What I learned 2013

Right, 2014 has begun!

When a new year begins I always like to take stock of all the positive things that happened or in this case – what useful things I learned in the fight against Candida and in pursuit of optimum health.  

• Why Eating Veg late (8pm or later) is bad for you

Healing requires an alkaline state in your body. Highly acidic, spicy, hot foods, meat and stress sabotage your healing as they change your PH for the worse. So make sure you take in apple cider vinegar (acv), lots of veg (before 6pm; after that it gets acidic if undigested – I’ve talked about this and other healthy habits here and here. You can alkalize your body by drinking more almond milk, water or acv.

• Cut down on expensive probiotics by eating fermented veg
  

I learned how easy it is to ferment vegetables and make Kefir – a great way to cut down on expensive probiotic supplements and promote a healthy microflora in your gut to boost your immune system.

• Do you know a great tasting coffee substitute? I do now: Yannoh

  

  It’s nice to know that every now and again you can have a cup without putting another strain on your system like with regular coffee (very acidic and stimulating – plays haywire with your blood sugar, mood and energy levels). That said, I also found out that you can ask for decaf lattes in cafes – awesome! (much easier to digest).

• I discovered slow cooking – What a revelation!

Think juicy vegetable hotpots, easy peasy lentil dhals, tender meat. Set the lifesaver going at night and get greeted with a comforting steaming hot oatmeal porridge in the morning – A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

• I published my first book

  I took part in a mentored summer book course to learn how to write and published my first kindle book
  my first kindle book in due course. It’s available as paperback as well.

• My Leaky Gut is healed thanks to bone broth – no more allergies and IBS!

  

Finally an end to the excruciating belly ache, dry skin, sinuses and IBS symptoms that had been troubling me since childhood. The slow cooker was quite instrumental for my healing in that without it I don’t think I would have gotten into bone broth making – and quite frankly that’s one of THE reasons why I feel so good! Tip: If you haven’t got a slow  cooker just simmer a chicken carcass or some beef bones (preferably organic) in a couple of liters of water for several hours (at least 4; 12 hours tastes best) – add a little veggy or chicken stock for best flavour.

• Got into Smoothies Making

Almost a year ago now I forced myself to get into green smoothies making – and I’m glad I did – I found one or the other delicious smoothie. But I had to put the brakes on because the concentrated fruit sugar in combination with the ice cream I ate last summer triggered a Candida relapse for me. So if you are still struggling with Candida I can only give you the tip to stay away from fruit until you are well and truly healed. At least on a regular basis…

• When I hit a block in my healing I decided to go gluten free.

So I jumped in the deep end and experimented with using gluten free flours and grains in my cooking. I’d say gluten free bread rolls and breads are showing a reasonably quick success rate and gf free wraps are impossible. I mean that! They have a tendency to totally disintegrate, Teff flour, Rice flour, Flax, Chia… nightmare…aaargh…! Tip from me if you try making gluten free wraps: Just bake them in the oven, don’t bother making a wrap in the frying pan. I say no more

• I embraced Vegan Cooking – not all the time, but often

The art of making tasty foods without eggs, dairy and meat, in other words plant based, allergy friendly and generally easier to digest foods. Delicioso! I still eat everything but now I know how to sub some ingredients without missing out on the flavour.

• I Completely Recovered from a Candida Relapse that almost ruined my holiday

Health-wise I had to cope with a mean Candida relapse this summer – heavily stress and sugar induced (but this taught me not to give up and manifested the techniques that had helped me to get better the first time round).

• Learned to Successfully Use Sweeteners when Baking

From stevia, agave, xylitol to fruit/ vegetables themselves like beetroot, carrot or apple/ apple sauce – I used them all. So 2013 saw me making my first sugar free cakes and Christmas Cookies, yay!

• Not a health insight… but my food photography skills have gone up a level, don’t you think

Back to you – have you learned anything health-wise this past year? Tell me in the comments below

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