Red lentil curry coconut dahl

A scrummy lentil recipe for you to try, plus some quirky facts that take the lowly lentil to an altogether new level.
This recipe’s become a fast favourite.  We’ve eaten it as part of a meze feast, as a side to fish & veg as well as a stand-alone with wild basmati rice and a huge bowl of crunchy mixed leafies.

Lentils have certainly come a long way since I first spied them decades ago, an overcooked brown mound heaped beside some dry nut roast.  It took the deliciously exotic recipes from Asia and the Middle East to spark my interest and open up all sorts of lentil possibilities.

They’ve actually come an even longer way.  Not just the oldest cultivated legume but they’re also mentioned in the bible.  And as I was wading through lentil articles online I stumbled upon a blog, ‘The History of Lentils’ that claimed archeologists found lentil artifacts dating back to 8000 BC from the banks of the Euphrates.
Lentil artifacts?!  Can’t imagine what that means, can you?  I think of artifacts being ancient urns, crudely made stone weapons or broken bits of corners of obscure things… but not lentils.  [I have, however, since learned that organic material, when found alongside ancient artifacts, do have a name: biofacts.  Who knew?]
Whatever this dig on the Euphrates banks found, I now have an image I can’t shake from my head of an ancient cooking pot with petrified lentils stuck to the base (‘coz we all know how easy it is to overcook & burn them, even back in the day…back in the ancient day).

At different times over the milennia, and in different global cultures, lentils have see-sawed between poor man’s supper and sumptuous king’s feast.  What’s remained steadfast and certain is that they’ve always been nourishing, packed with fibre and protein, B vitamins, iron, zinc, potassium…

If you’re thinking split lentils are the same as split peas because they look so similar, they’re not.  The name says it all.
Split peas come from dried field peas and lentils are seeds found in pods on small plants with branching vines that love dry, warm climates.  This is one reason they’ve not been traditionally grown here in UK (although this, too, has changed.  Hodmedod’s, a Suffolk company specialising in pulses, seeds and grains, were the first to successfully grow them back in 2017, and since then it seems everyone’s giving them a go).
Undoubtedly lentils’ first love must be the prairies, since Canada’s production and export of the not-so-lowly lentil far outstrips the rest of the world’s production by thousands of tons.

Lentils come in all sorts of colours, another reason to love them  – how many foods have this talent?  There’s black beluga here on the left of the photo (looking a little like caviar), and then various shades of brown, including the smaller puy ones (and a packet from Greece).  Plus green, red and yellow, and no doubt more I haven’t come across yet.

Pulses, even lentils, should be soaked overnight before rinsing and cooking in water.  Soaking, cooking and sprouting helps break down the oligosaccharides in the tough outer skin, that can cause bloating and gas for some.  Soaking also reduces the phytic acid, which can block absorption of important minerals in our foods.

The split red lentils in this recipe are smaller than the more common brown and green variety, and because they’ve been hulled (outer covering removed) and split, those hard-to-digest carbs have already been removed so they do not need soaking, just a rinse before cooking to ensure no small stones within are masquerading as lentils.
If you’re using canned pulses, give them a thorough rinse as they’ve been canned in firming agent, an additive that stops them turning to mush (another good reason to choose dried rather than canned).

Here’s the recipe and bravo for getting to the end of this lentil story.  I don’t know about you, but after discovering all these snippets I actually love this little pulse even more!

Ingredients

(serves 4 as a main)

100g dried red lentils
One 400 ml tin coconut milk
olive oil to gently fry:
3 large banana shallots, peeled and finely chopped
5 cms peeled fresh ginger,  grated
Optional: 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped (or dried chilli, as much as your tastebuds enjoy)
20 dried curry leaves, crumbled and stems removed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 heaped tsp mild curry powder (or sharp if you want more zing)
200g very ripe tomatoes, or 200g from a 400g can tomatoes – OR 2 heaped tbsp tomato paste
a pinch of sea salt
500ml water, more or less (depends on what tomatoes you use)

Method

Pour the olive oil in a large pan and heat on medium.  Add the shallots until they’re transparent, not too coloured, then the grated ginger, chilli and curry leaves.
Stir through and heat for a few minutes.
Next add all the spices and chopped tomatoes (or paste) and the lentils.  Mix for another few minutes then pour in the coconut milk plus c 500ml water and that smidgeon of salt.  Check regularly as you may want to add more water if you used the tomato paste and not the fresh & juicier toms.

Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens and the lentils are done.  Stir occasionally throughout to stop them becoming future lentil petrified artifacts!

Let me know if you love it too 🙂

 

 

Writing about writing

Writing has always been part of the journey to health, except in the past its benefits weren’t really recognised or appreciated.   It certainly didn’t have the current title journaling, which in my world is still just writing (or in my younger world, was called Dear Diary and generally came with a padlock – perhaps you had one of those too?)

Whether you call it jounaling or writing, by doing it you can start figuring out the triggers that affect you emotionally, the ones that unleash upset or resentment, or a funky mood. Or the triggers to physical symptoms, to your bloating or nausea, your headaches or joint aches.  Just as you can write down triggers for your happiness and well being.  More about that later.
Writing can organise endless mental lists and tidy up an overwhelmed mind because it gives you an accessible way of untangling it all.

Case in point: the next time you wake in the dead of night with niggles circling your mind, write them down straight away with that pen & paper by your bed – and the smallest beam of torch so as to not rock your melatonin levels.  This way you can corrall the mental noise into neat lines of penned words, logged and sorted for you to look at in the clear light of morning.

