Pycnogenol and the menopause

A recent study has concluded that a relatively low does of Pycnogenol could help reduce menopausal symptoms.

Researchers wanted to see just how effective pycnogenol (  French maritime Pine bark extract) is in reducing symptoms through tests using a double blind, placebo-controlled study.

In the trial 170 perimenopausal women took 30mg of either Pycnogenol or a placebo twice a day over a period of 3 months. Climacteric symptoms were evaluated using a questionnaire and routine blood chemistry and sex hormone tests.

The results showed that the Pycnogenal group showed a significant improvement on almost all symptoms. The Pycnogenol was seen to be most effective for improving vasomotor and insomnia/ sleep problems which showed a significant improvement most notable after between 4-12 weeks.

The researchers stated in conclusion that the study has successfully identified which symptoms of the menopause respond well to taking a supplement of Pycnogenol.

For more info on Pycnogenol try

http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/detail/976145_Viridian_Pycnogenol_50mg_Veg_Caps_30c.html

Gluten Free Pasty – a tip

We have a good common sense tip here from Emma Speake who sent in this tip for making Gluten Free pastry:

‘I like baking with gluten free flour but I always find the pastry too crumbly to handle. When making pies or tarts etc, instead of carrying the pastry on my rolling pin, as I would if I was using ‘normal/wheat flour’ pastry, I roll it out on a large chopping board (the thin plastic ones are the best for this) and use the chopping board in a number of ways: firstly it allows me to place the pie dish on the pastry upside down and then turn the board upside down to place the pastry unbroken in the bottom of the pie dish, this obviously doesn’t work if the pie is filled so in that case I use the board to carry the pastry to the untopped pie and slide it off, usually tilting the board slightly, and onto the pie. Works perfectly and allows me to work with shortcrust gluten free pastry, minimising crumbling’.

Thanks Emma. Next time I make pastry I won’t be so exasperated as usual 🙂

 

 

Food Allergies, a City Curse?

I saw this in the Daily Mail on Saturday..

Children in heavily built-up town centres have more food allergies than those in rural areas. Lead author Ruchi Gupta, assistant prof of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine said “We have found for the first time that higher population density corresponds with a greater likelihood of food allergies in children.” The US study in ‘Clinical Pediatrics’ journal, investigated 38,465 children aged 18 & under. City areas had 9.8% of children with food allergies, compared with 6.2% in rural communities. Dr. Gupta said “Similar trends have been seen for related conditions like asthma. The big question is – what in the environment is triggering them? One theory is pollutants in urban areas may trigger the development of allergies.”

See the updated Daily Mail report here

Food allergy is a serious & growing problem in UK. Severe reactions include a drop in blood pressure, trouble breathing & swelling of the throat. It can cause death.

Making Gluten Free Batter

We asked a few of our coeliac friends for their top tips in Gluten Free Cooking. Here is Diane Cochrane from Saltcoats top gluten free tip: Gluten Free Batter –

“When making a Gluten free batter, add egg to the batter for thickness, but also add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, so that it cooks all the way through.

My recipe is really tasty for chicken, fish and onion rings, and cheese sticks too”.

Ingredients:

180g cornflour
180ml milk
1 egg
half teaspoon bicarb of soda
half teaspoon xantham gum
half teaspoon of salt

Clive’s organic and vegan pies

We are shouting about Clive’s organic and vegan pies. The flavours take you around the world and the pastry is out of this world – good enough to eat on its own. Clive’s vegan range of pies includes Aloo Matar Curry, Arabian Chickpea, Chestnut Cassoulet, Creamy Mushroom, Vegetable Chilli, Greek Olive and Lentil, Hungarian Goulash, Mexican Chilli, and Minty Checkpea. Clives also produce an amazing array of vegan and organic Ready Pot Meals, a yummy selection for easy lunches or a main meal. All available from GoodnessDirect.co.uk. 1000’s of veggie and vegan foods delivered.

Pesticides cling to fruit and veg even if washed

We are filling our bodies with a preservative cocktail

Recent tests commissioned by the Governments’ Food Watchdog show that even if we wash our  fruit & vegetables it does not  remove all of the chemical pesticide residues.

