I am just back from an amazing trip to Bali where the beautiful weather and amazing food have totally rejuvenated me! The organic movement is strong there and I discovered many cafes and eco resorts that served incredible juices – my pick was aloe vera juice, tumeric and celery! I met a lot of great people and had my all time best ever yoga class at Desa Seni.I have posted a video on my You Tube channel of the most gorgeous organic cafe so check it out here.So, while in Bali I had coconut water every day and after speaking to the locals realised that it was not just a Western fad. Read further for the scoop!The Facts• Coconut water contains more potassium (at about 294 mg) than most sports drinks (117 mg) and most energy drinks.• Coconut water has less sodium (25mg) where sports drinks have around 41mg and energy drinks have about 200 mg.• Coconut water has 5mg of Natural Sugars where sports and energy drinks range from 10-25mg of Altered Sugars.• Coconut water is very high in Chloride at 118mg, compared to sports drinks at about 39mg. Data is based on a 100ml drinkCoconut water is the liquid that is taken from unripe coconuts. If coconuts get ripe the liquid that is inside will harden and become a part of the white flesh of the coconutCoconut Water Hydrates the BodyCoconut water is an isotonic solution which replaces the fluids and minerals that the body loses during physical activities. For this reason, many athletes and persons who work out regularly are encouraged to drink coconut water to replace all the minerals and fluid that they lose while working out. Even the United […]
Winter Colds & Flus
Well, I can’t believe it but I have a revolting cold! A head filled with congestion, razor blade throat, a nasty cough and I feel miserable. I do find that more clients succumb to infections at the change of season than in winter itself. So I have made a huge batch of my immune boosting soup and wanted to share my recipe with you. Of course this soup is best when totally organic as the nutrient value will be much higher.
Ok so first let me explain why these ingredients are so wonderful for you:
Chicken – perfect protein to support your production of disease fighting immune molecules
Onion – helps to break down mucous
Garlic – a natural antibiotic
Ginger – stimulates circulation enabling more efficient clearing of toxins
Chilli – high in vitamin C
Enoki mushrooms – has properties that are anti cancer so can help fight any nasty bugs
Risoni – a great carbohydrate source for energy
Lemon – uplifts mood
Parsley – high in iron which stimulates immunity
Goji berries – traditionally used in China in convalescence, specifically in broth
Ingredients (use your inutition on quantities)
Chicken thighs
Chicken stock ( I always have some pre made in the freezer)
Onions
Garlic – lots
Ginger – lots
Chilli – lots
Enoki mushrooms
Risoni
Lemon zest and juice
Parsley
Goji berries
Method
Saute onions, garlic, chilli, ginger until soft. Add chicken thighs and brown them. Pour in your stock and simmer. Once chicken is cooked take it out and shred with a fork. Add chicken back in with risoni, Goji berries and enoki mushrooms. To serve, place lemon zest on the bottom of your bowl. Add soup and top off with lemon juice and […]
Winter Colds & Flus
Well, I can’t believe it but I have a revolting cold! A head filled with congestion, razor blade throat, a nasty cough and I feel miserable. I do find that more clients succumb to infections at the change of season than in winter itself. So I have made a huge batch of my immune boosting soup and wanted to share my recipe with you. Of course this soup is best when totally organic as the nutrient value will be much higher.
Ok so first let me explain why these ingredients are so wonderful for you:
Chicken – perfect protein to support your production of disease fighting immune molecules
Onion – helps to break down mucous
Garlic – a natural antibiotic
Ginger – stimulates circulation enabling more efficient clearing of toxins
Chilli – high in vitamin C
Enoki mushrooms – has properties that are anti cancer so can help fight any nasty bugs
Risoni – a great carbohydrate source for energy
Lemon – uplifts mood
Parsley – high in iron which stimulates immunity
Goji berries – traditionally used in China in convalescence, specifically in broths
Ingredients (use your inutition on quantities)
Chicken thighs
Chicken stock ( I always have some pre made in the freezer)
Onions
Garlic – lots
Ginger – lots
Chilli – lots
Enoki mushrooms
Risoni
Lemon zest and juice
Parsley
Goji berries
Method
Saute onions, garlic, chilli, ginger until soft. Add chicken thighs and brown them. Pour in your stock and simmer. Once chicken is cooked take it out and shred with a fork. Add chicken back in with risoni, Goji berries and enoki mushrooms. To serve, place lemon zest on the bottom of your bowl. Add soup and top off with lemon juice and […]
S.A. – you are clean, green and GE free!
In a major win for anti-GE campaigners, the South Australian Government has committed to keeping the state non-GE until 2014. Newly elected Premier Mike Rann has extended South Australia’s GE Moratorium to 2014, to protect the state’s clean, green brand and the marketing advantage this gives SA farmers in the UK and Europe.Extending the moratorium on growing genetically engineered or modified crops was one of the first decisions made by the new government. Protecting the state’s overseas trade was the main reason for the decision.The food and wine industry in South Australia has played a major role in taking this message to government and to buyers around the world. Kangaroo Island Pure Grain is one of the leading promotors of South Australia’s clean, green marketing image for food. The company is now marketing its grain directly to Japan, one of the biggest markets in the world.”We met with a group of Japanese mothers and listened to what they want as consumers,” said KI Pure Grain CEO Duncan MacGillivray. “We’ve got a very good product and we’re very careful with the cleanliness specifications and documentation – minimal chemicals, GM free and food safety.”Greenpeace, together with Gene Ethics, mothers’ group MADGE and the South Australian Soil Association will continue to meet with the South Australian Government to further develop the state’s non-GE position. Once again, the support provided by the True Food Network, particularly their role in contacting food companies to tell them domestic consumers don’t want to eat GE foods, has been a major influence in turning the tide against GE foods.
