Tonight I came home after a 12 hour day and then a 2 hour drive home (dont ask!) to flop on the couch and wonder what was for dinner. I really couldn’t be bothered cooking and I hadn’t organised anything in advance – a cup of tea was looking like a great option. Then I remembered my version of “Fast Food” and started to get hungry. So, I dragged my tired butt into the kitchen and made my trusty emergency dish.It is fast (10 minutes), cheap and very nutritious. So keep this one handy for when you are tired, uninspired and don’t want to eat the processed options.Ok, all you need is the following ingredients and don’t forget to use your improvisation skills!1 teaspoon of White miso paste2 tablespoons ArameFresh GingerOld vegetables in the bottom of the fridgeFrozen yellow fin tuna or salmon fillet – cut into small cubes, be careful not to cut your fingersFirst of all, put the kettle on and pour boiling water over the Arame – soak for 2 minutes. Add the miso paste to 2 cups of boiling water in a saucepan. Add ginger, the strained Arame and the firmer vegetables such as corn, carrots, potato, pumpkin or parsnip etc. Cook for 2 minutes. Add all other vegetables and the fish. Cook for 3 minutes.Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs if you have them. Voila, a highly nutritious dinner served in 10 minutes. All you need to do is ensure that you have miso paste and Arame in the pantry and some frozen fish in the freezer! You can try variants such as adding garlic, chilli, Dulse flakes, tofu or edamame beans.So, post […]
Skin Doona – Amazing Skincare line!
I have been sampling the Skin Doona range over the last week and have fallen in love with their creams. This skin care range is handmade, completely natural, full of love and extrememly high in active ingredients. The brains behind the brand, are gorgeous Jess Allen and Julie Christie. I met Jess 3 years ago in Tasmania when we both completed a manufacturing course at Pindari herb farm. Jess is a Herbalist and she showed alchemic abilities in Tasmania. I am so happy to see that her talents have hit the mainstream with the launch of Skin Doona.All my skincare is natural and organic – our skin easily absorbs chemicals and if you haven’t yet heard of sodium lauryl sulphate and its link to cancer you must have been hiding behind a rock! So, wherever possible, reduce your toxic load and keep your cosmetics and toiletries as natural as possible. Check out Cosmetics Database for all the inside information on your products.And, put your order in for beautiful Skin Doona products at their website. Let me know your favorite one – mine is the Silk Night Cream! Once again, I am passionate about supporting local, natural and sustainable products so let me know what you think of these.Emmaxxx
Walnut-rich Diet Boosts Diabetic Heart Health
Daily consumption of walnuts, rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, may improve the health of blood vessels, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease, says a new study from Yale. Supplementing the diet of middle aged diabetics with 56 grams of walnuts led to significant improvements in the function of the blood vessel lining (endothelium), and there was also a trend towards improved cholesterol levels, according to findings published in Diabetes Care.The study adds to a growing body of science supporting the health benefits, and the heart benefits in particular, of increased consumption of nuts. Previous studies have reported benefits for almonds, macadamia, and pistachios.Indeed, a recent study funded by the California Walnut Commission found that the fatty acids present in walnuts and fish oil may work in different ways to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. According to findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (May 2009, Vol. 89, pp. 1657S-1663S), a diet supplemented with walnuts led to reductions in cholesterol levels, while a fish diet led to reductions in blood levels of triglycerides.For the new study, David Katz and his co-workers from the Yale University School of Medicine recruited 24 type-2 diabetics with an average age of 5, and randomly assigned them to a diet with or without 56 grams of walnuts for eight weeks.At the end of the intervention period, blood flow was measured using flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and found to have “significantly improved” by 2.2 per cent in the walnut group, compared to 1.2 per cent in the non-supplemented group.Furthermore, blood sugar levels, and total cholesterol levels were also decreased from baseline values. However, these values did not reach significance compared to the non-walnut eating group. […]
My Favorite Superfood – Edible Sea Vegetables
My Favorite Superfood – Edible Sea Vegetables Many different cultures with well developed traditions, intuitively incorporated sea vegetables into their diets for their unique nutritional and medicinal properties. The regular use of these sea vegetables adds an extra dimension to flavor but they are also a powerhouse of nutritional energy.Why would anyone want to eat sea vegetables? Because they offer the broadest range of minerals of any food, containing virtually all the minerals found in the ocean-the same minerals that are found in human blood. Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K, a very good source of the B-vitamin folate, and magnesium, and a good source of iron and calcium, and the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. In addition, sea vegetables contain good amounts of lignans, plant compounds with cancer-protective properties.Wakame – grows in temperate waters and is raked from the ocean floor, graded and sun dired. Wakame strips need to be soaked for approximately 10 minutes and then cut into pieces. Remember that Wakame will expand up to 7 times its size! This is the type of sea vegetable that you will find in your miso soup.Arame – is hand selected and pre cooked for 7 hours to tenderize. Most are cut into thin strips and just needs to be boiled to 5 minutes before use. Arame has a mild taste so start with this one.Kombu – is dark sea kelp that is being raked from the ocean floor and sun dried. Rinse it well and soak for 10 minutes. Kombu is great to use as a stock and invaluable for reducing the gas causing side effect of beans. Just add a strip of Kombu when cooking […]
The True Food Guide 2010 is Out Now!
