Feel Good Friday

I have a philosophy...........if you're going to eat chocolate, drink red wine or have a coffee.........rather have a product of superb quality - and pay a bit more for it if need be.  Have it in moderation and it will be guaranteed to not only taste sensational and be super satisfying......but be much better for your body. Quality my friends....much better than quantity.

So, ironically although I have commenced a 7 week health kick this week which involves giving my daily coffee date the boot, I have some recommendations of some fantastic coffee shops in Melbourne.  I have been on a mission and look out for fantastic spots with delicious (fair trade and organic - including good quality milk) brews.  

Just Planet........in Sunbury

Now that I am on the road a fair bit, travelling around Victoria visiting clients, I like to keep an eye out for new places that will become favourites of mine for the many times I visit.

Whilst on a client visit in Sunbury a few months ago I came across an organic and fair trade cafe (you can see a theme here right!?!) called Just Planet.  I made friends with the owners (who are delightful) and now I visit them every time.  They sell or sorts of beautiful things from homemade candles and journals to fair trade organic chocolate, coffees, organic pizza and much more. 

I sincerley recommend a visit.....and it's great to support a conscious business with a great cause in mind.

It's fab to go in, have a little shop, sit down for a coffee and chat with any of the lovely friendly staff or customers......or just read any of the health and community magazines around!!

http://justplanet.net/?cat=9

For a bit on the Community
http://justplanet.net/?cat=15

Coconut Water

Coconut water has been the ‘in’ thing over the last year or so; particularly with the likes of Madonna touting it’s benefits!!!  I became a fan as soon as I had a coconut (straight from the coconut) in Thailand......delish!!!  There are many benefits to drinking coconut water including that it is packed full of electrolytes and claims include that it is a near perfect match to human plasma!!

http://www.shvoong.com/medicine-and-health/1001092-benefits-coconut-water-read/

The drink is certainly tasty, and is assured to rehydrate you.  Coconut water is a cooling drink and is particularly beneficial it hot climates (or in summer) as well as for those people who are naturally hot......under the collar or just in general.  For those of us (me included) who tend to naturally be on the cool side (in the Indian Medicine branch called Ayurveda, this is referred to as Vata) then coconut water is best consumed in moderation.  For the Pitta amongst us.....drink up...........

A Rub in the Tub

Last night as I was home alone, out of red wine and chocolate, eating left overs and it was Friday night....shock horror, I was in need of a bit of a pamper.  So I ran a bath and tried out The 5^th Element Bath salts I bought recently. 

Having a Bath as I noted in my previous post is such a great way to unwind, relax and ease those muscles.  It's an especially great way of relieving tension around the neck and shoulders for us office folk, like you're very own rub in the tub.......well it will have to do until the day I have a live in masseuse at least!!

Having ran my bath and had a nice 15 minute soak I can vouch that the salts are fab.  The biggest attraction for me is that they look great (salts and packaging are luxurious) and the quality of the ingredients is superb.  For example, the ‘Roman Bath’ selection includes Highest Grade Epsom Salt, Organic Hand Harvested Celtic Ocean Sea Salt, Organic Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Pure Essential Oil of Lavender.....can you believe it!?!    You can tell they are authentic from the way they look (natural sea salt is most often grey and slightly damp) they are wet, coarse and smell divine.

Note to Self: Just RELAX

Every Friday there will be a 'Feel good Friday' post.  The first one starting today.  I am lucky enough to have my wonderful brother write a piece on relaxation.  He is the most chilled person I know, and he tells us how.....

One of the best things you can do to affect the way you feel is to learn how to relax.

It’s good to try and relax and remember ourselves throughout the day as often as possible.

Everything in life is easier to do when we are relaxed.

Many studies have been done on the benefits of relaxing: More energy, better sleep, better health, smoother emotions, better blood circulation…

If you like to look to nature for your examples, the animals that live the longest like the Elephant, tortoise, eagle, they all take their time and they are relaxed. They’re brilliant at conserving their energy and are very graceful in doing so.

So how can we become more relaxed?

The way you breathe can have a big impact on how relaxed your mind and body feel.

Most people don’t breathe particularly well. 

Just take a moment to notice how you are breathing now?

- Do you breathe deeply? Is your breath shallow?

- Do you breathe through your nose? Your mouth?

- Does your chest move?  Is it your stomach that moves? Maybe it’s both.

It’s said 90% of people have shallow breaths.

When your breath is shallow, you are sending a signal to your brain saying you are in an emergency which can make you feel like you’re in ‘fight or flight mode’.

Breathing in through your nose send’s a signal to say you are relaxed where as breathing in through your mouth can again put you into fight or flight mode.

You can change the way you feel with the way you breathe.

