2014 - Page 6 of 14 - Sarah Wilson

Fermented Turmeric Tonic recipe

April 22, 2018August 21, 2014 by Sarah Wilson

Turmeric is a sweet salve for an inflamed, auto-immune, gut-compromised soul, or so say the studies. But a bunch of other studies show it has poor bioavailability and requires pretty good gut health from the get-go to be able to convert the active ingredient (the yellow pigment, curcurmin) into a form that kicks into gear all the good guff. Sad sigh.

ALL OF THAT SAID, a study published in the International Journal of Food Science and Technology found the bioavailability increased when it was fermented.

It works like this: Curcumin is transformed through digestion into different forms known as metabolites. And it’s these metabolites that are the anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventing agent. And the bit that I find interesting: According to a Japanese study, fermentation prior to eating can replicate this transformation, ie create metabolites.

Music. To my witchy ears.

I decided to play around with turmeric fermentation myself this week. My wonderful friend David grows the stuff and brought in a boot-load (literally) for me to muck about with. For those of you who don’t know a David With A Bootload of Roots, you’ll be glad to know turmeric is in season right now (in the Southern hemisphere) and pretty easy to get hold of. Buy up big. I’ll be posting a few more recipes to come.

For today, a tonic that’s bound to pacify pain and cool the angry inflammation based on my Ginger-ade recipe.

Fermented Turmeric Tonic

1 cup thinly sliced turmeric, unpeeled (if you come up a little short, a bit of ginger in the mix is fine, too)
Read more

How to heal Autoimmune disease: tips from Dr Terry Wahls

August 20, 2014August 20, 2014 by Sarah Wilson

When I don’t know stuff about stuff that I care about, I like to call a “friend” and have a bit of an audio interview with them. When I do, I get you guys to take part and invite you to post questions to ask on your behalf. My latest such friendly chat about stuff was with Dr Terry Wahls.

Dr Wahls is a reckon-able force. A physician, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and ended up in a wheelchair. Which saw her – like many of us with autoimmune disease – to obsessively research the foggy area of AI and brain biology for herself. Her conclusion: to ditch the pills and supplements and to get her required vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential fatty acids from real food, specifically from a Paleo protocol.

Today she’s out of the wheelchair, walking and cycling every day. She shared the details of her recovery in a TEDx talk that went viral in 2011. And you can follow her tips and tricks for disease reversal via her book The Wahls Protocol. One thing you might like to take straight up:

Dr Wahls puts much of her wellness down to eating nine cups of vegetables every day.

A point she covers off in our podcast, which you can listen to here:

As an FYI, I asked Dr Wahls questions on behalf of many of you. We cover off:

* The VERY surprising breakfast Dr Wahls eats each day. Since chatting to her I’ve been eating the same.

What to look for in your cleaning products. Plus a giveaway!

October 2, 2015August 19, 2014 by Sarah Wilson

If you’ve been following the My Simple Home series, you’ll know I’m really rather committed to keeping my home ecologically and ergonomically minimal and sustainable. I’ve shared on toxic hazards you should avoid and how to detox your kitchen. Oh, and how to buy a sustainable couch. Which I did finally do!

Today, I’ll touch on a few tips for cleaning up your cleaning products… for toxicity and environmental purposes. Plus, the kind folk at ENJO (a planet-friendly cleaning product company that makes microfibre products requiring only water) are kicking in to give away

an ENJO Essential Pack of cleaning gloves, cloths, paste, detergents and floor cleaners – everything you need to clean your floors, bathroom and living areas – valued at $950

Keen? See the details below.

And just so you know, this is a sponsored post, but as always views are all my own. You’ll find my very particular position on sponsored posts and advertising here and further thoughts below.*

How to clean up your cleaning habits

1. Check for eco labels by independent accreditors. Try programs like Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA), Planet Ark, Australian Certified Organics and National Asthma Council Australia’s Sensitive Choice. You can read more at Green Lifestyle Mag.

2. Read your labels. Detergents have two major ingredient categories: “builders” to reduce water hardness and “surfactants” to lower the surface tension of water.

Avoid the bad “builders”, namely any kind of phosphates, which contribute to the deoxygenation of marine environments, and EDTA, (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), which can bind to heavy metals and cause damage to both people and aquatic animals.
Instead, go for products that use safe builders such as sodium citrate.
Avoid these “surfactants”: butyl or 2-butoxyethanol, which are toxic when inhaled, and oxalates, which can interfere with hormonal regulation above certain concentrations.
Instead, choose surfactants like alkyl polyglycoside, isopropanol and glycerol.

Here’s more on how to know if your green cleaner is really eco-friendly.

3. Use cleaning cloths that go straight in the wash. I’m not a fan of wastage. Disposal Chux wipes drive me mental. And don’t get me started on paper towels! I’ve found this clever all-purpose cloth that does the day-to-day work, and this Kitchen Glove designed with two different sides to remove grease, grime and food residue from your rangehood, bench-tops, splash back area, tiles, stove top, inside your oven and microwave. Once you’ve finished, just pop in the wash. I’ve come across ENJO a few times in my quest for toxin-free cleaning products. Founder and CEO Barb had a son who was struggling

If you feel at odds with the world, you are a deviant. Be proud.

