Cooking From The Heart – Healthy Eating & Living Guide

Choosing Healthy Fats and Oils for Cooking

November 1, 2026Cooking from the heartCooking

Fat has had a bad name for a long time. Yet some fats are good for us, and the oil in your pantry makes a real difference. The Heart Foundation says the type of fat you eat matters more than the total amount. That is useful news for anyone who enjoys cooking.

This guide explains the main types of fat and where they are found. It then looks at which cooking oils to reach for and which to use less often. The advice comes from the Heart Foundation of Australia. There are also some simple ways to cook with less saturated fat at home.

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Getting More Fibre Into Everyday Meals

September 16, 2026Cooking from the heartHealthy Eating

Fibre is one of those nutrients most of us know we should eat more of. Few of us stop to think about where it actually comes from. The answer is simple. Fibre comes from plants, so the more whole plant foods on your plate, the more fibre you eat.

This guide looks at what fibre is and how much adults need. It also covers easy ways to add more of it to the meals you already cook. The figures here come from healthdirect, the Australian Government health information service. None of it calls for special products or expensive ingredients.

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10 Simple Tips For Storing Wine At Home

March 25, 2025Cooking from the heartWine

We wine lovers have all been there. We see an expensive bottle of classic wine and instantly want it in our wine collection.

Not that you intend to pop it that night, but you have a family member’s graduation in a few months, and it seems like the perfect celebratory drink.

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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.

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

December 14, 2023December 11, 2025Cooking from the heartCooking

Have you ever caught your reflection while smiling and noticed your teeth weren’t as bright as you remembered? That moment when you see stained teeth looking back at you can be quite a wake-up call.

You might ask yourself when this happened, how they got this way, and most importantly—what can you do about it?

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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