 In this issue:
TZATZIKI WITH A TWIST
Makes 3 cups
500g (2 cups) Jalna Greek Style Yoghourt
1 Lebanese cucumber, seeded and finely diced
1 small red capsicum, seeded and finely diced
1/3 cup finely diced semi-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt & cracked black pepper, to taste
- Combine all ingredients together.
- Serve with a selection of sliced breads, lavosh and/or crackers.
- Also, ideal as an accompaniment to hot, spicy food, or dollop on salads, jacket potatoes, BBQ lamb, or on a wrap with cold meats.
New Functional Foods
 By Karen Inge, Accredited Practising Dietitian
All foods are ‘functional’, providing the energy and nutrients we need, but we tend to choose food for pleasure or convenience. However more of us are now focusing on choosing healthy foods and for good reason too.
The new Jalna Vitalize range takes ‘functional foods’ to a new level, with each one targeting an individual’s specific needs.
Heart Food
 Jalna Vitalize Heart+ contains omega 3, vitamins A, C and E, and pomegranate and blueberry real fruit puree, so it tastes delicious. An Australian study3 identified that many people believed omega-3 fatty acids were good for them and are aware of the potential benefits. It also showed they thought that functional foods enriched with omega-3 were a good way of delivering this nutrient in the diet, particularly as an alternative to fish, especially for children.
Jalna Vitalize Heart+ has 30mg of omega-3s per serve, providing a third of the average intake of an Australian woman. Understanding the health benefits of omega-3s in the diet, health authorities are suggesting we need to increase our intake to approximately 500mg a day.
Immune Booster
 The other product in the range is Jalna Vitalize Immune+. Besides the healthy probiotic aBc bacteria, so important for immune function, it has added vitamin C, Echinacea and the real fruit puree of acai berry, raspberry and pear. A pleasure to enjoy every day, while benefiting from all that dairy goodness and those healthful ingredients.
Both are available in 200g tubs and naturally, like all Jalna dairy foods, have viable quantities of aBc cultures (more than 200 million of each culture per serve), but no added cane sugar (sucrose) or preservatives, plus they are low fat, low G.I. and gluten free.
One Vitalize tub every day – with wholegrain cereal, fresh fruit, whipped up in a smoothie or just enjoyed on its own – will help you function better!
1 Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand, Australian Government 2005
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/n35syn.htm
2 Caryl A Nowson, Claire Margerison, Vitamin D intake and vitamin D status of Australians,
MJA 2002 Vol 177 p149-152
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/177_03_050802/now10763_fm.pdf
3 Patch, C, Tapsell, L and Williams, PG, Overweight consumers’ salient beliefs on omega-3-enriched functional foods in Australia’s Illawarra region, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 37, 2005, 83-89.
5 Steps to Vitalize Your Life
Need some inspiration to vitalize your life? Take these five steps to a more vital you.
Tip 1: Start an exercise regime this autumn.
 Cooler nights and early mornings are perfect for brisk walking. Inspire the neighbours to join you or go it alone or with the dog.
- Or join an exercise class – maybe with yoga classes. Bend, stretch and relax your mind – a perfect way to start, or end the day. Or dance your way to fitness – a little fancy footwork will keep you agile.
- Start lifting weights – no, you don’t have to be Arnold Schwarzenegger - simply lifting and carrying the shopping, or cans of soup, can held build your strength.
By winter you’ll be toned and terrific, and ready for more.
Step 2: Keep your mind active too.
They say mental stimulus keeps us young, so start now and turn the clock back!
- Join the craze for Sudoko, or any of the word or number games you’ll find in daily newspapers or books. You could learn a language. Or start bridge or chess classes – a little friendly rivalry does wonders to improve your concentration.
- Sign up for a series of lectures on your favourite subject – art, gardening, ancient history, famous authors or exotic cultures. The opportunities to vitalize your mind are open to your imagination!
Step 3: Help someone else.
