raw food from foggy londontown

Hello from foggy Londontown! I've been here with my twin sister and brother-in-law for one week already and as the weather warms up in my hometown Melbourne, let me tell you, it is becoming colder, wetter and windier here in London.

Saying goodbye to my parents at the Melbourne airport

Despite this, I am well! Travelling is hard on anybody so I am learning how to maintain my self-care as I travel. Why is this important? Like most people, I want to be able to enjoy my holiday and make the most of my far-and-away adventures! And I am!

Happy home; happy heart

Everyday I am posting an Instagram photo so that family and friends (and strangers!) can follow my travels while I am here in Europe. You can also find my travel photos on Facebook or follow my page here for notifications of blog posts. 

Heal the gut, heal the body - drinking kombucha & eating sauerkraut

raw vegetable curry with cauliflower rice

vegetable curry

seasonal vegetables, roughly chopped

chickpeas, cooked or sprouted

fresh green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach)

handful of activated almonds, chopped

marinara sauce with garam masala, to taste

cauliflower rice

1/2 head cauliflower

1/4 cup dried desiccated coconut

fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Blend the marinara sauce (add the garam masala according to taste) in a high-powered blender and toss with the prepared seasonal vegetables, chickpeas, greens and almonds. Process the cauliflower in a food processor (or high-powered blender) until the texture is grainy like rice, and combine with the desiccated coconut and fresh mint. Warm up the dish in a dehydrator or an oven on the lowest setting with the door ajar. Serves 4.

Bon appétit!

My local health food store, oh yeah!

Christmas carols service at Hillsong London

And finally, I'd like to sign off by wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas this year. As we celebrate with our loved ones let us remember to be thankful for the best gift of all at Christmas - a baby in a manger, the Lord Jesus Christ!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6, ESV). 

my health coaching

This time next week I'll be London bound. I'm both super excited and surprisingly relaxed about my travels abroad for six weeks over Christmas and New Years. As the teaching term winds down and my suitcase begins to overflow with things I won't need, I'm looking forward to the year to come and thought I'd share with you a little about what I'll be focussing my time and energy on during 2014 - my new endeavour; my health coaching.

Ready for Summer but heading to another Winter… and a white Christmas! (Maybe?)

I've talked about my health coaching studies at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition on this blog before but being a relatively new field of work in the healthcare industry many are left wondering as to what exactly is a health coach? Great question! I'm here to burst your bubble of wonderment and give you the lowdown on health coaching. All you need to know… and all your loved ones may need to know if ever they are in need of a health coach.

Here is how the Institute for Integrative Nutrition defines what health coaching is…

A health coach offers guidance and inspiration to help clients shift their behaviour to healthier habits by making step-by-step changes to their diet and lifestyle. The client learns about new, healthy foods and the concept of primary foods: relationships, physical activity, career, and spirituality. As a result of this partnership, clients develop a deeper understanding of the foods and lifestyle choices that work best for them, and implement lasting changes that improve their energy, balance and health.

Basically, a health coach is an ally for you and your health in body, soul and spirit. A health coach may specialise in a certain area such as food cravings, weight management, improved energy, sleep or digestion, and usually they focus on helping a certain group of people such as young professionals or mothers, for example. Before I even enrolled for the course, I found that I'd naturally become an ally for my friends and family, and their health. Out of the depths of my own story - my road to recovery from a debilitating chronic illness - my new career path found me.

Health coaching takes a holistic approach to diet and lifestyle, and a coach empowers the client in their journey to better health by providing support, resources and more. Clients are led through a 6-month program, which includes:

• Two 50-minute appointments each month for six months, which will include discussion of the client's progress, recommendations, and a full set of notes.
• A variety of handouts, recipes, books, foods, and other materials.
• Email support between sessions.
• Monthly special events like a health food store tour and group discussions related to health and wellness. 
• An invitation to bring guests to the special events.

Health is a vehicle for your life. The state of your health can enable or disable you. A health coach is an ally not only for better health but a better life. I'll be starting to see clients in July next year (at least, that's my plan at the moment!) and I'll be setting up a website where you can find out more about my health coaching practice, to come soon in early 2014. Please keep me in your prayers and thoughts as I embark on this new endeavour. I greatly appreciate your support more than I can express, and I extend to you, my dear readers, my sincere thanks for tuning in and being part of my journey. 

My next blog post will be coming to you from foggy Londontown. I'll be writing a fun collection of posts on food, travel and the new year. 

