Category Archives: Uncategorized

Tired of being tired?

Posted on 24 February, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Floradix – for more energy and vitality

Women in particular need a sufficient daily supply of iron to help keep them feeling energetic – but sometimes diet alone may not be enough. Our bodies need iron for the formation of red blood cells which transport oxygen to all body cells. insufficient iron levels are often the reason for feeling tired all the time, having pale skin or brittle hair and nails. Women require more iron due to blood loss during menstruation or increased blood volume during pregnancy.

This is when Floridix or Florivital, the yeast and gluten-free version can help.

  • Non constipating liquid formula
  • Highly absorbable iron gluconate
  • Vitamin C to increase iron absorption
  • No preservatives, colourings or flavours
  • Suitable for vegetarians

So if your feeling a little on the sleepy side and it’s not even the afternoon yet then why not give this a try? You might find that this is just the ticket to boosting those energy levels.

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Posted in Coeliac (Gluten-Free), Heart and Blood, Uncategorized, Women's Health

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Japanese food, simple, healthy and creative

Posted on 23 February, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Japanese food is growing in popularity. It’s beauty is in its simplicity.

Many recognise the cuisine as healthy too. Not much salt or oil is used and vegetables make up a large part of the Japanese diet.

But cooking Japanese isn’t difficult. Many ingredients are well known: rice, noodles, tofu, soy sauce, sake, wasabi, miso.

Sanchi make high quality traditional Japanese foods, including many of  the foods you’ve heard of and some you won’t. There’s no artificial colouring, flavouring, additives, sweeteners or refined sugar. Simply the best in Japanese Cuisine.

Japanese food is so beautiful in its simplicity

Japanese food is so beautiful in its simplicity

The BBC offers a good introduction to making your own Japanese food with over 60 recipes, and when you’ve got that mastered, you can move onto the Japanese  Food Report.

So all you need are some good Sanchi ingredients, a bit of zen, add a pair of chopsticks and you’re on your way!

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Posted in Lifestyle, Organic, Uncategorized

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Quinoa, perfect grain for you and the kids

Posted on 21 February, 2012 by | Leave a comment
Middle Eastern Quinoa Salad

So easy to make and very nutritious

Not sure what to do with Quinoa? Try this delicious, healthy recipe from Nutritionist and Chef Christine Bailey. This recipe is adapted from one of her popular recipe books The Top 100 Recipes for Brainy Kids (Duncan Baird). For more free recipes from Christine Bailey visit her website and check out her recipe pages and Christine’s Healthy Kitchen blog www.advancenutrition.co.uk

Middle Eastern Quinoa Salad

Dubbed the ‘supergrain’, quinoa is an excellent protein rich, gluten free alternative to rice and couscous in salads. You can also buy quinoa flakes which can be used to make porridge, granola, muesli and are fabulous in protein bars, cakes and biscuits. Quinoa flour makes a great gluten free flour and can be blended with other gluten free flours to use in baking.

This Middle Eastern inspired combination of fruit, nuts and herbs makes this a great lunch box filler and is equally delicious as a side dish with meat and fish. Quinoa is an incredibly nutritious grain providing a complete source of protein and high levels of calcium, phosphorous, iron, B vitamins including brain boosting B6, B3, B1 and B2 plus vitamin E to protect the fatty membrane of our brain cells.

Quinoa is suitable for Vegetarians, Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, Seed-Free

Serves 4

Preparation and Cooking
10 minutes + 22 minutes

Storage
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to two days

180g/6oz quinoa grain
500ml/16floz vegetable stock
Pinch of saffron
1 tbsp coconut butter or olive oil
½ red onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
60g (2oz) chopped apricots
60g (2oz) toasted flaked almonds
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
½ red pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
Handful of pitted olives
2tbsp lemon juice
1tbsp flaxseed oil
2tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 preserved lemon, rind only chopped (flesh and pips discarded)
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the quinoa in a pan with the vegetable stock and saffron. Bring to the boil then simmer, covered for 15 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Switch off and leave covered for a further 5 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion and garlic until softened but not brown, about 2 minutes.
3. Place the quinoa in a bowl with the onion and remaining ingredients. Toss well and season to taste.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Hooray for wholenut smooth peanut butter

Posted on 10 February, 2012 by | Leave a comment

I’m not sure why I’m so chuffed about Meridian’s smooth natural peanut butter. I’ve long been a fan of the wholenut crunchy version but, I guess, not everyone can take all that nuttiness.

Good wholesome peanut butter

Good wholesome peanut butter

So it’s a good thing there’s a smooth version out there in both the 280g jar and the whopping kilo bucket. Meridian’s natural peanut butter with no added sugar tastes so much better than those more sickly sweet versions.

Incidentally to show Meridian’s sense of humour I came across this article from their news page and I thought I’d share it here.

