Elena, Health and Food

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Elena, Health and Food

I am Elena, a Registered Nutritional Therapist (MSc Nutritional Therapy). I use my research skills, Hello! Do you suffer from indigestion or frequent colds? Elena
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I am Elena, a Registered Nutritional Therapist, educator, and researcher. I am passionate about health, science, food and cooking and I use my knowledge to improve my clients’ health. Do you feel low in energy or mood, do you find it difficult to concentrate? Do you want to have better physical performance or maybe you have skin problems? Or perhaps you would like to improve your nutrition and general wellbeing and to have better health in the future? Are you confused by all the contradictory information “out there” – in papers, magazines, on TV? …

I am here to help you and to show you that healthy eating can be fun! Be healthy and happy!

25/09/2025

Seasonal Spotlight – Scrumptious Spuds

– First of all, a specification: the potatoes I am talking about today should not be confounded with sweet potatoes, which are different (still root but not a tuber) vegetables from a separate plant family. Their time in the spotlight will come as well. –

Massive, tiny, round, oblong, smooth or 'bumpy', yellow, red, or brown-skinned, yellow or white-fleshed, or even, for the lucky ones who can get hold of those, purple-skinned and fleshed, potatoes figure in most diverse cuisines around the globe.

These tubers from the Nightshade (Solanaceae) family are a fantabulous source of vitally important nutrients, such as potassium, manganese, magnesium, vitamins B3, B6, B9 (folate), and C, fibre (more about it later) and many phytonutrients, such as beta-carotin and, in purple potatoes, anthocyanins.

Raw and cooked and then cooled potatoes contain a fibre called 'resistant starch'. This fibre is particularly favourable to our gut health because it feeds the beneficial bacteria there. What is even better is that these starches remain in the reheated potatoes, so we still get all the benefits. How cool is that?! (Cheap pun day, oops...)

If you like the taste and the texture of raw potatoes and do not experience any digestive discomfort after eating them, it is safe to eat them raw, but only occasionally and not too much (but who would do that!?). Besides resistant starch, raw potatoes – as those who read Jack London's stories based in the Klondike will know – uncooked potatoes are outstandingly rich in vitamin C, up to 80% of which disintegrates during cooking.
Said this, unless you are stuck somewhere with absolutely no access to any fresh produce except potatoes (in a desert island looking for gold or diamonds, most likely), there are tastier, better-digested, and overall more fun sources to get this vitamin than eating raw spuds.

And something important to finish. Raw or cooked, potatoes that have turned green are not suitable for eating (unless you peel off the green layer and some mm underneath it, then boil the potato in water and discard the water). The green colour occurs after spuds have been exposed to sunlight or daylight for too long and have developed the green pigment chlorophyll. In itself, chlorophyll is beneficial, but unfortunately, it also means that potatoes have produced copious amounts of solanine, a toxic compound. Negligible amounts of solanine exist in all nightshades, but it is the dose that makes the poison. And this is the case with the spuds that turned green.

I will not mention their culinary versatility because it is endless – there is a recipe for every taste, stomach, circumstance, whim, or cooking skill.

23/09/2025

Typical modern Western diets harm our health not only because of what they contain (refined carbohydrates, excessive saturated and hydrogenated fats, sugar, and salt, various emulsifiers, colourings, and taste enhancers) but also because of what they lack. And, if we go into detail, this list would be endless – fibres, phytonutrients, and most of the micronutrients, in short, the nutrients that keep us healthy.

What is particularly shocking (n.b., Yours Truly has just used an alarmistic word – this shows that she is seriously flummoxed), is that most people eating such a diet consume too little potassium, a mineral vital for heart, musculoskeletal, digestive, kidney, and nervous system health and energy.

'Shocking' because you do not need to eat fancy-schmancy rare and expensive foods to get more than a sufficient amount of daily potassium from diet. Most potassium-rich foods are ubiquitous and inexpensive – potatoes, sweet potatoes, all sorts of brassicas and root vegetables, beans and pulses, and, although not exactly local to most of us, but still pretty ubiquitous and not costly, bananas and citruses. More exclusive foodstuffs that are excellent sources of potassium are dried fruit (apricots in particular) and nuts, avocados, mangos, papayas, and numerous other goodies.

Browse and watch this space for K-rich recipes!

21/09/2025

For today's Recipe Sunday –something completely different. Enter Medieval Hummus, Himmas Kassa. This is a genuinely original recipe, properly documented and preserved in a 14th-century Egyptian cookbook.

Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) – himmas indeed means 'chickpeas' in Arabic – have been a staple ingredient in South Asian and Mediterranean cuisines for millennia, and these days they continue to conquer the rest of the World. Show me a recipe book from almost any country that would not include a chickpea or two, chickpea flour (aka gram or besan flour), at the very least, their cooking water, also known as aquafaba.

