Author: Jane

Grain-free “malt” loaf

~ Jane

The savoury version of this loaf is my daily bread. But I had some cacao powder which needed using up and I wanted a treat for a picnic … so I thought I’d have a go at making a sweet version. It’s delicious! Particularly warm out of the oven and covered in butter! It really reminds me of malt loaf. Now let’s see if I can remember what I put in it …

  • 2 cups ground almonds
  • 3/4 cup psyllium husk
  • 4 linseed eggs (see below)
  • 1 tbsp gluten-free baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup cacao powder
  • 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
  • 1tbsp ground cinnamon
  • a handful of raisins
  • a handful of walnuts
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup warm water

You could swap the spices, dried fruit and nuts for any you fancy.

Here’s how to make one linseed egg: (I use a Nutribullet – any grinder/blender would do)

  • 1tbsp whole linseeds (brown or golden)
  • 4tbsp cold water

Soak the linseeds in the water for at least an hour (or until gloopy). Blend until a smoothish (very gloopy) paste. This has the same sticking and binding properties of an egg (at a fraction of the cost and with different nutrition).

Here’s how to make the loaf:

Put all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Add the linseed eggs, melted coconut oil and warm water. Mix well and press into an oiled loaf tin. Bake at 160C for 30-45 minutes – or until it sounds hollow when tapped. Place on a rack to cool (optional!).

These loaves freeze and toast really well.

Grain-free bread

~ Jane
No grains, no dairy, vegan … but delicious!

This is my latest favourite ‘bread’ – it’s really more like a seedy savoury cake. It’s very filling and nutritious … unlike shop-bought gluten-free bread. It toasts and freezes well … it’s really versatile. Here’s how I make it (I make two and freeze one to save time) …

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups ground almonds
  • 1/2 cup psyllium husks (from a good health food shop)
  • 1 tbsp gluten-free baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 cup oil (coconut or olive)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 large eggs (or 4 linseed eggs – see below)
  • Optional extras: tablespoon of fennel seeds (or cumin etc), 2 tbsp each of sunflower and pumpkin seeds … any other flavours you fancy … you could even make a sweet version with cinnamon and dried fruit (yum!).
  1. To make one linseed egg … soak a tablespoon of whole linseeds in four tablespoons of water for at least half an hour. Then blitz them in a Nutribullet or similar. It will form a good gloopy seedy sticky lump!
  2. Put all the dry ingredients in large mixing bowl and mix well
  3. Add the wet ingredients and beat until thoroughly mixed – you may need to add a little more water to form a dough.
  4. Pour into an oiled and paper lined small loaf tin
  5. Bake at 175 degrees until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean(ish).

Carrot top dip

~ Jane

Riverford delivered the most beautiful bunch of young carrots yesterday. The tops were so healthy and green I couldn’t resist having a carrot bonanza! Fresh young organic carrots dipped in a dip of their own tops … yum! Here’s how I made it …

Ingredients:

  • a handful of almonds (or any other nuts)
  • a bunch of fresh carrot tops – remove big stalks
  • juice of 1 or 2 lemons
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • crushed garlic (optional)
  • a handful of basil (or any other herb)
  1. I soaked a handful of almonds overnight in filtered water with a splash of cider vinegar (this helps remove the natural toxins in nuts).
  2. In the morning, I drained and rinsed the almonds then blitzed them in my Nutribullet with the sea salt and lemon juice
  3. I stuffed in the carrot tops a handful at a time and blitzed them with a good glug of olive oil and a little water to loosen the texture.
  4. Finally I added the garlic and basil and blitzed to a smooth paste.
  5. Serve as a dip with raw veg or stir through pasta and risotto. I even make a salad dressing from it … just add vinegar and olive oil to taste.