Experts at the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland tried this out and  found residues of diphenylamine & carbendazim were not decreased by washing. Researchers looked at apples treated with insecticide chlorpyrifos, fungicides captan & carbendazim & anti-oxidant diphenylamine. Cardendazim is banned in US as it has been linked to cancer, birth defects & disruption of cell development. It was banned from many food crops in UK in 2006. In the study potatoes were treated with parasite suppressant oxamyl, sprout suppressant maleic hydrazide, post-harvest fungicide imazlil & post-harvest sprout suppressant chlorpropham. The study found washing decreased imzalil & chlorpropham, but malic hydrazide did not wash off. When the potatoes were cooked in their skins, the experts found “some evidence of transfer of pesticide residue from peel to flesh.”

Campaigner Nick Mole of Pesticide Action Network UK, said “Repeated exposure to low doses & mixtures can have a deleterious effect on health, especially amongst the more vulnerable groups such as children.”

Organic Farming

Please note that organic farming does not use chemical fertilisers, pesticides or growth enhancers. Also, for further rigour in washing your fruit and vegetables a special formulation Veggie Wash has been developed to maximise effectiveness and help you be as thorough as possible at cleaning your food.

Quinoa, perfect grain for you and the kids

So easy to make and very nutritious

Not sure what to do with Quinoa? Try this delicious, healthy recipe from Nutritionist and Chef Christine Bailey. This recipe is adapted from one of her popular recipe books The Top 100 Recipes for Brainy Kids (Duncan Baird). For more free recipes from Christine Bailey visit her website and check out her recipe pages and Christine’s Healthy Kitchen blog http://www.advancenutrition.co.uk

Middle Eastern Quinoa Salad

Dubbed the ‘supergrain’, quinoa is an excellent protein rich, gluten free alternative to rice and couscous in salads. You can also buy quinoa flakes which can be used to make porridge, granola, muesli and are fabulous in protein bars, cakes and biscuits. Quinoa flour makes a great gluten free flour and can be blended with other gluten free flours to use in baking.

This Middle Eastern inspired combination of fruit, nuts and herbs makes this a great lunch box filler and is equally delicious as a side dish with meat and fish. Quinoa is an incredibly nutritious grain providing a complete source of protein and high levels of calcium, phosphorous, iron, B vitamins including brain boosting B6, B3, B1 and B2 plus vitamin E to protect the fatty membrane of our brain cells.

Quinoa is suitable for Vegetarians, Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, Seed-Free

Serves 4

Preparation and Cooking
10 minutes + 22 minutes

Storage
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to two days

180g/6oz quinoa grain
500ml/16floz vegetable stock
Pinch of saffron
1 tbsp coconut butter or olive oil
½ red onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
60g (2oz) chopped apricots
60g (2oz) toasted flaked almonds
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
½ red pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
Handful of pitted olives
2tbsp lemon juice
1tbsp flaxseed oil
2tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 preserved lemon, rind only chopped (flesh and pips discarded)
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the quinoa in a pan with the vegetable stock and saffron. Bring to the boil then simmer, covered for 15 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Switch off and leave covered for a further 5 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion and garlic until softened but not brown, about 2 minutes.
3. Place the quinoa in a bowl with the onion and remaining ingredients. Toss well and season to taste.

What our customers have to say about GoodnessDirect’s service

What our customers think of us

Thanks for all the compliments we get about our products and our service, we are overwhelmed!

Hello,

I’ve had a lovely time this evening browsing your website, and have just
placed my order. I could happily have gone on searching and buying for
several more hours though (but bet my bank manager is glad I didn’t)!

I’m a totally blind person, and use a screenreader (nasty synthetic
voice, but hey, it works!) to access the internet. It’s so much more
rewarding shopping online for people like me, as we can really “look
around”. And your website is absolutely brilliant … one of the most
accessible I’ve ever come across. Well done, and huge thanks. I
especially love being able to check ingredients (and wish Yogi wouldn’t
put liquorice in nearly all their teas for sweetness; I hate it).

I’ve been a Goodness Direct customer for a while, but have never got
round to thanking you for such a useable website before, although I
think it every time I log on, and have recommended you to loads of
people.

Many thanks again, and please do bask in the praise, which is richly
deserved.

I look forward to receiving this next order, and many more in the
future.

With best wishes to all,

Claire Wilson (Cambridge)
A very, very happy customer
Great service as always – K Harrison

Just want to thank you for good customer service. I was desperate for some of the items before the long bank hol weekend at the beginning of may and rang you to enquire about the likelihood of the products arriving so that I could make alternative arrangements to travel to buy some of them (hemp milk) which was possible but not without lots of travel! The person who took the call said they would try their best to get the order out that day and sure enough it arrive the day after on the thurs 28th. I just felt that everything was done to allow me to get the order (which was my mistake in not ordering it in good time – only ordered v late tues night). I wasn’t made to feel bad for ringing and making my gentle enquiry and I felt nothing was too much trouble. It was my second order – my first came very promptly. With a good range of products, great customer service and prompt deliveries I think you can expect that i will become a regular. Thanks again. R Turner
GD is amazing, always a good shopping experience, thank you x.
THANK YOU for giving us the best organic internet store in the UK. A Kaloyan

Hello to all at Goodness Direct.

I have been ordering from you regularly for a while now and I just wanted to tell you how pleased I am with your service.

I am housebound through chronic illness and need a special diet to feel ‘less worse’, and it would not be possible without the wide range of products you offer and the tailored needs you address, as well as your fabulous and efficient delivery service, and the free delivery for larger orders.

Likewise, I had to stop working last October as my health was deteriorating, and I have found your loyalty point system a very compassionate and caring thing to offer. By writing reviews regularly I get precious points to buy and try lovely stuff I couldn’t afford otherwise, and make my highly restricted diet more interesting, and my housebound days more rewarding, all that in the view of regaining my health!

SO a big thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

I also wish to add that any time there has been a mistake it has been dealt with very kindly and professionally, and that makes all the difference. You don’t even get treated like that in local shops!

The only thing I regret is that you don’t seem to stock some macrobiotic prodcts which I used to order, such as amazaké, dentie powder, big pack of chestnuts or large toasted nori. What is the reason for this? I would love to be able to buy them again, and you were my only decent supplier!

But apart from that I am more than 100% per cent satisfied, and feel like I have real, dedicated friends in you!

All the best from me, and long may you be there!

Y Morel

Service and website is far superior to another company I have recently tried. I am a very happy customer,
thank you very much. C Finzi

I have just received my order of a gift hamper and would just like to say how delighted I am with it! The presentation is beautiful.
Thank you very, very much. P Hubber

I have just received my frozen food and just want to say how please I am with the way it arrived. In fact it was more frozen than when I go and get it from my health shop. I will be using you again and will mention you to my Vegan friends. The reason I ordered from you is that my health shop does not always keep a good stock of what I want. M Lovell

Brilliant as ever! I know I can rely on you to deliver the products that I need when I need them. My gluten free cookie treat was very much appreciated and unexpected, and just one of the many reasons why I keep coming back – excellent products, excellent prices and lots of variety!! Who needs anything more? L Head

I am extremely pleased at the way that your staff handle mistakes and misunderstandings. You are a pleasure to deal with.
C Medd

Superb and easy service. A very good and easy to use site for someone like myself who is blind and has to use a screen reader. Excellent all round and will use again and recommend to others. 10/10
G Griffiths

GoodnessDirect is my preferred online food shop – excellent selection and excellent service!
J Sayer.

Excellent and efficient. Will definitely shop with gdirect again.
R Davidson

Fantastic site, easy to use, very organised, well planned. Fantastic food, great choice, will be back for more. Thanks.
N Hayes

Your company is the one place I can trust to get it right!
C Shekerie

My first time order was actually delivered in less than 24 hours and in perfect condition. Exceptional service, thank you, I will be ordering more from you.
G Manley

Excellent service!! Many thanks!!
L Majid

My first order was broken and i was amazed at how this was handled, I was over the moon to receive my full order again two days later what amazing service, from now on you have a customer for life, I was overjoyed by the way you treat your customers. Its nice to know that there is still such great service, well done!
C Pinkney

Everything about the service was excellent. I was arriving to a self-catered apartment from New York. The order arrived a half hour after I did… it was so easy and meant I didn’t have to run out to the shops as soon as I arrived. Thank you for the service. Also a few of the items are not available locally. Grateful for the service.
H Davis

I love Goodness Direct because they do the legwork for you in the sourcing of premium and principled health food, toiletries, supplements and remedies. It is a one-stop shop which is easy to navigate, and which provides access to excellent information and education through their newsletter and links to Wellness Centre.

As an Alternative Healthcare Practitioner, I can safely recommend GD to my clients as a place where they can easily pick up the supplements, remedies and dietary items that I have suggested they use to enhance my treatments, knowing that they will get them quickly and easily rather than having to shop around. GD’s special diets ranges are a particular bonus as sourcing these products can be a nightmare for some clients and can put them off making the changes. It’s reassuring to know that my clients will get good value for money, and that the customer service is second to none if additional help should be needed.

I shop extensively myself from GD so I know that what I recommend is the best that I, as an informed person, can source, and the site is getting better all the time. Well done, Goodness Direct.
M Gudmundsson

I always get a good service. You save me a heck of a lot of driving. My nearest supermarket is 25 miles away, so you are a godsend.
J Holden

GoodnessDirect, I am soooo pleased I have found a company that can supply loads of different vegan stuff for my very strict daughter. Her sister and I are trying very hard to be vegan and the food we can buy with your company has made it very easy. LOVE IT!!
J Marshall.

My order got here safe and well ……….. ah the joys of GoodnessDirect. Fresh food and reliable.

I was going to drop you an email anyway to say a big thank you as always for such great service. It’s good every time but I’m always staggered by how good. The organic veg box was really amazing I’m spoilt for choice. I had fresh roasted aubergine with melted vegan cheese and cracked black pepper for dinner. I love being vegan, its one of the best choices I ever made but as i was unpacking my stuff today i pondered on how much harder it would be to be a vegan if you folks weren’t there with your super speedy goodies.

As always a big hand a huge thank you for the really great service you provide. If I can ever track down an industry award for best provider of mail order vegan food id be really happy to nominate you .

Thanks again. Elle

From the outset, I felt that I was dealing with real people, who think the way I do
about food and our place in the wider scheme of things. This was borne out by the level of service and the personal response to my getting in touch later.
M Barbour

Really pleased to find a company who have got it right, start to finish! Well done!
S Stamford.

I love your website and newsletters, and think that you stock a fabulous range. It was a godsend to me when I broke my ankle and could not get out. The wheatgrass kits are amazing. They just keep on going way beyond first cutting, and I will never be without them now.
M Gudmundsson

A *more* than perfect shopping experience – as always! Thanks!!!
S Bright

Excellent as always. Brilliant customer service., super quick delivery plus superb products equals an unbeatable company to deal with 🙂
N Quinn

Our first experience of shopping with you was a joy – the site was easy to use and delivery was super-fast . We will definitely be shopping with you again.
Best wishes Jenny and Kevin.

I think this is a great site. It has just the products I want and at the quality I want. Seervice is second to none. Well done and keep up the excellent work. Oh and thank you very much
– Viccy Hall

Excellent – the only online delivery service I have found that gives me stuff I would choose for myself rather than tired fruit.
J Simpson

Great web site. Recommended by my nutritionist.
L Lazaro-Keen.

