Juicing 101

There has been lots of interest in juicing in recent years and deservedly so.  Many people replacing several meals per day with these nutritional power-houses and are reaping the benefits of such a change. Juicing is honestly one of the quickest ways to supercharge your vitality. There is however, still some confusion as to what, if any there difference is between the DIY version and the shop bought ones, plus a few other misnomers that I would like to clear up once and for all. So, without further a due, here are some answers to the main questions that I am asked on a regular basis.

Fresh Versus Pasteurised.

Yes, there is a difference between pasteurised and un-pasteurised juice. Fresh juice has active enzymes and the pasteurised version does not. These active components of fresh juice are the main reason why juiced fruit and veg only last a short time after being prepared. Typically this is around 24 hours, after that, the juice will begin to oxidise. Oxidation is the process where the active enzymes comes into contact with oxygen and as a result begins to degrade over time. If you’ve ever cut an apple and left it exposed to the air, you will see it turning brown. This is the same oxidative process that happens to a fresh juice. There is a considerable reduction in the quality and enzymatic content once the juice has been extracted. Shop bought juice, as you can imagine needs some sort of processing done to it before it is allowed to sit on a supermarket shelve for days and days. This processing is known as pasteurisation. Pasteurisation is the process by which the juice or liquid is heated to a very high temperature to kill off any rouge bacteria that might be lurking about in the liquid. And that is exactly what it does, however, it also kills off all the enzymes and other active components leaving it pretty much void of any nutrients.

Juice Contains No Fibre

This is true. The juice is almost like the blood of the plants. Once it is once passed through a juicer, the fibre is removed leaving only the liquid element behind. You body can easily absorb the nutrients from fresh made juice without having to go through the lengthy digestive process that eating the whole plant would involve. This makes light work on the digestive tract, and is an excellent way to up your nutritional intake, particularly if your digestive system is functioning below par. Have you ever felt the need to sleep after a big meal? Not exactly the result eating a meal is meant to achieve, but shows the power of the digestive process, particularly when it is under siege, well, juicing is an incredible way to give your body a rest.  However, we do need a lot more fibre than we think so I would not recommend you staying on only juice for a long time. We really do need fibre and most of us are seriously lacking in the amount we take in. It is like a magic sponge that mops up all the toxins that are stored in our colon. The lack of fibre in our western diet is a major cause for concern and is seriously damaging people’s health. Victoria Boutenko (one of my secret nutritional heroes) in “Green for Life” recommends people take in at least 30 to 50 grams per day. We are falling way short of this, with most people closer to 15 grams. I don’t want to “dis” juicing, but feel that you need to be made aware about its lack of fibre.  More on fibre will be covered in another post over the coming weeks so watch out for it.

Best Time to Juice

Morning is definitely the best time to juice. This is because the body has several different cycles and it is in the morning when the juice will be of most benefit to you. The body goes into its cleansing and detox cycle at 3am and does not leave this cycle until noon the following day. During this time, the body is cleansing and expelling the body of toxins. It is more supportive to your body to drink fresh juice and have foods with a high water content during this time, which means a nice, fresh veggie juice is an excellent way to start the day. Examples of veggies that have a high water content are cucumber and celery. Fruit too also has a high water (and sugar content too) and don’t forget your leafy greens. You may have heard that having your biggest meal in the middle of the day really is better for you but now you know why, it’s because your can digest it easier. The later the hour in the day that you eat, the more taxing it will be on your digestive system. If you are going to have a large meal and it is a late hour and you find your digestive is not what it used to be, then take some digestive enzymes beforehand. I find these a Godsend.

Juicing is Alkalising to the Body

Our body’s blood has a natural acid/alkaline balance. It is measured on a PH scale that ranges from zero, with zero being the most acidic to 14, being the most alkaline. Good health is somewhere between 6.8 and 7.6. Most of the refined foods we eat, i.e. processed wheat based products, dairy and animal products are all acid forming to our bodies. When our bodies are too acidic it is Disneyland for bad bacteria and yeast to survive and thrive. Ideally we are better off refusing entry to these little nasties. Juicing, particularly green juices are an excellent way to readdress this balance to more alkaline surroundings. The reason I mention green juices is that many people are under the illusion that having mango, pineapple, pear a carrot is a good nutritious juice. It is certainly better than the shop bought version, but for maximum nutrition, low GL (glycemic load) and truly healthy juices, you need to get juicing those leaves and veggies with a smaller amount of fruit. 

Different Veggies You Can Juice

All Leafy Greens – including kale, spinach, pak choi, parsley, coriander, mint – high in vitamins A,C and E, watercress, rocket, all types of lettuce, chock full of chlorophyll (see separate entry on chlorophyll) and phyto-nutrients. Great for alkalising the body.

