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Hangover Helpers: The Top Foods to Eat

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Nourish

by Christine Bailey

This article has been cross-posted from www.christinebailey.co.uk.

Need some help to nurse that hangover? Here are some top foods to get you feeling better.

With the party season ahead it can be easy to get carried away with cocktails and celebratory drinks. So if you’ve overdone the alcohol – here’s what to do

Before you got to bed. Up your intake of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a valuable nutrient to help your liver detoxify alcohol. At the end of the party drink at least 2-3 glasses of water or coconut water as your body will be dehydrated then before you go to bed take 1g of vitamin C and 5g of glutamine powder to help stabilize sugar levels and repeat this in the morning before you tackle breakfast.

The following day aim to snack regularly if you cannot face meals in order to stabilise blood sugar and replenish depleted nutrients. Even though you may feel extremely tired and a cup of coffee seems like the best way to wake you up, try to stay away from it. Caffeine will only dehydrate you more, and since it’s also a diuretic, it will not help your stomach. Milk and other dairy products are also not a good idea; they may make you feel more queasy.

Instead try and include some of the following foods.

Banana – Excessive alcohol can diminish carbohydrate levels and deplete magnesium and B vitamins. Bananas are useful source of B6, potassium, magnesium and quick releasing carbs to perk you up. To help balance your blood sugar try banana topped on oat cakes, which are a great source of slow releasing carbohydrate and soluble fibre to boost flagging energy levels.

Coconut water It’s not so much the alcohol that leads to hangover symptoms but some of the chemicals the alcohol is metabolized into such as acetaldehyde. Alcohol is also a diuretic so a night out on the town can lead to dehydration further exacerbating that throbbing head the morning after. Coconut water is a great hydrating drink – rich in electrolytes sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium, which are depleted after a night of drinking. So before you go to bed have a couple of glasses of coconut water to support detoxification.

Eggs. Eggs contains an amino acid called N acetyl cysteine one of the building blocks of a potent antioxidant called glutathione which is important in ridding the body of the toxins from alcohol. Protein will also help support energy levels through the morning. So the morning after if you can face it have a couple of scrambled eggs with veggies for a breakfast energy boost

Berries & Citrus Fruits. Not only does alcohol deplete your body of nutrients particularly vitamin C, A and B vitamins it can also lead to low blood sugar levels, which may leave you feeling weak and shaky. Counter this by snacking on a bowl of berries or an orange. A great source of natural sugars to boost energy levels and plenty of vitamin C an essential antioxidant to protect your body from the damaging effects of alcohol. These fruits also contain a range of energy boosting B vitamins and vitamin A to replenish depleted levels. You can also add a scoop of ProBerry Amla to perk you up quickly too.

Watermelon. Like berries watermelon is a fabulous source of potent antioxidants including carotenoids. It is also packed with water to boost hydration. Watermelon is high in many essential nutrients that can be depleted by alcohol, including vitamin C, B-vitamins and magnesium.

Ginger. Hangovers are often accompanied by an upset stomach. If you feel a little queasy try sipping some ginger tea or cordial. Ginger’s root contains chemicals called gingerols and shogaols. These chemicals relax the intestinal tract, preventing motion sickness and relieving the nausea and colicky stomach cramps. You could suck on a ginger sweet or munch a little crystallised ginger. The sugar it contains also helps to bring up your blood sugar levels, which can crash following a night of alcohol.

Supergreens. An effective way to support detoxification pathways is to add a spoonful of green superfood powder to a morning protein smoothie. Choose a blended powder, wheatgrass, spirulina, chlorella or moringa to give your liver additional support. Here’s a favourite of mine

Baked potato. Rich in vitamin B6 plus potassium (eat the skin as well). These are an ideal choice if you want to keep meals bland to prevent nausea and sickness

Oats. Another good source of B vitamins and magnesium needed to perk up energy levels. Oats can also help stabilise blood sugar levels too which can be out of balance after a drinking session.

Christine Bailey
The Supercharged Green Juice & Smoothie Diet
Available in January 2016.
Preorder from Amazon now.

