SUE WHITE

​What an amazing month May is! Suddenly the countryside is developing a green hue and blossoms of white and pink pop everywhere.  The warmer temperatures and longer days provide an opportunity for two great wellbeing therapies that are easy to do and free – you can even combine them together!
 
They are both based on the knowledge that people have had for millennia:
 
 - immersing yourself in nature is beneficial emotionally and physically, and
 - reconnecting to the natural rhythm of Nature has a healing effect on the
​    human body.

The first therapy is the Japanese Art of ‘Shinrin-yoku’, translated as ‘Forest Bathing’.  This means nothing more than finding a forest and immersing yourself in its environment. 
 
Put your mobile phone, camera and earbuds aside for a while so you can mindfully take in the atmosphere around you.  Use all the senses; being aware of what you can see and smell, touch, taste and hear. 
 
You can wander among the trees, sit beneath them, stand beneath them – anything that helps you connect with them and the natural environment.  If you can’t easily access a forest, you can find a single tree and spend some mindful time close to that.
 
Although there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest this practise is beneficial it has also been the subject of scientific research.  It is actively encouraged as a wellness benefit in Japan and research has shown that trees release beneficial phytoncides into their surrounding atmosphere.  
 
These chemicals are protective so have properties​ like being anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and may be why scientists have determined that, in addition to a positive impact on Blood Pressure and the reduction of stress hormone levels, Forest Bathing can enhance immunity too.

​The second wonderful, free and easy wellness therapy is ‘Grounding’ and is no more difficult than taking off your shoes and socks and finding a space where you can connect your bare skin directly with the Earth.  Standing on a surface of grass, gravel, dirt, sand or concrete will all do the trick.  
 
Again, lots of anecdotal evidence for feeling great running  or walking along a beach barefoot but the science behind this therapy is that everything has a frequency –  including us and the Earth’s surface.  
 
Many illness symptoms are caused by inflammation – in energetic terms: ‘positively charged inflammatory free radicals’.  The Earth’s surface, due to the influence of solar radiation, lightning strikes and energy generated by its inner core, has a negative charge.  The body, being a good conductor of energy, can be helped by allowing the negative charge of the earth to act on the positive charge of inflammation through standing barefoot on its surface. 
 
Connecting in an energetic way to the Earth helps to attune our own individual frequency which impacts our emotional and physical health. 

​If you are interested to understand more about the physics of frequencies between the Earth and the body read:
 
‘Earthing.  The most important health discovery ever?’ by Clinton Ober, Stephen T Sinatra MD and Martin Zucker. 
 
There you have it, find a space, connect with Nature and feel the benefit for free.  
 
If you can stand among some trees barefoot you can have double the value!

Tapping or Emotional Freedom Technique is a really great self help tool that can be done anytime, anywhere and for any condition.  Of course it doesn't replace medical advice or any treatment you are undertaking but it can be a great support alongside other interventions.

See my page on the tapping technique for more information and to see a video with the tapping points that you can easily follow with your own symptom. You can find it here.

Some answers to common questions about the tapping process:

How long do I tap the points for?
About 8-10 taps on each point is fine.  If you feel comforted by tapping a particular point stay there longer.  

What pressure should I use to tap?
A gentle tap is all that's required, there is no particular pressure needed, a light touch is fine.

Is the sequence of the points important?
No, it's just easier to remember the points if you tap from the head down.  You should do the 'set up' on the side of the hand first but after that the sequence of the points doesn't matter.  It helps to tap all of the points but sometimes, for example in a public place, you might not feel comfortable tapping all the face points so just do what you can - like tap around the nail beds.

How often should I tap to get the best results?
You can use tapping as a 'first aid' remedy such as when you feel anxious or worried about something to help you feel calmer but you can also use it for longer-term issues like lack of confidence or a physical symptom.  In this instance you could tap whenever you feel unconfident or are aware of your symptom but also explore some aspects around your symptom and tap on them.  Perhaps you have a bad memory of something that rocked your confidence or you remember the day you first experienced a pain.  There are so many aspects to symptoms and you can keep exploring and tapping. Perhaps set a daily or weekly time for some tapping.  You might be very surprised with what comes up for you but just keep tapping on it...

