Nutrition

Healthy Mum Series: Jen Dugard’s Top 3 Tricks

Jen Dugard is a highly motivated mother of two, fitness specialist and author who thrives on showing all mums that they can put themselves first and achieve both the body and lifestyle of their dreams.

Jen is on a health mission! She’s passionate about redefining what it means to be a mother in Australia today. While previously it has been all about looking after the children, Jen is showing mums another way by bringing back communities through exercise; building support networks and challenging mums to take time out for themselves.

 
What are your top 3 tricks to getting more fruit and vegetables into
your children’s diet?

Keep trying! – Just because your bub rejects something the first time, don’t then just give up. It takes a while for babies sometimes to gain the taste and start to ‘like’ something. This can also change as they grow up, so something they refused 6 months ago,  may be something they enjoy now.  Persistence is key!
Create a habit – Habits are best formed from an early age. Everyday our children, as part of their packed lunch, get a little box of raw ‘veggie snacks’ (these can be any veggies your child enjoys, mix it up day by day to try new things).  My kids know they have to eat their veggie snack before any other part of their meal. It’s just how we’ve taught them to approach their lunch (or they can have it as a snack before lunch time) but they don’t get to eat their yogurt or little parts of their meal until they have eaten their veggies. It’s what we have always done and just the way it is. At 4 and 6yrs old, they don’t even question it!
 If all […]

By |September 2nd, 2014|Children, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition|0 Comments
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Healthy Mum Series: Sonia Donaldson’s Top 3 Tricks

Sonia Donaldson is a passionate mum on a mission.  She wants to change the world, one family at a time. ‘Healthy, Happy and Holistic’ is her catch phrase and goal in life.

Sonia is the creator and writer at Natural New Age Mum, a popular blog sharing ideas on healthy, whole food, chemical free living and inspiration for the soul.

After contracting an auto-immune disease 8 years ago, Sonia was forced her to examine her life in more detail and start exploring and adopting a completely natural, new age way of living.  It has been incredibly life changing for her whole family.

Sonia lives in sunny Queensland with her new age hippy husband, two teenagers and a dastardly dachshund called Wilbur. You can find her on the yoga mat, walking on the beach, sipping a chai tea on her back deck or scrounging in the op shops for bargains.

 
What are your top 3 tricks to getting more fruit and vegetables into
your children’s diet?
I have two gorgeous children and although we have had our moments, both of them are now in their teens and eat most vegetables and every fruit you could imagine. It takes a little perseverance and some clever strategies as well as setting a good example yourself.  My biggest tip though is to make food fun!

It’s all in the marketing!  Get your kids excited about fruit and veges by sharing the benefits with them in a fun way. Carrots have special super powers and can make you see better at night. Oranges fight off the cold and flu germs in your body. You can also make up fancy names for healthy food you prepare. Green smoothies can become much more appealing if you call them a […]

By |August 29th, 2014|Children, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Recipes|0 Comments
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Healthy Mum Series: Sarah Quinney’s Top 3 Tricks

Sarah Quinney is fast becoming the go to person for parents who want to introduce Raw Food into their diet and their children’s diet – raw food that is easy to prepare, creative, nutritious and delicious for the whole family. Her goal is to get as many parents feeding their children at least one raw, live, nutrient dense meal a day.

Sarah runs workshops and coaches parents on how to make a raw diet and lifestyle easy. With over four years of eating raw food, Sarah shares her tips, tricks and knowledge gained from both formal training, as well as self study. Sarah has also published a book, ‘Raw Food For Kids’ and manages her online store, selling a wide variety of raw health foods, kitchen appliances, eco-friendly products, resources and kids products.

 

 

What are your top 3 tricks to getting more fruit and vegetables into
your children’s diet?
1. Your blender is your best friend!  – Fruits and veggies blend together so well that kids won’t even notice they’re eating something healthy! Try fresh raw fruits and veggies in your blender and juicer to create a variety of smoothies and juices. You can even add a couple a spoonfuls of raw super foods, like Spirulina powder and Goji berries. My daughter Issy had her first green smoothie when she was 7 months old and she loved it – 1 banana, 1/2 apple, 1 cup spinach, 1-2 cups water.

Some of her other favourites are:

Baby Love

2 bananas
1 pear
1 cup Kale
1/2 cup water

 

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By |August 26th, 2014|Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Recipes|0 Comments
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Healthy Mum Series: Lee Holmes’ Top 3 Tricks

Lee Holmes is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Hatha Yoga Teacher and Whole Foods Chef.  She is also the author of four best-selling books Supercharged Food, Eat Yourself Beautiful, Heal Your Gut and Supercharged Food for Kids.

Lee’s website encourages S.O.L.E food;  sustainable, organic, local and ethical.  It features delicious anti-inflammatory recipes, information, news, reviews and menu planning ideas to make it easy for people to enjoy a satisfying, wholesome and nourishing diet. She created a petition to improve food in hospitals in Australia and as a result a healthier menu has been introduced by the Minister for Health. In addition to passionately creating change at government and policy level, in 2013 Lee won the title of Health Influencer Blog of the Year.

