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Living a Bountiful Life

Beautiful Beetroot Latte

17/2/2021

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I'm not sure what took me so long to make this ruby red beetroot latte! I'm a big fan of beetroot in many forms, it's deep, rich hue makes me feel good just looking at it. Beetroot is the main star of my liver-loving beetroot, mint and carrot salad, and even sneaks in to moisten and increase the rich goodness of my chocolate cupcakes! :-) Having it in this warm spiced drink is particularly luscious.

As well as all this sensual appeal, beetroot has some pretty therapeutic properties to offer us as well. It is a rich source of betaine, helping us produce good quality stomach acid. Having this strong digestive fire is super important for effectively breaking down our food and liberating important minerals such as iron and calcium. good levels of stomach acid are also important as our first line of defense, burning up any pathogens that hit the digestive system.  Our production of stomach acid often decreases as we age so adding in some beetroot to the diet is a great way to support this important part of our well-being. Betaine also 
supports liver, kidney and heart health - and even help the healthy expression of our DNA! Beetroot is hugely beneficial for our hard working liver, helping it with bile production, reducing gall stone formation, helping detoxification and metabolism of all our food types - fats, carbs and proteins. 
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The bright, rich colour of beetroot lets us know that this is an especially potent antioxidant rich plant that protects our body from disease - of ongoing interest to us all in these times. Beetroot also contains a special plant constituent that helps our cells produce more nitric oxide, a compound that helps our energy, stamina, physical and cognitive performance. Nitric oxide produced by beetroot has a significant effect on heart health - beautifully reflected in it’s juicy, rich, blood-like colour and often heart-like shape. It signals the arteries to relax, dilating the blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. This has been found to be protective against many cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks and strokes.
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Beetroot is also rich in glycine, a naturally sweet amino acid important for bile production and liver detoxification. Glycine also has calming effects on our nervous system. No wonder I feel so good drinking this brew! :-)   

Ingredients:
  • 1 small or medium beetroot 
  • 1 1/2 cm fresh ginger root, peeled (or 1/2 tsp dried)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of milk option (coconut and almond works well)
  • Sweetener if desired
To prepare:
  1. Cook the beetroot until tender. Options include steaming (takes around 1hr) or wrap with baking paper and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 40mins or so until tender when pierced with a knife.
  2. Peel skin off beetroot - this slips off easily when cooked, use gloves if you don't fancy pink hands! Chop coarsely and place in blender with all other ingredients. 
  3. Blend on high till smooth and creamy.
  4. Pour into pot to heat till just simmering, then pour into cups to serve. This has a silky consistency, if you wish to make it more frothy, blend some of the milk separately in a milk frother or blender and pour on top.
  5. Top with extra cinnamon if desired, and enjoy. Serves 2.
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Turmeric, Mango and Lemon Bars

18/8/2020

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These golden raw food bars are tangy and delicious, great to make in spring when fresh lemons are in abundance. You can also grow your own Turmeric if you have a warm spot to plant the root in! I made these bars from our first crop of Turmeric root which we grew in our green house simply by planting the fresh root from our organic store.
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Freshly harvested Turmeric root
Turmeric root is a wonderful herb to support the liver and immunity, reducing inflammation and improving digestion. It has a slightly warming energy, making it suitable for those with a cold constitution but is also mild enough for more hot blood constitutions to enjoy it in moderation. It has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine to strengthen digestion and purify the body, aiding arthritis, skin conditions, liver complaints and menstrual issues.

These raw food bars are zesty and delicious and store well in the fridge or freezer. The black pepper and healthy fat content enhances the absorption of one of the active ingredients of turmeric, known as curcumin.

Tumeric, Mango and Lemon Bars
Ingredients
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • Juice of 1 large lemon
  • 2 roots of fresh Turmeric, peeled and chopped
  • 100gm dried mangoes, chopped
  • 150gm coconut chips or desiccated coconut
  • 100gm cashews
  • 50gm dates
  • pinch of black pepper

​To prepare
Place dried mangoes and dates in a bowl and cover with the lemon juice to soften. Stir occasionally while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.
Place coconut and cashews in a food processor with a tightly fitting blade, turn on high and blend until forms a thick paste - this is coconut and cashew butter! Remove from blender and set aside.
Place turmeric root and soaked mangoes and dates into the food processor and blend to a pulp.
Add all the other ingredients including coconut and cashew butter and blend together.
Press into a tin lined with baking paper, chill to firm up and then slice into bar sizes as desired. Store in the fridge.

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Ayurvedic Golden Milk

18/8/2020

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It's a beautiful thing to make delicious food as medicine from plants grown in your own garden. This traditional healing drink was made from our first crop of fresh Turmeric root grown in our greenhouse. Turmeric is a powerful food for supporting healthy immune response, enhancing digestion and liver function and reducing inflammation. This recipe makes a delicious, milky drink which is one of the traditional Ayurvedic ways of preparing this herb. Turmeric root can also be used in making sweet foods such as bliss balls or savoury dishes such as stews and curries. You can buy fresh Turmeric at whole food stores, vegetable stores and Indian grocery stores.
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Freshly harvested Turmeric root
​Ayurvedic Golden Milk
​Ingredients
  • 5cm fresh turmeric root, peeled and chopped or ½ tsp Turmeric powder
  • 2cm fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped or ⅓ tsp dried ginger powder
  • ¾ tsp Cinnamon powder
  • ½ tsp Cardamom seeds, crushed or ¼ tsp cardamom powder
  • ⅛ tsp Black pepper
  • Honey to taste
  • 500ml full fat milk/milk alternative (coconut, almond etc)

​To prepare
Place all ingredients apart from honey in a pot and simmer gently (do not boil) for 5 - 10mins. Place in a heat proof blender or use a blending stick to whizz mixture till creamy. Serve as it is, top with extra sprinkle of cinnamon and add honey if desired. Take care of surfaces as Turmeric can easily stain objects!
Serves 2.
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Nb: It is important to heat Turmeric gently when preparing as some of the active constituents are lost on high heating. This also prevents the milk splitting, especially if using milk alternatives.
Black pepper is needed for absorption of curcumin, the active ingredient in Turmeric. Fat is also required for absorption of curcumin, so if milk used is not high in fats, include some coconut oil or nut butter into preparation. 

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What can block our ability to heal

22/5/2020

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Have you ever found yourself frustrated at not being able to be as vibrant and healthy as you want to be, despite all your best efforts? Sometimes it can be helpful to dig deeper to identify any blocks that may be getting in the way of your natural state of well being. This video shares the powerful effects these obstacles can have on our body functioning, and how we can transform our wellness at this level. ​Case study shared with permission.
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Nasturtium for Respiratory Health

20/5/2020

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The wonderful, tasty and medicinal Nasturtium! Discover how to incorporate this wild edible into your life to support your immunity and well being.
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    Kelly Phillips

    ThetaHealer, Naturopath, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Wholefood Cook and Mother.

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