Warm Up Your Winter With a Wild Brandy

Posted on October 22, 2015December 2, 2015 by Nourish

by Nick Moyle and Richard Hood

If you’re a fan of good port but crave something darker, boozier and more intense, a simple blackberry and brandy infusion is the drink for you. But if you want to crank the intensity up to maximum, this liqueur will send you wild with excitement. Just as the deep, mellow richness of the blackberries seduces your taste buds, along comes a sturdy slap of tart elderberry goodness. Compared to our wild brandy liqueur, port is for wimps.

Ingredients:
300g/10½oz/2½ cups blackberries
200g/7oz/1¼ cups elderberries
220g/7¾oz/1 cup white sugar
1 x 70cl bottle of brandy

Method:

Pick the fattest, ripest, juiciest blackberries and elderberries you can find. The blackberries can be simply washed and put in a large jar, but you’ll need to remove the elderberries from their stalks before they join them. Elderberries have a habit of ripening at different times on the same head, so first pick off any young green or old shrivelled berries and discard them. The easiest way to strip the ripe fruit from the stalks is with fingers, but if you don’t want your hands to look like you’ve just come from a production of Sweeney Todd, flick them off by dragging them through the tines of a fork.
Add the sugar and brandy to the jar with the fruit, then firmly seal the lid and give the jar a vigorous shake.
In order to preserve the luxuriously deep colour of your drink, keep the jar somewhere cool and dark. Shake the jar daily until the sugar has dissolved, and continue to agitate it every week or two throughout the infusion time.
This is definitely a drink not to be rushed, so try to hold out for 3 months before bottling. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or mesh – gently press the fruit to remove the last drop of goodness without getting too heavy-handed and making a mess. Small particles of fruit are likely to be drifting through your bottled liquid, although it will be so dark they may not be obvious. If you want to remove these, strain for a second time through coffee filter paper.
Wild brandy benefits from ageing in the bottles more than most liqueurs, so it’s well worth being patient to allow the flavours time to mellow. If you’re intending to drink it straight after bottling, you may wish to add a bit more sugar to smooth out the edges.

Nick Moyle and Richard Hood
Brew It Yourself
£14.99, Available from Nourish Books

Indulge in an Afternoon Tea With these Maple & Pecan Squares

Posted on October 22, 2015November 19, 2015 by Nourish

by Roger Saul

Afternoon tea is a peculiarly British custom, but one that has become popular and is now practiced all over the world. As a meal, it didn’t really appear until the mid 1800s, when the Duchess of Bedford created a fashion for it.

To accompany your afternoon tea try the delicious, delicate and crunchy Maple & Pecan Squares, perfect with a cup of strong tea or coffee.

Makes: 9 squares
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
150g/5½oz unsalted butter.
125g/4½oz/⅔ cup light muscovado sugar
115g/4oz/⅓ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp sea salt
150g/5½oz/1½ cups pecans
150g/5½oz/1½ cups spelt porridge flakes

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and line a 23cm/9in square cake tin with baking paper.
Put the butter, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a saucepan over a low heat and bring slowly to a simmer, allowing everything to melt and mix together. Add the pecans and the spelt porridge flakes and stir well.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin, smooth the top so that it is as even as possible, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the
top looks golden brown and slightly crisp.
Leave to cool in the tin. Once cool, put the traybake, still in the tin, in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to set fully before slicing into squares. These will keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for about a week (if they last that long).

Roger Saul
Spelt
£16.99, Available from Nourish Books

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WIN Chocolate by Jennifer Donovan!

Posted on October 15, 2015March 12, 2020 by Nourish

We are giving away a copy of Chocolate by Jennifer Donovan!

Chocolate gives you a superb collection of delicious, luxurious recipes, all of which are easy to follow and simple to make. Whether you’re looking for the perfect way to end a dinner for your family and friends, or just an indulgent treat for yourself, you’ll find a delicious array of options, from simple and traditional recipes to exquisite and innovative ones. For beginners and more experienced cooks alike, this is the one-stop bible for chocolate lovers.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kick Start the Day With a Caramel Berry Blend

Posted on October 15, 2015November 16, 2015 by Nourish

Recipe from Pimp My Rice by Nisha Katona.

This is a berry-sweetened porridge made from a coconut-based congee. Congee is the beef tea of the East, the porridge version of motherly love. For many in the East, this blended congee has been the stuff of rib-sticking recuperation. The berries are a bright, tart European twist.

