Labna is a cheese which is easily made from yoghurt. It has the benefits of containing good bacteria that is beneficial for your gut, and is easier to digest than most other cheeses.

You will need:

• Muslin cloth for hanging
• Pot or bowl to catch liquid
• Probiotic yogurt (preferably organic) – Jalna biodynamic is a good choice

Optional:

You can mix in pepper, herbs, chilli, garlic, or anything else you might like into the yogurt to make a flavoured labna.

Instructions:

1. Place the amount of yoghurt that you wish to make into cheese onto the muslin, then bunch the ends and hang to something with a bowl beneath it to catch the water (a pot with a lid can work well for this).
2. Leave overnight, or until cheese has become firm and most liquid has been drained
3. If you live in a warmer climate, you may need to hang it in the fridge
4. Store in a sterile airtight container in the fridge

Serving suggestions

• Rolled into small balls and tossed through a salad with baby spinach, roast pumpkin, capsicum and olive oil
• On ryevita or a cracker of your choice with smoked salmon and cracked pepper
• As a dip mixed with avocado, paprika, garlic and lemon juice served with carrot and celery sticks

This smoothie makes a great breakfast or snack, and takes minutes to prepare. It works best if you peel and freeze the banana, to give it a thicker consistency.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Nuts (cashews, walnuts, almonds, etc.) 1 tbsp Lecithin granules (optional, not a raw ingredient)
• 1 rounded tbsp ground raw Cacao Nibs (grind in coffee grinder)
• 1 tbsp ground raw Cacao Powder 1/4 to 1/2 cup
• Water as needed
• 2 large peeled & frozen Bananas, sliced
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup additional Cold Water or as needed for consistency.

Directions

1. Grind nuts to a powder in blender
2. Add lecithin (if using)
3. Add cacao nibs and powder.
4. Add enough water to cover blades of blender and blend until smooth.
5. Add frozen banana slices and just enough water to blend.
6. Blend until smooth and creamy.
7. Scrape into a tall glass and drink immediately.

Enjoy!

Green smoothies are great for detoxification and reducing inflammation in the body. Don’t give up if it doesn’t work well the first time, you may need to play with the ingredients to get it right for your taste.

In a blender, place:

• 2 handfuls of any green leafies – baby spinach, mesculin lettuce, romaine lettuce, rocket, silverbeet, watercress…
• 1 – 3 pieces of fruit – banana, pawpaw, kiwifruit, peaches, apricots, pineapple, berries etc.
• A little water to make desired consistency.

Simply blend until super smooth and drink!

To get more out of your green smoothie, consider adding any of the following:

• Spirulina – full of mineral and vitamins
• LSA – for omega 3, fibre, minerals and protein
• Flaxseed oil – for Omega 3
• Lecithin – good for brain health and absorption of your good fats

Antioxidants; why we need them and where you get them from.

Antioxidant is a word that is thrown around a lot in food advertising these days – you hear about it in breakfast cereals, juices, and even now on chocolate! The hard part is deciding how to interpret this information – dark chocolate is high in antioxidants but the sugar content lowers it’s therapeutic capacity substantially, so you have to read between the lines.

Antioxidants are substances needed in the body to protect our cells and tissues from oxidative damage. Oxidative damage in the body can lead to tissue damage and has been linked to cardiovascular disease and aging. Antioxidants have a protective effect on cells, slowing the aging process and keeping our cells and organs healthy.

Antioxidants are found in many food sources but hormones, neurotransmitters and other compounds in the body also have antioxidant properties.

Some of the best sources of antioxidants include:

• Green tea – especially with lemon juice added
• Berries – especially blueberries, bilberries and blackberries
• Green leafy vegies
• Capsicum
• Kiwifruit
• Apples with skin
• Pawpaw and pineapple
• Broccoli
• Tomato especially cooked with oil
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Goji berries
• Red grapes
• Red wine – especially pinot noir (in moderation of course)
• Cocao / Cacao (raw cocoa)
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Foods which are brightly coloured generally have a high antioxidant content, so aim for a rainbow on your plate!

Try these recipes to help fight the flu this winter!

Honey, lemon and ginger drink

Yes, an oldie but a goodie. For best results, stir the honey through once the drink is slightly cooled.

• 1/2 lemon
• 5 slices of fresh ginger
• 1 tsp of honey

Cut lemon into pieces, put in a mug and crush slightly to release the juice. Add sliced ginger and pour boiled water over the top. Add honey last when cool.

Sore throat tea and gargle

• Steep 1 tsp fresh or dried sage in one cup of hot water.
• Once slightly cooled add honey and 1/2 tsp slippery elm.
• Sip on the tea, gargling occasionally.

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Immune boosting smoothie

High in vitamin C and bioflavonoids, this smoothie is both nutritious and delicious!
In a blender put:

• a handful of blueberries
• a handful of raspberries
• 1/4 red paw paw – chopped
• 1 kiwifruit – skin on
• the juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
• a little extra water
• a handful of ice
• 1 tsp or 1 broken capsule of probiotics (optional)

Blend until smooth

• Add water until desired consistency.
• Drink immediately.

For more information about colds and influenza, click here.

Winter is the time when our immune system is more vulnerable to catching the common cold and influenza. Both the common cold and influenza start out as a virus, which makes them very contagious. These viruses change year to year, with many different strains around each flu season.

The common cold is relatively harmless if your immune system is working correctly, and is usually short lived. Influenza virus however is much more dangerous, especially in the young and the elderly, and if not treated promptly can lead to severe illness and even death.