The same with gratitude lists, or whatever you wish to call them.  That happiness and well-being I mentioned above.
When life’s feeling great it’s invaluable – uplifting! – to think about, and then write down, what’s actually making life feel so good.  A gratitude list can come into its own again when life’s slinging mud at you.  Writing down, and thus reliving, the good in your life can diffuse the intensity of harder times.   It’s not easy when you’re in the thick of it, when those mud-slung quagmires are so sticky.  However, by zooming out of the crabby moments and opening up the wider picture of what’s going well for you and who’s there to support you,  there are new neuronal connections being made, new parts of your brain being fired.  The result is that you feel better.

My gratitude list often starts off as a photo, maybe with a one liner floating in my head; a good to be alive moment when I catch dawn’s pinking sky or see lambs in the neighbour’s field.   At some point those feelings make it onto paper, either as a diary note, or part of a blog or a letter to a friend.

Asking clients to write a food diary is part and parcel of my work.  I email a basic formatted chart asking my client to record a week of meals, snacks, drinks and any symptoms.  It’s necessary because memories can be short or skewed.  There can be an aspect of denial involved, for instance, a piece of chocolate quickly scoffed might be forgotten a moment late.  Just like that morning biscuit which happened to come with the cafe’s coffee, or the bag of crisps with your drink (such a small bag, does it even count, a client joked last week).

Writing about your daily foods and habits can throw up patterns.  Perhaps you’re eating bread or rolls or crackers and pasta every day.  Or eating more fruit than you realize – that fructose sweet hit you think is healthy unfortunately still translates in your body to sugar).
Or perhaps you’re eating the same vegetables every night, all good for you, but not the variety that’s going to give your microbiome a diverse and immuno-supercharged microbial population.

It can be hard recognising your own eating patterns, that’s almost a given.  Food is linked to habits and memories, to comfort and love, as well as to sleep, hormones and whatever else is going on in your life, body and mind that very day, that very moment.   When clients email me the completed week’s food diary I often see: “I didn’t realize how many coffees I was drinking,” or “I don’t normally eat this many snacks.” (Hmmm, but maybe you do…)
Writing is your truthkeeper.

I can’t ignore the obvious act of writing which pops up at this time of year.  New Year Resolutions. For some reason I came across a lot of podcast and media commentaries about how we shouldn’t make resolutions because invariably they fail.
I think this is dependant on how realistic you make them…

I’m not a big fan of  writing a formal list, are you?  The page header alone:  New Year Resolutions, puts me off writing things down.  Just too concrete, too much pressure for a year that hasn’t even begun.  Saying that, I do like to ponder the year ahead, especially during the week between Christmas and New year when there’s a lot of pondering time to be had.

Perhaps I don’t usually make a written list of resolutions aka dreams aka intentions because I don’t have that many to remember (or forget).

This year, however, I did think of a few, all do-able and realistic for me.  And that is key.  It’s a simple thought to share with clients when we talk about changing diets and life patterns, or when clients say they want to lose x amount of body fat by spring, or do x number of hours training each week, or want to give up biscuits (chocolate/cakes/alcohol, take your pick). Make it simple.  Be kind to yourself and start  realistically, start small.  That way you’ll likely stick to it.

As Dr Rangan Chatterjee recommends on his podcast and in his books, build a new habit into your day, into an existing routine, and it’ll be sustainable.

One of my new year non-resolutions – let’s call it an intention – is to do a new walk every week.  But even as that intention popped into my head and I scribbled it down here I’m adding that I’d be happy if it turned into a new-walk-a-month rather than a week.  I know that work and life can get in the way.
Am I backing out?  I’d rather think I’m being realistic, but I’ll let you decide.

I hope you find some writing form that suits you, and wish you all a happy new year!

 

 

Sharing thoughts and inspirations this Christmas

In these days before Christmas, when some of us are seeing well-laid plans scuppered, or Xmas traditions taken away due to Omicron looming large, it feels like the right time to share some positives from my world of functional nutrition.  Not about Covid or immune health (we need a break, plus I wrote about it here back in March). https://www.appleaday.org.uk/immune-health-natural-tool-kit/

Instead, some books and a few of the many health ‘influencers’ and podcasts that have inspired and taught me, plus some health facts about the vagus nerve, which may sound random, but isn’t, because it has popped up at so many webinars, online conferences and health discussions this year.

Introducing the vagus nerve (VN):

This nerve may not be on your radar, but one of the reasons it keeps coming up in the health world is because it’s the main neural highway running from the brain down the length of the body.
In fact, it’s the longest nerve in the autonomic nervous system, and it travels or ‘wanders’ (= latin vagus) down the body to the colon, innervating organs as it passes the cardiovascular, digestive and reproductive systems, taking information from each and sending on messages from the brain.  Little wonder it has the potential to impact health!

The trouble is, like so many body parts, this nerve can lose tone from middle age.  It’s also affected by a sedentary lifestyle or chronic stress, trauma, poor diet, and more of the usual western world lifestyle habits.
And this loss of vagal tone can then undermine the organs and systems it passes through, affecting mood, digestion, breathing, heart rate, reflex actions, even relaxation.

So how do you improve vagal tone?

Meditation, yoga, pilates (really most form of exercise), will help improve your autonomic nervous system and the vagus nerve.  And then, interestingly, taking cold showers or swimming in cold water (maybe not something to start now if you’re living in the northern hemisphere!)

There are other even more unexpected and unusual practices that are at the top of the list when you read about improving vagal tone.  And they’re very do-able.

Humming or singing loudly 
How lovely is this!  By humming or singing, you actively stimulate the laryngeal muscles and improve the signalling of the VN.  If you don’t have a voice others appreciate sing in the car to the radio; it won’t complain!

Laugh loudly (the harder the better)
A smilar mechanism to singing, plus research already tells us that laughter improves physical and mental well being.  So if it also specifically helps vagal tone, there’s another reason to watch more comedies over Christmas.