Words are so important

~ Jane

The language we use – both to communicate with others and our “self-talk” (that voice in your head) – affects our lives. Our word choices produce feelings. Think about something really sad … you’ll soon feel sad. Or think sexy thoughts and see what happens! So, we definitely know that our thoughts create our emotions. And emotions create behaviour … which is how we interact with others and the world around us. Therefore, choosing your words can change your life. In fact, research has now shown that the words we use actually changes our DNA – our blueprint for life.

Here are some suggestions for changing your thoughts and therefore your emotions and therefore your life. Make these swaps and see what happens:

  1. SHOULD, MUST, GOT TO, HAVE TO, OUGHT TO … replace with COULD, WANT TO, WOULD LIKE TO. Example: I should look for a new job …. I want to look for a new job.
  2. BUT … replace with AND. Example: I love you but … I love you and your quirks. BUT can negate a positive – and create one. Example: I feel really tired … BUT it’s a lovely day (ie, find a positive).
  3. I DON’T MIND … replace with I’D LIKE TO. Take control of your choices.
  4. TRY … replace with nothing (delete it). Example: I’m going to try going on a diet this week … I’m going to go on a diet this week. That sounds much more likely!
  5. JUST … replace with nothing (delete it). Example: I’m just like that – I just get these dark thoughts. (This sounds really passive, permanent and beyond your control.) I’m like that – I get these dark thoughts. (Sounds much less permanent and like something you could change.)
  6. ALWAYS, NEVER, EVERY TIME, COMPLETELY, MY WHOLE LIFE … question whether these are actually true. Nothing is forever. We can usually replace these with SOMETIMES, OFTEN, OCCASIONALLY.

These ideas come from NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) and are things I’ve learned from the amazing therapist Ben Oakley.

Vegan Cauliflower & Chick Pea Coconut Curry

~ Jane
Vegan Cauliflower & Chickpea Coconut Curry

This lunch (or dinner with rice) ticks lots of trendy boxes! For a start, not one ingredient came from a supermarket. It’s 100% organic and vegan. It’s also really simple to make … here’s how:

  1. Empty a can of organic coconut milk into a large pan (check the ingredients of non-organic versions for emulsifiers and preservatives). You can add water if making soup.
  2. Grate in some organic turmeric root, ginger root and two cloves of organic garlic. These three ingredients are natural chelators of toxicity – they bond to chemicals to make them safe for removal from our body. That’s why it’s important to buy them organic. I get mine at Down to Earth in Dorchester (from Riverford). Optional: fresh or dried chilli
  3. Add a sliced onion or leek and bring these ingredients to a simmer for 5 minutes with the lid on.
  4. Add the cauliflower cut into small florets and any other vegetables you fancy (I’ve added a red pepper). You could add potato or sweet potato for a more substantial meal. I get all my veg from Riverford. Organic veg not only tastes better it is proven to be higher in nutrition.
  5. Simmer for 10 minutes and then add the chick peas. Buying these in a glass jar means you avoid the BPA-lined metal cans – these chick peas also taste really good. I get these in Down to Earth, Dorchester too.
  6. Simmer until the veg is cooked.

  • Buying food in jars means less toxic ingredients and better flavour
  • Check out these ingredients and compare to other (non-organic) coconut milks!

Energy Balls

~ Jane

Easy to make and a fairly healthy treat (quite high in sugar because of the dried fruit), energy balls are a great idea for snacks on the go. They keep for days in the fridge and freeze well too.

There are lots of recipe variations and I reckon as long as you use equal quantities of nuts and fruit, you could mix whatever you fancy. I soaked the nuts in hot water with a squeeze of lemon juice for a few hours – to remove the mould and lectins which coat raw nuts and cause digestive issues. I also soaked the dried fruit in hot water to rehydrate it and make it softer – the texture of these energy balls was smooth and moist, like a healthy chocolate truffle.

