Just let go

Go with the flow....

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. The sweetest little apron a friend made just for me. A vintage doily front pocket and cream buttons, a little frill along the bottom and even ‘Little Em’ embroided across the straps with red thread. Love you Rena Rae xx My vintage apron fetish continues to flourish.

2. The flock of black butterflies that followed me on my beach walk today.

3. The satisfaction of cleaning a super dirty car.

4. Gushing over the cakes and slices the little old lady makes at the Thursday morning farmers market with my herbalist at my appointment this week. Hang on, aren’t we meant to be health professionals?! Oh but that’s right, we’re humans too ;)

5. My long raspberry red yoga tights making a comeback now that Autumn has truly set it.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. Try and be aware this week of letting go of things that you cannot control with a big exhaaaaale. You’ll feel lighter. I promise.

So me right now. 

Is anyone else starting to follow their heart more instead of just doing what you think will make other happy?

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Witnessing two “Chiko roll girls”. They followed a group of guys down the beach with straightened hair and wearing what seemed to be denim undies. When the guys came in from the surf the Chiko roll girls handed them their towel, a box of bbq Shapes and a bottle of lemon squash. I thought this was just a Puberty Blues myth!

2. About ten seconds of sheer panic when I thought my feet had dramatically shrunk!! “How could this have happened?!”  I soon realised that my husband has identical blue Bonds socks like mine. Crisis averted.

3. A fancy midweek double date with beautiful friends.

4. A pair of suede fringed ankle boots for $29 from the markets. One pair + my size = score!!

5. Having a chat with the friendly owner at our fave Thai restaurant about hot curries. He disappeared then returned 5 mins later with some chillies he’d picked from his own plant which he wrapped in a serviette and gave to us.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. For various reasons we have gone out for dinner SO MUCH this week. So we’re really looking forward to eating some delicious home cooked meals next week. This week really savour dinnertime with your partner/family/own company and cook something wonderful made with love xx

FOOD AS MEDICINE: Lowering cholesterol

1. OATS: Porridge weather is creeping up on us! I cook mine with water on the stove at a low heat then add a splash of milk (or sometimes coconut cream) at the end to make it creamy! Choose rolled oats over “quick oats” and add in some cinnamon, a piece of fresh fruit and some LSA.

Throw a handful of oats in your smoothie or make up my awesome little oat slice below to have for morning tea.

2. FISH: Eat 2 serves of fish per week. No not fish and chips. Go for mackerel, trout, herring, sardines, tuna, salmon or halibut. Preferably locally caught.

3. NUTS: Snack a on a handful (42.5 grams if you’d like to be pedantic) of nuts each day. Choose from almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts.  Make sure the nuts you eat are raw (not roasted) and aren't salted or coated with sugar. Keep a jar on your desk or a little zip lock bag in your purse (or man bag).

4. COCONUT OIL: What’s not to love about coconut oil?! Use for cooking like you would any other oil, use as a dressing, in smoothies, bliss balls, add to porridge, spread on toast, off the spoon… 2 tablespoons is the goal.

5. HIGH FIBRE FOODS: chia seeds, psyllium, oat bran, brown rice, LSA.

Here's a great cholesterol lowering recipe!!

BANANA BLUEBERRY OAT SLICE

THE GOODS:
3 cups of organic oats
3 Tbsp coconut oil
2 bananas
2 eggs
2 Granny Smith apples
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 cup organic frozen berries

TO DO:
1. In a large bowl mash the bananas with a fork then whisk in the eggs and coconut oil.
2. Throw in the oats, cinnamon and chia seeds.
3. Grate the apples and add to the bowl along with the berries.
4. Line a baking tray with grease proof paper and smoosh mixture down with a wooden spoon.
5. Bake for 30mins in a 180C oven. Boom! That's it!

Such a great lunch box snack or yummy for brekkie with yoghurt on top. Try it! Substitute oats for quinoa flakes to make it GF.

Enjoy!

