Monday, November 30, 2009

Fattoush Salad




2 organic Lebanese cucumbers
3 - 4 organic tomatoes, cut in half and deseeded
1 organic bunch spring onions
1 bunch organic radish 1 Organic red capsicum
1/2 organic bunch parsley, washed and chopped
1/2 organic bunch mint, washed and chopped
1/4 organic bunch coriander, washed and chopped
100 mls Extra Virgin Cold Pressed olive oil
2 organic lemons, zest and juice
2 slices of wholemeal pita bread, torn up
Pinch of cracked black pepper and sea salt
Dice the cucumbers, red capsicum, radish and tomatoes into small cubes. Place both into a large salad bowl. Slice the spring onions into fine slices and add to the tomato and cucumber. Wash the parsley, coriander and mint, and then combine and chop the mix to a fine consistency. Add to the other ingredients.
Tear the pita bread into the required size and bake in the oven for around 5-10 minutes, till crispy. Put the pita bread to one side and add to the salad just prior to serving.
Season salad with a little salt and pepper; add the lemon zest and then toss all the ingredients together.

Make the dressing by combining the olive oil and the lemon juice and mix well, pour over the salad and add the fried pita bread. If your salad needs a little more volume, you can add some finely chopped iceberg lettuce to it.

ORGANIC EMPIRE, organic home delivery melbourne

Friday, November 27, 2009

Spelt out- Spelt and Kamut



Spelt is an ancient grain, one which has been around for thousands of years. It is naturally resistant to insect pests and diseases such as 'rust', which often attacks wheat crops (It has not been hybridized like wheat meaning that this is grain is solely as nature created….. but wait it gets even better…this amazing grain is more flavourful, more nutritious and easier to digest than wheat. It can be used wherever you would ordinarily use wheat. More nutrition bite for bite.


Kamut is also an ancient grain, originating in the Fertile Cresent of the Old World thousands of years ago. Kamut is also naturally resistant to insect pests and diseases. It has 20-40% more protein than wheat, high in Selenium , and has 30% more vitamin E than wheat. Kamut had an inherent sweetness, so no sugar is required to hide the subtle bitterness associated with most wheat and a delicious buttery flavour.


For those with wheat sensitivities, it is generally 70% more tolerable. This is not the same for those with gluten intolerances.

ORGANIC EMPIRE, organic home delivery melbourne


Monday, November 23, 2009

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic Syndrome

The fattest nation on Earth!

Australia is now officially the fattest nation in the world, with more than nine million adults classified as obese or overweight. Four million Australians are considered obese (26% of the adult population) and five million are considered overweight (33% of the adult population). Being obese or overweight is extremely unhealthy and has been shown to increase your risk of many chronic illnesses, including metabolic syndrome.


What is metabolic syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is a condition often seen in people who are obese or overweight. This condition can affect your blood sugar control, your cholesterol levels, your blood pressure and long term can significantly increase your risk of developing heart disease and/or diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is now recognised as a major contributing factor behind the two major causes of death in our society: heart disease and cancer. In fact, if you have metabolic syndrome, this increases your risk of heart attack and stroke by around 500%!


1 in 4 Australian adults have metabolic syndrome – could this be you?

It is estimated that 19-29% of Australian adults aged 25 and above have metabolic syndrome. If you have been diagnosed with one or more of the following conditions, you may have metabolic syndrome:

• High blood pressure.

• Diabetes or at risk of diabetes.

• Problems with your triglycerides or cholesterol.

• Carrying extra weight around your waist.


What causes metabolic syndrome?

Many factors contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome, including:

• Lack of exercise.

• Poorly managed stress.

• A high calorie diet.

• A diet high in processed foods and sugar.

• Toxicity.

These factors can throw your body out of balance so you lose the ability to regulate the levels of fat and sugar in your blood. This can cause cardiovascular problems, like high blood pressure, and increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes – affecting your long-term health.


The "beer belly" is bad news

Keeping your weight under control is the first step to addressing metabolic syndrome. Being obese or overweight is a major risk factor for metabolic syndrome and where the fat is stored actually has a major influence on the risk of metabolic syndrome. Abdominal fat (i.e. fat around your mid-section) increases your risk far more than general body fat (i.e. fat on hips and thighs). The preferred waist measurement for men is below 94 cm, and for women it's below 80 cm. A measurement of above 102 cm for men or above 88 cm for women puts you at risk of developing

metabolic syndrome.


The good news…

If you think you may already have metabolic syndrome, it's not all bad news. Metabolic syndrome is largely caused by diet and lifestyle, so there is a lot that can be done to remedy the condition, providing you address it early enough. The bad news is that if you do not address the causes of metabolic syndrome, it can lead to irreversible damage to your heart and arteries, kidneys, liver and nervous system.


Take the first step today!

