Homemade Turmeric Latte Recipe To see research on this Turmeric and Black pepper combination for brain health below. Click here Ingredients: 1 cup coconut milk (unsweetened) 1 tsp ground turmeric 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon A pinch of black pepper (to enhance turmeric absorption) Optional: 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract for extra flavor Optional: A pinch of ground ginger for a spicy kick Instructions: Heat the Coconut Milk: In a small saucepan, gently heat the coconut milk over medium heat. Be careful not to boil it; just get it warm enough to drink comfortably. Add Spices: Once the milk is warm, add the turmeric, cinnamon, and black pepper. If you’re using vanilla extract or ground ginger, add them now as well. Whisk: Whisk the mixture vigorously to ensure that all the spices are well incorporated into the milk. You want to get a nice, even distribution of the spices without any clumps. Simmer: Let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Keep the heat low to avoid boiling. Taste and Adjust: Give your turmeric latte a taste. If you want a stronger turmeric or cinnamon flavor, feel free to add a little more, whisking thoroughly after each addition. Serve: Pour your homemade turmeric latte into your favorite mug. For an extra touch, you can sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon on top for garnish. Enjoy: Sip and enjoy the warm, soothing, and spicy flavors of your homemade turmeric latte! Note: Coconut Milk: Using full-fat coconut milk gives a creamier texture, but you can use light coconut milk if you prefer a lighter version. Sweetness: This recipe is designed without sugar to keep it healthy. However, if you need a hint of sweetness, consider adding a natural sweetener like stevia or a small amount of honey (if not strictly avoiding sugars). Frothing: If you have a milk frother, you can froth the latte for a café-style experience. This turmeric latte is not only delicious but also packed with the anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric and the antioxidant properties of cinnamon. Enjoy this cozy and healthy drink! Turmeric and Blackpepper Research There has been significant research into the combination of turmeric (or curcumin) with black pepper, particularly regarding its effects on brain health, bioavailability, and potential applications in cancer treatment. Curcumin’s Neuroprotective Effects: Research highlights curcumin’s neuroprotective properties against various neurological disorders and associated symptoms. Curcumin is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-amyloid properties, which are concentrated in turmeric rhizome (Curcuma longa). A study published in the journal ‘Antioxidants’ investigated how a highly bioavailable curcuminoid formulation, CURCUGREEN (BCM-95), could potentially help reduce damage from Alzheimer’s disease on organs other than the brain, including the spleen, liver, lungs, kidneys, and brain stem. The study was conducted on transgenic mice and showed promising results in preventing abnormalities in peripheral organs of sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease. PubMed: New Promising Therapeutic Avenues of Curcumin in Brain Diseases. Bioavailability Enhanced by Piperine: A key component in black pepper called piperine has been shown to significantly increase the bioavailability of curcumin by up to 2000%. This enhancement is crucial because curcumin on its own has low bioavailability, meaning it is not easily absorbed by the body. The digestive process tends to break down these beneficial compounds and eliminate them quickly. Therefore, combining curcumin with black pepper in cooking or as a dietary supplement can improve the body’s ability to absorb and utilize turmeric’s beneficial compounds (source: Johns Hopkins Medicine). Turmeric Benefits. Curcumin and Cancer Research: There is substantial interest in the use of curcumin for cancer prevention and treatment, including for various types such as leukemia, breast, colon, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. Studies have shown that curcumin can increase tumor cell death while inhibiting tumor cell growth. For instance, a study involving human pancreatic cells injected into mice demonstrated that mice given curcumin experienced a significant decrease in tumor growth compared to untreated mice (source: Columbia Surgery). Turmeric, Curcumin, and Cancer: What’s the Research?. These studies and findings provide a basis for understanding the potential health benefits of combining turmeric (curcumin) with black pepper, especially concerning brain health and cancer treatment. However, it’s important to approach the use of curcumin as a supplement with caution and consult healthcare professionals, especially when dealing with specific health conditions or taking other medications. Read more about Turmeric Here
Greek Black Rice Stuffed Capsicum
A stunning combination of flavours using cilantro, capers, green olives, and pistachio nuts along with black rice to stuff these capsicums. They’re a meal in themselves but would be perfect alongside some white fish or chicken breast. Preparation time 30 minutes Serves 4 https://youtu.be/b8kPkcULCIs Ingredients: 1 cup black rice or wild rice mix 2 cups water 4-5 x large capsicum 1 x tablespoon olive or coconut oil 5 x spring onions, sliced 1 x red onion, finely diced 4 x garlic cloves, diced Half cup raw pistachio nuts ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds Half cup of green olives, sliced Large handful fresh cilantro (finely chopped) 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flake Ingredients for caper and parsley yogurt: 2/3 packed cup cilantro 1 cup coconut yogurt 1 tablespoon capers 1 x squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1 garlic clove, diced ¼ teaspoon sea salt Cooking Method: For the caper and parsley yoghurt, place all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 20 to 30 seconds, until smooth. Transfer to a small jug and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees fan bake. Find a larg baking tray or roasting dish. Place the rice and water in a saucepan, cover and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then allow to sit until the water has been absorbed and the rice is soft. Place the capsicums on the prepared baking tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft and juicy. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the spring onion, red onion, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft and fragrant. Add the pistachios and seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to a large bowl. Add the rice, olives, parsley, balsamic vinegar, and nutritional yeast, and mix to combine all the ingredients. Remove the capsicums from the oven and divide the filling evenly among the capsicum halves. To serve, top with a dollop of caper and parsley yoghurt and serve with a side white fish, chicken breast or mushrooms.
