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The Getting Back to Basics Green Juice and 15 Health Benefits of Turmeric

Posted by 2 · August 09, 2011

It’s now been exactly 10 days since Elliot and moved into our new London home and we’ve been loving every minute of unpacking, unwrapping, hanging paintings, assembling, reorganising, filling shelves, exploring our new neighbourhood, parks, transport routes, gyms and leisure facilities.

So much excitement comes with starting fresh, but I decided I am definitely no fan of packing. How is it possible to accumulate so much crap in just 2 years of living in UK, that four strong men were necessary for the move?

So what my last two weeks have been all about is de-cluttering, deciding, re-thinking, throwing away, recycling, giving away, letting go and getting back to basics.

This week’s recipe fits the theme precisely ...

THE GETTING BACK TO BASICS GREEN JUICE

I have contemplated a little about even posting it, because it is just TOO simple. You’ve all had a Kale, Cucumber and Apple juice, right? Or am I being totally ignorant to assume so?

I love this juice, because even though all three ingredients are combined, there is a perfect balance of each to still taste them individually and that is a really good thing when you’ve been over complicating recipes for a really long time to the point of exhausting your taste buds.

1 Apple

½ Cucumber

1 Bunch Kale

½ tsp Turmeric powder

-Juice all ingredients apart of turmeric

-Stir the turmeric in before serving

Polly Noble came over for some juice and planning (just wait till you hear what it is we are planning for you!!! So exciting! Toooo exciting!!!) and I knew she wouldn’t just handle it, but love it...though don’t say I didn’t warn you about Turmeric in your drinks...

The taste may be a tad overwhelming at first, but you do get used to it (maybe add an extra apple to start) and just take a look at why I make this magical Indian Saffron spice a necessary part of my diet...

15 HEALTH BENEFITS OF TURMERIC

1. Bright yellow pigment contains curcumin, which is an active compound with anti inflammatory actions

2. Similar effect to anti- inflammatory drugs but without the side effects

3. A natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent

4. Good for disinfecting cuts, bruises and burns and speeds up the healing process

5. An amazing natural liver detoxifier, improving liver function

6. Helps remove amyloidal plaque build-up in brain, so praised for preventing Alzheimer’s disease

7. Helps with weight management due to its powerful fat metabolism effects

8. Amazing for treatment of inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis and acne

9. Best known for treating arthritis

10. A potent natural painkiller

11. Reduces the risk of childhood leukaemia and been shown to stop growth of new blood vessels in tumours

12. Really good for your stomach, calming gastric problems

13. Turmeric and onions combined are known to help prevent colon cancer

14. Turmeric and cauliflower combined are known to prevent Prostate cancer

15. Prevents oxidation of cholesterol, preventing your cardiovascular system

Some Turmeric straight out of the spice jar anyone?

2 comments

Sprouting Chart and Guidelines

Posted by 2 · August 03, 2011

Sprouted Adzuki beans

Hey there!

You may have seen my outrage on Facebook yesterday about losing internet connection for an entire day. It hit me like a brick. Yes, it was painful. I thought I was experiencing serious Detox symptoms during my heavy metal detox a while back, but I really had noooo idea what was coming my way when all of a sudden the phone signal AND wifi went bust!

Sprouted wheat

I’ve done ‘internet fast’ challenges in the past and got great pleasure out of it actually, but this time it was completely involuntary, more like a shock, as I simply was not prepared. Somewhere between tearing hair out of my head and freaking out like a mad woman, I finally saw something clearly...

Sprouted Alfalfa

I got my wish! For months now I’ve been dreaming about an opportunity to sit down without any interruptions, go over the stacks of notes from various courses to refresh, gather information that has been piling up, de-clutter to make room for learning more aaaaand make a Sprouting Chart for you too!!...

Sprouted Quinoa

Am I that boring, when THIS is what I’ve been dreaming of? I can’t tell you what a liberating feeling it is to turn a ‘catastrophe’ into an opportunity. Despite a whole day of ‘work’ being lost, I now feel more on top of work, than I have for a long time. Success!

