Tasty Carrots and Parsnips

This recipe is so simple and yet so tasty. The quantities are quite vague so that you can design this dish to your taste, especially in terms of the garlic and ginger. It is lovely as a vegetable dish with fish on a cold winter’s evening.

 

• Carrots (organic preferred)

• Parsnips (organic preferred)

• 5ml (1 tsp) organic extra virgin olive oil

• Fresh root ginger, peeled and grated, to taste

• Garlic, crushed, to taste

• Tamari or soya sauce, to taste

• 5ml (one teaspoon) maple syrup, to taste.

If the carrot and parsnips are organic, then leave the skins on, otherwise peel. Cut into wedges. Heat the oil in a wok and add in the ginger and garlic. Then add the vegetables and stir for a couple of minutes. Add 250ml (8 fl oz) of water, the soya sauce and maple syrup. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes until almost all the liquid has evaporated.

The heart benefits of whole grains such as oats and brown rice have long been known but a recent study found they can reduce the risk of other diseases too.

Chronic inflammation in body tissue is thought to contribute to illnesses including arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. In a 15 year study scientists from the University of Minnesota, USA monitored 42,000 menopausal women and found those who ate 11 or more servings of whole grains a week were one third less likely to die from an inflammatory disease. Scientists think the protective antioxidants in whole grains could account for the link, so load up on grains such as brown rice, oats, and rye.

About 400,000 Britons suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, which occurs when the body’s immune system attacks joints, causing painful swelling and damage to cartilage and bone.

Conventional medicines have only limited effectiveness in treating the disease but an herbal medicine could help ease the agony for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. In a recent study, after taking capsules of rose-hip powder for six months, patients who had been treated with conventional drugs reported ‘significant improvement’ in their condition, better quality of life and less pain.