Ingredients (makes at least 20):

  • 200g raw cashews
  • 100g walnuts and brazil nuts
  • 200g dates
  • 100g cranberries (apple juice sweetened)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1 tablespoon raw cacao
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • desiccated coconut and raw cacao to coat

Method:

  1. Put the nuts into a bowl and pour over hot water to cover. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and mix well. Leave to stand for at least two hours before use (or overnight).
  2. Soak the dried fruit in hot water too for a smooth moist texture (optional).
  3. Strain the nuts and rinse them. Place them in a food processor and blend until smooth or a fine crumb.
  4. Strain the fruit and add to the nuts. Blend until smooth.
  5. Add the flavourings. Blend.
  6. Melt the coconut oil in a small pan. Drizzle into the food processor until thoroughly mixed.
  7. Place the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour to harden and chill.
  8. Roll a dessertspoon of the mixture into a ball with your hands. Roll the ball in coconut or cacao.
  9. Chill the balls thoroughly before serving.

 

Sauerkraut recipe

~ Jane

Earlier this year, I attended a fermentation workshop with Fran & Jude. Out of all the fabulous recipes they shared, Sauerkraut has become a staple for me. I love the salty sour taste and fermented foods can have a beneficial effect on our microbiome (the 2-3lbs of ‘friendly’ bacteria which live in our gut doing invaluable work helping our immune system, making vitamins, hormones, etc).

I’ve been asked to share the secrets of making your own successful batch, so here’s how I do it:

Ingredients:

  • an organic or home-grown cabbage (you don’t want any chemicals in the mix as it may affect fermentation). You can use any variety of cabbage – I prefer to use red as it has the added benefit of even more antioxidant nutrients)
  • pure sea salt (preferably unrefined or ‘grey’ – you can buy it locally here)
  • seasonings – to taste and definitely optional – choose from: a bay leaf, 10 peppercorns, 6 juniper berries, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 2 cloves, 1 tsp caraway seeds, 1 tsp celery seeds, clove of garlic, a few chilli flakes, half an onion.
  1. Remove any damaged outer leaves of the cabbage. Then remove and keep two whole large leaves (these will form a lid later).
  2. Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the hard core.
  3. Weigh the remaining cabbage and calculate how much sea salt to use – 10g (two teaspoons) per 1kg of cabbage.
  4. Slice the cabbage finely, put it into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle on the sea salt.
  5. Wash your hands with natural soap and hot water (don’t use strong smelling or antibacterial soap!).
  6. Now knead and massage and pound the cabbage with your hands until it’s about half the volume and there’s a few tablespoons of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. This can take 10 minutes or more.
  7. Add the seasonings (if using) and mix well.
  8. Pack the cabbage into a clean jar. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover it completely. If not, go back and knead it some more.
  9. Cover the cabbage with the saved outer leaves.
  10. Weight the cabbage down so it all remains below the liquid – I use a glass jammed in the lid (see pic) *this bit is really important* 
  11. Seal the jar and place it in a warm, dark place – I use the kitchen cupboard next to the dishwasher. You can start to eat the sauerkraut whenever you like – the longer you leave it, the more it ferments. I leave mine 4-6 weeks.
  12. When it’s at the required fermentation (tangyness), store it in the fridge.
  13. Eat with everything!

**If at any time your sauerkraut grows a mould which is any colour other than pure white, compost the whole lot! White mould can be scraped off.**

 

 

The thymus thump: fanning our inner flame

~ Jane

The thymus gland is located behind the sternum (breast bone)

If you want to improve your immunity and fan your inner flame with self-love and self-respect, then thymus thumping while saying affirmations is a very powerful Kinesiology self-help tool. It’s ideal for low self-esteem, chronic illness or auto-immune conditions.

Thymus comes from the Greek for heat or energy and this gland controls our very life force or vitality. It is also where white blood cells are trained how to protect us from bacteria, viruses, etc. The thymus is very sensitive to stress and it shrinks when we live with fear or anxiety.

