All posts by Kate

Why I’m Vegan

There are many reasons why I’m vegan which are listed below. Some of these reasons may shock you. The methods used in the animal industries are disturbing and people should be make aware of how animals are treated.

Meat – meat is produced by murdering another living being. Animals have a right to live and enjoy the freedom of their lives.

Meat is difficult to digest and contains the vibration of fear, suffering and death. The animals queue up and watch their friends, brothers and sisters being slaughtered in front of their eyes! They hear the screams and wait in fear for their turn. Their bodies are flooded with the stress hormone cortisol. And upon slaughter these hormones are still present in the meat. So when you eat meat you are consuming cortisol, adding to the excess cortisol that floods most of our bodies due to the stressful lives we lead and puts a strain on the adrenal glands.

Seafood especially tuna contains mercury and if consumed regularly can cause mercury poisoning.

What is meat? – Meat includes beef, lamb, veal, pork, chicken, turkey, duck, liver, other organ meats, all fish (yes fish is meat so if you eat fish you are not a vegetarian, you are a pescetarian!) and all seafood such as prawns, muscles, crab etc.

This video broke my heart when I saw it. How can a dog be more compassionate that a human being? We will sit by a watch a fish suffocate while the dog tries to save its’ life. The dog understands how precious life is. And we are supposed to be more intelligent?

Eggs – eggs have the potential to form into a chick if they are fertilised with sperm from a rooster. However the egg industry is one of the most cruel industries and the males chicks are ground alive on a machine with metal blades. The hens are used to produce eggs for our consumption. Many are confined to cramped, unhygienic cages and not allowed to roam free outside in the sunlight. I had tears in my eyes when I saw a picture of a male chick about to be cut up on a blade.

Dairy – Cows are abused. They are pumped full of growth hormones to build them up for slaughter as well as antibiotics which remain in the milk we drink. Dairy is acidic and mucus forming. There are some farms that treat their animals well. If you are going to buy milk and cheese it is better to buy organic and buy goat’s or sheep’s dairy as they are less intensively farmed that cows.

Leather – leather is cow’s skin! Would you wear human skin?

Merino wool – I discovered the horrors on the merino wool industry in the following video. The sheep are transported across the ocean on board freight ships in cramped conditions. When they reach land, they queue up to be slaughtered alive. Their throats are cut and their legs cut off in front of the other sheep just for the sake of getting their wool. I will never buy merino wool. 50% of merino wool is from Australia and it is hard to tell the source and the treatment of the merino sheep.

This video presented by Pink is very distressing. I was very shocked and upset when I watched it. If you are sensitive to gore then please don’t watch it.

Honey – I have been informed that honey is used to feed the baby bees and when we take it for our consumption, they have nothing to eat. So I avoid eating honey.

High vibration – to eat a plant-based diet you are consuming nutrient dense foods with a higher life-force energy and it will nourish your body and give you more vitality.

Alkaline diet – A plant-based, vegan diet is alkaline, anti-inflammatory and full of antioxidants. Therefore it protects your body from damage and inflammation.

Thank you for reading my reasons for why I’m vegan. The methods used in some of these industries are shocking. I hope you understand more about the animal industries and the morals of eating animal produce.

Vegan Chana Halva

Halva is deliciously sweet and easy to make! The dessert is popular in the Middle East. This version is made from chana which are chickpeas. It is vegan as I have replaced the butter with coconut oil and the dairy milk with almond milk. My family found it very tasty!

I am fond of Middle Eastern dishes especially hummus, dhal and falafel. Perhaps I had a past-life in Egypt!

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Makes 9 pieces

Ingredients

150g               Chickpeas

3tbsp              Coconut Oil

150ml             Almond Milk

½ tsp              Ground Cardamom

6 tbsp             Agave Nectar

50g                 Cashew Nuts

50g                 Almonds

Method

Soak the chickpeas in cold water overnight.

Drain the chickpeas and blend them while still wet to form a paste.

Melt the coconut oil in a non-stick pan. Add the chickpea paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Now pour in the almond milk. Bring to the boil and then simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add in the agave nectar, ground cardamom and roughly chopped cashew nuts and almonds. Simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly until you have a sticky dough.

Pour the dough into a square baking tray and leave to cool for 30 minutes.

