Nourish Yourself from the Inside Out

After getting active for 10 days straight, it's now time to concentrate on Nourishing yourself from the inside out for the next 10 consecutive days.  The question that I am going to put to you, is what does Nourishing Yourself mean to you?  The reason I ask this is because what works for me may not work for you.

We live in a world of modern nutrition.  Almost everyone is on one diet or another.  So many people dwell on calories, carbs, fats, proteins, restrictions and lists of good and bad foods.  It would seem that each day we are hit with a new discovery, proclaiming the health benefits of a certain food or the best way to lose 5 kilos in a week.  Diet books are best sellers, cooking shows are more popular than ever, while more and more families are eating out.

The world of nutrition has become incredibly complex.  How is it possible that one expert can prove dairy is a necessary component of a healthy diet, while another expert can prove dairy is extremely detrimental to health; one expert can claim meat is essential to a healthy human body while another expert says meat is an unnecessary and unhealthy part of the the human diet?

So to avoid and navigate myself confidently through a media-driven an perplexed diet industry, I now take a new approach to nutrition and that is one of bio-individualtiy.  

No perfect way of eating works for everybody.

The food that is perfect for your unique body, age and lifestyle may make another person gain weight and feel lethargic.  Similarly, no perfect way of eating will work for you all the time, what may have worked for you a number of years ago, may not be right for you now and what you eat during the week may be totally different to what you eat on a weekend when you are relaxing.

One thing that you need to remember is that being healthy is really not that complicated.  Trust that your body knows what it needs and what it wants to eat.  It's the brain that makes mistakes.  It's very easy to convince yourself to follow some diet plan and after a week it may leave you feeling lethargic and bloated.  You don't need to read nutrition books to know what to eat, instead you have to foster a deep relationship with your body in which it naturally tells you what it needs to function at its highest potential.

So for the next 10 days I don't want you to think about restricting anything from your diet, I want to you concentrate on ADDING IN the right clean foods.  

Here is a list of things that I would encourage you to ADD IN to your diet each day:

• Upon rising have a warm glass of water with 1/2 a lemon. 
• Pump up your green vegetables, have at least 4 servings of vegetables per day - you might do this by having a green juice or a green smoothy in the morning, then one serving of greens with lunch and one serving of greens with dinner.
• Don't be afraid of fruits, have 2 servings per day - this could be an apple with a spoonful of nut butter, strawberries, blue berries, add a banana to your smoothie for breakfast.
• Eat good quality and properly prepared whole grains - have at least 2 servings per day - think quinoa or oats for breakfast, sprouted bread, sourdough bread for lunch
• Lean meat and protein sources - have at least 2 servings per day - think chicken, pork, wild salmon, sardines, and white fish
• Good fats - have 2 serving per day - think coconut oil, olive oil, fish oils (essential fatty acids), seen and nut oils and organic butter - use coconut oils for cooking, pour olive oil over your salad, add seeds to your salad, spread organic butter over your toast.

Real food is medicine.

Great food and a healthy diet means enjoying full flavours and invigorating meals while relishing the fresh, simple and unadulterated.  Remember that processed food is loaded with sugars, artificial sweeteners, damaging hydrogenated fats and oils, white flour, chemicals, fillers, synthetic vitamins and minerals, food additives, preservatives, heavy metals and pesticides, all of which contribute to the toxicity with our bodies and are damaging the health of our planet.

Over the coming days I will go over some of my favourite super foods, we'll have a guest post from the fabulous Clair Power from Power of Wellness and plenty of fun recipes and healthy tips and tricks that you can incorporate into your diet.

Nic

xx

Warm Turmeric Balance Bowl

I like to enjoy this particular warm bowl of oats on cold and windy winter mornings.  

