While doing groceries on the weekend I saw some mangoes in the fruit market that really caught my eye – they were so lovely and red, and I thought I just have to use these!

Smoothies are a great way to add in lots of fibre and nutrients into your day, and are very quick to make (even more if you prepare the ingredients beforehand).  Personally, I don’t like traditional breakfasts such as cereal and toast, and as I react to eggs (which is a shame because I love them) smoothies are a great breakfast option for me.

There are so many options when it comes to making smoothies, it’s fun to try different variations.

Ingredients

• 1/2 flesh of a mango
• 1 banana
• 1 handful of english spinach leaves (Don’t be afraid – while you can see it, you don’t taste it.  Adding them adds lots of fibre, vitamins and minerals and goodness)
• 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (I used vital greens pea protein in chocolate this time)
• 2 tbsp natural yoghurt
• 1 tbsp kefir
• 1/2-1 cup almond milk

Optional booster ingredients: Maca powder, Spirulina powder, Green tea powder, Chia seeds, LSA, Flaxseed meal and/or oil, Probiotics, Avocado…

Method

Stick all the ingredients into the container and whizz up with a stick blender.

Pour into a glass.  Enjoy!

I had some smoothie which didn’t fit into my glass, so I poured it into my dog’s bowl – she loved it!

The post Creamy Green Tropical Smoothie appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

All the work that you have been doing in pre-conception care, eating well and taking your supplements doesn’t stop now, but it does change slightly.

Nutrition and Supplements

Your body has a high demand for nutrients during pregnancy.  You are the only source of nutrition for your growing baby. The baby is growing inside your womb and it forms its whole body from yours.  The baby will take what it needs and whatever is left the mother then uses (getting you ready for the selflessness of motherhood).

Some factors such as stress, inadequate diet, the effects of morning sickness, undiagnosed allergies, heartburn, constipation, long term deficiencies, stress or other pre-existing conditions may mean your intake of essential nutrients is inadequate to cope with the needs of both you and your growing baby.

If you are low in nutrients your baby will take what it needs from you, often leaving you in a deficient state.  Many conditions that occur during pregnancy (e.g. pregnancy brain, leg cramps, constipation) are caused or worsened by nutritional deficiencies, so it makes sense that ensuring you have ample supplies of nutrients not only means your baby is getting everything they need, but so are you.

When breastfeeding nutritional demands are as great, and sometimes even higher than during pregnancy.  It can take 2 years to nutritionally recover from a pregnancy!  If you are planning to concieve again during this time, then it isessentialto ensure you are stocked up well.

Did you know that during your pregnancy, you will create several extra kilograms of your own uterine muscle, as well as the nerves, bones, organs, muscles, glands and skin of your baby? In addition, you will make several kilograms of amniotic fluid, a placenta and produce a significant increase in your own blood volume. In addition, your own kidneys and liver have to work overtime, as they have to process the wastes of you and your baby!

A balanced diet should include a good variety of foods and provide all nutrients the body needs. The emphasis should be on eating a higher quality diet rather than simply eating more.   We can provide you with nutritional education and advice specific to you and provide meal suggestions or plans to support you and your baby.

All pregnant women require nutritional supplementation to some extent, due to the lack of essential nutrients in our soil and food supply.

The most well known nutrient that we require during pregnancy is folate, however it’s not that simple.  A lot of pregnancy multi-vitamins you can find in supermarkets and chemists contain plenty of folate, but lack or are extremely low other nutrients essential in pregnancy.  We can assess your individual requirements and recommend the right supplements for you.   It is important not to self medicate, especially during pregnancy.

Click here to read about some of the key nutrients required in pregnancy

Not only does nutritional supplementation help to prevent and manage deficiencies, it is also helpful in managing conditions.  Some nutritional supplements such as probiotics have been shown to be beneficial in preventing allergies in eczema in the newborn.

