Monday Madness 13/07/14 - OOOOOOH! I could crush a grape! (or freeze one!)

BLOG COMP CLOSES SOON! BLOG COMP CLOSES SOON!BLOG COMP CLOSES SOON!

Wahay!

What a wonderful week! Lots of training, saw my sister and nieces and of course as per my wonderful children have been in my life all week.
Competition entries are piling in - have you entered yet? If you've missed the excitement you better check the blog for more details!
I've finally sorted out the guest bedroom which means my aero pilates machine is back up and in use. It's a fantastic antidote to the gym, (which I looooove), because it still tightens up the wobbly bits but also gets you to stretch beautifully so that you become really flexible - I can't argue with those benefits! I usually get on the machine, no special clothing required, switch on a bit of LBC or Radio 4 and work out. Yay!

Aero Pilates Machine

ONLY TWO AND HALF DAYS LEFT TO ENTER!

Yep, tempus fugit and all that - there are now only two and a half days left to enter the super blog comp and win the best prize ever - in fact a truly life changing plan. Forget all about gastric bands and dangerous eating fads to get yourself "healthy". Lose weight and stay slim for the rest of your life with our  perfect prize.

to find out more click here

How to enter
Answer the following question: Who do women say are the most considerate lovers?
Clue: check through the article from last Mondays blog for the answer! here is the article.

Email your answer to comp blog by clicking here
Please write "comp" in the title - good luck

is for:
Grapes
Garlic
Galangal (Thai Ginger)
Guava
Grapefruit
Greengage
Gooseberry
Galia melon
Garbanzo (chick peas)
Gourds

I thought I would focus on grapes this week because in my humble opinion grapes are a super food!
Grapes are a unique blend of sweetness and tartness that satisfy the sweetest of teeth and when we are trying to avoid simple sugar that can only be a good thing.

Grapes come in two varieties - table and wine. It is the table grapes that we eat.They are fantastic in sweet and savoury dishes. Have you ever tried popping grapes into a curry? yum!

They are really rich in essential phytonutrients especially reservatrol which is linked to longevity. Have you also noticed that it pops up as a premium skincare ingredient? They are low GI and provide you with optimal nutrition and minimal calories.

A serving is classed as 15-20 grapes, so when you are eating all those grapes absent mindedly when visiting a relative in hospital, you have probably eaten a days allowance of fruit! A recommended allowance for the day regarding fruit is 3 portions. This is because fruit is naturally high in sugars and can be a diabetics nightmare. As with everything we are talking "balance".

Before consuming always wash in cold water and dab dry gently. Where possible buy organic.

Frozen Grape Recipe

stylish cuisine

Actually I feel rather cheeky calling this a recipe, in truth it's a quick assemblage!!!
This is actually a non recipe but it is so worth sharing.It might sound wierd but trust me its so worth trying.
If you do these grapes , you will have a ready made snack that tastes like delicious ice lollies without all the additives and nasty sugars!

Method!
Wash and dry grapes. Place in a bag and pop in the freezer. - ready!

The Myth Buster Strikes Again!

Okay, so I've been hearing all the diet and health related rumours again this week and have sought one out to investigate just for you!

Panic! Its 8 o' clock and I haven't eaten yet!

The rumour; If you eat after 8 o' clock at night you will store extra fat!

I'm sure you have heard this one, though sometimes you are told i'ts six o clock or not to eat certain food types after 6 o' clock.What the heck are shift workers, late workers, busy peeps supposed to do?

Your weight is determined by eating a healthy balanced diet not by the time you eat at. For those who are calorie counters this means that what really matters is how many calories you have taken in over a 24 hour period, not what time you took them in. A clinical study by Dunn Nutrition Centre in Cambridge backs this up. They discovered that people who ate late at night compared to those who ate before eight (ooh, a little rhyme there, okay Wordsworth won't be quaking in his grave over that one!), did not gain any more weight than the other group.
What they did discover was a possible correlation between those who eat minimally all day and then over eat at night because they are starving and are too hungry to make healthy informed food choices.It was this group who were most likely to put on weight.

So my darlings it is okay to eater after 8 or 6 or whatever but.......................you might find it harder to sleep as you may well get annoying indigestion!aghhhhhh!

