At six months pregnant, Megan May is a picture of good health and vitality but unbelievably, this hasn't always been the case. Megan grew up eating a mainly vegetarian diet on an organic farm, so has always been aware of healthy and wholesome foods but a combination of working long hours and eating things she knew to be a problem for her digestion lead to a host of health problems including adrenal fatigue, parasitic infections and malignant melanomas which resulted in 2-3 years where she became so unwell she was unable to work.
Frustrated with doctors, Megan's road to recovery and full health has been one of research and experimentation with healthy, nutrient-dense foods as well as with delicious flavours, textures and colours which has culminated (rather luckily for the rest of us) in the start of her raw foods cafe - Little Bird Organics.
We were very fortunate to have Megan and some of her ‘Little Bird family' come to visit ecostore and share some of the secrets she picked up along the way.
Some of the delicious pots of tamarillo, coconut yoghurt, ginger, pear and chia we sampled.
Megan also shared a recipe for one of her great-tasting and healthful green smoothies which she reckons will “make you happy from the inside out”.
Seasonal green smoothie with persimmom and cardamom
Ingredients
1 persimmon, peeled
1 generous handful of spinach, silverbeet or kale
1 handful of mint
1 lime, peeled
1 tsp of your favourite super green powder or 1/4 tsp spirulina
1/3 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp raw honey
A few pinches of cardamom (or use a whole pod)
Optional - half a banana
Handful of ice
Method
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Don't over-blend or it'll warm up, (If this happens, add a few cubes of ice and blend for a few seconds).
Tip: Having frozen smoothie ingredients on hand is incredibly time saving. Chop and store ripe fruit (that's just about to go past its prime) in the freezer to prevent waste and prepare ahead. Do the same with your favourite seasonal fruits so you'll never have to make do without. If you cut up a large pineapple or mango that you cant finish, chop the rest and freeze it, the same goes for any excess produce from the garden - spend an afternoon processing it and not letting anything go to waste.
Other foods you might like to experiment with:
Wild greens from your garden, like Sorrell - visit Victoria Boutenko's blog for more ideas: http://www.rawfamily.com/recipes
Raw ginger (good for immunity)
Raw tumeric (helps with inflammation and is great for digestion as well)
Spirulina is a good food for detoxing in Winter
Herbs such as coriander contribute a lot of nutrition and are a gentle detoxifier