Some general tips during pregnancy:

• Avoid junk food and refined sugar and food completely.
• Avoid raw eggs, meat, chicken and seafood
• Avoid foods which you are allergic or intolerant to.
• Avoid foods high in mercury or other heavy metals such as swordfish, shark, tuna.
• Eat LOTS of fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Eat legumes and beans for fibre and protein.
• Eat foods rich in calcium and iron.
• Eat lots of foods containing soluble fibre, rather than insoluble fibre (such as wheat bran) as this can worsen constipation.
• Aim to have at least 2 serves of protein each day.
• Make sure you are hydrated, drink plenty of clean filtered water and avoid using water bottles which contain BPA.
• It is best to avoid caffiene during pregnancy.  Some women can be particularly sensitive to this, so should avoid tea, coffee, dark chocolate and soft drinks.  Caffiene can decrease blood flow to the baby and regular intake has been associated with low-birth weight.
• Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, recreational drugs and any unnecessary medications.

Common Conditions during Pregnancy

There is much that naturopaths can offer to women during pregnancy.  Conditions such as leg cramps, morning sickness, pre-eclampsia, reflux, colds, sinusitis, constipation and more can be managed with natural medicines.

Click here to read more about the common conditions of pregnancy and what we can do.

Pregnancy Program

Continued naturopathic care throughout pregnancy will help to ensure a healthy pregnancy and a healthy, happy outcome.  The pregnancy program is designed to support you and your baby during this time of rapid growth and change.  The emphasis will be on your nutritional status and your changing nutritional requirements through each trimester, while addressing any queries, complaints or issues that may arise.  Towards the end of the pregnancy we can begin to introduce remedies which prepare for your for labour, as well as providing you with your tool kit for after the birth.  Regular massage throughout the pregnancy is also recommended.

A typical pregnancy program includes:

During the 1^st Trimester we will address

• Giving suggestions for good dietary and lifestyle habits and continuing clean, toxin free environment
• Advice on a nutritious and individualised food plan for your pregnancy to support you and your baby
• Optimising your nutritional status,  promoting and nurturing a lush and healthy environment in which your baby can grow
• Reducing any uncomfortable symptoms of early pregnancy that may arise such as morning sickness
• Treating any threat to the pregnancy such a bleeds or threatened miscarriage
• Acupuncture is fantastic during this time for helping to manage morning sickness

2^nd Trimester

• Continue to monitor your nutritional status with particular emphasis on iron and blood nutrients as well as zinc status
• Treat any pregnancy problems that may be arising
• Review your activity and exercise

3^rd Trimester

• Prevent or treat any problems typically related to the later stages of pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, constipation, and oedema (fluid retention).
• Begin birth preparation.  Specific nutritional and herbal treatments are introduced to support labour, delivery and lactation.  Herbal medicine has a long history of use in the last trimester of pregnancy.  Specific nutrient supplementation and individualized herbal homoeopathic formulations will promote a more comfortable birth, post natal and breastfeeding experience as well as reducing likelihood of complications and improving recovery.

Post-partum

• Herbs to improve healing, reduce inflammation
• Support breast-feeding if there is any issues with flow, failure to thrive, mastitis or cracked nipples
• Giving suggestions for a healthy, nutrient dense diet for breastfeeding as well as advice on introduction to solids and management of common conditions for infants such as colic

The post Naturopathic support in pregnancy appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Nutritious, delicious, thirst quenching, sweet and satisfying.

Fruit, in moderate amounts, is good for you. But what fruit is best for you? In this article I detail the nutrient content of fruits, and also list their health properties.

A lot of the health properties I mention are based in Chinese medicine principles. An example of this is when a food is described as ‘cooling’, ‘drying’, or ‘warming’.

Ernestina Burchmore is a acupuncturist who has been in practice for 10 years. She has kindly explained the effects of these properties in foods for us.

Warmer/hot foods tend to cause dryness. Cool/cold foods tend to moisten, promote urination and reduce fever and dryness. Damp is created when the digestive system is weak and cannot fully process food, thereby creating an excess amount of mucus that comes out in the skin, stools or through the lungs or sinuses. E.g. Coconut can give rise to eczema-like rash, oranges can make you sneeze and wheeze.

This is just a rough guide. Other food properties include the roles of the 5 Flavours – sweet, sour, pungent, bitter and salty. But I won’t discuss this here.

