Easy Peasy Thai Summer Salad

Wow, I can't believe it has been a whole month since my last post... this last part of the year has flown by so quickly. I sort of fell off the wagon a little bit in the last month. Giving way to the Christmas parties and all the booze and food that follows.

I've started to see a new Naturopath and I'm slowly getting back on track with my healthy eating and living goals. I will go into more detail with this in a post tomorrow. But for today I just wanted to share a delicious new recipe that I hope will help me get back on the healthy train!

For Christmas my fiance, Simon, bought me a beautiful book, Stephane Reynaud's "365 Good Reasons to Sit Down to Eat." And this recipe has been taken from this book with a couple of twists of my own.

Easy Thai Salad

Ingredients
200g Breast fillet (I bought some pre-marinated Thai Chicken from Harris Farm)
2 Carrots
2 Scallions
1/2 Bunch of Coriander
100g Shelled Cooked Prawns
1/2 Packet of Rice Vermicelli Noodles
1/3 Cup Activate Nuts in Tamari and Chili (I will post a recipe for this soon).


Dressing:
2 Garlic cloves
1 Red Chili
1 tbsp Agave Nectar
2 tbsp Fish Sauce
3 tbsp Olive or Grapeseed Oil
1 tbsp Lemon Juice

Method
Heat up a non-stick frypan and sear the chicken, then wrap in foil and put in the oven (pre-heated to 180℃). Remove from the oven in about 20 minutes and chop up into pieces to serve.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the carrot into ribbons and place these in a bowl. Finely chop the scallions and coriander (you could also add cucumber, celery, etc to bulk up the veggie content here), place these into the bowl with the carrots.

Cook the Vermicelli according to the packet. Usually you just need to place the noodles into some cold or warm water for 2-4 minutes.

Put the agave, fish sauce, oil, lemon juice, garlic and chili in a bottle or container and give it a good shake to combine.

Serve up all together. Chop up the nuts and sprinkle over the top for some extra crunch! I had a couple of cherry tomatoes just picked from our plant in the backyard, so I added them in as well.

Its so beautiful, fresh and flavourful! A great Summer dish.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Salmon, Pea Puree and Brocolli with Arame Salad

Thought I'd just share this delicious meal recipe with you. Had made up a rather large batch of pea puree during Meghan's Low Glycemic Challenge week (I feel like I mention her in every blog I do, but she's really a huge source of inspiration at the moment), which I had frozen.

And I also just bought 'Ripe from Around Here' by Jae Steele which had tonnes of fantastic vegan recipes, not that I am vegan, but I find it is a fantastic way to bump up my consumption of veggies.

So this recipe is a bit of a concoction of a few things but it was so damn tasty! (If I do say so myself!)

Sesame, Broccoli and Arame Salad
Ingredients
1 head of Broccoli
1/4 cup of Arame (a seaweed and rich source of iron, calcium, zinc and iodine)
2 tbsp of Tamari
2 tbsp of Sesame Oil (this might be a little rich - I think I might drop it back to 1 tbsp next time)
1/4 tsp of Dulse Flakes
1 clove of Garlic
Pepper

Method:

• Put the arame in a bowl and cover with room temperature water until the seaweed is rehydrated.
• Steam the broccoli for 2-4minutes in a steamer.
• Strain the arame - save the water and either use it for stock or put it in the garden!
• Mix together the tamari, sesame oil, dulse flakes and garlic.
• I made this a cold salad but you could just as well have it hot - simply toss the broccoli and arame in the dressing and sprinkle sesame seeds to serve.
• NB. This recipe makes enough for four people - I had the left overs today for lunch with some brown rice.

Salmon and Pea Puree: 
Ingredients
2 x 200g salmon fillets
1 x Leek
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Bag of Frozen Peas
1 bunch of fresh mint
Salt and Pepper to taste 

Method

• Sautee the leek in the olive oil in a pan until they soften
• Add the bag of frozen peas and cover with boiling water
• Let this simmer away until the peas are nice and easily mushed
• Depending on your blender you might need to let this cool
• Put the peas, leeks and mint into a blender and whir away until silky smooth
• Add Salt and Pepper to taste
• With the Salmon I drizzle some olive oil on the skin and rub this in, then sprinkle with a little salt and pepper
• Get a fry pan nice and hot (no need to add any more oil)
• Place the salmon skin side down and let it sizzle away for a good 3-5 minutes (depending on the thickness of your salmon.
• Here you can either turn the heat down and turn the salmon over until it cooks most of the way through, or transfer it to a low oven to cook gently - I find using the oven insures a more even heat and helps avoid a really raw middle.

Put everything on a plate and enjoy!!

Making Time for What is Important

Image courtesy of Blissful Image

Okay! Let's go through the list I set for myself and see how well I've gone on Day 01:

• Get up 5.30am prepare a nutritious breakfast and go to the gym for pilates or yoga.

Check! I made my fiance and me a banana, cinnamon and almond smoothie and finished off some beautiful gluten-free sun-dried tomato and baby spinach tarts (thanks to the Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam). Didn't go to the gym - I figured getting a good breakfast and lunches ready for the week was more important!

• Get out of the office at lunch time for a 10 minute walk.

Check! The other designers and I wandered down around Millers Point to and back before having lunch.

• Spend at least half an hour a day reading.

Check! I read on the bus.

• Catch the bus half way home and walk the rest of the way (try 'walking meditation')

Check! I walked home from Glebe to Stanmore (for the record, that's about 3kms and I did it in 25 mins) and even ran a few blocks! Hooray!

• 2-3 hours study Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Oops! Make that Monday and Wednesday nights - and after I jump in the shower I will be getting stuck into some study!

• To prepare delicious, nutritious meals each day.

Check! My lunch was the envy of all at work today - gluten free tart, some rocket, cherry tomatoes, a little organic sheeps milk fetta and a drizzle of flaxseed and umeboshi vinegar!

• To blog and journal my experiences at least every second day.

Check! 

• Spend some time each day to focus, visualise and feel myself achieving my goals and dreams - probably whilst walking.

Check! 

• To pamper myself with a bath, foot treatment before bed, home facial as often as possible!

I'm just about to hop in the shower.

• Get to bed early.

Will do! I'm pooped! But in a good way.

Feeling good - happy that I've made the time today to get everything done that I wanted to and I've just prove to myself that it is possible to everything I want to do (and that I can motivate myself to do it). I did think that I was going to miss walking home because I was at work until 6.15 or so, but I was still home by 7.30!

I'm hoping that in a couple of weeks I'll be able to walk or jog the whole way! That's 7kms.

They say the second day is always the hardest. But I think I'm ready!

xK 

Spooky Turn of Events

Photography by Gabriela Camerotti

Wow! Sunday again, the weeks are flying by and soon it will be Christmas! I can't believe it.