Last weekend i visited the V Delicious show at Olympia. I had a great time and met some really interesting and passionate people there, some of whom I will be hooking up later with for the blog. The show was advertised as vegan and vegetarian and there was an allergy and back pain show attached. Unfortunately it wasn't easy to delineate between where the veg*n show and the allergy show went their separate ways. This meant that there were stalls selling animal foods and cooking them which I found pretty off putting! Anyway, I was struck by the number of companies there are selling anti allergy foods. I know that there are people with severe life threatening allergies but there are also ones out there that could be lessened or stopped by eating a really healthy balanced plant based diet rather than a dozen gluten free cup cakes! Now don't get me wrong the cup cakes looked delicious but I could not bring myself to stuff my bod' with all the sugar in them. If you do have allergies do check any foods carefully as there were some very scary ingredients in some of the products. There was also a heck of a lot of vegan chocolate stands and of course the ubiquitous coconut water.I did of course avail myself of samples!
One stand that really stood out to me was a new business that sells vegan and vegetarian snacks delivered to your door. The options were awesome and I've since been over to their website and it is absolutely brilliant. I spoke to Tinesh, (co-founder), at the show and he really is passionate about what he is doing. Do yourselves a favour and pop over to have a look at their website store because I think you will be really impressed.Good Health box.
I've had a good look at their offer and have ordered some goodies. When they arrive I will do a review for you.
Whilst at the show i also had a great chat to Alan a volunteer at the Vegan society stand. What a great guy! I have decided that as a result of chatting with him I am going to register as a volunteer. I joined the society whilst I was there too - great goody bag was given to me too rather unexpectedly! Yay!

I am glad I went to the show and look forward to it growing as more vegan businesses attend. Entry was free so all in all well worth going.
If you visit the V Delicious website they are also holding a show in Liverpool later in the year. You can register for free admission tickets - way to go!


Sooooooo.......
Remember, if you haven't entered the competition yet, do it now and don't miss out on a chance to win the life changing prize.

Coming on Thursday
* Guest blog (it's a really great article and I know you will love it)
* Weekend wanders
* Move a bit more, chill a bit less
* Weekender recipe
* Motivation central

BTW - are you interested in writing a guest entry for this blog? If you are please do contact me here with an outline of your ideas. Thank you. xxxxx

Here's wishing you a happy, healthy week filled with love for yourself and others,
Janie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Most common used conversions in measuring ingredients!

Hellooooooooo
Another one for the archive so that you can reference when needed!

I am assuming that you can add and multiply and if not well you can use the calculator on your phone if you want to double up the measures etc! lol

Fluid

25 ml = 1fl.oz
50 ml = 2 fl.oz or 1/4 cup
120 ml = 1/2 cup
175 ml = 1 cup

Dry

25 gm = 1 oz
1 kg (1000 gm) = 2.25 lb

Spoon

1 tsp = 5 ml
1 tbsp = 15 ml

Seasonal Fruit and Veg Link

One for the archive.
I love eating seasonally but sometimes i'ts often hard to work out what is naturally in season and what's been forced to grow and will be completely tasteless. I love the BBC interactive seasonal fruit and veg guide for the UK.
Its easy to switch between the pages and easy to read.
I hope you find it useful.

BBC Good Food Calendar

lots of love and healthiness
Janie xxxxxxx

Monday Madness - ENTER THE COOLEST COMP EVER! PLUS IS YOUR MAN A REAL MAN AND MUCH MORE!

Well HELLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !
Have you had a great weekend?
Did you go and visit any fab places that you'd love to see featured in the blog? If you did let me know where by clicking  here!
This weekend I went to V Delicious at Olympia - but more about that when I review the show on Thursday..........

COMPETITION.....................
So I promised you a chance to win a super awesome prize this week...........................................and here it is!

YOU can win this great prize worth £69!

YOU can win this amazing prize offered to you by Marlene Watson Tara!

Answer this simple question;
"Who have women described as being more considerate lovers in recent research?"
 and email your answer here. Please put "Natures Way" in the subject header.

The answer is in today's blog!

Closing date for this cool competition is Wednesday 16th July 2014 at midday. The winner will be announced on this blog on Monday 21st July 2014. The winner will also be notified by email.

If you want to discover more about this awesome prize click here for more info.


Only enter IF:

* You know that “diet” is a four letter word

* You want to banish fat from your body forever

* You want to say goodbye to fatigue

* You want to decrease your stress levels

* You would love to increase your self esteem

* You just want your life back on track

Wishing you all the very best of luck!

 F is for

Fig
Fennel
(Okay so its a short list for F and only one of them is presently in season too!)

Figs
Figs are in season form July to October and are grown in Mediterranean countries where you can see them everywhere. They are a great source of fibre, potassium, manganese and iron as well as the vitamins A,B and C. When buying figs in a shop remember that once picked they can not carry on ripening, so only buy ripe fruit. They have an incredibly short fridge life of 1 to 2 days. Figs are delicious served in a number of ways and feature in starters, mains and puds. I love them drizzled with agave syrup, some crumbled pistachios and a little crumbled fresh thyme - yum!

This Week's Recipe

www.preventcancer.aicr.org

Instead of a full on fig recipe I have been asked by a gazillion readers to share a recipe for chocolate caramel lollipops. It is not my own recipe but was one we made at the Dorking workshop with Marlene.

Chocolate Caramel Lollipops
Ingredients (for the caramel)
1 cup pitted soft dates
1 and 1/2 tsp peanut butter or nut butter of your choice
pinch of fine grain seas salt

For the chocolate coating
1/4 cup dairy free and sugar free choc chips ( I have used Plamil chocolate successfully)
1/2 tsp coconut oil

Method
* process dates in food processor until they form a sticky paste
* add the nut butter and salt and process to combine
* scrape out your sticky mixture into a bowl and freeze uncovered for 10 minutes (this is sooooo worth doing as it makes rolling the mixture into lollipops so much easier)
* line a plate with parchment
* with slightly wet fingers shape your mix into small balls. You should get about 20 from the mix
* place plate in the freezer to firm the balls up

* in a small pan melt the choc chips and oil on a very low heat. (I prefer the bain marie method), until 2/3 of the chips are melted.
* remove form the heat and stir the mix until smooth
* get the caramel balls from the freezer and using a cocktail stick dip each one in the mix to completely coat. tap off excess and replace on the parchment paper.
* place the finished balls in the freezer for about 20 minutes until the chocolate is set.

Now enjoy! Bet you cant eat more than 2 in one go!

Myth buster

Real men don't eat vegan or vegetarian!

So, I have heard a gazillion times that real men don't eat meat and that men who don't meat are lousy lovers! Oh so you have heard that too!

I decided that I needed to investigate this story to see how true it is.

Here are my findings:

There are quite a few studies available on this topic and they reveal some startling insights in to how diet affects us on all levels, not just weight.

So on the "lousy lover" front, do non meat eaters do it organically or is there very little difference between them?

I looked at scientific and qualitative studies to find the answers to this much asked question.

* Many meat eating men, according to various studies, believe that they are better lovers because they have "more blood" (!). Yep, they really did say that! Unfortunately for meat eaters it is the opposite. Cholesterol which is only found in animal based diets clogs arteries and veins including the penis. This means that actually meat eating men are 33% more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction and by the age of 65, 1 in 4 will be completely impotent. Furthermore men who eat meat are less likely to look after all areas of their health and may well also smoke and do less exercise which will contribute even more to the problem. 

* An animal based diet decreases energy. Whether it's the fats and toxins that are in meat that are too blame I don't know yet but what is recorded in research is that men who eat plant based diets have much more energy because plant foods convert to energy easily. It is recorded that meat eating men have less energy in and out of the sack.But hey, that might suit some people.........

* Plant based diet eaters tend to be leaner, trimmer and more agile which in studies has been reported as being more attractive. of course we all have our own personal preferences as to what we find attractive.

* Both meat eating and vegan/vegetarian women have described their plant based diet men as being more considerate lovers who take the time to think of their partners needs too. Many likened it to the idea that men who eat meat are selfish because they satisfy their taste buds at the the expense of all the other issues involved. (Recorded by Joan Zacharias)

* A famous porn actress ( and I guess she will have had plenty of experience on this front!) said that vegan/vegetarian men taste better! Apparently they taste sweeter and much less saltier and acidic. 

