 🍒 Not boring old tomato but Hawthorn ketchup! It’s the perfect time of year to forage for hawthorns - they grow everywhere in abundence and a bit like blackberries, elderflowers or wild garlic - once you know what they look like, you’ll see them everywhere! Hawthorn trees are pretty distinctive so very easy to forage but remember if you're not sure, don't pick!
Hawthorns are full of polythenols, a compound in certain plant foods which can act as an antioxidant. Did you know that hawthorn extract is used alongside other standard medications to treat chronic heart failure? It’s also found to be effective to lower hypertension for type 2 diabetics. Heart disease runs in my family and my youngest child was born with a heart defect so we love food which is good for the ❤️ But back to ketchup...I think this has overtaken Heinz in my house 💪 - loads of good recipes on the internet but I found mine in an old favourite ‘Preserves’ which is one of my best ever recipe books. Have fun if you go foraging, but always be prepared and check you’re picking the right berries 🍁✨ #foraging #hawthorn #wildfood #foodasmedicine #nutritionmatters #autumncooking #preserves #foodstagram #ketchup #antioxidants #kidsnutrition #hearthealth #hearthealthyfood #foragingforfood #bristolfood #bristolfoodie #gingerandpicklesnutrition
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 Happy autumn equinox 🍁The day of the year that the sun is exactly above the equator and day and night are of equal lengths. A day of perfect balance 🌓 which is why I chose this photo taken at the weekend.
But after today, we look towards the winter equinox and tip into longer nights. We have darker days ahead, but let’s not forget the positives too. I read that autumn is about simultaneous beauty and withering - Mother Nature slows down and there is a type of death, but the cycle of life will turn back up again too. It doesn’t feel like a day of balance today, if you’re listening to the news. But it’s worth remembering that fear and anxiety can weaken the immune system, so whatever it takes to feel calmer and more positive - exercise, meditation, a walk in the wild or even in your back garden, seize your chance to find the beauty in everyday #igersbristol #naturopathicmedicine #naturopathy #meditation #autumnequinox #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #holisticlifestyle #eatseasonally #holistichealth #mentalhealthmatters #gingerandpicklesnutrition  Nothing much nutritional tips wise today. Just a lovely picking from my garden this morning. It really does give me so much joy and satisfaction. Especially this rollercoaster year. This is as much a part of health as exercise and nutrition but perhaps the part we all tend to ignore the most in our busy lives 😔 What brings you joy and do you try and set aside time to enjoy it?
#selfcare #gyo #growyourownfood #foodasmedicine #naturopathicmedicine #nutritionaltherapy #nutritionmatters #girlswhogarden #mybristolgarden #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #gardentoplate #allotmentgarden #gardeningistherapy #gingerandpicklesnutrition  Have you come across these little beauties yet? You won’t come across them in the greengrocers or supermarkets but in the UK people are going mad for growing these. Also known as Mexican sour gherkins as they originate from Mexico.
🥒Despite looking like teeny tiny watermelons they are actually part of the cucumber family and freakishly good taste like a cucumber got off with a lime. 🌱They are dead easy to grow, plant seeds in spring, plant seedlings out after last frosts have passed in full sunny spot - give it a trellis to climb and watch it go go go! It’s a vine so looks lovely scrambling up a sunny wall. 💪Despite tiny they are mighty in nutrition and are especially high in a nutrient called lycopene, an extremely powerful anti oxidant which we find in other fruits and veggies such as tomatoes. 🥗This year we mostly added them to salads (pictured) and made a fantastic salsa (not pictured) but I really wish I’d saved some for pickling! Next year. #cucamelons #fruitstagram #growyourown #foodasmedicine #nutritionaltherapy #nutritionmatters #foodtips #gyo #gardentoplate #loveforfood #organicfood #kitchengarden #saladideas #inmygarden #pickling #fermentedfoods #homegrowntastesbetter #nutritiousfood #nourishtoflourish #gentlenutrition #bristolfoodie #gingerandpicklesnutrition  Why are they good for you?
🧅 Leeks belong to the same family as onions (as well as shallots, garlic, spring onions etc) 🩸Leeks are a little more nutrient dense than the humble onion with good doses of carotenoids (converted by your body to vit A) vitamin c, manganese and particularly high in vitamin K1 which we need for blood clotting. 🧄They contain a decent amount of allicin - the sulphur compound which makes garlic famously good for you. Allicin is a powerful antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial which should be part of everyone’s diet in one form or another. 👁Also high in the carotenoids zeaxanthin and lutein which are EXTREMELY good for eye health ❤️Folate is well known as being essential in pregnancy but it’s also extremely good for heart health as it helps keep a protein called homocysteine balanced (which can contribute to heart disease) 🏴 Lastly leeks are famously associated with Wales and there are many theories as to why. My favourite being that long ago before modern religion when nature was celebrated and worshiped, the leek’s reputation to cure would have been revered. It was highly regarded as a cure for colds and was a tasty, healthy ingredient in traditional welsh broth. 👍 We bloody love leeks in this household and particularly like finely chopping them and adding to the tops of salads. And homegrown ALWAYS tastes better... #leeks #growyourown #foodasmedicine #nutritionaltherapy #nutritionmatters #foodtips #gyo #gardentoplate #loveforfood #organicfood #kitchengarden #inmygarden #homegrowntastesbetter #nutritiousfood #nourishtoflourish #gentlenutrition #mybristolgarden #gingerandpicklesnutrition |
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