Hemsley + Hemsley (and me...)

You're probably really over people banging on about things like eating clean, going sugar free, juicing, cold-pressing, spiralizing, etc, etc. But I'm afraid I'm going to add to the seemingly never-ending stream of articles, blogs and TV programmes on healthy eating with this post, sharing my love for the Hemsley and Hemsley girls, or rather their book 'The Art of Eating Well'.

My healthy eating bible

Slightly annoying title aside, this book isn't a pretentious foray into faddish food habits or the latest health obsession. It's written in a helpful, supportive way with a common sense philosophy at its core -  the 'better than' rule - which suggests that striving to eat the best, most nutrient-rich food wherever possible is the way forward. Many of the recipes are re-interpretations of old standards - shepherd's pie, beef ragu, sausage casserole - and the book relies heavily on something that was a mainstay in the cooking habits of our grandmothers: the bone broth, which is integrated into many of the books soups and sauces as a way of getting a good dose of nutrients, as well as keeping your gut in good nick(being mindful of one's gut health is another guiding principle of the book.) If you were given bone broth as a child (or in my case the Italian version - 'Brodo' - a comforting broth swimming with tiny pasta shapes), you'll no doubt remember its amazing capacity to make you feel instantly better when you were run down and poorly.

Can you tell I make this recipe a lot?

Aside from the recipes, the book is actually very interesting to read, shedding light on the science behind the buzzwords. If you've ever been dismissive about the power of that most middle-class of foodstuffs - quinoa - you might change your mind when you find out it's one of nature's most 'complete' plant foods, and a veritable powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. And if you've ever tried cooking it only to end up with a bowl of flavourless, unappetising mush, this book explains how to 'do' quinoa properly - turns out it can actually be quite nice when you combine it with the right ingredients. I can personally vouch for the Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Salad with Brazil Nut Pesto, which helped me to finally 'get' quinoa.

If you're thinking a recipe book written by two sisters who also run a bespoke food service, catering to dietary whims of the rich and famous, equals expensive recipes featuring a myriad of weirdly named ingredients you've never heard of, I'm pleased to report that the recipes are - on the whole - pretty accessible (though I've yet to track down dried arame seaweed or furikake so I can have a crack at the Superfood Salad...). While some dishes do call for expensive ingredients - raw honey don't come cheap, unfortunately - I haven't noticed that following a healthier philosophy has had much impact on the weekly food spend. Places like Lidl and Aldi are great for stocking up on your fruit and veg, plus you'll pay much less here for what can be expensive items in the usual supermarkets (think pecans, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, for example.) You will need to spend some extra time sourcing some of the less obvious items, however, but even Tesco is waking up to the fact that quite a few people want the odd pseudocereal in their lives. 

Broccoli, Pea & Basil Soup

Having tried to stick to a low-sugar diet in recent years, I have to admit that it can get a little boring sometimes, and while I've turned my tastebuds against processed sweet stuff, I don't think I'll ever completely lose my sweet tooth. However, I don't want to fall off the wagon, which is where the pudding and sweet treat recipes in this book have been most helpful. Who knew mousse made from raw cacao and avocado could be so nice (and so quick to whip up) and that amaranth makes a delicious alternative to rice pudding, satisfying a sweet tooth thanks to the use of maple syrup as a sweetener. Even my kids ate the no sugar, no flour banana bread for breakfast - a much better alternative to the standard toast 'n' jam or bowl of cereal. 

So, yes, buy the book. Everything I've made from it has been a success, and I'm using it more than any of the other books on my shelf at the moment. I feel pretty good on it and am finally getting my blood sugar issues under control, helping me feel a tad more energised, a little less stressy and generally more healthy.

Here are the recipes I've made so far and which I recommend trying:

Healthy chocolate mousse

Broccoli, Pea & Basil Soup

Feel justifiably virtuous whipping up a batch of this easy to prepare soup, packed with green goodness and boasting a deliciously tangy basil and lemon flavour. 

