More stories

  • in

    This Dark Chocolate & Date Fudge Is The Perfect Healthy Treat

    This decadent twist on an old classic is bound to do the trick. This will be your go-to easy fudge recipe for anything from a date night or picnic with friends to a healthy treat for when the cravings hit.

    READ MORE: This Simple Freezer-Friendly Pulled Pork Tortilla Recipe Is Perfect For Meal Prep

    Dark Chocolate And Date Fudge Recipe

    This decadent, yet healthy dessert only has 4 grams of sugar and is the perfect treat for any occasion.

    Prep Time 15 minsCook Time 0 mins

    Course DessertCuisine American

    Servings 64 servingsCalories 51 kcal

    1 Baking pan1 Food processor
    Non-stick cooking spray1 cup pitted Medjool dates1 tsp pure vanilla extract1/4 tsp kosher salt1 3/4 cup 70 percent dark chocolate, melted1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and very roughly chopped1/4 tsp flaky salt
    Lightly spray a 20x20cm baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; spray paper.Soak dates in boiling water for 10 min; reserve ½ cup liquid, drain, and transfer to a food processor along with vanilla extract and kosher salt.Add ¼ cup reserved liquid and puree, scraping down the sides and adding additional reserved liquid as necessary to blend, until smooth. Add chocolate and puree until smooth.Transfer mixture to the prepared pan, top with hazelnuts and ¼ tsp flaky salt. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours. Cut into 2.5cm squares. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    Keyword chocolate, healthy

    *This article was originally published on Women’s Health US More

  • in

    This Beetroot Chocolate Cake Is So Moist It Doesn’t Even Need Icing

    Looking for a healthy food take on chocolate cake? This light chocolate cake is gorgeous and moist as is, with no need for sugary ganache or icing.
    Chocolate cake can be deadly for your kilojoule count, since it’s packed with sugar, refined flour and oil. But you can easily substitute for a higher fibre flour, like oat or chickpea flour, that doesn’t compromise on texture and flavour. Also, try substituting sugar for honey or another sugar-free alternative for a sweet, decadent treat that won’t break the kilojoule bank.
    READ MORE: Are Air Fryers Actually Healthy Or Am I Kidding Myself?
    What You Need

    250g cooked beetroot
    200g butter
    200g 70% dark chocolate
    4 tbsp hot espresso
    135g wholewheat flour
    1 tsp baking powder
    3 tbsp cocoa
    5 free-range eggs, separated
    150g castor sugar or sugar replacement

    READ MORE: 5 Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes When They Start New Year’s Resolution Diets
    Method

    Preheat the oven to 180°C.
    Grease a 20cm nonstick cake tin with a little Spray and Cook and line the bottom of the tin with baking paper.
    Purée the beetroot in a food processor.
    Heat the butter and chocolate in a microwave for 10 seconds at a time, or until just melted, then pour in the hot coffee and leave to cool slightly.
    Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa in a bowl and set aside.
    Separate the eggs, then whisk the yolks in a bowl until frothy.
    Stir the eggs into the chocolate and butter mixture and fold in the beetroot.
    Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold in the sugar.
    Fold the sugar and egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour and cocoa mixture.
    Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

    SERVES 8. Per 158g serving: 2 215kJ, 34g fat (20g sat), 48g carbs, 140mg sodium, 4g fibre, 9g protein
    READ MORE: Exactly How To Make The Perfect Pizza On The Braai More

