Pre-order your copy of my new book, Gut Gastronomy, co-authored by the wonderful Adam Palmer. 

This unique and authoritative book introduces a whole new way of eating and promotes lifestyle choices that are best for your body. Today’s medicine often treats only the symptoms of specific health problems, rather than their cause, and is not a long-term solution. The eating programme in this ground breaking book was developed at Grayshott Spa to address these problems, simply by improving the gut function in its entirety. Cleansing and healing the digestive system, so that it works more efficiently, improving elimination, reducing fluid retention and alleviating bloating and inflammation, is the first step towards better health. This book shows you how to put this life-changing strategy into practice in a simple, sustainable way and offers guidance on how to continue to follow the key principles in order to maintain optimal digestive health and therefore promote good health generally. Addressing the digestive system as a whole is the essence of this tried-and-tested approach. By reading this book and following the delicious recipes it sets out, you can adapt the programme to your own lifestyle and follow the approach effortlessly at home.

Visit: www.amazon.co.uk/Gut-Gastronomy-Revolutionise-Eating-Create/dp/1909342831/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415033586&sr=8-1&keywords=gut+gastronomy

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 

This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with a 1000 women still dying or being affected by breast cancer every month, there is still much to do to fight it.

The Chinese have understood the power of mushrooms for millennia , and have used Maitake, Reishi and Shiitake mushrooms in particular for the prevention (and in some cases the treatment) of various cancers, including Breast Cancer.  These mushrooms are packed with B vitamins for energy, B5 (pantothenic acid) that helps support the adrenal glands when stress is overwhelming, and a highly bio-available source of iron, coupled with fibre to ensure the prevention of constipation. 

Use this Breast Cancer Awareness week to explore the use of Shiitake mushrooms which are now readily available in dried form from most supermarkets in your weekly eating programme.   Add a small handful of Shiitake mushrooms to a large cup of hot filtered water and soak overnight before adding to soups, winter casseroles, and broths to enrich the flavour and support your immune system. Who would have thought that a simple mushroom could deliver so much?  

Make sure you visit http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/ for more information about breast cancer and how you can help fight the cause. 



Is the 5:2 working for you? Get the Gloss have a fantastic section on their website of recipes, tips, where to eat, how to exercise, articles and support all about the 5:2. If your stuck for recipes, I have recently contributed twenty or so to the website and will be updating them on my blog on a regular basis. 




This week my Endive, Frisee, Rocket and grated Kohlrabi Salad with Toasted Cashew Nuts is proving popular. 



Kohlrabi, in season now, is a superbly rich source of vitamin C, more so than oranges! At this time of year, this vitamin is vital for boosting immunity and warding off diseases. Kohlrabi also contains health promoting phytochemicals that are thought to be anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer. This brassica can be served raw, shredded into salads, or roasted, keep the leaves and use much like you would steam kale or greens. 

Ingredients:

1 small head of Kohlrabi, outer leaves trimmed 

1 handful rocket, washed and drained 

1 small endive, quartered lengthwise 

1 handful core frisée leaves, (as these are the Sweetest)

6-8 cashew nuts, whole or halved 

1 dessert spoon of walnut oil 

1 tbsp. apple cider or white wine vinegar

Several sprigs of fresh tarragon

Small bunch chives, chopped finely

Salt and pepper to season

Method:

Coarsely grate the kohlrabi, and plunge into ice-cold water to prevent browning

Place the cashew nuts into a frying pan over low heat, and dry fry until golden. Remove from pan to prevent overheating and set to one side. Mix the walnut oil, chopped tarragon, chopped chives and apple cider vinegar as dressing. Arrange all the leaves into large salad bowl, top with grated drained Kohlrabi and cashew nuts and toss with dressing.  Serve as main course salad.

Enjoy!

    Another installment from Get the Gloss's "How To" on the 5:2. This week it's all about fish.   

    See my lemon sole recipe below:

   

Light and zesty, this recipe for lemon sole makes a dish which is simple to follow yet super tasty to try. The juices from the fish make a deliciously natural dressing and the spinach and nutmeg side provides the perfect companion to the delicate, flaky fish.

Serves: 1

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium fillet of lemon sole

1 pack baby spinach

2 tsp olive oil

pinch of grated nutmeg

cracked black pepper

juice of 1 lemon

several sprigs of parsley, roughly chopped

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 185 degrees. Meanwhile, apply 1/2 the olive oil to both sides of the fish and drizzle the juice of half the lemon over the fish.

2. Wrap the fillet in silver foil, allowing 'breathing space' above the fish by creating a tent to let it steam in it's own juices.  Place into the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a fork inserted into the side of the fish comes out with clear running juices. This indicates that the fish is cooked through.

3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based skillet or frying pan. Wilt the baby spinach so that it shrinks down to one serving, and grate a little of the nutmeg and cracked black pepper on top.

4. Take out the fish from the oven, opening the silver foil and sliding the fish onto a plate. Pour the cooking juices over the top and squeeze on the remainder of the lemon juice. Serve together on a medium Dinner plate.

 Visit www.getthegloss.com for more.

Poached Salmon Fillet in White Tea Broth 

My simple, hearty 5:2 recipe for Get the Gloss's expert advice columns on how to tackle the 5:2 diet. 

