The healing benefits of the common Dandelion.

The drawback of many healing herbs and foods is that they seem to come with a high price.  The wonderful thing about dandelions is that they are deeply healing and completely free.  Some people get confused about dandelions and think that the weeds that grow in your back garden are different to the healing herbs which are made into shop bought remedies - the truth is that they are exactly the same.  There are certainly more than one type of dandelion, but it is easy to look up the variety that grows in your lawn or flower bed and find out if it will make a good salad or not.

So which part of the plant should we use?  The great news is that the root, leaves and flowers all have their own individual benefits and can be used in different ways...

The leaves can be used in salads just like any other salad leaf or can be blended into soups
for a nutritious boost.  The flowers can be infused as a tea or can be added to meals to add colour and healing power.  The root is best used as a tea infusion once dried, but can be added to any broth or soup to add to its healing power.  For recipe ideas follow this link: http://www.eattheweeds.com/dandelions-hear-them-roar/

Dandelions are a rich source of vitamin K and provide 535 percent of the recommended daily allowance.   This is an important source of plant-based vitamin K which plays a role in strengthening bones, but may also play a role in fighting Alzheimer's disease by limiting neuron damage in the brain.  They are most commonly used to help the liver and have been found to aid in detoxification.

Dandelion greens are high in fiber, vitamins C and B6, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, iron, potassium and manganese, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and are also a good source of vitamin A which acts as an antioxidant carotenoid beneficial for the skin, mucus membranes and vision. 

So, pop into the garden and have a look for any dandelion 'weeds' as they may be more valuable than you first thought!

Josie.x

Resources:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23256442

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23256442

http://www.eattheweeds.com/dandelions-hear-them-roar/

http://foodfacts.mercola.com/dandelion-greens.html

Summer Green Smoothie Recipe

The summer is a wonderful time to be enjoying green smoothies because there is so much fresh produce about.  I particularly love using berries as they are low in sugar but blend really well and combine easily with greens.  Smoothies are great as long as you balance them well with protein and fat to give a balanced nutritional hit.  Smoothies made with fruit alone or made with high sugar fruit (e.g. mango/banana) may disrupt blood sugar levels.  To avoid this aim to have 30% fruit and 70% green leaves/vegetables, seeds, nuts and oils.

Try my summer smoothie recipe!

Ingredients:

1 small handful of blueberries
1 small handful of strawberries
4 handfuls of kale
I tablespoon of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of ground flax seed
Water to blend.

Method: 

Starting with the fruit and a little water first can give the greens a better base for blending but basically you are simply adding all the ingredients in a blender and whizzing together until smooth.  

Enjoy!

Josie.x

Salad Recipe for June...Josie's Som Tam

I love salads, they are fabulous meals which can be so full of goodness that they tick every nutritional box. But not just any salad! Forget a few shavings of ice burg lettuce and some sliced tomatoes. I am talking about abundant, rich and juicy salads! 

Here is my recommendation for June: 

Josie's Summer Som Tam 

After living in Thailand for 3 years I still have a love for Thai flavours, so this British twist on the Thai's favourite salad takes me back to my days in the sun.


Ingredients

2 carrots 
1/4 cucumber 
4 french beans
1 Lime
5 cherry tomatoes
1/2 or 1 whole fresh chilli dependent on your taste
1 teaspoon honey
A handful of Cashew Nuts

Directions 

1. Get a pestle and mortar or a bowl and mash together the chilli, lime, cherry tomatoes and honey.  It doesn't need to be a paste, but make sure it is all well mashed together and the juice of the tomatoes is all blended with the ingredients (it should all look nice and juicy).

2. Grate the carrots or use a peeler to create long thin strands of carrot (whatever you have the patience and preference for).

3. Cut the green beans into inches.

4. Pour the salad dressing over the carrots and beans and mix it all together really well before serving on a plate.  Sprinkle the cashew nuts over the top.

5. Slice the cucumber and place it on the side of the plate as a garnish.  This cuts through the spice of the chilli if it starts to build up on you.

Enjoy! :)

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Tasty salad Recipe...

I created a salad today that I thought I would share with you...

Yummy Salad

Main Salad
Two large Kale leaves
1/4 small cabbage
Handful of cooked brown rice

Dressing
4 tomatoes
1/2 small red onion
sprig of coriander
1 clove of garlic
pinch of salt

To Top off
Cayenne pepper
Dash of Cumin
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin Seeds

I finely chopped the cabbage and kale and tossed them together with the brown rice to create a base.

I then added all the tomatoes, onion, garlic, coriander and salt into the blender to create a salsa like dressing.

I poured the salsa over the chopped base and massaged it all together.  Finally I put a shake of cayenne, cumin on the top and sprinkled with pumpkin and sunflower seeds.


Enjoy :)

What is a food intolerance?

First I should clarify that an allergy is an extreme reaction which happens usually within minutes of consuming the food in question and intolerance is the inability to digest that food type effectively.

There are different types of allergies and intolerances and I am more focused here on the subtle ones caused by intolerances that make you feel less than your best, rather than extreme allergic reactions that cause anaphylactic shock or oral allergies like swelling of the lips. If you have an allergy like this it is likely you already know about it and avoid the food that causes it.