Along with a healthy lifestyle and diet, there are many nutritional and herbal supplements that have been shown to be very effective at addressing metabolic syndrome. If you suspect you may have metabolic syndrome, come in today and see me to help address this condition and get you on the way to wellness!

MELBOURNE NATUROPATHIC WELLNESS
Marisa Camilleri - Naturopath
Melbourne Suite 15 / 12 Collins St 9663 5940
Williamstown 95 Douglas Parade 9397 7885
marisa@naturopathicwellness.com.au

www.naturopathicwellness.com.au


* Specialist in Fat Loss, Wellness & Preventative care * Naturopathy * Herbal Medicine * Homeopathy * Nutritional & dietary advice * Ear candling * Bioimpedance Analysis (BIA)

ORGANIC EMPIRE, organic home delivery melbourne

Broad Bean and Feta Salad


Serves 2–3.
225g fresh organic broad beans, shelled weight
60 g Feta cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh organic mint
100g organic mixed salad
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
Salt and pepper


Put the beans in boiling water for 3–4 minutes until tender.(or alternatively, leave them raw, dress and leave to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours) Drain well and put into a bowl. Mix together the oil, vinegar and mint and stir into the hot beans. When the beans have cooled to room temperature, mix in the cubed Feta and salad mix and serve.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Need to eat out….what to eat

A lot of us face a conundrum when we want to eat out, or have to buy fresh produce that's not organic…what is better to eat…what has the least pesticides, herbicides. First and foremost, the fresher the produce the better it is for your body. Irrespective of the amount of pesticides, herbicides and insectides that are applied to the growing of conventional fruit and vegetables, there is also the absorption of the nasty chemical ferilisers that are applied to the soil of the growing plant. So when we talk about the least chemicals, this refers to the spraying of the plants, which plants are sprayed least, this changes seasonally though because different climatic conditions mean that there will be different insect infestations, funguses etc. (this is where we need to take our hats off to our organic farmers, who use traditional and scientific methods without the toxic chemicals to poison us). Did you know that eating conventional foods daily, that you eat a minimum 12 different pestidices that are absorbed into your body and play havoc with your health…not nice.

The rule of thumb is that if you not going to eat the skin, its not as bad to eat it conventional. But at the end of the day, I would suggest going organic whenever you can. In addition to these lists, I would not recommend eating any canola or soy products unless they are CERTIFIED ORGANIC. The introduction of Genetically Modified Crops means that unless these are from certified organic production, more than likely they will be Genetically Modified.YUK.


ALWAYS EAT THESE ORGANIC

CONVENTIONAL CROPS THAT CAN BE OK

Broccoli

Potatoes (but generally a lot of commercial premises purchase their potatoes , pre peeled, dipped in Sulphur Dioxide, if this is the case –avoid)

Cauliflower

Watermelon

Berries, strawberries, blueberries etc

Onions

Peaches, nectarines

Avocado

Apples (can be sprayed with over 40 different chemicals, before it reaches your hand, also generally coated in a food grade wax…tasty)

Corn (its protective sheath, protects it somewhat from the chemical onslaught)

Celery

Pineapple (its tough skin means that not many insects can penetrate)

Leafy greens

Mango

Grapes

Asparagus

Cabbage

Papaya

Dark greens (Silverbeet, kale, etc)

Pumpkin

GARLIC (90% of conventional garlic is imported and every single bulb is fumigated with one the world's most dangerous chemicals, Methyl Bromide.)


Do you best, eat as many fruits and vegetables daily where you can and GO ORGANIC!!!!!


ORGANIC EMPIRE, organic home delivery melbourne

Monday, November 9, 2009

LETS ALL GO NUTS TOGETHER!!!!



Nuts are a super nutritious protein source, a great snack food and come with a complimentary dose of healthy oils. What more could we ask for in a snack?


ALMONDS: Great source of Vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, high in protein, glutamic acid, which helps with detoxification of the body and full of antioxidants.


BRAZIL NUTS: One of the best known sources of selenium, known to have protective qualities against cancer.


PISTACHIOS: High in Iron, Potassium, Magnesium


WALNUTS: Super high source of Omega 3's, this little nut looks just like the brain and is reputed to be good for 'brain health'.


PEANUTS: contain reverstrol, an antioxidant that has been proven to be beneficial in protection against heart disease. Just don't eat too much of these,


CASHEWS: High in magnesium, great for sleep promotion, high in copper, which aids in energy production.


PINENUTS: nature's only source of pinoleic acid, which stimulates hormones and helps diminish your appetite. Pine nuts have the highest concentration of oleic acid. That's a monounsaturated fat that aids the liver in eliminating harmful triglycerides from our body. That helps protect our heart


ORGANIC EMPIRE, organic home delivery melbourne

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Building a better brain



Building a better brain


Would you like to optimise your memory and cognitive function? Would you like to support your brain function? Maintaining a healthy mind and active brain throughout our entire life is something we all want. Fortunately, it is something that we can all achieve.




