Rebalance your health energise your life!

We, as a nation, love ‘foreign’ foods.  This is possibly because of their exotic aromas and the fantastic array of spices used to enhance their flavours.

There are over 200 herbs and spices on this planet but on average, we only use about 5 of them in the UK!

Herbs and spices are Mother Nature’s medicine cabinet.   In fact, when I worked in the jungles of Belize, the local people used the herbs from the rain forest for their every day needs such as for snakebites, fever, antiseptics, contraceptives, headaches etc – it was fascinating to see first hand how they relied on their surroundings to survive and used their knowledge of the medicinal powers available.

Are you one of the many who are detoxing this January?

Well, here’s some food for thought! Did you know the average person uses about 10 products a day?

This means that everyday on average we absorb about 126 different chemicals through our skin. How?  Lead is often used in red lipstick, aluminum in deodorants and flame retardants on our furniture. Then we drink the BPAs that seeps into our coffees from the plastic cups and eat the pesticide residue that is on our unwashed fruit and veg. This is in addition to all the shampoos, toothpastes, moisturizers, hair dyes etc which that all contain chemicals.

In winter, Mother Nature  provides us with a power house of nutrients needed to protect us against the colds and flus that are flying around this time of year.  

Stressed out?

Are you aware that you might be suffering from a stress related illness? 

Are you lacking in energy? Do you crave sweet and/or salty foods? Are you putting on weight? Do you suffer from headaches or skin problems? Are you having digestive issues such as IBS, heartburn and food allergies? Are you suffering from excessive sweating or depression and mood swings? Do you have a low sex drive?

Any of these symptons could be an indication that you are suffering with long term stress.   So what is stress?

Today, I am proud to say that I made my first batch of Kale ‘crisps’ in my new dehydrator and what a success!  I was so surprised to see how my whole family polished them off in no time. In fact, the kids wanted more!  Kale is such a powerhouse of nutrients that it’s  a fantastic way of getting another green vegetable into the diet in the form of a snack  any time of the day. Whilst I used a dehydrator,  they can also be made in the oven too.

Let’s find out why kale is so good for you!

Stumbling across an untouched village in Tuscany.

We were looking for a quiet place to spend our last night in Tuscany.  We had been visiting many busy touristy spots, so were in search of a local hideaway.  As luck would have it, we stumbled upon Montemagno. A stone, medieval village tucked away in the rolling hills, surrounded by olive groves. It was only 20 mins drive from Pisa Airport, which was ideal for our flight the next day.  We happened to meet a very friendly, warm woman called Nicoletta. She took us into her home, gave us olive oil bruschetta and talked passionately about her production of organic olive oil.  While we were chatting, she mentioned she had a few apartments (18^th C) in the village.  Perfect – we found what we were looking for...

Salmon with avocado and olives and a rich mixture of herby, leafy salad.

This simple dish is very quick and effortless and full of health promoting nutrients. It took me 15 mins to prepare and cook!