July Seasonal Fruits & Vegetables

Fruit

• Apples
• Avocado
• Custard apples
• Grapefruit
• Kiwifruit
• Lemons
• Mandarins
• Nashi Pears
• Oranges: Navel
• Quinces
• Rhubarb
• Tangelos

Vegetables

• Beetroot
• Broccoli
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celeriac
• Celery
• Fennel
• Jerusalem artichokes
• Leeks
• Olives
• Onions
• Parsnips
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Silverbeet
• Spinach
• Swedes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Turnips

Courtesy of http://www.sydneymarkets.com.au/

Winter Soup Recipes

RECIPE – Lentil Soup


Serves 4.

Preparation & cooking 30 minutes.

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 brown onion, finely chopped

• 1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped

• 1 celery stick, trimmed, finely chopped

• 2 x 400g cans brown lentils, rinsed, drained

• 400g can diced tomatoes

• 500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock

• 2 dried bay leaves

• 2 tsp dried oregano leaves

• ¼ cup chopped fresh continental parsley

• 25g (1/3 cup) finely grated parmesan

Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Cook onion, carrot & celery, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in lentils, tomato, stock, bay leaves & oregano. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until mixture reduces slightly. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool. Discard bay leaves.
Process half the soup in a food processor until smooth. Return to pan. Cook, stirring, over a medium heat until heated through. Stir in parsley. Divide among bowls. Top with parmesan.

RECIPE – Lemon Coriander Chicken Soup


• 1 tbsp oil

• 1 medium brown onion, chopped

• 2 large chicken breast, diced

• 1 tbsp ginger, fine grated

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 4 cups chicken stock

• 300g can chick peas

• 310 g can corn kernels

• 1 lemon juiced

• 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onion, chicken & spices. Cook, stirring until chicken lightly browned. Add stock, corn, chick peas & simmer covered for about 10 mins. Add lemon juice & coriander. Serve.

 
RECIPE – Broccoli Soup


Serves 4
• 1 litre vegetable stock

• 1 leek, diced

• 1 cup cauliflower, chopped

• 4 cups broccoli, chopped

• Pinch sea salt

Please stock, leek, cauliflower into a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are cooked, then add the broccoli and salt. Keep simmering until broccoli is softened but still bright green. Puree until smooth.

Water - Essential for Life

HEALTHQUARTERS NEWSLETTER

Welcome to the July / August 2010 edition of the Healthquarters News!


HEALTHQUARTERS NEWS
Winter is upon us and although we may not feel as thirsty as we do in the warmer months, water i.e. H20 is essential for life. Exercising certainly increases your thirst and desire to drink water so keeping up your exercise during winter will not only keep your immune system strong, as well as your body, it’ll increase our circulation, prevent the winter bulge and hopefully help you to stay hydrated. This edition of the Healthquarters Newsletter focuses on the subject of water!


The human body is two-thirds water and water is the most important nutrient in our body. Water surrounds and fills every cell within us and it is needed for nearly every body function. Water is needed for the maintenance of body temperature. Water helps transport nutrients and waste products in and out of cells. It is necessary for digestion, absorption, circulatory and excretory functions, as well as for the utilisation of water-soluble vitamins. Having enough water is essential for our body to operate at its optimum level and in the warmer months it is easy to become dehydrated.

We lose about 1 litre of water per day through our skin – perspiration and lungs - breathing (and that amount can easily triple if you are exercising hard, for long periods of time or in the heat). Therefore, it is important to drink around 1.5-2 litres (6-8 glasses) of water per day. If you are unsure if you are drinking enough water, take the urine test. If the colour of your urine is a strong yellow colour – you’re dehydrated! Your urine should be almost clear.

Benefits of Water:

• Essential to all body functions
• Prevents dehydration
• Prevents sagging skin and the affects of ageing
• Rids the body of waste, toxins and natural by-products of fat burning
• Naturally suppresses appetite
• Helps body to metabolise stored fat
• Reduces fluid retention
• Helps to maintain proper muscle tone and build muscle
• Aids in your work-out performance. Dehydration will decrease your performance.
• Makes up 70% of your muscle, yet fat is only 25% water. By drinking more water you add more lean mass, thus reduce body fat %
• Water is essential for you to store glycogen (from carbohydrates) the easy useable form of energy required for everyday activity
• Relieves constipation
• Avoids stitches
• Reduces fatigue

Ways to Drink More Water
Here are some easy tips to add more water into your busy day:

• Start the day with a 1-2 glasses of water (this is essential as you are often dehydrated in the morning). Ideally add a slice of lemon or lime – good for your liver and digestion.
• Drink a glass of water at morning and afternoon tea and then 1-2 glasses when you get home. Combined with the morning water intake you have drunk 6-8 glasses.
• Keep a bottle of water on your desk. Small frequent drinks of water are better than larger quantities as the body absorbs the fluid more efficiently.
• Flavour your water with pieces of lemon, lime, orange, mint or cucumber.
• Drink fruit juice diluted 50/50 with water. Have no more than 2 glasses of diluted juice and water per day. (Fruit juice is high in sugar and only 1 glass of fruit juice is recommended per day).
• Have a vegetable juice throughout the day - freshly juiced is the best! Try 50% carrot and 50% apple with a sprig of mint.
• Herbal teas such as green tea, peppermint and berry teas are refreshing and great in winter instead of coffee.
• Have a cup of hot water if you would like something to warm you up – you can even add a slice of lemon to add some flavour.
• Drink a full glass of water when taking medications or supplements.