  • in

    28 Easy Food Swaps That’ll Help You Lose Weight

    There’s a simple hack that can boost your weight loss, leave you feeling fuller for longer and have you feeling more regular. It’s called fibre and this often-overlooked food can deliver major benefits to your body. Not only does it keep your system nice and clean, fibre has a genius move in its arsenal: the ability to keep you feeling fuller for longer, boosting satiety. That feeling of fullness is a major key in weight loss, prompting you to eat less instead of more. These genius food swaps find the high-fibre substitutes of other foods, which are often healthier, too.
    Why you need to switch up your food
    We all know our bodies need calcium for bones, vitamin C to fend off colds and chocolate to save relationships. But when it comes to losing weight, the nutritional information is a little more confusing. The mighty trilogy of nutrients – protein, carbohydrates and fat – garners most of the food industry’s attention, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that fibre needs to be the fourth leg of the dietary table.
    Study after study shows that not only does fibre help lower your risk of cancer, heart attack and high blood pressure, it also keeps you full and helps you decrease the total amount of kilojoules you consume every day. Trouble is, most of us think that getting the recommended 30g of fibre a day means eating cereal that tastes like the box it comes in. But that isn’t the case. You can sneak fibre into your diet anywhere…
    Food Swaps At Breakfast
    1. Spice up your eggs: A third of a cup of chopped onion and one clove of garlic will add one gram of fibre to scrambled eggs.
    2. Drop a whole orange into the blender to flavour your morning smoothie. One peeled orange has nearly three grams more fibre than even the pulpiest orange juice.
    3. Make your own fruit juice. Blend peeled, sliced and cored or pitted fresh fruit with a little cold water in a food processor. Drink immediately for the best nutritional value. A 250ml glass has more than one gram of fibre.
    4. Cook a bowl of oat bran instead of oats; it has nearly two grams more fibre. Add even more flavour and fibre by stirring in a quarter of a cup of raisins or chopped dates before popping it into the microwave.
    5. Sprinkle ground flaxseeds over your favourite cold cereal or stir a few spoonfuls into a cup of yoghurt. Two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds deliver almost an extra two grams of fibre.
    6. Grab an Asian pear. Similar in taste to other pears, the red-coloured Asian variety has an apple-like crispness and shape and, at four grams a pear, it delivers significantly more fibre.
    7. Buy spreadable fibre, like peanut butter, for your wholewheat toast. Two level tablespoons add three grams of fibre, along with a healthy dose of heart-protecting fats and nutrients like vitamin E.
    8. Make a smoothie using fruit or oats, as these contain at least two grams more fibre than blends that aren’t fruit-based or don’t include oats.
    READ MORE: 5 Ways To Measure Healthy Portion Sizes Without A Scale
    At lunch
    9. Try rye bread if you don’t like wholewheat for your sandwich. One slice has almost two grams of fibre – twice the amount found in white bread.
    10. Opt for quinoa instead of white rice and you’ll get six times more fibre per serving. Mixing in half a cup of lentils with the quinoa will add a nutty flavour, another six grams of fibre and a boost of folate and manganese.
    11. Stow a tin of microwavable soup in your desk for when you need to work through lunch. Woolworths’ Chunky Vegetable Soup packs as much as five grams of fibre per 400g portion.
    12. Shower your pasta with origanum or basil. A teaspoon of either chopped herb adds one gram of fibre. Order it with mushrooms and you’ll get an extra gram.
    13. Build your burger with a sesame-seed roll instead of the plain variety. Sesame seeds add half a gram of fibre per roll.
    14. Order your boerie roll with tomato-and-onion relish Every quarter-cup of the relish you pile on adds up to two grams of fibre to your meal, and having a wholewheat roll tops that up with another three grams.
    READ MORE: 3 Meal Prep Hacks That Will Make It Way Easier To Eat Healthily
    In the afternoon
    15. Drink chocolate milk, not plain milk. The combination of chocolate and the compounds needed to keep it suspended in the milk provides a gram of fibre in every 250ml serving.
    16. Pop a pack of reduced-oil popcorn instead of popping open a bag of potato chips. There are eight grams of fibre in every bag of popcorn.
    17. Enjoy a tomato juice and its two grams of fibre per 200ml tin. Go with the plain juice and avoid the cocktail version, which is high in sodium from the added salt and Worcester sauce.
    18. Graze on trail mix instead of a granola bar. Most granola bars have only one gram of fibre, while trail mix with dried fruit has nearly three grams.
    READ MORE: ‘Keto Crotch’ Might Be A Surprising Side Effect Of A Low-Carb Diet
    At dinner
    19. Toss half a cup of chickpeas into a pot of your favourite soup. They’ll absorb the flavour of the soup and tack six grams of fibre onto your bottom line.
    20. Swap a sweet potato for your standard spud. Sweet potatoes have two grams more fibre per tuber than the typical variety. Not a fan? At least eat the skin of the regular potato – that alone contains one gram of fibre.
    21. Go wild when you make rice. Cup for cup, wild rice has three times more fibre than white.
    22. Add some green to your red sauce. Doctor your favourite pasta sauce with half a cup of chopped spinach. The spinach will take on the flavour of the sauce and pad your fibre count by more than two grams.
    23. Cook wholewheat or spinach pasta instead of the usual semolina kind. A cup of either contains five grams of fibre.
    24. Cook broccoli, cauliflower and carrots and you’ll take in three to five grams of fibre per serving – nearly twice what you’ll get out of them if you eat them raw, as heat makes fibre more available.
    25. Add beans to give your bolognese a fibre boost. Substitute one part chopped, cooked beans for one part lean-beef mince. Cook both together to allow the beans to absorb the juices and seasoning. For every 100g of cooked beans, you get seven grams of fibre.
    READ MORE: Calories Vs Nutrients: What You Need To Know About Losing Weight
    For dessert
    26. Say nuts to chocolate bars. Bars with nuts, like Cadbury’s Whole Nut chocolate bar and Lunch Bars, have up to two grams of fibre – almost twice the fibre content of bars without nuts.
    27. Top a bowl of ice cream with sliced fresh berries in lieu of a chocolate topping. Half a cup of raspberries provides four grams of fibre; strawberries and blueberries pack half that amount.
    28. Try a slice of apple tart or a bowl of fresh fruit salad and you’ll add at least an extra three to five grams of fibre. Cake doesn’t have nearly as much. More

