I have been working with an amazing client Alicia for over a year now. She is such a delight to work with, taking the programs I develop for her and embracing them in every way.

If you have ever thought that you might like to try a detox program, lifestyle program or wellness program, but don’t know what to expect, here is a little more about Alicia and her experiences with Nourish Your Soul…

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Alicia: tell us about why you choose to take a detox?
I was feeling lousy in the body and mind and knew I needed to make some serious changes. I had addictions that were hard to crack like chocolate and coffee and needed to shock my body back into a healthy state.

What did your detox encompass?
Green smoothies, veggies and salads initially, then incorporating some more protein the second time around.

What did you like and not like about your program?
I loved the results - how it made me feel after about a week, my increase in energy levels and how it curbed my sugar habits. I had issues with cutting out coffee and it took a bit of getting used to initially.

Was it worth the things you didn’t like?
Absolutely

How did it make you feel? (day 1, week 1,2,3,4, last day)
Day 1 - crap but inspired; week 1,2,3,4 - great!; last day - what last day? I don’t think I have had this yet - my detox sort of evolved into a lifestyle change and smarter choices. I still have the off day/s but I know I can help these with some great veggie juice and healthy choices and get back into balance.

Did you lose any weight on your program?
Yes - about 7kgs over about 4 months following my initial detox

What were your initial goals? Did you achieve them?
I wanted more energy and to get out of a ‘rut’ - yes definitely!

How did you stay motivated?
My husband helped by doing some also and we both watched inspiring films like food matters, hungry for change and fat, sick and nearly dead etc.

Do you think your lifestyle changes will stick?
Yes - I live a much more balanced lifestyle now

How has the program affected family life?
It has had a positive affect on all of us!

Did your program fit with having a young family?
I have a very fussy nearly 5 year old so I often had to do separate meals for her, however she is slowly increasing her foods and incorporating more vegetables and salads. I have managed to sneak vital greens in her fresh OJ too!

What’s the best thing about working with NYS?
Jen is awesome. Someone who is passionate and knowledgeable and is able to tailor her approach to suit the needs of individuals. Something to aspire to Jen!

Would you use NYS again?
Absolutely - I see Jen as a key player in my ongoing nutrition and health learning. I know she will always be there for questions and advice, and I enjoy keeping up-to-date with blogs and posts.

We are now expecting our next baby. So I am over the moon. I strongly believe I have achieved this blessing by changing my lifestyle with my nutrition and also headspace - so thank you Jen!________________________________________________________________

Thank you Alicia, you inspire me so much!

This pudding rocks! Quinoa (keen-wah) is literally packed with protein, its baked with coconut milk, with hints of cinnamon and lightly sweetened with coconut sugar, sure does meet mama’s approval for the dinner table!

Theres alot to be said for quinoa. here are a few great facts…

Quinoa is a complete source of protein so it’s a great choice for those choosing a meat free diet. The main health benefits are found in the manganese present which is used in the body to activate enzymes to metabolise carbohdrates, lysine an amino acid important for the bodies production of collagen and lysine is also used in the absorption of calcium and finally it is a grain approved by diets such as body ecology, that looks to reduce candida causing foods…

INGREDIENTS
1 cup quinoa
1 tin coconut milk
1 cup rice milk
1 1/2 tablespoon coconut sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sultanas and vanilla yoghurt to serve.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Wash the quinoa, beware it filters through a sieve! Lesson learnt the hard way! I just used my hand to block the bowl and drained most of the water. Mix in all the ingredients I left the sultanas out to top the pudding before serving, but you could mix them in if you wanted to.

Transfer mixture to a loaf pan, the mixture is very wet, this is normal.

Bake for 35 minutes or until firm, once ready top with sultanas and serve straight away with a little vanilla yoghurt on the side.

This pudding will stay in the fridge for a few days, if it lasts that long! I am going to add shredded coconut and raspberries next week or perhaps some cacao for a chocolate pudding! Have fun experimenting with this one…

Love, J x

Twice weekly my little one steps into the world of Steiner preschool, full of imagination, exploration and fun and each afternoon when I meet him on the wooden verandah he rushes over to me with a giant grin, filled with joy and excitement; “mama, mama! … Can I have my bun?”

