All posts by Kate

Vegan Quinoa Special Fried Rice

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

This high protein combination looks to me like a vegan version of special fried rice! The pinkish haricot beans look suspiciously like prawns, the golden quinoa like fried rice and the avocado like egg! It is my new favourite main meal as it is so delicious! I always go back for seconds!

You could try the recipe with rice, but I prefer quinoa as it is a higher source of protein and quicker to cook. Peas and beans are also great sources of vegan protein.

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Serves 2

150g                           Quinoa

100g                           Frozen Peas

1 can (250g)               Haricot Beans

½                                Ripe Avocado

1/4tsp                         Pink Crystal Salt

1/4tsp                         Black Pepper

1                                 Small carrot finely chopped (optional)

Cook the quinoa and peas in boiling water for 10 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed.

Rinse the beans in a colander. Cut the avocado in half, cut slices into the flesh and peel off the skin.

Add the avocado slices and beans to the cooked quinoa and peas. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Serve warm. Store the leftovers in a container in the fridge.

10 Tips for Sleeping Well

Articles, Health, ,

Sleeping well is important for having a productive day. After a bad nights sleep our concentration levels are reduced as our brain has not had time to process the events from the previous day. We have missed that important time during the deep REM sleep when are body is healing. We may be grumpy which can put a strain on our relationships. Also we are more likely to reach for comfort food instead of cooking a healthy meal and be less motivated to exercise.

Taking measures to ensure we sleep well will mean we feel refreshed and ready to start the next day!

Here are my top 10 tips for sleeping well:

  • Avoid caffeine in the evening – having tea or coffee in the evening will stimulate your nervous system and keep you awake. If you want to have a drink before bed, a relaxing herbal tea such as chamomile will have a calming affect that will let you drift off to sleep.
  • Have a bath – a warm, relaxing bath before bed can work wonders for a good nights sleep! You can use essential oils such as lavender to relax or use Epsom salts which contain magnesium, a natural muscle relaxant.
  • Avoid eating before bed – eating a big meal before going to bed will mean your body will be digesting it all night. If you a hungry just before bed, I advise eating easily digested foods such as fruit which only takes 30 minutes to digest.
  • Avoid sleeping tablets – sleeping tablets can become addictive and will make it hard for you to wake up the next morning.
  • Avoid drinking water before bed – drinking a lot of water before bed will keep you awake going to the toilet all night! It is best to drink throughout the day to keep hydrated as water is not absorbed during the night.
  • Lavender oil on your temples – this is very effective. Rubbing a few drops of lavender oil onto your temples and the soles of your feet has an instant relaxing effect.
  • Write a to-do list – try keeping a notepad beside your bed to jot down your thoughts. Writing down what you need to do the next day will mean it won’t be playing on your mind all night.
  • Use an earthing sheet – these are fantastic. I use an earthing fitted sheet which is plugged into the bedroom socket. The connection draws up healing negative ions from the earth which neutralise the harmful build up of positive ions absorbed throughout the day from wifi, mobile phones, TV, computer etc. It guarantees an improved nights sleep!
  • Right bedroom temperature – we need to be slightly cool to sleep well. Adjust the layers on your bed as the seasons change to ensure you get a good nights sleep. Use a 4.5 tog lighter duvet in the summer and a heavier 10.5 tog duvet and blankets in the winter.
  • Use f.lux – if you are on the computer late at night download f.lux which changes the screen colour to slightly pinkish at sunset. The normal blue light emitted from computer screens, mobile phones or ipads signals the brain to stay awake at a time when it should be shutting down. The red light of sunset has a calming effect on the brain, signalling it to release melatonin for sleep.

I hope these tips help you to have a deep and restful nights sleep!

Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges

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

These divine spicy sweet potato wedges were inspired by the fact that I noticed that I had 4 bags of sweet potatoes in the bottom of the fridge that were rapidly going out of date! So I decided to make the spicy wedges for dinner to use up one of the bags. It is a simple and easy to make recipe, and the spicy flavours of the crisp sweet potato wedges make a tasty dish!

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Serves 2

4                      Sweet Potatoes

4tbsp               Olive Oil or Coconut Oil

1tsp                 Ground Coriander

1tsp                 Ground Cumin

1tsp                 Ground Cardamom

1/4tsp              Pink Crystal Salt

1/4tsp              Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Wash the sweet potatoes and chop them into quarters lengthways. Place the wedges in a baking dish and drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle over the spices, salt and pepper and toss to mix.

Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp.

Once cooked, transfer the wedges to a plate. Drizzle over the oil left in the baking dish and serve warm, with hummus as a dip.

Building a Vegetable Box

Articles, Gardening, , , , , , , ,

I have always wanted to have a vegetable patch to grow my own organic vegetables! Here is the process of building the vegetable box, planting some small plants and seeds and the joy of watching them grow in the glorious sunshine we have been having lately!

