Winter gifts us with all the nasties: the cold, the rain, the viruses and bugs. So that's why it's even more important right now to start looking after your wellness from all angles. Exercise, correct supplementation and relaxation are all part of what is deemed to be a balanced approach to wellbeing, but there's one thing that should be at the top of the agenda: food.
When we eat certain foods, a whole cascade of events occur inside the body. For example, when ingesting foods high in sugars and refined starchy carbohydrates, it causes a spike in the hormone insulin, also known as the "fat storage hormone". It has been dubbed the fat storage hormone because insulin rises after we consume sugar and converts it into fat, which is stored on and in the body as an energy source to be used later. It's important to note that fat can be subcutaneous (sits just beneath the skin) or visceral (the more dangerous fat which sits deep inside the body surrounding important organs such as the liver, stomach and intestines, and can clog arteries).
On a longer term basis, having erratic insulin levels from poorly controlled sugar intake increases the risk of diabetes. When a high sugar diet is combined with high saturated fats, clogging of the arteries and vessels supporting the heart becomes a real risk. You can see how your diet very quickly increases your chances to experience health issues such heart disease and other coronary conditions.
But it's not all doom and gloom. It's actually fairly easy to take control of your health, simply by adjusting your diet to include foods that are mostly from whole plants (such as vegetables, fruits, pulses, nuts & seeds, legumes and whole grains). These have the opposite effect and have a positive impact on the body.
Take a look at our simple plant based tomato soup and take note of the health benefits of in the ingredients!
Fuel your body with goodness to boost immunity and wellness!
CBD SUPER SOUP
(for a step by step video guide, watch our Instagram reel here)
INGREDIENTS
1 pack of tomatoes and 1 pack of cherry tomatoes (not only are tomatoes a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K, they are also rich in lycopene which has been linked to reduce the risk of heart disease)
1 tbsp olive oil (packed with healthy fats, vitamins E and K, many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that are known to promote heart and brain health.)
1 whole head of garlic (known to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, it also contains inulin - a prebiotic which supports gut health)
A bunch of basil (basil contains eugenol which can block calcium channels which can help to lower blood pressure. It also contains magnesium - improving blood flow to muscles)
Chilli flakes or fresh chilli (containing very high amounts of vitamin C for immunity)
1 veg stock cube 400ml water
60ml coconut cream (an excellent source of potassium, as well as healthy fats called medium-chain triglycerides, which actually promote weight loss!)
40mg CBD, 20mg per serving (a wealth of health benefits such as mood and sleep support)
Mixed seeds to garnish (high in essential fatty acids and protein)
METHOD (serves 2)
Wash all the tomatoes then place on a baking tray
Add 1 whole head of garlic with the top copped off
Add the basil
Sprinkle with chopped fresh chilli, or chilli flakes
Season with salt & pepper
Roast at 180c for 45 mins
Remove the garlic bulb, squeeze out the garlic into a pan of vegetable stock & transfer all the tomatoes to the pan.
Add 70ml coconut cream.
Blend until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl and garnish with seeds, chilli oil and coconut cream.
