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It took me a LONG time to realise

I was only self sabotaging my dreams and goals. I was punishing my body instead of nourishing. It took me to become very sick to realise something needed to change and that was my mindset around food.
So what exactly does it mean to have a healthy relationship with food?Having a healthy relationship with food simply means to eat intuitively to your body’s needs without judgement or fear. To feel grateful and satisfied by what you are fueling your body with and understanding that food has the power to energise nourish your every cell.

Food Freedom

Before we delve into all things food and nourishment, I really want to take the time to chat to you about 2 topics that are really close to my heart.

Having a healthy relationship with food and intuitive eating.

I think we can all agree that at some point in our life we have used food as a way of dealing with emotions and are all guilty of not listening to our body when it comes to eating and what it actually needs.

This is where most people fall off track and end up either binge eating or yo-yo dieting and I can promise you that neither of these are going to bring you closer to your goals or have you feeling like the healthiest and happiest version of yourself. Don’t feel guilty or ashamed if this has been you, 6 years ago this was me. I had major food confusion, I was disconnected from myself and had a very unhealthy relationship with food. I used food as a coping mechanism, a way of dealing with stress, unhappiness and unwanted emotions.

Journal Prompt:

This doesn't always come easy and can take time to feel like you have established a healthy relationship with yourself and food. So let’s check in and see where you are at:

How do you feel after eating? Heavy? Tired? Energised?

How would you like to feel after eating?

What is keeping you from feeling like that right now?

Do you eat when you are hungry or out of routine?

What food makes you feel good or makes your soul happy?

What part of this makes you feel good? Taste? Texture? Cooking?

Have you or do you use food as a way of dealing with stress or emotions?

Is this often or not so much?

Do you get anxiety around eating certain foods? 

Do you eat for nourishment or to feel/look a certain way?

How would you like to change your relationship with food?

Now that you have more awareness about your mindset around food let’s see how we can create more love and guidance towards listening to your body and eating intuitively. Let’s first see what is currently on your plate.

Did your second plate differ much from your first? How so?

What is stopping you from making those changes now?

What do you think you could add more of to help you feel healthier and happier?

Creating a healthy relationship with food

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Food is not the enemy, it is your friend here to support and encourage you to feel your absolute best. Establishing a healthy relationship with food takes practice and time so be kind to yourself, honour your journey, strive for progress not perfection and most of all don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. This is your story so own it, appreciate it and most of all be proud of every single step you take.

It is easy for us to become angry and disappointed in ourselves if we eat something we know we shouldn't or if we keep overeating at meal time but most of the time it’s not the cake you ate that will do any damage, it’s your own thoughts and actions that come afterwards that will do the damage.

Next time you might ‘slip up’ I want you to acknowledge what comes up and answer this:

What do you say to yourself when you eat something you feel you shouldn’t?

Now I can say that it is most likely something you would never say to your best friend or child right? So why is it ok that we speak to ourselves this way? Or feel like we need to go on a binge because we have already ‘ruined’ our good streak?

Don’t worry I was that person and sometimes I still have moments where this happens BUT one day I realised that these thoughts or binge eating were forms of self sabotage. One chocolate bar IS NOT going to cause you to gain weight so why would I then go and eat 3 more? Instead this is where mindfulness comes into play.

‘Yes I ate the chocolate bar and you know what I enjoyed it and now I feel satisfied. I enjoyed the taste and it was a nice treat. I want to be able to enjoy little things like this.

Instead of:

‘I can’t believe I ate that, I was doing so well and now I stuffed it all up. I may as well finish another one and exercise harder tomorrow’

There is a clear difference there and as you can see it’s the mindset that can cause more pain then the actual food itself. Now these thoughts might still come up from time to time but just remember to create that awareness and change your words/thoughts first and see how you can change your relationship with your mind.

Sometimes our reasons for binging or eating ‘naughty foods’ can stem from something else. It’s not always right time right place scenario and rather something going on with your primary food (what fuels us off the plate) Knowing and being aware of this is what is going to help strengthen and heal your relationship with food.

Journal Prompt:

So lovely I want to share some of my tips when it comes to establishing a healthy relationship with food but before that I want you to become aware of how food might be affecting your primary food from being balanced.

What is your current relationship with food like?

Do certain foods make you feel guilty or sad?

What foods make you feel good?

Do you turn to food when you are feeling down? Why is that?

Do you notice any patterns? Late at night, weekends, on your own?

Does this happen more often than not?

