.
Write a food diary. This is really useful, especially when feeling bloated, puffy
or not your best. Write down everything you eat for a week and describe how you feel
each day. If you eat something on one of those days and feel bloated and uncomfortable
then try eliminating it to see if you feel better without it. Even though you haven’t
got a food allergy, it doesn’t mean you aren’t sensitive to certain foods.
Make your list your screensaver. This one is quite random but what I find useful
is to write down my goals in my notepad on my phone, screenshot it, and make it my
background. For example, drinking two litres (four pints) of water or doing 100 squats
a day (nice try, Lucy!). Sounds silly but it really works for me.
Get fruity or spicy with your water. We all know the importance of staying hydrated
but sometimes don’t drink enough water. I love to add different ingredients to mine
to make it taste good. Try ginger, lemon, mint, orange, pineapple, or different herbs
and fruit.
Hot drinks. Try drinking herbal teas, green or fruity teas, turmeric lattes and
cacao hot chocolates.
Start each morning with warm lemon water. This is great at detoxing your digestive
system and removing waste products from your body that have accumulated, which is
why I like to have it first thing in the morning. You may be surprised to learn that
although lemons are very acidic, when digested they become alkaline, helping to balance
the body’s pH levels.
Work out with a friend. We all love to have a good catch up with our friends, so
why not do this on a long walk somewhere? Working out with friends is a brilliant
way of getting your fitness in as well as having a chat. I find you encourage each
other, too.
Simple swaps. This is just a bit of fun but does make a difference. Think of healthier alternatives, for example:
Homemade juices over shop-bought ones
Carrots and celery with hummus over bread
Cacao hot chocolate over sugar-laden hot chocolate
Homemade granola over sugar-filled store-bought granola
Homemade almond milk over store-bought almond milk
Climbing the stairs rather than taking the lift
TIP
Follow my steps for creating good habits and you will soon be back on track and feeling motivated – I promise!