Had kind of an up and down day today. Was woken at 4am by our blender starting up on its own!! Freaky! I thought the fridge or something in the kitchen was about to explode!!

So I slept pretty badly after that and quite weirdly, the shock of the noise conjured up all these strange anxieties, like I need to earn more money - how are we going to save for this wedding? I'm not loosing weight fast enough. I didn't go to the gym once this week - I am a total failure. Was the new hand blender I bought that day missing a part? How was I going to deal with them to get the part! Oh! the stress! I think my heart was racing for about 4 hours.

Really need to work on finding the lighter side of life, learn how to calm myself and take control of my anxieties. Tough gig. So thank you, Blender, for frightening me so. It has helped me create this week's new challenge.

Taking control of things and doing it with a smile.

This goes hand in hand with the book I'm reading at the moment, "Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting" by Lynn Grabhorn. It sounds like your typical, awful self-help book (and it kind of is a self-help book...) but its so light hearted and warm, even my deeply cynical side is loving it to bits. And even if I can implement just one or two things from this book I'll be a much happier person for it.

One thing I always find myself doing is holding on to the past (and not positive happy things) but all the things I didn't do. And these anxieties constantly spring out of thin air, brought on by some catalyst (like the Possessed Blender Demon) and it ruins me for hours, sometimes days.

This week I want to focus on taking responsibility for the little things I can do each day that will help alleviate the 'regrets of the future', the factors that I do have control over, right now, and letting go of those I don't or that live in the past. I love this quote from the book:

The real reality is we have come here to thrive, and prosper, and live this grand human experience in lighthearted joy, not struggle and pain. We have come here to have fun while we learn, to grow without suffering, and to harvest our desires in the absolute knowledge that we can have it all once we learn how to handle our energies... meaning... our emotions.

This idea ties back in with something I read on Wellness Warrior a little while ago about integrating daily habits that make you feel good so here goes my list of daily habits and promises to myself that I want to tick off each and every day this week:

• Weekdays - get up 5.30am prepare a nutritious breakfast and go to the gym for pilates or yoga.
• Get out of the office at lunch time for a 10 minute walk - get some vitamin D and to remind myself that there is a world outside and that I am a part of it!
• Spend at least half an hour a day reading (aside from my study) to broaden my general knowledge.
• Catch the bus half way home and walk the rest of the way (try 'walking meditation')
• 2-3 hours study Tuesday and Thursday nights
• To prepare delicious, nutritious meals each day and to make up a healthy dessert as a treat at least twice a week.
• To blog and journal my experiences at least every second day.
• Spend some time each day to focus, visualise and feel myself achieving my goals and dreams - probably whilst walking.
• To pamper myself with a bath, foot treatment before bed, home facial as often as possible! Maybe even try to do one little indulgence everyday? 
• Get to bed early.

Ambitious. Yes. But I think these are all good things - not chores - and therefore should be achievable and every day I achieve all those little things that are important to me the less I think I will have to regret or to brood about in the future. Its just about learning to take the time and care I guess?

Okay, I'm off to enjoy the last bit of sun for the day with my fiance and housemates!

Breakfast Recipes Catch-up: Nut & Seed Cereal and a Chocolatey Shake to kick off a Friday

Phew! Busy end to the week, here are the last two gluten-free breakfasts from Thursday and Friday!

Breakfast : Day 04
Almond, Hazelnut and Seeds Cereal
This is a recipe that I learned during Meghan Telpner's Low GI Challenge and it is fast becoming one of my favourites! It is fantastically filling and keeps my whole day rolling smoothly!

Ingredients (1 Serve)

2 tbsp raw almonds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp hazlenuts (or other nuts if you prefer
1/2 cup chopped seasonal fruit
1/2 cup yoghurt or almond milk

Method
Soak the nuts and seeds over night.
Strain them in the morning, mix with yoghurt (or milk) and fruit.

I also sprinkle a tablespoon of flaxseed over the top (might be a bit excessive...)

Breakfast : Day 05
Bananaberry Smoothie with Maca and Cacao.
I have been intrigued by cacao for a little while now and I just ordered some from Power Super Foods and the also sent a bunch of samples which I am excited to play with! One of the samples was for a Maca Smoothie Blend which also has a little raw cacao powder mixed in - PERFECT for this week's breakfast challenge!

Maca is a root vegetable found in South America, it is rich in amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and other trace elements. From the little bit of research I have done so far, it is great for improving energy and vitality but you only need small amounts and not too regularly as with any stimulant it can be detrimental.

Cacao is the raw sister of the more traditional cocoa. Here's what Power Super Foods has said about it:

Most cocoa powder is processed via the "Dutch method" meaning heat extracted (up to 150°C!), sometimes with solvents, thus destroying most of the nutrients and antioxidants and potentially contaminating the end product. Cacao Power products have an antioxidant (ORAC) score of 95,500. To put that into perspective, that's 14 times more antioxidant flavonoids than red wine, 21 times more than green tea, and 7 times more than even dark chocolate ! 

So cacao makes a wonderful alternative to chocolate, I am going to try out some recipes hopefully this week. Will talk more about the wonderful cacao then!

Anyway here is the recipe:

Ingredients (Serves 2):
1 Banana (I broke it up into little bits and put it in the freezer the night before. YUM!)
1/2-1 cup of mixed frozen berries
1 cup of milk (normal, almond, soy, etc)
1/4 cup of crushed walnuts
1 sachet of Maca Smoothie Blend

Method:Pop everything into the blender and buzzzzzzzz away!
You get this wonderful purple, chocolatey smoothie!

Enjoy!

Breakfast Cocktail!

 Sorry for the iStock images - the kitchen is a bit messy and I was also being lazy...

I've made our breakfast for tomorrow tonight so I can get to yoga in the morning. I did a gluten-free, fruit extravaganza tonight! Hope you enjoy!

Breakfast : Day 03
Summer Berries, Apple, Mango and Mint Smoothie
(Serves 2 people)

Ingredients
2 Green Apples (peeled and chopped)
1 Pink Lady Apple (peeled and chopped)
1 Mango
1 cup of Frozen Mixed Berries (or fresh)
1 handful of Mint
1/4 cup of Kefir or normal yoghurt
2 tbsp Ground Flaxseed

Method
Let the fruit, mint and yoghurt all tango together in the blender.
I'm going to stir through the flaxseed tomorrow, because otherwise it swells up and will be more like a jelly than a smoothie! I was toying with the idea of adding some of my liquid chlorophyll tomorrow too.. I'll let you know how that goes!!

Enjoy!

Smooth Start to the Day

Breakfast : Day 02
Banana, Mango and Passionfruit Smoothie
(Serves 2 people) 

Ingredients
1 Banana
1 Mango
2 Passionfruits
1 cup of milk (normal, soy, almond, cashew, etc)
1/2 cup of Kefir or normal yoghurt
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tbsp Ground Flaxseed

Method
Throw everything into a blender and mix well! Taa daa!
To make it extra cold you chop up all the banana and mango and put it in the freezer the night before. YUM!