Put in the freezer overnight.

Next morning take the halva out of the freezer to defrost for 1 hour. Cut the halva into rectangles and enjoy!

Store in the fridge.

Therapies to Heal ME – Part 2

Here is part 2 of Therapies to Heal ME which includes all the therapies that I tried out in 2011 and 2012 in an effort to cure my ME, including dates, and my experiences with them:

2011

February

  • Massage – I started having massage at a beauty clinic using essential oils which warmed and relaxed my tense and aching muscles and left me feeling so peaceful and calm. It is a shame the effects wear off after a day!

October – Started volunteering to get back into society

December – Started working in a full-time job

2012

April

  • Reiki – I went to an MBS Fayre and had a taster reiki session. I lay on a table and she placed her hands above each of my chakras. Over my throat chakra I started swallowing uncontrollable and she said I had a blockage in this chakra and there was something I needed to say. Overall it was very relaxing and I’m sure it had a healing effect.

May

  • Chakra cleansing – During a reading at the MBS fayre, the psychic recommended that I use crystals to cleanse my chakras and rebalance my system. I bought a set of seven crystals, one for each chakra, and lay down, placing each crystal on the chakra and relaxing for 10 minutes before removing them. Afterwards I feel deeply relaxed, centered and peaceful. I try to do this regularly.

June

  • Lifestyle changes –  I found working full-time to demanding on my body. I would come home, cook dinner, eat and go to bed and repeat this cycle everyday. At the weekend I was too exhausted to do anything but rest. So I asked to change my hours to part-time. They let me reduce my hours to working 3 full days a week which gave me two days off to rest in the week. This gave me more time for self-development and spending time in nature which raised my spirit. I was much happier, had more energy and felt less anxious.

August

  • Mindfulness – After reading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, I learned the powerful effect of watching the mind for silencing it. Listening to the chattering mind also known as the ego will not bring you peace and when you observe it, it stops and you can hear the quiet voice of your higher self in the peaceful silence giving you inspiration and guidance.
  • Blood type diet – I bought a blood testing kit and tested my blood which is blood type A-. According to this diet people with my blood type do well on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. I feel that my body likes grains and everyone’s body is different and may have different food intolerances. I did not stay on this diet for long.

September

  • Detox the Pineal Gland – After watching videos by Free Spirit on YouTube I learnt that the toxins fluorine, chlorine and mercury sit in the pineal gland preventing it from functioning properly. The pineal gland secretes melatonin which regulates the circadian rhythm and sleep, and is also the physical manifestation of the third eye allowing one to see clairvoyantly. Mercury is present in all fish which is another reason to go vegetarian!
  • Fluoride-free toothpaste – Fluorine is in toothpaste and actually decays the teeth instead of the opposite it is advertised to do. Kingfisher do an excellent range of fluoride-free toothpastes.
  • Shower filter – Chlorine and fluorine are present in tap water which is why getting a water filter as well as a shower filter fitted is important. Chlorine gas is easily absorbed through the skin in the shower.
  • Vegetarian Diet – Free Spirit explained that foods have different vibrations. Meat has a vibration of fear and death and dairy has a vibration of suffering. If it is true that You Are What You Eat then these are not things you want to put into your body! Honour your body. And honour animals who should be cared for, not tortured and murdered!

November

  • Zeolite Powder – Zeolite binds to toxins in the colon and excretesP1000334 them from the body. The colon detox helped to remove some toxins from my body.
  • Smoothies – After reading Free Spirit’s book, I contained a recipe for a green smoothie to detox the body. So I started making green smoothies on a daily basis. I felt much more alert and energised after drinking the smoothie. I still continue to drink smoothies regularly today to rehydrate my body and give it a boost of nutrients from fresh fruit and vegetables.
  • Raw Vegan diet – I tried out the raw vegan diet to detox my body as I had a lot of toxins in my body from all the junk food, pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides and hormones from dairy that I had ingested in the past. Winter is not the ideal time to go raw vegan and I found it difficult to get enough calories. I did not know about the importance of protein then. I felt good not eating and animal produce and it raised my vibration and detox my body.
  • Organic food – I started eating only organic food when I discovered how much toxic pesticides they spray on non-organic food. It may be slightly more expensive, but it tastes a lot better and often has a higher amount of nutrients that non-organic food.

