Healthy Living With Sarah Holm

Healthy Living With Sarah Holm creator of Raw Bite

Welcome to my first post for I Love Cooking, I am so excited to be a small part of their amazing website. I hope you enjoy these posts over the coming months and l look forward to receiving feedback and any talking points you may want me to cover. Every month I will focus on a superfood, easy exercises for you to try and my top health tips. Happy reading!

SUPERFOOD OF THE MONTH: BEE POLLEN

My focus this month is on the amazing Superfood Bee Pollen. I love Bee Pollen, it’s a very unusual taste, very fragrant, floral and delicate. I could eat it by the spoonful! Victoria Beckham is a huge fan praising the fact that it contains high amounts of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. And let’s be honest if it’s good enough for Mrs. Beckham it’s absolutely good enough for me!

Bee Pollen is considered higher in protein than any animal source – it is 25% complete protein. It contains more amino acid than eggs, beef or cheese of equal weight.

Bee Pollen is good for intestinal flora which aids digestion and helps support and boost the immune system. It also contains high amounts of antioxidants that protect the body’s cells from the damaging oxidation of free radicals, which is great news for our skin. It has been also been linked to extended longevity.

Bee Pollen is widely used in Chinese medicine. It is an energy booster so would be great to use first thing in the morning to get you going. It is high in Fibre, Iron, Zinc, Vitamin C, all the B Vitamins and, again, a great source of protein, all which benefit our bodies inside and out. It is a great supplement to invest in and can be used in so many creative ways.

How to use Bee Pollen…

I use Bee Pollen first thing in the morning, sprinkled over porridge, chia pudding or mixed into yogurt. The high amounts of B Vitamins give you a good boost in the morning. Forget that Berocca! It can be added to smoothies, served as a topping over ice-cream, or mixed into fruit salad for an unusual twist.

Below are a few examples of how I have used Bee Pollen; Taken to work with me to mix into Overnight Oats and sprinkled over Fruit for a quick snack

Bee Pollen is available in all health food shops, Avoca, Organic Supermarket, and online from www.nourish.ie, www.organicsupermarket.ie and www.nuanaturals.ie.

Recipes using Bee Pollen:

Superfood slice with Bee Pollen 

(This will last up to a week in the fridge, if it lasts that long!)

Ingredients:

• 80g Sunflower Seeds
• 120g Flaxseeds/Linseed
• 400g Almonds
• 2 tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 2 tablespoon Maple Syrup
• Good Handful of Goji Berries
• Good Handful of Cacao Nibs
• 500g Organic Dark Chocolate (Green & Blacks is great)
• 4 tablespoon Bee Pollen and extra for sprinkling on top

Method:

In a blender mix together the Sunflower Seeds, Flax or Linseeds and Almonds to a flour consistency. Pour mixture into a bowl and add the melted Coconut Oil, Maple Syrup, Goji Berries, Cacao Nibs and Bee Pollen. Press into a lined baking tray or silicone mould. Leave to set in fridge for 30 minutes. Gently melt the Chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water and pour over the pressed Superfood Slice, making sure to evenly cover. Sprinkle extra Bee Pollen over the top and leave to set in the fridge again for 45-60 minutes. Once set, cut into desired portion size and leave refrigerated in an airtight container. Enjoy as desired!

Bee Pollen Smoothie

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 300ml Almond Milk
• 1 Banana peeled (frozen is best if you remember!)
• 1 teaspoon Bee Pollen, extra to sprinkle over
• 200g Blueberries (frozen are fine)
• 1 tablespoon Organic Honey or Maple Syrup
• 2 fresh Medjool Dates, de-stoned
• 1 thumb of Ginger, peeled and chopped

Method:

Blend all together, pour over ice if desired, sprinkle extra bee pollen over and enjoy!

EXERCISE OF THE MONTH

Focus on Abs

These are two easy exercises you can do anytime and anywhere, no excuses! They take no time at all and require no equipment either.

Double Leg Lower Lift:

1. Lie on your back and extend your legs straight up towards the ceiling. Keep your heels together and
2. Place your hands behind your head and keep your elbows stretched out wide.
3. Exhale and pull your tummy in towards the floor and allow that motion to keep your lower back pressed down on the floor.
4. Inhale as you slowly lower your legs towards the floor.
5. Exhale and with control in your abs slowly begin to lift your legs up towards the ceiling very slowly.
6. Repeat 8-10 times, very slow and controlled.

Criss Cross:

1. Lie on your back and bring your knees curled in and parallel with the floor.
2. Place your hands behind your head and elbows stretched out wide.
3. Pull your abs in, slightly lift your shoulders off the floor and keep your chin tucked in.
4. Focus on your core and keep it as tight and steady as possible and slowly outstretch your right leg, keep your left leg above your chest.
5. Return your right leg and outstretch your left leg, again slowly and with your core as tight as possible.
6. Work up to ten outstretches on each leg. Don’t forget to breathe, slow and controlled.

 

HEALTH TIPS OF THE MONTH

This month I have been obsessing over NUA Naturals Matcha Green Tea Latte in Vanilla flavour. I heat it together in a pot with Almond Milk and a little extra Nua Naturals Cacao Powder to make a healthy and satisfying clean Hot Chocolate to curb any sugar cravings, try it. It’s very tasty, packed full of Superfoods, Calcuim from the Almond Milk and gulit free!

I had the chance to attend a Pilates class with Denise from Resolute Pilates (www.resolute.ie) in Clondalkin earlier this month. Her classes are brilliant. This was my first Pilates class and I cannot wait to go back and do a course with her. I’ve been so busy with work this month, but I managed to slot in the time to start 30 minute Pilates videos on the floor of my bedroom on a yoga mat just following videos from YouTube. My core feels so much tighter and stronger just from doing a few videos a week, and my lower back already feels stronger. I spend over 10 hours a day on my feet at work and from doing just a few of the Pilates exercises at home it is already helping to support my back from strengthening my core. I really recommend trying a few classes at your local Pilates studio.

I started using Trilogy Rosehip Oil again, I bought mine from Nourish and it’s available from their website www.nourish.ie. I used to use it religiously but haven’t used it in over a year. In just the last few weeks I have noticed that my skin looks more plump, feels smoother and my makeup sits more evenly on my skin. I really recommend this for slowing ageing, fading any scars (I used to have bad acne in my late teens, Rosehip Oil cleared the last of my scars) and to help your skin retain more moisture. It would be especially good for anyone going on holidays to help relive any sunburn!

I recently had my hair extensions taken out after having them in back to back for a year, I’m well into my second month of taking Viviscal hair growth supplements and couldn’t recommend them any higher. Viviscal contains Marine Protein Complex, Vitamin C, Niacin, Biotin, Iron, Zinc and Horsetail Extract. My hair grew a good amount during the year I had hair extensions in, but the last week or so I’ve noticed a mini growth spurt! My hair feels stronger and there are visible baby hairs growing around my hair line. Not only that but my nails are also much stronger. Zinc and Vitamin C are also a great supplement to take for preventing common colds and flus so that’s an added bonus!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my first post, I would love to hear your feedback! [email protected]