All this for several good reasons, one better than the others. Chickpeas are outstandingly nutritious, being rich in protein, soluble fibre, B-group vitamins, especially B6 and folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc.

And their versatility is endless – curries, soups, salads, wraps, dips, farinatas, chickpea omelettes, various savoury and sweet bakes with chickpea flour, and so on, and so on - one could spend months cooking a new recipe every day without running out of ideas.
Try and enjoy!
(The link to the article is underneath the recipe.)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiled chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons tahini stirred with 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
• ¼ cup finely ground walnuts stirred with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon wine vinegar
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• ¼ cup chopped mint
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon each of caraway, coriander, black pepper, ginger, and cinnamon, all crushed
• ½ teaspoon salt
• For garnish: olive oil, olives, and chopped pistachios
• Flatbread for serving

1. In a mixing bowl, mash the boiled chickpeas until they form a coarse paste.

2. Stir in the tahini mixture and the walnut mixture until combined.

3. Fold in the parsley, mint, olive oil, and spices. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

4. Transfer to a shallow serving dish. Garnish with olive oil, olives, and pistachios and enjoy – with a flatbread!

18/09/2025

An apple a day... Oh, no, not THAT one again!

Anyway, apples! Another long-term seasonal favourite of so many.

Besides being aesthetically pleasing, at any size, shape or colour, apples also burst with vitamins C, B6, and folate, minerals calcium and potassium, and soluble (pectin!) and insoluble dietary fibre. They also contain another pertinent nutrient for our health, quercetin.

Apples are extremely rich in pectin, a type of soluble fibre that is excellent for gut health and supports liver function. Moreover, it can lower 'bad' (LDL) cholesterol and increase insulin sensitivity. Which, in turn, reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes.

Quercetin, on the other hand, is a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic polyphenol. It is also a natural antihistamine, and so it participates in reducing the effects of seasonal and food allergies and asthma, and generally regulates the immune function.

An apple a day...

P.S. Finally, FINALLY!!! EHF had an opportunity to try a local seasonal celebrity among apples in her new quarters – a McIntosh. Firm appearance, rich red and green colour, crisp texture, and an absolutely spot-on balance between tanginess and sweetness. Here I come drooling, Macs!
(The first photo shows a specimen of another local variety, Golden Ginger, between two Macs.) –

16/09/2025

Cognitive decline is linked to many factors, some of which we can control (diet or exercise), some can be controlled partially or more or less successfully (stress or sleep), and some that we cannot do anything about, such as age or family history.

However, as with other multifactorial conditions (think cancer or heart disease), every little change affects the risk of getting the disease.

And as with other chronic conditions, a wholesome, essential nutrient, fibre, and phytonutrient-rich diet can significantly reduce the risk or, at least, postpone and slow down the development of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

The article below explains several mechanisms by which this happens. It also highlights soya – a legume rich in isoflavones, a real wonder plant with established health benefits not only for the brain, but also bone, heart, and hormone health, and cancer prevention.
https://www.soyconnection.com/continuing-education/education-credits/newsletter-article-list/how-diet-may-help-slow-age-related-cognitive-decline

14/09/2025

For Recipe Sunday, I am sharing this complete masterpiece of a recipe again.
Enjoy and be happy and healthy!

Ingredients:

· 100g/½ cup green lentils
· 100g/½ cup black lentils
· 1 small head of cauliflower (about 500g), divided into florets
· 330g block tofu ‘paneer’(see below for the recipe)
· ½ teaspoon black pepper
· 1 tablespoon EVO oil for baking

For tofu ‘paneer’:

• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or whole-grain mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder, optional
• 1 block tofu, firm or extra-firm, well-pressed and chopped into 1-inch/2cm cubes

For coriander dressing:

• 2 tbsp EVO oil (use according to how runny you want the dressing to be)
• 1 large handful of fresh coriander leaves
• 1 hot chilli pepper, seeded, if desired
• Juice of 1 lime, about ¼ cup
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon fine salt

1. Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water and pick out any stones or imperfect beans. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover by about 1.5cm. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until tender but not mushy, about 30-40 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on how old the lentils are, so check them every 5 minutes after the first half hour.

2. Heat the oven to 425ºF/200ºC.

3. Whisk all the ingredients for paneer, except tofu, in a bowl.

4. Add the tofu and cauliflower, mix well to coat, and leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes.

5. Evenly spread the ‘paneer’ and cauliflower florets on an oiled baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, until the florets and paneer are crispy on the outside and feel tender when pierced with a skewer or knife – 20 to 25 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, make the dressing: combine all the ingredients in a blender and pulse at medium-high speed until smooth and paste-like.