Order was received in excellent condition , and arrived within forty eight hours, which is excellent for orders to the channel islands. I can always rely on excellent service from Goodness Direct. Many thanks.
F Ferguson

The service you provide is absolutely fantastic – to offer selection of delivery day is particularly brilliant.
J Braithwaite

I didn’t have fresh product, but my merchandise arrived in very good condition and well packaged. Your site was very user friendly. I found exactly what I wanted at a very good price. I will visit site again soon for further offers.
L Clark

You’re one of only a handful of places I can get barley flour!
K Humphries

I was extremely pleased with the speed with which my order was processed and arrived. The website was really friendly and easy to use – not at all frustrating! Thank you.
J Barber

You seem to need to know the brand names to find some things on your site. Better cross referencing might be helpful? Great service though, and fabulous choice! thanks!
L Husband

Dark chocolate covered raisins in smaller quantities, please! You guys are still the best!
A Vine

First order, as we can no longer fine items in local health shops. Excellent service, will definitely shop again.
B Roberts

I used to buy Blue Dragon silken tofu in my local Asda, but it was discontinued about a year ago. I tried to find another supplier at the time but couldn’t. On this occasion, I found a few websites that supplied it but I felt yours was the best. I have been extremely impressed with the whole ordering experience – you seem to have everything covered and I will definitely continue to buy this product from you. The only negative I can find is that you don’t have an excellent option on your feedback form!
S Common

Found your service excellent and really helpful for someone needing to change their eating pattern seriously.
S Gardiner

Very impressed with the speedy delivery. Also, the order was well packed and the food first class. 10 out of 10 on all counts.
R Webster.

Items that fall into more than one category sometimes take time to find, eg potato starch flour. Also, the gluten-free section included lots of items possibly with gluten traces, so I had to check the details of every one. It would be helpful if categorisation was clearer and more watertight.
J Hickman

Excellent service. Many organisations heavily underestimate the importance of postage and packing free. It so obviously defines whether you place a small order or not. Our family have always been of the opinion that say 5% added to the cost of all goods but never charging p and p would invite many more small /medium orders.
D Harris

My order arrived the day after it was placed – a really excellent and efficient service. The goods were very well packed. Thank you,
Thelma

My wife is a coeliac. Your service was superb. Could not be better. We’ll be back!. Thanks.
M Rainey

A most satisfactory order outcome, my continued custom is guaranteed, many thanks.
S Scott.

I didn’t buy these things for me, but for my mum, who’s a vegan. so as these sites are not my natural habitat it’s really helpful to find a site like yours, which is clear, easy to use and hassle-free. Thanks very much.
A Schenkl

Your service was better than some of the bigger well-known websites – thank you very much for goods delivered on time and in good condition!
R Martin.

One of the easiest eco-shopping sites I’ve used – very good.
A Outram

Dear Sir/Madam,
This is just a note to say thank you so much, my order arrived safely today. The speed and efficiency of the service you provide is exemplary. Considering the seasonal goods I ordered, and how close to the required date we are now, every effort has been made to get my order to me before Easter. The is my first dealing with you and because of this occasion I will be a returning customer from now on. You should be very proud of yourselves. You have an excellent company and brilliant staff.
Yours Faithfully
C Aldridge

I’m really happy with the service and products, would definitely recommend to others and will be using you again. Thanx.
Y Fayyaz

Dear Goodness Direct,

Just received my delivery-its’ the first time I have ordered vegetables from you. I wanted to say Thank You- it felt as if everything in the boxes had been packed with tender loving care-the veg smell delicious-and I had some truly yummy bread (wheat free had to be put on hold it looked so tempting) as a thank you from you. I have previously had a veggie box from Riverford-but I will be changing that to a regular order with you. I follow a macrobiotic eating plan but there is nowhere that stocks macro stuff near to me so a joy to be able to get just about everything I need from the same place. If you had stocked Mooli my day would have been even more perfect.

With brightest blessings to all of you.
K Scott

When you offer the best service the only way is down. Please don’t go down.
E Edgson

I love you Goodness Direct!!

I’m often overseas working and have 2 small kids, but I know whenever I get home I can trust you to deliver my health stuff ASAP. Just received my parcel..perfect.

