Have I got the guts to Exercise?

Good Afternoon friends, I hope this finds you all well and that you have had a wonderful week. 

I am using my blog today almost as a Dear Diary entry, I am hoping that by blogging this I will encourage others around me, you might encourage me, I will be accountable (to myself!) and this will give me a point of reference to come back to in a months time. Let me explain!

As you may have read in a previous entry I suffer from depression. I have been doing reasonably well until the last month where I find myself having more bad days than good. To be honest I am just exhausted. I have resigned to the fact that “this is just me” but too often I find myself crying that “I don’t want to be this person”. Pure exhaustion causes me to be cranky and moody with my family, teary and emotional at anything and everything and anti-social as I just “couldn’t be bothered leaving the house”. I am not always the nicest person to be around as much as I try. 

My food / diet / health in many ways has never been better, I am seeing my Naturopath weekly since getting quite ill in January (this is something that I haven’t spoken about before) and whilst my ‘gut’ is healing and at it’s best in years, my mind isn’t. I am loving a varied diet that isn’t labeled in any way … I have bone broth and fresh juices daily, I take probiotics and supplements as advised and feed and nourish my body with good whole foods. I am at an ideal body weight. I shouldn’t be this exhausted.

I try to tell myself that maybe I am meant to feel like this and label it something like “busy Mum putting too much pressure on herself Syndrome” – after all I have 4 children including 3 1/2 year old very active twins and run a full-time business alone, I put pressure on myself to do all that I do … but I just don’t feel that this is the answer. The past few months I have a great timetable worked out for my days, which may sound crazy, but it helps me juggle it all and because of this I have even found time to attend Bible Study weekly and to catch up on so many books I have sitting here waiting to be read.

This week I read this inspirational and confrontational book “Have you got the guts to be REALLY healthy” … it hit a few nerves with me.  I truly loved this book and the research behind it backed everything up which is helpful also. The reason it hit my nerves so much was because I do 90% of what the Author suggests to do (NO, I am not giving up my one coffee a day though as I enjoy it and I don’t think this is the reason behind my issues) but I could also tick off feeling 90% of the health issues he listed as being bad with the possibility of them leading to worse health issues in the future. Honestly, there is nothing more I feel about this than saying it sucks! I went to my hubby in tears with my usual “I don’t want to feel like this anymore, I am having earlier nights than normal, I am eating better than I ever have if it is possible, I feel I am juggling everything well but I am thinking I might have to give up my business which I don’t want to do BUT I am just so exhausted and I can’t go on … something has to give and at the moment it is my mind” … My hubby is pretty amazing and very gently said to me what I knew already … “the only thing you haven’t tried Collette is exercise” …. EXERCISE …. oh crap. 

Have you got the guts to be really healthy?

I have to be honest now and say I just don’t like exercise. I don’t like the sweat, I don’t like the pain, I get bored easily and if  I don’t see results in 2 days I give up and I will prioritise everything above working out. I have every excuse under the sun as to why I don’t do it … I don’t need to exercise because chasing the twins keeps me fit … I walk to the park daily that will do me …. I don’t have time … it’s too hot …. it’s too cold …. I am too tired …. the list could go on! 

For those that know me, they know how much time and effort I put into my health and that of my family. They also know that I am stubborn and so I am not giving up, if exercise is going to make my mind happier than I am up for the challenge. There are 1,440 minutes in a day (24 hour period) … I only need 30-60 of them for this …. it’s about priorities. 

My new best friend

I am challenging myself to 30 days of this crazy thing that people call exercise and is proven to boost moods and energy levels and see how I feel at the end of it! Wish me luck! 

Dear Diary, 

Wednesday 25th June. 

I am 36 years old and weigh 55kg. 

I am happy to stay in PJ’s or trackies and not leave the house. 

I am becoming anti social.

I have Insomnia 3 nights a week on average. 

I have poor concentration.

I have erratic emotional behaviour. 

I am moody and short tempered. 

Even with my healthy diet I rely on fibre supplements daily. 

I wake up exhausted and struggle to get out of bed – even after a decent night sleep.

I am mentally and physically exhausted. 

I am ready for a change.

My goal: to improve this list dramatically and be (reasonably) confidant in a swimsuit for Summer (this is both a mental and physical issue for me) whilst firming up would be an added bonus to this journey, the number one goal is my MIND. Here goes nothing.
PS  I promise to not do too many Instagram selfies of me exercising  

Day 2 – ready to hurt – time for my mind and body to be fit!

