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Turmeric root and Matcha Green Tea - both widely used in Okinawa
This recipe uses "beni-imo" – the wonderful sweet potato. I once read in my bible (The Okinawa Way) that the sweet potato is so well respected as part of this healthy culture that a common greeting in which we, in the UK, may offer ‘How are you today’ in Okinawa you may hear
‘Nmu kamatooin’ which translates as ‘Have you had your Imo today’?
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A delicious sweet dessert or nibble for any age group! But this is an especially great recipe for getting children involved in both cooking and also for creating their own lunchbox items. This could be a gluten free dessert if the flour is substituted. Also low in sugar with the replacement of half the sugar with ground almonds.
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I love days when I’m prepping for a foodie workshop. Decided to create something with a summery vibe, an original taste with a super zingy feel – I’m focussing on ‘turmeric’ …..
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This incredibly light and summery salad is full of flavour and incredibly satisfying due to the broad bean content which offers a decent amount of protein to keep us fuller for longer. The creamy yogurt dressing, with its zesty bite, works well to meld these fresh garden textures together.
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Two recipes from last night’s creative Superfoods Well-being Workshop in West Sussex. Over-night oats supreme and Goji Berry jam.
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Gorgeous food can be so easy on the pocket and thrown together for home eating or to take to work. We’d pay more for a take out coffee and twice this for a decent ready-made sandwich and certainly would be missing out on the anti-ageing properties!
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I love a good shot of coffee. But just one, as I’m too aware of what’s going on behind the scenes. Caffeine’s effects on the ‘happy hormone’ dopamine is what concerns me – well, concerns me on the one hand – but also drives me towards that morning shot. Yes, caffeine is addictive. This substance is able to increase dopamine levels using the same mechanism as heroin and cocaine; by slowing down the reabsorption of dopamine thereby leaving more plentiful amounts in the brain. The effect, clearly, is much weaker than that of heroin (or Trainspotting would have been a PG, shot in Starbucks and a whole lot tamer).
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Two fabulous superfood recipes ...
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For centuries naturopaths have used evaluation tools such as assessing nails, hair and the tongue. These I utilise within the clinic. We also discuss reoccurring facial spots and blemishes and may use Ph strips to test alkalinity. However, I do like to get some data too. Testing with blood, saliva, urine or the stool can really push forward with alleviating symptoms and reaching those health goals.
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This is a perfect recipe to hand over to the kids when they come in from school. Kids love a bit of space and freedom when they get in from a long day of rules and restrained behaviour.
Very little supervision is required depending of course on the age of the kids. With my two 11 year old assistant chefs I could just pass them the recipe and the rest was an excited hour of peeling, slicing, mixing and important delegation. There is plenty of room for creativity and hands on scrunching so just step back and allow the process to unfold. Of course, they will be involved in the cleaning up process too!
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Daily energy metabolism can be considered as having three elements: basal metabolic rate, diet-induced thermogenesis and the energy cost of physical activity.
If we are looking to increase energy use in order to feel more satiated by foods or to shed a little excess weight then we need to consider rebalancing energy in and energy out. Alongside eating lower density foods and ramping up the physical activity we can look at which food increase thermogenesis – the converting of calories into heat.
One of my favourite contenders is the wonderfully sleek and visually pleasing chili pepper. Researchers have found that it is capsaicin, the active chemical in chili peppers, that can induce thermogenesis, and increase feeling of satiety thereby reducing hunger.
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It’s quick and easy to tell kids we are proud of them. But they also need to be proud of themselves.
I asked, “What makes you proud”? “I make me proud she said”.
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We can’t always say the right thing as parents but what we can do is listen with empathy and praise with enthusiasm. It’s tough, sometimes, growing up. Kids have so many doubts and worries about themselves and their surroundings. So what can we do?
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Fig and Walnut Flapjacks with an Orange Zing
This is a family favourite and wonderful for days spent cooking with the kids. So important to invest time in encouraging kids to cook, to blend and to play with flavours in order to keep them interested in food and comfortable in the kitchen.
Parents often ask me for ideas on what to put in lunch boxes – this works well for kids and adults alike. To be eaten in moderation of course.
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When we require time out, we need just that – time out. But holidays do not always provide the promised image we have created in our heads. Our holiday companions need to be entirely on the same page as if there is a clash of itinerary or we are moving at different speeds to our partners, friends or children this is when things go haywire. A holiday can easily morph into another juggling act.
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'Restriction, hunger, cutting back, being good, dieting' ..... none of this language is at all helpful, healthy or therapeutic.
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“Are you one of the smug thousands who gave up alcohol last January then downed a glass of wine or beer as the clock struck midnight on January 31?”
Read moreA favourite moment of the lead up to Christmas has been making festive fare with the kids. Teaching them how to be fluid, creative, intuitive and generally OK with all types of food. Here we chopped onions without the worry of runny eyes (goggles helped),
.....joyfully poured 250 g of sugar into a pot of gently cooking onions and tomatoes without the worry of high sugar content, shook in some chilli and watched the mixture bubble away happily.
Ingredients:
500 g mixed onions, red and white
1 kg cherry tomatoes
6 garlic cloves crushed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (grated)
250 g brown sugar
150 ml of white wine vinegar
15 cardamom seeds
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
Boil for one hour with no lid, keep an eye on this, the consistency should be jam-like, when cool spoon into jars which have been sterilized, should keep for around 4 weeks
We waited for it all to cool then scooped into jars, licking fingers along the way.
Home-made Christmas Chutney
We made cheesy biscuits which resembled shortbread (but without the sweetness) with heaps of butter and cheddar cheese. Traditional Christmas cooking.
Lots of laughter and lessons that life's not all about quinoa and sprouted seeds. It's about balance, calm, fun and sharing. Merry Christmas!
Prosecco, Chicken and Shallots
In true Nigella style, I decided to get a touch indulgent with this festive December recipe. A wonderful excuse to crack open a bottle of Prosecco as you cook and the end result will taste all the better with a slight level of merriment! The Prosecco in this dish is added to increase the flavour and produces a syrupy and fragrant sauce. To note, alcohol evaporates after 20-30 seconds of cooking so this dish is suitable for all ages.
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Weight loss can be a frustrating game. Headlines tell us that ‘Over 1/3 of Brits are Unhappy with their Weight’ and ‘90% of Teens are Unhappy with their Body Shape’. So what drives this obsession with weight loss and how to approach it are clearly hot topics.
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