* In scientific tests women got to smell mens' armpits (eugh). They found that the men who had been given plant based diets consistently smelt "more attractive".  This is probably because meat releases toxins thorough the skins pores.

* Soy is beneficial to sexual health - yes there are some reports out there to the contrary but do check out who actually paid for these reports! In women soy in the diet keeps up the lubrication and in men it is beneficial for prostate health which is the males key sexual organ.If the prostate isn't functioning properly nor will anything else be down there!

In terms of training in the gym again I give you some photos of vegan athletes: 

Jim Morris aged 61

Dave Scott

Vegan athlete of 2013

Rich Roll

So, ladies and gentlemen, draw your own conclusions, I know what mine are.................

Move More Chill A Bit Less

Okay, so my training is now up to 2 hours per session and I am loving it. I am so chuffed with the progress I am making. I have also added in Pilates for extra flexibility and was surprised how my muscle strength is making a huge difference to my form in the Pilates class. 

Did you try a walk 10000 steps a day last week? Why not record what you do and let me know? Do you feel better for moving about more? Does having a target each day may you more connected with your bodies needs?

I really truly hope that you will move more than you did before this week. I know the benefits. I also know that I cant force or nag you to do anything. It is your life and your choice.I do however hope that you will look after your bod' the best you can and reap the rewards.

I hope you have enjoyed todays blog and that you will enter the competition. Please do share the blog with your friends so that they too can join in with us all.

On Thursday I will

*  be reviewing V Delicious

* finding you a great weekend wander

* weekend recipe

* motivation central

* and hopefully Kate will be well enough to write up her £30 challenge.

Spread the word..............................

Love to you all

Janie xxx

PS HAVE YOU ENTERED THE COMPETITION YET?
ENTER NOW!

YOU'D BE CRAZY NOT TO............................................

ENTER OUR SUPER EASY BLOG COMPETITION!

Coming in Mondays blog..................the coolest competition question and the bestest prize ever!

Check it out at - janiesappleaday.blogspot.co.uk

Check the blog tomorrow to find out more!
See you there, Janie xx

Thoroughly Thrilling Thursday 02/07/2014

Hey you!

You know what? sometimes I find Oprah Winfrey a bit too sugary for my taste but she got it spot on with the above quote. We can all achieve, whether it's learning a smattering of a new language for a long awaited holiday or getting fit and healthy. No-one who achieves has been handed it on the proverbial plate. They aren't lucky, they worked for it! But that is fabulous news because it doesn't matter who we are, where we live, how much money we have, we can all achieve of we are willing to work for it!

Have a little, but not too long, think about it! Come on lets all shout together "WE CAN DO IT IF WE REALLY WANT TO"

More Marvelous Miso

On Monday we talked about the magic of miso and I promised you a super awesome recipe. Not one that will taste like restaurant dish water but like fragrant, yummy, "can I have some more" Miso soup. It's a really easy recipe, can be made in bulk and stored in a glass jar in your freezer for several days so its always there for you, will freeze well and best of all it is so kind to your body.

Here goes....................

Ingredients

* 1 x 5 inch piece of Kombu (Kombu is a seaweed)

* 1/4 cup shitake mushrooms

* 2 Spring Onions - diced Finely

* Freshly grated ginger juice (grate a good 2 inches or more on a fine grater. then squeeze the juice out)

* 1 heaped tsp miso paste per bowl

To garnish

* chopped coriander                          

* finely sliced spring onion
* toasted seaweed

* gomassio (click here for recipe

Kombu is bought dried

Method

* Soak your piece of Wakame and shitake mushroom in 2 cups of water for about twenty minutes. 

* After twenty minutes, remove form the water (keep the water) and slice mushroom and seaweed finely

* In a soup pan add the scopped items, soaking water and another 4 to 5 cups of water. bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

* Add spring onions and simmer for a further 5 minutes.If you are planning to put some in the fridge or freezer do it now without adding the miso. 

