At this moment I am feeling totally on top of things! I am on top of the packing. I am on top of the organising. I am top of my next – yes next garage sale! How awesome am I! Yes friends are impressed with my ability to ‘just get stuff done’, with how ‘on top of things I am’…Wait, what is that sensation filling every pore in my body? Oh yes, that one, the feeling of utter exhaustion. The feeling that I am not coping with the children making loud noises, getting under my feet. The sick feeling in my stomach, the headaches, cramps, joint pains. The inability to get out of bed early, getting annoyed at every small thing SB and the kids do and the general feeling of blah…
My system is delicate and I would suggest that there are a lot of people in the world who are the same. My body likes some types of sustenance, but it really really does not like others. This is my daily challenge because in our home by the sea, we are foodies. We all love to cook, bake, and try new flavours and cuisines. I am not the type of person who can follow a strict diet or permanently restrict what I eat. What this means is on a day to day basis I must manage my body’s needs so that when I want to be able to eat and drink whatever I want, I can without too many major issues.
When I get caught up in a stressful and hectic situation, I tend to forget and I get lazy. That is what has been happening here. We need to run down the pantry so I’ve stopped menu planning and grocery shopping. We have been living on the not-so-good food options. I’ve been drinking more alcohol (to get the stock down you see, we can’t take it with us!), and my sleep patterns are erratic to say the least.
I had started to acknowledge that I needed to sort this out. We cannot go on like this for the next four weeks until we leave. Then the other day my beautiful friend KLBug came over for a playdate with her boys and some moral support. As she usually does, my friend brought me food, but not just any food. KLBug is a Naturopath so she makes fabulous healthy food. The type of food I can eat. She sat me down to rest – because I had not yet sat down that day.Then as the kids quietly sat eating their lunch she made me sit and eat mine. What a novel idea! Sitting down and resting to eat a meal…..hmmm…..
What KLBug fed us was simple, delicious and so nutritional. Then it hit me. I felt that all too familiar sensation my body gives me when it is happy with the food I am eating. It is a strange feeling like a motor has started and all the vessels, platelets, bones, organs and muscles that make up my body, just wake up and start dancing.
That was when I truly realised that in all this chaos I had been neglecting my own health and wellbeing, and that of my family too. After that delicious lunch I felt energised for the rest of the day.
Yesterday I had again skipped breakfast, relying only on my soy flat white to get me through. Breakfast is my most important meal of the day, and it is breaking my personal laws of life to skip it, but here I am doing it (breaky is hard for me as I’m still half asleep; the kids eat like kings though). I met my beautiful cousin at the shops for more coffee and a chat. My cousin started talking to me about her interest in clean eating so we got chatting and discussing recipes. You see, I am a massive fan of clean eating. It is what I rely on to keep me balanced. We said our goodbyes and I promised to email her some of my favourite recipes and headed our separate ways.
When I got home I realised this was the universe talking to me – which it does when I need to be smacked over the head with something obvious. Two days in a row of this subject means I have got to sort things out. I have got to get back on top of my health and that of my family.
So that is what I am doing. Today we have been grocery shopping, I have made my Bliss Balls and started cleaning my system up again. Pheww. So glad I didn’t let things get too out of hand this time….and SandyBug is very excited he doesn’t have to cook his own dinner again tonight!
How in touch with your body are you? Do you know the signs when it is tired and straining to do it’s job?
Stress and Our Body
Everybody experiences stress in some form or other. It is something our body feels in reaction to challenging situations. A little bit of stress in our lives is a good thing. It is motivating. Long term stressful events however, have the opposite effect. Our body’s stress response is not designed for long-term activation. Long-term stress results in a depleted immune system, feeling overwhelmed, sleep problems and behaviour changes including irritability (Yup, that’s me!). It is important to know how our body reacts and what you can do to try to rebalance.
What is Eating Clean?
Eating clean is not difficult. It is simply about choosing natural food over processed foods. Sometimes this is a challenge to do, so your ultimate aim should be to eat natural food sources as much as possible. Make that the choice over highly processed foods. Of course you must also remember to forgive yourself if you don’t. Life is for living people, enjoy yourself. If you want to go eat a cheeseburger one day then do it! Everything in moderation I say! (I just love a good cheeseburger)
Recipes to Share
I like to share recipes when I believe they are worth sharing and accessible to the everyday average cook. So here are some simple and light ‘clean’ recipes to demonstrate how easy it can be to eat naturally produced meals. Where possible I will use measures, however I tend to cook by instinct which I know doesn’t help those who prefer actual measures. So I will try.
Also please note that this is a personal choice, based on what works for me. You must consult a health professional before making major lifestyle changes and always incorporate diet with regular exercise.