There is nothing quiet like going out for a walk in the fresh winters air and then coming home to a warm bowl of porridge.  Particularly one that has amazing anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric has a natural anti-inflammatory compound.  Now don't get me wrong, a little inflammation in the short term is incredibly important.  It helps the body fight foreign invaders and also has a role in repairing damage.  Without inflammation, pathogens like bacteria could easily take over our bodies and kill us.  Although short term inflammation is beneficial, it can become a major problem long term and inappropriately deployed against the body's own tissues.  This is a problem and it is this chronic inflammation that is now known to be a contributor to many common Western diseases.

Turmeric can inhibit many molecules known to play major roles in inflammation.  Therefore, anything that can help fight chronic inflammation is of potential importance in preventing and even treating and inflammation causing disease.  So sprinkle Turmeric on everything (I do!)

So to make this warming balancing bowl of goodness you'll need:

• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/3 cup oats
• 1 cup water (or enough water to cover the oats in the pot, I normally do this by site)
• 1 tablespoon of LSA mix
• 1/4 cup of activated nuts
• 1 tablespoon shredded coconut

How its done:

• Add the oats, water and spices to a pot and whisk with a fork to get all the spices combined.
• Bring the oats to the boil, stirring (this should only take a couple of minutes)
• Then pour into a bowl, then add the nuts, LSA mix and shredded coconut
• I like to smash my nuts up in a zip-lock bag before I add them to the top

Then sit in the sun, or the warmest part of your home and saviour each and ever mouthful.  Ahh bliss

xx

Procrastination & a Chocolate Craving = Figgy Choco Logs

I've been studying like crazy this weekend and loving every second of it.  Study, study, study... then it hit a craving for something sweet, something chocolate to be exact and it could not be satisfied by store bought artificial garbage.  This craving could only be satisfied by clean, whole healthy food.  Luckily I needed a break and something had to be done about this craving. STAT!

I looked into my pantry and pulled out the ingredients to produce Figgy Choco Logs.

Figgy Choco Logs

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup oats

- 1/2 cup almond meal

- 1/2 cup walnuts / almonds

- 1/2 cup shredded coconut + some for rolling

- 3 tablespoons of raw cacao powder

- 6 organic Turkish figs

- 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil

- 60ml water

- pinch of salt

- 1 tbs of maple syrup (if desired)

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a food processor except for the water.  Process the mix until it comes together, it'll be a bit crumbly at this stage.  Continue to mix while adding the water a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.  It should be a little sticky and should stay together when rolled into a ball or log shape.

I scooped out tablespoon size of the mix and rolled them into log shapes in the shredded coconut.

You could eat these straight away but I think they are better refrigerated for about 20mins or so.  

Enjoy my lovelies.

xx

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xxx

Glowing Goddess Smoothie

Ok, I just want to tell you something...


I love green smoothies, I love love love them :)


Every day for over a week I've started my day off with a green smoothie, a glowing goddess green smoothie to be exact!  Eeeeppp I'm so excited about this little concoction I've come up with that I couldn't contain myself I needed to share and spread the goodness to you beautiful people.

I've noticed my energy levels have picked up during the mornings, my skin is starting to glow a little brighter and well, I'm eliminating more regularly (ladies, don't be shy, this is super important for glowing goddess like us).  Also this smoothie is super alkaline, read more about the benefits of being alkaline here.

I don't have a Vitamix as yet, I'm saving all my spare pennies for one, but I have to be patient and wait for it.  So I had to come up with a way to make my smoothies super smooth without the super blending power of a Vitamix and I think I've almost got it there!

This is how I did it:

- Add 1.5 - 2 cups of water (filtered is preferred, but any water will do)
- Leaves of 2 stalks of kale
- Handful of spinach, or mixed lettuce leaves

BLEND

- Add 1 apple - cored and chopped
- Add 1 pear - cored and chopped
- Add 1/3 cucumber - chopped into chunks

BLEND

- Add 1 banana
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon

BLEND - ENJOY :)

Become more alkaline

If your body is too acidic, it'll be stressed out, and you'll find it very hard to loose weight and live a full healthy life.  This is a little science-y but, if you want to loose weight and look amazing then you need to become less acidic and more alkaline.  The best way to put your body in an alkaline state is to eat plenty of alkaline foods and reduce acidic forming foods.

