Anti-Inflammatory Banana Bread

Ahhh Spring is in the air (or at least it should be!) and it's time to get rid of those cobwebs and surplus things around the house with some spring cleaning. But have you ever thought our bodies may also need a spring cleaning to stretch out those joints and muscles and aches and pains that have been harbouring within through the winter?

Whether you've had a cold or joint pains, inflammation is so common and lately I have become a bit of an obsessive about boosting my immunity and reducing inflammation. The one spice that speaks (or shouts, depending on how many clinical studies you have read) is Turmeric! I have been using it a lot (well more than usual for a Spice Queen!) in Golden Milk and more recently in the sweeter things in life.

We all know that sugar is an inflammatory food but, like anyone, I get cravings for that something sweet or  even cake, so I decided that I needed to face my baking demons (I am not a baker at all) to create something that would satisfy the craving but also use ingredients that help against inflammation.

Bananas, Nuts, Spices including True or Ceylon Cinnamon, Gluten Free flour and no refined sugars and voila, here's a banana bread that is both guilt free and tasty!

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY BANANA BREAD

Gluten Free; Dairy Free; Vegan ; Sugar Free

Ingredients:
2 cups Almond Milk (unsweetened)
2 frozen or really ripe bananas
3 Tbsp Apple Sauce (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda (aluminium free)
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1/2 tsp Spice Sanctuary Cardamom Ground
1/4 tsp Spice Sanctuary True Cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped walnut pieces
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1/2 Tsp Spice Sanctuary Turmeric
6 twists of Spice Sanctuary Peppermill Pizzazz Spice Blend (or 1/4 tsp if manually grinding)

How to Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a loaf pan with some melted coconut oil or line with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas and add in the wet ingredients: almond milk, apple sauce and vanilla extract and mix well.
3. In another bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients except for the coconut oil, turmeric and peppermill pizzazz.
4. Slowly combine the dry ingredients in with the wet until you get a fairly thick batter.
5. Melt the coconut oil and add in the turmeric and peppermill mix into the oil and combine well so that the anti-inflammatory properties get to work.
6. Now, add in the turmeric mixture into the batter and fold in really well.
7. Transfer the mixture into the loaf pan and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
8. Allow the bread to cool before turning out. If you're feeling adventurous, you can ice the bread with my chocolate dipper sauce.

How to Enjoy:

You can cut into slices or squares and enjoy this guilt free with a cup of Golden Milk for a real turmeric boost or with any herbal tea!

Spice Detox with Golden Milk Tea

2015 is here and it's going to be a great year so why not start the year as you mean to go on or at least try!! Ever since coming back from Vietnam (more on that trip later!) I have been feeling a little sluggish and was inspired to create a Spice Queen version of a drink my Mum used to give me as a child to get me over my winter ailments and blues.

Golden Milk is a traditional Ayurvedic drink made with turmeric and milk and then different variations of spices after that, used both for cleansing and improving immunity against colds and flu.

The colouring agent, curcumin, in turmeric, the key spice in this recipe, helps increase bile production which the liver needs to eliminate toxins from our bodies. It is also a powerful anti-inflammatory and so works the digestive system too which is equally important in detoxing. It is important that the better the curcumin content the more effective using turmeric for this purpose will be.

The response I received from viewers when I demonstrated this recipe on TV recently was amazing so here is the recipe that will get you addicted to this beautiful golden healthy drink!

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1 Cup Almond or Organic Milk

1 tsp  Spice Sanctuary Turmeric ( known as a liver cleanser)

1/4 tsp Spice Sanctuary Coorg Bold Cardamom Ground (a good diuretic and good for digestion)

1/4 tsp Spice Sanctuary Ginger Powder (known to help blood flow and digestion)

pinch   Spice Sanctuary Saffron (known to help cleanse the liver)

1 tsp   Organic Coconut Oil

Honey to taste

How to Make:

1. Pour the milk and spices into a blender. Blend together for a minute or half that time if you have a high speed blender.

2. Next, transfer to a saucepan, add the coconut oil and honey and bring the milk to a boil on a low heat, stirring occasionally.

How to Enjoy:

1. Drink this golden deliciousness immediately and preferably first thing in the morning and at least an hour before bedtime. If the spices leave a residue on the bottom of your cup, give it a stir as you're drinking.

HAPPY DETOXING AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!