News — nourish

You may know of vitamin D as the “sunshine vitamin”, and for good reason. When we are exposed to the suns (UV) ultraviolet rays, our skin creates its own vitamin D, which then travels to the liver and then to your kidneys to be turned into active vitamin D.

While Vitamin D is also naturally found in some foods such as fatty fish (salmon, sardines, tuna, herring, cod liver oil), eggs yolks, mushrooms and some fortified foods (cow’s milk, soy milk, orange juice, cereals), the sun remains to be the best and most efficient source of this vitamin.

Even though it can be quite easy to get your daily Vitamin D intake from sunlight (especially here in sunny Queensland, Australia), figures from Osteoporosis Australia state that over 30% of Australian adults have a mild, moderate or severe Vitamin D deficiency, which is about 1 in 4!

There are a number of factors that can contribute to a deficiency in Vitamin D, including those who are housebound, the elderly, darker skinned people, medical conditions that can affect your ability to absorb/process vitamin D, and the issue of being able to be sun smart while also getting enough daily sunshine on exposed skin. Many of us have also been in isolation for the past few months, which has made it even more difficult to get our daily sunshine vitamin.

A brand new systematic review by Blumfield et al., has found that eating just five UV exposed mushrooms can give you your daily required dose of vitamin D.

According to the review, in order to boost the vitamin D levels in your mushrooms, you need to have them sitting in direct sunlight for 15-60 minutes. After exposing them to sunlight, you can store them in the refrigerator where they will remain vitamin D boosted for up to 8 days. Blumfield et al., states that “UVB-exposed mushrooms increase and maintain serum 25(OH)D levels to a similar degree as vitamin D supplements.” This was tested on individuals with and without a vitamin D deficiency.

The study also highlights the other health benefits of mushrooms, including the ability to improve markers of metabolic syndrome, improve gastrointestinal health, and reduce risk of ovarian and prostate cancers.

Now with the potential to provide us with our daily dose of vitamin D, there’s just so many reasons to love mushrooms! They are so nutritionally unique and can make such a powerful addition to your diet. Grill them, roast them, stuff them, add them to pizzas or risottos, soups or pastas. Get creative with them on #MeatlessMondays by using grilled portabella mushrooms on burgers, or making grilled shiitake skewers. There are so many ways to spice up your cooking with mushrooms! How do you like to eat mushrooms? 

Reference: Blumfield et al. (2020). Examining the health effects and bioactive components in Agarius bisporus mushrooms: a scoping review. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 84.

There are certain foods that we all know are loaded with added sugars – ice cream, lollies, baked sweet treats and soft drinks. We’re often conscious of the amount of sugar we’re taking in when we eat these things, even managing our portions by selecting smaller desserts when we can. But the truth is that sugar is hiding everywhere - from yoghurts to pasta sauces, even salads and trail mixes!

In fact, there has been research conducted in supermarkets to show that the majority of food items found in a grocery store contain added sugars (over 80% of foods in some American supermarkets, and we're pretty sure when we looked at the list that it's the same in Aus!).

Sugar is lurking everywhere and not just in the obvious places like ice cream and cookies. Here is an inside scoop on some popular ‘healthy’ foods that are actually loaded with sugar and additives:

1. Flavoured and non-fat yoghurts
In general, yoghurts are quite healthy as they contain lots of beneficial probiotics and protein. However, the fruit flavoured and non-fat yoghurts are often laden with added sugars – just take a look at the nutrition panel next time you are at the grocery store. One serving of fruit yoghurt can even contain more sugar than a shortbread cookie. If you like fruit yoghurts, try unsweetened Greek yoghurt instead and mix in your own chopped up fruits. It's not the fruit that is the issue, it's the sweeteners or concentration that is.

2. Pasta marinara sauces
Most mainstream manufacturers add sugar to spaghetti sauces to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Of course it does depend on the brand, but it is quite hard these days to find a tomato-based pasta sauce that is free of added sugars. The best option is to just make your own using fresh red-ripe tomatoes… or even use canned chopped tomato but add fresh herbs, olive oil, and some sauteed garlic, chopped celery, onion and grated carrot to create a delicious sauce that will be even tastier than the store bought sauces! (Chef tip, saute the onion first, let them caramelise but not burn, add the garlic at the end, burnt garlic is very bitter, stir in the carrots and let the sauce simmer for a long time, add extra olive oil at the end... and simmer away on a low heat.  Stir your herbs in mid way so they don't become bitter and maintain their flavour kick.)

