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Bites From Nature is a nutrition and wellbeing website founded by nutritional therapist, Mona Elnagar. Mona holds a Bachelor degree in Science and Dip in Nutritional Therapy from the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM). She is a member of the British Association of Applied Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy (mBANT) and she is a registered practitioner with the Complimentary and Natural Healthcare Council (rCNHC). Mona Specialises in family and children nutrition and Gut health. She is also a certified detox practitioner running a regular programs for liver detox. Mona currently sees clients from differnet locations around London and also runs a virtual clinic where she sees clients via skype. For more information please visit the website www.bitesfromnature.com

Happy Woman's Day!, Mum! ____________________________Always remember you're strong and you can do anything.Don't forget ...
08/03/2019

Happy Woman's Day!, Mum!
____________________________
Always remember you're strong and you can do anything.
Don't forget the person you once were before having kids, because this person matters the most and deserves your attention and care too. .

Are you hooked on Stimulants? - Day 7_______________________________Breaking Stimulants Addiction-----------------------...
06/03/2019

Are you hooked on Stimulants? - Day 7
_______________________________

Breaking Stimulants Addiction
---------------------------------------------

Get back in control of your mood, energy and weight-loss goals and download your Free sheet and track your stimulants intake today.
Record how you feel and notice your energy level become more stable and your mood happier. .
Link to the download https://eepurl.com/gjvud5
"vegan

CARROT 🥕 CAKE PANCAKE____________________________Make this recipe for little ones (and big ones too) tomorrow before sch...
04/03/2019

CARROT 🥕 CAKE PANCAKE
____________________________
Make this recipe for little ones (and big ones too) tomorrow before school 👇🏻
Ingredients
----------------
120g plain flour
1 heaped tbsp ground flax seed
1 tbsp arrowroot powder (optional)
2 tbsp ground almond and pumpkin seeds mix
20 g coconut sugar
2 tsp of baking powder
pinch if salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp mixed spices
1 large carrot finely grated
zest of 1 orange
for wet ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
110 full fat milk
Prep
-------
1- mix all dry ingredients together
2- mix milk, eggs and vanilla in a jug and gently pour over dry ingredients while mixing.
3- stir in carrot and zest.
4- heat pancake pan over medium heat and add a snall k**b of butter, when foaming add 2 tbsp of batter for medium pancake or 1 tbsp. for a smaller size. Make as many as your pan can take. Repeat in batches.
5- serve with live yogurt, blueberries, raspberries or nectarine.
___________


Hi Mum, are stimulants affecting your energy and weight-loss?_________________đź’ˇTop Tips on cutting down on Stimulantsđź’ˇ--...
03/03/2019

