Cooking From The Heart – Healthy Eating & Living Guide

Why we need broths in Winter

April 16, 2024April 16, 2024Cooking from the heartCooking

Broth-based soups are not only good for the soul but good for your immune system. Loaded with vegetables & fibre, these soups also play a big role in maintaining a healthy body. Highly nutritious, low calorie with no unhealthy saturated fats, broth based soups with an assortment of grains & vegetables will keep up your strength while fighting off nasty colds & flus. If bones are included a good bone broth is rich in minerals to support the immune system with collagen & glutamine helping to heal your gut lining & reduce gut inflammation.

So what are the best winter soups to beat those colds & flus?

Chicken soup – has been proven to have anti-inflammatory properties & boosts immunity. It also contains cysteine, an amino acid which can thin the mucous in your lungs so you can expel the mucous easier.

Tomato soup – packed full of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, potassium & iron as well as Vitamin K, this is a nutrient powerhouse. Make sure you look for a dairy-free recipe which will help keep mucous down when ill.

(more…)

The Secret to a Brighter Smile: Foods and Drinks to Sidestep for White Teeth

December 14, 2023December 14, 2023Cooking from the heartCooking

Have you ever flashed a smile in the mirror only to realize your teeth aren’t as sparkling as you’d like, making you ponder over teeth-whitening options? Often, the answer to a brighter smile doesn’t lie in expensive treatments, but rather on your plate or in your cup!

While we all savor our favorite foods and drinks, some are infamous for casting a shadow over our pearly whites, detracting from the effects of teeth whitening efforts. But there’s no need for alarm, culinary enthusiasts!

In this post, we’re set to reveal the hidden culprits in your diet that might be sabotaging your teeth-whitening goals, and we’ll also introduce tooth-friendly alternatives. So, you can relish your meals and maintain a radiant, white smile, perhaps even delaying or reducing the need for teeth whitening treatments.

1. The Dark Side of Beverages: Coffee and Tea

The Culprit: Dark-colored beverages like coffee and tea are beloved for their invigorating effects. However, they contain tannins, which can lead to staining.
Real-Life Example: Picture Sarah, a coffee aficionado, who noticed her teeth gradually losing their brightness. A switch to lighter teas and regular dental hygiene reversed the effect!
The Solution: Opt for lighter-colored herbal teas or rinse your mouth with water after enjoying these beverages.
Authority Link: American Dental Association on Teeth Staining

2. The Sour Truth: Citrus and Acidic Foods

The Culprit: Citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, although packed with Vitamin C, are acidic and can erode tooth enamel, leading to discoloration.
Real-Life Example: Mark, a citrus lover, experienced increased tooth sensitivity. His dentist suggested balancing his diet with less acidic fruits.
The Solution: Enjoy these fruits in moderation and pair them with a cheese course to neutralize the acids.
Authority Link: Healthline on Acidic Foods and Teeth

(more…)

6 Ways to Use Kelp Noodles

July 13, 2023July 13, 2023Cooking from the heartCooking, Healthy Eating

Kelp is an edible brown seaweed that is high in nutrients. Kelp noodles are made with kelp, sodium alginate (a salt derived from seaweed), and water. They look similar to vermicelli, and have a mild crunchy texture and neutral taste, making them perfect to add to soups, sauces & salads with tasty dressings. Kelp is a common ingredient in Asian cuisine (Think kombu in Japanese dashi broths).

Nutritionally dense, kelp noodles are high in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron & amino acids. Kelp noodles are naturally high in iodine, so they are an excellent ingredient to include in your diet if you lack iodine or your low levels. Iodine consumption is ideal for healthy thyroid function, but too much can also suppress thyroid activity, so keep kelp in moderation & consume only once or twice a week.

Need a low-carb alternative to pasta & noodles? Kelp noodles are very low in calories and are gluten & egg free with virtually no carbohydrates. So how do you use them?

(more…)

How Creating A Wellness Space At Home Can Aid Your Journey To Drug Addiction Recovery

March 23, 2023March 29, 2023Cooking from the heartHealthy Eating

If you currently are or have recently been in a drug rehab program, we first want to wish you well on your road to recovering from drug addiction. As positive a step as it is to be aiming to break free of drugs, we appreciate it can also present its fair share of hurdles and setbacks, even to those with unflinching determination, so please stay as positive and committed to your recovery as you can.

Given that it is never a simple task to complete a drug rehab program, it is a welcome fact that there is no shortage of support aids to ending drug addiction which all come in many different forms. Most direct of them will be the support offered by the drug rehab program staff and drug councillors who are helping you beat your addiction.

In addition, there are also many things you can do to help yourself, and many of these will occur at home. The most obvious will be the support of the loved ones who live with you, and many drug addictions have ended thanks to the endless support that individuals have received from their families.

(more…)

5 Effective Treatment Options For Those Considering Laser Eye Surgery

October 12, 2022November 22, 2023Cooking from the heartHealth & Fitness

It often surprises those considering laser eye surgery that there is more than one type of treatment. The assumption that all laser eye surgery involves a surgeon using a laser to correct vision might be correct as a general rule, but the specific procedures that that surgeon can use and why each might be used to treat a particular patient can differ.

The benefit of more than one type of laser eye surgery is that it allows a more significant number of corrective vision needs to be treated, and it also leaves open laser eye surgery options for those whose eyes might previously not be deemed suitable for laser eye surgery. Doubtless, as research and technology advance, additional types of laser eye surgery will be developed. In the meantime, here are the five main laser eye surgery treatments you could be offered.