Ernestina Burchmore is a qualified Acupuncturist and experienced Chinese Herbalist. She graduated from the University of Technology, Sydney in 2001 with a B.A, in Health Science (Acupuncture) / B,A. International Studies (China Studies). Ernestina has been practicing at Health Dimensions in Bella Vista and WIndsor for 10 years. Her general practice focuses on pain management, stress management, fertility solutions, women’s health, pregnancy, gastrointestinal disorders and respiratory disorders.

Ernestina believes that treating the whole person and getting to the root problem that is causing the symptoms is the key to really solving the problems you come in to have treated.

From a botanical perspective, fruits are technically the flowering part that derives from a plant’s ovaries and are any vegetable which contains seeds. Therefore fruits also include beans, corn, tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, eggplant, and pumpkin (to name a few). This article only covers those which are commonly classified as fruit, and only the most popular varieties.

General tips about fruit:

It is always important to ensure your fruit is properly ripened (via tree or vine). If a fruit is not adequately ripened it doesn’t have as many benefits, and may even have some harmful properties (particularly so with citrus). When unripe fruit is purchased, it should be allowed to ripen at room temperature before eating. An exception is the intentional use of certain unripe fruit for its medicinal effect.

Another potential issue with is the excessive use of pesticides on the most popular types of fruit. These pesticides can often negate any health benefits.

Fruits are easily digested, and are alkalizing, cleansing and cooling. If you are overly stressed or have a lot of ‘mental heat’, then fruits are for you. The alkaline natures of fruits also help to get your bowels moving.

If you have a lot of sweet fruit every day, it is possible to develop too much ‘damp’ (according to Chinese medicine principles) and therefore it is beneficial to have occasional periods where you don’t have fruit. Too much fruit will also mean too much sugar, which is not helpful for weight loss or keeping blood sugar levels stable.

The sugar in fruit is fructose, and this takes longer to affect your blood sugars than standard sugar such as sucrose or glucose. Fructose needs to be converted to glucose by the liver. Fructose is also 1½ times sweeter than sucrose. Therefore if you’re craving something sweet, not only will having a piece of fruit instead of a chocolate bar provide you with more vitamins and minerals, it will also have a better affect on your blood sugar levels.

It is best to avoid having too much juice, and rather have the benefits of fruit by eating them whole.

Apple

• Cooling nature (Reduces heat, especially summer heat)
• Helps to produce fluid for the body, making it good for lung health. It can help protect the lungs from cigarette smoking (not that anyone should be doing that anyway)
• Stimulates digestion
• Green apples cleanse the liver and gallbladder and help to soften gallstones.
• Contains malic acid and tartaric acid which can help to inhibit the growth of bad bacteria and reduce fermentation.
• Contains pectin, which removes cholesterol and helps bind up and remove toxic metals, and also promotes good bacteria in the digestive tract
• Contains calcium-d-glucarate, which is good for healthy hormones
• Helpful for people with low blood sugar levels
• Grate an apple and apply directly or wrap in muslin and put on your eyes for 20 minutes to help with eye strain, pink eye or sunburn

Apricot

• Moistens the lungs
• Fresh apricots are good for dry throats, thirst and asthma
• When buying the dried type, buy the organic or uncoloured variety as dried apricots often have added sulfur compounds to make them brighter and this can worsen allergies and asthma particularly in children
• Good source of vitamin A and carotene.
• Dried apricots are a good source of iron, cobalt, and copper making them good for anemia

Avocado

• Cooling nature
• Helps to build the blood and increase ‘yin’ energy
• Harmonizes the liver
• Good source of lecithin which is important for brain health and helps with fat digestion
• The fat content is very easily digestible, and is mainly in the form of mono-unsaturated oils
• Rich in copper, vitamin E, protein and potassium
• Great for nursing mothers

Banana

• Cooling nature
• Helpful for dry conditions (e.g. dry coughs) as it produces mucous
• Avoid if you’re very mucousy
• Before they are fully ripened, bananas having a drying property. If you have diarrhea, colitis or hemorrhoids then unripe bananas are helpful.
• For hemorrhoids, steam the whole unripe banana until very soft and eat one organic banana (with skin if you can manage it) twice a day on an empty stomach.
• Bananas are helpful to treat drug addiction due to their cold nature and high sugar content.
• Due to their high potassium content, bananas are good for high blood pressure.
• They have high sugar content (17-19%)

