Author Archives: Dianne Mower

About Dianne Mower

I want to help you make all your meals healthier. Focussing on what you already eat and then making some changes will help you make better choices of foods. I also want to help you find healthier alternatives to some of your favourites. I believe healthy eating is your right; my passion is to ensure it is.

Detoxing: The absolute basics

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Having been bombarded with ‘detox’ headlines at every turn, I decided that I could do with cleaning up my act post-Christmas. Just like everyone, I need a bit of encouragement and inspiration to get started.

Every ‘expert’ has a different way of putting things. Fortunately, I think a lot of what I am reading at the moment, is pretty good and doable. As a qualified nutritional therapist with a science based approach toward nutrition, I am perhaps naturally discerning about such information.

Then I wondered; but how does the gal on street  decide what’s nutritional madness and what is really beneficial?

So, here are a few pointers to identify whether the detox programme you have in mind is worthy of the time and effort.

Does the programme:

  • Involve eating nature-made foods? This may sound daft but often the focus is on (expensive) pills and potions.
  • Recommend giving up sugar/caffeine/alcohol? If it doesn’t then it’s kidding you! Nothing much is going to happen without doing so – unfortunately.
  • Ask you to increase your vegetable intake? You can’t detox without doing so.
  • Include eating protein (any sort)? Your liver needs protein to do its job.
  • Advise giving up processed man made foods during the detox period?
  • Stress the importance of drinking water? Boring but essential.

A detox programme can be as difficult or as simple as you like. Whatever you choose to do, it would be good to give your body a rest from time to time. So just to recap, for a minimal detox try the following:

  • Increase your vegetable intake at meal times and via juices. Go for 12 portions a day.
  • Hold off on the caffeinated, alcoholic and sweetened drinks for a week or two.
  • Increase your water intake to around 2 litres, sipped throughout a day, not gulped in one go.
  • Cut out all processed foods including sweets (and chocolate) for the period; rely on fresh stuff.
  • Have a good source of protein every day, such as; fish, lean meat, mixed beans and pulses or organic seed protein powders.

I think these are the basics of a good programme. This is not a full on detox, however this gives you an idea whether you are a candidate for one! Plus if the list above seems an impossible ask, then sorry, you probably need to rethink your eating strategy, generally.

If you decide to go for the full Monty, it best to do it under supervision. This is essential if you have an existing health condition or you are on medication.

Remember; putting your diet under the microscope from time to time is a good thing. It helps you realise how far you may have wandered from the healthy eating highway.

Following a few basic detox steps, will help you get right back on track.

Purple Kale with Lemon, Celery Cucumber and Apple – Juice

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This surprised everyone this morning; despite the dodgy colour. It tasted delicious!There is always a temptation to hide the contents of the new Monday juice as they sit waiting to be juiced. Despite being used to healthy eating, purple kale on the counter first thing in the morning can be a little scary to my family.

However, this has a lovely fresh tasting and zingy flavour. The purple kale is mellowed out by the other ingredients so don’t be put off by having cabbage in your drink.

This recipe made around 28 fluid oz or 800 ml. As always the amount will depend upon the juicer used and the freshness of the ingredients.
Ingredients

  • 5 leaves of Purple Kale (more if you can)
  • 1 Lemon, whole and peel half of it
  • 1 Small Celery head (we had about 5 stalks)
  • 1 Large Cucumber, unpeeled if organic
  • 1 Apples, unpeeled
 Method

  1. Wash the all the veg and fruit.
  2. Juice all the ingredients, alternating between the soft and hard ones. This stops it getting bunged up, especially if it is a masticating one.
  3. Drink asap and store the remainder in an airtight jar for later.
Vegetable know howAs with all deep blue coloured veg, they give you a real nutritional hit. The molecules that provide the colour are heat sensitive, so juicing is a great way to go to maximise the benefit. Taste tipsThe kale is quite bitter on its own. However adding all the other ingredients work well together, so no holding of the nose required!