3. Granola
Try sifting through the various granola options at your local supermarket and you will see how little options there are that are free of added sugars. Many varieties contain sugar in the form of brown or white sugar, or corn syrup or glucose syrup, while others are coated in "chocolate" or "yoghurt". If you’re looking for a healthier breakfast cereal option, why not try our breakfast packs? We make our own cereal blend from scratch, using premium ingredients (and no added refined sugars in sight!). We keep our dried fruit content low, occasionally we might add xylitol, honey or maple syrup, but it's rare and it's minimal.  Check out our breakfast packs here.  Breakfast is one of the most important nourishing opportunities of the day.  Make it count. 

4. Peanut butter
Yes, peanut butter can be healthy in small amounts and when it’s just peanuts (peanuts that have literally been blended into a smooth and creamy peanut butter). Many peanut butters available in the shops have added sugar, salt and oil to create a ‘better’ and creamier taste. Fortunately, there are healthier options available and they are not too hard to find – look for peanut butter that is 100% peanuts (that is, peanuts are the only listed ingredient).  Better still go for a nut blend (one of our favourites is almond, cashew and flaxseed).

5. Breads (even gluten free breads)
A lot of breads are actually sweetened with refined white sugar or corn syrup, even the whole wheat and gluten free varieties. It’s also good to remember that just because a bread is organic, it doesn’t mean that it’s sugar free, and just because it is gluten free, doesn't make it healthy. Make sure to check your bread labels and look out for sugar as a main ingredient.

We make our meals from scratch and we use ingredients as naturally as we can so that we can maximise the taste without compromising the health.  Many manufacturers rely on a formula of salt:sugar:fat to create a taste that keeps you eating and eating.  Great for your tongue, terrible for the rest of you.  Our meals are designed to achieve: sensory specific satiety and satiety.  That means, they are designed so that you are nourished, you enjoy it, but it is complex and natural enough that it doesn't trick your tastebuds into overeating. 

Save your sugar eating for your treats, it has no real place in your meals.

You can trust us with your meals, we've got you, healthy foods that really are healthy (and they taste great... without needing to add sugar, or heaps of other additives for that matter).

Author:
Lisa Cutforth
B.Sc Nutrition with Psychology (Dual Degree)
Consulting Clinical Nutritionist to The Banyans Wellness Retreat
Owner and Managing Director of Wholesomeness and Wholesomeness-on-Roma

When it comes to making decisions about what’s best for your health, and for your lifestyle, it can be a little overwhelming. That’s why we created our gourmet home delivered meals, because we know (from firsthand experience!) that people are busier than ever, often juggling multiple balls at once.

Sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day to plan healthy meals, go out to buy the ingredients (and not forget anything!), then spend the time cooking and doing the dishes each night.  Perhaps you are doing all of the above, and are feeling a little rundown. Well we’re here to let you know exactly why our meals are better for you, for your health and for your lifestyle…

SUPERFOOD PACKED MEALS DESIGNED BY CHEF’S & NUTRITIONISTS

We know that food tastes better when it’s cooked from scratch, that’s why all of our dishes are cooked on site in our small kitchen in Brisbane. Our team of chef’s and nutritionists personally plan each meal (ensuring that it’s nutritionally dense and calorie controlled), shop locally for fresh quality produce, and cook each meal with extreme love, care and attention. Our nutritionist is onsite to ensure that every single meal is packed with superfood benefits, looks beautiful and tastes just as good as it looks!

OUR FOOD IS FRESHER THAN FRESH

Did you know that food starts to deteriorate right after it has been cooked? That’s why we use the benchmark method of blast-chilling and freezing which basically snap freezes the meals before they have any chance of spoilage or growth of microorganisms. Freezing also helps to maintain top nutritional quality of the food, by retaining the vitamins and minerals present in the food. In some ways, frozen food is actually nutritionally better than fresh, because fresh food loses micronutrients over time (that’s why we say fresher than fresh!).

GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY

Fact: 2.5 million tonnes of edible food is thrown out by Australian households every year (that’s 300kgs per person!).

At some point, we’ve all opened our fridge to find soggy lettuce that we just didn’t get around to using that week. If you find yourself throwing out lots of unused produce each week, we can help. Our meals are only around $13-14 each, including delivery. With this price comes lots of time saving (no long grocery shops, meal planning, cooking, cleaning up), plus no wasted ingredients and no wasted money spent on those ingredients! We full support the idea that healthy eating doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.  

WE SUPPORT YOU

We’re here to answer any question you might have, and to support you on your health journey. Whether you want to free up time, lose weight or simply just start eating healthier, as soon as you join us you become a part of the friendly and supporting community that is Wholesomeness!

Click here to check out our nutritious, healthy, delivered meals. 

