I really wanted to create a muffin that would taste delicious, while also being packed full of nutrition. I wanted the muffin to be; Gluten Free, Sugar Free and Nut Free.

Finally at version 234 (seriously! I’ve been eating A LOT of muffins) I took my experiments out of the house and over to visit my lovely friend Quinny. We had them for morning tea and I am happy to report they were hit!

So… I thought it’s time to share this recipe around, so you can all enjoy them!

Ingredients:

• 3 X poached pears, mushed up.
• 1 cup of ground linseed, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.
  (I just placed the whole seeds in a small coffee grinder, which I got from Kmart the other day for $12! It took 20secs to grind them up)
• 4 eggs (I always use happy healthy eggs! Pasture raised is best)
• 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
• ¼ cup desiccated coconut
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 1.5 teaspoons of Baking Powder

Topping: (optional)

• Sprinkle of desiccated coconut
• 1 X poached pear sliced

Create:

• Mix everything together.
• Place in Muffin tray (these little guys will rise so only need to fill ¾ of the way)
• Bake on 180 for 12mins
• Cool on rack for 10mins
• EAT!

I’ve been super-busy with my FINAL year of college. Yep that’s right, my final year!! This year college has been AWESEOME! We are bringing together all of the content from the previous years and getting into all the juicy stuff.

I am feeling extremely lucky, grateful and a little blessed with how 2013 is shaping up and can’t help but be reminded, that when you -  Do what you love….things just really start to flow. 

So what’s flowing for me…

Well first up – I have been spending some time in the nutrition clinic at college, which has been both challenging and fun.

Did you know you can come and see me in the nutrition clinic at Nature Care College for just $12!?

At the moment we have some special equipment in the clinic to test and measure your progress. Using this test we can produce accurate data about your body composition (muscle mass / body fat / skeletal tissue), cell membrane health, hydration level, amount of fluid retention, degree of inflammation / toxicity and your biological age. These tests usually cost between $80-$150. So $12 is a bargain!! And you get to see me If you are interested call Nature Care today and book me in. (My hours there are Thursday’s 2-5:30)

In other news –  I have just landed a 12-month internship. YAY! This is seriously exciting! I will be working with and learning from one of Sydney’s leading naturopaths, Angela Hywood, from Tonic Australia. Angela specialises in Thyroid Function and Autoimmune Disease and is well known as Sarah Wilson’s Naturopath of choice. I am so excited to start my internship which will commence on June 14^th.

I am also VERY excited - to be joining the team at EngageMe as their in-house food coach. EngageMe is a new business focusing on corporate wellness solutions. Headed up by my good friend, Brian Quinlan and his beautiful wife, EngageMe is shaping up to be Sydney’s corporate world solution to getting more out of its employees. If you feel like your work is lacking some engagement right now, why not check out the website and send it on to your HR department **Shameless Plug!!**

You may also notice I have been working on a “new look” website. It’s still in the making and the photos are placeholders, slowly but surely it’s all coming together.

Hope you are all doing what you love and letting it all flow. Having an awesome 2013 peoples..!

X

WHAT!!?

“Well Aunty Jane, there are so many friends to talk to, things to do – I have more than one group of friends and I have to walk around to visit them all!”

After pondering on this some more, it made me realise that this was just the way it was and changing this behaviour just wasn’t something in my power. When I think back to when I was a teenager at school, I’m pretty sure I was too busy to eat too!

Thinking about it even more, made me realise the importance of the “after school snack” if teenagers are not eating throughout the day, are they coming home starving? are they craving an after school snack? and what are they eating? is it healthy? after not eating all day and then binge eating when they get home, are their snack choices doing them more harm than good?

Enter the experiment…

I recently met Mark, the owner of iFIT gym in Bondi after chatting about his clients and his business he asked me to host a little “snack attack” session with a group of girls that trained at his gym after school.

The goal of the session was to find out what kids currently eat for after schools snacks and entice them with some healthy snacks and capture their thoughts.

So here’s what happened.

There were 14 girls involved. I prepared 5 healthy snacks for taste testing.

• Homemade meatballs
• Lettuce cups, with cheese and cucumber
• Handful of snow peas
• Olives
• Sliced apple with brazil nut butter Spread

Each of the girls was given the following worksheet to capture their thoughts after the “taste testing” of each snack.

What I learned.

