Sweet potato toast topped with courgette hummus and avocado
Sweet potatoes sliced, toasted and topped. It’s as simple as that. If you’re aiming to add more wholesome foods into your diet simply, this is one way to do it. Using sweet potato is super easy meal to change up your breakfast, lunch or brunch!
Sweet potato toast is also a brilliant choice for anyone who looking for a gluten-free option.
Sweet potatoes are full of nourishment and support the regulation of blood sugar levels. They’re low on the glycemic index which makes them a good option for anyone who is reviewing how they fuel their body effectively. They’re a strong source of vitamin E which supports the health of our skin as well as potassium which regulates our fluids and helps us to prevent water retention in our body.
How to make sweet potato toast
Peel the skin of the potato or scrub it in water. Sweet potato skin can be treated with wax or chemicals so make sure you remove any nasties before eating.
Wash the potato before slicing the potato length-ways, you want the toast to be long and thin. They should look like rectangles with a rounded edge and have a thickness of around 0.5cm – just under 1cm.
Dry the potato, patting it with kitchen towel before popping it in the toaster.
Everyone’s toaster is different so the first time you make sweet potato toast make sure you keep an eye on it. I pop it down on a medium to high heat and repeat a couple of times. It’s ready when it starts to caramelize and brown slightly.
Watch for the edges so they don’t burn.
Top with your favourite flavours.
I love zesty food for breakfast so I’ve topped mine here with avocado smash (mashed avocados with fresh lemon juice) and homemade courgette hummus, with cherry tomatoes and walnut. This tasted like the most delicious bruschetta.
Anything goes, try any nut butter with banana, a favourite pesto with fresh spinach leaves and pepper, fresh hummus with chargrilled artichokes, a salsa topped with tofu. Anything goes!
Yesterday I made a birthday cake for my lovely friend’s 30th birthday celebration. It’s only the second celebration cake I’ve made since eating a plant-based vegan diet and naturally I felt a little nervous, as I wanted to make something extra special and beautiful to look at.
My starting point was berries – that was her preferred flavour. I started mapping out visually in my mind what I might be able to create. I decided it had to be tiered, three colours with some extra-special accessories. I had my heart set on it being layered, but done so imperfectly. I wanted it to be soft and dreamy not all straight lines and division.
Most importantly I wanted to create something that represented her. She is beautifully dainty, delicate, and gentle, with a huge heart. That aside, her wonderful wedding day was full of soft pastel coloured flowers, vibrant yet soothing. I wanted this cake to be a soft-hearted expression of that day, because there is nothing like a little bit of nostalgia to warm the heart.
As this was to be a raw cake, there is always a little preparation to be done the night before. Plant-based ‘cheese cakes’ are usually made out of soaked cashew nuts. I soak mine overnight for around 12 hours, this softens them and makes them easier to work with.
The base of the cake was made from pecans, which I find absolutely divine in taste and their rich sweetness adds a certain sense of luxury. I combined the pecans with almonds and medjool dates. Medjool dates are the kings of the date world, their texture holds the nut base together perfectly.
The first layer was raspberry – I simply whizz the cashew nuts in my food processor before adding the fresh raspberries with a little date syrup. Then cashews with coconut cream and vanilla essence for the middle and finally blueberries with cashews and syrup. Then setting the cake in the freezer for the day ready for the party in the evening.
To dress the cake I used regal pomegranate seeds and fresh flowers, a very pretty sight for a wet and windy January evening. My heart lifted when I found out that at least one of the flowers I had used was in her wedding bouquet.
I lot of love went into this cake, that is the vital ingredient. Sometimes when we create a gift for someone in can be made with a few grams of fear because we desire for it to turn out perfectly. That’s definitely happened to me in the past, I’ve been known to bake and ice a cake and feel like I haven’t taken a breath. This is my own recipe so this time I could create with my heart and my rules and this is a wonderful freedom to have.
Most importantly, the birthday girl adored it and it was the perfect reminder for me that the purest version of happiness is always home-made.
I made this smoothie for the first time on Christmas Day morning, keen to get as much of the green stuff in me as possible before all the feasting began. To make it even more tempting I added some goji berries and coconut to make it look a little festive.
This smoothie isn’t just for Christmas though; I’ll be adding it to my post-workout drinks, as well as being super nourishing, both goji berries and cucumber can provide vital natural nutrients and minerals to our bodies which help them recover quicker.
Ingredients
One apple
Handful of spinach
Two sticks of celery
A third of a large cucumber
Fresh mint
Handful of goji berries
Water or a nut milk of your choice
Goji berries
Forget blueberries, goji berries have ten times the amount of antioxidant power – add this super berry to your list this winter, naturally supporting your immune system and heart health.