So to help with relaxing yourself, try to breathe a bit more deeply, it’s not that you have to take huge deep breathes every time, or have some complex breathing technique. Just focus on getting a little more oxygen into your body.

Stressful situations will feel a lot more relaxed if you breathe more deeply.

For the next couple of day’s see if you can affect the way you feel with better breathing.

P.S

Just RELAX J

Exercise hmmmm

Exercise

Exercise....love it or hate it lets face it.....it’s good for us.  The benefits of exercise are well documented, the list of improvements it provides is long......so why do some take to it like a duck to water and others dabble as if hoping it will have gotten easier, and then there are those who refuse point blank.  I have fallen into all of these categories at some point.  The simple fact is that I have a goal in mind, I want to go all out to achieve it, and without fail.....I fail.....having given up at the first sign of a sweat bead!!!

Change the method

However.....I have recently found another way.  Having happily beaten my head against the same brick wall....and not achieved any of my fitness goals.  I decided that the method I was using i.e. join gym / yoga studio / spin class was clearly not the answer.....the pebble dashed butt and thighs a testament....and so I finally got the picture.......IF YOU’RE NOT GETTING THE RESULT, YOU GOTTA CHANGE SOMETHING!!  And my lovelies....I think I have found the answers.

The answer

There’s not a lot to it really, it only involves the following......pick something you really enjoy doing and in the context you enjoy doing it.  I understand that gyms, personal trainers and yoga studios are useful.  They teach you what you need to know.  But they are also there as a business venture, and they aren’t the ONLY way to get fit.  We really can achieve quite a lot on our own fellow fitness bunnies (of the future), we just have to love what we do and do what we love. 

What worked for me

So, I decided that I love yoga, walking and did enjoy my body pump class at the gym.  The drawback with the yoga for me was that the travel to and from the gym and studio was a hassle, took up too much time and I often left the yoga studio with my tail between my legs having been surrounded by a group of human pretzels and finding that 2 years into my yoga ‘career’ I still need a bend in my knees in order to touch my toes!!!

The answer.....I would exercise every day, picking whichever type I feel like and in a rough order to rotate the chosen approach and do it myself...at home.  To make it enjoyable I have picked motivating music and the benefit of doing it by myself at home is: it’s relaxing; I get to pick the music (doof doof doof no more.....Shania Twain and Foo Fighters get in!!) and I can do it on my time.....and save on travel!!!

And it’s working.  Every day I have taken to either: yoga; a walk; a song full of squats, lunges, warm up stretches.  And, all of this because I enjoy each one and I have picked a way to love them as I’m doing it.  Just add good music, a good setting for the walk (beach, houses, lake), a friend to do it with, candles (for the yoga).....be creative.

As with anything you can experience a lull after the initial novelty has worn off.  The key is to push through this with activity i.e. just keep doing something and before you know it you’re hooked!!  Also remember, 10 minutes exercise is better than nothing......don’t set yourself a ‘I must do 60 minutes of push ups’ only to either not even start, or to give up in 5 measly minutes!!  Just start and I guarantee you’ll go for longer than expected.

I will keep you updated on the results.  So far so good.......bring on those toned thighs!! J

P.S.  Just try doing some exercise and notice the effects.  Ever felt irritated?  Does someone ever rub you up the wrong way?  WELL, on occasion when I get grumpy and want to shove a rocket up someone’s XYZ, I use going for a walk as therapy.  I have found if I walk for at least 20-30 minutes I start to feel better, more chilled, and less bothered.  After about 40 minutes I am totally blissed.  I don’t care anymore about the thing that was bothering me, or I can see the lighter side....bigger picture................ and am happy to put the knives back in the holder...........go on, give it a try!! 

Last note

Very important – pick what you like...or even better, love.  If doing some yoga makes you fall asleep on the spot with boredom......go for a run, cycle, swim....the possibilities are endless....and I am SURE there is something you quite like J even just a little. xx

Chicken Soup for the Soul!!

Cooking Breakthrough

I’m ecstatic because I think I may have had my first cooking break through!!  Healthy food that tastes good.  I think it’s really important to have home cooked yummy food.  One of the main reasons being that you see what you put in it and can source good ingredients!!  I have been really struggling the last few years with ideas and being able to figure out how on earth I just ‘throw’ something together and make it taste good.  WELL!!!  I have realised that recipes are a pain.  I don’t like being so dictated to and I find it stressful.  I mean how many recipes am I going to have to remember to make it through Monday to Friday......maybe I’m the only one but arrgggghhhh figuring out what to cook every day has been driving me insane!!

