by Sally | Jun 12, 2014 | Recipes
egg, gluten, nut and dairy free
Ideal for summer picnics and lazy afternoon snacks in your garden, this is another great recipe from Alice Sherwood’s ‘Allergy-free Cookbook’. Serve with new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, oatcakes, rice cakes or crudites.
To serve 4 you will need:
200g plain, natural soya or coconut yoghurt
225g cream cheese or silken tofu for dairy-free option. Use 1 tbsp olive oil if using silken tofu.
1-2 tbsp olive oil
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 small garlic clove, skinned & crushed
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chervil
4 spring onions, finely chopped
ground black pepper to taste
Place all the ingredients in a food processer or blender and whizz until blended. Season to taste. The dip can be stored covered in a fridge for up to 24hrs.
by Sally | Jun 12, 2014 | foods, Recipes
egg, gluten, dairy and nut free
This colourful tasty dip is ideal for parties or make a smaller version for your own vibrant light lunch! The recipe is from Alice Sherwood’s ‘Allergy-free Cookbook’ which has a wealth of ideas for gluten, dairy, egg and nut free meals, snacks and desserts.
For a party sized dish you will need:
3 avocadoes
juice of 1 lemon or lime
450g can refried beans (or use a mixed bean salad and crush the mixture up)
500ml dairy-free soured cream or plain soya yoghurt
1/4 tsp chilli powder
2 green peppers, chopped
340g drained, pitted and halved black olives
8 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
750g dairy-free cheese, coarsely grated
chopped coriander and spring onions to garnish
Peel and mash the avocadoes with the lemon or lime juice. In a glass bowl, layer the ingredients starting with the beans as the base, then the avocadoes, soured cream or yoghurt, green peppers, olives, tomatoes and red onion. Top it all with cheese, coriander and spring onions.
by Sally | May 13, 2014 | Blog
Are you looking for natural solutions for your IBS symptoms?
Fed up of pain, bloating, fatigue and upset bowel 
movements interfering with your life?
Join us on Tuesday 17th June for an evening of helpful practical information on natural solutions for IBS.
I’ll be there talking about how foods and nutrients can support your bowels and give you smooth, comfortable digestion, and I’m joined by…
-
Tiziana Bertinotti from York Traditional Acupuncture who will be sharing her wealth of knowledge and skills about how acupuncture provides fantastic relief for IBS sufferers
-
Jo Morrell, a registered nurse, Hypnotherapist and EFT practitioner who will be sharing fantastic techniques for managing stress and anxiety and relieving IBS symptoms
The event is taking place at Millers Yard, Gillygate, York – to book your place see our Eventbrite page. There will be light refreshments and plenty of time to ask questions and find out what you really need to know about managing IBS. We look forward to seeing you there!
If you have any questions about the event or about how natural solutions can help with IBS call me on 07910 705272 or email me at sallyduffin@nutritioninyork.co.uk
by Sally | Apr 22, 2014 | Blog
Soft, smooth glowing skin comes from within; what you choose to eat and supplement with has a direct impact upon your skin health. Using the latest expensive skin cream will only get you so far- if you love McDonalds and Cola too much your skin will suffer no matter what you slather on it!
If your skin is suffering try these simple tips and techniques for soothing and restoring your glow…
- Lets start with the basics – drink plenty of water! Think of how an old uneaten orange looks all wrinkled and shrivelled – thats what happens to your skin cells when they dehydrate. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and alcohol all serve to dehydrate your skin and any sugar content has a double whammy effect as sugar damages the protein matrix forming your skin’s structure.
- Oils; even if oily skin and acne is your problem you still need plenty of healthy oils. The essential fats found in fish, krill, flaxseed, pumpkin seed and nut oils help maintain your skins natural oil levels and reduce inflammation. Diets low in oils mean the skin has to work harder to maintain its oil balance and can over produce, causing excess oiliness. Eczema or psoriasis? Try massaging your skin with coconut oil. Naturally solid at room temperature, coconut oil melts on contact with the skin and is rich in a wide variety of fatty acids that support skin hydration and healing.
- Blueberries, strawberries, kiwi fruit, peppers, watercress, parsley….all delightfully tasty and packed with vitamin C to help with skin healing and collagen formation. Collagen plumps out your skin; vitamin C aids its formation and protects it from damage. This is why so many anti-ageing creams contain vitamin C! To really make a difference to your skin you need to be getting plenty of it from your foods – no skin cream can make up for a poor diet.
- Zinc. The super mineral for acne and skin healing. Teenage hormone fluctuations increase the need for zinc whilst skin infections benefit from both the healing powers and immune supporting benefits of this mineral found in nuts, pumpkin seeds, chicken and shellfish.
- Aloe Vera – a wonderful skin nourishing and anti-inflammatory herb that can be taken internally and used as a gel on your skin to relieve itching, redness and sunburn. Aloe vera soothes sore inflammed skin, supports vitamin C and vitamin E absorption and acts as a natural anti-histamine – perfect for urticaria and rashes!
- Opt for high quality natural skincare products; be mindful to read labels and examine ingredients when it comes to skincare products as ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ can mean as little as only 3% of the ingredients are naturally derived! Chemicals in skin creams and lotions add to your body’s toxic load and need to be metabolised and detoxified. Even though many harmful ingredients are only present in tiny amounts they have an accumulative effect in your body, leading to problems long term. Personally I love and trust the Green People, Weleda (who do excellent baby skincare products) and A’kin ranges to care for my skin. Along with the right foods and a good night’s sleep of course!
What are your top tips for healthy skin? Feel free to share here or over on the Facebook page!
by Sally | Mar 26, 2014 | Recipes
gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan
You will need:
- 1 cup nuts of your choice – almonds, hazels and Brazil nuts make good milks (walnuts are too oily) OR grated creamed coconut for making coconut milk
- 4 cups of plain water
- Flavouring if desired; choose from 5-6 chopped dates / 1 teaspoon vanilla extract / 1 dessertspoon of agave syrup or 1 teaspoon good quality cocoa powder (for chocolate milk!)
- A nut milk bag or square of polyester voile fabric 50cm X 50cm for straining the mixture
- Blender
- Large mason jar or container for the nut milk
As a guide to quantities, 1 cup of nuts to 4 cups of water will give you 2-3 cups of nut milk plus the leftover nut solids which you can use in baking or add to cereal or yoghurt.
Soak your nuts for 8-10 hours, (overnight ideally) then strain the soak water off and discard it. Grated creamed coconut does not need pre-soaking.
Place the nuts and 4 cups of plain water in a blender along with your chosen flavouring.
Blend the mixture for a couple of minutes.
Line your container with the fabric (or nut milk bag) so that the fabric dangles halfway down the inside of the container and overlaps the edges. Secure the fabric around the edge with string or an elastic band if you wish. Pour the mixture into the fabric and leave it to strain through.
Once the milk has stained, pop your jar of fresh nut milk into the fridge where it will keep for 2-4 days. Enjoy!
To serve 4 you will need:
