To Market, To Market ...

I have really loved the market season this year!

My local organic farmers' market has been running for 3 seasons now and this year has been it's best yet with more vegetable vendors, and now local grass fed beef and buffalo, and pastured eggs.

I'm certainly not a gourmet cook but have discovered that cooking with local fresh organic produce just has so much more flavour! With simple traditional cooking methods - it just tastes SO GOOD!

I've kind of come full circle with my shopping habits. I used to just go to the supermarket and buy - whatever - to stock my pantry and fridge and kind of made it up as I went along. You know, get some meat out of the freezer in the evening for dinner the next day, and then decide exactly what to do with it when I got home from work the following day. And I certainly didn't think I had time to be going to different places to buy things!

Then a time came when I was on a really strict budget so I started to plan every meal in detail and make a list so that I would only buy what I needed. There would be no overspending and no waste. And I didn't care too much about the brands I bought. Well . . . there were some products I was a bit fussy about but for the most part I was ok with buying the cheaper plain labeled stuff. I mean, I thought, flour is flour right? Does it really matter?

Then I began my journey and started to learn about the importance of what I put in my body - where it comes from, how far it's had to travel, how it has been grown or raised and ripened, and discovered first hand how all this can effect my health and quality of life. I began to invest time in seeking out better quality ingredients.

Now I prioritise buying fresh and locally grown, and organic as much as possible, grow a little food myself, and only buy at the supermarket what I have to. The introduction of the 'shop online and pick up' concept at my local supermarket has been great to save me time so I can focus more on my market 'foraging'!

I still do a bit of a menu plan every week but it's more like what you would call an "outline" as I'm learning again to be flexible, working with what is available and in season and adapting meals around that.

So is it more expensive? Well, in my experience it certainly is when you have to buy organic produce at the supermarket, but surprisingly I have found I've been saving quite a bit buying most of my produce from the local markets. Plus I've enjoyed getting to know my local farmers.

Related posts:
Flavour, Toxins and Nutritional Wisdom
Food for Thought on Food Choices

~ take every opportunity to put the good stuff in ~

This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not. It includes my experiences and opinions. It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.

Why I Hang Out My Washing Barefoot

Walking barefoot on the ground connects us to the earth's natural energy which we can absorb through our bare skin. This is known as Earthing or Grounding. Regularly connecting to the Earth's energy is said to help our body's own innate healing abilities!

This article about Earthing by Dr Axe, refers to a quote from The Journal of Environmental and Public Health which states:

"It is an established, though not widely appreciated fact, that the Earth's surface possesses a limitless and continuously renewed supply of free mobile electrons. The Earth's negative charges can create a stable internal bioelectrical environment for the normal functioning of all body systems which may be important for setting the biological clock, regulating circadian rhythms, and balancing cortisol levels."

". . . normal functioning of all body systems" - who doesn't want that? 

Dr Axe goes on to discuss how the practice of Earthing or Grounding can:

• Reduce inflammation 
• Help reduce stress hormones
• Help you sleep better 
• Help increase energy, and
• Help lower pain

Worth a viewing, the documentary "The Grounded" by Director Steve Kroschel follows an entire community in the town of Haines Alaska, and details the incredible healing experiences of people there as a result of practicing Grounding.

This concept might sound a bit strange, or hippie and 'woo hoo', even a bit too simple, and that was my first thoughts too. But after seeing the effect on people's lives depicted in "The Grounded", it occurred to me this is another part of God's brilliant design that our modern way of life is causing us to miss.

It would be great to regularly walk barefoot on the grass or take long barefoot strolls along the beach, but this is not always possible. So on washing days you'll find me standing barefoot under the backyard Hills Hoist hanging out my washing, as a small but practical way to squeeze some regular 'barefoot time' into my busy 'eat, work, sleep' routine.

Sources:

Earthing: 5 Ways it Can Help You Fight Disease by Dr Axe

About The Grounded  - watch the movie here.

~ take every opportunity to put the good stuff in ~

This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not. It includes my experiences and opinions. It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.

"Disease is a Process of Unmet Needs"

I'm a subscriber of Whole Life Nutrition, an initiative of Tom Maltere & Alissa Segersten that combines the latest in nutritional science and whole foods cooking. You can learn more about them here.

In one of their email communications, Tom Maltere, a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, described Functional Medicine Practitioners as "teachers of the idea that disease is a process of unmet needs."