They’re also known to give our muscles a helping hand in two ways – providing the nutrient betaine to help our muscles grow and beta-sitosterol which helps to alleviate muscle soreness.
Celery
If you want to feel full after eating, celery makes a great addition because it is high in water leaving you feel comfortably full after your meal. It’s low in calories and high in fibre. Its water content has diuretic properties which can help to balance hormones in the body including the stress hormone cortisol – much needed if you’ve been rushing around all of the festive season. Surprisingly it’s also full of calcium and potassium which support the health of our bones, nervous system and blood pressure. In Eastern medicine celery stalks & roots have long been used to manage high blood pressure, through their coumarin content. I’d never heard of coumarin so I did some research. It’s a natural phytochemical found in some plants and is a natural blood thinner; it can support the body to reduce the risk of blood clots and strokes.
Apple
The apple adds a little sweetness to this smoothie but unlike some other fruits it is low on the Glycemic Index (GI) and in calories so it won’t send your blood sugar levels rocketing. I just decore my apple and pop it straight in to my NutriBullet with the skin still in tact because this part of the apple is full of nourishing plant chemicals.
Peeling an apple can remove more than 50% of its fibre, vitamin C and iron content!
Apples also contain excellent levels of pectin which is a soluble fibre which helps regulate and support a healthy digestive system. Amazingly it can also give our bowels a helping hand depending on the problem, soothing both constipation and diarrhoea. Pectin can also help our bodies to manage any unhealthy cholesterol and help to actually reduce it.
Mint
Mint is brilliant at rescuing an upset or unbalanced stomach. At this time of year it’s easy to consume lots of rich and acidic food and drink. Mint is one way of soothing your tummy.
Similar to apples, mint can adapt its super powers depending on our internal needs. To assist our body in re-balancing it can soothe by acting as a sedative or act as an energiser.
Spinach
I add spinach to a lot of my smoothies – even the chocolate ones, it doesn’t have a strong flavour so it’s an easy one to add with a ton of health benefits. It’s super high in antioxidants and also has anti-inflammation super powers. Because it’s raw I add half a lemon which helps our bodies digest and absorb more of the vital minerals like calcium and iron. It’s also rich in carotenes and vitamin K which is good news for our eyes and bone health.
Cucumber
Not many people know that cucumbers are a good source of electrolytes which you should try to replace after a workout. As well as being a good source of B vitamins, it’s also hydrating as it’s full of water – save yourself a fortune on energy drinks and add cucumber to your smoothie or juice instead. Read more about cucumber in my Scrumptious Green Juice post.
If we take the time to listen we realise that we have an amazing body that gives us messages, either through feeling an emotion, tension or pain. But, it also gives us a solution to soothing ourselves, and the solution is the breath.
How many times in a day do you remember to breathe or take a deep breath? Sometimes I’ll come to the end of my day and realise that I haven’t taken any, instead through our unconscious programming our body has taken control and done it for us. Similarly, we don’t have to remember how to grow our hair, digest our food or learn to sleep, because our body is clever enough to manage these processes for us. However, when we do remember to breathe we empower ourselves to create our own inner peace and tranquility, giving our bodies the opportunity to refresh and reboot, which helps us to feel more balanced, optimistic and aware.
When working as a therapist I help my clients to relax and work through any emotion or physical pain through focusing on their breath and using it to create space whether that is in the mind or focusing on a physical tension that manifests itself somewhere in the body. Just take a moment to think about the last time you were stressed or worried about something and note where you felt it physically. In your tummy or chest perhaps? Do you remember what you did you soothe it?
Realising that we have an inbuilt tool to managing tension, stress or even panic through the breath can change our whole reality and our perception of both what is going on in the world around us and in our our own body. Through taking some time to breathe you can soothe and resolve feelings of discomfort, through focusing on massaging that part of the body with the breath – it really is a wonder.
I notice this power the most when I am running hypnotherapy and EFT sessions in preparation for birth with my pregnant clients. As I begin a calming relaxation with them we always focus on the breath first. I am always struck by the true beauty of pregnancy as I see the mother-to-be just relax into her body as they create their own serenity, their own paradise through slowly melting into a personal peaceful sanctuary. It makes me smile when they tell me how the baby has positively responded to those moments of sheer tranquility; always a reminder of how beautifully connected mother and baby are.
To allow the body to calm, all of our bodies are built with something called the parasympathetic function; this enables us to relax. We can switch this on through taking some deep tummy breaths. This is something you can do relatively privately (no one will ever know!) but in a public space. At work, travelling to and from work on public transport or at home. Breathing is key to our health because it can overpower our stress response which locks our body into survival mode, shutting down some of our bodies day-to-day functionality so that we focus our energy on surviving. This is ok once in while but if you are regularly activating this it can begin to weaken your immune system as your body begins to feel overwhelmed by the the regular release of stress hormone and lack of sleep.