Breakfast of Champions

Breakfast : Day 01
Quinoa Porridge, Activated Nuts and Seeds and Summer Berries

Ingredients
1/4 cup quinoa grains
1/2 cup of milk (normal, soy, almond, etc)
1 tbsp maple syrup, honey or agave
8-12 almonds
5-6 hazelnuts
1 tbsp mix of sunflower and pepita seeds
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tbsp Kefir yoghurt (or plain yoghurt)
2 tbsp fresh or frozen berries

Method

1. Soak the nuts and seeds in a bowl of water over night.
2. Soak the quinoa grains for about 15mins prior to cooking.
3. Put the quinoa and milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then quickly turn down to a simmer and leave for 5 minutes until the grains start to expand fully.
4. Add the sweetener of your choice - the maple syrup was lovely this morning but I think agave or honey would work just as well.
5. Once the quinoa is cooked take off the heat and leave it to cool - you could have this as either a hot or a cold dish. I chose to have it cold today because it has been soooooo hot!
6. Pour over the yoghurt.
7. Then sprinkle the flax seeds and nuts over the top.
8. Add your berries (or other fruit! Apple and cinnamon would be a lovely combo for a colder climate)

I took mine to work in a little container and, as you can see, it travelled extremely well.
I felt really yummy and satisfied all morning and my mood was also very stable.

Enjoy!

Weekly Wrap-up & Next Week's Challenge - Gluten Free Breakfast Ideas

I spent this week doing Meghan Telpner's Low GI diet plan. Feeling pretty good - except that I had a friend's hens night last night so I've probably undone everything with all the drinking. When I weighed myself of Friday I was 0.5kg lighter and I had lost just over 1% body fat! Which was great.

My body fat percentage 3 weeks ago was close to 40%!! So my main concern is getting that number significantly lower. I highly recommend Meghan's Low Glycemic Eating Challenge. There is a lot of prep work but if you're happy to spend a Sunday afternoon pottering in the kitchen you will be sorted for the rest of the week.

The only thing I found quite difficult was doing morning and afternoon snacks. a) Because I always felt full (which is great) and b) because I find it difficult to co-ordinate those snacks at work. But the food was fantastic!

My absolute favourites where the almond and sunflower cereal, sweet potato and broccoli soup and the non-bread bread.

Doing this challenge has got me to thinking about the importance of a really good breakfast. I was feeling amazingly stable at 3pm, when I can normally be struggling to keep my eyes open!! And I credit this to a really good breakfast and lunch with well prepared proteins and leafy greens, rather than being laden with heavy, hypnotic carbs.

And on Thursday I had toast for breakfast (because I forgot to bring my brekkie in) and fell into a thyroidy low - I have been reading that people with thyroid conditions should treat their diets as if they were gluten intolerant because the gluten intolerance may actually be part of the process that triggers an underlying autoimmune disease.

So my challenge this week is to:

Have 7 days of gluten free, delicious breakfasts.

And to see if this gets my day off to a good start and whether avoiding my usual Vegemite on toast every day can help me loose a little bit more weight!

My first idea that I would like to try is a bit of a hybrid between Meghan's Almond & Sunflower Cereal and a Quinoa Porridge - I'll document that tomorrow morning and get the recipe up online once I've tested it!  I have also bought ingredients for some yummy smoothies just to change things up a bit from day to day.

Hashimoto's Rollercoaster

One of my favourite artists Art&Ghosts

Its weird, I was reading Sarah Wilson's blog the other day and she had written a post about 'thyroidy/crappy days'. It caught my eye because of my own onset of Hashimoto's, but I couldn't identify the 'low' days for me - well I couldn't link them with my thyroid condition anyway.

And then today it struck me - I should have been alerted last night when I just threw in the towel on preparing breakfast and went to bed early - I had been to the gym and was jogging down to work when I was overcome with fatigue. At first I assumed it was my laziness kicking in, but all at once I began to feel so tired I was almost in tears.

I struggled on through the morning, trying to be chipper and happy but really all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch in the recreation area and have a nap. After lunch I started getting cravings for something sweet! And I really don't have a sweet tooth, but every now and again the craving for sugar it really strong.

Upon leaving work, my fiance rang to say that he wasn't going to home for dinner - my desire to cook for just myself was not there. So what did I do? I went out and bought a ready-made Indian dinner from Woolworths supermarket! And then a bottle of wine!

Now I know - this is my thryoid-low. For the last two weeks I have been over-the-moon happy, loving my healthy meals and my alcohol free nights and then all of a sudden I get run over by the Thyroid Truck.

So as a bit of a round up for myself in the future, here is what I have identified as my 'symptoms':

• Sudden loss of energy - "I can't be bothered..."
• Emotional/irrational tiredness
• Feeling fed up with it all - I had this uncontrollable feeling of "I always work out, eat well, cut out alcohol.... etc etc.... and I'm STILL FAT and UGLY! IT'S NOT FAIR!"
• Cravings for sweet/junk food and desire to snack
• Cravings for alcohol
• I was also really judgmental, cranky and hurling abuse (in my head of course!) on the bus on the way home...

And here's what I plan to do when I notice these 'symptoms' (and this is very much thanks to Sarah Wilson's blog article!):

• Get some dandelion tea to have at work in the morning instead of black tea or coffee (of which I had about 4 cups of day, by the way! Yet another tell-tale sign I think) - I might even buy a nice teapot to keep on my desk!
• Incorporate fresh turmeric into my diet - I keep reading and hearing how FANTASTIC turmeric is, even in my cooking class in Bali the teacher pleaded that we eat more fresh turmeric (dried doesn't have the natural antiseptic and anti-bacterial qualities that are SO important).
• Stay away from sugar, alcohol and caffeine - even though these are really the only day I ever crave these things, STAY AWAY! And have either the dandelion, bancha or green tea.
• Stay away from stodgy foods and look for something green and colourful instead.
• Avoid stressful and energy draining situations - if I have to skip the gym that day or avoid going out, so be it.
• Book a massage, I really don't treat myself to these things often enough and maybe doing something like lymphatic drainage massage might help move some of the fluid (I know I'm a little bit overweight, but some days I really feel like I'm wearing a fat suit and I'm assuming that on these days I might be a little swollen on top of my normal disposition?)

Most importantly I need to hold on to the fact that with my thyroid condition (and possibly insulin issues) loosing weight isn't going to be as simple as it should be. And no, it's probably not 'fair'. But this is teaching me to look after and love the body that I have and this is a lifestyle choice, not a quick fix. Over time it will become easier. This is probably just the most difficult part.

