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Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category

SUMMER FRESH JUICE

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

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)

LENTIL LEMON AND GINGER SOUP

Monday, April 19th, 2010

 

Serves 4-6

4 Tbsp   Olive Oil

 

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

Super food of the month!

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

 FIGS

 

Figs are a dried fruit that contain a lot of potassium and fibre and if we are concerned with our mental health it is a great idea to have potassium getting into our cells.  We can be sure that our nervous system is getting a helping hand as it’s a mineral that is essential for proper functioning of the cells.  Stress depletes our bodies of potassium.  When we get aches and pains and feelings of tiredness this can lead us to feel more stressed and less able to cope.

Eating a couple of figs a day may help increase your potassium levels and help combat stress as a result.  The other great thing about figs is that they are high in dietary fibre, which is essential for getting our digestive system working efficiently.  The quick elimination of waste food from our bodies is very important to reduce feelings of sluggishness and tiredness that can build up if we are bloated and constipated.  Our energy goes down as our bodies have to work so much harder to function at optimum level.  When we are cleaner inside we can feel lighter in mood and figs are a natural laxative and really work well to promote an internal spring clean that is gentle on the body.  

Figs are generally eaten dried and it is always a good idea if you can to get the pure unsulphured variety, which are to be found in health food shops.  Figs are high in concentrated sugars but do not cause the crash and burn effect of more processed sugary foods.  In fact they are a good alternative to sweets, cakes, biscuits etc and can help alleviate the cravings associated with reducing sugar intake by providing a more wholesome sweet alternative.

Lastly dried figs are also high in iron and for those of you who do not eat a lot of meat this can be a good way of making sure your iron levels are increased which again will help you if you are feeling tired or run down.

Coconut treats!

Monday, March 29th, 2010

Trying to eat healthy?  Why not try these coconut treats!  Healthy and delicious.  They are simple to make and eaten in seconds!

100g almond nuts soaked overnight and drained

200g dessicated coconut

6 dessertspoons agave syrup

2 dessertspoons lemon zest

2 dessertspoons lime zest

Mix in a food processor using the ‘S’ blade

Form into bite size balls

For chocolate lovers, melt some raw chocolate

Dip the coconut balls into the melted chocolate and sprinkle with some coconut

Refrigerate if you can resist!

Juice

Friday, March 19th, 2010

Fresh juices provide the body with an abundant source of nutrition all in one power packed punch of goodness!   Into your body in one fell swoop comes vitamins, minerals, live enzymes, and amino acids to name just a few.    The nutrients in juices are absorbed rapidly and efficiently with very little stress on the digestive system.

There are many different combinations of juices to choose from but it is always better to include as many green vegetables as you can and a small amount of fruit to provide a hint of sweetness.

Recipe for juice

 

3 large cucumbers    

2 heads of celery       

1 to 2 cm in diameter of ginger peeled and finely chopped

1 large or 2 small carrots

1 punnet of Blueberries or Blackberries    

1 large or 2 small apples (Fuji or pink lady red)

1 large pear             

1 whole lime flesh and juice included

For extra green chlorophyll and energy add in 1 large handful of parsley or spinach

This produces about one and a half litres of juice.  For smaller amounts simply reduce your portions of each.

Use locally produced organic vegetables when you can!

Lentil Bolognese

Friday, March 12th, 2010

1 large carrot, grated

2 sticks celery, finely chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 mug of red lentils

Olive oil

Optional: small glass of red wine

  • Cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil with the lid on until soft and transparent.
  • Add the grated carrot and chopped celery. Cook for 15 minutes.
  • Stir in the tomatoes (and wine) and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
  • Simmer for 20 minutes, then add the lentils.
  • Simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are soft (they should still have a bit of bite)

 

Add a splash of water while cooking if the ingredients start to stick to the pan or dry out. You can serve this with pasta, or simply by itself. It’s tasty and filling and best of all – you won’t miss the meat!

Superfood of the month – Blueberries

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

 

Blueberries are one of nature’s wonder foods.  They are full of fibre and packed with juicy goodness and plenty of those antioxidants that we hear so much about.  That’s what makes them blue and purple in colour.  They are a great source of Vitamin C and this together with their exceptional antioxidant activity makes them qualify as a superfood.  A superfood is a food that can offer a multiple of health benefits by eating it.   

Some studies being carried out have shown that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effect of age-related conditions.   In plain terms this means that eating just a handful of these berries every day can help us improve our learning capacity and motor skills.  Another benefit is found in improved vision and protection against failing eyesight.  They are a traditional remedy for both constipation and diarrhoea.  They also can help eliminate urinary tract infections.  And finally they taste delicious!  Try them mixed with other fruits or on cereal with Greek yoghurt or ice cream (The Encyclopaedia of Healing Foods).

Herb of the Month: Passion flower

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Used long before the arrival of Europeans in the America’s, passion flower’s calming, relaxant qualities are quickly apparten on taking this herb.

Key actions:

Aids sleep

Relaxant

Relieves pain

Sedative

Passion flower relieves anxiety and nervousness and can be used to aid sleep.  It takes the edge off worry and anxiety, bringing relief to symptoms such as a racing heart and tension headache.  A mild analgesic, passion flower can help with migrane and neuralgic pain, for example in toothache. 

The passion flower is most commonly used for its ability to calm the central nervous system. Like benzodiazepines and other herbs, the passion flower increases the levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry messages from nerve cells to other cells. It decreases the activity of nerve cells in the brain, causing relaxation. It is helpful for anxiety and insomnia because of its calming effect.

Safe and non-addictive, passion flower is a key sleep remedy, often enabling one to relax and slip off into sound sleep.

Herb of the Month: Lemon Balm

Saturday, January 16th, 2010

Much loved as a lemon-scented infusion that ‘makes the heart merry’, lemon balm’s soothing qualities quieten the heart and an overactive mind.

Valuable in situations where long-term anxiety edges into depression, lemon balm is known to inhibit thyroid function and makes a useful remedy for a slightly overactive thyroid gland.

Key Actions : Anti-depressant

Lemon balm is a relaxing tonic for anxiety, mild depression, restlessness and insomnia. It reduces feelings of panic and is a valuable remedy for palpitations of a nervous origin. For all such conditions, take as an infusion (make it into a tea) 2-3 times a day.

Herbs for Tobacco Addiction

Friday, January 1st, 2010
  • Cloves stimulate lung circulation, contain valuable antioxidants, and give your mouth a fresh, clean flavor.  To help overcome the oral-manual habit as well as the physical dependency, suck on a whole clove.
  • Garlic can be taken during the cutting back period to help open the lungs.
  • Ginger helps increase circulation of the lungs, which in turn helps move toxins and reduces inflammation in lung tissue.
  • Ginseng helps the body better utilize oxygen and aids in keeping blood sugar levels steady.
  • Juniper berry can help open and detoxify the lungs. Try chewing on five berries a day.
  • Mullein is an expectorant that helps move toxins from the lungs. It’s also soothing to irritated lung tissues.