Food is fabulous all year round, but in summer, the freshest flavours really explode onto our plates! I’m a firm believer in all fresh foods as superfoods, but broad beans are one of those real nutrient powerhouses that absolutely must be seen regularly in a healthy diet, making the most of the seasonal stars. Health-wise,…
Fennel is another of those ‘marmite’ foods – you either love it or hate it, depending on whether or not you’re a fan of the flavour of aniseed! Its flavour is also rather different raw, thinly sliced in a salad, than it is cooked. An easy vegetable to cook braised, roasted or as a gratin,…
You might think the green juice thing is a bit off-putting for a number of reasons, but there’s nothing easier or more refreshing than cucumber and mint in a smoothie made for a summer’s day, for breakfast or a cooling snack. Peel a whole cucumber, cut small chunks straight into a smoothie maker or blender,…
Are you overwhelmed by the thousands of ‘proven diets’ out there and do not know what you should be eating? Do you tend to reach out for food when you’re stressed, angry or sad? Are you feeling sluggish, low of energy and unhappy with your weight? Are you fed up and frustrated that you keep…
The summer’s here, and the summer means strawberries. There are many ways to use them, apart from the ever-wonderful lusciously red slivers drizzled with cream. They go surprisingly well with pepper, basil, and in salads and savoury dishes, expanding their versatility beyond cakes, desserts and preserves. So, this week, I’m sharing a strawberry recipe for…
The sun has deserted us today, but summer is on its way, and the spectre of beaches, skimpier clothes and revealing our limbs to the sun begins to loom! Keep calm, and try this weight loss wonder…… This recipe is a fresh and lovely light lunch or snack which feels indulgent, but actually packs us…
Easter is upon us, along with the school hols, meaning two things – chocolate and keeping the kids occupied! It’s a while since I’ve posted a sweet recipe, and my mission to ‘healthify’ popular treats has moved to a cake already containing a vegetable element – the inimitable carrot cake! A healthy cake recipe? A…
One of the questions I’m frequently asked is what kind of foods are good as a healthy snack or easy light lunch. Dips with lots of veg crudités can be an excellent choice, especially if home made, and light on creamy ingredients. This one is a corker, based on tahini, so it’s creamy, rich and…
Sneezes and itchy eyes seem to have hit lots of people at the moment, and there are certainly a couple of nasty viruses about. With the spring beginning to make its presence felt, though, allergy season has also begun. The break in the persistent rain, and a spell of warmer weather, means the early pollens are…
The early season asparagus is starting to appear – one of my favourite veg, so as always I’m planning to make the most of its short but scrumptious season. What an amazing nutrient-packed spear it is too! As always, the fresher and more local, the better, so make the most of seasonal offerings, for your…
This week’s recipe is a delectable dahl with homemade naan, very easy, and a great way of eating more pulses to boost the intake and absorption of brain-balancing, mood-enhancing nutrients essential for mental health, reduce inflammation and generally provide a delicious dose of healthy comfort food. For an added aspect, make the naan breads to…
So, what healthy, easy and delicious recipe to share this week? With requests for a couple of the recipes I’ve used at events/classes recently, I thought I’d get those out to people. A healthier version of a sweet treat, and the oh-so-quick-and-easy homemade loaf you can put on the table in less than an hour…
February. Sigh. In the light (or lack of it..) of the weather and time of year, the recipe this week has to focus on breakfast as the mainstay of winter healthy (h)eating! Here’s a recipe with a definite winter slant, an amazing way to start the day, especially in this wet, wild, wintry weather. Keep…
The sugar detox is the latest food fad creating headlines and TV progs, everywhere you look it seems. The inevitable bandwagon is rolling along predictably, gathering so many passengers that it must be in danger of toppling over. The original sugar detox guru does use sweet foods, like chocolate and rice syrup. Other ‘diets’ advocate…
What’s a naturally nourishing seasonal recipe for January? The winter, and especially January, are kale season, so a lovely kale recipe it is! Kale is everywhere at the moment, and rightly so – it’s the daddy of nutritious greens. It’s a potent source of plant betacarotene, cancer-fighting sulphorophane and indoles, as well as vitamins C…
SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, is more common in the UK than we might think. Weak, watery winter sunshine, if we get any at all, doesn’t exactly encourage us to get out and about, leaving us at risk of low vitamin D and serotonin levels. So if you, or someone you know, seems to retreat…
For those of us lucky enough to live in the South West of the UK, it plays a surprising role in our life expectancy – we have the highest life expectancy in the country! Very good news for me and my fellow Devonians and Cornish piskies, but what about tips for us all to live…
So, for the recipe this week, what about something ‘clean’? A chicken recipe, but a chilli too? After the seasonal indulgence, with a plethora of diets, detoxes and all sorts of regimes flying about (my thoughts on these later in the week!!) what we could do with is maximum nutrition, fantastic taste and that winter…
How about this simple but luscious, comparatively light and healthy recipe for a bit of NYE entertaining? Really useful if you have to feed lots of people, and also easy on the crockery as napkins or picnic plates could be used Bring a fragrant, exotic flavour to your celebrations, no matter how large or small, to…
Another new year, another new diet plan? Your weight is a reflection of yourself, your life and your relationship with food. We all have a ‘happy’ weight, a natural shape that we are born to be, and which we naturally find when eating the way we are designed to eat. Factors such as stress, lifestyle,…
The Christmas cooking has really started now we’re getting so close to the celebrations! With an eye on healthy diet recipes for the Christmas season for my family, I spent last night experimenting with gravadlax – I wanted a change from smoked salmon, so curing my own salmon seemed like a great idea. One of…
I hope everyone in the Trinity family is feeling more excited than exhausted as Christmas Day draws closer Festivities have probably well and truly started, with work parties, soirees and even our own traditional Crimbo treats piled into the weekly shop! Keeping the calories and alcohol under control is often at the back of our minds…
Running around in crowded places getting the Christmas preparations sorted leaves the way wide open for other people’s coughs and colds. Not the best present for yourself or the rest of the family! The gut counts for nearly half of our immune function, and not just for gastro illness, but colds and flu too. If…
Stressed? This time of year can create stress in a variety of ways. And all while we’re supposed to be joyful and full of goodwill! Staying balanced and calm means keeping on top of what you eat and how you think, so follow these simple steps to start taking control: – eat fresh food, and…
Very possibly made my year when I read about doctors tackling Government and pharmaceutical companies in the papers today – ‘They talk up their medicine and then it is very often a damp squib. We want some sort of focus on prevention. Educating all generations, including our children, in the importance of a good diet…
What’s naturally nourishing in….. December? With Christmas on our doorstep, and some wonderful seasonal greens, here’s a healthy diet side dish that’s not just suitable for the Festive Feast, it’s great all through the winter for some serious nutrients, and uses the love-them-or-hate-them Marmite of greens – Brussels sprouts! There’s no doubt about it, sprouts…