You Should See Me Naked...

• lose

weight!

• looklikeasexbomb!

• livelonger!

• feelfantastic!

theultimatedietforlookingamazingwithoutgivingupchocolate!

Copyright © 2010 by Rebecca Hall. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permis-sion except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

CONTENTS

The Goodies 3

The Baddies 6

Benefits Of A Plant Based Diet 11

So, What Do I Eat? 13

Healthy Recipes 16

THE GOODIES

OnionsAll members of the onion family; garlic, shallots, leeks, spring onions and chives, contain flavanoids and allium compounds which help to fight cancer. They also help to reduce cholestrol and clotting of the blood which in turn helps to reduce blood pressure. The risk of heart disease and strokes can be reduced by eating onions. Eat them raw to really benefit from their good properties.

CabbagesBroccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts are all types of cabbage which are high in insoluble fibre, helping to reduce the risk of colon cancer. They also contain plenty of antioxidants and isothiocyanates which counteract cancer causing properties. These foods are also rich in iron, vitamin C and beta-carotene.

ApplesApples are packed full of antioxidants and vitamin C. In fact, one apple pro-vides a quarter of your daily requirement of vitamin C. Apples also contain a form of soluble fibre called pectin that can help to lower blood cholesterol levels and keep the digestive system healthy. An apple is also a carbohydrate with a low glycaemic index (GI) type. Low GI foods are digested slowly; once they are finally broken down in the intestine they are gradually absorbed into the blood-stream as glucose, causing a gradual rise in blood sugar levels. They may help with weight control, as well as improving a diabetic’s long-term control of blood sugar levels.

Baked BeansThe humble baked bean is a nutritional powerhouse of protein, fibre, iron and calcium. They are also low GI foods. The insoluble fibre in baked beans is not digested but moves into the large intestine, or colon, where bacteria act on it and produce short-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids are thought to nourish the colon lining and protect it from carcinogenic (cancer-causing) invaders. The tomato sauce covering baked beans is also a good source of lycopene. This is another powerful antioxidant shown to help prevent heart disease and prostate cancer.

Broccoli Just two florets, raw or lightly cooked, count as a veggie portion. Not only does broccoli contain antioxidants including vitamin C but it’s a particularly

good source of folate (naturally occuring folic acid). Increasing your intake of folic acid is thought to be of major benefit in preventing heart disease. Broccoli also contains an an-tioxidant called lutein that can delay the pro-gression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This affects 10 per cent of people over 60 and is a major cause of impaired vision and blindness. Finally, broccoli also contains a phytochemical called sulphoraphane that has specific anti-cancer properties.

Brazil NutsAll nuts are generally full of essential vitamins, minerals and fibre. Recent studies suggest that eating a small handful of nuts four times a week can help reduce heart disease and satisfy food cravings. Brazil nuts are one of the few good sources of selenium that may help protect against cancer, depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

CarrotsCarrots provide you with more beta carotene than any other vegetable. In fact, it’s the beta carotene content that makes them orange! Beta carotene is turned into vitamin A by the body and carrots will also provide you with vita-mins B, C, D and E. Two carrots every other day provide enough beta caro-tene to reduce stroke risk by half for men who already have symptoms of heart disease. One thing to remember when cooking carrots is to boil them before cutting them; otherwise their anti-cancer properties will be reduced by 25%!

SpinachSpinach contains vitamins A and C, folic acid and magnesium. Magnesium helps to control cancer, reduces heart disease and stroke risk, blocks free radicals and may help prevent osteoporosis.

Chilli PeppersThe heat source in chilis (capsaicin) is an antioxidant. They contain blood thinning properties to prevent strokes, lower cholesterol, protect DNA against carcinogens and they may stimulate the release of endorphins to give you a natural high!

Beans/ LegumesBeans help with weight loss, lowering cholesterol, eradicating the body of toxins, preventing cell damage and preventing heart disease. There’s a delicious recipe for a mixed bean soup in this guide but if you’re feeling lazy, you can get tins of mixed bean salads in most supermarkets!

BlueberriesBlueberries, like most berries, are packed with antioxidants and plenty of vitamin C. They also strengthen the immune system, guard against neurological disorders, protect the heart, protect eyesight and ward off urinary tract infections.

Goji BerriesOK, I know I raved on about how much beta carotene carrots have earlier. Well, guess what, goji berries have even more! They are also packed with vitamins B and C, antioxidants and amino acids. They also boost the immune system, fight heart disease and defend our bodies against cancer! Amazing how much you can fit into such a small berry!

PomegranatePomegranates have been found to actively reduce the risk of cardio-vascular disease, support good cholesterol levels and contain loads of antioxidants which are brilliant for preventing cancer.

QuinoaA great substitute for pasta or rice, quinoa can be eaten with pretty much anything. It contains all nine essential amino acids, is a great source of fibre and is pretty low in fat.

SoyIf you follow this diet, soy will be hard to avoid but just so you know, it is also one of the superfoods. It helps lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.

TomatoesTomatoes get their red colour from lycopene. This is an antioxidant which helps boost the immune system, reduces the risk of many cancers including breast, lung and prostate. It’s also great for your heart!

THE BADDIES

CarbohydratesWell, only the simple ones. Basically carbs are split into two groups; simple and complex. Simple carbs are white bread, white pasta etc. These have had all the vitamins taken out of them and have been filled with sugar. When these are consumed, they give you a sugar high but after a while you will crash and later feel hungry again.

However, complex carbs are the ones that can be found in whole grain breads, brown rice, lentils, fruit and vegetables, potatoes, quinoa, barley and corn. These are good for you and an essential part of anyone’s diet. In mod-eration, they will keep you full for longer and will prevent hunger pangs.

Fruit has a bad reputation as a carb but it’s extremely good for you. It helps with sweet cravings, is easily digested and full of essential vitamins. If eaten alone, fruit will go straight through you rather than be stored as fat. However, it’s also good to be aware that if eaten with something else, fruit will be harder to digest and will ferment inside you causing wind and bloating.

SugarAs with simple carbs, the crash from sugar leaves you feeling hungry when your body doesn’t actually need food. Unfortunately, sugar is addictive but you can wean yourself off it so you end up with less of a sweet tooth. There’s no need to deny yourself of sweetness completely, sweet things do make life so much better and if you deny yourself too much, you’re more likely to binge! So feel free to enjoy your sweet treats but don’t go overboard and make sure you fill up on healthy foods first!!

AspartameAspartame may seem like the perfect substitute for sugar but it’s worse for your health than sugar. Aspartame has been linked to headaches, migraines, confusion, blindness and loss of balance. It attacks tissues in the body and creates formaldehyde (used to preserve bodies) which has been proven to cause cancer. It also contains diketopiperazine (DKP) which is proven to cause brain tumors. Always check ingredients for aspartame or sweeteners and steer clear!

DairyNot only is milk fattening, it’s unhealthy. Sure it’s packed full of calcium; in fact, it’s got three times more calcium than human breast milk. Thing is, your body is unable to absorb that calcium because of it’s lack of magnesium con-tent. So the calcium is of no use for your body but can harm your health!

Despite it being advertised as good for your bones, the countries that con-sume milk also have the highest rates of osteoporosis. Drinking milk over a long period of time can cause a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium protects the heart against disease and without this, the risk of heart-related diseases and illnesses increases. When milk is combined with wheat, it creates a sticky substance that clings to the intestines and prevents nutrients from be-ing absorbed. It also creates perfect conditions for the growth of putrefying bacteria which leads to problems such as candida and thrush.

Milk also leads to high cholestrol which then leads to hardening of the arter-ies which can make you feel sluggish, tired and cause cramps. Eventually they can close up altogether and this leads to a heart attack.

CaffeineThere’s nothing like a warm cup of cof-fee to wake you up in the morning but it does a lot more to your body than most realise. It’s effects can last the whole day, not just the morning. Caffeine goes straight to your central nervous system and affects your kidneys, heart and adrenal glands. Caffeine has also recently been proven to magnify a person’s perception of stress as it increases the body’s response in blood pressure elevations and stress hormone levels.