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The box is built. Now we filled it with some rich fertiliser on the bottom layer and some top soil for the top layer.

We added a ring of copper plating around the upper inside of the box which the slugs can’t grip to to prevent the slugs from getting in and eating the leaves. No need for artificial pesticides!

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I planted the sweet potato plant I had been growing on the kitchen window sill from half a sweet potato in the top left hand corner of the box, and the small mung bean plants in the bottom right hand corner, grown from some old mung beans that I had in the cupboard and just scattered over a planter tray containing nutrient rich soil! I also planted a row of some old carrot seeds I found in the drawer in the back right and some chive bulbs planted in front of the sweet potato plant that were left from last year.

Also I planted a couple of medjool date seeds, hemp seeds and broccoli seeds! Will be interesting to see if they sprout!

We also put a scaredy cat plant next to box which gives off a smell that repels cat when they touch it, so the numerous cats in our neighbourhood wouldn’t use it as a litter box!

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The plants are getting very big! The sweet potato plant with the heart-shaped leaves has grown so tall and is winding around the bamboo sticks like ivy! Nearby are the chive plants. As you see we added a curly-leaved parsley plant which is doing really well in the sunshine, and tastes delicious. The mung bean plants have overtaken the vegetable box! You can just see the row of carrot leaves in the back row which are growing very quickly in the glorious sunshine!

I can’t wait to be able to pick my own sweet potatoes to bake for lunch! And I’m already using the parsley in my Quinoa & Lentil Burgers and will eventually use the carrots to make Carrot & Coriander Soup when they get big enough in the autumn!

It’s so convenient just to pop out into the garden to get your herbs and vegetables.

WDDTY Magazine Article: ‘How I beat my ME’

Articles, Life Purpose, Press, , , , , , ,

I was casually reading through the lastest issue of What Doctors Don’t Tell You magazine, enjoying a relaxing Sunday afternoon, when I reached the back page, noticed a column IN THE NEXT ISSUE and saw my name!

They are going to publish an article on my recovery story entitled ‘How I beat my ME’ in the September issue. The introduction reads: ‘Student Kate, who was reading chemistry at university, overcame her natural scepticism to all things alternative when her chronic fatigue, so severe she could barely get out of bed, got resolved through diet.’

The September 2014 issue featuring the article is on sale from 28th August 2014. It can be purchased from shops in the UK, via hardcopy or electronic subscription or via the WDDTY app. Look out for the article!

Clearly I am very excited that my story will be viewed internationally in the magazine and will hopefully inspire someone suffering from ME to take control of their health and use diet to make a full recovery, which it exactly what I did.

If you have an inspiring story of recovery from illness, I highly recommend getting your story out there as it may help someone. Starting a blog is a great way to get your message out as it can be viewed by people throughout the world on the internet.

Fortunately for me, I was in contact with the PR department of CNM, the naturopathic college where I am currently studying, who were publishing my story of using natural methods to recover from ME along with a course testimonial on their website. They have links with many major alternative health magazines and contacted me saying that WDDTY is looking for an interesting story and could they put my name forward. Shortly afterwards I was contacted by the editor Bryan Hubbard who arranged a phone interview. Later a photographer drove down to me and we had a photoshoot in a local park surrounded by trees with the backdrop of a stunning lake. We even had a couple of white swans come up to us from the lake during the shoot!

I hope this inspires you to follow your passion and take actions steps to get your own story out to the world.

Thanks for reading! xx

Raw Mango Cheesecake

Desserts, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, , , , , , ,

Treat yourself to this tasty raw mango cheesecake!

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Makes 1

Base:

150g               Walnuts

150g               Dates

1tbsp              Desiccated Coconut

1tbsp              Flaxseed

Topping:

2                     Ripe Mangoes

150g               Cashew Nuts

3tbsp              Agave Nectar

1tbsp              Peanut Butter

1tbsp              Coconut Oil

Soak the walnuts in water overnight.

Add all the base ingredients into a food processor and blend until the mixture starts to stick together. Scoop out of the food processor and spread evenly in the bottom of a cake dish with a spoon.

Blend the cashew nuts until fine. Add in the other ingredients and blend until a smooth paste has formed. Pour into the cake dish over the base and spread evenly with a spoon. Put in the fridge to set for a few hours. Serve and enjoy!

Store in the fridge. Eat within a week.

How To Deal With Stress

Articles, Health, , , ,

I am going through a personal crisis at the moment and have been feeling very stressed! I really want to get back to creating new recipes and posting them but I can’t concentrate and have fallen out of my creative flow. I think my creativity is returning as I am inspired to write this post!