* Remove from heat and using a strainer like a seive or tea strainer place your miso paste in it. Lower into the soup and using a spoon pus the paste through into the soup. Don't boil the soup with miso in or you will kill all the lovely living microorganisms.

put the ginger juice in and stir through.

Shitake are dried too!

Voila!

You now have a basic miso.

Serve with a sprinkle of uncooked spring onion, a few coriander leaves and gomassio.

You can add lovely small pieces of firm tofu to bulk it up.

Why not add some cooked noodles to the bottom of the bowl before pouring in the soup.

NOTE; when you take soup out of the fridge or freezer, heat it through thoroughly. In your soup bowl place a teaspoon of miso. Pour hot soup over and stir. Serve.

The Great Dorks Weekend
"Food is the problem AND food is the answer" by Marlene Watson-Tara

Well I promised you a review if the macrobiotic workshop so here we go.................................

Firstly hello to Marlene, Jane D,Jo, Debbie C, Debbie F, Sharon, Glynn, Vanda, Jill, Zoe, Louise, Arline and last but not least NESTA the Wonder Dog!

The Event was organised by Debbie Flint  who was ably supported by Sharon Harvey.

Our host for the day was Marlene Watson-Tara, the doyenne of Macrobiotic cooking and well-being. She is a macrobiotic practitioner who helps her patients to improve their lives through good nutrition and the the co owner of the Wellness Academy  with her husband the world renowned William (Bill) Tara. With a pedigree like that I figured I would be in for a great day and thankfully I wasn't wrong.

Marlene greeted us all as we arrived at the hall and offered us bancha or green tea to settle us down for the off! I have to say it was delicious and I am a firm believer in using teas as tonics. She also offered us handmade organic almond and pecan nuggets. Believe me once you've tried one of these you wouldn't ever need a bar of choccy again! One nugget gave us the satisfaction of a couple of big bars of fruit and nut and of course it was also nutritionally sound. Believe me one was more than enough to satisfy any sweet cravings - brilliant!

During the morning we discussed the role of balancing our hormones and the biome to be super fit and healthy. There was no phoohey, just Marlene's straight forward common sense approach. For more info about hormonal balance and weight loss and to read Marlene's article. click here.
We then took part in a cookery demonstration - the fragrances were divine! Some ingredients may have looked odd to non experienced vegan macrobiotic aficionados but they soon got the hang of them.
The Lunch Menu was divine;

Miso Soup

Fragrant Crispy Tofu Balls with Lemon/Tahini sauce served on Steamed Greens, Spelt Couscous and topped with Sauerkraut.

Apple Kanten and Date and Nut Chocolate Balls

OMG! Gorgeous or what! Even the meat eaters were bowled over with such great tasting food.. Once you've tried quality macrobiotic food there's no turning back!

Just writing about it is making my mouth water!

In the afternoon we looked at the role of laboratories creating so called food and how many big corporations pay to have research carried out to mock so called alternative ways to eat other than mass produced Frankenstein foods. Of course we also continued to examine the role of macrobiotic diet for good health and avoiding illness.
Mid-afternoon we made daikon tea. Now that raised some giggles! Daikon tea is a fab fat burning tonic but when making it one does get a smell like you do cooking sprouts on Christmas Day! However, when you drink it, it is the most delightful sweet teas and incredibly palatable.

1 tsp to 1 cup of water, boil for approx 20 minutes.
a fab fat burner

We finished with a lively and informative Q and A session which was most useful.
Jo from The Kind Food Company brought along a whole range of foods for attendees to look at, feel and purchase. This was a real bonus for the people there who hadn't come across some of the ingredients before.

 Marlene has true passion, tells the truth without fear, holds your attention the whole time, is a fantastic ambassador for macrobiotic living and a superb cook! On top of that I met amazing people who I would love to meet up with again. Thank you girls and Glynn for making it such a memorable day.

I've already recreated the recipes we made at the workshop and my husband looooooooved it all. (Btw for people who think real mean don't eat this type of food my hubbie is 6'1" of leanness, a runner and a sailor, my son is 6'5" and built like a brick privy and walks miles every day! ).