Hi Mum, are stimulants affecting your energy and weight-loss?
_________________

đź’ˇTop Tips on cutting down on Stimulantsđź’ˇ
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
➡️So now we have seen that caffeine, stress, and sugar keep your blood sugar out of balance by giving you an artificial boost, closely followed by an energy slump. This sets up cravings and keeps you addicted. It also encourages you to eat more, as you try to summon up the energy you need to get through your day.
➡️Addressing this imbalance will help you to feel calmer, more energised and alert without the ups and downs. You can begin to see how much easier it is to stick to a weight loss plan, if you are not trying to contend with this vicious cycle.
➡️Changing any food habit can be stressful in itself, so it's best not to quit everything in one go. A good strategy is to avoid something for a month and then see how you feel. Now let’s talk some top tips to get you in action:
👉🏻Tip 1--- quit coffee for 2 weeks
-------------------------------------------
To find out what effect it has on you, quit for just two weeks. You may get withdrawal symptoms for up to 3 days (e.g. headaches, irritability). These reflect how addicted you've become. After this, if you begin to feel perky and your health improves, that's a good indication you're better of without coffee. Reduce your consumption by 1 cup every 3 days until you stop. Replace the habit with another habit, introduce coffee alternatives like Teeccino or Chicory coffee.
👉🏻Tip 2------ Make friends with herbal teas
----------------------------------------------------
Tea (including green tea and Earl Grey) contains caffeine and tannin, which interferes with the absorption of essential minerals, such as iron and zinc. If you're addicted to tea, try stopping for 2 weeks and see how you feel. One cup of weak tea a day is ok. Introduce herbal teas instead - try licorice or cinnamon as naturally sweet with great flavour.
👉🏻Tip 3------ Say Bye to soft drinks & Hello To Sparkling water
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cola contains as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and is high in sugar or artificial sweeteners, so its net stimulant effect can be considerable. Stay away from drinks containing caffeine, chemical additives, artificial sweeteners or colourings. Try sparkling water instead. You can add slices of lemon, mint, licorice or any herbs, spice or sliced fruit to flavour it naturally. Explore with Kombucha too, a fermented beverage that is fizzy, low in sugar and so good for your tummy.
👉🏻Tip 4----- Replace Sugar with Xylitol
----------------------------------------------
Reduce sugar in hot drinks and food, eat less dried fruit, dilute fruit juice and cut out squash. Also check for hidden sugar in prepackaged foods. Try using xylitol (plum sugar) instead of regular sugar. It has very little effect on blood sugar and it's just as sweet as sugar. Use it in place of sugar in anything that requires sugar (but please be ware, it's highly toxic to dogs).
It takes about a month for a preference for less sweet foods to kick in. After that, most people lose the taste for sugar.,
👉🏻Tip 5---- Avoid Going Hungry
-------------------------------------
Reduce cravings with an excellent low glycemic load diet. Make sure to have a good breakfast of protein, fiber and complex carb, and avoid going hungry to keep your energy levels stable through out the day.



Hi Mum, are stimulants affecting your energy and weight-loss?_____________________________Cutting Down on Sugar --------...
01/03/2019

Hi Mum, are stimulants affecting your energy and weight-loss?
_____________________________

Cutting Down on Sugar ----------------------------- .
One problem with sugar is knowing where it is. You may not put sugar in your tea, or eat chocolate regularly but it is also found in many hidden places. Ketchup is 23.6% sugar for instance.
Cans of beans or tomatoes, cereals, flavoured yoghurts, so called healthy crunch bars, ready made and processed meals, are often a hidden source of sugar. Check food labels for hidden sugars. Stay away from artificial sweeteners, linked to side effects such as migraine and some cancers. Furthermore, some studies show they can even stimulate appetite!
Highly refined products such as white bread or rice have a high GL. If you eat them you get a rapid increase in blood sugar level and a surge in energy, similar to the effect of sugar. This is followed by a drop as the body scrambles to balance blood sugar levels. This is why you often get an afternoon slump, having eaten a white bread sandwich and some chocolate or similar for lunch. This effect often leads you to reach for more chocolate or coffee for a new energy boost, to be followed by the same slump soon afterwards. It's a cycle.
So, cut right back on sugar and stick to eating low glycemic load foods to keep your blood sugar stable. Avoid refined and processed foods. Keep active and do regular exercise, as you are most likely to snack when you are bored or inactive. Exercise will also give you some of the feel-good hormones that you also get from eating sugar.
After 10 days of cutting out sugar you will have increased energy, your emotions will be on a more even keel and, you will have lost the taste for it. If you make sure you are trying at least one new food a week, you will not feel the least bit deprived.
_____________________________

Teriyaki Tofu with Soba Noodles..________________________Thinking of ordering a take away tomorrow? Think again. This re...
28/02/2019