Here are my tips on how to deal with life when it becomes stressful and overwhelming:

  • Get enough sleep – you need more sleep that normal when you are stressed, so it is important to go to bed early and also takes naps throughout the day if possible.
  • Talk to someone – a problem shared is a problem halved. Speak to a trusted family member or friend, they may be able to help you process what is going on in your life and give you advice.
  • Breathe – when we are stressed we tend to breath very shallowly and we don’t get enough oxygen. Take a few deep breaths. Breathe in and then exhale and release all the stress and tension.
  • Keep a routine – falling out of your routine such as eating at irregular times and going to bed late will just put more stress on your body at a time when it needs extra care.
  • Eat foods rich in zinc – when we are stressed our body uses up zinc very fast and it is vital to many processes in the body such as wound healing. Examples of foods high in zinc include pumpkins seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, spinach, cashew nuts, beans, chickpeas, chocolate, seafood and chicken.
  • Meditate – if you know how to meditate take 15 minutes in the morning before you do anything to sit cross-legged on the floor, breath and clear your mind. It can take a while to still an over active mind, but eventually the thoughts will stop and your adrenal system will calm down, leaving you with a sense of peace.
  • Exercise – go for a walk and get some fresh air, you will feel better. You could go running, do yoga or put on your favourite music and dance. The release of endorphins will uplift you leaving you feeling happy and relaxed.
  • Find a solution – instead of worrying about a problem, find a solution and then act on it. Find a way to improve it or leave the stressful situation.
  • Write down your thoughts – sometimes it helps to write down everything that is bothering you. Take a notepad and write until you feel better. It can be very therapeutic.
  • Do something you enjoy – take your mind off it by doing an activity you enjoy. It may be listening to your favourite music, going to the cinema, going to the beach, painting, reading etc.
  • Ask for help – if you find yourself losing track of time trying to come to terms with a stressful situation, or are lacking in energy and motivation ask your family members for help with everyday task such as cooking, chores, or even financial support. Most of the time they will be happy to help.
  • Listen to relaxing music – the slow rhythm of relaxation music will quickly calm down an over active nervous system and get your brain into an alpha brainwave state.
  • Have a bath – put a few drop of lavender oil in a warm bath or use Epsom Salts which are high in magnesium, a natural muscle relaxant and switch off.

I hope these tips help you to de stress and bring back your peace of mind!

What Happens When You Connect To Your Life Purpose?

Articles, Life Purpose, , , , , , , ,

What happens when you connect to your life purpose? Well when I started following my dream of being a nutritionist and helping people to transform their health, a series of coincidences took place.

Ever since I visited the nutritionist in the midst of my illness in July 2010 I wanted to do that job. At one point I looked online for courses and came across the CNM Nutrition Diploma course. It looked amazing because it incorporated the mind, body, spirit link and naturopathic treatments into the course! Just my kind of holistic approach! I enquired but did not enrol because I thought I would not be able to afford to find the money to do the course as I was only working part-time. So I put my dreams to one side and carried on with my average life.

Then I met a man at Vegfest in Hove. We discovered that we had the same passion for using diet to cure illness and lived in the same town! He invited me over to his house for lunch and we started spending a lot of time together. We became close and one evening driving back from his Mum’s house in Deal, Kent he said to me “Kate you are stuck in a rut in your job. What do you want to do with your life?” So I told him I wanted to be a nutritionist. He said when we got back, we would have a look at courses online. So the next day we had a look and he saw the CNM course and said that looks good and it is very near to where you live.

So I booked an open day online and we went along together. As soon as I was there I instinctively knew this was right for me and what I wanted to do. I had no doubts in my mind. When they mentioned the course fee I felt anxious. How am I going to find the money to fund the course? I was panicking in the car journey home. He was reassuring me that I would find the money and everything would work out ok. So the next day I checked my bank account and discovered I had just enough in savings for the first year of the course if I used my credit card as well! The first year was starting that weekend! So I paid over the phone there and then on the Thursday and enrolled in the course! If it wasn’t for a push from him, I never would have joined the course. People come into your life to help you move forward on your path.

A few months after enrolling on the course, I felt the need to break up with him, as I didn’t have time to study and spend all my spare time with him. It was too much. Also there was a huge age gap between us. I’m glad he came into my life, but it wasn’t right for me.

So as I now had a lot more time on my hands, I began a regime of meditating for 15 minutes every morning which is excellent for oxygenating the body, releasing tension in the muscles and relaxing the mind. One morning, in a meditative state after the meditation I created a blog. It’s like an outside force was guiding me forward. It had been on mind for at least a week and I had been thinking of names. So I created Kate’s Inspired Cooking on 11th April 2014!

Blogging has brought so much joy and creativity into my life! I have learnt how to take good photographs and write inspiring articles! I love cooking and have done for years! So now every time I make a new recipe, I type it into Word and take some photos of the finished product! It is joy to connect with lovely people from all over the world through the WordPress.com reader! And now, after 3 months of blogging, I am grateful to have over 150 followers and growing!

