Packets of fresh shelled baby peas are available if you are busy or if these are not in store then use frozen. This recipe is taken from my cookbook ‘Healthy eating for the menopause’.

Serves 4

Preparation: about 15 minutes, plus chilling if serving cold

 

700g/1.5 lb shelled garden peas (about 2kg/4.5lb in the pod)

4 spring onions, quartered

2 celery heart stalks, roughly chopped

1.1    litres/2 pints boiling water or vegetable stock

1-2 tablespoons arrowroot, optional

Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

Dash of no-sugar Worcestershire sauce

100g/3.5oz thick plain organic yogurt or oat cream

1.5 tablespoons mixed seaweed flakes

Small bunch of chives or mint

 

 

Put the peas, spring onions and celery in a food processor or blender and blitz to a puree.  Pour and spoon out into a large bowl or pan and mix in the water or stock.  Depending on the texture of the peas and your taste, you may want to thicken the mixture with some arrowroot.  Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.

 

If serving cold, chill for as long as you can before serving.  To serve, swirl some yogurt or oat cream into each bowl and scatter with some seaweed and snipped chives or chopped mint.

 

If serving warm, add the yoghurt or oat cream and heat through gently, stirring.  Again, scatter over the seaweed and snipped chives or chopped mint just before serving.

– In the News: recent progress in the world of health

–  Case Study

• This month’s case study is 40 year old ‘Suzanne’ who came to the Clinic for a New Year detox!

– Ask Marilyn:

• Please could you tell me if there’s a limit on the amount of time I should use Agnus castus for my irregular periods?
• Are there any foods and supplements and natural therapies you can recommend for fibroids?
• I have gone through the menopause. My skin is terribly dry and very sore. Is there anything I can do?
• Star Question: I thought oatcakes were a healthy snack, but the nutritional information shows them to be high in calories and fat. Should I avoid them and can you suggest any alternatives?

– Ingredient Spotlight:

• Pears – the health benefits

– Monthly meal idea:

• Stuffed pears in red wine

– Lose weight and get healthy

• find your body confidence in 2009

– Irregular periods

• Natural treatments

– Menopause

• Coping with aches and pains 

– Winter blues

• Foods that fight the winter blues

– Boosting immunity

• Continued!

– Stress

• Why stress is bad for your bones

– Discovering herbs

• Dong quai

– Boosting fertility

• wth selenium

Quick tips:

– Healthy resolution for 2009

• Get your 30 minutes of exercise a day.

– Healthy resolution for 2009

• Chew your food thoroughly.

– Healthy resolution for 2009

• Eat at least five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

– Healthy resolution for 2009

• Do what you can now to prevent osteoporosis.

– Healthy resolution for 2009

• Get a good night’s sleep.

– Coming Next Month (February 2009)

Dear Readers

I hope you had a good Christmas break and welcome to this issue of Natural News which starts off another new year.  Of course, with a new year our minds turn to New Year’s resolutions and how we may do things differently for the coming year.  I have always thought that is better to have achievable short term goals that you can stick to, see the difference and then add some more in as you gain in confidence.  It is estimated that most people only maintain their New Year’s resolution for about a week to ten days and it is thought that the problem is that people give themselves unrealistic, unachievable goals which they can’t keep up. 

So take small steps; it may be that you decide to add in either an extra 30 minutes of exercise a week or if you have not been exercising you start with 30 minutes exercising a week.  After a month, you can add in another 30 minutes.  The same with eating healthy, start with small changes, like making sure you are eating little and often and after a couple of weeks, think about eliminating caffeine.  As your health improves you will find that you will have the energy to do more exercise and to make better choices with your food.  It all becomes a positive circle rather than a negative one. 

 

Included in this issue of Natural News is more information on boosting your immune function to keep you healthy over the winter months and how to keep your mood up during the long dark days.  I hope you enjoy the recipe of stuffed pears as it is good to have some sweet foods but they do not have to be loaded with sugar.  If you have any favourite recipes that you are happy to share do send them in and may be say a few words as to what you like best about them.

 

Kind regards

 

Marilyn Glenville