All posts by Kate

Vegan Mango Lassi

Recipes, Smoothies & Drinks, Vegan, , , , ,

This sweet drink is enjoyed in India with a meal. To make it vegan I have used almond milk inside of dairy milk and my Banana & Cashew Ice Cream recipe as the vegan yoghurt. It is quick to make and so delicious!

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Serves 4

2                      Ripe Bananas

50g                  Cashew Nuts

2                      Ripe Mangoes

200ml              Almond Milk

300ml              Filtered Water

2 tbsp              Agave Nectar

¼ tsp               Ground Cardamom

Make the vegan yoghurt by blending the ripe bananas and cashew nuts for 30 seconds.

Slice the mangoes into quarters and then peel off the skin. Chop up the flesh and add to the blender along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend for 1 minute until smooth.

Pour into a tall glass and serve immediately!

Vegan Chocolate Muffins

Cakes, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, , , , , , , ,

Treat yourself to these delicious yet healthy gluten-free, vegan chocolate muffins! They are perfect to have as an afternoon snack and will satisfy your sweet tooth! The quinoa and brown rice make them high in vegan protein!

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Makes 12

90g                 Quinoa

90g                 Brown Rice

1tbsp              Coconut Oil

2tbsp              Ground Flaxseed

3tbsp              Cacao Powder

4tbsp              Agave Nectar

1tsp                Apple Cider Vinegar

2tsp                Baking Soda

1/4tsp             Pink crystal salt

300ml              Almond Milk

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Grease each section of a muffin tray with coconut oil.

Add all the ingredients into a Vitamix blender. Blend for 30 seconds until well mixed.

Next spoon the mixture into the 12 sections of the muffin tray. Fill up each section to about ¾ full.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes.

When they are cooked, leave them to cool for 5 minutes and then carefully remove each muffin and place on a rack to cool.

Store in a cool, dry place and eat within 5 days.

 

My Vegan Chocolate Muffins recipe is featured in the ChefChili app!

ChefChili

Red Lentil and Kidney Bean Curry

Gluten-Free, Main Meal, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , , , ,

Now that it’s Autumn, it’s a great time to start cooking curries again! The warming, spicy flavours of this delicious red lentil and kidney bean curry are perfect to warm up on a chilly day!

Red Lentil and Kidney Bean Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients

1tbsp                          Coconut Oil

1                                 Red Onion

1                                 Garlic Clove

½ tbsp                        Ground Cumin

½ tbsp                        Ground Coriander

½ tsp                          Ground Turmeric

½ tsp                          Cayenne Pepper

½ tsp                          Ground Ginger

½ 500g can                Passata

400g can                    Coconut Milk

125g                           Red Lentils

400g can                    Red Kidney Beans

600ml                         Filtered Water

300g (75g/serving)      Brown Rice

¼ tsp                          Pink Crystal Salt

¼ tsp                          Black Pepper

Instructions

Pour the brown rice into a pan of filtered water at the ratio 1:2 brown rice:water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 40 minutes on a low heat. Do not stir.

Melt the coconut oil in a medium pan. Add the chopped onion and stir. When the onions start to brown, add in the chopped garlic. Next add the spices and stir to mix in.

Now add the passata, coconut milk and red lentils. Simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes stirring regularly. Add in extra water if necessary. Finally stir in the red kidney beans and heat for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Serve the curry with the brown rice. Enjoy![amd-zlrecipe-recipe:29]

Green Pea & Mung Bean Soup

Gluten-Free, Recipes, Soups, Vegan, , , , , , , ,

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Out of the blue yesterday evening, I had the idea to make green pea soup! I forgot to write it down. Then today at work my colleague had pea soup for lunch and I remembered! When I got home I put a sweet potato in the oven for dinner and then remembered my plan to make the soup! So I thought I could add the sweet potato into the soup to give it a thicker consistency. Then I noticed a jar of sprouted mung beans on the kitchen window seal waiting to be used! So I thought I would add these in too!

