Herbal help

Guest blog by Alex Martin

I never wanted to work in alternative medicine but fate dictated otherwise. I became ill at the age of 19 and, as the song goes, the drugs didn't work for me. I have a form of arthritis/fibromyalgia that flares up in an auto-immune response from time to time. I have to be careful not to get too angry, tired or even excited or the whole thing kicks off. However, I have the massive advantage of being a trained herbalist and am pretty much in remission most of the time. The doctors told me not to even carry a handbag and put me on Valium for the pain.

I have been an aromatherapist for the last 25 years, which is pretty physical work (but very rewarding). We have a big garden that I love to dig. I have a dog I walk every day and the joy of two children, now adults.

None of this would have happened without the help of my plant friends. The other day, after a busy, stressful time, I had a bad flare up out of the blue. I took various herbs including turmeric, devil's claw, sarsaparilla, rosemary and hawthorn. The effect was immediate, like taking painkillers, and the whole episode subsided within ten days. However my immune system then took it out on my delicate digestive system. Intuitively I knew I needed some aloe vera juice. Within two doses, my stomach started to behave itself.

Herbs - I couldn't live without them - but I also have a theory that to be well, we must also be happy. I don't think we can get that just from good relationships with friends and family, though that is vital. I think we also need to find a way to be creative. For me, that's writing. I've written four novels to date and when I'm not working with clients and plants I can be found scribbling away in my 'plotting shed' up the garden.

Alex Martin's herbal world can be found at www.gowerserenity.co.uk and you can discover her books on Amazon or from her blog at www.alexxx8586.blogspot.com

The age of the enlightened entrepreneur

Guest blog by Richi Watson

Six years ago I began sharing wellbeing guidance, online at first and then soon after with groups and audiences. Within a very short space of time I was thrust into the unlikely role of entrepreneur – I say unlikely because my intention was solely to be helpful to people; business didn't come into it. I shared what I had to share freely and it was the deepest joy to do so. But then something happened, large numbers of people engaged with what I was sharing, my facebook groups reached many thousands in number and I could receive hundreds of messages a week. During all this I had been working as a waiter in a local vegetarian restaurant by day, so that I was free devote my time to these groups and messages by night. I had only recently returned to work following the excited application of the missing lifestyle links which I needed to finally empower my body with the resources it needed to heal and thrive, having been engaged in a lifetime challenge with chronic and debilitating illness. I had no plan, just an intention. I was cell to soul motivated to share what I knew could be helpful to so many people struggling psychologically, emotionally and physically (it is usually some degree of all three).

The most important job
Around eight months after I started offering guidance, I became a father – the single most wonderful experience of my life. I now did a little consultancy work on top of waiting tables to encourage our ends to meet and to help ease our debts which quickly arose while I was too unwell to work and my partner was made redundant in the aftermath of the financial crash. I had two 'work-jobs' and the most important life-job a man can have – to be a good father. My wife struggled severely with what some may categorise as post-natal depression – we wouldn't, but that is all for another time and blog! There was no more time left in my days to continue being there for others outside my family, and so my mail-outs went unwritten and unsent, and my inbox went unseen.

From work-life to life's work
In the 8 months before, I had a message from a bullied 14 year old who told me that something I had shared had helped him overcome the depression from his bullying. A suicidal woman told me how she had finally let go of the pain of her relationship breakdown and was now inspired by altruism, and so many countless others who reached out for help, took what I offered to make their own and created meaningful change in their lives. Turning my back on that wasn't a comfortable idea for me, but it seemed a life necessity. There was only one thing to do – I needed to bring my work-life in alignment with my life's work. I needed to create an income for myself while being of service to others in this way. Why had this realisation passed me by before now? Because of a counter-productive belief which was underlying my thoughts: I associated helpfulness solely with giving, not with exchange. Although this may seem a noble sensibility to have, and that's how I felt about it, it can in reality be unsustainable. In giving, I had fallen into a position in which I could give no more and be of no more help. But in creating an exchange, I could give indefinitely!


The enlightened entrepreneur
We have a strange cultural dialogue emerge with fair regularity, and that is to criticise those who fund themselves to whatever degree by offering goods or services which are intended to be of authentic helpfulness to people in regards to their health and wellbeing. These sentiments are shared with pointed fingers while those who share them may themselves have little or no regard for the ethics of the company they work for. It's bizarre, and it makes no sense. Fortunately we are growing out of it, and recognising that enterprise is a means to create meaningful change. One of the most helpful things we can do in our current cultural paradigm is to find our passion and create a working life which resonates with it. It is the age of the enlightened entrepreneur. Politics is mostly irrelevant compared to the force of societal design which comes through consumerism – where the money flows, industry will grow and subsequently affect massive influence on our culture.

I say all this with an ever deepening intention to be of authentic service to as many people as possible, and to that end it is simply not good enough to amass considerable financial and material success, even by being of authentic service, if not creating ways in which those with little or nothing can benefit from what you can provide. Play to your strengths, find the community you connect with, and then in the expanding flow of your success take a look around and see if you can reach those who can't yet access what you have to offer. With its multi-level entry points to life-changing guidance, I hope my organisation, LifeWell, can serve as a model for others to be inspired by. LifeWell's infrastructure is underpinned by non-profit collaborations and projects which are as enjoyable and rewarding to nurture as a meaningful friendship, while LifeWell finances itself through the best value life transforming wellness experiences in the UK. Was it easy to create this infrastructure? No, but it was simple. If we want to be a force of positive change in this world, we must simply identify our intention, integrity and passion as our compass. We must keep moving, keep smiling, and guide by leading the way.

Richi Watson is an Integrative Wellbeing Guide and founder of LifeWell and the Wellbeing Now Seminar.


