TWEED DAILY NEWS Saturday, March 5, 2011
Taking out the additivestweednews.com.au – p41 ● Weekend TV guide – p46-47
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TWEED DAILY NEWS/SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2011
Have your cake and ...
Addicted to sugar? Christine Cronau’s story might make you reconsider just what the sweet devil is doing to you By Nadine Fisher nadine.fisher@tweednews.com.au
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EING healthy is a piece of cake according to Christine Cronau. Writer, entrepreneur, martial arts instructor, wife and mother of two, Mrs Cronau was struck down with chronic fatigue syndrome at the age of 29, despite believing she was living a healthy lifestyle. So she began a quest to find out the truth about food and just what was going wrong, which has now led to the publication of her first book, Great Health Is A Piece Of Cake. “Initially I didn’t realise I had chronic fatigue – I thought I was getting run down with juggling work and kids. I thought it was normal to feel like that,” Mrs Cronau said. “After I was diagnosed I couldn’t help wondering why because I was so careful with my diet,” she said. “So I started on my quest to find out what was going on with our food.” Mrs Cronau, who has now been studying health and nutrition for more than 10 years, said she was shocked by what she discovered. “What I found was that the food industry promotes misinformation to consumers and many of the so-called studies they quote are funded by big businesses within the food industry,” she said. “They are basically encouraging consumers to eat food that is not healthy for us because it is the sugars that are the problem not the fats.”
EAT IT
To Page 27
CUTTING BACK: Christine Cronau has created a cookbook full of healthy food after a health crisis forced a rethink of her own diet.
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TWEED DAILY NEWS Saturday, March 5, 2011
WEEKENDER COVER STORY
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From Page 25 “We are not eating real foods anymore.” Mrs Cronau said it was the sugars, that are hidden in so many foods, causing heart disease, obesity and diabetes along with manmade disorders like ADHD. “You may think you’re eating healthily but the sugars are the real danger. “The things we’re avoiding like salts are actually needed – unrefined salts in our diet are essential. If you’re eating real foods and adding unprocessed salts – you’re getting the essential minerals needed. “And the diseases we’re suffering as a consequence of our diets are at epidemic proportions. We now have the first generation of children who are not expected to outlive their parents.”
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YUM: Apricot cookies that are gluten-free, sugar-free and chemical-free.
RMED with this information, Mrs Cronau was intent on finding alternative ways to cook tasty meals without the sugar and chemical content. “I discovered that the only way to eat healthily was to develop my own recipes at home. I didn’t want my children to miss out on treats so I had to find a way to make things like chocolate and ice cream without the nasty additives,” she said. “And it took a while but after a year of eating like this my health improved – simply by eliminating sugars and cutting down on carbohydrates.” Christine Cronau became known in her community for her amazing cooking and found she was constantly being asked for recipes. “So a recipe book seemed like a good idea, but it’s not just a recipe book – it is chocked full of information about nutrition with quotes from health professionals to educate people on the dangers in our foods. “Most people have the wrong information because what the food industry is telling us is actually making us sicker – even when you think you’re doing the right thing. “And sadly many mainstream doctors are not educated about wellness.”
HEALTHY TREAT: Orange cake.
AUTHOR: Christine Cronau is living proof that what we eat is reflected in the way we look.
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RS Cronau said there were many other books available, such as Sugar Shock, Sweet Poison, which highlighted the dangers associated with sugar consumption. “Sugar and chemicals, additives and preservatives are the enemy. There are some that cite sugar as being more addictive then heroin. “It’s also the number one thing to cause signs of ageing as your skin pretty much reflects what’s happening on the inside of your body. “Our appearance on the outside is a reflection of our inner health – through our skin, hair, nails and our weight. “I’m now 40 years old and don’t feel it one bit. “And that’s the message
I’m trying to get across. “You can live with energy and vitality at any age.” Mrs Cronau said the changes she had made to how she cooked had benefited her whole family. “My son, who is now 15, used to have dark circles under his eyes and was slower or seemed lethargic at his soccer games. “Now he’s a picture of health and it has definitely improved his concentration too. “As a taekwondo instructor I see a lot of kids who can’t focus or stand still and this is largely due to their diet. “And due to the informa-
tion presented, parents may think they’re buying healthy products when really they are not.” Mrs Cronau said she did allow her children to make their own choices as they became older in regard to the food they ate. “They both went a little crazy at the school tuckshop for awhile, but once they felt the effect of the food they were happy to stay away from it. “I’ve even catered their birthday parties with healthy food and I find the kids’ friends love it. This proves you don’t need to supply junk food. “It’s really a matter of cleaning out your house and only having good healthy food available. “If you include kids in the reason behind this – educate them and talk to them – they really will be interested in what’s happening and why.” Mrs Cronau said she had also helped her daughter’s school implement a healthy tuckshop program through her book. “I’m happy to speak to other schools and am currently giving away free
‘They are basically encouraging consumers to eat food that is not healthy for us because it is the sugars that are the problem not the fats. We are not eating real foods anymore’
Chocolate Ice Cream Preparation time: 10 minutes Serves 8
Ingredients 600 ml organic pure cream 2 tbsp quality cocoa 8 egg yolks 2½ tbsp raw honey Vanilla bean
copies of the book to schools who are interested in doing the same. They simply need to contact me through the website.”
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REAT Health is a Piece of Cake contains more than 100 recipes which each take 10 to 20 minutes to prepare, according to Mrs Cronau. “It shouldn’t be difficult to cook something that is
Method 1. Pour cream into a large mixing bowl and add the cocoa. 2. Whip cream with an electric beater until almost completely whipped (not yet forming stiff peaks, but almost to that point). The cocoa will slowly dissolve while whipping. 3. Add yolks, one at a time, while continually whipping. Whip until fluffy. 4. Add seeds from the vanilla bean. 5. Add honey slowly while whipping. 6. Pour into an airtight container and freeze.
both healthy and delicious. “So I have trialled and perfected all the recipes and used ingredients that are fairly common along with photos of the meals, snacks, lunch ideas and desserts,” she said. “All the recipes in the book are gluten-free, sugar-free and chemical-free. “And it also contains information about nutrition with quotes from
health professionals. “But most importantly when you are making changes to your diet go easy on yourself. “Be relaxed and just take one step at a time.” ● Great Health Is A Piece Of Cake is available through selected book and health food stores and online at www.christinecronau.com