Carrot, Beetroot and Lentil Soup

During the autumn and winter months, you will find me making soup at least a couple of times a month. It is one of the easiest things in the world to make and if you are on a budget, it is cheap, wholesome and a filling meal.

The pre-made soup market is booming, but unfortunately many of our favourite brands are chock-full of salt, sugar, fillers and preservatives that are not required by our bodies. They are also expensive. but not as expensive as buying soups from the plethora of sandwich chains that provide a large majority of the working population with our lunch.

Homemade soups are, in my opinion, much tastier and higher in nutritional value. Not only are they significantly cheaper, the other bonus is that you can include whatever ingredients you like as well as make it the consistency you like. Take me, I’m not a lover of liquidised soups, preferring chunky soups that are filling. I prefer to have something that fills my soul rather than leave me hungry. The added bonus being that I avoid the de rigueur slab of bread as I don’t need anything else to fill me up.

Transportation and storage:

• Soup can keep in a saucepan on the hob for a few days, without needing refrigeration (assuming you live in a colder climate such as the UK)
• Re-heating: warm soup in a smaller saucepan rather than re-heating the whole thing. This preserves the nutrients in the soup and also helps with your energy bills.
• Avoid boiling soup as this damages the nutrients and microwaving; nuking soup renders it unrecognisable as food by the body.
• Use a thermos to transport soup – it keeps it warm for hours and removes the re-heating requirement or the need for a bowl if you’re caught short.

Last week, I made a delicious carrot, beetroot & lentil soup which came about from the basic need to use up these root vegetables that were left over from the previous week. I wanted to share it with you all as not only is it super-filling, it is ridiculously easy to make.

1 bunch of carrots (about 8 medium)

1 bunch of beetroot (about 6)

1 cup puy green or red lentils

1 onion

1 litre of chicken stock – either fresh or marigold stock cube

Method:

Chop the onions and gently cook in some olive oil.

Scrub, top and tail and chop carrots and beetroot; add to the onions.

Cook at a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly

Add lentils to the vegetables and pour the stock over the vegetables. The stock ought to reach a third higher than the vegetables. If not, then just add some more water.

Bring the soup to the boil and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Check the vegetables, if they are soft then the soup is ready, if not simmer for 10 minutes longer or until soft to the touch. If you are not eating immediately, you can always turn the heat off and leave the vegetables to cook in the hot liquor without heat.

This bit is up to you – you can either liquidise the soup, mash it to squish the vegetables but retain the lentils or leave as is, like I have.

If the lentils soak up the liquid exponentially, then just add some more water.

Key Nutritional Benefits:

• Carrot and beetroot are abundant in beta-carotenes, the red/yellow/orange anti-oxidants tha are especially good in helping ward off colds.
• Lentils provide B vitamins that are fantastic for energy, immune health and mental clarity. They contain fibre to help keep you regular and bind with toxins and waste products from the body for elimination. Lentils also contain amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, a source of which is very important for those following a vegetarian and vegan diet.

Image by Nick Saltmarsh

Hayfever: Help Yourself Naturally

Hayfever has to be the scourge of the summer. There you are peeling off the layers of winter protection that protect you so well; feeling rejeuvenated, walking jauntily along the pavement until suddenly, you sneeze for no reason, then you accidentally rub your eyes which start start itching like mad, your nose starts twitching and then you remember – hayfever and it completely spoils your day.

The worst ever case I suffered from was when I was eighteen, visiting Australia, during haymaking season. Until then I had never experienced the full wrath of the pollen. I was double dropping anti-histamine tablets like no tomorrow but I got no relief, my face looked like it had been in ten rounds with Mike Tyson, without the bruises.

I have worked with natural solutions for a good few years now, to great affect. I have heard that homeopathic remedies can be very affective, but my success lies wholly with nutritional based remedies.