After school the kids usually snacked on a range of things including; A Cheesy Mite Scroll from Bakers Delight, A piece of Fruit, Sushi, A packet of chips, Sandwich and biscuits.

The results of the snacks test:

The Snow Peas were a HIT – reporting a rating of 10 out of 10 with most of the girls. They loved the “crunch”

It’s a great idea to just fill up a little zip lock bag with some snow peas cut in half. That way the kids can eat them the same way they would eat a packet of chips. Prepare them in the morning and have them ready in the fridge waiting for them when they get home.

The Meatballs came in second with a 8.5 out of 10. The girls were really keen to get their Mums to make these at home.

The good thing about the meatballs is that a big batch can be prepared on a Sunday night and then just kept in the fridge ready for the hungry teenager when they get home. Note: The girls ate these cold.

Lettuce cups with cheese and cucumber 8 out of 10. “I LOVE IT!” was one of the comments

Note: I was given very specific feedback here. “Jane please slice the cheese nice and thin!” Whoops! I used a good quality Cheddar Cheese here. Again with this one, you cut up some cheese and cucumbers at the beginning of the week and its so easy for them to just help themselves after school.

The apple at brazil nut butter was very well received, about a 6 out of 10, with those that could eat it.

There were a large number of girls with braces and therefore unable to bite into the apple. : (  

Olives – these guys got a very mixed reaction and a few 0 out of 10’s.

Poor little olives!

So there you have it, at least 4 new healthy after school snacks, rated by the kids themselves. Easy to prepare in advance, easy for them to help themselves and cheap too!

Enjoy : )

Be. Good to their body

If you are unsure what to feed your family why not book a coaching session with me.

2013 is shaping up to be a BIG year for me and a big year for Be.

This year is my final year of study; in December this year I will be a qualified nutritionist. YES!

It’s very exciting and yet pretty scary at the same time. Soon I wont be able to hide behind being a student, I will actually have to get out there and make some money. Eeeek.

I have been thinking a lot about Be. and how my new business will take shape. Who will I target? What will I say? What will I stand for? How will I make money from all this knowledge? I am still working through all of this, but I am feeling like Be. will EXPAND!

The future of Be. will bring together more than just food. I’m hoping to create a complete experience of health and wellness.

I’d like to start adding in some spiritual practices too Did you know? I have my Reiki II qualifications and also am learning the technique of EFT.

My journey over the last couple of years has really opened my eyes to the importance of the “non food, foods” things like: Relationships, Careers, Spirituality and Exercise. Getting all of these in the right balance is where the magic happens!

As I started to build my business plan for Be. I realised I need help! I have so many ideas, skills and knowledge, BUT reality is – I have no idea how to run a business.

A couple of weeks ago I invested into Marie Forleo’s BSchool – an 8-week program designed to support new businesses develop their ideas and turn their dreams into reality. BSchool starts next Monday and I am super excited!

As luck would have it…

Those of you, who know me, know I am a BIG believer in the universe and that a higher power watches over us. I believe that when you know what you want, like REALLY know what you want. If you ask for it, you very often get it.

I have been researching and dreaming about doing a 1-year online course at the Integrative Institute of Nutrition in New York  (IIN) for about 2 years. The IIN course is the perfect compliment to my studies as a nutritionist, with the qualifications being a health Coach, but at $5000 I have put the dream on hold.

BUT…. I continue to dream

And then… when I signed up for the BSchool course, through Melissa Ambrosini’s Path to Wellness I was automatically entered into a competition to win a scholarship for the IIN course. AND… Guess what!

I WON!!!!  Seriously me… I’m not sure I have ever won anything before.

I am so excited, completely overwhelmed, and absolutely swamped with study for the next 12 months. AND I just know it’s going to be worth it. I believe that the IIN course will give me the extra little piece of the puzzle to make Be. a real home for health and wellness.

I wanted to share my story and I am hoping my story gives you a little bit of hope for your own dreams. I truly believe -

“When you know what you want, and you ask for it. It very often finds its way to you.”

……So… What will you ask for?

If you haven’t checked out Path to Wellness yet, just click through from here. Melissa has a great new ebook out called 12 steps to wellness. It’s through that book that I heard of her : )

However, heartburn can also be a result of the exact opposite. Often this burn is because the body is not producing enough hydrochloric acid.