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The common cold and antibiotics

Antibiotics are not effective against viruses – only bacteria, so they do not actually target the cause of the cold or flu – just the bacterial infection left behind, often presenting as mucous build up or a runny nose.

Antibiotics are harmful to your digestive and immune systems as they wipe out your beneficial digestive bacteria strains, such as lactobaccilus and bifidus. This leads to an imbalance in the digestive system which can cause bloating, indigestion and candida overgrowth.

In your digestive system there are 2-3kg of these bacteria, hanging in a delicate balance to perform many functions. Studies have shown that these bacteria have critical roles in modulating our immune system, reducing inflammation and allowing nutrient absorption in the intestine.

A good way to avoid antibiotic use is to visit your naturopath at the first signs of a cold or flu. Naturopathy helps by using herbs which support your immune system in fighting off the virus, as well as using specific antiviral herbs and nutrients that work quickly to resolve the illness. Symptoms such as runny nose, sore throat, coughing, sinusitis and post nasal drip also respond well to naturopathic treatment, getting you feeling back to 100% quicker.

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Antiviral foods

The following foods have antiviral properties:

• Raw garlic
• Spirulina

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Antibacterial foods

These foods have antibacterial properties – great to use on a sore throat or for gastroenteritis

• Raw unfiltered honey
• Sage
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Garlic
• Coconut oil

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Foods that boost the immune system

These foods are rich in immune boosting nutrients such as vitamin C, zinc and omega 3.

• Lemons
• Kiwifruit
• Berries
• Pineapple
• Sardines
• Salmon
• Flaxseeds
• Onions
• Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Oysters
• Shellfish

For great flu fighting recipes, click here.

To make an appointment, click here.

As we all know that with winter comes the cold and flu season. Although a flu shot may protect you against certain strains of the influenza virus, the best defense against both influenza and the common cold is your immune system.

The immune system is complex, including different armys of cells to identify invaders and activate other cells, as well as cells to fight the invader and clean up and debris they leave behind. A cold or flu usually begins with a viral attack, which then leads to a lowered immune system, allowing bacterial overgrowth and flu-like symptoms. It is therefore important to act quickly upon the first sign of infection, as this will help to reduce cold duration and severity.

Some simple things that you can do to strengthen your immume system are:

• Eat a varied diet high in vitamin C and antioxidant rich foods such as blueberries, strawberries, bilberries, raspberries, blackberries, lemons, oranges, onions, kiwifruit, broccoli, red cabbage, capsicum, chilli, garlic, ginger, Brazil nuts, spinach, grapefruit, beetroot, carrots and sweet potato.
• As soon as you feel the start of a cold, eat 2 cloves of raw garlic a day with food, swallowed whole if possible. Garlic is anti-viral and improves immune function.
• Have lemon, ginger and honey tea. Yes, this old remedy works as the ginger loosens mucous, the lemon is high in vitamin C and bioflavovoids which increase immune function, and honey is antibacterial and soothing to the throat. To make put a few thin slices of ginger root in a cup, pour hot water over, squeeze 1/4 lemon juice in plus the skin and 1 teaspoon raw honey. Seep until cool enough to drink.
• Avoid sugar. Sugar gives bacteria something to feed on an weakens the immune system.
• Avoid getting cold – read outlines above.
• Drink plenty of filtered water. Keeping hydrated is an important part of the healing process. Drink at least 2 litres of water a day.
• REST. Rest allows the body to repair itself so by resting you will shorten the duration of your cold.
  Take quality nutritional supplements at the right dose for best results. Vitamin C, bioflavonoids and zinc are important for improving immune function.
• Herbs that can also be of use here include Echinacea, Andrographis and Siberian ginseng to strengthen the immune system. Specific herbs to treat syptoms are also useful to reduce the duration of your cold.
• NOTE: Alkylamides are the active constituents in Echinacea which give it its immune boosting properties. Alkylamides are only present in the root of the Echinacea plant when extracted correctly. Most over the counter Echinacea products use the leaf, flower and aerial parts of the plant as these are cheaper and more readily available. Read labels to ensure you are getting the root of the plant.
• Acute doses of herbal medicine are very effective in reducing cold duration and improving symptoms, ask Katherine to find out more.
• Steam inhalations can be useful to relieve symptoms, and are easily made by inhaling a hot infusion or adding a couple of drops of essential oil to a bowl of hot water, then covering head with a towel over the bowl. Use an infusion of elderflower for clear, thin mucous, fenugreek infusion for thick mucous, a couple of drops of thyme oil for an unproductive cough or yellow/green mucous, and the more well know eucalyptus oil to clear the throat and sinuses.

Practitioner strength herbal medicines work best for combating colds and flus and getting you better sooner. Call 07 3367 0337 for your appointment or use the form here.

LSA, or Linseeds (also known as flaxseeds), Sunflower Seeds and Almonds, provides good fats including omega 3 fatty acids, the nutrients iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin E, folate andare high in protein.

It is important to make your LSA fresh, as the oils contained within the nuts and seeds oxidise easily once they have been crushed. This is particularly the case for linseeds, which should only be consumed freshly crushed or as a cold pressed oil which is kept in the fridge.

Avoid buying pre-ground LSA, as this contains a high amount of oxidised oils which are rancid and therefore detrimental to your health. You can make LSA using the following recipe:

Use equal parts of:

• Linseeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Almonds

In a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, grind equal amounts of the above. If you do not have time to grind your LSA as you need it, you can make it in bigger batches and keep in in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

A useful variation to LSA is LSAP, which you also add equal amounts of pepitas (pumpkin seeds). This has the added benefit of zinc, which is great for hair, skin and nail health, immune function and reproductive health.