Reducing Grains:

Our dependency on grains is very high, from breakfast cereals to bread, rice, pasta, fillers in processed foods – it is very easy to eat grains at every meal. As a food group, grains were not introduced into our diets until 10,000 years ago, which believe it or not, is very recent in the timeline of human existence. Thus, our bodies have not evolved sufficiently to digest them as easily as vegetation and meat.

Reducing the amount of dietary grains, especially wheat, has been found to help alleviate hayfever symptoms. The type of wheat used in the majority of produce is high in gluten, which is especially hard for the body to break down. A US study in 1928 discussed the possibility of indigestible grain proteins passed to babies via their mothers’ milk or cows milk resulting in a subsequent sensitivity to grain pollen, which manifests in hayfever.

If you’re a heavy grain consumer, start with removing the food group from one meal and then slowly increase.

For example:

Breakfast: scrambled eggs & spinach

Lunch: Beetroot, feta and lentil salad

Dinner: Roast chicken and steamed vegetables

Increase Natural Anti-histamines:

There are many natural anti-histamine foods in nature, which reduce the amount of histamine released as a response to the allergen.

Vitamin C:

A US study by Arizona State University found that hayfever sufferers given between 500mg – 2,000mg doses of vitamin C per day over six weeks had up to 40% reduction in symptoms as the doses reached the higher range.

Fruit and vegetables are packed full of vitamin C, so it is really important to have as much fresh produce in your diet as possible. Vitamin C degrades over time, some reports say that many foods lose up to 50% of their vitamin C content after picking, so it is very important not only to eat seasonally to increase the density of nutrients but also locally as nutrients degrade during the transportation processes of chilling and storing.

It may also be helpful to supplement with 1,000mg vitamin C between 2-3 times per day – chose a mixed ascorbate product rather than ascorbic acid which is harsh on the body and hard for it to absorb. Emergen-C is a good product that comes in handy sachets and available at most health food shops or online.

Quercetin:

Quercetin is a bioflavonoid that works synergistically with vitamin C. It has been found to stabilize the cell membranes of histamine producing cells. A small study of 24 people in Japan found that 100mg per day reduced the symptoms of itchy and swollen eyes, although not runny noses. Medical herbalists recommend supplementing with 500mg quercetin twice a day 20 minutes prior to eating.

Fish Oils:

Fish oils contain anti-inflammatory properties so increasing the amount of fish you eat may help to alleviate symptoms. A supplement may be useful here – choose a brand such as Eskimo 3 or Nordic Naturals, two excellent products that are rigourously tested for purity.

Bee Pollen:

Find a source of local bee pollen and sprinkle no more than 1/2 a teaspoon on salads, fruit or cereals. It goes well with fish. Check out your local farmers markets for possible producers.

Food to increase:

Vitamin C: berries, apples, dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli, spring greens, cabbage.

Quercetin: onions, kale, broccoli, squash and courgettes

Gut health:

In order for us to absorb the nutrients from our food properly, it is important to have good gut health. Try out the following tips:

Reduce mucus-forming foods: Dairy, grains and banana’s all increase the amount of mucous the body produces. Excess mucous lines the digestive tract making it harder for the body to absorb nutrients.

Drink water: water makes up a large part of stomach acid which is essential for good digestion. Drink a glass of plan water 20 mins before eating.

Chew well: chewing is the first stage of digestion and signals to the stomach to prepare for food. Chew for 30-40 times or until your mouthful is liquid.

Probiotics: Good gut bacteria = a healthy gut = increased absorption. Taking two capsules of a probiotic supplement such as Biokult in the evening before you sleep can help support the immune system and fight off the infiltration of pollens into the blood stream.

Anti-Hayfever Salad:

Fennel & onion are packed full of quercetin

Jerusalem artichoke contains inulin which help support gut health.

Ingredients:

1 red onion

1 fennel bulb

2 jerusalem artichoke roots

Shave or thinly slice the vegetables  into a dish, drizzle with lemon juice, olive oil, and freshly ground pepper.

Add some smoked mackerel or or serve with steamed salmon for a larger meal.

image by MarilynJane and bokchoyboy