I'm going to put my little 'symptoms' and 'cures' list us on my cubicle wall at work and in my wallet. So I can learn to recognise it as it comes on, not when I'm a glass of wine and a dirty dinner down.

xK

Weekly Wrap-up

So last week was incredibly successful! After 6.5 days (yup, I caved on Saturday because we had 3 events to attend... blah blah blah... anyway excuses aside) I felt fantastic and really proud of myself because I can't remember the last time I had 2-3 days alcohol free, let alone 6!

By the end of the week I had noticed the following things:

• Better sleep and waking up hungry which doesn't normally happen to me, so I'm assuming that was my metabolism picking up or just my body more effectively digesting my evening meal!
• My eyes were whiter - weird I know, but after about 3 days my eyes were definitely whiter and brighter.
• Much more stable mood - less swinging between extremely happy and then incredibly moody.
• More confidence, funnily enough, I was really worried about becoming anti-social whilst avoiding drinking but it was the total opposite! I felt more confident, probably because my self-esteem/self-worth was boosted by not drinking and accomplishing my goals?
• More motivation - every night I would be cooking dinner, making posts, doing homework and not feeling lethargic and moping on the couch.
• I lost a 1kg and 1% of body fat - in ONE WEEK! 

So what I have learnt from this that avoiding alcohol during the week is incredibly beneficial for my body, mind and soul! Now I make this pact with myself to not drink from Sunday or Monday through to Thursday and to also be more mindful when I do drink to do so in moderation.

On Saturday when I did have a couple of drinks, I probably had a couple more than I should have (but not anywhere near as much as I previously would have) and very quickly realised this and curbed my drinking over the night.

All in all a pretty successful experiment and it has definitely opened my eyes to what I had been ignoring for a long time.

This Fish is Done with Flip-Flopping

I have always been a very indecisive person, typical Pisces. Always flip-flopping backwards and forwards, easily persuaded by external influences, until BAM! I make a sudden and rash move usually based on emotion and almost always regret it.

When I made the decision to make a career change it was different. I am almost doing it on the sly, telling only my closest friends and family until I can explore the waters completely.

(Even though there are people I'm dying to tell, it's become quite complicated because I currently work with some friends.)

It feels amazing and it feels 100% right. Going hand in hand with my Non-Alcohol week, I have been SUPER productive making healthy dinners, blogging and studying each night. I feel like I can accomplish anything I want.

I'm sitting on the bus writing this (my first blog-on-the-go!) and I just keep thinking about all this plus the fact that my new goal in life is have my own little practice and to never have to catch the bus again! Hehe!

xK

Cheers! to new and healthier habits!

I have gone for 5 days with out alcohol now and I'm feeling fantastic. Rather than it being a 'count down' to when I can drink again, I feel like it has become more of a little competition with myself.

How long can you go without alcohol now?

 

Also, going with out alcohol has given me room to come up with a new evening ritual. Brewing a pot of herbal tea. I actually get great joy sitting with my pretty glass tea pot and a mug - watching the tea swirl around and brew.

Over the weekend I want to try creating a pot of ice tea to leave in the fridge and drink during the week - from what I have Googled you should only leave iced tea in the fridge for up to 2 days..

Two things I have to be mindful of would be caffeine so close to bed time and also Michaela Ballmann from Nutritionally Speaking did a podcast about Green Tea in which she talks about the benefits of the tea but also the adverse effects when you drink too much, including liver failure, arthritis and stomach pain. Especially if you drink it on an empty stomach. So no more than 5 cups a day!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to going to T2 to pick up some yummy new combinations!

So for my first iced tea experiment I am going to try this recipe over the weekend - I found this recipe on West of Persia and I think it sounds just divine!

Persian Iced Tea

Made with rose water ice cubes, cardamom-spiked simple syrup or agave nectar, and quick brew black tea, this Persian inspired iced tea has an exotic flare and refreshing taste:

Ingredients:

• 180mL rose water
• Black tea 
• 6 cups of filtered water, plus more for ice cubes
• 2 Tablespoons agave nectar (or simple syrup–linkage to directions below)
• 2 teaspoons powdered cardamom (or 4-6 pods of green cardamom)
• Fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Make the rose water ice cubes. Pour 180mL of rosewater into an ice tray and top off with more filtered water to make perfect cubes. Pop into freezer overnight, or until frozen solid.

2.  Brew the tea in the 6 cups of water until is the perfect dark amber hue.

3.  Make the agave-cardamom syrup by warming agave over low heat. Or, if you don’t have agave, follow these directions for a classic simple syrup that we can then infuse with cardamom.

4. Add the cardamom powder or pods to the syrup, and stir well to allow its flavor to infuse. Remember, LOW heat here is your friend. It only takes a few seconds for the infusion to happen, so taste test the syrup, make sure you can taste the cardamom, and then remove it from the heat immediately.

5. Add the syrup, a little at a time,  to the brewed tea, and stir generously.  (Taste as you go here–everyone likes their tea sweetened a little differently, or not at all. For that matter, you could put the syrup on the side and let everyone use the amount they want in their individual tea glasses).

6. To serve, pour tea over rosewater ice cubes that you’ve placed into a tall glass. As the rose water cubes melt, their flavor will infuse into the tea. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired.

The greatest victory on this Melbourne Cup day.....

is MINE!

I did not touch a drop today and nor did I feel sad about it or feel like I was missing out at all! Even though they were serving Chandon (my favourite sparkling under $30!). I drank half orange juice and half sparkling water in a champagne glass and felt quite refreshed in the afternoon, the same cannot be said for a few staggering fillies on George Street. Hehe!

I realise that I said tonight I would look into some alternative drinks for the evening, but I am so behind in my study after Bali so I had better focus on that tonight.

This evening I made myself a pot of tea (a blend of white tea and rose) and it has been wonderful. It got me thinking, maybe some sort of iced tea would be perfect now that we're moving into the balmy late Spring evenings. I think I will plan some sort of iced tea concoction using my rose tea?

Okay, better get on with my study so I can get an early night and get to yoga tomorrow.

Effects of Alcohol on the Body

This information is what I have gathered from various government and health websites - I'm not a professional and I am doing this exploration for my own education in the hopes to gain better control over my own drinking habits. If you have any concerns about your own health due to alcohol consumption you should consult your doctor.

I think one of the keys to bringing my alcohol consumption under control is to understand what alcohol is and how it is processed in my body and also what the long-term effects could be when I am drinking beyond the recommended 1-2 standard drinks (100ml for a glass of wine is 1 standard drink).

From what I have read, unlike carbohydrates, proteins and fats, alcohol cannot be stored in the body therefore in the body needs to metabolise this before anything else, interrupting other processes that may be also occurring in the digestive system.

Nutritional deficiencies can go hand in hand with mass alcohol consumption due to damage in the liver and because, as mentioned above, it takes precedence over other digestive processes. Even moderate alcohol consumption can effect Vitamin B12 which is needed to help make DNA and to maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. Am I'm guessing this is could also cause depression and anxiety during and after drinking?