Italian Lentil Bolognaise with Zucchini Noodles
Truly incredible how this dish tastes as good if not better than traditional spaghetti Bolognese with minced beef and pasta noodles, but this one is completely vegetarian and has almost zero calories in comparison. This dish can be a revelation! Preparation time 45 minutes Serves 4-6 Ingredients for lentil bolognaise 1 tablespoon olive, avocado or coconut oil optional 1 large brown onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, diced 2 large carrots, peeled and grated 2 cups button mushrooms, sliced 2 cans brown lentils, drained and rinsed or 3 cups cooked lentils 2 cups tomato passata 1 cup coconut milk from a can 2 tablespoons tamari (or coconut aminos) 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2/3 cup whole black olives 2 teaspoons honey 1 teaspoon chilli flakes Half cup fresh dill 4 large zucchini, trimmed To serve coconut yogurt and fresh dill optional Method for the Bolognaise: If needed, precook lentils and drain. Spiralize the zucchini, dice onions, and garlic, slice mushrooms, shred carrots, and also place side. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently until soft and fragrant. Add carrots and mushrooms and cook for additional 3 minutes. Add lentils, passata, coconut milk, tamari, balsamic vinegar, cumin, oregano, olives, honey and cayenne pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for eight to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Quickly saute the zucchini noodles with a little butter just to warm them up. Mix the fresh dill in just before serving Serve the boloneaise on a bed of zucchini noodles, with a dollop of yoghurt. Add more fresh dill if desired.
Quinoa, Kumara and Eggs
Quinoa often pronounced wrongly (sounds like keen-waa) is a superfood known to be high in protein and is fantastic for vegans and vegetarians. Today we’re going to combine it with some sweet potato and a simple dressing. You could have a poached egg on the side if you want to add further protein. Enjoy! Preparation time 25 minutes Serves 4 https://youtu.be/b9QgVhWWFz4 Ingredients: 1 heaped cup (about 200g) Quinoa 4 tablespoons coconut oil 4 small or 2 large Kumara, peeled and cubed 2 handfuls of baby spinach For the dressing: 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 teaspoons honey 1 heaped teaspoon Cajun spice Salt Method: Cook the quinoa by using twice as much water as quinoa, then cook until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. Drain, rinse, and set aside. Heat some coconut oil in a pan and gently cook the Kumara cubes, turning from time to time, for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Put the dressing together with the oil, vinegar, and honey and season to taste. Combine the salad ingredients, toss with the dressing, and serve, or combine Kumara and Quinoa with dressing and lay on a bed of spinach. Add a couple of poached eggs if you desire.
Roasted Cauliflower Trees With Curried Yogurt
Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with this mouth-watering recipe. The great thing is that it’s super healthy and perfect for a gentle cleanse, and both the Herbal SLIM or BodiTune programs. This gourmet salad and will make you look like a restaurant cook! Preparation time 30 minutes Serves 2 Main Ingredients: 1 x medium head cauliflower (approx. 1-1.2kg), cut into large florets then thinly sliced 5-6 tablespoons of olive Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste 1 cup sliced almonds 1 ½ cups of parsley (or fresh coriander) finely chopped 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, to serve Curried yogurt: 1 1/2 cup of yoghurt (or coconut yogurt) 3 tablespoons of Curry powder 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons of Olive oil Method: Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees fan bake. Drizzle a large roasting dish with olive oil. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking tray and spread out into a single layer you might need to use two trays! Drizzle over more olive oil, and lightly season. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until tender. For the curried yoghurt, place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, tossing frequently to avoid burning, for about 2 minutes, until fragrant. Place the cauliflower, parsley, almonds and yoghurt dressing in a large bowl and mix to combine. Scatter over the coriander seeds. Season with more cracked pepper.