Essentially acid forming foods place extra stress on your body, and stops you creating lots of lovely lean muscle, which makes you look amazingly toned and speed up your metabolism.  Too much acidic food also inflames your body, especially your gut, which is why people with highly acidic diets tend to have a bloated tummy.  These are some common signs that your body might be too acidic:

• You frequently get colds;
• You have low energy levels;
• You have an inflamed, sticky-out stomach;
• You suffer from headaches;
• You frequently have problems with your digestive system - such as indigestion, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, bloating etc.
• Your joints ache
• You're prone to nasal congestion

You don't need to follow an entirely alkaline diet, in moderation some acidic foods can be good for you and are necessary.  The key is to tip the balance in favour of alkaline foods and away from the acidic ones.

As a general rule, make 70 per cent of the foods in your diet alkaline, and 30 per cent acidic.  For example, for each serving of protein on your plate you should have 2 big portions of veggies.

Below is a list of foods that are alkaline / acidic forming in the body.

Nic xx

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Seasonal Eating – The best foods to eat for Autumn

There are so many good reasons to eat seasonally.  Aside from being that seasonal food is fresher and tends to be tastier and more nutritious without pesticides and other nasties coating their permeable skins.

 Eating seasonally can mean you eat more locally grown produce so you contribute to:

•  reducing the energy – and associated CO2 emissions – needed to grow and transport the food we eat around the world.

•  avoiding paying a premium for food that is scarcer or has travelled a long way.

•  re-connect with nature’s cycles and the passing of time.

It is very important to remember that in Coles and Woolworths the food produce is imported from around the world – to ensure that shelves look the same week in week out – providing comfort and familiarity during the shopping experience.

If you think about it, when you are living in Australia it is a bit silly to buy tomatoes and asparagus flown in from South America, when for many weeks or months of the year some awesome, superior tasting, local grown foods are here to enjoy very fresh, and often at a lower cost financially as well as environmentally.  Bear in mind that whenever a home grown food goes out of season, you can guarantee that another delicious food has come back into season to tempt us all, just don’t be afraid to incorporate it into your kitchen.
 So here’s a guide to seasonal eating for Autumn.

Below is a list of the foods that are right and ready to eat and sure to be locally grown:
Fruit:
 

•  Apples

•  Bananas

•  Figs

•  Grapes

•  Kiwi Fruit

•  Lemons

•  Watermelon

•  Peaches

•  Pears

•  Nashi Pear

•  Persimmons

•  Plums

•  Quinces

Vegetables:
 

•  Asparagus

•  Beans

•  Bean shoots

•  Beetroot

•  Broccoli

•  Cabbage

•  Carrots

•  Cauliflower

•  Cucumbers

•  Eggplant

•  Lettuces

•  Mushrooms

•  Potatoes

•  Pumpkins

•  Snow Peas

•  Spring Onion

•  Sweet Corn

•  Tomatoes

•  Turnips

•  Zucchini

My Favourite Pumpkin Soup

As the days get shorter and the cold begins to creep in, I love to make this warming Pumpkin Soup.

1 medium pumpkin – chopped and de seeded
1 tub of yoghurt (CoYo, full fat, greek or natural – whatever floats your boat)
1 Red Chilli – chopped (deseeded if you don’t want too much spice)
1 tsp grated Nutmeg

Roast the pumpkin in coconut oil with the chilli. Once cooked, stir in the yoghurt and grated nutmeg and use a hand blender to whizz it all together to a thick, tasty soup. Garnish with a drizzle of Basil oil and black pepper.
Serves 4

Poached Pears Dipped in Dark Chocolate

I like this sweet desert to have occasionally, great for entertaining, or to enjoy all on your own.