Teriyaki Tofu with Soba Noodles..
________________________
Thinking of ordering a take away tomorrow? Think again. This recipe is so easy to make and gives you the feel and taste of a take away without adding extra cm to your waist line.
Serves 2
Ingredients🍜
___________
200g Soba (buckwheat) noodles
2 packs of firm tofu, peeped (see prep)
For the marinade:👇🏻
- 4 tbsp of tamari or regular soy sauce
- 4 tbsp mirin (Japanese rice wine)
- 2 tbsp. Grated fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp. Sesame oil
- 1 tsp. Xylitol
1 big tbsp. Coconut oil for frying🥥
Prep
____
Prep your tofu ahead:
drain the Tofu by placing it in a sieve then weight it down with something, like a tin of beans for few hours to squeeze out all the extra water. Then crack on with the recipe👇🏻
1- Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Slice or cube the tofuCl and marinate for 10 mins.
2-Cook the noodles for 4-6 mins then drain immediately under cold water to avoid them overcook ING and sticking together.
3- Heat the coconut oil in a large wok or frying pan, drain the tofu ( reserving the marinade) and add it to the wok. Gently fry for 5 min on each side.
3- Throw in the noodles to warm through for a few mins with stirring, then add reserved marinade. Mix well and serve hot with a wedge of lemon.
4- this is a basic recipe and you can add any veg or greens you like to the wok. Try adding bok choy, kale, tenderstem broccoli, Chinese cabbage, sliced pepper, carrot or bean sprouted. The choice is yours. .

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & BLACK BEAN BURGERS Easy vegan mid-week recipe to make for dinner and leftover make great lunch too. I...
26/02/2019

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & BLACK BEAN BURGERS
Easy vegan mid-week recipe to make for dinner and leftover make great lunch too. It also freezes very well
Makes 4-6 burgers
Ingredients
---------------
550g butternut squash (approx. half a large squash), peeled, deseeded and cut into small chunks
1/2 head of garlic ( about 5-6 cloves), peel left on
2 tbsp olive oil
100g unroasted unsalted cashew nuts
400g can black beans, drained and rinsed well
28g pack fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Zest of half a lemon
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional, depending on how hot you like your food)
Salt and pepper to taste
-
Prep
-----
1. Preheat the oven to 180C, gas mark 4. Place the butternut squash and garlic cloves on a baking tray. Season and drizzle with the olive oil then roast for 25 minutes.
2. Place the cashew nuts on another baking tray and dry-roast for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place the beans into a large bowl together with the lemon zest, and coriander.
4. Remove the cashew nuts from the oven, allow to cool slightly then chop or break roughly. Place in the bowl with the beans. Once the squash is soft, take the tray out of the oven.
5. Peel the roasted garlic and chop roughly. Add to the black bean mixture with the roasted squash.
6. Use a potato masher to mash the ingredients - this should take a few minutes. Season, add the ground cumin, coriander, chili, and paprika.
7. Divide the mixture into even size burger patties.
8. Heat a large frying pan over high heat and cook in a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes each side, until browned and hot throughout.
9. Serve with your choice of topping. In the picture, I served it with beetroot humous, tahini tomato salad, avocado, olives, and cucumber.
10. If you want it in a bun, try adding Coriander and lime hummus, tomato, lettuce or spinach, and some pickles.


Hi Mum, Are Stimulants Affecting your Energy and Weight-loss?__________________________Chocolate -------------- Chocolat...
25/02/2019

Hi Mum, Are Stimulants Affecting your Energy and Weight-loss?
__________________________
Chocolate --------------
Chocolate is high in sugar and stimulants and is delicious, so it’s easy to become a chocoholic. If you are like the many others who simply cannot eat one square of chocolate and then stop, it is probably better to commit to giving it up for one month. After that, you’ll find that you have lost all craving for chocolate. Cola, diet and energy drinks, again, are full of caffeine and sugar and will only inhibit weight loss. .
Changing any habit can be stressful in itself, so it’s best not to quit everything in one go. A good strategy is to start with your diet and, as you feel better, you will feel more motivated to kick other bad habits along the way. Cut down on stimulants until you feel able to give some of them up for good. . .
Work out how many you consume daily; you’ll probably find it is more than you think, so make a plan to reduce your intake. You’ll be surprised how much better you will feel simply by cutting back. .