7. When the cauliflower and paneer are ready, serve on the bed of lentils drizzled with a couple (or more!) tablespoons of the coriander dressing.

– You can store the leftover salad and dressing in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Shake the dressing before using.

12/09/2025

Fascinating Fact Friday

Early autumn is a fantabulous season not only for fresh fruit and veg but also for fresh herbs and spices. From the latter, one of the most ubiquitous in the EHF cuisine is chillies*, all sorts of them (Scoville Scale below. FYI, EHF uses the whole range, from 0 to 2,200.00. Oh, yes, she does – just slightly adjusting the chilli quantities according to their position on the scale.)

But did you know that, for instance, Jalapeno and Chipotle are the same type of chilli, just that it has a different name depending on whether it is fresh or dry? Up until very recently, EHF did not.
One lives, one learns.

* My followers surely know that my other most utilised spices are turmeric, black pepper, and curry powder.

09/09/2025

Tragedy (well, almost)!!!! EHF is so late to post September's seasonal foods – but you all know why, right?
EHF apologises and rectifies The Situation.

September foods

September: gorgeous and miserable, unexpectedly warm and ice-cold, drenching with rain and bone dry – anything can happen weatherwise this month. But isn't it the best month for an astonishing variety of seasonal goodies?!

Just a very few:

Blackberries, Bramley and other apples, pears, plums, and damsons
Carrots
Celery
Courgettes, cucumbers, and marrow
Sweetcorn
Tomatoes
Bell peppers
Runner beans
Savoy, white and red cabbages, cauliflowers, spring greens, kohlrabi, and kale
Different types of leaf lettuce, spinach, and chard
Potatoes
All sorts of herbs
Wild mushrooms (but pick them only if you are sure they are edible!)
Hazelnuts
And all kinds of other forageable stuff

Enjoy the bounty!

07/09/2025

EHF is almost back in this space!

Office in the new headquarters is ready, both The Assistant's and mine workspaces are set out, and the services recommence tomorrow!

In the meantime, who can guess/detect/identify the main ingredient of the dish in the photo without using AI, Google Lens, or any of that malarkey?

Ok, it is time to spill the beans: it is Chicken-of-the-Woods aka COTW in the foraging community, one of the most scrumptious forageable mushrooms that exists.

10/08/2025

Yours Truly has not disappeared!

However, since YT is in the process of changing her headquarters (this time, the change will involve pond jumping, therefore, not just swapping the abode but also the continent) and this 'house move on steroids' requires full-time attention and at least 108 hours daily, there will be no posts for a good couple of weeks. However, you can still find EHF on Messenger, and I will still do my very bestest to reply to your enquiries and cries for help.

Happy summer to all! Stay happy and healthy, and I look forward to seeing you soon here!

03/08/2025

For today's Recipe Sunday, let's revisit the classics.
Last week's recipe was Sicilian Gazpacho, but what about refreshing (and pampering) the tastebuds with a 'classic' one?

Please feel free to add other spices (Tabasco sauce works wonders, if, like me, you enjoy a bit of heat) and herbs, such as basil, coriander, chives, or dill. Or vary the ingredients – for example, by adding some fresh courgettes or carrots straight from your garden. Vitamin C, carotenoids, numerous other antioxidants, folate, magnesium, manganese, fibre, and plenty of flavour in one plate!

Gazpacho

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 English cucumber, half coarsely chopped and half finely chopped
• 2 tbsp EVO oil
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
• salt and black pepper
• chopped hot chillies (to taste, optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a blender, working in batches, puree the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, chillies, and coarsely chopped cucumber. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the oil, vinegar, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, and 0.5 teaspoon of black pepper. Refrigerate for at least ½ hour and up to 1 day. Top the gazpacho with the parsley and finely chopped cucumber.

Enjoy, and be healthy and happy!

01/08/2025

August is the last and most bountiful month of the summer. The quantity and quality of seasonal produce are remarkable – aren't we spoiled for choice? (Yes, we are.)
Cos lettuce, raspberries, and plums – to name just a few – are at their very best now, so grab them while you can. Other seasonal fruit and veg this month are:

Stone fruit and berries: peaches, plums, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, strawberries, and currants (did you know that black currants are one of the most vitamin C-rich natural foods?)

Spinach, sorrel, chard, celery, various types of lettuce, and countless herbs

Courgettes, cucumbers, marrow

Tomatoes, bell peppers, aubergines

Peas, broad beans, mangetout, runner beans

Sweetcorn

New potatoes

Broccoli, cauliflower, spring greens, sweetheart cabbage

Carrots, kohlrabi, radishes

And many other goodies.

Eat them raw or cooked, dry them, freeze them, freeze-dry them, ferment them, pickle them – don't miss this fabulous opportunity to make yourself healthier!
Isn't it now a fresh food paradise?

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