Blueberry

• Cooling nature
• Blood, eye and liver tonic
• Good for countering urinary tract infections
• Good source of vitamin C, manganese and vitamin A

Cherry

Cranberry

Date

Feijoa

• Rich source of fibre, vitamin C, Iodine and Folate. (Iodine is not included in table due to the lack of data of iodine content in other fruits).
• Has blood pressure regulating properties.
• The nutrient content makes this a great fruit for pregnancy.

Goji

• Considered a ‘super food’ because of the high levels of antioxidants they contain.
• High in vitamin A and taurine
• Helpful for diabetic retinopathy,
• Thought to have anti-aging properties
• Strengthens the kidneys
• Helpful for liver health, especially when eye symptoms are associated with liver weakness such as dry and tired eyes and blurry vision (in Chinese medicine, it is thought that the liver sends nutrients and energy to the eyes). Goji and chrysanthemum tea is good for this.
• Can help to reduce cholesterol
• Helps to reduce blood sugar levels
• Eaten long term, Goji berries can support the immune system. However if you currently have an infection it’s best to avoid them.
• Contains germanium, a mineral shown to have anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties (not included in table due to the lack of data of germanium content in other fruits).

Grape

• Increase qi energy
• Good for the liver – grape juice is helpful for hepatitis and jaundice
• Diuretic – reduces edema and helpful for painful urination
• Help to reduce menopausal heat symptoms
• Grapes are a good snack for children
• Darker grapes are good for blood building
• Good source of vitamins A, B-complex and C.

Grapefruit

• Cooling nature
• Helpful for poor digestion, such as burping and poor appetite (especially during pregnancy)
• Good for hangovers
• The peel has many beneficial properties for digestive health and mucous in the lungs, and is rich in vitamin c. You can make a tea from the peel (fresh or dry) by simmering it for 20 minutes. Apply a compress of this tea to frostbite (at room temperature) to restore circulation.
• Citrus seed extract is primarily made from grapefruit and has many health benefits. It is a potent antibiotic.

Guava

• Has astringent and laxative properties
• Tonifies the lymphatic and skeletal system
• Good source of vitamin c and potassium

Jackfruit

• Cooling, nutritious and tonifying.
• Can counteract the influence of alcohol
• The ripe fruit has laxative properties
• Dried seeds contain B-complex vitamins, calcium, iron and sulfur

Kiwi

• Cold in nature, clearing heat
• Promote the production of fluids making them helpful for dry mouth and throat
• Can help the passage of kidney stones
• They are very nutrient dense. They have twice the vitamin C of oranges, and are also rich in magnesium. They are higher in potassium than bananas and oranges.
• Low in calories (45 calories per fruit)

Lemon and Lime

• Cooling nature
• Very helpful for people who have eaten a high fat/protein diet
• Helps to destroy putrefactive bacteria in the intestines and mouth
• Antiseptic, anti-microbial and reduces mucous
• Good for coughs
• Good for fevers
• Supports liver health and bile production
• Supports weight loss
• Alkalizing: their alkaline content is five times greater than their acidic content.
• Only contains 1% sugar
• Good source of vitamin C, and is also high in potassium, and vitamin B1.
• Apply the juice externally to relieve insect bites and to soften corns
• Limes generally have fewer chemicals used on them than lemons
• Avoid if you have excessive stomach acid or stomach ulcers

Lychee

• Good for the spleen, pancreas, stomach and liver meridians
• Promote body fluids and ease thirst
• Contain vitamin B and C, folic acid, citric acid, malic acid and arginine

Mango

• Cooling
• Good source of vitamin A and C and potassium
• High in calories
• Related to poison ivy, and contains the same toxic chemical – urushiol. In some people this can cause itching and skin eruptions.

Orange

• Cooling nature
• Regenerates body fluid
• Helps to cool and moisten the body
• The inner white lining, placed directing on the eyelids, helps to dissolve eye cysts.
• Good source of vitamin C, potassium and also contain some calcium
• The inner white lining also helps with iron absorption and has anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties.