Yep. Bun. Not me. *sigh* But I have to say, it’s little wonder that he is excited, these morsels are delicious, just eaten alone with nothing on them. Mmm-MMM yummy.

So imagine how popular I am going to be when he wakes up from his afternoon nap…

Ingredients

• 3 cups and 3 tablespoons of organic spelt flour [excuse my dodgy measurements I converted this from an old recipe]
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 medium eggs
• 320ml organic rice milk
• sprinkle of chia seeds and flax seeds

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Combine the dry ingredients and separately whisk the eggs, then add the milk. Combine the dry and wet ingredients, be careful to not over work the dough, bare minimum mixing only.

Get your hands dirty by taking out blobs of the mixture and plopping them on a lined baking tray, the mixture is very sticky so don’t worry about pretty blobs, they will bake to be beautifully rustic. Try to keep the sizes consistent for baking.

Place them in the oven for 25 minutes. Use a skewer to test that the bread is cooked through once they come out (skewer should come out clean). Easy peasy.

They will only last a few days so dig in.

Love, J x

My little family just took a road trip southbound to see family and friends and share in a most beautiful wedding, for the trip I packed raw nut bars, fruit and rice crackers but alas the usual 12 hour trip turned quickly into 16 hours and we sinned, oh yes we did, unfortunately the Hume, littered with fast food chains, claimed us. And my goodness do I feel (sh)it.

When you live clean, changes in the diet, contrary to what you enjoy, hits you hard! So I am planning some hard core cleansing over the next week to re-alkalize myself and my boys. Now let me share with you what we are going to do…

Daily green smoothies will adorn our breakfast table along with raw muesli, antioxidant rich berries and culture laden natural yoghurt.

My favourite green smoothie recipe - rice milk, spinach, banana, spirulina, kiwi, coconut oil, chia seeds, honey and ice.

Homemade muesli - rolled oats, coconut flakes, goji berries, macadamia nuts, chia seeds and flax seeds topped with pot set organic vanilla yoghurt.

For lunch we will be munching on giant raw salads topped with sea vegetables (dulse) and sipping on our favourite superfood smoothie - rice milk, banana, cacao, camu camu, ice, honey, maca, spirulina.

Snacking on fruit and homemade superfood bliss balls.

Dinner will be a mixed plate of, curried lentil burgers, smashed avocado, quinoa infused beetroot, spinach and cherry tomato salad with fresh asparagus or broccolini. There are such a mix of amazing flavours in this dinner that we can eat it over and over with out getting bored, plus because ill be working massive days to make up for being off today, it’s me just being plain lazy!

I am reminded daily of why we choose this organic, clean lifestyle in how healthy and vibrant I feel, today I am reminded by the opposite! But it’s the knowledge gained daily and the lessons sent that remind us to keep striving for the best possible versions of ourselves. Plus falling off the wagon every now and again only motivates us more to keep going.

In the end it’s not the length but the breadth of life that keeps things interesting!

Love, J x

Photos: all my own.

Written by Ann Gibbons
Source: Sydney Morning Herald

When it comes to weight loss, a calorie is a calorie; a kilojoule is a kilojoule. That is been the mantra of nutritionists, dietitians, and food regulators for more than a century. But when it comes to comparing raw food with cooked food, or beans with breakfast cereals, that thinking may be incorrect. That is the consensus of a panel of researchers in Boston who list the many ways the maths doesn’t always add up correctly on food labels.

Our current system for assessing calories is surely wrong, says evolutionary biologist Richard Wrangham of Harvard University.

In a wide-ranging discussion of how food is digested in everything from humans to rats to pythons, the panel reviewed a new spate of studies showing foods were processed differently as they moved from our gullet to our guts and beyond. They agreed net caloric counts for many foods were flawed because they did not take into account the energy used to digest food; the bite oral and gut bacteria took out of various foods; or the properties of different foods themselves that sped up or slowed down their journey through the intestines, such as whether they were cooked or resistant to digestion.

The process used to estimate calories for food was developed at the turn of the 20th century by Wilbur Atwater. It was a simple system of calculating four calories for each gram of protein, nine calories for each gram of fat, and four calories for each gram of carbohydrate (modified later by others to add two calories for a gram of fibre).