Cucumber and Celery are incredible for your kidneys and for flushing out toxins from the kidneys. Great for building hair, skin and nails. Anti-inflammatory qualities. Celery is high in the coumarins, a phyto-chemical that may help lower blood pressure and increase white blood cell count.

Beetroot – great for building strong blood and heart. They add a lovely earthy flavour to your juice. Don’t forget to juice the leafy tops too as they contain beta-carotene, calcium and iron.

Apples- are lovely and sweet and bring a lovely taste to your juice. They are a great system cleanser and like most fruit, have plenty of anti-oxidant properties because they have high Vit A and C content. They are also more alkalising to the body than other fruits.

Pears – similar to apples, but are the more alkalising than most other fruit.

Ginger – Incredible for your digestion and brings such a unique taste to your drink. I love this and add it to almost all of my drinks and smoothies.

A rough guide on how they taste

Rocket – spicy and grassy

Basil – sweet and spicy

Celery – zesty and hydrating

Chard – grassy and sweet

Coriander - Sweet and fragrant

Collard greens – grassy

Cucumber -Hydrating/sweet and sour

Endive – bitter

Fennel – zesty

Green apples -  very sweet, tart

Green grapes – very sweet, tart

Kale – grassy and dark

Kiwi – sweet, zesty

Romaine - Mildly and grassy

Limes – sour and zesty

Parsley – grassy and zesty

Mint - Vibrant, cooling

As you can imagine, this is not an exhaustive list, of fruit and veggies that are available. There are lots of juicing books on the market that can offer lots of creative recipes that you and your family can enjoy, but these are readily available in your local supermarket and that for me is a huge plus and makes is very accessible to have my own daily glass of juice. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and if you feel that way inclined.....please do share with your friends and family!

Best wishes,

Ruth.

Seasonal Ingredients for July

Happy almost 4th of July to you all!

It's seems like such a long time since I sat down to write a blog post and when I looked over the date of my last one, it certainly has been a while....Almost two weeks ago! Where is the time flying to? Has anyone else noticed time speeding up or am I alone in this? I always intend to write more often, especially about the wonderful foods that I come across in my day to day life, and while I manage to take note of them, I do sometimes fail to let you know how you can get your hands on these delights. So, my apologies for the delay...I hope this list and the delicious Redcurrant and Raspberry Smoothie Recipe will go some way towards atoning:-)

Just the other day I was browsing through the BBC's Food Website and I came across this wonderful list of seasonal ingredients. Even though I manage to shop in my local farmer's market and can only avail of seasonal produce, I found it a really useful reminder. It is especially handy for those who can only manage get to shop in Tescos because of time constraints but would like to eat more food in season. As this may be a bit harder for you to know exactly what in and what's not, I have listed them below.

What's Hot for July?

Apricot
Aubergine
Beetroot
Cherry
Chicory
Courgette
Crab
Cucumber
Fennel
French Beans
Globe Artichoke
Kohlrabi
Mackerel
Nectarine
Peas
Peach
Radish
Raspberry
Redcurrant
Rocket
Runner Beans
Sardines
Spring Onion
Strawberry
Swiss Chard
Tomato
Watercress

And as promised, here's your recipe using two of the berries and watercress from the list above. I hope you like it.

Raspberry-Redcurrant Surprise


1/4 Redcurrant
1/4 Raspberries
1 Banana
Small handful of Watercress
Large handful of Spinach
1-2 cups of water.
Stevia, honey or agave to taste.


This smoothie will be sharper than some others are these berries are not known for their sweetness, this is also why I have added in the banana and left it up to you to sweeten according to you own taste buds.

Benefits of Eating Watercress
Although there are lots of conflicting nutritional information claims about eating greens in general. For the most part, they are loaded with vitamin A,C and K. Watercress in particular,  also has a good supply of protein, folate, pantothenic acid and contains good amounts of calcium and magnesium. It also contains Vit E, which is along with Vit A and C which are excellent antioxidants.

As always, if you have any suggestions or comments for me, I would love to hear them. Perhaps, you might even send me a photo if you're so inclined. It would certainly make my day!

Until next time.....

Ruth.

Reducing Inflammation

You may be surprised to learn that inflammation has a role to play in cancer, heart disease, diabetes asthma, Alzheimer’s disease and many more conditions that we  have become very familiar hearing about.  This may be good or bad news depending on which side of the fence you are sitting on. If you are challenged with any particular condition, then it may be good news because there is something that you can do about it, however, when you see  the list below, you may not feel so upbeat, particularly if you are eating a diet heavy in the foods that are understood to cause inflammation in the body.