I am an absolute fan of the True Food Network and wait for their guide with baited breath. They save us all the work of trying to determine what foods are GE(genetically enginered)free. So, with my trusty little guide in my hot little hand, I have been able to negotiate my shopping with ease!Australia currently has limited labelling laws for GE foods. That’s where the Truefood Guide comes in handy. The Guide rates food brands and products as Green (GE-free) and Red (may contain GE ingredients).You can browse or search for brands on the right-hand side. The Guide is also available for download or you can order a convenient wallet-sized hard copy.Buy Green – Companies and supermarkets listed as green have implemented policies and procedures throughout their supply chain to actively avoid ingredients derived from GE crops.Avoid Red – The companies and supermarkets listed in the red section of the guide may have products that contain ingredients derived form GE cropsRemember, the only way to safely avoid GE foods is to eat organic. We have yet to see any long term research on the effects of GE foods so until I am convinced that GE foods are safe, then I will be choosing to eat organic food. With love and awareness, Emma xxxPS This video is absolutely fabulous – you will actually LOL!
My New Love Of Mushrooms
Hi fellow foodies,I had the beautiful experience of finding these enoki mushrooms at my local organic farmers market ( Orange Grove in Leichhardt). I always get so excited to see the freshly picked mushrooms the farmer has on offer. From Swiss brown to Portobello to Enoki and so many other varieties that I never see anywhere else.To give you a bit of background – I have always disliked mushrooms. Bland, insipid, slimey was my description. Dad used to take me mushroom picking as a child and we would enter the cows paddocks and, to my disgust, dad would head straight for the cow dung and then start picking mushrooms. Of course, I was humiliated, terrified someone I knew would see me and would scarper into the nearest bush!Now, many years later I appreciate the humble mushroom for so many reasons. First of all, I now love the different textures involved in mushrooms – crunchy, seductive, rich and silky. I have just had an amazing dinner of white miso poached organic chicken thighs with enoki mushrooms, chilli, garlic and lots of ginger. Add to this some fair trade quinoa, organic greens and I am literally in heaven!So, for all of you that may not have fallen in love with mushrooms yet – be open to the possibility that one day soon a mushroom will sneak up and suprise you with its dexterity, versatility and nutritional power.Emma xxxx
Swine Flu Update
The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in America state that almost two-thirds of swine-flu victims so far are between the ages of five and 24, whereas only 1% of those over 65 have been affected. This is the opposite of what is normally expected; usually it is the elderly who die in their thousands each year from the effects of seasonal influenza. The unexpected resilience of the elderly this year may be from a past exposure to a similar flu virus that has left them with some degree of immunity – but the reason why they have been largely unaffected is still not clear. The other high risk group for A(H1N1) infection appears to be those who are pregnant.Are the overweight at greater risk?Researchers report: “Doctors tracking the pandemic say they see a pattern in hospital reports from Glasgow to Melbourne and from Santiago to New York. People infected with the bug who have a body mass index greater than 40, deemed morbidly obese, suffer respiratory complications that are harder to treat and can be fatal.”If you are concerned that you may fall into this high risk category then the news is not good – make a determined effort to lose weight before the next flu season – your life could depend on it.What do the symptoms of swine flu look like?Swine flu symptoms are similar to those of previous flus. They include:* Weakness,* Muscle and joint pain,* High fever,* Loss of appetite,* Runny nose,* Cough,* Headache.Some sufferers have also had symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.For how long is a person contagious?Adults are infectious during the flu’s incubation period and for 7 days following the onset of symptoms; children may be infectious for […]
Enzyme Activity Could Be Exacerbating Your PCOS
