NEW PRODUCTS AND DETOXING

I (Sue) have been following a detox diet for some months - well, three and a half to be exact, and have not only lost weight but feel great too.  One of several reasons is that I'm boosting my immune system so that I don't suffer from the usual horrible allergies that normally beset me at this time of year.  Red, swollen, itchy eyes and a streaming nose are a real bring-down.  So far, so good, even though we've been out walking on windy days when the willow and poplar fluff are flying around all over the place and other pollen is in the air.
With the detox diet in mind, we have added some more products to our range for those who might like to try them. They include amaranth and chickpea flour, gluten-free muesli and green tea.  We also have fine unrefined Atlantic sea salt and rice/buckwheat cakes.
Some of you may have noticed that last month we added seaweeds - Nori, Dulse and Wakamé, as well as quinoa, buckwheat and millet flakes.  The seaweeds are full of useful minerals and featured in a recent Food Programme on Radio 4.  The flakes, when combined, make a great gluten-free porridge. Gluten in the diet is no help for those with allergies.

Gluten-free Buckwheat and Rice Flour Bread

I find the shop-bought gluten-free breads unpleasant, so I make my own with a combination of buckwheat and rice flour along with sunflower seeds.  See recipe below.
For those who don't know what to do with seaweeds, here's one tasty suggestion: combine a heaped tablespoon of each of the flakes with a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of lemon juice and a large, crushed clove of garlic. You can adjust amounts to suit - great on toasts or with salad. There are lots of other ideas on the net, so go Googling if you're interested.
Sugar in all its forms inc. fruit and fruit juice (!), is a no-no on a serious detox diet, so I've taken to using Stevia, even in baking.  It's available in the supermarkets.
For determined detoxers, avoiding black tea, coffee and alcohol is important. Tough, I know, but really worth the sacrifice for a while.  All infusions are good and I enjoy lemon in green tea.
Anyone who is on my Angloinfo blog mailing list, or who reads it anyway, will have seen posts with reference to some of the above.  Have a read for more info.  Oh, I mustn't forget good old garlic, the wonder bulb, I've blogged about that too.

Gluten-free Bread Recipe


240g Buckwheat Flour (Sarrasin)
240g Rice Flour
90g Quinoa Flakes (Ground for preference)
3 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Sunflower Seeds
1 tbsp Flax Seeds (Linseed)
1 tsp (sachet) or 3/4 quick shakes of powdered Stevia
1 tsp Xanthum Gum (if you have it, but not essential)
120 ml Water
350 ml Milk or Soya Milk
6 tbsp Sunflower Oil

Combine all the dry ingredients well then gradually pour in the water with the oil until you have a mushy mix.  Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper.  Pour mix into the tin and flatten down well using a wettened fork.  Cover the top with sunflower seeds and bake at around 180˚ until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
This loaf is fairly dense and therefore pretty filling, so I suggest you slice it thin.  I hope you'll try the recipe and you'll enjoy the result.  Don't expect it to be like ordinary bread, it's a different experience.

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NATURAL TREATMENTS FOR SINUS INFECTIONS by Sue

In the summer Leaf and I came back from UK with a bug - how unusual! His went pretty quickly but mine developed into sinusitis. After a week I succumbed and went to the doctor. He prescribed a broad-sprectrum anti-biotic, the corticosteroid prednisolone SOLUPRED. It worked but more than that - the side effect was thrush in the mouth. My tongue became very sensitive to hot and cold as did my teeth and gums. Eating was very uncomfortable. I was furious and went back to the doctor to ask for a natural treatment for my mouth. I was recommended a bicarbonate of soda mouthwash. It worked. So, in future, I shall be trying other natural treatments should I get sinusitis again. Here are some:

• avoid mucus-forming foods such as flour products, eggs, chocolate, fried and processed food, sugar and dairy products.
• drink lots of good quality water
• include cayenne pepper, garlic, onion and horseradish in soups, casseroles and stews
• if you can source it, try Japanese wasabi paste with meals - only a tiny bit. It helps with decongestion
• combine 1-2 teaspoons of organic cider vinegar with 6 fl oz of water and a teaspoon of good honey and drink three times a day for five days. It helps thin congested mucus
• again, if you can source it, grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is a natural antibiotic

There are probably lots of other ideas for natural treatments. If you know of one, please either share by comment or send us an email so we can add it to this post. Thanks.