Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Summer lovin'



Change with the Seasons


As we move through the year it is important to keep our health tuned into each season so we can feel our optimal best!

The temperature is slowly rising so we can welcome more RAW foods onto our plate. This allows us to spend less time in the kitchen as our meals become lighter, simpler and fresher rather than burdening our digestive system with heavy, cooked foods.

Seasonal summer produce: 

Fruit: bananas, berries, lychee, mango, melons, passionfruit, stone fruit.

Vegies: lettuce, asparagus, green beans, celery, leek, cucumber and capsicum.

Encourage your family to spend more time outside enjoying this glorious weather and soak up some vitamin D! Just remember to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of purified, room temperature water.

Healthy summer meals:

Green smoothies
Fruit salad with yoghurt and LSA
Vegie stick platter with homemade hummus
Beetroot, rocket and goats feta salad
Steamed barramundi with ginger, lemongrass and Asian greens




Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Post surf-mat session smoothie: coconut water, frozen mixed berries, mango, mint from the garden and a lime. AKA summer in a glass.

2. A mama and baby pelican cruising by us while stand up paddle boarding in the river. You forget how gigantic those things are until you’re right up next to one of them!

3. Setting my alarm tone to ocean sounds instead of annoying beeeeeeeping. Why did that take me so long?
4. Cheesy polenta mash.

5. When there is no surf…. This means he brings me poached eggs on gluten free toast in bed.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. My jaw actually dropped open... “Is that true?!” I asked the lady behind the counter at the ink shop.

The poster behind her said: “PRINTER INK CARTRIDGES TAKE UP TO 450 YEARS TO BREAKDOWN IN LANDFILL”. I can’t even fathom that amount of time!

I found out that in one year, if the world’s discarded cartridges were stacked end-to-end, they would circle the earth over three times

When I asked the lady what can be done to reduce this she said “Exactly what you’re doing” as she passed me my refilled cartridge. I’ve had the same ink cartridges for 4 years now. Only 30% of people refill their cartridges. The other 70% go to the tip to sit there until the year 2463. Hectic.

I go to Cartridge World in Coffs to refill mine and they’re a fraction of the cost of buying new ones. When we were poor uni students we used to refill them ourselves (and have black fingers for weeks).

Be mindful that when you throw something “away” it is never really “away. Please share this post so we can let more people know.



*WARNING*

If you buy a Christmas present in our shop I will peer pressure you into letting me gift wrap it for you.

Me: “Hi would you like me to gift wrap that for you?”
Customer: “Oh no, that’s fine. I’ll do it at home”
Me: “It’s not a hassle. Look at our beautiful Christmas paper”
Customer: “It’s ok. It’s actually a birthday present”
Me: “Oh I have paper for that too!”
Customer: *uncomfortable silence* “Um… Sure, go for it”
Me: *fist pump*

Two weeks today until the big day!! The shop is overflowing with goodies! Anyway here is Essential Health’s Top 5 Christmas Treats!

1. IT’S ALL GOOD BY GWENYTH PALTROW -My fave cookbook of all time!
2. DRISHTI CANDLES from Bellingen –We’d like to think that’s it’s our natural pheromones that make the shop smell so damn good, but it’s actually the candles.
3. WELEDA POMEGRANATE CREAMY BODY WASH AND HAND CREAM PACK –Save around $20 on this biodynamic goodness.
4. ATTIC ACCESSORIES TOILETRY BAGS –Nice designs for dudes and chicks.
5. LOUISE L. HAY AFFIRMATION CARD DECK –Daily inspiration. The gift that keeps on giving.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. Thank you in advance for satisfying my gift wrapping fetish. Of course it is a free service, but we have a Sea Shepherd tin on the counter so feel free to drop a coin in there :)




I was so touched by this lovely message I received yesterday from one of our customers...


"Hi, I just wanted to say thank you!!!!

I was in your store on the weekend right on closing time, you were patient and listened to me even though you were probably itching to get on with your weekend. I purchased some toothpaste and Olive Leaf oral spray you recommended for mouth ulcers.

Absolute magic, just a few days treatment and they are totally gone. Imagine, I have been putting up with them for nearly 9 months.

Thanks so much again, have an awesome Christmas!"





Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:


1. Walking to the elevator just as the doors are opening. I didn’t think I was superstitious but when this happens I feel like I’ve got a great day ahead.

2. Scoring a set of (BPA free) Lickity Sips from Big W for $6. Excited to make healthy homemade icy poles this Summer!

3. Playing ‘Heart and Soul’ on the grand piano at a mansion overlooking the ocean.

4. Yummy treats from my very sweet customers. Homemade coconut yoghurt and a little package of bliss balls. My afternoon tea was sorted!

5. Doing yoga outside in the sprinkling rain. I went into the deepest meditation afterwards and actually fell asleep. It was a surreal and beautiful feeling to peacefully wake up in nature, which took me a few moments to work out where I was.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. I thrive on simplicity. When life gets complicated and overwhelming, I try to shed away all the static and get back to basics.

This week I unsubscribed from a dozen mailing lists that I receive for recipes that I never cook and clothes I never buy. I went through my entire wardrobe and spent an afternoon listing clothes on eBay. It made me feel lighter and clearer.

Live by the KISS rule: Keep It Simple Sexy.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”
-Leonardo da Vinci




Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Finding out my childhood cats were named Cauliflower and Come On. How ridiculous!

2. The Bobby Alu cd. Good psych up music for Hawaii in 4 weeks!

3. Coconut chia puddings with fresh fruit every morning. Then again for dessert!

4. Seeing two friends get married in their backyard under a big beautiful mango tree with frangipanis scattered around.

5. Paddle boarding down the river in Bellingen to find a secluded picnic spot. Rode down a few rapids! The only sounds were cicadas buzzing, kookaburras having a chuckle and some cows mooing. Often all I could hear was the paddle being dipped into the water. It was a peaceful and grounding way to spend the last weekend of the year after zooming around all month.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. The next Top 5 I post will be in 2014!!

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear” 
–Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

My yoga teacher told me once that when there is love, there can be no fear. So immerse yourself in love and know that you are invincible xx




Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. That awkward moment when the waitress asks you what sort of chai you’d like and you reply “a BIG one” instead of ‘latte or tea’. Oh...

2. Whittling away hours at a busy cafĂ© on my laptop and my “BIG chai” ala Carrie Brandshaw. Periods of wild typing infused with patches of staring into the distance daydreaming and pondering life.

3. The relief of a newly renovated kitchen. Fridge is in the laundry, washing up in the laundry sink with the dish rack on the floor. Boiling the kettle which is plugged in on the carpet next to the TV in the lounge room. It’s a bit like camping in your own house.

4. My grandmother informing me about that creepy Packer guy and Miranda Kerr as if she’s in their close circle of friends. Well it must be true if it was in Woman’s Day.

5. People who walk around town wearing loud Christmas shirts, Santa hats and earrings in the shape of candy canes. These people who truly embrace the Christmas spirit never fail to bring a smile to my face.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. “Something very beautiful happens to people when their world has fallen apart: a humility, a nobility, a higher intelligence emerges at just the point when our knees hit the floor.”

-Marianne Williamson

For many people I know, 2013 has been a BIG year that has demanded a lot of strength and resilience. But guess what… You made it!! A little stronger and wiser than before.

So instead of writing a list of specific goals as long as your arm (I am writing this for myself here), just aim for an ENJOYABLE year. It’s time to just release and be open to wherever life takes you.

From myself and Vanessa, we send you Christmas wishes from the bottom of our hearts and thank you for all the joy you have brought to us at Essential Health this year. Lots of love xxxx




So excited about the fresh new year that lies ahead!!!


