Kimchi Recipe

Kimchi Recipe

Following on from the previous post on the importance of gut health, we have included our very own recipe for making this probiotic rich food at home.

You can really play around and substitute different ingredients and use up what you have in the cupboard- you can even add things like seaweed, fennel, jerusalem artichoke, beetroot! 

Ingredients 

1 cabbage (you can use any kind, but the typical one is napa or sweetheart)
1 daikon radish
2 carrots
2 onions (you can add spring onions or leeks as well)
3/4 cloves of garlic
3/4 hot red chillies (or you can use the typical korean chilli paste- Gochugaru)
3/4 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 

Sea salt 


- Make a brine by mixing 4 tablespoons of salt per litre of filtered water- the brine should taste very salty.
- Chop the cabbage, radish and carrots (and any other veg you want to include). 
- Soak the chopped veggies in the brine, for a few hours at least, and best overnight. Use a plate to make sure they're all covered keep any veggies from submerging.
-Create a paste with the spices - onion, garlic, chilli, ginger (again adding any extras you may want eg turmeric, coriander or dill seeds). You can either blend this all together or use a pestle and mortar. 
- Once the vegetables have soaked, remove from the brine keeping the brine handy as you may need it later on.
- Taste the veggies, they should taste salty but not unpleasantly salty. If they are too salty you can rinse them, or if you can't taste any salt then add a couple of teaspoons and mix well. 
-Mix the veggies with the spice paste, making sure they are all coated. 
- Stuff everything in a sterilised glass jar making sure to compress the veg so its all submerged. You can put a plate on top to help, or use a bag filled with water. 
- Leave to ferment in a warm place for three days or longer- this part is up to your taste buds. Once it is to your taste take out and put in the fridge where it will continue to ferment slowly.
- Enjoy!

You can add a little with your meals everyday and this will really help support that good bacteria in your gut! YUM!

The Benefits of Pink Himalayan Salt

Something of an enigma in the world of superfoods, Pink Himalayan Salt has the distinction of going against the grain and is a simple, cheap, and very cheerful superfood.

With its exotic name and appealing pink appearance, you would be forgiven for thinking this superfood is nothing more than a gimmick as sea salt coloured pink. But there is far more to it than that. While this distinguished little condiment is, in fact, rock salt with a pink hue, its origins make it very special indeed. They are also the reason for that distinct rosy tint.

The salt is mined in the Himalayan mountains. The sea salt beds the salt comes from are quite unique in that they were covered by lava roughly two hundred million years ago. There is a considerable amount of scientific data on the region, and the notion that the lava layer formed an impenetrable barrier, protecting the salt from the harsh pollutants of the world. The lava is also responsible for tinting the salt that beautiful colour.

Pink Himalayan Salt is coveted for the unusually high concentrations of minerals found within it, coupled with the fact it has a much lower sodium content than regular salt. The result of this is that it contains a lot more essential nutrients (minerals) and a lot less of the aspect of salt that so many meals contain too much of (sodium). Nutritionists are happy to agree that there are tangible benefits to this funky little salt and no known downsides to using it.

While the world has been raving for some time about how much better sea salt is for us than regular salt, Pink Himalayan Salt has now stormed the field and shaken things up once again. It's finally providing us with a salty option that tastes great, and not only isn't as damaging to our health, but actively provides nutrients we need, and struggle to find elsewhere.

Living Healthy on the Go

“Work to live, don’t live to work” is a saying I hear so much these days. And so often I meet people who are completely burnt out from working all hours, a lack of sleep, eating fast/convenient foods and not taking the time to rest or nurture themselves.

I completely support high achievers and admire career driven individuals who thrive on success. I do however hugely encourage everyone to create a healthy work/life balance. Making time and space to relax, give yourself a little TLC and feed yourself nourishing, live and vibrant foods is so important.

I also understand it’s not always easy to make this time when you have a career, children, a commute to or travel with work while also maintaining a social life. The pressures of balancing all these things can be hugely demanding.