Fattening-wise, milk is designed for the fast growth of calves just as human breast milk is intended to quickly fatten up babies. A ninety pound calf can double his weight in 47 days due to the fattening qualities of his mother’s milk. Cows are milked frequently and this along with other stresses, causes many cows to suffer from mastitis. In

response to the infection, the cow’s immune system produces somatic (pus) cells which are then excreted into the milk! EU regulations allow a maximum limit of 400 million somatic cells per litre of milk. So one tea-spoonful of milk could contain up to two million pus cells! What’s even worse is that it takes 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese; that means there are ten times more pus cells, hormones and who-knows-what else in a slice of cheese than you’d get in a glass of milk!

Abattoir workers have said that one of the hardest parts of their job is killing calves and other baby animals. Sometimes calves will suck the slaughter-man’s fingers in an attempt to draw milk at a time when they particularly need reassurance and comfort. Some calves go to the slaughterhouse as young as three or five days old. One slaughterman said the hardest part for him is that goats in particular, ‘cry just like babies.’ Unfortunately all ani-mals that produce milk (cows, buffalo, goats) lose their babies as a result of the dairy trade.

EggsMany people still eat eggs on a diet. The whites of the eggs are often said to be low fat while it’s the yolk that’s high in cholesterol. However, eggs have been linked to eczema, hyperactivity and sleep problems. Chickens are kept in unhealthy conditions, often barely able to move and are shoved full of chemicals such as steroids, antibiotics and hormones, to prevent them from getting ill (which doesn’t always work) and keep them laying as many eggs as possible.

All animal proteins have been linked to cancer; meat, eggs and milk. Egg consumption increases the amount of choline in plasma and high plasma choline increases the risk of prostate cancer.

A farming family in England bought a calf from a farm only to find him suckling from his mum when they came down the next morning. He was in his stall, the gate having been knocked down. The cow had travelled several miles overnight to find her son. Similarly in West Virginia, a cow called Winnie was sold without her calf, Beauty. She escaped and was found twenty miles away with her calf in his new placement.

The Dark Side Of DairyCows, like humans, only produce milk when they are pregnant. Once cows have given birth, their calf is then taken from them within a day or two so that they don’t drink the milk. If the calf is male, he will be killed im-mediately or raised for veal, as dairy cattle can’t be used for beef.

When mother cows have had their calves taken from them, they will call and bellow for days and have been known to escape and travel miles in search of their young.

Male chicks, who also can’t be used for meat or laying, are disposed of by gas or shredding. Chicks that are kept to lay eggs, are debeaked to stop them pecking at themselves (a sign of severe stress). This is a very painful proce-dure carried out with no pain relief, that can result in chicks losing part of their tongue. Natalie Jordi describes debeaking, “I still remember a particularly grisly shot of gloved hands holding a soldering iron to a chick’s beak, it’s legs pedalling desperately under a bug-eyed, wild stare, a wisp of smoke curling from it’s face.” A professional de-beaker, de-beaks twelve to fifteen birds a minute.

Battery hens are kept in appalling conditions where they barely have the room to stretch their wings. Many of the chickes are kept on wire flooring for so long that their feet grow around the wire meshed floors. Free-range eggs aren’t much more ethical than other eggs. As long as the chickens have access to the outside they can be termed as ‘free-range’. With up to 16,000 hens in one shed, many are lucky to get to the outside and many break limbs or die in the process of trying to reach that destination.

SeafoodIn order to limit the amount of diseases farmed fish can catch, they are given vaccines, antibiotics and chemicals with known human health risks. But it’s not only farmed fish that are unhealthy; the smell of fish we so often come across is actually the smell of their saturated fats turning rancid. Thirty per cent of the fats in fish can be saturated, leading to cancers, obesity and heart disease. These fats soak up toxins such as mercury and some cancer caus-ing dioxins from polluted oceans.

Lobsters and other crustaceans contain excessive amounts of proteins and cholesterol. They are also often highly contaminated with pesticides, bacteria and many other toxins.

When put into boiling water, crabs and lobsters have been known to scream. Invertebrate zoologist Karen G. Horsley said the following of lobsters who are cut in half while still alive, “The lobster does not have an autonomic nervous system that puts it into a state of shock when it is harmed. It probably feels itself being cut. ... I think the lobster is in a great deal of pain from being cut open ... [and] feels all the pain until its nervous system is destroyed during cooking.”

Seafood is a source of omega three but you can also get this from foods such as spinach, soybeans, walnuts, rapeseed oil and flaxseed.

MeatPeople are becoming more and more aware of the hor-mones, antibiotics and numerous other chemicals found in meat. Scientists have found out that in the short-term we are allergic to these chemicals which go straight into us from the animals, but nobody knows the long-term effects of them.

In one study as many as 53% of cow carcasses and 83% of pig carcasses, were contaminated with E-coli and 18% of British and 64% of imported chicken, had salmonella. With the way farm animals are treated, it’s little wonder that diseases such as Mad Cow Disease, Salmonella, Footand Mouth Disease and Bovine TB have occurred. The main causes of these illnesses is faeces in the meat. This can be caused by animals falling into the blood pit before they die or because of the conditions in which they are raised.

When people give up meat, there’s often a fear that they won’t get enough pro-tein but this is actually very unlikely. In Western societies, we tend to consume too much protein. This can overwhelm the system and lead to partly digested peptide molecules. As these remain undigested in the colon, putrefaction develops and toxins form and crystalise in the joints and tissues. Too much protein can also acidify the blood which in turn, takes calcium from the teeth and bones and this can lead to osteoporis. Unfortunately, many foods have this effect including sugar, caffeine, fizzy drinks, vinegar and wine.

Can you imagine living in a tiny, cramped room your whole life? There’s no-where to go to the toilet, you struggle for food and if someone dies, the body stays with you for days, maybe weeks? This is the life for most animals on farms today.

After a life of fear, pain and crammed up misery, these animals are killed and with the high number of meat eaters out there, a lot of them have to be killed very quickly; in fact the going rate is one every three seconds. Stunning a pan-icking cow within three seconds is no mean feat as I’m sure you can imagine. Not only that but if the jolt on the stun gun is too high, this bruises the animals and ruins their meat so it is kept low even if this means the animal isn’t properly unconscious when their throat is slit. Gail Eisnitz interviewed several slaugh-terhouse workers for her book Slaughterhouse. This is what one of them had to say;

“I’ve seen live animals shackled, hoisted, stuck and skinned. Too many to count, too many to remember. It’s just a process that’s continually there. I’ve seen shackled beef looking around before they’ve been stuck (had their throats slit)...I’ve seen hogs in the scalding tub trying to swim.”

Many report more vitality after opting for a plant-based diet. Asthma, eczema and other conditions will usually disappear. Vegans are also said to live an average of six years longer than meat-eaters. In fact, according to T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D, author of The China Study, 80 to 90% of all cancers, cardiovascular and other degener-ative illnesses, can be prevented by adopt-ing a plant-based diet. Dr Campbell says, “Some of the plant proteins, particularly soy, have an impressive ability to reduce blood cholesterol.” Dr Campbell and his team found that as blood cholesterol levels decrease, so does the chance of getting many cancers including “liver, rectum, colon, male lung, female lung, breast, child-hood leukemia, adult leukemia, childhood brain, adult brain, stomach and esophagus (throat).”

Further to this, The China Study found that animal protein actually causes and fuels cancer cells and is the most carcinogenic substance we consume.

“My hair, my skin, my body, everything improved. Plus, I have more energy...Within a few weeks people started telling me I was glowing.” Alicia Silverstone on going vegan.

Dr Campbell started his career as a researcher with MIT and Virginia Tech where he promoted animal products as a healthy source of protein. Later, Dr Campbell was asked to work in the Philippines with malnourished children. He was asked to research why so many children there had been diagnosed with liver cancer. As part of his work, Dr Campbell had been asked to ensure the children would get as much protein as possible. However, Dr Campbell soon discovered that “children who ate the highest protein diets were the ones most likely to get liver cancer.”

There is increasing evidence of a link between animal proteins and cancer.An 11-year-long German study involving more than 800 vegetarian men found that their cancer rates were less than half of those of the general public. The lowest cancer rates were found in those who had avoided meat for 20 years or more. A 2007 study of more than 35,000 women published in the British Journal of Cancer found that women who ate the most meat had the highest risk of breast

THE BENEFITS OF A PLANT-BASED DIET

cancer.

And Don’t Forget...

Eat Fresh!As part of The China Study, Dr Campbell found that another reason people in China were far healthier than other countries, is due to their food being fresh. If you choose to grow your own fruit and veg, not only would you be healthy, you’ll save a lot of money! If this isn’t always practical, you can choose fruit and vegetables that are in-season or from local farmers’ markets instead. Log onto the Food Alliance website to see which fruit and veg is in-season before you hit the shops! http://www.localfoodalliance.co.uk

Another way of ensuring your vegetables are fresh is by opting for frozen fruit and veg. Vegetables are usually frozen shortly after being picked which means they keep all their vitamins until they are cooked. Vegetables from most su-permarkets can be out on display for days, sometimes weeks, before you eat them.

Portion SizesIf you are looking to lose weight, it’s best to stick to small portions eaten regularly. Reason for this is that your body digests smaller portions faster so it’s less likely to store food as fat. So eat lots of small meals throughout the day and you should see a nice trim figure in no time! Most of the recipes at the back of this guide are 300 calories or below; perfect for a small meal!

Vitamin B12One thing you do need to be aware of with a plant based diet, is getting your RDA of vitamin B12. This vitamin can mostly be found in animal products but you don’t need much of it and it’s easy enough to get it from supplements and fortified vegan foods. Foods that tend to be fortified with B12 are cereals, soya milk, nutritional yeast and meat substitutes but it’s always worth checking the label to make sure!

ExerciseNo matter how healthily you eat, you won’t lose weight or get healthier unless you combine it with exercise! Sorry! Not many enjoy it and it would be great to have a healthy eating plan that didn’t include it but unfortunately, it is necessary! If you don’t exercise, your body will cling onto fat that isn’t burned, especially during a diet! However, you can make it fun; you can dance, swim, walk, jog, anything you like! And you may as well pick something you like or likelihood is you’ll never do it! Music makes it more fun and helps take your mind off the physical activity so you’re less likely to feel tired.

SO, WHAT DO I EAT?OK, it’s very well me telling you how to be healthy; what are you supposed to eat? Loads, don’t worry and it doesn’t always have to be vegetables, I promise! Great as it is for your body, it can get boring and let’s face it, there’s little competition between a salad and a bacon sarnie! Luckily there’s loads of fakes out there; food not people, I hope! No need to throw out the old cookery books either, you can easily replace the egg, cheese and meat bits with the fakes. Here’s some ideas;

Meat - There are plenty of soy meat replacements out there and many supermarkets now make their own versions. Some of these do contain milk or egg but Linda McCartney brands are usually vegan now as are most versions sold in Holland and Barrett. Holland and Barrett also offer many dried soy chunks and mincemeat replacements which are quite cheap and last ages.

Chocolate - Lots of health food shops such as Holland and Barrett sell vegan ice cream (which isn’t much more than dairy ice cream and tastes great!) and vegan chocolate. You can also get many dairy free chocolate products from your local supermarket in their free-from range. Most dark chocolate also has no dairy in it. If it’s too bitter, try melting it with some soya milk and a little sugar before pouring it on whatever you fancy; it’s particularly nice on chopped banana! There are also many dark chocolate vegan snacks such as most mint creams and Ruffles. Vegan chocolate spread is reasonably priced and by spreading some on a digestive bis-cuit or anything else you choose, you can easily tend to your cocoa craving.

