Last night was girls’ night and, in the usual way, we descended on a friend with a collection of dishes all based around a theme. This time we went Spanish, so there were olives and serrano and paella and salads ... and sangria, of course. I’d made the latter as healthy as I could, but there was still a sugary dose of triple sec muddled in with all that rioja and fruit.

My tip would be to top it up with a fruity sparkling water (try Spindrift or La Croix) rather than lemonade. The research on sugar keeps pouring in – and as well as contributing to chronic disease, all the data shows us it ages our eyes, skin and brains too. Diabetes with a side of cataracts and Alzheimer’s? Hmmmm, no thank you! On the subject of ageing, ever since our two-week January detox, people have been asking us for another. So we’re squeezing in a cleanse right before the America’s Cup madness kicks in. This time we’re doing an Anti-Ageing Summertime Cleanse that focuses on nutrition to protect you from the effects of sun exposure, alcohol and stress as well as other dietary and lifestyle triggers.

We’ll be optimising cell rejuvenation for your body and brain, as well as showing you how to navigate the rest of the summer without undoing all your hard work. Find all the info on our website at www.natural.bm. When it comes to wrinkles, nobody wants them, but everybody has them. Botox is an obvious solution but comes at a price.

How about we just work on preventing them instead? Except the laughter lines, because there’s no better therapy than a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Last night, we were swapping birth stories and I’ve got no idea why it was so hilarious.

There’s nothing funny about delivering a baby wearing only (and I mean only) a pair of BA flight socks. There’s also nothing funny about being too late for an epidural, or the hospital running out of gas and air, or discovering in the shower afterwards that your ladybits have inflamed to baboon-type proportions - and yet hindsight seems to make it so (or maybe it was the sangria?) It’s amazing how women have the capacity to make each other laugh and laugh, especially at the awful and ridiculous.

So, let’s agree to keep the laughter but kick out the rest of the wrinkle-triggers! Sugar is most definitely on our hit list and as I’ve given you quite a few sweet recipes recently, we’re going savoury this time. This recipe is for a summer mojo (sauce) that goes with practically anything. Recipe inspiration creds go to Sarah Britton from the amazing blog, My New Roots. I tweaked hers a little to work with what I had in the cupboards and because I’m addicted to maple and lime. Cashews blend down really well too (especially if your processor isn’t super high tech), but you can use almonds instead if you like (just take the skins off after soaking.)

As this mojo is so extremely versatile, you can try it as a side with grilled fish, chicken, shrimp, tempeh or beef. As Sarah suggests, you can stir it through olives or have it on toast with avocado. Enjoy - and have a great weekend one and all.

Summer Mojo

Ingredients:

2 red bell peppers, roasted

1 clove garlic

¼ cup cashews (soaked overnight and rinsed)

large handful of cilantro

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice of one lime

splash of apple cider vinegar

1 tsp maple syrup

large pinch sea salt

½ tsp toasted cumin seeds

¼ tsp paprika

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Wash your peppers, slice them in half, take out the seeds and place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and then roast for 30-45 minutes until the skins are blackened.

3. Meanwhile, toast cumin seeds in a dry non-stick pan until fragrant. Keep an eye on these as they catch quickly. Cool.

4. Rinse your cashews REALLY well and place in a food processor along with the other ingredients (except the peppers) and pulse until chunky.

5. Once the peppers are roasted, let them cool. Peel skins and add to the mixture. Pulse to incorporate and blend till well mixed but still textured.

6. Serve. Keep leftovers airtight in the fridge!

•The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the Managing Director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a registered dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutri fitandnaturalnutritionbermuda