Organico Bantry

This is a quick, easy, healthy and economical soup that tastes great. For the best taste and health value use organic carrots. There are 2 ways if making this soup – the first is quicker and heathier, the second perhaps a little more tasty!

Ingredients:

5 big Carrots, approx 500g, diced small
1 large Onion, chopped
600ml boiling water
1 bunch fresh Mint or Coriander (or both) chopped
1 tbsp Orange rind, grated
1 tsp salt and fresh ground Black Pepper
Juice of fresh Orange
Olive oil (for 1st way)

Verision 1:

Bring the water to the boil, add the carrots, onion, mint, orange zest and seasoning.
Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the mint and (add some of the coriander if using) and blend the soup until smooth. Add the rest of the corriander on to as a garnish when you serve.

Version 2 (This is how I usually make it but it takes a little more time and it’s less healthy because of the frying.)

Heat olive oil in a pan adding onion, carrot and seasoning, cook on a med heat for 10 minutes.
Add the water, orange juice and zest and mint, lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes,
until the vegetables are tender. Add coriander if using, keeping some back for garnish, and blend the soup until smooth. Serve with chopped Corriander on top.

Come in on Mondays and take advantage of our great wholemeal bread offer – 2 loaves for €3.00!

Stock up on Organic Soyamilk from Provamel at only €1.29 while stocks last

Buy 5 KG Organic Brown Long/short grain rice for only €10 – normal price approx €1.99 for 500g so our offer is half price!

Coming soon: Great value on bulk buying of Organic basmatti, Quinoa, Organic red Lentils, Organic Oats and much more….

All these available instore while stocks last. Unfortunately we can’t post these offers.

In Organico we have always encouraged people to resort to antibiotics as a last measure; and now the HSE are saying the same thing. Antibiotic resistance is a very real threat to increasing numbers of people, so staying healthy by boosting our immunes systems and generally taking care of ourselves should be our first priority, with our second treating all colds and flues as naturally as possible.

In previous columns we have discussed Echinacea, Kyolic Garlic and Vitamin C which are some of the first remedies we should reach for when either boosting immunity (if you feel under stress, get run down or are exposed to bad colds from other people) or treating a cold/flu. This month I though we should discuss digestive health and in particular Probiotics as a powerful and safe alternatives to Antibiotics.

Digestive health is the basis for good health. Regarding diet and digestive health, enough dietary fibre is vital. Good sources of soluble fibre are fruit, raw or lightly cooked vegetables, oats, brown rice, linseeds (ground linseeds make a great addition to cereal or porridge), or psyllium which is pure fibre in powder form. This type of fibre absorbs water and adds bulk to the stool, as well as helping to control cholesterol levels. Low stool weight and constipation over long periods are thought to be associated with increased risk of bowel cancer, so maintaining high levels in the diet is very important.

Probiotics are added to many different foods but unfortunately, contrary to much advertising, drinking‘Probiotic’ drinks that contain vast amounts of sugar is counter productive. To add Probiotics to your diet we always recommend eating natural ‘live’ yoghurt from a trustworthy brand (Glenisk, Glenillen, Yeo Valley, and Rachel’s Dairy all make good quality natural yoghurts). However, according to one study, to get the optimum amount of Probiotics from your diet you would need to eat 1 litre of live yoghurt per day – or take 1 tablet of a good quality supplement.

The biological roles of Probiotic bacteria are numerous, and include:

• Helping to protect your whole system from bacteria and viruses by stimulating the immune system of the digestive tract
• Improving symptoms of Candida overgrowth such as thrush by starving the Candida yeast
• Regulation of ‘intestinal transit time’ – keeping you regular, in other words
• Some kinds of Probiotics are particularly effective in reducing symptoms of IBS
• Can relieve symptoms of Urinary tract infections and give protection from recurrences
• If you have taken a course of Antibiotics, a course of Probiotics is a good follow up to restore your intestinal flora and boost your immune system.

As a general rule, we always recommend the Udo’s Range of Probiotics, because they are much more powerful than most other brands and feedback from everyone taking them is very positive. For general health protection they offer the Adult’s Blend or the Advanced Adults Blend (age 65 and over – as well as everything else this blend can help control Cholesterol levels); as well as specific blends for infants (a powder that you add to bottles of milk or juice) and for children. They also offer Super 8 which helps to combat fungal and yeast infections (think Candida) and helps with urinary tract infections.

For sufferers of IBS, there is another product that has been the subject of extensive research. It is called Lp299v and is made by Quest. One study found that 95% of patients taking Lp299v for just 4 weeks showed significant improvements in all IBS symptoms, such as bloating, diarrhoea and constipation.

For a high fibre, tasty and healthy lunch, call in to Organico Café (open Monday – Friday only until the end of February); and for further dietary tips or supplement advice call into Organico Shop and talk to one of our Product Advisors. Always consult a medical practicioner if you have health issues.