The key thing to remember is that you will need to take a longer exhale than inhale. So begin with breathing in for four counts and out for seven and see how that rhythm works for you. You can make it shorter or longer, and as you experiment you will soon find your bodies natural rhythm. Through taking the time to breathe it will give your body a soothing break. Make sure that you breathe from your tummy up and place your hand on your stomach to connect with it. Too often we are breathing from our chests and throats and not truly allowing the body to benefit or be fueled by refreshing new oxygen.
Like anything this takes time, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the prospect when we are already so busy. Consider focusing on your breathe at some point in your lunch break, on your journey to a from work, at the end of a work out, when you’re cooking your evening meal or perhaps when you take a bath or before bedtime. Even consider using the time that you would intermittently browse the internet or social media to focus on your breath instead. By integrating it into another day-to-day task just makes it feel so much more manageable and possible.
We were all born to breathe and it’s a magically soothing tool that we should all be learning to empower us to manage our own wellness and increase our day to day mindfulness.
Here’s also a little vlog that I made last night, you can have a watch or listen to it as a podcast.
This smoothie is super rich in the plant-based vitamin H (or B7) commonly known as biotin. Biotin helps to strengthen our hair and nails and also helps our body to create natural energy through converting food into fuel. It also helps us to metabolise fatty acids and protein.
I originally created this for a lovely friend who I met through work when she told me she was having trouble with her hair. Over a couple of evenings I sourced the best fruits, vegetables and nuts that were naturally high in this vitamin. It took a couple of attempts to get it right, now I think it’s spot on. Its consistency is like a creamy thick shake so it’s definitely worth topping with water otherwise you’ll be eating it out of a bowl! If you do want to eat it out of a bowl you can add granola and top with fruit. If you want an extremely healthy chocolate thick shake try adding some raw cocoa.
Ingredients
handful of spinach
2 teaspoons of flaxseed
half an avocado
100g berries
2 teaspoons sunflower seeds
1/5 cucumber (about 100g)
300ml whole bean soya milk
5 almonds
3 brazil nuts
Top with water
To make this I use a large Nutribullet cup.
Nourish
Not only is the smoothie high in vitamin H and complex B minerals but the avocado, sunflower seeds and almonds also mean it’s a good source of vitamin E and protein. I used a combination of frozen mixed berries which have a range of health benefits including helping to maintain a healthy gut, lowering blood pressure and being high in antioxidants.
I chose whole bean soya milk because this is one of the richest forms of biotin you can get. If you don’t use soya, an almond milk would be a good alternative. If you eat dairy then you can also use milk or a liquid yogurt which is also high in biotin.
In a world where goal setting is rife it can be become easy to lose sight of what actually matters and why we have set out to do something in the first place.
Image from positivemed.com
Goal setting is everywhere, at work, at the gym, how much fruit and veg we should consume in a day, how many friends we must try and see in a month to maintain our relationships, not to mention how many times the happiest couples have sex and how many times you should aim to do it in a week. Just taking a moment to consider all the goals we must manage across multiple time-frames can feel utterly overwhelming and impossible.
Today I’ve been feeling a little bit off balance, for a number of reasons. I did my usual Body Balance yoga class at 7am this morning and my muscles felt so tight. It felt as though the flexibility I have been working so hard to achieve over the last ten months had started to go backwards.
I didn’t feel great about my body, considering the regularity of workouts and yoga I felt as though I wasn’t as toned as I should be. I was just having one of those moments. It’s quite hard to share this because I feel quite embarrassed to confess that I felt that way about my body; over the last year I have showed it so much more respect than that.
I wanted to eat everything! I had a few to many glasses of wine on Saturday night and as a result I have been insatiable ever since. I opted for a breakfast bagel with a veggie sausage and a hashbrown after the gym and I got busted by my colleague. He said:
“Han, is everything ok?”
“Yes, why?”
“Well you haven’t spoken much this morning and you’re eating a stuffed bagel”
Even he knew I was out of sync with myself! It couldn’t be more obvious that I was eating my feelings.
Realising my ego had taken over
I was talking to my husband tonight about how I was feeling about things and all of a sudden I realised that I had been thinking from a totally ego-centered way. All of the things I was telling myself in my head throughout the day had nothing to do with what I had ever set out to achieve.
Reconnecting with my lifestyle choices
I made the decision to practice yoga regularly to nurture my physical body and build a meaningful relationship with it, supporting my body to move by strengthening my muscles and improving my flexibility.
