Golden Milk - The key to staying healthy this Winter

As the evenings are drawing in and the weather begins to change it's time to journey inwards and begin to look after yourself a bit more. Begin to spend more time indoors, eat more comforting foods to warm us from the inside out and get cosy in front of the fire with your loved ones. 

This is my go to concoction to not only make you feel warm and settled inside but to also stave off all those nasty colds, flus and tummy bugs that surface this season. A cup of this every night, or even every second night and I promise you, you will feel on top of the world. The benefits are huge and I've listed them below. 

Ingredients:

One cup of milk (Cow's/Goat's/Almond/Oat etc)

1 teaspoon of Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon of Dried Ginger

1 teaspoon of Honey

Optional: 1 teaspoon of Matcha Green Tea

Method:

Pour one cup of milk into a saucepan and heat on a low heat. Do not allow this to boil and froth.

Add in the dried ingredients and stir well. 

Once it is just about to boil remove from the heat and add in the honey. Stir well to dissolve.

Serve in your favourite mug in front of the fire under a blanket!

Note - you may need to stir it periodically throughout drinking. 

Dietary Information:

Vegetarian

Vegan (if you use alternative milk and no honey)

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Refined Sugar Free

BENEFITS! 

The benefits of this milk mixture are immense:

Ginger is good for digestion issues, nausea, natural anti-inflammatory and boosts the immune system. 

Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory with amazing healing and cancer fighting benefits, it boosts the immune system, lowers cholesterol and stabilises blood pressure. You can find more on the benefits in my post HERE

Cinnamon helps to stabilise your blood sugar and burn fat more effectively.

Matcha Green Tea is high in anti-oxidants (repair damage to the body), promotes calmness and relaxation, increases energy levels and boosts the immune system. 

Don't let the colour put you off. Have a sip and enjoy the sweet, milky goodness. I have come to really enjoy this drink although it did take me a good few cups to get used to the taste and texture. 

Touch wood it has been 2 years since I have been to the doctor or bought or taken any medication. I haven't been ill or out of work as I'm confident it is because I look after my body and make sure my immunity is boosted to the highest degree. This drink being part of that routine! Stay healthy my Jeanies and get that immunity sorted before you fall ill!

Tuesday's Change Week 27 - Spice it up!

People often complain that healthy food is boring and tasteless. Cardboard or grass are often terms used!

But it doesn't have to be that way. Not only are herbs and spices full of flavour they are so good for you too. Spices don't have to make things taste hot and uncomfortable they just add flavour and interest while making you healthy at the same time.

My favourite herbs and spices are listed here along with some recipes I include them in. I've also listed their amazing benefits with some tips on how to add them seamlessly into your diet.

Ginger
Benefits - Ginger is good for digestion issues, nausea, it is a natural anti-inflammatory and boosts the immune system. 
Recipes: - Healing Soup, Carrot Cake Muffins, Burgers
Tips: Fresh ginger root is best but if you can't get this dried ginger is better than none. Grated fresh ginger in some sparking water is delicious on a hot day with a slice of lemon. Or add it to sauces, curries, stir-frys etc.


Garlic 
Benefits - Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral. It is good for colds/flus and infections.
Recipes - Guacamole, Chicken Kiev, Healing Soup, Spicy Sausage Stew, Burgers, Pesto
Tips - Garlic is smelly but can really spice up a meal. The benefits far out weigh having smelly breath for a few hours!


Cinnamon
Benefits - Cinnamon helps to lower your blood sugar and burn fat more effectively.
Recipes - French Toast, Carrot Cake Muffins, Granola, Pancakes
Tips - Cinnamon is a great replacement for sugar in foods as it almost tastes sweet. People add it to their coffee or in baking.

Turmeric
Benefits - See my blog post here on the amazing benefits of Turmeric
Recipes - See the post above and Spicy Sausage Stew, Healing Soup
Tips - This spice is best used fresh, it looks similar to a small root of garlic. It has an intense yellow colour so be careful of getting it on your skin or counter tops!