Serves: 1

1 large salmon fillet

200 ml water

1 white tea bag (eg Clipper)

1 stick of lemongrass, bashed with wooden spoon to release oils and flavours

1 tsp mixed Thai spices (dry)

1 small pack purple sprouting broccoli , woody stems removed

Method:

1. Boil the kettle and add the hot water to the tea bag. Leave it to infuse for 5 minutes then remove the bag to prevent the broth becoming too bitter.

2. Simmer the broth over heat with the lemon grass stick and Thai Spices for 10 minutes.

3. Add the purple sprouting broccoli and salmon and poach for a further 5 minutes.

4. Take it off the heat and allow to stand for 2 minutes before serving.  Do not throw the broth away or serve dry as this is where all the goodness is.

Wellbeing at Wilderness Festival

As well as attending Abergavenny Food Festival this year I will also be heading to Wilderness Festival (7th - 10th August) in the Cotswolds to take part in their Wild & Wellbeing Programme. 

There are a huge range of amazing contributors taking part in the programme, such as Headspace, Hunter Gather Cook and Wild Medicine Walks.

Tickets are limited but are still on sale here: http://www.wildernessfestival.com, get yours now for the ultimate summer festival. 

Abergavenny Food Festival Debate

Join me at the annual Abergavenny Food Festival in Wales this September 21st 2014. I will talking at The Festival Debate "Is Healthy Eating making us ill?" with Joanna Blythman, Julian Baggini and Shaun Hill. The event is chaired by Nick Barnard of Rude Health.  

The festival hosts over two hundred exhibitors, including cooking demonstrations, a children's Food Academy, masterclasses, tastings, workshops and talks. 

Get your tickets now at:

http://www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com

Lastest Organic Burst Video: Acai Berry

I have been working with British suppliers of the superb food-state supplement powders and capsules, Organic Burst, over the last few months, to support them in establishing their place in the British marketplace for their collection of superfood powders, that I personally use daily, and recommend to many of my clients. For those of you who want to step up their nutrition, watch the video's every week to hear how these products really are superior. This week we look at the Acai Berry.

Honestly Healthy for Life eBook Edition!

I am excited to announce that the new Honestly Healthy ebook has launched - now in full colour eBook format across the Kindle and Apple platforms! Packed with recipes, tips and tricks to help you transform your kitchen. 

Buy yours here! 

Walking on sunshine!

Enjoy a brisk walk in the sun today!

It is so beneficial for your mood and your body. 

Good for the circulation and of course soaking up some vitamin D on the way!

Walking is an ideal low-impact, low-risk and low-cost activity. It is well documented that walking can have massive health benefits. Just walking at a moderate pace for as little as 20 minutes a day can significantly improve your cardiovascular system. Your heart will become stronger, your lungs more efficient and blood pressure can return to normal. Walking can also improve cholesterol levels and helps with weight loss.

whether you need to Skype, consult or join me on one of my retreats to Ibiza (June)  or Portugal (September) - make 2014 the year you make the CHANGE you need!  Believe me, it will be worth it, and sometimes the CHANGE you need may be relatively small to yield amazing results.
Contact me today:

info@vickiedgsom.com
clinic@vickiedgson.com
retreats@vickiedgson.com

I look forward to hearing from you! 

Start this week by going clean - I'm eating raw foods, soups and salads, coupled with carpaccio and ceviche of fish and plenty of sprouts!  We love Sprouted beans and seeds for optimal vegetarian-sourced protein, and the taste of raw fish, marinated in plenty of lime juice and cracked black pepper, or fennel seeds, is divine!  

Get out into the sun, and boost your levels of Vitamin D - improve your mood, your joint health and your get-up-and-go - we are finally moving into summer, and you want to get fit and healthy if you aren't already!! I have joined Equinox Gym in Kensington and am on a 14-day commitment to fitness 

Thanks to Matt Crane and Terrence Barnhardt for helping me achieve my vamped up body tone!  Spurred on by the success of Amy Grier's Body Change in May's Women's health, where she followed my sugar-less programme, I have been bitten by the bug - its time to strip off the layers, and feel fabulous in your body! share with me how you are doing!

come and join me for my next workshop at

The Conde Nast College of Fashion, 16-17 Dean St. W1D 4DR
on 15th April, from 18:30 - 20:30, and learn how to identify your own
body type and what you SHOULD be eating! This is a fast-track way
to identify your own nutritional needs, without having to wait for your
own one-to-one consultation with me in my clinic.

Go to :  www.howtoacadamy.com  for all ticket bookings.

come and join me for my next workshop at the How To Academy, in the heart of Soho on 15th April, from 6:30 - 8:30, at the Conde Nast College of Fashion, 16-17 Dean Street, W1D 4DR, and learn all you need to know about your body type and what you SHOULD be eating.   Go to www.HowtoAcadamy.com for tickets.   

Honestly Healthy For Life

Finally, the long-awaited 'Honestly Healthy For Life' book is here!
Packed full with the latest alkaline eating information and benefits, this second book will fill your brain with the vital nutritional know-how's, and Natasha's recipes will satisfy all those who have found their inner Kitchen Goddess. Easy-to-prepare alkaline foods at their very best, with recipes for all occasions, including many 'better-for-you' treats. This is the true "have your cake and eat it too' scenario. Don't delay, order now.

Click HERE to order at Amazon.

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