What do you think could be missing that food fills?

What could you do next time you feel like turning to food that will help lift you?

Remember be kind to yourself beautiful. Putting extra pressure on yourself isn’t going to serve you. It takes time and a lot of patience to steer away from old habits and thoughts but just keep in mind the person you vision to be and the actions that will get you there. Does what your doing now bring you one step closer or 2 steps back? Will what your about to eat fuel you or floor you? And just remember, having a treat here and there is OK. Enjoy it!

Binge eating

This is a topic that is really close to my heart and has been a personal struggle for me for so many years. Binge eating isn’t eating more at a celebration or indulging in foods at a birthday, it is something that has emotion attached to it and something that happens more often than not.

It’s different for every single one of us and can create so much stress within our lives and around the food we eat. It can impact your social life, work life and personal life and can be really hard to overcome.

Journing away from binge eating starts with you. For me it wasn’t until I became aware of my binge eating that I was able to start creating healthy habits to help me take positive steps away from it. I would binge eat every night after dinner, It would be coffee, biscuits and cake. I would eat and eat until I felt sick then get angry at myself for doing it. The next day I would look in the mirror and pick my body apart really disliking what I saw. Then I would restrict my eating in order to lose weight which then resulting in me binge eating at night. This was a vicious cycle that I couldn't seem to escape.  

Like I mentioned in establishing a healthy relationship with food, there are many reasons we binge eat. For me it was loneliness mixed with a lack of self worth. I didn’t feel like I really belonged anywhere, I felt lost and food was something that comforted me. 

I started relying on food to soothe me which is why it went on for so many years. What made it even harder to escape was the fact I was restricting myself from eating during the day. My body was deprived of everything it needed to function effectively and lacked nutrients and vitamins to help me feel happy and healthy. The problem with all this was that I had no idea at the time.

There are a few steps that can help you on your journey away from binge eating. These are the steps that I have personally taken on my own journey and that I found really help me establish a healthy relationship with food. 

1. Create awareness: If you think you may have a problem with binge eating or might know someone that could be affected by it, the best thing you can do is to become aware. Without judgment, simply notice your thoughts and actions around food and how it impacts your mind and body. You may find it helpful to journal this or maybe share with a loved one or even just create the thought.

2. Find your trigger: Once you become aware, you might start to notice patterns in your binge eating. Maybe it’s late at night, after a stressful day at work or from scrolling through social media.

3. Find a healthy way to fill this void: If your trigger is loneliness could you call a friend when that feeling rises? Or if you have had a stressful day at work could you take a long walk or bath? Or if you are feeling unhappy with the way you look, could you go to a yoga class or give yourself a pamper session.

4. Don’t be hard on yourself: Feeling angry or upset with yourself is only going to fuel the fire. We are all human and despite our best efforts we can still have moments where we can slip up. If this happens, instead of continuing to simply say “Ok, I slipped up and that’s ok! I am so proud of myself that I was aware of this and able to take a step back and reset. Tomorrow is a new day and I know I am capable of being happy and healthy and becoming more intune with my body each and everyday”

Journal Prompt:

Ask yourself:

What triggers me to turn to food? What pattern did I notice?

What feeling or emotion did I experience that caused this trigger?

What role does food play in the healing of this emotion?

Intuitive eating

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We have all heard the term ‘trust your intuition’ The feeling in your gut that tells you if something is or isn’t right or if it’s something we really want to do or if it’s something we really don’t want to do. The same goes with how we nourish our bodies. It is about being mindful and present when it comes to eating and really stopping and listening to what our bodies actually need.

Our lives are so busy that we fall into the routine of eating because we have to rather than because we want to.

Sometimes it’s because we are bored or tired that we reach for food. Intuitive eating is being able to tap into your body and assessing exactly what it is your body needs. It’s not about making you feel guilty for eating out of want rather than need, it’s about learning and trusting the process as you start to listen to your intuition.

For me I grew up eating meat and 3 veg every single night so it has naturally been engraved in my mind that this is what I am supposed to eat. HOWEVER it’s not actually what my body is asking for. Some days I feel full of energy and am running around all over the place so my body naturally craves food that is going to give me slow release energy and fuel me all day long.

Other days I feel like taking a slower pace and need more warming, nurturing foods to help heal and protect. Once I started listening to my body and intuitively choosing food that will help balance my body my whole life honestly changed.

Now that’s not to say that I sometimes don’t listen, I am not perfect and sometimes end up eating a whole block of chocolate even though my body was satisfied after a few pieces and that’s ok. It’s still creating awareness around what your body needs vs what it wants.