Emma the Naturopath xx

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Butter me up buttercup

*RECHARGE*

As a naturopath it's one of my top priorities to invest time in giving back to myself so that I can continue to give good quality energy to my clients and customers. I'm very mindful of maintaining this balance to prevent burning out.

There are lots of things that help me to convalesce:

-fairy light baths

-sunshine on my skin

-being submerged in salt water

-cooking

-cuddles

-beach walking

-reflexology with Trista

-pottering around in my garden

-chit chatting with friends

-meditating

But above all else, nothing brings me home to myself more than yoga. 

I went to Jasmine List's lunch time yoga class today. It's a beautiful heart centered vinyasa flow class that's gentle and nourishing. I encourage anyone who needs to take some time out to focus on their breath and melt tension in their body to come along and recharge your batteries. Check out her Facebook page One Conscious Breath Yoga. 

When was the last time you invested some energy in *YOURSELF*?

*SUGAR FREE ANZACS*

I’m off to B Bay this wkend for my husband’s graduation ceremony for his Masters in Clinical Exercise Physiology. Not just a pretty face that husband of mine!

 So I whipped up a batch of Anzac bickies based on Sarah Wilson’s ‘I Quit Sugar’ recipe.

WHAT YOU NEED:

3/4 cup wholemeal spelt flour

1/3 cup Xylitol

3/4 cup shredded coconut

3/4 cup rolled oats

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

100g salted butter

2 Tbsp rice malt syrup (I bought an organic one from the health food section of the supermarket

1/2 tsp bicarb soda dissolved in 1 tbls boiling water

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 180C. Mix the flour, xylitol, coconut, vanilla, cinnamon and oats in a bowl. Melt the butter and rice malt syrup together in a small saucepan on the stove. When it starts to bubble gently, stir through the bicarb soda. Add the lot to the bowl and stir to combine. Roll heaped teaspoons of the mixture into balls and flatten on a tray lined with baking paper or greased with coconut oil. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

For gluten-free version: replace the flour with a combo of quinoa and rice flour and replace the oats with 1/2 cup almond meal.

Too easy. Now I need to make sure we don’t eat them all by the time we get to Grafton.

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. A convoy of vintage Kombi’s as we were driving through Bangalow. Honestly there were over 20 vans!

2. Trying not to cry when they called my husband’s name at his graduation from his Master’s degree.

3. Raw vegan choc mint cheesecake and super food smoothies from Naked Treaties. I ordered the’ I Follow My Bliss’ smoothie (and it was delicious!).

4. Eating organic dried figs while sitting at the Pass knitting my red scarf. Hands down my favourite place to watch the sunset.

5. Salted caramel peanut gelato from Bella Rosa.

PS. Spoil YOURSELF this wk!  Take yourself out to breakfast with a new magazine then order an extra pot of tea, buy a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and put them in a vase on your bedside, get your eyelashes tinted, eat good quality dark chocolate in the bath, get your hair done (not because it needs a cut, just because it’s nice to be pampered). Guilt is an unnecessary feeling! Savour it! Be indulgent!  

*THE ESSENTIALS*

A grandma bought herself a bottle of Butter London in Jaffa today (hot neon orange). Made my day. 

Guess how many Butter London nail polish shades we have in store at the moment. THIRTY!!! I kid you not! We also stock their acetone-free removers, base coats, top coats, nail fertilisers and cuticle oils.

There’s a little something for everyone. We’ve got some demure, more classy shades like Tea With The Queen and Kerfuffle. But if you’re after a bit more wildness in your life try Disco Biscuit, Cake Hole or Tart With A Heart.

Butter London is the only nail polish brand that I will happily stock in my shop.  Guaranteed the best price in town. $16.95 instead of $24.95. Boom.

The perfect Mothers Day treat!!

*FLASH BACK*

I was reminded today of this post I did last November... Exactly 6 months ago today actually!

I was just out playing in my vegie patch. Watering my baby zucchinis, admiring my abundance of mint and picking chamomile flowers to dry and make into tea. 