If you have ME/CFS, I hope that these therapy reviews give you some ideas of healing methods you can try out. Everybody is different and what works for one person may not work for someone else. Still in my opinion it is worth trying everything that you feel may help until you find the one that works for you.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of Therapies to Heal ME which includes the therapies that I tried from 2013 to the present day.

Nutrition Year 1

Hi everyone!

Last weekend I had my first lectures on year 1 of my nutrition course (last year was a foundation year in Anatomy & Physiology) at the College of Naturopathic Medicine. It was great to see everyone from my class again and some new faces! There are 40 people in the class this year as group A and group B have joined together and some people have joined us from London! It has really energised me to be around so many like-minded people who I feel I can easily express myself around, with more confidence and no fear of being sneered at or criticised for my alternative health beliefs.

It’s been over a week since my last blog post which is a long time considering I was posting up to 3 posts a week during the summer break! I wanted to let you know that I am back to studying again and very busy! I will try my best to cook new recipes and write some blog posts if I have the time! At the moment I have lectures every other weekend and my first assignment due in 2 months! I’ve set myself a goal to read 20 pages of my notes every morning to read through everything in time for the exam in January. I have some recipes ideas in mind and need to finish my Therapies to Heal ME Part 2 post!

So hopefully I will have the time in between studying to blog and connect with you all again which I miss!

My Story featured on Natural Matters website

P1000763My story has been featured on the Natural Matters website – the UK’s Natural Life Directory. The article titled My Transition from Junk Food to Healthy Food to Heal ME includes a combination of two of my blog entries My Story: How I Became Ill With ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and My Transition from Junk Food to Healthy Food.

I would like to thank the PR department of the College of Naturopathic Medicine, where I am currently in my second year of studying nutrition, for introducing me to the editor of Natural Matters. The editor contacted CNM as she thought my story was very inspiring and would be very interesting for her readership.

I genuinely hope that it inspires the readers of Natural Matters to improve their diet. The editor of Natural Matters has said that she hopes to use some of my recipes herself! It is important to me to spread my message, especially to ME/CFS sufferers and to give them hope that they can recover from this chronic, debilitating illness!

How to Make Kitchari

Kitchari is used in an ayurvedic diet for detoxing the body. It is simple, nourishing food that is easy to digest. Usually I make a large batch and store the extra in glass containers in the fridge to eat for lunch for the next few days.

You can find the full recipe below.

For more video showing how to make my gluten-free, vegan recipes check out my YouTube channel! Cooking to Heal ME

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Serves 4

Ingredients

1tbsp              Coconut oil

½ tbsp            Mustard seeds

½ tbsp            Fennel seeds

1inch              Root ginger

½ tbsp            Ground turmeric

½ tbsp            Ground cumin

½ tbsp            Ground cumin

150g               Mung beans

150g               Brown basmati rice

500ml             Filtered water

1                     Medium Sweet potato

1                     Carrot

50g                 Frozen peas

¼ tsp              Pink crystal salt

¼ tsp              Black pepper

Method

Melt the coconut oil in a hot pan.

Add the seeds to the hot oil. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the finely chopped root ginger, turmeric, cumin and coriander.

Now add in the mung beans and rice, followed by the filtered water. Cut the sweet potato into slices and then quarters. Add to the pan with the chopped carrot and pour in the frozen peas.

Bring to the boil. Now put the lid on and simmer for 45 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.

ME Question & Answer Session 2

I have had more questions from ME sufferers, so I have decided to create a second ME Question & Answer Session post, as the answers may be helpful for other people with ME who read my blog.

Q: Are ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome the same?

ME stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.  Mya = muscle, algic = pain, encephalo = brain, myelos = marrow, itis = inflammation. So overall ME means muscle pain and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a group of symptoms including fatigue which after months of testing have no other diagnosis. I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome after a year of tests. I did not have muscle pain, which can also be diagnosed as Fibromyalgia, nor did I have inflammation of the brain and spinal cord which were checked after a CT scan.

However the terms can be used interchangeably.

Q: How bad were your symptoms at your worst?

At my worst I had severe fatigue, brain fog, poor concentration, dizziness, muscle weakness, sudden collapsing, sensitivity to light and sound, extreme fatigue on light exertion and insomnia.