Like I said above,

 A simple but effective way to help you on your journey to intuitive eating.

Intuitive eating takes time and patience. It’s about taking small steps and creating awareness and once you start to find your flow there will be no stopping you. Remember that there will be days where you crave chocolate (like when it’s that time of the month or you are super stressed) and that’s ok, eat it and savour each and every mouthful. Stop half way and assess how you are feeling and if you now feel satisfied. If you keep going it’s ok but maybe this time you will be happy with what you have and save the rest for tomorrow. You have created awareness and now have a choice and that is so empowering.

Healthy eating without the stress

The reason most of us give up when it comes to eating a healthier diet is because we tend to overthink about what healthy eating actually means. Life is complicated enough without making eating complicated too right?

Well gals I am here to tell you that healthy eating DOESN’T need to be hard. It doesn’t mean good and bad food, it’s not about eating salad and being skinny or is it about restricting yourself from certain foods….it’s actually quite simple and i’m going to show you how.

First though I think we should look at what ‘healthy’ actually means?

Journal Prompt:

What does healthy mean and look like to you? I want you to write down your answer now.

Ok, now that you have written down your answer let’s dive in.

To be healthy means being whole. Feeling abundant in all areas of your life, loving yourself and feeling confident within. It’s finding a lifestyle that FEELS amazing for you. Feeling energised and happy and overall just wholesome.

This is why it looks different to everyone. One diet doesn’t fit all and in fact one person’s food is another’s poison meaning what works for me might make you feel unwell and tired. This is why healthy eating is so much more than just the food we eat. It’s how we live our lives.

Bio-individuality

What is it? This is a concept I learned whilst studying and wow did it make sense. Bio-individuality means finding your own way of eating that works for you. At the start there is going to be a lot of ups and downs while you figure out what works for you. There is no right or wrong just lessons to be learned. It’s only when you go against your body that you will realise that one diet really doesn’t suit all. For example I know dairy doesn’t work for me and I feel so good without it however if I ignored my body’s signals and ate it anyway I would feel so sick. Now I wouldn’t say it was wrong BUT it is definitely a lesson to be learned and noted for next time.

Journal Prompt:

Do you feel like there are certain foods that don’t agree with you that you still eat anyway?

Why is this?

What could you potentially swap it with so you don’t feel this way?

Have you tried certain diets in the past? How did you feel on them?

What has worked for you in the past and what hasn’t?

Is there something you feel you body would respond better to? What’s that?

At the end of the day we all live different lifestyles, we move our bodies differently and have different energy needs so eating the same way a gym junkie eats isn’t necessarily going to make you feel good. So by listening to your body, eating more mindfully and by sticking to more wholefoods you should quickly discover what your ‘healthy’ is. Right now you are inspired to take action, to ditch what isn’t working and to start infusing more of the feel good foods and mindset. Deep down you know what you need to thrive and it’s time to make it happen beautiful.

Steps to uncover your healthy

1. Let go of the idea that there is good and bad food.

2. Listen to your body and what it’s telling you (bloated, tired, headaches, brain fog etc) and take action.

3. Listen to what your body is saying no to and give it more of what makes it feel good.

4. Everything in moderation (portion size, no restrictions)

5. Fill your body up on fresh wholefoods and keep it balanced with healthy fats, carbs and protein to help reduce cravings and to keep you satisfied.

6. Drink more water.

7. Eat the rainbow.

8. Move your body daily.

9. Enjoy each bite mindfully.

10. Live beyond the perfect body, live for you!

Wholefoods

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So let’s define food…

First, what do you think food is?

Well food is any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth.

What about the meaning of nutritious?

Well to be nutritious it must provides substances necessary for growth, health and good condition.

Now that’s a pretty big eye opener when we look in our pantry and not many items ticks these boxes. The aim of this isn’t to make you feel bad or guilty, it is simply to create awareness around what will fuel you and what will floor you and most importantly what will have you feeling abundantly healthy.  Of course we are not perfect and even though I still have foods in packets and cans but like I said it’s all about awareness and knowing what is best for you and making a conscious effort to try your best.

So what’s the best way to get nutritious food? Well it’s all about going back to the basics of real whole foods! Foods in their most natural form, no to minimal processing, fresh from the earth or sea and without anything added nasties. It’s important to know where your food comes from, how it’s grown, picked and treated. This is your right and you are worth every cent that you put into your body.