Marlene's workshops are well worth attending and truly are life changing - just ask Zoe! She runs them mainly from Glasgow but you can approach her to organise an event in another part of the country. She will of course be able to discuss this possibility with you.

Weekend Wanders

You know me I like a good wander at the weekend! i love discovering new places and walking around and learning new things. Nourishes the soul and the mind.

This weekend's suggestion is Eyam in Derbyshire.

You may well know Eyam as it is often referred to as the plague village. A London cotton merchant inadvertently introduced the plague in to the village in August 1665. Eyam means islands. This is really appropriate because the village isolated itself to prevent the plague spreading further.Supplies were dropped at pre-determined points around the village boundaries.

I know that all sounds a bit miserable! (I'm pretty sure it was, I remember watching The Roses of Eyam by Dan Taylor as a little girls), BUT, it is a very pretty village in the divine Derbyshire countryside and forms a huge part of our social history.

Eyam is a thriving place with plenty of stops for eating, drinking and making merry. After lunch why not stroll around the village and see:

* The Cool Stone

* The Plague Cottages

* Eyam Church

* Eyam Museum

* The mightily impressive Jacobean Eyam Hall (1671)

* The Anglo Saxon Cross.

Eyam's Jacobean Hall

One of the plague cottages

The Saxon Cross

Move more chill a bit less

Okay, so you have had it easy lately with marching etc. Its time to up the ante!

This week your challenge is to walk 10000 steps a day. That is a recommended minimum for good health. I can't make you do exercise, you will when you are ready.......but remember exercise gives you power, vitality and a far reduced incidence of serious illness. Unless you are in a coma you are more than capable of moving more and chilling a bit less!! I was watching "A year to save my life" yesterday and a thirty stone woman who was bed bound climbed 27 flights of stairs in one go! So whats your excuse? If you are worried or have concerns about exercise please always consult your doctor.

If you want to know more about moving more, checkout this newspaper article. Once you have read it you can make your own mind up. x

Will You?

Anyway time to sign off now but before I go...............................

On Monday I am launching a BIG competition with a super special prize!
We will be looking at F for...
Weekly recipe
Moving our bods
Real Men Eat Macro/Vegan (wait til you see some of the piccies I've got lined up!)
Kate tries the £30 challenge.

Cant wait ..............................weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
janie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Monday's Marvelous Madness! 30/06/2014 Supporting Your Well Being!

 It's Mooooooooooooooooooooooooonday! Yay! Another week to live life to the full is coming your way! How lucky are we? What an amazing opportunity. 

What can you expect today?
* E is for...........
* Weekly recipe to tickle your taste buds (it involves Edamame Beans!)
* The awesome power of Miso
* The Myth Buster strikes!(Does keeping fit cost a bomb?)
ENJOY!

I Love GYM!
(Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......don't tell my husband!)

Wow! I've had the most amazing week! Four super sweaty gym workouts, some great walks, fab food and a fantastic day in Dorking with fellow Dorks. (More about the Dorks on Thursday!). I can really see my body is looking stronger and I am feeling taller. What a brilliant way to feel about life! This is so wonderful for me as to be fair I have truly had some major downs in my life, some almost destroyed my will to live, but do you know what? A little hope kept sparking within me and kept me going until I was strong enough to take the bull by the horns and grab life back on my terms. And boy have I finally done it!
You may wonder why I'm telling you all this and baring my soul...............................It's because no matter how we appear in public we all have gremlins and knock backs and I want you to know that you can recover from them and deal with them so that you too can live the life you want. You may not believe it but I do know that the answer lays with great food to nourish the body and mind, exercise and my added extra, the love of my Husband,Children and Grandchildren. If you are ready or when you are ready to have a fab life keep referring to this blog and also get some great advice from The Wellness Acadmey. BTW I AM NOT BEING PAID OR GAINING ANY BENEFIT (OTHER THAN THE SAME FAB INFO YOU CAN GET) BY RECOMMENDING THEM. I recommend them out of pure passion and the knowledge that they aren't faddy or out to make money from peoples insecurities. They just offer the truth so that when you are ready you too can join in the "great life club". Can you feel the passion?! Baby, I'm on fire on this one!!!!

soundcloud.com

E is for................