Although it has been useful for estimating the energetic costs of metabolising many foods, its shortcomings have been known for decades - and some nations, such as Australia, have dropped the system because it is inaccurate and impractical, says panelist Geoffrey Livesey, a nutritional biochemist and director of Independent Nutrition Logic in Britain.

One key area where the system is inaccurate, Wrangham reports, is in estimating the calories for cooked food. Cooked items often are listed as having more calories than raw items, yet the process of cooking meat gelatinises the collagen protein in meat, making it easier to chew and digest - so it takes fewer calories to eat. Heat also denatures the proteins in vegetables such as sweet potatoes, says Harvard University evolutionary biologist Rachel Carmody, who studies the energetics of digestion.

The way foods are processed can also make them easier to digest. Take starch in cereal kernels, such as barley grain, or beans, which take a long time to digest. Grind the same cereals into flour or process it into breakfast cereal or instant oatmeal, and it becomes easy to digest, says biochemist nutritionist Klaus Englyst of Englyst Carbohydrates, a carbohydrate chemistry firm in Southampton, in Britain. This is why bread is more rapidly digested; beans more slowly he says.

New studies also are finding that bacteria in the gut respond differently to processed foods and cooked foods. Carmody reports she and Peter Turnbaugh of Harvard University are finding key differences in the type of bacterial communities in the guts of mice, depending on whether they are fed chow or cooked meat.

The food you eat has an enormous impact on the gut bacteria, and, in turn, on the energetics of digestion, Carmody says.

Why does all of this matter? Because the West is in the midst of an obesity epidemic and counting calories has been misleading, says David Ludwig, a paediatric endocrinologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. How the body processes different foods matters. The quality of calories is as important as the quantity of calories.

While others welcome applying the best science; to the problem of weight loss, they provide a word of caution about getting too worried about precise calorie counts.

You can put a tonne of effort into getting more accurate calorie counts, says nutrition scientist Christopher Gardner of Stanford University. But why are you doing this? Will it make a real difference? If you want to lose weight, you still have to cut back on calories.

A few calories here or there may not matter to most people. But to the panel members, every little bit counts.

Love, J x

I found this saying on instagram and it made me laugh.

There is no doubting that unicorns rock and it would be pretty special to be one, but as a mama I am conscious that being oneself is always the best.

I always strive to encourage Emerson to express himself and be comfortable within himself.

He dresses himself.
Can express emotion freely.
Says whats on his mind.

So when he said to me once he wants to be a girl so he can grow a baby, we went with that. When he tells me he saw a grumpy boots and we need to hide. I dont tell him to stop making up stories, we talk about this grumpy boots and have a laugh about it. When he asks for 10 pieces of toast, I cut up his toast into 10 pieces. The delight in his little face is, well, awesome.

Teaching him that he is ok, just as he is, makes me feel that I am ok, just as I am too.

Love, J x

So winter is still a while away but there has already been outbreaks of flus, colds, coughs with at least 3 people sneezing on me this past week! So keeping those sniffs and sneezes at bay has meant I have started my prep for winter.

In the past, each winter season I would come down with a nasty case of tonsillitis at least 3 times, plus general sniffs and sneezes in between. Once I started my journey into natural medicine this was the first thing that I worked on. Plus putting a toddler (aka germ bag) into the mix has meant that my immune system needs to be stronger than ever.

Today I want to share with you what I have tried and what works…

#1 Olive leaf extract - if you can catch the bug early enough this stuff works. I have kept cold and flus at bay by drinking the olive leaf extract twice daily and chasing it quickly with water. It tastes… weird. I couldn’t describe is as gross but its not something I’d want a flavour of ice cream in either. Diluting it with water (enough for one mouthful) and chasing with water is enough to get it down! You can get olive leaf extract at most health food stores, pharmacies are starting to stock it now and it should cost around $30-$40 for a bottle.

#2 Garlic - I have shared in the past my solution to bugs by chewing raw garlic. It works. No doubt. But I can understand that its not for all. (By the way if you are game start with only 1/4 clove as it can make you have a queasy stomach - learnt that one the hard way!). But if you don’t want to fend off vampires or fellow colleagues then I suggest trying a tablet form. You can get straight garlic (aged garlic is the best) and you can get combination tablets. I have used the swisse brand tablet: garlic, horseradish and vitamin C. And it has worked well with no nasty after taste.