If you looked at the ingredient list of a packet of biscuits and isolated each ingredient and asked yourself, do I know what this is? What it does in the body?  Would I eat this ingredient on it’s own?

 Would you still consume it or would you put it back?

This is just skimming the surface

Of the many chemical compounds found in the foods we eat. It is pretty scary to know that our loved ones and ourselves have been consuming these unaware. Once I found this out I was very conscious of the food we purchased and made it a habit to simply check the ingredients before popping it in my trolly.

At first I was annoyed that I couldn’t eat all my favourite things and then it hit me. Of course my stomach is sensitive to these things, we are what we eat. The food we eat becomes us on a cellular level, our food becomes our blood, becomes our skin, it becomes everything! Why? Because our body sees food as substance to maintain life and growth. However, our body can't decide what ‘food’ we choose to eat to help us grow, only we can! So it’s up to us to make the best choice possible, eating clean, natural foods wherever we can.

Now I know that’s a lot of info to digest and I don’t want you to feel like you have to make this your lifestyle, this is just me sharing some love for whole foods. This doesn’t have to be a drastic shift, instead a small goal for you to work towards. Maybe you will attempt to make your own pasta sauce instead of a store bought one, or be inspired to bake your own banana cake for morning tea or even making your own hummus for your weekend gathering. So many ways to incorporate more wholefoods into your life and the best part is that your loved ones will reap the benefits too. 

I have attached 5 tips to eating clean to help you start out.  

Eating well on a budget

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Now most people’s biggest challenge when it comes to eating more whole foods is the thought of it being too expensive. This is where your mindset around food and money needs to shift. Yes it may cost a little more at the start BUT your long term health far outweighs a few extra dollars here and there. You are choosing to invest in your health and that in itself is absolutely amazing!

In saying that it really doesn’t have to cost you anymore and I have some great money saving ideas for you so you are able to enjoy a healthy, nutritious meal without the money guilt.

Fresh produce can really go along way. Knowing how to get the most out of your food can be the difference in over spending and wasting food. 

1. Make a plan: Take 20 minutes out of your week to write down what meals you plan on cooking. We do this every Friday night ready for the markets the following morning. This also takes away decision fatigue about what to have for dinner and saves you having to run to the supermarket after work.

2. Make a list. Write down everything you will need (I have attached a shopping list and meal planner below to help you get started). By having exactly what you need written down allows you to navigate away from the temptations and last minute buys that cause your bill to add up.

3. Stick to the outside of the store. The inner isles contain a lot of wants and not needs. By navigating the perimeter you will naturally stock up on the good stuff.

4. Buy whole foods and prep yourself. Pre cut/packaged foods can cost more. Stick to the whole food and chop them up at home.

5. Look out for specials and throw out items. This is a great way to stock up on some items you cook with the most. It may cost you more now but save you long term. Some things can be frozen and used at a later date.

6. Shop for local/seasonal produce. By eating what’s in season means it is abundant and will cost less plus will be fresh and tasty. 

7. Buy in bulk. One of my favourite money saving tips. Dry goods like nuts, seeds, rice, oats etc are perfect items to buy in bulk. Store them in jars in your cupboard and save on packaging.

8. Experiments with plant based proteins such as beans and legumes. These are great sources of protein and fibre and can be more inexpensive and nutritious.

9. Frozen foods can be a great option. Think frozen fruit and veg.

10. Compare the unit prices (this is a big one) Instead of looking at the retail values be guided by the $$ per 100g. This will tell you which will be more cost effective.

Nutrition Sopprt

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It’s all about balance

How to create a balanced plate is one of the most incredible nutrition tips you will ever learn. By creating a balanced meal of healthy fats, lean protein and unrefined carbs, you are helping your body become healthier, happier and working at it’s absolute best.

By eating the rainbow and a variety of wholefoods there is no need for dieting, restricting certain foods or “treating” yourself. Instead you will be in harmony with your body and with the food you eat. It takes the pressure away from knowing what to and what not to eat and will help build that beautiful relationship with food that we explored earlier.

Knowing how to balance a meal can also be very overwheleming so I am here to guide you through it.

Macro and Micro biotics

You have probably heard the terms Macronutrients and Micronutrients throughout your life and when I talk about eating a balanced plate I am referring to the amount of macro and micronutrients on your plate. Don’t worry, it's not as complicated as it sounds and I am going to break it down for you. Macronutrients or ‘macros’ are a class of chemical compounds in which we consume the most. The main 3 that are found in food are Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats. Each of these provide us with energy as well as perform many other important functions.

When it comes to consuming carbs it’s important to be open-minded and stick to wholegrains/foods and find what works for you. Think quality versus quantity without going overboard.

Eating a variety of healthy fats allows for proper absorption of fat soluble vitamins, supports proper brain function, provides insulation and cushioning to internal organs and also plays an important role in hormone synthesis. Eating a variety of fats throughout the day will also help you feel fuller for longer and more satisfied. 

If you struggle to think of ways to incorporate healthy fats into your diet, here are a few great foods to consider when creating a meal. 

Happy Healthy Gut

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Our gut or ‘second brain’

 is one of the most crucial pieces to our health and wellness puzzle. Out gut affects more than just our digestion. It can affect our mood, immunity, energy plus so much more. What is even more amazing is that if our gut was to be stretched out, the total surface would be approximately the size of a small studio...Wow!!! 

This is why the food we eat has such a profound impact on our health. 

Over the years you would have noticed that some things may give you an upset tummy. You might get bloating, stomach pains, irregular bowel movements and lack of energy. These are all signs that those microorganisms (our workers) are stressed out. 

What affects your microbiome?

There are many things that can cause an imbalance in your microbiome such as:

Diet: Especially those high in processed foods

Birth: Babies born via C-section are exposed to different strains of bacteria as opposed to vaginal delivery.

Antibiotics:  Kill bacteria, even the good ones.

Diet during infancy: Breastfed babies are exposed to more beneficial bacteria

Age: It takes up to 3 years for a child to colonise their microbiome and as we age the diversity decreases.

Stress: Can alter the microbiota.

Genetics:  Some aspects can be inherited.

I think we can all tick at least one of those things that can impair our microbiome. Especially stress! We are so lucky that in today's world we have so many incredible sources that can help us restore our microflora. For anyone that gets digestive discomfort, inflammation in the body or just generally want to do their best to feel vibrant and energised then this next part is so important.

However just planting these seeds (consuming probiotics) isn’t always enough

to create a thriving gut. We need water and nourishment (prebiotics) to help them grow. This water or prebiotics is a type of fibre found in plant based foods. These fibres ferment in the gut helps create those beneficial bioactive compounds. 

PROBIOTICS can be found in foods like Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Yogurt, Kefir, Sourdough, Kombucha, Apple cider vinegar and Tempeh but can also be taken as a supplement. 

Probiotics help reduce cortisol (our stress hormone) and in turn can help reduce anxiety and depression. It also supports aging as well as replacing those healthy bacteria to create a balanced microbiome. 

Start by eating a small amount each day. It is best to go slow as your body gets used to the increased amount of good bacteria. 

PREBIOTICS can be found in foods like Leek, Chicory root, Onions, Quinoa, Jerusalem artichokes, Dandelion greens, Garlic, Green bananas and Asparagus.

Prebiotics help balance weight, increases your immune function, helps increase calcium absorption, helps reduce oxidative stress and helps keep you fuller for longer.

Combining both Pro and Prebiotics as part of a whole food way of eating can help restore and rebalance your microbiome. It is also important to help reduce stress and inflammation in the body so we aren't compromising all of our hard work.

Inflammtion

There are two kinds of stress we are exposed to that can cause inflammation in our gut. The stress from everyday life and the impact of inflammatory food. I go more into stress in the wellbeing section but I want to touch quickly on how it affects your microbiome and also what can cause inflammation in the gut.

Stress disrupts our parasympathetic nervous system (PSN) which we refer to as our rest and digest state. This is where we should be in around 80% of the day. However girlfriend we are barely getting to around 40% in today’s world, how insane is that? Instead we are constantly turning on our sympathetic nervous system (SNS) which is our fight or flight mode. This causes our body to be on high alert and in protection mode.

When we our PSN is switched off it means that our body struggles to digest and breakdown food. Your body can either stress or digest but it can’t do both. Stress also increases your cortisol levels which can cause fat increase, intense food cravings, allergies and breakouts as well as elevated blood sugar levels.

Inflammatory foods such as sugar and gluten can feed our bad bacteria causing and imbalance in our microbiome. This leads to bloating, excess gas and discomfort.

Both of these reduce to good amount of bacteria in your gut. So to help increase your good bacteria there are a few things you can be doing at home:

Reduce stress, easier said than done right? Don’t worry beautiful I have got you covered in the wellness and self love section. 

