One of the questions I get asked a lot is about eating out, so I have put together the most nutritious options when eating out.

You have probably heard the term mindfulness a lot. It is a bit of a buzz word at the moment and you may be wondering what it is all about, and how it can improve your health and wellbeing.

When we eat quickly, watch TV, read, or work during mealtimes it is hard for us to hear when we are full. In order to experience fullness and contentment after our meals and snacks, we need to eat when we aren't too hungry and what we truly want and need without distraction. Feeling fullness can be challenging. We are conditioned from a young age to finish everything on our plate! It takes time and practice. 

I used to categorize foods as “good” or “bad” and I had a long list of foods that I told myself that I wasn’t allowed to eat. Food is just food; no moral judgements should be placed on food. Of course, some foods are more nutrient dense than others but labelling foods “good” or “bad” and depriving ourselves of certain foods only leads us to obsessive food thoughts, cravings, overeating and binging.

It’s been a while since I got creative with one of my food as medicine recipes, and as I was craving cookies, I decided it was time to get baking again! As with my other recipes, I have included lots of functional foods- namely chia seeds, maca powder, peanut butter, cacao, ginger and rolled oats. If you would like to read the history of these therapeutic foods, as well as their healing benefits, then check out my food as medicine blog here. These cookies turned out really well and were delicious. If you would like them crunchier, I would recommend adding some chopped nuts. This recipe made 16 small cookies.

One of the things that played a significant role in my recovery from my ED was being out in nature. It is hard to explain how it made me feel, but it was almost that my problems didn’t feel as extensive when I was enclosed in such vast and beautiful surroundings. Even though there were days that I didn’t want to leave the house, I would force myself to get out and take a walk on the beach or head down to a national park on the weekend. Afterwards, I always felt like I was making a small step closer towards recovery.

When we are physically sick, or hurt ourselves, we go to the doctor, and we rest until we get better. Unfortunately, when we are emotionally unwell, we don’t seem to think that we need to take the same steps.

I get asked a lot for easy and nutritious breakfast ideas so here are my top 5 easy breakfasts that are delicious too!

Gut health is a huge topic in the health and wellness world, and we can’t scroll through our news feed without tips on how to achieve optimal gut health. Ultimately, gut health is rather complex, and science is still trying to uncover its vastness. In fact, it is so big that if we laid out our digestive system it would cover an entire tennis court! Crazy eh! We would literally be here until next year if we tried to explain all things gut health, so we are going to focus on one of the areas that can cause disarray to our guts:  Stress.

I don’t know about you, but one of my favourite winter breakfasts is porridge. It is so comforting and warming on a cold morning, and it is delicious too! In keeping with the food is medicine theme, I created this scrumptious delight.

The world of nutrition can be overwhelming and confusing - there's so much information out there, it’s hard to know what to believe or where to start. The most important thing to remember is that you are unique and your body works differently to everyone else. Tuning into your body and eating in a way that is intuitive, pleasurable, nourishing and satisfying is key.  Making food choices based on health and how they make you feel also plays a part, and as some foods are more nutrient dense than others, consuming these means you're getting more bang for your buck. These foods may also help with bloating, tiredness and energy levels. 

In this post I've chosen to share the more nutrient dense options. This doesn’t mean these foods are more superior than other foods - food is just food, after all -  they are all emotionally equivalent, however, some foods are just more nutritious than others. I like to refer to  less nutritious foods as 'play' foods, and as we all need play in our life, we also need play foods. It's all about balance :)

I have never made Fudge before, so I was excited to give it a crack. After Googling some basic fudge recipes, I got creative in the kitchen and came up with this concoction and it literally is one of the best things I have ever made! It does need to be kept in the freezer or fridge as it melts very quickly! I used my favourite functional foods cinnamon, maca powder, turmeric, ginger, peanuts and cacao.

Autumn in Sydney brings us Broccoli, Pumpkin, Potatoes, Kiwi Fruit and Bok Choy.  I like to eat seasonally when I can as it is lower in cost, tastier and has a much higher nutrient content as the produce is freshly picked and hasn’t had to travel as far. Here is an outline of the some of the ingredients and their nutritional benefits.

I’m a big fan of sweet and savoury dishes (I’m a pineapple on your pizza girl!) and I was craving food that was warm and nourishing, but that also had a hint of sweetness.  

Growing up in the UK I was very spoilt with delicious curries and I always struggle to find a good curry here in Sydney. One of my favourite curries is Butter Chicken, but restaurant versions can be made with a lot of vegetable oil.  One rainy afternoon I had a real craving for a good old curry and decided to experiment with all the ingredients in my house. I ended up making one of my best dishes!

One of my favourite superfoods is turmeric. Its history lies in India and Southeast Asia, where it has been used in cooking, and for its therapeutic benefits for thousands of years, particularly in Ayurvedic medicine.

These protein bars are super easy to make and are delicious! Unlike many of the store-bought protein bars, these are completely natural. They are also great to have pre or post-workout, as the banana is full of potassium, manganese and carbohydrates, which aids muscle function, bone development, metabolism and provides energy...

As 2018 begins, you might be contemplating some new year resolutions. But did you know that 22% of resolutions fail after the first week, 40% after the first month, and 60% after just 6 months? If you would like to start the new year on the right track and successfully achieve your resolutions this year, then this guide is especially for you!

These brownies are so good to make on a rainy afternoon or for an afternoon sweet treat. This one is made with a heap of healing foods-  chia seeds, linseeds, maca powder, cinnamon, ginger, nut butter and cacao- with lots of creamy coconut goodness thrown in.