Beef Ragu & Courgetti

I nearly choked on my courgetti in amazement at the fact that my kids were happily slurping up their pasta sauce from actual COURGETTES. This ragu recipe is the best I've tried and you don't need to spend out on a spiralizer - I use a julienne peeler to get the same effect. 

Papaya, Halloumi & Watercress Salad

Papaya's never really done it for me, but it's packed with antioxidants and helps to cleanse your digestive tract. Combined with halloumi (one of my favourite cheeses) and peppery watercress, it's so much more palatable.

Hot Buckwheat Noodle Salad

They call it a "15-minute please everyone meal" - and it is. Delicious.

Banana Bread & Instant Chia & Blueberry Jam

Malaysian Lentil & Squash Curry

Not keen on lentils? Me neither, but this dish is so full of creamy flavour you'll forget that lentils have never excited you eating this yummy curry. 

Sausage & Cider Stew

Think swede, think bad memories of school dinners, but this recipe will make you realise that the humble vegetable is perhaps a little misunderstood. This stew combines swede with sausages, cider, leek and carrot to create an absolutely awesome winter dish. Highly recommended!

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Get a sweet hit without the sugar - this mousse takes moments to make and is full of antioxidant goodness.

Banana Bread

Ground almonds make a great alternative to flour, it turns out, and in this recipe they bulk up a mix of banana, flaxseed, maple syrup and cinnamon to make a filling, tasty bread perfect for breakfast or elevenses. Tastes great slathered with the book's recipe for instant blueberry chia jam.

You can buy 'Hemsley Hemsley: The Art of Eating Well' from all good bookstores and online at The Book Depository. A selection of recipes is also available on the Hemsley Hemsley website.

And if you're trying to cut down on sugar, you can read a post about my experiences here.

The Health Kick Kicks In

So, as is traditional this time of year (usually coinciding with that first, horrific trip to the shops to purchase swimwear) me and the other half are on a 'health kick'. While the stream of articles that litter women's magazines on making yourself "beach ready" infuriate me (who has time for a 2 week juicing detox, or a spare £200 to splash out on a figure enhancing, designer bikini?) the thought of exposing my pale, middle-aged body on a beach full of gorgeously lithe, olive-skinned beauties when we go on holiday in August doesn't exactly fill me with confidence, either. Don't most of us get that summer feeling of wanting to be just a bit lighter, a bit more energetic and a bit more glowing at around this point in the calendar? And there's nothing like turning 40 to remind you that your face and body need all the help they can get...

Our summer holiday destination

Several months on from trying to reduce my sugar intake (which I blogged about here)  I'm noticing small but significant changes, helping me stay away from the biscuit jar. I feel less sluggish and perhaps a bit less dimply of thigh. There isn't a weight loss motivation behind me doing this, but I was quite ill last year with a long-lasting virus and when a friend suggested giving up sugar as a remedy to the debilitating headaches I'd been getting, it seemed an obvious thing to try. I can't say with conviction what sorted me out in the end, but taking a long hard look at my diet and being more aware of hidden sugars certainly helped.

More recently I've been trying to address my issues with bread. I bloody love the stuff. But it's just not that good for you, is it? I can't say I like rye bread but it helps to satisfy my bread cravings (only just, though.) I can do without toast at breakfast but a sandwich, panini or baguette would be my lunch of choice. So, I'm limiting a bread-based lunch to the two days I work in an office (purely for convenience's sake) and am then avoiding bread on other days. 

I'm eating a lot of spelt crackers at the mo - nice with almond butter as a light lunch or in-between snack (Food Doctor wholegrain spelt crackers are available at most big supermarkets.) Talking of spelt, we tried spelt spaghetti the other day (white pasta is another of my weaknesses) and it was...okay. For me, nothing can replace proper pasta, but as we eat it a lot as a family I wanted to try an alternative. The kids didn't bat an eyelid about this strange new pasta - I was convinced they'd turn their noses up at it - so that was good; less good is the price point, as a 500g packet set me back £2.45. A packet of normal spaghetti is around the £1 mark so you can see the disparity.

Some low-sugar alternatives

Cost is something that is proving the biggest barrier to maintaining my good intentions. I simply can't afford to buy all organic, fill my basket with wholesome goodies from Holland & Barrett or indulge my romantic notions of starting every day with a home-made green juice, courtesy of a shiny Vitamix blender. Plus, life is really too short to be scouring the supermarket shelves searching for buckwheat noodles or raw cacao. But there are some healthy eating tips that I reckon are worth going the extra mile for, and luckily they don't cost the earth. Here are some other things that are working quite well for me at the moment...

Kale salad - not at all unpleasant

1. Shopping for basics at Lidl

Great for stocking up on the fruit and veg shop - so much cheaper than other supermarkets and the quality is pretty consistent. Items like blueberries, avocados, spinach and salad leaves are a significantly cheaper here. Buying basics at Lidl makes buying more expensive items like the aforementioned spelt pasta more viable. 

2. Swapping my morning latte for green tea

Apparently dairy gives you spots. So the morning lattes have been replaced by green tea, a cheap way to get a good dose of antioxidants. I'm getting quite fond of the taste. 

3. Making vat loads of Jamie Oliver's Tomato Sauce

I get why my kids won't eat kale or broccoli but I still want them to eat well, too. Feeding them veg by stealth is my modus operandi, and this sauce (annoyingly the recipe not available online) is a good one for getting them to eat squash, courgette and carrots without even realising. This recipe is similar to the one I've been making.

I also tried Jamie's Veggie Chilli recently and my kids weren't fully convinced but they were also not completely horrified by it. I think I'll convert them in time...here's the recipe. 

If these fail, most kids like pesto but to give it some extra nutritional value I wilt down massive handfuls of spinach in a pan with a little bit of butter, whiz in a blender and then add to the sauce - a quick way to top up your little veggie-phobes with some vitamins.

4. Trying the easier recipes on the Deliciously Ella website

A lot of healthy recipes not only require you being able to track down hard-to-find items but you also need to have quite a bit of time at your disposal so anything that involves simply dumping ingredients in a food processor is just fine by me. This is why the recipes on the Deliciously Ella site are so convenient as many involve nothing so taxing as a bit of chopping and a bit of whizzing. I have so far enjoyed the marinated kale salad - majorly virtuous and a lot nicer than the recipe suggests - and the cinnamon pecan granola which I'm using as a topper for fat-free natural yogurt in the mornings. It's delicious and a whole lot better for you than the high-sugar manufactured stuff. There are lots of other quick, relatively cost-effective ideas to try on the site.

Granola - not faffy to make at all

5. Finding the right exercise

Turns out I don't mind team sports (despite being pretty dismal at them at school)and it's true what they say - this sort of exercise feels so much less of a punishment. While I still don't fully understand the rules, my footwork sucks and I don't have a competitive bone in by body I've somehow ended up on a netball team. Playing in a proper league and everything! This entails weekly training and a weekly match, providing a much-needed cardio-vascular workout which I'm actually enjoying. Training is free thanks to a great initiative from England Netball (read more here) and match subs are about £3 per match. A total bargain.

Cutting Down on Sugar the Budget-Friendly Way

Inspired by a friend who has pretty much wiped out sugar from her diet, I've decided to make 2014 the year I finally try and crack my sugar habit. While not the worst offender when it comes to the sweet stuff, I probably consume more sugar than I should, and have a niggling suspicion that although I consider myself healthy, if you added up my sugar consumption in any given day it would be way more than I think I'm eating. Furthermore, having been ill from some weird, viral-type illness that wiped me out for the best part of three months last year, I've been looking for ways to feel a little better and more energised for some time now. Armed with some basic insider know-how from my knowledgeable friend, I've started the year off making small, but significant steps to reducing my sugar intake and so far, so good.

