Lets move New Zealand

First Lady Michelle Obama. Let's Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation,  .

We love encouraging a healthy lifestyle, as is not only about eating healthy is also about moving.

Kids use to play outside, run and get tired even the day was not looking perfect to be outside. But our kids, just as us adults are at home most of the time now, in front of a screen.
The inactivity, with the intake of not very healthy food , has turned our population fat.
And Michelle has come out with an awesome idea to make kids be active all around her country. http://www.letsmove.gov/
We could do same here.

Health benefits of Mustard Oil

I did not know this oil till a month ago. But it has been miraculous for me.

It has helped me with the strong pain I was feeling after I broke my writs ( don't ask how I did it, not doing nothing exiting, just walking on the rocks).

Never mind, a friend gave me some to try and it has been great.

So I have decided to research on Google about this unknown oil for me and this is what I have found:

1. Removes Tan and Dark Spots

2. Lightens the Skin

3. Natural Sunscreen. Due to its thick consistency and high levels of vitamin E, topical application of this oil protects your skin against the harsh ultraviolet rays and other pollutants, thus preventing skin cancer. Vitamin E prevents ageing and wrinkles besides acting as a sunshield.

4. Anti-inflammatory Properties:The anti-inflammatory properties of mustard oil make it effective for relieving the condition of irritable bowel syndrome by reducing inflammation in the lining of the stomach. A massage with mustard oil helps relieve rheumatic and arthritic pain as well as soothes sprained ankles and other joint aches and pains. Its anti-inflammatory properties can be attributed to the presence of trace mineral called selenium that is good for relieving joint and skin inflammation. In case of arthritic pain, heat 3 to 4 garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons of mustard oil and rub it on sore joints for relief. However, in case of burning or tingling sensation or appearance of rashes, immediately stop using this oil.

Hope this is useful for you as it is great natural remedy.

More info please read this article

Honey, from the tap

This new trademarked design is completely unique and incredibly smart, harnessing gravity in a way that allows the honey to be tapped through a tube and poured straight into a glass bottle. Genius!

Writer ‘Bovas’ of Boredpanda.com wrote this about the design:

The clever invention works by providing the bees with a partially-completed wall of honeycomb cells that they then complete with their own wax. After they fill these cells with honey and cap them with wax, the beekeeper can open the other end, allowing the honey to flow out into a tap without ever disturbing the bees. The bees simply reopen the cells and fill them up again.

Kumara chocolate cake

 You will love this cake, please try the gluten free version .... can't  tell you how good it is.

INGREDIENTS

50g dark chocolate, chopped ( we like using Whittaker's Dark Ghana, our favorite)
260g kumara, boiled and mashed
100g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour (gluten free for GF choice)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp  cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp  cardamom
pinch salt
1/4 cup milk (with coconut cream works great)

Topping:
150g cream cheese (half package)
honey to sweeten
freshly ground cardamom

EASY BAKING

Place a glass or metal bowl over a small pot of water. Bring the water to the boil and melt the chocolate in the bowl, (bain marie).

 In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale. Beat in the eggs. Add the kumara and beat until light and fluffy, followed by the melted chocolate. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt to the mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Stir in the milk. Pour into a greased 23cm round or bunt tin and bake at 190°C (375˚F) for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool.

In a blender, whip the cream cheese  until smooth. Add honey to taste (about 2 tablespoons) and the cardamom. Ice the cake and decorate with fresh strawberries and shaved chocolate.

Recipe and photo taken from one of our favourite blogs:http://christinabartlett.com/

Sugar in the diet of sport people

Lately we only hear bad things about sugar.

But did you know carbohydrates, including sugars, are a fuel source for the muscles and central nervous system. The availability of carbohydrate can play a key role in exercise performance, therefore, many sports nutrition guidelines promote carbohydrate intake before, sometimes during and after exercise to meet the fuel requirements of the activity.

Carbohydrates can be broadly categorized into sugars, starches and dietary fibre, all of which are dealt with quite differently by the body. An athlete with inadequate carbohydrate intake or stores may suffer from fatigue, reduced ability to train hard, impaired cognitive performance, and a reduction in immune system function. Hence, athletes who train for longer than 45 minutes may require higher carbohydrate intakes than the general population. An athlete’s individual carbohydrate requirements are dependent on the fuel needs of their training and competition programme, but Table 1, provides general targets from the Australian Institute of Sport.

Kumara, Dark Chocolate Chips and Sea Salt recipe

Want an awesome idea for this weekends dessert?
Find about this recipe that we have found on the net. 

INGREDIENTS 

• coconut oil for frying
• 1 large sweet potato, thinly sliced (the thinner the chip, the better the final outcome - a mandolin works well for this)
• 60g dark (85-90% cacao) chocolate, chopped into even-sized pieces
• sea salt

HOW TO MAKE THE CHIPS

1. Line a baking tray or plate with paper towel. Heat 2cm coconut oil until bubbling in a medium-small fry pan.
2. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower chips into coconut oil to shallow fry. Do not overcrowd the pan. Turn once and remove from pan to drain on paper towel. Repeat process until all of the chips have been fried.
3. Line a baking tray or plate with baking paper. Melt chocolate over a double boiler or in a microwave (for about 30 seconds) until smooth.
4. Dip fried sweet potato into chocolate and place on baking paper. Sprinkle with sea salt. Set in the fridge until chocolate hardens before serving.

recipe found in www.foodmatters.com

Farmers Who Grow Cocoa Beans Taste Chocolate For The First Time. Look their faces, they say it all

We all know what chocolate is. But do we know it comes from cocoa beans?

Some of us we did not know it, and by the looks of this video found in Youtube, cocoa bean farmers from the Ivory coast had never taste chocolate even their hard work is for us to enjoy this delicacy.

Ivory Coast, a small country on the west coast of Africa, is the world's leading producer of cocoa beans, the primary ingredient in chocolate. As a result, many of the farmers in the video have been working with the crop -- surrounded by it, really -- for decades.

But, unbelievably enough, they've never had a taste of the finished product.