I recently did a smartphone detox. It was only for a week, but during that time, I only checked my phone once in the morning and once again in the evening. Doesn’t sound that difficult, does it? Well, what surprised me was just how difficult it was. It’s a habit, you...
If you have a child who finds writing difficult and doesn’t enjoy it, have you considered whether it is the physical act of writing that is holding them back, rather than a disinterest in doing it? The physical requirements for writing are extensive and may surprise...
Why is it whenever I encounter someone with an inspiring attitude, nine times out of ten that person has suffered, or is suffering some adversity? The most positive people I know, understand what it is to feel loss, pain or suffering and yet you would never know. They...
I went to a business networking meeting last week where there was a talk about marketing and selling your story. It involved some group discussion as the presenter talked us through the seven P's, namely: passion, principles, purpose, personality, position, people and...
Relationships are vital for our emotional wellbeing. Whether connections between partners, friends, family or work colleagues, the networks of people we surround ourselves with can provide a framework of support in both good and bad times. Human beings are social...
I'm glad I didn't make any new year's resolutions, because I would have been bitterly disappointed by now and it's not even the end of January. Work on my novel has come to a standstill whilst I work out where it's going and it seems this has triggered a fiction...
I've been busy making some changes to my blog. For sometime I've felt that Nikki Young Writes has become more of a writing-themed blog than a lifestyle one. The time had come to make a new home for my health-related articles and recipes. It means running two blogs,...
I have a dairy and wheat intolerant child, so I don’t get to buy fancy birthday cakes for him every year. Besides, I like to experiment to see if I can come up with something palatable myself. We have three birthdays in quick succession in our house (Christmas day,...
Quinoa (also known as Chenopodium quinoa) is an ancient grain that was first cultivated in the Andes by the Incas. Although not actually a grain (it is related to beetroot, chard and spinach), quinoa is eaten as though it were one, hence the label of pseudo-cereal....
Pasta sauces with hidden vegetables, lasagne, chilli and casseroles, the list of dishes that include that cupboard staple, the tin of plum tomatoes, is endless. These are hearty, healthy family meals too and ones that kids will actually eat. So what do you do...
Teff is a cultivated grain of the ancient grass, Fragostis tef, native to Ethiopia since around 4000BC. This hardy and versatile food source produces tiny seeds (less than a millimetre in diameter). Grown in remote parts of Ethiopia and Eritrea, Teff thrives in all...
Millet is a collective term for a number of small, seeded grains of the Poaceaoe Grass family. Thought to have been cultivated from as early as 8300 BC, this drought-resistant crop is the sixth most important grain in the world. The main types of millet grown are...
Sorghum is an ancient cereal grain that was first cultivated around 8,000 years ago in Southern Egypt. Grown widely in the USA, Africa and parts of Asia, Sorghum’s natural ability to tolerate drought makes it the fifth most important cereal crop in the world. In the...
You may recall some time ago that I had a series of disasters when I started to make my own gluten free bread. I thought it would be easy - just throw it all in the bread maker and let it work its magic. Boy was I wrong. I set about discovering what worked and didn't...
'Have I ever had muffins before?' My five year old asked me. I wasn't sure. There are lots of things that he has never eaten. I don't buy gluten and dairy free cakes very often, not because I am mean, but because I think that in general, they are sugar-laden, dry and...
I have often shied away from baking, preferring to cook savoury dishes instead. The thing I love most about cooking is having the freedom to experiment. I never have all the ingredients I need for a recipe and in fact, I rarely follow I recipe. I will look in my...
Typical party food usually includes sandwiches, sausages, sausage rolls, chocolate biscuits and of course, cake. When my five year old dairy and wheat intolerant son goes to a party I have to send him with his own packed lunch. I am not criticising anybody. This is...
There are so many potential variations to this dish, making it both a versatile and nutritious option for a family meal and one I felt was worth sharing. This is a vegetarian recipe, but can also be free from dairy, wheat and nightshades. Try it for National...
This infographic has been supplied by the Food Standards Agency, as part of Food Allergy Awareness Week (28th April-5th May 2014). They are also inviting you to test your knowledge by completing this great little quiz. Just follow the link below: Food allergy and...
Inspired by our recent visit to a bakery that was completely allergy and intolerance friendly and fed up with the extremely high sugar shop bought offerings, I decided to have a go at making some tasty treats of my own. I have to add that my ten year old daughter...