Take Care of You, 
Collette x 

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Have I got the guts to Exercise?

Good Afternoon friends! I hope this finds you all well and having a lovely week. 

We are all reasonably well here … still trying to completely rid our home of pre-school cold and flu germs that are hanging around more than they are welcome, especially with my Miss 3 1/2! It has been real Winter days here but I am still trying to have windows and doors open to get fresh air blowing through, I have salt lamps on, have half onions laying around the house everywhere (apparently they are meant to capture germs!) and I have the kids in essential oil and epsom salt baths, drinking Kombucha, eating Pickled cucumbers, taking Olive Leaf Extract, Manuka honey and I am sprinkling Superfood powders on everything! Sigh … yes … I am one of those Mums and I am ok with that! 

Me with my Miss 3 1/2 last week – she came to watch her big sisters at their Athletics Carnival but slept in my arms most of the day! Lucky this Mumma LOVES snuggles!

A few weeks back my Miss 12 was given a box of Ferrero Rochers by a teacher at School as a Thank you for some extra help she did – fast forward past my issue with them being packed with harmful additives that she just doesn’t need – I decided to make something similar with some roasted Hazelnuts I had in the Cupboard leftover from making my homemade Hazelnut Spread. 

Like most recipes for bliss balls these “Hazelnut Balls” are easy to make, have limited ingredients are gluten, dairy, refined sugar free, preservative / additive free AND unbelievabley yummy … these ones (if I dare say it!) might just be my favourite of all …. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! 

Hazelnut Balls

1 cup hazelnuts – roasted (160g)

10 medjool dates – seeds removed (120g)

1 tblspn cacao

1 heaped tspn coconut oil (my coconut oil was hard)

¼ tspn cinnamon

good pinch salt

20 roasted hazelnuts – extra

Place all the ingredients, except the extra hazelnuts, into a food processor and blitz on high speed for 1 minute or until thoroughly combined.

(TMX = Speed 9 for 30 seconds)

Make heaped teaspoon size balls out of the mixture, insert a hazelnut into the middle  of each balls and roll again.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 20 

Option: replace cacao with additive free drinking chocolate of your choice. 

You could get creative and roll the balls in coconut, toasted coconut or even crushed hazelnuts. 

Would love to hear from you when you make these … however, please don’t blame me if you can’t stop at just one! 

Take Care of You, 

Collette x 

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Hazelnut Balls

Beet Kvass!

Good Morning friends, I hope this finds you all well and that you had a beautiful week. 

Have you tried any of the fermented veg recipes I have shared over the last few weeks? How are you enjoying it? My family are loving them … we made the “dilly cucumber pickles” the other day and made the same recipe with carrots … my kids call them “salty carrots” and love them! I love having new tastes for them to try and I am enjoying making them and learning at the same time as you all.

Today I would like to welcome Bronwyn from the lovely page “Inspiring Change” who has a gorgeous  recipe for you all … a HUGE Welcome and Thank you to Bronwyn … ENJOY!

Bronwyn

Hi my name’s Bronwyn Clee and I’m a Change Management Consultant. I’ve been making kombucha for 5 years this time round. Yep, I’m an old lady now who first started brewing in 1992…  I’ve just been diagnosed with an autoimmune dis-ease called Psoriatic Arthritis and have set myself a #100daysFermented challenge whereby I’ve made a pledge to have fermented food and drink at least once a day for 100 days. I’m up to day 24 and so far am managing extremely well. I’ve added in bone broth this week to find that it’s been the best pain management intervention I’ve ever tried! My joint swelling and inflammation has gone down together with most of the pain and I’m feeling like I can start to process the shock of needing a chemical intervention to interrupt further bone degradation. 

 

In my venture into fermenting, I’ve just bought and received Sandor Ellix Katz’ bible “The Art of Fermentation” and can’t wait to plough through some of his tips, research and recipes. Here is my Beet Kvass recipe for you all to enjoy! 

 

Beet Kvass

 

2 medium organic beetroot

1 large pink lady apple

1 litre filtered water

 

Slice in uniform thickness – not too thin and not too thick.

Place in clean wide mouth jar

Pour water over

Place clean cloth on top of jar and secure with rubber band

Leave to brew for 2 – 3 days depending on temperature/climate

 

I tend to wait for the brew to bubble and create what looks like a scum on top of the brew. This is actually the wild yeast and bacterias doing their thing, which is crucial for a successful brew.

Pop a straw in to the brew and sip a quick taste to make sure it’s to your liking.

