Davina Smith Nutrition

Never too early to down a shot.

My days kick off with a juice or smoothie and often a shot too for good measure.

This morn my guilty pleasure was ginger, carrot and celery to boost the immune system, keep the nasties away and boost skin health.

If don't have access to a juicer, similarly adding ginger to a cup of hot water can also do wonders plus adding chopped celery to water and leave to steep.

✔️Ginger is bursting with anti inflammatory & antioxidant goodies to help boost our immunity plus linked to improved digestion.

✔️Carrots and Bugs Bunny's favourite because of its high Vitamin A content in the form of beta carotene, a powerful immune boosting nutrient. Plus together with its high Vitamin C content, fibre and more, 🥕are also linked to skin & hair health and applauded for its anti wrinkle properties. Give me carrots NOW.

✔️Celery again has antioxidant properties and known for helping with water retention. Though high water content, celery contains minerals potassium and calcium both fantastic for heart health ♥️ plus vitamins folate and vitamin K which are needed when creating our red blood cells.
Red blood cells carry oxygen from our lungs to our body tissues around the body. Then the red blood cells travel away from the tissues taking carbon dioxide back to our lungs to be exhaled.

Bottoms up & Sláinte.

TV Dinner time!
Dinner was a tad late tonight watching . Bringing a taste of Mediterranean to the bowl tonight with a Mediterranean Kale & Cannellini stew.

🤔Did you know Cannellini Beans, are also known as white kidney beans, fagioli and haricots blancs.

These little beans are so versatile: soups, stews, ragu, salads, dips (switch your chickpeas in your hummus recipe), roasted...yes! Cooked/canned mixed with crushed garlic, sea salt, rosemary, extra virgin/rapeseed oil or spice it up 🌶️

ℹ️ A fantastic source of protein, these little nutrition nuggets pack a punch 👊

✔️ One 1/4 cup serving contains 11 grams of protein. For all you vegans and vegetarians out there, throw these into your shopping basket.

200g of cooked cannellini beans can contribute to approx 50% of our daily recommended intake of dietary fibre ➡️

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/high-fibre-foods-and-diet

✔️Plus many other nutritious goodies including iron, magnesium, fibre and folate.

✔️Speaking of fibre, Cannellini Beans contains both soluble and insoluble fibre.

➡️ Insoluble fibre helps boost and speed digestion and helps things to 'keep moving' and great fit overall colon health.

➡️ Soluble fibre linked to lowering of cholesterol, feeding our good gut bacteria and in turn boosting digestion, skin health, immunity and more.

I bought mine canned for din tonight and already precooked & are to be found in most supermarkets/stores and likewise for dried too.

So yes I'm literally full of beans tonight!

2 night deliveries just about to go so they will have them tomorrow for brekkie.

Very quick Bulgar Wheat lunch/dins rustled up today for the bro .

Bulgar wheat is jam packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre.

✔️ Linked to Heart ♥️ Health,
✔️ Healthy Blood Sugar Control,
✔️ Gut health and digestion and more.

I'm hitting the road in a few days time so just using what veggies/herbs I have at the mo but so many options out there that work so well with Bulgar.
⤵️
Bulgar Wheat - cooked separately-- approx half a cup
2x cooked Mediterranean Falafels. I find range a lovely alternative if not making homemade Falafels.
Avocado - 1/2
Fresh parsley/mint - little bunch of each chopped
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Squeeze of lemon optional
⤴️
Sauteed very lightly in drizzle of rapeseed oil and added to above:
Red Pepper -1/2 small
Carrots - 2 small/1 medium
Spring Onions - 2-3...so in season😋
Baby Spinach - nice big handful
Pine Nuts - tossed a palmful
Chilli Flakes - nice little sprinkle
Splash of Tamari soya sauce when sauteeing.
Paprika - little sprinkle

Didn't add salt to aid ♥️ health .

A lovely social distancing cup of tea, cake and chats in Stoneybatter courtesy of .

Chef Geruza Sutanum and crew lost their roles during Lockdown and have started to sell from their house here in D'Batter where the oven door was open and kettle on this afternoon.