4 ripe pears, peeled, cored and halved
100g dark chocolate 75% or more (I prefer Green’s Organic 80% as its dairy free)
50g almonds, crushed

Place the pears in a pan, cover with water and poach very gently for 8-10 minutes until tender, then drain.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
Place the crushed almonds ready in a bowl, and have 4 serving bowls.
Dip each pear in the chocolate until lightly coated, then in the almonds so that the almonds stick to the chocolate.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4

One way you can have a nutritious and varied diet is to eat seasonally this will help you stay happy and healthy in the long run.
Nic
xx

x

Why I don't heart dairy

Have you ever considered why a cow produces milk?  It's the same reason that females produce milk, to feed our babies to help them to develop and gain weight so that they have the best start in life.  Breast milk can grow an 3kg newborn into a 10kg toddler.  It is intended to allow for the biggest growth spurt of a person's entire life.  When a child is anywhere from 12 to 24 months old, a mother stops breast feeding.  Her milk dries up.  The child will never drink breast milk ever again.

Cows are much the same, their bodies produce milk only when they give birth.  Contrary to belief cows don't need to be milked - ever.  Their udders, like women's breasts exist even when there is no milk in them.  There is one major difference though.  Cow's milk by design, grows a 40kg calf into a 900kg cow over the course of two years.  It allows calves to double their birth weight in forty-seven days and leaves their four stomachs feeling full.

So now I want to ask you a question?

Why do we as humans ingest a food that is designed to make baby cows fat?

Now I know that you are thinking, "but we need cows milk to grow up big and strong, it's the only source of calcium I can get, and without milk my bones will break or I'll get osteoporosis".

Let's address the main underlying issue everyone has with limiting their intake of dairy - Where do you get your calcium?

Firstly you don't need to be ingesting calcium by the truck load.  A simple way to get adequate calcium is by including the following foods in your diet: fortified grains, kale, cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, seaweed, chickpeas, red beans, soybeans, seeds and nuts.  Did you know that 1 cup of kale, broccoli and tofu has more calcium then 1 cup of cow's milk.

Milk is also not a reliable source of minerals.  You get much higher levels of manganese, chromium, selenium and magnesium from fruits and vegetables.  Fruits and vegetables are also high in boron, which helps lessen the loss of calcium through urine.  Consuming high amounts of dairy also blocks the absorption of iron, contributing to iron deficiency.

Dairy products have been linked to a host of other problems too, including acne, anaemia, anxiety, arthritis, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, fibromyalgia, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, irritable bowl syndrome, joint pain, osteoporosis, poor immune function, allergies, ear infections, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autism, Chron's disease, and cancer.  In short dairy products are disease producing.  They're the perfect thing to eat if you want to be sick and have a diseased body.

To look at this from a vanity stand point, the amount of weight you will loose from removing dairy alone will make you want to kick it to the curb.  The fat in cheese is what gives it the taste and texture that we love; 70 to 80 percent of the calories found in cheese are from fat.  Even if you think you are buying the low fat versions, more than half the calories still come from fat and the other half is pumped full of sugar to make it taste bearable.  Remember what milk is made for; it is designed to make baby cows fat, do you really think milk can be made fat free?

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, you don't have to give up on traditional milk products, there are some great substitutes if you are craving something a little sweeter or if you love having milk in your morning coffee.

In Australia, Sanitarium make a range of great soy, seed, grain and nut milks, remember to read the labels though and don't buy the products that are pumped full of sugar, try to buy the un-sweetend versions.  Sanitarium also make a pretty amazing soy ice-cream.  There are also more and more coconut products out there everything from yoghurt, milk and ice-cream are available.

Remember as the demand grows for healthy, yummy, animal free, dairy free products more and more companies will supply us with these foods.  So let your consumer dollars voice your desire and your body will be rewarded.

Nic
xx

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This is all just my opinion and advice, you can do what ever it is that you want.

But, What do you Eat?

"So now that you are a vegan... what do you eat, there is nothing left?"

I just look at the people who ask me that and think to myself, are you walking around with sticks of cheese in your pocket and a slab of beef in your hand 24/7?  I mean seriously!  I eat anything I want that does not include meat or dairy.  They are the guidelines that I stick to, it makes it easy for me because I know that I don't have any restrictions over food, I just avoid meat and dairy.  In general I crowd out processed foods by filling up on whole foods first, that way there is no room for processed foods in my day.

There are too many whole foods to list down here, but in general a whole food is anything that comes in it's natural form or as close to it's natural form as possible.  So that is, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes and an abundance of super foods.

When your in the supermarket, stick to anything that is on the outside isles.  Buy all your fruits and vegetables first, then work your way to the health food isle, for things like quinoa, lentils, nut butters, seeds, and nuts, then to the freezer section for some frozen berries and edamame beans, then charge on to the self serve register and get your healthy little butt outta there!

So this is my method, I've been through a lot of trial and error and this works best for me.  I try not to give myself strict restrictions over food because I have found that it turns me into a food crazed maniac who's ready to binge on anything on my restricted list as soon as i get the chance.  When I say food restrictions I mean, I don't have a list running through my head saying, "I can't have chocolate, cheese, salami, tim tams, dips" etc. I just know that I am avoiding dairy and meat and I concentrate on finding foods that I can eat that fit my guidelines.

It really is changing up your thought patterns and looking at things in a different way.  Instead of concentrating on what you can't have, making that all you can think about; concentrate on what you can have.

Hope you all have a great day,

Nicole

xx

Are you up for the Challenge?

I've been feeling a challenge coming on for myself.  But I've been hesitant to start it because one of my focuses this year was to find BALANCE and I've been feeling as though if I started a challenge, I'd fall victim to the "all of nothing" approach which in turn could end up in the "if I have one bad thing then I've stuffed my diet up, and may as well start again tomorrow" territory, which I don't want to happen.  So i've been breathing through these feelings and meditating on the thought of doing a 42 day vegan challenge to make sure that it's not my ego driving my desire to do this, but that it is coming from a deeper desire for absolute health and wellbeing.  I've had to be honest with myself and realise that right now, the way I'm going I'm not feeling my absolute best.  I really want to be a walking advertisement of health and wellness, I really want to practice what I preach in the hope that I can inspire just one person to change the way they view their lives and start living a healthier more abundant life.

So why 42 days and why a vegan diet?

Well studies have shown that creating a new habit takes 21 days to stick, well in my history... I need a bit longer than 21 days.  To be honest, I'm just getting the hang of things at 21 days, but I haven't formed a new habit.  This brings me to doing something for 40 days, research has shown that after repeating an new pattern for forty days, you can change the neural pathways in your brain to create long-lasting change.  Mythical examples range from Moses's forty days and fort nights spent on Mount Sinai to the story of the Buddha reaching enlightenment on the full moon in May after meditation and fasting under the bodhi tree for forty days.  So I'm taking cue from the mystics and committing to a 40 day vegan lifestyle change, and because I like to have things even, I'm aiming for 6 weeks so that makes it 42 days, the extra two days are just a bonus!

Why a Vegan diet specifically?  Well I've been flirting with a vegan diet for a few months now.  I've been having meat and dairy free meals at least 2 meals a day, and the days I fully commit to a vegan diet, I wake up feeling more vibrant and full of energy than the days that some cheese or even some meat may have crept into my meals.  Now I'm coming to understand a few new truths.  Diet and meal choices are not one-size fits all, so while this feels right for me at this point in time, it might not be right to you.  It's certainly not the right fit for my fiancé, he needs his meat and that's ok.  So if you're thinking you want to embark on this 42 day challenge with me, but following a vegan diet isn't right for you, give something else a try.  It might be quitting sugar, or giving up dairy, or following the Paleo principles, or even just implementing one vegan meal into your diet a day / week.  Do what ever feels right for you at this time.

People choose to be vegan for health, environmental and/or ethical reasons.  For example, some vegans feel that one promotes the meat industry by consuming eggs and dairy products.  That is, once dairy cows or egg-laying chickens are too old to be productive, they are often sold as meat; and since male calves do not produce milk, they usually are raised for veal or other products.  Some people avoid these items because of conditions associated with their production.

