A great start............

It's that time of year again - all the newspapers, magazines, TV and radio programmes are full of talk about diets - can they not think up something original for once?  And how sensible do they think it really is to start dieting and cutting out complete food groups, when everyone is suffering with coughs and colds due to their immune systems being shot to pieces after a stressful Christmas?!
So, needless to say, I will not be dieting!  But what I may be doing is thinking about how I can help my body to remain healthy throughout the cold months of winter, whilst not relying on comfort foods that may add on the pounds!
As far as detoxing is concerned, our bodies are doing this constantly, every waking hour and, impressively, even when we are sleeping!  So rather than cutting out huge amounts of food, just cut out those things that cause the liver to be over-worked (alcohol, caffeine and processed foods), and feed it lots of nutrients that may help it to support it to work better (sulphur-rich foods such as eggs and onions, the brassicas - cabbage, sprouts and broccoli, and good sources of protein - eggs, fish).
Drinking lots of water also helps to flush out toxins, and generally try to incorporate as much fresh, organic food into your diet as possible.











Cabbage Soup


Serves 4


1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 stick celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1/2 cabbage, shredded
1.5 litres vegetable stock
freshly milled black pepper
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp flaked almonds


1.  Heat the olive oil in a medium pan and saute the onion, carrot and celery for 2-3 minutes.
2.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute before stirring in the shredded cabbage.
3.  Pour in the stock, season, bring to a simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes.
4.  Toast the seeds and flaked almonds and sprinkle over the soup to serve.


This is also great served topped with a poached egg.