Healthy desserts

infused the milk, then turn the heat off. Add the agave nectar stirring so it melts then squeeze the tea bags out and leave your yellow turmeric oat milk to stand so it will cool.

Once the tea is cool put it in a blender with a peeled, sliced banana and blend into a runny smoothie. Pour the smoothie mixture into lolly moulds and pop into the freezer.If you don’t have lolly moulds, then chai glasses or paper cups can be used. Just remember that if you want your lolly sticks to be in the centre, you will need to cut a round of paper a little larger that the top of the glass for each lolly cutting a slit in the middle for your lolly stick and so keeping it in place while it freezes. It will take 6-8 hours for your lollies to be frozen and ready to eat. As a final decoration use some bright edible petals from pollyspetals.co.uk to sprinkle on your lollies then you are ready to enjoy this tasty sweet and spicy treat in the sun. Tea India Turmeric Chai Tea Bags available from Waitrose or teaindia.co.uk

Recipe and photo: Lara Jane Thorpe

Hibiscus Iced Tea A taste of Mexico in a glass

Sweet and tart at the same time, Hibiscus Water is traditionally made through a relatively long process of rehydrating and straining dried hibiscus flowers, but, thanks to Natur Boutique’s Organic Hibiscus Tea, it’s now super simple! Just make a pot of hibiscus tea, allow to cool, sweeten to your taste with sugar, add a squeeze of lime (optional) and pour over ice for a refreshing nonalcoholic drink.

All we need now is some Mexican sunshine! Natur Boutique’s Hibiscus Tea is available from Ocado, Amazon, Health Stores and naturboutique.co.uk DO NOT USE if pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or suffering with low blood pressure.

Cherry good recipes

Spanish Picota Cherry and Rose Gelato

You will need: 250 g Spanish Picota cherries, pitted, chopped 150 g caster sugar 20 g cornflour Pinch of sea salt 200 ml whole milk 400 ml sour cream 1 tbsp rosewater Extra cherries to decorate 1. Put the sugar, cornflour, salt and 2 tablespoons of the milk, into a small pan over a low heat. Whisk the mixture together as you warm it, then add the rest of the milk.

In season Picota Cherries Exclusively grown in Spain’s Jerte Valley, Picota Cherries have lots of health benefits, such as antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. Pick some up now but hurry as they’re only available in supermarkets until the end of July.

2. Continue to whisk until it thickens. The mixture will become translucent, meaning that the cornflour has cooked through properly. 3. Remove from heat and add the hot liquid to the sour cream. Add the rose water and the Picota cherries. Leave to cool, then add to your ice cream maker and churn for 90 minutes.

Spanish Picota Cherry Clafoutis

You will need: 150g Spanish Picota cherries, washed 20g butter for greasing 4 eggs 150g caster sugar 50g plain flour 600ml double cream 1 tsp vanilla essence or paste Cup cherry brandy 1. Preheat the oven to 180cº

2. Butter the baking dish/tray 3. Spread the cherries in the dish

4. Whisk the eggs then add the sugar. Slowly sift in the flour, while stirring, then add the cream, whisking thoroughly. 5. Add the vanilla paste 6. Pour the batter over the cherries.

7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until set. Can be served hot or cold. Top tips: Brush the top of the pudding with cherry brandy for added naughtiness. Can be accompanied with cherry brandy for sipping.

Spanish Picota Cherry Chocolate Brownies

You will need: 300g Spanish Picota cherries, pitted and sliced in half 200g of good quality dark chocolate, 70% cocoa or more 200g milk chocolate, in chip form or broken up 150g unsalted butter 50g chocolate powder 100g self-rising flour 200g light brown soft sugar Pinch of ground nutmeg 3 eggs Vanilla essence/paste 1. Preheat oven to 170-180C and line a cake tin with baking parchment. 2. Break up the dark chocolate and half the milk chocolate, into rough chunks and cut the butter into pieces. 3. Place the butter into a bowl and add the dark and milk chocolate chunks and bain-marie it all, mixing until it’s uniform. Take the bowl off the heat and leave it to cool. 4. Chop the remaining milk chocolate into small chunks (if not using chips) and set aside. 5. Sieve the chocolate powder, flour, nutmeg into a bowl and set aside.

6. Cream together the eggs, sugar and a few drops of vanilla essence until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. This will take a while, the resulting mixture should be thick and nearly twice the volume of what you started with. 7. Fold in the butter, chocolate mixture gently to avoid losing the air you’ve creamed in. 8. Fold in the flour, chocolate powder, nutmeg and most of the Spanish Picota cherries bit by bit. Mix until uniform. 9. Pour into the tin and sprinkle the chips and remaining cherries on top. 10. Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes. The centre of the brownie should no longer wobble when you gently shake the cake tin. If it does, it needs a few more minutes. Cool for about 20 minutes. Then cut into squares.

Gut health coach and yoga teacher Mellissa Laycy shares some simple asanas to help boost digestion and relieve gas, bloating and constipation Gut instincts

How often during your busy day do you take time to stop and breathe? I mean really breathe – where your belly inflates like a baby, your mind centres and you feel your whole nervous system relax? Yoga is one of those rare time outs that keeps guiding you back to your breath, which is an important element of the practise. Ujjaiy – or yogic – breathing is key to helping you reduce anxiety and stress, which can be a huge contributing factor to how well your gut functions. Have you ever experienced butterflies in your stomach, a tight knot that won’t unwind or the need to run to the toilet before an important event? This interlinking of outside events and internal reactions is down to the gutbrain axis. The gut-brain axis is a nerve pathway connecting two important organs: your brain and your second brain (the gut). The gut-brain axis facilitates communication between the two – hence why IBS-related symptoms are so closely related to your state of mind. When you become stressed or anxious, your body transitions into fight or flight mode. Your blood moves away from your gut, your esophagus spasms and your stomach acid increases, compromising the health and functionality of your digestion. But certain yoga postures, sequences and proper yogic breathing can help to activate your parasympathetic nervous system (also known as ‘rest and digest’) and restore harmony in your mind and body to support gut health. Some of the best poses for good gut health are: • Reclined spinal twist. • Revolved crescent lunge • Half lord of the fishes pose • Cat cow • Camel pose • Bow pose • Apanasana (also known as the wind relieving posture). Each of these poses works to massage, stretch, stimulate and detox the internal organs which, in turn, help to relieve gas, bloating and constipation.

Visit mellissalaycy.com for a short, guided yoga and breathwork sequence designed to relieve anxiety, aid digestion and promote a good night’s sleep.

Health care for the lower limb and feet

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Amanda's Podiatry BSc (Hons) MChs HCPC Registered Podiatrist/Chiropodist Office 5, Old Station House, Burntisland Tel: 07960 31 4061 www.amandaspodiatry.co.uk

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Chakra healing

Let your true colours shine through…

The chakra system is thought to have originated in India between 500 and 1500BC in the world’s oldest text, the Vedas. They represent the human energy system and, in the West, are thought to be the key to physical health, emotional stability, and mental clarity.

In energy medicine, the seven major energy centres, also known as the chakras, are the Crown, Third Eye (or Brow), Throat, Heart, Solar Plexus, Sacral and Root chakras.

According to experts, the chakras could be described as a filtration system – purifying our energy from the gross, physical plane associated with our primal instincts and basic animal nature and turning it into the highly refined, spiritual plane that connects us with the source of life itself.

Many healers believe that when we begin the journey through the chakras, we open the way for healing, psychological development and spiritual growth to happen.