Author: thejuicenut

Vegan, raw foodie, juice nut, writing somewhat wryly about health/nutrition/wellbeing with a little creativity on the side. pearsnotparsnips@mail.com

Banana Plum Smoothie with a Warming Dash of Cinnamon

imageThis is a mineral-rich smoothie with protein, fibre and omega fatty acids and a little warming cinnamon spice added now that Autumn is creeping in. Cinnamon has many health benefits including reducing spikes in blood sugar and lowering insulin resistance, as well as helping to balance your metabolism. Yellow plums are reputed to improve iron absorption, possibly due to their vitamin C content. Those with nut allergies can substitute the almond milk with tiger nut milk or any other non-dairy alternative.

All ingredients are organic, vegan and gluten-free, all measurements approximate.

Ingredients

1 Banana

1 Yellow Plum

2 Tbsps Golden Linseeds (lightly ground)

1 Heaped Tbsp Raw Hemp Seeds*

Glass of chilled Almond Milk (see here for how to make your own, it really is very easy and tastes much better than bought)

1 Medjool Date, pitted and chopped

A Dash of Cinnamon + another on top

 Blend and enjoy.

*from http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

How to Have A Good Day

This is an excellent post from the wiser-than-his-years Steven on the importance of generating a healthy mind as well as a healthy body. He has lots of excellent tips on expressing gratitude, journalling, yoga and meditation to clear your mind of those negative emotions and help you face tomorrow with a positive outlook so you get a do-over and not a repeat of the same difficult situations. He advocates practising self-kindness and I wholeheartedly second that emotion!

What Does Eating Clean Mean?

The lovely Hanna (who cleared herself of psoriasis with a healthy plant-based diet and exercise) has written a great article explaining the concept of eating clean, both what it means and what it doesn’t mean. It does mean eating whole, natural, unprocessed meals made from scratch, it doesn’t mean you have to go vegan and get very skinny very fast! Thanks Hanna!

Hanna Sillitoe's avatarMy Goodness

My trainer John has a poster up in his gym ‘you can’t out-train a bad diet’ it’s spot on. For a variety of (admittedly poor) excuses, my cardio training has not been up to scratch for a few weeks. It’s too hot, I’m too tired, work is busy, the book, the book … blah blah … fear not, I am totally on it this month!

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A Day on the Standard American Diet

Dust off your chemistry notes and dig out a glossary, this is the ‘ingredient’ list for a day’s Standard American Diet menu…

katyhadalittlefarm's avatarKaty Had a Little Farm

“From scratch” are the most beautiful words that shouldn’t be needed.

If you are eating the SAD, this, or something like it, this your menu unveiled.

Breakfast:

Mcdonald’s Mocha Frappe Coffee drink, Dannon Light and Fit Blueberry yogurt, Private Selection honey wheat toast

Translation:

Coffee drink: Cream, Nonfat Milk, Corn Syrup, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, or Less: Mono-And Diglycerides, Carrageenan, Polysorbate 80, Beta Carotene (Color), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E) to Protect Flavor. Whipping Propellant (Nitrous Oxide).   Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Water, Sugar, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Modified Food Starch, Nonfat Milk, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Salt, Gellan Gum, Disodium Phosphate, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavor (Vanillin).Ingredients: Water, Cream, Sugar, Milk, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Coffee Extract, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Mono and Diglycerides, Guar Gum, Potassium Citrate, Disodium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Carob Bean Gum, Red 40, Yellow…

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ASD & Empathy – Guest Post by Finn

Tadgh is a 17-year-old Irish writer, musician and artist who also happens to have Asperger’s, OCD and ADHD. This is a post by his friend, Finn, who is also on the Autism Spectrum. It is a light-hearted and enlightening speech he gave recently on the subject of Empathy and Autism – a much-misunderstood aspect of Asperger’s/Autism – at an event in Dublin called ‘ASD: Myths and Legends.’ Give it a read and do visit Tadgh’s blog, you might be surprised, and you might just learn something.