What is the point of the 'set up' process?
This addresses an issue called 'psychological reversal' - basically where you have a desire to achieve a particular goal but then sabotage your progress toward it through your action (or lack of action).  An example would be you know exactly what you need to do to eat healthily but can't seem to stop yourself raiding the biscuit tin.  You want a clear, uncluttered room but can't shake yourself out of a state of inertia to even make a start.  You desire joy and peace in your mind but seem programmed for irritation and anxiety.  Procrastination, negative thinking, avoidance, the same life lessons returning to you time and time again.  Helping psychological reversal is not about will power, it's just that life made you believe something about yourself which is now influencing you.  It's something I work with a lot in kinesiology because these unconscious beliefs really keep you stuck and unable to move towards your desires. By initially tapping on this you are helping resolve these conflicting states; that's why the phrase is 'even though (I have these thoughts or symptoms) I accept myself' or some similar words.

What actually are the tapping points?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, much importance is placed on the meridians.  These are lines of energy running throughout the body.  They are like a communication system and each meridian flows into the next. The meridians are subject to  physical, mental and emotional influences that can cause their flow to change - like  too fast, too slow, weak, overbearing or blocked altogether.  The meridians have an association with muscles, organs, systems and emotions and are thought to play a key role in the recovery of health. When complementary therapists talk of 'balancing energy' they are often referring to flows through these or other energy channels. Lots of therapies use the meridians like kinesiology and acupuncture.  The points that are tapped are the end-points of the meridians so you are encouraging a free flow through them whilst bringing a symptom to mind which is probably influencing their flow in a negative way.

By combining psychology (by engaging the thoughts you have about a specific symptom) and influencing the meridian system, the body can be encouraged out of a state of stress and into a state of relaxation.  When we are operating with a more relaxed  nervous system, we have access to logical thinking, an improved ability to change perceptions and the body can go into a state of healing rather than a state of 'flight, fright or freeze', which is the reaction to a stressed state.  Published studies have shown that tapping lowers key stress hormone levels and the therapy continues to be the subject of clinical trials.

​22nd April is Earth Day and 2020 is the 50th anniversary year. Due to the pandemic, events this year are being held online and you can find lots of virtual activities at
www.earthday.org.
​

It’s heartening to hear, among all the sad news about the virus, that air pollution and smog levels appear to have declined with the grounding of aeroplanes and less traffic. To see pictures of lions resting on the road in South Africa and a herd of goats helping themselves to hedge leaves and garden flowers in a deserted Welsh town.

It’s reminded me of a book I read some years ago about ‘Earthing’ and it’s a brilliant form of self-help therapy you can do easily during the lockdown… The book is called “Earthing. The most important health discovery ever?” by Clinton Ober, Stephen T Sinatra MD and Martin Zucker.

The book recommends sitting with your bare feet directly on the earth – grass, gravel, dirt, sand or concrete. That’s it! Your skin connection with one of these materials will restore your body’s natural electrical state. If you have a garden that would be an ideal place to practise but if not, perhaps you could incorporate it in your daily exercise – being mindful of course of the current restrictions and advice along with social distancing.

I know that sometimes when complementary therapists talk of ‘energy’ it can seem less than scientific, but the fact is we all run on energy. There’s no doubt that food is converted into energy, our nerve impulses travel via electrical energy and our heart generates energy too – if you need a pacemaker it sends electrical signals to the heart to correct the beat. We have all probably experienced the ‘electromagnetic discharge’ from touching metal, so there’s no getting away from the fact that we are energetic beings.