  • in

    5 Ways To Measure Healthy Portion Sizes Without A Scale

    The Association for Dietetics (ADSA)  in South Africa held a Twitter Talk on #HealthyNutrition4All, which highlighted how South Africans are becoming one of the most obese populations in the world! Some of that is attributed to unhealthy lifestyle habits, but a hefty portion can contribute a lot to the statistic. Here, dietitians, The Heart & Stroke Foundation SA, FoodBank SA, Soil For Life and the Department of Health share tips on measuring your meal’s healthy portion sizes – without a scale.
    Use The Plate Model
    The Heart Foundation recommends using a plate to estimate how much starch, meat and vegetables you should eat. Half your plate should be veggies, a quarter starch and the rest protein.
    READ MORE: 5 Portion Control Tips You’ve Probably Never Heard Before
    Use Your Hands
    Dietician Maryke Gallagher advises that you should measure food with your fist. One portion of fruit should be the size of your fist. Also use your palm to measure how much protein, etc. you should be eating. A palm is the size estimate of your protein portion, your fist is the size of a starch portion and your full hand (or more) is the size of a veg portion.
    Know When You’re Full
    Dietician, Karlien Duvenhage, believes it’s important to be in tune with your body and start learning when you are hungry or full.
    READ MORE: What Really Happens To Your Body (And Brain) On A Detox Diet?
    Go Mini
    The Heart Foundation suggests you eat out of a small bowl, with smaller utensils and cups to make the meal appear ‘fuller’. Use a smaller bowl for rice and noodle dishes instead of a giant one; try eating your regular meals from side plates instead of full-size plates. This tricks your brain into thinking you’re eating a bigger meal and also makes you feel more satisfied with what you’ve eaten if it looks like a large portion of food, when really it’s a healthy portion.
    Your Portion Size Go-To Guide
    Meat should be the size of a deck of cards; carbohydrate portions (rice, bread, noodles and spaghetti) the size of a tennis ball; fat (bacon rind, oil, mayonnaise), the size your thumb; and veg is a free for all, according to dietician Jade Seeliger.
    READ MORE: Here’s Exactly How To Start Working Out Again, After A Winter Hibernating More

  • in

    What Really Happens To Your Body (And Brain) On A Detox Diet?

