My own pot of gold


Sometimes you just throw ingredients together and it works

I love experimenting with food, throwing things together, I rarely follow recipes exactly, it’s just the way I like to cook. As a vegan, one of the few things I have to be really vigilant I’m not missing is B12. This dish has it in abundance

Butternut, beetroot and chard bulgar


Ingredients
1 butternut squash (chopped finely)
4 beetroot
2 handful of chard
2 cups bulgar
1 cup nooch (nutritional yeast)
Basil/garlic/nooch/olive dressing


method

1- make dressing by blending 2 handfuls of basil, 1 cup olive oil, 5 cloves of garlic and 1/2 cup nooch
2 - boil the bulgar - 1 cup water per cup bulgar. Bring to boil in a heavy based saucepan, then reduce to a simmer till water absorbed and bulgar fluffy, add 1/2 cup nooch one done.
3 - place the chopped veg into individual oven dishes, cover in basil dressing. Roast at 220• for 50 minutes
4 - mix the bulgar and the veggies together
5 - eat hot or cold


​great as a side dish

​Ayurveda is the ancient art of healing from India.  In Ayurvedic medicine we all have 3 Dosha’s (types) in us in varying degrees and the predominant Dosha helps to determine how to help bring your body to balance.  Everything has parts of all these 3 doshas, food, herbs, seasons etc.
 
Vata – Ether and Air
Pitta –  Fire and Water
Kapha – Water and Earth
 
Certain herbs are known as tridoshic, this means that they are balancing for all 3 Dosha’s.  Some of these herbs are Coriander, Cumin and Fennel.  These three herbs are what make up the herbal formula for three seed tea or CCF.  It is no coincidence that these 3 herbs feature heavily in Indian Cooking.
 
It is very simple to make.  Place a ½ tsp of each herb into a tea strainer. Pour boiling water over the seeds, fill the cup and let steep for 10 minutes, then drink.
 
Three seed tea is a wonderful digestive tea, it can help a variety of issues:

• Bloating
• Wind
• Fluid retention
• Increased milk supply for nursing mothers
• Colic – through breast milk
• Weight loss
• Warms the digestive fire
• Detoxifying

 
In Ayurveda digestive fire is vital for health, if you digest properly you absorb what you eat efficiently, this results in your body having the building blocks it needs for health, energy and vitality.  This is why I place so much focus on the digestive tract.  It really is the seat of all health.

So why these 3 herbs for digestion?

Coriander
It's coriander seed that is used in this formula.  Coriander is a cooling herb.  This gentle herb ignites the digestive fire without aggravating stomach acid

Cumin
This is a spice for women (well and men), it supports the female reproductive system, supporting a healthy menstrual cycle and menopause.  It has historically been used for fibroids and for healthy lactation.
Cumin is a wonder herb when it comes to digestion, clearing digestive toxins, improves nutrient absorption and increases metabolism and the digestive fire.

Fennel
Fennel has a very distinct taste, in western herbal traditions it is commonly used for dispersing wind.  In Ayurvedic medicine it is revered as one of the best spices for rebalancing the digestive fire and metabolism.
Fennel is used for bloating, gas, abdominal pain, reducing gas.

As a practitioner I use this tea alongside tailored herbal formulas to help bring you back into balance.
 
Contact the clinic to book an appointment
 
 
 
To find out more, you can contact Carina at
T -(087) 0978880,
E -  info@itsanaturalchoice.com
W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com,
A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922

Rhubarb season is here and this gorgeous pink stemmed, large leafed perennial plant is mainly used in jams, compotes and desserts as a fruit, although I have made a delicious beetroot and rhubarb soup in the past.
 
This gorgeous plant gives a strikingly sharp taste to whatever you add it to, it will make you pucker your lips and squint in a delicious way.
 
I make a compote and add it to porridge, coconut yoghurt, salads, on toast and in my granola bar recipe so I don’t need to used sugar to keep them rhobust.
 