As I was pruning back my lavender bush to its bare bones, I thought to myself how amazing it is that you can cut off parts of a plant that are no longer flourishing, knowing too well that it will grow back stronger and healthier than before.

I always tell my clients that our bodies are like plants. If you break your bone, it will grow back stronger. If you have a broken heart or spirit, you will learn the lesson and move forward in life to become a better version of yourself.

So treat yourself like a plant today. Give yourself fresh water, liquid nourishment (fresh juices and smoothies), plenty of sunshine (vitamin D) and shelter (a loving home). And rest assured that if there is a particular part of your personality that no longer serves you in a positive way, it's never too late to change.

Have a gorgeous day!

Emma the Naturopath xx

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Choose happiness

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. The anticipation all week for a much needed massage on Friday afternoon.

2. Two 11 hour sleeps in one week.

3. Deliriously stumbling to my car after a workout to find that my key wouldn’t work. Figuring I had used my shop key, I tried my actual car key. When that didn’t work either I looked down and realised that it wasn’t my car. Nor did it actually look anything like my car. Hello hypoglycaemia.

4. Stringing up fairy lights in the bathroom. When I have a bath all the twinkles reflect in the water.

5. The hot pink sunrise on Friday morning. It made the surrounding clouds look like pink fluffy fairy floss. Needless to say the rest of my day way pretty wonderful.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. A super-duper shout out goes to my brilliant (and insane) husband who completed his first marathon today. 45km (5.5 hours) along soft sand beaches, over headlands and through rivers during a howling southerly. All in aid of raising money for The Stroke Foundation. He told me that whenever he felt like it was all too much he thought of his patients in the hospital who can’t even stand up from their chair which reminded him of how grateful he was to be able to use his legs.

Count your blessings this week. 

Banana berry muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups wholemeal spelt flour

½ cup brown sugar (or 6 x diced organic dates)

 ½ cup rolled oats

 ½ cup desiccated coconut

3 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

A pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt (Celtic salt is fine too)

2 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork

¾ cup milk (I used malt-free soy)

½ cup plain Greek yoghurt

½ cup of berries (I used frozen organic raspberries)

If you’re cheeky you could add ½ cup of dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs!

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

2. In one large bowl mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, coconut, salt).

3. In another bowl mix together the wet ingredients (bananas, milk, yoghurt).

4. Combine both bowls, stirring until mixed. Then fold through the berries.

5. Use some coconut oil on a paper towel to grease muffin tray. Top each muffin with a sprinkle of rolled oats for added prettiness.

6. Pop them in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top bounces back when you gently press down on them.

*Store in an airtight container. Makes 15 muffins.

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. The relief when the saltwater that has been stuck in your ear finally leaks out. It was a minor consolation for surfing with dolphins today.

2. The sights, smells and sounds while walking through Scott’s Head Caravan Park on Anzac Day: kids tearing around on their bikes, sausages sizzling and the waft of shampoo at the shower block. Ahh the memories.

3. Four whole days off in a row. Unheard of! Salt water, sunshine, mugs of tea, gardening, reading, cooking and sooo much sleep =food for my soul.

4. Sharing a wildly colourful fruit salad on the beach with my gorgeous pregnant friend.

5. Knitting lessons from my husband’s grandmother. She even gave me a book from the 70s full of knitting patterns (think oversized sloppy joes with cockatoos on them with pom pom sheep as pockets). I threaten my husband that I’ll make him one if he doesn’t behave…

After spending rearranging my work days this week so that I had a few days off in a row I feel so refreshed and rejuvenated. A far cry from the stressed person with the sore throat I was last week. It allowed me to do all the things that bring me back home to myself. I encourage you to do the same.

Jump!!

Emma the Naturopath xx

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What scares you?

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Driving past Abundance Street in Terrigal and wishing that was my address.

2. Cutting into a boiled egg and finding out the yolk is the perfect consistency. Love it when that happens!

3. Painting wriggly three year old’s toes.

4. Breakfast at the Oldfield’s: the kettle boiling, coffee machine whirring, the smell of hot cross buns, the toaster popping, the scraping of butter on toast, kiddies giggling, the Rip Curl Pro heats playing on the laptop.

