March 2010 Newsletter

Hi everyone, welcome to the great new look monthly newsletter from OrganicFood.com.au. As well as a great new design, we will be bringing a great range of nutrition, well being and food information each month, with guest contributors from different specialist areas. Hope you enjoy!

We home deliver the freshest, highest quality organic fruit, veg and groceries across Sydney and Melbourne. Find out about our convenient weekly or fortnightly mixed box service. Stress-free, convenient and fun!

Your Body: WeightLoss

This months article comes from Amelia Joseph from mu wellness and naturopath located in Manly and Willoughby, you can see her website here. She used to work at an organic market so knows the benefits of good fresh organic tucker.

This month Amelia talks about weight loss and..  

Why are your pants undone?  

Sounds like you need a kickstart for some butt clenching weight loss ideas:  

• Start the day with a squeeze to one whole lemon in warm to hot water, wait 20 mins before eating anything (this helps stimulate your P450 enzymes in the liver for more effective detoxification)
• Do some exercise before breakfast- walk, run, swim, dynamic yoga, dance, kayak, marital arts, surf! This will help stimulate your metabolism, Just watch those kilos fall off. MINIMUM 30 mins exercise daily and we want to see some sweat!
• Eat breakfast (skipping meals slows the metabolism)
• Eat 4-6 meals daily and preferably every 3 hours as this also keeps the metabolism working efficiently. Remember small meals though and not too many carbohydrates (breads, pasta, rice, potato) at night!
• Avoid processed foods and red meat.
• Reduce sugars (sucrose found in sweets, cakes, soft drinks) and hidden sugars (lactose found in dairy and fructose found in fruit). Read the label on back of foods, go to the carbohydrates section and divide the total carbohydrates section by 4 and this is how many teaspoons of sugar is in that product!
• Reduce or consider cutting out alcohol for 3-8 weeks. Alcohol is a sugar and places a burden on the liver.
• Reduce wheat as it is a common allergy and may cause bloating, reduced absorption of essential minerals and vitamins and can even create symptoms of depression.
• Try mediation or just sitting every day so you can begin listening to what your body needs as all bodies are different, unique and beautiful!  

"If not you, who? If not now, when? If not here, where?" Baron Baptiste  

Injoy, Amelia.

Your Body: Energy Levels

Written by Michael Berry from Vivos Active, who offer group personal training in the northern beaches of Sydney.

It seems from the prolific sales of coffee and energy drinks that most people want more energy. It is a shame that most of the people who want more energy don’t know how to get it or feel trapped by circumstances and grab for that instant hit whenever they feel low which is more often then not sending them in the wrong direction long term.

The biggest energy booster, an unlimited supply, is to have direction. Move towards a positive exciting future by working constantly on high value tasks that are important to you and central to your core values. Tap into your potential, using your gifts and abilities and do everything that you do with enthusiasm. A major hurdle is procrastination, kill it before it gets you. Are you in the right job?  

If you want the kind of energy that keeps you in perpetual motion during the day then you need to sleep at night. Sleep is vital to the body, there is so much repair work, growth and development that happens when we sleep to help us recover for the next day. It is also a fantastic opportunity to give your subconscious mind the right signals, just before you go to bed and then again when you wake up, to have the right mental set to become the person who you really want to be. 7-8 hours minimum of restful non broken sleep in a room that’s dark enough, on a supportive mattress without distractions to stir you through the night.  

To get a rocket to take off you have to give it the absolutely best fuel at precisely the right time. To have exceptional energy through the day you need to be hydrated (not currently thirsty doesn’t cut it) and be eating high quality, preservative free, natural, healthy, in season foods throughout the day in the right proportions.  

To really excel you need to be fit. The body does need some fat stores for fuel, padding and insulation, but anything extra beyond is holding you back and weighing down every single step you take. The sense of freedom that comes from knowing that you can run a marathon or participate to a level in any sport is amazing. Why splash around in the shallows when you explore the depths.  

To have unlimited energy you will have to make changes. Changes can be scary, uncomfortable and seldom encouraged by peers. Make it easier by surrounding yourself with excited, energetic, inspiration people and talk about accomplishments, goals, and dreams not tv, put downs and general gossip.

Your Mind: Wellbeing Tips

Written by leading yoga teacher, Charlotte Dodson.

Charlotte's Top 4 wellbeing tips

Feed your soul

Eating is a reflection of ourselves, as much as a yoga body shape reflects our state of mind. The secret to healthy living is a healthy mind, body and what we feed it with. We can only be what we eat.

Are you feeling a great sense of peace and inner glow from a yoga practice? Your eating will reflect how you feel. A light, healthy taste of organically grown delight will nurture our body and soul far more than a heavy oily meal probably eaten after a big night out!

Find balance

A balanced body equates to a balanced mind. A balance pose in yoga and a balanced diet is the secret to that inner shine and strength, positive outlook, focus and clarity of ourselves. Indulge in the goodness of life by being kind to your body - to be fully aware of what we actually feed it with. After all our body carries us wherever we go! Take a moment when you eat small amounts to chew well, taste every organic flavour and eat slowly with appreciation. Also, remember to kindly treat yourself moderately, organic food has plenty of goodies available!

Fully digest

We digest many foods, situations, emotions and all things in life. Whatever we take in we need to absorb. As we digest food slowly and properly, we want to do the same with our emotions. Acceptance is a key part in living, as we accept all situations, we can move to the next chapter in our lives openly and graciously. Like life, eating the foods that your body feels to eat allows all our systems to run a lot smoother. When we're healthy and in-tune with our body and emotions, we can gage suitable foods for our body at any given time. To get in-tune is guided with the help of a yoga practice which naturally leads to a balanced organic diet.

Eaten too much? Try sitting in a kneeling pose 'Vajrasana' (add a blanket in between your sitbones and heels for more comfort if needed) to open up the stomach meridian channels in order to fully digest all that you need. Hold this pose breathing naturally for at least 5 minutes.

Your life

With all choices in life, always have strength and courage to follow your path. Live your ambitions; your goals, your intentions and always be filled with inspirations. Life is full of surprises so it's important to be open to whatever comes next and how your intentions manifest. Like with food, eat exactly what you feel like, be open to different organic flavours, as it will feed your soul which has the answer to reaching your ultimate dream. To find out more, please visit www.charlottedodson.com

Recipe of the Month

Brought to you by Georgina from her great cooking school Simply Sumptuous Foods.

Tomato Tart Tatin

Serves 4  

• 15 Roma tomatoes
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 red onions, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 15g finely chopped basil
• 60g goat’s cheese
• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 1tbsp milk  

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees (gas mark 2). Cut across in the base of the tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water for 1 minutes, then plunge in to cold water. Peel the skin away, then cut the tomatoes in half lengthways, and season well. Place the tomatoes cut-side up on a baking tray. Cook for 3 hours.  

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a heavy based saucepan, add onions and cook over very low heat, stirring often for 1 hour or until caramelized.  

When tomatoes are ready, remove from oven, increase the oven temperature to 200 degrees (gas mark 6)  

In a 20cm (8inch)  oven proof frying pan, heat the remaining olive oil over a medium heat. Add garlic, vinegar, sugar and 1 tbsp of water, and heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Arrange the tomatoes in concentric circles cut side up in one layer. Top with the onions, basil and crumbled goat’s cheese. Cover with puff pastry, trim the edges and tuck the pastry down the sides of the pan around the tomatoes. Brush pastry with a little milk.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Invert the tart on to a plate, cool to room temperature and serve.