​We are in that week between after Christmas but before New Years.  Still in food coma’s, tired after late nights, possibly licking wounds from tensions that might have flown, or just enjoying the company of someone you haven’t had the chance to see in a long time.  This week always seems to go in a blur.
 
This year why not take a breath?  Use this week to sit  down and make a list and ask yourself the following:

1. What is the one thing you want to do differently in 2022 than the way you did it in 2021?
2. Write down how you are going to do that, what It looks like, steps you need to make
3. Who did you feel good around in 2021 and how can you do more of that?
4. What is the one thing you would do if you had the opportunity in 2022?
5. Do you have the opportunity to do that thing?  If not can you make it come about?
6. If you could help 1 person this year, who would it be and how would that look?  This can be big or small.
7. What is one thing you can do each week to help you decompress your stress?  Factor in time to do it.  This could be Yoga, meditation, cooking, walking, swimming in the sea, breathwork, a catch up with a friend, reading a book.  You choose what works for you.

 
The main thing is to make your goals realistic and important to you, don’t do the same old same old and give up 2 weeks into January, let’s make 2022 our gamechanger.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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
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Click herI might be vegan but I love cooking for others, and this is the best way to cook your turkey to stop it going dry (so everyone I’ve cooked it for has told me).
 
The best way to stop the turkey turning out dry as dust is simply by braising it in milk.  This helps to add some added moisture the turkey needs, we all know it can be a dry meat.
 
So this is my way of braising the turkey in milk, note you will need to start the process a few days before you are going to cook the turkey but it is worth it and you’ll thank me for doing it.
 
Ingredients

• 1 (10lb to 14lb) turkey
• 12 cups Organic Whole milk kefir or buttermilk (I use kefir milk for the added health benefits and I find it works better, but buttermilk is perfectly fine)
• 7 Tbsp fine sea salt

 
Method

• Place a large brining bag in a large bowl or sink.
• Pour kefir and salt in bag and stir to dissolve salt.
• Place turkey in bag and seal carefully, expelling out air.
• Double-bag the turkey to prevent any leakage, then squish the inner bag to distribute kefir all around the turkey.
• Place it on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for 48 hours.
• Turn the bag every 12 hours so that every part
• Preheat the oven 230C
• Place the turkey that has been marinating into a roasting pan and pour the remaining marinade over the top of the turkey until covered and there is some settled at the bottom of the pan and place orange slices on and around the turkey.
  
• Roast the turkey until an instant read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast, without touching bone, registers 65C (about 40 minutes for boneless breast or 50 minutes for a bone-in-breast. For a 25lb turkey unstuffed, cook for 4-5 hours and with a stuffed turkey 4-6 hours).
• You may want to tent the breast with aluminium foil if it’s darkening too quickly.
• Put the cooked turkey on a large chopping board and rest for 10 minutes then carve.

 
If you want to use kefir and you don’t make your own, you can get some grains through fermenting Facebook groups, or you can buy kefir milk in Supervalu, Dunnes and your local polish food shops.
 
I have instructions on how to make kefir on my blog and social media pages.
 
 
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
e to edit.

​ 
I am a big fan of Christmas, I love the coming together, sharing gifts, food, atmosphere, it has always been one of my favourite times of the year.  But I can also recognise how stressful Christmas can be.  Everyone is rushing, in a panic, trying to get it all perfect, find the money for everything and meet expectations or hold their tongue for everyone else’s sake.  It can definitely be stressful.
 
So this year, remember it’s ok to take some time to destress and remember what Christmas is meant to be about.
 
My top 3 stress busting aids are:

1. Rescue remedy – I love this little bottle, just pop some drop into water and drink.  Rescue remedy are Bach Flowers, which are homeopathic in nature.  They do not interact with anything else, and work by help your body deal with the stress when you cannot remove the stressor.
2. Breathing – I no we are all breathing or we would be dead, but certain breathing techniques significantly reduce tension in the body and help the body release stress.  My favourite is box breathing -  inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds then repeat.  Start by doing this for 4 minutes
3. Remove yourself- that simple, if you are in a situation that is stressing you out, if possible remove yourself and go and do something else.  Sounds simple but far too many of us do not recognise our own boundaries and stay in uncomfortable situations for far longer than is healthy.

 
My wish for you all is a fun filled and peaceful Christmas but if that’s not on the cards I hope you remember these 3 tips and that they help you recentre and enjoy your Christmas.
 
 
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
 

​Sometimes the best solution is the simplest one.  The same is true very often with health and diet.  I ate a very typical diet (years ago) so I didn’t think anything of it.  It was normal to eat lots of things that came in packets, crisps on a regular basis, fizzy drinks, etc.  Sure everyone ate like that, it was normal.  I was a vegetarian that wasn’t that keen on vegetables.
 