October 23, 2018August 13, 2014 by Sarah Wilson

Have you encountered George Monbiot? He’s my favourite columnist in the whole wide world. He delves in under the wounds, undeterred by the defensive scab. Then he goes in another layer, and another, and finds the root cause of the pain.

Last week he wrote about how the values of neoliberalism have cheated us. And how it’s entirely understandable that so many of us should feel at odds with the world right now.

I won’t break things down fully. I don’t need to when George does it so perfectly. But I want to touch on the fundamental message behind his call to emotional arms: The domineering neoliberalist celebration of unrestricted competition and self-interest has left us feeling wholly uncertain about our most fundamental of human values. And this is a travesty.

I’ve been trying to put my finger on my beef with this phenomenon for a while.

I’ve been observing the way parents around me who are focused on finding the best private school for their kids, at all costs, grapple with the grubby feeling that in doing so they’re not supporting a fair go for all.

I read about how the woman who screamed racist abuse on a bus the other week repented when fronting court a few days later, admitting she was astonished by her own behavior.

I see us all consuming, buying into the Cult of the New, but desperately wanting less.

I’ve looked on as the current Government here in Australia has tried to pull apart policies that formed the ethical fibre of this country, the roughage that has made me feel proud and safe when I’ve traveled overseas or reflected on my belonging.

19 extra tips for fixing constipation

July 31, 2018August 12, 2014 by Sarah Wilson

A few weeks ago, I ran a post by Dana from Hypothyroidmom.com on how she reversed her constipation. Boy, a lot of us are blocked up, hey!? (I’m really tempted to drop some poo puns in here…like how the response created a sh*t storm… but will hold it in… I mean refrain.) I’ve since put together a follow-up post for you with the extra tips shared in the comments – far from a comprehensive list, but some great ideas.

Some of the common themes that came through in the comments:

1. Cut back on dairy as it has a protein called casein which can sometimes slow things down.

2. Take psyllium husk regularly. Although, if you are going to go down this road, please up your intake of water. If you don’t, it will simply worsen the constipation. I’m personally not so keen on psyllium husks. If you get occasional constipation, it’s OK. But for many, the husks can actually form a hard “plug” that, well, is immovable. Slippery elm powder is a far better solution – see below.

3. Take some colloidal silver consistently for about a week. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the stuff, you can read more about it here. And here’s an opposing view stating reasons against ingesting it. I’ve not tried it myself.

4. Get a colonic. I have a range of thoughts on colonics. For anyone seriously stuck, it’s a neat way to re-boot. I don’t like the idea of using them as a regular “detox” tool – unnecessary, potential risks and not “natural” (Just Eat Real Food instead).

5. Eating clay. You can read more on the topic here.

6. Load up on seasonal greens. In winter, make green soups, put spinach in everything and have some spirulina with warm water and a dash of lemon juice.

7. Take bitter melon capsules. Reader Danni says: “I have a thyroid problem and have suffered many of the problems outlined above. I have been taking two bitter melon capsules (read more about them here) after each meal and have found

17 clever things to do with ice cube trays

August 5, 2014August 5, 2014 by Sarah Wilson

Honestly, my go-to advice when anyone asks me for the smartest culinary trick up I have up my apron? I bulk-buy ‘n’ freeze. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know I love my freezer and often share nifty ideas on how to use left overs, stretch meals out or prolong produce by using this under-praised white good to its fullest potential (which is, in actuality, when it’s full – a full freezer is more energy efficient than an empty one, because solids freeze at a lower temperature than air, requiring less electricity.)

xxx — Puree your leftover greens to use in your morning smoothies

But today, let’s get nerdy with ice cube trays. Ice cube trays are handy little freezer gadgets. They’re great for the obvious, but also really helpful for storing leftovers.

Tip #1: I suggest you use silicone ice cube trays. They make it easier to remove things when frozen.

Tip #2: Once things are frozen, simply remove from the cubes and store them in ziplock bags, freeing up the tray for more foods.

But now…

Smart things to put in your ‘cube tray

1. Coconut water to use in your morning smoothies. Do the same with coconut milk or cream, and use in smoothies or add to curries. PS here’s why I prefer smoothies over juices.

2. Peanut-butter cups in individual serves. Try my recipe from I Quit Sugar.

3. Leftover herbs. Fill each hole of an ice cube tray about half way full with chopped herbs and top with leftover stock or olive oil. They keep indefinitely and you can pop them out once frozen and store them in a ziplock bag. Toss them into soups, sauces and stir fries. Hard herbs like oregano, sage, thyme and rosemary work best for this.

4. Leftover avocado. Puree avocado with coconut water and/or cream and a little lime juice. Freeze in cubes to pop out and blend with extra greens for a nutritious smoothie.

5. Goitrogens. I sometimes puree my par-cooked and frozen broccoli florets, kale and spinach and freeze in an ice cube tray, ready to add to a morning smoothie. Steamed cruciferous vegetables have a lot less goitrogens in them than when left raw.

6. Homemade chocolate. It’s the perfect size for an after dinner treat. (Find the recipe in my eBook dedicated to chocolate.)

Fermented Turmeric Tonic

How to clean up your cleaning habits

Smart things to put in your ‘cube tray

Fremantle