Bring your own mug and indeed felt so jammy with the taster brownie and a bag of gorgeous guava paste biccies bought. 🤔 Ermm the bag was more full when I left...some were 'lost' walking home 😋

If you are in Dublin, you can also pre-order cakes and other treats too on WhatsApp 083 4068998 or email for further info on [email protected].


@ Stoneybatter, Dublin 7

❓❓Do you like it smooth or chunkier with a bit of texture?

Hummus! Guys what filthy minds ye have 😄.

Nothing like a dollop of homemade nutritious hummus.

Though I just made some there now with a food processer, you don't need a food processor at all to make hummus.

💡A pestle and mortar works wonders too and gives the hummus a more chunkier texture. As does a potato hand masher or simply a sturdy fork with some extra elbow grease. Plus adding ingredients to a blender does the trick too.

👩🏼‍🍳Quick recipe ⬇️ but can mix it up.

* 1 x 400 g tin of chickpeas (Can add a tablespoon or more of the can water or plain water if you like and this will help to make it smoother too).

* 1-2 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed.

* 1 tablespoon tahini sesame paste.

* 1 lemon - juice.

* Optional - Pinch of sea salt, Pinch of ground cumin.

* Nice glug of extra virgin olive oil when mixing or mashing.

When serving the hummus, I love to add an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of ground sumac or paprika, chopped fresh parsley or mint etc.

Btw I like it both smooth and chunkier..and the same with hummus too 😉😉. Ohh Matron!

It's Friday night!

The only bars I'm frequenting at the mo are of the granola kind.

Making a quick granola batch baked in the oven...would you like some?

⬇️
Porridge Oats
Quinoa pops
🌰🥜Mixture of nuts
🌻Sunflower seeds
🎃Pumpkin seeds
Linseed and or Chia
🌴Dessicated Coconut
Coconut Oil with honey 🍯 or often use maple syrup 🍁etc. ...but just a little glug of either to reduce sugar content.

Aswell as being extremely tasty, making your own homemade granola it is so much easier to control the amount of added sugar than shop bought varieties and adding your own twist of flavours and experimenting...oh la la. Spice it up e.g. cinnamon, ginger, cardamom
How about orange zest, dried fruit (not too much if you can so helps reduce sugar), coconut flakes, vanilla extract etc.

✔️I personally consume homemade granola regularly to give my daily diet an extra boost of protein.

✔️Packed with nutrients including fibre boosting digestion,gut health and immunity.

✔️Nutrient beta glucan in the oats linked to reducing LDL cholesterol (the one we need to keep low) and improving HDL cholesterol (yes exactly the one we need to keep high).

✔️With all the nuts and seeds, granola can be a very handy way to increase your Vitamin E and your skin will say a very big thank you.

⚠️Warning...homemade granola tastes too good.

Do love bubbles!

Over a week I tend to have a myriad of coloured 'moustaches' in the mornings and everytime I open the door to the postman or anyone delivering or visiting, I take a quick glance in nearby mirror afterwards and go....Dohhhhh....nooooooo...my smoothie 〰️....everytime!

🍍I try my best to have smoothies/juices everyday but I'm definitely no angel but personally have found them to be very or berry beneficial over the years. Some days I can't be bothered making any and that's totally grand out too but my body genuinely misses them if go without for a few days.

🍹This morn whipped up a smoothie with fresh blackberries and blueberries literally bursting with Vitamin C, kale, porridge oats, dollop of natural yoghurt or use non dairy, protein powder and milk.

🍍As a further smoothie base, I juiced beetroots that I picked up from yesterday. Beetroot juice has been linked to improved blood pressure, skin, heart ♥️ and liver health and oodles more health benefits.

🍅My daily diet is vegetarian and some days vegan just coz.
🥒I do need an extra boost of protein and since start of lockdown have being using Plant Force Synergy protein powder made up of pea, h**p & brown rice protein and absolutely loving it plus also use in my baking too 🥞.

〰️Today my moustache was a lovely ruby colour..no knocks at the front door though.

Bread is out of the oven..now where is the butter...quick..quick...