- Australia couldn’t survive without volunteers and even if you’re not strong enough to wield a chain saw for emergency services or fight a bushfire, there are plenty of other jobs that need volunteers too.
- Or do something with people. Lots of lonely, isolated folk would appreciate a little of your time and a warm smile. Many schools need adults to help with reading skills, while migrant groups are looking for assistance with English too. Perhaps you like animals? Consider training to look after injured wildlife. Maybe you’re concerned about the environment? Get involved with a native revegetation project.
There are endless ways you can give back to the community. You’ll be surprised how much better you’ll feel too.
Step 4: Expand your menu repertoire with Jalna Vitalize.
Most people cook the same things on a regular basis, so their meal repertoire is pretty limited. Now’s the time to try something you’ve never had before – there’s so many exciting options to choose from. Remember, the more variety we have the better, and the new Vitalize range packs a solid nutrition punch when it comes to vitalizing your day, every day.
A 200g tub of Jalna Vitalize Heart+ has omega 3s, vitamin A, C and E, and real fruit puree of pomegranate and blueberry. And heading into the colder months, you’ll be glad to know Jalna Vitalize Immune+ has added vitamin C, Echinacea and the real fruit puree of acai berry, raspberry and pear. Of course they all have ‘friendly’ aBc cultures and are all naturally full of dairy goodness.
 Did you know you can make Corn Cakes with Jalna Vitalize Vitamin+ yoghourt – plenty of calcium and wholegrain goodness for everyone. For four, take 3 eggs, 1 cup Jalna Vitalize Vitamin+, 2 cups canned or frozen corn kernels, 2 spring onions, finely sliced, 2/3 cup of plain flour and salt and pepper. Just whisk the eggs and add ½ cup Jalna Yoghourt. Stir in the corn, spring onions, flour and seasonings. Heat a non-stick pan over a moderate heat and add oil, just to cover the base. Cook tablespoons of the mixture till golden, then turn and when golden remove onto absorbent paper. Serve with a dollop of the yoghourt and a corn, red capsicum, Spanish onion and cucumber salsa.
 Jalna Vitalize Heart+ makes a delicious marinade and salad dressing for chicken too. Just combine two 200g tubs Jalna Vitalize Heart + (the blueberries and pomegranates taste delicious), 1/3 cup lime juice, 1 tablespoon Japanese reduced-salt soy sauce and 2 teaspoons grated ginger. Use half as a marinade for chicken fillets for 30 minutes. Lightly spray the BBQ with oil and cook until golden. Use the other half as a salad dressing to complement the meal.
Want to end the meal with a delicious frozen dessert - one that tastes wickedly luscious, but is positively good for you? Try Berry Delicious Dessert for 4.
Whisk an egg white and 2 tablespoons of caster sugar until soft peaks form (meringue texture). Combine 2 x 200g tubs of Jalna Vitalize Immune + and 2 cups of fresh or frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries) and fold into the egg mixture. Pour into an icecream maker and churn for 20 minutes (or if no icecream maker is available, pour mixture into a freezer tray, freeze for 1 hour, whisk to break up the ice crystals and freeze again. Repeat and freeze until set). You can serve in a bowl or cocktail glass or layer Berry Delicious Dessert and fresh fruit.
Step 5: Grow outside your comfort zone.
So now your body, mind and life are feeling vitalized, what’s the next step? Grow outside your comfort zone to change your image of yourself. Just what do you think you are capable of? Now’s the time to find out.
Try something new and different – think what you have to offer. Be open to suggestions. Maybe you’ve never thought of yourself as a leader, but you could be. Start up a group of neighbours or friends to achieve something – whether it is political, environmental, physical (like a weight loss or exercise challenge) or social.
Evaluate your interests and skills – you could teach others, instead of being the one who’s taught. You could make a real difference and vitalize someone else’s life. So, go for it!
Want more? Subscribe to JALNA LIVING!
|
