Roasted Pumpkin, Feta & Quinoa Salad

The International Year of Quinoa

Did you know 2013 is the International Year of Quinoa?

Here is a great recipe to help you celebrate.

Quinoa, Asparagus & Feta Salad

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed, drained
2 bunches asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 4cm lengths
1 large red capsicum, halved, seeded, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta (cow, goat or sheep's feta)
1/4 cup sunflower seed kernels
4 shallots, trimmed, thinly sliced
2tbs chopped fresh continental parsley
1/12 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil for dressing and a little for coating
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sweet paprika
100g baby rocket leaves

Combine water and quinoa in a large saucepan, bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Transfer into a large bowl. Set aside to cool. Lightly coat asparagus with olive oil and grill for 2-3 minutes until crisp. (Optional, grill the red capsicum too.)
Add the asparagus, capsicum, feta, sunflower seed kernels, shallots, rocket and parsley to the quinoa. Whisk the lemon juice, honey, oil and paprika in a small bowl until well combined, and add to the quinoa mixture. Season with pepper and toss to combine.

Enjoy!

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/24057/quinoa+salad+with+asparagus+and+feta

Making Supermarket Choices Easy

I am one of those people that love supermarket shopping.  I can spend ages picking the best apple and comparing labels of certain products.  If you’re not like me and want to get in and out of the supermarket quickly, yet still make healthy food choices, then a Supermarket Shopping Tour may be just what you need.

You may want to make healthier choices, there may be certain foods you are wanting to avoid, or you may just like to be better informed about what options are the best for you.  Gluten free and low fat promoted foods are not always the healthiest choice.

Food is the foundation for every long term good health plan.  I am full of ideas for how to make healthy eating easy – and the best way to start is by planning your meals and snacks, and having a kitchen stocked with the foods you want to eat.  While some recommendations regarding the types of foods to eat may be similar for all people who ask me for advice, every person has their individual needs – and a Supermarket Shopping Tour makes your choices easy.

My Supermarket Shopping Tours are a one to one personal experience.  This means we focus specifically on your needs. The fee for this great experience is $160 and I will spend a total of 1.5 hours with you – the first 30 minutes discussing your objectives and an hour actually shopping or walking through the aisles discussing and comparing.

Please contact me for more information and to organise Shopping time!

Get on with it with NLP

Enough with the rehearsals, let's get on with the show


photo from Amazing Woolloomooloosers poster circa 1985



Do you spend a lot of time thinking about what you'd like to do - maybe, kinda, sort of - but you never quite get around to getting on with it?  I totally relate.  NLP - that's neuro-linguistic programming - can help you identify what you really want and why, what's slowing your progress, and how you can start today to create the changes you want in your life.

So, if you've got a habit you want to change, a feeling you would prefer to feel less often, or a goal you want to achieve, NLP may be just what you need to give you that little push, or for you to create profound changes in your life!! It's very cool, and really very simple.

As well as Naturopathy, I also offer NLP focussed sessions at Mornington Complementary Medicine - call the clinic direct on 5973 6886 for more information and an appointment.

And.... on with the show!

What does vitality mean to you?

An optimal state of vitality can be achieved by everyone, by following the Naturopathic approach that treats each person individually and wholistically.

Natural health practitioners often mention words like vitality, vital force, qi, prana, energy flow, innate healing ability.  These words represent the concept of human beings in an effortless state of health, joy, peace, wellness, longevity.

I too believe that this is a state we can all attain, however, each individual will have their own ideal of what vitality means for them, for now.  For some, vitality may mean being able to turn up for work even though they partied all night.  For others it’s being able to feel energetic and able to smoothly deal with the challenges of parenthood.  Then, for some it’s nurturing their body, mind and spirit to sublime perfection. 

As vitality is different for everyone part of the process is becoming aware of what helps you to meet your individual physical, emotional and spiritual needs for the long term. This will include (amongst many factors) what foods are right for you, how you exercise, your emotional outlook, your stress management techniques, how you listen to the signs expressed by your body and mind, and recognising your constitutional weaknesses – a tendency for colds, headaches, constipation etc.

My aim is to see you enjoying your optimal state of vitality being open to change and flexible to roll with the challenges that life provides.  Naturopathic medicine offers not only pathways to healing specific illnesses but also remedies that support the maintenance of your individual optimal vitality. 

Is your enthusiasm for a New Year resolution starting to fade? Wait, keep the faith!

Here's a tip that may help you get what you really, really want.

Be clear on exactly what you want the outcome to be. What is the feeling that you want to achieve.

Write down what feeling it is that you DON'T want to have anymore. For example, I want to lose weight so I don't feel fat and tired anymore. So, therefore, the positive spin is I want to lose weight so I feel energetic and fabulous about myself.  Keep hold of that vision of feeling energetic and fabulous and always say and think your resolution in the positive - the resolution is to feel energetic and fabulous.

Move forward in time to when you are now feeling energetic and fabulous. Really feel it - how good is that??!!!  From this space of feeling energetic and fabulous look back to see/feel/imagine the steps that you might take towards this feeling.  So... feeling energetic and fabulous, look back towards today to see what you might do next to keep this feeling of, that's right, being energetic and fabulous!!!

You are energetic and fabulous!

Eat your nuts

As you may know, I’m a big fan of almonds as a snack.  

Recent research reports that nuts as a snack compared to a muffin or muffin and nuts (all equal calories) improved blood glucose levels and cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes.  So, eat your nuts! 

For easier digestion, soak, grind, chop or crush nuts.  Buy unsalted, unroasted nuts and then roast them yourself as required.  Dry roast on a baking tray in the oven preheated to 180°C for a quick five minutes. 

REF:  DJA Jenkins, CWC Kendall, MS Banach et al., Nuts as a Replacement for Carbohydrates in the Diabetic Diet, Diabetes Care 2011, 34(8), 1706-11, abstract only; http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/34/8/1706