Your New Year Kick Start

It’s that time  of year again...you know what I'm on about. That frightful time, when after weeks of indulging on food and booze, we finally give ourselves a much needed kick up the backside and decide its time to jump back on that healthy bandwagon.

Incorporating Omega 3 supplements in to our diet is just one of the ways we can give our bodies some much needed tlc. A vital nutrient for healthy bodily functions, there are literally hundreds of benefits of Omega 3 fish oil but for the sake of this post and your entertainment, I’ll stick to my big 4.

1. Fights Heart Disorders. Omega 3 is famed for it’s heart pumping benefits thanks to it’s amazing ability to reduce the levels of triglycerides (a heart attack inducing form of cholesterol) in your blood,fight abnormal heart rhythms and thin your blood (reducing the risk of high blood pressure).

2. Prevents Inflammation. Omega 3 helps to reduce inflammation around the body, which in turn helps to fight and even prevent a number of potentially fatal diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, psoriasis, and many more. Enough said!

3. Keeps You Young. Yes you heard me, fish oils are anti-aging! The fatty acids found in fish oil slow the rate of degeneration of the cells in the human body, while Omega 3 helps to increase the lifespan of your cells. Which in simple terms means, you'll look younger for longer. Bonus.

4. Helps You Loose Weight. By no means a magic cure (sometimes we just need to step away from the fridge!) but Omega 3 supplements can help you loose weight by improving circulation (which in turn will improve your ability to workout), stabilising your metabolism (helping to shift that spare tire gained over Chrismas) and controlling the production of leptins (reducing hunger pangs and your desire to snack on junk).

Celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Elle MacPherson and Gwyneth Paltrow are all huge fans of adding fish oil's into their daily routine and diet. So taking their lead, I asked  Dale Pinnock, aka the Medicinal Chef, to provide three easy and delicious recipes, to get you back on that healthy bandwagon, whiling showing that incorporating Omega 3 fish oils in to your diet needn’t be fishy!

The Berry Health Kick Smoothie

• 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries

• 5 medium sized frozen or fresh strawberries

• 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

• 1 tablespoon black chia seeds

• 1 teaspoon Wiley's Finest Fish Oil Peak Omega-3 Liquid - Naturally Lemon

• 1 cup almond milk

• 2 ice cubes if you are not using frozen fruit

Blend all the ingredients in a blender and pour in to a glass of your choice.

Orange Squash Soup

• 1 medium/large red onion, finely chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• 1 small butternut squash, diced

• Rind of 2 oranges

• 500ml vegetable stock

• Coconut oil

• 1 capful of Wiley's Finest Orange Burst Fish Oil

Squeeze the juice out of the oranges, keep to one side, and retain the skins. Saute the onion and garlic in a little coconut oil, along with a pinch of sea salt, until the onion softens.

Add the diced squash and orange skins, and add enough vegetable stock to cover. Simmer until the squash is nice and soft. Remove the orange skins and then transfer the soup to a blender, and blend into a silky smooth texture.

Add the squeezed orange juice and warm gently before serving. I garnished with a little shredded basil which added a nice twist.

Flu Fighting Soup

• 1 red onion, finely chopped

• 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped

• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced, skins left on

• 2 handfuls of goji berries

• 1 plunnet of fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

• 500ml vegetable stock

• 1 capful of Wiley's Finest Peak Omega-3 Fish Oil

Put the onion, chilli, garlic and ginger in a large saucepan with the olive oil. Cook over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens. Add the sweet potatoes and mushrooms to the pan along with the goji berries with 1 cupful of Wiley's Finest Peak Omega-3 Fish Oil .

Stir well, then add enough vegetable stock to cover all the ingredients. Simmer well for 10–15 minutes, until the potato is soft. Season with salt and pepper.Carefully add the soup to a jug blender in batches, and blend into a smooth, vivid orange, spicy soup.