I have lived in the London rat race and know first hand how easy it can be to slip in to an unbalanced lifestyle that in the long run is unsustainable. So here are a few suggestions I have learnt along the way for living healthy on the go…

Hydration Hydration Hydration

Keeping hydrated is absolutely fundamental to maintaining your health. Ideally we need to be drinking at least 2 liters of water each day. This will simultaneously help with the flow of key minerals in to your cells while aiding the elimination of toxins. Drinking this much water can help clear headaches, retain concentration and keep you awake. Trying having a pint of water instead of a coffee and see how you feel…

TIP: If you travel a lot, particularly on airplanes, it is especially important to keep the water up. Flying is one of the most dehydrating things we can do to our body so really bug those air stewards for regular water top ups.

Meals on the Move

Finding truly healthy foods when you’re grabbing a bite from a local supermarket, deli or train station can be really difficult. Often the options include poor quality ingredients on soggy white bread. Take a well-known supermarket (who shall not be named, but my Dad calls them Mordor) meal deal, a sandwich, a packet of crisps or choc bar and a fizzy drink for a few pounds… it hardly screams ‘healthy’ to me.

• I suggest preparing some wholesome snacks on a Sunday ready for your busy week ahead. A trail mix with dried fruit, nuts and seeds will fill you up, contains essential fats and vitamins and can be carried around easily. Or make oat and nut bars, store them in an airtight container and take one with you each day.
• One-cup smoothie makers are perfect for a morning mineral and fibre injection. Blend up fruit and nut milk with your favourite superfood powders or use it for making a portable chia pudding.
• Make a big batch of soup that can be divided in to portions and frozen. Then grab one each day to heat up in the office.
•  For me fruit is the ultimate snack, there’s nothing better than a juicy nectarine or box of blueberries to satisfy a hunger pang on the move.

Or if you are grabbing lunch out, these are a few of my fave healthy eateries around the UK...

-       Tanyas Café – Chelsea, London

-       Sweet Greens – Bournemouth, Dorset

-       Café Kino – Stokes Croft, Bristol

Yoga on the Train

Yes you heard me, I did say yoga on the train.

Last year I went to Colourfest Yoga Festival and met Eugene from AcroYoga Brighton. He taught us about his fantastic idea of fitting exercise in to your life even when you think you don’t have time.

Now, I’m not talking about headstands in the aisles or down dog on the seats, but you can often find space in the corridors or near doors to do some stretching, a few back bends or even a cheeky warrior pose. You might get a funny look or two but be brave, your body will feel the benefits far beyond the blush that your cheeks feel!

Sophia Harvey is one one of the owners of the successful online health food retailer DetoxTrading.co.uk and is currently studying to become a nutritional therapist with the nutritional healing foundation. Complementary therapy has been in the Harvey family for four generations, Sophia's great grandfather being one of the UK's first Osteopaths.

Protein Shakes, The Veagn 'Whey'

Protein shakes can often be a contentious issue, typically made from Whey and synthetic flavourings these types of powders are readily available and widely used by body builders, gym bunnies and fitness fanatics. Mixed reports in the media make it hard to know what to believe when it comes to the benefits of taking protein.

Most people actually get enough protein in their daily diet, especially with the vast amount of meat that is now part of Western diets. Taking additional protein through a shake can actually add weight if not taken in conjunction with exercise.

However taking protein within half an hour of a work out can help to build muscle. Vegans and vegetarians may also benefit from natural sources of protein if they want to inject some additional protein in to their diet. And if you are skeptical about alternative protein powders just check out The Vegan Body Builder on YouTube… Wow!

Choosing a protein from a natural source such as pea or hemp and adding your own fresh flavours is a much healthier and sustainable way to still get your protein boost without all the added chemicals.

Watch our video for a totally vegan, totally delicious and completely natural protein shake…

By Sophia @ Detox Trading