LASIK

LASIK is an abbreviation for ‘Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis’ and can treat astigmatism, short-sightedness, and long-sightedness. As these three account for over 80% of treatable eye conditions, you will understand why LASIK is the laser eye surgery most often performed. Surgery involves using a precision laser to create a flap in the cornea to allow the surgeon to reshape the cornea and thus correct a patient’s vision. The surgery takes minutes, and recovery is quick.

(more…)

5 Tips To Avoid Stained Teeth

July 7, 2021July 20, 2023Cooking from the heartHealth & Fitness

Although most people will do many things to improve their appearance, such as hairstyling, makeup, cosmetic surgery, or simply by choosing what clothes they wear, dentists often remark upon their dismay that so many fail to care for their teeth properly, especially when it is teeth on display when we smile.

With our smiles often being remarked upon as one of the most beautiful facial features we have, it often beggars belief why so many people seem content for their teeth to become stained. Think of the comparison of a smile that displays clean, white teeth, and a smile that is tarnished by the fact that the person smiling has stained teeth whose colour is closer to yellow or brown than it is to white.

The crying shame in all of this is that stained teeth are so avoidable. Rather than living with stained teeth or continually having to pay for whitening sessions or treatments, you can prevent it from happening by following any of the 5 tips below which apply to you.

(more…)

How to Eat Less Meat

April 12, 2021November 22, 2023Cooking from the heartCooking, Healthy Eating

Studies have been showing us for some time now that eating red meat can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Meat might be delicious, pair beautifully with a glass of wine, and work with a multitude of recipes, but it’s not the best food product for our health.

What’s more, those who eat less meat or none at all often benefit from a lower risk of heart disease and a healthier body weight. Whether you want to decrease your meat intake or cut it out of your diet altogether, the following information might help.

Become a Bean Lover

Almost any meat dish can become a bean dish with one ingredient swap. Even your favourite tacos, soups, and stews can be equally as delicious with beans as they are with meat. Start small by replacing the meat with beans in your favourite recipes. Play around with different beans like chickpeas, cannellini, and lentils.

You will even grow to love the depth of flavour from a bean-based chilli dish that you may have previously loaded full of beef mince.

(more…)

Light Summer Meals Your Family Will Love

January 12, 2021November 22, 2023Cooking from the heartCooking, Healthy Eating, Wine

The outside temperature can be a deciding factor in the recipes you look for, the food you eat, and even the wine you drink. The warmer it is, the more you seek out light summer meals your family will love.

As the mercury rises, it’s time to get creative in the kitchen. Here are some standout dishes that are light, delicious, and affordable.

Rice Paper Rolls

You often find that many summer recipes are salads. Not everyone wants to eat a salad every day of the week, which means that rice paper rolls can be a refreshing change. You can add all manner of salad ingredients and sauces, not to mention delectable prawns. Prepare them fresh for lunch or dinner, and enjoy how easy they are to make for everyone in the family.

Corn Fritters

Corn fritters, with delicious cheese, like feta, can be a light and tasty meal option for busy families. You can pair them with a side salad and dressing or eat them on their own as a snack with dipping sauce. Corn fritters are also easy to prepare and affordable.

(more…)

Which Filling Material Is Best for You?

October 8, 2020November 4, 2020Cooking from the heartHealthy Eating

Australian men and women have an average of 7-8 fillings, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. However, if you were to ask any number of those men and women with fillings if they knew what filling material their dentist used, many of them wouldn’t have a clue.

Believe it or not, there is more than one filling material available, and what works for you may not work for someone else. Let your dentist at Joondalup Dentist help you decide, but read on to learn what options the average person has. These may differ from one dental clinic to the next.

The Steps Involved in A Filling

Fillings are a proven treatment method for cavities and cracked and broken teeth. Your dentist will numb the area with local anaesthetic then remove the decayed area with an abrasion instrument, drill, or laser. The tooth is then cleaned of debris and bacteria before a liner is put in to protect your tooth’s nerve.

Each layer of the process undergoes curing to harden the filling material, before the final result is trimmed, shaped, and polished to suit.

Cast Gold Fillings

Cast gold fillings are an option that some dentists and patients consider. They can last for up to 15 years and sometimes even longer, and they can be pleasing on the eye when compared to silver amalgam fillings. They can be a bit more expensive than other filling options, however.

(more…)

The Food Your Teeth Won’t Thank You for Eating

August 3, 2020August 20, 2020Cooking from the heartHealth & Fitness, Healthy Eating

Oral health and physical health go hand in hand, but we’re probably still more likely to see a doctor regularly than a dentist. We’re probably also more likely to eat food that benefits our overall health, rather than focusing on what looks after our teeth, as well.

Of course, if food is good for your health and skin, then it’s most likely reasonably good for your teeth. Vegetables, in particular, can offer some surprising benefits for teeth health, such as cleaning plaque and freshening breath.

However, are you aware of what foods your teeth won’t thank you for eating? Read on to learn what to stay away from if you want to see your teeth in tip-top shape for your next dentist visit.

Bread

When you started thinking about food that will be bad for your teeth, you were probably thinking about sugar, but did you know that bread is your teeth’s foe, not a friend?

Chewing bread can certainly satiate your hunger, but your saliva breaks down the starches and turns them into sugar. It then sticks in between your teeth and can cause cavities. Fortunately, choosing whole-wheat varieties can limit the impact due to fewer sugars.

(more…)