Paprika
Benefits - Paprika is high in Vitamin A, E and Iron. It also has anti ageing properties, prevents hair loss and promotes sound sleep.
Recipes - Sweet Potato Wedges, Chicken Kiev, Spicy Sausage Stew, Burgers
Tips - Paprika doesn't have too strong a flavour and so can be added easily to most savoury foods.

Cumin
Benefits - Cumin aids digestion, lowers blood sugar and prevents hypoglycaemia (excellent for people with diabetes), fights viral infections, is rich in Iron and has many other benefits 
Recipes - Burgers, Spicy Sausage Stew, Healing Soup
Tips - Cumin is best paired with red meat or tomato based dishes. A small amount is enough to enhance any dish.

Rosemary
Benefits - Rosemary boosts immunity, increases circulation, aids digestion, is an excellent anti-inflammatory - great for asthmatics, and increases concentration. 
Recipes - Sweet Potato Wedges
Tips - Rosemary tastes delicious with meats and vegetables. Fresh is best, I have a small herb plat that I take sprigs from while cooking.

So this week's Tuesday's Change is to add some spices or herbs to at least one meal a day, if not all of them. Get experimenting and trying out different combinations. You don't have to limit yourself to the ones listed above. Every spice or herb has a benefit.

Any questions about this change or any of the other previous ones just ask!

Spicy Sausage and Sweet Potato Stew

If there is one thing Germany is know for it's Sausages! And I must admit their range and quality of ingredients is great. So I've come up with this new recipe to showcase just how you too can experience the flavour and enjoy this delicious combination.


If you are in Ireland then O'Flynn Sausage (check them out here) do an amazing range of high quality sausages. They are 95% meat with some spices and herbs. Nothing else, no nasty ingredients. Please avoid using highly processed, low meat content sausages for this recipe. In Germany the general Bratwurst you get in the supermarket are typically 97% pork with spices and salt and so these are also perfect.

For the spicy sausage in Ireland SuperValu do a great Chrizo that is just pork, paprika, garlic and salt. No other nasty ingredients or fillers. In Germany you can get lots of gluten free, sugar free cured and smoked sausages to add some spicy flavour. Rewe do a great range and they aren't too pricey.

Ingredients:

4-5 large high quality pork sausages
1 stick of chrizo or 4 small sticks of cured sausages
3 large organic sweet potatoes, washed and chopped. You can leave the skins on.
1 large chopped organic red onion
1 chopped organic sweet pepper
2-3 handfuls of organic spinach (frozen spinach chunks shown here)
3-4 cloves of chopped garlic
1 large jar or organic tomato sauce, just tomato and salt no other ingredients
2 table spoons of Turmeric
1 table spoon of Paprika
1 table spoon of Cumin

Method:

Chop all ingredients. 

Sear the sausages (fresh and smoked/cured) in a large pan for 5-10 minutes. 

Add in the vegetables and stir well.

Cover all the ingredients in the tomato sauce and simmer on a low heat (or in a slow cooker) for 25-30 minutes until the meat is cooked and sweet potato is soft to the touch.

Serve piping hot in a large bowl with a generous spoon! 

Prep Time:

5-10 minutes

Cooking time:

30 minutes

Dietary Information:

Paleo

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Sugar Free

High in Protein

Low in carbohydrate. High in good carbohydrates - sweet potatoes

Full of healthy vegetables

Cumin aids digestion, lowers blood sugar and prevents hypoglycaemia (excellent for people with diabetes), fights viral infections, rich in Iron.

Paprika is high in Vitamin A, E and Iron. It also has anti ageing properties, prevents hair loss and promotes sound sleep.

Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory with amazing healing and cancer fighting benefits.

Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral so excellent for fighting colds and flu.

Storage Instructions:

I typically make a big batch of this. It keeps in the fridge for a couple of days and is nice cold or heated up the next day for lunch.