So.  Today I googled for a bulk standard chicken and vegetable soup recipe.  Having got the framework I thought it looked a little tasteless and thanks to my South African boy.....I know that taste is pretty important (as I can often be found eating all sorts of dish water tasting serves because it’s either healthy or I don’t know better).   It’s great to have to have recipe books (especially Stephanie Alexander’s who’s recipes turn out flawless and delicious every time http://www.stephaniealexander.com.au/http://www.stephaniealexander.com.au/), but in my opinion I think they are for the special playful occasions.  I’m a bit over flicking through a book or searching online and then having to buy specific ingredients.  I want to Keep It Super Simple (my interpretation of K.I.S.S.)!!

So here are my chicken soup recommendation, WHICH I am sure is good as ‘the boy’ turned up his nose at the idea of chicken soup and exclaimed ‘South African’s don’t eat soup, that’s an English thing’.....and I have just seen him inhale a big bowl full......RESULT!!!  He is my guinea pig for taste and I know I have the health side covered.  Great team!

My advice is to use the recipe below as a skeleton / framework along with the notes underneath and change it up depending on what veggies are in season and what herbs you fancy!!  Enjoy.

Chicken Soup Ingredients

·         Tablespoon of oil and a knob of butter (I prefer to use cold pressed sesame oil or olive oil)

·         2 garlic cloves chopped into small pieces

·         Half a medium sized red chilli

·         1 ½ teaspoon of dried parsley

·         1 teaspoon of dried thyme or a couple of sprigs of fresh

·         Leek or brown onion diced

·         Large carrot diced

·         2 sticks of celery diced

·         2 zucchini (courgette) diced

·         1 swede or turnip diced

·         1 can of cannellini (butter) beans

·         1 cup of dried red lentils (very small ones)

·         1 litres of chicken stock and a couple of cups of cold water

·         1kg skinned chicken (inc) bones or 750g of chicken meat if not including bones.

Method

1.       Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.  Add leek and heat through for a couple of minutes until the leeks soften.  Add the garlic and chilli and heat through for a couple more minutes.  Add the chicken and brown on all sides. 

2.       Once the chicken is brown, add the celery, carrots, swede / turnip, zucchini, beans and lentils, stir around in all the juices.  Add the stock and the extra water if required, enough to cover the ingredients so just a few are poking out through the top.  Bring to the boil on a medium to high heat, then turn down to simmer on a medium to low heat for an hour or until the carrots (or root vegetables) are cooked through.

3.       You can take about half the soup out (preferably the bits without the meat) and use a hand blender to wizz...this brings about a lovely creamy consistency.  Then you can take the pieces of meat out and chop up and put back in to the soup (the meat was so tender I didn’t even bother with this). 

4.       Add salt and pepper to taste or dulse flakes when you eat it.  Serve up with yummy crusty bread and butter.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/705/hearty+chicken+and+vegetable+soup

The above website is what I based the recipe on and just used the beans and lentils I wanted instead of dry soup mix.  I also added chilli and the herbs for flavour.  Thyme and parsley in particular go well with chicken, as well as garlic and chilli.

Soup Basics

Here’s the key, you can use leeks or onions interchangeably, depending on the time of year: carrots, swede; turnip; sweet potato; pumpkin; butternut squash etc... even potatoes, go for whatever you have and just go by the rough quantities above.  Use a can of whatever beans you like, I love butter beans.  The idea for the beans is that when you blend some of the soup later it makes it creamy.  A cup of dried lentils is good, the smaller the better as they cook super quick.  I have bought my stock from Jock’s Ice Cream parlour in Albert Park http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1424015/restaurant/Victoria/Jocks-Icecream-Albert-Park. 

It’s all organic and I am paying for the convenience!

The basic steps are, fry leeks / onions / garlic / chilli first, add meat and brown, then add all the rest of the veggies / beans, cover with stock / water, bring to the boil then turn down the heat to simmer for an hour.  How easy is that??

Fun Fact

Did you know that before 1963 Australians ate 4.4kg of chicken per person per year, in 2005 it was 32.5kg per person per year!!  Maybe quality is better than quantity.  Could it be worth paying more for something that is a better bird?  Who want an imposter after all he he

Organisation and get rid of the clutter!!!

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” - Albert Einstein

Confessing to being a bit of a hoarder and finding that I was constantly living in a muddle (could never find my keys ring a bell?) for the past 29 sweet years I have been on an endeavour to haul myself into a realm of perfect orderliness.......those that know me have just choked on their coffee, sniggered and guffawed!!!  Fear not I shall soldier on.

I have found (through months of agony and struggle....LITERALLY) that it is exceedingly difficult to change a habit.  Well I have found anyway, especially if the habit is 27 years ingrained.....

I ought to add quickly that having met my partner who is super organised and tidy (a Virgo....need I continue) that I have chosen organisation over constant nagging because the Aries in me likes a good challenge and cannot stand to be told anything other than that I am wonderful!!  So here are my top two tips that have changed my life (in the organisation section......) leaps and bounds.

