Paleo Naan!!

Gluten free, 

Dairy free, 

Grain free,

Amazing! 

Super easy!

Just when I thought life couldn't get better I stumble across a super easy naan bread recipe, that most of you will be able to have!! 
Amazing #Sohappyrightnow thanks to myheartbeats.com xx

ok heres the recipe from myheartbeats.com

Ingredients

½ cup Almond Flour
½ cup Tapioca Flour
1 cup Organic Coconut Milk, I used organic full fat
pinch of salt

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together.
Heat your Nonstick Pan over medium heat and pour batter out to how you like it.

Watch the batter fluff up and looks firm/mostly cooked, with golden under side, flip it over to cook the other side ).
Then cook another one!
eat it up !

makes 2 serves

Elk & Me, Therapies and Dispensary xoxo

We are so excited to let you know we are now taking appointments in our new space.

My Appointment hours at Elk & Me, Therapies and Dispensary are,

Monday 10 - 8
Tuesday 9 - 8

Thursday 1 – 8

Friday 9- 1

Just call 0449884912 or email me to arrange an appointment!

We also have online booking available
https://www.facebook.com/ElkMeTherapiesDispensary/app_586754694734475

We are right on High St, located between Pender and Dundas st

See you soon x

Elk & Me 
Therapies and Dispensary
0394841659

810 High St
Thornbury
Melbourne
Victoria
3071

Some exciting News to share......

After What has been an amazing 5-6 years working out of the wonderful Fitzroy therapeutics, it is time for this little Naturopath to pack up my books and herbs! 

The wonderful and exciting news is my lovely friend Ava and myself are starting up our DREAM CLINIC & DISPENSARY in Thornbury. (complete with a fantastic kitchen for cooking classes! oh boy!)

My last day for appointments at FTBE will be the 18th of May! 

Our new clinic will be at 

810 high st,
 Thornbury,
 Melbourne.
contact details to follow but for now just email me at donellecrocker@gmail.com

I can't wait to share more about our new space with you all very very soon.

Arohanui xxoo

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

All I want for Christmas is Gluten free, Vegan baked Donuts!!

I am so excited how this recipe from Erin McKennas "Babycakes, Covers the Classics" cookbook came out! CUTE!, SOft! and Delicious!

I wanted to make something as a yummy treat for Christmas, and saw this recipe for Gluten free and vegan baked donuts and decided since its Christmas to give it a whirl! and man I am impressed! So easy and soooo good! I dressed mine with Cinnamon and coconut sugar and a dollop of organic sugar free Morello cherry jam.

A big tip is to weigh the flours instead of using cup measurements when using gluten free flours, and then you will get this amazing soft crumb in your donuts!!

Do yourself a favor if gluten free or Vegan (or both) and go out and get this cookbook or the first one you wont be sorry!

Of course this isn't an everyday day food, but delicious as a celebration type treat!

Plain Cake Donut
Makes 12


75mls melted refined coconut oil, plus more for brushing the trays 
160g coconut sugar
100g white or brown rice flour
40g garbanzo (chickpea) and fava bean flour or chickpea flour
70g potato starch
30g arrowroot
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
6 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla extract
125ml hot water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Brush 12  hole donut tray with coconut oil and set aside.

In a  bowl, whisk together the sugar, both flours, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda. Add the coconut oil, applesauce, vanilla, and hot water and continue mixing with a rubber spatula just to combine. Using a melon baller or tablespoon, drop 2 1/2 Tbsp. batter into each doughnut mold. Using a toothpick, spread the batter evenly around the molds. 

Bake for 8 minutes, rotate, and continue baking until the doughnuts are golden brown, about 7 minutes more. Let cool in the molds for 5 minutes if sprinkling with toppings such as cinnamon sugar, or 15 minutes if using glaze or icing. Run a knife around the doughnuts in the molds, lift them out and place them on a baking sheet. Coat them with your choice of topping.

This recipe is from Erin McKenna's BabyCakes Covers the Classics (Clarkson Potter, 2011).

I dream of healthy vegan ice cream!

Mango Coconut Ice Cream 

Yay its starting to get a little warmer here in Melbourne and that reminded me of this delicious treat we make alot over Summer.

I love this simple ice cream recipe, it is so so easy and super fast.

We keep our freezer ready with frozen peeled organic bananas, mangos and raspberries. So we are always ready when we need some yummy ice cream. 

Feel free to experiment with other fruit too or just plain banana. You can also add some protein powder if you like, I recommend this especially post workout on a hot day. What a dream! 

Organic Ingredients 

Raspberry coconut ice cream

Frozen half banana

frozen mango or 1 cup raspberries

approx 1/4 cup coconut cream

Method

1. Blend fruit with about a tablespoon of coconut cream, until blended. 
2. Add more coconut cream while still blending until mixture gets the creamy texture and thickness of Ice Cream. Depending on the Fruit, sometimes I add a little more or less coconut cream.
3. Eat straight away. Fantastic as banana split with extra chopped activated walnuts and cacao nibs on top!  

Enjoy !  XX

Chickpea Skillet bread

GF, Vegan, Dairy free, Sugar free, quick.

So this really is a creative recipe, I usually don't measure anything and just go by how it looks and add what ever is at hand, to the core ingredients. 

