Tag Archive for: superfood

These antioxidant-packed nuggets from The Gut Health Diet Plan by Christine Bailey are ideal for healing the gut and lowering inflammation. Matcha has anti-bacterial effects on the digestive system making it a useful choice for improving gut health. The raw cacao butter makes the snacks rich and creamy – an indulgent healing treat.

Gut Health Diet Plan

 

Makes: 10 bites

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes soaking and 30 minutes chilling

Ingredients:

60g/2 ¼ oz/1/3 cup xylitol

60g/2 ¼ oz/ ½ cup dried cherriesor goji berries

120g/4 ¼ oz/ ½ cup cashew nut butter

zest of 1 lemon 1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp matcha green tea powder

a pinch of sea salt

2 tbsp raw cacao powder, lucuma powder or goji berry powder

60g/2 ¼ oz/heaped ¼ cup raw cacao butter or coconut oil, melted

30g/1oz/scant ¼ cup plain, vanilla or chocolate vegan protein powder, colostrum powder or collagen powder

½ tsp vanilla extract

matcha green tea powder, lucuma powder or cacao powder, for dusting

Method:

  • Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Put the xylitol into a blender or food processor and grind very finely. Soak the cherries in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain.
  • Put the cashew nut butter into a food processor or a bowl and add the xylitol, lemon zest and juice, matcha, salt, cacao powder and cacao butter. Pulse, or stir, to combine. Add the cherries and the remaining ingredients, and process, or stir, to form a dough. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.
  • Use a spoon to scoop out walnut-size pieces. Roll into balls and put on the prepared baking sheet. Roll the truffles in a little matcha powder or use some or all of the powders for dusting. Serve or store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

The Gut Health Diet Plan

Christine Bailey

The Gut Health Diet

£12.99, available from Nourish Books

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The combination of spices, lemon and herbs from The Gut Health Diet by Christine Bailey provide plenty of flavour for this Turkish-inspired, one-pot dish. It’s ideal for a weekday meal because it can be prepared ahead of time. Serve with cauliflower rice or Paleo bread, if you like. A spoonful of sauerkraut or pickles alongside the dish will give it a probiotic boost.

Gut Health Diet Plan

 

 

 

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

1 small pinch of saffron threads

4 boneless chicken thighs

1 tbsp coconut oil

4 shallots, cut into halves

2 garlic cloves, sliced

¼ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

2 tomatoes, chopped

10 pitted green olives

250ml/9fl oz/1 cup chicken bone broth (page 39)

1 preserved lemon, chopped

1 handful of parsley leaves, chopped

sea salt and ground black pepper

Seeded Paleo Bread , to serve (optional)

Method:

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 
  • Put the saffron in a small mortar and crush using a pestle. Leave to one side.
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole over a medium heat and cook the chicken on all sides for 2–3 minutes to brown it. Remove the chicken and leave to one side.
  • Add the shallots, garlic, saffron and spices to the casserole. Cook gently for 5 minutes or until the shallots are soft. Return the chicken to the casserole and scatter over the tomatoes and olives.
  • Pour in the broth and bring to the boil. Cover and cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Stir in the preserved lemon and parsley, then serve with Paleo bread, if you like.

 

by Christine Bailey

1-Blue Guava & Tropics Blend

Blue Guava & Tropics Blend

We are all too well aware of the importance of vegetables in our diet. Packed with an array of nutrients, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals these are nature’s life enhancing foods. Virtually every health authority recommends that we increase our intake of vegetables yet most of us fail to achieve even frequently quoted ‘five a day’. If you’re striving to lose weight or looking to bring true nourishment to enhance your beauty, brain, body and spirit then its time to embraced supercharged green smoothies.

Wherever you are along your path to good health one of the easiest ways to transform your health is to kick start the day with a green smoothie. But what exactly is a green smoothie?

Typically a green smoothie are composed of around 70-80% green vegetables with 20-30% fruits blended with a liquid such as water, nut milks, herbal teas or fermented drinks like kefir and kombucha. You can then supercharge it with the addition of a superfood or a protein powder to further support your health goals.

I absolutely love drinking green smoothies. They are incredibly nutrient dense and like a glass of liquid nectar to rejuvenate and sustain the body. Green Smoothies are also one of the best ways to give yourself a natural energy boost without resorting to stimulants like coffee. Within minutes it will start to revitalize your energy levels and nourish your body at the cellular level.

Here are some more reasons why I love green smoothies:

  • They are a great way to naturally boost your energy making them perfect in the morning or at that afternoon slump.
  • They are packed with antioxidants and nutrients to support health, aid detoxification and protect the body from disease.
  • They are the ultimate fast food – taking minutes to make which means they are perfect when you’re in a rush.
  • Easy to digest, they provide soluble and insoluble fibre to support bowel health and provide a slower release of energy.
2-Ginger Green Combo Splash

Ginger Green Combo

If you cannot face eating platefuls of vegetables then blending them in a delicious drink may be your answer. The blending process breaks the fibre apart which makes the fruit and vegetables easier to digest. Being full of fibre you will also find them very filling and satisfying and by helping to support blood sugar levels they can help you avoid reaching for pick me up snacks later in the day.

