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.

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.

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.

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.