Author:

Lisa Cutforth
B.Sc Nutrition with Psychology (Dual Degree)
Consulting Clinical Nutritionist to The Banyans Wellness Retreat
Owner and Managing Director of Wholesomeness and Wholesomeness-on-Roma

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that there are certain things we can do to prevent contracting the virus, for example social distancing and washing our hands frequently. But keeping our immune system strong and robust is also a crucial element to ensuring that we stay healthy during this time. A healthy immune system not only reduces our risk of contracting the virus, but it also protects us if we ever do contract it or helps us recover quicker. The protective healing functions of a strong immune system gives us a better chance of having milder symptoms and helps us to recover faster.

Check out some signs of a weakened immune system below…there may even be some you didn’t know!

1. You have ongoing tummy troubles 

Tummy troubles can include constipation, food sensitivities, gas or bloating. If you experience these issues and they are ongoing, there is a high chance that something is not right in your gut. Research has made it evident that the health of your gut microbiota has a profound effect on your immune system, due to the fact that most of your immune system actually lives in your digestive tract. Your gut is one of your first lines of defence, and your immune system is right next to your gut. The beneficial bacteria and microorganisms (flora) help to defend your gut from infection, viruses, inflammation and autoimmune disorders. If your digestive issues are ongoing, it might be time to pay some extra love to your gut and try to get to the root cause of what’s going on.

 2. Your wounds take a long time to heal

If your wounds just won’t heal up, it could be a sign your immune system is sluggish and weak. Your body works to protect and repair a wound by sending nutrient rich blood to the site to help create new skin. Of course, this depends on the availability of healthy immune cells. If they’re lacking, the skin finds it hard to regenerate and the wounds linger for longer.  Excessive stress and low vitamin C levels can also delay wound healing, and also lower your overall immunity.

 3. You catch every single cold!

A couple of colds a year for an adult (especially during winter) is pretty normal. But if you can never catch a break from a cold and you seem to always have a stash of tissues in your pocket (for your sniffily nose!) its probably a sign your immune system may need a little bit more love and attention. If your immune system is not strong enough to fight off multiple mild colds per year, (and let’s face it there are bugs everywhere), then this sends a sign that it may not be equipped to deal with other more serious invading bacteria and viruses that may come your way. 

One of the first ways you can start giving some love to your immune system is by nourishing it with the nutrients it needs, another way is by avoiding harsh additives, junk food or nasty ingredients. That’s two of the many reasons why we think it’s so important to create our healthy no nonsense food to help people eat healthier (without the hassle and stress of planning, prepping and cooking). Check out our meal plans here.

When you think of greens that live in the ocean, you might be drawn back to early memories as a child emerging from the waves with thick, smelly and slimy green plants stuck to your ankles. You might think “gross!”, but actually, sea veggies might be just what your cooking needs…for healthy delicious boosts of flavour and incredible health benefits.

Sea veggies include many marine algae varieties found in the water and along the coast. When you think of seaweed, you might think straight to the nori used in sushi, but actually there are over 10,000 types of seaweed found on earth. Being the oldest plant family on earth, they have been used for thousands of years in Asian cooking, however in the last few years cooking with sea vegetables has become more popular, especially among chef’s. Chefs have been having fun playing around with this ingredient, adding it to pasta’s, into mashed potatoes, even on top of cocktails! 

In addition to being abundant and affordable, they also do incredible things for our health. They contain vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, amino acids, antioxidants and phytonutrients that our body needs for ultimate health, all of which function to provide powerful anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, the polysaccharides present in the cell walls of sea vegetables have also been studied for their ability to ward off and prevent different viruses from attacking our cells. 

We know that seaweed is delicious in the form of nori but there are so many other kinds as well. Conquer your fear of sea veggies with these healthy ways to bring sea vegetables into your diet!

1. MISO SOUP WITH WAKAME

Wakame is a leafy ocean green that means ‘young girl’ in Japanese – this is because young girls used to venture out onto the slippery rocks to pick it. Wakame seaweed is a deep green colour and very soft. You can make a delicious and uniquely flavoured miso soup using miso paste, dried wakame seaweed (found at most Asian grocery stores), soup stock, soft tofu and chopped green onions.

 2. ARAME SALAD

Arame is a type of kelp and is quite mild in flavour so a great place to start if you are new to sea veggies. You can use dry arame seaweed in a salad with brown rice, red capsicum, green onions and a garlic sesame sauce for a unique, amazing umami flavour.

 3. WAKAME PESTO SAUCE

The emerald green colour and tender texture of wakame seaweed make it a great substitute for basil in a yummy pesto sauce.

 4. KOMBU STOCK

Kombu (a type of kelp) adds a secret umami depth of flavour to any soup stock. Simply boil water and insert the kombu and within a few minutes you have a wonderful umami flavour. A great way for vegetarians to have access to that yummy savoury umami flavour as well.

Maybe you might venture out a little bit with your cooking now that you know a little more about sea veggies. They are a great idea for nutritional health in general, but also especially during the current pandemic they might be a good addition to your diet!