Category: Recipes

Posted by Christine Pope on in Environment, Health Care, Healthy Ageing, Recipes

Ten easy New Year’s resolutions you can totally nail for 2024

We have all made those New Year’s resolutions that ultimately set you up to fail. You know the “Lose 10kgs” and “Get Fit” or “Save a deposit”. Gyms rely on us making those resolutions so that we set up a membership use it for a few weeks and then gradually forget all about it. This year I wanted to share ten easy New Year’s resolutions you can keep and help you start the year with a win!

First up before you review the list and pick just one thing (cos I am determined that you succeed) have a look back over 2023 and see if you can find two or three things that you are really pleased that you did do or achieve. From a work perspective it could be trying or learning something new, mentoring another staff member or finally getting a well earned promotion. At home it could be as simple as finally getting that door fixed or another project that was bugging you, decluttering a room or planting your own herbs in the garden.

From a health perspective is it something you have done for yourself that you noticed made a difference ? For me it was committing to twice weekly Pilates as its made a real difference to my strength and stability. It’s also interesting to notice how after 6 months of regular activity you notice that your recovery from other activity (like cooking Christmas dinners) is so much better. It doesn’t need to be a big thing it could be as simple as drinking more water to stay hydrated or having more salads at lunch!

This list is broken down into sections to make it easier for you to pick one! Please make sure you post in the comments section which one you chose and how it works out for you.

Decluttering!

  • Declutter your email – unsubscribe from ten newsletters. It’s amazing how many pile up in your inbox each day and how much time you waste deciding whether to read it, delete it or perhaps you may want to look at it later. Reality is if you actually have a need for it you can always Google later. So hit Unsubscribe and enjoy a decluttered inbox.
  • Rather than scrolling through your phone on Facebook or Instagram open your photo’s and start pruning them, maybe aim for 10 photo’s. If you don’t have a huge number try sorting them into albums so its easier to find material. My current albums include food and tea, so I have always got some inspiration handy for my social posts.
  • Pick a drawer – whether its in the kitchen or the bedroom start by decluttering one drawer. Use the three pile method – empty the drawer out and then sort into three piles, usable, repairs needed and bin. Sort through and be quite aggressive with what gets binned, for example if you start with a sock drawer then throw out the unmatched socks, the ones with holes and the ones where the elastic has gone. Throw out the bin pile, set aside the items that need repair (could be buttons or hems with clothing) and then return the usable items to the drawer after wiping the drawer clean first.

Education

  • Try a new board game or card game, ideally something that challenges your brain a little and possibly in an area you aren’t that good at if you want a little bit of brain training as well. Popular board games in our house at the moment include Settlers of Catan and Pandemic, which are a little different as they are more collaborative games. A couple of newer card games that are have also had good reviews “Snake Oil”, great if you love a bit of drama and “Crew”, a modified version of 500.
  • Listen to a webinar or a podcast and learn something new. Whatever your areas of interest just ask for referrals. There are currently two free webinars on offer on my site at the moment and you can chose from 6 tips for Ageing Outrageously or Natural medicine for first aid

Health

  • Add a new recipe to your repertoire. There are quite a few suggestions on my blog as well as the Easy One Pan Meal Download . Just add an easy curry, salad or a few veggie sides. There are twelve vegetable side recipes in my Healthy Holiday recipes including sweet potato and peach with rosemary and maple beetroot and pear.
  • Do a walk by the beach or in the bush, ideally as much or as little as you are comfortable with for your current fitness. This afternoon we are heading to Davidson Park to do the lyrebird walk which is 2km each way and runs alongside Middle Harbour, best of both worlds as you are by the bush and the water.
  • Create some calm in your mind. Try doing a meditation there are a wide range on commercial apps such as Calm and Gaia and the free 30 day meditations on Themeaningoflife.tv are well worth trialling. You can just do ten or twenty minutes and see if the format is right for you.

Self Care

  • Have a mini spa day with a bath with mineral salts and combine it with a facial treatment with a mask or scrub. Quite often you have been gifted bubble bath or other products so take advantage of them or simply buy a box of Epsom Salts and add a little lavender oil to the bath.
  • Book a favourite treatment to enjoy in January, whether it is a remedial, lymphatic or craniosacral massage or a facial or pedicure.

If you don’t have the motivation to tackle any of these changes then consider joining me on my free webinar Reset for 2024 on 15 January at 12.30pm AEST. Click here to register https://www.christinepopenutritionist.com/reset-2024

Posted by Christine Pope on in Gluten Free, Health Care, Healthy Ageing, Meal Plans and Recipes, Nutrition, Recipes, vegetables

Too busy to shop and cook healthy meals ? Have you considered a meal delivery service?