For now though what you can do is to find what is triggering your stress. Once you find out what is causing your stress try to change your perspective on the situation.

 How much of it is within your control? What can you let go of?

You can also start infusing more self care activities into your like like yoga, reading, journaling etc.

Increase your fibre intake, this helps support digestion and is high in prebiotics. Think of your wholegrains, fruit and veg.

Probiotics, either your foods like Kefir, Yoghurt, Kimchi, Kombucha or most fermented foods or by taking a good quality supplement.

Understanding your cravings

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Lack of nutrients

Just like with sugar if we are not eating a variety of foods and colours we can be low in certain vitamins and minerals causing us to crave salt, sugar and carbs. Eat the rainbow!

Hormonal

It could be that time of the month OR your body could be going through a change either way it can cause cravings for things like chocolate and comfort foods. The best thing is to listen to your body and don’t punish yourself for eating that chocolate. Remember there are always healthier alternatives, try having some dark chocolate and allow yourself to rest. 

This is a way of your body telling you to nourish it with minerals and vitamins for those lost during this time. 

There are many reasons we crave certain foods. Some is food related while others are related back to our primary food. Our job here is to uncover the reason behind these cravings and empower you with the tools to move forward.

The first question you should always ask yourself is:

Am I really hungry?

I want you to really think about this question. Part of you will want to push it to the back of your mind whilst part of you knows the truth. Cravings whether it be sugar, alcohol can be caused by dehydration. So try having a big glass of water and waiting 20 minutes and ask yourself the same question again.

Food imbalances

Like I mentioned above, if you aren’t getting enough variety of wholefoods your body will look for energy elsewhere (hello chocolate bar)

Inside coming out

Brushing your teeth after a meal helps reduce the taste for a certain food. For example have you ever eaten a packet of chips and the taste lingers in your mouth causing you to want more?

Seasonal

Sometimes we crave foods in particular seasons. In winter we tend to crave more warming comfort foods and in summer more fruits and cool food. Things like ice-cream in summer and pasta in winter. Understanding these cravings will help you make healthier options when cooking. Opting for a nourishing soup or wholemeal pasta and veggies or even homemade ice blocks and smoothies.

Stress and boredom

Both of these mean we look for other ways to satisfy ourselves. Food is something we have control over so when everything else seems to be falling apart, it feels safe and comforting. By replacing this habit with more self care activities you will be able to fuel your body instead of flooring it.

Self sabotage

When everything is going right and falling into place we sometimes let our guard down and allow negative thoughts to flood in resulting to binge eating. Sometimes is a self worth thing and other times it’s a ‘well I may as well eat the whole lot’ thought. 

Lack of sleep

Not getting adequate sleep means your body is tired from the get go and what does your body need for energy? Carbs in particular sugar. Have you ever craved carbs and sugar after a night out or a restless night? Drink lots of water and fuel your body with the good stuff.

Cravings are a signal to your body to guide you to maintain balance. Next time you have a craving simply ask yourself, what is my body trying to tell me?

The problem when we start messing with refined and added sugar is that we skip this vital process and can easily consume large amounts. Things like cakes, biscuits, pasta, breads and most processed food have had majority of the fibre and nutrients stripped leaving nothing nutrition for your body to thrive. This leads to your body not feeling satisfied and that’s when the cravings kick in.

Without getting too scientific, your body wants to break down the sugar we eat into monosaccharides (the simple sugars), particular into glucose and used as energy however if we are consuming too much sugar the excess gets stored into fat. 

Of course it’s ok to still treat yourself and enjoy a sweet treat every now and then. The point of this information isn’t to scare you off all sugar and our bodies absolutely need natural sugars to thrive. However, having a few pieces of chocolate or a slice of cake for your friend's birthday isn’t going to cause you to gain weight overnight or undo all your beautiful healthy eating so please do not feel like you can’t enjoy a little bit every now and then.

Start by slowly reducing the amount of refined sugar in your diet. You will want to increase your water intake to help flush any toxins out of the body. You can still have your natural forms of sugar from fruit and veg. Give your body time to adjust to this change, it can take upto 2 weeks to really start seeing and feeling the difference. I also have some delicious wholefood sweet treats in the recipe section that will have your tastebuds singing and body loving you.

Below I have added a printout of healthier choices when it comes to sugar. These include healthy swaps and snack ideas for you to have in your kitchen. Maybe pop it on the back of your pantry door so when that 3pm craving kicks in you know exactly what to reach for.