Now... back to that Sprouting Chart...

Raw dry buckwheat

I get so many emails asking instructions on sprouting- Are grains ok? What kinds of seeds? What should water temperature be? How long to soak? How often to rinse? When to harvest? How much to measure?

Sprouted Fenugreek

Finally I managed to squeeze it all down into one simple table. It really is that simple. It only took me a whole day J But now you and I can refer back to this page for ever and ever. Double Success!

GENERAL SPROUTING GUIDELINES

ü Soak all seeds in glass/ceramic/stainless bowl in pure water

ü Feed soaking water to house plants (they thrive on it!) and rinse seeds well

ü Sprout in covered colander/ sprouting bag/ cheese cloth/ jar with mesh

ü Rinse (or water if growing greens in trays) with pure water every 12 hours

ü As a general guideline the sprout length should be roughly the same or twice as big as the seed, (exception: small vegetable seeds will be many times longer and green shoots will be 10cm from the soil)

ü Note, that I have experimented with all these sprouts in UK indoors and at steady semi-dry temperatures of around 23degrees C. Where it is warmer and drier, required sprouting time may double

SPROUTING CHART

Variety	Dry Measure	Yield	Soaking time	Sprouting time	Notes

NUTS
All, but peanuts	1 Cup	1 3/4 C	12 hrs	0 hrs	Soak in cool water, will store 3 weeks in fruidge if in water

SEEDS
Sunflower, hulled	1 Cup	2 Cups	4 hrs	12-24 hrs	Soak in cool water, store dry in fridge
Pumpkin, hulled	1 Cup	1 3/4 C	4 hrs	12-24 hrs	Soak in cool water, store dry in fridge
Sesame, hulled	1 Cup	1 1/2 C	4 hrs	6-12 hrs	Soak in cool water. Do not sprout for longer, they'll be bitter
Buckwheat, hulled	1 Cup	1 3/4 C	1-4 hrs	12-24 hrs	Soak in cool water. Buy Raw groats only

BEANS/ LEGUMES
Lentils	1/2 Cup	2 Cups	12 hrs	3 days	Soak in very warm water to convert starches to complex sugars
Chickpeas / Garbanzo	1/2 Cup	2 Cups	12 hrs	3 days	Soak in very warm water initially. Complete protein
Adzuki	1/2 Cup	4 Cups	12 hrs	4 days	Soak in very warm water initially
Mung	1/2 Cup	4 Cups	12 hrs	3 days	Soak in very warm water initially
Lima/ Pinto/ White/ Red	1/2 Cup	2 Cups	12 hrs	3 days	Soak in very warm water initially
Green peas	1/2 Cup	1 1/2 C	12 hrs	3 days	Soak in very warm water initially

GRAINS
Wheat/ Kamut	1 Cup	3 Cups	6 hrs	2 days	Soak in very warm water initially
Spelt	1 Cup	3 Cups	6 hrs	2 days	Soak in very warm water initially
Rye	1 Cup	3 Cups	6 hrs	2 days	Soak in very warm water initially
Barley	1 Cup	2 1/2 C	6 hrs	12 hrs	Soak in very warm water initially. Doesn't sprout
Corn	1/2 Cup	2 Cups	12 hrs	2 days	Soak in very warm water initially

ALKALIZING GRAINS
Quinoa	1 Cup	3 Cups	3-6 hrs	24 hrs	Soak in very warm water initially. Most calcium
Millet	1 Cup	3 Cups	6 hrs	12 hrs	Soak in very warm water initially. Most alkalizing of grains
Amaranth	1 Cup	3 Cups	3-6 hrs	24 hrs	Soak in very warm water initially
Teff	1 Cup	3 Cups	3-6 hrs	24 hrs	Soak in very warm water initially

SMALL VEGETABLES
Alfalfa	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water
Cabbage	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water
Clover	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water
Kale	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water
Mustard	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water. Spicy
Radish	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water. Spicy
Turnip	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	4 days	Soak in cool water
Fenugreek	1/4 Cup	4 Cups	6-12 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water. Dissolves mucous