It can also be frozen in batches.

Enjoy this healthy, hearty, tasty and easy to make meal.

Tuesday's Change Week 15 - Revision Time

So you might have noticed every 6 or 7 weeks I give you a little break, a revision week if you will. Sometimes with our hectic lives, occasions and holidays we can lose touch with our routine and healthy living.

So this week I want you all to concentrate on the last 6 weeks' changes which are recapped below.

Cold Shower

Read the ingredients

Turmeric

Squats

No complaining

Body brushing

Avocados

You can find the links to these changes below:

Cold shower

Read the Ingredients

Turmeric

Squats

No complaining

Body Brushing

Avocados

Was there something you feel you should give another go? Or try harder with? Is there one you just didn't really understand and need to ask me a few questions? I'm here to answer or help whenever you need me.

Best of luck and enjoy revision week!

Tuesday's Change Week 12 - Turmeric

About 2 years ago I was introduced to this wonder spice. I have been reaping the benefits ever since. Turmeric is a staple in my household and I try not to go a day without using it. Whether it's sprinkled into scrambled eggs, on some rice or thrown in a soup to add some colour this spice is so versatile and does wonders for your health.

Turmeric can be bought in 2 forms, dried and in powder form (available from most supermarkets) and in raw root form (available from most organic food stores or health shops e.g. Quay Co-Ops in Cork)

The benefits of Turmeric are outstanding and this golden spice was recently proven more effective than 14 common prescription drugs including popular cholesterol, steroid, anti-depressant, chemotherapy and diabetes medication. Read more on this here.

It is great after a really tough work out as acts as an anti-inflammatory and will really help with the dreaded DOMS!

Some more benefits are listed here:

So there are so many reasons to include this in your diet. Let's now look at simple ways to include it!

Check out my recipe here for my healing Carrot and Giner Soup that contains turmeric.

I also add it to rice every time I eat it, boil the rice as normal, drain any remaining water, add some chopped veggies and a teaspoon of turmeric and teaspoon of coconut oil. Mix together and you have tantalising, turmeric rice!

You can add a 1/2 teaspoon to some scrambled eggs or a teaspoon to any sauce based dinners you make like bolognese, stews, pies etc.

You can make this golden milk recipe here.

 So the challenge is to have turmeric in at least 5 meals in the week.  It's that simple.

Best of luck and reap the benefits of this wonder spice!

Carrot and Ginger Soup - Healing Super-food soup!

Carrot and Ginger Soup

This is a fantastic soup for those cold, winter days but it also lovely and refreshing in the summer. It’s cheap to make, can be kept in the fridge for over a week or frozen in portions.

It has lots of healing ingredients and so is perfect if you are feeling under the weather or run down.

All that and it tastes great too! What’s not to like?

Check out the Dietary Information section below to see all the healing properties of this wonder soup.

Ingredients:

Makes about 6 portions

4 large Organic Carrots

3 Organic Spring Onions

2 cloves of Organic Garlic

2 roots of peeled Organic Ginger (about 2 inches each)

1 teaspoon of Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon of Turmeric Powder

2 heaped tablespoons of Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil

Veg Stock cube (Organic and Gluten Free preferable or make your own!)

Water/Yogurt/Coconut Milk or Cream as desired

Method

Melt the coconut oil in a large pot until liquid. Add in roughly chopped onions, garlic and ginger and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add in roughly chopped carrots and stock cube and cover with water.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the carrots are slightly soft.

Transfer the mixture (including water) to your blender and blitz thoroughly. You can also use a hand blender directly in the pot.

Add in cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper to taste.

This makes a robust, thick soup. If you don’t mind the added fat/calories and want to make it creamier then add in yogurt or coconut milk/cream as desired.