#3 Superfoods - we all know that I love my superfoods, my daily smoothie is what I can attribute to my great general health as well as curing other ailments such as dermatitis and hayfever. The ones that will be a must during winter are; goji berries and camu camu for their antioxidant profile and barley grass for its alkalizing effects.

#4 Supplements - For when I was experiencing continuous sickness and illness I knew that I must be deficient in something, and this was when I turned to supplements; vitamin c and zinc. Remember that with zinc you must only take the RDI and its best to take at the end of the day before bed. Vitamin C you can play around with more, at one point I was taking 2000mg daily, its what I needed, seek professional advice for your individual needs.

[A healthy breakfast of rolled oat porridge made on rice milk served with; honey, goji berries, LSA, chia seeds and bee pollen]

#5 General diet, fitness and H20 - So a part from the above additions to your diet, its also important to keep a good general diet. Avoiding sugar is important for when you know you are around those who are ill, did you know that sugar depresses the immune system while it is being processed leaving you vulnerable to any passing bacteria or virus!

Eating a wide range of healthy natural foods will ensure that your body has all that it needs in terms of vitamins and minerals. Please, please, please start the day on a fantastic breakfast (see above photo!), its important to keep your energy levels up and then you are less likely to look towards sugar as a pick-me-up!

Water is detoxifying and cleansing and essential to proper bodily functions, so in winter its still important to have at least 1 litre a day, sip it slowly and at room temperature to ensure proper absorption.

I for one, hope that summer holds on for as long as possible, its my favourite time of year, but winter is inevitable and so the above will give you a great chance at tackling the cooler months with your health intact!

Love, J x

Top photo: www.freedigitalphotos.net - dan

For years now I have been clearing, cleansing, simplifying and reducing to achieve a life less full of distracting stuff more full of fun and love and LIFE.

In 2011 I boycotted purchasing anything new (besides the essentials of food, cleaning products etc) and this lasted 9 months. It was uplifting, I rarely saw the inside of a shopping mall and found much peace from not lusting after ‘this’ or convincing myself I needed ‘that’.

This silly season, I got a little silly with the credit card, I can only rationalise that I was trying to fill a void after our experiences last year [read about that here]. But it made me realise that we are constantly sold the idea that life will get better, easier or we will magically become; slimmer, smarter, more attractive and far more funny if we purchase {fill blank here} “Because your worth it” Right?!?

Its often in times that we feel that we have lost, we gain. Gain a lesson, a new perspective or a new lease on life. And for my little household this is true. Living between places and now in a teeny tiny rental has made us take stock of what we were lugging around. We are still living with half our stuff packed in boxes, and are getting by quite well, so what does that say for all that stuff!?!!!

Welcome to mission do-delete-delegate (aka: use the item - throw it away if it is useless/broken - give it away if it will serve another)

I came across a great article blogged by one of my new favourites [read the post here] and learnt that I am not alone is this longing to be lighter and free of material burden.

Feeling inspired and motivated I began by jumping in neck deep with Emerson’s Bedroom! We don’t buy toys often for Emerson -mainly just birthday and celebrations - but 3 years circulating the sun and the loving gift giving from Mama, Papa, family and friends has meant that his room was jam packed.

Now I don’t want to bin all this stuff, nope, no way. But I do want to make it more valuable by making it accessible and also sifting out the things that are no longer age appropriate (yep all his baby stuff is still in there!)

So…I waited for a quiet moment when he was distracted by play dough, then I nipped in and out grabbing all the things that I hadn’t seen him play with for a while. I placed it all in the spare junk room (lets be honest, its a dumping ground). I then cleared his desk and placed his posters and numeral/alphabetical cards on the wall.

Within an hour his room was less wild and I sat on his bed absorbing the space. My mind felt clearer, wow, it was working. Now to show Em…

EMERSON: Shocked intake of air “MAMA wheres all my stuff?”

MAMA: “I tidied up, its just packed away.”

EMERSON: “My D I N O S A U R. Can I build a teepee?”