Tadhg's avatarGlass Footsteps

“ASD: Myths and Legends” took place in Dublin Castle last Saturday. The event went really well and I think definitely gave the audience an insight into the sheer broadness of the Spectrum. It showed clearly those of us on the spectrum are individuals. We don’t just fit into a stereotypes that society has set forth for us. The following is the speech my friend Finn made during the event. I found it really thought provoking; he discusses a really important issue, so I asked if I could post it here. Finn has written for this blog before here.

ASD and Empathy

Hi, my name’s Finn and I’m on the autistic spectrum. It’s pretty mild, but it’s there. Most people are diagnosed in their teens and early twenties, if they’re ever diagnosed at all. However, I am unique in that I was diagnosed when I was six due to a…

View original post 750 more words

Zoodles with Garlic Mushrooms, Beansprouts & Lemon Avocado & Pine Nut Dressing

The title pretty much describes the recipe. This is a light, quick meal conjured up when I wasn’t feeling very hungry but knew I needed to eat something or I would be hungry during the night. As usual, once I began eating I was glad I had made the effort to come up with something to stimulate my appetite.

First, we spiralised a small Courgette (zucchini) and arranged it on the plate. (see Spiralising: A Great Way to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Greens, Reds, Yellows …)

Next, the avocado dressing was prepared in a small chopper: we had no fresh avocado so we used some from the freezer – did you know you can freeze stoned and peeled avocado? We use it to blend with freshly extracted juices.

For one person, blend 1/4 – 1/2 Avocado, a good squeeze of Lemon Juice, a little Water, some Pine Kernels and Black Pepper. Season with a little Pink Himalayan Salt if liked.

I love Chestnut Mushrooms and we seemed to have rather a lot that needed using. So about 7 or 8 were washed, stalked and chopped in quarters before the whole lot was tossed in a teaspoon of Coconut Oil with some crushed Garlic and lightly stir-fried with Tamari.

The mushrooms were placed on the top of the zoodles. The avocado dressing in the middle, a reserved mushroom on top. We had some Mung Beans sprouting and we scattered some over the rest of the food. (See Sprouting for Health, Energy and the Environment!)

It was finished off with more black pepper.

It doesn’t look very exciting, but it tasted good and was surprisingly satisfying. Raw food is more filling than cooked, with plenty of fibre and nutrients to keep you healthy. Avocado is the ultimate in healthy convenience food with its protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and fibre. (See Raw Energy).

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Hot, Hot, Hot Anti-Inflammatory Beetroot & Ginger Juice!

This is one of my favourites. I love ginger and have become so used to it I can stand quite a lot of it in juicies. It is anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anti-fungal and when used regularly it’s great for helping ward off colds and viruses, treating Candida, nausea and relieving inflammatory pain.

Inflammation has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions.

If you’re not used to it, begin with a thin slice of ginger root and gradually increase it.

Beetroot is well-known for its beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, it dilates blood vessels which improves circulation – athletes, professional cyclists and gym enthusiasts are known to employ fresh beetroot juice in their training and preparation. It’s a good source of potassium.

Freshly extracted beetroot juice has also been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol when drunk regularly.

Celery, apple and lemon provide electrolytes, so altogether this is a good juice to have when exercising.

All ingredients are organic and therefore they are just washed and the peel left on. If using waxed lemon, thinly pare the peel leaving plenty of pith, it’s where the healthy micro-nutrients are.

Ingredients

Small Beetroot

2 Carrots

2 Apples

1 Stick of Celery, chopped into 3″ pieces

Thick Slice of Lemon with peel on

Thick knob of Ginger – about 2cms x 2 cms

Juice all the items, placing the lemon and ginger between the apples and putting the celery in last to avoid it clogging up the juicer.

(The picture in the background is entitled Moths and Butterflies by Sophie Whiting).