Sneachta means bread. Bringing a sprinkle of home to Dublin with Macroom Stoneground Flour ❤

Making..Baked..Gone.
It's like magic making chickpea and bulgar wheat burgers bursting with roasted veggies.. coz they disappear just like that.
Ok next batch will need to add more. Btw it's me that's eating them.

Bulgur wheat is a fantastic way to bulk up your homemade veggie burgers, high in minerals including manganese, magnesium and iron. Handy way to sneak in plant-based protein. Plus bulgur wheat packs a healthy punch of dietary fibre to boost digestive and heart health.❤

Saturday Morn Bake...good for the soul ❤.
Have not been using Social Media much here at all since last Summer and to be honest I enjoyed the break. Will get back into it and what better way than a Saturday Bake. This bread is going to a good home this afternoon where it will be cared for with butter and jam😁 ... though may be demolished in 10 mins if not on the drive down.

Thank you Keelan for making our cuppa. Not sure if my scone will wait 5 mins until tea is infused 😀 😍

Kudos to all the Irish Producers . It's so inspiring to see their passion and how well they are all doing. Let's support more our local producers.These are just a few of my favourites from yesterday...Ye are all booming lovely.
Let's just say my pantry is now full with all their wonderful nutritious produce as a result of my shopping spree and tasting sumptuous frenzy.
Cheers to Des and Nikki , Sully Family , Joe , Sadie
, Jack
Do check out their produce in your local stores and online with links above.

Hello All

Fancy a cuppa plus support an amazing charity?

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland does tremendous work throughout Ireland and provides essential support to the 55,000 people living with dementia in Ireland today.

Is that a Yes? Great, well put on the kettle and read on.

I have recently started to work with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and there is a great buzz in the Head Office about our main fundraising Tea Day on May 4th.
People are hosting tea parties in their homes, work, schools, clubs, wherever there is a kettle.
Would you like to join in and host your very own Tea Day.
Click on link below and register.
If you cannot hold on the day that you can hold on another date.
Ok..kettle is boiling..

http://alzheimer.ie/Get-Involved/Fundraising/Tea-Day.aspx

Sretan Uskrs/Happy Easter All.
At breakfast this morning there were decorated eggs galore and a beautiful sight. Easter tradition here in Croatia is to paint eggs with bright colors and are given as gifts.
On Easter Saturday night I noticed many people with baskets of eggs. I asked a lovely elderly woman what was in her colourful basket. Her daughter translated and explained that at Easter Saturday night mass, you bring along pisanicas or regular eggs and other foods including bread, cheese and salt.
During the mass, priests bless the food, which are then used for breakfast the next morning.
Before paint was readily available, natural homemade dyes were used including red beets for the most common colour of red, dark brown color was fascinatingly made by mixing soot with oak and for a beautiful green colour green plants would be used.
On Easter Sunday a traditional game is played with the pisanicas. These eggs are held vertically by two people and another person taps the end of the other egg with their end, to see which egg will crack. The cracked pisanica holder then chooses another
and then tap the other person's egg. This continues until all the eggs have been used but the last one. The pisanica winner is the one who is holding the egg that has not been cracked.
The lovely kind elderly woman reached into her muslin covered basket and out came 2 pisanicas for us.

Many of these phrases if not nearly all have been said to me and I'm sure to many of you too
Let's Keep on Persisting https://t.co/1M2fKdE9Lu

Courtney Privett on Twitter “This is the signed version of my drawing. Facepalm for forgetting it to begin with, but wasn't expecting anything like this to happen.”

Feel a cold coming on? I think it arrived this morn with a bang or I should say a blow in all its coughing and sniffing glory. Yes.. I should of listened to my late mum's wise words..'Davina...will you ever dry your hair before you leave the house...you'll get a cold'...'Nah Mum..I'm grand.' She was always right and too in her wholeheartedly belief in Vitamin C to boost immunity.
This morn I made a quick Vit C boosting smoothie with frozen summer strawberries and blueberries, pineapple, orange and lemon and added the contents of a Vit C Solgar 1000mg and blended all with water. Sunshine in a glass. *Note: Check with your Doctor/Medical Team if you are on any medication or have a condition that may be contraindicated by taking high levels of Vitamin C.* Other high Vit C ingredients to play around in your smoothies/ juices, eating whole even and in no particular order of Vit C content are below..there are plenty more to add to this list too.