Edamame
Endive
Elderberry
Eggplant (this is a nightshade so approach with caution!)

Beautiful Edamame

Edamame are super foods in my humble opinion! They are full of essential amino acids, great for protein,  low fat and a fab source of fibre. They make a great snack, side dish, appetizer and there are myriad recipes out there to include them as an ingredient.It is normal not to eat the outside shell as it is uber fibrous.
Edamame beans are neither yin or yang foods so will not cause you nutritional distress. Whats not to love?!
Many of you lovely readers may have tried these delicious beans at a japanese restaurant or one of the Japanese food chains but believe me if you make your own at home they take minutes, cost very little and can be pimped to your taste and will taste far superior.
Here's my super quick and easy, super yummy recipe that will enhance to your health and well being;

RECIPE!
Excellent Edamame with Gorgeous Gomassio
Ingredients
Edamame in shells (as many as you want per person, I suggest 100g per person)
Sea salt
For Gomassio
Sea Salt (1 part to 10 parts sesame seeds)
Sesame seeds (white or black)

Method
* Bring a pan of water to the boil with 1 teaspoon of sea salt.Make sure you have enough water to immerse all your beans once water comes to boil)
*Immerse your beans once the water is boiling and cook for about five minutes. Do not leave any longer or they will become mushy, yeuk!
* Remove and drain. If you plan to shell them before you serve place them in ice cold water to stop them cooking any further. When cool shell. otherwise they are ready to serve hot topped with your gorgeous gomassio.
* Whilst your edamame are cooking make your Gomassio.
Gomassio Method
* In a dry heavy based pan toast the sea salt for three minutes. It may go a bit grey but that's fine.
* Remove and add your sesame seeds and toast lightly. Toss regularly to avoid burning. Once they have started popping or have darkened a couple of shades they are ready.
* Remove and mix with toasted salt.
* Using a pestle and mortar or coffee grinder, grind to the texture you know you will love the most.
* Once your lovely beans are ready and are drained, toss them in your mix. I would advise using a teaspoon of Gomassio per two portions. You can always add more toy our own taste but of you put too much on remember you cant take it away!
Notes
* Your Gomassio can be stored in a glass jar in your cupboard quite safely for a good few weeks. Add it to everything!!!!!
* Cooked edamame in shells or podded can be frozen very successfully.
* Keep some in the freezer you have podded so that you make a quick salad or snack.
* If you aren't up to making your own Gomassio you can purchase it online from a wonderful company called The Kind Food Company. They are a small company with a vast range of marvelous macrobiotic foods and more. I love to support them whenever I can.(and yes there is no financial incentive to say this, just the usual Janie Smith Passion to spread the word!).

Edamame snack comparison 
Edamame Beans 100 calories 1/2 cup shelled
Peanuts - 431 calories 1/2 cup
Oreo Biscuit - 1 biscuit 160 calories
Walkers Ready Salted Crisps - 25gm 140 calories
never mind the fat contents!

Myth Busters
As you know I love to go out and disprove myths so that YOU can get to the truth about healthy living. Many reports you read online are sponsored by corporate companies with a vested interest in getting you to believe their take on things. It's the same with nearly all the diet industry cookbooks - they are published to make money from YOU and pray on YOUR worries.