Copyright: Chris McGowan

For Ruthie: on Your Non-Birthday!

imageToday is my beautiful, intelligent and talented daughter’s birthday (I’ll spare her blushes and omit her age). She won’t be celebrating it, however, as she leaves for work at 7am before her family are up and running and won’t get home until a rushed dinner, after which she has a parents’ meeting at school!

She does so much for everyone else, helping, advising, often pulling out all the stops with a hand-made present (see my quilted sofa cover below), but resists all attempts by us to arrange something for her.*

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So this is my ‘surprise’ (for which read ’embarrassing and mortifying shock’ if/when she sees it!) I wrote this poem a long time ago when I was very ill in bed and dependent on a lot of personal help. Ruth was pregnant at the time, but still managed to come long distance to give me moral as well as practical support. She’ll never know how much her visits meant.

It’s not very good in poetic terms (I’m more than a little embarrassed myself to be putting it out in the world!) I was probably as high as a kite on painkillers and anti-depressants at the time (I no longer take them: juicing, herbal remedies and a healthy plant-based diet are far more effective).

I don’t know if she has ever seen it.

Fortunately, if she does read it, I will already be on my health hiatus, having back treatment and a break from my blog. I will. E incommunicado, so hopefully I’ll be able to dodge the fall-out!

For Ruth

My darling Ruth,

I have tried and failed

so many times

to put into words

– in just a few lines –

what your being here

means to me.

*

With your sparkling eyes

and your giggling laugh,

your sense of fun

has lifted me up

when I felt so down

and my future

so difficult to see.

*

You listen, amused,

while I chide your habits

of shopping and spending,

as you wash my hair

and change my bedding

or bring me cups

of warm green tea.

*

I’m amazed, but glad,

that you come back home,

excited and pleased

to just sit and chat

or be chivvied and teased,

and watch tv,

for without you

I couldn’t be me.

****

‘Thank you’ is never enough to express the gratitude I feel towards my son and daughter for all the support they have given and continue to give.  Apologies if this is a bit mushy, K and R – I’m your mother, it’s allowed!

Lights blue touch paper and retires…

*(Update: After much persuasion, she reluctantly agreed to a family Cornish cream tea party at the weekend! Sadly, I and my bad back missed out, but I was given a running commentary via photos and videos throughout the afternoon. The highlight was the two toddlers enjoying their ride in the Morris Minor, giggling the whole way – oh, and the ginormous chocolate orange jaffa cake our son made for my husband who was also celebrating his birthday:

image

(Credit, my son)

The middle orange layer was made with freshly extracted orange juice.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Nutty Bean & Beetroot Veggie Burgers with Quinoa & Redcurrants

These are the third in a series of attempts to find a tasty home-made veggie burger that holds together well and I think in the latter category, these are the best! I think the key might be in using chia egg (chia seeds soaked in water to form a gel) rather than just the chia seeds on their own. In the other recipes, we had assumed that the seeds would soak up any excess moisture in the mix and combined with the chickpea flour, would hold it together. They worked well, but these worked even better.

Don’t be put off by the beetroot, they are peeled and grated and the burgers don’t taste earthy at all. Beetroot are heart healthy, a good source of potassium and good for the circulation. (Read Make Beetroot Your New Veg Friend! for the full benefits of eating/juicing beetroot).

I had a couple of burgers warm with some quinoa and a red- and whitecurrant dressing, with a green salad. The rest were put in the freezer and I had a couple when we had a picnic on a sunny day and they were even better! They held together and tasted amazing – I ate them with my fingers, like a biscuit, and they didn’t break up.

Quinoa is a complete protein and also gluten-free. It can be a little bland unless you add some spices, lime juice or dried fruit for example, here we’ve made a dressing using fresh red and white currants, but you could use defrosted frozen berries or dried cranberries.

