News and Reviews

We are truly in the debts of winter.  Our local farms were badly affected by the recent snow and ice.  It destroyed Polly-tunnel lettuce crops in Marc Michel’s farm in Wicklow and made the harvesting of potatoes and root crops impossible.

January is yet another month of hearty seasonal vegetable, so stock up on the winter veg to boost your immune system to see you through to February.

This month we only loose a few herbs; Parsley, Sage and Thyme, however these are only out of season for a few months and are back with us in April.

Vegetables in Season in January:  Beetroot, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Celeriac, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Kale, Leeks, Parsnips, Shallots, Squash, Swede, Turnips.  Sounds like the ingredients of a great winter soup.  Potatoes and Onions are still available from storage.

It’s soup, stew and roast winter veg season, enjoy every minute of it.

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Darren

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January is retains the title of the month with the highest incidents of colds and flu’s.  This is due to movement of people over Christmas and New Year’s gatherings.   So it’s critical to ensure you provide your body with the essential it needs to super charge your defences.

Immunity Essential Foods:

Fish – All kinds, but especially oily fish.  These should be cooked in low fat ways such as baking, steaming or stir-frying in small amounts of cold pressed virgin olive oil.

Fresh Soups – Ideally home made using seasonal organic vegetables (add whole grains or pulses for extra bulk and taste)

Fruit and Vegetables – Fresh and Organic.  Why not try a liver detox of 24hrs on a vegetable juice only diet.

Whole wheat pasta and brown rice

Pulses and beans. Try using them in Indian dishes which are especially delicious and spicy.

Sauces based on concentrated tomatoes, which is very rich in lycopene are excellent with brown rice, pasta and baked potatoes

Salad dressings – made from cold pressed olive oil with Aspal organic cyder vinegar or lemon juice or organic yogurt blended with herbs.

White Meat such as chicken or turkey.  Always choose organic poultry as a rule, since the term “free range” is not a guarantee that the birds will not have drugs, chemicals or antibiotics added to their food.  “Free Range” applies to the surroundings the birds are kept rather than the to the way in which they are fed.

Natural Yogurt – An organic super food for the digestive system

Garlic – add it regularly in a generous way to sauces and vegetable dished.  It is an extremely powerful antifungal, so if you have having digestive problems or issued with Candida you simply cannot get enough organic garlic in to your body.

Vitamin C rich foods – such as berry fruits, citrus fruits, kiwifruit, parsley, raw green peppers, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli and Kale.

Foods to Avoid:

Any processed ‘foods’ that are dehydrated, preserved with chemicals, canned or vacuum-packed: in other words, most “instant” snacks or meals that suggest all you have to do is add water and stir.

High Fat items – such as pate, sausage, smoked meat or salami.  Apart from their generous fat content, such foods also tend to be high in salt and additives such as phosphorous.

Convenience foods made from refined (white) flour and sugar, especially if they contain a generous portion of saturated fat such as cakes biscuits and puddings.

Foods that have been irradiated or based on ingredients that have been genetically modified.

Indian or Chinese take-away meals. Indian take-away dished tend to contain large amounts of saturated fats and Chinese dishes use chemical flavours colourings and MSG.  If you like these dishes make them yourself and you will seldom see yourself stretching for the e-numbers or MSG to make them taste differently!

“Diet” drinks and foods that have had artificial sweeteners such as saccharine or aspartame added.  These artificial sweeteners are known to be a health hazard.

Saturated fat – such as cream, chocolate and chips

Crisps – 5 packs a week and you will be drinking a litre of saturated fat a year.  Immunity destroyers avoid at all costs

Alcohol is an immune system represent – drink in moderation and choose a glass of red or dry white wine in preference to spirits, beer or larger.

Finally remember that the body simply loves water, it flushes toxins out of the liver, rehydrates the skin, super charges the immune system and brain functions.  Keep a bottle beside you and drink regularly all day.  Try these foods for a week and you will feel full of energy and fighting fit!

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Note: this is recommended guidance not medical advice; please consult your GP if you are concerned about your health.
Candida Albicans is an opportunistic fungus (or form of yeast) that is the cause of many undesirable symptoms ranging from fatigue and weight gain, to joint pain and abdominal bloating.  This is part II of the blog; Foods to eat.

