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Coconut soup with seafood

    Looking for healthy soup ideas? We love this low-fat coconut soup recipe.

    It may smell like your favourite Thai takeaway, but don’t be fooled. Based on stock and coconut water, rather than coconut cream and oil, this aromatic broth is low in fat and KJs.

    Ingredients (serves 4-6)

    Time: 20 minutes

    Cooking times: 25 minutes

     

    • 2 tbsp coconut oil

    • 1 large onion, finely chopped

    • 2 cloves garlic, crushed

    • 2 celery stalks and leaves, washed and cut into bite-sized chunks

    • 2 large carrots, cut into bite-sized chunks

    • 1 tbsp sliced ginger root

    • 1 tbsp sliced galangal root

    • 2 sticks of lemongrass, sliced

    • ½ head of broccoli, broken into florets

    • 2 zucchini (courgettes), sliced

    • 2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced

    • Juice of two small limes

    • 500g fresh cleaned prawns, scallops, mussels or marinara seafood mix

    • 2 cups (500ml) frozen fish or seafood stock, thawed

    • 2 cups (500ml) pureed fresh young coconut flesh and water (puree in a food processor)

    • Natural salt

    Garnish

    • Finely grated zest of one lime

    • 2 tsp coriander leaves 

    • Freshly cracked pepper

    • 2 small chillies, sliced

    What you’ll do

    Heat the coconut oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently until they begin to soften.

    Add the celery, carrot, ginger, galangal and lemongrass and cook for another five minutes.

    Stir in the broccoli, zucchini, lime leaves, juice and seafood, then add the stock and coconut puree and a little water if needed.

    Simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and seafood is just cooked.

    Season to taste with salt, then top with the garnish and serve immediately.

    TIP: Try a base of fish or seafood stock, or use chicken bone stock and add chicken thigh fillets instead of the seafood. The fresh coconut and aromatic herbs and spices offer antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and healing benefits.

    kJ 804 | Fat 7.1g | Carb 9.4g | Protein 20.3g

    Recipes from I am food by Anthia Koullouros (Lantern, $39.99); Photography: Chris L. Jones and Chris Chen

    NEXT: Curried carrot and apple soup>>

     

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    5 ways to curb your sugar cravings

      Are you addicted to sugar? Dr Mark Hyman has 5 tips for curbing your cravings.

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      1. Balance your blood sugar 

      Research studies say that low blood sugar levels are associated with LOWER overall blood flow to the brain, which means more BAD decisions. To keep your blood sugar stable:

      • Eat a nutritious breakfast with some protein like eggs, protein shakes or nut butters. Studies repeatedly show that eating a healthy breakfast helps people maintain weight loss.

      • Also, have smaller meals throughout the day. Eat every three to four hours and have some protein with each snack or meal (lean animal protein, nuts, seeds, beans).

      • Avoid eating three hours before bedtime.

       

       

      Juices-blood-sugar

      2. Eliminate sugar and artificial sweeteners and your cravings will go away 

      Go cold turkey. If you are addicted to narcotics or alcohol you can’t simply just cut down. You have to stop for your brain to reset. Eliminate refined sugars, sodas, fruit juices and artificial sweeteners from your diet. These are all drugs that will fuel cravings.

      Gluten-free diet - Food allergies - Women's Health & Fitness

      3. Determine if hidden food allergies are triggering your cravings

      We often crave the very foods that we have a hidden allergy to.

       

      sleep-improve

      4. Get 7-8 hours of sleep

      Research shows that lack of sleep increases cravings. Struggle to sleep? Read our top tips.

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      Optimise your nutrient status with craving-cutting supplements

      • Optimise your vitamin D level: According to one study, when vitamin D levels are low, the hormone that helps turn off your appetite doesn’t work and people feel hungry all the time, no matter how much they eat.

      • Optimise omega 3s: Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids are involved in normal brain cell function, insulin control and inflammation.

      • Consider taking natural supplements for cravings control. Glutamine, tyrosine, 5-HTP are amino acids that help reduce cravings. Stress-reducing herbs such as Rhodiola can help. Chromium balances blood sugar and can help take the edge off cravings. Glucomannan fibre is very helpful to reduce the spikes in sugar and insulin that drive cravings and hunger.

      NEXT: How to bounce back from a food blowout>>

      For more info visit drhyman.com

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      Healthy fats are KEY to a good diet

        Healthy saturated fats are KEY to a good diet, says doctor Anastasia Boulais.

        Didn’t you get the memo? Fat is officially back. Anastasia Boulais is a medical doctor and spokesperson for the Ancestral Health Society of New Zealand, which considers healthy saturated fats to be important within a good diet.

        “I prefer to steer people away from focusing on a single nutrient and encourage them to concentrate on real foods,” Boulais says.