An elevated level of male hormones in your body can lead to infertility, excessive facial or body hair, hair thinning, acne and other problems associated with PCOS. The male hormone we mostly hear about is testosterone. However, the real culprit is dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. DHT is the biologically active form of testosterone. DHT is formed when testosterone interacts with an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase.A recent study at the University of Birmingham in the UK showed that both overweight and normal-weight women with PCOS had higher 5-alpha-reductase activity than women who did not have PCOS.In other words, if you have polycystic ovary syndrome, it appears you also have a tendency for higher 5-alpha-reducase activity, when in turn makes it easier for you to convert testosterone into the undesirable DHT. The excessive levels of DHT in turn create some of the distressing symptoms of PCOS such as hair loss or facial and body hair growth.You can suppress 5-alpha-reductase activity with supplements or pharmaceuticals.One example of a supplement is saw palmetto extract, which inhibits 5-alpha-reductase. It is extracted from the berry of a small palm tree. The fruit of this palm have been part of the diet of natives of the south-eastern U.S. for hundreds of years. Saw palmetto extract does not have the side effects that pharmaceuticals may have.Pharmaceuticals commonly used to inhibit 5-alpha-reductase include spironolactone (Aldactone), and finasteride (Propecia, Proscar).Increased 5{alpha}-reductase activity and adrenocortical drive in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.Vassiliadi DA, Barber TM, Hughes BA, McCarthy MI, Wass JA, Franks S, Nightingale P, Tomlinson JW, Arlt W, Stewart PM.Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of BirminghamContext: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by hyperandrogenism, anovulation and susceptibility to the metabolic syndrome. Altered peripheral cortisol […]
Emma’s Favorite Cough Remedies
I would love to share with you some of my favourite herbs that I am using at the moment for this awful flu season. I am seeing many of my patients relapsing with acute infections not just once but up to three times!
I would encourage you to have a bottle of my flu tonic on hand and start dosing acutely as soon as you feel a sore throat or headache coming on.I have noticed clinically that there are 3 viral strains circulating at the moment and this is the summary of how the symptoms;
Gastro pre sensation with resolution within 48 hours
Sore throat, aching upper arms, seems to persist for a quite a while
Headache, dry cough with vomiting at the end of a coughing fit
Also, don’t forget about the relevance of having optimal vitamin D levels during the flu season – ask your GP to check your levels ASAP and supplement if necessary!
Herbal extracts can be highly effective for treating an acute cough and other common symptoms associated with upper respiratory tract infections such as a runny nose, sore throat and headache. They also have an excellent safety profile. It’s ironic that many pharmacy cough mixtures contain active principles that were originally of botanical origin, obvious examples being codeine (opium poppy), guaifenesin (the guaiacum plant) and pseudoephedrine (from ephedra).
And whilst the isolation and synthesis of these active principles has given us some very powerful medicines, it has also created a new set of problems: powerful effects matched by equally powerful and negative side effects. When high quality botanical extracts are used there is less likelihood of these problems occurring.
In the treatment of coughs and colds, herbal extracts do exert anti-tussive, expectorant and […]
Yoga Is Proven To Facilitate Pregnancy&Birth!
Most of my preconception and pregnant women really love their yoga and it was wonderful to come across this study that proves the benefits! The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a yoga program on pregnant women’s comfort, labour pain and birth outcomes. First time mums were recruited and then half of them went into the active group. They received six 1 hour yoga sessions that involved postures, chanting, breathing, relaxation and meditation.The results showed that the active group experienced significantly higher maternal comfort than the control group both during labour and 2 hours post delivery. The active group also experienced a significantly shorter first stage of labour and less pain than the control group. The researchers concluded:“We suggest that 30 minutes of yoga practice at least 3 times per week for 10 weeks is an effective complementary means for facilitating maternal comfort, decreasing pain during labour and 2 hours post delivery and shortening the length of labour”Can I just add that those mums that combine yoga with HypnoBirthing have an even better result in my experience! SO, if you are considering a baby then get to your local yoga studio and begin your practice. For those of you that are pregnant, then join in my next HypnoBirthing course and do some yoga sessions and you will be greatly rewarded.Yoga during pregnancy: effects on maternal comfort, labour pain and birth outcomes.Chuntharapat S, Petpichetchian W, Hatthakit U.Department of Obstetric Gynecological Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand. songporn.c@psu.ac.thThis study examined the effects of a yoga program during pregnancy, on maternal comfort, labour pain, and birth outcomes. A randomized trial was conducted using 74-primigravid […]
