Petra Farah Nutrition

27/10/2021

11/08/2020

I started working out in my late teens but it wasn’t till my best friend, a trainer at the time, spent a day with me at the that I became hooked. She showed me how to use proper form and how to set up a . From there I decided to learn more on my own but also took a group class offered at work to learn a variety of different . I also started looking at my and made some changes. This was at the age of 23. Fast forward almost 2 decades later and that initial step towards improving my had led me to where I am now - healthy, fit, energized and a certified nutritionist.

It’s never too late to start, to take the first step, to care about your health and . Start where you feel comfortable - go for regular walks, ask a friend who’s been to give you some pointers, seek a or try some of the many free online videos at home.

We are meant to - our bodies crave it and our minds are better for it 🏋🏻‍♀️🤸🏽🏊🏽‍♀️🚴🏻🏃🏿‍♀️

09/08/2020

A can be packed with a lot of . Adding different toppings like homemade granola, and not only provide those nutrients but also give it a crunchy, satisfying texture. I made the base of the bowl with , , and a little 🥑🍯.

05/08/2020

A look at the immune system and how it has been reacting to -19.



https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/08/covid-19-immunity-is-the-pandemics-central-mystery/614956/

Which is too bad because we really need to understand how the immune system reacts to the coronavirus.

30/05/2020

Repurposing that fish is as easy as throwing it in a . Everything in this plate was the last of what I had in the fridge before my next grocery shop - and it was my 👍 Let’s quickly talk about the here. Salmon always seems to be the star of the pink fish varieties but trout is just as delicious and has almost the same amount of nutrients. 100g of trout has about 140 calories, 20g of protein and 6g of fat. It is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins. I like to eat a variety of fatty fish 2-3 times a week 🐟

03/05/2020

is one of my favourite ways to get in some including and varieties. It is also a good source of and . Making your own is super easy and let’s you be creative! I make mine with nuts, seeds and coconut chips but you can add oats and dried fruit as well. I use it on , or as a with

25/04/2020

With some extra time on hand, I finally attempted making ! I had some in my fridge and played around with a recipe and ingredients I already had at home. It's not traditional but I love discovering the outcomes of experimentation. The colour is also really awesome!

Kimchi is a food that delivers lactobacillus and leuconostoc bacterial species. These survive stomach acid and colonize in the small and large intestine. Kimchi also provides prebiotic fibres that feed these and other probiotics in the gut microbiome. Studies show that regular consumption of kimchi can reduce harmful bacteria like salmonella and boost metabolic pathways and immune function.

Other things I love about kimchi:

- Delicious and spicy
- Easy to digest
- Great on rice, in soups, in sandwiches or on its own
- Makes a great late night snack

20/04/2020

Pancakes any day of the week! 🥞 These are and 😋

1/2 cup coconut flour
6 eggs
4 tblsp olive oil
2 tblsp honey
2 tsp baking powder
3 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt

Mix the coconut flour, eggs, oil, honey, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl and break up any clumps.

Heat a greased pan over medium-low heat (this may need to be adjusted based on your stove so test out 1 pancake first) and add 3 tablespoons of the pancake batter. Cook until bubbles start to form in the middle of the pancake, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook about 4 more minutes, or until both sides are golden. Don't be tempted to increase the heat or you may burn the pancake on the outside while the inside remains uncooked.

Repeat with the rest of the batter making roughly 12 small pancakes. Enjoy with your favorite toppings.

16/04/2020

Need a healthy snack idea? Baba ghanouj with veggies has been a staple for me. Made with just a few ingredients it’s great as a , a or . It’s perfect for , and diets and easy to make 🍆🥒🥕

1 large eggplant (pick one that has a bit of give and that’s not too hard)
2 tbsp tahini
1 clove of garlic (minced)
Juice of ½ a lemon
½ tsp salt
Olive oil (as garnish)

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and place the halves skin side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Broil on high for about 30 min or till the skin becomes a little charred. Let cool for 10 min then mix all the ingredients in a blender. I like the consistency to be less smooth but well blended. Drizzle with a little olive oil and enjoy!

02/03/2020

Inspired by my upcoming trip to Mexico I decided to make ! One of my favourite foods to make because not only is it delicious, it's good for you and so versatile. Besides the ever-popular avocado toast, use it as a dip for veggies, a topping on any protein (I'm looking at you grass-fed burger) or throw it in your salad.

are high in which are important for cell structure and contain about 20 different vitamins and minerals. They are great to eat alongside carbohydrates to help curb their glycemic effect (insulin spikes) and the fat helps you feel satiated and in turn reduce cravings.

Here is my recipe:

2 ripe avocados
3 stalks of green onion (finely diced)
1 medium tomato (finely diced)
1 serrano pepper (finely diced)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (minced)
Juice of 1 lime
3/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp cumin

Mash up the avocados and mix in the rest of the ingredients. You’re ready to eat! 😋

12/02/2020

My first batch of this winter turned out awesome! My favourite part was deciding on the herbs I would use. The bone broth itself has numerous benefits but so do the herbs. With winter being cold and flu season I chose and for their antibacterial properties. Here are some of the reasons I drink bone broth and why I recommend it:

*Easy to digest
*Heals the gastrointestinal tract
*Promotes the growth of good gut bacteria (probiotics)
*Supports the immune system
*Protects joints
*Maintains healthy skin

Plus so much more!

Make a batch and drink a cup daily. You can also use it for cooking and freeze it if you decide to make large quantities.

29/12/2019

Nutrition headlines can contain dire health warnings, but are they trustworthy? Check out part 2 of this series to find out why you should remain skeptical.

29/12/2019

Nutrition headlines can contain dire health warnings, but how trustworthy are they? Check out this series to find out why you should remain skeptical.

29/11/2019

The pre-game I'm talking about here is . Probiotics get the spotlight but prebiotics are just as important. So what's the difference? Probiotics are live beneficial organisms (bacteria or yeast) while prebiotics are indigestible fibers that act as food for the probiotics. Both are important for digestive health but good bacteria cannot flourish and multiply without a variety of fibers (think of it like seeds receiving fertilizers). And variety is key here. This is why eating the same foods all the time is not the best idea. The good news is there are so many prebiotic foods! Below is a list of some of the best, so try to incorporate as many as possible into your diet.

Vegetables:
Artichokes, bell peppers, beets, cabbage, carrots, chicory root, cucumbers, dandelion greens, garlic, jicama, leeks, radishes, sweet potatoes,

Fruits:
Apples, bananas, berries, tomatoes

Other:
Chia seeds, dark chocolate, flax seeds, ginger, h**p seeds, honey, legumes

09/11/2019

This morning I joined some friends at the farmer’s market. My favourite thing is finding items I wouldn’t normally find in stores. If you’re anything like me, variety is everything so I love experimenting with new ingredients! Comment below if you’ve tried or

16/05/2019

"'One thing that was kind of intriguing was that some of the hormones that are involved in food intake regulation were quite different between the two diets as compared to baseline,' Hall says."

"For example, when the participants were eating the unprocessed diet, they had higher levels of an appetite-suppressing hormone called PYY, which is secreted by the gut, and lower levels of ghrelin, a hunger hormone, which might explain why they ate fewer calories. On the ultra-processed diet, these hormonal changes flipped, so participants had lower levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone and higher levels of the hunger hormone."

"Landmark" study finds a highly processed diet spurred people to overeat compared with an unprocessed diet, about 500 extra calories a day. That suggests something about processing itself is at play.

28/12/2018

https://www.facebook.com/5281959998/posts/10151785721564999/

The European Union prohibits many food additives and other drugs that are widely used in American foods.