 

That statement really resonated with me as I reflected on my own health journey. 

Completely free of migraines now for just over four years I can now see clearly how I got here. In a nutshell it's been about being highly nourished - getting the blockers out, and putting good stuff in!

Early in my journey I made a commitment to myself to only eat foods that would give my body great nourishment. This meant cutting out all processed and refined foods and seeking out the best quality fresh, organic and locally grown/raised foods where practical. I stopped wasting my appetite on foods with little or no nutritional value. I believe this has nourished my body and given it the tools it needed to function the way it was designed to.

God didn't get it wrong. As well as our amazing bodies He created for us perfect food sources to provide for our nourishment and health, and when we consume these foods in as natural a state as possible - picked ripe and fresh, free from pesticides and genetic modification - our bodies respond and begin to heal!  

What is functional medicine?

From the Institute of Functional Medicine website:  "Functional medicine asks how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual."

Blockers can be food additives, food intolerances, chemicals in makeup, personal care and cleaning products and also medications.  Related posts:

Homemade Deodorant
Book Review- Drug Muggers by Suzy Cohen

~ take every opportunity to put the good stuff in ~

This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not. It includes my experiences and opinions. It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.

Filtered Water Stations

The importance of drinking plenty of water, and the quality and source of that water is something I've learned about on my journey. There is plenty of information to be found these days on the topic. I've written a couple of previous posts here and here and this article, "The Cleanest Water On Earth? Hint: It's not Rainwater" covers the topic well.

Holidaying in Cairns I was excited to discover this in the City centre: a filtered water station to drink from or fill your water bottle!

I don't know if any other Councils are doing this. I do travel around Australia a bit, mostly in country areas, not the capital cities so much, but I've not seen this before. It is however something I have wished existed!

The disappointing part however is that nowhere on the filtered water station did it advertise the location of any other filtered water stations and, after quite a bit of Googling and browsing the website of the Cairns City Council, I could only find a reference to the installation of three filtered water stations buried in an article about the upgrade of the city centre. Nothing to tell me where they are located. I would have thought they'd be making a point of telling the public about this.

Over the course of two days during my meandering around the city I stumbled across the location of a second filtered water station in the CBD, but the location of the third remains a mystery. On my morning beach walks I did discover a further two filtered water stations located along the Cairns Esplanade. Judging by the length of the Esplanade I suspect there might be at least one other along there somewhere that I missed.

City and Shire Councils around Australia, if you're not already doing this, it's a fabulous idea that would be a step in the right direction for better health for us all!

~ take every opportunity to put the good stuff in ~

This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not. It includes my experiences and opinions. It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.

Mini Sourdough Hot Cross "Buffins"

This recipe for Sourdough English Muffins is the sourdough recipe I use the most. I've tried to make loaves of sourdough but with needing to get the timing just right with the starter, and all the kneading and rising required, that can be an all weekend event! 

Fortunately we don't eat much "bread" these days, in fact my homemade sourdough is the only "bread" I eat. So I find these Sourdough English Muffins to be the easiest and a workable compromise of time spent in the kitchen. The recipe recommends that you sour the dough for at least eight hours but you can leave it for up to twenty-four hours which gives you a fair bit of flexibility with your day. I do find however that the dough is easier to work with around the eight hour mark.

I use these Sourdough English Muffins for hamburger buns or roll them out to make flatbread to use as a pizza base. I generally make a double batch every two or three weeks and keep a supply of flat breads and pre-split muffins in the freezer.

In honour of this weekend's Easter celebrations I made a batch and added sultanas and currents, honey (I leave the honey out for the hamburger buns and flatbread) a little cinnamon and nutmeg and made them into Mini Sourdough Hot Cross "Buffins".

I forgot to keep some of the dough aside to make the crosses so I used a mixture of cornflour, water and a little stevia instead. This didn't work out so well because as soon as I tried to split and butter the "buffins" the crosses broke and fell off. There is however a lesson to be learned here: don't forget the Cross. That is, after all, what Easter is all about.

Recipe Source: Traditional Cooking School

http://gnowfglins.com/2010/03/31/guest-post-sourdough-english-muffins/

~ take every opportunity to put the good stuff in ~

This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not. It includes my experiences and opinions. It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.

Yeah . . . it Does Matter!

Portion control is an issue.

I met with a friend over a drink. My friend asked the bar attendant about their glass sizes and then ordered a beverage in a small-size glass. "Oh we only do that in a 400ml size" was the bar attendant's reply.

