Gareth Churchill – Page 5 – Healthy Foods Made Easy

Sugar Free Banana & Almond Muffins

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 5th September 202015th July 2020Leave a Comment1 min read

Do you struggle with cravings for sugary snacks, cakes and chocolate?

You’re not alone.

Sugar is HIGHLY addictive, because it triggers the reward centers in the brain, and releases ‘dopamine’ – the brain’s reward chemical.

This is the BIGGEST reason many people find switching to a healthy diet so hard – They still crave the sweet dopamine release they get from sugar.

But here’s the thing…

Sugar addiction is only temporary.

You can wean yourself off it in as little as 2 weeks.

And when your taste buds have adjusted to enjoying more savoury snacks, you may wonder why you enjoyed such sugary tasting food at all!

There are plenty of healthy alternatives to sugar. Ingredients with a sweet taste but without the health dangers of sugar.

My Sugar Free Banana & Almond Muffins recipe is a great example.

It gets its sweetness from almond butter, maple syrup and bananas, rather than sugar. So it allows you to enjoy a sweet treat for dessert without the guilt of sugary snacks.

And it’s a heck of a lot less fattening too!

Dinner Healthy Recipes

Veg & Tahini Tray Bake

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 15th July 202015th July 2020Leave a Comment0 min read

Healthy Recipes Lunch

Spicy Cauliflower & Chickpea Rice Bowl

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 18th August 202015th July 2020Leave a Comment1 min read

You may know already that cauliflower is a ‘cruciferous’ vegetable…

But do you know where the name ‘cruciferous’ comes from?

Cruciferous is latin for ‘cross bearer’.

And this name originates from the time of the Knights of Malta, from nearly 1,000 years ago.

The knights fought many desperate battles to protect southern Italy from invasion.

The knights’ medics would create healing broths from vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and a variety of herbs.

And their healing broths proved so potent they started calling these veggies ‘cross bearers’.

The fact their four-petaled flowers look like a cross is also a handy convenience.

Long story short, my Spicy Cauliflower and Chickpea Rice Bowl is packed with gut healing ingredients. And is perfect for warming the soul on a cold wintery day.

Dessert Healthy Recipes

Carrot Pancakes with Almond Caramel

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 20th August 202015th July 2020Leave a Comment1 min read

Health loving Bake Off fans rejoice!

Now you can enjoy pancakes without fattening sugar or guilt!

My Carrot Pancakes with Almond Caramel recipe relies on cinnamon, nutmeg and almond butter for its sweet taste.

And with a maple syrup and almond butter topping…

It’s a decadently, delicious treat for your taste buds…

While still being healthy for your tummy.

Healthy Recipes Lunch

Aubergine & Tomato Pasta

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 22nd August 202015th July 2020Leave a Comment2 min read

If you struggle with uncontollable weight gain… erratic blood sugar… and drained of energy a lot…

A key cause is likely lack of dietary fibre.

We need fibre to slow down our digestion. Fibre also helps feed the healthy bacteria living inside our gut, collectively known as the ‘microbiome’.

But sadly, highly processed foods either lack any fibre at all, or have been refined so much there’s barely any fibre left.

The good news is you can easily top up your fibre levels…

And reverse all sorts of health issues in the process…

Simply by eating more fibre rich fruits, veggies and whole grains.

Aubergines (a.k.a. eggplants) are rich sources of dietary fibre.

They are also a good source of vitamins B1 and B6 and potassium… along with minerals copper, magnesium and manganese.

However, aubergines are in the night shade family. So some people can react badly to them.

This reflects how everyone’s guts are different. And finding the best foods to eat can be a trial and error process.

What is universal, however, is that eating foods that come in their own packaging (i.e. skin) is always going to be healthier than living off foods packaged in a tin or box.

Dessert Healthy Recipes

Sugar Free Almond & Peach Cake

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 24th August 202015th July 2020Leave a Comment1 min read

When adopting a healthier diet, one of the biggest challenges is overcoming the cravings for SUGAR.🥤

Because studies have shown that sugar is as addictive as class A drugs like cocaine.

