The changing of seasons

The seasons are changing, and with it more people are getting sick –  having some zinc lozenges or some Echinacea tablets are essentials to have at home – start taking these at first signs of sickness. And don’t forget those oh so good kitchen cupboard remedies…

For colds, flus, coughs & sinus - my advice is to start taking some preventative measures now - 1000mg of vitamin C & here is a recipe that costs little and works wonders… 

Flu Brew: 

A thumb size piece of ginger (chopped)

A pinch of chilli

A whole lemon (squeezed)

2 cloves of garlic (chopped) 

2 big glasses of water. 

Place all into a saucepan and boil up for 5 minutes, simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on, place through a sieve draining the liquid off that you are going to drink. Then add a generous spoonful of honey and drink. 

Wrap yourself up warm and go to bed, the brew will increase sweating and boost the immune system – supporting your body to fight the illness. 

And of course, call us, if you need some additional assistance. 

Superfoods

‘Superfoods’ really is the word of the moment. It has become trendy to fill the cupboards with superfood supplements and products such as spirulina, acai and noni juice have become household items. While I don’t think that these superfoods are the be all and end all of health, they can be a great addition to your daily diet. They provide a range of nutrients and health benefits (as long as they don’t replace a balanced meal) and can be thought of a simple way of boosting your daily nutrition.

Here are my favourite superfoods that I use at home on a regular basis:

Raw cacao

Cacao is chocolate in its raw form, and comes in the form of cacao beans, nibs or powder. It has a bitter taste, but adds a lovely chocolate flavour (without the fats, dairy and sugar) when added to foods like smoothies or desserts. Cacao contains high levels of antioxidants. In fact, it has many more types of antioxidents than green tea, red wine or blueberries.  Its high levels of vitamin C, magnesium and chromium make it a nutrient rich snack and it can help blood sugar regulation. This makes it the perfect choice when you feel like something sweet and want to avoid the naughty alternatives.

Coconut oil

Coconuts provide many amazing health benefits and come in many different forms. Coconut water, coconut oil, coconut milk and coconut cream are all available, but coconut oil out-shines the others. The oil is made from the meat of mature coconuts and contains a type of fat called ‘medium chained fatty acids’. This is a unique form of fat that can be absorbed straight into a cell and used as energy (therefore not stored as fat). The oil has been shown to have anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. It is a great oil to cook with, as it stays stable at high temps and will not oxidize. Adding a spoonful of coconut oil into your smoothie will help you to stay fuller between meals.

Chia seeds

Chia seeds are originally found in South America and have been used as early as 3500BC by the Aztecs. Interestingly, Chia grows best at 15 degrees from the equator and are today grown on this latitude in Australia and South America. Chia seeds contain a high amount of beneficial oils. Up to 64% are Omega 3 fatty acids. They contain 23% protein and are an excellent source of protein for vegetarians or people with a low animal product diets. They contain 6 times more calcium per weight volume than milk. They are also high in B vitamins, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, boron and copper. They are almost tasteless and can be added to a variety of different meals. Ground or whole chia seeds can be sprinkled into yoghurt, cereals, muesli, smoothies or even into salads.

Açaí

Açaí is a South American berry.  It has one of the highest antioxidant values of all fruits and berries, therefore protecting us against free radical damage, inflammation, toxicity and cancers. These come from its bright purple pigment. On top of this, it is a good source of plant sterols (that can balance cholesterol levels), good fats and fibre. It has high vitamin C, E and beta-carotene. There are many Açaí based pre-made food supplements available. All contain high levels of sugar; in fact some even contain high fructose corn syrup- the worse kind. Avoid these at all costs! Healthy Açaí forms can be purchased as a berry puree, or freeze dried powder.

Chlorella

Chlorella is another type of algae that comes with a high nutritional profile. It is rich in many vitamins such as A, B’s, C and E. Like other dark greens, it is high in magnesium and contains chloryphyll which promotes alkalinity. It is often used as part of a detoxification regime as it can bind to toxins and heavy metals and pull them out of the body. It gives a great energy boost and the powder can be added into green smoothies or juices to bump up your daily nutrition.

Stewed fruits two ways

Coming into winter we need to ensure we keep on top of the healthy eating - there is nothing better then stewing the autumn fruits such as apples, pears and dried fruit. Heating the fruit makes it less cooling and more appropriate for the season.

Version 1 Ingredients

Apple – chopped finely

Pear – chopped finely

¼ cup of water

A shake of cinnamon

A thumb size piece of grated ginger

Method

Simply chop the fruit, grate ginger and shake in some cinnamon.
Add to a saucepan with ¼ cup of water and place on a moderate heat.
Heat until fruit is soft, but still remains shape

Apples: stimulate appetite, help digestion, protect lungs from cigarette smoke, help remove cholesterol and are cleansing for liver and gallbladder. Pears: good lung tonic eliminating excessive mucus and helpful against constipation.

Version 2 Ingredients

Pack of dried prunes

Pack of dried apricots  (sulphur free)

A shake of cinnamon

Water to cover

Method

Before bed, place pack of dried prunes and apricots in dish with enough water to cover fruit.
Next morning, place now rehydrated fruit in saucepan with the shake of cinnamon bring to boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.
Enjoy the stewed fruit with natural yogurt and chopped nuts, spoonful of flaxseed meal or some coconut shavings. Also tastes delicious on oat porridge.

Prunes: stewed prunes are a traditional remedy for constipation and are helpful for the liver. Apricots: high in the minerals copper and cobalt so useful for blood anaemia. Cinnamon: Warming, digestive and calming on the stomach.

Soaked barley & grains salad

Over easter we went camping and I prepared a Barley Salad to go with us, deciding a grain salad

would be more robust than a leaf salad (which would wilt before we arrived).

However, before I share the recipe, I wanted to first share a little about soaking grains to make them more digestible.

Some wholegrains (especially the harder ones like barley, rye, wheat and spelt) benefit from soaking before cooking. This is because they contain phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors in the outer layer, or bran, which interferes with the absorption of many minerals, notably calcium, magnesium and zinc. During soaking and the process of fermentation, lactobaccili bacteria begin to break down the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, creating lactic acid at the same time. The added benefit is that the bacteria also break down gluten, making them easier on the tummy. There is also some thought that soaking increases the nutrient profile e.g. increase of B vitamins. 

So soaking grains makes them easier to digest, increases the nutrient profile and conveniently less cooking time, all you have to do is remember to plan ahead with the soak, (i.e. soak in the morning for the evening’s dinner.)

Method: Soak for 6-12 hours to get best results. 

Here is what I do – 

• Place grains in a sieve, rinse under water. 
• Place grains in large bowl, with water to cover by a few centimetres and then add 2 tsps of natural yogurt stirred well. 
• When ready to cook dispose of the soaking water. 

I generally taste test the grain as I cook, for instance cooked pearl barely seems to take about 50 minutes after soaking – without soaking you can easily add an extra 30 minutes.

Barley salad

Ingredients

·       3.5 cups of cooked and cooled barely grain

·       Pomegranate jewels from one pomegranate

·       ½ cup red cabbage, chopped

·       1 small broccoli head, chopped and blanched for a couple of minutes in hot water

·       2 beetroot boiled, cooled, peeled and chopped

·       2 handfuls of mint leaves, chopped

·       ½ green capsicum, chopped

·       1/3 cup of pepitas and 2 tbls of sesame seeds, toasted (in hot pan for a couple of minutes) and cooled

     Dressing

·       Sesame oil

·       Red wine vinegar (could equally be apple cider vinegar)

·       Unpasturised miso (1 tbl)

·       1tbl of tamari

·       2 garlic cloves

·       Sprinkle dulse flakes

·       Juice of one orange

·       1tbl honey

Method

Put all of the above into a bowl, (chopped reasonably small.)

Then add the dressing ingredients to food processor and whizz (alternatively you could chop garlic well, put everything into jam jar with lid and shake vigorously.)

Variations: 

Use spelt grain instead of barely, or forgo the soak and use quinoa. 

Use whatever vegetables you have in the house, the handful of herbs is important to give variation of taste, but you could use any herb and the seeds give it that important crunch. 

Need I say, this is really super nutritious.

Enjoy

Getting back into the grind

Well coming back to work after the long weekend makes us all feel a bit out of whack.
Hoping you all had a nice and enjoyable easter, and rationed the chocolate intake as much as your hands would let you.
Coming up this week we have a great barley & grains recipe, with some information on the benefit of soaking your grains prior to cooking.
And remember for other great recipes check out our 'recipe page' on our website.
I'll leave you with this little quote to help get you through the rest of the working week!
Keira