But did you know that Rhubarb is a super plant and used in many ancient medicines for it’s many medicinal qualities, it has been shown to:

• Lower cholesterol
• Antiseptic
• Gallbladder stimulator
• Antispasmodic
• Digestive tonic
• Laxative
• Diuretic
• Demulcent

 
So today I thought I’d share my rhubarb compote recipe
 Rhubarb Compote
Ingredients
6 stalks of rhubarb
6 strawberries
½ cup blueberries
1 orange juiced
1 Tbsp maple syrup
 
Method
Chop all the fruit
Place the fruit in a saucepan
Add the maple syrup and orange juice
Bring to the boil and simmer till dissolved
Allow to cool
Transfer to jars


Coconut Yoghurt
There are no fancy tricks or expensive equipment involved here. Just 2 simple ingredients required!

All you need is 
• coconut milk 
• probiotic capsules, which (if you’re like me) you probably have in your cupboard right now. Score!

This is a 3-step process:
1) Empty coconut milk into a clean glass jar or bowl.
2) Top with probiotic and stir.
3) Cover with cheesecloth and wait.
That’s it! Seriously – it doesn’t get any easier than this. And the result is phenomenal!

I use:
• Biokult
• Udo’s super 8
• Optibac

 
Bircher Muesli
Ingredients
(Serves 1)

• 25g oats
• 1 tbsp chopped dried apricots or other dried fruit of your choice
• 6 tbsp apple juice
• 1 dessert apple, coarsely grated
• Splash of non dairy milk, to loosen
• Handful of almonds, roughly chopped
• Spoonful of coconut yoghurt, to top
• Honey/maple syrup, to top (optional)

 
 
Diretctions

1. Soak the oats and dried fruit in the apple juice overnight.
2. Put the apple in a bowl, along with a pinch of salt.
3. Add enough milk to bring to a loose porridgey consistency. Sprinkle with the nuts and add a dollop of yoghurt, plus a drizzle of honey if you have a sweet tooth. Serve immediately.

Bircher muesli: rabbit food or a superlative piece of Swiss precision engineering? What do you add to yours? And which other great breakfasts can you prepare the night before?

 
 
 
 
To find out more, you can contact Carina at
T -(087) 0978880,
E -  info@itsanaturalchoice.com
W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com,
A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922
 

Ok so we all have a problem with memory now and again, whether its forgetting where your car keys are or constantly forgetting things.
 
There are a number of herbs that help improve memory and the retention of information, here are some of my favourite
 
Tulsi – Tulsi also known as Holy Basil/Ocimum sanctum is a herb often used in Ayurvedic medicine.  One of the reasons I prescribe Tulsi is to help retain information.  From school exams to learning bridge, this tea can help you remember information with a  higher accuracy whilst taking it
 
Rosemary, Thyme and Sage – yes the common garden herb you love on your roast lamb and potatoes.  These herbs have a fabulous affinity for the mind and improving memory.
 
Gingko biloba – I just love this herb, useful for the lungs and the brain, like the name suggests it has 2 lobes like the brain.  This herb is also very useful for detoxing, gingko trees line the streets of central London, planted to help rebalance the levels of toxins in the air from traffic.
 
Turmeric – yes this herb really does do everything.  I have found results are often better form the whole turmeric rather than curcumin extracts.  Another favourtie herb in Ayurvedic medicine.
 
Bacopa – this herb is known as a no-otropic, which means it enhances cognition, memory and learning
 
Ashwaganda – this beauty has been shown to increase – attention span, immediate and general memory and rate of absorption of information.
 
You can buy some of these herbs over the counter but as a herbalist I put together the most appropriate herbs for what you are describing.
 
To find out more, you can contact Carina at
T -(087) 0978880,
E -  info@itsanaturalchoice.com
W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com,
A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922

Summer is on the way (hopefully) so how can you get healthy for summer?
 
1 – Going to a BBQ?  Take the chicken/fish and have loads of fresh salads, make salads with oil dressing rather than Mayonaise based.   Use quinoa where you would use rice or pasta.


2 – Hydrate – make sure you are drinking plenty water - the average is 2L - this is roughly 4 pints or 8 glasses.  You can include herbal teas in this but black tea and coffee are not included.


