The Death of Reason: Aspartame

The death of reason descends on ordinarily reasonable folk like a thick fog. When once they had the power of reason and logic it abandons them the moment they read a word they do not understand: aspartame.

I have been inspired to write this post after seeing this link shared by a Facebook friend.

This concerned me for a number of reasons.

My Wish for 2012 (and Beyond)

I have a dream. It's an ongoing dream that I hope can be reached but know will be an incredibly long journey. It seems a simple dream in reality but obviously remains something eluding those it would most benefit.

My dream is for everyone to have access to genuine, ethical, and accurate nutritional advice so they can make informed decisions about what is best for their health.

I have been fortunate to grow up with a very skilled and sought-after consultant dietitian for a mother. A life of quick questions about this or that nutrient, serving sizes, and beneficial properties has left me healthily spoilt.

I have also been fortunate not to have ever completed months of hard slogs in the gym to be "beach-ready". I have always been a sporty person of sorts, though for a time I certainly watched more than participated - there's nothing like a pizza and couch night.

I have, however, done the time, made the change, transformed for the better, and lost 13kg.

Asian Inspired Steak

I do love a made up recipe so this one comes to you based on available fridge stock.

Start by cutting up all your vegies - I opted for julienned carrots because they look a little lighter for this meal, plus mushrooms and pak choy.

Heat a 24cm skillet over medium high heat. Place steaks in pan and cook for 2 mins or until sides are browned. Season as desired. Turn over and cook for a further 2-3 mins or until steak feels firm to touch. Do not turn over again as this can toughen the meat. Remove steaks from pan and wrap in foil. Set aside for the meat to rest.

Put some olive oil in the pan and fry enough mushrooms for two (or as appropriate). Place on the side of two serving plates.

Fry a bunch of pak choy for a minute, then add a dash of water and continue cooking until all the water has evaporated. Arrange in the centre of your serving plates, unwrap the steaks and place on top of the pak choy.

First Things First: Breakfast

I know I should be talking about an intelligent order to things and the "breakfast" referred to above is merely a metaphor for this part of the amazing transformation I am promising by the reading of this blog.
No. It's just breakfast.

I just made up a fabulous breakfast that didn't make me feel full or sick, like dairy can sometimes do, and thought I would share it. As with most of my meals, however, it was all made up and I don't do measurements, so here is my rough recipe to a healthy cereal breakfast without the yuck feeling.

• Take one jar or box of wholegrain, oats, and berry cereal from your sister's pantry and pour your preferred amount of cereal in a bowl.
• Put two large spoonfuls* of Black Swan No Fat Greek Style Natural Yoghurt on top of the cereal. If you start mixing the yoghurt in now the yoghurt should not quite cover all the cereal.
• Pour a small dash of milk to cover remaining cereal. I use Devondale Smart Plus milk as it has added iron, calcium, and vitamins C and D.
• Mix and enjoy!

*Strictly speaking I do more of a pour and just use the spoon to help a decent serving of yoghurt out of the container.