Radiance - The Juice Cleanse Co.

With flu season upon us we like to boost our immunity by having this fiery flu-fighting juice shot.

Ingredients:

1 orange (peeled)

1/2 lemon (peeled)

2" ginger root (peeled)

1 tsp manuka honey (at least UMF 10+)

Pinch cayenne pepper

Pinch turmeric

Pinch black pepper

Optional:

60ml aloe vera

1 tsp Pukka elderberry syrup

1 tbsp sea buckthorn juice (try Weleda)

Method:

Put the orange, lemon and ginger root through your juicer. Then mix in the other ingredients to the juice. Drink immediately.

Benefits: 

Both orange and lemon are great sources of Vitamin C, whilst ginger has anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric is a known antioxidant and this comes from the active compounds within it called curcuminoids.  These help to support your immune system and can help to protect your cells from free radical damage. The black pepper helps with the absorbtion of the turmeric so that your body can get the full benefits of it. 

We've specified Manuka honey because the type of honey you use is crucial. All honeys are not created equal. Research into Manuka honey carried out by biochemist Professor Peter Molan at the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato, New Zealand has found that Manuka honey has a uniquely impressive anti bacterial action, even combatting antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. He terms this the Unique Manuka Factor or UMF. When choosing your Manuka honey try to opt for one that has a UMF strength of at least 10+ on it. This will be clearly displayed on the label.  We like the Manuka honey by Comvita, Medibee and Manuka Gold.

There is little better than a long hot bath at the end of a cold Wintery day. Lately, we have been supercharging the health factor of our must-have soak time with Better You's Magnesium Flakes. Frank Lipman MD cites research indicating that as many as 80% of us are magnesium deficient, so supplementing it is an excellent way to support good health. By creating a diluted solution of magnesium chloride with these flakes, greater areas of the body can be exposed for longer periods of time, allowing a more gentle absorption of the mineral.

Here are a few of our other favourite bath additions:

• NEOM Luxury Organics Complete Bliss Organic Bath Oil - great for relieving headaches.
• Ila Spa Bath Salts for Cleansing - our go-to detox salts during a juice cleanse.
• Epsom Salts - a traditional detox aid, and we use them to help overcome jet lag too (available from your local pharmacy).

As the weather gets colder we naturally reach for more hearty dishes to help heat us from the inside. Nothing does this quite like a great homemade soup. We asked our Executive Nutritional Therapist, Midi Fairgrieve, for one of her favourites and below is a recipe that she created herself. It couldn't be simpler.

Warming Winter Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 cup of brown lentils (soak these for 1-2 hours before using).

1 large onion

3 cloves garlic

2 large carrots

1 pint stock / water

6 prunes

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1 teaspoon turmeric

3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to season

To make:

Soften the chopped onions and garlic in the coconut oil. When starting to brown, add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for an hour. Blend and enjoy!

Midi Fairgrieve is Radiance's Executive Nutritional Therapist and Founder of Detox International.