5. Homemade minestrone soup with quinoa, fresh parsley and a dollop of cottage cheese on top. It tasted even better at breakfast the next two mornings.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. Place a few pot plants around your house to help purify the air.

Hmmm… Can somebody tell me why this is?

When a man comes into my shop and buys a bottle of liquid eg. fish oil or cherry juice extract, I inform them of the correct dosage and offer them a free measuring cup and they reply “Nah I just swig it from the bottle”.

Or they buy some powder eg. Ultra Muscleze or vitamin C, and I’ll tell them to take one teaspoon and they reply “Oh I just shake it into my glass”.

I watch my own husband take his supplements and he does the same thing.

When I tell women to take one teaspoon they say “A heaped teaspoon of just level?”

What’s up with rebelling against measuring? Don’t want to dirty a spoon? Enlighten me gentlemen?

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. You are welcome for the Matt Corby eye candy to put a pep in your step.

Snack like a naturopath… Well, 80% of the time!

This is my “go to” snack when I’m feeling peckish at home.

Grab a large mug and add:

A tin of fish (tuna/salmon/sardines/whatever)

Finely dice:

Red capsicum

Red onion

Celery

A pickled gherkin

Fresh chilli

Parsley or basil from the garden

Add in:

A squeeze of lemon or lime

Some cracked pepper

A sneaky dollop of good quality mayo

And mix it all in!

Buy plain fish in olive oil rather than buying the “mango chilli” or whatever flavour. Add your own twist. I buy the Fish 4 Ever brand. It’s sustainably line caught and in organic olive oil. But I’m a fish snob.

Great on corn thins and rice crackers with some sliced tomato and sprouts, use vegie sticks like snow peas or parsnip as dippers, mix through some cooked brown rice or quinoa, add to a salad wrap, a baked potato topping, add a poached egg on top or just eat it with a fork straight from the bowl!!

What’s your fave quick and healthy snack?

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Asking a customer of ours if she knew a good electrician and she exclaimed “Yes… and he’s an Aries!” Well he did a good job so I suppose Aries make good electricians!

2. Reversing my car into my husband’s van because I was distracted perving on him without his shirt on.

3. A brand new pair of ksubi jeans wrapped in black tissue. Thanks Edwards!

4. Receiving an email from a lovely naturopathic student in the States who if a fan of the Facebook page/blog and shared late week’s Sunshine Bites recipe with her friends over there. So touching! Talk about sharing the love!!

5. When someone told me they were blood type C.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. Come into the shop and have your zinc levels tested for FREE!!

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it”. Michelangelo

I learnt a life lesson at personal training last week. Who knew…

We’d been meeting up for about a month or so and my trainer asked me how I was finding our sessions so far.

I told her that I’d been enjoying them but I was really struggling with the cardio section of our sessions. “I’m just not a very good runner”.

For some reason I expected her to say “Well let’s just ease off a bit and go easy on the running. Actually let’s just not worry about it and focus on something else”.

Her reply: “Well we’ll ramp it up and go for longer and increase the intensity”. Umm… excuse me?!

It reminded me how easy it is to shy away from a challenging situation that you’re not good at or that scares you. It’s a habit to continually just do the things you’re good at and turn a blind eye to the challenges that will put you out of your comfort zone but ultimately make you grow. It’s comforting for the ego.

Like when studying for an anatomy and physiology exam at uni, I’d keep revising the digestive and nervous systems instead of the integumentary or musculoskeletal systems which were harder to memorise. Or in my daily yoga practice, how I focus my routine around the poses I’m good at and brush over the challenging ones by only offering them half the amount of time.

It’s so confronting yet liberating when you uncover a subconscious pattern about yourself. When you acknowledge what it is you do, you can start breaking barriers and mindfully move forward. What scares you? When was the last time you put yourself out there?

Emma the Naturopath xx

Eleanor Roosevelt - "Do one thing every day that scares you."

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