Q: Other than a vegan diet have you found any other useful changes that have helped you improve?

Yes having a more relaxed lifestyle. Working part-time so I have time to meditate, do yoga and be creative. I have learned that people with ME/CFS often hyperventilate and are stressed out easily. They need to learn to slow down and slow their breathing down. Buteyko breathing is helpful. Counselling is also helpful and they may have an unresolved emotional trauma from the past which is draining their energy and needs to be faced and released.

Q: Do you take any supplements of any sorts or any other form of medication?

I take a liquid multi vitamin and digestive enzymes. I also take a probiotic supplement to support the good bacteria in the gut. I don’t take any medication.

If you have any questions about ME/CFS please do not hesitate to contact me as I will be happy to help!

Video Introduction

Hey everyone!

I had a haircut today and got up the confidence to create my first video on YouTube! It is an introduction to me and my blog. I hope you like it!

Feel free to post feedback on my YouTube channel Cooking to Heal ME. I will be uploading videos on how to make my recipes as well as health tips. I’ve also uploaded an oracle card reading. So head over there and subscribe!

I want to thank the lovely Chrissy Faery from My Sparkly Life for inspiring me to start making YouTube videos! Check out her site and her YouTube channel!

Therapies to Heal ME – Part 1

Therapies to Heal ME – Part 1

After my diagnosis with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome I was determined to cure my ME, despite the NHS saying that it is an incurable, lifelong illness. I refused to accept that I had to suffer for the rest of my life.

So I set about researching on the internet for therapies that may help. I tried out so many therapies over the 3 years of being housebound with ME. Some would give temporary relief to my symptoms, while others allowed me to make huge shifts in my health that have had a lasting effect on my life. I have learnt something from every therapy that has added value to my life.

It was when I visited the nutritionist and started gradually changing my diet to include more fruits, vegetables and whole grains that I experienced noticeable increases in my energy levels and a reduction in my brain fog, dizziness and weakness.

Here is a list of the all therapies to heal ME that I tried out between December 2009 to December 2010 in an effort to cure my illness, including dates, and my experiences with them:

2009

December – Diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

  • Caveman Diet – recommended  by my Dad who had a friend from work whose daughter had ME and was trying this diet. It consists of eating only meat and non-starchy vegetables. Unfortunately I had an intense detox reaction and was excreting a lot of dark, smelly material (toxins) and it was overwhelming for me. I became even more frail and started dreaming of bread, so I stopped the diet and started on a simple diet of steamed fish, veg and rice.

2010

February

  • Gupta Amygdala Retraining Programme – This involved watching DVDs for hours, which I found difficult because I had to concentrate for so long. There was a floor map to act out a sequence of movements and phrases whenever I had a negative thought. I had to say ‘Stop! Stop! Stop!’ and use hand gestures to break my negative thought. Once I had memorised the sequence I was supposed to do it around the house wherever I had a negative thought. I found it embarrassing doing it in front of my family. However after a few weeks I felt much more calm and happy and my mind was more relaxed.

March

  • Acupuncture – it involved lying on a table and having needles inserted into in specific points on the body which unblocks your meridian channels. I felt no pain, just a slight sensation as the needle went in. I remember on one occasion I experienced a feeling like an electric shock shooting through my foot as she unblocked a foot meridian! It gave me temporary relief from my symptoms, but the benefits quickly wore off. Fortunately she recommended that I visit a nutritionist she knew, as she could see I had severe digestive issues.
  • Bush Flower Remedies – the acupuncturist asked me to select 5 bush flower remedies that I was drawn to and made up a tincture for me to take. I used then on a daily basis but they did not have a very strong effect. Although, I do remember that in one therapy session I got very upset and she gave me a few drops of one bush flower remedy and within a minute I felt calm again.
  • Aromatherapy – I was drawn to aromatherapy and bought the excellent book Complete Illustrated Guide to Aromatherapy by Julia Lawless. I would often put a few drops of essentials oils in a vaporiser which would fill the house with a calming aroma that left me feeling very relaxed.
  • Feng Shui – I remember vividly the first day of Spring. The sun was filling the house with bright light and I was drawn to pick up a book on Feng Shui from the bookshelf which had been sitting there for years unread. I became very interested in Feng Shui and started applying it in the house. It was an interesting hobby that kept me busy. I learned that the flow of energy through your house affects your life. I moved the furniture and placed crystals around the house which vibrate at high energy levels and protect me from ElectroMagnetic Radiation (EMR).
  • Acupressure – after visiting the acupuncturist, I became interested in acupressure which does not require needles and can be practised by anyone. It involves using your fingers to putt pressure on sensitive points on the body which clears any blockages in the meridians. I ordered a book called Acupressure for Common Ailments and used the technique at home. It immediately relieves muscle tension and gives a feeling of peace and calm.

