Glimpse into Foodie Friday - week 29 - coconut, and a choc chip almond cookie square recipe

I have a super simple recipe for you today. Everyone seemed to like the look of it on my instagram account, so here it is!

Glimpse into Foodie Friday - week 28 - Rice syrup

This week, I made a super quick and simple, sweet bread to toast up for snacks and breakfasts. Instead of baking the usual banana breads (which, don't get me wrong, I love!), I chose to make one which revolved around rice syrup. I think rice syrup is delicious, and it has been a lifesaver when looking for a substitute for high fructose sweeteners such as corn syrup, honey, and sugar.

Glimpse into Foodie Friday - week 27 - buckwheat

Being intolerant to so many different foods as I am, it is possible to slip up now and again and miss something that you can or cannot have. This has been the case for me with buckwheat. Somewhere along the lines, I had thought that I could not have buckwheat due to the FODMAP content, but my mum discovered recently that I was wrong. So I bought some activated buckwheat and gave it a trial. It seems to have been a success and I can indeed tolerate it! This makes me happy to be able to add another food to my can-eat list! It is crunchy, which is an exciting texture change in my diet, and the flavour is quite versatile. I have eaten it sprinkled on coconut yogurt with fresh fruit, and have made toasted muesli/granola with it, and hope to make cookies with it soon. 

Buckwheat is not actually a wheat, even though the name might suggest this. It is a fruit seed, so it is actually a good alternative for people avoiding gluten and wheat. It has been shown to have beneficial effects on cholesterol and blood pressure, it can maintain blood flow and protect against heart disease, and some cancers and illnesses. It is high in vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, manganese, copper, and phosphorus. Buckwheat contains a high quality protein, containing all eight essential amino acids. It balances blood sugars and keeps hunger at bay for longer than wheat or grain alternatives. 

It is gluten, dairy, nut and egg free, contains only tiny amounts of fructose and very low amounts of fructans. Being on a low fructose/FODMAP diet, it can be easy to not ingest enough fibre. Buckwheat is high in beneficial insoluble fibre. Subsequently, these benefits make it a great food to be eaten by people on a restricted diet. 

This website provides some other interesting details: http://www.fineli.fi/food.php?foodid=161&lang=en

Today I thought I would bring to you the recipe I created for buckwheat, quinoa and mixed seed granola. 

Glimpse into the new man in my life!!

Hello all! I apologise for my recent absence from the blog. One of the ironic things about keeping a blog about life with chronic illnesses is that the chronic illnesses sometimes keep you from the blog!

Something exciting which has happened during the time though is that a puppy chose me to be his human! 

Meet Albi, the Shih Tzu.... 

I have written previously about how beneficial animals can be in improving health and wellbeing, and Albi is no exception! My daily incidental movement (including countless stair climps for frequent puppy toilet breaks!) has increased substantially. I have something to be excited about to do for the day. I have someone to give me countless cuddles and endless attention (and plenty of puppy mischief!). He is even tiring me out so much that I haven't used sleeping tablets since he arrived! He keeps me company and makes me smile all the time. 

Obviously, these are all small things in the scheme of everything that is going on, but it all definitely helps my ability to cope! I researched for months and months and decided on the Shih Tzu, and I am so glad I did. He is so clever and inquisitive, full of fun and energy but totally happy to snuggle with me while I rest for hours, and is absolutely win-over-everyone cute! I am in love.

I highly recommend you find an animal to cuddle as soon as possible!