I don’t pretend to understand the physics behind positive and negative ions and voltage, but it makes sense to me that the earth has a surface energy – more specifically according to the book, an abundance of electrons which give it a negative charge. This is generated from solar radiation, lightning strikes and energy generated by the Earth’s inner core. The body is a relatively good conductor of this energy and if you stand barefoot on the Earth, your skin and the Earth make a continuous charged surface. “Electrons can flow into the body equalising and maintaining it at the electrical potential of the Earth.”​

The book states that the ‘biological clock of the body needs to be continually calibrated by the pulse of the Earth that governs the circadian rhythms of all life on the planet.’
The authors remind us that many symptoms of ill-health are caused by inflammation which in energy terms involve ‘positively charged inflammatory free radicals.’ So, connecting with the negative charge on the Earth’s surface by standing barefoot for 20-30 minutes could instigate a healing response.
​

Keep Calm and….well, don’t carry on in the way that you used to.  Unless you are a key worker in which case the biggest thank you for carrying on. 

​It can be difficult to keep calm when life now bears no resemblance to how it looked a matter of days ago.  Understandably people are anxious and concerned, not only about the spread of the Coronavirus, but in terms of finances and livelihood and what the future may hold.  It is heartening though to hear stories of kindness and support, and the way people are managing to connect without coming into physical contact.
As the solutions we often use for keeping calm like a hug from a friend or a chat across a café table is not an option, here are a few suggestions for Bach remedies that may be helpful. They are available online.

​Dr Edward Bach was a highly regarded medical doctor.  He developed a vaccination that saved thousands of lives during the influenza epidemic of 1918, but in 1930 he left his formal medical practice.  He spent his time wading through bogs and marshes, climbed mountains, walked through fields and along countryside lanes in search of specific plants which he knew could support and calm the mind.  His view was that supporting emotional and mental health was critical to the recovery of a patient’s health and he developed his set of 38 remedies to do just that.

​

​Of course the remedies would in no way replace anything we’re currently being advised to do in terms of tackling the spread and in treating symptoms of the coronavirus but they are safe and easy to use as a complementary therapy.  

​Probably the first relevant and best known of the remedies is the ‘Rescue’ or ‘Five Flower’ remedy (because it combines five remedies in one bottle). This is for states such as shock and panic.  It never replaces medical attention, but can help with the mental anguish that accompanies these situations.
The rescue combination is for short-term use, but there may be other remedies that are relevant for longer support:
Mimulus is for a known fear – so you are aware of why you are fearful. Examples would be being frightened of the dark or of spiders.  It could be useful if your fear is over finances, or what may happen to your job, fear of contracting the virus, or fear of what the future holds.
Rock Rose is for a stronger feeling of fear like panic or feeling frightened.  It is one member of the five flower or rescue combination.  The feelings may not be rational but they feel very real to the person experiencing them.
Walnut is the remedy for adapting to change.  We are all being asked to make huge changes to our routine and this can be extremely stressful.  Walnut can help with the adjustment to a new set of circumstances.
Crab Apple is the remedy of cleansing, so this might be useful when concerned about the possibility of being infected – such as the anxiety over touching surfaces and trying to make sure everything is clean. Of course we must do all we can to limit our exposure and follow the advice we have been given but this remedy can help alleviate the mental and emotional stress that can accompany that.

​The remedies are preserved in alcohol and come in a small bottle. Taking them is as easy as adding 2 drops (4 of the ‘rescue’ combination) to a glass of water and sipping whenever you feel the need.  Alternatively get a 30ml dropper bottle, put a little brandy in the bottom, top it up with bottled water and then add your 2 drops to that bottle.  You then use the larger 30ml bottle contents whenever you need – but at least 4 drops, 4 times a day.
The remedies can be combined – up to six can be taken at any time and they do not interact with medication, but it’s always a good idea to discuss taking them with your medical practitioner or therapist if you are at all concerned.
Even though we are isolated we need not feel alone.  Do reach out if you need support.  We complementary therapists are an adaptable and compassionate bunch and will help if we can!
Signing off with a virtual hug…..