Apart from being very tasty, redcurrants are a rich source of dietary fibre, potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin K – necessary for blood-clotting and for good bone health.

image

Ingredients – Burgers

1/2 Tin Black Beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 Medium Beetroot, grated

1 Small Onion, chopped

1 Clove of Garlic, crushed

1 Cup Ground Walnuts (you could substitute for seeds or other nuts, but they would give a different texture and flavour)

2″ Slice Marrow, chopped or 1/2 Courgette (Zucchini)

2 Chestnut Mushrooms, chopped

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds soaked in 3 Tbsps Water, stirred vigorously, to form a gel

1 1/2 Cups Chickpea Flour (garbanzo or gram)

A Squeeze of Tomato Purée

1 Tsp Vegetable Bouillon Powder

1/2 Tbsp Cumin Seeds

Handful Fresh Coriander, chopped

Splash of Tamari

Pink Himalayan Salt & Black Pepper

A little coconut oil for frying.

Method

Put everything in the food processor and pulse/slow process until it starts to come together but is still coarse, you don’t want it too smooth & mushy. Scrape it down between each blast.

With floured hands take handfuls of mix and form into burgers on a floured board using a flat spatula to help it come together if necessary. Sprinkle with a little flour before cooking. We made 5.

image

Melt a little coconut oil in a frying pan, but not to smoking point, and gently cook the burgers. You might prefer to cook them in the oven.

image

Quinoa

Just before you cook the burgers, put on some quinoa to cook as per instructions, keep the lid on until cooked, about 10-12 minutes – you want the moisture evaporated but the quinoa still keeping its shape, not broken up and mushy. If there is still some moisture, leave the lid off and turn the heat off but keep the pan on the warm plate, or turn it out into a hot dish and fluff it gently with a fork to allow the moisture to escape.

Red and White Currant Dressing

I adapted this from an Able & Cole recipe.

Place about 125g fresh Red and White Currants in a saucepan, add approximately 2 Tbsps water, 1 Tsp Maple Syrup, 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds. Heat slowly until the currants burst slightly. Remove from heat.

Pour half into the quinoa and lightly mix. Check seasoning.

Serve the burgers with the quinoa and a green salad and drizzle over the rest of the dressing.

See Vegan Tiger Nut & Peanut Chilli-Burger (you can use substitutes for Tiger Nuts) and Vegan Black Bean & Walnut Veggie Burger for the other recipes.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Are You In Need of an E-Break? (I am). No-Phone Sundays, Anyone?

imageToday, there was a 7 hour storm. With the first crack of thunder, off went the internet. I was in the middle of writing a post and we also wanted to list some items on ebay. Even the cable tv channels went off. What to do? It was frustrating and I was a little annoyed as I am on a deadline to finish things before an important appointment.

I was tired and in pain from tight neck and back muscles. I soon saw that this storm was a gift, a chance for a much-needed time-out. I took the opportunity to catch up on a film I’d recorded but never seemed to find time to watch. It was totally absorbing and incredibly relaxing. (Hint: George Clooney was in it!)

I am writing this post because lately I feel really stressed, fatigued, and sometimes that my online life has taken over my real life. If you can make it to the end, there’s an important PSA from me. I wish there was some kind of reward there waiting for you, but please accept my undying gratitude instead!

Now don’t get me wrong, I love writing, I love connecting with like-minded people I would never otherwise ‘meet’ and especially enjoy learning about other cultures and countries. I love passing on information about health and nutrition and I especially love the kind comments when I’ve actually helped someone.

However, I now realise I need an E-break, for my own health’s sake. How about you?

We could all probably benefit from an occasional E-Break: a break from all our electronic devices, all the beeps, alerts, notifications, which constantly divert our attention from ourselves and those close to us, which often invade our precious moments of family time, contemplation and relaxation. How many of us text or use tablets/laptops in bed and then wonder why we’re not having good-quality sleep?