Serves: 4
Preparation: 15 minutes, plus soaking
Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
150g/5½oz/ heaped 1 cup raspberries, plus 6 whole raspberries, to garnish
150g/5½oz/1½ cups strawberries, plus 3 halved strawberries, to garnish
1½ tbsp demerara or muscovado/soft brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

THE CONGEE
90g/3¼oz/½ cup Thai fragrant rice or short-grain rice soaked for 2–4 hours, rinsed and drained
650ml/22fl oz/2¾ cups coconut milk
2 tbsp caster/granulated sugar
a pinch of salt

Method:
Chop the raspberries and strawberries roughly into large chunks, reserving all the juices. Reserve a few pieces to decorate, then leave them all to one side.

For the congee, heat the rice, coconut milk, caster/granulated sugar and salt in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat. Once the rice begins to boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until you have a porridge consistency.

Meanwhile, put the raspberries, strawberries, dememera sugar and lemon juice in a shallow frying pan over a medium heat and stir for about 8 minutes until the fruit softens but still has some bite, and the juice thickens slightly. Don’t let it go to a toee-like consistency.

Now you can either stir the berry mix into the congee until the red juices just bleed a little into the congee, or blend them together using a stick/immersion blender.

Serve warm or cold in bowls, decorated with the reserved fruit.

Nisha Katona
Pimp My Rice
£20.00, Available from Nourish Books

How to Make Kimchi

Posted on October 14, 2015October 14, 2015 by Nourish

Extract from Veggienomics by Nicola Graimes

This popular spicy Korean pickle is the classic accompaniment to the rice dish Bibimbap, but a spoonful will lift any Asian rice or noodle dish. The Asian radish, daikon or mooli is traditional but I find turnip is just as good, easier to find and more economical to buy.

Makes: 750ml/26fl oz/3 cups
Preparation time: 2½ days

Ingredients:
165g/5 ¾oz/ ¾ cup salt, plus extra for sprinkling
750g/1lb 10oz Chinese leaves, halved crossways and cut into 4 wedges, tough stalk removed
375g/13oz turnip, peeled and coarsely grated
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp mild Korean red pepper powder, Aleppo
chilli flakes or mild cayenne pepper
2 tbsp gochujang (Korean hot chilli paste) or other hot chilli paste
2.5cm/1in piece of root ginger, grated (no need to peel)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
4 spring onions, sliced
1 tsp sesame oil

Method:

Dissolve the salt in 2l/70fl oz/8 cups water in a large bowl. Sprinkle extra salt between the leaves
of the cabbage. Put the cabbage in the salty water and put a weighted plate on top to keep it
submerged. Leave to soak for 3 hours, or until the cabbage leaves are pliable and do not break
when bent.
Using a slotted spoon, scoop the cabbage out of the water into a large colander and add the turnip
to the salted water. Rinse the cabbage well under cold running water (this is important or it will be
too salty) and leave to drain for 30 minutes while the turnip is soaking.
Mix together the soy sauce, red pepper powder, chilli paste, ginger, garlic, sugar, sesame seeds,
spring onions and sesame oil in a large bowl.
Squeeze the cabbage to remove any excess water and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Slice the
cabbage crossways into large, bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl with the flavourings. Drain and
rinse the turnip well, drain again and pat dry in a clean tea towel. Add to the bowl with the cabbage
and stir until everything is combined. Spoon the kimchi into a sterilized Mason jar (see page 11) and
press down with the back of the spoon. Put the lid on and leave in a cool, dark place for 2 days before
eating to allow the flavours to develop, then transfer to a fridge. It will keep for several months in
the fridge.

Nicola Graimes
Veggienomics: Thrifty Vegetarian Cooking
£14.99, Available from nourish Books

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Super Sprouts: All You Need to Know About Sprouting

Posted on October 8, 2015November 4, 2015 by Nourish

Extract from In the Mood for Healthy Food by Jo Pratt.

If you are not familiar with sprouts (and I don’t mean Brussels sprouts — they are a different thing all together!) then do read on. I must admit I didn‘t used to take that much notice of the tubs of loose tangles of pale threads with tiny unopened peas/buds at the top until I realized just how amazingly good for you they are.