KLBug’s Avocado and Tuna on Corn Thins
Corn thins are processed, but a healthier option for those of us who have issues with gluten and yeast. Here is what my friend KLBug has written up for me:
Just mash up some avocado with a little lemon or lime juice, and add finely chopped cucumber, tomato, spring onion and tuna. You can throw in whatever you like really – corn, olives, sundried tomatoes, grated carrot, chilli, pepitas, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds (all toasted or plain) – whatever you have in your cupboard. I sometimes bulk it out with a bit of natural yoghurt. You could add a bit of mayo if you wanted, and pepper and salt. I love it on corn thins, but any kind of cracker or bread would be yummy. You could substitute cooked chicken or leftover meat, or throw some chickpeas or other beans in as an alternative protein source if you like.
SaltyBug’s suggestion here – mountain bread is totally awesome. Toast it up plain and it goes crispy. The kids love it and it would be fabulous with this.
SaltyBug’s Bliss Balls
Bliss Balls are a natural, healthy treat for combatting sugar and chocolate cravings. They are great in that you can put in whatever you want. I rarely make these the same so this is today’s recipe.
1 cup dates
1 cup of mixed nuts and seeds – 1/3 and a dash cup almonds, 1/3 and a dash cup Brazil nuts,
SaltyBug’s Bliss Balls
top up with flaxseeds and chia seeds
1/3 cup raw organic cacao powder
1/2 cup shredded coconut (or desiccated coconut)
1/3 cup coconut oil
Dash of a sweetener such as agave, honey, maple syrup or today I used organic coconut sweet spread (I am out of agave and didn’t want to restock). An ingredient that is becoming popular which is a wonderful sweetener and it is classed as ‘raw’ is coconut nectar. OMG it is SO good. That would work here too.
Today I added a good ¼ cup of cacao nibs
In the past I have added dried fruit – sultanas, dried blueberries (yummo), craisons, mixed fruit, dried apricots. I also change up the nut mixture depending on what is in the pantry but I do like to keep my seeds in as they are super good for your hormones and general well being.
Soak the dates in either fruit juice or water for about 15 minutes to soften.
Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz up until chopped and mixed. You want a moist mixture that can be easily rolled into balls. If it needs a bit more moisture add a bit more coconut oil, some water or more liquid sweetener. If it’s too wet add a bit more of the dry ingredients.
Roll into balls then roll balls in shredded coconut. Store in a sealed container in the freezer and eat as required.
FlutterBug’s Porridge
FlutterBug’s Porridge
So named because she just loves it and wakes me up most mornings with ‘get up mummy you need to make me pawwage!’…
This is so easy and quick to make, a much better option than those flavoured porridge sachets you get. To make enough for my two kids I use approximately these ratios – give or take because I don’t measure.
1/3 cup quick oats (or normal if you have the time for it to cook)
2 tablespoons sultanas
2 tablespoons chopped apricots
Good splodge of honey
Dash of nutmeg
1/4 cup approximately of shredded coconut
Cook the oats according to directions. I do use half milk and half water to cook it up.
Once off the heat, stir through the other ingredients. I add a bit of milk to loosen it up as that’s the way my kids like it. When it is in their bowls I do an extra swirl of honey on top and put a bit of extra milk in. Instead of honey you could use agave, coconut nectar or maple syrup.
You can add chopped nuts to this for extra crunch. I have also added dried blueberries, craisons, apple – dried or grated into it too.
Carrot Soup
Adapted from the most awesome book – Joshi’s Holistic Detox
This soup helps rejig my system, it does not strain my organs and it does not upset my stomach. I eat this for a few days and I feel renewed. The kids love this – it is naturally sweet and bright orange in colour.
1 brown onion finely chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
6-8 good size carrots finely chopped
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp. ginger finely chopped (you can omit this if preferred but ginger is great for a sore tummy)
1 tbsp. fresh thyme or 2 tsp. dried
In a large saucepan heat the olive oil, and then add the onion and carrots, stirring until the onion is starting to soften. Add the stock, ginger and thyme and simmer until the carrot is soft. Puree up the soup, removing the stems of the thyme. Eat straight away.
If the soup needs more liquid just add water.
White Bean Soup
Adapted from the most awesome book – Joshi’s Holistic Detox
This is my quick go-to lunch option. The kids just love it and will eat almost the whole amount. It is so versatile too.
1 brown onion finely chopped
2-3 carrots finely chopped
2-3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tins of cannellini beans, chickpeas or other white bean
2 tbsp. lemon juice
In a saucepan add the onion, carrots, stock and lemon juice. Simmer until the carrots are soft. Stir through the beans and warm. Puree up until smooth.
I often add a good dash of crushed peppercorns and crushed sage leaves at the end which add a lovely flavour. This soup is a great base to add so much to. You can experiment with other herb flavourings. White beans are great mixed with spinach and kale too which are lovely additions to this soup.
SaltyBug’s Super Green Soup
This soup is amazing. I drank it like a mad pregnant woman when FB was inutero. It gave me the iron my body was craving.
1 bunch kale washed and chopped
1 bunch silverbeat washed and chopped
1 brown onion
1 tin white beans (or a large potato peeled and cubed)
2-3 cloves garlic
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Add the stock and onion to a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the other ingredients and simmer until everything is soft. Blend up. Serve with parmesan cheese if you choose, and season well. When it goes cold and thickens up, it makes a great pasta sauce.