Gargle with vigour!
Ideally 3x daily for a minimum of 20 seconds, which may sound short, but isn’t when you’re starting out.  Anecdotal evidence shows it can improve gut health, specifically peristalsis and symptoms of a hiatus hernia.
When you gargle you activate the three pharyngeal muscles at the back of the throat which stimulates the vagal nerve.   You’ll feel your diaphragm and muscles around your stomach and oesophagus getting quite a work out, and if tears pool in your eyes it’s apparently a sign you’re doing it correctly.  According to Dr N. Habib who wrote a comprehensive book called Activate your vagus nerve’ (yes, there are specialised books about it), the superior salivary nucleus is being stimulated, which triggers the glands around your eyes to produce fluid.
Like brushing your teeth, gargling should become part of your life…. your new noisy singing life!
And by adding salt to the gargle water you have the added benefit of an antimicrobial oral wash.

If any of this sounds like a Christmas fairytale just search online for vagus nerve and you’ll be inundated with a plethora of articles and studies referencing its importance.

Podcasts on health and life

Podcasts are such a great platform to hear the latest in health!  I love them and wish I had more time to listen to more…
Rangan Chatterjee’s ‘Feel Better Live More’ is still my overall favourite with so many expert guests sharing their unique insights and wisdom.
I particularly liked the May interview with investigative journalist, James Nestor.  The latter has written a brilliant book, ‘Breath’  which covers far more aspects of breathing than I ever thought possible.  In using himself as a guinea pig in all the different breathing techniques that are out there, he not only tells a great story but ultimately makes it clear how we should all be breathing for good health.
Another interview on July’s ‘Feel Better Live More’ that has stayed with me, was with Dr Rahul Jandial, a neuro surgeon.  He talked about the trials and joys of his training years and subsequent career, and how humbled he is by his patients.  Jandial’s book, ‘Life on a Knife’s edge’ is extraordinary, illuminating and at times unnerving.

Other great podcasts I try to find time for:
The happiness lab,  The Doctor’s Pharmacy, Natural MD Radio & Huberman lab (which is full of science if you’re into it)

 Some health books of many to ponder  

‘Hormone Intelligence’, by Aviva Romm;  should be on all bookshelves – and she’s written more excellent books!
‘Untamed – Stop pleasing, start living’, by Glennon Doyle. The title says it all.
‘Breath’ by James Nestor.  A must for anyone who breathes
‘The metabolic approach to cancer’, by Dr Nasha Winters.  An extraordinary functional ND, author, speaker, global cancer consultant who survived stage 4 cancer some 25 or 30 years ago.  Her next book is coming out in February  ‘Mistletoe and the Emerging future of Integrative Oncology’
(mistletoe extract has a century-old history of use in complementary medicine especially regarding cancer.  In Europe, mistletoe extract injections are among the most prescribed therapies used to treat cancer alongside chemo or exclusively.  Studies and testing have been ongoing for decades so I’m looking forward to discovering what Dr Winters puts forward in her book.

Health influencers, some of the people who’ve inspired me

Dr Caroline Leaf, a neuroscientist and mental health expert; always seems to find the perfect single sentence or paragraph to sum up a very long and difficult complex issue.
Robyn Puglia, functional medicine practitioner; lecturer, teacher and more.  Also runs online talks and QA sessions on facebook with the brilliant thryoid and brain author/educator Dr Datis Kharrazian (check out his weekly talks on his facebook page).
Ben Brown, functional nutritionist, lecturer and more; website newsletters offer well-researched commentary on current health conditions and studies.
Dr Nasha Winters, mentioned above; some of her talks and interviews are available on YouTube.
Avivia Romm, also mentioned above; her website is an encyclopaedia of knowledge 

So many other health professionals who are daily influencers for me, who are part of my practitioner world – Debbie Cotton, Moira Bradfield, Jason Hawrelak, Emma Beswick…. There will be YouTube talks by them out there.

As for food authors there are so many new, fab cookbooks available, I can’t keep up with them.  For me, Ottolenghi continues to deliver and I am currently still working my way through the vegetarian recipes in ‘Flavour’ (just reduce the sugar which he SO loves to add, in some form or other, to his recipes).
His mushroom-lentil ragu dish is a winner for us and will be part of our Xmas menu this year.

Niki Webster (aka Rebel recipes), is about to bring out another vegan cookbook, watch her space!

And for anyone wanting to do gluten free baking, Naomi Devlin offers so many excellent workshops online, take a look at her website.

Finally, my dear friend, and surrogate mum, 94 year old Hedi continues to be a big influencer for me.  She can still walk the length of Regent street and then enjoy a hearty meal.  I think she invented the word resilience.

I’d love to hear from you!

Tell me about some of the positives you’ve found this year, whether it’s some people you’ve met or books or happenings that have made your life, or illness, or Covid journey, aka slog, a little easier.

I’m back in my zoom clinic here, in Dorset, on Tuesday, 4th January.  As always I’m offering a Christmas gift discount for the month of January; 10% for all consultations.  Just email me for bookings.

Until then I’m sending you all huge hugs and lotsa merries, and a happy 2022 for us all.

Stay well friends!

x

Mindfulness, what’s in a word?

I’d like to find another word for mindfulness.  Not that it isn’t apt, on the contrary, being mindful in our lives can be life changing, mind blowing.  But we’re hearing the word used so much these days, a little like the hackneyed terms ‘life changing and mind blowing’,  that it can end up falling on deaf ears or meaning nothing at all to some people.

A male client on zoom yesterday rolled his eyes when I mentioned mindfulness.  “No, that whacky stuff’s not for me,” he said.
There’s not much whacky about it; pretty straight forward in fact.  Mindfulness is about tapping into something that was commonplace for our grandparents:  taking each day, each moment, as it came; not having to juggle deadlines, childcare, finances, nights out and traffic holdups.  These days there’s not a lot of Living each Moment, and therein lies a big part of our global chronic health crisis. The speed and stress of daily life is throwing us out of kilter, making many of us sick.

