Winter Healers

I thought I'd title this post 'Winter Healers', but the remedies I use to heal myself and my family can be used all year round. I just really notice over the winter when we are getting into hibernation mode that our bodies are craving vitamin D and greens, but the sun has no heat and the greens are now in stews.
Kids are fantastic at sharing when they want to be and if you have kids in school or daycares, they love passing their bugs and snot around, so you're going to end up with something or other whether you like it or not.  Its how you deal with those symptoms, that's where you have choice.
I used both these remedies before a cough gets to the chest or a runny nose becomes a full out cold.

Use your head and your heart when your kids are sick though. You know in your heart when they just aren't quite right and then your head will tell you that perhaps this time anti-biotics are the medicine of choice. 

Information is knowledge and maybe one of these remedies will work as well for you as they do for me.

Colloidal Silver -

This is a new one to me this winter. My lovely Teresa at our local health food store Mere Enough Health Foods recommended this one to me.
We have lived in Nova Scotia for 3 winters now and the first two were pretty brutal, weather wise and sickness wise.  My 2 young boys both had serious chest infections which lead on to pneumonia.  I don't know if it was the severe cold and their body's were saying wtf,  -25 wind chill, can we board that plane back to balmy Scotland?  Or if it was just an unlucky winter.  Regardless, both of them ended up on antibiotics to combat the infection, despite my various attempts at home remedies. Ces't la vie.
Welcome winter 2015/16 and I'm back with a cough heading into the chest of my 4 year old.  I head on out to stock up on Manuka Honey (which I'm a HUGE advocate for) and Teresa suggests Colloidal Silver. I'm baffled as to why you would ingest silver particles, but I was intrigued.  That's the thing with have a trustworthy, knowledgeable, friendly person working in your health food store.

Colloidal silver has been known as a remarkably effective natural antibiotic for centuries. And in past several decades, research has shown colloidal silver can eradicate antibiotic-resistant microbes like MRSA, the Avian Influenza (bird flu), and Human Corona virus (SARS). 
As usual there are lots of major Health Bullies out there discrediting Colloidal Silver even with its ancient history. But we know these guys aren't truly interested in your health they are just after your illness and your wallet! (Don't get me started on that or you will be reading for days!)

We give the kids a teaspoon of silver when they are at the beginning stages of a cold, chest infection or sick and we follow it up with a probiotic, like kombucha, within a few hours.
The reason to give the probiotic a while after is because Colloidal Silver does indeed act as a broad spectrum natural antibiotic. As such, if enough mineral silver reaches the intestinal tract it most certainly can kill off the friendly (i.e., beneficial) bacteria that live there.  
Stay calm in the knowledge that the gut has between 3 and 7 pounds of beneficial microorganisms living in the entirety of the intestinal tract at any one time and you would have to glug down soup ladle after soup ladle to kill all these guys.  But when kids are involved, you just want to be on the safe side. And if they're sick, probiotics are always a good idea.
Since there are health risks involved if you select the wrong formula, (as there are various types of Colloidal silver out there) it is recommended you use colloidal silver only under the guidance and supervision of a qualified alternative health practitioner, who can help you select a high-quality product.

Oil of Oregano -

This amazing essential oil was also new to me over here in Nova Scotia. ( It is available all over, as we have Grandad Robertson in Scotland on it now. And who says your too old to learn new tricks??)

As the name suggests, it is the oil extracted from the oregano plant, like the greens you use in pasta sauce or over pizza, only this baby is way more potent. 
This oil is loaded with free radical fighting anti-oxidants, vitamin E and C, magnesium and zinc, to name a few, which is why I use it when I feel a little run down or when my kids are starting to cough and sniff at night.

One study straight from the United States Department of Agriculture reported that oregano oil has such a strong action against germs that it could easily fight Salmonella and E. coli. (now that's a statement and a half!)

I'm not going to lie, this stuff is pretty hard to get used to ingesting. It has a burning, menthol type taste to it (sorry there is no essence of pizza going on there AT ALL!).  The theory is, if you take it under your tongue, it is carried rapidly in your blood stream and dispersed to where it is needed. But if you have a sore throat, cough or chest infection, take it right on your tongue and swallow it down.  My kids have 3 drops on a small teaspoon of sugar. (They actually ask for it these days when they feel a little rough, but I'm not sure they'd participate if the sugar wasn't involved.) Adults can have it in a glass of water, but there really is no getting away from the taste, even with dilution, so pull up your big boy panties and get it down you!
I also make a chest balm with Oil of Oregano as one of the main ingredients, as it can be used topically to treat internal ailments too.

