JulieBhosaleAchive

Sugar is sugar. You can give it which ever name you like but it still has the same effect on your body. That is causing your pancreas to produce the hormone insulin to allows cells to absorb glucose attempting to keep your blood glucose levels stable - but in doing so cutting off your body's fat burning mechanisms (hence insulin is called your 'fat storage' hormone). Some forms of sugar do have other nutritious properties making them a much better option to choose from than your refined white sugar, my top preferred options include honey, fructose, low GI sugar and lactose. When it comes to reading food labels however it can be really tricky to know just what you are getting. That is because there is so many forms and names of sugar. Recommended guidelines (which I endorse) are to aim for under 10g of sugar/100g especially if it is refined sugar so always check the ingredients list as well. Here is just some 50 odd names for sugar you may find on food labels! Barley malt...

It is an emotional day. Our son turns three today and leaves his daycare where he has been since 12 weeks old. How do I say thank you to the incredible loving teachers who have looked after our baby for the last three years? With tears in my eyes and a heavy, yet warm heart I write an open letter of thanks.     . Thank You   . Thank you for all the snuggles, hugs and kisses, Thank you for all the loving bottle feeding, Thank you for watching him roll over, start to crawl and start to walk, Thank you for all the nappy changes, Thank you for helping him sleep calmly and safely, Thank you for wiping his nose 10 million times (crusty boggers and all), Thank you for all the wonderful healthy nutritious meals, Thank you for the animals (especially the tigers and lions), Thank you for all the manners you have instilled, Thank you for allowing him to take risks, to explore, to discover, Thank you for teaching him how to take turns, Thank you for your never ending patience, Thank ...

Our youngest is teething like crazy right now, poor wee thing has a mouthful of teeth coming through. Giving your baby something cool to bite on can relieve the pressure and ease the pain - my teething pops are both cool and nutritious..not too mention great for swollen gums to chomp on! These teething pops are super easy to make (I literally made them during 5pm madness) and you can also mix and match with the fruit and vegetables you have in the fridge! Ingredients: 2 carrots, peeled 1 apple, peeled 1 large orange (no skin) Directions: 1. Steam the carrots and apple (I use an Avent blender/steamer) 2. Place in the orange in small segments 3. Keeping the water in, blend all together - you can also use a food processor 4. Pour into popsicle holders (I use Tupperware ones) and pop in the freezer! These also make for a great healthy snack for toddlers (lion face painting is a bonus!) Be sure to also check out my new book The Nourished Baby  which has a section on tips for teething! xxx D...

We are on a bit of a smoothie buzz right now...as Master-Nearly-3 loves them!! This is a delicious smoothie, using some of my favourite ingredients; avocado and peanut butter! Both of which makes the smoothie really creamy and adds some good fats and protein. A super easy snack, great for before or after some activity and is also a great breakfast option! You can read just why I love avocado so much here ! Ingredients: 1/2 cup of plain, unsweetened yoghurt 1 cup of milk 1 banana 2 tablespoons of crunch peanut butter 2 tablespoons (or scoops) of avocado Directions: 1. Place all ingredients into a blender 2. Whiz altogether...done!! This makes one large smoothie jug, just adjust the ingredients if making for more people! Big cheesy smiles are also required! xxx The New Mum's Nutritionist  

Sometimes it is not until the storm passes that you look back and reflect on what you have come through and how far you have come. [caption id="attachment_1419" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Showing my boys a copy of my published PhD article[/caption] This last month I have met with a huge road block in my PhD journey. It felt like I was hit from all angles. I had set backs with my writing, sick children, escalating work pressure, financial strain and my husband was simultaneously experiencing huge work changes as well. It is always darkest before the dawn right? The overwhelm I experienced forced us to stop, reassess and look at new options. We knew we had to make some hard choices and change some things around...rejig the puzzle so to speak. As human beings we resist change – try going for a day without chocolate (or whatever your vice is) and you will know exactly what I mean! For me it is additionally hard to admit that I can’t do it all…and I had ...

Before I had children I knew two stages of tiredness: tired and not tired. Two children later, I now know I was missing out on the real fatigue party. Note: the ‘not tired’ stage is yet to feature again. 1. The Warm Up Mostly commonly encountered during pregnancy (for the first time). You get hit with overwhelming exhaustion. Growing a human is very hard work. Remedy = sleeping whenever you like, for as long as you like. Weekend lie-ins are essential. Surely getting up to a baby will be the same as getting up to pee five times a night…right? (ah denial is a beautiful thing). 2. The Super Hero Also known as the adrenaline rush. It starts just after birth. “I have not slept for 30 hours, I pushed this baby out, I am a mother, correction I am a SUPER HERO!!!” Who needs this thing called sleep really?! Also commonly encountered after periods of very little sleep – sick child awake all night? Don’t worry I can work the next day. Super hero’s don’t sleep at night, I don’t need to either. 3. ...