Many people's greatest fear is not death, but losing their mind.


Many of us fear losing our memory and our mental function. Tragically, a large number of us will experience this personally or through a close relative or partner. The incidence of dementia in the elderly is increasing rapidly due to a combination of increased stress, increased oxidative exposure and nutrient insufficiencies.




Brain health throughout life.


The health of the brain determines much of our experience of life, influencing our moods, our intelligence and our overall quality of life. Maintaining brain health throughout life should therefore be a top priority for all of us. You need to consider the constant changing requirements of your brain in order to achieve a life time of healthy mental function. In order to address all the challenges and changes your brain experiences throughout life, it is important to incorporate good dietary choices, key natural medicines and both physical and mental exercise. This will help to promote a healthy brain and mind.




Six keys to a healthy brain:


1. Strain the brain to train the brain.


The more you think, the smarter you become. Your brain is just like your body, the more you exercise it the more powerful it becomes. You can train your brain by choosing appealing and challenging leisure activities (e.g. crosswords, puzzles, learning a new language, etc) and by challenging yourself at work.




2. Eat your way to a better brain.


Take a healthy approach to your diet and lifestyle by eating the following each day (organic food preferably):


• Protein rich foods.


• A minimum of 3 cups of fresh vegetables.


• Two pieces of fresh fruit.


• A handful of nuts and seeds.


• Two tablespoons of good oils.


• Drinking at least 8 glasses of water.


• Enjoy regular exercise and fun.


By following a healthy diet and lifestyle program you can provide key nutrients for healthy brain function.




3. Exercise builds better brain health.


Sustained participation in physical exercise well into old age has been shown to:


• Enhance learning and memory.


• Reduce age and disease related mental decline.


• Protect against age-related degeneration of crucial areas of the brain associated with higher cognitive function. Not only does exercise help to reduce the risk factors for cognitive decline, such as cardiovascular risk, inflammation and energy metabolism, it also helps to enhance learning and memory.




4. When life becomes stressful, what do you do?


Do you relax, meditate and strive towards a healthy balance between work and leisure? Or do you keep pushing yourself and not give your body and brain a break? Many people put work and stress before their own health and wellbeing. Ensuring that you take time out to relax is extremely important for brain health, because excessive stress can impair memory and brain function.




5. Are you counting sheep in order to sleep?


The most common reason people have difficulty getting to sleep is that they are unable to shut off the anxieties and worries of the day and are preparing for tomorrow's problems. Sleep is important for repair of both body and mind. If you are having trouble sleeping, talk to us today about what natural options we can offer you for better sleep.




6. Nutrients to nourish the brain.


A good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement is the best way to provide vital nutrients for brain function. Vitamins and minerals improve energy, support metabolism and nervous system function and promote better brain function.


Omega 3 essential fatty acids from fish oil are also extremely important for your brain. Studies have shown that DHA, one of the major components of fish oil, improves cognitive function.


This component has also been shown to be very effective for protection against age-related mental decline. Finally, brain tissue is extremely vulnerable to damage by free radicals. Replenishing the brain with antioxidants is therefore a great idea to help reduce the damaging effects of oxidative stress and aid in the prevention of age-associated memory impairment. Great antioxidants to help support healthy brain function include resveratrol, vitamin C and vitamin E.




The health of our brain is so important to the quality of life that keeping our brain healthy is something we all need to focus on. With the six simple steps outlined here, you too can have optimal brain health for life! Come in today and let us help you to support your brain health so that you can maintain positive moods, healthy cognition and quality of life well into old age.




MELBOURNE NATUROPATHIC WELLNESS
Marisa Camilleri - Naturopath
Melbourne Suite 15 / 12 Collins St 9663 5940
Williamstown 95 Douglas Parade 9397 7885
marisa@naturopathicwellness.com.au

www.naturopathicwellness.com.au




* Specialist in Fat Loss, Wellness & Preventative care * Naturopathy * Herbal Medicine * Homeopathy * Nutritional & dietary advice * Ear candling * Bioimpedance Analysis (BIA)

ORGANIC EMPIRE, organic home delivery melbourne


Wednesday, November 4, 2009

BEES- Honey please don’t GO





"Honey bees…are symbols of how fragile nature is; they are the canaries in the coal mine."—Connor Lanman.



Let's try for a minute to imagine a world without honey bees, take your time, what would it look like, smell like, and taste like. You see without the honey bees, we would have very little food on earth; they are responsible for pollinating most of the foods that we humans eat. So why are we imagining this, well it appears that the populations of honey bees are dwindling at an alarming rate, they are dying off. This is indicative of a lot of problems, but mainly they are thought to be dying because of the introduction of GM and poisoning by pesticides, the same pesticides that are used on conventional produce, fruit and vegetables. This represents the biggest threat to the food chain and stability that the documented world has ever seen.