When searching for an oregano oil product, make sure to look for one that is organic, in liquid form, has an organic extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil base and has at least 80% carvacrol content. Carvacrol is the main ingredient in this Superhealing Oil.

My love affair with Turmeric

Originating from southwest India, turmeric is part of the ginger family (all those bobbly bits, yup, I can tell they're brothers!) It has a wonderful earthy, sweet, bitter taste, which can be used in sweet and savoury dishes and drinks.  Turmeric is used fresh or ground in cooking, teas, beauty products, but most interestingly used in medicines in Ayurvedic and Unani systems, dating back to 250BC!!  (I have no idea how my sources know that, but that's a loooooooong time ago!)  So its isn't one of these new 'SUPERFOODS' that we have swarming the supermarket shelves today. Turmeric is up there in the ranks of the SUPERFOODs of the old world.



Organic Ground and Fresh Turmeric

Back in the day, my husband and I used to make, or buy take away currys and foods that had turmeric in them and would have the conversation, 'geez if it can stain your hands and counter like that, what's it doing to your insides?"  Little did I know exactly what it was doing to our insides.

Turmeric has an active ingredient in it called Curcumin. Curcumin is a compound with powerful anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties.  But curcumin isn't easily absorbed into the bloodstream, so to help it jump onto the red roller coaster, we have to give it something to ride on. That something is can be ginger, pepper and some say coconut oil too.  Adding either of these amazing spices or oils to turmeric helps bind the curcumin into the bloodstream and that badboy gets distributed throughout the body, throwing out anti oxidants and anti inflammatory goodness everywhere.
Some studies have shown that curcumin can:-

• Reduce the growth of cancerous cells by making changes on the molecular level, which could lead to prevention or perhaps treatment.
• Boosts brain health by increasing the growth of new neurons and fights degenerative processes in the brain.
• Helps arthritis and joint pain, so much so that in some cases it is more effective than an anti inflammatory prescribed drug. (check with your doc before making any rash changes to your meds)
• Helps battle depression by boosting brain neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine.
• Can normalizes insulin and triglyceride levels while boosting antioxidant defenses. By keeping triglyceride and insulin levels low effectively reduces your risk for numerous health conditions like metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and – you guessed it – diabetes.

I do truly love the taste of turmeric and have become slightly obsessed with it lately. So much so that one day I may resemble Marg Simpson, minus the fantastic hair.
Seriously though, you can pop this baby into smoothies, porridge, stews and even bedtime milk, no one will be any the wiser, but their insides will thank you for it.

Turmeric porridge

Turmeric and Cinnamon Nut Butter

Turmeric Tea with Ginger, Lemon and Tulsi Basil






My favourite drink Turmeric Tisane.
(Available to purchase locally)

Raw Nutella

This is a recipe I adapted from lots of different post around the www.com.  Many of them had a pretty huge qty of sugar added. Natural sugar in the form of Maple Syrup or Coconut Syrup, but still high in sugar regardless.
So here I cut the amount of maple syrup and added in coconut oil (has a little sweetness going on there and is really good for your to boot) and swapped water for milk. The water milk swap occurred when my 4 year old screwed up his face at the taste of this little jar of goodness. I loved it, but then I'm on that wagon, where I realise that mums Nutella doesn't have to taste 'exactly' like the actual Nutella. Try telling that to him!! So I had a little play around with adding in almond milk and hey presto.....................................shop bought Nutella taste approved by Fearghas! Whoop!

So here it is and please alter it to suit you or your kids needs. Add a little more sweetener, reduce the cocoa or keep the water instead of the milk.

2 cups of Hazelnuts
1/4 cup of Maple Syrup
3tbs of Cacao powder
1-2tbs of Milk (cows, almond, oat etc)
1tbs Organic Coconut Oil


Toast the hazelnuts in the oven for 10mins @350def F.
Pop them in a food processor for 5-10mins, scraping down the sides as the nuts break up.
Once you have a nut paste, add in the maple syrup, cocoa and coconut oil. Blend to incorporate and then gradually add the milk till you have your desired consistency. I like it not too thick, but thick enough to melt on hot buttered toast.

Spread on toast, mix into hot chocolate, add in more milk to make a nutty sauce for pancakes.................or just spoon it right out the jar!

This keeps for around 2 weeks in the fridge. It does spoil as it doesn't have a high sugar content. It wont last that long though, especially if your kids get their hands on it.

Enjoy.....