However, saying all that, I get what this client meant.  Even though he hasn’t tried it, he said it sounded too vague, that ‘mindfulness’ didn’t explain enough of what it was about or how to do it.  For him the name seemed to be a big part of why he hadn’t tried it. Hence my search for another word, a new title.

‘Being in the moment,’ or ‘living in the present’ may say more about what it is, but clients have told me they don’t think it’ll work for them, or, like this man, it sounds too ‘out there’.  Someone once told me she was already being careful and didn’t need to do a course on it.
For others it doesn’t sound medical enough, doesn’t carry enough gravitas.  I can’t help wondering if these people are still hanging out for the ‘one thing fixes all’ remedy.  The trouble here is that we’re not living in a one-pill-fixes-all world. Our current chronic diseases are too complex for monotherapies.

The compelling science behind how mindfulness works – how it can kick in a relaxation response that lowers stress & anxiety, how it can lessen gut pain, even body inflammation, and that it’s something that can alter the microbiome and, amazingly, gene expression – all this information seems to only reach those interested in health or lifestyle therapies, and not the ones who might need it the most.  It’s not on their radar until ill health has exhausted conventional medical routes and they somehow find a book or hear about cognitive therapy or an MBCT class (mindfulness based stress reduction), or they start working with a functional nutritionist, like me, who encourages it for helping with anxiety or IBS symptoms.

The thing about starting mindfulness is that we’re already doing it, this living in the present.  Some of us are just not doing it as consciously as we should.  And even though mindfulness is about developing a daily practice that will grow into something bigger and more sustained, into a higher awareness of our days, and of the many ‘present moments’, the key to starting it is to begin small, to keep it do-able.

I’m not a mindfulness expert or teacher, however the weekly mindfulness classes I went to about eight, maybe more?, years ago opened my eyes to the possibility of having a mindful practice in my daily life.
I remember during one of the early classes we were told to walk barefoot in the grass and listen carefully to the sounds around us, and then try doing it at home every day for any length of time we could manage.  It was a lightbulb moment for me, realizing it could be something enjoyable, something I could easily do inbetween work.  Also that I wouldn’t have to sit cross-legged for an hour cancelling all thoughts and finding a higher plane (which of course was my misinterpretation of meditation!)

Slowing down my daily pace in some way, at some point in the day, was key for me when I began (I’m speaking from the perspective of a busy person with a busy mind who likes to pack in lots).

In those early days, the more I read about mindfulness, the more I realized there was no rule about timing, no rule about what mindful practice I should do.  Listening to the breath is often a starting point, and it can be the exclusive daily practice for many.  I love it, all the more so since reading James Nestor’s book, Breath.  However, I’ve met clients over the years who hate it, who say they get anxious listening to their breath, so it really is very individual.
An hour of sewing or gardening might be mindful time for one but torture for another.  Examining pebbles on the beach for an hour might bore most people to tears except me.  Sitting still to watch the day slowly shift from twilight to sunset might be your daily quiet time but only a holiday treat for another. Closing your eyes for ten or more minutes, listening to your breath might be a huge leap of faith.

When I talk about mindfulness to clients I suggest they try whatever they enjoy, something that will slow them down into the Now moment.  Start their practice in small increments and take it from there, not beating themselves up if they need more time to get into a daily routine.  This was the sustaining advice I was given when I was first introduced to mindfulness.  After that, there’s a whole world of excellent books and qualfied teachers out there.

Now back to my first thought.  Is there another word you can think of for Mindfulness, something that might reinject it with oomph, or explain it better?  Something to describe this mindful awareness of our daily moments?  If so, I’d really love to hear from you. x

Green curry paste

It seems every spring my mind turns to green curry!  This is my Green curry paste recipe, Mark 2, lol.  More ingredients, more depth of flavour plus vegan friendly.  An upgrade of last year’s recipe with less chilli, more ginger and kaffir, a combo of citrus juices plus oils and the addition of delicious adaptogenic and anti inflammatory holy basil.  In fact there are loads of anti inflammatory benefits in this mix.  And just look at the amazing zingy colour!

I love the fact that this recipe is simply the sum of it’s parts. No complicated prep, just some slicing, grating and squeezing.   Saying that, if you want to use whole coriander and cumin seed rather than powder then it’s best to heat them first in a pan to release flavour and aroma before crushing them in a mortar.   I used the powdered forms and they still added their distinctive flavours to the whole.

Last week I made fish cakes with some of the paste, so scrummy we had a repeat yesterday when two friends came over for an early outdoor supper.  (Great to have some Covid restrictions now lifting here in UK.  Long may it last).

You could use the paste as part of a veg curry sauce, with or without coconut milk, or marinate chicken pieces in that luscious green.  Lots of options but I’ll post my fishcake version in the coming week.
It only took about 10 minutes to prepare the paste and 5 minutes to mix ‘n blitz.  It’ll keep in the fridge for a few weeks and is freezer-friendly, hooray!

 

Ingredients:

Makes 6 or 7 tablespoons (give or take the amount of coriander you choose to use)

1 tsp cumin powder (or seed)
1/2 tsp ground pepper ( ” )
1/2 tsp coriander powder ( ” )
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground turmeric (or 1 tbsp fresh, grated)
6 small or 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 stalks lemongrass (tips off, outer layer off as well if very tough.  Halve and finely chop)
2 tbsps chopped ginger
2-3 hot green chilli, halved, seeds removed and finely sliced, or 1/2-1 tsp dried
3 spring onions, green part only chopped
2 large soft kaffir limes leaves (the dried leaves are hard to blend and can ruin a paste unless you fully remove the leaf’s midrib (central vein) and then very finely slice the green parts, the leaf lamina.  If you can find soft leaves it’s so much easier!)
3 tbsp lemon juice
Zest and juice of a lime
a small bunch of coriander with some stem (about 15-20 leafy stems, give or take)
c 4 stems of holy basil, shredded leaves only
2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
A little water if it’s too congested at the end

Method:

If you want to use seeds for the coriander, cumin and pepper, toast these in a pan first until fragrant then crush with your pestle and add to the rest.