Hydrochloric acid, found in the stomach:

• Is responsible for the activation of Pepsin, an enzyme used to breakdown protein.
• Is essential in the absorption process for Vitamin B3 & B12, Zinc, Iron, Copper and Magnesium
• Sterilises the stomach to protect the body against bacteria

Incorrectly taking antacids or heartburn medication can interfere with all of the above processes, leading to malabsorption, digestive problems and bacterial overgrowth.

So, before self-medicating, it’s important to figure out what you have. Is it high acid? Or low acid?

How to tell… Here are two simple tests you can do in the comfort of your own home.

Test 1: When you feel the symptom of heartburn come on, take one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. If your heartburn symptoms are relieved – then you have low stomach acid. If your heartburn symptoms are increased – you have high stomach acid.

Test 2: Mix a small amount of baking soda and water first thing in the morning. Drink it. The baking soda should react with the hydrochloric acid in your stomach and make you burp. No Burp? It’s likely you have low stomach acid.

Please take the time to find the cause of your symptoms before slapping a band aid on the symptoms.

Please note: Heartburn is a sign that something is out of balance with the body, and should not be ignored.

Be. Good to your Body.

Well. I have learned my lesson, tomorrow I go armed with these snack attacks!

Carrot Crisps. Fried in Coconut Oil. 

I was tossing up whether this experiment was an Ice Cream or a Frozen Yogurt. However after taste testing again….(had to be done!) and sharing with some friends, the vote was Frozen Yoghurt.

I have recently been working with some clients that had a serious love of Frozen Yoghurt, that was their staple dessert. When I asked them why? the reply was; “because we thought it was a much healthier option.” Great marketing Bulla Frozen Yoghurt! You have done well. However, lets take a deep dive into your so called healthy dessert.

Ingredients: This is the Raspberry Flavour.

FRESH WHOLE MILK, FRESH SKIM MILK, LIQUID SUGAR(SUGAR, WATER), MILK SOLIDS NON FAT, MALTODEXTRIN(FROM MAIZE), FRESH CREAM, RECONSTITUTED RASPBERRY JUICE(6%), DEXTROSE(FROM MAIZE), WATER, EMULSIFIER(VEGETABLE ORIGIN)(471), VEGETABLE GUMS(412, 410, 407), COLOUR(162,160b,163), FOOD ACID(270), YOGURT CULTURE, FLAVOUR.

Nasties:

• Ok, so the two underlined ingredients are sugars derived from corn. These are more than likely sourced from genetically modified (GMO) corn. Eeeek… no thanks.
• Third ingredient is Sugar, this makes the list BEFORE the rasberry, which is reconstituted and makes up 6% of the total product.?!
• As a general rule, if there are more than 10 ingredients, avoid the product.
• Another general rule, avoid numbers. For a complete list of the numbers and potential effects click here

Guys, please do your best to read labels, especially when you are consuming something regularly.

For a healthier alternative and a crowd pleaser, check out my new recipe for Frozen Berry Yoghurt below : )

Frozen Berries (I used Blueberries and strawberries) 1.5 CUPs
2 small avocado
1 splash of Almond Milk or Coconut Milk or water
1 tbsp of raw honey

Throw it all in the processor and whizz. That’s it!!

*if you make it ahead of time, put the whole thing (in the food processor) in the freezer and then just re-whizz right before serving.
**For extra nutrition you can also add powders to this; spirulina, ACAI, MACA, Lucuma, Mesquite etc…

This recipe makes enough for 4.

This post is linked to Party Wave Wednesday at HolisticSquid.com!

I really enjoyed the class, it lined up perfect with the values of Be. Not to mention the fact that our business names are very similar. (B.U organics = BE YOU)

Although labelled a cooking class, the night was more than that, much more than that.

Pete Melov has a wealth of knowledge on the benefits of using food for medicine, healing and the prevention of illness, and if that’s not enough, he talks a lot about increasing your mojo – Sex life!  What I really like is that every claim Pete makes about food, he can back up with a study, a book or a life experience. (…and so I left with a new reading list the size of my arm!!)

In the session we learned how to make sprouted bread. A bread that is – wheat free, grain free, sugar free, yeast free, soy free, egg free. All that and it tastes delicious… It’s a nutrient powerhouse. I love eating mine with nut butter and strawberries.

So why would you want to look for a bread like this?