​New term, and lots more new besides; perhaps a new school, uniform, friends and teachers but one thing remains the same – the desire to eat on walking through the door at the end of a busy day.  That ‘wanting something NOW’ feeling leads straight to the snack cupboard for something, in fact anything to satisfy the hunger.  The snack gap between finishing school (or work!) and the next meal is probably the main time for fast, easy fillers like crisps, sweets, cake and biscuits.  You can only steer yourself and your charges away from these by having an alternative available RIGHT AWAY, so here are a few ideas for healthy snacks that you can prepare beforehand or make quickly and easily.

​Fruit Plus.
We all know fruit is a good option but responding to a hungry demand with ‘have an apple’ doesn’t always go down well.  Spending a few minutes preparing a colourful fruit salad and leaving it in a large bowl in the fridge can work – different textures and shapes are much more appealing to the taste buds and the eye. All that’s required is dipping in and helping yourself to a small bowl. While chopping a few fruits why not sneak in a little cucumber, sweet pepper or celery. Some nuts and seeds sprinkled over can make a more substantial snack.  Or add a little live yoghurt.  If you have time, a September walk to a hedgerow with a container for blackberries is a great way to tick the exercise and snack boxes in one go.
 

​Snack Boats
If you have a few minutes to prepare your snack, or if children are able to do this for themselves, small ‘boats’ of pitted medjool dates, tiny sweet peppers, little gem lettuce leaves or lengths of celery are marvellous vessels for carrying dips like guacamole and salsa, cream cheese or nut and seed butters.

​Roasted Chickpeas
If you have the oven on, or have a little more than a few minutes to devote to preparing snacks, try something different with chickpeas by roasting them.  Open a tin, or of course you can soak and prepare your dried chickpeas beforehand if you have the time…These are a wonderful alternative to crisps if you give them a slightly salty coating.  This recipe is from ‘Whole Food Energy’ by Elise Museles.
 
400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½  teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat the oven to 190c/375f/5 and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Pat the chickpeas dry (it’s important they are dry before roasting). Place them in a bowl. 
Mix the dry spices and salt together in another bowl.
Pour the olive oil over the chickpeas and stir.  Add the spice mix and roll the chickpeas to make sure they are evenly coated.
Spread the chickpeas on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Roast for 20 minutes, stir and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown.
Let the chickpeas cool for 10 minutes on the tray to allow them to crisp up.
 
If you have a favourite dry spice mix in your household you could use that to coat the chickpeas and this recipe lends itself to many hot or herby combinations.  Don’t be disheartened if some of your chickpeas taste a little soft – they will crisp up over time.

​Sesame Tahini Energy Bites
This next snack takes a little prep time but is so worth the effort, and the mix will sit in the fridge for a few days to be used as needed. Easy, quick and fun to make, no cooking necessary and using ingredients that you could keep in the cupboard. Healthy, tasty and filling, this snack is a real winner. Also from ‘Whole Food Energy’:
 
150g sunflower seeds
135g pitted medjool dates
40g shredded coconut
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon sea salt
Sesame seeds for rolling
 
Pulse the sunflower seeds in a food processor until coarsely chopped but still having some texture.  Add remaining ingredients except the sesame seeds and pulse until all the ingredients are incorporated.
Roll the mixture into 1” balls.  This can be easier with damp hands. 
Roll the balls in the sesame seeds to coat, place on a baking tray and chill in the fridge for about 1 hour before serving.
Store completed balls in an airtight tin, or freeze then thaw before eating.
 
My tip is to keep the pulsed mixture in the fridge to roll as required….because these are so delicious that however many you make will be eaten..
 

Barabrith
If you have more time to prepare a snack then a teabread is a great option.  More interesting than a slice of bread, and delicious spread with a little butter, but without the high sugar and fat content of a cake.  This recipe is for a Welsh teabread from ‘The Cranks Recipe Book’.
 