Prep + Cook Time

Prep time: 5-10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Equipment needed

Large Pot, Blender

Dietary Information

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Paleo

Vegetarian and Vegan

Sugar Free

Contains good fats

Two of your 5 a day

Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral – good for colds/flus and infections

Ginger is good for digestion issues, nausea, natural anti-inflammatory and boosts the immune system. 

Coconut Oil has many healing properties. It contains good fats and helps you burn fat better. It also helps your brain function more effectively.

Turmeric is a wonder spice it lowers cholesterol, it is cancer fighting and has anti-inflammatory properties among many others. It has recently been proven more effective than 14 Pharmaceutical drugs! More info here

Carrots are full of Vitamin A and beta-carotene (anti-oxidant that repairs cell damage), they improve your eyesight, cleanses the skin and slows down ageing! 

Cumin boosts your immunity, great for asthma or respiratory issues and is good for skin issues.

Storage Instructions:

Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for over a week. I usually make a large batch, portion it up and freeze. It can be defrosted, heated and ready to eat in less than 10 minutes!

Serving suggestions

Best served fresh with a few curls of freshly grated ginger on a dollop of organic yogurt or coconut cream.

No time to cook? What about this quick and easy Omelette?

So I am absolutely exhilarated and exhausted! This morning I organised a big event at my gym CrossFit Cork which was a total success. It was a Morning Rave as a fundraiser called Rave and Shine Cork. The aim of the event was to facilitate some craziness, allow people let lose, dance and have fun in a sober, safe environment full of joy and positive energy. Everyone who attended floated off to work and hopefully spread the love to everyone they met today. More on this in a future post! Click here to see lots of info and pictures from the day.

So this evening I wanted something quick and easy to prepare that would be tasty and nutritious. This is an ideal meal when you are really pushed for time and want food NOW! 

I always keep eggs in the house. You just can't go wrong with them. They are by far the cheapest, most nutritious and versatile source of protein you can get. I go through about 24 eggs a week! I always buy free range, organic eggs (€1.99 for 6 in Dunnes Stores or source from your local farmer)

Chop garlic, courgette and spring onions and saute in a pan.

Preparation time:
2-3 minutes
Cooking time:
3-5 minutes

Ingredients:
(serves 2)
1     clove of garlic (great for cold and flu season, it has antibacterial and antiviral properties)
1/2  organic courgette
2     organic spring onions
2     handfuls of organic spinach
6     Free range and organic eggs
1     tsp paprika
1     tsp Turmeric
1     chunk of Pecorino Sheep's cheese
Ground black pepper, chilli flakes and pink Himalayan crystal salt to taste.

(These ingredients can be modified to include whatever is left over in your fridge. I often add sweet potato chunks, left over meat, tomatoes, mozzarella etc.)

Add handfulls of spinach, tearing the leaves if they are large. Allow this to wilt slightly.

Method:
Chop garlic, courgette and spring onions and saute in a pan.
Add handfulls of spinach, tearing the leaves if they are large. Allow this to wilt slightly.
Beat eggs with spices and seasoning in a bowl and add to the pan at a low heat.
Cook until the egg is cooked at least 1/2 the way from the bottom.
Add small slices of the hard cheese to the top and finish cooking by placing the pan under the grill.


This recipe makes 2 servings. I usually eat one for dinner and keep one for breakfast the next morning. Simples! That's 2 meals made in under 10 minutes!


So let's check in on how this recipe holds up to my simple 3 item nutritional rule discussed here?

Mainly clean carbohydrates, ideally from vegetables? Check! (courgette, spring onion, spinach)
Palm size of ethically sourced protein? Check! (organic, free range eggs)
Thumb size of good fats? Small check! (cheese) Depending on your goals and allergies you could replace the cheese with coconut oil.

Add small slices of the hard cheese to the top 

Yes I did overcook half of it under the grill. I was checking Facebook (facepalm)

Simple, nutritious, versatile (eggs taste good with EVERYTHING so use up what's in the fridge), affordable and tasty meal. Chow down boys and girls! I'm off to bed. Zzzzz