Make sure you enjoy the taste, so if you need to, add some more apples or half a lemon.
Nutritional infoThis combination of vegetables and low sugar fruit is very alkalising. Maintaining the body’s own pH level (around 7.3) is understood to be beneficial to health. Therefore lots of vegetable juices, (like this one) will make a significant contribution to wellbeing. And…….. Try to experiment with these ingredients by using different quantities and see how the flavour of the end result differs. Lemon should be used with care as it can dominate everything else. However that said, that is why it works so well with greens!

Healthy eating –why drink your food?

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The human body comprises a high percentage of water; around 60 – 75% depending upon your age. It makes sense therefore, that everything we put in our mouths,  hydrates us.

Apart from the obvious - water, the food you choose will also either or add or take away from your own personal reservoir. Often people don’t think about how food can affect their levels.

The easiest way to contribute fluid via food is go for high water content choices. These include, fruit, all green vegetables and of course salady types too. Plus it is important to understand that some some food (and drink) dries up our precious internal water courses.

Caffeine, alcohol, sugar and salty foods can have a negative impact. Processed foods that have lots of hidden additives plus the sugar and salt, are also not the best. Interestingly, very dense foods like breads require extra fluid from the digestive system to break them down as they have a low water content.

Can you see a pattern emerging here? Basically some foods need your body to supply water to digest them and some foods supply water to your body. A bit like a Water Bank; with deposits and withdrawls.

A simplistic way to look at this is to ask yourself; “if around 70% of my body is water, is my diet supplying a large proportion of my fluid intake?”. If it isn’t, then you need to rely on your body constantly paying out fluid to make your world go round.

We should add at this point, your body does make water too from some rather clever in house chemical reactions. However you don’t have to be a biochemist to understand that we do need to make sure that there is a balance to be had. Ensuring that you maintain good levels of hydration is essential to health.

Irritatingly, when you are young you can get away with only headaches and maybe reduced concentration when you have been feasting on cardboard food. However as you age, dehydration has a serious impact on your joints, skin, brain function, not to mention bowel function – or lack thereof!

So, when thinking about a food, think about what would happen if you popped it in a blender?

Would it turn into a soup or look like breadcrumbs? Could you drink the result? There is the healthy eating clue.

Baked Cod with Tapenade

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Fish is great! A food that contains good quality protein and good fats. It is also quick to prepare and cook. Plus it usually tastes amazing when the minimum is done to it; no heavy fat laden sauces required.Cod is an established favourite for those in the white fish appreciators camp and it is very accommodating.

Normally we see it battered (literally and figuratively!) and deep fried – what a waste!! This delicious fish can be cooked in many different ways that bring out the flavour.In this recipe we have introduced a European influence. It is fresh, tasty, simple, and quick with the minimum of prep time. We are using ready-made tapenade (ours is from Waitrose) which contained: olives, olive oil, coriander, lemon, basil and garlic. Yum!

Prep time: About five minutes
Cook time: About 10 – 15 minutes See Cook’s notes.
Oven Temp: 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6

Ingredients
Serves 4
4 pieces of Cod Fillet or 1 piece for 4
1 Jar of Readymade Tapenade (we like Green Olive, Coriander and Lemon from Waitrose)
1 – 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive OilThat’s all!		 Method
Heat oven to temperature.

  1. Empty contents of jar into a small bowl and add the olive oil. You will need enough to coat the fish without the tapenade being too runny; otherwise it will slide off.
  2. Grease the bottom of a dish with sides (as opposed to a baking tray) and lay fish out so it isn’t overlapping. Coat the fish with the tapenade.
  3. Pop in the oven, near the top and cook for about 8 minutes and then take a peek to see how it’s doing (see Cook’s notes). Put it back in for another few minutes before checking again.
  4. Carry on like this until its cook when it will be milky white and the flakes will separate easily.
Cook’s Notes:Tapenades can be very strong – taste test before coating fish as you may need a scraping rather than a thick coat. The cooking time will depend on the amount and the size of the fillet. For four people, we tend to cook it for around 8 minutes and then look at it. Unless you are serving it in a restaurant, it won’t matter if you gently prize the flesh apart to see if it’s cooked. The flakes should separate easily and be milky (white). If the flakes still look transparent and uncooked, pop it back in for another 4 minutes and check again.Try not to overcook; it’s worth taking time to make sure it is not. Practice makes perfect! Serving idea:This recipe goes well with our Watercress, Spinach, Rocket and Garlic Cous cous.Try it Roasted Sweet Potatoes and a side salad.