This blend tends to be a thinner and sweeter than a traditional beet kvass, and I like to pour mine in to recycled bottles that I buy my capers in as a single serve daily shot!Frequently asked questions:

1) So you drain it and use the liquid only? 

The liquid is nutrient dense and where all the goodness is.

 

2) What do you do with the apple and beet? Can you eat it?

I’ve made beet and activated nut dip – way better than store bought!

 

2) Where do you store it? Fridge or Pantry?

I store mine in the fridge. It will continue to ferment and get a bit bubbly refridgerated. Left on the bench in warm weather with a tight seal it could explode.

 

3) How long will it store for? 

I find my last for about 4 weeks 

to your health and vitality!

Bronwyn

Don’t forget to pop over to Bronwyns pages and say HI to her and be sure to let us know when you make this and what you think!Inspiring Change Website

Inspiring Change Facebook

Inspiring Change Twitter

Inspiring Change Pinterest 

Inspiring Change Instagram 

I hope you have a beautiful weekend full of sunshine, great friends and family, love and laughter and of course … GREAT food!

Take Care of You,
Collette x

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Beet Kvass!

Kimchi!

Good Morning friends! Happy Friday! I hope this finds you well and that you have had a beautiful week. 

I am here to share with you today another guest blog from my new friend Jane from Wholefood Family. I met Jane a few weeks back when I attended her Cultured Food Workshop – Jane’s knowledge and passion excited me to get even further into cultured food. Today Jane is sharing with you “KIMCHI” …. here she is … enjoy! 

I’m a mum of three gorgeous boys and passionate about delicious food that nourishes my family’s bodies. Nutrition and good food really interests me and I love finding new ways of using ingredients and adding them to our diet. Fermentation has been a part of our diet for years; over that time I have enjoyed learning new techniques and recipes. I enjoy adapting and simplifying methods so I can incorporate cultured foods easily into my family’s meals and into the time I have available. My workshop Simply Cultured is way I can share with others the amazing ancient art of culturing at home and the great tastes and benefits cultured foods can have on health and daily nutrition.

The aim is to demystify fermenting and bring it into daily life like it has been for thousands of years.

Kimchi: This is where my culturing began a few years back with the fascination of different cultures (the geographical kind). Now, kimchi recipes are one of those family things where each family swears theirs is the best, the most traditional, and the only one you should make, a little like Christmas cake. Like everything in culturing, its up to you as to what sounds, smells and tastes good for you and your family.

Kimchi can contain rice flour, fish sauce, pureed squid, raw oysters, the list goes on, but from what I know it always has cabbage, ginger, garlic and chilli. Historically this was made and put into and earthen ware pots and placed into a hole in the ground where it was left for months on end, the lower temperature meant a slower fermentation and a great way to preserve food for winter months. Traditionally made from cabbage and beef stock, the chilli part was introduced in around 1500.

So why Kimchi? What’s so great about it and why do I love it so much and feed it to my family?

Along with being voted one of the top 5 Healthiest Foods from Health Magazine

Kimchi is rich in:

Fibre

Carotene

Vitamin C

Vitamin A

Thiamine B1

Riboflavin b2

Calcium

Iron

Attributed to:

Reducing Cancer

Aiding Digestion

Reducing gastric Cancer

And my favourite, apparently according to a study in the Seoul National University chickens with the H1N1 virus ‘chicken flu’ actually recovered after eating the bacteria found in kimchi. 

Kimchi- by Wholefood Family

 

• 1 large wombok cabbage, coarsely chopped


• Salt (good quality salt without iodine)


• Spring, chlorine free water.


• 1 daikon radish, cut into batons or coarsely grated (optional)


• Carrot, cut the same at the daikon (optional)


• Bean sprouts (optional)


• 4 green spring onions stalks sliced


• 4 garlic cloves


•  2 cm peeled ginger


• Korean chilli powder 1 tbsp. 

Cut the cabbage into bite size pieces, removing the core and any discoloured outer leaves. Place into a large bowl and cover with a brine so the cabbage is completely submerged, use a plate or clean river rock to push it down.  Brine is a mixture of water and salt. I use a 5% brine meaning 50g of salt per 1L of water.

Leave for 4-24 hours on your bench covered to keep away little bugs that might be curious, can be left for longer if you want.

When you’re ready, drain the cabbage, reserving a little liquid in case you need it.