However, if you or someone you know has a persistent problem with their body which they are finding hard to diagnose, it is worth getting intolerance advice from a good naturopathic nutritionist or naturopath as it can often be easily remedied. There are new chemicals being put into our foods everyday that some people have strong reactions to. It could be these additives coupled with intolerances to our modern junk diet that are creating chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and obesity.

So, how do you know if you have a problem with a certain food?

1. You can go for allergy/intolerance tests. This is advisable if you have very severe reactions but cannot work out what does it. If you experience severe bloating, rashes, shortness of breath, diarrhea, or frequent nausea it is best to get it checked out with a naturopath who can do the relevant tests to find out what is going on and cut out your problem as fast as possible. You could simply be lactose or wheat intolerant and with a dietary change your problem could be remedied fast.

2. Alternatively if you are suffering from more subtle symptoms that you may not have attributed to your diet yet such as fatigue, bloating after meals, constipation or energy slumps, you can often help yourself.

The best way to do this is to go on a cleansing diet. If you read back to my earlier blogs I was on a raw food diet for a few months. It was only when I did this that I found my in intolerances by accident, I suddenly realised I was free of symptoms that I had not even acknowledged before. Suddenly I could breathe more deeply, had more energy and didn't get bloated. This type of diet strips your body of its cravings and reactions and leaves you with a detoxed body and a click on the reset button. Once you have done that you should be feeling that most of the symptoms have subsided and you can start to add foods back in and test your tolerance of them. It could be wheat or dairy, it could be certain combinations of food, it may even be a specific food additive that is aggravating your condition.

The key here is to be really strict with your diet and add things back one by one while being sensitive to changes in the way you feel after certain foods (reactions can take minutes or a few hours). This process is called an elimination diet and although can feel extreme, is very effective. You should always do relevant research before trying any restrictive diet and make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need during your chosen time period.

Be reassured that if you are feeling low on energy and depressed, a change in your diet could easily pick you up again, and keep you up. Never underestimate the power of food on how you feel emotionally and physically hour to hour and day to day.
The most important thing is to not accept feeling less than your best, it is possible to have abundant energy and feel light, you just need to work out what foods are right for you.



Josie.

p.s The web page/site below is helpful when clarifying the most common food intolerances and their symptoms. As always, read everything on the Internet with a quizzical eye, get lots of opinions and seek advice from an alternative practitioner in your area (best to go on recommendation).



http://www.foodintol.com/index.asp

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How to start juicing?

Fresh, homemade juices are something I thought sounded like hard work.  When I lived in the UK I started to think about making them. The first thing that came to mind was that I would have to choose and pay for a juicer.  The thoughts usually stopped there; I did not get very far. 

However, when I came to Thailand to work in a detox centre where there was a juicer at my disposal, that first pathetic excuse was abashed with no defence. 

The best thing about juicing is the nutrient density. Imagine trying to eat two carrots, two handfuls of spinach and a stick of celery before you leave the house in the morning?!  With juicing you can fit the abundant goodness of all of these things into one juice as well as having room for an energy boosting breakfast.  A brilliant start to the day!

I have to admit (and no-one can deny) that a juicer is not the easiest piece of equipment to clean first thing in the morning. However, if you rinse it immediately, it really only takes a couple of minutes and is well worth the time.  

All fresh juices are packed with goodness, green veggies are packed with chlorophyll which helps to build our bodies in so many ways - it is the life inside all greens.  Think about energy being taken from the sunlight and creating luscious green life, this energy will give us an extra surge of life too.  Green juice is a delicious way to get a chrolophyll injection.  

Green veggies also supply our bodies with almost all the trace minerals we need as well as live enzymes needed to cleanse and detoxify. 

At a cellular level, your body will thank you!

So, how do you get started? 

Buying a Juicer

When it comes to juicers, you get what you pay for.  I recommend identifying your budget then going online and doing some research.  We are lucky enough now that there are endless reviews and choices at our fingertips.  A slow speed juicer is recommended as it is more gentle and does not heat the produce with a high speed blade.  I think it is best to pick something within your budget and if in the future you want to invest in something better, then you can.  I should add: the more you pay = the less parts there are = the easier the washing up! 

What to Juice?

As with the smoothies, I really think it is good advice to experiment with fruit and veg that you like.  It is good to start with a base of something sweet such as apples, carrots or beetroot and add dark green leafy veg such as kale, spinach or watercress.  Choose a balance you like.  

It is worth paying extra for organic when juicing as you are taking in such a large volume that you don't want an instant hit of concentrated pesticides along with all the goodness.  Again, it comes down to affordability, but do the best you can.  Always scrub veg well and peel any non-organic veg.  

Finally remember to chop all veg according to your juicers preference.  There should be directions which tell you how much your juicer can handle. A juice explosion could be a messy moment.

Below are some ideas to get started with.  You could start really simply with blends like carrot and ginger/apple and celery/cucumber and lime and try some more adventurous blends as you get used to it.

Beetroot Ginger Zinger

2 Beetroots

1/2 cup of Kale

Piece of root ginger to taste

If you decide to do a beetroot juice then do not wear a new white shirt.  I learnt this the hard way!

Pineapple n' Basil

2 Cucumbers

2 sprigs of Thai Basil

1 cups Pineapple

If you cannot access these ingredients experiment with local produce; swap pineapple for apple and thai basil for normal basil. 

All the best for now...Happy juicing.

Josie

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