You might have noticed already that I use a lot of mushrooms, not only are they delicious but they are:

• Low calorie
• Low fat
• Low carb
• Nutrient packed, and
• Versatile

A mushroom isn’t actually a vegetable, although we usually talk about it as one, this gives a couple of big advantages – firstly it can’t synthesise sugar like most plant foods, therefore it is low carbohydrate (ideal for low carbers) and secondly unlike other plant food it manufactures vitamin B12 (which makes it great for people who can’t eat red meat or choose to limit the quantity they consume).

A 100 gram serve of mushrooms contains only 12 calories, virtually no fat and no cholesterol. It is however packed with nutrients including Niacin (to help the body cells obtain energy from foods), dietary fibre, folate and other B complex vitamins.

There are also a huge variety of mushrooms now available in our stores and markets so watch out for them and find new ways to add them to your weekly menu.  I’ve added a couple of recipes to this site to get you started.

The Body Mass Index, commonly referred to as the BMI, is a tool used in the medical and health industry. It identifies whether an individual is in a healthy weight range or under/over weight. It is designed for an ‘average’ individual and will not provide an accurate position for an extremely muscular person nor someone with certain physical disabilities but in generally this is a good tool to be aware of.

You calculate your BMI by taking your weight (kg) and divide it by your height (m)³ but the easiest way is to use an online calculation tool that will let you input values in either metric or imperial measures. I like the BMI tool at Calorie King Australia which is nice and easy to use. While you are there you might want to take a look around the site, it has a lot of useful information and I particularly like the food database which is great for Australian and New Zealand products (they have a separate US site that covers US product).

I found calculating my BMI and where that placed me in the healthy weight scale was a good wake-up call – and it gave me something tangible to target, the numbers on the scale on their own don’t have as much meaning to me, using the BMI I can work out what is a healthy weight range to target.

Inspired by the Kimkins Portabello Pizza recipe but limited by what is left in my cupboards in the lead up to the move we made these for lunch today. They turned out really well, yummy and full of nutrients. You can add a green salad for a more substantial meal but these are quite filling and the mushrooms are a good source of vitamin B12, niacin and folate.

Ingedients

• four large portabello mushrooms
• red capsicum
• onion
• tomato
• low fat chicken bacon
• low fat cheddar cheese ( I use the weight watchers one)
• hummus (love the extra garlic one)
• herbs and seasonings to taste.

Remove the stalk from the mushroom and chop finely, along with capsicum. Cook bacon and onion and also chop finely. Mix ingredients with small amount of hummus to bind and season to taste.

Grill the mushrooms ‘bottoms up’ for 4 minutes, tops up for 3 minutes – then remove from grill and fill with stuffing mix. Sprinkle small amount of grated cheese on top and put back under the grill for another minute or two until bubbling.

Add fresh herbs or additional seasoning and serve.

Often when we think about diet, or our nutrition plan which seems to have become the accepted euphemism for what we consume, the focus is on what can be reduced or eliminated. For weight loss and health that is definitely important but can be a negative mind set to start a new regime with.

Instead when you are gearing up to focus on improving your health think about what you can add into your diet that is going to make the difference:

• Water is top of the list. Every organ in your body needs water to function correctly and most of the population are not drinking enough or consistently enough to keep their bodies healthy. For fat loss it is important to increase your fluid intake for two reasons, firstly your body can’t metabolise the fat as efficiently without a good supply of it and secondly it is very easy to confuse thirst and hunger.  Between meals if you think you are hungry try drinking a glass of water and waiting half an hour before you eat.

• Fruit and vegetables. To improve health and lose surplus body fat you need your body to be functioning optimally which means providing it with the essential vitamins and minerals. Eating a selection of fruit and vegetables of a range of colours will help ensure you are getting the variety you need. If you still aren’t sure then a single good quality multi-vitamin is a good option. With the extra fruit and vegetables comes additional fibre which while it is technically a carbohydrate is not able to be absorbed by your body so it helps keep your digestive tract healthy and gives you a sustained feeling of fullness reducing the risk of overeating.

• Make your meal an event. We are all busy these day and sometime if almost feels necessary to eat on the run but it isn’t good for your digestion and it is really easy to eat too much and make the wrong choices when we are in a hurry. Try to make time to sit at the table and eat your meal, where possible make it a social event and enjoy your meal with another person. Not only is the interaction mentally and emotionally healthy but you will eat slower which gives your body time to react and tell you when it is full.

Some weeks I can eat salad after salad and it doesn’t bother me, other times, particularly when it is cold wet and miserable like it is in Auckland at the moment I need my vegetables to be interesting to stop me being tempted to eat other less nutritional carbs.

I found this recipe in an old Kimkin’s newsletter – she calls them latke’s after the crispy potato pancake that Jewish families enjoy at Hannakah. The zucchini version are not as crispy but definitely healthier and still very yummy. I think they make a good lunch option with a bit of salad or other cooked vegetables but the original recipe also suggests them as a breakfast alternative.

I collect recipes from a variety of places and haven’t been on the Kimkins plan but if you are wondering it is a low fat, low carb plan similar to the South Beach diet or Atkins. Their recipes are generally tasty and interesting.

Herbed Zucchini Pancakes

• 2 zucchini, grated & squeezed dry
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1/4 t salt & pepper
• Splash Tabasco (optional)
• Chopped fresh herbs (optional)

Mix all ingredients well, let sit for a few minutes for flavors to mingle. Heat nonstick frypan on medium, spray with cooking spray (or wipe with olive oil). Drop zucchini mixture in by large tablespoon fulls and cook until set & lightly browned (5-6 minutes), flip and cook 3-4 minutes on reverse.

I’ve tried quite a lot of protein powders over the years, and there aren’t many that I love, in fact in honesty I can say that there are quite a few I’ll drink but only one I really love.  It mixes up to a perfectly smooth consistency with either no fat milk or water, absolutely no gritty texture and awesome flavours.  It is low fat and low carb and enriched with the vitamins and minerals us women never seem to get enough of.

This is one of my favourite breakfasts, I get a bit of carb for breakfast so I get to make it with no fat milk and a little fruit.  I use either mango or strawberries as they blend really well and have a great taste.

Leppins active woman protein comes in a variety of the most divine sounding flavours like white chocolate latte, butter toffee cream and choc mint delight.  For some reason not many of the local stores sell this product so I was really excited when I found it again last week because it means I choose to have a shake for breakfast again rather than finding excuses not to.

So if I am going to cut down my starchy carbs I need my vegetables and protein to be interesting without adding too much fat. I found this recipe the other day and thought I’d give it a try tonight with a few adaptations. This is the version I settled on:

• Spritz a non stick pan with olive oil and saute an onion for 2 minutes.
  
• Add a clove of crushed garlic and saute for 1 more minute.
  
• Add about 3 cups of portabello mushrooms (you could use any type but the bigger ones have the best flavour), 3T Balsamic vinegar, some thyme (fresh if you have it) and basil.
  
• Lower the heat and cover pan.
  
• Cook for 7-12 minutes until mushrooms have turned a brownish color and become flexible.
  
• If the pan gets dry you can add a splash of water , stock, or even red wine if you have a bottle handy.