The beauty is to mix and match plus you get the benefits of their other fantastic nutrient properties:

Oranges
Pineapples
Grapefruit
Limes/Lemons
Berries - Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries
Dark green veg - Kale
Broccoli
Red Bell Peppers
Zucchini
Parsley
Cucumber
Celery
Carrots
Mangoes
Papayas
Pomegranates
Guava
Kiwifruit
Grapes
Tomatoes
Spinach
Bee Pollen

Happy Pancake Day!! Remember these beauties are not just for today and can be a wonderful healthy addition to your daily diet.

The pancakes in the photo are ones I recently enjoyed tucking into at in Dublin.

I don’t have their recipe but this is a recipe I use myself and will be making more tonight. They come out light and fluffy..yes just like me at times :)

Ingredients: Makes 6-8 pancakes…depends on how large you make them.

- 1 cup whole wheat flour - also another option is oat flour/buckwheat flour etc.
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk/milk/non-dairy milk

Optional to add into the batter: ¾ tbsp. of honey, sprinkle of cinnamon, ½ tsp/few drops of vanilla extract (not essence)– a few drops

Note: Don’t have buttermilk? That’s grand. I often replace it with ¾ cup of low fat milk and the rest with natural yoghurt. Or just use milk on its own ir non-dairy sources like unsweetened Almond/Oat/Soya Milk.

Toppings:

Honey
Berries
Greek Natural Yoghurt
Squeeze of lemon

Method:

1. Mix the whole-wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.
2. In a another bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk/milk, honey and vanilla extract if using until blended
3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the egg and buttermilk mixture evenly mixed.
4. Allow the batter to rest for about 10 minutes…. No not on the sofa :) . The batter should be thick but not too thick either. If too thick, add more milk and gently mix in.
5. Preheat a non-stick frying pan to medium-high heat. Lightly grease with oil or a small k**b of butter.
6. Ladle about 1/4 cup batter onto the pan and cook for about 2 minutes or the edges begin to dry and bubbles appear in the pancakes and the underneath is a beautiful golden colour.
7. Flip…Go on you can do it!! Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer, until pancakes are cooked through.
8. Spoon some berries/compote onto each wholemeal pancake, roll up and add a spoonful of yogurt.
9. Enjoy!!

It's National Almond Day...yes there is such a day.
Here is a quick and wonderful recipe for a French Almond Chocolate Cake from
Warning contains chocolate :) ..but hey chocolate and almonds are a match made in heaven and a bit of what you fancy is good for the soul.

In celebration of today we would like to share our French Chocolate Almond cake recipe with you - Bon appetit!
http://www.ballymaloe.ie/recipe/french-chocolate-cake

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
Rose petals on chocolate hearts
Just for you
Little chocolate hearts all lined up and bursting with love to bring joy and lipsmacking goodness today in Dublin.
But remember folks...chocolate is not just for Valentines 😍😍

Congrats looking wonderful. Love the emphasis on nutrition and healthy eating

Ermmmm..will I buy?
Let me think about.
1.5 seconds later ...
Me: 'Hi there! Can I buy this beautiful bouquet.'
Assistant: 'Great, are you buying for someone, would you like me to wrap?'
Me: 'Yes please, that would be wonderful.'
Assistant: 'They will get a lovely surprise..you are very kind.'
Me: 'Aww..thankyou...well..yes the little bouquet is for someone very special in my life.'
Assistant: 'Who will be the lucky recipient?'
Me: 'Me' 😍😍
Don't forget to be kind to yourself too.

As it's over in The USA, I decided on a orange colour toned juice this morning. With orange,carrot, ginger and a touch of pineapple this orange beauty will have long lasting benefits than ermmmmm....well...ahemmm...but hopefully I'm proved wrong. Don't burst the bubble :)

Fantastic tips..yes 31 of them..on introducing little changes to our everyday life. Thanks Tesco Ireland.
Going to mark off some of these for the week ahead. Which ones will you try or have introduced already?
I'm going to do 4, 10, 14, 16 and 18 🏃🛌📋🏋🍅🌶🍋

31 Little Changes for a Healthier Life