Foods to Eat

Organic Vegetables:

Asparagus, Avocado, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Collard greens, Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic (raw), Kale, Leeks, Okra, Onions, Peppers, Radish, Seaweed, Spaghetti squash, Spinach, Summer squash, Swiss chard, Tomatoes, Turnip, Zucchini.

Notes:
* Vegetables starve the Candida of the sugar and mould diet that feed it and they also absorb fungal poisons and carry them out of your body.
* Avoid starchy vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, yams, corn, all squash except zucchini, beets, peas, parsnips and all beans except green beans
* You should buy your vegetables fresh and eat them raw, steam or grill them. Add a little garlic and onions for flavour as they are especially helpful with Candid.

Live Yogurt Cultures:

Organic Plain Yogurt Probiotics.

Notes:
* Live yogurt cultures (or probiotics) help your gut to repopulate itself with good bacteria
* The live bacteria in the yogurt will crowd out the Candida yeast and restore balance to your system
* Good bacteria will also produce antifungal enzymes that can help you fight Candida.

Proteins:

Beef, Chicken, Fish, Eggs

Notes:
* Proteins almost completely free of sugars and mould, so they fill you up while restricting the Candida
* Eat fresh and organic meat if possible – processed meat like lunch meat, bacon and spam, is loaded with dextrose nitrates, sulphates and sugars
* Smoked or vacuum packed meats are also best avoided

Nuts and Seeds:

Nuts and seeds that don’t contain high mould content.

Notes:
* Nuts are a high protein food that starves Candida and restricts its growth
* Avoid peanuts and pistachios as they tend to have higher mould content

Herbs and Spices:

Basil,  Black Pepper,  Cayenne,  Cilantro,  Cinnamon,  Cloves,  Cumin,  Curry, Dill,  Garlic,  Ginger,  Nutmeg,  Oregano,  Paprika,  Rosemary,  Tarragon,  Thyme,  Turmeric.

Notes:
* Contain antioxidants and anti-fungal properties
* Increase circulation and reduce inflammation
* Improve digestion and alleviate constipation

Organic Oils:

Virgin Coconut Oil,  Olive Oil,  Sesame Oil,  Pumpkin seed oil,  Macadamia Oil,  Almond Oil,  Flax Oil,  Safflower,  Sunflower,  Coconut oil,  Coconut butter,  Ghee,  Organic butter.

Notes:
* Use cold pressed organic oils
* Heating or boiling destroys many of the oils’ nutrients

Seasoning:

Black Pepper, Salt, Sea Salt, Lemon Juice.

Herbal Teas:

Cinnamon Tea,  Clove Tea,  Chamomile Tea,  Pau D’arco Tea,  Peppermint Tea,  Ginger Tea,  Liquorice Tea,  Lemongrass Tea,  Green Tea.

Notes:
* All of these herbal teas have antifungal properties
* If you’re missing your morning coffee, try Green Tea instead

Published with permission from, and special thanks to, www.thecandidadiet.com , an excellent resource for information.

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Darren

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Its autumn and harvest is nearly over. Our local farms are still in bounty. Marc Michel in Wicklow is still harvesting potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber. Castleruddery in Wicklow is harvesting kale, parsnip, parsley, cabbage and Swedes.

It’s the time of year when a lot of our favourites go out of season.  All berries are now finished until next supper.  We also loose Spinach, Rhubarb, French Beans, Peas, Lettuce, Peppers, Radish, Scallions and Tomatoes.  Although you can still get a lot of this all year long in the perpetual summer time of major supermarkets, we like to say goodbye to the majority of them until next year.

In season or just coming in to season we have the hearty Irish Potato main crop. This year Marc’s potato of choice is the delicious ‘Orla’ variety.  This is the season of the root vegetable.  We have Swedes and Turnips (yes they are different :) ).  In addition we have Kale, Parsnip, Leeks, Carrots, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Beetroot, Broccoli, Mushrooms and Brussels sprouts (the marmite of the vegetable word).  Enjoy the harvest!

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Foods to Avoid to help Eliminate Candida

Note: this is recommended guidance not medical advice; please consult your GP if you are concerned about your health.