Folate, Vitamin A and Calcium are also heavily effected by excessive drinking.

Alcohol has also been linked with a range of diseases such as:

• Cardiovascular system – raised blood pressure and triglycerides (especially after binge drinking), damage to the heart muscle and stroke.
• Nervous system – brain damage, tremors, dementia and nerve damage. Alcohol is a depressant drug and affects your coordination, self-control, judgement and reaction times. 
• Mental health - there is growing evidence that alcohol increases the risk of prevalent mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
• Gastrointestinal system – stomach inflammation (gastritis) and bleeding.
• Liver – cancer, hepatitis (inflammation), fatty changes, cirrhosis and liver failure.
• Endocrine system – problems controlling blood sugar, loss of libido and reduced fertility.
• Nutrition – malnutrition (alcohol displaces nutrients from your body) and obesity.
• Breast cancer and other gynaecological problems – women who drink alcohol are at a higher risk than non-drinking women.

Pretty scary, as I can see a number of these things that could already be effecting me at the rate at which I consume alcohol. Blood sugar, over-weight, depression and there is an existing strong history of breast cancer in my family too.

Its not all doom and gloom here, there are plenty of studies saying that low levels of alcohol consumption have some health benefits in certain age groups. The NHMRC Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol have said that controlled drinking reduces the risk of some cardio/cerebrovascular disorders (particularly in middle aged men) and ischaemic stroke (in women after menopause).

But please note: These potential benefits from alcohol can also definitely be gained by other means, such as regular exercise and a wholefoods diet!

The questions that I have to ask myself very honestly are:

Can I control my alcohol intake?
Can I stick to 2 x 100mL glasses per day?

At the moment, the answer from my heart is a very open and honest:

No.

It has now been 2 days without alcohol - it hasn't been too bad, although it definitely has been in the past. I have been meaning to do this for a long time, have had a few failed attempts and have come to realise in the last few weeks that I was no longer drinking for enjoyment or taste - but simply just for the effects of the alcohol.

I want to be able to enjoy alcohol as a little indulgence, not rely on it to get through my working week.

I feel quite empowered today and proud of myself for not being tempted by the Monday I-Need-A-Glass-Of-Wine Blues. Tomorrow will be interesting because it is Melbourne cup which is always accompanied by mass-drinking, but strangely enough I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything nor do I feel remotely like drinking! :)

I have been drinking a lot of mineral water with mint to compensate! And that's probably not create either because of the sodium, so tomorrow I will do a bit of research into some alternative, relaxing, nutritious evening drinks.

Thanks to anyone out there reading this, you're helping me do this.
If you have any comments or experiences that you would like to share please feel free!



References that I looked at:

• medicinenet.com - Alcohol & Nutrition
• Australian Drug Information Network
• NHMRC - Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol
• Better Health Channel

One Week Challenge: Week 3 - Eliminating Alchohol Dependance

Just before I left for Bali I went to visit my family GP for a check up and possibly vaccinations. Whilst I was there we were chatting about my weight and thyroid condition - since starting to take Thyroxin a few years ago I haven't really found it any easier to loose weight.

And over the last month as I have been exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy (although with a few drop out days) I haven't lost any weight and my doctor suggested maybe it is an insulin problem. So I need to go and get a blood test and if I have a high blood glucose level then she has prescribed Diabex help maintain lower blood glucose levels.

I want to make my weight-loss part of a total lifestyle change, not just a "diet," so I'm worried that by simply taking a tablet will I continue to yo-yo for the rest of my life or will I be stuck taking another lot of tablets for the rest of my life.

Of course I will get the blood test because I am interested to see what my blood glucose levels are like regardless, but as far as lowering those levels I want to try and do that naturally first. And I have two ideas about how I can get this ball rolling.

Idea One: One Week Challenge - Eliminating Alcohol for One Week

I know that although I try to eat well and exercise, I can do these things a lot better but what really sets me back is the amount of alcohol I drink. I don't drink soft drink or have sugar in my tea or coffee, but I will easily consume a bottle of wine in an evening!!

After a long day of frustrating work all I can think about on the bus trip home is glass of wine, and it starts whilst I make dinner. The first glass goes down far too easily and soon I'm on to glass two before I even get dinner finished. And so it goes on and on and before I know it the bottle is gone.

I was just doing some reading and there are about 2340kj in a bottle of white wine.... That's almost like having a disgusting, fatty MacDonald's burger on top of my dinner every night!!! That's insane! No wonder I can't loose weight. Not to mention that drinking makes me lazy and I often get emotional or angry (and my poor fiance cops the brunt of that).

This week (starting today until next Sunday) I will abstain from drinking any alcohol. Difficult in the advertising world - but I am hoping with my new nutritional career focus to be less reliant on alcohol for dealing with my stress levels.

Idea Two: 5 Days of Low Glycemic Eating with Meghan Telpner

Thank you Universe! Meghan Telpner is running a 5 Day Low Glycemic Eating Challenge, SO completely appropriate for me right now! This starts on November 5 so I will undoubtedly I will end up doing 2 weeks alcohol free and learn a lot more about low glycemic eating.

Very excited about this, I have low G.I. cookbooks but I think this will be a fun and supportive way to try and make low G.I. part of my everyday life.

I will try to organise my blood test to be done early this week, and maybe I can even re do it in a week or two to see if these two challenges have helped me improve my overall blood glucose levels! If I can avoid having to take Diabex at the end of these two weeks of trial this would be ideal.

So focusing on this week's adventure, I hope to research and look at topics such as:

• Adverse effects of long term consumption of alcohol;
• Methods and tips that may break my drinking habit;
• Alternative recipes for a relaxing evening drinks;
• Effects of Alcohol on Insulin levels; and
• General review on how I have been feeling plus the usual update on weight and measurements.

Going to be a big week!

Cheers!

Tropical Getaway in Bali - Part Two

"So what can we do about the craziness of the world"
"Nothing." Ketut laughed, but with a dose of kindness. "This is nature of world. This is destiny. Worry about your craziness only - make you in peace."
- Eat Prey Love 

I mentioned in previous posts that I wanted my second Weekly Challenge to be Meditate every day for 1 hour. I realise now that this was a pretty ambitious task, not really having spent too much time doing meditation and also being on holidays with all the distractions.  

I did try a couple of times. One attempt was thwarted by sheer sleepiness. Not realising how much I needed to just give myself a break - my head kept nodding and rolling before I even noticed I had drifted off.

The second time was literally chased back inside by a teeny-tiny bat!! I had gotten myself all settled, looking rather like a tipi wrapped up in a blanket to hide from the mozzies, I closed my eyes and tried to settle into a mantra when I was suddenly aware of something zoooooooming back and forth over my head. I opened my eyes, but it had gone.. so I tried to regain focus, but then there is was again!