So, how would you recognise inflammation in your body? Well, you may be familiar with the throbbing feeling you get after a paper cut or when you’ve sprained a wrist or ankle. What you are actually experiencing is your body’s immune response, sending the white blood cells and other molecules, attacking and destroying the cells that are causing the problem and then cleaning up the debris. This is a completely natural and normal response by your body but sometimes this process goes a bit haywire. 

For example this response can also happen when you eat foods that cause the body to respond in the same way...As if under attack by a foreign invader. These inflammatory cells may in turn attack the healthy parts of your body.  According to Dr. Lilli B Link,www.llinkmd.com, the more time they spend in circulation  perhaps because you are eating to many inflammatory foods or living in a highly stressed state, the more opportunity to damage your blood vessels and lead to a heart attack, or destroy cartilage and cause rheumatoid arthritis, or alter DNA and change healthy cells into cancerous cells.

Yikes!! I find this pretty scary to be honest and as always, I like to offer people a really helpful solution to these challenges particularly those faced by people still eating the standard western diet.  It can be difficult for people to make too many changes at once, usually resulting in no lasting changes, as overwhelm sets in, so I thought it would be helpful for you to have some idea of foods that are particularly inflammatory to your body and then provide a list of those that have anti inflammatory effects, all ending with one of many smoothie recipes that I have found particularly helpful in reducing my own inflammation. 

Foods that are known to cause inflammation in the body

The No 1 culprit is sugar.  In 2004, a study  that appeared in the journal Metabolism, was of a group of patients with diabetes who were given a sugar drink and whose blood was tested for inflammation afterwards.  Within one hour of drinking the sugar drink, the level of inflammation rose within each person's body and the effects lasted 3 hours. While this is only one study, there have been many others conducted since, and there have been similar findings. Now don't panic when I write this, but imagine if you are snacking on sweet foods throughout the day and not stopping to have  a decent meal a few times a day? It is over time that too much sugar and other inflammatory foods will do damage and why we are asked to reduce the amount of sugar we consume. So,  the best advice here is to cut it way down and pay particular attention to those hidden sugars, such as the ones found in shop bought breakfast cereals and processed foods. If you're going to have sugar then at least have it in it's obvious form such as a bar of chocolate and not to often. 

No 2 is refined grains. Once these are digested, they are almost the same as the sugar in your body. So, ditch the white bread, white rice and other foods that are highly refined and that convert to sugar very quickly. Go for slow release such as wholegrain breads (not just the dyed white bread here) and brown rice, which although takes a lot longer to cook, will not spike your blood sugar levels in the same way and will provide a whole lot more nutrition for you and your family.

No 3 trans fats. I have written an article on this blog called Fats, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but to explain simply, these trans fats are fats that are created when vegetable oil has been partially hydrogenated so that they are solid at room temperature. If you really want to keep a fridge full of healthy foods then, ditching the marg is your best bet, and go for good old butter like granny used to use. You know the one that you can't spread from the fridge unless you take it out beforehand and leave it to thaw a little? This is an excellent change for you to make and one that all the family will thank you for.

No 4 heating foods are also inflammatory to the body. So, if you can, prepare your food slower you will produce less of a response when ingested.  Try not to grill, fry or roast too often and chose the less inflammatory methods of simmer, steam, or gently saute food over a medium to low heat.  Coconut oil and Rapeseed Oil has a higher flash point so chose these great oils over your olive and sunflower oils. You will be getting the wonderful effects of monounsaturated fatty acids from olive oil by using it as a base for your salad dressings but please stop cooking with it. I am not a big fan of sunflower oil either, but go ahead and at least use it cold if you really want to keep it's nutritional profile in tact and don't use too much of it.

You will also help reduce inflammation in your body by reducing your stress levels. This can be achieved through meditation, yoga, a walk in the park or a taking your shoes off and going for a walk on the beach. I personally have been enjoying this later of late and also grabbing any opportunity to let my feet connect with the earth by walking barefoot at any opportunity I can get, allowing my skin come in contact with the earth. For some of us living in a colder climate, we definitely have less opportunity for this, however, the benefits are really huge. Reconnect with the earth and watch your heart rate lower and your breath steady. Bliss!

Foods that have an anti-inflammatory effect

No 1 here are veggies, veggies, veggies....preferably raw too! This is not about saying no to any animal products but if you really are looking to reduce the inflammation in your body, then up your veggie intake..This is another great reason why having your daily green smoothie is a brilliant idea!  Veggie sprouts are excellent too. You can now buy ready made sprouts such as broccoli, alfalfa, radish, mung in a lot of supermarkets nowadays. These are such powerhouses of nutrition that you will definitely want to have them on your plate and in your lunch boxes.