Want to learn more about LifeWell's holistic business model and Richi's work in future blogs? Let us know what you want to know using the comment thread below!

Watercress wonder - sneak peek

Eating seasonal vegetables can feel like hard work at this time of year. It seems as though you've been cooking with root vegetables for an eternity, yet there's still longer to wait for the summer bounty of fresh green beans, curly lettuce leaves and ruddy tomatoes (yes, we know tomatoes aren't really vegetables, but would you swirl them through yoghurt with a drizzle of honey?). Thank heavens, then, for watercress, which is here to save the season.

Extract from Issue Three

Ceri Jones shares a bright watercress salad recipe with us

WITH ITS tangle of dark green leaves and crisp, pastel stems, watercress gives a pungent, peppery crunch to even the blandest salad, soup or sandwich. This unassuming plant packs such a punch that it can happily be eaten all by itself, just as it was in Victorian times, when it was sold in bunches on the street to munch on while out and about. Who ever said street food was
a passing fad?



Did you know?
Eating a bag of watercress is said to be a good hangover cure. We haven’t tested this in the Harvest office, but we’ll give it a try after the next staff party!

Ellie Bedford refreshes our taste buds with her raw watercress soup

See Harvest Issue Three for full article and Ceri and Ellie's recipes. You can subscribe to Harvest magazine here.

Competition - win teapigs goodies!

If the matcha article in Issue Three got you excited about all things tea-related then you're in for a treat, because teapigs have teamed up with Harvest magazine to give a lucky winner a cute mug and a big box of their everyday brew tea temples. Join the tea revolution today and put away the dusty tea!




How to win
For your chance to get your hands on this tea-tastic prize, simply drop us an email at competition@harvestmagazine.co.uk describing your perfect cuppa in a sentence or two. Our favourite will win a lovely box of teapigs everyday brew temples plus a mug to brew them to perfection in. Entry closes 19 June 2015.

What's special about teapigs tea?
teapigs use whole leaves in their teas (not the dusty stuff you’ll find in a regular teabag), presented in their special tea “temples” (a roomy, mesh bag that gives the leaves lots of room to brew). They are on a mission to get the country drinking real tea, and you can join the revolution. You can discover more at www.teapigs.co.uk - they have a fantastic range of 28 teas, all selected by their trained tea taster, Louise. Find them on Twitter @teapigs #everydaybrew

On your marks - sneak peek

Skip Archimedes - former British gymnast, coach to the stars and LifeWell Ambassador - takes us back to exercise basics and explains why exercising will make us feel better (clue: it's all about oxygen) and why we should stop fixating on the outcome and start enjoying the process.

Extract from Issue Three

Let’s take a little trip down memory lane and look at things with some good old common sense. As a child, did you ever have to motivate yourself to get up and play in the playground? Of course the answer is no. Think about it: children don’t have to be taught how to play in a playground. They naturally run, jump, crawl, swing, hang, buddy up with other kids, create games and, best of all, they don’t even have to think about any of it because it’s all done on instinct. We are meant to move and the great thing is that when you enjoy the movement endorphins are released from your brain, which are chemicals that naturally make you feel good.

How can I ease into exercise if I’m unfit/elderly/unwell?
Remember every great journey started with just one small step. By moving your body in a fun way, even if you are still sitting or lying down, you’re giving a great gift to your body and mind, so give yourself a pat on the back for making the effort, and praise yourself as you deserve. Also, monitor what you do because you will be amazed at how your momentum picks up once you get going; before you know it, you’ll find yourself doing the most amazing things whilst enjoying the process.

See Issue Three for full article. You can subscribe to Harvest here.

Time to bloom - sneak peek

Spring is in the air, each bird is competing for the loudest song and lambs are scampering across the fields. It's at this time of year that our thoughts turn to new life and new beginnings. To this end, we asked our experts - herbalist Jill Davies, homeopath Claire Zarb and aromatherapist and herbalist Alex Martin - to give us their advice on how to keep pregnancy as calm and happy as possible.


Extract from Issue Three

Finding out that you’re expecting can bring up a number of different emotions and physical ailments, many of which you might never have experienced before. Whether the pregnancy was planned, is your first or your fifth, there is no doubt that making a baby can put an enormous amount of pressure on a woman’s body, resulting in all sorts of weird and wonderful symptoms. Unfortunately, during pregnancy, too many of us suffer the discomfort of minor complaints rather than seek treatment because we are concerned about the side-effects of many conventional drugs. However, it is not always necessary to suffer through pregnancy, as homeopathic medicines and other natural methods are available to relieve symptoms and best of all they are safe for you and your baby.

See Harvest Issue Three for full article. You can subscribe to Harvest magazine here.

Celebrating Beltane

Guest blog by Alison Thompson

Beltane is one of the four cross quarter fire festivals. It is the opposite of Samhain in the Pagan Wheel of the Year. Beltane is traditionally celebrated from sundown on 31st April until the 2nd May. There are many myths and legends surrounding Beltane. It brought the coming of the summer and as such it was a very important time and much merry making can be found when you start to explore ancient customs. Many of these customs still survive through to today, and still others are being revived as a way of going back to our roots and honouring all of nature and all that she provides for us.

Bel-fires

The name Beltane is derived from the Celtic “bel” meaning good, and “tan” meaning fire. The ancient druids used to celebrate by lighting large bel-fires made from 9 types of wood on local beacons on the eve of 31st April. The bel-fire was considered to be the fire of the Gaelic God of Light. Beltane, Beltain or Beltaine is also known as the Celtic May Day.