I used a hand-held blender to mix all the ingredients.  Coriander leaves and some stem, basil leaves, kaffir leaves, green chilli, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, spring onion, coriander, cumin, pepper, turmeric, sea salt, lemon and lime juice, lime zest, the oils, and then, right at the end, a dash of water to thin it slightly.
Do a quick taste test.  Add a little more salt or chilli for more kick if you want, or sesame oil or whatever flavours you’d like to taste more of.
The taste is supposed to be strong as it’s carrying most of the flavour for your veg curry or fish cakes.

Enjoy x

 

 

 

 

Asian-style soup

This is my wellness soup.  I’m such a fan of zingy fresh spices like lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and ginger.  If I want a comfort soup this is it.  All the more so if adding chicken, with its high tryptophan, an amino acid that’s the precursor to our feel-good serotonin.
The soup can actually be anything you want.  Vegan, pescatarian or a good ‘ole chicken soup with an Asian swing to it.  Here are some options for you to try.

Ingredients

4 servings

Spices for the broth:

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp grated or ground turmeric
1 heaped tbsp brown miso paste
1 crushed, then finely sliced lemon grass
5 dried kaffir lime leaves, crushed with stems removed
4 cms fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
1.5 litres veg broth or water

*If doing a veg-only soup, ie. no marinade, add c4 tbsp tamari, 1/2 cup chopped coriander, 3 crushed garlic cloves and, if you want a kick, some chilli flakes to the above.  Also more veg broth to compensate for not having the fish/chicken liquid marinade to add to the pot.

The vegetables:

1/2 leek, sliced
150 g brussel sprouts, halved
200g broccoli florets
100g green beans, halved
100g mangetout or sugar snap peas
large handful spinach, shredded
another generous one of kale, finely shredded
4 mini bok choy (or 4 large if you can’t get minis)
olive oil to start the stir fry
sesame oil to drizzle at the very end
chopped coriander to decorate
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

The optional chicken or salmon:

3 fillets free range or organic chicken, cut into chunks or thick slices
OR
3 wild salmon fillets, whole

Marinate the chicken or fish for at least 4 hours in:
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1/4 tsp dried chilli
1 tsp garam masala
3 crushed garlic
4-5 tbsp tamari
plus enough veg broth to cover the chicken/fish.

Method:

If I’m making my soup with either salmon or the chicken slices, I poach them first.  That way I can remove the fish skin easily and break it into smaller pieces, put aside and focus on the soup and veg.  You can of course poach whilst making the veg broth, whatever works for you.

Gently fry the leek in olive oil on a medium heat until soft.  Add all the spices, stirring well.
Pour in the vegetable broth plus the chicken/fish marinade [or the additions mentioned above for the  *veg-only].
Bring to the boil then simmer.
Add the vegetables to the broth, starting with the halved brussels which may take longer depending on size, then the beans and broccoli.  After simmering about 6-8 minutes (check the sprouts aren’t still rock hard), add the mangetout, bok choy, kale and spinach which only need a bat of an eyelid to wilt.  Now find room for the cooked chicken or salmon!

Serve in deep bowls, drizzle with sesame oil and top with chopped coriander and a wedge of lime, yumm!

Immune health natural tool kit

Immune health has understandably been in the spotlight since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.  We’ve all been asking the same:  how to avoid catching Sars-CoV-2, and how to have less severe symptoms if we do catch it.  Staying home, socially distancing and wearing masks will all naturally minimize exposure to any pathogen, but what else can we be doing to support our immune system?

Since nutrition is such a big part of who I am at home, and in clinic, as a functional nutritionist, I’ll always think food first.  If research has shown that we are what we eat, then being vital and thriving versions of ourselves is the first step to being immune strong.

A daily rainbow of vegetables means we can piggy back on the defence mechanisms of the plant world; support our immune systems by eating a variety of colours and tastes.   Bright colours and strong smells and tastes – just think of garlic! – are the plants’ defences that translate into antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals for us.
Ten or twelve portions of vegetables, herbs and fruit may sound a lot, but it’s not that difficult to incorporate them into daily meals.  Salads, soups, juices, stir fries, oven roast veg, or a packed steam-pot.  Variety and colour are key.  Then add to that good quality protein, healthy fats – and clean, fresh water, always – and we have an arsenal of nutrients to battle any infection.

In order to absorb and effectively use these immune-enhancing nutrients our digestion has to be working well.  In fact, with Covid-19, we need to ensure our gastrointestinal AND oral & respiratory barriers are robust and healthy.  There are specific foods, nutrients and probiotics that can help us optimize the structure of these barriers, as well as increase the diversity of our gut’s microbiome.

Sleep ourselves well!  This is a quote by Matthew Walker, sleep specialist and author of the best seller ‘Why we Sleep’ who seemed to be on every health podcast in 2020 explaining the importance of sleep to our overall health and longevity (watch him on Youtube’s Ted series, 2019 and 2020).
Walker writes about the link to immune health, stating how during sleep we not only stimulate the production of different immune factors, but the body also increases its sensitivity to those factors.  We literally wake up immune stronger after a good night’s sleep.   Reason enough to hunker down and rest if we get sick.  According to Walker and other sleep experts we should be aiming for 7 and 9 hours each night to ensure continued wellness; more if you’re a child or teen – or ill.

