Category: Blog
Posts on herbal medicine, nutrition, iridology, recipes, mindfulness and foraging.
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Water Kefir Grains
Read more: Water Kefir GrainsWater kefir (keh-FEER) grains are used to produce a naturally carbonated probiotic drink. The kefir grains are small clusters of beneficial bacteria and yeast, bound by a polysaccharide (dextran) that is produced by Lactobacillus brevis. This is all good news for maintaining a healthy microbiome, which is essential to good health. “The micro-organisms involved in…
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Thyme: benefits and uses
Read more: Thyme: benefits and usesThyme: Thymus vulgaris Part used: leaf and stem Medicinal actions: Carminative, anti-microbial, anti-spasmodic, expectorant, astringent, anthelmintic Thyme is an aromatic herb with a bitter-sweet flavour. It has a long history of culinary and medicinal use. It is primarily used as a pot herb as it can withstand long cooking times. It also makes a delicious…
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Apple Cider Vinegar
Read more: Apple Cider VinegarThe Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has a long history of use as a healing food, a dieter’s friend, a food preservative, and for cosmetic and domestic cleaning purposes. ACV is the result of a double fermentation process. First apple juice is fermented to apple cider, which is then further…
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Banana Coconut Bread
Read more: Banana Coconut BreadThis recipe for banana coconut bread is a delicious solution when I find I have a surplus of very ripe bananas. It uses coconut and spelt flours but whole wheat or other flours would also work. I also regularly make this with 100% spelt flour and substitute apple puree in place of bananas. Adding cinnamon,…
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Elderberry
Read more: ElderberrySambucus nigra As summer comes to an end the hanging clusters of tiny elderberries change from green, to dark purple, to black when fully ripe. Each elderberry contains one to three seeds, which contain poisonous cyanogenic glycosides that can be deactivated by cooking. If you eat too many raw berries, which taste bitter-sweet, you will…
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Pan Roasted Vegetables
Read more: Pan Roasted VegetablesCome the weekends we all like something extra delicious and my absolute favourite is roasted vegetables, it never fails to satisfy. There is something very comforting about food coming out of a hot oven. Roasting brings out the sweetness of beets and parsnips, peppers, carrots and potatoes, and intensifies the robustness of garlic, mushrooms and…
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Barley Nutrition and Health Benefits
Read more: Barley Nutrition and Health BenefitsBarley is a highly nutritious cereal grain that was a staple food in the diet of our ancestors. Nowadays, we mostly encounter it in soups or beer. However, its nutty flavour and chewy texture makes it a great addition to salads and a delicious alternative to rice and pasta. It is highly versatile and easy…
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Blackberry
Read more: BlackberryRubus fruticosus, A.K.A.: Bramble If you regularly walk past blackberry bushes, when the berries are ripe, without picking any you are definitely missing out on one of Nature’s great bounties. Blackberries are an excellent source of Vitamins C and K and manganese, they are rich in bioflavonoids and contain both soluble and insoluble dietary fibre. Blackberries…
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Juice Recipes and Tips
Read more: Juice Recipes and TipsJuicing Tips Start with equal amounts of apple to vegetables until your taste buds adapt and you are relishing a ratio of 70-80% vegetables to 30-20% fruits. Beets have a strong earthy taste; they are a strong cleanser and are best used in moderation. Spinach when ground up is a strong laxative; a small handful…
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The Benefits of Juicing
Read more: The Benefits of JuicingJuicing fruits and vegetables offers many obvious and not so obvious health benefits. Juicing certainly makes it a lot easier to up your intake of fruits and vegetables, while benefiting from organic water filtered by nature. The vitamins, minerals, trace minerals and enzymes in freshly extracted juice are more easily and readily utilised by your…
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Beetroot Loaf or Burgers
Read more: Beetroot Loaf or BurgersMaking a weekly vegetable loaf can be a great way of taking care of lunches during the week, or serve this beet loaf as the main dish for dinner. You could use the same mix to form beet burgers. Either way this is a tasty way to enjoy beets, or use carrots instead if you…
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Overnight Oats
Read more: Overnight OatsHow to make overnight oats Overnight oats are oats, usually rolled oat flakes, that have been soaked overnight in water or milk. You can add dried or fresh fruit, nuts and seeds to make it more appealing. The oats will slow down the release of sugars from the addition of fruits and adding a good…
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Oats as food and medicine
Read more: Oats as food and medicineOats: Avena sativa Oats are traditionally eaten as porridge or muesli for breakfast and are a staple food in most Irish diets. They are also a popular ingredient in breads and baked goods, beverages and have external applications in skincare. Supermarket varieties of oats The dried oats are dehulled (shells removed) and cleaned, in this…
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Dulse Soup
Read more: Dulse SoupDulse, also known as dillisk, does not require pre-soaking and can be eaten raw. It is milder tasting than many other seaweeds and generally will not overpower a dish. Always wash seaweed in fresh water to remove any sand or small stones before cooking. Ingredients: 1 cup of washed dulse 2 cups of mashed potatoes…
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Tomato Salsa
Read more: Tomato SalsaIt is so easy to make fresh tomato salsa, which you can enjoy as a dip, or serve alongside salads, steamed vegetables or other dishes. While fresh ripe tomatoes will taste best you could use tinned tomatoes and add a teaspoon of maple syrup for sweetness. Optional Additions: Cucumber, bell peppers, parsley, oregano, olive oil,…