300g mixed dried fruit
75g raw brown sugar
Lemon, grated rind of ½
400ml hot tea (I used a Lemon and Ginger Rooibos teabag)
350g wholemeal flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
1 free range egg
 
Put the fruit, sugar, lemon rind and tea in a bowl.  Cover and leave to soak overnight. 
Strain the fruit and reserve the liquid.
Put the remaining ingredients into a bowl, add the fruit and enough liquid to mix to a soft ‘dropping’consistency – all the liquid may be needed.
Pour into a greased and base-lined 2lb loaf tin
Bake at 190c/375f/5 for 45-50 minutes until risen and firm to the touch.
Cool on a wire tray.
 
Enjoy making /eating/sharing some alternative snacks!

​LOVE 
according to The Beatles.  With Valentine ’s Day just around the corner, I’m pondering love and all things related and wondering how only needing love actually works in practise…..given that you can’t buy it or trade it. 
Yet love is something of a personal commodity we all have access to in abundance. As love’s limit is not dependant on the laws of supply and demand, and is freely available to all, it must be a matter of choice how much or how little flows into a particular situation…

​Thinking of choice, I’m recalling little Love Heart sweets in my pocket in the playground; more specifically whether I dare give one away to a particular someone and the angst that caused me.  If I give away ‘Be Mine’ and it’s received with delight I’ll feel wonderful,  but there’s the chance it could go horribly wrong and I might be given ‘Get Lost’ in return, then have to search through my tube of sweets to retrieve a sour-tasting ‘Silly Me’. But I suppose love is like that, a bit of a risk sharing your sweets or pinning your heart to your sleeve; the risk of non-return. Not always easy to give love for love’s sake.  Often, another less compassionate emotion muscles in on the action, just in case things don’t go to plan and you need to start your search for sweets saying ‘Dented Pride’ and ‘Thought As Much’.  All part of the choice regarding how much love we dare flow into a situation.
I’ve not enjoyed a Love Heart sweet for decades, I was surprised to find they still exist, but I’m glad they do.  A roam around the fun and colourful Love Hearts website has made me smile, I never knew production started in 1954 and they have kept pace with technology - you can now get emoji Love Hearts. Special packs have been made to celebrate royal weddings and babies. I have learnt about ‘Galentines Day’ on 13th February when you shower your friends with love and affection, and seen a dress made out of the sweets.

​Inspired by my romantic stroll down Love Heart memory lane, here’s a recipe - a small, rustic, healthy biscuit with a little iced sweetness and room for a loving message if you feel so inclined.  

Ingredients:
100g ground almonds
75g wholemeal flour
40g oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
75g coconut oil
30g maple syrup
 
100g Icing sugar
Squeeze of lemon juice
Warm water
 
A piping bag with small piping nozzle if you want to write on your biscuits.

Method
Put ingredients into a food processor and mix everything into a dough.
Roll out on a floured surface – this is not as pliable as biscuit dough with butter and sugar so you will need to press and roll it.  Cut into small circles with a biscuit cutter or wide bottle top. Alternatively break off small pieces, roll into a ball and flatten.
Place on baking parchment on a baking tray and cook for about 15 minutes at 175. Once cooked, leave the biscuits to cool completely.
Put the icing sugar into a small bowl and squeeze a little (about a teaspoon) of lemon juice over it.  Then add warm water, very gradually, stirring until you have a thick paste – you will not need much water.  The icing needs to be thick enough to pipe if you want to write anything on your biscuits, otherwise you can just drizzle the icing over.