The honey bee is one of the oldest insects in existence, that are imperative for the cross pollination of most of the plants on planet earth, experts have suggested if the bees were to become extinct, then humans would survive for only four years, I talk of this to stress the vital role that bees play in our existence.


Scientist's are claiming that the widespread use of Genetically Modified crops and pesticide use as the main determining factors. This is disgusting, and also scary. Firstly let's discuss the genetically modified crops, it is apparent that not enough studies were undertaken to substantiate the widespread cultivation of these crops. For example, one of the crops of modified maize, has pollen that is toxic to insects, they have created this plant by inserting a gene from the soil bacterium was inserted into the corn!!!This genetic modification of the flower pollen means that the pollen becomes sterile and the bee's potentially become malnourished die from illnesses that interrupt the digestion. Adding to this is the fact that these crops are genetically modified to withstand copious amount of herbicides and fertilisers that would otherwise kill a normal plant, how can a little bee withstand this kind of onslaught. One of the pesticides that is greatly affecting the bees is neonicotinoids, these pesticides are the most widely used insecticides worldwide and they are known to harm the honey bee's sensitive nervous and immune systems…(Wonder what it does to humans??????)



This is really serious, but we can still make change.



The truth of the matter is that organic farming remains relatively untouched in relation to the bee crisis. Through organic farming we have diversified system that functions as nature intended, and encourage diversity of wildlife and insect life, in a balanced and sustainable ecosystem. GM crops do not ensure food safety ORGANIC FOOD does. Growing crops organically can save the world, our farmers and indeed our existence. Vote and create change with your dollars, BUY ORGANIC



I urge you to sign the truefood petition which demands that the Australian governmentundertakes more stringent safety assessments of GM crops and Labeling of all GM foods.



Plant your own garden, a bee friendly garden, use natural methods of insecticides, like companion planting, or perhaps mulch the garden to prevent weeds rather than use insecticides , a great place to start is http://www.diggers.com.au/, or if you would like some certified organic seeds, drop us an email.





For more information on the bee crisis, check out:


This documentary on the vanishing bees released this year






http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/1087




BEE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THIS WORLD……


ORGANIC EMPIRE, organic home delivery melbourne

Monday, November 2, 2009

Investment of a lifetime



'Many people put more time into the maintenance of their cars than into their own body! Buy yourself organic vegetables and eat them. Invest in yourself. ... You can ask yourself, "What have I consumed today that will build high integrity blood, bone, and brain and body tissue? What have I done today that will add another day to my life?" Annie Paden




What if a friend told you about an investment that you could make that you couldn't lose out on? The rewards would be ten-fold, not only would they be financial but physical, spiritual the pay-off would be in every area of your life and not just today but for the rest of your life…You see the thing is that I am that friend and I am here to tell you that the investments that you make today, will pave the way for your future. Investing in your health is the single most important factor that you make at improving every other area of your life. When you have health you have possibilities. Possibilities to move your body, enjoy your family, make more money, see the world, drive your car, do what it is that you want, living a healthy life. . It is estimated that lifestyle and environment combine to create 75% of chronic illness and guess who is control of their lifestyle and their environment….YOU!!!


Just like a car if we look after the car, regularly service it, give it what it needs to run, don't overwork it, then it will run optimally. Humans are pretty much the same, we invest by feeding ourselves with the best organic foods, drinking water, taking rest, then we are ensuring that we can live optimally, and then we do get a knock, it's easier to get up…


You see the benefits are huge; you will look amazing, have more energy, feel more confident, be more productive in your endeavors and ultimately live a better life…..


So what does this mean, how do you invest in yourself? How about trying out these, you are worth it:



  1. Commit to yourself, realise that you are in control and that your decisions determine the outcomes

  2. Commit to having one organic salad a day, with as many greens as you can muster.

  3. Sign up for some organic goodness delivered to your door, every week tastesbetter@organicempire.com.au . (When you eat organic foods, you give your body the purest form of food, unadulterated, free from pesticides, hormones, insecticides, healthy, fresh real food!)

  4. Take 20 minutes for yourself every day, go for a walk, and breathe in some fresh air.

  5. Replace all the oils in your home, with Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oils (talk about them next week!!!)

  6. Have one day a week where you don't consume anything that comes out of a packet

  7. Commit to eating at least 5 different vegetables a day

  8. Reduce your red meat consumption, change it for some fish in your week

  9. Think positively (Researchers have established the effect of happiness on lifespan is about as strong as not smoking)

  10. Get social (Research suggests that loneliness can increase the risk of high blood pressure, depression, and Alzheimer's disease, as well as lower immunity.)