Don’t double handle

This means, that when you walk in the door, don’t put your handbag or scarf down somewhere knowing you will need to pick it up later and put it back in its place (assuming you have a place for things which I highly recommend) later.  DO IT NOW!  Honestly, taking the hit gets it out of the (your) way and you can forget about it.  It also means that if you pick something up to put away, don’t put it down somewhere else before it gets to its home.  Put it straight back away and life will be that little easier.  I consciously remind myself of this and it is a fab trick!!

A Declutter Blast

Undertake a 15 minute declutter blast.  Tidying and organising is something we often launch into with gusto and vigour and find that it doesn’t take long to wonder where the wind in our sails has gone.  Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.  Little and often wins the race.  So when you feel like a declutter (which is wonderful for clarity of mind and makes life so much easier) pick a cupboard or a draw or a clothes rack.  Work through it, organise, throw out, recycle etc.... and be done with that job.....go off and have a sit down and a read of a good book or something more thrilling and finish with it for that day.  When you feel the next buzz....go again!!  Before you know it you will live in what resembles the northeast wing of Buckingham Palace.....or something like that ;)

Let me know how you go.....xx

Meat - Kind and Delish!!

This article is in review of Organic Meat Specialists TOMS butchers in Melbourne.  Now that winter is here in Melbourne and I have resigned to walking around looking like a cardboard cut out with my shoulders brushing my earlobes (good excuse to book in a regular massage!!) I have been looking for ways to keep warm!!  Exercise is a great one to heat up internally, also taking a bath, hot drinks and my trusty hot water bottle (classy and hip I know!!)  Another great idea to stoke the internal fire is food!!  I love love love food, and it really does help keep you warm.  Especially adding some nice chilli and spices to dishes.  Recently my partner and I have been making use of the slow cooker (which had until the last couple of weeks been tucked away in a cupboard forgotten about).  WELL!!!  I have discovered that slow cooking is not only pretty effortless (browing onions and meat is all there is to it) and great for organisation (you can cook enough for 6-8 and freeze some) it's also delicious!!!

I am  largely a fish and veggie consumer as I really love veggies.  However, I think some tasty meat dishes now and again is all good.  As I care about where my food is sourced (to be kind to the animals, planet and because the quality is just better amongst many other benefits to checking where your food is sourced!!) I have found a fantastic Butchers in South Melbourne market called T.O.M.S.

A few weeks ago I purchased my meat at T.O.M.S. I have bought meat there before and as always the staff are friendly and knowledgeable about their product. The good old days of a profession in retail have been somewhat lost and I think that a sales assistant who knows their stuff and is passionate about the product is a delight to be doing business with. I asked for Beef Chuck and they went to check if they had any out back (nothing was too much trouble).  Although they had run out of chuck they were very helpful regarding suggestions and alternatives and I came away with a nice couple of Beef Cheeks for the dish!!! The 2kg in the recipe was probably a little over zealous, however with the South African partner of mine....it's probably about right!! :)

Now with most organic products yes they are more expensive. However, on face value, choosing a cheaper alternative is a false economy (nutrition, environmental costs, value for money etc..). The website has information on why choosing organic and grass fed meat is better. In summary from my perspective, it's healthier, it's tastier, kinder to animals and the planet and a smaller amount of better quality meat is better than a lot of poor quality equivalent!! So for $30 we will make enough for 6 portions, that's two dinners and one lot in the freezer!!! Beautiful.

Try T.O.M.S.....bring back that relationship with the butcher!!! :) Or if you are not in Melbourne in the Port Philip area look for your own Butcher!!
http://www.toms.net.au/

Miraculous Bath Salts!!

I have been collecting Bath Salts lately.  Salts that are really good quality, premium epsom salts with rose petals, essential oils and all sorts in.  Last night I tried the Magnesium Miracle Salts (the Detox and Recovery blend).  My body ached and I felt like I needed some tender loving care!!!

I would certainly recommend them as the smell (althought potent so it's worth checking in with your personal preferences) really lasted and I like to soak in the bath smelling the aromas which all helps with the relaxation.  In all fairness i'm not sure if it has assisted with the detoxing, however I did feel relaxed afterwards and they had certainly helped alleviate a monkey mind.  Be it the Bath or the Salts.....get yourself some sensual salts and enjoy!!!

We all need to take time out and rejuvenate now and again and already do this far far less than we should.  Spending some quality time on yourself is better for productivity, clarity of mind and probably for everyone else around you :)  So go and do whatever it takes to get some peace of mind!!  :)

To view them online I am not necessarily recommending this website, I have just quickly googled.  To date I have purchased the salts in gift shops or health food shops and found the cost for this brand ranging from $8 to $17 (for the same product) so keep your eye out.

http://www.powersuperfoods.com.au/magnesium-miracle-soak.html