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Everyone wants to be healthy – sometimes though, it’s tricky to eat accordingly. How many of us have stuffed ourselves with processed foods full of empty calories and high in fat, salt and sugar, and then wondered why we’re feeling a bit ‘off’, or sluggish and prone to colds and infections?

People who have done their homework are aware that while most of us know people who torture themselves chugging pints of disturbingly-coloured, foul-tasting gloop every day, it’s actually perfectly possible to use food that looks and tastes fantastic as well to boost our immunity.

So what are the best ways to strengthen your immune system? Here are a few brilliant ideas that everyone should try…

How to Use Pecan Nuts

To many people, pecan nuts are the classier cousins of walnuts – more compact, crispier, and with what many feel is a superior flavour.

Pecans can be used in all the ways walnuts are used, and can add a great textural dimension to dishes, as well as increasing the nutrients and providing a wonderfully rich taste.

Pecans work brilliantly when paired with sweet flavours such as coconut sugar and honey, and they have a great natural affinity with bananas too.

Here are some other excellent ways to use pecan nuts:

PANCAKE DAY INSPIRATION

Pancake day is just around the corner! Make sure you stock up on pancake ingredients before Tuesday 16th February! Here are some of our favourite recipes!

Ten reasons to eat more Amaranth!

Amaranth is a pseudocereal that has been grown for many thousands of years all over the world. It can be used in many different ways, and is commonly served as an alternative to rice.

Many cultures have considered amaranth an excellent crop because of its nutrition, its heavy yield and the energy it offers when eaten. It’s also a very hardy plant, and can survives changes in temperature, rainfall, and the acidity and salt content of the soil in which it grows.

Unlike some grains, it cannot be eaten raw, and must be cooked, which enables its manifold nutrients to be absorbed by the human body. Amaranth is an excellent choice for health-conscious foodie, and there are an array of reasons why you should eat more.

Here are ten of the best benefits of Amaranth:

Our Top Ten Favourite Superfoods

While there is no specific scientific or regulatory definition of the word ‘superfood’, it has come to be accepted as referring to any food that has an exceptional array of properties that make it extremely beneficial to the human body when consumed.

There’s no one food which offers all the nutrition you’ll need to achieve peak health, and it’s always better to eat a wide range of different types of food – but the emphasis should be on whole foods instead of processed ones, and it’s preferable to include foods from the ‘superfood’ category in your daily diet if you can.

Here’s our superfoods list compiling ten of our very favourites:

An Introduction to Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are one of the most unusual foods in the ‘superfood’ category, and a store cupboard staple for vegans, foodies and everyone with an interest in ‘free from’ food preparation.

Many people don’t understand what they are or what to do with them, but once the benefits and uses of these fantastic little wonders are revealed, they convert many gourmets and cooks to their cause!

Why are Chia Seeds so good for you?

Chia seeds aren’t called a ‘superfood’ for nothing – there’s so much immensely beneficial nutrition packed into these tiny seeds that they’ve risen to be one of the most popular seeds you can buy.

Not only that – they also have some very unusual properties which really make them stand out from the crowd, and consequently are very in demand by vegans and many cooks following a ‘free from’ diet.

If you haven’t tried Chia yet and wondered what all the fuss was about, have a read about the magical benefits of these wonder-seeds!

Ten Amazing Facts about Flaxseed

Flaxseeds (or Linseeds, as they’re sometimes called) are, quite simply, one of the most nutritionally beneficial whole foods you can consume.

It’s no surprise flax is thought of as a ‘superfood’ – there’s a list of benefits to eating these tiny, nutty seeds that’s longer than your arm, and consequently they’ve been growing in reputation and popularity year on year.

Not only do these little seeds fill you with good things, but they also have various unusual properties which make them essential for vegans or anyone following a ‘free from’ diet.

So what is Linseed/Flaxseed? And why should we be sitting up and taking notice of this wonderful ingredient?

An Introduction to Green Tea

The phrase ‘Green Tea’ covers a wide range of different products, and can range from the mildest, daintiest cuppa to the most intense, knock-your-socks-off dynamite brew.

We stock a wide range of green teas from many different parts of the world. These have very different properties depending on where and how they were grown, when they were harvested and how they were processed.

So what is green tea? Have a look at our green tea primer:

Why you should incorporate Green Tea as part of your daily routine!

Green tea has exploded in popularity in the West in recent years as more types have become available and more people have started taking an interest in the health benefits and the spectrum of flavours and varieties on offer.

There are many reasons to get the pot and brew up some green tea – as well as the positive effects on physical health, having a cup of green tea also gives you a chance to sit down and relax and maybe have a chat, making it great for your mental health too. Also, because green tea is generally taken without milk, it’s a great option for those following a vegan diet.

So what are the other health benefits of green tea? here are some of the best: