Should we have eaten dirt!?

This week Celebrity Chef & Fellow Master Chef Steven Saunders, proprietor of The Little Geranium in La Cala shares some healthy tips and a stunning citrus recipe to strengthen our immune systems! 

PROBABLY a bit too late now, but my mother used to say eat a spoonful of dirt a day to help keep the bugs away, she had a point!

When I was little I thought she was trying to be funny, but in reality we have all lead an over-sanitised lifestyle over the last few decades.

It has resulted in our immune systems not being as effective or as strong as they should be and it’s at times like this that we need our immune system, to help fight off diseases like Covid-19, coronavirus.

Of course right now we all need to be as hygienically aware as possible because of the outbreak, but had we had stronger immune systems, this virus would not have been such a threat to us.

We need to get back to a more natural life for ourselves once this horrible virus has disappeared.

A doctor’s study of farm raised children found that they had significantly lower rates of allergies and illnesses compared to those not raised on a farm. They both led very natural healthy lives but the only difference was the exposure to the soil of the farm.

It is always important to eat fresh healthy, seasonal food but never has there been a more important time than now. Eating more Vitamin C and getting more Vitamin D will strengthen your immune system and fend off viruses.

You get vitamin C from citrus fruits, lemons, oranges, grapefruits, berries, red and green peppers, tomatoes, and even broccoli and brussels sprouts. Vitamin D from our coast’s sunshine is essential as it lowers the risk of respiratory illness.

You get Zinc by eating fish and shellfish, also from our coastline, which helps strengthen our immune system and apparently getting lots of quality sleep is essential for a strong immune system.

Claims are being made that the hot weather that we have here means that the virus cannot survive. We do not know that for sure but we do know that viruses do not like humid weather and so if you are over here on the Spanish coast in the sunshine, surrounded by fresh fish and citrus fruits, you couldn’t be in a better place!

Eat as much fruit and veg as you can especially green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits. Eat probiotic yoghurts, which help your immune system by adding good bacteria into your tummy, oh and drink less alcohol as it is proven to impair the body’s immune system!

Wash your hands as often as possible but thoroughly. Soap and water works best as the water will wash away droplets of any virus.

This week’s recipe is a simple one, we have it on our menu at The Little Geranium under our Vegan category.

It is healthy, delicious and you don’t have to be a vegan to enjoy it!

Steven Saunders’s opinions are his own and are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or sponsors.


Roasted pineapple, berries & coconut yoghurt

SIMPLE: But healthy and delicious.
SIMPLE: But healthy and delicious.

Ingredients (for four)

  • 1 ripe pineapple
  • 4 tablespoons of light brown sugar
  • 250g of fresh raspberries
  • 1 small punnet of fresh blueberries
  • 1 small punnet of fresh blackberries
  • A few fresh coconut shavings (optional)
  • 1 small tub of natural coconut yoghurt (Alpro vegetable Yoghurt with coconut)
  • Method for raspberry coulis
  • Approx 200g of fresh raspberries
  • 1 heaped tablespoon of icing sugar

Put the raspberries in a small pan with the icing sugar and heat for a few minutes until the raspberries fall to pieces and release their juices.

Transfer to a bowl and blend briefly with a hand blender until the raspberries are puréed.

Pass through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and reserve in the fridge

Method for pineapple

Peel the pineapple and cut four nice slices about 1cm thick.

Remove the core of each slice.

Heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat.

Place in the pineapple slices and sprinkle over the brown sugar.

Allow the pineapple to caramelize with the sugar but be careful not to burn it.

Turn the pineapple slices over and repeat the process.

Caramelize and when golden brown both sides remove from heat onto a nice plate or dish.

Toss the remaining berries into the raspberry coulis to glaze them.

Pile high on top of the pineapple slices and spoon the coconut yoghurt on top.

Follow Steven on Instagram ….saunderschef

The Little Geranium, Winner of Best Contemporary International Restaurant Spain 2020 (Innovation and Excellence Award)

www.thelittlegeranium.comsteven@thelittlegeranium.com

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Steven Saunders

Steven Saunders FMCGB - The Little Geranium - La Cala de Mijas & Marbella

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