    By Laura Beil
    Your body on a detox is kind of like freefalling from the sky or plunging unexpectedly into icy water: total shock. Since you can’t exactly sit your organs down and chat with them about how you’re about to cut off food for the next few days, your body is largely unprepared for a juice cleanse. We chatted to the experts and delved into what really happens to your body on a detox diet.
    Your Body On A Detox: Right After the first sip
    Your brain’s hunger signals are answered with a dump of pure fruit-juice sugar. And don’t get any ideas – veggie-based cleanses aren’t any healthier. The sweet stuff prompts the pancreas to squirt out insulin, which moves sugar – now in your blood in the form of glucose – into your cells.
    After 30 minutes
    As your cells suck up the glucose, your blood sugar level can start to plummet and you may feel dizzy. Meanwhile, lacking enough kilojoules, your body is operating off its supply of glycogen, a form of short-term energy stored in the liver and muscles.
    After two days
    With each shot of juice, your insulin levels skyrocket, then crash. At this point, your glycogen stores are pretty much gone, leaving your tank on empty – and you feeling listless.
    READ MORE: Are Detox Diets And Cleanses Really Good For You?
    Since you’re getting about half the kilojoules you need, your body draws on long-term power sources: triglycerides, a type of energy stored in fat cells (woo-hoo!), and protein, taken straight from your muscles (oops). You begin to lose muscle mass, even if you’re still exercising every day.
    After three days
    Your brain is not happy. It enters into semi-starvation mode and gobbles ketones, fuel that comes from the breakdown of fat. Ketones work, but they’re like watered-down petrol; as a result, you may feel unfocused or irritable. (Any “mental clarity” is likely due to a strong placebo effect.)
    Sans a fresh protein infusion, your brain is also lacking amino acids, the raw materials that neurotransmitters need to maintain your mood. If you’re prone to depression, you may start feeling blue.
    READ MORE: Caley Jäck’s Simple Formula For Sticking To A Healthy Lifestyle
    The proteins in your shrinking muscles break down into ammonia and uric acid, unwelcome chemicals that invade your bloodstream. Now your kidneys are busy detoxing your detox.
    Stay near the bathroom: the juice’s high carbohydrate load causes a surfeit of water to enter the intestines. That extra H2O in your gut means you’re primed to get diarrhoea.
    After four days
    With no food to digest, your small intestine feels ignored. Its villi – the rows of tiny fibres that move food elements into the blood – start to atrophy. Your diarrhoea may get worse, leading to dehydration… and there goes your rosy glow.
    On the eighth day
    Solid food! But uh-oh – you’ve lost muscle. Even if you go back to your regular eating habits, you now have less muscle mass to burn those kilojoules; instead, the kilojoules are more likely to be turned into fat. (Hence, one reason yo-yo dieting makes it harder to lose weight: your reduced muscle-to-fat ratio messes up your metabolism and makes kilojoules much harder to work off.)
    While juice cleanses can be considered a spiritual practice and many appreciate the infusion of juiced vegetables into their diet, it’s not for everyone. Why not reboot your system the healthy way and download this 5 day healthy eating plan instead. More

  • in

    Caley Jäck’s Simple Formula For Sticking To A Healthy Lifestyle

    If you’re anything like a normal person, you’d almost always pick a pizza over a salad. Or an extra hour’s nap over waking up early to work out. And like any normal person, you’d still much rather resemble the glowy, sculpted goddess that is our cover girl and Les Mills trainer Caley Jäck. But to achieve this physique and look amazing, there’s a certain amount of resilience that comes with sticking to a healthy lifestyle.
    Of course, queries from people wanting to carve out such a healthy lifestyle are not unheard of for Caley, who’s been a fitness trainer for a long time. She’s also a pre-and post-natal instructor, and many women seek a return to their bodies before giving birth. Here, we’ve teased out bits of wisdom from our interview with her to reveal a down-to-earth approach that shapes her habits – and can help you, too.
    1. Keep It Simple
    A lot of modern-day weight loss and health messaging can be conflicting, misleading and downright confusing. There are so many superfood blends, protein powders and supplements that you’d be forgiven for not knowing where to start. “Keep it as simple as possible,” says Caley. “If it’s creating too much anxiety to integrate into your week, why implement that?” If you can’t find the time to cook a full breakfast, find a way to make it quick and easy, like a fast smoothie or overnight oats.
    READ MORE: Calories Vs Nutrients: What You Need To Know About Losing Weight
    2. See To Your Baseline
    When it comes to supplements, powders and health tonics, Caley is reluctant to jump on the bandwagon. “I really feel that you need to prioritize your baseline nutrition,” she says. “If you can’t consume a full meal, a protein shake is maybe the best way to get your body to absorb [nutrients]. Do that because it works for your lifestyle,” says Caley. “But don’t let that be your meal replacement. Rather try and if possible, prioritize a good, wholesome plate of food.”
    READ MORE: Can CLA Safflower Oil Supplements Really Help You Lose Weight?