GREENS/ SHOOTS
Wheatgrass	1 Cup	1 tray	12 hrs	7-10 days	Sprinkle over dirt in tray, see more
Sunflower greens	1 Cup	1 tray	12 hrs	7-10 days	Sprinkle over dirt in tray, see more
Snow pea shoots	1 Cup	1 tray	24 hrs	7-10 days	Sprinkle over dirt in tray, see more
Buckwheat lettuce	1 Cup	1 tray	12 hrs	7-10 days	Sprinkle over dirt in tray, see more

9 comments

Why sprout and which sprouts are the healthiest? (VIDEO)

Posted by 2 · July 21, 2011

Do you sprout at home? I am talking chickpeas (garbanzo beans), lentils, wheatgrass, mung and adzuki beans, grains, nuts, seeds, young green shoots, small vegetable seeds and the list goes on. I just love love love sprouting for so many reasons, here are only a few:

· It’s fun! There are so many sprouts to play with, you’ll never be bored. Watching them grow is really quite satisfying, I’ve been called a sprout whisperer once, OK maybe twice :)

· Available all year. You can sprout anytime and become your own indoor-gardener

· It’s easy. Don’t get sucked into sprouting equipment and gadgets, I still to this day only use bowls and jars to get the most beautiful sprouts, just allow yourself to muck up at first

· It’s economical. I pay £3 for a small box of ready sprouted chickpeas and £1 for a whole pack of dried chickpeas. From that one pack, I could sprout upto 6 small box equivalent and save £17! Cha-ching!

· Nutrient powerhouses. Of all the available land-based fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds- sprouts offer by far the best nutritional value. High five!

· Bioactive food. Did you know sprouts are the only plant based food that is still growing as you eat it?

· Ease on digestion. Being a living food, sprouts are absolutely packed with enzymes

· Pesticide free. Growing your own sprouts, you can be certain they will be free from pesticides and chemicals

· Freshness. You can be sure of the top quality and freshness every time

· Medicinal properties. Sprouts can be 100 times more concentrated in vitamins and minerals than mature organic vegetables. Better than supplements!

I am planning to put together a Sprouting chart for you over the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for that... In the mean time, here is a video clip from a presentation I did on Sprouting at this year's Raw Food Conference in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. Discover which sprouts are better than others, I categorised them for you even..

WHICH SPROUTS ARE THE HEALTHIEST?

Click on the image or do directly here to watch: http://youtu.be/6s19xAwjo_s

4 comments

Seduced in the Press! (book review by Funky Raw magazine)

Posted by 2 · July 18, 2011

Hello my beautiful people!

I've just received the Summer issue of Funky Raw magazine in the mail. It is always such a good and entertaining read with lots of new ideas, recipes, food preparation tips, short stories and poetry. This particular issue has a special feature on earthing, grounding and walking barefoot. Love it!

Aaaand guess what's on page 9! My eBook Seduced- Raw Chocolate Recipes to get very excited for has been reviewed by Jessie Maguire. And what a glowing review it is, I can't wipe the ear to ear grin off!

"The photography is just divine, but the recipes are magnificently simple, with special tips included in every one. Each recipe has a matching tea too. A nice touch"

"These are recipes that will yield a very sophisticated result"

"The Pina Colada Roulade, gorgeous chocolate rolls, which look so soft and melt-in-your-mouth, just make me feel like Tanya is taking everything to a new level here in terms of luxury, style, beauty!"

Even one of my recipes was featured, so I guess it's only fair to share it with you here too hah. Oh alright then, you talked me into it :) :)...