A little bit worried at this point so I sat in stillness with my eyes open - there it WAS!! A little bat. It would go out into the trees at the back of the yard and then zoom in right above my head and back out.

Not having had any of my vaccinations before coming to Bali, I freaked out and ran inside.

Of course I started beating myself up - can't even focus to meditate, only week 2 of my challenges and I had already failed. During the day I was reading Eat, Prey, Love and I came across the quote that I started this blog with today. It really struck a chord with me.

I had noticed how hard it can be to enjoy your holiday when surrounded by so many tourists of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs and everybody wanting to make their own vacation the best it can be, sometimes people can come across as rude or belligerent in trying to achieve this for themselves and their families, but I realised you can either get swept up in a flurry of negativity and let it ruin your holiday or can just let it go and focus on your own behaviour.

So, I decided that for this week I would instead focus on this one little idea all week. With the hopes of bringing this feeling back to Sydney. And even just practising it once or twice you realise how good it feels to not spend the next hour complaining because someone pushed in front of you at the exhibit, but instead to just let it go and to instead by mindful of other people around you.

Also Balinese temperament makes this easier to achieve, they come across as incredibly easy going not vengeful or aggressive. As one of our drivers, also called Ketut (this would be mind-blowingly coincidental if I didn't know that 'Ketut' just means 'Number 4 Child') spoke to us about the thing that makes Hinduism a wonderful religion to him is the fact that you are supposed to practise giving, rather than just taking or asking for something. Little offerings are put out the front of shops and taken to temples several times throughout the day.

Ketut incidentally also things this is what keeps Bali safe from natural disasters - of which Indonesia had earthquake, volcano eruption AND tsunami all in the one week whilst we were over there. Bali didn't get effected by any of it. Anyway, I digress...

It was a really nice feeling to practice especially when sometimes my family (myself very much included) can all get swept up in reactionary, emotional responses to (often unintentional) negetive energy. And this response can be just as bad, if not worse, than whatever it was that upset you in the first place.

So this one I will definitely be putting practice, now that I am back in Sydney. I think we would all be a lot happier working on our own "craziness" rather than focusing on what other people should or shouldn't be doing. And I haven't given up on the idea of making meditation a weekly challenge either, I think attending the local Satsang a few more times and a bit more self-education. Soon to come.

Balinese Cooking Course

Two blogs in one night! Goodness!! I just have so much to talk about from the last couple of weeks, I want to get it all noted down before I start to forget everything.

On Thursday I did a Balinese Cooking Class at the Anika Guest House in Kuta, Bali and I cannot recommend it enough. It was such a fun day full of new discoveries and the most delicious food I came across in my whole trip.

We started the day off at the local markets in Kuta. I must admit they were quite confronting. I've explored food markets in other countries, in India where we had to cover our faces with a wet cloth to get through the Spice Section with out choking on the chilli and find my way through Morocco's dense medina's with camel heads and stinky dye baths. But the Bali market was not pretty or clean, it was really dark and cluttered, with rotting vegetables, old offerings and rubbish littering the uneven floor.

I didn't take any photos of the meat and seafood section because it was quite horrible. But aside from the mess and grime the people, as always, were lovely and accommodating letting us look at produce and ask questions. Our guide pointed out things we may never have seen before and gave us medicinal purposes for everything.

We then jumped back into the vans and went to the cooking school. Everything was already prepped and chopped (which was very lovely) all we had to do was absorb information about the ingredient combinations. Even then a lovely booklet was supplied detailing information on all the ingredients and recipes.

The recipes included:

• Balinese Beef Satay
• Grilled Fish in Banana Leaves
• Chicken Curry
• Water Spinach in Tomato Chilli Sambal
• Gado-Gado
• Nasi Goreng
• Tempe Curry
• Pickled Carrot and Cucumber Salad
• Fresh sambal
• Green Pancakes with Coconut
• Black Rice Pudding

It was fresh and delicious and extremely well organised. The head tutor Komang was happy, laughy and very knowledgeable. And his right hand lady, Nyoman, was amazing calm, collected and talented chef. I'm sure I'll be using the cooking book that they gave us for years to come.

I think the only criticism I had of the day was that it semi-outdoors and extremely hot. (But it could possibly have been even hotter if it was in doors). Just be prepared and have a breakfast before you go and keep hydrated, because you're standing in hot, hot, heat and don't really eat until 10-11am after a 6am start!

I will be looking at adapting some of these recipes soon and when I do I'll post the photos and recipes - I was going to post one of my favourite recipes that we did during the course, but it just didn't feel right to post something that's not my own.

If you're going to Bali, definitely check this out.

Tropical Getaway in Bali - Part One

So for the last 9 days I have been over in Bali, and I thought I'd better do a bit of a round-up! Last week's challenge was to do something active everyday, I think I completed this challenge reasonably well considering I spent one full day in an 'Amazing Race' style day of traveling.

Here as the the activities I did every day:

Monday:  Resistance Training - set up for me by a personal trainer, including weights and machines for upper body and legs, ab work and 20 minutes of cardio.

Tuesday:  Pilates - 45 minute reformer pilates class.

Wednesday: 20 minutes fast paced walk 2.5km

Thursday:  We were running around airports and dealing with long flights, not really exercise but exhausting all the same, right? Right?

Friday: Spent 2 hours walking around Bali in 93% humidity - I could easily compare it to a Bikram yoga class!!!

Saturday:  45 minute Stretch class and swimming in the ocean off Lembongan Island

Sunday:  Swimming laps in the pool

When I measured myself on Monday morning I had lost 1cm off my bust, waist and hip measurements. It was definitely hard to keep the momentum of energy up whilst on holidays and I know I could have done more. I may have subconsciously sabotaged myself by forgetting my gym clothes, or maybe that was the universe just telling me to relax a little, who knows.

I have been feeling more and more like I'm ready to go without alcohol for a little while. I think that will be next week's challenge. It may also help in shifting some weight that I'm finding difficult to loose - despite eating well and exercising regularly, alcohol is one of my biggest vices.

But all in all it was a beautiful week in Bali and with the sun, water, exercise, fresh air and fruits I was feeling fantastic, and that's all that really matters in the end!

The people in Bali were absolutely beautiful, despite living in a country rife with corruption and bribes, poverty and unfortunate events like the bombings in 2002 - not to mention overrun with sunburn, drunken tourists all wearing the uniform of Bintang singlets and braided hair. They look at everything in such an optimistic and forgiving light.

They have space and time for everyone and everything.

The next week I was hoping to do meditation everyday but I'll go into that in another post tomorrow.

Sunny Spring Afternoon

What a beautiful Sunday in Sydney. The sun has been shining, I had breakfast in the backyard and meditated, we had friends pop around for a surprise visit and they brought some beautiful nougat, I re-painted some chairs and now here I am with soft music and the sound of birds chirping flowing through the open window.  I could not be happier at the moment, I feel completely at ease.

