Sugar - The sweet truth!

I have wanted to do a post for some time now on sugar.  Its a huge topic/issue and one that will take time to digest and form a succinct view on.

However in the meantime, I wanted to share this link to a post in a fantastic food blog http://www.foodrenegade.com/,  who give a great basic outline of natural sugars v's refined manufacturers,  have to say all my agave went in the bin after reading this!
http://www.foodrenegade.com/my-natural-sweeteners-of-choice/

Apple Cider Vinegar

My daughter has been producing a greenish mucus for the past couple of months.  It does not bother her,  she has no other symptoms, no fever, no signs of anything else going on.  It bothers me though and I want to ge to the root of what's going on.  I have a gut feeling that there may be an allergy or possibly the end of an infection that she fought herself without me knowing!  I will make an appointment with an allergist to see if anything comes up, but for some reason Apple Cider Vinegar came up in my head the other day, and I seem to remember someone in Amsterdam (I think it was our doctor) recommending Apple Cider Vinegar for cold symptoms.  I didn't use it but I have been curious.  So anyway I have bought the stuff and started looking into it.

There appears to be a whole host of benefits associated with using this natural product and I am curious to see the effects myself.  The import thing when buying this product is to make sure it is unfiltered and especially in the US, organic.  It should be cloudy not clear and have some sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

Here you can find a link that I liked giving you directions on how to take it and also listing the benefits.  I would suggest for colds/mucus problems serving it warm and for children use as much as the child will take!

I will report back on any effects I note on using the product and search for any great recipes!

Feeling Run Down?

I have a friend in the UK suffering from a chest infection and generally feeling run down.  I have looked through my books and put together this list of supplements and food advice to try to help boost her immune and fight the infection  in her chest and lungs.  I thought it might be interesting to share for anyone else feeling run down, tired or who might have an infection lurking around.

Floradix - http://www.floradix.net/I can't recommend this product high enough!  It's the most effective thing I have ever taken to help fight exhaustion.  It was first recommended to me whilst pregnant with both my babies in Amsterdam - It is plant based and not synthetic and unlike the usual Iron supplements this product will not make you constipated - it tastes pretty vile but I like to think its like taking a nip of whisky and then I wash it down with a drink of orange juice to ge the taste away whilst consuming the Vitamin C will help with the absorption of the Iron. 

Vitamin C in powder form(easier to absorb than tablet form, also means your not getting any additional ingredients and will save you money, always buy the best quality one possible) - best way to boost your immune, and general do good'er (high doses have been proven to fight cancer), this is the one I take, sure you can get an equivalent in the UK if you can't get this one - 
http://www.nutricology.com/Buffered-Vitamin-C-240-Grams-8.5-oz-Powder-p-16435.html

Black Radish supplement - this is a great all round health supplement and will specifically help in boosting respiratory tract health
http://www.herbalextractsplus.com/black-radish.cfm

Vitamin E and Vitamin A - either in supplement or try to get from food - if you want a supplement try to get natural and not synthetically made - here is a list of foods containing Vitamin E 
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/vitamin-E.php
and Vitamin A http://drbenkim.com/nutrient-vitamina.htm

Good fats - if you are not eating oily fish and nuts every day then supplement with a good Omega 3 and 6 oil capsule something like this, if you can get it in the UK 
http://www.yes-supplements.com/YES-Supps.com/ultimate-efas.htmlally feeling run down and very tired.  I looked through my


Diet Advice :


Avoid red meant and dairy.  Try eating small and often, lots of green leafy vegetables, nuts, fish, whole grains etc.  Avoid the usual suspects in large quantities, alcohol, caffeine, sugar.  A few cups of green tea a day would be a great anti-oxidant boost.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

This is one I made up the other day as I didn't have the time to make the butternut rice pilaf recipe that I already have on here.  I didn't put too much curry powder in so the younger soup eating member of the family was able to eat it and it went down really well.

1 and a half onions chopped
2 cloves of garlic crushed
glug of olive oil
1 regular butternut squash - peeled and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 can coconut milk
12oz of veg or chicken stock (add more or less stock to suit the desired result).

1. Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil. 
2. Add the curry powder and fry for one or two minutes.
3. Add the butternut squash and coat with the oily onion mix.
4. Pour in the stock and coconut milk, bring to the boil and then simmer for about 20-30 mins.

5. Lovely served with some baked nan bread.

Coconut water

A very popular "sport/health" drink here in California, coconut water, is getting more and more attention by the day. We were at the LA triathalon a few weeks ago and it was all over the place. I wanted to look into it a bit more to see if its something I could give Sonny as an alternative to the sports drinks he craves at soccer to be the same as his friends.

It is a beneficial drink in terms of re-hydrating and replacing lost electrolytes. I believe it is more beneficial to drink this natural drink, than a manufactured sports drink especially for a youngster (an adult may be a different case) however like one of the researchers pointed out - water and a banana may be the most beneficial - in terms of rehydrating and replacing lost electrolytes. Coconut water has the added benefit of having a cleansing effect on the system.

Many doctors now recommend coconut water kefir (kefir is added to the coconut water,Kefir is an ancient cultured food rich in amino acids, enzymes, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and B vitamins) in the treatment of autism and other neurological disorders, aiding in detoxification, rebuilding a strong digestive system, and establishing a healthy inner ecology.

Like all things, moderation is best. For young athletes, post exercise once or twice a week and for those with neurological conditions its probably best to talk with your physician or try small amounts to see how it goes. It may not be easy to get a youngster to drink this sour beverage, however there are flavored varieties on the market - you just need to check labels for how the flavor is added.

So far Sonny likes the flavored variety, post exercise, Mia prefers water! We will continue to use it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_water

Kidding around the kitchen!

Whilst in Sonny's class room, helping out with a cooking lesson, I saw the kids use these fantastic cooking utensils. They really did work. They are brought to market here in the States by a wonderful lady called Lisa Fontanesi, chef and activist for better school lunches within LAUSD.

Check them out:

http://yhst-128276115412394.stores.yahoo.net/kidding-around-the-kitchen-cooking-utensils.html

Chocolate Zuchinni (Courgette) Cake

This cake, like most, goes down really well with kids and adults alike. The superior quality of cocoa the better the result. We often half the ingredients and make a smaller cake or cupcakes. Great use of zuchinni and no one would know they were in there!

1 1/4 cup plain flour

2 1/2 cups caster sugar

2/3 cup best quality cocoa powder

2 teaspoons bicarb of soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 cups grated courgette

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease and flour a 20x30cm baking tin. 2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarb, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the eggs and oil, mix well. Fold in the nuts and courgette until they are evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared tin. 3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing with your favourite icing.