We like the Green Pan

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green-pan-HTHealthy eating is as much about how you cook your food and what you cook it in.

When it comes to non stick pots,  the GreenPan© range gets our vote. It is described by the manufacturer as “healthy and eco-friendly” with “a natural, non-stick mineral based coating”.

Within a healthy eating regime it is important that your utensils support your cooking preferences. The GreenPan© ticks all the boxes. It are easy to use, durable, the coating helps you minimise oil and you can really taste the flavours in the food. We have found that because of the finish you don’t need such vicious heat to cook either, this ultimately helps to preserve the nutritional value too.

Most people rely on non-stick pans for a fair amount of their cooking; let’s face it they are essential for anything other than steaming.

However, the problem is with conventional non-stick pans is that the coatings contain PolyTetraFluoroEthylene (PTFE) which becomes toxic when overheated or damaged. Not ideal when cooking food………………….

There is lots of research about how PTFE fumes affect the airways of birds, which are particularly sensitive. Unfortunately there is evidence that humans can also be impacted by the fumes; resulting in respiratory problems. Although these won’t kill you; do you want to be polluted in your own home?

The only down side of our favourite pan is the cost. They are not cheap however this innovative product is in our opinion, overall good value and worth the investment.

Everything to do with the food you put in your mouth should be healthy; from what you choose to how you prepare it. For that reason; we like the GreenPan©.

Red Chilli Jelly

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You can use it on its own with cold meats and maybe, fish (think in terms of horseradish and smoked mackerel)?

We use it for lots and lots of things.

Very quick guacamole, chilli mayonnaise, stirred into bouillon stock before adding to cous cous (or similar), mix with olive oil as a salad dressing base or popping into a casserole at the end of the cooking time for an extra bit of sweet hot-ness. Great for Thai recipes, amazingly zingy in sandwiches and a good alternative to mango; to go with your Tandoori Chicken Masala on a Friday night

The one we particularly like is made by Ouse Valley Foods. Their vegetarian Red Chilli Jelly is delish! We are not surprised it has won Gold from the ‘Taste’ awards.

We particularly like the flavour. Whilst spicy it is not so overwhelmingly hot as to make your nose bleed. However, when tasted on its own, you can feel the kick in the back of your throat as it goes down. Plus the fine jelly is very easy to work with as it mixes, melts and combines well with just about any substance you want to add it too.

Each jar has little bits of suspended chilli and seeds. The colour is gorgeous. This is a great indication of the quality of the ingredients and the care that has gone into making it. In fact Ouse Valley Foods (a small Sussex, UK based company) pride themselves on using “locally sourced ingredients” and their products do not contain added preservatives or colourings.

Their “crystal clear” jellies are only a part of their superb range; some of which will pop up in our recipes from time to time.

A good review should contain some negatives. Hmm? We are still looking………………..

Tomato and Avocado Salad

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This is another dish that is a bit of a classic.
Tomatoes and avocado are made for each other. Drizzled with a little olive oil, a few leaves of basil and a shake of black pepper; you need don’t to put anything else with it.Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: Gloriously nil!
Ingredients
Serves 2 as a side dish

  • 1 large avocado
  • 3 tomatoes; ‘vine’ are the tastiest
  • 3 – 4 stalks and leaves of Basil
  • Squeeze of lemon juice (about a tablespoon)
  • Olive oil
 Method

