3 Healthier Popsicles

Cashew Milk & Sea Buckthorn Popsicles

Known as the ‘Lemon of the North’, sea buckthorn is rich in vitamin C, B1, B2, B6 and carotenoids. Indeed it has one of the widest range of nutrients in one single plant containing over 190 bioactive substances. It has an excellent fatty acid profile with omega 3, 6, 9 and the rarer omega-7 (palmitoleic acid). Omega 7 fatty acid is useful to ward off metabolic syndrome helping with high blood pressure, high blood sugar excess body fat and abnormal cholesterol levels and generally supports cardiovascular health.

Ingredients:
For cashew milk:

• 1 cup soaked cashews 
• 2 cups filtered water
• 4 Egyptian ‘Siwa’ dates, pitted
• A pinch of ‘Simply Natural’ French sea salt

For the popsicles:

• 8 tbsp organic sea buckthorn juice
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp cashew milk
• 2 tbsp ‘Simply Natural’ organic raw acacia honey OR Spanish organic raw lavender honey 

Method:
Cashew Milk:

1. Soak 2 cups ‘Simply Natural’ raw cashews for at least 4 hours.
2. Take the soaked cashews and rinse thoroughly with filtered water.
3. Blend with 4 pitted ‘Siva’ dates, a pinch of sea salt and 2 cups filtered water.

    (TX – 2 minutes, speed 10)

Popsicle mixture:

1. Take the measured amount of cashew milk, sea buckthorn juice & honey.
2. Blend together. (TX – 2 minutes, speed 10)
3. Pour into the popsicle moulds and freeze overnight.

Pomegranate & Kefir Popsicles

Hot summer days need a healthy, cooling treat. We’ve added power-packed pomegranate seeds and juice to gut-healthy kefir. Chill out and enjoy! Pomegranate is a wonderful food for the human body offering powerful anti-inflammatory polyphenols which benefit the heart and cardiovascular system. The juice contains >100 phytochemicals and has been used in traditional medicine in the Middle East and India as a remedy for diabetes type-2. Vitamin rich with C, E & K vitamins it helps prevent viral infections and improve digestion.

Ingredients:

• 48 fresh pomegranate seeds
• 6 tbsp organic pomegranate juice
• 1 cup organic kefir
• 2 tbsp  Spanish organic raw lavender honey 

Method:

1. Pick out 48 seeds from the fresh pomegranate and place 8 in the tip of each mould.
2. Pour 1 tbsp of pomegranate juice onto the seeds in each mould.
3. Freeze for 3 hours to make the red part solid before pouring in the kefir mixture.
4. Thoroughly combine the kefir and honey.
5. After 3 hours pour the kefir mixture onto the frozen pomegranate tips. 
6. Freeze overnight and serve when ready to eat immediately.

Tip: If using wooden lolly sticks, soak them in water for an hour before using in the popsicles. This helps the popsicle mixture stick to the lolly stick.

Sweet Tomato & Kefir Pops

Introducing tomatoes cooked and fresh into the diet increases the amount of vitamin C and the carotenoids lutein and lycopene available. This helps boosts the immune system, protects against macular degeneration and reduces the risk of prostate and colon cancer. Their potassium content widens blood vessels which helps maintain a healthy blood pressure, while the fibre improves blood glucose levels in both diabetes types 1 and 2.

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp organic kefir
• 2 cups freshly steamed organic tomatoes-on-the-vine, seeds & skin removed
• ¼ tsp ‘Simply Natural’ Himalayan black rock salt 
• 2 tbsp  Spanish organic raw lavender honey 

Method:

1. Pour 1 tbsp of kefir into each mould.
2. Freeze for 3 hours to make the kefir solid before pouring in the tomato mixture.
3. Steam the fresh tomatoes-on-the-vine to remove the skin.
4. Remove skin and seeds and chop up the mixture.
5. Thoroughly combine the honey with the tomato mixture.
6. After 3 hours pour the tomato mixture onto the frozen kefir tips.
7. Freeze overnight and when ready to eat serve immediately.

Tip: If using wooden lolly sticks, soak them in water for an hour before using in the popsicles. This helps the popsicle mixture stick to the lolly stick.

The ingredients: