The Cleansing Properties of Soup

Hands up everyone who is fed up reading about the cleansing properties of soup! A good soup has always offered nutritional perfection in a bowl (a phrase I started to champion some considerable number of years ago but I am certainly not about to claim as my own as the Imperial Physician to the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty beat me to it around 800 years ago!)

A truly cleansing soup takes time and patience, requires the very freshest of organic ingredients (and yes, you have to grind your own fresh herbs and spices) and is definitely what I would call a labour of love but if you are that patient person who has the time - go for it!

Alternatively, you may simply decide to get soup into your life on a more regular basis because it is delicious, nutritious, warming, comforting, satisfying, easy to transport, often very quick to prepare and there is no limit to the varieties you can concoct once you become a dedicated soupaholic!

If you find yourself debating the cleansing properties of juices versus soups - don’t! My advice is to mix it up and enjoy both. Despite what you may have read, juicing is not ‘out’ whilst soup is ‘in’, that’s just media and marketing hype. The bottom line is that the more vegetables you get into your day the better for health and wellness (aim for 7 and don’t beat yourself up if it’s only 5). And don’t forget to add 2 or 3 fruits into your juices and soups or have them as a snack with a handful of fresh nuts which deliver cracking good levels of protein and healthy fats.

If you are feeling a bit sluggish or suspect you are at risk of going down with one of the rather many viruses that seem to threaten us at this time of the year, have a go at my soup and juice clean up for a few days and benefit from the outstanding properties of both.

Make it Hot and Spicy this Valentines Night

Scientists seem determined to spoil all our fun by reminding us that there is no evidence of food having aphrodisiacal properties but do we care? The fact remains that certain foods are rich in plant chemicals that aid the release of mood-enhancing endorphins, increase blood flow and heart rate and stimulate nerve endings and spicy foods are right up there!

Chillies - particularly raw - are tops for turning up the heat and sending out all manner of passion-boosting messages throughout the body but if they are a bit too hot for you to handle, ginger, cinnamon, mustard, black and cayenne pepper are not far behind!

Don’t let lack of scientific proof dampen your ardour and treat yourself and your partner/date to something spicy this year. Here are a few suggestions:

• Start the day with a fruit smoothie with a generous grating of fresh ginger or a plate of warming porridge with a dollop of fresh cream, a drizzle of honey and a generous shake of cinnamon powder.
• Have a bowl of my Blazingly Hot Tomato Soup and one of my Warm Salads for lunch (and remember to pitch plenty of mustard into the dressing).
• Snack on dark chilli chocolate (Lindt, Green & Black’s or Montezuma’s are all widely available) and/or… if you have time, melt a few squares in the microwave and dip fresh fruits into the silky-smooth goo.
• If you are staying in and cooking up something special, try my Sweet Potato Curry (sweet and hot!) Order in a Geng Kheaw Wan Gai (Green Curry Chicken) from your local Thai takeaway if you are not in the mood to cook or if you plan to dine out, you can’t beat Mexican for heat - the incredible range of chilli peppers they use in their cooking is legend and when it comes to hot date nights, are in a zone of their own

How will you celebrate Valentines Day? Share your plans using the hashtag #DietNotDepravation

Seaweed for Fat-Loss

If you feel tired a lot of the time, there is a chance your thyroid gland may be slightly under active, thereby compromising a healthy metabolic rate which is vitally-important for successful weight loss. A couple of cups of top-quality seaweed tea is certainly a great way to get good levels of the mineral, iodine ‘the thyroid helper’ into your day but please note that too much of this trace mineral can be as damaging as too little so 2 cups are plenty - and - don’t forget that fish and shellfish also offer good levels so make sure you have at least 4 delicious and nutritious portions per week.

There are some great options our there, here are some of my favourites:

Haeckels Caffeine Free Seaweed Tea -

"Our herbal tea has a mild vegetal flavour with a umami and just a hint of saltiness that compliments the elderflower, citrus and fennel notes"

Pukka Natural Balance -

"It is a concentrated blend of some of the world’s finest herbs to help you find the true you. This broad-spectrum formula contains the highest organic grade, sustainably cultivated herbs, carefully selected to bring you the full potential of nature’s goodness."

Do you drink seaweed tea? Tell me what you think using the hashtag #DietNotDepravation

please don't be taken in by the scammers!

Over the years, I have been aware that there are more than just a few very dodgy websites offering free downloads of my books and January always appears to be the month that they all come out of the woods! Please don't be taken in or tempted to sign up - they are scams - all of them!

Should I decide to offer free downloads of my books at any time - I will always flag this up on my website and direct you to a bona fide link!

As soup is such a big plus for weight loss at this time of the year, my Soup Can Make You Thin diet and Soup Can Make You Thin: The Cookbook are being offered for free on a number of websites but heed this warning...

What most of the scammers do is ask for your credit card details before they grant you the opportunity to download books, movies etc for free and once they have your details, you can almost see the smiles on their faces as they empty your wallet and make it very difficult for you to unsubscribe.

If you are in any doubt whatsoever, go to www.scamadviser.com and enter the website name. In most cases you will be horrified at some of the stories people have to tell...

happy new year to all!