HOW TO CLEAN OUT JARS OF PEANUT BUTTER
If you love nut butters as much as the team here at Meridian Foods, you’ll regularly face the challenge of cleaning out the jars before recycling.

Determined to provide a credible solution, we’ve been conducting experiments, researching ideas and consulting our friendly experts. Before we pass on our answer to one of the stickiest of questions in the kitchen, take a look at some of the other considerations below.

Don’t bother – Some recycling experts believe it is futile to spend energy and waste water trying to thoroughly clean nut butter jars. When glass jars are recycled they are subjected to a heat treatment process that exceeds 2700 degrees. Not even Meridian’s organic whole nut butters can withstand such an attack.

Get saucy – A popular way to use up the last of the nut butter is to combine it with other ingredients in the jar as a final act of delicious thriftiness. If you love to use peanut butter to make a savoury sauce or dressing, try this approach from the Paid in Full blog. It’s packed full of frugal ideas.

Pooch power (do not try this at home) – Apparently dogs love nut butters, though we can’t imagine that it should be a regular feature of their diet. Several contributors to online forums report that they give their dogs the empty peanut butter jars to clean up before a final wash out with soapy water. This may give satisfaction to a dog with a generous snout but imagine the frustration it would cause a pug! Not recommended.

OK, enough of the doggie-style fun. Here’s our recipe for success to clean out your peanut butter jars.

Step 1.          Pour in around 4 tablespoons (60ml) of spirit/white vinegar into the empty jar

Step 2.          Add water from a freshly boiled kettle and top up the jar so it’s two thirds full

Step 3.          Replace the lid, shake vigorously, then leave to stand for a few minutes

Step 4.          Repeat step 3 a few times while the water/vinegar solution is still hot

Step 5.          Rinse and recycle the jar

If this solution has worked for you or if you’ve got other great nut butter, recycling or domestics tips to share, email us and we’ll post up the best ones for others to see.

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Posted in General Food, Nuts, Uncategorized

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Why is coconut so healthy?

Posted on 6 February, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Recently I wrote about coconut palm sugar. If you’re into health food you can’t have failed to notice that the coconut has become more and more popular lately.

Two impressive claims spring to mind. Coconut water can be taken intravenously (don’t try this at home, but it was found to be useful by soldiers during the Vietnam War). Secondly, coconut oil is the closest food in nature to a mother’s breast milk.

Healthy food from the coconut

Healthy food from the coconut

Other interesting benefits are said to be that it speeds up the metabolism, it’s high in dietary fiber, it helps lower cholesterol, it’s low Gi, it helps those with digestive problems, it provides quick energy, it boosts the immune system.

One company that has capitalised on being able to  providing organic and fairtrade coconut is Tiana. They make coconut flour, oil, milk and sugar which all count as particularly beneficial if you are trying to cut out similar more mainstream foods from your diet.

Tiana’s flour, for example, is gluten and wheat free, the coconut milk is dairy free and while the coconut oil is not fat free – there are still loads of dieters who say it helps them lose weight.

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Posted in Coeliac (Gluten-Free), Coeliac Disease, Dairy-Free, Diet, Digestion, Fairtrade, General Food, Heart and Blood, Low GL (Glycaemic Load), Organic, Uncategorized, Vegan

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Did you know that some people still have to press and freeze tofu and then slice it to create a tofu fillet? They obviously haven’t heard of Taifun who take all the fuss out of creating a hunk of tofu … Continue reading →

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Posted on 31 January, 2012 by

Thinking of going on an Elimination Diet?

Posted on 24 January, 2012 by | Leave a comment

If you’re trying to find out which food is upsetting you, causing IBS or possibly something worse than an Elimination Diet can help you discover what you need to avoid.

We have put together an Elimination Diet Starter Pack based on advice from Allergy Medical UK.

Food from the Elimination Diet Starter Pack

Food from the Elimination Diet Starter Pack

It is sensible to talk to a doctor or nutritionist about embarking on an Elimination Diet. You will need to avoid all but the least allergenic foods and it can take up to 2 weeks before you start reintroducing certain foods.

There can also be other challenges along the way such as withdrawal symptoms or more intense symptoms once the offending food has been reintroduced.

For more information visit the NHS’s guidance page on Elimination Diets or contact Allergy Medical UK (a private clinic devoted to treating allergies and immune conditions).

The purpose of the Elimination Diet box and other similar foods is to take some of the hassle out of the process.

We hope it helps.

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Posted in Anti-Candida, Autism, Coeliac (Gluten-Free), Coeliac Disease, Dairy-Free, Diet, Health, Uncategorized

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Heard about the connection between eating sausages and bacon and pancreatic cancer?

