Detoxing with a Difference!

Here we are tucking into lunch on my New Year Detox Cookery Course held at Bodnant in January, where we had a fabulous day making raw and cooked dishes using fresh, organic detox-friendly ingredients.  As you can see, detoxing doesn't have to mean going hungry! Here are some of the comments: 

"A really fabulous day with Rhona. Great to use only the freshest produce to make some truly delicious detox dishes."

"Lovely day, lots of interesting dishes. Thank you Rhona"

"Super day, made healthy eating fun.   Wonderful food, thank you Rhona."

"A fantastic day from start to finish. Delicious recipes and lots of great new ideas. Thoroughly enjoyable, thank you."

"Great Day. Would like to do many more classes. Thanks for a good day!"

 

There are so many weird and wonderful ideas circulating about detoxing.  To me, it's simply about cleansing and nourishing the body from the inside by eating fresh ingredients as close to their natural state as possible.  It also means eliminating the foods that clog up our bodies, take a long time to digest and deplete our immune system.

I stopped eating meat, eggs and dairy over 30 years ago because I believed it was better for my health.  During that time I've been growing and eating my own organic fruit and vegetables too. Over the years, I've learned how my body feels when I'm eating the right food for me and some may say I pretty much eat a detox diet most days of the year! 

Even though this was a "detox" course,  I still chose recipes that the whole family would enjoy, that didn't need any special equipment and, most of all, were delicious to eat and full of flavour and natural goodness.  My inspiration came from the ancient traditions of Japan and India where they have been detoxifying the body for centuries.   I also incorporated a few 21st century ideas on eating raw and hopefully inspired a few people to enjoy eating "free from" more often!

The day started at 10am with a welcome drink.  The freshly made cup of root ginger and lemon tea went down well, so much so that everyone asked for seconds!  The creamy cashew dip with apple slices was popular too! 

The first dish we made together was a colourful quinoa salad, filled with roasted butternut squash, red onions, red and yellow peppers and fresh rocket leaves. Then we made a blended pate with mushrooms, onions, walnuts and thyme. 

After a fresh juice break,  I demonstrated how to make a healthy miso soup using freshly made vegetable stock, dried wakame, rice noodles, an assortment of vegetables and flavoured with fresh root ginger and two sorts of miso. 

In Japan, having a bowl of miso soup every day has long been associated with health and vitality and research has certainly proved that it is beneficial in strengthening our immune system. After a warming bowl of soup for lunch, there were more healthy dishes to enjoy including a variety of fresh salads, spelt bread and some raw and roasted vegetable dips I'd made in advance. 

In the afternoon, we made some of my favourite recipes - a Moroccan Carrot and Orange Salad with dates and toasted cashews, then Aloo Gobi - a spicy Indian cauliflower and potato dish.  Our final recipe was Vanilla Cashew Cream with fresh fruit kebabs.

At the end of the day, when all of the prepared dishes were packed away to take home and enjoy later, I had one final treat for everyone - some home made raw cacao bites and sugar free fruit flapjacks!

Since the course, it's been great hearing from those of you who came and how you've enjoyed making the recipes again at home.  Even the detox drinks have become a daily habit for some which is brilliant! 

Of course, it's how our bodies feel at the end of it that matters and my next course at Bodnant is all about feeling good and feeling lighter!

Lighten Up for Summer -  Saturday 26th April 2014

Just after the Easter break and with the summer holidays looming on the horizon, this will be the perfect time to be more health conscious if you want to look and feel good when the warmer weather arrives!

The good news is that during the summer months, it's often easier to include lighter, healthier plant-based meals in your daily diet that will cleanse and lighten your body naturally and lift your energy too.

On the course,  I'll be showing you how to prepare high quality raw and cooked dishes that are packed full of goodness and will leave you feeling lighter and with a renewed sense of well-being.

 

Lighten Up For Summer is on:-

Date:   Saturday, 26th April 2014       

Time:   11:00am - 4:00pm        

Price:   £95.00 inc lunch and all ingredients

With lots of practical advice and simple guidelines to follow, together with some new exciting recipes to help you create a healthy body you'll be proud of, this will be a day you definitely won't want to miss!

To book your place,  go to the Bodnant Cookery School website or phone 01492 651108.

Hope to see you there!