April

  • Clutter Clearing – I started spontaneously clearing out my clutter in the Spring. This process went on for about 6 months until I had got rid of most of my clutter in the house. Strangely good things started happening in my life. In August I read Karen Kingston’s ‘Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui’ book which inspired me to let go of the last items of clutter which I had an emotional attachment to. It helped me to deal with stuck emotions from the past and release them. I cleared out most of my wardrobe because the clothes reminded me of being at university and working at Premier Foods where I got ill. I moved on from the past and new things came into my life.
  • Crystal Healing – I become interested in crystals and usingP1000373 their different properties to heal emotional issues. My favourite crystals were amethyst for protection from negative energies, rose quartz for acceptance of others and healing the heart and citrine for positivity and abundance. I would also cleanse my chakras by laying down and placing 7 tumblestones of different colours over each chakra for 10 minutes or so to rebalance my body.

May

  • The Chrysalis Effect Supported Recovery Programme – The Chrysalis Effect was the most helpful programme I have done. Once a fortnight I was emailed exercises to do such as a questioning my beliefs, values and lifestyle. I had many realisations and made lots of changes which improved my life. The staff provide great support via email as they have experienced and recovered from ME themselves.
  • Holosync – I discovered Holosync Audio meditation in the Chrysalis Effect Programme. This is another one of the best things I have ever done. Whilst resting for an hour everyday laying on my bed, I allowed my body to get into the healing state and quietened my over-active mind. I became a more peaceful, calm and happy person. My stress tolerance improved.
  • Reduce ElectroMagnetic Radiation (EMR) – I turned my bedroom into a tranquil paradise and removed most of my electrical appliances such as my TV and computer to reduce nasty EMFs that affect my sleep.
  • Dowsing for Earth Lines – I learned about P1030154rdowsing and dowsed the house for harmful earth (ley) lines using coat hangers bent into L-shaped rods. I discovered I was sleeping with a ley line going right through my body and two diagonally crossing over my ankles – which would explain my constantly cold feet! These harmful earth energies disrupt the nervous system and weaken your immune system. The body is unable to heal while you sleep as it is constantly fighting to keep your body in balance from the disruptive Geopathic stress. So I moved my bed and began sleeping better immediately. Later on I discovered that copper pipes deflect the earth lines so I placed them in strategic positions around the house and everyone in the house began sleeping better!

June

  • Hair Analysis for Food Intolerances – I sent off a sample of my hair for analysis of food intolerance by a laboratory. The results came back and were very interesting but did not seem to correlate with what the nutritionist later detected.
  • Colonic Irrigation via Colease Herbs – I can’t remember the outcome of the Colease herbs but know it didn’t cure my chronic constipation.

July

  • Nutritionist, Supplements & diet change – I went to see a Nutritionist, at the recommendation of my Acupuncturist. This was the best thing I ever did for my ME recovery. She used a Vegatest machine to detect that I had Candida, Glandular Fever and  CytoMegalo Virus. She gave me a course of natural supplements to kill off the infections. Also I was deficient in Vitamin C, iron and Omega-6-fatty acids and she gave me vitamins to take. After taking these supplements for a few weeks I began to see vast improvements in my health. I could concentrate for longer, my mind was clearer; I could do more physical activities around the house such as cooking and washing my hair.  All this time it had been viruses and a fungal infection giving me all my symptoms. She also discovered that I was intolerant to cow’s milk, Yeast, Sugar, and Beef. So I immediately cut all these foods out of my diet. I had to check the ingredients labels of all the food I ate.  I felt much better after doing this, especially after cutting out sugar. I began eating healthier, experimenting with cooking new foods.
  • Fluconazole – the nutritionist advised my to visit my doctor when she detected that I had a yeast infection. He prescribed me fluconazole for my thrush.
  • Anti-Candida Diet – I felt weak and shaky the morning after cutting out sugar from my diet. This is the body’s normal response of withdrawal symptoms to suddenly stopping taking a drug. I replaced the processed white sugar with fruit.