Cheese - There are many dairy-free cheeses available from health food shops such as Holland and Barrett. If you do want to try some, it tastes best melted onto or into food. Nutritional yeast is another good vegan cheese replacement. It has a cheesey taste, is healthy, low fat and pretty cheap., It usually comes in powdered form so you can sprinkle it on your dinner! To really sort your cheese pangs, try vegan cream cheese with garlic and herbs (available from health food shops).

Milk – Soya, rice, oat, almond and coconut milk are now sold for a reasonable price in most supermarkets. You can also get a fantastic range of vegan ice cream (which is much lower in fat than non-vegan), squirty cream and yoghurt.

Eggs – Egg replacement powder is great for replacing eggs when baking, egg free mayonnaise is available from most supermarkets and tofu makes lovely scrambled egg!

Sweet SnacksMany sweet things contain dairy and eggs. So, if you don’t want to buy the more expensive vegan alternatves, you’ll be pleased to know many types of biscuit such as bourbon creams, Oreos, digestives, ginger nuts etc are vegan. Sweets (such as sherbert, Millions and strawberry laces), jam tarts, bakewell tarts, apple pies and apple strudles are also vegan. Most crisps are vegan (although cheesey ones usually aren’t) including ready salted, salt and vin-egar, prawn cocktail and roast chicken flavours! Due to popular demand, most Walkers crisps are vegan.

Of course, for the healthier option, there’s always chopped fruit such as or-anges, kiwi, apple, grapes, blueberries and bannana. By squeezing a bit of lemon juice onto the chopped fruit, it can remain fresh in a tupperware box. Dried fruit can also be a sweet, tasty vegan snack!

Sandwich IdeasAvocado and BacosFake ‘meat’ slices with fake ‘mayo’Salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, grated carrot and sprinkling of seeds)Peanut butterCucumber and marmite‘Cheese’ spread (available from health food shops) and cucumberToasted tea cakesPitta bread with beans/ chickpeas and saladFalafel and hummous

Healthy SnacksHere’s some healthy snack ideas which are easy to make! A lot of these snacks can also be made quickly and can be put into lunchboxes for when you’re out and about!

Roasted Nuts And SeedsYou can buy these pre-roasted or just roast a load of nuts and seeds yourself. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt once roasted.

PopcornNatural, low-fat, tasty and pretty easy to carry around, popcorn is the perfect low-fat snack. Just be sparse with the salt/ sugar!

Fake BLTVegan bacon strips are available from most health food shops; they’re low in fat and extremely tasty! With some scrummy whole grain bread, this is a fill-ing, appetising snack.

Bean WrapWith the beans of your choice, a little salad, whole grain tortilla and some egg free mayo; this is one tasty, filling treat!

Baked Sweet Potato With Vegetables And Fake MeatNo instructions needed for this and it will only be 300 calories (as long as the fake meat doesn’t exceed 100 calories). Healthy and filling!

Jacket Potato With Cream Cheese (vegan)/ Baked BeansThis will usually come to around 350 calories but will keep you full for longer.

Fruit SaladQuick and easy to make and gloriously sweet! Great fruit for a fruit salad is ki-wis, satsumas, apple, bannana, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, pineapple, pear and nectarine!

Hummous DipHummous and slices of cucumber, celery and carrot for dipping make an interesting healthy treat but don’t go overboard on the hummous, although it is helathy is also quite fattening in large quantities.

Side SaladBy adding a side salad to most of your meals, it’s easy to ensure you’re meet-ing most of your daily veg requirements!

HEALTHY RECIPES

Creamy Chickpea Soup

You will need;

1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, peeled and diced 1 carrot, washed and diced 2 stalks of celery, diced 1 potato, scrubbed and diced 1 tsp/5 ml dried rosemary 1 quart/1 litre vegetable stock 1 can (19 oz/540 ml) chickpeas, drained and rinsed salt and pepper

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.

2. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Sauté until tender.

