Pea & Cashew Pesto Pasta

Hi Guys!

I’m sharing a meal idea today that is a great substitute for those creamy, cheesy pasta meals we all love!

This is something that I missed when cutting out dairy and gluten from my diet, so I’m glad to find a meal that hits the spot- comfort food that is healthy!

The pesto is a recipe from Honestly Healthy, and is so simple and so satisfying!! It’s  really good replacement for pesto, which usually contains cheese. Even so, it is always nice to make your own and avoid processed foods!! This works out cheaper and literally takes two minutes to prepare.

Blackbean Soup

This is a recipe for black bean soup which is a fun dish to try for a Mexican themed evening, or just for something a bit different! I love cooking a big batch of black beans and then using them for burritos, burgers, brownies, stews, and now, soup! The great thing about this soup is that it also works well as a sauce if you leave it thick. The flavours work so well with avocado, lemon juice, pineapple…so I tried it to top a bean burger, and it was delicious!

Simple Salads

Today’s post is a few simple ideas for quick salads to make and keep in the fridge. Sometimes we just need some inspiration to make a change!!

Review: Raw Living Juicer

Hi guys, so this is my first review, which I am hoping to make a more regular thing!! I decided to write about my thoughts on my new Raw Living juicer which I got for Christmas from my lovely fiance.

I made the switch from a centrifugal to a masticating juicer, and it really has made a difference! I’ve been meaning to make this change for a long time, but it can be difficult to splash out the money for a new and more expensive juicer! But I have listed some reasons below to explain why it is definitely worth it!!

All about cholesterol

  
So you understand fats and finally have your head around all those different types…but where does cholesterol fit in??

We hear about good and bad cholesterol, about heart disease, about benecol! 😂 but it’s confusing stuff.
 

photo credit: 210th of 3rd 365: The contradictions of me via photopin (license)

 

I’m going to go through what exactly cholesterol is and does, and how we can keep our levels healthy.

Cholesterol is a sterol, present in all tissues in the body. It is only found in animal products, not plant foods! Like other fats, it is not easily broken down for energy.

Fats fats fats

Fats can be the most confusing part of a healthy diet. Good fats, bad fats, trans fats..saturated, unsaturated…and cholesterol? That’s a whole other story!

So where do we begin?

Generally, fats should be taking up no more than 30-35% of total daily calories.

I think the most important thing we can do for health in regards to fats, is to cut out trans fats from our diets. Trans fats are basically fats with trans bonds, they are created during the process of hydrogenation. So hydrogenated or semi hydrogenated fats are terms you can also look out for! These fats are commonly found in processed foods (surprise surprise!!) where hydrogenation of fats can improve the texture and shelf life of a food. Surely preventing CVD is more important!!