Why?

Because sugar targets the exact same area of the brain. An area of the brain that releases the feel good hormone ‘dopamine’.🧠🤗

So you see, if you find cravings for donuts, soda and a sweet slice of cake overwhelming…

It’s because of the addictive grip of sugar on the brain.

The good news is that like any addiction…

Sugar addiction fades with time.

In fact, in as little as two weeks of starting a healthy diet…

Cravings for sugar, fattening foods can VANISHED altogether.

But getting through those two weeks can be tough.

The good news is there are lots of natural alternatives to sugar.

Ingredients that are sweet tasting but wont do a number on your blood glucose levels… or trigger overpowering cravings.

One of these natural sugar alternatives is almond butter… another is cinnamon. 🥜

And I’ve combined them with other sweet tasting yet healthy ingredients to make my deliciously decadent yet healthy Almond & Peach Cake recipe:🥮😋

Dinner Healthy Recipes

Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 25th August 202015th July 2020Leave a Comment1 min read

Kale has long been one of the most popular ‘superfoods’.

It’s one of the most nutrient-dense foods on Earth.

It’s loaded with powerful antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol…

Is an excellent source of vitamin C…

And some studies suggest it helps lower cholesterol, and may even reduce the risk of heart disease.

So no wonder healthy types have been adding kale to their smoothies, to make healthy chips and in a plain’ol salad.

In this recipe I’ve added kale with another nutrient dense favorite, sweet potato. Along with quinoa, onion and garlic, with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Taking 20 mins or less to make, my Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale recipe is a nutrient dense delight for your taste buds.

Healthy Recipes Lunch

Tuna and Avocado Salad Pots

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 14th July 202014th July 2020Leave a Comment1 min read

4 servings

Ingredients

2 large hard boiled eggs
2 Teaspoons hot sauce
1 cup avocado, mashed 1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 can tuna
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons pickle relish Fresh lemon juice Salt, to taste

Instructions

Peel eggs and mince with dinner fork.
Peel avocado and squeeze on ½ lemon juice to prevent
discoloration.
Mash avocado in with egg.
Drain tuna and mix into egg/avocado, adding onions, mayonnaise,
relish, salt and hot sauce.
Stir well and serve in glass jars

Dinner Healthy Recipes

Pinwheel Shepherds Pie

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 14th July 202014th July 2020Leave a Comment1 min read

Serves 8

Ingredients

1lb. lean ground beef
2 tablespoons onion or garlic salt 8 ounces low carb mushroom soup
or sauce mix
¼ cup ketchup
1lb. package of frozen, mixed vegetables
1lb Atkin’s low carb bake mix or equivalent

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 375.
Mix low carb bake mix into dough per package instructions and roll
flat into a circle roughly the same diameter as your skillet.
Cut dough into equal sized triangles and roll each triangle once from
base to tip.
Set aside. In a non stick skillet, stir in ground beef and onion salt and
cook thoroughly until browned. Stir in mushroom soup/sauce,
ketchup and mixed vegetables.
Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cover and simmer 8 – 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Remove skillet from heat and arrange dough triangles on top of
mixture with the tips pointing to the center.
Place skillet in oven and bake at 375 for approximately 20 minutes
or until dough turns golden brown

Lunch

Pumpkin and Macadamia Soup

Gareth ChurchillUpdated on 14th July 202014th July 2020Leave a Comment1 min read

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon macadamia or olive oil 1/2 cup roughly chopped
macadamias
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger
3 cups diced or canned pumpkin
1 small tart apple, chopped
3 cups chicken stock sour cream for topping
Whole or halved macadamias, roasted for garnish

Instructions

Heat oil in a heavy stock pot and sauté macadamias, onions and
ginger for 2 – 3 minutes.
Stir in apple and pumpkin slices and sauté for 2 – 3 minutes (if
substituting canned pumpkin puree, add only the apple in the step
above and use pumpkin puree when you add chicken stock).
Pour in chicken stock.
Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until
apples/pumpkin become soft.
Transfer to blender and blend until smooth.