Even when we’re doing other things – working, reading, talking to friends, playing with our children, watching tv and even exercising – the draw of the text alert or call tone is often too strong to ignore.

For those of us who are on social media, how many hours go by while looking at and posting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest? I am the worst for this! For those of us who blog too, well, forget the rest of the day! If we’re not typing, we’re reading and commenting or devising new recipes, taking photos or creating posts.

I haven’t even mentioned eBay!

image

It’s all very enjoyable, but physically and mentally it can wear you out, create stresses you’re hardly aware of and do untold damage to your bodies – think repetitive strain injuries, back, neck and shoulder pain, eye strain, digestive problems from poor posture and typing while eating.

(It’s very important to keep getting up, stretching and moving around -and don’t forget to breathe!).

This graphic shows the stress on your neck and spine when texting.

(Uncredited as I came across it on Twitter)

image

All this electronic communication can also interfere with our relationships. Children can feel we’re not giving them our full attention and will often start misbehaving to get it back or give up and withdraw. Time and again I see parents taking their children to school and they’re texting or calling while walking and the child is trying to say something.  I often resent my husband’s phone constantly alerting him to texts or missed calls about bike repairs, generally in the evening during quiet-time conversations or reading.

It is practically impossible these days to ignore electronic communication, but if we try hard enough we can schedule breaks and return to the real world, invest our attention and energy in real communication and physical activity.

My daughter and her family have initiated No-Phone Sundays to gently guide their tweens and teen away from the pull of iPad, phone, iPod and games. Instead, they go for walks with their lab, cycling in the woods or swimming. If they stay at home, they cook and bake, sew or garden together, play table tennis, football or chess, or build log piles! My son cooks with his toddlers, they all go out on bikes or for walks as a family and he, his dad and older son go on more challenging bike rides. Phones are never acceptable during mealtimes or when spending time together as a family. We try to be completely present and focused.

No-phone days (or even specified hours) are excellent opportunities to observe, talk and listen to our children and partners with our full attention, and really hear what’s being hinted at, what you may not have noticed during a busy week of work and domestic tasks.

I normally find I am on constant alert, my body awash with adrenaline, always listening out in case I miss an important message from my family. But I do have social media notifications firmly switched off and always leave the phone downstairs at night. All our electronic devices are kept downstairs.

However, my sleep has been taken over by blogging ideas! Everything has become a foundation for a new post and I need to switch off and calm down for a while. It would also be remiss of me – given the theme of this blog – not to pass on this information and pay attention to my own advice!

I need to have some down time, to do some meditation and fully relax, to let go of all the tension and pain caused by sitting hunched over the iPad. I am an all or nothing person, I can’t do a little and leave it, or post it in any old fashion, it has to be the best I can do and I have to finish it.

So, from Tuesday next week I shall be taking a break.

As many of you will know, I have a long-term back injury and my body is begging me to get some treatment. I shall be having some intensive cranio-sacral osteopathy (the very gentle manipulative kind, not the bone-crunching kind!) and I need to rest, relax and recuperate and try to have some proper sleep. The only electrical equipment will be my stereo so that I can listen to relaxation and meditation cds and occasionally an audiobook.

I’m also going to do a one-day juice cleanse. I was lucky enough to win a Raw Island Juice Cleanse* recently in the Nanabar Crowdfunding Campaign Giveaway* and I am looking forward to doing that next week.

Please continue to visit – I’ve installed CCTV so I will know who calls and who doesn’t 😉 I’ve also scheduled some posts for while I’m away, but please forgive me for not responding to any comments straightaway – I don’t think the loud-hailer will work and the carrier-pigeons have got too fat from lack of employment, but I will acknowledge them as soon as I am back. I will miss you, but I need to do this.

Take care of yourselves – I may be out of sight but you will not be out of mind, I shall be asking questions when I return!

http://rawislandcleanse.com/

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/nanabar-vegan#/

Copyright: Chris McGowan