The 'Winter Body' Season: Spiced Fig Tarts

As part of our Winter Body season, it gives us great pleasure to share this exclusive raw, vegan recipe with you; courtesy of food consultant and author of 'How To Eat A Rainbow', Ellie Bedford.

 

Spiced Fig Tarts

Makes 8 individual tarts or 1 large tart

These delicious raw tarts are perfect for the festive season. The traditional Christmas flavours of the hazelnuts, figs and cinnamon, are brightened up with the addition of Lingonberry powder. Not only does the lingonberry add a hint of colour to the tarts, it adds an all important Winter antioxidant boost too. They take just minutes to prepare and would make a nice centrepiece for any party.

To make the base

100g hazelnuts

250g dried, soft figs
2 tbsp ground almonds
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
Pinch of sea salt

Blitz the hazelnuts in a food processor until they reach the consistency of breadcrumbs. Add the figs, almonds, spices and sea salt and carry on processing until the mixture comes together as a sticky ball of dough.

To make the cream filling

200g cashews, soaked overnight and drained
2 tbsp lingonberry powder
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sugar free vanilla extract
2- 4 tbsp maple syrup
60ml almond milk

Blend everything together in a high speed blender until creamy smooth and free from lumps, you may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times. If you don't have a high speed blender this can be done in a food processor though will take a little longer.

For the garnish

3 plums, sliced into half moon shapes
1 tbsp lingonberry powder
Sprinkle of flaked hazelnuts (optional)

To assemble the flan

Press the fig dough mixture into a round loose bottom or spring form tin (about 15- 20cm diameter) making sure you have an even layered crust. If making individual flans, divide the dough into eight pieces and shape them by pressing into a cupcake tin, or using paper cupcake cases.

Fill the base(s) with the cream filling and garnish with slices of fresh plums and a dusting of lingonberry powder for an impressive finish. These tarts are best set in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

If you are running low on Lingonberry Powder, remember to visit us at Some Good

The 'Winter Body' Season: Is your diet climate approriate?

So, what is 'climate appropriate' food?

Well, many people believe that we are much better at digesting and absorbing the nutrients from foods that are grown in a similar climate to the place where we live. That is not to say that these foods have to be native to this area: they just need to be from an area with a similar climate, so they can grow successfully.

We will be discussing this topic over the coming months, so we'd love to know what you think about it. Have you emigrated and found that the change in your diet has had an impact on your physical wellbeing? Are there certain exotic foods that you find don't agree with you?

The idea of food being 'climate appropriate' may all seem a bit far fetched, but if you think about it properly, it makes a lot of sense. Many years ago we weren't able to get food from other countries: we were limited to hunting and foraging in the area where we lived. It wasn't so long ago Europeans considered tomatoes to be poisonous, and many people only laid eyes on a banana for the first time shortly after the second world war.

Plants grow naturally in places with certain climates because they are designed perfectly for those conditions. With that in mind, does it not make logical sense that the animals living in that same area are designed to eat them? Of course we are not suggesting that eating foods grown in other climates are going to do you serious harm, but they may not be as beneficial to your health as locally sourced foods, or foods grown in similar climates to the one where you live.

Here are a few of the reasons why eating climate appropriate food is better for attaining optimum health:

• Strengthens our immunity; making us less prone to local disease

• Better for our digestion 

• Reduces the risk of developing food allergies

• Foods that have to travel long distances are often picked before they are ripe, to stop them becoming bruised and over ripe on their journey; so they often don't reach their full nutrition value

• Imported foods often require chemicals to keep them fresh: some of these toxins may be illegal in our own country, but because this information does not need to be provided, we’ll never know

Next time we're gonna think about occasions when not eating 'climate appropriately' has had a negative impact on people's health ...

The 'Winter Body' Season: Tips for your lifestyle change

So, it's been a week since we asked you to make an improvement to your everyday life, that will help you feel better. This change didn't have to be drastic: it could be as simple as taking some time out of your week to go and get your nails done, taking a walk in the park, or adding an extra portion of vegetables to your daily food intake.

We hope by now you have thought of a lifestyle change that you want to make, and have begun to implement it. Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

Giving up smoking or cutting certain foods out of your diet? Remember:

• If you fall off the wagon it doesn't mean you can't just dust yourself off and get straight back on

• Leave notes around the house and set alarms on your phone, reminding yourself of the reasons you are making the change 

Trying to make time for yourself to relax? How about:

• Writing a list of tasks you need to complete in the day and include relaxing as one of them

• Remember, your health is the most important thing you have and no job is worth compromising it for 

The 'Winter Body' Season: Protect your hair, skin and nails

There is no doubt that winter can take its toll on your hair, skin and nails. We become more susceptible to illnesses such as cold and flu, that can often result in chapped lips, dull hair, and dry skin. Our 'Winter Body' season is about taking positive steps to look, feel and think better, all year round: so we don't want to let the colder weather get the better of us.

