Millet sushi rolls xx

 Yay I love these little lunch sensations! not only do they taste fantastic but they are easy and packed with nutrients!

I like to think off them as my mineral powerhouse!

• 1 cup millet
• approx 2 cups of water 
• sesame seeds
• approx 1/3 cup Tahini,
•  tamari,
•  lemon juice,
•  horseradich 
•  fresh ginger

Heat alittle olive oil in pot
Add millet toast lightly
Add water and bring to boil 
Reduce heat cover and simmer till it is cooked and sticky ( almost over cooked)
let cool.



Toast some sesame seeds and mix into the millet. some times at this stage I add other nuts and seeds too. Up to you be creative.

In separate bowl, Mix together Tahini, tamari, lemon juice, horseradish and fresh ginger and enough water to go consistency of hummus.  I haven't given quantities as I just add to taste starting with the tahini

Mix enough of the tahini mixture into the cold millet and sesame seeds to bind. 

Then use in place of rice in your nori roll, as you would sushi rice.

Add fillings of your choice and roll. 

I  fiiled these with watercress, cucumber, spring onions, marinated tofu, and avocado. But you an put in what ever you like :) Heaven xx

Hi! I’m Nellie Nature and I am a qualified Naturopath and Medical Herbalist.

My passion for Natural Health started as a little girl in NZ with my nanny who used fresh herbs to heal, her love and knowledge more than  inspired me. I wish I could say that it has always been happy sailing, I have gone through a few health concerns with one of the biggest being very severe acne.  At the time I was doing “everything right “You know, ticking all the boxes!  I was vegeterian, macrobiotic, meditated and did kickboxing, yet I had this horrible inflamed skin. Thats when, luckily, I meet my first Naturopath and she taught me two of my biggest lessons when it comes to health

1.    That my body was not “letting me down”  but working really well and letting me know something wasn’t working on the inside so I now had the opportunity to fix it.

2.    That there is no one diet or answer for everybody.

My approach to health and happiness begins with the idea that  we are all individuals , special and unique and need to treat our bodies with love, honesty  and compassion to achieve the health and happiness. I now  realise we need to nurture and nourish our bodies and have fun sometimes too. The mind is so important and our relationship with ourselves, our food and our environment is too. It’s exciting to help people feel better to let go of their judgements on themselves and to breath.

Yes, sometimes you need to shake things up a little, look at what you are eating , get moving and even think a little differently; we all deserve to feel amazing and we all can!

 Our bodies are constantly trying to reach a balance and our diet and  lifestyle should reflect this. I work with my patients to help them reach their health goals , reduce stress , ease inflammation and reach a place where they feel energetic , calm,  happy and in control. A place where they celebrate life. Feeling good about themselves.

When I was working at an exclusive spa in Thailand, I got to treat some  high profile guests. One of my favourites that I got to meet was Raymond Blanc.  I love his approach to food and will always remember him saying to a room full of executives, celebrities and models, that “as far as he was concerned,  food  should be an act of love for yourself and your family and serving up premade prepackaged frozen food was an act of hate” 

So eat, live, move and think with love and respect for yourself, your environment and your future.

Veganomicon and yummy Quinoa recipe

This recipe comes from of my all time favourite cookbooks "The Veganomicon" . This book is such an inspiration whether you are vegan or not!  I love how it has sections on food groups ( like grains and vegetables) and explains clearly  the best ways to prepare each ingredient.

Helpful if you are new to the world of whole grains like millet and quinoa.  Plus as well as being helpful, every recipe I have made from this book has been amazing!

We  are big fans of the mexican millet, moussaka, french lentil soup and the Quinoa and chickpea pilaf that follows.....

Quinoa and Chickpea Pilaf recipe:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed
Several pinches of fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste 
1 cup quinoa
2 cups cooked or 1 15oz can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth

In a small stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil for about 7 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for about 2 more minutes.  Add the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper; saute for another  minute.  Add the quinoa, saute another 2 minutes. 