Being outdoors is another vital part of good health.  It has been shown to improve overall well being and more specifically our immune status.
There are so many fascinating studies focussing on our deep bond with nature.  How simply looking at the sea or forest or at birds and clouds can lower blood pressure and be an antidote to stress (‘ecopsychology’), as well as improve our immunity.
Stand in a woodland amongst trees and we’re breathing in compounds called phytoncides, the airborne antimicrobial chemicals that plants release as protection against insects.  Shinrin yoku, (directly translated to forest bathing), enhances our immune health because these phytoncides have antimicrobial properties which our bodies respond to by increasing the activity of certain cells in our white blood cell army, namely our natural killer (NK) cells which kill off virus-infected cells.

Take it a step further, literally, and we have exercise, no newcomer to playing a role in our well being.  We all now understand how exercise of any sort, when not excessive, can improve so many body systems, from circulation and heart to bones and mental health a.o.
Endorphins, such as serotonin, rise when we exercise, and these higher ‘happy’ serotonin levels are yet another antidote to the damage that stress hormones can wreak.  Stress will always undermine our immune health.

Exercise immunology is a fairly new sub discipline of exercise physiology and looks at the relationship between exercise and immune function.   In an article from The Journal of Sport and Health Science (May 2019) we can read that short bursts of exercise enhance our anti-inflammatory cytokines and natural killer (NK) cells, as well as increase neutrophils and our T cells (according to many sources including BMJ, these T cells are the actual ‘superstars’ of our white blood cell army, in the fight against Covid; BMJ 2020;370:m3563).

When outdoors exercising we are being exposed to natural light.  This in turn affects our melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep.  Being outdoors in the morning, ideally walking or exercising, exposes us to that natural light, helps set our natural clock for the day and also gives us a better sleep routine. Win-Win!
Interestingly, there have been numerous studies on melatonin during 2020 due to its antioxidant, anti inflammatory – and its immunomodulatory properties. It is being researched for potentially helping reduce the consequences of the SARS-Cov-2 infection, and studies continue on its potential antiviral action (Frontiers in Medicine. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2020.00226).

If we’re social distancing and eating our rainbow diet (plus protein, healthy fats, water…), sleeping well and exercising, plus trying not to get stressed by work, or lack of it, or children home-learning or the latest global disaster (or certain irritating BBC journalists reporting on Covid), but we still end up catching SARS-Cov-2, or even the common cold, what other support is there for our immune system?

So many studies and papers were published during 2020 concerning Vitamin D.   In the functional nutrition world this vitamin has been in the limelight for a number of years now due to its immune-protective properties.  So it’s been heartening to see how doctors the world over, and the NHS here in UK, are recognising its importance and recommending we check D levels and supplement if low.
It may be difficult at the moment to get vitamin D blood levels checked if in lockdown or if medical staff and clinics are overwhelmed.  There are however labs across UK, and no doubt in other countries, which can send out Vit D finger prick test kits.  Easy to do and not expensive.  Here in UK a number of NHS hospitals are offering these kits online, just have a google.
Chances are, if living in the northern hemisphere, D levels will be low given the lack of sun, which is how we make Vitamin D.  And it’s likely to be the same in the warmer southern hemisphere if people are lathered in high factor sunscreens.
Foods like oily fish, egg yolks and some fortified foods will have small amounts of Vit D, however taking D in supplement form is a good solution (although the best solution will always be supplementing after having been tested since overdosing on Vit D, although not easy to do, can potentially be dangerous).

Other star antioxidant vitamins are A, E and C.  Vitamin C has a long history of immune support, but drinking huge glasses of orange juice won’t cut it.  Not only are you getting a detrimental sugar spike in your blood, but you’re missing the ‘whole’ fruit benefits.  Plus, in the end it won’t be anything near the levels of C you need if combatting a virus.  You can safely supplement 500 mg – 2000 mg in divided doses daily.
Vitamins A, E and C are all critical for immune health, with the bonus that they also improve the integrity of our gut and lung barriers.

Another crucial player when it comes to immune modulation is zinc.  Amongst its many attributes it stimulates the hormone in our thymus gland to produce new T cells.   Sadly, this mineral is sorely lacking in our diet since it’s lacking in our soils.  We also don’t get enough from fish when the fish is farmed.  And despite it being in a lot of fortified cereals these are rich in phytic acid which binds out the zinc so we can’t absorb it well.  Everyone tends to be low in zinc and a supplement of 15mg daily is generally safe.  Again, it’s best to check your zinc levels with a functional nutritionist or doctor so you know the amount you should supplement.

There are so many different herbs that are immune-supportive.  In fact, if we add a wide variety to our cooking, eg. rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano etc, then we’ll be adding a wide palette of phytonutrients that will not just be improving the flavour of our food but also our health status.
There are some stand-alone herbs which have either specific anti-viral action, like echinacea, or anti inflammatory properties like turmeric root, or herbs like andrographis, which have been traditionally used to support immunity in the respiratory tract.   Again, it’s best to work with someone in the know when it comes to herbal tinctures.

Last but by no means least, medicinal mushrooms have to be mentioned.  Mycology, the study of fungi, burst onto the health scene years ago due to the astonishing antioxidant properties and immunemodulating effects of specific mushrooms.   There are a number of varieties like reishi, shiitake, turkey tail (coriolus versicolor) and chaga which show anti-viral action, either by inhibiting viral replication or enhancing the cellular immune response to infection.  As long as you’re not allergic to them, adding fresh shiitake mushrooms to your menu or a reishi powder to your smoothie or soup can only be good, and there are some excellent supplements available.

Viruses are resilient so they certainly won’t be going away anytime soon.  However, nature has given us this wonderful tool kit to work with – food, specific nutrients, sleep, exercise, the outdoors – which can help us either as a preventative measure or in face of an acute infection.

