Xmas is often described as ‘the season to be merry’. Though it is well known that alcohol is not without risk and studies show that it can also impact upon the microbiome, leading to potential dysbiosis, especially in excessive amounts.

With my trip to Amchara Health in Gozo for a long weekend juice fast just around the corner, I am getting ahead with my food plan and bringing in some ‘cleanse’ focus foods. Whether you are preparing for a health retreat holiday or simply working on refreshing your own diet, these are some great tips.

What to eat when cleansing your body.

There is no official definition of a "detox diet," but when we decide to take time out to rest our bodies and allow for high level nutrition whilst removing the items we know to be detrimental – namely refined sugar, high saturated fats, processed foods, caffeine and alcohol – there are some key foods which will help to support the process.

I am often asked ‘do you work in female hormones’? Since qualifying in 2010, I have helped 100’s of clients to achieve a better quality of life, 90% of these have been women so the answer is – yes, absolutely.

Hormones such as oestrogen, testosterone, progesterone, adrenaline, thyroid hormones and insulin — are extremely important chemical messengers that affect many aspects of our overall health. When hormonal imbalance occurs, we see issues such as infertility, PCOS, Endometriosis, weight gain, acne, fertility issues and PMT (to name just a few).

My job is then to assess the client case and work out WHY hormones have become imbalanced. We then work to restore the balance which is so important to longevity.

It’s a classic situation. Most of us have been there. Having spent hours, days, weeks or potentially the whole year dreaming of a wonderful Christmas day – we end up with food coma, collapsed on the sofa with a degree of discomfort.

 There are some simple and easy ways to avoid this. We can enjoy the indulgences of Christmas without the agony of gastro-intestinal distress or the requirement for antacids.

During my time at Amchara Retreat in Gozo this month I made good use of the sauna spending most evenings in a state of warm and wonderful sauna bliss.

It feels so incredibly good to be warm and relaxed with intermittent trips to the cold shower. Do we need research to explain that this process is good for us? Well, feeling amazing has always been good enough for me. However, I do appreciate that others value research to back up with sound physiology what we already know – it feels great. So read on and let’s explore some research …

Fennel and Lime Dahl Recipe

A delicious concoction of onions and garlicgentled cooked in coconut oil with turmeric infused lentils all wrapped up in a nest of liquorice scented fennel fronds.

5 Moves Towards a more Plant-based diet

Why would make small changes towards a plant-based diet?

Read on to get some tips on how and why we should follow a more plant-based food plan. I am not talking ‘all out veganism’ unless that is your aim then all good. But more about the personal and global responsibilities we have towards our own bodies and the planet.

A plant-based diet is one based on plants, which is very different from a vegan diet which may indeed be based on plants but is sometimes rich in processed vegan alternatives. Here we are considering how to bring wholesome and health boosting nutrients into our daily food plans and why that would be a good idea.

Broccoli and Dill Soup

On a chilly day in Paris last weekend, I came across a little café serving this wonderfully green and comforting soup. Dill - with its name derived from the Old Norse word “dilla,” which means to soothe – is the perfect herb to add flavour to a dish in these Spring months. It is both incredibly flavoursome with its pungent taste and aroma and of great nutritional value.

Wonderful recipe of spiced butternut squash and gluten free turmeric pancakes - perfect February supper.

I popped into my local greengrocers the other day. When passing I always take a moment to look around and get inspired by the different fruits and veggies. Once I had spotted the smoked garlic, the unwaxed lemons and the beautiful Romano peppers I felt a hummus dish was on the menu so grabbed a purple cauliflower too for dipping and a few cans of chickpeas.

We are so lucky to have such shops on our doorstep here in Sussex. Let’s be sure to use small businesses so they can remain open!

Over the past 12 years of working with clients on digestive complaints, I find that many people have lived with poor digestive health for many years without the causative factors being looked into. Many people believe that their tummy issues are to do with food triggers. They may be avoiding certain foods such as gluten, dairy or wheat and potentially taking medications too such as Omeprazole or Gaviscon which come along with their own set of side effects.

Get your gut back to a calmer place before Christmas 2022. Read on and if this blog resonates, it is well worth getting your symptoms looked into.

I am offering a 10% discount on your first initial consultation for those booking prior to Xmas either with or without testing.

This recipe is based on the wonderful tomato sauce which featured in our Hurst Festival pop up in September. The sauce was used to stuff Cannelloni which was then baked with a bechamel sauce.

We were blessed to have the pasta hand-made by my colleague Tanya. If you are keen to have a go, then stay tuned as I will be posting this recipe too. However, if you are purchasing pasta instead, read on as I have included some brand tips below.

The star of the show here is jackfruit, a fruit often used in plant-based cooking to substitute the meaty texture of a fibrous meat such as pork.

Despite its reputation as a replacement for pork or chicken in many main dishes, jackfruit does not compete with these animal products in terms of protein, therefore it is important to add a plant-based protein to a jackfruit dish such as lentils or black beans.

A warming autumnal soup recipe made up of seasonal and local veggies, bursting with flavour and rich in protective compounds known as phytonutrients. Swap the sweet potatoes for squash if your veggie box this week contains this root vegetable. Keep it seasonal and local :)

Try our healthy vegetarian dips from our latest pop up foodie workshop.

Is all stress bad stress? Learn 5 top tips to mildly stress your body with health boosting benefits. The concept of ‘hormesis’ is fascinating. All of these tips can be combined into our lives on a daily or weekly basis. Or we can visit a cleanse retreat to give ourselves a week long reminder of how good it feels. Whatever you choose, we can certainly learn a few handy tips for promoting longevity by following the ‘hormesis’ research ….

Pancake day is March 1st this year, always falling the day before Lent begins. This day, otherwise known as “Shrove Tuesday”, is traditionally a day of feasting before the 40-day fast of Lent, which kicks off on Ash Wednesday: the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before Lent.

So, on this note, I have added a great dollop of mascarpone to the mix in order to maximise taste whilst blending in a healthy dose of spinach and tomatoes. For those who find gluten hard to digest then you will be fine with this recipe as I’ve used a great flour from Dove’s Farm who are all about quality grain and organic farming.

January is such a great month for sourcing new recipes, focusing our attention on liver health. here we have a creamy coconut broth rich in health boosting compounds.