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September 8th, 2010
Sankalpa gets creative in the battle against addiction
September 6th, 2010
New Regulations on Codeine
September 5th, 2010
SPICY PEAR JUICE
September 3rd, 2010
Thursday 29/7/2010 SANKALPA Day Out
August 17th, 2010
This juice is made up of three simple ingredients. Pears, celery and some ginger.
Pears can act as a gentle laxative while celery acts as a diuretic and root ginger is excellent for the digestion. Combined together it’s a good juice for keeping our system in balance.
1 large pear
2 sticks of celery
1 inch approx of fresh root ginger
Juice the ingredients together and serve with ice.
There is anecdotal information to suggest that when you stop eating sugar completely once the initial withdrawal phase ends, you nearly always experience higher spirits, emotional stability, improved memory and speech, restful sleep and dreams, fewer colds and dental problems, more endurance and concentration, and better health in general.
(Healing with Whole foods, Pitchford P)
Next time some tips on healthy ways to satisfy our need for sugar!
Serves 2
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
½ head of broccoli, divided into florets
1 green pepper, chopped
½ cup barley
½ cup Arborio/risotto rice
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
Juice of half a lime
Olive oil
Half of a low-salt vegetable stock cube
Serve it up and enjoy!
Barley has lots of health benefits. It is high in fibre and niacin (a B vitamin), which means it can help lower cholesterol. It is also a good source of selenium, manganese, phosperous, and copper, as well as being high in tryptophan – an essential amino acid that contributes to the production of serotonin and melanin and helps prevent depression and promotes healthy sleep. For more information, see:
7oz Oats
2oz dessicated coconut
6 tbs applesauce (approx 2 cooking apples)
3 tbs honey
2 tbs sunflower oil
You can create your own variations by adding chopped dried apricots or dates, raisins, seeds or nuts.
Enjoy!
This is a good juice for coming into summertime when berries really come into their own and mixed with apples provide a great source of Vitamin E and C. Apples are a great cleanser also and just a reminder that fruit and green juices are better taken on their own away from a meal!
3 Apples
5 fl oz Unsweetened cranberry juice
4 oz fresh or frozen blueberries
Juice the apple, and then add the apple juice into a blender and whiz with the cranberry juice and blueberries. This makes about one large glass of delicious juice
As you may be aware by now many of you who read this website and blog would know that we communicate at many levels here in Sankalpa the philosophy of a non-medical approach to healing. So when I think of the many theories of nutrition that I could put forward, like drinking eight to ten glasses of water is good for you. Or perhaps I could also say that it is a well-established fact that eating lots of fruit and vegetables every day is good for your health.
There is a huge army of knowledge and statistics supporting this information. Our aim as you can see is to give you lots of nutritional information and some recipes that are loaded with goodness and health giving properties and most importantly that these recipes are simple and easy to make and they taste good!
The philosophy of good nutrition has to address more than just food and what you put into your body. Human beings are full of complexity and complications and it is very important to understand how uniquely individual each of us are. We process food through physiological and biochemical processes that are determined by many factors.
This means that being too absolute and obsessive about food and what constitutes good health can be more of a deterrent to health than a positive force in your life. We need to wear our nutrition like a loose piece of clothing – it fits well but does not constrict or restrict us.
If we think of the word nutrition and what it means, we have to look at what ways we nurture and nourish ourselves apart from what we put into our bodies. Do we get nourishment and nutrition from the sunshine and being in the outdoors? Would having lots of good conversations with people you like and who make you laugh influence how well the food you eat gets absorbed and digested?
For example if you are anxious and uptight and feel unable to sit and relax, it would make it more difficult for you to get the benefits out of the good food that you might be eating as your digestive system tends to shut down at these times which makes it harder for your body to work efficiently.
On the other hand if you are at ease and out with friends and sitting in the sunshine or at home in your favourite chair sharing a meal with someone you love – it may not be as important that every bite you eat is super healthy. It may be soul food which is the food that may not fit into the category of healthy, like chocolate, or a home made piece of cake lovingly prepared by someone especially for you. It may be a simple toasted sandwich or a plate of chips but if you are really hungry and really at ease with yourself that might be the food that nourishes you most at that time.
Obviously if you feel good and nourished and nurtured inside yourself by people, books or movies or nature or your work – you will automatically be more inclined to eat food for sustenance and pleasure but not repeatedly for comfort and sedation and as a way to numb out all feelings. We can use food in the same way as we use alcohol or illegal drugs or nicotine. So think today about what nourishes you and remember that nutrition is emotional, mental and spiritual as well as physical.
Nuts can get a bad press as they are associated with peanuts and salted nuts you buy in shops or munch on in bars while waiting for a meal or having a drink. These are not very nutritious as they are full of salt and are highly processed. For most people who try to lose weight it is always about reducing the fat content of their diet and this is where nuts get the boot! Therefore it is important to say that human beings need good fats in their diet to help boost mood and keep joints lubricated. Good fats also promote healthy nails, skin and hair.
In their raw state nuts are natural superfoods. If you don’t eat fish and want to get a boost of Omega – 3 fatty acids, look no further than a handful of almonds or one or two Brazil nuts or cashew nuts, which you can get, from health food shops or most large supermarkets. Just look for the pure unprocessed ones, without additives or salt. Nuts are an excellent source of vegetable protein. Almonds are a good source of calcium for those of you who avoid dairy foods.
Nuts are a versatile food and can be blended to form nut butters like almond butter and peanut butter. These spreads are loaded with goodness and have a rich sweet flavour. Spread almond butter over an oatcake or bagel or rice cake and you get the richness of that buttery taste as well as an energy-giving source of protein and fat.
As always when we eat omega 3 rich foods it can have a positive impact on our mood and because of the richness of the taste, it takes less of it to satisfy our hunger. Nuts are also a good source of zinc, which is a good defence against stress. Hazelnuts and almonds contain folic acid, which again is good for supporting the nervous system, which in turn can help reduce the intense low mood that can accompany depression.
Walnuts are great in salads and on cereals either finely chopped or eaten whole. Nuts are such a versatile food and can be a great alternative to meat or fish or a handy snack food to eat with a piece of fruit.
For this juice you need a mixture of fruits and vegetables. Always remember the greener the juice the more potent the nutrition. However to ensure good taste and a hint of sweetness its always good to try to add some fruits in along with your vegetables.
Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove any dirt or chemicals. A handy hint for removing any excess residue from chemicals particularly if your produce is not organic is to soak everything in a sink full of cold water and add some freshly squeezed lemon juice. Do not cut fruits and vegetables too small – cut to a size that fits comfortably into the chute.
When juicing leafy vegetables, roll into a ball and push through followed by harder fruit or vegetables.
Don’t try to juice bananas, avocados or very over ripe fruit – this will clog up the juicer. Use these only in smoothies.
Pineapple (Fresh is best about half)
Celery (half a head)
Carrots 3 large
Apples 2 large
Lemon ½ peeled
Ginger (optional 1 cube fresh root grated)
Serves 4-6
4 big carrots peeled and sliced
½ head celery, sliced
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
big knob ginger, peeled and finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
225g red lentils
2 litres vegetable stock
juice of 2 lemons
black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot and sweat the carrots, celery, onions, ginger and garlic for five minutes, without allowing them to colour.
Rinse the lentils in a sieve and then add to the vegetables, along with the stock. Bring up to a simmer and then cook gently for 40 minutes or so, until the lentils are soft. Taste and season, then whizz it in a blender or food processor. At this stage, you could add some more raw ginger and garlic, along with the lemon juice and lots of black pepper.
Taste and serve!
Adapted from recipe by Domini Kemp