Chilli mackerel with fennel salad, beetroot, courgette and carrot spaghetti.

This meal is a "healthy fast food" and one of the quickest ever as it only takes ten minutes at the most to prepare and cook. If you are bed-bound and not yet able to make a meal, you can ask a carer to prepare the raw veg in advance and put it in the fridge, so all you need to do is heat up the mackerel if you like it hot.

I make sure I am getting raw fruits and vegetables each day because of the higher vitamin mineral content, which can reduce with cooking. I always have around half my plate full of veg so that my portions of fruit and veg each day are nearer to 10 or more rather that the previously advised 5 a day. 

Mackerel provides us with omega 3s which is good for our joints and helps reduce inflammation in the body, vitamin D (discussed in other posts) which helps with many processes of our body, it has lots of vitamin B12, selenium, copper, magnesium, iron, vitamin A, potassium, zinc and sodium. It is a low fat nutrient dense source of protein which helps give our body essential fuel to help enhance our healing. There is much more I could write about it but I will leave it there as I can feel a mackerel essay coming on!

The green salad of romaine lettuce, which has high levels of antioxidants. Fennel, which helps with boosting immunity, inhibiting cancerous growths, increasing brain function and cognitive abilities, easing and regulating menstruation, facilitating good digestion, helping with macular degeneration and premature ageing, helps maintain cholesterol levels, and is useful with respiratory disorders. It also has calcium which is good for the bones at anytime but especially as we age. Again parsley and coriander are packed full of antioxidants which help fight disease and to remove heavy metals from our bodies. Cucumber contain lots of B vitamins which are great for the nervous system, is rich in vitamin A good for eyesight, minerals such as magnesium which helps your muscles, folic acid which helps the body produce and maintain new cells. 

Beetroot is another exceptional value superfood which delivers a whole host of antioxidants, the phytonutrients that give beetroot its beautiful deep colour are also great for warding off a whole host of  disease causing invaders. It has been known to help lower blood pressure, boost exercise performance, and according to NHS choices, prevent dementia. It is helpful for C.F.S, M.E and fibromyalgia especially, as it helps with body and brain fatigue.

Carrots along with all the other veg here are a great source fibre, and of course good for your eyesight amongst many other things, the vitamin K is not only beneficial for blood clotting but it works well alongside magnesium and vitamin D to help with the absorption of calcium which is helpful for bone health as we age.

Courgettes help to give the immune system a boost as they have high levels of vitamin C, they're also great source of soluble fibre which helps relieve symptoms of IBS, stabilises blood sugar and insulin levels The beneficial vitamin K, potassium and other wonderful micronutrients which provide us with a powerhouse of food medicine. I add a dressing of cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle some sesame seeds not only for extra calcium and omega 3 but to help assist the fat soluble vitamins. All the veg I've chosen here are good for when your digestive tract is sore and inflamed as they are cooling, easily digested and anti inflammatory.

Ingredients:

Serves one.

Prep and cooking time 8-10 mins

One chilli pepper mackerel fillet

Quarter bulb of fennel

Quarter cup of cucumber

Some romaine lettuce leaves

Few tbsp fresh parsley

Few tbsp fresh coriander

1 carrot

Half a courgette

1 beetroot

Tsp sesame seeds

Drizzle of olive oil and cider vinegar

Himalayan salt and black pepper to season

Method:

If you like it hot cook your mackerel in the oven it tin foil for 8-10 mins. In the meantime spiralise your carrot courgette and beetroot. Cut up all the lettuce, cucumber and shred the herbs. Drizzle oil and cider vinegar over all the raw veg and salad, season and sprinkle the sesame seeds. 🌈