Nutrition
There are lots of different types of baby plants and vegetables that are eaten in their sprouting stage and are a powerhouse of nutrients. They’re jam-packed full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein and enzymes that all have huge benefits to our health and wellbeing. When a plant or vegetable seed is germinated, its nutritional benefit increases anywhere between 300 and 1,200 per cent! So sprouted seeds are a pretty impressive condensed form of nutrients that shouldn’t be ignored. A little goes a long way in the world of sprouts so a mere handful of these ‘living foods’ included in your diet can give you a really healthy boost and leave you bursting with energy. What’s more, they can replace important enzymes in our bodies that we can no longer produce ourselves, as we get older.

Where to find them
When it comes to sourcing sprouts, they are becoming increasingly more available in supermarkets, grocery stores and, of course, health food shops, which is great news. However, your best option of getting to enjoy a variety of sprouts regularly is to grow your own – and it’s far easier than you might imagine.

How to sprout
You can buy all sorts of fancy sprouting seed trays and kits, but to get you started it can be as simple as using a fairly big screw-top jar (about 1–2l/35–70fl oz/4–8½ cups) and a lid with holes pierced into the top or a piece of muslin/cheesecloth securely attached to the top with a rubber band, for ventilation and drainage. I use a large Mason jar with a two-piece screw-top lid, replacing the metal disc with a piece of muslin/cheesecloth.

Details vary from seed to seed, but once you have some seeds or beans suitable for home sprouting sprouts(not planting) the general method is the same.

Put the seeds into your clean jar (fill no more than one-third full). Rinse with cold water, drain and then top up with fresh cold water. Leave to soak overnight (or less if the seed/grain package says so).

Rinse thoroughly, drain well (tip the jar upside down) and leave the jar on its side at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Rinse and drain a couple of times a day (I find at breakfast time and before bed is the most practical time for me) and after 3–5 days you should have fully sprouted seeds. Make sure they are well drained, then keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Flavours
Like vegetables, each and every type of sprout has a different flavour. These are just some of the types of sprouts around:
» Fresh and delicate microgreens – the baby leaves of vegetables such as beets, pea, rocket/arugula, clover and cress. These are very mild in flavour and can really enhance the presentation of a dish when scattered over the top.
» Spicy and add bite – radish, onion, fenugreek, garlic, mustard.
» Nutty and wholesome – these will add texture and crunch to a dish: mung beans, lentils, chickpeas, aduki, alfalfa and split peas.

What to make
Here are a few suggestions on how to include some sprouts in your diet:
» Add to tossed salads or make them the star of a salad (mixture of any sprouts)
» Mix into coleslaw (cabbage, radish or clover)
» Scatter into wraps or sandwiches (alfalfa, sunflower, radish)
» Add to stir-fries (mung beans, aduki, lentil, cabbage)
» Add to sushi (radish, clover, sunflower, broccoli)
» Stir into soups, casseroles and stews (chickpea, mung bean, aduki, lentil)
» Mix into curries (chickpeas, fenugreek, lentils, mung bean, aduki)
» Blend into juices (broccoli, clover, alfalfa, pea shoots)
» Blend into hummus (chickpea)
» Garnish dishes (microgreens, alfalfa, onion, pea shoots)

Jo Pratt
In the Mood for Healthy Food
£20.00, Available from Nourish Books

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Don’t Miss the Thirsty Gardeners at the RHS Harvest Festival 6-7th October

Posted on September 30, 2015October 2, 2015 by Nourish

Enjoy Autumnal Celebrations in the City at the RHS London Harvest Festival on 6-7th October (Lindley Hall, Greycoat Street, Westminster SW1P 2PE), where Richard Hood and Nick Moyle (the Two Thirsty Gardeners) will be demonstrating how to make some of the recipes from their book, Brew It Yourself.

Just as the leaves begin to turn, the annual celebration of seasonal bounty that is the RHS London Harvest Festival Show returns to the heart of the city from 6–7 October, celebrating the abundance of produce that the autumn harvest brings.

Visitors have the chance to see, taste and buy fresh autumnal produce from some of the UK’s leading nurseries, growers and independent food producers. Among the range of colourful fruit and vegetables on show will be the astonishing entrants in the RHS Heaviest Pumpkin Competition, with professional and amateur growers competing for the top prize of £1,000.