MATCHA MOONS

(Green tea and macadamia truffles from Seduced book)

1 Cup Macadamia
2 Tbsp Agave
2 Tbsp Coconut Butter, melted
1 Tbsp Matcha green tea powder
¼ tsp Salt
Coat in Dark &Daring chocolate recipe

-Process macadamia nuts in a food processer with an S blade. A smaller compact processer works best
-Add the coconut butter and process again
-Add the rest of ingredients and combine well
-Transfer to the fridge to set for minimum of an hour or leave overnight
-When ready, roll into even sized balls and return to the fridge
[TIP: to make certain you get perfectly equal sized balls, create your ideal sized one first, weigh it on kitchen scales (mine were 10g) and then weight identical scoops before rolling]

-Prepare the Dark &Daring chocolate recipe
-One at a time place a ball on a fork in one hand and pour the chocolate over it with a spoon in the other hand
-Once completely coated, carefully slide each ball off the fork with a toothpick or a small knife onto non stick or lined tray. You can also just dip the balls, but note that since they are cold, they are likely to cool the chocolate mixture which will begin to solidify inside the bowl

2 comments

A massive 25 kg weight loss and feeling like a champion (testimonial)

Posted by Tanya Maher · July 05, 2011

As you guys were following (and joining in on) my detox progress via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn a few weeks ago, I was much more interested in yours and all I could say is WOW.

So many of you pairing up, getting into groups, motivating yourself, motivating others (and me!), loving it, hating it, excelling, struggling, keeping at it and celebrating huge successes.

I am inspired by you and your feedback every day, but it’s not very fair to keep it all to myself, is it? There are sooo many testimonials I would love to share below (and will eventually), but for now I couldn’t wait for you to meet Melissa and Cliff Coombe!!

They are an incredible couple, who got onto doing one of my two menu plans in ‘Purified Your Complete 7 Day Detox Program’ only to find themselves feeling so good after a week, that they carried on with the second one... and then did it all again. Pounds started shedding off, cravings for processed food vanishing, energy levels sky rocketing and after 8 short weeks, they lost a combined total of 6 stone! That is 38 kilograms! 84 pounds!!!

Just look at Mel and Cliff BEFORE and AFTER:

Amazing right? Here’s what Cliff had to say...

What was your initial concern before you started the Detox Program?
Being sustained enough to keep off the crappy old diet

How has your concern changed after completing the Detox Program?
No cravings anymore, I am completely sustained for the first time in my life, could never pass a bakery without my lorry stopping until now. I have gained some life skills that I can carry forward and add to!

What results/benefits did you get after completing the Detox Program?
Gained superior knowledge about nutrition from additional information on ingredients in the book, lost 2 stone [12.7 kg] almost straight away and have gone on to lose another 2 stone as I repeated the program. Skin has improved greatly, more energy, sleep better, feel more able to handle stressful situations

What was the most challenging part during the Detox Program?
Shopping on a budget. But then it isn’t so hard when you look. Found a great wholesale Veg/fruiters that sell retail at fantastic prices, good value and superior quality. Five kilos of winter root veg for £2.50 ! Gazpacho heaven. Five carrier bags comes to around £15 per week. Found supermarkets very expensive and inferior.

Who would you recommend this eBook to?
Anyone and everyone

Any final comments?
The results speak for themselves! People have asked me WOW how did you do that , I tell them, spend time with them explaining the benefits, the prep, the costs, the plan, only for them to say "oh no I couldn’t possibly do that, I don’t like nuts, veg, fruit, I can’t afford it, my partner won’t like it", bloody frustrating. So now I just say watching what I eat and comment no more! But they want to know more! As for cost, what price do you put on your health? I have to note I have done no physical activity, have not joined a gym, and have still lost FOUR stone [25.4 kg] in 2 months and I feel great. Thank you Tanya and keep up the good work

Check out Cliff and Mel’s kitchen plastered in recipe print outs from ‘Purified’:

Have you given your body just 7 Days to get Purified?

NO- Take a look at what you will find in a done-for-you, simple-to-follow downloadable Detox Program here

YES- I would love to hear how you got on! You may not think so, but I am eternally grateful for every word of feedback I receive and this will ultimately benefit you later on. Tell me tell me tell me! (pleeeease:))

3 comments

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