3. Add the potato, rosemary, stock and chickpeas.

4. Cover and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes).

Leave the mixture to cool and blend. Return it to the hob to heat before serv-ing. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mushroom Spread

You will need;

8 cups of mushrooms2 onions1 tbsp vegetable/ olive oil1 tbsp margarine1-2 tbsp soy yoghurtSea salt and pepper to taste

1. Clean and chop the mushrooms and onions.

2. Saute in the oil and margarine until tender.

3. Liquidise the mixture.

4. Add the yoghurt and salt and pepper to taste.

Garlic MushroomsYou will need;

A cup of mushroomsGarlic (2 cloves)Margarine

1. Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems.

2. Crush the garlic and saute in the margarine.

3. Fill the mushrooms with the garlic and margarine and grill for 5-7 minutes.

Mixed Bean Soup

Before making this recipe, you may need to soak beans overnight if they are dried otherwise tinned beans can be added to the mixture immediately.

You will need;

½ cup of haricot beans½ cup of chick peas½ cup of green/ red lentils in 3 ltrs water2 tins of chopped tomatoes1 onion½ tsp of turmeric powder1 tsp of coriander powder3 tbsp of flourjuice from one lemonsalt and pepper to taste

1. Put all beans and lentils in water and boil for one hour until tender.

2. Add the tomatoes and spices to the mixture. Leave for 30 mins.

3. Pour the flour into ¾ cup of water and mix to a smooth paste. Add to the mixture.

4. Cook for another 15 mins then add the lemon juice and salt and pepper and serve.

Broccoli With Garlic And Pine Nuts

It is often said that broccoli is a boring vegetable but as part of this recipe, I promise you, it is delicious!

You will need;

5 cups of broccoli florets6 cloves of garlic3 tbsp olive oil¼ cup of hazlenuts

1. Steam or boil the broccoil for 4-5 mins.

2. Pop the olive oil in the pan and lightly toast the nuts for 1-2 mins.

3. Add the garlic and continue to heat for another minute.

4. Add the broccoli to the pan and continue to heat for another 3-4 minutes.

5. Serve and enjoy!

Quinoa Fruit Salad

You will need;

1 cup of quinoa1 cup of water1 cup of apple juice2 diced red apples½ tsp of cinnamon1 cup of chopped celery½ cup of dried cranberries½ cup of chopped walnuts1 cup of soy yoghurt

1. Place the quinoa, apple juice, water and cinnamon in a pan and bring to boil. Simmer until all the liquid is absorbed (10-15 mins).

2. Allow it to cool and place in the fridge for an hour.

3. When the mixture is ready add the rest of the ingredients, serve and enjoy!

Shepherds Pie

You will need;

1 cup of lentils¼ tin of baked beans1 carrot1 onionA handful of peasA tin of chopped tomatoes4-5 potatoes

1. Boil the lentils for around 40 mins.

2. Peel, chop and boil the potatoes for around 30 mins.

3. Chop the carrot and onion and boil with the peas.

4. Drain and rinse the lentils.

5. Mash up the potatoes with a little soya milk.

6. Put the lentils, beans, vegetables and chopped tomatoes together and place in the bottom of the cooking dish.

7. Add the mashed potato to the top of the mixture and leave to cook in the oven on 200°C / Gas Mark 6 / Fan 180°C.

8. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Chocolate Covered Cherries

You will need;

1 pack of dark chocolate chips1 pack of cherries

1. Place greaseproof paper onto a plate.

2. Melt the chocolate chips on the hob.

3. Dip the cherries in the chocolate and leave to set on the greaseproof paper.

4. Once the cherries are set, serve and enjoy!

Choc Chip Cookies

You will need;

2 cups of margarine3 ½ cups of sugar2 tbsp of egg replacer 8 tbsp of water2 tsp vanilla extract4 ½ cups of flour2 tsp baking soda1 tsp salt3 cups of vegan choc chips

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4/ 350°F.

2. Melt the margarine on the hob.

2. Mix the egg replacer and water until frothy.

3. Mix the margarine and sugar.

4. Add the mixture of water and egg replacer and vanilla extract to the marga-rine mixture.

5. Sift the flour and baking soda and mix with the salt.

6. Add the choc chips and stir thoroughly.

7. Leave to bake for 7-9 minutes and enjoy!