These bel-fires were symbolic of many things. They were filled by the ancient druids with highly scented herbs and sacred plants and the fragrant smoke was used to purify the cattle and sheep before the journey to new pastures began. The cattle were driven between the bel-fires at Beltane to protect them from ills. Contact with the fire was interpreted as symbolic contact with the sun. The bel-fires were often burnt on hilltops, and used as a symbol of strengthening the sun, which would bless the earth for fruitful crops at this very important time in the agricultural calendar. Beltane fires would often create a chain of beacons on hilltops across the land.

Dancing round the maypole

Beltane is a festival celebrating the union of the god and goddess, often symbolised as the Greenman and the May Queen. The flowers and greenery symbolise the Goddess and the maypole represents the God. The May King was often chosen by a contest, usually dash to the foot of the maypole.

The community would all dance around the maypole wearing ribbons and mayflower headresses, and would dance the dance of the spiral of life. The intertwining of the maypole ribbons can be seen to represent the joining of male and female energies. We are seeing a renewed popularity of the maypole dance in many parts of the world today.

Morris dancing was also popular at Beltane and still survives today. Morris dancing can be found in church records in Thame, England going back to 1555, apparently popular at Beltane or Mayday during Tudor times.

Ley lines

The earth’s amazing energy is particularly potent at this time of the year. You can feel it if you stand with your bare feet on the ground, particularly if close to an ancient ley line. This is a perfect time of the year for walking along ley lines or the dragon paths that snake the countryside.

All of nature is growing and nurturing at this time of year; it is a time for celebrating unions and fertility either in conceiving a child or for improvements in career and other areas of life. It is a time of creative inspiration and for improved health and increased energy. We look at the fertility that is all around us and bring that into our daily lives, enriching our health and home and encouraging new projects to spring into life. Enjoy the fertile joy that Beltane brings with it. What does Beltane mean to you?

How can you celebrate Beltane?

There are many ways that you can celebrate Beltane, either on your own or with family or friends. You can attend a local maypole dance or morris dance, build your own Beltane fire or light a candle and make a wish for the coming summer, or entwine red and white ribbons as you think of your loved ones. Wheel of the Year charms can be purchased here. These beautiful gemstone charms will enhance the strength that comes with each passing season allowing you to truly experience the joy of our wonderful changing environment.

For further information on Beltane, click here. You can hear more from Alison on Facebook and on Twitter.

Spring clean your life - sneak peek

Spring is the ideal time for getting rid of the mounting clutter that's accumulated over the year and sorting out what remains. Annabel Sutton, our resident life coach, shares her tips for keeping the process quick and simple, and suggests that now would be a good time to tackle any mental clutter that's been niggling you too.

Extract from Issue Three

At last – there’s definitely a sense that winter is behind us: the days are lengthening, the natural world is stirring and there’s a sense of optimism and renewed energy in the air. After a long, cold, dark winter it’s natural to want to come out of hibernation and embark on some spring cleaning to clear the way for the warmer days of summer.

However, spring cleaning doesn’t just have to be about hoovering, tidying and waving dusters around. This is a great time of year to give our lives a good spring clean as well. There’s something intensely invigorating about clearing out, getting rid and letting go of all the things that have been keeping us stuck and that no longer serve us.

It’s like when leaves and debris build up and block a gutter so that the water no longer flows freely. Our lives are exactly the same. Every now and again the gutter needs a clear out so that our lives flow freely as well.

At any time of year, whenever we’re feeling stuck or blocked, decluttering is a great way to re- energise and restore the flow.

See Issue Three for full article.

Harvest's LifeWell fans

Richi Watson and Skip Archimedes took time out of their busy schedules for this snap with their favourite natural health magazine. The founder of LifeWell and LifeWell Ambassador were taking a moment away from Skip's Supercharge your Life event in London.

We'd love to see any good shots/selfies you've taken with Harvest. Send them to hello@harvestmagazine.co.uk, share them on our facebook page, or tweet us.

You'll find full inspirational articles by Richi and Skip in the current issue of Harvest.

VaniTea to SaniTea (and why should you care?)

Guest blog by @RichEats

About Rich Enion
Rich successfully pitched in the Dragons' Den, then decided to walk away from the deal and up his roots to get on the move with RichEats.TV It's a health blog, most of which is video, that has been growing for more than five years. From England to Thailand, Australia to the USA, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia and beyond, Rich is currently travelling, researching, co-authoring and coaching on motivation, health and fitness. Of course a huge part of your health and wellbeing is happiness, so we've hunted him down and asked him to share some of his personal insights.


Tea: the fast facts
- All tea comes from one tree, Camellia Sinensis

- Tea is more than just a warm beverage, unless it’s just a warm beverage

- Tea has been used as medicine for thousands of years

- Sitting in silence drinking tea for a few moments each morning is a kind of meditation that can calm and direct your mind before you take on the day

- Tea for many is a meditation and way of calming, healing and feeling the inherent connection we have with this planet (unless it’s non-organic tea then it’s just hypocrisy. More on that in this blog post ;)

- British tea is not black tea in China, it’s red tea

- If your tea is not organic or known to be from a wild and clean source it is almost guaranteed to have been grown in fertilisers and pesticides - this is bad for you and your environment

- Organic tea should be your base level tea (never non-organic) and if you can find wild, living tea choose that

Tea time!
I mentioned in my previous guest blog that when I ‘officially’ started out on the RichEats world travel extravaganza I was more focused on fat burning and vanity than holistic health and wellbeing. Well, tea was a HUGE part of this shift.  In this article we are going to find out how tea is so much more than a dried and ground up leaf in a cup of hot water...