This year the show has a special focus on one of Britain’s favourite fruits, the apple. The Two Thirsty Gardeners (Richard and Nick) will be on hand to demonstrate how to make homebrewed cider with recipes from their new book Brew it Yourself, which will also be available to buy at the show. As well as sampling the cider, visitors will be able to taste and purchase a range of delicious apple cultivars from RHS Garden Wisley and gain expert advice from the RHS Gardening Advice team.

On 6 October, the show stays open until 9pm when there will be additional pumpkin carving, apple bobbing, seasonal fruit cocktails from the Midnight Apothecary, food and live music – giving Londoners unable to attend the show during the day the opportunity to celebrate the harvest season in style.

Make sure you pop on down to taste some cider, and learn how to Brew it Yourself!

Nick Moyle and Richard Hood
Brew It Yourself

£14.99

Chia Seeds: Nutritious and Healthy Superfood

Posted on September 30, 2015September 30, 2015 by Nourish

by Christine Bailey

Chia seeds are an amazingly nutritious dieter’s superfood, rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, which protect these healthy fats from being oxidised. Chia seeds also provide plenty of fibre as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin and zinc. When chia seeds are added to water, they form a gel that helps to slow down the digestion of sugars, helping to stabilise blood sugar and keeping you feeling fuller for longer.

Chia Coconut Breakfast Bars

These are perfect for when you need something quick to grab and go.
A delicious tropical combination of dried mango and coconut, these no-cook bars are simple and easy to prepare. Using chia seeds is a great way to boost your intake of omega 3 fats.

Soaking time: 10 minutes
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling time
Storage: will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. Can be frozen for up to 1 month
Makes: 18 bars

Ingredients:
200g/7oz/1½ cups almonds
2 heaped tbsp chia seeds
125g/4½oz/2 cups dried
mango, chopped (soaked for 10 minutes)
juice of 1 orange
2 tbsp xylitol
4 tbsp melted coconut butter
pinch of sea salt
3 tbsp lucuma powder
40g/1½oz/½ cup
ground flaxseeds
120g/4½oz/1½ cups desiccated coconut

Method:

Grind the almonds to a fine flour. Grind the chia seeds to a powder.
Drain the mango. Place half in a blender with the chia powder, orange juice, xylitol, melted coconut butter and salt. Blend to create a thick purée. Finely chop the remaining mango.
In a large bowl, place the ground almonds, lucuma powder, ground flaxseeds, mango pieces and three-quarters of the coconut. Pour in the purée and stir until blended.
Sprinkle a little of the reserved coconut over the base of a greaseproof-lined traybake tin, about 30 x 20cm/12 x 8in. Press the mixture into the tin and flatten the surface. Sprinkle the remaining coconut on top, pressing down firmly. Refrigerate for 2 hours to harden. Cut into bars.

Christine Bailey
The Raw Food Diet
£10.99

Back to School Health Tips

Posted on September 28, 2015September 28, 2015 by Nourish

by Christine Bailey

This article has been cross-posted from www.christinebailey.co.uk.

Start the new school term with healthy, happy kids. Here are some top foods to pile on their plates.
It’s that time of year again. After the summer break it’s time to get your child ready for the new school term. But as well as the practicalities of school uniform, books and pens are you making sure your child gets the essential nutrients to help them function better and feel healthier?

Brainy Nutrients
Good nutrition is vital for a healthy brain. Without the essential nutrients it is unable to produce neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that are necessary for brain function. Give your child’s brain a boost by including key foods to help improve their concentration, learning and mental energy.

Your first step should be to ditch the sugary, processed foods, additives and stimulants. These will cause fluctuations in blood sugar that can lead to irritability and lack of focus. Instead include slower releasing starchy foods that will provide a more even supply of energy. This can include sweet potato, fruit, vegetables and easy to digest grains such as quinoa, oats or rice. Combine these with high quality proteins to provide the building blocks for neurotransmitters (meat, fish, eggs, poultry). Make sure they also get plenty of vegetables, nuts and seeds and some fruit which will help supply valuable vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, magnesium, antioxidants and zinc – all necessary for brain function. If your child is fussy then you may wish to consider a vitamin and mineral supplement.