In the meantime, you can connect with me on Facebook. I look forward to hearing from you! xx

top ten superfoods

Superfoods. What are they? According to this blog post superfoods paired with super thinking is a recipe essential for maintaining a super brain. But what exactly classifies a superfood? In the wellness world the term superfood is used zealously but there is still confusion about what is and what is not a superfood.

My health coach training course at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, from which I'll graduate in June 2014, has covered the topic of superfoods and the list I'm sharing with you now is set forth in the course by David Wolfe. So… get comfortable, brew your herbal tea, and prepare for clarity to come…

Superfoods are a class of the most potent, super-concentrated, and nutrient-rich foods on the planet. Superfoods have the ability to tremendously increase the vital force and energy of one's body, and are the optimum choice for improving overall health - boosting the immune system, elevating serotonin production, enhancing sexuality, cleansing, lowering inflammation, and alkalising the body.

one. cacao (raw chocolate). The seed/nut of a fruit of an Amazonian tree, cacao is the highest antioxidant food on the planet, the #1 source of antioxidants, magnesium, iron, manganese, and chromium. It is also extremely high in PEA, theobromine (cardiovascular support), and anandamine ("bliss chemical"). Raw chocolate improves cardiovascular health, builds strong bones, is a natural aphrodisiac, elevates your mood and energy, and increases longevity. 

two. goji berries (wolfberries). Used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 5,000 years, goji berries are regarded as a longevity, strength-building, and potency food of the highest order. This superfoods contains 18 kinds of amino acids, including all eight essential amino acids, up to 21 trace minerals, high amounts of antioxidants, iron, polysaccharides, B & E vitamins, and many other nutrients. 

three. maca. A staple in the Peruvian Andes for thousands of years, this adaptogenic superfood increases energy, endurance, strength, and libido. Dried maca powder contains more than 10% protein and nearly 20 amino acids - including seven essential amino acids. 

four. hemp products (eaten in raw form). Hemp seeds are packed with 33% pure digestible protein, and are rich in iron, amino acids, and vitamin E as well as omega-3's and GLA. Hemp is a perfect food for growing children and adults looking to increase protein intake. 

five. spirulina and AFA blue-green algae. Spirulina is the world's highest source of complete protein (65%). Spirulina provides a vast array of minerals, trace elements, phytonutrients, and enzymes. AFA blue-green algae is a wild-grown superfood that is made up of 15% blue pigmented phycocyanin which, according to Christian Drapeau in his book Primordial Food, increases our internal production of stem cells. Both spirulina and blue-green algae are vital superfoods. 

six. bee products (honey, pollen, and propolis). Bee pollen contains nearly all B vitamins especially vitamin B-9 (folate) and all 21 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. Honey, in its organic/wild, raw, unfiltered states is rich in minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, and enzymes, and is one of the highest vibration foods on the planet. If your metabolism can handle sweeteners, honey is the best. Russian research indicates that honey is a longevity superfood. 

seven. camu berry. Camu berry is one of the highest vitamin C sources on the planet, second only to the Gubinge, the Kimberley version of the Kakadu Plum from Australia - our very own superfood! The camu berry is great for rebuilding tissue, purifying blood, and enhancing immunity and energy. Camu berry is one of the best anti-depressants, immune building, and eye-nourishing superfoods in the world. 

eight. sea vegetables (kelp, dulse, nori, etc). Rich in life-giving nutrients drawn in from the ocean and sun, sea vegetables help remove heavy metals, detoxify the body of radioactive iodine, provide numerous trace minerals, regulate immunity, and decrease the risk of cancer. Seaweeds benefit the entire body, and are especially excellent for the thyroid, immune system, adrenals, and hormone function.

nine. medicinal mushrooms (reishi, chaga, etc). High in polysaccharides and super immune enhancing components, medicinal mushrooms are one of the most intelligent adaptogenic herb/superfoods on the planet! They have also been proven effective in healing cancer and a variety of other ailments. 

ten. additional superfoods & supplements:

• MSM
• Digestive and Metabolic Enzymes
• Mangosteen Powder
• Marine Phytoplankton
• Activated Liquid Zeolite
• Ormus
• MegaHydrate
• Crystal Energy
• Krill Oil (not vegan, lowest on the food-chain, a source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids)

On the news front… please check out my new Facebook page and stay tuned for my health coaching website coming soon in 2014! X