Tea is medicine (living tea that is...)
As well as the innate physical healing properties of tea, the X factor comes when we stop and think about what it stands for.  Taking a moment out of the day to shut up, sit, think through the leaf to the mountain, to the sun energy growing the 500, 1000 even 2000+ year old tree, and how that tree is nourished by some of the cleanest water on the planet; it breathes the purest air and is a living part of a mountain ecology. As you sit and think about how one tree gives its leaves once per year and one family go to the tree to retrieve its gifts and guide them through this journey before being ready for your bowl (or cup), there is no deadline, no bill, or car that needs fixing… stress disappears and the feeling of peace and connection re-emerges. That is healing.

The tea ceremony - shhhhh…
When I arrived in LA I’d already had a taste of the real deal… teas from wild trees that is.  t was at a tea bar in London where she first ‘spoke’ to me; unfortunately that great place no longer exists. (More about ‘talking tea’ here.)

With this knowledge of a tea world outside chemically grown bagged powders, there was no turning back, and like experiencing world travel outside the packaged holiday resort, that all inclusive convenience will never taste or feel the same. Back to LA, I found the tea world in Venice Beach, invited in.

The tea ceremony is about feeling the ever present connection with each other and nature, it is about drinking a healing medicine, allowing the qi energy to work its magic through your body and soul, letting go of judgement, the material man-made world disappears, financial status disintegrates into that which it is - just a number, in the ceremony we acknowledge and feel each other as equal living beings.   

There is silence, sometimes hours (it’s a rarity in this day and age to sit with another person in silence and just feel), sometimes people cry from the emotions that are released (maybe that’s the tea working its magic), we engage in conversation (sometimes about tea, or whatever comes up), and as a wise Chinese Emperor once never said: it’s a moment to shut up and be.

Thinking bigger, choosing organic (foods as well as tea) is not about saving the planet but about preserving our place on this blue and green rock.

This information on tea continues here.

You can follow and like RichEats on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Time to dream - guest blog by Cathy Owen

Cathy Owen - who you might remember from the 'Happy meals' article in Issue One - encourages us to spend less time cramming our children's lives with activities and more time letting them daydream and take life at their own pace.

Have you ever wondered, "What's going on in there?" when your child looks like she's in a trance, a million miles away?

Keeping busy
It seems to be widely believed that children need constant exercise and stimulation (and expensive extra classes) if they are to become intelligent and to sleep at night. However, it is starting to come to light that it is not always beneficial to cram children's lives with scheduled activities, with no time to just relax and 'be'. Indeed it can cause undue stress having to rush around getting to everything on time. Pressure to perform or respond in certain ways leads to anxiety. With no time to dream, explore or 'bed in' the new learning, their attention span may shorten, they can become easily bored and dependent on adult stimulation. 

Watching and listening to children confirms that they are happiest when they are free to live life 'off the clock' at their own pace.

Free time
A child who is given space and time for free play, to choose what he will do from moment to moment, is enabled to develop his own inner resources. He is free to relax or explore at his own pace with no expectations placed on him. This helps learning flow freely without hindrance; a child's brain is much more receptive when he is relaxed. Imagination is strengthened and a sense of self-reliance develops naturally.

If he looks like he is drifting off in a trance for a few seconds at a time, this is simply a natural and healthy brain development tool which children use instinctively many times a day, in order to integrate new learning. Allow the child a few moments of quiet while he focuses his attention inwards. His brain is  developing new connections!

Read the rest of this article on my blog and discover many more ideas and children's activities based on my natural, child-centred approach.

Look out for more from Cathy in Issue Four, where she'll be telling us all about baby whispering.

Nettle power - sneak peek

At this time of year, green shoots start to appear just about everywhere, and while the emergence of most of them is celebrated, those that sting us tend to be cursed. So when we took a closer look at the much-maligned stinging nettle, we were surprised to discover a multitude of redeeming qualities. This 'beautiful on the inside' plant has far more to offer than its stinging spines would suggest.

Extract from Issue Three:

YOU’VE ALL been there. It’s a warm spring day and you set off on a walk, breathing in the fresh, green aromas of the reawakening world and enjoying the sun on your legs after so many months cooped up. Just as you’re feeling that nothing could spoil the perfection of the natural world in spring, you find your way overgrown with plants that often seem very far from perfect – stinging, sprawling, ugly nettles.

However, we should be celebrating this prolific weed, not cursing it - after all, one person’s ruined walk is another person’s free lunch. Any nature-lover, foodie or nutrition-nerd worth their salt will tell you that beneath their prickly exteriors, nettles have a soft, delicious and nutritious centre. So next time you head off on a spring walk, tuck some gloves in your pocket and get harvesting.

See Issue Three for full article. Includes nettle recipes by Ellie Bedford and Ceri Jones.

Spring 2015 issue out now

Our first spring issue is out and waiting to be pored over by you, our lovely readers. We've got some delicious, healthy ideas to fill the hungry gap, inspiration from three LifeWell experts, natural health tips for anyone thinking of starting/continuing a family, and much much more! Here's Joanne, Harvest's editor, to tell all in her welcome to this issue.

Extract from Issue 3

Welcome

Spring is many people’s favourite time of year. Whether it’s the longer lighter days or the delicate blossom and vibrant flowers, in springtime there is always a feeling of hope, renewal and growth after the hibernation of winter. With it also comes the inspiration for better health and more positive outlook for a brighter future.

With the milder weather comes another satisfying spring event/ annoying yearly chore (delete depending on your character) – it’s time for a clear out. This issue, Annabel Sutton talks us through decluttering our homes and our minds, while Briar Rose takes a moment to appreciate this busy season on the allotment.