​They would make a great Valentine’s gift, or just make them as a healthy snack for your beloved self.
On February 14th, romance, roses and red-wrapped chocolates will be everywhere, and it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that there are hundreds of ways to demonstrate love every single day; it’s the deep breath when you feel angry, the hesitation when you want to argue back, patience in the face of irritation, tolerance for another’s view and reaching for a better-feeling thought when negative self-talk pulls you down.
Sometimes though, try as we might, loving feelings can be difficult to generate, and there are natural remedies a-plenty to comfort and support.  Look to the Bach remedies like Holly for feelings of envy or jealousy, Pine for guilt or Gentian for disappointment.  Gently support frayed nerves with B vitamins or use herbal remedies and essential oils to lift the spirits.  Don’t feel you have to do it all alone though; reaching out for help can lighten a heavy heart. My colleagues and I at The Oxford Street Therapy Centre are always ready with a warm welcome.

​However you are feeling this Valentine’s Day, don’t forget the power of music.  Create mood and atmosphere or listen to some uplifting lyrics; music is a great way to match or change your mood. If you want to delve a little deeper, seek out some healing music for the heart chakra – it’s readily available on YouTube.
​
Having started this blog with a song snippet, it seems only right to end with one. It’s from a little while ago in 1932.  A nod to Valentine’s Day, Love Heart sweets and the choice for Love.
 ‘Love Is The Sweetest Thing’ - written by Ray Noble:
​
‘Love is the greatest thing
The oldest yet, the latest thing
I only hope that fate may bring
Love’s story to you’

​We have landed in 2019.  Happy New Year!
‘Tis now the season of goals and plans and good intentions - many of them around scaling back on the eating, drinking and spending of the festive season.  So, with this in mind, here are 5 tips for ‘frugal food’; stretching the January budget without compromising taste or health.  

​Tip 1: Swap animal protein for legumes.
Meat and fish are among the most expensive items in the food budget, but swapping in pulses like chickpeas, lentils, split peas and beans (such as pinto, mung and blackeye) provide taste, texture and protein in a meal for a fraction of the price.  These members of the legume family are low in fat, high in fibre and research suggests they help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. They are also a source of complex carbohydrate (releasing their sugar slowly for sustained energy).
Pulses are filling and nutritious, but if you are not embracing ‘veganuary’ you could swap in a portion of lentils or beans and just use less meat or fish in a dish.
Pulses in their dried form will keep in the cupboard for up to a year, and years more if they are tinned.  Once cooked they will sit happily in the fridge for up to three days and in the freezer for up to six months.

​Here is a recipe for a very low cost but comforting and hearty meal; ‘Butternut Squash, Red Lentil and White Bean Stew’ taken from Dale Pinnock’s ‘Eat, Shop, Save’ cookbook:
Ingredients:
1 large red onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
Olive oil
1 small butternut squash, skin on, diced
180g dry red lentils
600ml vegetable stock
1 x 400g can of butter beans, drained
2 handfuls of baby spinach
Salt to taste
 
Method:
In a pan, sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil along with a good pinch of salt until the onion has softened.
Add the butternut squash and the lentils and enough stock to just cover everything in the pan.
Simmer for around 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently, until all the lentils have almost completely broken down and created a thick stew and the squash is soft.  You may need additional stock through the cooking process.  You should end up with a porridge-like texture.
Add the butter beans and then the baby spinach and allow it to wilt before serving.

Tip Number 2:  Organise your fridge
Don’t let fruit and vegetables languish at the back of your fridge! Have a couple of containers that you can collect odd items in – a small carrot here and half a pepper there will quickly add up to extra ingredients for a stir fry, curry or soup.  A few berries or slice of pineapple can go in a smoothie. You need to be able to see these items though, so a glass bowl would be ideal.  Collect them at the front of the shelf so you’ll see them when you open the door.  Just about any vegetable can be stir-fried so if you have lettuce you need to use up and don’t fancy a salad, shred it for a stir-fry.