Let’s make use of this tool kit and go safely forward into a healthier year!

Kedgeree, the appleaday way

I didn’t know this dish actually had a name.  For years I made a version of it with leftover rice and fresh fish, shredded greens and various curry ingredients.
One day a friend, a nutritional therapist colleague staying with us, sat back after dinner and said, ‘I like the way you make kedgeree with fresh fish and no egg.’
And that’s when I discovered my leftover rice-fish dish was called something.  I’d prepared it with more leafies, more antioxidants, and taken away some of the smokey flavour.  A tasty and healthier version, this kedgeree-ISH dish.

I use mainly fresh fish fillets with a nod to the original smoked recipe by adding a small fillet of lightly smoked salmon.  Sadly, studies show that smoked foods contain nitrates & nitrites that convert to cancer-causing compounds.  I’d recommend that if you want to eat anything smoked, enjoy it as a rare treat and not something to keep in your weekly diet.
When I look at traditional kedgeree recipes what stands out is the lack of colour.  Admittedly we don’t want every meal we eat to look like the same rainbow.  However, adding some leafy greens and broccoli to this dish livened it up yet didn’t detract from the fish and curry flavours.  More leafies = more phytonutrients and immune support.

I don’t always add boiled eggs, which of course is one of kedgeree’s hallmarks.   As delicious as they are (& such a fab protein & nutrient source, especially if the chickens are fed on a rich omega 3 diet), eggs are quite a common intolerance food.   I’m seeing more and more clients who say they sometimes feel ‘off’ after eating them.  However, if they’re a friend of your digestion by all means add them when serving up.

Here’s a snapshot of most of the ingredients in the recipe.  Please imagine a leek lying horizontally at the top, and real fish not photos, laid out on that plate.
I only thought of taking this shot after we’d scoffed it all!

Ingredients
Serves 4 – 6

250g lightly smoked salmon
250g white flakey fish like haddock or cod.  Or wild salmon if you don’t mind salmon… and more salmon
250g mixed rice (eg. basmati brown, red, black or whatever blend you can find)
500ml water or vegetable broth for the rice
2 or 3 small red onions, finely sliced
1/2 leek, green part, sliced
100g shredded spinach
100-150g broccoli, broken into tiny florets
100g frozen peas
1 heaped tsp hot curry powder (or mild if you prefer)
10 dried curry leaves, crushed
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 – 1/2 tsp dried chilli (optional)
200-250g plant milk;  I’ve used coconut or oat
2 boiled eggs (for 4 servings, 3 eggs for 6)
olive oil for cooking
freshly ground pepper
sea salt if needed
4 tbsp flat leafed parsely, chopped

Method:

In a pot gently heat the olive oil then add the sliced onion.  Cook until translucent.
Add the rice and stir until coated then cover with 500ml vegetable broth or water.  Bring to the boil, uncovered, then lower the heat, replace the lid and allow to cook for about 15 mins.
Check the rice near the end to make sure it isn’t catching.

Meanwhile boil your eggs if you’re adding them to the dish.  Rinse in cold water and peel ready to quarter.

In a deep pan, or large pot that will take the finished meal with rice, heat 3 tbsp olive oil.
Gently fry the leek then add the crushed curry leaves, curry powder and other spices.  Gently fry the fish on both sides.  Note that if your fish has skin, fry it skin-side down before using tongs or a fork and knife to remove it.

Add the vegetable milk to the fish-spice-leek and simmer.
Most fish fillets will be cooked within 10-12 minutes.  Even though this is a forgiving dish you don’t want your fish overcooked and turning into a mush when you add the rice and mix them together.
For the last 5 minutes of fish cooking time add the tiny florets of broccoli, frozen peas and spinach.
Once the fish is cooked, gently break it into chunks to your liking.

Add the cooked rice to the pan of fish, spices and greens.  Gently fold in and do a taste check.
Do you want more curry powder or perhaps some chilli?   You may need sea salt if you haven’t used vegetable broth, or smoked fish.

Serve in large bowls, top with chopped parsley and divide up the quartered eggs evenly.

Finish with ground black pepper –  and enjoy.

Finding positives, sharing passions

Reflections on a challenging year

I hope this finds you all safe and well.  As we near the end of what’s undeniably been a difficult year, I thought I’d try to share some thoughts and ideas that have helped me through these past challenging months.
It’s understandable that our focus has been on this pandemic and everything that it has brought with it.  And yet, for so many, bright moments have managed to shine through.

A lot of clients and friends have commented that Covid has made them reset priorities, whether it’s been spending more time with family or reconnecting with old friends, changing jobs, healing rifts.   More quiet time to think about what’s important.
The countryside tracks and fields around us here in Dorset look so different!  More people are out and about in nature doing daily walks, runs or cycles when they’d never found time in the past.

Our internet world has opened up all sorts of possibilities.  Some amazing online classes and workshops are now so easy to access.  I’ve loved the virtual tours of art exhibitions, and YouTube instructional videos have never been so important!
Zoom and phone consultations have meant I’ve been able to carry on working with clients.  Webinars and online – virtual – conferences have made my CPD accessible and stress-free.
How have you found all these new online offerings?  Are you part of a zoom reading group or quiz gathering?

We’ve all been given pause for thought; all of us have faced our own vulnerability and humanity.
I know I’ve been more grateful than ever for the caring people in my life who’ve checked in to see how things are going.

A new year is about to happen, and with it new hope.
On January 7th I’ll be back at my work desk with zoom and phone in hand.  As always, an appleaday Christmas gift is here for you, a 20% discount for appointments in the month of January.  Please book via email mentioning this newsletter.