No 2 are fruits. We all know about the benefits of eating fruit. There are only second on the list because there are some that are really sweet, such as dates, bananas, but mixed berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and apples are excellent. I just wanted to remind you to keep the fruit bowl full of goodies.

No 3 are the incredible anti inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids. I know fish is heavily promoted and it certainly does contain these fatty acids however, I would like to point out that there are a number of vegan options such as nuts, like walnuts and seeds like hemp, flax  and chia that are also excellent alternatives. Don't forget those algae like marine phytoplankton either! You can find these in your local health food store and can all be added to your daily super food smoothie. Another delicious way to start you on your superfood journey.

No 4 are herbs and spices. In Ireland, we have a tendency to lean towards quite a plain diet and we don't really experiment with herbs and spices. However, we could learn a lot from  the Middle Eastern and Indian diets here and look at their use herbs and spices in many different recipes.  I have begun to add cinnamon to both my breakfast, if I am having a porridge morning, and to my cacao in the evening. It is not only good for your immune system, but also has many anti-oxidant properties.  Or, why not try spices like turmeric, ginger and hot chilly peppers and cayenne. If you could begin to add these into your daily diet, then you will be exposing yourself to their incredible anti-inflammatory effects and you health can only benefit from their many different healing properties.

And now, for a small recipe that I play around with a lot. Personally, I do not make it very sweet, but if you like you can add some sweetener to it. I suggest some raw honey, agave, stevia, xylitol or other such.

Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie

1/2 cucumber
2/3 sticks of celery
Half head of romaine/cos lettuce
1 tsp cinnamon
A good chunk of ginger
1 - 2 cups water (or more if you prefer it more liquid)
Tablespoon of vegan protein powder
1 pear
1-2 cups of frozen mixed berries
                                                                                    1/4 avocado  (adds a lot of creaminess)

Blend it all together in a blender and change the taste accordingly to suit your own taste buds.

There are lots of interesting ideas on the Internet about inflammation and foods that help reduce it in the body, but I make these green smoothies (that won't turn out green because of the berries) with ingredients that I have in my cupboard most of the time.

I hope you like it and find it helpful.

Best wishes,

Ruth.

Just the other day, I was in my local fruit and veg shop, when all of I sudden, everything was obscured from my view......everything except oranges and mangoes that is! I just could not resist them. They were plump, ripe and just had "eat me" all over them. So, that's exactly what I did. I have always maintained that listening to your body is the most important thing you can do when it comes to eating the right diet for you.

I had one orange there and then, but the next morning for brekkie I took out my blender and whipped up the following recipe.

I have also noticed that mangoes have come down a lot in price in Ireland recently so if you like this fruit, but have normally find it a little on the expensive side then now is your chance to grab them and enjoy while you can.

So, if you're feeling like a citrus, summer smoothie, but still want to throw in your greens...well, then this could just be the recipe for you.

Juicey Secrets

1 cup spinach

1 cup kale (stalks removed if you don't have a powerful blender)

Handful of chard if you can get it

1 mango

1 orange

1/4 avocado (for creaminess, but y ou can leave it out)

1-2 cups water or other liquid base (coconut water, cold green tea, nut milk etc)

Simple is best.

Enjoy!

The Mother of All Grains

The Mother of all Grains

There is so much talk about superfoods nowadays that it can be somewhat confusing to know which ones are really worth eating and which ones are just not worth the high price. 

Quinoa is one grain (actually a seed) that I've had in my cupboards for years, eat on a regular basis and in my opinion is definitely worth getting to know more about.

What I've decided to do here is transcribe a video by Truth Calkins that I was sent via an email that I am subscribed to called the Longevity Warehouse. There is so much to say about this true superfood that if I feel the transcription is running on too long, I will give you the somewhat abridged version ok? I could write this myself, but when I listened to it, I just thought it was fantastic and so I am taking the time to pass it on to you all from one of the experts in superfood.

The following 5 are what Truth Calkins calls the High Powered Grains.....

1.     Quinoa

2.      Buckwheat

3.      Millet

4.      Amaranth

5.      Spelt

Some people may get a little confused about which grains contain gluten, but I can confirm that all of the above are gluten free with the exception of Spelt, which is actually an ancient form of wheat.

In this piece we will be focusing on The Mother of All Grains called “Quinoa”, a.k.a. the mother of all grains.

For many years people in the west hadn’t heard of it. When they eventually did get to hear of it, via Donna Gates and The Ecology Diet, they certainly didn’t know how to pronounce it. Thanks to people like Donna, there is a lot of information in the world today about this grain, which is excellent news. One of the reasons this is the case, has to do with the grain's high alkalinity level and amount of protein.  