There are also a range of ‘smart’ nutrients which can help. Choline for example is needed to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine important for boosting memory. It also forms a vital part of nerve cells, cell walls and the sites on cells that receive brain chemicals. Found in egg yolks, nuts, and fish such as sardines and available in lecithin granules, a useful brain supplement, which can be sprinkled dishes or added to homemade bars. Why not start the day with boiled eggs or scrambled eggs for a protein and choline boost.

If your child is prone to anxiety or finds it difficult to unwind try a combination of calcium and magnesium – well known calming minerals. Make their evening meal rich in foods containing tryptophan, which the body converts into serotonin. This has a mood enhancing; calming effect and can induce sleepiness. Good food sources include turkey, chicken, seeds, nuts, potato, fish, oats, banana and eggs. To help tryptophan cross the blood brain barrier combine these foods with some carbohydrate. For example banana and granola or baked potato with canned fish. For older children consider supplementing with theanine and / or GABA. I love the supplement Zen – just a couple of squirts in the mouth is great to reducing levels of anxiety. L Theanine is a non essential amino acid known to promote a relaxed and restful state without diminishing alertness and in fact can aid concentration as well balancing mood and emotion.

Fishy Business
60% of the brain is made up of fat and in particular the essential fatty acids. Recent research has found taking essential fats omega 3 and omega 6 and their active components EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and gamma linolenic acid (GLA) can promote mental health, boost IQ and treat specific behavioural and learning disorders. As these essential fats cannot be made by the body they must be obtained from the diet. Oily fish (e.g. salmon, mackerel, sardines, herrings etc) are one of the best sources while walnuts, hemp, chia and flaxseed are useful vegetarian sources. However bear in mind that only a small proportion of vegetarian omega 3 is converted to the active components DHA and EPA, which are so important to health. In addition as many children don’t eat a lot of fish you may wish to consider a fish oil supplement.

Snack Attack
Children have high energy requirements relative to their size so it’s important to provide them with energy-dense, nutritious foods in small, regular amounts. Regular meals and healthy snacks will help keep blood sugar levels steady provide a constant source of glucose to the brain to aid concentration and prevent mood swings and energy dips.

Rather than resorting to conventional sugary processed snacks try some delicious homemade options. This could be simply a trail mix of nuts and seeds, homemade bars or muffins, kale crisps, apple slices with nut butter, UGG breads and muffins, slices of chicken or ham, dehydrated vegetable crisps, coconut yogurt and berries or a range of dips and vegetables sticks. Nut butters like almond are a popular choice – a good source of vitamin E, magnesium and iron to energise and protect the body.

Berry Protection
Strawberries, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries – they are all packed with antioxidants and vitamin C to support the immune system and nourish the skin. Add to a homemade smoothie, snack on a packet or stir into yogurt for a healthy sweet option.

Fluid Alert
Most children don’t drink enough water – whether it’s because they simply forget during the day or dislike the taste. Crucial for maintaining energy levels, dehydration can lead to headaches, constipation, lethargy and poor concentration. Ditch the cans of carbonated drinks and switch to healthier alternatives: try flavouring water with slices of lemon or cucumber. Coconut water is ideal after sporting activities to quickly hydrate the body.

Tummy Troubles
Children can suffer from tummy troubles from time to time but poor digestive health has also been linked to food allergies and skin conditions such as eczema and acne. Supplementing with friendly bacteria (probiotics) can be helpful for promoting bowel health especially following a course of antibiotics. If you can get them to eat fermented foods then try and include these daily – sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kombucha are great options. If choosing a formula choose one with a combination of Lactobacillus and Bifidus species such as ProBerry Amla powder.

Immune Support
If your child always ends up with coughs and colds during the autumn term it’s time to build up their immune health. Check their vitamin D levels. Include plenty of zinc rich foods – pumpkin seeds, seafood, meat as well as vitamin C rich berries, red pepper, citrus fruits and leafy greens. If they do come down with a cough or cold try an Echinacea formula or elderberry extract (Sambucol) and check their iron levels too. Iron is often overlooked yet plays an important role in supporting immune health – a deficiency has also been associated with poor concentration and delayed development.

Iron is also an essential mineral that helps children stay energized and able to concentrate at school. If your child is not keen on meat then make sure they eat plenty of eggs, spirulina crunchies, beans and pulses, leafy greens and combine with vitamin C rich foods to aid absorption.

