Mood Food - for the anxiety prone princess

At one time or another there is always a point where we feel hopeless, confused, anxious, even worthless - its seems that there is never a point when everything in our lives is just perfect. And its no bloddy wonder given the stresses of living in London - the work place has become even more competitive, we see men all over the newspapers cheating on their wags which provokes our own relationship worries and finding the time to see our close friends and families seems to get more and more difficult by the day.

These stresses of modern living are without doubt the cause of my rather dramatic mood swings. One minute I will be happy as Larry getting on with my work the next, completely unprovoked, I will feel like the world is collapsing around me.

With 1 in 4 women now being treated with depression in the UK it is becoming increasingly more important that we look after our bodies and minds and there is not better way to do that than through good food and positive thoughts.

I have always believed that food holds the key to happiness but recently I have really tried to eat the right food in order to avoid moments of anxiety and, you'll be pleased to hear, not only do i feel more balanced and clear headed but I've lost a few pounds...two birds with one stone.

Sometimes you just need to take a deep breath, order a cup of coffee and a banana, regroup your thoughts and press on. Giving yourself just five minutes to try to place your thoughts will help so much. Trust me, this is coming from a mood swinging nut case who is gently finding her way!

So, this is by no means diet advice, I am a greedy little piglet at heart, but it has worked for me and I hope it works for you too. (ps. Always always treat yourself once in a while, I have a glass of wine if i feel like it, a cupcake as a weekly treat and I never turn down a full english breakfast or a roast!)

Be Happy and Healthy Food


Morning
A Cup of Good English Breakfast tea will wake you up with a smile
Followed by a cup of green tea for those much needed antioxidants
1 Apple
1 Rivita with Peanut Butter - energy and tasty!

Snack
Im a big snacker and wont let anyone take that away from me so at 11am Ill have my first coffee of the day and probably another Rivita with avocado.

Lunch
Try and have lunch later than usual at about 2-3pm, then you wont feel starving when you get home and pile your plate high!

I tend to eat any brown bread sandwich - Ive got a thing for Parmaham and Pesto at the moment.
Always follow with Peppermint Tea.

Snack
Try to have an afternoon snack every other day, so its more of a treat.
I love cashew nuts, Pistachios or Pecans, or carrots and hummus.
Snack with Green Tea.

Dinner
The key with dinner is to eat brown carbs with a good bit of protein and lots of veg. I know its obvious but Im terrible at sticking to brown carbs, however it really does make a difference to the way you feel and keeps you regular and slimmer (ha!).

Try a big piece of Seabass cooked in foil in the oven with coriander, lemon juice and chili. Served with brown rice, asparagus and spinach.

Followed by another Peppermint Tea.

Other good serotonin boosting foods:
Free Range Turkey, Wild Fish, Eggs, Dark Choc, Buckwheat, Avocados, Coffee (in moderation), Pecan nuts, Asparagus, bananas.

A Canape and Cupcake Sunday Evening

I've spent the past few months adjusting to the fact that I am now self-employed and have been frantically dealing with HMRC and trying to keep my old and new clients happy. Today, I suddenly realised that I have spent so much time doing the day to day parts of my business that I have forgotten to cook for fun. 


So after catering for a client in Regents Park today and spending the best part of the day running around like a headless chicken, I decided to hide in the kitchen for a couple of hours and flirt with food! 


Canapes and Cupcakes

Cheesus that is good Cheese!

I discovered good cheese in my late teens and spent a good few years trying to convince my mum to get involved with my cheese obsession but until about two months ago she had refused. Now she emails me her cheese diary which includes the exotic and the simple, the bold and the fruity. From Black Bomber Cheddar (my personal favorite) to Stichelton (proper Stilton) and Taleggio. My point being, dont leave it til your late forties to indulge in cheese, get on with it!

The best thing about cheese is that its independent, its comfortable in its own skin but its also loves a bit of company - mainly in the form of a thin biscuit with some pickle or chutney, or my new cheese accompaniment crush...Honey. I am also very partial to Quince Jelly. The whole sweet thing with cheese is not helping my waistline!

Summer is now very much upon us and I have shed a tear about the fact that it doesn't seem right to hide away inside drinking red wine and gorging on Manchego and honey, so to overcome my woes I have composed a list of summer cheese classics from salads to canapes, there will be cheese! 

Gorgonzola, Pear and Rocket Crostini

Manchego and Chorizo with Quince Paste on Toast

Simple Tomato, Goats Cheese and Pesto Salad

Black Pudding with Feta Salad

Halloumi Skewers

Homemade Herb Chicken burger with Black Bomber Cheddar 

Give us a Quiche!