Food Intolerances

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Most people at some point in their life wonder if they have a food intolerance. This could be due to bloating and discomfort, breakouts and rashes, lack of energy and brain fog, So seeing that our immune system starts within our gut it is only normal to wonder, could I have food intolerances. 

Besides testing the only real way of finding out is to listen to your body and what it is telling you. 70 % of our body’s immune cells are located in our gut. These cells eliminate any nasties that enter our body so when we are constantly feeding ourselves with processed food they become overwhelmed and under attack.

This shift means that our microbiome has less protection and allows these ‘bad guys’ to take over causing inflammation.

Common food irritants include: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Nightshade vegetables, Soy, Yeast, Caffeine, Corn, Alcohol and even Chocolate (yep I know!)

The main two I see are Gluten and Dairy intolerances.

Gluten

is a group of proteins found in the grains of wheat, rye, barley and their various forms. It gives a doughy, elastic structure to food and can also be used as a thickener.

For some people, especially those with celiac disease gluten triggers an immune response in the intestines. When the villa (little finger like structures) of the intestines become damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients effectively causing inflammation and malnourishment.

For people with IBS, Gluten can still cause digestive issues when consumed in large amounts.

If you feel you may be sensitive to gluten or if you are celiac there are so many other options when it comes to food.

Some great options are of course fruit and veg, legumes, nuts and seeds, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet and arrowroot. 

Dairy

When someone has an intolerance to dairy it is commonly a reaction to carbohydrates such as lactose or the proteins (casein and whey). It is hard to determine which it could be so sometimes it’s worth experimenting. If you find you feel better without dairy there are so many options for you such as:

Plant based milks, coconut or soy yoghurt, tahini, avocado, nutritional yeast or even goats cheese.

Always check with your naturopath or doctor if you feel you may have a food intolerance as they are equipped to do the proper testing. A great way to start linking symptoms with causes is to start a food diary.

This is a simple way of connecting any digestive issues you have with common foods you are eating. I have added a template for you below so you can print off and fill out. This will also be handy if you need to visit a health care practitioner.

I personally live a gluten and dairy free life. After years of experimenting I found that my body just doesn’t agree with these foods and I feel my best without them. In saying that every so often I will have a high quality slice of sourdough which seems to be fine. This is due to the long fermentation process it goes through. So it really is about finding what works for you and what makes you feel your best.

If you start to link some of your symptoms with certain foods try eliminating them from your diet for a few weeks to see if it helps you feel better. After around 4 weeks you can start to reintroduce it and see how your body responds.

We are all so different and that is why one diet doesn't fit all and one person's food is another's poison. So experimenting with what works for you is essential. 

So let’s get cooking!!

Home Cooking

NOURISH

So now that you have the knowledge of the basics of food it’s time to get creative! Food and in particular home cooking is a form of self care and has the capacity to fulfill your health and wellbeing. Ultimately it’s creating authentic nourishment.

So beautiful, what does home cooking mean to you?

Maybe it's creating a meal from scratch or getting the whole family involved or as simple as following your mum’s recipe to create your favourite meal. For some people it might mean chaos and stress and that is ok. Cooking doesn’t always come natural so I have got a few tips to get you started

You will also need to have some handy kitchen equipment on hand. The essentials include:

• Good sharp knives (you can even buy kid friendly ones)

• Stainless steel or silicone cooking utensils

• Chopping boards

• Food processor/blender

• Mixing bowls

• Grater

• Scales

• Measuring cups

• Silicon moulds for baking

• Good quality pots and pans

Woohoo! Now you are all set girl. The last thing I want to help you with is how to build a balanced plate. With all that information that you have just infused into your mind it’s time to put it to practise.

Food prep 101

Food prepping is something that has really helped me live a healthy and wholesome life. It’s like the saying goes “Be prepared or prepare to fail”. Without giving yourself the support you need you are almost always going to fall back into old habits. Trust me I have been there girl so learn from my mistakes, this is your golden ticket to nourishing your body the best ways possible.

So what is meal prepping? Meal prepping is essentially preparing food ahead of time to save you time and avoid binging on processed food. Some people meal prep full meals while others prep the makings and snacks that can be easily made into a quick and healthy meal.

Now i’m not saying you need to spend two hours in the kitchen cooking your heart out. Start small and dedicate 30 mins each week to prepping some healthy snacks. Not only will you feel incredibly proud of yourself for supporting your goals but you will also learn some amazing tools that you will use for the rest of your days.