Papaya

• Warming nature
• Tonifies the stomach and acts as a digestive aid
• Ripe papayas moisten the lungs and alleviate coughing
• Under ripe papaya and its seeds are rich in the digestive enzyme papain, which helps digest protein, break down deposits on the teeth, resolve mucus, and has a strong vermicidal action capable of destroying most intestinal worms including tapeworm.
• Also contains carpaine, a compound providing anti-tumor activity
• Excellent source of vitamins A, C and E, and are also rich in calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus.
• Papaya is often referred to as pawpaw in Australia, however they are actually different fruit. Papaya (Carica papaya) is the longer green/yellow-orange fruit with pinky/orangey flesh (when ripe). It has multiple small black seeds. Paw Paw (Asimina triloba) is indigenous to North America, it has large seeds (approx 1 inch in diameter) shaped like lima beans, is a rounder fruit and has yellow flesh.

Passion fruit

• Good source of vitamins A and C
• High in fibre
• Contains anti-oxidants and sterols, making it helpful for lowering cholesterol and promoting heart health
• Helpful for people with asthma and allergies due to its anti-histamine properties
• Extracts of the whole plant are excellent for calming the nervous system

Peach

• Cooling nature
• Builds body fluids
• Moistens the lungs and intestines
• Useful for dry cough
• Helps to reduce excessive perspiration due do it’s astringent properties
• Peach leaf tea can destroy worms

Pear

• Cooling nature
• Good for lung health, and helps to reduce heat in the lungs
• Don’t eat if you have loose, watery stools
• Don’t have excessive amounts of pears during pregnancy

Persimmon

• Cooling nature
• Clears lung heat
• Builds body fluids, removes phlegm
• Unripe persimmon has an astringent taste from the tannic acid, which eventually goes when the fruit ripens
• Partially ripe persimmons are helpful for diarrhea, dysentery and hypertension

Pineapple

• Removes summer heat
• Contains the enzyme bromelain which increases digestive ability and destroys worms. Bromelain also has anti-inflammatory properties, making it good for joints.
• Thirst quenching, diuretic
• Treats sunstroke, indigestion, diarrhea, lack of appetite and fluid retention
• Under ripe pineapple is very acidic and can damage teeth

Plum

• Good for liver health and diabetes
• Stewed prunes are a good remedy for constipation
• Plums also treat cirrhosis of the liver and liver conditions generally (the purple variety)
• Umeboshi salt plums (very sour and salty) are very good for digestion and liver health. They are highly alkalizing.

Pomegranate

• Good for bladder disturbances
• Destroys worms in the digestive system
• Strengthen gums
• Soothes ulcers of the mouth and throat

Raspberry

• Good for liver and kidney health
• Cleanses the blood
• Good for menstrual cycle regulation
• Raspberry leaf is widely used for childbirth preparation as it strengthens the uterus and reduces excessive menstrual flow

Strawberry

• Cooling nature
• Improves appetite
• Moistens the lungs and generates body fluids
• Eat before meals to treat poor digestion accompanied by abdominal pain and swelling
• Relieves painful urination
• Good source of silicon and vitamin C, making it very useful for arterial and connective tissue repair
• Allergic reactions to strawberries are often caused by berries that are not vine-ripened

Watermelon

• Very cooling
• Removes heat, especially summer heat
• Has diuretic properties
• Helpful for thirst, urinary difficulty, edema, depression, kidney and urinary tract inflammation

The post Everything you ever wanted to know about fruit appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium pumpkin
• 1/4 cup quinoa, washed
• 1 handful of pepitas
• 2 handfuls of sunflower seeds
• 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 5 kalamata olives, chopped
• 1/2 large radish
• 1 1/2 cucumber
• 1-2 slices marinated capsicum
• 1/2 spanish onion
• 1 packet of rocket, washed and dried

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp caramlised balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sumac
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 200C.

Peel and deseed the pumpkin and cut into small chunks.  Place onto a roasting pan and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast until golden brown, stirring through a few times to cook evenly.  Allow to cool.