So in the end I had a tasty, green soup with an interesting, smoky flavour! I discovered that no-one has put a green pea and mung bean soup on the internet yet, so this is a truly unique recipe! Peas and mung beans seem to go well together and are a good source of vegan protein.

As you may have noticed, I have gone mad lately blogging everyday! I keep coming up with good ideas! I’m on a roll (a blogroll) ha ha! Plus it’s fun!

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Serves 2

1tbsp              Coconut Oil

1                     Red Onion

1                     Garlic Clove

500ml             Filtered Water

250g               Frozen peas

200g               Sprouted Mung Beans

1                     Medium Sweet Potato

1tsp                Thyme

1/4tsp             Pink Crystal Salt

1/4tsp             Black Pepper

Soak the mung beans in filtered water in a sprouting jar overnight. Drain the water in the morning and leave to sprout.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Bake the sweet potato for 45 minutes.

Melt the coconut oil in a sauce pan on a medium heat. Finely chop the onion and add to the hot pan. Stir occasionally. Cook until the onions start to brown then add the finely chopped garlic which cooks quickly.

Now pour in the water and add the frozen peas, mung beans and sweet potato cut into chunks. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Now bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Leave the soup to cool slightly. Pour it into a blender (I use a Vitamix) and blend on full power for 30 seconds.

Now pour into a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with a slice of bread.

Store any leftovers in the fridge.

Red Lentil Dhal

Gluten-Free, Main Meal, Recipes, Vegan, , , , , ,

As the days get colder, we need to cook warm, spicy, comforting meals to stay warm. Try this tasty and filling red lentil dhal recipe to warm your heart! This is one of my favourite winter recipes as it is quick to make and rich in protein.

Red Lentil Dhal

Serves 2

Ingredients

1tbsp               Coconut Oil

½                     Onion

1tsp                 Mustard Seeds

1tsp                 Ground Coriander

1tsp                 Ground Turmeric

500ml              Filtered Water

400g can         Chopped Tomatoes

½ 400g can     Coconut milk

125g                Red Split Lentils

1/4tsp              Pink Crystal Salt

1/4tsp              Black Pepper

Instructions

Melt the coconut oil in a sauce pan. Chop the onion finely and add to the hot oil. Add the mustard seeds. When the onion has started to brown, add the ground coriander and turmeric. Stir in the spices.

Pour in the filtered water. Add the can of chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and red split lentils. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Season with the salt and pepper and serve warm with a slice of bread. Store in a container in the fridge.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:28]

How to Find Your Life Purpose

Articles, Life Purpose, , , , ,

I spent a year trying to find my life purpose. Now it is crystal clear to me that everything I have been through during my illness and using nutrition to recover was so that I could teach others how to do the same!

Finding and living your life purpose is good for your health and wellbeing. I feel so much happier now that I know what my life purpose is and have a direction in life to focus my energy on. It feels amazing to be making a positive difference in the world by blogging about my experiences of using nutrition to heal my illness, which have already helped people around the world! Eventually I will work one-on-one with people to help them improve their health as a nutritional therapist.

Here are my 10 steps to finding your life purpose:

1. Write down a list of all the things you enjoy doing!

What do you love doing? What do you do that seems natural to you that you don’t even realise you are doing it? For me it was cooking new recipes in my spare time! To me it was a necessary and enjoyable use of my time! What did you enjoy doing as a child? Did you build lego houses or watch every episode of pet rescue? Did you play with barbie dolls and make them into families? Or paint pictures or make magazines?

2. What did you want to be when you were a child?

When I was a child I wanted to be famous singer. I used to love singing into my karaoke machine and dreamed of being a popstar in a girl group like the Spice Girls! Now I see the connection. As a spiritual teacher it is my job to sing the messages of health and good nutrition to the world! Who knows, maybe one day I will be a public speaker!

3. Look at your name numerology!

Numerology can reveal a lot about your personality. You can find information on the web about what each number means.

To calculate your Earth Path number which represents how other people see you, add up the consonant number equivalents in your full name including your middle name/s.