Add the chickpeas and broth, cover and bring to a boil.  Once the  mixture is boiling, lower heat to very low, cover and simmer for about 18 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed the water, stir occassionally.  Fluff with fork and serve!

This recipe can be changed easily, I sometimes add tomatoes to it, and fresh herbs at the end, or brocalli etc

we serve this with greens, hummus, toasted almonds and roasted cauliflower ( roasted in cumin, coriander salt and pepper and with lemon juice) . Or what ever veges we have around.  

Quinoa - is Pronounced "Keen-Wah" . This yummy grain absorbs alot of flavour, so if I am having it savoury, I usually add stock and herbs, spices and vege when cooking it depending on what I am having it with. Sometimes I also make it into a porridge for breakfast or add the cooked grain to muffins to protein them up abit.  Quinoa seeds were a staple food source in South America for 6000 years. Quinoa is fantastic source of vitamins and essential amino acids and contain no gluten. Quinoa sprouts are the only sprout to contain all essential amino acids for humans. Quinoa is easy to sprout too!! So have fun!

workshops

New workshops coming soon to Fitzroy  www.ftbe.com.au

A Good nights sleep zzzzzzzz

A refreshing full nights sleep is essential for health.

We all have had those bad nights tossing and turning, not being able to fall asleep due to non stop mind chatter, and the next day felt the effects, daytime sleepiness, reduced cognitive performance, and poor concentration etc. If this turns into long term more chronic insomnia, this can impact our jobs and lifestyle. Poor sleepers according to studies recieving fewer promotions, higher absenteeism, and can show lower productivity (Leigh JP 1991; Rajput V et al 1999).

Insomnia is not a disorder in its self, it is a symptom. So looking for the underlying cause is key to improving sleep quality and really overall health and happiness.

 Start by trying some of the ideas below. If you do not see improvements, see a natural health professional to help you figure out and address the cause.

Heres a few points to help improve sleep patterns….

•    Avoid tyramine containing foods at night- bananas, pizza, chocolate, pickled salamis, liver, cavier, beans, avocado, fermented dairy products( dairy), cheese, yeast extracts, including beer, wine, fermented soy beans.
•          Eat tryptophan foods regularly, spirilina, chicken livers, pumpkin seeds, turkey, tofu, chicken almonds.
•          Melatonin reducing agents, caffeine, chocolate, prozac, asprin, iboprefen, nicotine and xanax. Don’t have these close to bed time.
•          Avoid fructose and fatty greasy food as lowers melatonin.
•          Go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday. 
•          Avoid naps during the day as they can interfere with the circadian sleep cycle
•          Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol late in the day – caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and alcohol can cause waking in the night.
•          Get regular exercise, however try not to exercise close to bedtime as it may be too stimulating. 
•          Avoid heavy meals late in the day, however having light protein with dinner helps balance blood sugars while sleeping - if sleep maintenance is a problem.
•          Ensure that the sleeping place is dark, quiet, and not too warm or too cold.  If there is too much light try a sleeping mask,  and if too much noise try earplugs. 
•          Establish a routine to help relax and unwind prior to bedtime, such as reading a book, listening to soothing music, sipping herbal relaxing teas, meditation, yoga, or taking a bath.
•          Do not watch TV or do any computer work prior to going to bed.
•          Avoid using the bed for anything other than sleep or sex.
•          If having trouble falling asleep then get out of bed and do something that is not overly stimulating until the sleepiness returns.
•          Try listening to relaxation tapes such as Deepak Chopra’s ‘Restful Sleep” tape. 
•          If lying awake worrying about things, leave a pen and paper beside the bed and write a to-do list which may help to "let go" of any worries. 
•          Consider acupuncture - it has been found to have a success rate of 90% in the treatment of Insomnia. 
•          Consider herbal medicine to support nervous system and reduce stress.
•          Try muscle relaxation techniques, e.g tense and relax different muscle groups throughout the body whilst going to sleep to help control the mind and the body. 
•          Meditation