Alphagetti Soup

This soup was our overall winner at the school Taste Testing Day. And deservedly so.

 

It such an easy soup to make and the taste is not so much a standard can of Heinz tomato soup, but a bowl of tomato soup fragrant with rosemary and parsley, with deep pockets of garlic and little morsels of letters bursting on your tongue........can i add a 'woosh of hollihocks' in there too, as it did feel like opening up a good bottle of Cabernet, with the whaft i got from the soup pot.

 

This recipe was brought to our taste testing day by my lovely friend Selene at Little Foot Yurts

The only addition here was the cup of Kombucha. I added this because my OH groans that tomato soup gives him heartburn. And i couldn't have him missing out. So in my totally bizarre thinking, i thought ......hmm Kombucha is good for the stomach so it might counteract the acidic tomatoes. Did it work? Yuppity yup! Now I'm not saying it will work for everyone, but it done the trick with my husband and adding Kombucha to anything is going to improve the probiotics nature of it, so its a win win. 

 

 

(a post will follow shortly about the benefits of Kombucha and how easy it is to add into your daily routine. Its awesome!)

 

Ingredients:-

Serves 6-8

• 3tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Large onion, peeled and chopped
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tin of crushed tomatoes (796ml)
• 1 Tin of white kidney beans
• 5 Cups vegetable broth
• 1/2tsp Dried rosemary
• 1/2tsp Dried parsley
• 1tbsp brown sugar
• 3 Cups of cooked alphagetti (cooked until still firm)

Heat oil in a large soup pot over a medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring all the while.
Pour in the canned tomatoes, beans, broth, rosemary, parsley and sugar. Stir to combine.
Bring to the boil and reduce heat to a simmer for around 20 minutes.
Cool slightly and process with a stick blender or food processor until thick like pasta sauce.
To serve, ladle up into bowls and top with the cooked Alphagetti.

Notes/Alternatives - You can replace the beans with chickpeas, lentils or another legume of your choice.

Keep the soup thick and use it as a pasta sauce.

You can also add all the above ingredients (except the pasta) to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6hrs, then blend and add the cooked pasta.

Basic soup topped with Fenugreek sprouts . GF version.

•  

 

Peppermint Chocolate Chunks

These little morsels of heaven are great for a little pick me up snack with your brew of choice, or great for a nibble at your fancy dinner party.

Peppermint infused into coconut oil with lashings of raw cacao powder. Whats not to like???

• 6 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 4 Tbsp Organic Raw Cacao Powder
• 4 Tbsp of Nut butter. (Almond, Peanut whatever you have on hand)
• 2 Tbsp Local Honey
• 1 Vanilla Pod, or 1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
• 1 Tsp Peppermint Extract
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
• 1/2 Cup Pecans (or nuts you have on hand)
• Pinch of salt

Add all ingredients, except the nuts and shredded coconut, into a glass bowl. Mix to combine. Set this bowl over a pot of hot water to melt it all oozingly together. This will only take a couple of minutes. (Alternatively, microwave in 20 second zaps until everything is melted.)
Chop the pecans.
Add pecans and coconut to the melted mixture and stir.
Pour into a tin or glass container lined with parchment paper. The depth of the bites should be around 1" thick.
Freeze your slab of goodness until the chocolate is set. Remove from freezer and score the chocolate with a sharp knife into sizeable pieces to pop into your mouth, and slowly and carefully cut right through.

NB - The coconut oil in these will make them melt at room temperature, but in all fairness, these wont last long in any room of any temperature!
Also, coconut oil taken in large quantities may have you making one too many bathroom pit stops.
Eat in moderation..............................................yeah right!

Easy Peasy Guacamole

One of my boys likes avocados, the other detests them. It just goes to show, you can feed kids the same foods growing up but with our gazillion tastebuds in our mouths, we're all going to have different sensations going on.
For some of us, sour buds explode when tasting grapefruit, others think it tastes like a slightly bitter/sweet orange. Some need salted chips (fries) while others rarely use any seasoning.
We are all different outside and in. Try and keep that in mind when your kids try new things.

They do say though, eat/drink something 20 times and your going to acquire a taste for it. I think i was like that with Guinness, red wine and whiskey! It does go to show perseverance is key. :o)

 

I do love avocados and they were one of THE most popular foods of 2015! They are used in everything from smoothies to pasta sauce, to the most amazing toast toppers. ( not forgetting face masks too) They are an extremely versatile fruit and definitely warrant their popularity.