A=1, B,=2, C=3, D=4, E=5, F=6, G=7, H=8, I=9, J=1, K=2 etc.

For me: KATE ELEANOR JANET O’RIORDAN

2+2+3+5+9+1+5+2+9+9+4+5 = 56, 5+6=11, 1+1=2

Earth Path number 2 – I am seen as someone who is quiet, creative, caring and loving.

To calculate your Soul Path number which represents what your soul desires to do in this lifetime, add up the vowel number equivalents in your full name including your middle name/s.

For me: KATE ELEANOR JANET O’RIORDAN

1+5+5+5+1+6+1+5+6+9+6+1 = 51, 5+1=6

Soul Path 6 – My soul desires to heal others.

To calculate your Life Path number which is the path you are destined to live, add up the sum of your Earth Path number and Soul Path number:

For me: 2+6=8

Life Path 8 – I am destined to work hard and be successful and abundant.

4. Look at your astrology

The three main aspects to look at are your sun sign, rising sign and moon sign. Sun sign and rising sign make up 50% of your overall personality.

Your sun sign which is the position of the sun at the time of your birth is your true personality. I am an Aries so I am a brave, fiery, attention-seeking, charming and a leader at heart.

Your rising sign is how others see you. I am a Gemini so I am seen as an academic who studies a lot and is sociable, quick witted and smart.

Your moon sign which is the position of the moon at the time of your birth represents your emotional life.  Mine is in Libra so I need balance in my emotional life.

5. If you didn’t have to earn money, what would you spend your time doing?

For me it would be cooking, blogging, writing, spiritual development, meditation, yoga, walking in nature, gardening – all the things I love to do!

6. Look at your bank statement

What do you spend you money on? Do you buy music CDs, clothes, books on history, magazines on fashion, health food products, tarot cards or car parts? This gives you a clue as to your interests.

7. Look at your bookshelf

Do you own several books on sewing, cookbooks, art and craft books, anime books, gardening, DIY etc.

8. When you go to the library which sections do you go to?

I go to the spiritual section, the health section, the cookbook section and the business section.

9. Meditate

Take the quiet time to sit down and meditate. Ask the universe “What is my life purpose?” and see what ideas and visions come to mind. Do this regularly and watch for the signs.

10. Listen to your feelings

When you do an activity does it make your feel happy and good afterwards? Or do you feel tense and have a bad feeling in your gut? Trust your instincts. It is the same when you are around people. Does being around them energise you? Or does it drain your energy leaving you feeling depressed?

Blog Name Change & Updates!

Articles, Blog, , , , , , , , , ,

Hi everyone!

I wanted to let you know about some updates.

Blog Name Change!

I’m so excited to tell you that my blog has a fantastic new name: Cooking to Heal ME. I came up with the name in a moment of inspiration one morning. I feel it is really appropriate and perfectly describes what I am about! I cook and use food to heal the symptoms of ME!

I have decided to focus my blog more towards ME as my heart is with ME sufferers and I want to help them get well! I want to share recipes and other health tips that have helped me to make a full recovery!

Note: If you type my old blog address katesinspiredcooking.com into a search engine, you will still be directed to my site! The new address is cookingtohealme.com.

Facebook Page

My facebook page has also changed names from Kate’s Inspired Cooking to Cooking to Heal ME. Show some love and follow me on facebook!

Facebook page

Twitter

My twitter account is doing very well! It’s new name is @CookingtoHealME

Pinterest

I am also on Pinterest! Look me up to view tasty pictures of my recipes!

Tumblr

Yes I’m on tumblr as well! I’m addicted to social media! He he! 🙂

Email Newsletter

I have created an email newsletter sign up which you can find on the left-hand column of my facebook page. I will be sending out a newsletter at the end of every month including the latest updates, posts, public features and personal stories! If you would rather receive an email than joining my RSS feed sign up! Just click on the email sign up button and add your name and email address to stay updated!

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Free Inspiring Movies!