 

 

What are your top 3 tricks to getting more fruit and vegetables into
your children’s diet?
Creating nutritious foods for kids is easy with a few little tips and tricks. Firstly, you can involve them in the shopping and cooking process and get them interested in the kinds of foods that they are eating.

Veggie-packed meatballs – Next time you make meatballs, use a food processor to blend mushrooms and zucchini, then add it to the meat mixture before forming the balls. When cooked, your kids won’t notice the extra veggies, but you’ll know they’re in there!
Marinara sauce – Most kids love pasta, so take advantage of it and make a sauce that’s full of vegetables. When cooking the sauce as you normally would, add zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, kale or any other vegetable you’d like to sneak in. Use a handheld blender to smooth the sauce before dishing it up with a bowl of pasta. They will never know the difference.
Chia muffins – Chia seeds are a delicious super food, packed with omega 3s and ridiculously high in antioxidants. They’re extremely […]

By |August 22nd, 2014|Children, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Recipes|0 Comments
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Healthy Mum Series: Alison Morgan’s Top 3 Tricks

Alison Morgan is a smart, savvy business women (and busy Mum!) with a thriving online store called the Relauncher, a reflection of her lifelong passion for natural health, beauty and wellbeing. She is on a mission to connect the Health & Wellness industry via her Networking Events and empower small health businesses through Business Coaching. Alison’s business is a culmination of all the things she loves – living authentically, with passion and maintaining a ‘from the heart’ philosophy.

 
What are your top 3 tricks to getting more fruit and vegetables into
your children’s diet?

My kids LOVE milkshakes.  I always put fruit in them and use almond milk.  Fruit I use ranges from bananas, berries, mango and of course a handful of greens!
I always cut up carrot and celery into sticks and put them in their lunch boxes.  As long as they are cut into sticks, they’ll eat them!
My kids come along to the markets each weekend and help choose the weekly produce.  They also pick something from one of the sellers to eat as we make our way around the markets.  Having them involved in the buying process makes all the difference.

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By |August 19th, 2014|Children, Nutrition|0 Comments
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My Top 10 Anti Bloating Foods

Over the last few weeks I have done some filming in my role as brand ambassador for Wagner Health. Unfortunately at the same time I have felt rather unwell so I turned to the power of foods to help me. My goal was to reduce inflammation and bloating caused by the viral infection. I checked the research and decided on a list of foods that were therapeutically placed to beat the bloat! Let me share them with you:
Peppermint tea – peppermint has a natural anti gas effect
Pineapple – contains bromelains, an enzyme that aids protein digestion
Watermelon – the high water content helps remove excess sodium
Ginger – nature’s best digestive aide
Cucumber – has quercetin, a bioflavonoid which reduces swelling
Banana – rich in potassium, which helps to offset excess sodium and high in vitamin B6, a natural diuretic
Papaya – papain enzymes break down protein in the gut, reducing fermentation of undigested food in the colon
Asparagus – natural diuretic and kidney tonic
Fennel – add seeds to your food as it relaxes gut spasms and allows gas to move through the colon
Avoid dairy – lactose intolerance is a sure fire way to feel bloated!

By |August 11th, 2014|Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Weight Loss|0 Comments
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Are you surviving or thriving in today’s toxic world?

Environmental toxins can be found in what you eat, drink, breathe, feel and think. You may not be aware of toxins, but if you want to be healthy, being educated on the latest in toxins is a must! Chronic conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, may be associated with environmental toxins in your body.

The pearls of wisdom from expert speakers at The Detox Summit are essential to your health. Join us online for free from August 4-11.

This Detox Summit will provide you with the information you need to:

    Learn about environmental toxins in food, air and water
    Understand internally-generated toxins, like thoughts, emotions and behaviors
    Recognize toxins of all types and eliminate them
    Focus on breakthrough solutions to gain more energy and vitality

Navigate your way through today’s toxic terrain when you register for the free, online Detox Summit today:

“Detox” is a multi-faceted term that means many things to people, from drug and alcohol detoxification to nutritional detoxification, or cleanses using food, smoothies and juices. Deanna Minich, PhD, has selected 30 experts in various areas of medicine, nutrition and personal growth to offer a well-rounded, credible approach to the issues of environmental toxins and holistic health.

Here are a few of the incredible presenters:

Jeffrey Bland, PhD, Father of Functional Medicine
The Science of Nutritional Detoxification
Mark Hyman, MD, Functional Medicine Expert
Toxins and Chronic Disease: Why Detox is a Necessity for Good Health
Jeffrey Smith, Leading Spokesperson on GMOs
Genetically Modified Foods as Toxins in Everyday Eating
David Wolfe, Superfoods Guru
Foods to Enhance Vitality and Detox
Rainbeau Mars, Fitness Model and Actress
A Full Spectrum, Superstar Approach to Everyday Detox
With 30 presenters sharing their wealth of knowledge, this invaluable (and FREE) resource is intended for people everywhere!

