Today we have special guests that are elite nutritionists and chefs, Emma Ellice-Flintand Jill Keyte. They are taking the culinary world by storm with their new whole foods inspired book The Happy Hormone Cookbook. With a collection of healthy and delicious recipes, the exciting new book is breaking barriers by shifting the balance of food that we eat daily to contribute to the ever-changing human body of both women and men. With additional words of wisdom sprinkled throughout, The Happy Hormone Cookbook will help you discover the food secrets to a well-balanced healthy life.
I was able to do an interview, so here are some of the questions I had asked along with the answers they gave back.
1. Describe your cookbook. What should readers expect?
The Happy Hormone Cookbook is one that helps you to eat nourishing nutritious foods in easy to prepare meals, not just for females but the whole family. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks are all included, and most recipes are gluten-free, and sugar-free.
2. What is your favorite recipe from your book and why?
My favorite recipe from the cookbook is Ranch Eggs With Spinach. As a Nutritionist clients are often asking me for an easy breakfast that is fast to make, plus is nourishing and sustaining through the morning – and that tastes great too! My kids love this; I simply leave out the spices.
3. Do you have a favorite ingredient to cook with?
I love avocado! It is full of natural fiber, antioxidant phytonutrients and nutritious oils. It is a vegetable I have often. I use it smashed up on toast, tossed into salads, and I even wrote a recipe for The Happy Hormone Cookbook that includes it in a chocolate mousse!
4. Did you have any challenges while writing your cookbook?
I spent the whole summer writing the recipes and eating all the foods – it was both fun and exhausting. My husband and adult son where eating their way through the recipes that summer too, and we laughed about it because they were concerned with eating foods for female hormone balance, but in fact all the nourishing and nutritious recipes in The Happy Hormone Cookbook benefit everyone young and old, male or female. They never felt better!
5. Do you have any tips for healthy eating?
As a Nutritionist I often get asked this plus how can I make as little change as possible with maximum impact! I tell my clients that if there are only two things you can change with your eating then to eat more vibrant rainbow-colored vegetables, and bring in small amounts of pulses and legumes into your meals, will make a big difference.
6. Do you have any secret cooking tips?
Lots! Since I used to work as a chef and now I am a qualified nutritionist, then cooking, food and health is at the heart of what I do. Secret cooking tips include –
If you throw a few seeds, plus fresh herbs into a plain vegetable dish, and drizzle over a little vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, then you have elevated that plain old boring vegetable dish that no one wants to eat into a delicious, nourishing, nutritious and easily digested creation!
Under rather than over cook your vegetables since they will carry on cooking in the residual heat once you have taken them away from their heat source, this is to preserve their delicate vitamins and phytonutrients.
Try having some eggs, canned chickpeas/garbanzo beans, and ripe avocado always on hand, plus a herb growing in a pot near your kitchen. That way, once you cook the eggs, you can toss all the ingredients together and easily make an amazing nutritious and nourishing fast meal.
7. Have you always had a passion for cooking?
Always! I often hung around the kitchen as a child, feeling very comfortable with all the smells and warmth. It was a happy place in my home. Food was made from scratch, often using vegetables from the garden and eggs from our hens.
8. How long did it take you to write your cookbook?
Jill and I worked really hard to achieve a very tight deadline. It took me all summer, over 4 months, to write or re-write the recipes, and to take some of my all-time favorites and make them relevant to The Happy Hormone Cookbook. Jill had to test each one of them, and we liaised about it regularly; It was a constant back and forth all summer for both of us, but we had our laughs throughout, plus our families both ate really well!
9. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to publish a cookbook?
Jill and I were commissioned to write The Happy Hormone Cookbook and the publishers, New Holland, gave us a deadline. Have a deadline! It really helps you to think clearly, and makes you plan and prioritize. I had a to-do-list, and wrote up big and small tasks in it, broken right down into parts for each day depending on the needs for the book, myself, my family, and my nutrition clinic.