Quinoa comes from the plant family known as Chenopodium (in Latin means “goose foot”) The people of the Andes called it Mother, because they considered it the mother of all grains. It was used to increase stamina of their warriors and as it was then, is today still considered an Incan super-food. Quinoa is not really a grain as in the typical botanical family of grains. The Chenopodium family is actually from the same family that is similar to Swiss chard and lamb’s quarters. When you see the plant growing, the stalks can be anywhere from 3 to 9 feet. There are all different colours of quinoa, purple, blue, red, green, black etc. The Incan’s used the whole plant, the stalks, seed and plant. Quinoa is a wild plant and is quite like Ginseng in some respect because it’s a very hardy plant. It likes to grow at 10,000 feet. It can flourish under extreme conditions, with poor soil, hot sun, frost short growing days and still the plant will grow. This is a tell tale sign of a true adaptogenic plant and because of this it will give the body a lot of adaptogenic energy.  Wild ginseng has a similar effect on the the body also.  Herbalists believe that plants that look the gnarliest, will be amongst the strongest plant. If it had to adapt to the harshness of its environment, then it will be a hardy plant and therefore very good and strong for our bodies too.

The fact that you can now just buy quinoa in any wholefood shop is pretty amazing actually. Because 30 years ago you couldn’t do that. It is an ancient, Peruvian wild grain that grew only in high altitudes. There was a doctor in the late 70’s that found out about the amazing properties of this grain and he carried approximately fifty pounds of it back to the US for his own usage. However, when he had used it up, he realised that the only people that were harvesting it were wild Indians. This doctor had a friend who worked with planting some quinoa in the Luas Valley, and they succeeded in growing it. It is also now grown in Canada and other countries around the world.

Nutritional Profile

It has an amino acid profile like meat, eggs and fish, which is very unusual for a grain. It contains less carbs and more protein in this respect.  It is also a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids and is very high in lysine, which has exceptionally anti-viral qualities.  It has a PH of about 6.0, which although closer to acid, is more alkaline than any other grain out there in the world. It is very high in minerals too, in fact contains more calcium than milk. Recently it has been found that quinoa is stimulating to milk production for nursing mothers. A quarter cup serving of quinoa is about 220 calories, 60% of the RDA of manganese, 30% of the RDA of tryptophane which is essential for boosting serotonin levels, 30% of the RDA of magnesium, essential for over 300 enzymatic processes in the body, great for blood flow, 30% phosphorus, 20% fibre, 20% folate, which is great for B vitamins and 20% copper. Studies have also shown that having 20% insoluble fibre from complex carbs in the diet can prevent gall stones from forming. This insoluble fibre is essential for having  soft, fluffy stools that break down easily. The fibre will help remove any toxins easily and effectively from the body and is nature’s mop, so to speak.  Quinoa is also rich in phyto-nutrients and is high in vitamin E, selenium and lingans which help remove bad oestrogen from the body,

Phytic Acid

All grains are high in phytic acid and must be soaked before use. Phytic acid, also referred to as phytate, is a naturally-occurring substance found in grains and beans. All grains will require different soaking times, but we are only looking at quinoa in this post and that must be soaked for at least 8 hours before use. This will remove some of this phytic acid and allow the essential nutrients be effectively absorbed into the body. Many of us in the Western world are not used to preparing our grains in this way, but it is a good habit to start adopting and has many long term health benefits.

Cooking Quinoa

Quinoa cooks in about 15 minutes, and like rice, puffs up to 3 to 4 times it size upon cooking. It is very soft and fluffy and has a mild, light, nutty taste, almost like a cross between couscous and peanuts and is very pleasant. I turn off my gas and leave my quinoa rest with the lid on for approximately 5 minutes of cooking and this seems to work very well indeed. Here is a very nice recipe for millet and vegetables that I posted on my blog some time ago. You can exchange the millet for quinoa but I hope it helps you get started cooking these incredible grains http://bit.ly/otGkI6. (tip: you may need to open a new window to view the link)

A final few words on quinoa.... Many people are now being diagnosed as either celiac or gluten intolerant so it is good news indeed to hear that quinoa is surprisingly 100% gluten free and is very safe to eat. By eating quinoa you will also be ingesting a pre-biotic which helps feed the beneficial bacteria acidophilus in your gut. Pre-biotics are like fertilisers for the good bacteria in your gut and are an essential part of maintaining excellent health. In a world gone low or no carb mad, having a healthy amount of good carbs in the diet is going to help with the keeping your nervous system functioning well. The fibre in quinoa will also help wash out extra oestrogen from the body that you definitely don’t want hanging around in there.