Essential Health

0266 514 533
Boulevard Arcade (opp. Blush), Coffs Mall
Facebook: Essential Health Coffs
Instagram: emma_the_naturopath

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

How to be a succulent wild woman



Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Two AMAZING chairs from the antique shop that look like they were made for the very purpose to live in our house.
2. The relief of finding things that you feared had been lost FOREVER! Eg. My group certificate! Hooray!
3. The gluten-free biscuits my grandmother puts on a plate for me when we go over for a cuppa. I would never have the heart to tell her that each biscuit is equivalent to a week’s worth of sugar. She even bought me a packet to take home last week. Too cute.
4. Fireworks on Saturday night. The banging, the colours, the sparkling,  the “oohs” and “ahhs”.
5. Filling out one of those security question things for my online banking: “What is your dream job?” I went to type ‘naturopath’ then paused and smiled.
Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. Put your phone on silent, turn off the TV, stop writing to-do lists in your head and take ten deep cleansing breathes and smile…. Then take another ten.





"A succulent wild woman is a woman of any age who feels free to fully express herself in every dimension of her life. 

Stand firm and whole as a woman. You are precious and irreplaceable. Treasure your female self. Choose innocence. Invent ways to feel more free. Investigate your darkness" -Succulent Wild Woman by SARK.

(Which I read last night in the bath while drinking a cup of peppermint and lavender tea by candlelight).









If your man was one of the million guys who rushed into the shop today to ask me to help them pick out their wife/girlfriend/mother/mother-in-law a gift... Don't worry, you'll be opening something epic tomorrow ;)

Have a delightful day peeeps!

Emma the Naturopath xx

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Pressies, Top 5 & Fritters!


We have had SO much fun unpacking Christmas stock! There's something for mum, dad, hubby, your bestie and for your work mate's Secret Santa!

Here are 10 lovable gift ideas that are in stock now:

1. Akin gift packs
2. Cheeki stainless stee
l insulated mugs (our price is $19.95, not $24.95)!
3. Sweet William chocolate santas (dairy, gluten and nut free)
4. Bodecare body brushes
5. Doulton water filters
6. Byron Bay Bliss Balls
7. Weleda sea buckthorn gift packs
8. Sukin gift packs
9. Bee Natural beeswax candles (from Boambee)
10. Noosa Naturals choc coated blueberries, coffee beans and whole strawbs

We're putting up the Chrissy tree today!




Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Playing hide and seek with my niece and nephew. When I walked into the bedroom I called out “Is anybody in here?” and I hear a little voice from the wardrobe yell out “No!”
2. The cutest baby capsicums growing in my garden! They look like little toys.
3. My Om Veda gold face moisturiser. Bit decadent? Sure, but I’m worth it.
4. Friday midday smoothie: coconut water, watermelon, 2 mango cheeks, mint from the garden, passion fruit from Vanessa’s vine, 1 Tbsp LSA, frozen raspberries!
5. Rocking out to the Triple J’s ‘Like A Version’ volume 8 cd at the shop. YouTube: City and Colour playing Kimbra’s Settle Down and Jinja Sarari’s cover of R Kelly’s Ignition.

PS. Don’t forget to sit outside in the sun on your lunch break this wk!






I found a recipe for corn fritters in one of my recipe books so I “naturopathifyed” it! I whipped these puppies up this arv and threw the mixture in the fridge. My husband and I cooked them up when we got home from Cross Fit and demolished 
the lot!

Golden Vegie Fritters
1 ½ cups wholemeal spelt flour
½ cup polenta
1 tsp bicarb soda
2 free range eggs
1 ¼ cup soy milk
1 cup grated cheese
1 corn cob, kernals sliced off
1 zucchini, grated
1 carrot, grated
3 shallots, diced
Chives, diced

In a large bowl, mix together the flour polenta and bicarb. Add everything else. Form into little patties and cook in a frying pan on a low heat with coconut oil until golden brown. Serve with a salad. Wheat-free, vegetarian, dairy-free (if you leave out the cheese).

Emma the Naturopath xx