The Healthy Chef – Teresa Cutter

When you’re under stress, healthy-eating habits can sometimes get thrown out the window and you’re likely to eat high calorie comfort foods in an attempt to fulfill emotional needs, even when you’re not hungry. A study published in the International Journal of obesity also suggests that chronic stress is associated with increased cortisol levels in the blood which can contribute to weight gain and impaired brain function.  Well most of us get pretty stressed out at times so it’s important to take a breath and evaluate how you can help manage it.  A few good basic tips are:

Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast
Keep comfort foods out of the house or office
Learn to Relax, Exercise and get enough Sleep
Have a support team and focus on eating a healthy diet

Make  this delicious Stress Buster Smoothie to help nourish your your body + immune system

This smoothie is made from a few simple ingredients and can be wizzed up in about 1 minute.  It contains blueberries, banana, yoghurt and ground flaxseeds (linseeds) that contain a good amount of antioxidants, fiber, omega 3 and protein including Glutamine which is known as an anti-catabolic, meaning it helps reduce muscle breakdown and maintain lean muscle mass.  Yoghurt contains calcium for strong bones, protein for repair and lactobacillus bacteria to nourish your immune system and fight disease.

Bananas are a terrific energy food and a great source of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Blueberry contains whopping amounts of antioxidants and are a great source of vitamins, folate, minerals and fibre and adding a touch of cinnamon helps utilize blood sugar and helps boosts brain activity. Ground flaxseeds (linseeds)  can also help reduce cholesterol and fight insulin resistance by lowering blood sugar levels because of it’s high fiber and high omega 3 content. Flax can help keep you regular and eliminate toxins because the seeds are packed with both soluble and insoluble fiber to absorb water and stimulate peristalsis of the colon.  It’s important when increasing fiber in your diet that you also make sure you drink enough water.

Serves 1

Time it takes: 1 minute

150 g fresh or frozen blueberries
1 banana
250 g low fat natural yoghurt with live cultures
1 teaspoon honey
1 heaped teaspoon ground flaxseed (linseed)
pinch of cinnamon
ice to blend (optional)

Combine all the ingredients into a high good high speed blender like a VitaMix.
Blend until smooth and creamy.
Serve immediately and enjoy.

NB: You can add a splash of milk or water if you want a thinner consistency.

Protein: 18.1 g
Fat:  2.4 g
Carbs: 52 g
kilojoules: 1280
Calories: 295
Calcium: 538 mg
Fiber: 6.4 g

NOTES: other berries can be used in place of the blueberries.  For an extra antioxidant boost, soak a handful of goji berries in a little water for 1 minute to soften then throw them into the mix.
if you can’t have dairy, use your favourite milk such as almond, soy, quinoa, sunflower seed or pumpkin seed milk.

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