Sadly, I’ve come to the end of writing about this great super-food, but do hope that you have found the above information helpful. If this is the case, then could I ask you to that you pay it forwardJ And help me get the good word out there about this inexpensive super-food so that everyone can reap its benefit.

Until next time.....

Best wishes,

Ruth.

How Your Mindset Affects You

How many times have you tried to make beneficial changes in your life? You may have planned on eating healthier, on releasing old relationships or on being a more positive person! Your attempts worked famously for a week and then you noticed old habits and attitudes creeping back bit by bit.

You are not alone in these repeated failed attempts. What most people don't realise is that for changes to last, we must change how we use our minds.

Just the other day I was chatting with my sister. She has had an ongoing battle with food (the love of it) for many years. Almost every diet she has tried has been successful for a short period of time. She slowly loses the weight she has been trying to lose and she starts feeling really good about herself. In fact she begins to feel so good about herself, that she begins to eat larger portions and more of what she loves again. Then, bam, the pounds find their way to steadily creep back on again as if out of nowhere. For her, or indeed anyone battling to lose weight and keep it off, it really can seem like a never ending one.

By comparison, for me, eating well has always come naturally. From an early age, I had a really good instinct for what foods I feel good after eating and what ones I am best avoiding. This is not a battle for me at all and after many years of study and self exploration, I understand why this is, but first let me share another story with you.

I once attended a workshop where the facilitator asked us to write down our top three goals in life. I won’t share all of mine with you, but health was one of my top three. Having this right up there as one of the most important areas for me to have control of in my life, meant that it made choosing the healthier option much easier for me than for say my sister. I can’t honestly say what her goals in life are, but I bet pleasure or having the freedom to chose whatever she likes whenever she likes is one of them. You see, what is important to you, really important to you, will have the biggest influence over how your day proceeds and what you chose to focus your energy on in general.  Most of the people attending the workshop were quite focused on making or having more money in their lives, yet, felt that this was eluding them. We were all split into smaller focus groups and we were working together in those groups to examine what we wanted to have more of in our lives and the possible reasons that we weren’t seeing them turn up. Most of us were very surprised to find out that after completing the exercise, money was right down at the bottom of what we had considered as important in our lives. This exercise helped us see what we really thought about money and showed us that most of us didn’t really think it was important enough to have it as one of our top three goals. We were then informed that until we shifted it up to become one of the areas we considered important, it would most likely elude us forever. One of the other women in the group, had lots of wonderful relationships in her life and couldn’t understand how some others in the group didn’t. The answer became very clear when we found out that she had family and relationships as one of the top three areas in life that were the most important to her. This meant, that she put a lot of effort and energy into making sure that nothing could come between her and keeping these relationships healthy and well. I hope this is making it a little easier to see how your mindset and how you view the world around you will have a large part on what is showing up in your own day to day world.

I said I’d share my thoughts on why eating healthy and not putting on weight is not a battle for me and believe me it is nothing to do with denying myself any foods I want, nor indeed do I possess anything low fat or calorie counted in my cupboards. You see, because one of my top three goals has been health it's not a big challenge for me to undertake a de-tox 3 times a year and make sure my diet is filled with lots of fresh fruit and veg and not stuff myself with tubs of Ben and Jerry’s on the sofa every night. Nor indeed do I find it difficult to maintain exercising 4 times a week and always choosing to engage in activities that I love like weight training, dancing and Pilates. I am by no way blowing my own trumpet here, what I am hoping to show you is that by shifing your goals and mindset, you can really bring something closer to you that you thought was farther away. You see you must change how you view it. In my experience, one tool that has proven to be very successful in helping this change of mindset to occur is NLP.

NLP

NLP is a powerful tool that can help with making real shifts in how we view things.

NLP gives us the tools to change our ‘mind states’ so we can become more content in our professional and personal lives. Using NLP techniques brings about lasting changes, a concept which may have seemed so elusive in the past.

NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming. It provides a set of psychological practical tools which teach us how to become more motivated and better communicators.

NLP is one of  'the most important synthesis of information available today about human communication'.

• NLP explores how we think and how we behave
• NLP allows us to become effective communicators
• NLP shows us that choosing different thoughts can lead to more win/win situations in our lives.

Reasons for YOU to use NLP in your life!

• As a tool to change something in your life that isn't working the way you would like it to be.
• To change your current thought patterns forever!
• To become a better communicator.

It seems that it is simple then! All you need to do is change how you see the food you are eating and it will make it a lot easier to chose the healthier option when it is presente to you. No big fuss, no denying yourself that last piece of chocolate, or the second pud but you feel totally deprived because you can't have it.  Change how you view it, and your body will do the rest.

I hope you round this post helpful and would love to know, so do get in touch if you find a free minute in your day.

