image from flickr

This pregnancy has seen me heading back into the kitchen of a night time wanting something more-ish, mostly when I should probably be heading to bed. I find if I don’t eat, I wake during the night very very hungry and find it difficult to get back to sleep. Oh how the body knows what it wants!! There is only one solution! This mumma needs to eat. Ordinarily, I don’t make dessert during the week, however yoghurt is always in the fridge, fruit is always in the fruit bowl and therefore I always have myself a treat on standby. Thing is, fruit isn’t ideal on a full tummy of food. It ferments in the gut, leading to acidic build up, creating a toxic environment which can cause a host of digestive issues, irritable bowel, bloating, skin issues – even dark circles under the eyes! Oh and toxic gut will most certainly contribute to weight problems. BUT stew fruit – and the results are nothing but good! Stewed fruits are easy to digest, don’t ferment in the stomach AND they don’t contain added sugars as many dessert treats do. Berries are equally as good – fresh or stewed, as they don’t contain the same acids as most fruits. So, usually at the start of the week I will stew up whatever fruits are left on the bowl in anticipation of the new delivery of fruit (and veg) that will make its way to my door (thank you Aussie Farmers). Just remember to apply the rule – if it isn’t in season, it isn’t worth eating.

Fruit is easy to stew. Simply remove the peel or rind, roughly chop, add 1/4 cup of water and allow to simmer on the stove until it is soft. You can stew almost anything and use a combination of fruits to spice things up. I love stewed apples. Rhubarb is delicious, especially when pear is added as the sweet and sour flavours combine well. You can even warm up prunes for a delectable treat – add some granola and yoghurt and that is a treat worth sharing!

The type of yoghurt you eat is equally important. Natural non sweetened yoghurt is the bomb, so good in fact it aids in weight loss. Sarah Wilson shared her secrets on ‘six clever ways to eat yoghurt‘ last week. I encourage you to take a look. Organic is always best – I’m loving 5am Organic Yoghurt right now – or if your local doesn’t stock a good one, you can’t go past Greek Natural Yoghurt. Need it a bit sweeter – your best off adding a smidge of honey than buying something that already contains sugar – that way you know exactly what you are getting. AND remember whole foods are always best. Best steer clear of anything that is a low fat version (ANYTHING). It’s pumped up with extra sugars which will turn into unwanted fat, plus you will need more of it to be satisfied – all round it’s on the out list. Let’s not forget that yoghurt is packed full of great bacteria and will certainly support digestion. It’s a food that that can easily be eaten every day – warm or cold, savoury or sweet.

Oh and can I make one last suggestion? Eat it warm with yoghurt. Your stomach likes it when you eat food at 37 degrees or thereabouts – it digests easily this way and your body (essentially your fertility) will thank you for it. Healthy eating = a healthy you.