Candida Albicans is an opportunistic fungus (or form of yeast) that is the cause of many undesirable symptoms ranging from fatigue and weight gain, to joint pain and abdominal bloating. More and more of our customers are looking for help, here is a gem of a solution…

FRUIT

Foods to Avoid
Fresh Fruit, Dried Fruit, Canned Fruit, Fruit Juice

Notes

•    The high sugar content in fruit feeds Candida
•    Fruits like melon may also contain mould
•    A squeeze of lemon is OK
•    After you can reintroduce low sugar fruits like apples and berries

AGED CHEESE

Foods to Avoid
Cheeses aged for 6 months or more

Notes

• Holistic practitioners recommend that Candida sufferers dramatically reduce their dairy intake
• Candida prevents the body from processing fat properly
• Only aged cheeses need to be eliminated completely
• A small amount of Swiss or Mozzarella cheese can be reintroduced later

ADDITIVES & PRESERVATIVES

Foods to Avoid
Citric Acid, Anything on the list of ingredients that you don’t know or can’t pronounce!

Notes

•    Citric acid is derived from yeasts
•    Chemicals can disrupt your friendly bacteria and allow the Candida yeast to flourish
•    Non-organic food like meat or eggs can contain residual levels of antibiotics and steroids that were used during the farming process.
•    Only eat  organic foods for the elimination period if possible.

ALCOHOL

Foods to Avoid
Wine, Beer, Spirits

Notes

•    Alcohol is high in sugar that can feed the growth of the Candida yeast.
•    Alcohol also puts stress on your organs and immune system.
•    Mixing alcohol and Candida is like opening all your windows in a house fire – you don’t want to feed the problem

CAFFEINE / STIMULANTS

Foods to Avoid
Coffee, Tea, Energy drinks

Notes

•    Caffeine, sugar and sweetener all kick-start Candida
•    Taurine in energy drinks is another culprit
•    Even decaf tea and coffee are to be avoided, as they contain residual levels of caffeine

GLUTINOUS FOODS

Foods to Avoid
Anything made with wheat, rye, oats or barley, e.g. white bread, rye bread, pasta, Spelt product

Notes

•    Some Candida sufferers have high sensitivity to Glutens
•    Give your immune system a break and allow it for a few weeks!

NUTS

Foods to Avoid
Nuts that are high in mould, e.g. peanuts

Notes

•    Ingesting mould can promote a Candida outbreak
•    Nuts that were cracked a long time ago, for example sliced almonds, also have time to develop mould
•    If you like nuts, stick to freshly cracked or whole ones.

MUSHROOMS / MOULDS

Foods to Avoid
Mushrooms Truffles

Notes

•    Candida loves to feed on mould and fungi
•    Leftover food can contain mould that will feed your Candida
•    If you can’t buy organic fresh, keep leftovers frozen and then cook on a high heat in the oven (not the microwave)

CONDIMENTS

Foods to Avoid
Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Relish, Horseradish, Soy sauce, Salad dressings

Notes

•    Condiments tend to be high in sugar and can exacerbate your Candida
•    For an alternative salad dressing, try a simple organic olive oil and lemon juice dressing

SUGARS

Foods to Avoid
Sugars, Honey, Syrup, Lactose, Sucrose, Fructose, Chocolate

Notes

•    Condiments tend to be high in sugar and can exacerbate your Candida
•    Stay away from the soft drinks too
•    Read food labels to make sure your food doesn’t contain sugar
•    Sweeteners can also make your Candida worse
•    Sugar-free diet coke can feed your Candida as much as a sugary soft drink

VINEGAR

Foods to Avoid
All vinegars, except for  Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

Notes

•    Vinegar is made in a yeast culture, depletes the stomach of acids and can also cause inflammation in your gut
•    One particular vinegar, organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar, can actually be helpful in combating yeast

FATS AND OILS

Foods to Avoid
Peanut oil, Cottonseed oil, Corn oil, Canola oil, Soy oil, Margarine, Shortening

Notes

•    Peanut, Cottonseed, Corn and Canola oil are mould contaminated
•    Margarine/Shortening contain toxic trans fats

Published with permission from, and special thanks to, www.thecandidadiet.com, an excellent resource for information.

Posted by

Darren

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