    3. Spend Time Learning About Portion Sizes
    “I’ve never been one that’s able to follow a diet or like an eating plan as such,” says Caley. “I do find there is a benefit in learning more about how to balance your macros.” While physically cutting and measuring portions might be too finicky for you, a simple chart about the correct portions of food goes a long way in figuring out a good balance on your plate. For Caley, this means happily allowing herself to have a muffin – with butter and cheese – but halving her portions. She demonstrates with her plate: “So like okay, I’m not going to have this whole piece of butter. But I’m going to have that section of butter because that is proportion to what my body needs,” she says. Focusing on what your body needs rather than what you want can be a big driver of change.
    READ MORE: I Tried The Planet Fitness FitBuddy App – Here’s What I Think
    4. Commit To The Change
    If you’re trying to stick to a healthy lifestyle, you’ll have to accept that it’ll be uncomfortable for a little while. But that’s the case with any change. “I feel like if you create a of change within your lifestyle, and you integrate that every day, that’s when it becomes habitual. And when it’s habitual, you don’t have to think about it,” she says. “Anything that requires change takes time and it feels uncomfortable in the beginning. But if you’re wanting to create change, and if you’re wanting to hit certain goals, you need to create change.”

    READ MORE ON: Health Goals Healthy Eating Tips Weight Loss Tips More

  • in

    What Is The Pescatarian Diet — And Is It Even Good For You?

    Honestly, who can keep track of all the ‘tarians that exist these days? There are vegetarians, flexitarians, pescatarians. Don’t even get me started on pegans. But seriously—which one is best if you can’t give up spicy tuna rolls?
    Basically, if you like the idea of slashing your meat intake but have a LTR with salmon, the pescatarian diet may be for you. People who follow the plan eat a wide variety of plant-based foods, like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts—plus fish and seafood.

    Whether you eat dairy and eggs on the pescatarian diet is up to you. Some keep them in their weekly rotation, while others opt out. Totally off the table: red meat, poultry and pork.
    This might sound similar to the popular Mediterranean diet, but there’s one major difference: Red meat is allowed (in moderation) on the Med diet. You’re also supposed to avoid packaged foods on that plan, while the pescatarian diet doesn’t have a specific policy on store-bought stuff. Otherwise, there’s a lot of overlap: Seafood, fresh produce, and plant-based proteins are mainstays of both eating plans.
    Is going pescatarian healthier than other diets?
    Unless you can’t live without steak, there’s a lot to love about the pescatarian diet. “You’ll reap the nutritional benefits of a plant-based diet, as well as the nutritional benefits of fish and seafood,” says Emily Kyle, a registered dietician
    Basically, pescatarians get all of the antioxidant- and vitamin-rich produce vegetarians do, while also getting some nutrients (like complete proteins and omega-3 fatty acids) from seafood that are harder to take in on a strictly plant-based diet.
    For example, while many vegetarians and vegans may struggle to get their fill of vitamin B12 (found primarily in animal protein), “pescatarians are able to meet their daily requirements for B12 with a single serving of most fish varieties,” says Georgia Rounder, a registered dietician.
    READ MORE: 26 Easy Recipes for Protein Pancakes
    Also key: Seafood is one of the best sources of heart- and brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. “Omega-3 fatty acids may decrease inflammation in the body and lower both blood pressure and triglycerides,” says Rounder. You can get omega-3s from plant-based sources like flaxseeds, but it’s harder than just eating an order of salmon and calling it a day.
    “This diet has also been associated with decreasing the risk for other chronic diseases, including diabetes, dementia, and depression,” adds Rounder, thanks to the boost of omega-3s you get when fish is your main source of protein.
    Other people, of course, choose it for sustainability reasons, animal-rights concerns, or just personal preference, adds Kyle.
    Can the pescatarian diet help with weight loss?
    The jury is still out about any particular diet that champions sustainable weight loss. But eliminating a lot of meat can help create a caloric deficit that would lead to weight loss, especially when the diet is supplemented with vegetables.
    One literature review of studies that evaluated vegetables in weight loss found that “a higher vegetable consumption in a healthy diet may prove beneficial for weight loss in overweight adults.”   So if your aim is to lose weight, watch that your fish consumption doesn’t take the place of consuming a variety of vegetables and fruits.
    READ MORE: How Much Water You Should Be Drinking Daily, According To A Nutritionist
    What about all that mercury tho?
    One important thing to keep in mind: Being pescatarian doesn’t mean you have to load up your plate with fish each meal—you can actually eat a carnivorous diet and consume more fish (and more mercury) than someone who’s pescatarian. But if you do consume a lot of seafood—regardless of which diet you follow—you’ll want to avoid eating high-mercury fish all day every day to minimise your risk of mercury poisoning.
    Eat swordfish, tilefish, King Mackerel, and large quantities of tuna in moderation, says Rounder—especially if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
    That said, low-mercury seafood options, including canned light tuna, cod, clams, salmon, and hake are generally less of a cause for concern. “The most common fish that we eat on a daily basis are [low in mercury], meaning that in general the pescatarian diet is safe for most individuals,” says Kyle.
    READ MORE: This BBQ Pulled Pork Tortilla Recipe Is Delicious And Freezes Well For Meal Prep
    Whether you’re pescatarian or not, The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of fish a week. And mix it up so that you’re eating a variety of seafood—that will further reduce your risk of consuming too much mercury.
    The bottom line: Go ahead and try the pescatarian diet if you’re interested. For most people, the health benefits of eating a plant-based diet plus fish far outweighs the potential risks.
    This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com 