Make up your chilli paste by grinding ginger; garlic and Korean chilli powder together then massage it all over the cabbage. Pack the mixture tightly into a glass jar with a lid, add a little water or some of the brine if you want a little juice and leave it on your bench, out of direct sunlight, for 3-7 days until its to your liking. You’ll need to open the jar daily to release any built up gas from the fermentation process and to taste it. Once it’s sour enough for you, then pop it in the fridge and enjoy as a condiment or in a salad or next to BBQ meat. 

Additions to the chilli mixture

1 tbsp. Fish sauce

1 tbsp. sugar

3 Tbsp. of rice flour with 2 cups boiling water, mix to a paste and leave to cool, then add to the chilli, ginger, garlic mixture.

Pureed squid and oysters are also quite common but Ill leave that to you.

WOW! How GREAT does this look! I know what I am making on the weekend! 

Please make sure you pop over and say HI to Jane at Wholefood Family on Facebook where you will find out more information on her workshops as well as more Cultured Food Inspiration. 

Wishing you all a truly wonderful weekend … happy cooking!

Take Care of You, 

Collette x 

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Kimchi!

Potato, Carrot and Leek Soup

Good Afternoon friends! I hope this finds you well! 

I am embracing this cooler weather with curries, slow cooker meals and soups …. I love that I can prepare them in advance and that they are nutritious and they keep our bellies full and happy! 

I am happy to share with you all today a beautiful soup that my entire family love … infact my twins Master and Miss 3 1/2 ate TWO HUGE serves each! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 

Potato, Carrot and Leek Soup

1kg potatoes – peeled and diced

4 large carrots – peeled and diced

2 leeks – roughly chopped

2 litres water

1 litre chicken bone broth

1 heaped tblspn TMX stock concentrate

Place all ingredients into a large saucepan and bring to the boil.

Turn heat down to medium and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender (approx. 15-20 minutes).

Take off the heat and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before blending until smooth (you can do this with any blender or thermo machine you have). 

Return mixture to the saucepan and heat when ready to serve. 

Note: You can use chicken or vegetable stock of choice instead of the bone broth and TMX stock concentrate if you wish. 

I was so excited and grateful this week when I reached 40,000 Facebook friends…so much so that I am offering FREE POSTAGE on all orders as my little way of saying THANK YOU for all your support. Offer is valid until next Monday 16th June! (within Australia only!)

Take Care of You, 
Collette x 

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Potato, Carrot and Leek Soup

Good Afternoon friends! I hope this finds you all happy and healthy and having a beautiful week! I am going to keep it short and sweet today from me and hand you over to my lovely friend Sarah from “Homemade, Healthy, Happy” to introduce herself and teach you how to pickle cucumbers! YAY! Enjoy!

Hi, my name is Sarah and I teach hands on, all-inclusive lactofermentation workshops in and around Sydney, and I blog over at Homemade, Healthy, Happy where I share recipes, information, lifestyle tips, and even run an online real food book club!

Cucumber pickles have to be one of my favourite ferments. They remind me of my years in America, where everything comes with a quarter pickle on the side. They are salty, sour, garlicky, and just wonderful.

I very firmly believe that everyone should be consuming lactofermented foods. For one, there are no traditional cultures who did not eat fermented foods in some form; that speaks very loudly to me. But for those out there who aren’t so idealistic and who don’t have romanticised views of upholding ancient traditions like I do – you may seek comfort in knowing that probiotic foods are the best way to get the full benefits of probiotics.

Fermented foods are yummy, unlike a pill or powder, so you won’t forget to take them! Also, the bacteria that are found in a completely natural state (i.e. in your fermented foods) are typically those bacteria that will actually take up residence in your gut and benefit you in the long-term. And finally, bacteria need food. The best food for them are starches and fibrous fruit and veg, generally things that we struggle to digest without the help of these little guys. What a coincidence – your pickles aren’t just food for you, they’re food for the bacteria too! Everything that both you and the bacteria need, wrapped up in one delicious package! No pill or powder can give you that.

Pickles can be made over the span of a few days, or up to a few weeks. Earlier fermentation times are typically referred to as ‘half-sours’ with longer fermentations earning the moniker ‘full-sours’. Essentially, the longer you leave your cukes out at room temperature, the more sour they will get. I love the flavour of full sours at around three weeks, but there is a trade off. Longer = soggier. Half-sours (my bliss point is right around 7 days) are a good compromise – sour enough, never soggy.

A few hot tips:

• Use a Fido jar (or other good brand of jar with the same type of lid & seal). Screw top jars (such as Mason jars) are bad news for most ferments. The good news is, you don’t need an expensive jar with an airlock added in.