The main reason I'm doing this is for my health, I've lived a vegan lifestyle before and honestly that has been the best I have ever felt.  But it also feels pretty darn good to choose this lifestyle to promote a more humane and caring world.  I know that I am not perfect by I believe I have a responsibility to try to do my best, while not being judgemental of others.

The key to a nutritionally sound vegan diet is variety.  A heathy and varied vegan diet includes fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds and legumes.  And for me I will still include some eggs.  I have chooks at home, I know how they are being treated and I know what they are being fed, and I am content that they live in a great environment.

If you will be joining me on this challenge.  Take some time before hand to become clear on why you are wanting to embark on this challenge.  Also work out what you want to achieve at the end of your 42 days.  Because if you are not clear in the beginning it will be easier for you not to stick to it and fall back on old bad habits.

Why not follow me on my instagram account for photos of meals and I'll also be loading a heap of recipes up on the blog to give you heaps of ideas and keep you going.  I'll also keep a bit of a online journal of my progress if you are interested in it.  I'll also track down some inspiring vegans and have a chat to them about they reasons for choosing this lifestyle and the positive way it has impacted their lives.

What an exciting way to start Autumn.  Hope you have a great Saturday!

Nic
x

Perfectly Cooked Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

Quinoa pronounced keen - wah.

A must for all healthy contemporary diets, quinoa is a protein-packed grain that cooks quickly and is a wonderful canvas for all sorts of add-ins and dressings.  Annoyed with pot after pot of water or overcooked quinoa, I finally stumbled across a method that is sure to make perfect quinoa every time.  The secret is always use a less-than-two-to-one ratio of water to quinoa and tuck paper towel between the pot and the lid while the quinoa is resting.

This mixed pot of quinoa and roast veggies is the perfect warm summer salad to share with friends, or  make a batch up on a Sunday and use for lunches throughout the week.

So this is how it's done:

First choose your veggies, I used:

- Zucchini
- Capsicum
- Beetroot
- Sweet Potato
- Coconut oil
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Thyme

Peel and roughly chop your veggies into cubes.  Spread them out evenly on a baking tray, scatter a little of the herbs over them, and drizzle a little oil over the top.  Place veggies into a 180 degree C oven for around 20-30mins.

While this is cooking make the quinoa, this is how it's done:

1 Cup Quinoa
1 & 3/4 Cup Water
Coarse Sea Salt

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer (although this may sound like an unnecessary step, it really makes a huge difference in flavour, since quinoa's natural coating tastes like soap).

Place it in a pot set over high heat with the water and a big pinch of salt.  Bring the quinoa to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa's germs look like lots of little spirals, 12 to 15 minutes.  Turn the heat off, place a dry paper towel between the pot and the lid, and let the quinoa sit for at least 5 minutes before giving it a fluff with a fork.

Enjoy, the most lightest fluffiest quinoa you've ever made.  Let me know how it goes for you in the comments below.

If you love cooking healthy treats for all your friends and family, and you live in a close vicinity to Brisbane, come along to my Pot Luck Instameet in the Park next Saturday the 15th Febuary.  Check out the details in my post found here.  Ash and I would love to meet you there!

Nicole

xx

Beet Green Juice

Good morning, gorgeous!

What better way to start you day than with a glass full of fresh fruit and vegetables.  This is what I woke up with this morning and it was so delicious.  This combination of power-house foods and flavours is sure to wake you up and give you the kick-start you need to go play in the park, or swim in the ocean or kite surf.  Hey, it's summer - and having fun requires lots of health energy!

The stars of this mornings juice are kale and a beetroot.

Beetroots have a cleansing effect on the liver and can be used to treat liver maladies, kidney stones, and disorders of the gallbladder, stomach and intestines.  Beets also aid digestion and the lymphatic system.