Natural healing teaches us that the body responds to each season. Just like the plant life around us, early spring is about getting rid of the heavy lethargy of winter in preparation for the energy and vitality of late spring and summer. As spring is all about new life, it seems fitting that we’re getting excited for the young royals. To celebrate the imminent new addition to their family, we’ve asked our experts to share their natural approaches to pregnancy.

As the world bursts into bloom around us, we look at three green spring favourites for our kitchen pharmacy: watercress, matcha green tea and nettle. Nettle is one of my personal favourites, so I was delighted to discover this humble weed is the hero of a charity working in Nepal – you’ll find more all about this on page 9.

Inspiration is an essential ingredient to creating your own health and happiness. Seeking out daily inspiration has helped me overcome challenges, stay strong, remain open to new approaches and simply keep going when I may otherwise have faltered. I believe this is true in all areas of life. So I am excited to introduce you to our new LifeWell section of Harvest which will feature interviews with inspirational health and wellbeing experts each issue. This month we start by talking to LifeWell founder Richi Spring and Nakd bar creator and entrepreneur Jamie Combs. We also catch up with Skip Archimedes, whose enthusiasm and fun approach to exercise is infectious.

As always our aim is to encourage you to take action, try something new and explore how to create your own health and happiness from home. Do share your stories and experiences with us – successful or otherwise – as we can learn from others. One of the key factors about natural health is that each of us is individual – for every success story there is bound to be a failure. However, we can still learn from, and be inspired by, both stories.

Joanne x

See Issue 3 for full articles.

Flying around the world with no fuel

What if you no longer had to worry about your carbon footprint next time you flew abroad or ate a piece of tropical fruit? This is closer to becoming a reality than you might think - a plane that uses no fuel and is powered entirely by the sun is currently flying around the world, breaking speed and distance records for solar powered planes as it goes.

Solar wings
The wings of the Solar Impulse 2 are lined with over 17,000 solar cells to power the plane in the day and charge huge batteries to keep it going through the night. Despite a vast wingspan, the single-seater plane weighs only about the same as a car.

Green heroes
Two pilots take it in turns to fly each leg of the journey. As one leg can last for several days, they can only sleep in quick catnaps in the confined cockpit. In order to cope psychologically with their ambitious endeavour, they are using self-hypnosis and yoga.
     Whatever the challenges they may face, the pilots are determined to raise awareness of just how much can be achieved with renewable energy and demonstrate the possibilities for eco-friendly air travel in the future.

Cavolo nero is the new black

If someone were to ask you if you'd ever tried cavolo nero what would you say? Maybe: "Don't be so disgusting!" Or perhaps: "No, I don't eat fish." Or: "Yes, but I've got no sense of rhythm and I kept tripping over my own feet." Or, just possibly, you might give the correct answer: "Yes - it was the tastiest kale I'd ever eaten." It seems the former answers would be more likely, though, as a recent survey found that a whopping 80% of consumers didn't know that cavolo nero was a vegetable, let alone a type of kale. As a consequence, the Lincolnshire farmers who grow it in the UK want to rename cavolo nero 'black kale'.

Dedicated Harvest readers will no doubt already know that cavolo nero is a variety of kale and have tried our delicious recipe for portobello mushrooms stuffed with cavolo nero pesto that featured in Issue 2. But for everyone else, it's clear that a little more encouragement is needed to try out such an exotic-sounding food. And what better incentive than a name that leaves no question over its superfood status, a name that shouts from the rooftops that cavolo nero is a proud member of the kale club.

Cavolo nero is no stranger to a name change, having variously gone under the title of Tuscan kale, dinosaur kale and lacinato kale, to list but a few. Whether you call it by its throaty Italian name or its blunter English one, cavolo nero (alright, black kale) deserves greater recognition as the versatile, nutrition-packed vegetable it is.


Kale crisps to convert the cynics

Whether you can't get enough of cavolo nero and other types of kale or never want to see them on your plate again, kale crisps are a sure-fire winner. Harvest's editor swears by them - after all, she says, who doesn't like crisps?

INGREDIENTS
4oz (115g) curly kale or black kale
1 tbsp olive oil (or melted coconut oil or sesame oil)
Sea salt (or pink Himalayan rock salt)
Sesame seeds or minced garlic (optional)

Makes four servings

METHOD
1.    Preheat oven to 180C.
2.    Wash the kale thoroughly, then dry well to remove all water.
3.    Cut into 5cm pieces, taking care to remove all inner stems as these can be tough and bitter.
4.    Place in a large bowl and drizzle with your oil of choice. Toss the leaves well to cover as much of the surface of the kale as possible. Better still, get hands-on and work the oil over the leaves with your fingers.
5.    Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper and spread out the kale to a thin layer. Sprinkle with salt and, if desired, sesame seeds of garlic.
6.    Bake for 7-10 minutes, keeping a close eye to make sure that the kale doesn't burn.
7.    The crispy kale cools very quickly; serve immediately or leave to cool for a delicious cold and crispy snack!

Seven ways to a happier face – guest blog by @RichEats

About Rich Enion

Rich successfully pitched in the Dragons' Den, then decided to walk away from the deal, up his roots to get on the move with RichEats.TV It's a health blog, most of which is video, that has been growing for more than five years. 

From England to Thailand, Australia to the USA, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia and beyond, Rich is currently travelling, researching, co-authoring and coaching on motivation, health and fitness. Of course a huge part of your health and wellbeing is happiness, so we've hunted him down and asked him to share some of his personal insights...

Come on then Rich? Let's hear it!

Rich: Let’s not beat around the bush with this. I’m pushing you straight into some of the things I've learnt, been practising and growing into during my five (and more) years of world travel with RichEats.TV (which actually initially began with a rather self-centered desire to learn everything there was to learn about fat burning – interesting that this journey very quickly shifted to the deeper aspects of health, moving fat burning to a satisfying side-effect).

