HEALTHFUL DRINKS!

So, Spring is actually with us here in the UK. In fact my guess is it’s almost summer!

Eating healthy, fresh food becomes possible. Gone are the cold, cold days when soup and carbohydrates were the only things that seemed to placate my taste buds.

I have endeavoured throughout the coldness and, oh boy is our home cold, to still have a freshly made green juice first thing in the morning. Some days it even tasted lovely, sadly at other times I simply got on with the drinking of it and thought positively!

So, what follows is my basic recipe which is hugely dependent upon the contents of the fridge….

FRESH GREEN JUICE

1 apple
2 sticks celery
Large chunk cucumber
Fistful+ spinach leaves
Juice half a lemon
1teasp Prime Directive (more on this below)
1teasp Wheatgrass powder
1teasp Baobab Powder (more on this below)

As a treat I had pineapple and added purple broccoli!
Tasted lovely and creamy.

METHOD

1. Put wheatgrass, Prime Directive, Baobab powder and lemon juice in glass.
2. Juice all fruit and vegetables.
3. Add juice to glass, mix well and drink immediately.

PRIME DIRECTIVE; is an organic wholefood made using a particular fermentation process leading to the preservation of 22 organic wholefoods, 18 amino acids and 13 strains of beneficial lactobacillus bacteria. It is packed as a loose powder and I discovered it back in 2003. I buy it from the lovely people at Living Tree Orchid Essences on the Isle of Gigha, Scotland, although the product is Australian. As mentioned in my post on kefir I have always needed to care for the health of my gut and Prime Directive, for me, worked far more effectively than any other probiotic supplements. I and my daughter both use it daily and, if for some reason we go without for a week or more we begin to feel bloated.

As with all good things more is not necessarily better so when first using Prime Directive start with tiny amounts, morning and evening in water, a smoothie or fresh juice. Too much at once seems to cause more discomfort almost as if there is a battle going on between good and bad bacteria. Start gently, introduce gradually and monitor carefully how you feel.

BAOBAB POWDER; long ago we had a baobab tree right outside our house…we all loved it, so weird, looking as if the roots are growing up into the air. The flowers are magnificent white mysteries  that bloom at night. This truly wonderful tree grows where it is HOT.

Our daughter diligently collected all fallen baobab ‘pobs’ as she called them and delighted in sucking the white powder from around the seeds. I recall being told that the powder from the fruit cools the blood but am not certain how true that is. What is true, is the baobab fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, calcium, potassium and fibre and is also so very high in antioxidants.

The fruit dries naturally on the tree and as the climate is extreme baobab fruits can be regarded as a super food. They need to gather as much as they can to survive and thrive. Only the strongest manage….

I sometimes just pop a spoonful into a glass of water. It tastes fresh and a little fizzy.

A lovely website with information and products is Aduna. I have just ordered some baobab powder from them so will let you know how it is…I normally buy another brand.

A great source of inspiration when getting into juicing is Jason Vale who has various books on the subject and also leads detox retreats around the world.

The following recipe is taken from Ani’s Raw Food Essentials by Ani Phyo and is absolutely delicious.

BASIC NUT MYLK

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Half cup almonds, cashews, pecans
Half cup pitted dates, or quarter cup agave syrup
Pinch sea/Himalayan salt
5 cups water

METHOD

Place all ingredients in high-speed blender and whizz until smooth.
Will keep for at least 4days in fridge.

CHOC MYLK

Basic nut mylk recipe (as above)
3 tablespoons cacao powder.

METHOD

As above and add cacao powder and blitz in your blender.

An important consideration when making almond milk; soak the nuts overnight.

Almonds are a wonderful food full of protein, fibre, omega 3+6 fatty acids. Unsoaked almonds have tannic acid and an enzyme inhibitor in their skins which act as protection until the nuts receives sufficient light and moisture to enable them to germinate. Once soaked the nuts soften and become plump, releasing the acid and enzymes, and become more easily digested thereby allowing more nutrients to become available.

Soak for 8-12 hours, rinse well and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Nibble whenever the urge comes over you!