This could not be a better start for 2 new things this week: my Nutritional Medicine course begins and so does my 'weekly challenges'. AND I leave for Bali on Thursday!!

So, this week's challenge is to:

Do something active everyday.

I plan to go the gym tomorrow morning for cardio and weights, reformer pilates on Tuesday and Wednesday I will finally get to go back to the Yoga teacher who was such a fantastic inspiration for me in overcoming my fear of handstands a few weeks ago!

Then in Bali I want to make sure I do at least one of, any of the following things, everyday for the remainder of the week:

• Walking (on the beach preferably),
• Yoga (also, on the beach preferably),
• Using the gym,
• Snorkeling (which I have always been a bit scared of doing...)
• Swimming, or
• Hiking.

(A little bit of a side note here: I also really, really, REALLY want to do some sort of a cooking class, I would love to surprise my family by finding somewhere that I can take them for a bit of an un-touristy evening and wonderful cultural experience in Nusa Dua).

This week I will track how I am feeling and then, next Sunday, I will post my updated measurements and an overall review on how felt, etc.

I'm so excited. I feel these goals are totally achievable, because it is just one week and if they work their way into my every day life then that's great, but I'm not putting the usual extreme pressure on myself to achieve the unachievable.

 I already think I know what next week's challenge will be:

Meditate every day for 1 hour.

Where else would be better to do this than on holidays in Bali, huh?

Successful Goal Setting One Week at a Time.

Okay, so I've been a little quiet the last couple of weeks. I really thought that with the changing of daylight savings it would be the perfect timing to kick start a whole bunch of exercise and "healthy-living" realated goals.

But in the week that followed my diet was okay, but it was nearing the end of the pay cycle so we were a bit impoverished which meant digging up as much from the pantry as possible. (It did prove to make some creative meal planning) but also meant I couldn't get fresh and quality product that had been a part of those goals.

I also was severely hit by the fact that it was no longer light at 5.45am and being tucked up in a warm bed next to my warm fiance was just too good to pass up!

One day I missed the gym, and then one night we ordered a pizza and then I missed another day of the gym... I became more and more annoyed at myself... and then I came across Michaela Ballmann and her podcasts 'Nutritionally Speaking'. In one of the podcasts she was talking about New Year's Resolutions and how if goals are too uncontrollable and too vast then of course you can't achieve them and of course you're going to feel down on yourself. It's a downward spiral.

So from this new knowledge, I have decided to do a bit of an experiment and set a weekly goal for myself. My long term goal is still make an entire lifestyle change so I can be happier and healthier. But instead of trying to do everything at once, like I always do, "This week I will not drink alcohol, and drink juice every morning and exercise 6 days a week!!" I will do things more gradually.

No wonder it never seems to work, even if I could change every bad habit that I have all at once I would probably be a complete wreck and would definitely not enjoy it at all.

So instead, I will set myself one weekly task. Which I will endeavor to make my priority, just for those 7 days with no 'forever's and it will be interesting to see if, after those 7 days, I can start to incorporate one new thing at a time into my daily routine. Baby steps!

Where to start? Well, next week I'm off to Bali. So I think the easiest goal to set is to:

Do something active everyday.

I don't leave until Thursday so I can get my usual gym routines in early in the week. But then I want to seek out a daily activity in Bali (so I don't turn into a complete sloth on my holiday!).

I'll track the progress and how I am feeling.

I can't wait to think of fun things to challenge myself with every week!

Daylight Savings Tomato Party

To celebrate the coming of Summer I decided to give one of Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes a go yesterday. Since it was called a "Tomato Party" it seemed very appropriate for this very exciting time of the year.

I made a couple of mistakes but turned the recipe into my own adaptation! So here it goes:

Tomato Party with Crispy Couscous Croutons

Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's book 'Plenty'


Ingredients
125g coucous
olive oil
1 cup of quinoa (He suggestes 150g Fregola 'Giant Couscous' but I didn't have a chance to get any).
300g vine ripened tomatoes, quartered
3/4 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
150g yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small green tomato cut into thin wedges
100g tomberries or halved cherry tomatoes.
(I couldn't find all this on the day so I bought a 'Tomato Medley' from Thomas Dux).
2 tbsp chopped oregano
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
2 tbsp chopped mint
1 garlic clove, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Preheat the oven to 170℃.

Put the couscous in a bowl with a pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil. Then cover with 150ml of boiling water, stir and cover the bowl with cling film. Set aside for 12 minutes, then remove the cling film and separate the grains with a fork. Set aside to cool.

Now here I made my first mistake - I over cooked the couscous, so it became really gluggy and all stuck together. So I grabbed a shallow baking tray, lined it with baking paper and spread the couscous out evenly over the tray.  I then sprinkled with rock salt, white pepper and a little olive oil and put it in the oven. Once this is golden brown across the top, remove from the oven and let it cool before chopping it into crispy, couscous croutons - which I then added to the salad for some extra crunch!

Remake the couscous by repeating the above instructions - remember not to leave it any longer than the 12 minutes or you'll be making lots of couscous croutons!!

Next cook the Quinoa - this is the best way of cooking it. Absolutely flawless. Then leave this to cool completely.

Meanwhile, spread the tomatoes over a baking tray and sprinkle with the sugar, some salt and pepper and drizzle the balsamic vinegar and olive oil all over. Place in the oven for 20 minutes and then increase the temperature to 200℃ for a further 12 minutes.

Here's where I made mistake number two. Yotam actually suggests doing the large vine ripened tomatoes for the first 20 minutes, then adding the yellow tomatoes - keeping the others raw. I just put the whole lot in, which meant there was A LOT of excess juices.... when I turned the oven up to 200℃ I emptied all the juices into a saucepan, added the crushed garlic and put it on a low heat reduce slowly for about 10 minutes. Let the tomato and garlic reduction cool.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven and set aside to cool.

Then I strained the tomato and garlic reduction from the stove into a jar and added 1:1 olive oil to make the dressing. Just season to taste with a little salt and pepper if you need - I found I didn't have to it was beautiful on its own.

Put the couscous, quinoa and chopped herbs into a bowl and toss. Then add the tomatoes and gently mix. Taste for seasoning. And add the dressing.

Et voila! A beautiful, refreshing Spring Tomato Party with Crispy Couscous Croutons!

Enjoy!

Where I'm at right now.

I guess at this stage of my journey I should sort of state where I am at with my weight and my self and where I would like to be. I am aiming to be really open and honest with this blog, so here it goes.

I am going to regularly log my weight and measurements as well as exercise and as many details about my diet and nutritional learnings as possible.

Weight: 89.7kg

BMI: 27.3 (so I am just in side the "overweight" category - 25-29)

Bust Measurement: 102cm

Waist Measurement: 87cm

Hip Measurement: 117cm

Upper Arm: 33cm

Upper Thigh: 68cm

Mood: Is easy aggravated or upset, quick to get frustrated, take this very personally. So basically very emotional and over irrational. With a lot of regret shortly after.