Cook quinoa using absorption method until tender and germ ring is visible.  Allow to cool, or rinse under cold water if you’re short on time.

Put rocket into bowl with seeds and olives.

Using a mandolin thinly slice cucumber, onion, radish and radish and add to salad.

Cut capsicum into strips and add to salad along with quinoa and pumpkin.

To make the dressing, shake everything up in a jar and adjust according to your tastes.  it should be a little bit too vinegary before you put it onto the salad.

Mix salad and dress just before serving.

Tips

This is high in protein, fibre and zinc.  With the combination of seeds and quinoa this is a complete protein meal. 

Quinoa is rich in manganese, tryptophan and magnesium.  Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and vitamin C, manganese and vitamin B6.

Gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan.

 
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The post Roast Pumpkin and Quinoa Salad appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Pizza is super easy and fun to make and is a great way to get the kids to eat lots of veggies.  This pizza is high in fibre , vitamins and minerals and low in sodium.  If you’re not going overboard with the amount you’re eating, and your toppings are fresh and mostly veggies then pizza can be healthy.

I made my own base and sauce but you can get them ready made.  Try to avoid the bases and sauces with too much salt, preservatives and additives in them.  Lebanese bread is a good option as a base, or you can buy spelt and gluten free bases from some supermarkets or online. If you don’t want to use tomato sauce, you can use a pesto made with basil and/or coriander (again, avoid preservatives) or make your own pesto – below is the ingredients for both sauces.

Ingredients

To make 2 large pizzas

Pizza Base

1 7g sachet dry yeast

1 tsp honey

3-4 cups spelt flour or strong unbleached flour

Tomato Sauce

1 brown onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1kg tomatoes

Handful basil

Salt and pepper, to salt

1 tsp dried oregano

Pesto Sauce

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

½ cup packed fresh coriander leaves

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

2 tsp capers

4 kalamata olives, pitted

4 sundried tomatoes

2 garlic cloves

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of sea salt

Pizza Toppings

Add as many veggies as you can, this is a great way to get some extra veggies into the kids.

Choose from:

Finely chopped kale, Onion, Capsicum, Eggplant, Shiitake mushrooms, Swiss brown or button mushrooms, onion, thinly sliced sweet potato, thinly sliced and chopped radish, olives, chopped green beans, corn, broccoli, spinach, asparagus.

Top with mozarella cheese or a vegan alternative such as tofutti

Method

To make the dough:

Start this at least 90 minutes before.

Dissolve yeast sachet in a glass or pyrex (not metal) bowl with a glass of warm water and a tsp honey.  Add 1/2 cup spelt flour and stir.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes to activate the yeast, it should become bubbly and foamy.

Gradually stir in the rest of the flour until it becomes a good dough consistency (smooth and stretchy, a little sticky but not too wet).  Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes or let your food processor knead it for you with the dough hook.  If you’ve used the food processor, transfer the dough back to a glass bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil to stop it drying out, then cover the top of the bowl with a plate.  Let it sit somewhere warm for at least an hour until the dough has doubled in size.

Separate the dough into 2 pieces and pull into a rough circle shape.  Roll out so it’s a few mm thin.  If you’re talented you could throw it around like this guy.

To make the tomato sauce:

Cut a cross over the top of the tomatoes. Blanch them in boiling water for one minute so the skin is easy to peel off. Allow them to cool and then peel the skin off, discard the seeds and roughly chop the flesh.

Gently fry the onion over a medium heat until soft in a little olive oil.  Add the garlic and fry for a futher minute.  Add the tomatoes and oregano and bring to the boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for approximately 30-40 minutes.

Puree with a stick blender until smooth.  Season to taste and add the finely chopped basil.

To make the pesto sauce:

In a food processor, combine basil, coriander, sunflower seeds, capers, olives, sundried tomatoes, and garlic; pulse a few times.  Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream with the food processor running.  Stop to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.  Add a pinch of salt to taste.

Assembling the Pizza

Preheat the oven to 200C.

If you are making the dough from scratch and like me you’re not amazing at throwing dough around so it’s crazy thin, you’ll need to precook the dough for 10min so that the dough isn’t soggy.