Hi Mum, Are Stimulants affecting your energy and weight-loss?____________Caffeine------------The reason people get hook...
25/02/2019

Hi Mum, Are Stimulants affecting your energy and weight-loss?
____________

Caffeine
------------
The reason people get hooked on drinking coffee, especially in the morning, is because it makes them feel more energised and alert but after their first cup of coffee, coffee drinkers don’t feel any better than people who never drink coffee.
Coffee drinkers just feel better than they did when they woke up. In other words, drinking coffee relieves the symptoms of withdrawal from coffee.
It’s highly addictive! Also, the more caffeine you consume, the more your body and brain become insensitive to their own natural stimulants, dopamine and adrenalin. You then need more stimulants just to feel normal, pushing your body to produce more dopamine and adrenalin. .
The result is adrenal exhaustion, leading to apathy, lethargy and an inability to cope. Caffeine can be found in tea, cola, energy drinks, chocolate and green tea, although drinking a weak cup of tea is unlikely to be a problem. Sugar is another stimulant, which we will mycover in more detail in the coming posts.

Hi Mum, Are Stimulants Affecting your Energy and Weight-loss?________________ Does this sound familiar to you? You relu...
23/02/2019

Hi Mum, Are Stimulants Affecting your Energy and Weight-loss?
________________
Does this sound familiar to you?
You reluctantly crawl out of bed and head for the kettle for a strong cup of tea or coffee, or have some fast releasing sugar such as jam on toast. Up go your blood sugar and adrenalin levels and you start to feel normal. Or, do you lie in bed thinking about all the things that have gone wrong, could go wrong or will go wrong?
You start to worry about everything you've got to do, haven't done or should have done. About ten minutes of this gets enough adrenaline pumping through you to get you out of bed.
If either of these scenarios sound like you, you're caught in a vicious cycle of stress, sugar and stimulants, with all its negative effects on your mind and mood.
Stimulants promise instant energy, but just make the problem worse.
As you know by now, keeping your blood sugar stable through out the day is the key to sustained energy and weight control.
Stimulants also promote the brain’s feel good chemicals. In times of stress, the adrenal glands release a combination of hormones, including cortisol and adrenalin, that break down stores of glucose and raise your blood sugar levels, tapping into your energy reserves to provide instant fuel to deal with the apparent danger (in case you need to run away from a sabre tooth tiger for example). Of course, today’s emergencies take place mainly inside our heads (overdrafts, relationships, etc.), but we still produce adrenalin, and that still raises blood sugar levels.
Stimulants have the same effect, stirring up adrenalin and dopamine seriously messing with your blood sugar and so encouraging your body to store fat.

Hi Mum, Are You Ready To Try Something Different?- Feeling tired all the time?- Wish you can put an end to your exhausti...
17/02/2019

Hi Mum, Are You Ready To Try Something Different?

- Feeling tired all the time?
- Wish you can put an end to your exhaustion and gain more energy?
- What about those days when you're stuck in an unhealthy eating pattern you can't seem to break free from?
- Perhaps you want to lose the extra weight you're carrying once and for all?

How great would it feel to know that it really IS possible to get back to the way you used to look and feel - without starving yourself or spending hours in the kitchen.

Want to know how to be healthy, full of energy so that you live your life to the fullest?

come and join the FREE facebook group " Healthy + Energised Mum" and find out how.

join the group here http://bit.ly/Healthy-Energised-Mum

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Hi, Mum Are You Ready To Feel your Best?

Hello, I am Mona. Registered Nutritional therapist + Health Coach. I work with busy mums who want to get back in control of family mealtimes and to really understand what to eat to feed their family well AND be the best version of themselves - without having to spend hours in the kitchen or radically change their lives. I do this by motivating and supporting them to make simple changes to their diet and lifestyle, reconnecting them with healthy habits they thought they had forgotten, so that they feel organised and in control, healthy and energised and living life to its fullest.

Book your COMPLIMENTARY 30 min “Get Back on Track Call” http://bit.ly/schedule30call and let's discuss what are you struggling with.

But if you don’t feel like doing this now then I warmly invite you to join our FREE Facebook group - Healthy + Energised Mum. You’ll find support from like-minded mums and tips, recommendations, advice, and healthy recipes - all aimed to make you feel your best.

Join the group here http://bit.ly/Healthy-Energised-Mum