August

  • NHS Pacing Programme – I went once but did not like it as they were very patronising and only talked about the managing the symptoms and not things that might help cure them. They made us sit on hard, uncomfortable chairs which for people with ME who have aching bodies is not very comfortable.

September

  • Space Clearing – I bought a sage smudge stick online as well as a shell and feather to represent to 4 elements of earth, fire, water and air. I lit the sage and wafted the fumes around every room in the house using the feather and catching the ashes in the shell. This cleansed the house of any stagnant, negative energies. Afterwards the energy in the house felt lighter, fresher and happier and the air looked visibly sparkly. I carry out a space clearing ceremony once a year to clear out and the negative imprints from arguments or negative entities.
  • Relaxation Music – as I was housebound I would spend most of the day sitting in the conservatory watching the nature outside and reading and spent the evenings listening to relaxation music from Global Journey where you can get 25 free downloads. This really helped to slow down my overactive nervous system and get me out of fight-or-flight mode and into the rest-and-digest parasympathetic nervous system. The gentle sounds, calmed and relaxed me and left me feeling so peaceful and content.

October

  • Positive Affirmations – I also read the most amazing book ‘You Can Heal Your Life’ by Louise L. Hay. She taught me how to change my negative thinking habits into positive ones and how positive thoughts attract positive experiences and it brought miraculous events into my life.

December

  • Gluten-free Diet – I bought the book Cooking Without Make Easy by Barbara Cousins and began cooking gluten-free food. I also used the Dove’s Farm recipe booklet that my Mum got at a gluten-free meet-up group. I started baking bread, cakes and biscuits as well as making oat flapjacks and trying out FreeFrom pasta and bread.
  • Counselling & Hypnotherapy – the nutritionist recommended that I go and see a counsellor she knew. It was helpful to talk about traumas that happened in the past and my current problems. She gave me some great advise such as encouraging me to join a ballroom dancing club to be around people again and to learn to drive to get more freedom and independence. She also advised that I leave my parents house and rent a room to get away from a controlling family member. She did guided visualisations to get me into a relaxed state and then put positive messages into my subconscious mind.

If you have ME/CFS, I hope that these therapy reviews give you some ideas of healing methods you can try out. Everybody is different and what works for one person may not work for someone else. Still in my opinion it is worth trying everything that you feel may help until you find the one that works for you.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Therapies to Heal ME which includes the therapies that I tried from 2011 to 2012.

Sweet Potato & Coconut Curry

This delicious curry is full of flavour and takes only 30 minutes to prepare! It is my favourite curry and I often take the leftovers into work to have for lunch the next day! It is vegan and gluten-free! I like to cook the rice in with the sauce to save on washing up!

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Serves 4

1tbsp               Coconut Oil

1                      Leek

1tsp                 Nigella Seeds

2cm                 Root Ginger

1tsp                 Mustard Seeds

1tsp                 Fennel Seeds

1tsp                 Poppy Seeds

1tsp                 Ground Cumin

1tsp                 Ground Coriander

½ tsp               Ground Cinnamon

½ tsp               Ground Cloves

600ml              Filtered Water

75g                  Frozen Peas

2                      Small Sweet Potatoes

150g                Basmati Rice

75g                  Creamed Coconut

¼ tsp               Pink Crystal Salt

¼ tsp               Black Pepper

Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Chop up the leek and add to the pan. Finely chop the 2cm piece of ginger and add to the pan followed by the seeds. Leave to cook for 5 minutes.

Now quickly add in the spices so they don’t burn. Slowly add in the filtered water. Wash and chop up the sweet potatoes into chunks. Add to the pan with the peas. Rinse the rice in cold water and add to the pan followed by the creamed coconut.

Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12 minutes. Stir occasionally and add in extra water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.

Scoop into a bowl and serve immediately.

Store any leftovers in a container in the fridge and eat within 3 days.