Nutrition Studies

This time last year, I was diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism.

Frustrated by the very limited insights given through the normal channels, I went on my own voyage of discovery which led me to the College of Naturopathic Medicine [CNM].

I started their 3 year diploma in Nutrition at the beginning of this year and have been on an intense learning curve ever since!

Juggling this alongside everything else I am doing has definitely been a challenge, but the material I am studying is truly fascinating and full of fundamental principles that I wish we were all taught from day 1!

I am studying everything online and part-time, so this Monday was a special opportunity to go into the CNM headquarters in Kings Cross for a face to face meet up with students and teachers.

It was a great day, full of interesting discussions - particular thanks to @bobbyqureshinaturopathy and Camilla Fayed founder of Farmacy London .

I am still early days in my journey to becoming a qualified nutritional therapist, but the more I learn, the more inspired I am by all the possible ways this knowledge could help people.

Little bit, by little bit, I shall try to share more of my progress as I go.

A Bell Pepper Ferment

In this latest chapter on my fermenting journey I'm experimenting with Bell Peppers.

This time using the Fermentation Equation as beautifully explained by Mike Greenfield [Pro Home Cooks] in his YouTube Video: The Complete Guide to Fermenting Every Single Vegetable

A Quick Reference for this equation

Total Weight of vegetable + weight of water x 0.025 = amount of salt needed

It really makes creating your own brine a breeze! 

Why am I so Interested in Fermenting?

• Easier to digest

• Richer in nutrients

• Brilliant for the gut Microbiota & the knock on effects this has on general body health. Side note: I am fascinated by the Terrain theory of building resilience within the body. 

• Just love the taste!

I was particularly interested in peppers for their rich reserves of vitamin C. A raw red pepper is apparently 3 times more potent than an orange, the value of which quadruples when you ferment it! 

I have now devoured this whole batch, sprinkling them on various dishes throughout the week. I am happy to report there were no ill effects and I shall definitely be making a new batch soon!

What's your favourite fermented veg? Any suggestions / requests for me to try?

My First Ferment

I've been thinking about fermenting for a good few months now.

Why?

Well, first, I love the taste of fermented foods. I am also super curious about the probiotic power of them and how they can enrich the gut microbiome - a topic which I will expand on more in the future.

Finally, shop-bought ‘live’ fermented foods [i.e. the refrigerated kind] are pretty pricey!

I had a lot of reasons to give it a go, but I have also been massively procrastinating with the how to’s!

So….

I decided to set myself a deadline - my birthday!

This was last week, and I am happy to report, on the day in question, I made my first ferment - a very basic sauerkraut recipe of cabbage, carrot, ginger and pink Himalayan salt.

I did treat myself to a couple of £3 Kilner jars, but the rest was DIY'd from what I had to hand, using cabbage leaves & shot glasses as weights and experimenting with the existing Kilner jar lid & a more breathable baking paper version.

Conclusions

The taste and texture were bang on!

I think 5 days was too short a wait time and I would like to try a longer ferment [7-14 days] to see if I can culture a richer mix of microbes.

I am also curious to buy a pH meter to get better insights. A good ferment should have a PH of below 4.5 apparently.

I am in the process of monitoring the effects on my digestive system, so will keep you posted when I’ve road tested things for a few more days :)

I am very much a novice at the start of this journey, so all tips and suggestions are hugely welcome!

The method I used was from a wonderful lady on YouTube, click the button below to see the video where she breaks the process down in more detail:

A Turmeric & Ginger Boosting Brew

With so many friends going down with colds & flu, I wanted to share a little recipe that has really helped me and will hopefully help you too!❤️

A cut-up inch of turmeric & ginger root will brew 3-4 small pans of tea, which you can keep refilling and heating during the day. Once you're done with the roots, you can chop them up and throw them into whatever you're cooking. Waste not, want not as they say!😁

This has become a daily ritual of mine over the last few months, and I have definitely felt the benefits, being, so far, flu-free!🤞😊

I don't yet have the qualifications (although I will be working on that next year with the help of @collegeofnaturopathicmedicine !) to give more than just a personal, anecdotal recommendation, but I do urge you to give it a try and see for yourself.

The pinch of pepper is purely optional, but it certainly adds a happy kick and helps with absorbing all the beautiful benefits of this brew.

Hope you enjoy! ❤️

Do you have any variations of this recipe and experiences of it? If so, please do share in the comments below as I'd love to hear further insights and new perspectives on it! 🙏

Happy Fridaying!🙂