Um… yeah he didn’t seem bothered, nor has he asked for what I removed. He is actually going in to his room more and playing for longer, even though there is less in there! Go figure. I guess its a space that is less distracting now so he can use his imagination more and that’s waaaay more fun!

I am noting what he plays with and what he doesn’t for stage two of the cleanse. Craft stuff doesn’t get touched often (much to my dismay) blocks are a fav, animals fav, big truck fav. He NEVER plays with his train station, but he has lots of attachment to it and I have no where else to put it yet so it will stay until I can figure that one out.

We are going to tackle the garage next, with the aim of emptying it and the junk room. It feels great, really, and we haven’t missed a thing!

Eventually we will be surrounded by only the things that we use or find beautiful.

Love, J x

I dont often share my personal life on here but this is fun and I think (?) its interesting so here goes…

This year I have challenged myself to #52 inspiring acts; “to keep things interesting”. [Full list of INSPIRING ACTS here] I had such fun putting the list together I didn’t really think about how much fun I would have picking out different things to do or how much fun doing them would be!

Here are the inspiring acts already completed…

#1 WATCH A DOCUMENTARY | This happened by chance one evening when we stumbled across “Kumare” on SBS. It was an amazing documentary that looked at the idea of a Guru and its place in society. A Western man/film maker took on the persona of his alter-ego Kumare, a Guru from India, who started a dedicated and loving following in America. While his tactics are a little full on, the essence of this film is beautiful, incredibly interesting and it pleased me very much by having a happy ending! [You can watch KUMARE here]

#6 DO SOMETHING FOR THE COMMUNITY | After the year that was 2012 I made the decision that I needed space away from the house. I have been at home for 3 years (and loved every almost every moment) so what better way to achieve time away, with serving a greater good in the community. 

I have taken a 6 month, part time position with a local not-for-profit company who have just won funding for a foster care service. I am now working closely with the Children’s Services team to set up the program and offer assistance where I can.

Its hectic busy. I forget to eat all the time. And I always end up busting for the loo because I just-need-to-get-one-more-thing-done plus stretching my brain back to its right side function has been a (re)awakening. But I have to say I am LOVING it.

#19 HOST A DINNER PARTY | I tied this one in with my birthday and went away for the weekend to a beach house with some of my closest friends to shower them with love and darn good times.

cue grainy iphone photos…

The theme for the first evening was barefoot-black-tie… everyone looked amazing and as the hosts my hubby and I served the following:-

[MAIN]

- Spicy Cous Cous with Homemade Tzatiki
- Dory Fish Fillets cooked in Butter, Lemon and Red Onion
- Freshly baked Turkish Bread
- Smoked Salmon with Capers and Dill
- Greek Style Garden Salad

All recipes will be shared in the coming weeks!

[DESSERT]

Avocado chocolate mousse [Recipe to come] served with raspberries and almond butter and raspberry jam biscuits [Recipe Here].

We all shared the cooking and since it was pouring with rain all weekend, we spent the whole time around the dining table, in the massive open planned living area, playing cards, eating, drinking, laughing and telling stories! Twas a wonderful time!

So that is it for me so far, I feel that we have started the year with a B-A-N-G and left the bad energy of 2012 behind. Yeehah!

How has your 2013 kicked off?

Love, J x

Love Heart Photo - www.freedigitalphotos.net - tungphoto

After a visit to my local green grocer and falling in love with the abundant buckets of ripe fleshy tomatoes I felt inspired to make myself a raw tomato and basil soup.

The recipe took some tweaking as initially I couldn’t balance the acidity of the tomatoes but this is what I ended up with; feel free to tweak and report back your findings…

Ingredients

- 5 tomatoes
- 1/2 - 1 cup basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1-2 ripe avocados (depending on creaminess desired
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1 chilli with seeds (optional if you like things HOT!)

Directions: Place all ingredients into a HIGH powered blender and whizz for 2 minutes.

If using a vitamix or other blender that heats, whizz for longer to allow the soup to warm (this is still considered raw for those of you who wondered). Alternatively heat lightly on the stove or serve room temperature if you are in to that sort of thing.

Cheap, easy and f-r-e-s-h!

Love, J x