Best wishes,

Ruth.

Leprechaun Leapin Leafy Greens

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

I love St. Patrick's Day in Ireland because there's lots and lots of good old fashioned craic to be had.  There will be parades and marching bands all over the country, with people getting out and about to join in the fun. 

There will be lots and lots of green to be seen. And if it's Guinness you like, then you will probably be served one that looks nothing like your usual favourite tipple...hopefully, it will taste like it though.

As you know, green is a colour very dear to my own heart and if you happen to be in Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland this Paddy's Day, then you are in for a real treat. 

Kitchen Greenie is going to dial up her Irish magic charm and bring some of her liquid green elixirs for all of Greytones to try. She is currently rounding up the Kitchen Greenie troops, dialling up some friends from the local nymphs, fairies and leprechaun's that haven't already been selected for most urgent Irish duties, such as four leaf clover hunting or sprinkling magic charm around the country for all our visitors from afar. If you happen to be charmed enough to run into us while we work, then be prepared to be bamboozled by green! Our elixirs will pack some Irish punch. If you don't feel ready to be opened up to the world of green, then look away now!

It's Free from me to you!

For those of you who are brave enough to try one and let their magic work through you, we have been one step ahead to help you get on to the green brick road and put together a Free 3 Day Green Smoothie Challenge. To get your hands on  copy all you have to so is simply have to email and ask! I'll send it to you with no strings attached. You will have immediate access to 3 fabulous, tried and tested, delicious, easy to prepare green smoothie recipes, plus a whole lot more juicy information about how green smoothies can work for you. We always use ingredients that are easy to source as we don't find it particularly helpful to receive recipes with ingredients that are difficult to get your hands on. We want you to get stuck in immediately and start feeling the positive effect quickly, so send us an email and your FREE 3 Day Green Smoothie Challenge will be winging its way to you within minutes.

Whether you celebrate St. Patricks Day or not, it is a wonderful opportunity to begin letting those greens find their way into your life. Today is a great day to begin.

Lá Fhéila Sona Duit! (Happy St. Paddy's day everyone).

Warmest wishes,

Ruth.

Fresh and Green Has Arrived for Spring!

In July 2010 I packed up shop, let my apartment in Greystones, County Wicklow  (just outside Dublin) and embarked on what I can only describe as a very adventurous trip of Canada and the West Coast of the United States. This trip saw me visit Toronto, Vancouver, LA and many town and cities in California all the way down to San Diego.

One of the main reasons I made this trip, besides scratching the Bear Grylls side of my nature, was to see what was going on in the world of nutrition, whole and living foods in the US.  I feel very fortunate to have been able to make this journey and extremely grateful for both the experience I had and the wonderful people I met, some of whom I felt I had known for many years. I am also delighted to have made some amazing contacts, both on line and in person with those leaders in the areas of holistic health and wellness. Thank you my friends. I continue to be inspired by your dedication and foresight. You continue to light my way...and you know who you are!

I have personally being drinking a green drink either in the form of a juice, smoothie or wheatgrass shot almost daily for many years. On my trip, I ran into a common denominator, that I found on both the east and west coast....It was the colour green.

People are already aware of the healing benefits of eating or drinking more fruit and vegetables however, our markets have  become increasingly saturated with many sugared drinks . One of the most heavily marketed products over the last few years has been the fruit smoothie. What I can say is, fruit is good, but greens are waaayyy better. Many of the manufactures promote the health benefits of these fruit smoothies, however, they offer you frozen yogurt (which is much closer to ice cream than yoghurt) in place of live yoghurt. These claims fool the non-discerning public into thinking that these are fruit smoothies are health enhancing drinks, which of course is dependant on many variables including who makes them, what's in them and how long they are on the shelf.  No wonder people like these smoothies though...mostly, they are laden with sugar and really are dynamite in a glass, but not in a good way.

So, what I decided to do was to put a small book together to show people how easy it is to add in those leafy greens into your daily routine. How to make delicious, tasty smoothies, without the need for dairy products or too much fruit to make it enjoyable.  Only this morning,  I made a smoothie from rocket blended up, with one mango and one orange. Don't knock it till you try it though, as it really was delicious! In the book I have a similar recipe using rocket using two mangoes, but as I only had one, I improvised. You see, you really can do anything with leafy greens, fruit and a blender and what this is what this book is all about. I also explain why green is so life enhancing and why you would be hard pushed to find a better healthy habit to include into your day then having a green drink.

It is easier than you think to eat (or drink, as I am suggesting ) your greens. The recipes are easy to follow and I have mostly used ingredients that are easy to find in your local supermarket or farmer's market. What I wanted to do was to make it easy for you to get started and I hope I have achieved this with Fresh and Green http://kitchengreenie.blogspot.com/p/products.html.