If you start incorporating green smoothies in your diet daily you will soon feel the benefits from the inside out. Your skin will become more radiant, energy levels will soar and you will begin to think clearer. Your body will experience deep nourishment and enable you to feel vibrant and alert. If you need to shape up they are an effective tool for healthy weight loss.

Making a green smoothie is simple – select your liquid, add 2 cups of green vegetables and then add in ½ 1- cup fruit. Frozen fruit gives the smoothie a wonderful creamy texture and is also very quick and convenient. Then add in 2-3 of your favourite superfoods – this may be nuts, seeds, protein powder, spices, herbs, oils, superfood powders or blended powders.

For liquid options choose from a selection like water, coconut water, milk or nut milks, kefir, kombucha, herbal teas and green tea.

Greens can be anything you have to hand. Darker leafy greens are particularly nourishing. Examples include kale, spinach, cabbage, spring greens, parsley, watercress, rocket, chard, coriander, mixed lettuce leaves, romaine, collards, celery, cucumber, broccoli, pak choy etc.

For fruit the aim is to keep the amount as low as possible to avoid upsetting blood sugar levels. So as you get used to smoothies try and decrease your intake. Use fresh or frozen fruits such as banana, pear, apple, berries, and cherries citrus, avocado, mango, pineapple, kiwi fruit.

There are loads of superfood options: protein powders, green superfoods (spirulina, chlorella, moringa, wheatgrass, barley grass), chia seed, flaxseed, hemp, nuts, nut butter, coconut oil, omega blended oils, cacao, maca, lucuma, vanilla, cinnamon, acai and goji berry powder, goji berries, baobab powder, matcha green tea, mushroom powders, herbal powders.

Storing Smoothies. Ideally consume your smoothies immediately after making. This is because they are perishable. However you can store them for up to 24 hours without too much loss of nutrients. This is particularly helpful if you are taking your drinks with you to work or want to make up a batch in the morning for the rest of the day. The best way to store your drinks is to put them in a glass jar (BPA-free plastic works too) with an airtight lid and fill it to the very top. This reduces the oxidation and loss of nutrients. Immediately store it in the fridge and consume it when you are ready.

Simply adding one green smoothie a day can transform your health, helping you feel vibrant and radiant with a new fresh healthy outlook to life.

Supercharged Juices Smoothies low resolution _UK_PB_CMYK

 

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

 

 

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Happy Hemp is a hemp seed company founded by Tara Miko.
Tara’s life brought her from fashion in LA to hemp in Austin. A fantastic journey towards a radical change, that started when she got sick, economy hit and she lost her job and healthy insurance. Listening to her body and starting to make her research on healthy food, she discovered the benefits of hemp seeds, which proved to be a surprising superfood and also Tara’s life-changing habit. Visit her website Happy Hemp and see more on her Facebook page.
We had a chat with Tara and we selected Happy Hemp as our blog of the month.

Can you tell our readers about yourself and Happy Hemp?
I went from fashion in LA to hemp in Austin. After a decade in fashion, the travel and long hours were starting to catch up. I began having issues with my digestions. Knowing that food is medicine, I started looking into what I was putting into my body and educating myself about what foods could help with digestion. Hemp is great for digestion… who knew? I was intrigued and started researching this fascinating super seed. Happy Hemp was born out of a complete life change. Job, diet, city… I was in need of change and hemp was the catalyst to get me there.

What inspired you to start Happy Hemp?
I was shocked that one of the most nutritious food sources on earth, was also one of the most unknown sources of food. It started small. Sharing and telling friends and family at first and eventually I realized I was on to something!

What are the main benefits of adding hemp seeds to your daily diet?
Hemp has more protein than meat, fish, tofu or chicken, the perfect ration of omegas, essential fatty acids and minerals and vitamins. It IS the perfect food! Plus it is vegan, raw, a complete protein source, gluten free, dairy free and soy free… Win Win!!

Happy Hemp has a distinctive style. Does this come from your past experience in the fashion industry?
Yes. I wanted to give hemp a much needed green lift. My goal is to be the gourmet hemp seed company. I show how you can make pesto or bake a beautiful nutty crust on a piece of salmon. I have been fortunate enough to work with amazing chefs all over.

Is Happy Hemp your profession or an hobby?
It is my profession and my hobby. I love what I do and it is also my job. I am one of the lucky ones… I get to do what I love.

What is for you the most challenging aspect of this project?
Education. I spend a lot of time telling people I am not a drug dealer. There is a misconception of what hemp is and what it does!! I spend a ton of time telling people what I am not vs what I am.

What was the best achievement since you started?
The best achievement was being able to keep the doors open. Running your own business is hardcore. I have come close to shutting down many many times. I am grateful each day that I get to keep going!

What are the next steps?
I just became a new mum… and I thought running my own company was hard! I have already started experimenting in the kitchen with baby food. Who knows?!

For more information regarding Happy Hemp, visit hTara’s website Happy Hemp.