    READ MORE ON: Healthy Eating Tips Nutrition Nutrition Advice More

  • in

    Is When You Eat More Important Than What You Eat?

    Many people worry about gaining weight if they eat later than a certain time. But does it matter when you eat? Is this time really more important than what you eat?
    There’s been a ridiculous amount of research into whether you’ll gain weight if you eat (dinner) after 8pm. The results of the studies are not always consistent. In one study, there was no association between eating late and being overweight, while other researchers found that those who ate after 8 p.m. consumed more calories than previous eaters. Those extra kilojoules can actually lead to weight gain. In general, you do not seem to gain extra weight if you eat late at night, but then you should eat a healthy and varied diet during the day.
    READ MORE: Can Acupuncture Really Help You Lose Weight? We Asked The Experts
    Food Choices
    Don’t be blinded by the times. In reality, what you eat is much more important than when you eat. In addition, the problem is that late eaters often tend to eat more, and less healthily. Regardless of the timing, eating more kilojoules will automatically lead to weight gain. So eating in the evening can only lead to weight gain if you eat a surplus of ‘joules.
    Furthermore, eating late can affect certain food choices. Late at night, you are more likely to choose unhealthy foods. These foods often contain little nutritional value, such as chips, soda and ice cream. This is partly due to emotional eating and fatigue. In either case, you crave less healthy, high-kilojoule foods .
    READ MORE: 12 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight While Doing Intermittent Fasting, According To An RD
    Meal Timing
    While the total number of calories you eat ultimately affects your weight, research shows that there are ways to regulate your appetite through meal timing and frequency.
    Several studies indicate that eating a high-kilojoule breakfast can keep you feeling full for longer and potentially prevent overeating in the evening. In one study, people who ate a 2510kJ breakfast had less appetite and significantly less hunger throughout the day than people who ate half the kilojoules for breakfast. In particular, the appetite for sweets was reduced.
    Late night snack
    Also, eating several small meals can help control your appetite and reduce hunger pangs throughout the day. So experiment with the timing and size of your meals. If you still feel like a late night snack, it is best to go for these foods.
    This article was first published on womenshealthmag.com/nl
    READ MORE: 5 Obesity Causes That Prove It’s Way More Complicated Than Just Eating Too Much

    READ MORE ON: Healthy Eating Tips Weight Loss Tips More