Tip Number 3: Is there a more cost-effective frozen alternative?
It can be cheaper to buy ingredients like prawns, berries and some vegetables frozen rather than fresh, and then just take out the amount you need for a meal. 
The freezer can extend the life of sliced bread or rolls - they freeze well and it doesn’t take long for a few slices or rolls to defrost. 
Also use the freezer to make herbs go further:
If you don’t use all your parsley or coriander at one go, wash and dry it, cut it up and put into a bag in the freezer.  You then just need take out a tablespoon or two for the next recipe or garnish.
Root ginger can also be frozen – peel and cut into tiny pieces, then freeze portions in ice cube trays and pop out the individual cubes into a container or bag  in the freezer until you need them.

Tip Number 4: Be confident and creative when following recipes!
It’s great to try new flavours and experiment with food, but not cost-effective if you’re left with most of the contents of a  jar of anchovies, all but 10 capers and a half bottle of fish sauce you’ve no idea when you’ll use again.  Be confident to add these into another recipe, or substitute something you already have in the cupboard instead of buying a new ingredient.  You can use another sauce, like Worcestershire instead of fish sauce and dried instead of fresh herbs (you will need less dried) or try a different herb altogether.   Be brave – you will create an equally tasty meal. 
Don’t rush to buy ready-made sauces, you can easily make your own; hearty casseroles happily sit in a base of water and herbs, lighter sauces can be made with olive oil and lemon juice, robust curry pastes can be created from minced garlic, ginger, coriander and chilli pepper. 

Tip 5: Are you getting the most from every ingredient?
Make sure you are looking in the right place in the supermarket! Sometimes you will find the same ingredient at a different cost on a different shelf.  A small quantity of spice in ‘home cooking’ could be found by the bag-full for much less in ‘world foods’.
If you regularly use ingredients like almonds, seeds and dried fruit you can buy these in bigger quantities and more cheaply from a shop like the health food shop ‘Grape Tree’.
When you are preparing food, be mindful about what you are using and what you are discarding.  Could those bread crusts be up cycled into tasty croutons or run through your food processor with some cheese and herbs to create a tasty breadcrumb crust?  If you are juicing a lemon (preferably unwaxed…), why not zest it first so you have some lemon flavour for another meal.  If you have time to make a home-made stock, you could use some of your vegetable peelings.

​I hope that keeps a few extra pounds in your pocket even if you are trying to lose a few from your waistline this month…

Mother Nature is donning her autumn cloak but the sunny rays of summer are hanging on,  just like the last few juicy blackberries remaining on the brambles.  Pick them before they go!
Blackberries are perfect in fruit salads and smoothies, vinegar, jam (make it with chia seed and less sugar if you don't want the high sugar content), with yoghurt on your breakfast granola and of course combined with seasonal apples in a warming autumn crumble or pie. Lovely just eaten as a snack but they don't last long once picked. They freeze really well - give them a rinse and lay out on a baking tray, put in the freezer and once frozen bag them up until you need them. 

Blackberries are high in vitamins and minerals, contain potent beneficial antioxidants and fibre, so they are deserving of the 'superfood' label. Berries generally have been the subject of research into brain health and are thought to influence the way neurons communicate.  Other potential benefits include helping to calm inflammation and supporting heart health.  Just a dozen little blackberries would count as one of your 'five a day'.  The blackberries are made up of many little segments called drupelets and  blackberry seed oil is sold as a potent skin remedy.  As the seeds contain a rich source of vitamins C and E, the oil is beneficial for skin regeneration and healing.

So, put on your old jumper (no good saving money on berries but bramble-ripping your favourite coat), find yourself a container and tread your way out to a lovely countryside hedgerow then forage some organic superfood for free.  Taking a walking stick can help you hook down the higher branches - always loaded but just out of reach.  Listen to the birds, feel  the sun on your back, eat a few berries on the way home and all will be good with the world...Until October 11th that is, because tradition has it that there is some underhand blackberry bush magic going on once we get to Michaelmas Day. Likely to be an ancient warning that once this day comes, flies are starting to get to the fruits and, well, uck so pick them soon.