Kale packs more nutritional punch per calorie than almost any other food on the planet.  It is loaded with vitamin K, an essential vitamin for preventing bone fractures, postmenopausal bone loss, calcification of your arteries and has even been shown to protect against liver and prostate cancer.  It is also a very good source of vitamin A, C, B6, manganese, dietary finer, calcium, copper and potassium.  This combination of vitamins and minerals makes kale a health superstar, for real.

You'll need a juicer to make this one.

Ingredients

1 Apple - Cored, cut in half

1 Pear - Cored, cut in half

1 Beetroot - Ends off, cut in half

1 Bunch Kale, ends off

1 Cucumber, ends off, cut in half

Put through your juicer and enjoy with ice!

Remember to by organic where possible.

Nicole

xx

Potluck Picnic Party - You're Invited

When two great minds get together, magic happens!

I've recently been working with Ash from Wholesome Living Blog to put together our first ever Potluck Picnic in the park Instameet.  If you are reading this post and can get to New Farm Park on Saturday the 15th of February, then you are most welcome to come along!

Bring along your favourite healthy dish or dessert, something to drink (no booze), your own plates, cups, cutlery, serving utensils, and a blanket.

Friends and family are welcome (but everyone who attends should bring a healthy dish, please)!

The event will be held in New Farm Park down near the river at the bottom of Brunswick Street.

To keep updated on this event, make sure you follow either Ash or myself on Instagram, Facebook or check back on this blog.

I can't wait to meet, connect and share delicious healthy food with everyone!

See you there!

Nicole xx

Not your traditional porridge

I love making this raw porridge for breakfast.  It's a light and refreshing way to start these hot summer days.  No baking required this is a fully raw and healthy meal packed full of vitamins and minerals and it is a filling and satisfying dish that won't leave a heavy feeling in your body.

I put cinnamon on a lot of my food, it's great for regulating blood sugar levels and the ground flaxseed are rich in antioxidants, B vitamins, dietary fibre, protein, potassium and omega-3 fatty acids.

Here is the recipe:

1 pear, chopped into large pieces
1 banana, broken into large pieces
1 apple, chopped into large pieces
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of flaxseed

1. First put the pear into the food processor / blender; then add the banana and then the apple.  Blending the fruit in this order prevents the mixture from getting too sticky.
2. Sprinkle the cinnamon and flaxseed over the mixture.

I try to always buy organic where possible.

Hope you enjoy this delightful breakfast treat; let me know if the comments below if you give this one a try.

Nicole x

Zucchini Carbonara for Dinner

How does zucchini carbonara sound for dinner??  Sounds like it would be an amazing idea!

Seriously zucchini spaghetti is such a great alternative to pasta.  It cuts out all the bad carbohydrates and leaves you with a full belly and a smile from ear to ear knowing that you just ate something that tastes as good as it is for your body.

Why Zucchini - well its a great source of potassium, rich in vitamin A and contains minerals like iron, manganese and zinc.  Also it is one of the very low calorie vegetables, providing only 17 calories per 100g.  Try to leave the peel on as it is a great source of dietary fibre.

Ingredients:

Zucchini

Sundried Tomatoes

Goats Cheese

Garlic (crushed)

Salt and Pepper

Snow Pea Sprouts

Egg

Coconut Oil (or your cooking oil of choice)

(You can include all your favourite veggies, mix and match as much as you like)

(Try to use organic ingredients where possible)

Method:

- Start by heating a little oil in the pan.  Add in the garlic and salt and pepper heat for around 2-3 mins

- Add in the zucchini, cook on its own for around 2 mins or until it starts to soften

- Throw in the goats cheers, sundered tomatoes and snow pea sprouts

- In a bowl whisk the egg

- Slide all the food over to one side of the fry pan and pour in the whisked egg (as image above).  Allow the egg to cook through slightly before stirring everything together.  The egg gives the meal that creamy texture.

- Serve and enjoy!!

Why not give this healthy meal a try tomorrow evening.  Let me know how it goes for you.

Nicole xx