Did Lockdown make you stop to appreciate the simple things? Quality time, quality food, healthy life-style? Of course the coronavirus pandemic was, and is, terrible, but at least for some, being forced off our treadmills has made us take stock perhaps?
I always try to eat healthily, but I certainly put more time and thought into cooking delicious food from good raw ingredients whilst I was stuck at home (and my growing waistband is testament to it). But with an eye for quality not quantity we can eat better without piling on the pounds too.
Not only does good food taste great, but it keeps our immune system strong – so important when faced with unseen assassins like viruses.
If we study ingredients on many foods it’s a real eye-opener. I mean, why put sugar in a meat pie? No wonder our bodies are so confused they don’t know what they need anymore.
If you want to get back to great quality ingredients, from Kent, the Garden of England, by a long-established family firm, look no further than Opies. I’ve reviewed their foods before and they never disappoint.
Many of their ingredients are grown locally and are picked at the prime time for best flavour. Opies produce traditional savoury pickles such as capers, onions, olives, and, their speciality, pickled walnuts, which are absolutely delicious – on their own with cheese and biscuits, or in stews, in beef, ale and walnut pie (see illustration) and even scotch eggs (recipe on website).
As a doctor I’m very interested in the importance of our gut bacteria. Increasingly we’re discovering their influence on our immunity, our body fat, and whether we develop Type II Diabetes – just to name a few health effects. Our diet is key to making sure that we have plenty of ‘good’ bacteria, and pickled foods can help.
However, as you can see from the photos, Opies also have a fabulous range of naughty but delicious fruits preserved in alcohol-infused syrup, which are heaven in a jar, and one doesn’t need a lot for a real treat. The packaging includes novel and tasty recipes, such as Apricots with Famous Grouse trifles (photograph). My absolute favourite fruit is Figs with Luxardo Rum, and why not make a wicked tiramisu using Red Berries With Pink Gin?
Not only do Opies make the most delicious natural products, but they’re very keen that we get the most out of them and commission brilliant chefs to create fabulous recipes which you can view on their website or Facebook page.
Their products are available in most supermarkets including Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsburys’ and independent stores. Give yourself and your body a true treat.
By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q
Most photos provided by Splat Marketing