Come listen to The Detox Summit ONLINE for FREE from August 4-11, and learn to survive your […]

By |July 29th, 2014|Detox, Nutrition, Research|0 Comments
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Why You Need to Avoid Gluten

I have long been advising my clients to adopt a gluten free diet and it is an integral part of my Community Cleanse program. With the recent media attention on the “gluten free fad”  I thought I would write a blog based on science.
Recent studies on the gastrointestinal tract have shown that it has far more important functions than simply digesting and absorbing nutrients. Its role in regulating the permeability of molecules between the human body and its environment, actually controls your immune system1.
The small intestine is protected by a barrier that keeps toxins and nasty bacteria/parasites out of body. Billions of cells stick closely together to form this protective barrier. Dr. Fasano has discovered that the permeability of this barrier is regulated by a protein called zonulin. Zonulin is unique to humans and instrumental in the development of autoimmune diseases such as diabetes & celiac disease.
Researchers have found that a high concentration of zonulin leads to a “leaky gut”, something that I treat every day in clinic. Getting purified zonulin from humans, they tested it on intestinal tissue of animals and found that zonulin caused increased permeability of the intestinal protective barrier. Insulin made it through the gut wall when it was given orally – and it shouldn’t!
Another study found increased levels of zonulin in 70% of patients with type 1 diabetes which suggests that alterations in gut permeability may be a precursor to the onset of type 1 diabetes2,3. High levels of zonulin and zonulin antibodies were also found in people with celiac disease. The BIG news, is that after they followed a gluten-free diet, antibody levels went back to normal3.
Scientists theorized that gluten promotes the release of zonulin which, in turn, creates bigger spaces in the gut wall. This allows larger molecules including gluten and other […]

By |July 21st, 2014|Community Cleanse, Emma's Detox, Health & Wellbeing, Naturopathy, Nutrition, Preconception & Pregnancy, Research|0 Comments
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Healthy Easter Treat Ideas

Easter time is traditionally filled with chocolate in all shapes and sizes, but for toddlers the blood sugar rollercoaster that follows can result in temper tantrums, which leave everyone frazzled. By starting as you mean to go on, you can encourage your toddler to eat healthily at Easter and not automatically expect chocolate Easter eggs as she gets older.

Keeping in mind that it’s hard to avoid chocolate altogether (and a little chocolate is fine as part of a balanced diet), here are my healthy Easter treat ideas:
Healthy options for Easter

Have your toddler help you make fruit kebabs – make sure you use different colours to appeal to their visual appetite.
Offer plain homemade popcorn – every toddler loves the anticipation of the ‘pop’!
Opt for chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa solids (ie dark chocolate). This means more antioxidants for growing bodies – plus you and your toddler will eat less of it!
Pancakes with fresh berries or banana and maple syrup make a great Easter Sunday breakfast.
Chocolate beetroot brownies are a great way to sneak veg in, and create a deliciously moist cake at the same time
Easter bunny rice cakes: Take a rice cake, spread with hommus or your favourite dip and use this to start making a bunny! Use thin carrot sticks for whiskers, sultanas for eyes, cucumber for ears and a cherry tomato for a nose. Cute!
For creative fun, use food dye or hand paint boiled eggs

How to reduce the effects of sugar
There will always be times when your toddler eats their fair share of sweet treats. Plan ahead and incorporate some of these tips into her diet on the same day and the sugar fallout will be less harsh:

Make sure your toddler eats low-glycemic index […]

By |April 20th, 2014|Children, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Recipes|0 Comments
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Community Detox Rockstars Edition #5 – Louise Crowe

In the last of my series of interviews with Community Detox Rockstars, I chat to Louise Crowe about her journey. She not only lost 6kg but both her psoriasis and chronic back pain radically improved! Louise is incredibly inspiring, honest and one committed woman. I am so proud of her and simply can’t wait to see her back on board in June.

What was the biggest achievement you experienced on Community Detox?

Gosh where do I start?

My biggest personal achievement was actually sticking to the plan. I’ve tended to be somewhat feast or famine where my diet is concerned and any attempts at healthy living quickly saw me fall off the wagon and I’d inevitably just throw in the towel (wow that’s a lot of metaphors!). I viewed the Community Detox as the first step towards a long-term lifestyle change.

As for the biggest physical achievement, I lost over 6 kg during the program. I’m not a big woman by any stretch but in completing CD I came within 1 kg of my optimal fat levels. I had some tests (live blood analysis and bioimpedence tests) done at the beginning and end of CD and received an unequivocally positive result, with the phrase “you’ve got just about a perfect score card” making me extremely happy and proud of all my efforts.

My biggest health achievements were seeing my psoriasis improve radically as well as a massive reduction, if not cessation, of the chronic lower back pain I’ve had for the past 8 years (I spent almost two years unable to lift my infant children off the ground). I was diagnosed with sacroillitis and a bulging disk a few years back and have been treating it with daily anti-inflammatories and Pilates and restricting certain exercise […]

By |April 13th, 2014|Detox, Emma's Detox, Health & Wellbeing, Naturopathy, Nutrition, Weight Loss|0 Comments
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How to Heal Your Adrenals Naturally

How to Heal Your Adrenals Naturally

Adrenal fatigue is one of the most under diagnosed illnesses in western society. Download a copy of my free ebook to learn about the symptoms and how to heal your Adrenals naturally.

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