Well the real benefits of the bread come in the sprouting. The base of the bread uses seeds (Buckwheat, Quinoa, Chia)  the seeds are soaked and sprouted, a process which brings them to life. By eating seeds that are full of life, we are offering our body easy access to all the nutrients available in the seeds.

The bread plays host to a number of other ingredients, packed with healing qualities such as; Pau d’arco bark, great for managing / preventing Candida and fungal infections. Slippery Elm powder, perfect for soothing the digestive tract and Maca powder – added to boost your sex life!!

Not convinced….

Well. Let’s take a moment to look back on your childhood. Remember making paper mache, how fun! Do you remember the ingredients. Yep! That’s right, flour and water, mixed together they create a sticky, messy, glue. Perfect for paper mache.

Now consider the ingredients of most bread you buy in the supermarket -  flour and water.

Mmmmm I wonder what happens when this mix makes its way to your digestive tract… Food for thought…

The bread is just one of the things we learned about last night, we also learned about fermented foods, Kakadu plum’s (a native and local fruit), Coconut oil and much, much more..  

The night ended with a challenge from Pete, a challenge I would like to pass on to all of you. For one week, starting today.

Slow down and chew your food. Hard. Activate your teeth.  

Notice the difference.

If you are in the local area, I would highly recommend attending one of these classes, at just $50 a class it’s great value. PLUS as a bonus all the money goes to charity!

If you are looking for a little 1 on 1 attention in your food journey, why not sign up to a Be. Food coach package.

Be. Good to your body.

I am going through a bit of a vegetarian phase, experimenting with recipes that keep my body in a state of alkaline (there’s that word again! It has been getting a lot of attention lately, I am sure you have heard about it)

I am researching the acid vs alkaline state of the body like a mad woman at the moment, I am reading books, giving Google a work-out, experimenting with my own body, I recently even purchased a home water cooler with Alkaline water refills and yesterday I visited a day spay called “alkaline” for an Infra red spa experience (heaven!)

The reason for the experiment is that I am keen to see how increasing the alkaline state of my body will affect my autoimmune disease. I’ve heard stories of remission, so I thought why not. I am also keen to see how increasing the alkaline state of my body effects my energy, skin, hair, nails and mental clarity, again I have only read good things.

While, I am not ready to write a post about the PH levels of the body, I am ready to share my delicious lunch with you that is basically “alkaline city!” full of raw, fresh, wholefood ingredients and a taste that makes you feel like the healthiest person alive!

Nori Rolls without the Rice (Inspired by my Sushi crazed Niece and Dad)

Ingredients

• nori Sheets
• Tahini
• Lemon
• Avocado
• Carrot (sliced length ways or grated)
• Cucumber (sliced Length ways)
• Cos Lettuce
• Sprouts
• Coriander (amount as per your taste buds, I like a lot) *Don’t like coriander, I reckon Mint could work good too!
• Beetroot (sliced in small julienne strips )
• Snow peas (diagonally sliced)

Create

1. Lay the nori sheet out on a chopping board.
2. Spread avocado in a line through the middle of the Nori Roll
3. Spread Tahini on top of the avocado
4. Squeeze lemon juice over the tahini
5. Layer up the other ingredients, finishing with the cos lettuce
6. Give the top another squeeze of lemon juice
7. Roll the nori up
8. Cut in half and EAT! Yumm!

Enjoy!

Be. Good to your body.

Be.’s Food Coaching packages focus on real food solutions that fit your life. Eating wholesome, delicious and nutrient dense foods can make a world of difference. These packages are perfect if you are looking to:

• Shed a few kilos
• Increase your energy levels
• Understand, what is healthy food?
• Stabilise your moods and reduce PMS
• Introduce your family to healthy wholefoods
• Introduce your baby to their first foods (solids)
• Boost your immunity
• Learn how to make guilt free treats
• Replace bad food habits with new healthy delicious habits
• Get passionate about food
• Find out how and where to get healthy food without breaking the budget

For a complete list of Be.’s packages click here

If you really want to commit to a change why not sign up for the Be. Healthy 8-week program. The program gets right into the day to day of life. Setting goals and making realistic changes that will last a life time. (more)

To see what other people are saying about Be.’s programs click here

For a complete list of pricing on Be.’s packages click here

For more information or to sign up to one of our programs simply email

Please help me spread the word, by sharing my website with your friends on Facebook & Twitter so more people can make better choices in 2013!

Be. Good to your body