Christine Bailey
The Supercharged Green Juice & Smoothie Diet
Available in January 2016.
Preorder from Amazon now.

New App – Jo Pratt’s Healthy Food

Posted on September 25, 2015September 29, 2015 by Nourish

We’re happy to announce that we have recently released a new app on the Apple App Store – Jo Pratt’s Healthy Food: Recipes for Every Day!

“Jo has done it again… lovely, light, delicious food”

– Jamie Oliver.

An app packed with mouth-watering yet simple dishes from acclaimed cookery writer Jo Pratt, this stunning collection of nutritious recipes is for anyone looking to eat well. With the recipes available to access on your iPad or iPhone you can easily check that you’ve picked up all the ingredients while you shop!

Start the day with Ginger Berry Muffins or Raspberry Yogurt Pots, enjoy a light meal of Poached Chicken Broth with Spring Greens or a more substantial Beetroot Gnocchi with Walnut & Watercress Pesto then treat yourself to a guilt-free Dairy-free Vanilla & Blueberry Cheesecake of Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies. This is the perfect companion app for the everyday cook who wants to eat and live deliciously well.

Download Jo Pratt’s Healthy Food today!

£2.29

Recipe of the Week – Okonomiyaki

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Nourish

Extract from The Part-Time Vegetarian by Nicola Graimes

Sometimes referred to as ‘Japanese pizza’, the name okonomiyaki actually means ‘grilled/broiled as you like it’, which goes to explain the many regional styles as well as personal variations there are of this dish. Just to confuse matters, okonomiyaki is probably more accurately described as a cross between a thick omelette and a pancake. This interpretation is based on the Osaka-style, where all the ingredients are mixed together before cooking. Try the veggie version, or add meat or fish for non-veggie guests or family.

Serves: 2–4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:
150g/5½oz white cabbage, finely shredded
6 spring onions/scallions, thinly sliced
50g/1¾oz kohlrabi or turnip, peeled and coarsely grated
110g/3¾oz/scant 1 cup plain/
all-purpose flour
½ tsp sea salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1½ tbsp sunflower oil

Topping:
mayonnaise in a squeezy bottle, for drizzling
1 handful of radishes, sliced
1 handful of wild garlic leaves (and flowers) or chives, chopped
1 tbsp pink pickled ginger
1 tsp nori flakes

Method:

Put the cabbage, spring onions/scallions and kohlrabi
in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and salt and stir well until thoroughly combined.
Mix the eggs with 100ml/3½fl oz/scant ½ cup water. Pour it into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and stir gently but thoroughly until combined. Try to keep the stirring brief as you don’t want to activate the gluten in the flour as this will produce a heavy pancake.
Heat half the oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and tilt the pan so it coats the base. Tip the contents of the bowl into the pan and flatten with a spatula into a thick, round pancake shape, as even as you can get it. Turn the heat down slightly as you don’t want the base to burn and cook for 5–6 minutes until light golden.
Turn the pancake over (the easiest way to do this is to place a large plate on top of the pan and carefully turn it over to release the pancake). At this point, add the remaining oil to the pan before sliding the okonomiyaki back into the pan. Press down with a spatula and cook for another 5–6 minutes until light golden.
Slide the okonomiyaki onto a chopping board. Drizzle the mayonnaise in lines over the top and pile the radishes, wild garlic, pickled ginger and nori in the middle. Serve cut into wedges.

Part-Time Variations:

There are so many variations on toppings and fillings, so feel free to pick your own or try these suggestions:

Bonito okonomiyaki
Bonito flakes (paper-thin slices of dried fish similar to tuna) are typical. Sprinkle 2 tbsp bonito flakes over the top instead of the radishes.

Bacon okonomiyaki
Put 200/7oz diced bacon in the dry frying pan and place over a medium-low heat. When the fat starts to run, turn the heat to medium and fry the lardons for 5 minutes until golden and crisp. Stir half into the batter mixture and scatter the remainder over the top. There is no need to clean the pan before adding the okonomiyaki mixture, although you may like to reduce the amount of oil to 1 tablespoon.

Smoked salmon okonomiyaki
Stir 100g/3½oz smoked salmon pieces into the batter mixture and top with Japanese pickles.

Nicola Graimes
The Part-Time Vegetarian
Available from September 2015
Pre-order the book on Amazon

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