Happy new year! It’s lovely to see you all on the other side and I’m excited to get rolling with 2024. Although the madness of Christmas is over, my kitchen is still in full swing as we are finalising all the recipes for the Waterfront Wellness Healthy Kickstart.

We launched this idea in 2023, offering a free two-week programme to everyone in the community. We had a huge uptake with more than 300 people participating, so we are doing it again. This year, we will follow the same six healthy habits (with some tweaks) and we have 14 completely new recipes for you to try. You can sign up online at waterfrontwellness.bm. Join us because it will be fun (and tasty!).

All the recipes are gluten free and dairy free, not because we think that everyone needs to be but because it keeps the programme inclusive and we find that most people are better with less gluten and less dairy anyway. We are not saying that any recipe or product that is gluten/dairy-free is automatically healthy. So many of the options out there are packed full of ultra-processed junk. But these recipes provide natural, unprocessed alternatives and are packed full of fibre and antioxidants. So, they are allergy-friendly in the right way.

While we do have some beef, chicken, salmon and shrimp included, more than half of the recipes are completely plant-based. Also, while food in Bermuda is never going to be cheap, we have kept it as budget-friendly as we can and offered lots of ideas for substitutions. You know how it goes in Bermuda, it’s never easy to find everything on your list, so we have kept the concepts as flexible as possible. One of my favourite, flexible recipes is included for you below – our easy protein pancakes.

If you can’t find fresh bananas, you can use frozen. If you can’t find ground flax seed, you can replace them with the same quantity of oats. (We do love the flax seed though as it provides an amazing dose of Omega 3 - great for your heart, hormones and brain.) If you don’t like the apple-cinnamon combo, use frozen berries instead. And if you don’t have or want to add protein powder – you can simply leave it out (there’s still lots of protein from the eggs/flax).

When it comes to choosing protein powders, my favourite are the Garden of Life Organic Sport options at Miles. They have a grass-fed whey option and a completely plant-based option, made from sprouted peas and beans, meaning that the amino acids are more bioavailable. But you can use anything you have already – ideally just skip isolated soy proteins and if you are using whey, make sure it is grass-fed (you are what you eat, but you are what you eat eats too!)

Making sure your breakfast is high in protein is a great way to help keep your blood sugar more even through the day. A breakfast of sugary cereal and a coffee (maybe with some extra sugar, too) will send your sugars rocketing up. When they come down, they come crashing down, bringing with it fatigue, irritability and apathy. In contrast, a higher protein breakfast (extra points if it has high fibre too) enables a more steady sugar release. That means better sustained energy, improved mood and less cravings for more sugar. Sound good? You can learn more by joining us on the kickstart, so do sign up – we start January 11!

Easy Protein Pancakes (with yoghurt and apples)

Ingredients (serves 2):

Pancakes

1 banana

¼ cup oats

¼ cup ground flax seed

3 eggs

¼ cup plant-based milk (unsweetened)

2 tbsps protein powder (optional)

1 tbsp baking powder

Other ingredients:

1 apple

Pinch cinnamon (optional)

½ cup Coyo pain coconut yoghurt

Avocado oil (or grapeseed oil)

Method

Peel your apple and chop into bite-sized pieces. Pop them in a small pan with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon (if you like it) and cook over a low heat until they soften. (It’s easy to do this in bigger batches and keep in the fridge.)

Throw all your pancake ingredients in a blender and blend briefly, or mash the banana and then whisk everything together in a bowl (or jug – which makes pouring the mix easier!). Note: If you skip the oats and double up on the flax seed, then you might need a little more milk.

Pour the pancakes and cook over a medium heat, using avocado or grapeseed oil (both good over medium to high heat)

Serve with the cooked apples and a dollop of yoghurt! (You can use any type of yoghurt but the CoYo is plant-based and contains the least additives of all the vegan brands.)

• The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION, BNTA is a fully qualified nutritional therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. She works at Waterfront Wellness in Bermuda. Join Catherine on Facebook: facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda or instagram @naturalbda