I have updated my Bookshelf page and added links to my favourite inspiring movies! You can watch the full movies for free, just go to Bookshelf. Enjoy! 🙂

ME Question & Answer Session

Articles, Health, ME/CFS, , , , , , , ,

Hi everyone! Since the latest issue of WDDTY featuring my ME recovery story was released, I have had lots of messages from recently diagnosed ME sufferers saying thank you for sharing my story and it is has given them hope, which is wonderful! They have also been asking lots of questions about ME and health and I wanted to share the questions and answers on my blog as it may help other people with ME.

Q: How long did it take you to recover fully?

A: I had my health collapse in December 2008 then had the diagnosis of CFS in December 2009 after a year of tests. I visited the nutritionist in July 2010 and felt a lot better after a few weeks of changing my diet and taking the recommended supplements. I was fully well and able to go back to work in December 2011. So I would say it took me 3 years to recover fully.

Q: Can you suggest any supplements that might help?

A:  I would recommend Source of Life Liquid Gold mulitivitamin to give your body support as it is easy to absorb and gives you an instant energy boost!  Vitamin C is important for boosting a low immune system, which is common in CFS. I took Vitamin C on a daily basis during the worst of my illness. Also a probiotic to repopulate the good bacteria in your gut.

Q: Do you believe candida was central causing to your CFS?

A:  I believe the main cause of my CFS was catching glandular fever at university and it weakened my immune system. I then took the anti-biotic tetracycline for my acne and it wiped out my good bacteria which allowed the candida to proliferate. As soon as the nutritionist detected that I had candida on the bio-resonance machine I cut out processed sugar and minimised sweet fruit. I also took grapefruit extract that she recommended and cut out yeasty foods. The combination of these approaches wiped out the candida within several weeks.

Q: Do you eat fruit nowadays considering it can start to re-feed the candida?

A: Yes I regularly eat fruit since it is full of vitamins and nutrients and the candida has never returned. My immune system is strong now and I regularly take a probiotic to support my good bacteria so candida cannot thrive.

Q: Did you find veganism superior to low fat meat protein+veg diet (like a stone-age)?

A: I would not recommend a low fat diet as the body requires a certain level of fat to function well. If you want to lose weight I would recommend removing processed sugar from your diet as the body cannot use it as it is devoid of nutrients and so stores it. I have never been on a cave man diet, but I don’t eat a lot of grains as they are hard for the body to digest.  I eat a high protein vegan diet with foods such a quinoa, brown rice, peas, nuts, seeds and legumes. I don’t eat meat as I believe it is wrong to treat animals cruelly and murder them when we don’t need to eat meat.

Q: How do we know which diet is healthy and right?

A: There are so many diets out there. You have to listen to your body to learn what is right for you. If you have a bad reaction to a food or get IBS from taking supplements, it is your bodies way of telling you it doesn’t like it and to stop consuming it. Don’t listen to what other people tell you, just follow your intuition and do what is right for you. You can do muscle testing on foods to see if you get a strong or weak reaction to a particular food.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to send me a message. Best wishes to you on your ME recovery journey.

Healing My Eczema

Articles, Health, Nutrition, , , , , , , , , ,

Having had chronic eczema since I started university in 2006, I am thrilled to have recently noticed a huge improvement in the clarity of my skin, and I wanted to share with you some of the things that I have been doing!

Eczema, also known as dermatitis, is red and inflamed skin around the nose and cheeks accompanied by dry skin. It can cause self-esteem issues as we are expected to have perfect skin like the flawless models in magazines. The condition can be caused by chronic stress or a toxic body since the skin is the last place that toxins are eliminated from the body. Also it may be a sign of systemic inflammation throughout the body.