Posted on 17 January, 2012 by | 4 Comments

A link between eating processed meat, such as bacon or sausages, and pancreatic cancer has been suggested by researchers in Sweden, who said that eating an extra 50g of processed meat, approximately one sausage, every day would increase a person’s risk by 19%. The study was conducted by Prof Susanna Larsson at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden and published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Avoiding meat

That will leave many of us worried about eating processed meat and concerned about the suggested link between eating sausages and bacon and pancreatic cancer. But many of us will know just what staples sausages and bacon have become in the British diet.

There are alternatives to meat – veggie style

Award-winning ethical food firm The Redwood Wholefood Company produces tasty meat-free sausages and meat-free ‘bacon’ from 100% natural, plant-based ingredients. They are not quite the same as the real bacon but then again we have been warned…

Redwood sausages and ‘bacon’ are free  from egg, dairy, lactose, cholesterol, hydrogenated fats, artificial colours/preservatives and GMOs, so they are a great veggie bacon choice for those wanting to avoid these things including vegans.

Finding vegetarian alternatives to meat

Redwood is the leading supplier of vegan foods and is 100% British. Rated the UK’s most ethical vegetarian foods supplier by The Ethical Company Organisation, Redwood produces more than 50 different foods under the Vegideli, Cheatin‘ and Cheezly brand names at its animal-free factory in Corby, Northamptonshire. So if you are serious about finding vegetarian alternatives to meat, Redwood really can help. Everything in its range is made from 100% natural plant-based ingredients so free from animal products and derivatives as well as cholesterol, artificial colours/preservatives, lactose, hydrogenated fats and GMOs, making them suitable for vegetarians and vegans as well as those looking for healthier and more ethical lifestyles. Widely recognised as one of the most innovative and inspirational vegetarian food companies in the UK, Redwood is renowned for being at the cutting edge of food manufacturing and exports to 18 countries worldwide.

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Posted in Cancer, Complementary Health, High Cholesterol, Uncategorized, Vegan

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Frankenstein’s pets

Posted on 16 December, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Super moth - the GM insectGenetically Modified insects? Does that sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock thriller and too far fetched for reality?

Don’t be so sure. I’ve just heard about a proposal the Government are considering at the moment – the  release of millions of genetically modified insects into the countryside of the UK.

Why ever would they do such a thing? Well the theory is that these GM supermoths would destroy the insects that are well known food crop pests.

GM insects flying around a neighbourhood near you

The proposal is for the ‘open release’ of a Genetically Modified strain of the Diamondback moth, developed by a UK company. Diamondback moths attack broccoli & similar crops. With the GM strain a lethal gene is inserted into the male so that when they mate with wild females their offspring die almost immediately, causing the population to crash. The company, Oxitec, based in Oxford, wants to begin trials next year. Some are objecting saying that the untested technology could threaten wildlife & human health.

What if it all goes wrong? Where is the control? How do you wind back GM?

Dr. Helen Wallace, director of GeneWatch UK, said “Mass releases of GM insects into the British countryside would be impossible to recall if anything went wrong. Changing one part of an ecosystem can have knock-on effects on others in ways that are poorly understood. This could include an increase in different types of pests. Wildlife that feeds on insects could be harmed if there are changes to their food supply. GM insects that bite animals or humans could cause allergies or transmit diseases & new diseases might evolve.”
Well said Dr Wallace!

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Posted in Organic, Uncategorized

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Kalamon and Kalamata Olives – legislation changes the name

Posted on 18 November, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Q: When is a Kalamata olive not a Kalamata olive?
A: Now

Kalamata olives have been on the UK market for many years. What you may not be aware of is that they are in fact a variety of the Kalamon Olive, the trees they grow on  also being called Kalamon.

Kalamata is a place

Kalamata is the capital city of the Prefecture area of Messina. Kalamata/Kalamon Olives have been grown in Messina, and next door in Sparta, for centuries.

Legislation changes

However, in 1992 according to regulations 2081/92 and (EC) 510/06 and (EC) 509/06 the European Union has adopted the system for the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin of agricultural products and food stuffs.

In short the new “Designation of Origin” regulation means the that if a food stuff has a particular characteristic or quality which is synonymous with a location or is particularly due to the particular geographical environment with its inherent natural and human factors, then that food stuff can carry the name of the geographical region. Other products of a similar nature cannot carry the name of the region if they were not grown there.

What does this mean for us?

This regulation does have it’s benefits for farmers, producers and consumers: the farmers are encouraged to switch to forms of integrated rural development through the diversification of rural production. The producers (especially those in the less favoured and remote areas) have the opportunity to promote their products with emphasis on the special and unique characteristic enabling them to command better prices. Consumers can purchase products knowing they are covered by the guarantees for production, processing and geographical origin.

Kalamata to Kalamon

Consequently,  from now on olives grown, harvested and packed in an area of currently 10 miles radius around the city of Kalamata can be named Kalamata and should bear the PDO symbol. All other “Kalamat” olives should or are allowed to be called Kalamon and they are what we formerly known as Kalamata.

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Posted in General Food, Raw, Uncategorized, Vegan

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