Supplements

•       Calcium may help with sleep onset insomnia (due to its ability to sedate the central nervous system). I recommend getting a hair mineral analysis to measure the minerals.
• Magnesium will help with sleep maintenance insomnia, and it also reduces the next-day fatigue associated with insomnia. 
• L-tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP).  Serotonin is an important initiator of sleep and the synthesis of serotonin depends on tryptophan availability.  Note that L-tryptophan should not be used with other medications (benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and alcohol).  Important co-factors vitamin B6, niacin, and magnesium should be administered with L-tryptophan or 5-HTP to ensure its conversion to serotonin.  This supplement should only be prescribed by a Naturopath or doctor, as can have harmful effects if prescribed incorrectly. There are other specific supplements also but should only be given by qualified health professional.
• There are many herbs that can I have found to really help improve sleep quality. These should be prescribed by a qualified herbalist for best results, as a medical herbalist will be able to build a tincture that really addresses the individuals needs without causing negative side affects. Some of my favourite herbs here are Lavendula, Hypericum, Valerian, Avena, Withania, Passiflora, Scutellaria, and Zizyphus.  

SLEEP WELL AND SWEET DREAMS

One more reason to buy organics - Antioxidants

Antioxidants are chemicals that fight free radicals. They are the wonderful chemicals that keep us looking and feeling young! And may help in the treatment and prevention of many ailments. They should be available in many fruits and vegetables! But to what degree can be effected by how the plant is grown. Let me explain....

When an organic plant is attacked, it raises its defences. These same compounds that the plant uses to defend itself, have been proven to help protect us too. So if a plant has been protected by sprays, its doesn't need to launch these same defences and so has less antioxidants. read more here http://www.naturalantioxidants.org/Organic_foods.html

The measure of antioxidants is called the Oxygen radical Absorption capacity (ORAC)

This is a measure of the antioxidant ability of foods to protect against radical or cellular damage caused by free radicals.

Below is lists of fruit and vegetables that are high in antioxidants.

ORAC Values of fruit and vegetables : the higher the better

Fruits per 100g:

1. Prunes            5570
2. Raisins            2830
3. Blueberries     2400
4. Blackberries    2036
5. Strawberries  1540
6. Raspberries    1220
7. Plums                949
8. Oranges           750
9. Red grapes       739
10. Cherries            670
11. Kiwifruit            602
12. Grapefruit         483

Vegetables per 100g

1. Kale                                  11770
2. Spinach                            11260
3. Brussel spouts                  1980
4. Alfalfa sprouts                   1930
5. Broccoli flowers                1890
6. Beets                                 1840
7. Red bell pepper                 1710
8. Onion                                 1450
9. Corn                                  1400
10. Eggplant                            1390

as per Tufts University of Boston test tube analysis, measuring the total antioxidant power of foods.

Know what you are buying - learning to read labels and barcodes

Food labeling

When eating for health it is important to eat fresh local, seasonal organic produce. Unless we are able to get to farmers markets and organic suppliers for all our lovely fresh produce, we need to learn how to read the labels, so we know where our food is coming from and exactly what it is. Below is a little info to help you with food identification ... Enjoy.

Conventional fruit labels:

• four digits: mostly starting ith the digit 4

Organic fruit labels:

• five digits and starts with the number 9

Genetically modified fruits

• start with the digit 8

Want to know where a product is made?

Look on their bar codes!

00 : 13 USA or Canada

30:37 France

40:44 Germany

49 Japan

50 UK

57 Denmark

64 Finland

76 Switzerland and Liechtenstein

638 Saudi Arabia

629 United Arab Emirates

690:695 China

740:745 Central America

471 Taiwan

all 480 codes are made in the Philippines