For example... Sometimes I add 

corn, paprika and rosemary or just garlic, 

or cumin and fresh herbs. 

or just salt and pepper and garlic. 

but my favorite is the one below

Core ingredients

• 1 cup chickpea (chana) flour
• about 2 cups of water 
• optional baking powder about 1 teaspoon ( this makes it alittle lighter)
• salt and pepper

For the one pictured I added

• fresh thyme about a 8 sprigs, just the leaves
• 1 clove garlic minced

to sprinkle over once cooking

• Olives
• sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds
• pine nuts

Method

1. In a bowl whisk the flour, baking powder salt and pepper, garlic, fresh thyme leaves, slowing adding the water until it looks like a thickened cream consistency.
2. Heat a pan on the stove top, with a little olive oil, to a medium heat.
3. Pour in the bread mix.
4. Sprinkle the olives, seeds and nuts on top.
5. Cook until the underside is golden. then flip over and cook until cooked through.
6. serve hot with soup or yummy avocado. Or tomatoes and fresh herbs. Also makes a great pizza base, topped  with caramelized onions and fresh herbs.

I always try and save a little for lunch. Not always successfully :)

Date and Ginger Gluten free Muffins - Vegan, sugar free.

Yummmm I love date and ginger muffins and puddings, but unfortunetly they don't love me back.  I am not one to be denied! so here is a healthy version for all of us to enjoy!! xxoo this recipe is basically the yummy zuchinni muffins from babycakes cookbook with a few changes x

DRY
2 cups Gluten free Flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseeds
2 1/2 teaspoons Baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon gound cinnamon
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger ( beware I love ginger so if you don't as much as me then reduce to 1 Tblspoon)

WET
1/2 cup rice bran oil
1/3 cup honey ( you can use a different runny sweetner like dates that have been boiled down or agave if you are a vegan who avoids honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rice or soy milk approx ( when working with gluten free flours you need to slowly add the milk till you get a nice consistancy. All gluten free flours absorb more liquids than thier wheaty friends, and differ slightly to each other with their absorbation, so be flexible with this amount and open to adding more if needed depending the gluten free flour you are using)

THE SECRET INGRIEDIENT
2 cups of grated zuchinni

6-8 Chopped fresh dates

Method

1. Turn oven to  180 degrees Celcius, and grease your muffin tins, I made from this mix 6 large and 12 baby muffins.

2. Sift, then whisk all the dry ingriedients togeather in big bowl.

3. Mix in all the wet ingriedients into the dry ingriedients. Remembering to slowly add the milk until you get a nice muffin batter consistancy. Be careful not to overmix.

4. Fold in the dates and zuchinni.

5. I saved a few date pieces to put on top of each muffin. Fill up each muffin tin with you mix. decorate with date pieces.

6. Bake for 20 - 30 mins or until golden and cooked through

7. leave to sit

8. Eat them up, share with your gluten free pals and all your buddies.

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.

Chai Coconut rice breakfast

This is a great breakfast recipe to be creative with! 


I have given loose instructions, but experimenting and having fun is such a rewarding aspect of cooking, so go ahead and change the spices etc around and really make this recipe your own.


Combine warming spices like ginger, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pod, and nutmeg. oh and a vanilla pod if you have one, 
about 1/2 cup water,
 1/4 cup thai red rice or thai purple rice or Quinoa in pot 
1 date chopped - optional
(you can add few tablespoons of coconut cream now or towards the end of cooking). 


 bring to boil and simmer till liquid absorbed and rice is cooked, cover and set aside. ( if I am using frozen berries i add them now and cover)


 I toast up almonds in oven then sprinkle with cinnamon and keep these ready in the pantry to sprinkle on top. serve with berries/mango/fruit of your choice sprinkle with almonds, alittle extra coconut cream or soy/almond milk. if you need sweetener add honey, coconut sugar or agave but it is pretty sweet with the fruit and coconut cream. and eat it up x

Banana Gluten free Pancakes

These are so yummy and fluffy. You won't even notice that they are gluten free, so perfect for kids. 

I usually make them vegan, so that's no eggs or dairy and they work so well. Especially yummy served with coconut yogurt, sliced pears and toasted smashed almonds. 

1 mashed ripe banana

2 eggs or 2 teaspoons of no egg mixed with 4 tablespoons of water

1 cup soya milk or milk of your choosing

1 1/2 cups plus 4 tablespoons of gluten free flour ( I use a half and half mix of rice and potato flour but have also used store mixed gf flour and worked great)

2 tsp gluten free baking powder ( if using egg replacer add 1 extra teaspoon of baking powder)

4 tsp coconut oil

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

• Place the banana, eggs/replacer, soya milk, flours, baking powder, oil and cinnamon in food processor and process ( or do by hand) untill smooth batter.
• place tablespoons of the mixture onto greased pan and cook until bubbles rise to the surface and the underside is lightly browned. Turn over and cook other side
• serve warm. 

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!

Nellie Nature on Facebook

Come on over and visit my nellie nature facebook page :)
I update more frequently.

workshops

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

how long will you live?

http://www.bluezones.com/vitality-compass

Have a look!

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

Eat your Vegies

Sometimes the hardest part of starting a new healthy lifestyle and diet is simply that it takes time and energy. We get home from work and we are too tired to even think what to eat or We seem to think that its easier and quicker to reach for junk food and other poor choices. When really, the key to successfully kick starting your new healthy, happy lifestyle and staying on track is organisation. Take one night a week and plan out your meals for the rest of the week and then  make sure you have everything ready to go.  Here are some ideas to get you started….

Preparation ideas to get you started …

In the fridge/cupboard have ready to go!
prepare or buy some things like:

• pesto
• hummus
• nut pate
• cut up vegetables
• nuts
• seeds
• eggs
• marinated tofu/smoked tofu
• salad dressing
• soup
• avocado
• sprouts
• seaweed (can make rolls with them)

basically if you have salad bases like:

• baby spinach leaves
• mixed herb leaves
• quinoa pasta
• cooked frozen lentils
• roasted vegetables
• steamed or raw vegetables
• rice noodles (kind you just pour hot water over, ready in a minute)

then add vegetables and protein (if not already in base)
and then add dressing or pesto or even just a squeeze of orange juice.