You know by now that a healthy microbiome (the bacteria in your gut) is essential to good health. Everyone knows yoghurt provides good gut bacteria but what if you don’t want to consume animal products or just have problems with dairy? To solve your dilemma, here are some plant-based probiotic — and prebiotic — foods plus some delicious recipes to get them into your diet.

This pie is a far cry from the basic meat and potato pie that most of us remember. The spices and long list of vegetables make it a truly healthy and hearty meal.

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Paying homage to the humble Brussels sprout, this pie is a lovely combination of deliciousness and goodness. Packed with fibre, protein, calcium and the goodness of greens, it makes a delicious dinner but also travels well in lunchboxes for a nice surprise.

Turmeric has been used and well respected for 2500 years in India as an Ayurvedic medicine. This brightly coloured spice, which gives curry its lovely orange-yellow colour, has many outstanding health-boosting properties. Curcumin is also a highly effective anti-inflammatory as well as having strong antioxidant properties. Regular consumption of turmeric in the diet could protect you against infections, especially those of the digestive tract, as well as relieving arthritic conditions and helping protect you from cancers and Alzheimer’s disease.

Is it time to detox your bathroom cupboard? This simple, yet sometimes daunting task comprises of two rules: remove items you no longer need or have expired and remove items that are more than one-year old

I can’t tell you how important it is to follow a soaking process when preparing any legumes or pulses. If you have a careful look at your soaked legumes after 24 hours, you begin to see the sprouting shoots pop up underneath the skin. This sprouting process reduces the amount of phytic acid in legumes, which makes them much easier to digest. Phytic acid can also bind to essential nutrients, making them less available to the body. Reducing phytic acid levels releases more of these essential nutrients to the body. I find it easiest to soak, sprout and cook a lot of chickpeas at once. Then I freeze them into smaller containers and have them ready for use in a dish like this.

Discover some of the delicious creations you can make with Bio-Beet Kvass.

Discover some of the delicious creations you can make with Naked Foods Products.

Delicious recipes you can make with EatWell’s sponsors, Cabot Health.

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