The thing is my diet was normal for my generation but completely different from the generations before me.  How had our diet changed so quickly?  A lot had to do with advertising, making foods that were not nutritious look normal, foods with added nutrients rather than food with natural nutrients.  We all started using microwaves, diets were in all of a sudden, you always seemed to be on the latest one, sure everyone was doing it.
 
20 years later and I am seeing increases in most chronic health issues, cancers, childhood health issues, maybe it’s time to simplify things a little again.
 
So here are a few tips from me to you on how to identify food that is beneficial for your health:

1. Buy live food – fresh produce, not something that could live in your cupboard quite happily for the next 2 years.  Most of your shopping trolley should be produce with a few products and not the other way around
2. Hydrate with water – Get a glass of water into yourself every 2 hours. 
3. Cook from fresh – it doesn’t have to be worthy of a Michelin star restaurant, even an omelette or stir fry is far better for you than something from a packet
4. Get creative – don’t eat the same thing over and over
5. Eat a proper meal – 2- 3 proper meals a day will curb cravings, picking and binging, give you energy for the day and a better sleep at night.
6. If your food looks beige you will eventually show signs of nutrient deficiencies (even if you supplement)  add colour (and I don’t mean ketchup)
7. Think more about what your grandparents ate than what your best friend eats. 

 
The interesting thing is, my diet is far more interesting and tasty now that I eat food that fuels my body rather than my cravings.
 
 
 
 
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
 

So if you read my article last week you will see there are some fairly everyday reasons you might be hungry and some simple ways to rectify the situation.  We are all different and the best way to rectify a situation is to really understand how it has come about.
 
So here is a little list of 5 more reasons you might be hungry and how to resolve it:
 

1. You’re not eating enough vegetables.  If I’m honest this is the no 1 cause of most of our weight and diet related health issues today in my mind, we simple eat too little vegetables and what we do eat is lower in nutrients than our parents and grandparents had.  How do we adjust this?  Add more vegetables and what you add try to make it local grown organic.
2. You are eating in a hurry – we just don’t give our food the time it needs, we don’t see it as important for our wellbeing so other things in our lives are given more priority
3. You aren’t drinking enough water – you knew that was coming.  Hunger and thirst can often be misinterpreted by our body so if you are always hungry, think if you are drinking enough water.
4. You are stressed – as I said before about sleep, stress needs lots of calories and nutrients so this can increase your need for calories, the downside is you would think if you’re burning it off you would loose weight, but you’d be wrong!  Stress impacts the hormones and you tend to gain hormonal weight around the middle.  Another reason stress can make you think you are hungry is you may start eating your feelings, using food to suppress your emotions.
5. You’re just hungry.  Some people have higher metabolisms than others and you may just burn off the calories quickly which can mean you have a need for  a nutrient and calorie dense diet.

 
 
Follow myself and Shona @welovebreakingfads on Instagram and Facebook for recipes, tips and videos, and keep any eye out for our launch of our new and improved Breaking Fads Bodytype programs in Early 2022.
 
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
 

 
Growing up I always struggled with my weight, on one diet or another.  A negative relationship with food always.  There was no real education on how to eat healthy, just some very vague ideas that didn’t always work for me.  I never really thought what food was doing for me or when I ate the wrong foods, what it was doing to me.
 
So here is a little list of 5 reasons you might be hungry and how to resolve it:
 

1. Too little protein in the diet – each meal you ideally need the palm of your hand in protein
2. You’re not eating enough – you may be on a starve binge cycle without realising
3. You’re not sleeping well – this puts stress on the body, stress burns calories, so you end up hungry.  Sleep also regulates and appetite stimulating hormone called ghrelin, sleep down – ghrelin up.
4. You’re eating too many refined carbs – bread, pasta, pizza, whire rice etc.  A simple switch to brown can make a big difference
5. Not enough fat in your diet – yep, you heard me!  We have had fat drummed into us for so long as a negative that many people don’t eat enough now.  Healthy fats help you feel fuller and more satisfied for longer

 
The truth that I wasn’t aware of was that if I ate like my friends, I gained weight when they didn’t, and that is very frustrating and destroys a good relationship with food.  When in fact all I needed to do was to eat in the way that suited my bodytype and suddenly everything fell into place.
 
Follow myself and Shona @welovebreakingfads on Instagram and Facebook for recipes, tips and videos, and keep any eye out for our launch of our new and improved Breaking Fads Bodytype programs in Early 2022.
 
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