Brilliant!
J Watson-Yarngo

Another great shopping experience!!!!Just wish I’d ordered more!!!!
K Roberts

You have best selection of health foods that i have found.
C Neave

Excellent site & excellent service. Many thanks
M Drasdo

Many thanks for the excellent service we received,the items were very well packed and delivered on time.I shall not only use your company again but recommend to friends.
Again many thanks.
J Durham

Still the best on-line shopping site. Keep up the good work.
S Dunlop

Overall this is a awesome site with awesome service – perhaps one thing i think might benefit the site is if the products had more visual sub-categories – If possible more vegan products : ) I say this on behalf of all my vegan friends as well as it is frustrating when trying to live a compassionate life is made difficult as a result of “lack of products” – Many Thanks again for making life a little easier : )
R Rayner

Overall very impressed and pleased with great service and products from an ethically aware co-operative, keep up the good work folks, as you’re a beacon of hope to health conscious consumers!
A Smith

excellent service, very fast delivery,will be back.
k.richardson

You’re fabulous. Ordered just before 11 a.m. yesterday, and it was here with me before lunch today!!! A box full of frozen booja booja – in perfect condition – you’re fabulous.
Laurie Jo Wright

Heard about the connection between eating sausages and bacon and pancreatic cancer?

A link between eating processed meat, such as bacon or sausages, and pancreatic cancer has been suggested by researchers in Sweden, who said that eating an extra 50g of processed meat, approximately one sausage, every day would increase a person’s risk by 19%. The study was conducted by Prof Susanna Larsson at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden and published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Avoiding meat

That will leave many of us worried about eating processed meat and concerned about the suggested link between eating sausages and bacon and pancreatic cancer. But many of us will know just what staples sausages and bacon have become in the British diet.

There are alternatives to meat – veggie style

Award-winning ethical food firm The Redwood Wholefood Company produces tasty meat-free sausages and meat-free ‘bacon’ from 100% natural, plant-based ingredients. They are not quite the same as the real bacon but then again we have been warned…

Redwood sausages and ‘bacon’ are free  from egg, dairy, lactose, cholesterol, hydrogenated fats, artificial colours/preservatives and GMOs, so they are a great veggie bacon choice for those wanting to avoid these things including vegans.

Finding vegetarian alternatives to meat

Redwood is the leading supplier of vegan foods and is 100% British. Rated the UK’s most ethical vegetarian foods supplier by The Ethical Company Organisation, Redwood produces more than 50 different foods under the Vegideli, Cheatin‘ and Cheezly brand names at its animal-free factory in Corby, Northamptonshire. So if you are serious about finding vegetarian alternatives to meat, Redwood really can help. Everything in its range is made from 100% natural plant-based ingredients so free from animal products and derivatives as well as cholesterol, artificial colours/preservatives, lactose, hydrogenated fats and GMOs, making them suitable for vegetarians and vegans as well as those looking for healthier and more ethical lifestyles. Widely recognised as one of the most innovative and inspirational vegetarian food companies in the UK, Redwood is renowned for being at the cutting edge of food manufacturing and exports to 18 countries worldwide.

Frankenstein’s pets

Genetically Modified insects? Does that sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock thriller and too far fetched for reality?

Don’t be so sure. I’ve just heard about a proposal the Government are considering at the moment – the  release of millions of genetically modified insects into the countryside of the UK.

Why ever would they do such a thing? Well the theory is that these GM supermoths would destroy the insects that are well known food crop pests.

GM insects flying around a neighbourhood near you

The proposal is for the ‘open release’ of a Genetically Modified strain of the Diamondback moth, developed by a UK company. Diamondback moths attack broccoli & similar crops. With the GM strain a lethal gene is inserted into the male so that when they mate with wild females their offspring die almost immediately, causing the population to crash. The company, Oxitec, based in Oxford, wants to begin trials next year. Some are objecting saying that the untested technology could threaten wildlife & human health.

What if it all goes wrong? Where is the control? How do you wind back GM?

Dr. Helen Wallace, director of GeneWatch UK, said “Mass releases of GM insects into the British countryside would be impossible to recall if anything went wrong. Changing one part of an ecosystem can have knock-on effects on others in ways that are poorly understood. This could include an increase in different types of pests. Wildlife that feeds on insects could be harmed if there are changes to their food supply. GM insects that bite animals or humans could cause allergies or transmit diseases & new diseases might evolve.”
Well said Dr Wallace!