I wish you many healthy, happy and creative moments in your kitchen

Ruth

3 Things that Age you Faster than Anything Else

Sun

Smoking

Alcohol

Did you think I’d hold back and try and lead you in to some big sell on a great new product?? Wrong! I’ve been in this business for over 25 years and it is just not my style. What I have noticed over the years how things have gone from selling hope in a bottle to well, pushing hope in a bottle by any means possible, down people’s necks...And, I still say, it’s not my style. You can also decide, as most people do, how you decide to perceive this information, but the facts are facts so, here’s is the honest to goodness low down on the three things that will age you quicker than anything else.

Sunshine

Yes, I know, that you enjoy sipping a margarita by the pool with friend is great fun, but it will age you after 20 minutes, unless you have pretty sallow or dark skin (these guys get all the luck when it comes to sun bathing without damaging skin). I don’t want to be a party pooper and I know lying on the lylo is the most important part of a holiday for most Brits and Irish, but seriously……think of the skin damage people! Thing is, after your skin has turned a slightly pink shade and you’ve absorbed all the Vitamin D that you need and it is more beneficial start covering up that face, hair and body if you want to glow well into your twilight years. Now, please do not think that I am any different to anyone else on the planet. When I go on holiday, I am certainly not getting out of the sun after 20 minutes. It's just a reminder to keep the sun cream on. So, it's too much that is not good for your ok?

Protect Your Eyes

This is as easy as popping a pair of sunglasses on. There’s no doubt you will look a lot more sophisticated and you definitely do not want those eyes to become swollen and puffy from too much sun.  It’s not a good look people!

 

Protect Your Kissable Lips

You definitely want to put some some sort of chap stick on. When purchasing one, look for a natural brand that also offers some sunscreen protection. For the record, you are better off putting olive oil on (even though it has no sunscreen) than using Vaseline, which is a petroleum based product and not one you want on your lips. Even though it feels good, there's a downside to using these products laden with chemicals that you definitely don't want near your mouth.

Protect your Hair

The hair is another area that you most definitely want to keep under wraps when in the sun. Particularly for those with bleached hair colours. If possible, keep your tresses firmly fixed under a stylish beach hat. If the idea of a hat on the beach drives your mad then definitely consider a leave in conditioner. Paying attention to the small things will definitely save your lots of time and costly trips to the salon afterwards to  put right the damage that the sun can do.


Protect that Beauty Face and God Given Bod

Protect Your Face and Body by applying a natural, good quality, high factor sun screen every few hours. If you’ve decided to go for dip in the pool or sea, then pop on another layer. You’d be amazed how a quickly those rays burn it off.

Smoking

This one seems obvious doesn't it! Many smokers couldn't give a hoot about the ageing aspects of this bad habit. Like most things, when you are in the firm grip of an addiction, how you look is really the last thing you are thinking about. However, when it does matter, as you are getting older and you are keen to grasp at anything to wipe away the years, then it is too late.  The damaging effects of the myriad of chemicals will most definitely have done the damage at this stage. If you are interested in looking your best well into your 40's, 50's and 60's then look to giving this non nourishing habit the boot. There are so may helpful sites on the Internet, including many reputable programmes run  by government agencies that are there to help you kick the habit. If you are serious about letting go of the need to light up, then look around for those people who want to help you. They're not cool, it's not pretty and they definitely do not serve you in any way that is health enhancing. Let go and grow!

Alcohol

Ah, this is a tricky one. Being Irish and currently living in Ireland, it is definitely a toughie. When everything is based around alcohol, from christenings to funerals, it is definitely completely accepted as normal nowadays. This may seem like a harmless way to celebrate, but I can tell you one thing, there is nothing beautifying about it. I can hear all the arguments now and yes, the French do drink wine, but not normally in the volumes that some other societies do and they don't usually save up their weekly quota and get blitzed all in one go. It takes the liver about 1 to 2 hours to deal with and detoxify one standard drink measure. So, 3, 4 and even more on a regular basis, is a pretty tall ask. Alcohol will seriously dehydrate the body and while I am not becoming a total party pooper and saying "Don't Enjoy a Drink", I am saying to hydrate in between rounds. The French drink one glass of wine with many glasses of water, to rehydrate. This is one of the secrets to minimising it's effect.  The best way to view alcohol is as a sponge that mops up all the moisture from your body so, if you can get to view it this way, when you are next ordering your favourite tipple, order a larger glass of water to go with what you're having yourself!

Well, that's it from this podium. If you know anyone who would benefit from reading this post, the share the love!

Enjoy taking care of yourself.

Ruth.