        “For example, eggs are vastly superior in nutritional value and keeping you full compared to industrially processed products like cereal.” According to Boulais, here’s a day’s healthy diet – non low fat-style.

        Breakfast

        Smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and avocado

        OR

        Omelette with ham, tomato and spinach

        Morning/afternoon tea

        “I believe that if you need snacks between meals you are not getting enough nutrition with your main meals,” says Boulais. “In no point of our evolution did our ancestors eat five to six meals a day. The reason why you are hanging out for your morning-tea office break is because you had high-sugar cereal and low-fat milk for breakfast.”

        Lunch

        Beef mince fried in coconut oil with a side of green vegetables tipped with butter

        OR

        Leftover dinner meat with roast vegetables

        Dinner

        Baked fish with kale chips baked in coconut oil and salad

        or

        Lamb chops with sweet potato mashed with butter and two other vegetables

        NEXT: 3 more reasons you should eat fat.

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        Gastric bypass bests banding for weight loss, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol control

          Gastric bypass surgery has better outcomes than gastric banding for long-term weight loss, controlling type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, and lowering cholesterol levels, according to a new review by UT Southwestern Medical Center surgeons of nearly 30 long-term studies comparing the two types of bariatric procedures. The review, appearing in JAMA, found that those undergoing gastric bypass operations lost more weight – an average of 66 percent of their excess weight, compared to 45 percent average excess weight loss for those undergoing gastric banding procedures. “We know gastric bypass brings more weight loss success and relief of commonly associated illness versus gastric band at one year after surgery. We now have the best evidence available telling us this outcome continues to be true even up to five years after surgery. We also know these procedures maintain their safety profile long-term,” said Dr. Nancy Puzziferri, Assistant Professor of Surgery and part of the bariatric surgery team at UT Southwestern. According to a 2011 estimate, some 120,000 bariatric procedures are performed annually in the U.S. Worldwide, gastric bypass accounts for about 47 percent of weight loss procedures, while gastric bands account for about 18 percent.

          4 exercises to blast cellulite

            Learn how to reduce the appearance of cellulite on your thighs and butt in time for summer. Here are 4 home exercises you can do right now.

            Stair-climbing | Exercises to blast cellulite | PICTURE | Women's Health & Fitness

            Image: Nikki Fogden-Moore

            Did you know, according to a study in the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, nearly 85% of women over the age of 20 have cellulite? (And yet, only 10 per cent of men are prone to cellulite). However, just because it’s common, that doesn’t make us crazy about wearing swimmers with dimply thighs on show. The key to removing cellulite is to decrease fat deposits.

            1. Stair climbing

            If you’re stuck at work and don’t have time to get to the gym, take advantage of the office staircase. Sure, you’ll look a bit strange to begin with, but by upping your movement on the stairs you’ll automatically target areas prone to cellulite. Simply walking up and down stairs burns at least 10 calories a minute according to the National Wellness Institute. 

            Squats | Exercises to blast cellulite | PICTURE | Women's Health & Fitness

            Model: Angela Jackson

            Image: The Picture Box Cairns

            2. Squats

            Squats not only burn calories, they also produce muscle. By doing squats you will work all of the leg muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings and lower leg muscles.

            You can add dumbbells to traditional squats to intensify this exercise further. 

            Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold dumbbells (optional) down by your sides, palms facing in. Keeping your back straight, bend from the knees and hips as though you are sitting down. Don’t let your knees move forward over your toes, then return.

            Perform 1-3 sets of 8-15 repetitions, depending on your fitness level.

            Lunges | Exercises to blast cellulite | PICTURE | Women's Health & Fitness

            Model: Hayley Roper

            Image: Matthew Parkes

            3. Lunges

            Both walking and stationary lunges target all the lower-body muscles. 

            Start by taking one large step forward and lower your body so both of your knees form 90-degree angles, keeping your front knee over the ankle. Return to the starting position.

            Aim for 8-12 reps on each leg.

             

             

            Surfer-burpeeModel: Valeria Ramirez

            Image: Blake Pearl

            4. Surfer burpee

            A surfer burpee will not only challenge you physically, but will also improve mobility in your hips and back. 

            Bend over or squat down and place your hands on the floor in front of you, just outside of your feet.

            Jump both feet back to a plank position.

            Drop to a push-up—your chest should touch the floor. You can also drop to your knees here to make it easier if required.

            Push up to return to a plank position while jumping feet to your left side (pictured), aiming to land on your mat standing side on, like you would on a surfboard.

            Don’t worry if you land off the mat, your challenge is just to eventually get there. Just keep practising!

            Jump back into a plank position and repeat on the other side. 

            Repeat for 10-15 reps on each side.

            NEXT: 5 easy home workouts (video)

             

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