10. Is there anything you’d like to add/say that I didn’t mention?
For Jill and I the experience of sharing our words of wisdom, knowledge, and expertise was fantastic. It has already made a difference to many of the women in my Nutrition clinic, and the feedback we are getting from those that have the cookbook is fabulous.
That is so interesting. I’ve never heard of cooking for your hormones before.
Right! This was the first time I heard about it as well.
This sounds like an interesting cookbook and one I will want to check out. I love discovering new recipes.
Me too! It’s great to find something different.
This book looks awesome and full of goodness. I love all of the interview questions since it gives us a glimpse into the authors.
I love seeing more about the authors too! It’s great to get to know them more.
What a great interview. I have a passion for cooking and want to serve my family healthier meal options. I’ll have to see about adding this cookbook to my collection.
Great! I’m looking forward to more healthier options as well.
This is a good line of questions.
They really address the working of this cook book.
She sure did!
This looks like a great book for me! I think the Ranch Eggs with Spinach sounds delicious.
It does sound good! I’d love to try it myself.
This is a great interview. I will have to pick up a copy of The Happy Hormone Cookbook to try.
I’m glad to hear you’re interested in it too!
I love buying cookbooks. I have been trying to eat healthier this year. The Happy Hormone Cookbook would be perfect for me.
Me too! I love finding new recipes that are healthier.
The Happy Hormone Cookbook would be a great gift for my Sister. I will have to pick up a copy to give her for her Birthday.
Great! I’m sure she’ll love it.
My husband and I have been trying to eat a little healthier and I think this book could really help us. I love the suggestion to eat a more vibrant rainbow too. That’s one of the little changes we put in place over the summer. It’s great to know we’re on the right track!
I completely agree. Eating a variety of colors is always a great idea.
What a unique concept for a cook book. Now that I am getting older and am done having kids, I am totally in tune with my hormones and how to get myself the food it needs to be the healthiest I can be in my thirties. Will have to check this cookbook out.
Great! I’m glad you’re going to check it out. I can’t wait to try some of the recipes.
This sounds like it has some great recipes in it! I have been eating out a lot lately so a new cook book would give me the inspiration I need.
I love cookbooks! It’s great to find so many new recipes.
What a fun interview to get to do!! I love hearing how people come up with their recipes, so much more creative then I could be.
Me too! I love being able to try out new recipes too.
How interesting! Will surely check this cookbook out. Would be so fun to add another cookbook to my collection.
I love cookbooks! I’m glad you’re interested in this one too.
I need to pick up this cookbook. I don’t like to cook very often. I do need some new healthy meal ideas.
I actually love cooking. I love that this cookbook has so many healthy options.
I love collecting cookbooks! This cookbook sounds like one that I need to add to my collection sometime. Thanks for the heads up! – HilLesha
I’m the same way. I love collecting cookbooks as well!
I had a total hysterectomy when I was 28 due to Endometriosis, so hormones is a topic that I’m familiar with. This cookbook would be great for myself and anyone else who’s suffering from it!
Sounds like this would be a great cookbook for you! I just love that it has so many healthy recipes.
Looks like a great cookbook. No hormone problems around here, really. We have a daughter that’s about to be a teen, but I’m sure it will be fine…. 😀
It does look like it’s got great recipes! I’m excited to try them because they look so healthy.
Wow, what a wonderful interview. I am so excited to get a copy. I love cooking.
Thanks! I’m glad you’re going to get a copy!
This book looks so interesting and different. I am going to check it out on Amazon
Great! I love cookbooks. 🙂
No hormones in our house. We don’t have a daughter on the cusp of teenagerhood (is that a word?)
I think it’s still a great cookbook for healthier foods.
I never thought about eating for your hormones. I also agree that I love cooking with avocados, too.
Avocados are great to cook with!
I love reading cookbook, especially healthy recipes! I can’t wait to find and read this book
Same here! Cookbooks are my favorite.
Wow. I am surprised of how quickly they have finished their cookbook. I would probably take more than a yar to finish one lol.
Right, haha! Same with me.