  1. Remove the basil leaves from the stalks and wash.
  2. Halve the avocados and remove the stone.
  3. Peel or ease out of their skin with a large spoon
  4. Slice the tomatoes and avocados.
  5. Layer on the plate, sprinkle with lemon juice. And dress with good lashings of extra virgin olive oil and dress with crumpled Basil leaves.
  6. Grind some fresh black pepper over the dish before serving.
Cook’s Notes: Few things to note here.The avocados will give under pressure at the small round end, when ripe. Don’t poke too much otherwise they will be bruised. They will start to go brown after a while when peeled. Sprinkle with lemon juice to preserve their lovely colour.Tomatoes need to be eaten at room temperature to have any taste; don’t serve straight from the fridge. Serving idea:To make into a more substantial dish add mozzarella or sprinkle with soft goats cheese.This simple salad is great on it’s own as a snack or starter. You can use it to accompany other salads for a more filling meal.

Watercress, Rocket and Spinach salad (bag) and Garlic Couscous

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Couscous is blessing in terms of fast food. Also it makes a great base for strong flavours as it doesn’t have much of its own (sad face!). It is usually a wheat based product,however this recipe uses barley which is not gluten free but a good option for those who are sensitive to wheat. It is fresh, light and yet helps to fill you up if you want something extra with a salad. It is also good as a base for adding more veg or fish, maybe prawns? Don’t limit this ultimate fast food to accompanying the odd salad; it deserves better. Plus it contains approximately 15% is protein, so good as part of the daily protein requirements for vegetarians; or anybody for that matter.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: Standing time around 5 minutes
Resting time: as above

Ingredients
Serves 4
250 g Belazu Barley cous cous (½ packet 500 g packet)
Approx. 420 mls vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bag of ready to use Watercress, rocket and spinach salad – or make your own!
1 dessertspoon of Green Nori flakes
1-2  Dessertspoons of extra virgin olive oil

Method
Check the manufactures instructions cooking instructions. Usually these will tell you to cover the couscous with stock. For this use vegetable (bouillon) stock probably around 400 – 500 ml. When you make up the stock, crush the garlic into it before poring over the couscous before leaving it to stand for 5 minutes or so.

When it has stood for the allotted time, fork over, add the olive oil and Nori flakes, season further if needed.

Then stir in the chopped salad leaves into the prepared couscous and serve before they wilt too much. It will taste fine if they do, it just looks a little more appetising with perky leaves.

Cook’s Notes
Do follow the manufactures instructions; however they should all say the same more or less.It can go stodgy if too much liquid is added; not too much of a problem but it can look unappealing. Serve with a salad or as a change from rice with spiced sauce based dishes. As couscous is very bland you can add loads of flavours, chilli, olives or herbs for example. We served this with baked fish and a hot salsa. Fab!

Vegetable Omelette (based on a classic frittata)

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The frittata is a favourite of our European cousins. This recipe is very loosely based on this classic.It is a flexible, easy to make dish which can be eaten hot or cold; so great made in advance and added to a lunch box. It requires the minimum of cooking time too.

Although we suggest it as a lunch it can also be eaten for a substantial Sunday morning breakfast. The meat eaters could add a little cooked bacon, if they must!

The beauty of a dish like this is you can use whatever veg you have in your fridge. We have chosen some the most common ones, to keep it simple and to encourage you to have a go.

The frittata is warmed through at the end of the cooking however if you need the veg to be cooked then give them a few minutes in the pan first and then add the eggs. If you are cooking for more than one, use 3 eggs between 2 people will suffice.

Prep time: Couple of minutes to beat the eggs and then about 3 -5 minutes to chop up the veg and squish the garlic.
Cook time: About 8 – 10 minutes. Resting time around 3 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 1 generously!

  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • Small red pepper, chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tomato (any size), chopped
  • Tablespoon of chopped bulb fennel, chopped
  • Teaspoon dried mixed herbs or fresh of your choice, and as much as you fancy. Good fresh ones are; chives, parsley, basil
  • 2 Dessertspoons of olive oil*; one for the pan and one for the veg

*Ideally you would use extra virgin olive oil for the veg and garlic mix (i.e. not cooking with it) and ordinary refined olive oil for gentle heating in the pan.