Everyone is searching for happiness, right? Whether it’s achieving a better work-life balance, earning

passive income (what you earn on a regular basis), securing a higher wage, improving a relationship or whatever your marker is for being happy.

Well, here’s the good news – life doesn't work like that. Outside things don't give internal peace and happiness. You don’t have to wait for everything in your life to be perfect and in order before you let yourself be happy.

Through my own experience and years of travel, learning about health, fat burning and training, studying and interviewing people from many walks of life, there have been some huge lightbulb moments of understanding and shifts in my feelings about happiness that I've come to feel and experience. (Following this, there is some science for you to geek out on too so hold onto your love handles and let’s get happy!)

So, without further ado... here are seven (plus a bonus two) Rich Eats ways to a happier face!


1) The counter-intuitive approach
Rather than searching to serve yourself a deeper sense of happiness, look to serve and give to people in some form. It's kind of like the way that fat burning and a sustainably healthy human is actually a side-effect of bigger changes in thinking.


2) Resisting reacting

This is such a great one and something that can be tricky when you’re in the moment, though it really gives you insight and a zoomed-out look at life. Resisting reacting is not to say to suppress your feelings, but rather taking few seconds between something happening and generating your normal reaction to it. 

For example: someone does something highly irritating and you get frustrated/annoyed/angry and react emotionally by shouting and causing a scene. That's a pretty instinctive response, right?

Well, what might be possible if you give yourself a couple of seconds before reacting? Try taking a couple of breaths, walk away for a second if you can. Do something to interrupt your normal response.

By doing this you move yourself from being a victim of what is happening to someone who is responsible and able to take action.  When you're not the victim you empower yourself.


3) Calm your hormones! (For everyone's sake...)
Let's get physical for a second. Yes – training, movement, exercise or whatever you want to call it, can make you happier (that's a given), but this tip goes a little further.

This one is about adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is rife in a busy westerner’s life. Stimulants, chemicals, hangovers, stress at work and at home all take their toll. Even the most basic biology lesson on humans and hormones makes it very clear that the sum of stress plus lots of stimulants plus lack of sleep can leave the human with a very unhappy, edgy (not East London edgy) feeling which can lead to some nasty illnesses. I'm not going into the science right now, but know that adrenal fatigue is something to be aware of and that checking out these ways of finding your balance can counteract its effects:

• Yoga
• Deep breathing
• Reducing/cutting or strategically timing your caffeine intake
• Cold showers (swimming in the sea is ideal)
• Putting your hands on hips for two minutes in the superman/woman pose
• Stretching
• Massage
• Feeling the loving touch of another human

These are all valid ways in which you can help balance your adrenal system. And with this goes the saying, “You can't overtrain, only under-rest” which applies perfectly here.

Make sure to create time to rest your body and mind.


4) Say no

We often say 'yes' just to go along with it, so as not to put someone out or because we think that the consequences will be unbearable.

Saying no when you want to say no (without guilt) is a powerful thing to do for yourself and for the other person, because in that moment you are being true to yourself and standing strong in your integrity. The recipient of your well-grounded 'no' will feel it and respect you for it. In the moment they might be taken aback, perhaps a little peeved, but thinking long term, saying no can bring you a lot of respect, deeper peace and happiness.

Try a 'no day' to practice. It's a simple concept – you say no to everything for the entire day, no matter what it is being offered or asked of you. Just say no.


5)  Bored or anxious?
If you're bored then increase the challenges in your life.

If you're anxious and overwhelmed, learn a skill.

Assess where you're at and be present. Simple.


6) Victim or action
When we look at the bare facts of an event, there is what happened and then there’s the story we tell ourselves and other people about what happened.

If someone is always in their story then their existence often lies in a whirlwind of assumptions and self-victimisation, which makes it very difficult to achieve peace and happiness.

Something happened, now take action.


7) Fooding and connection
Just like losing your liver, without the trees in our world we have minutes to live.

It's funny how we often hear people say that they are going away for a few days to re-connect when the truth is we are always connected. So what has this got to do with food and happiness?

The food we eat, where it came from, how it was grown, the hormones put into the animal, the health and wellbeing of the animal, the chemical fertilisers and pesticides used on the plants, fruit and vegetables (the list goes on and on...) are all part of the environment, your environment.

Bringing this awareness of infinite connection to the things you put in your mouth changes everything.

For years, eating together with friends and family has been a time to share. To sit down together and connect with your loved ones might sound a little stereotypical, but this kind of connection is fundamental to human health and happiness.

Now for your two bonus tips:


8) Mind what you eat
This is not just about what you eat, but your state of mind whilst eating. Of course there are numerous distinct ways to eat a meal. For now let's look at two of them.

Take person A – they look at their soup and think "Oh no, I've got to eat this damn soup because I'm not healthy and I need to lose weight or I will die". OK, a slight exaggeration, but you get the point. In short, person A is not too happy about their soup.

Person B on the other hand looks at the same soup and thinks very differently. They look at it and appreciate all of the nutrients inside, they know it's organic and that it will nourish their body and mind. They even appreciate the work and craftmanship that went into bringing that dish to them. They deeply appreciate that bowl of soup, even whispering a little thank you to it.

A or B?


9) Call the fire brigade!

This one is about food allergies and inflammation! We talk loads about this in our forthcoming book, but for now know this: the food you eat and the drinks you consume can cause inflammation. Inflammation is like being on fire on the inside and has been linked to causing depression. Of course, a fire in your liver or stomach is going to make you anything other than happy! Like I said we talk all about this in our book and on RichEats.TV.  Simply knowing that begins your adventure into chilling out a little.

