Day 1 - Sunday 18th June 2017 - Refugee Week aka Ration Week Prep day! Our busy lives and schedules mean that prep day has become an household chore. In the ration challenge case it a means of dividing and conquering. Dividing up portions and weighing dry ingredients to make sure the rations last the entire week. Sudden realisation… it's quite a lot of white rice. 90g portions of white rice for each meal for 7 days. I will definitely not go hungry but will definitely get sick of rice. Mistakes I’ve made already… no protein for breakfast. The number one tip we learn in clinical studies, a lot of people are lacking adequate protein for breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and having an appropriate protein intake starts the day off on the right track, protein keeps you fuller for longer, aids concentration and provides your body with the energy to get stuck into our busy lives. Protein intake is something I am always searching for in the diet. I crave protein first, usually animal protein such as eggs and chicken. This week is going to a real challenge for me when in comes to this. I have chosen to take a vegetarian option so instead of sardines i will be having tofu. I will be spending a week living off plant based protein, bean, lentils, chickpeas and tofu. Sounds yum right! But the protein portion are such a dramatic drop to what I am use to. So unlike today where I just had white rice & spice for breakfast. My aim is to have the majority of my protein intake in the morning. Luckily today is a lazy, rainy Sunday at home. Spice for the week - a naturopath’s best friend Turmeric! The flavour of choice in every product found in a health food shop. In the ration challenge we earn rewards based on donations raised for the cause, for sponsoring myself I earned one spice for the week, so how could I not choose turmeric! Popular for its anti-inflammatory properties, it is also provides therapeutic value as an antiplatelet, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, vasoprotective and many, many more benefits. Plus from a cooking perspective goes well with rice, lentils, chickpeas, and kidney beans! A flavoursome spice for otherwise dull diet. Tea of choice - I can’t pick one! Luckily the specifications are just 8 tea bags over the week for raising $200, so I figure I can choose a different herbal tea bag each day! And get a few sneaky refills. Today I am enjoying a tulsi tea, which has a wide range of therapeutic actions including adaptogenic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, hypolipidaemic, neuroprotective, antidepressant, hypoglycaemic, and antimicrobial. Whilst one tea bag is not a therapeutic dose, it’s still a functional herbal tea and a tasty addition to my otherwise plain ration meals. If only we could send turmeric spice and tulsi tea in the ration pack to the refugees, while they won’t correct nutritional deficiencies they will definitely aid in prevention of disease states and conditions caused by a under nutritious diet. Who knows maybe we can send some functional foods and herbs? Donations are definitely a good start so any contribution we make can make a difference.
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