Once you’ve done that, spread on your chosen sauce, and layer on heaps of veggies.  Sprinkle with cheese and cook until it’s golden brown.

 
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The post Veggie Packed Pizza appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

A delicious eggplant recipe, you can use this on pizza, in salad, as an antipasto, in sandwiches or wraps or put in other dishes, or eat on it’s own. For those who don’t normally like eggplant this one for you to try.

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant or 2-3 thin eggplants
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 1 teaspoon Smokey Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Chilli Flakes (optional)
• to taste Salt
• to taste Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Cut eggplants in half length-wise, leaving stem ends intact.

Mix garlic and olive oil in a small bowl. Combine oregano, basil, thyme, paprika and chilli flakes in separate bowl and stir to mix.

Lightly brush cut sides of eggplants with garlic-oil mixture and grill, cut side down, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.

Lightly brush skin sides with oil mixture. Invert eggplants and brush tops with remaining oil.

Sprinkle tops with dried herb mixture and salt and pepper to taste.

Continue cooking eggplants, cute side up until very tender, 6-8 minutes, or as needed.

Tips
Eggplants are actually berries, and are a member of the deadly nightshade family. They were originally named Solanum insanum as Europeans believed eating would cause instant insanity. The name was later changed in the thirteenth century by the Arabs in Catalonia to Solanum melongena. They were originally the size and shape of eggs.

Eggplant has cooling properties and reduces yang energy. Eggplants are thought to bring energy and blood to the uterus, which is why in Asia pregnant women are advised to eat eggplant sparingly.

Eggplants are mostly water and so are low in calories. They are high in fibre and are a good source of potassium, manganese, molybdenum and are also a source of the anti-oxidant Nasunin.

Being part of the deadly nightshade family, it is recommended that people with arthritis have eggplant in moderation, if at all.

The post BBQ Eggplant appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1-2 handfuls of chopped dried fruit (dates, cranberries, raisins, goji berries, apicots)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp LSA
• 3 tbsp shredded coconut
• 4 tbsp seeds (sunflower and pepitas)

Method

1.  Spread oats on a large flat oven tray add the maple syrup a little bit at a time, you just want the oats to be a little wet not drowning.  Stir through then you bake it in the oven till the oats are golden and crunchy.   Allow to cool.

2.  Bake the almonds and coconut until golden.

3.  Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

4.  Store in an airtight container.

The post Toasted Muesli appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• 3 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste, preferably unhulled)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon chilli powder
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Smoke paprika

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.

2. Roast eggplant (whole) in oven for 30 minutes or until tender.

3. Let eggplant cool, then peel the skin and put it into a food processer.

4.  Add remaining ingredients, withholding oil and paprika.

5.  Blend until you get a consistency that you like, drizzling in a little oil to make it a bit creamier if you want.

6.  Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika.  Pretty and yum!

Tips

Make sure you check the flavouring of this before you finish, because the size of the eggplant can affect the ratios. 

The addition of the eggplant helps to give this a bit more fibre.

You can add more cumin and lemon if you wish!

Serve with a variety of vegies to dip into it.  2-3 tbsp of this dip with some vegies (such as carrot sticks, celery, capsium, cucumber, asparagus spears) is a great snack that’s rich in protein and fibre.
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• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 1/2 brown onion
• 2 anchovies ( or as many as you like)
• ½ cup cooked millet
• ½ cup mixed herbs like oregano and/or basil, chopped
• ¼ cup olives, roughly chopped
• 1 red capsicum, halved and de-seeded
• 1 large tomato, halved and de-seeded
• 1 eggplant, halved and flesh partly scooped out
• 1 zucchini, halved and de-seeded
• 1 tbsp capers
• preserved lemon rind to taste

Method

Using the absorption method, cook the millet until tender.

In a pan lightly cook the garlic, onion and anchovies with the oil then mix through the millet, herbs, olives and left over veggies. Stuff this mixture into the vegetables, drizzle with olive oil and bake in oven at 180°C until the veggies are soft and the stuffing is crispy.

Enjoy!

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