And now for my first goal:

18th October 2010: Not expecting a lot of weight loss but at this point I leave for Bali and I also start my Nutritional Medicine course (very exciting!!) so I want to be ready mentally to make dramatic change in my lifestyle - all of which I hope to share here.

What I am going to do: Begin my new exercise regime, closely examine my diet and identify areas of improvement. 3 alcohol free days per week. And to work on letting go of things that are beyond my control through regular meditation - Bali will be perfect for this! Could the timing be any better?

 Wish me luck!

A Little Musing : Battle the bulge

I just went out for a walk in my lunch break because it's such a beautiful day. And I noticed all the people out and about running, power-walking, strolling. Some people are just natural athletes, and I always wish that I was genetically adept at running. A little thought flashed through my mind, "I will probably always have to battle with my weight".

But then another thought came over me, maybe it is terms like "Battle the bulge" that make it so hard to loose weight. Shouldn't it be a joy to look after our bodies and nuture them with good food and exercise?

So from here on in, I will never refer to my self-improvement journey as "a battle" because its not.

Quinoa & Eggplant make me so happy!

This is one of my favourite recipes by Janella Purcell. I saw it on "Good Chef Bad Chef" and I have made it quite a few times now because it is amazingly comforting and satisfying.

Sorry I will definitely have to work on my food photography!

Chinese Eggplant and Silken Tofu

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 tbls olive oil
8 long asian eggplants
2 tbls olive oil
1 large leek, halved and cleaned
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 green chilli, chopped
1 tbls ginger, finely sliced
1 tbls coriander stems, chopped finely
3-4 sachets dashi
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp tamari
2 pkt silken tofu, cut into large squares
8 shitake mushrooms
2 tbls coriander leaves
4 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal

Method
Slice eggplants into wedges of approximately 4cm. Lightly fry in the olive oil until starting to brown all over - you can also bake or grill them. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel.

Slice leek into half moons and place in same pan with a bit more oil. Cook over medium heat, adding garlic, chilli, ginger and coriander stems and cook for a further 1 minute.

Add the eggplants, fill with water until it covers the eggplant plus about an inch more. Add dashi stock, sesame oil and tamari to the pan.  Let simmer until eggplants are soft and tender, about 15 minutes.  Now gently add the tofu to the pans be gentle with silken tofu a sit easily falls apart.

Garnish with spring onions and coriander leaves. Definitely serve with quinoa or organic brown rice.

Inversion of a new leaf

Along my journey I am hoping to not just work on my nutrition and body but also my mind.

I recently went to my first satsang and it was really amazing. I realised that I was out of my comfort zone because I went by myself and I really had no idea what I was attending. Is this a cult? Is it going to be too religious? Is this going to change my life?

I was met at the door by a woman who showed me around and was so profoundly spiritual and also very eccentric and made no apologies for who she was. I felt incredibly inward and self aware.

The first part of the ceremony is chanting Hindi to live music. At first I was totally bamboozeled and self conscious trying to keep up with the exotic melody whilst trying to decipher the language. Eventually I just felt myself give way to the feeling rather than trying to be correct and it was truly beautiful and I felt so much more energetic.

Then the host spoke for a while which was inspirational and all I could do was sit there with a goofy smile. Until he said "now we need to get into groups of three and discuss how successful and unsuccessful our meditation practice has been this week".

I felt my whole body seize up and the warm glow I had been experiencing disappeared instantly. It was at this point in time I realised that my defence mechanism (you know, fight or flight) is very definitely FLIGHT. RUN AWAY! But I didn't. I look around like a lost lamb until I spotted the lady who I met at the door and she ushered me over.

I listened to the people telling their stories of why they were here. Loss, divorce, depression. And they turned to me and all I could say was "I'm here to find me".

And I do think I uncovered a little part of myself that night that I have been denying.

In the next few days I went to yoga and my teacher said, "Well its definitely Spring, I think I'm going to shake things up a bit - remove some cobwebs." She began to just give us various difficult poses always saying, "Don't worry if you can't do it, just try." Followed often by "And smile!"

Towards the end of the class she said, "Let's try some inversions." I felt that same tightening of my chest. A flush into the cheeks. RUN! I can't do handstands. I'm too fat. I'm not strong enough. What if I fall over? What I hurt myself?

Recognizing this feeling from the other night at satsang. I quickly put out the fire. No, in the spirit of my recent self-discovery and also in the spirit of this yoga class, I decided to just have fun. It didn't matter if I got all the way over. It didn't matter if I fell over. At least I had tried to do handstand for the first time in 15-odd years.

And that's what I did. Little bunny hops, little jumps and I laughed the whole time.

Happiness is in your hands, no one or anything else is responsible for your happiness.
I need to keep reminding myself of that everyday and at least now I'm very aware of that "Flight" feeling and I am beginning to work out ways to help me work around it.

The first post.

So this is my first post in this blog. I'll start out by saying I have had an interesting 12 months. Last year I had a bit of a breakdown thinking that my life was stagnating and nothing I was doing seemed to be going anywhere. This year I have become engaged, got a new job, moved into a new house and now it seems I'm going into the biggest shift possible. 

A whole new career.

I am a Graphic Designer. I kind of fell into this career. I never imagined that I would be doing this and as result I have felt that for the last 6 years I was just being swept through life by a fast current - with no control over anything.

In the last few months I have come to the conclusion that maybe this isn't the right path for me. Sitting in front of a computer from 8-9 hours everyday leaves me feeling restless, frustrated and anxious.

I have always had a love/hate relationship with food. I have always been "plump" and predisposed to being overweight. In the last couple of years I was diagnosed with the initial signs of Hashimoto's disorder - or under active thyroidism. I have been taking Thyroxin to supplement and support but I know that there has to be a more wholistic way to give it a helping hand.

My mother also has Hashimoto's but since having breast cancer in 1999 it completely destroyed itself and now she doesn't have a functioning thyroid at all. She is an inspiration and has more energy than anyone I know! So I know that I can also overcome this problem and hopefully have a happy, healthy thyroid for the rest of my life.

Another element that has sparked this life change is that when I reflect back on my week at work, what have I achieved during the week? I've got artwork for beer cartons in on deadline... I've made a few posters.... I often wonder how will I feel when I look back on my life... who have I helped? What have I done to make a difference. 

Now, I'm not wanting or meaning to bag out the design industry here. It can be an amazing career full of inspiration and happiness. I have simply had a serious heart to heart with myself over the last few months and decided its simply not satisfying for me.

So I have made the leap and enrolled in an Advanced Diploma of Nutritional Medicine. I start doing the course via Distance Learning on October 18. And in this blog I hope to use myself as a bit of a test subject to effectively learn about nutrition and change my life. So I hope anyone that reads this finds some help or healthy inspiration.