Like me you were probably taught as a kid to eat everything on your plate. "The poor starving kids in Africa would appreciate it", was often the response if we grumbled. Especially when we were dining as guests in someone else's home we were expected to eat everything put in front of us. It would be rude not to. I do think that it is appropriate to teach our children this when we are the ones controlling the type of food served and the portion size, but there is a time and a place....

In the Documentary, "That Sugar Film" Damon Gameau takes viewers to America to demonstrate the problem there with portion control with all their jumbo and up-sized serving options. While the problem seems to be worse in America it's going on here in Australia too. The traditional Aussie Pub meal with a steak or schnitzel that fills the whole plate, and it seems we consider it quite "macho" for men at least, to consume such a big meal! Then when those "macho men" dine at a much fancier restaurant where the portion sizes are far more sensible because the focus is on quality, not quantity, (but for some reason they serve the meals on huge plates?) they can be heard saying, "Where's the other half?"  Yes, you know who you are!

In Michael Pollan's Documentary "In Defense of Food" based on his book of the same title, they conducted an experiment where they gathered a group of people together for a smorgasbord meal. After everyone had served themselves suddenly they were stopped. An excuse was made about the food. I don't remember exactly what that was but they brought out more food and asked everyone to serve themselves again. This time the plates supplied were smaller. When everyone had returned to their seats for the second time, their attention was drawn to the lesser amount of food they had each served themselves when given a smaller plate.

Getting back to the bar attendant who told my friend that her chosen beverage could only be served in a 400ml size; it's not the bar attendant's fault. There is probably only a charge code on the register for the one size of that beverage. But this is part of what makes it difficult for us to control portion sizes.

When I go out to a restaurant I tend to feel obliged to eat everything on my plate. It probably stems from what I learned growing up but also because I, or someone I am dining with, is paying for the meal and it would be wasteful not to.

But my thinking is changing. I want to control what I put into my body, so now I give myself permission not to eat everything on my plate if it means that I am going to stuff myself silly to do so.

Until we can change the culture of the food service industry, we need to be bold and ask for alterations to a meal, ask for a smaller serving, even if it means still paying full price, and feel comfortable about leaving some food on our plate if it's too much.

Sources:
"That Sugar Film" http://thatsugarfilm.com/film/watch-now/
"In Defense of Food" http://www.pbs.org/food/shows/in-defense-of-food/m

~ take every opportunity to put the good stuff in ~

This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not. It includes my experiences and opinions. It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.

I Don't Have to Eat That!

Due to airport curfews in other domestic cities, and that lack of a curfew in my home city, the most common and most economical flights out of Darwin are at what the locals 'affectionately' call 'stupid o'clock'. That is flight departure times between 1:00am and 2:30am. It's a really awful time to fly and just messes with your body clock. I can never get much, if any, sleep on the plane. I really dislike it!

On a recent flight at said 'stupid o'clock' I wasn't hungry but I checked out the in-flight menu just because I was curious about what was offered. In the two-page spread labeled 'fresh foods' all I saw was refined carbohydrates! Bread and pastry, toast, more pastry, macaroni cheese, cake and crackers with cheese. The one attempt at something healthy was the inclusion of a low fat raspberry Greek yoghurt pouch. It all looked very unappealing. But in that moment I suddenly realised a positive of flying at 'stupid o'clock' - I don't need to eat! I don't usually eat in the middle of the night and to do so would mess with my digestive system. I don't have to eat airplane food!

Apologies for the poor quality photo

You can however bring your own food with you when you fly. As long as, for quarantine reasons, any fresh fruit is consumed before you disembark. I did this once on a flight to Perth a few years ago. That one wasn't a 'stupid o'clock' departure but must have been early enough in the morning that I knew they'd be serving breakfast. I have a container with a freezer pack section which is perfect for packing yoghurt and fresh fruit and keeping it cold for a few hours. When the in-flight service began I politely declined the hostess' offer of breakfast. The other passenger in my row purchased a muffin and a coffee. I then proceeded to unpack my BYO breakfast from my carry on bag. In my peripheral vision I could see the passenger with the muffin glancing over at me as I tipped my container of chopped fresh mango into a container of yoghurt and then stirred in some nuts and seeds. He looked at his muffin and back at my breakfast and eventually said "I should have done that too!"

~ take every opportunity to put the good stuff in ~

This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not. It includes my experiences and opinions. It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.