I made the decision to eat a plant-based vegan diet to nourish my body not to get a six-pack! I made the promise to myself that 90% of what I ate would always play a role in fueling my body and mind. It was never about losing weight or trying to eat less calories.
Do you really need to set a goal?
With my yoga and my diet I never set a goal. Instead I made the choice to keep my body and mind well. To thrive through movement, play and nourishment every day.
Diets don’t generally work because by following one you have to either cut out certain foods or cut calories and by doing that you may be stopping doing something you love. Deep down you might have an emotional connection to that food. That in itself can make it pretty impossible to just give up which means that your goal is going to be really hard to achieve.
The same goes with exercising (I prefer to use the term ‘moving’). Focusing on a weight or how you want to look can make you feel like things aren’t happening fast enough. If nothing is changing at the rate you want it to, it’s unlikely you’ll carry on. Do you actually feel more connected to your body through exercising? Are you listening to what it needs, do you know when it feels fatigued? Or are you just going through the motions?
By thinking about our food choices and moving as a way to optimize our health we can start to emotionally connect with our lifestyle choices which strengthen our commitment to ourselves and our bodies. We start to build a deeper connection with what our bodies need, how they react to the way we think and we start to understand how we can look after ourselves better.
Say out loud what is troubling you
When these kinds of nonconstructive thoughts fill your mind it is easy for you to ruminate over them. They just seem to create so much noise and it can be hard to make them stop.
In the same way that reading out loud helps me spot spelling and grammatical errors in my writing, saying what is affecting my mind out loud allows me to observe myself.
As humans we have the gift of personal observation. We can take a step back and review our behaviour and our thoughts. By saying out loud what you are thinking you can observe what you are saying.
Today this helped me realise that I wasn’t acting from a heart-centered place, instead I was being overly critical of myself and using my ego to bully me to make some changes to my lifestyle i.e. workout more, eat less. By taking a step back I realised what I was doing and said ‘no’.
Don’t beat yourself up for not realising sooner
Instead reframe it to yourself – realise that you’ve got to know yourself on a deeper level and as a result you will be better placed to make personal choices that suit your chosen way of living. Sometimes we just have to be reminded of what we have set out to do. Be kind to yourself and realise that as adults with multiple responsibilities it can be hard to stay on track every day.
Appreciate where you are right now
Say out loud the three things that you are grateful for.
Recognise where you’re at and why you’re proud of that.
Smile to yourself.
Take some deep tummy breaths over a couple of minutes to activate your body’s natural relaxation mechanism and reboot.
Being mindful of who you are and what is important to you will bring you back to the present moment which will stop any further over-thinking and rumination.
Go to bed happy
So it might not have been the easiest of days but you have just managed your problem successfully and reconnected with what is important to you. Having put your ego back in its box and tuned back in with your heart you’ll be set for a brilliant day the following morning.
Having thought I had nothing to write about this evening, I realised I had a lot to say!
As always I hope my experience and my tips help you live a happier life.
As this was to be a raw cake, there is always a little preparation to be done the night before. Plant-based ‘cheese cakes’ are usually made out of soaked cashew nuts. I soak mine overnight for around 12 hours, this softens them and makes them easier to work with.
d fresh flowers, a very pretty sight for a wet and windy January evening. My heart lifted when I found out that at least one of the flowers I had used was in her wedding bouquet.
This smoothie isn’t just for Christmas though; I’ll be adding it to my post-workout drinks, as well as being super nourishing, both goji berries and cucumber can provide vital natural nutrients and minerals to our bodies which help them recover quicker.
Mint
How many times in a day do you remember to breathe or take a deep breath? Sometimes I’ll come to the end of my day and realise that I haven’t taken any, instead through our unconscious programming our body has taken control and done it for us. Similarly, we don’t have to remember how to grow our hair, digest our food or learn to sleep, because our body is clever enough to manage these processes for us. However, when we do remember to breathe we empower ourselves to create our own inner peace and tranquility, giving our bodies the opportunity to refresh and reboot, which helps us to feel more balanced, optimistic and aware.
I originally created this for a lovely friend who I met through work when she told me she was having trouble with her hair. Over a couple of evenings I sourced the best fruits, vegetables and nuts that were naturally high in this vitamin. It took a couple of attempts to get it right, now I think it’s spot on. Its consistency is like a creamy thick shake so it’s definitely worth topping with water otherwise you’ll be eating it out of a bowl! If you do want to eat it out of a bowl you can add granola and top with fruit. If you want an extremely healthy chocolate thick shake try adding some raw cocoa.
In the same way that reading out loud helps me spot spelling and grammatical errors in my writing, saying what is affecting my mind out loud allows me to observe myself.
the star beyond 