Girl Flu, Mindful Snot Bubbles & a Healing Curry (vegan & gluten free)......

This week has seen me hit with full on girl flu and I look beautiful! Snotty nose, red eyes, sore throat, chapped lips, aches and pains all over and of course the obligatory loss of taste / smell. With nothing to do except practise some mindfulness (focusing on a snot bubble is NOT mindful haha!) and the company of our foster kitty Basil I was asking the universe for a speedy recovery when I remembered I have a stash of herbs and spices in the cupboard. Now according to the wisdom of the Ayurvedic sage, Vagbhata, who wrote: “There is nothing (in the world) which is not a medicine.”  all remedies can be found in nature. Where possible I try to follow the Ayurvedic teaching for eating to help ensure I am in balance so I know you can make effective remedies using common kitchen ingredients. Try some of the following instead of the Lemsip and see how they work for you:

 

• Mix 1 tsp each of ginger powder, turmeric and black pepper and take ½ tsp of this mixture with warm water twice a day.
• Mix ½ tbsp ginger, black pepper, cardamom, clove, cinnamon and turmeric. Ad 3tsps of raw sugar. Mix ½ or 1 tsp of this mixture with warm water and take twice a day.
• Mix ½ tsp fresh ginger juice with ½ tsp agave syrup and take three times a day.
• Soak 2 parts fresh ginger root, 3 parts cinnamon and a pinch of cardamom in a cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Add ½ tsp of agave syrup once its cool down a little. Drink a glass of this tea several times a day.
• Crush ¼ tsp fresh ginger root with 8 fresh basil leaves, 2 peppercorns, 2 cardamom seeds, 1 cup of water, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 2 cloves, & 5 mint leaves. Boil, filter, add 1 tsp agave syrup. Drink 3 times a day.
   
  Ayurvedic Healing Curry – Serves 4
   
  1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
  2 teaspoons ginger (minced)
  4 teaspoons curry powder
  14.5oz diced tomatoes ((410 grams))
  1 cup light coconut milk ((235 ml))
  1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  6 cups fresh spinach
  15.5oz canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained ((440 grams))
  1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
  4.5oz brown rice (120 grams)
  How To –

• Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
• Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (about one minute).
• Add the tomatoes, curry powder, coconut milk, brown sugar and vinegar. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
• Add the spinach and cook until wilted (about 4 minutes).
• Add chickpeas and cook until heated through, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the fresh cilantro just before removing the skillet from heat.
• Serve with brown rice. Enjoy in your PJ's!