Here are the things I have been doing recently that have had a positive impact on my skin:

  • Source of Life – Liquid Gold Multivitamin – this delicious tropical fruit flavoured liquid supplement is packed full with over 120 superfood extracts and contains more than the RDA of vitamins and minerals that a healthy adult requires. It was recommended to me by the nutritionist at the student clinic. After a month of taking it I noticed that my eczema had dramatically reduced and people I knew commented on my clear skin! I am continuing taking it for the positive effects!
  • Drink more water – the nutritionist said I should be drinking 2 litres of water everyday. I noticed that I would have more regular and easy bowel movements after drinking at least 1.5 litres in a day which actually gave me clearer skin. This is because the toxins ingested in everyday life e.g. pesticide residues, chemicals, air pollution were not recirculating into the blood stream, but were being quickly removed from the body and therefore not reaching the skin.
  • Sleep well – After a good nights sleep I wake up feeling refreshed and look in the mirror and my skin is clear. It worth going to bed early to feel and look better the next day. Check out my post 10 Tips for Sleeping Well
  • Reduce stress – removing toxic relationships or situations from your life can greatly reduce your stress levels and improve your health. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation or listening to relaxing music can help to calm down the adrenal system, reducing stress on your body. Find out more tips in my post How To Deal With Stress.
  • Omega-3 – the nutritionist pointed out that I needed more omega-3 in my diet as I am vegan. The best vegan sources of omega-3 are flaxseed, hemp seed, rapeseed and walnuts. Omega-3 is anti-inflammatory reducing redness and swelling in the body as well as repairing damaged skin cells. I now eat a teaspoon of ground flaxseed with every meal and have noticed an improvement in my skin condition! I also use hemp oil to moisturise the dry skin on my cheeks and around my mouth as it is very soothing and reduces the dry patches.
  • Vitamin D – deficiency of this vitamin is common as we tend to spend most of our lives indoors. I was diagnosed with insufficient levels of Vitamin D by the doctor and after 3 months of spending time sitting in the sunshine and taking Better You Vitamin D sublingual spray which the nutritionist recommended as it is easily absorbed, my levels were back in the normal range! Several studies have shown that increasing the vitamin D levels improved skin condition and I have definitely noticed an improvement!
  • Earthing – walking barefoot outside on the grass decreases stress on the body and reduces inflammation. Our bodies absorb electromagnetic radiation from computers, TVs, wifi, mobile phones etc and this causes a build up of positive ions in the body which cause health problems such as depression, insomnia, chronic pain and inflammation.  When we take off our shoes and walk barefoot on the earth, the negative ions we absorb neutralise the positive ions and we soon feel more relaxed and happier. That is why people feel better after sitting on the beach!

All these things have contributed to my improved skin condition, but I would say that Source of Life Liquid Gold had the most dramatic impact. I am sure a healthy diet of fresh, organic foods is also contributing to my clearer skin!

Why ME?

Articles, ME/CFS, Press, , , , , , , , ,

WDDTY September CoverWhy ME

Read about how I used a healthy diet to recover from ME in the latest issue of What Doctors Don’t Tell You magazine which is out in the shops from today!

The article entitled ‘Why ME?’ describes the phases of diet I went through before reaching the cooked and raw vegan stage I am at today, having regained all of my energy. It is a huge change from being bed bound at the start of my severe ME and took 3 years of making positive health changes to recover fully. The article also features my 10 Steps for ME Recovery.

ME is a very real illness despite many doctors putting it down to being in the mind and prescribing anti-depressants. It is caused by the organs of the body not getting the energy they need to function properly from a poor diet devoid of nutrients. The mitochondria cells which produce the energy currency ATP need certain food components to function, and if they are malnourished, the organs such as the heart cannot sustain a fast heart-rate and blood pressure drops. This lead to collapses which I have experienced first-hand. If the brain does not get the energy it needs to function, it causes brain fog, poor concentration and dizziness which I have also experienced. As soon as you consume a diet of fresh fruits, vegetables and wholefoods, the cells are filled with the vitamins and nutrients they need to heal and return to full functioning.

I genuinely hope the article inspires someone with ME to look at altering their diet and see the positive changes in their health. They can read my story and know that the illness is curable and despite what we are told, full recovery is entirely possible.

I am training to become a nutritional therapist and plan to work one-on-one with people suffering from ME to teach them the tools to heal themselves.