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BEAT THE BLOAT

Delicious recipes that will help you get a healthier tummy and stave off IBS

Bloating affects countless women in the UK and is even worse for the one in five with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can cause pain and abnormal bowel movements

IS bloating ruining your look this summer?

It affects countless women in the UK and is even worse for the one in five with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can also cause pain and abnormal bowel movements.

 Model and IBS sufferer Maeve Madden, 30, has put together some of her favourite recipes for a healthy and happy stomach
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Model and IBS sufferer Maeve Madden, 30, has put together some of her favourite recipes for a healthy and happy stomach

But model Maeve Madden, 30, may be able to help.

She suffers from IBS as well as polycystic ovary syndrome and after documenting her journey with food on Instagram has now published Beat Your Bloat.

Maeve, from Dublin, says the book is “not a diet book” but a simple guide that gives readers exercise and nutrition tips to keep that swollen stomach at bay.

Maeve shares some of her favourite and nutritious and delicious recipes which she hopes will provide the inspiration to keep that bloat at bay.

 Maeve Madden's new book Beat Your Bloat is out now
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Maeve Madden's new book Beat Your Bloat is out now

Thai green curry

IT’S lean, it’s mean and it’s green! Packed full of aromatic herbs and spices, this curry is an absolute taste sensation.

Marry that with lean chicken breasts and cauliflower rice and it is a sure-fire way to keep your diet on track without it becoming stale and lifeless.

Takeaway curries will be a thing of the past.

 Send your taste buds into overdrive, while keeping your belly in neutral, with this amazing Thai green curry
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Send your taste buds into overdrive, while keeping your belly in neutral, with this amazing Thai green curry

(Serves 4)

497 calories; 10g carbs, 31g fat, 46g protein

YOU NEED:

600g skinless chicken breast, diced

400ml can coconut milk

120ml chicken stock or water

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp coconut palm sugar or

½ tsp stevia

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into strips

100g baby corn

Small handful of spring onions (green parts only), cut into strips

For the curry paste:

2 lemongrass stalks, thinly sliced

3-4 green chillies, deseeded

4 spring onions (green parts only)

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

25g chopped coriander, plus extra to serve

25g Thai basil, plus extra to garnish

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp fish sauce

Zest of 1 lemon, plus juice of ½ lemon

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp coconut oil

METHOD: Start by making the curry paste. Add the lemongrass stalks to a food processor with the remaining curry paste ingredients.

Whizz together until you end up with a thick, green paste.

You will probably need to stop every now and then to scrape the sides down with a spoon to get all the ingredients to blend properly. If you don’t have a food processor you can also use a high-powered blender (such as a NutriBullet). It may take a little longer.

Add the curry paste to a large saucepan and warm over a low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken and stir, coating it in the curry paste. Cook for 4-5 minutes over a medium heat.

Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce and sugar or stevia and bring to the boil for 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat and add the red peppers, baby corn and spring onions. Simmer for at least 15 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Serve over cauliflower rice. Garnish with basil or coriander leaves and add an extra squeeze of lemon juice for more brightness. Enjoy.

Happy huevos

THE typical huevos dish can be greasy and cheesy – and there isn’t really anything happy about it.

That’s not the bloat-free morning we are looking for. So get your mouth ready for a little morning fiesta, with four happy huevos.

 Trust me, eggs can taste even better without bacon and sausage
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Trust me, eggs can taste even better without bacon and sausage

We are going to ditch the cheese and grease and fill our plates with nutritious deliciousness.

Olé! Do you know how incredibly amazing a runny yolk tastes when combined with avocado, tomato, pepper and coriander?

Let’s find out.

(Serves 4)

229 calories, 7g carbs, 15g fat, 18g protein

YOU NEED:

a handful of kale (about 30g), finely chopped

1 green pepper, deseeded and diced

1 red pepper, deseeded and diced

1 courgette, diced

4 tomatoes, diced

Handful of cherry tomatoes, on the vine

1 small red chilli, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp coconut oil

8 eggs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Handful of coriander leaves

4 lime wedges, to serve

METHOD: Combine all the vegetables and chilli in a large mixing bowl.

Season with salt and black pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat.

Add a quarter of the vegetable mix and cook, stirring, until warm. Make two wells in the middle of them in the pan and add the coconut oil.

Crack two eggs, or one egg and one egg white, into the wells. Place the lid over the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

Repeat this three more times for your breakfast buddies. Serve the salsa and eggs scattered with coriander and a lime wedge for squeezing over the top.

TIP: Add some gluten-free bread or wheat-free tortillas if you want a more substantial breakfast.

No pudge fudge

SWEET, gooey, delicious. Fudge has always been a real Madden family favourite.

We are all a little coconut crazy these days, and my nutty treat will satisfy any sweet craving.

 Go crazy for fudge - and leave the guilt behind
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Go crazy for fudge - and leave the guilt behind

(Serves 6)

96 calories, 1g carbs, 9g fat, 2.5g protein (per 15g piece)

YOU NEED:

120g almond butter

2½ tbsp virgin coconut oil or 30g coconut butter

2½ tbsp liquid sweetener (optional)

Few drops maple extract (optional)

Sprinkle of pink salt
METHOD: Heat a saucepan over a medium heat and add the almond butter and coconut oil or butter.

Gently warm until they have both melted, then add your choice of sweetener, if using, and mix well.

Spoon the liquid fudge into an ice-cube tray or freezable sweets mould (I use ice-cube trays). Sprinkle a little salt on top and transfer to the freezer for a few hours until solid.

Surprisingly, these don’t take as long to freeze as you may think. Pop them out of the moulds and eat immediately.

Loco coco

THIS is one of my favourite go-to puddings, especially in the evening.

Cinnamon naturally helps balance sugar cravings by controlling blood glucose levels.

 Cinnamon, berries and coconut yoghurt make for a peaceful night
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Cinnamon, berries and coconut yoghurt make for a peaceful night

(Serves one)

318 calories, 12g carbs, 28g fat, 8g protein

YOU NEED:

75g mixed berries (such as blueberries, strawberries and raspberries)

100g coconut yoghurt

1 tbsp almond butter

½ peach, sliced

1 tsp ground cinnamon

METHOD: Pop the berries in a bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds.

Add the yoghurt to a bowl and swirl in the almond butter.

Top with the hot berries, add the peach slices and dust with the cinnamon.

Dietician Alison Barnes reveals how many hidden sugars there are in popular carbs on The Truth About