Below I have added my Meal prepping guide to help you get started. This includes some of my favourite foods to prep as well as tips and tricks for you to infuse into your prepping session. Pop your fav playlist on and let’s get started!

Nourishing little ones

Creating sustainable habits for little ones can be as easy as empowering them with the knowledge about nourishing foods and exercise. What our little ones fuel their bodies with is going to impact them on a physical and emotional level and unfortunately many foods in our supermarkets are going to do this in a negative way.

By teaching our children the importance of sustainable, local, fresh wholefoods, we are turning on a light for future generations to come. Kids love to eat so why not teach them about eating the rainbow and making it fun for them. Now I am not saying they need to know what I am about to tell you BUT there are still ways you can teach, empower and create wholesome meals with your little ones especially for fussy eaters (don’t worry I have some hidden veggie recipes for you to try as well)

• Start them young. When you are feeding them explain what they are eating, what colour it is, what it smells like etc. This will create curiosity and will encourage them to eat the food.

• Ask for their help. Give them a task to do when making dinner like picking the herbs and lettuce or choosing how they want the food to look on the plate. This gets them excited and allows them to get creative.

• Talk about eating the rainbow and let them choose 3 different colours to put on their plate. Tell them about the benefits of eating that certain colour (found under wholefoods).

• Start your own herb + veg patch. Let them help dig, plant and water and watch them grow. This gives them a sense of responsibility and importance.

• Take them to your local farmers markets so they can explore all the different foods. Let them pick one thing to take home to try that they haven’t had before.

These are detrimental to our health and wellbeing and unfortunately are in the majority of packaged and sprayed foods. They can interfere with our hormones, brain function, emotions and immunity.

So, what can we do? We can take the time to educate ourselves and our children on the basics of eating nourishing foods. Food that is going to help us grow and energise us and understand what is in the food we eat.

This can sound pretty overwhelming as a parent and even as an adult but luckily there are a few small steps you can take towards a happy and healthy future for you and your family.

• Check the ingredients: When buying school food check the ingredients and look for the scary 6.

• Eat more wholefoods: Less from packets and more from nature.

• Embrace home cooking: Start small and get the kids involved.

• Drink more water: The fuel or bodies and cells need.

• Watch a documentary with the family to help educate yourselves. I love ‘That sugar film’. 

Building a balanced plate

You have learned alot about what a balanced meal looks like and it’s now time to put on your creativity hat and plan your own version of a balanced meal using the template below. Some things to write down before you get started:

Journal Prompt:

What cuisine will your meal be inspired by?

Do you want a hot a cold meal?

What different textures will you include?

What is your body needing?

Think of all you have learned about macro and mirco nutrients, which ones will you include?

I love this template whenever I have a mind block on what to cook for dinner. It allows you to see what your meal will look like and what flavour combos will work together. Remember food should be enjoyed and celebrated so put some love into your cooking and I bet you it will take as good as your Nanna’s apple pie.

You may also be sitting there wondering where to begin right? Don’t worry we all need a helping hand sometimes so, if this is you and you are still not sure how to build a balanced plate well GF I have got you covered with this 7 day meal plan. This meal plan isn’t designed to help you lose weight (although eating wholefoods will absolutely help you maintain a healthy weight) nor is it designed to restrict you from eating certain foods. It has simply been created to help you get the most nourishment and enjoyment out of food. To help energise and inspire you to feel your absolute best!

If something doesn’t tickle your fancy simply swap the recipe for another one, it’s as easy as that. You will find what works for you and what doesn’t which is all part of finding a lifestyle that suits you and the world you live in. The most important thing I want you to take away from this is that you can do this, you have got all the tools you need to be able to fill you body with the best food possible. I want you to notice how things taste, how you feel after eating and most of all how proud you are for doing this for yourself. 

Go through and write down the ingredients you will need referring back to the recipe section. The reason I haven’t done this for you is 1. I’m not sure how much of each you will need as this will change depending on how many servings you make and 2. This is something I want you to get used to doing, empowering you to be able to plan ahead for the week to come. 

You have got this girl!

Navigating your way around the farmers/supermarket

We all know that food markets can be overwhelming. Companies strategically place food in places to tempt you and let me tell you, they do a good job! So beautiful, I have created these videos to help you feel confident when shopping, to save you time and money and most of all cut out all the BS!

There a few handy tips and tricks in there for you as well as some of my favourite brands and products. Happy shopping!

NOURISH

BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACKS DESSERT CONDIMENTS