 

Why are they so fantastic? Well they are packed full of vitamins and fibre and contain more potassium than a banana. They are high in fat, but the majority of this fat is from oleic acid.
Oleic acid has been linked to reduced inflammation and been shown to have beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer fat.
This fat is also used to extract optimum antioxidants from fruit and vegetables in our guts. Pretty cool eh?

Lots more fascinating Avo facts here.

 

This dish takes all of 5 minutes to prepare and you can totally play around with seasoning and flavours to suit your audiences tastes.

 

Easy Peasy Guacamole

 

• 2 Large Avocados
• 2 tbsp plain yoghurt or sour cream
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional
  Sprinkling of chilli flakes or
  1/4 tsp cumin powder

Mash avocados and add in yoghurt and seasoning. Serve immediately.

Avocados turn brown once opened, but the lemon juice should help it remain green for some time after its mashed.

Use this as a dip for nachos or put it on your scrambled eggs or plain buttered toast. You could also put it on your face, minus the salt and lemon, and use organic yoghurt, if you could resist not licking it off!  There are many ways to use avocados and I'm sure in 2016 they are gonna be just as popular as last year.

 

Hit me back with your favourite ways to use this green goddess......................

Children DO want to eat better....FACT!

I'm very proud to be a part of the Food and Nutrition Committee at my sons school. I love the direction our compass is pointing towards and the journey we are on trying to get to our destination........ 'The land of fun & nutritious foods at school'.

We are a long way off with changing people attitudes to food, as change is scary for some people. Old habits die hard and all that. And people certainly don't like being told what or how to feed their children. 
Which is why we are trying to let the children make the changes with their parents.  If students are exposed to new foods at school and they like them and know they are good for them, they can let their parents know on that next supermarket trip. Believe me,  I don't know anyone that's refused to buy a bunch of kale because their child has asked them to!  Its how we help families use that chosen item at home is where we're at.

So to help us get the children and parents on board this healthy eating journey, we held our second Taste Testing Day at the school, which was a resounding success.

All students have the chance to taste test 6 different foods, and they can then vote to say whether they would be happy to see them on the menu, or not.  The kids love this, perhaps because the get 30 minutes out of class, but also because they do truly love food and especially food in a fun environment.  After the tasting the kids participated in a food stamp decorating activity.  Much fun was had by all.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the kids trying new foods and asking me, 'can I have this today?' And the kids love the idea that they are part of the decision making process for what goes on their new menu in the new year.
Parents also get sent home a little sample and all the recipes tasted to use at home.
All round happy campers!

So here were our contenders. (recipes will be posted shortly, so you can all try them at home or in your school kitchen)

Quinoa Pizza Bite
Mac & Squeeze
Kale Chips
Guacamole
Tomato Alphagetti Soup
Rice Noodle Salad

The winner was the 'Alphagetti Soup'! Which was so tasty and filling with loads of flavours going on in each mouthful. 
I say 'winner' as it was the one with the most smiley faced votes, but they were all winners really. We have a school of around 130 students and every dish had 88 smiley votes or more! Isn't that amazing?? Which, to me, showed that our children DO want to eat better food and more importantly, they ENJOY IT!

A week or so later I asked if I could donate a 'FREE SOUP DAY' to the school using the new Alphagetti recipe.  Of course the answer was yes! We all like something for free don't we?

We had around 45 students order the free soup, which was good. (But I'm sure if we market it better next time, we should get more takers.  Its all about making the parents aware that something is truly 'Free'. )

I worked out the costs to make the soup, with my time being free obviously,( it only really took me just over an hour) and I spend roughly $15 on making soup for 45 students (and a few teachers). That's not too shabby. And this would be a rather expensive soup to make, as it uses pasta and canned beans and tomatoes. In season you should be able to make soup for 50 for less than $10!!

So now can you tell me why schools aren't making the most of local produce by having soup on their menus at least once a week?!
And don't be thinking 'you profit driven school dudes' that this is a way to make money out of healthy food! That is not my point. My point is that nutritional soup should be offered at a decent price. If it works out 20c per bowl, add on your other costs and round it up to $1 rather than being greedy and putting it up to $2, just because you can. Nutritional food needn't be expensive.

This year I am hoping to trial more 'Soup Days' with perhaps a 'Pay it Forward Scheme' being introduced. We give a suggested price of say 75c for a bowl of soup and those who can afford pay that and maybe 25c more and those who cannot pay still receive a warming bowl of homemade soup. No child should be going hungry at school!

This is my goal and I sure as hell think its achievable!