• Don’t reduce the salt content and don’t worry about it either. A fair chunk of that salt will stay in the brine. The purpose of the salt is to stop pathogenic bacteria from taking hold initially, and allowing the beneficial bacteria a bit of time to get a good stronghold on your ferment.


• Use clean jars and wash your hands, but you don’t need to sterilise everything. See the point above; the salt prevents other nasties from growing so that the lactobacillus and friends can do their magical thing.


• Don’t open the jar! Until you’re ready to start eating them, that is. If you open the jar during fermentation, oxygen will rush in. Resist the urge and your ferment will be stronger & healthier for it.


• Cut a good 1-2cm off the flower end of each cucumber. There is an enzyme in this end of the cuke that is responsible for turning all your pickles soggy. You could add some nasty chemical or you could just chop a little bit off the end. I know which method I would rather use!


• Fermentation proceeds more quickly in summer. If you like your pickles right on 7 days in winter, 5 or 6 days in summer will be plenty!

Dilly Cucumber Pickles

Ingredients & Tools:
1 Tbsp yellow mustard seeds
5-8 garlic cloves, peeled
Fresh dill sprigs, to taste (I use a big handful)
500g cucumbers (approx. 3 medium)
1.5 Tbsp finely ground salt (I prefer pink Himalayan salt or sea salt)
filtered water, to cover
1L Fido jar 

Method:
1) Place mustard seeds, peeled garlic cloves, and dill sprigs in the bottom of your jar.
2) Cut 1-2cm off the flower end of your cucumbers and discard. Slice your cucumbers finely into rounds, and place into the jar on top of your dill etc.
3) Sprinkle your 1.5 Tbsp fine salt on top, and top up with filtered water (or cooled boiled water). Ensure all your cucumbers are covered but leave at least 2cm of space from the top of the jar, to allow for bubbles and expansion.
4) Seal and leave out at room temperature for 4-7 days (half-sours) or up to 3 weeks (full sours).
5) When your pickles are ready to eat, place the whole jar in the fridge to cool before you start to devour them! Just use a clean utensil each time you get a pickle out, and they will last for months in their original jar in the fridge.

If you would like to know more about Sarah and follow what she does…here are her Social Media links!
facebook: www.facebook.com/homemadehealthyhappy
pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/homehealthhappy/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/homemadehealthyhappy

Until next time…happy pickling….

Take Care of You, 
Collette x 

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Dilly Cucumber Pickles!

Roasted Veg Salad with Tamari Sprinkles

Good Afternoon friends! I hope this finds you all well. We are well here…the preschool germs have left the house… the sun is shining and we had a beautiful weekend relaxing with family and eating loads of cake for my birthday on Monday (Happy Birthday ME!) 

My sister knows me well, I have a slight obsession with coffee and tea cups and she bought me this one for my Birthday!

Last week I popped this salad together for dinner … I should have made twice as much as the twins alone (Master and Miss 3 1/2 years) wanted to eat it all! They LOVED it! I am not complaining at all! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 

Roast Veg Salad with Tamari Sprinkles

4 tblspns slivered almonds

2 tblspns sesame seeds

4 tblspns tamari sauce (wheat free soy sauce)

2 large zucchini – each cut into approx. 1cm thick fingers

4 medium carrots – each cut into approx. 1cm thick fingers

3 fresh beetroot – each cut into medium cubes (4-8 pieces from each one depending on their size)

drizzle of oil of choice

½ medium green cabbage shredded (approx 2-3 cups)

½ medium purple cabbage shredded (approx 2-3 cups) 

In a small bowl place the almonds, sesame seeds and tamari sauce. Mix well and set aside for at least ½ an hour.

Preheat oven to 180c. Place zucchini, carrots and beetroot onto a tray and drizzle with a little oil (try to keep the veg on an even layer / don’t overlap them).

Cook for 20 minutes, turn the veg, then cook for a further 20 minutes (or until cooked – don’t overcook them).

Place the soaked almonds and seeds into a small saucepan and stir continuously over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until slightly crunchy (they wont go 100% crunchy due to them being soaked).

On a serving platter place the shredded cabbages, top with roasted vegies then sprinkle with toasted almonds and seeds.

Serve as is or as a side to meat, fish or chicken. 

As always, I would love to hear from you when you make this … wishing you a beautiful day! 

Take Care of You,

Collette x 

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Roasted Veg Salad with Tamari Sprinkles