3 – Don’t skip meals – skipping meals will slow your metabolism and you are more likely to binge later.  We've all had one of those days where we eat very little during the day and end up more than making up for it that evening.  This also means that you are trying to digest large amounts in  one go and are likely to go to bed with a digestive tract full of food.


4 – Consistency – 1 healthy meal a week isn’t going to make you healthy just as one not so healthy meal won’t make you super unhealthy either – be consistent


5 – Own your junk – we all have those inner thoughts that trip us up.  Own yours, recognise them and decide they are not winning this battle.  No one is perfect so stop beating yourself up.  Being kind to yourself is more likely to lead you to eat better for yourself.


6 – Dib dib dib – be prepared – have tasty and healthy foods in the fridge and cupboards.  Don’t buy foods for others you are trying not to eat.  If it’s unhealthy why would you give it to someone you love?


7 – Make your focus health not weight!  This really helps.  Weight loss has so many negative conotations for so many people, feelings of lack of self worth, body image, social expectations.  You remove all of that by choosing to make your goal health or healthy eating


8 – Don’t be a food fanatic – keep your mindset balanced.  It’s not all or nothing, it’s having a good, healthy attitude towards food


9 – Get out!! – get out when the weather is nice – increases Vitamin D absorption and helps your mindset.

​
10 – Love the person in the mirror – be nice to yourself, if you’re not where you want to be yet, that’s ok, but you will get there easier if you support yourself rather than beat yourself with a stick.
 
If you are looking for help to feel a bit better by summer book in with Carina for her 3 month program
 
 
To find out more, you can contact Carina at
T -(087) 0978880,
E -  info@itsanaturalchoice.com
W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com,
A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922

​I changed my diet to a vegan diet last year.  I had been vegetarian for 28 years and decided to change over to a complete plant based diet for health reasons of my own. 
 
It can be daunting to change to a vegan diet, it can seem limiting, a lot of people don’t fully understand Vegan diets or believe It to be fairly extreme.  The truth is I found it quite easy when I put my mind to it.
 
There have been a lot of social media posts about companies creating products like Vegan sausage rolls so I decided to make my own recipe, simply.

This recipe uses some vegan products already out there to keep it simple.
 
Sausage roll
Ingredients

• 6 vegan sausages - I used Linda McCartneys
• 1 packet of mushrooms
• 6 Tbsp caramelised onions - I make my own
• oat milk – for egg wash
• 1 packet of puff pastry – Vegan version - I used Just roll

Method

1. blend the sausages and mushrooms in a blender
2. roll the pasty and divide into 6 equal portions
3. place 1 Tbsp of caramelised onion onto each piece of pastry and spread over half that piece (leave space along the edges
4. top this with the blended sausage and mushroom
5. dab the oat milk around the edges of the pastry and then fold ove to encase the mix in the pastry
6. press the edges down with a fork
7. wash the top of the pastry with the remainding oat milk
8. place in a preheated oven, high, for 20 minutes till golden brown
9. remove from oven and eat hot or cold with salad.

 

Caramelised Onions
INGREDIENTS
• 2 tablespoons oil - olive/coconut/rapeseed
• 3 large red onions sliced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar/agave syrup
• 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a frypan over low heat.
2. Add the onions to the pan and a good pinch of salt and cook very slowly for 15-20 minutes, stir occasionally to prevent them from catching. (Don't be tempted to turn the heat up, as you don't want the onions to burn.)
3. When onions are softened and golden, add the sugar and balsamic - this will start the caramelisation process.
4. Cook the onions over low heat for a further 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sticky and caramelised.
5. Use immediately, or store in the fridge, in a sterilised jar or plastic container, and use when required.

Follow It’s A Natural Choice on social media for more recipes
To find out more, you can contact Carina at
T -(087) 0978880,
E -  info@itsanaturalchoice.com
W - www.itsanaturalchoice.com,
A - Lisnolan, Manulla, Castlebar, Co Mayo, F23 C922