The Myth; I need expensive kit and fancy gym membership to be fit.
The Truth: Well I guess if you want expensive gym kit and fancy gym memberships then you can go buy them but unless you actually wear them and use your membership to its best advantage you wont get healthy!
Now, as you know I train all the time, its a really important part of my life but have I spent a fortune on kit? Hell NO!!! Does my kit look good? I'd like to think so!
So where can you get excellent quality comfortable clothes to train in that don't coast a bomb but look fab?
* your supermarket - my cropped lycra leggings cost me a whole £10 and they go in the wash at least four times a week, don't look any different than when I bought them, fit well and look good!
* I invested in a long length vest top from the shop that rhymes with Harks and Farks for £12. I know you can buy cheaper but again mine goes in the wash daily and hasn't shrunk, faded and looks fab.
* my trainer socks are also a supermarket buy - you know 5 pairs for £3. I have to admit I bought them in pink so they match the trim on my leggings! lol! OK, so I'm quite girly at times!!!
* when it comes to trainers I struck lucky. I take a shoe size 5 so can buy from the kids dept! I bought a fabulously comfortable pair of all round use trainers suitable for the gym floor, walking and classes for £35 and they are NIKE! Even if you have to go in to adult sizes and pay the VAT you do not need to spend a fortune. Just find a pair that feel very comfy and support your feet. Don't be sold on expensive trainers unless you absolutely cant live without them. If you are going running you can get great supportive running shoes for well under £100. I find Asics the most comfortable and supportive for running.
* My water bottle was purchased in Planet organic and has a replaceable water filter in it as well as being made of safe materials so that nasties don't leach in to my water. Okay, it cost me £10 but its worth it for the goodness of my health and I cant even begin to put a price on that. If you do use bottled mineral water when you train please DO NOT REUSE your water bottle. It is really unhealthy to you.

Obviously I have a pink one!
The Bobble Bottle

So I do have gym membership, it costs me £26 a month. I saved a fortune by taking the 9-5 option, 7 days a week. It includes, gym, swim and classes! The gym is better furnished than most of the expensive places, has superb facilities including great showers, loos, locker rooms etc. The fitness trainers are always very happy to help with questions and guidance. In fact its all around brilliant! How is it sooooooo inexpensive? It is owned and run by our local borough council! It doesn't have a fancy brand name! Believe me it's the best gym I've ever been to and believe me I've joined all the highfalutin ones!!!!! If you click on Wimbledon Leisure Centre it will give you an idea just what you could find in your local area without breaking the bank! It has been upgraded since the photos were taken and is now super fab, we even have an Elemis Spa!

Of course if a leisure centre isn't your thing why not go for free exercise like walking, cycling, running, skipping, hiking, playing ball games, tennis, swing ball or join a local ramblers group?

So, I hope I have proved you  need top spend a fortune to be fit and healthy. After all its not the kit and the fancy surroundings that make you fit .......its YOU!

I would loooooove to see your bargain kit, why not send me a pic here. I would only pop it on the website if you expressly agree!

The power of Magical Miso!
After several centuries of being a highly revered food/folk remedy in countries such as Japan, Miso has been recognized by modern medical science as being an essential food for excellent health. It is used regularly for digestive ailments, to treat various cancers, radiation sickness and many intestinal infections. It truly is a super well being food. Miso is a live probiotic food that is completely natural without any added nasties. When it is fermented it creates massive amounts of isoflavines which makes its nutrients more accessible to the the gut and also promotes a healthy pH in your system. When you buy the lab created probiotic drinks you are not eating real food and nor are they very effective.
Miso is
* a complete protein with all your amino acid needs
*  a great source of B vitamins, calcium, iron
*  dairy and wheat free
* low in cholesterol
* high in antioxidants
* less sodium than your table slat
* is known to strengthen your immune system

There are a gazillion sorts out there but if you start with a good Clearspring Organic Hatcho Miso for your savoury needs and the Organic Sweet Miso for your sweet recipes, you are on to a winner for amazingly good health. You can buy some great sachets to take to work too.

In Thursdays blog I will be giving you a super easy miso soup recipe that will taste delicious and not taste like the poohey stuff you get in most restaurants! Trust me it is so fragrant and de - lish - ussss.







Coming on Thursday!
* Review of Macrobiotic workshop with the Dorks!
* Weekend Wanders
* Weekend Recipe - Scrumptious Miso Soup
* Motivation central
* Move More Chill a bit less
* The Feed a family for £30 a week blog challenge!

So, I'm revved up to face this weeks' challenges and emerge with a triumphant smile on my face - I hope you are too.My mate gym will be calling along with a food prep session to fill the freezer with awesomeness!
What are doing ? Id love to hear from you! I know you are out there, the data tells me so and so do you! I would love to create a readers gallery for when we move over to the new layout on wordpress. Why not be part of it?
Contact Janie - go on, be brave, I don't bite!

If we don't "speak" before Ill see you all on Thursday.have a happy healthy week and don't forget to share the love and passion.
Much love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxjaniexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx