Recently I saw an advert on the  television.  It was a child coming into ask his mother if he could eat a packet of crisps, to which she replied “your dinner is nearly ready!”  Well you can imagine what happened next…  the little boy had a hissy fit wailing “buuuuut I’m Huuuuunngry!!!!!!”  This was when the mother realised all the little unhealthy snacks he had eaten throughout the day, from a number of sources and she said no, he could have cheese and crackers or fruit if he was hungry.
 
No how often do you pick because you convince yourself you are hungry, but really if it was hunger any food would do, when we pick it’s generally on unhealthy foods and this is a craving not a hunger.  So how can you tell the difference?
 
 
Hunger

• Hunger starts slowly and intensifies
• Hunger can be hormonal/physical
• Hunger is accompanied by:

         Tiredness
         Stomach rumbling
         And empty feeling

• Hunger is satisfied by a variety of foods

Cravings

• ​Cravings come on quickly and are linked to situations (e.g. watching tv in the evening)
• Cravings are mainly psychological but can be linked to hormones
• Cravings aren’t normally accompanied by physical hunger, it’s more a mental hunger where your brain won’t switch off the urge till it’s satisfied
  
• Cravings are normally associated with specific foods

 
So the next time you tell yourself you’re Huuuunngry, ask yourself if it s hunger or cravings.  If you get regular cravings you need to take a look at what’s missing to cause the cravings.  If you are always hungry you need to look at how to get more into your diet to satiate your appetite.  For every problem you face with food, there is a fix, and that fix doesn’t have to be complicated to work.
 
You can follow carina at:
www.itsanaturalchoice.com
www.breaking-fads.com
Follow her journey on Facebook & Instagram:
It’s A Natural Choice 
We love breaking fads
Join Facebook group – The Natural Health Tribe
@itsanaturalchoice
@welovebreakingfads

We have all been there, picking like a lunatic at 11pm and just can’t seem to stop ourselves, or can’t just eat one (biscuit, cake, sweet, etc).
 
Most women crave something during pregnancy, when you are sick you crave specific foods, when you diet you crave foods, when you are trying to be good it’s like your brain is playing against you because all you think of are the foods you “can’t have”.
 
Well there is a common reason for all these cravings.  Your body is far more clover than you but not always clear in it’s communication.  Your body is trying to tell you that you are lacking something vital but it’s not being very clear.
 
If you are constantly tripped up by your cravings then you need to look at your diet and ask what you are missing.
 
The main cravings and missing nutrients
 
Craving -      Sugar
Missing -     Energy is low
                   Chromium
                   Carbon
                   Phosphorus
                   Sulphur
                   tryptophan
Introduce  -  Protein packed foods
                  Smoothies
                  Sweet potatoes
                  Rice
                  Fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds
                  Banana’s/avocado’s
 

Craving -      Starchy carbs
Missing -     Need a mood boost
                  Need an energy boost
Introduce  - Healthy fats
                  Vegetables
                  Nutrient dense foods

 
Craving -       Salt
Missing -       Could be feeling anxious or thirsty
                    You need healthy salts
                    Chloride
                    silicon
Introduce  -   Himalayan crystal salt
                    Steamed veggies
                    Raw veggies
                    Apples
                    Hydrating fruits and veg
                   Water

Craving -      Pizza or burgers (fast food)
Missing -     Fats
                   Sodium\carbohydrates
Introduce  -  Eat healthy fats
                  Nutrient dense food
                  Lean meats
                  Sweet potatoes
​
 
So the next time you think you aren’t control of your cravings look at what your diet is missing.  I always say start by adding more vegetables and removing more processed foods.
 
You can follow carina at:
www.itsanaturalchoice.com
www.breaking-fads.com
Follow her journey on Facebook & Instagram:
It’s A Natural Choice 
We love breaking fads
Join Facebook group – The Natural Health Tribe
@itsanaturalchoice
@welovebreakingfads

​I have developed a real love of pumpkin, but I wasn’t always that passionate for pumpkin.

This time of year is perfect to make some pumpkin recipes.  Carve the pumpkin for Halloween and remove most of the inside to use for your pumpkin dishes.  

What can you make?  There are so many dishes to try:
• Pumpkin pie
• Pumpkin risotto
• Creamy pumpkin pasta
• Pumpkin soup
• Pumpkin and spinach quiche
• Pumpkin puree
• Pumpkin chai muffins
• Pumpkin curry
• Pumpkin ravioli
• Pumpkin hash
• Pumpkin fritters
• Buddha bowl
• Roast pumpkin
• Spiced pumpkin cake
• Pumpkin scones
• Pumpkin frittata
• Pumpkin chilli


One of my favourite pumpkin recipes is pumpkin curry

Perfect Pumpkin Curry

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Yellow Curry Paste
• 1/3 Pumpkin, peeled, deseeded (or remove flesh from a pumpkin you’re carving)
• 1 lemongrass stem, pale section only
• 2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1can coconut cream
• 2 fresh kaffir lime leaves
• 2 courgettes, halved lengthways, sliced
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp fish sauce/soy sauce
• 1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
• Toasted coconut flakes, to serve
• Steamed brown rice, to serve
• Lime wedges, to serve
• Thinly sliced long fresh green chilli, to serve (optional)



Method
• Step 1
Preheat a slow cooker on High. Add curry paste. Cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes.  (you can also do this in a oven proof dish with a lid in the oven at 200C
• Step 2
Meanwhile, cut pumpkin into 2cm pieces. 
Smash lemongrass.
• Step 3
Add pumpkin and cauliflower to the slow cooker/oven dish. Stir to coat with curry paste.
Reserve 2 tbs coconut cream then add remaining to the slow cooker/oven dish with lemongrass and lime leaves. Cover and cook on Low for 3 1/2 hours (reduce the oven to 110C) or until pumpkin and cauliflower are tender.
• Step 4
Add courgette. Cover and cook for a further 30 minutes. Stir in sugar, fish sauce then basil.
• Step 5
Scatter coconut flakes and extra basil over curry. Drizzle over reserved coconut cream. 
Serve with rice, lime wedges and chilli, if using.


For more recipes check out my other blog posts

You can follow carina at:
www.itsanaturalchoice.com 
www.breaking-fads.com 
Follow her journey on Facebook & Instagram:
It’s A Natural Choice  
We love breaking fads
Join Facebook group – The Natural Health Tribe
@itsanaturalchoice
@welovebreakingfads

A good homemade curry paste is hard to beat

This is my go to recipe for Yellow Thai Curry Paste

Ingredients

• 1/2 to 1 stalk lemongrass, minced
• 1 to 2 yellow chiles, sliced (red can be used fi you can't find yellow)
• 2 shallots, sliced (white onion as an alternative)
• 1 inch galangal, sliced (ginger as an alternative)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce (soy sauce for vegan)
• 1/2 tsp shrimp paste (miso paste for vegan)
• 3/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 large pinch white pepper
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 Tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tin coconut milk, divided
  

Method

• Place all ingredients—lemongrass, chilies, shallots, galangal, garlic, coriander, garlic, coriander, ground cumin, cumin seeds, cinnamon, fish sauce, shrimp paste, turmeric, white pepper, brown sugar, lime juice, and tomato puree—using just 1/2 the tin of coconut milk, in a food processor or blender..  I use my Nutribullet. Add more coconut milk as needed to blend ingredients into a smooth paste or sauce. Process well.
• That's it!  Bet you didn't think it would be that easy :)

​