Sugar-free food heroes

No doubt you'll have read the flurry of newspaper articles or watched TV documentaries about how excessive sugar consumption is responsible for a whole host of health conditions and will contribute to a crisis that could see 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children becoming obese by 2050. Scary stuff. However, initial forays to my local health food shop made me uncomfortably aware of just how much more expensive some sugar-free alternatives can be so I've had to adapt expectations to meet with my personal budget. 

The key thing to remember is that the sugar you are looking to cut out is refined sugar. There are some natural sugars you can eat. But refined sugar equals empty calories that have no nutritional benefit at all. Unfortunately it is these types of sugars that are most commonly used in mass-produced foods. Other baddies that fall into the 'do not eat' category include corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, fructose and all artificial sweeteners.

Unfortunately swapping to natural alternatives will cost you more. A commonly available healthy sugar substitute - Xylitol(which you can buy at most bigger supermarkets these days)- will set you back around £2.70 for a 225g bag. Other sugar alternatives which you'll find in specialist health food shops or online (but perhaps not at your local supermarket) include Jaggery, Valdivia and Rapadura. All cost significantly more than standard sugars, but if you'll be cooking with less sugar anyway, the cost should balance out in the end.

Given the expense involved in buying these healthier products I'm taking a more realistic approach to cutting down on sugar, and even by making quite small changes I'm noticing significant improvements to mine and the kids' health. We've swapped lunchbox cereal bars for Nakd bars which, although more costly, count towards one of their five-a-day and are cold-pressed with no added sugar or syrup. I've stopped adding sugar to my coffee and my taste-buds are finally starting to adjust to the change. It's more time consuming but I'm making more in the way of after-school snacks rather than filling the house with shop-bought biscuits and cakes. I'm making low-sugar treats like banana bread and blueberry muffins which get most of their sweetness from the fruit - I like Mary Berry's recipe which has just 3oz of sugar in a recipe that makes 12 muffins, or try Paul Hollywood's version with even less sugar here. Shop-bought soups have been replaced by easy home-made versions - I'll be sharing two particular favourites which are easy and cheap to make on the blog soon.

I'm not quite ready to completely eliminate sugar yet but I figure that by making as much stuff myself I'm going some way to cutting out unnecessary sugars and it's good to see exactly what's going into your food as you make it. We've said goodbye to fruit juice in our house and for our Sunday morning pancake breakfast ritual we've swapped sugar and maple syrup for Agave nectar, a low GI natural sweetener that is delicious and which is readily available at the supermarket, including low-cost shops such as Lidl. Jam is out, nut butter is in - almond butter is one of my favourites and I have it on crackers or Ryvita as a healthy mid-morning snack.

What's proving much more tricky in my quest to lower our sugar intake is analysing food labels as I do my weekly shop, and trying to pick the lowest sugar option wherever possible. This can be a dispiriting experience as even the most benign looking foods - things like soups, breads and table sauces - can be packed with added sugar. The NHS guidelines say that anything more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g is high, while anything of 5g of total sugars or less per 100g is low. Then you have to bear in mind the various guises sugar may hiding behind in the labelling - a good rule of thumb to remember is that anything ending in 'ose' is a sugar. It's a labourious job drilling down into the small print but when you actually stop and really look at how much sugar is added to manufactured foods, it really is quite a wake-up call.

My next step in the process is to take my friend's advice and start experimenting with sugar-free recipes. She makes her own Nutella by mixing raw cocoa with coconut oil and agave, for example, and recommends making cake icing by mixing cream cheese or quark with agave and raw cocoa. Other sweet treats she recommends for those moments when cravings get the better of you include raw truffles, using a mix of ground almonds, raw cacao, agave and dessicated coconut. I'm going to spend some time looking through her recommended recipe websites for inspiration to seek out some low-cost, healthy ideas for cakes and other treats. The website Natural Sweet Recipes looks particularly inspiring.

I'll be updating you on my quest to go sugar-free on a budget with recipes or tips I come across along the way, but in the meantime I recommend checking out the good sense, easy to understand advice from David Gillespie, author of Sweet Poison: Why Sugar Makes Us Fat, which makes a good starting point, plus checking out his website here.