It is important to me to connect with people with ME/CFS. I seek out ME sufferers and share my story with them so they know they are not alone. When I was ill I felt completely alone and misunderstood. Unsupported by doctors and deserted by so called “friends”. I feel it is part of my life purpose to give hope to people with ME.

The important point on my journey was in July when I read an article in the CNM newsletter about the director of CNM who had used homeopathy to recover from the chronic pain after having an operation on his fingers which he accidentally cut off working in industry. At the end of the article they mentioned, “If you have an interesting story of using natural remedies to recover from illness, please contact our PR department.” So I emailed them with the link to My Story on my blog. A couple of weeks later they got back to me saying they would like to publish my story across their platforms! So I answered their questions and await to see the final version online!

Shortly afterwards, they contacted me saying that What Doctors Don’t Tell You magazine is looking for interesting health recovery stories and can they put my name forward. I immediately said “Yes!” and not long after I received a phone call from the editor of the magazine saying he would like to put my story in the magazine! I was over the moon! It means that my story can be spread worldwide and reach many readers of the magazine who have the so called incurable illness ME. The next morning we scheduled a phone interview and I told him the details of what happened during my period of illness. He was a lovely guy and so understanding and on my wavelength in terms of views on the health system. So we ended the call as I had to go to work in my part-time admin job. After arriving, the photographer called and we arranged a date for the photo shoot! I was so excited!

So here I am, having returned from the photo shoot earlier today, awe struck to have met the amazing photographer John Clement who has photographed Stephen Fry, Jo Brand and Rachel Stevens among others! He is going to email me some of the photos and article will be published in several weeks! I am so grateful for these amazing opportunities that keep coming my way! This is what happens when you connect to your life purpose! The journey continues from here…

Nomination for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Articles, Awards, , , , , ,

I opened my inbox yesterday to discover a new comment from one of my favourite bloggers Live Laugh Love. I was overjoyed to discover that she had nominated me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award! Thank you Live Laugh Love! I would recommend visiting her blog to see her cute animal pictures! They always make me laugh!

“To get up when you are down, to fight more intensely when you are struggling; to put in the extra effort when you are in sheer pain, to come back when nobody expects you to, and to stand tall when everyone is pulling you down are what make a champion.” ~ Apoorve Dubey
“To get up when you are down, to fight more intensely when you are struggling; to put in the extra effort when you are in sheer pain, to come back when nobody expects you to, and to stand tall when everyone is pulling you down are what make a champion.” ~ Apoorve Dubey

Here are the rules:

1. Thank and link to the amazing person who nominated you.

2. List the rules and display the award.

3. Share seven facts about yourself.

4. Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been     nominated.

5. Optional: Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you.

Seven Facts About Myself:

  • I work in a cleaning agency recruiting cleaners and helping elderly, disabled and busy people to find someone to clean their house!
  • I don’t watch TV as it gets you into a relaxed state and then they put messages into your subconscious mind! It is effectively brainwashing! I stopped watching TV after watching this inspiring video entitled Avoid Watching Television.
  • I’m currently helping my brother improve his diet! He told me he is tired of eating junk food so I wrote him a diet plan that he is following to the letter! Go him!
  • I need sunlight! I was diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency a few months ago and after sitting in the garden in the sunshine at every opportunity and taking a Vitamin D sublingual spray, it has now gone up to a normal level!
  • I was born on April Fools Day!
  • When I was a child I wanted to be a famous singer!
  • My parents have just returned from a holiday in their villa in Spain looking very tanned!

These are the inspiring blogs I have nominated:

canadianpicmaker

Dearmonaefox

GF Life 24/7

Gluten free adventures & M.E

Gluten Free Treadmill

I’ll Cook, You Wash

My Sparkly Life

Running Around the Bend

Shine On Be.U.tiful

Shivaay Delights

Simple Vegan Life

Tabitha’s gluten-free dishes

The Bright-Full Life

Violet’s Veg*n e-Comics

Yes! I’m Vegan 🙂

I want to thank every blogger that I nominated for sharing their inspiring health journeys and posting such tasty recipes! Also for posting their beautiful photographs or colourful drawings!

Green Smoothie

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

Detox with this delicious, creamy green smoothie! The flaxseed provides added omega-3!

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Serves 2

1                      Ripe Banana

1                      Apple

3                      Dates

½                     Avocado

1tbsp               Flaxseed

2 Handfuls       Spinach

300ml              Almond Milk

300ml              Filtered Water

Chop up the apple and add to the blender with the banana, dates and flaxseed. Cut the avocado in half, remove the stone and scoop out the flesh into the blender. Now add the spinach on top and pour in the almond milk and then the filtered water so it just covers the top layer of spinach.

Blend on full power for 30 seconds. Pour into a glass and enjoy!