Nanotechnology – Do you know what this is?
Nanotechnology is the experimental process of manipulating matter at a scale of 1/100th the width of human hair, in order to create new products and materials.New consumer products with hidden nanotech ingredients hit the U.S. market in a nearly unregulated fashion each week, including baby toys, personal care products, clothes, and countless other products.The nanoparticles in these products are so small, they leach through the skin and spread through the environment in unpredictable ways. The fact is that hundreds of peer-reviewed studies have shown that nanoparticles pose potential risks to human health — and, more specifically, that when ingested can cause DNA damage that can prefigure cancer and heart and brain disease.Are you exposed to nanotechnology? Get researching now and learn more about this technology and what it will mean for you and your family.
How Much DO We Really Know About Our Food?
In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on the USA’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of the government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Their nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We now have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation – one if the most disturbing book sI have ever read), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield’s Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms’ Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.Let me know your thoughts after you have seen the film.
Easter Bunny Delivers More Than Just Eggs
The Easter Bunny may be delivering more than just a sweet treat over Easter with research finding that consuming just six grams of chocolate per day may lower blood pressure and the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction. German researchers examined the association between chocolate consumption and vascular disease based on food frequency questionnaires and blood pressure measurements in nearly 20,000 people aged 35 – 64 years who were free of stroke and myocardial infarction.After eight years of follow up, those with the highest chocolate consumption (an average of six grams daily) had a 39% lower relative risk of myocardial infarction and stroke compared to those who consumed less than two grams per day.The inverse relation of chocolate consumption appeared stronger for stroke than myocardial functions. Baseline blood pressure measurements accounted for 12% of the lower risk of cardiovascular events, the researchers said. “Flavonols appear to be the substances in cocoa that are responsible for improving the bioavailability of nitric oxide from the cells that line the inner wall of blood vessels” the researchers stated.Participants were asked how frequently they consumed a 50gram chocolate bar from “never” to “five times a day or more”. In a subset of 1568 participants asked to recall their chocolate consumption over a 24 hours period, 57% reported eating milk chocolate, 24% ate dark chocolate and 2% ate white chocolate.So, this research proves that a little bit of everything is ok and eating a small square of dark chocolate every day can be extremely beneficial to your health! SourceEuropean Heart Journal, online 31 March 2010
Detox Lunch
This is one of my fav lunches during detox and I just had to share it with you! All the ingredients are organic and sourced from my local markets – I am especially excited to see the finger limes back in season. These beautiful little things will delight you – they are like an explosion of citrus and a burst of freshness!Ingredients1 cucumber1 carrot1 small beetroot½ red cabbage40gr broccoli sprouts½ bunch flat leaf parsley1 large finger lime100gr organic firm tofu, cut into slicesSesame seedsMethodMarinate tofu in tamari and extra virgin olive oil for 4 hours. Grill for 3 minutes on each side. Grate carrot and beetroot into a stainless steel bowl. Slice the cucumber and red cabbage finely (I use a Moulis for this). Add to bowl along with broccoli sprouts and pearls from the finger lime. These are just sublime and pop in your mouth just like caviar! Slice the tofu into small bite sized pieces and add to salad. Finely chop parsley and add. Make your favourite dressing. I use a teaspoon of my home made pesto with some additional extra virgin olive oil. To finish, lightly toast sesame seeds for 30 seconds and sprinkle over the top.
Cup of Tea Anyone?
Everyone knows how much I love a cup of therapeutic herbal tea and now I have found the absolute answer to my busy days! T-Sac Disposable Tea Filters.Enjoy loose leaf tea in these convenient, simple to use, and ecologically friendly tea infusers! The T-Sac filters are ideal for those who dislike the mess commonly associated with loose-leaf tea – that’s most of us! Uniquely designed with a gusseted bottom which allows the tea leaves to completely unfurl, thus increasing the flavour and strength of the tea. T-sac tea filters also have a paper flap which is perfect for tucking under the lid of a tea pot or a travel mug.Best of all, they are made from 100% natural, unbleached, and chlorine free paper. As I make my own Rejuvenation Tea, which is a loose leaf organic blend, these tea filters are the perfect accompaniment to make a quick cup. I used to have to brew up a pot, which often meant that I would be wasting tea – a thing of the past now. Whoever invented these little beauties gets my thumbs up for practicality and sustainability! I usually find them in a Japanese tea shop or order them online.
A Nice Glass of Vino For the Festive Season……
I must say that I do love a nice glass of wine or bubbles and the upcoming festivities have really had me searching. I have found a few picks that I wanted to share with you. Rosnay have just released the first organic sparkling rose which is sumptuous, matched perfectly with a Sydney rock oyster or two. Then there is the Tamburlaine sav blanc which I adore with a salmon carpaccio or a fennel salad. Tamburlaine is conveniently located opposite the Golden Door Health Retreat where I run detoxification programs – the irony kills me! But, organic wines are a must – a report just released by the Pesticide Action Network found that hazardous pesticides were found in many samples of conventional wine. My last pick is Coates organic rose which is a more full bodied wine – gorgeous with a slice of melon wrapped in proscuitto.So, go ahead and enjoy the festive season with a glass of organic wine in hand! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