Capsicum Sweet Potato Curry
This is a super delicious Indian coconut curry using multiple coloured capsicums with the addition of fish. I have also added a sweet potato to give it a little more substance, but you could substitute that for cauliflower, broccoli or even potato. Preparation time 45 minutes Serves 4 https://youtu.be/dwoobIRZrvY Ingredients: 2 fillets or 500g of fish (I have used Travelly) 2 medium-sized or 1 large sweet potato 3 large capsicum bell pepper cubed (mixed color) 2 Coconut Oil (or Olive Oil) 1 medium onion finely chopped 1 medium onion cubed and layers separated 1 cup tomatoes chopped 1 teaspoon red chili powder (or 2 tsp chili flakes) ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds 2 green cardamoms 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (finely chopped) 6 cloves garlic (crushed) ½ teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons of raw cashews 1½ tablespoon desiccated coconut 1 x 400ml can of Coconut cream 400ml Tomato Passata (or 200ml Tomato paste abnd 200ml water) ¾ tablespoon white sesame seeds 2 teaspoon garam masala ½ teaspoon coriander seeds 1 bunch fresh coriander leaves fine chopped Method: Preparing the Sweet PotatoPeel and chop the sweet potato into bite-sized cubes. Boil for 10 minutes until just soft. Drain and place aside. Preparing the gravyDry roast half the cashew nuts on medium heat until deep golden and aromatic (or just use pre-roasted Cashwews). Reduce the heat and then briefly add coconut and sesame seeds. Stir and lightly roast until the seeds begin to splutter, being careful not to burn them. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool. Pour 1 tablespoon coconut oil into the same pan. Add one finely chopped onion, ginger, and garlic, and chili flakes and fry for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and fry till they turn mushy. Add salt, turmeric and garam masala. Fry till the mixture gets cooked well and begins to leave the sides of the pan. Remove and place to one side. Blend the can of coconut milk and 400 to a smooth paste together with the other half of the cashews, coconut, sesame seeds, and onions tomato mixture, until smooth. Preparing the Capsicum Finely chop one onion and cube the other one and separate the layers. Cube capsicum and set aside. Heat the same pan with 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Then add cumin, coriander seeds and cardamom. When the cumin begins to sizzle, add capsicum and the other onion (cubed and layers separated). Stir fry on high heat for 2 mins. Add the ground tomato mixture. Bring it to a boil on a medium flame. Cover and simmer until bell peppers are tender yet crunchy (about 1o minutes). While this is cooking, in another pan heat some more oil and fry the fish on medium/high heat for 3-4 minutes until cooked. Reintroduce the sweet potato, half the fresh coriander, and the other half of the roasted cashews, and fish in the last 2 minutes before serving. Serve capsicum curry sprinkled with fresh coriander.
Indian Capsicum Salad
Here is a really quick all-in-one lunch or dinner during any of our programs. Very healthy and great for your immune system with raw garlic and onion. The amazing thing with this recipe is the raw green capsicum. It’s just so easy to eat with this combination. Add avocado if you want to increase the fat content. Preparation time 15 minutes Serves 2 https://youtu.be/Bcxo4hX3pzc What you will need: 1 cucumber 1 small broccoli 3 to 4 firm tomatoes 1 green pepper 1 onion For the Dressing: Juice of 1 lemon or lime 3 tablespoons of olive oil Small knob of fresh ginger Salt 2 cloves of garlic Method: Chop the Broccoli in bite-sized florets and place into a saucepan. Cover with water and place over low heat to simmer. Peel cucumber slice lengthwise into four, then into bite-sized chunks. Salt lightly, and drain in a colander. Combine in a small bowl the lemon or lime juice and olive oil, to which you add crushed garlic and a little crushed ginger (you won’t get much from the ginger). Drain Broccoli and add to the colander Deseed and diced green pepper Cut tomatoes into segments Peel and roughly chop onion. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Dress the salad with the dressing.