 Method

  1. Warm a little olive oil in a small pan (for one) with a lid; enough to thinly coat the bottom of a non stick* pan.
  2. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the fresh or dried herbs.Add the eggs and swirl around the pan so it forms a base on which to put the veggies. This will take from 3 – 5 minutes. Put the lid on to speed up the process and cook through.
  3. Chop the veg into small pieces, no bigger than a 50p piece; note we are chopping, not dicing. Put the veg and garlic into a small bowl and season. This helps to mix all the flavours together.
  4. Drizzle with a dessertspoon of olive oil.
  5. When the eggs begin to look like an omelette, pop the chopped veg on top. Put the lid back on, and turn off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes while you get the plates out for serving.

The idea is to warm the veg through and not cook them.

Be careful not to overcook otherwise you will have a rubber disk and not an omelette!
Cook’s Notes:*We use GreenPan© non-stick pans (see the reviews). Do add a little oil(don’t overheat the pan)s and they work beautifully, ensuring you have omelette and not scrambled eggs……. Serving idea:Serve with a huge salad, like rocket to fill all those empty places in your tummy.At lunchtime, for the starving, a jacket potato may help bring on an afternoon sleep.Slice the Frittata and keep in the fridge for a day to pick on. Tastes great with tomato sauce. Who said that!!

Brown rice with garlic and herbs

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Brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice, so planning is needed for this. However from a healthy eating perspective they could be two different foods, nutritionally.Brown rice provides fibre, minerals and has good levels of a couple of B vitamins all in all a handy low fat, cholesterol level supporting food. The fibre content will not upset your blood sugar or waist line the way that white rice can. All these factors means you need to eat less to feel full.This rice is chewier than its white cousin, so it is worth adding brown rice to white rice dishes to get everyone used to the flavour (yes, it has a taste) and the texture, if that is a problem.

This does of course mean cooking the two types as they need different amounts of time.We love using fresh herbs: parsley, chives, sage, fennel, coriander (a real favourite!) and marjoram. However dried will work too, providing they are within best before date……………….. (Take a look at the box, you might be surprised!)

And finally, add some black pepper and sea salt. However do so after the herbs have been sitting in the rice for a bit. Give them a chance to let their aromatic oils seep into the rice.

Prep time: If using fresh herbs, washing and chopping, around 4 minutes. If using dried, none. Add a few minutes for chucking in the herbs at the end and tasting before serving.
Cook time: Follow manufactures instructions; probably around 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Serves 4

  • 300 g of wholegrain brown rice )approx. 75 g per person)
  • Handful of fresh herbs, choose from any (or all) of the following: parsley, chives, sage, fennel, coriander and marjoram.

or

  • Dessertspoon of dried herbs
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • Dessertspoon of olive oil*
  • Seasoning

*Ideally you would use extra virgin olive oil.

 Method

  1. Measure out into a jug, note the amount and then rinse the rice.
  2. Use the same jug and measure out twice the amount of water as rice.
  3. Put rice and water into a saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Bring rice to the boil, stir and put the lid on and turn down to a gentle simmer. Now leave it alone! If you have turned it down enough, it should be happy simmering until cooked. (See above re time*)
  4. When cooked drain any left over water and fork over to separate.
  5. Stir in the herbs, garlic and olive oil. Taste after a few minutes to see if it needs some seasoning with salt and pepper.
Cook’s Notes:Don’t worry about the exact amount of rice per person. The important thing the quantity of water. By using a jug to measure the rice you will know how much water to use.Some people rinse the rice off with hot water but there is a thought that this further detracts from the nutritional value. If cooked properly, it shouldn’t need it. Serving idea:This dish is an accompaniment and not the prime star on the plate (this time). It shouldn’t be bland or so powerful as to detract from whatever you are serving it with. It is great with any kind of saucy, juicy sloshy meal, like casserole or chilli.