Below are some photos, clicks and thoughts on health which show a few of the many silver linings I found this year.  Hopefully there are some here for you as well  x

There’s so much evidence on the health benefits of being in nature.  I certainly felt those positives on free July days when I’d go outside and check on our new bed of dahlia babies, or tackle yet another weedy garden patch.  I’d often have headphones on, listening to a podcast.
I love the discussions on Rangan Chatterjee’s ‘Feel Better, Live More’ app.  Here’s a link to a talk he had with Dr Tara Swart that was recorded around the time of UK’s first lockdown.  So much invaluable food for thought.

https://drchatterjee.com/how-to-plan-the-post-lockdown-future-of-your-dreams-and-coping-with-emotions-with-dr-tara-swart/

Another more recent episode I found very interesting was with Arianne Huffington.  It was about the value of microsteps and rituals, both such integral parts of my clinic practice.  The discussion seemed to embrace more and more fascinating topics as it went along.  I came away feeling so inspired (although it did take me a wee bit to get used to her voice!)

https://drchatterjee.com/arianna-huffington-microsteps-and-rituals-to-help-you-thrive/

Since Covid kicked off I’ve seen many clients having problems with poor sleep, stress, anxiety or depression.
The trauma of this year is having a huge impact on our inner lives.
There are so many effective ways to help our emotional well-being but when you’re in the thick of it, it can be hard to figure out which ones to try.
If you’d like some helpful pointers and health recommendations as a first step,  I still offer free short calls.  Not enough time, of course, for a full health check, but certainly enough to have a chat.
Just email or call to sort out a time to suit us both.

Meanwhile, I’ve mentioned The Calm app to many clients and friends over the years.  It’s certainly been my safety net when I wake up in the early hours with thoughts buzzing.
There’s a plethora of different relaxation and sleep supports on it, from stories to mindful practices, music and sounds in nature.  All help move thoughts to a calmer space.
Here’s a taster, but remember there are lots more choices on the app to cover all preferences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4x9ssJ0jfM

This photo made me laugh!  An Australian family finding a baby koala amongst the decorations in their tree.  Oh how I’d love to find a koala in our Dorset Xmas branches, but it’s highly unlikely even if borders open!

Here are some fave Xmas recipes from my website.  We’re keeping it simple this year so we have more time to chill, but the soup and orange cake are definites!

https://www.appleaday.org.uk/christmas-butternut-porridge/

https://www.appleaday.org.uk/orange-xmas-cake/

https://www.appleaday.org.uk/christmas-vegan-chestnut-and-sage-soup/

https://www.appleaday.org.uk/chestnut-butternut-and-mushroom-pie/

Finally, a last share for those wanting to sit back, forget the cooking and read a good book instead.  These are just a few of many good books I read this year, both fiction and work-related.  I’d love to hear what your favourite reads were, so please email or message me here or via social media.

Mind Wide Open, by Steven Johnson
Rewilding: A return to nature, by Isabella Tree (what a great surname!)
Patch work: a life amongst clothes, by Clare Wilcox (curator of fashion at the V&A)
The Unmapped Mind:  A memoir of neurology, MS and learning how to live, by Christian Donlan.
Always hard to decide but I think this last one is my book of the year.  It’s not a textbook but a poignant, funny and very illuminating memoir I simply couldn’t put down.

I wish you all the very best in the coming days, weeks and months.
The world is sharing the same Christmas wish this year I’m sure: good health to everyone.

Be safe, be merry!

 

Fava or split pea mash

Greek fava is delicious alongside a selection of meze or as a dip with bread or carrot sticks, or a replacement for your mashed potato.  Versatile or what!?
Made of yellow (or red) split peas, fava originates from Santorini where the peas grow well on the island’s rich volcanic soil.  These days we can find dried split peas in health food shops and most supermarkets.  Easy to keep in your larder and have at hand when you’re wondering what to cook that night.

I tend to soak the split peas for at least four hours even though they’re more easily digested than larger dried beans – just habit from working with clients who can’t tolerate pulses.
I love fava with caramelised onion on top or with capers – or both.  There are so many variations, it’s one of those taste-and-decide recipes, as you can tell by some of the options I’ve suggested below 🙂
You can blend it super smooth or mash it to whatever texture your taste buds like.  It’s a super easy & delicious recipe, so I hope you try it out.

Ingredients:
For 4

250 g yellow or red split peas (soaked min 4 hours if you want to play it safe)
1/2 red onion, peeled
another onion, peeled and finely sliced
1 peeled clove garlic, & an extra to add later if you like a garlicky taste
1 heaped tsp ground cumin
squeeze of lemon juice
a smidgeon or more (or less) of ground chilli
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
extra virgin oil
capers, if you like them

Method:

Sieve the split peas to remove any possible small stones then if you have the time soak overnight, but otherwise just wash well.
Put into a pot and cover with about 1″ water.
Peel your onion, chop in half and snuggle it, together with the peeled garlic clove, into the centre of your peas-in-a-pot.
Boil and skim off the white froth that will want to bubble over.  Then simmer with lid on.
When I used to try different versions of this recipe I’d often read, ‘cook for 40 mins’ but, to be honest, my split peas seem to get soft within 15-20 minutes.  This could be due to the soaking, or the peas.  However, once you’ve skimmed the scum and place on simmer, don’t head off to your desk or into the garden.  Stay close as they may be soft and ready sooner than you think, or they may need more topping up with water if they’re resolutely hard.

Meanwhile, finely slice the other 1 + 1/2 onion and gently fry in oil in a pan.  This will be your topping, so just put aside until you need it.

When the split peas are cooked and soft, blend or mash, add the squeeze of lemon, spices and taste.  If the garlic flavour has boiled away, add another fresh clove.
Make a small crater (ode to Santorini) in the middle and drizzle in some virgin olive oil and top with your caramelised onion and/or capers.
Enjoy!