​As the summer approaches and temperatures creep up, thoughts turn to cooler, lighter foods: crisp fresh salads and juicy plump fruits.  One of the real pleasures of longer, warmer days is enjoying a cool thirst-quenching drink and smoothies made from fruits and vegetables are not only refreshing and nutritious but a great way to boost health and vitality. 

​Bursting with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, smoothies are easy to make.  You will find ‘smoothie blends’ in the frozen section of most supermarkets and it’s as simple as mixing some of the frozen contents with water in a blender until you have a drinkable consistency.
The most beneficial smoothie mixes will have some green vegetable in addition to fruits – kale or spinach are popular.

​If you make up your own smoothie blend, you can be as adventurous as you like!  If you are new to smoothie-making, you might find it easier to start off with mostly fruit and a little green vegetable then gradually increase the vegetable content as you get used to the taste.
The liquid you blend your fruit and vegetable with doesn’t have to be water – you could use coconut water, nut milk or yoghurt for example.
Stronger flavours and further health benefits can be achieved with the addition of herbs and spices such as mint, parsley or ginger.
There are also lots of powder additions you can use like spirulina or baobab to further boost levels of minerals, protein and fibre.
Or add some avocado, seeds or nut butter for beneficial fats…
The possibilities are almost endless! 

​Here’s a great, simple combination for a summer smoothie:
Frozen sweet cherries
Coconut water
Baby spinach leaves 
Two mint leaves
Put about 200g frozen cherries, a handful of washed spinach leaves (or just a few if you are new to smoothies …), the mint leaves and enough coconut water to make the consistency you like in a blender.
Blend, pour into a glass and enjoy!

​Tiny, brown, chocolaty cacao nibs are all the rage; and deservedly so.  They are the fragmented seeds of cacao trees and the starting material for making the chocolate found on supermarket shelves.
The seeds are ground to separate the solids and fats, then refined and processed.  Various ingredients are added such as vegetable oils, sugar and flavours. By the time a commercial chocolate bar is made, the healthful properties of the original nibs can be lost, and many less-desirable ingredients added.

​ Buying the original nibs however will give you a product worthy of the ‘superfood’ label.  They contain sulphur, magnesium and iron, vitamins, a variety of phytonutrients and antioxidants along with fibre.
They stimulate feel-good neurotransmitters and can increase focus and alertness. They are a nervous system stimulant and do contain fat and calories, so it’s best to eat them in moderation.
You can use them as you would a seed – sprinkled on salads, in porridge or part of a snack mix, but as we’re approaching Easter, I’m after something more sweet and chocolate-like. I’ve used cacao powder before but not the nibs, so bought a bag to experiment with. They look like chocolate pieces and when the bag is opened a lovely chocolaty aroma drifts out.  So far so good.  They taste crunchy, dry and slightly bitter.  
​To turn them into a sweet treat some fat and sweetness need to be added, so I have turned to Sarah Wilson's ‘I Quit Sugar’ book and borrowed an idea to combine them with coconut oil.  For sweetness, I added some xylitol – this is a sugar substitute made from birch trees.  The result was a sweet, chocolaty, creamy loveliness.
​
(Just in case you have a dog, don’t let them have any cacao or xylitol – both can be toxic for them).

​All you need is:

50g Coconut oil
25g Cacao Nibs (I ground some of the nibs so I had a mixture of powder and pieces).
12g Xylitol (or to taste depending on whether you like your chocolate bitter or sweet).
This will make about 15 small chocolates but you could scale the ingredients up or down.

Method:

Melt the coconut oil in a heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.
Add the cacao nibs, powder and xylitol and stir together.
Pour into ice cube moulds (just half fill the individual sections) and leave in the fridge for about half an hour.  Pop them out when set and leave on a plate in the fridge.  Left out they start to soften and you’d also have to share them…
​
To add some variety, try adding different flavours such as peppermint or vanilla essence, sea salt or chopped almonds.