The thymus gland loves to be tapped – especially in waltz time (1-2-3, 1-2-3). You can strengthen and build it up by smiling and laughing more … and also by saying affirmations while tapping or thumping. I suggest the following phrases (but it’s much more powerful if you find your own):

  • I am strong
  • I am worthy of love and respect
  • I love and respect myself
  • I am what I am
  • I have everything I need

Donna Eden is the Queen of Energy Medicine. If you want more energy and to be balanced and grounded, practise this five-minute tapping routine every day:

As Dr John Diamond said: “a true cure always involves a major change in a person’s attitude towards themselves and towards life”. He wrote a seminal work on the thymus gland in the 1970s:

 

Rahanni Celestial Healing

~ Jane

I was attuned to Rahanni in November 2017. It has had a profound effect on me and my work as a therapist. For the previous 20 years,  I could always feel heat and sensations when working with my hands but I hadn’t ‘formalised’ their healing ability. Rahanni gives me a channel and specific guides to call on for help in all three aspects of my work: kinesiology, massage and healing. If you want to find out whether Rahanni is for you, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions:

What is Rahanni?

“Rahanni” means Of One Heart. In other words, there is no separation between us – we are all connected to each other and to divine energy. Rahanni is a form of hands-on and hands-off healing which channels high-level vibrational energy to balance and clear the physical body, mind and soul. Rahanni is particularly focussed on the heart centre and provides love and compassion to everyone.

Who can benefit from Rahanni?

Absolutely everybody and every living thing! Adults, children, pets and even plants can benefit from the healing energy of Rahanni. Rahanni does no harm – the body will take as much healing as it needs/wants. Please contact me if you have any concerns about whether Rahanni is right for you.

What can I expect as a Rahanni client?

When you book in, I will ask you to complete a short online questionnaire. For your appointment, you relax fully-clothed on a massage couch (or seated in a chair if you prefer). I will connect to the Rahanni healing energy and call on guides to bring you the healing you need. Some clients report feeling heat, seeing colours, feeling sensation/movement in their body, etc. Others fall into a deep sleep. This is all perfectly normal and varies from person to person. The healing usually lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. Afterwards, you are encouraged to drink plenty of water and to have nothing much planned for the rest of the day. It’s quite normal to sleep deeply the night after a session as healing is continuing to take place.

Rahanni sessions cost £30 at my home, £35 at Dorchester Yoga & Therapy Centre. Or £75 and £90 for three sessions (recommended) in those respective places.

How/where can I be attuned myself?

With effect from May 2018, I will be trained to attune others to Rahanni. You too could become a channel for this beautiful healing – for yourself, family and friends or as a therapist. It’s a simple one-day course (first date: 19 May 2018 in Dorchester) – please contact me for more information.

Water

~ Jane
Drinking plenty (1.5-2L per day) of pure unadulterated water is the simplest and best step you can take to improving your health.
I’ve been researching the best drinking water for more than a year and I’ve finally taken the plunge (groan!) and bought myself a Big Berkey filter.
The water tastes delicious, it’s had up 99.9% of contaminants removed by the huge charcoal filters and its pH is more alkali – win/win/win. I’m very pleased with it and so I’m happy to recommend them. Read the Big Berkey lab results for more information about what is removed. Update February 2019: this independent lab report confirms that Big Berkeys remove 100% of glyphosate (Round-Up). Excellent news! 
 
One of my concerns about charcoal filtering was that the beneficial minerals such as zinc, selenium, etc are also removed. So, I’ve added some Yve-Bio raw mineral and gem stones to the bottom of my Berkey. 
UPDATE: Ever concerned about nutrients … I’m adding a few drops of this Electrolyte supplement to my Big Berkey water. This replaces some of the important minerals which are filtered out.
Finally, if you currently use a plastic bottle (or even worse you refill mineral water bottles with tap water), we know that this can leach plastic chemicals (BPAs) into the water – you should consider investing in one that’s stainless steel (or glass but that’s not really practical for carrying). I use this insulated 750ml bottle on the move and a glass Kilner type bottle at home.
Cheers!   Salute!   Chin-chin!