Kumara Fries with Salad
Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with this mouth-watering recipe that’s perfect for any time of year! Whether you’re on a detox program or not, this dish is sure to make you forget all about your dietary restrictions. We’re talking about the ultimate Kumara fries and salad combo! You can use red, purple or orange Kumara, but trust us, the red ones are the real deal here. Preparation time 45 minutes Serves 2 https://youtu.be/sO0e8ciw6LE What you will need: For the fries 2 large red Kumara 4 Tablespoons Coconut oil For the Salad A handful of baby spinach greens 1 x large shredded carrot 1 x Avocado 1/2 shredded beetroot 1/4 red onion 2 x Tomatoes Half a small cucumber, or some pickled cucumberSome pea or radish shoots Method:First, preheat your oven to just under 200°C and get your largest roasting dish ready. Add in 3 to 4 tablespoons of coconut oil and let it warm up while you peel and chop the sweet potato into relatively large 1 cm fries. Once the oil is heated, throw in those fries and set the timer for 35 to 40 minutes. While the fries are cooking, we can get started on the salad. Shred some carrots and beetroot and douse the beetroot with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, letting it sit while you prepare the rest of the salad. On one side of your plate, lay out some fresh baby spinach leaves. Finely slice some red onion and sprinkle it over the spinach greens. Layer on some shredded carrot, juicy tomatoes, shredded beetroot, and sprouts, and sprinkle some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or even pesto or aioli to give it that extra zing. You will need to turn the fries and wait a further 10-15 minutes until they are well-cooked and a little crispy. With the Kumara fries hot out of the oven, it’s time to plate up and dig in! The combination of the crispy fries with the fresh and flavorful salad is a match made in heaven. So go ahead and give it a try, your taste buds will thank you!
Mexican Okra with Cajun Corn
Looking for a quick and easy meal that’s packed with flavor? Look no further than this recipe! With only four major ingredients and a preparation time of under 20 minutes, it’s perfect for busy weeknights when you want something tasty but don’t have a lot of time. Preparation time 20 minutes Serves 2 https://youtu.be/7P0mIeUB0Gg Here’s what you’ll need: 350g of fresh diced okra 2 cobs of fresh corn (or canned) 800g of whole tomatoes 1/4 of a white onion, diced 1 tbsp of Cajun seasoning 3 fresh green chilies 2 tbsp of coconut oil Method:To get started, heat the coconut oil in a frying pan. Add the diced onion and Cajun seasoning, cooking until the onion is softened (about 3 minutes). Next, add the corn and okra, mixing well and simmering. Add the pepper sauce, then finish by adding the whole tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon as you stir. Simmer the mixture for 10-15 minutes. The result is a dish that’s bursting with flavor and sure to satisfy your taste buds. Give it a try tonight!
Raw Organic Cacao Slice
This is a great recipe if you’re struggling with emotional eating or snack cravings in the afternoon or evenings. Perfect for replacing junk snack foods, like chips salted nuts, sweet chocolate bars or sugary drinks. You can use this slice on your body tune or herbal slim programs or if you want to the maintenance detox plan. Makes about 60 servings. Ingredients: 800g Medjool Dates (can mix this with some other dried fruits such as banana, cranberries, or apricots) 300g Raw Cacao Nibs 100g Raw Cacao powder 150g Sunflower seeds, 150g Walnuts and 150g Desiccated coconut 100g Chia seeds 100g Date syrup (or 50/50 Molasses/Honey) 100g Coconut oil 50g Raw coconut sugar 25ml Natural Vanilla Extract Method: (see video below) You will a good high-speed blender food processor for this recipe, and also a very large cake or roasting dish. First, place the dried fruit in a saucepan and cover it with ‘just boiled’ water, and this will need to soak for at least 20 minutes to soften. Otherwise, it won’t purée up in the blender. While these are soaking go ahead and measure out all of your other ingredients so they’re all ready to go. Next, take the nuts and seeds and chop them up in the food processor until they’re smaller than half a grain of rice. Put the nuts and seeds aside in a very large bowl. This will be your mixing bowl for the entire slice. Add the cacao powder the coconut and the coconut sugar, and mix well in your mixing bowl. Next place the cocao nibs in the blender and grind these up for 3-4 minutes in the blender until they start to warm up and clump. Add them to your mixing bowl and combine with the rest of your dry ingredients. You might still have to wait a little while for the soaked dried fruit to be nice and soft. Drain off the water and replace it with a 400ml can of coconut cream. This will make your hold together better and last longer. The next step is to put this in the soaked fruit processor, along with the coconut oil, date syrup/molasses (or honey), vanilla and Chia seeds. You want to process this down into a thick puree which could take a couple of minutes in the blender. Then we can combine the dry ingredients in the wet ingredients together for a few minutes in your large mixing bowl until well blended. Then simply press into the tray and place in the fridge to set. An optional extra to melt some extra good-quality dark chocolate over the top after it sets, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Keep refrigerated. One piece a day should keep the cravings away! Good luck Brett https://youtu.be/MH7_k-q1AQw