 

So, what should you do now?

Having read all that you might be sitting there wanting something to do with all of this information, a little take-away for you to build upon. Just sit with it for a moment, perhaps look at your foot or arm, and absorb your new-found knowledge. Then, when you’re not trying to do anything, see which of the above applies most to you in your life right now and take action. Motivation is great, but your happiness and change comes in the action you take.

The invitation here is for you to let go of the restriction, leave the victim behind, consciously move forward and be in the life you want to live.

Keep reading on to geek out on some of the deeper science and philosophy of happiness.

There is a great gent called Dr Bruce Lipton.  He's a scientist who was on the Newtonian path (‘everything is physical’), but as soon as his research led him to quantum physics, his studies and life took a u-turn.

The learning was about energy – deep in our body we have cells, and inside our cells we have molecules, and inside the molecules are atoms.  Got that? Read it again if you want to before moving on to this next part.

Now, check this out, inside the atom there is just energy (this fact is the science behind mobile phones, sound wave vibrations being used to explode kidney beans, I mean kidney stones, and unfortunately, how the atom bomb was made). That's what is in there, pure energy. Dr Bruce wrote that “If you shrink yourself to the size of an atom, and you go inside the atom and take photos, when you develop the photos they will be blank”.

So... Rich... How is this related to happiness? 

Rich: Bear with me… we are getting to the point now…

What this means is that if it's just energy inside the atom, and the atom makes up the molecule, and the molecule makes up the cell, then the human body is made of… energy! Everything is energy!

The end is now. Not the end, just the end of this article, abruptly stopping half way through the energy part, but I think it’s better to send you to this secret page on my blog if you are up for reading more. 

It’s some intensely interesting stuff so click here to continue...

For loads more about this unusual roving health character you can follow and like Rich Eats on:

FaceBook: Facebook.com/RichEats

Instagram: @RichEats

Twitter: @RichEats

Rich is also a LifeWell ambassador. LifeWell is devoted to helping people in the UK and beyond to receive effective wellness guidance. LifeWell works with, promotes and supports high integrity researchers, teachers and organisations whom embody a deep, authentic and scientific understanding of holistic wellbeing. LifeWell aims to make life-transforming guidance available to all, facilitating events and projects which provide accessible entry points for people in a wide range of different circumstances. This includes LifeWell hubs at events around the UK, workshops and retreats and, from 2016 onwards, We for Wellness, a community-based project designed to reach out to young families, especially those in challenging situations.

Pancakes your way

Shrove Tuesday is celebrated in many places by eating pancakes, a delicious way of using up rich foods such as eggs, milk and sugar. Traditionally, many people decide to give up certain rich, fatty foods the day after, known as Ash Wednesday and the first day of Lent. But what if you're already restricting your foods for dietary reasons?

So, in true Harvest style, we thought we'd offer a selection of pancake recipes to suit your own food needs. And, if the traditional splurge and purge of food festivals doesn't appeal to you, you can choose a healthier option this coming Pancake Day. As with every issue of the magazine, we have three recipes for you to try. Each recipe will make around 4-6 medium-sized pancakes, depending on your pan.

Classic pancakes

If you want a good old-fashioned reliable recipe, look no further. Serve hot with sugar and lemon juice, or load with fruit for a healthier option.

INGREDIENTS
4oz plain flour
1/2 pint semi-skimmed milk
1 medium egg
Pinch of salt

Optional extras:
1/2 oz melted butter
1 tbsp icing sugar

To serve:
Lemon juice
Sugar
Other toppings of choice

Add the flour and salt (plus optional icing sugar if using) to a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack the egg into the well, add two tablespoons of the milk and incorporate slowly with the dry ingredients using a whisk. You should end up with a thickish paste. Slowly add the rest of the milk, whisking continuously. If adding the melted butter, do this at the end before cooking, otherwise it might curdle the egg. The butter and icing sugar will make the batter very rich, sweet and creamy – a wonderful indulgence so long as you promise to give up something equally indulgent afterwards!

Heat a non-stick frying pan with one tablespoon of vegetable or sunflower oil (or coconut oil for a healthier alternative). Keep a small ovenproof container on the side and pour the excess oil into the container once your pan is ready (the oil should be smoking hot). Using a ladle or similar, pour the batter into the pan, getting good coverage over the entire surface. Cook on a medium-high heat, working round the edges and flip onto the other side after a few minutes, then cook on the other side for a similar length of time. Exact times will depend on your hob heat, thickness of your pan and how much batter you use for each pancake.

Serve hot with your topping of choice.

Ginger and banana pancakes
(dairy-free, egg-free and gluten-free)

We found some banana chip flour in our local health food shop and thought it would be perfect for these pancakes, combined with a nice ripe sliced banana and a drizzle of honey to finish.

INGREDIENTS
2oz banana chip flour
2oz brown rice flour
1oz cold-milled flaxseed
1/2 pint almond milk
1 tsp ground ginger
1 ripe banana
 Pinch of sea salt

To serve:
Honey or agave nectar
Fruit of choice

Mix the flours, flaxseed, salt and ground ginger together in a bowl. Add the milk and whisk together. Leave to stand for five minutes (this helps the flaxseed bind the ingredients together, acting like the egg in classic pancakes). Following cooking instructions as above. These pancakes are thicker than the classic recipe and may take a minute or two longer to cook on each side.

Slice the banana thinly, or mash if preferred. When the pancake comes out of the pan, place the banana in the centre of the pancake and roll. Serve with a couple of extra slices of banana on top, then a drizzle of honey or agave nectar to finish.

Parsnip, apple and cinnamon pancakes
(dairy-free and processed sugar-free)

If you've ever indulged in an apple and cinnamon pancake at the Center Parc's Pancake House, you'll know that these two main ingredients are a winning combination. We've taken these a little further, adding a little extra sweetness courtesy of the parsnip and reducing the flour intake. They're also great with lemon and sugar or, for a healthier option, agave nectar. For nut allergy sufferers, swap the almond milk for your usual milk.

INGREDIENTS

2oz plain flour
2oz parsnip, peeled and finely grated
1 egg
5fl. oz. almond milk
1fl. oz. unsweetened apple juice
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt

To serve:
Stewed apple with cinnamon
Apple/orange slices

Add the flour, parsnip, cinnamon and sea salt in a bowl. Coat the parsnip in the flour mixture, then add the egg and mix well. Slowly add the milk and whisk continuously. Add the apple juice and stir well. (You can also replace half of the parsnip with finely grated apple, so long as your apples are not too juicy, otherwise they'll make the mixture too wet!)

Make some stewed apple by chopping up your favourite apple (Bramleys have the best flavour, but you may prefer something sweeter) and adding it to a pan with a drop of water and up to a teaspoon of cinnamon.

Cook your pancakes according to the classic pancake recipe. Serve immediately with the stewed apple rolled up inside each pancake and with slices of apple and/or orange. For the sweeter tooth, add a drizzle of honey or agave nectar.

A Paleo feast in London

Back in Issue One, Ceri Jones told us all about getting back to our nutritional roots with the Paleo diet. While there are loads of hearty Paleo meals you can cook for yourself (see page 38 of Issue One for one of Ceri's delicious recipes), eating out can be tricky. Even if you do manage to find something you can have, you're not likely to get much choice - and surely half the fun of having dinner in a restaurant is poring over the menu and trying to decide between all the delicious options.

So thank (nutritional) goodness for Pure Taste, Britain's first Paleo restaurant, which opened recently in Notting Hill and provides a whole treasure trove of Paleo treats. The menu - which is also entirely gluten-free and dairy-free - offers everything from sourdough to scallops, beef to banoffee and caters to a variety of other diets too, including vegan and low carb. 

As London wakes up to the demand for healthy, ethical places to eat out, an increasing variety of cafes and restaurants are popping up to meet the needs of health-seeking foodies. If Paleo isn't for you, perhaps raw food is more up your alley. If so, look no further then Tanya's Cafe in Chelsea, which offers 100% raw and organic breakfasts, lunches and dinners plus a range of superfood cocktails. So raise your glass of Tanya's Toddy and say three 'chias' to good health!

Detox – healthy answer or myth?

There was an interesting article recently in one of the national papers suggesting that detox is a myth, as there is no scientific evidence of the toxins within the body or that the organs are damaged by them. The article was, in particular, questioning the benefits of detox products which are growing in number and perhaps especially in the New Year.

According to the article, while we all love the idea of being squeaky clean, there is (at present?) no scientific proof that this can actually physically happen.

On the other side of course are the many thousands of personal stories from people who have cleaned up their diet and lifestyle and changed their health often including cleanses and detox programmes and products.

Natural answers
At Harvest we think this is a beautiful example of how natural health gets confusing.

Is a detox really about some exotic ingredient recipe that with a magic wand can undo the last six days/weeks/months/years/decades of fast living with a wave of its wand and five days later there is a new you?

We can look at detox as another word for bringing balance (homeostasis) back to our body. This may mean after the holiday period we stop or take a break from foods and drinks that leave us out of balance i.e. hangovers, skin eruptions, weight gain, not sleeping and low energy. This might include reducing common holiday indulgences of binge alcohol drinking to eating half a box of chocolates in a day! Simply stopping them could be termed a detox and after five days we could feel much better.

Food for thought
Of course what we put in our body is as important as what we leave out. Very few people think of food in terms of fuel and how it makes our body function; it tends to be more about what we enjoy to eat in the moment. Our advice is to combine the two!

Science tends to look at each of us as the same working machine blueprint and looking at the averages for evidence. But actually those small but crucial differences, making each of us unique, are worth finding out when it comes to natural health. Armed with this knowledge you can then choose the correct foods (fuel) for your body. The internet is now home to thousands of food bloggers who freely or through inspiring books share their own recipes for making foods (fuel) taste good at every meal. Harvest magazine is delighted to share some of these inspirational recipes and resources with you; in issue two we have delicious winter soup recipes and some tasty uses for current superfood king – kale.

Detox is also about improving the elimination channels of the body. Again scientific evidence may not show that actual material toxins build up but speak to anyone who is constipated and they are not feeling great inside. Dehydration (lack of fluids) is often the oh so simple answer to many common health symptoms and is part of the elimination process of the kidneys. The body has several important in-built elimination channels for a reason and it makes logical sense to ensure these are working well. There are many natural products that encourage elimination often under the general term of 'detox'.

Lastly natural healing looks at the whole person. How you move, think, feel and what makes your heart sing. A detox should include reducing stress, resting, moving and working in balance and creating more joy in your heart and life.

New year, new you
So, as we start another new year perhaps consider what improvements we want to make to our physical and mental wellbeing. Here at Harvest we refer to these as ‘upgrades’ rather than a detox. Our approach is to upgrade the support and nourishment we give to ourselves on every level. You may include and explore detox products always looking for signs of change and improvement. Or you may wish to simply create new lifestyle changes that you explore such as including a new food.

Just like the changing seasons we find that our health is constantly changing in response to life and so with our upgrades we don’t follow any hard and fast rules; we simply assess where we are right now and what we can improve.

So what do you think – do you use and benefit from detox products? Or do you agree with the scientists and suspect it is all hype?