Here are some tips to keep your hair, skin and nails in top condition this winter:

Drink more water
  
Although you may feel less thirsty than you do in the warmer months, your body still needs as much water. Far more people get dehydrated in the winter because they simply don't drink enough. Remember to think inside out ... If your body has no moisture inside, how can you expect to have beautifully soft skin on the outside?

Treat your hair

Consider pretreating your hair with oil to retain more moisture. If you are prone to dry hair, you should also think about using a deep-conditioning mask once a week: apply it to damp strands and then wrap in plastic. Try to avoid the use of dry shampoo during the colder months, as this removes essential oils from the hair.

Eat foods containing caffeic acid

Caffeic acid is an antioxidant that is fantastic for the immune system, so it will help you keep cold and flu at bay. It is one of the key components argan oil, which is amazing for the condition of hair and skin, and can be found in beauty products all over the globe. Foods high in caffeic acid include the herbs: spearmint, thyme and sage. You can also find it in sunflower seeds and lingonberries.

The socks and gloves trick

Moisturize your hands and feet thoroughly and put on some gloves and socks on for bed. In the morning your skin will feel totally rejuvenated; plump and soft.

The 'Winter Body' Season: Why should you supplement your diet with anti-inflammatories?

Everyone has heard the term, anti-inflammatory; but what does it mean? When most people hear it they think of pain relieving drugs such as Ibuprofen and Aspirin, that work by reducing the swelling and inflammation caused by injury, such as a bump to the head. However, there is another kind of inflammation that can occur in the body. It is called cellular inflammation, and happens over an extended period of time, leading to tissue damage that causes pain in your joints and makes your blood vessels less efficient. When your blood vessels are not functioning properly, the rate at which you can process glucose is impeded, meaning you are more likely to become overweight, and in extreme cases leads to diabetes or heart disease.

Inflammation within our bodies is becoming a huge problem and it is pretty much all because of our diet. Our bodies consider very starchy foods, and processed foods, high in trans fats, as toxic. When we eat this type of food, our bodies put up a defense system that causes inflammation.

Lately, many people are talking about foods having anti-inflammatory properties. These are foods that contain high levels of compounds that fight inflammation within the body. People that eat foods rich in these anti-inflammatory compounds tend to be of a healthy weight and are at a much lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

There is no doubt that an anti-inflammatory diet is the key to losing weight and achieving optimum health. You will find yourself less bloated, you will have far more energy, and you will even feel an improvement in your mental ability.

Some Good tips: Consider eating more oily fish, such as Salmon or Mackerel. If you are overweight or suffer from high blood pressure, taking a couple of spoonfuls of Some Good Lingonberry Powder everyday could really help you. It contains very high levels of an antioxidant called Quercetin, which is considered to be one of the best compounds for reducing inflammation.

Check out our top five anti-inflammatory foods

The 'Winter Body' Season: Power Porridge

The ultimate way to start your day

Ingredients: Serves 1

• 50 grams rolled porridge oats
• 350ml of milk or dairy free alternative
• 1 pear
• 1 kiwi fruit
• 2 tspns of Some Good Lingonberry Powder
• Half a tspn of cinnamon
• Small piece of root ginger
• Quarter of a lemon 
• Squirt of honey

Method: 

Peel the pear, kiwi and ginger piece

Cut pear into pieces and kiwi fruit into slices.

Heat the oats and the milk in a pan over the hob,
stirring regularly.

Whilst heating, grate the ginger into the pan,
along with half the cinnamon and half the lingonberry
powder.

After five minutes the porridge will be ready, so transfer to a bowl, place the kiwi and pear on the top. Squirt some lemon juice on top and grate in the zest, then sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and lingonberry powder through a sift and finish with a squirt of honey.

This breakfast is packed with anti-inflammatories and will keep hunger at bay for hours. You can of course swap the kiwi and the pear for whatever fruits you like, but make sure you keep the ginger, lemon, lingonberry powder and cinnamon in the recipe. Enjoy!

                            

                                                                                               

The 'Winter Body' Season: Change just one thing and feel better

So, our winter body campaign has begun. Over the next 4 months we will be bringing you loads of healthy winter recipes and tips to help you stay in top form, not only this winter, but all year round. During this period we would like you to make a change in just one area of your life, that will help you improve your overall health.

Remember, a winter body isn't just about an external silhouette, so the change you make doesn't have to involve cutting something out of your diet or doing 300 sit ups every few hours: if you think your health will be improved by taking 30 minutes out of your day twice a week, just to relax in the bath with a book, then this is what you should choose!

The only goal you need reach by the end of this four month period is to feel better than you do now … Not a bad thing to aim for!

Some Good tips: If your decide to choose a weight loss goal as your improvement, please try and concentrate more on losing fat instead of actual weight on the scale. Your weight constantly fluctuates, so checking yourself on the scales every day will only lead to confusion or potentially negative feelings.