Cooking at home is often the best way to improve your underlying health, however for many people it can be a challenge particularly when they are time poor. Food companies have identified this gap in the market and there are now a number of companies providing ingredients and recipes for meals that can be prepared quickly and easily. Meal planning services such as HelloFresh, Marley Spoon and Dinnerly provide delicious recipes with all the ingredients you need to prepare them. All you have to do is follow the instructions – easy!

Dinnerly is considered very cost effective per serve, however Marley Spoon servings are more generous. Hello Fresh has a wide range of meal options and seems to work out around $10 per meal, which is better priced than most takeaway. The meal planning services send only enough for the individual meals which also reduces waste. Most of the meals in these services are designed to be prepared in under half an hour.

What do you do when you don’t have time for cooking but still don’t really want to be ordering takeaway every night ? Add food intolerances or allergies and it can be harder still .

My top list of options which is a little Sydney centric is as follows;

  1. Nourish’d offers vegetarian and gluten free options and has the added advantage of having meals designed by a nutritionist. The range offers keto friendly, nut free and dairy free. There is a reasonable range of options which include beef cheek ragu with cauliflower mash, beef brisket and a sweet potato spaghetti.Sides to increase the vegetables include roasted broccoli, cauliflower mash and potato mash. Meals have a nutritional breakdown and are generally a good level of protein. The menu’s change weekly and upcoming options include a beef stroganoff with beetroot salad and sweet potato mash and a chicken masala, which shows some good variety. Nourish’d also appears have NDIS approval.
  2. Chefgood offers a range of no added gluten or dairy meals. Whilst not offering a gluten free kitchen this option may be suitable for those with intolerances but is not recommended for those who are celiac. The meal plans offer a number of meals between 5 to 14 meals a week with options which include low carb, high protein, vegan and vegetarian as well as a range of weight loss optins. Chefgood also has a range of add-ons which include additional sides and juices. The sides are not particularly inspired and include soup, mashed potato, greek salad and an avocado salad. Reviews on google are generally positive although there appear to be recent complaints about delivery issues. The company delivers to the eastern states and South Australia.
  3. Dinner ladies deliver frozen meals which have been cooked from scratch. There is a wide range of options although they do not seem to cover food intolerances particularly well they do provide a statement of allergens. The major issue seems to be the possiblity of cross contamination risk. The menu includes some good main course options including burgers, fritters, snitzels, stir frys, casseroles and pastas. This is a popular option with families.

For those who are looking for meal inspiration there are a number of blogs that may be helpful with recipes and meal plans. Have a look at Meal Plan Week One , Meal Plan Week Two , Four easy ways to add brassica vegetables to your meals and Spring Reset Meal Plan .

Sweet and Salty recipes for some spooky halloween fun
Posted by Christine Pope on in Meal Plans and Recipes, Recipes

Sweet and Salty recipes for some spooky halloween fun

Halloween is a good time to break out a few fun treats, whether its to feed trick or treaters or just to entertain the family. This collection of recipes has a selection of sweet and savoury recipes which will provide some inspiration for a party, entertaining after school snacks or just some tasty options.

A few years ago we had a combined Halloween party for my children’s birthday just after we had moved house. The timing was less than ideal but we had a lot of fun decorating with cobwebs and pumpkin tea lights. We tied mini donuts to the washing line, bobbed for apples (not a good idea really for young children) and played wrap the mummy with toiler paper. It’s a pity that I didn’t have this recipe collection at the time but we did organise an amazing spooky castle cake!

Included in this collection are some fun fruit snacks with;

  • Candy Fruit Canes
  • Monster Apple Bites
  • Banana Ghosts
  • Clementine Pumpkins
  • Bat energy bites

Or you can enjoy a few savoury options with;

  • Spiders on a log (celery and peanut butter)
  • Mini spider web pizzas
  • Spooky spider devilled eggs
  • Creepy crawly spider pretzels.

Download recipes here

halloween-fun (1)Download

Let me know if you make any of the recipes and which ones were tastiest!

For more recipe inspiration of simply information on maintaining or improving your health have a look at my program Ageing Outrageously which covers six key areas for ensuring that you age well. These include improving brain health, balancing blood sugar, improving gut and digestion as well as strategies for assessing and monitoring your health. The program has been designed for people who may not have the time or resources to work with me directly but would like to invest in improving their health. The program cost of $249 is similar to the cost of my initial appointment but you can run through the program under your own pace at home and it covers content from a series of 6-8 appointments .

Posted by Christine Pope on in Health Care, Nutrition, Recipes, vegetables

Confused by Zucchini? 5 simple ways to use it in meals.

One of the best ways to keep your food budget under control is to eat seasonally. At the moment Zucchini is in season and Harris Farm is offering the imperfect picks known as unruly Zucchini at good prices. So how do you make the best use of Zucchini? One of my favourites is a stir fry with ginger and orange but its also lovely in ratatouille, grated in fritters or chargrilled in salads.

Zucchini is a low carb vegetable with one cup of zucchini providing 3g of carbohydate, 40% of your daily Vitamin A requirements and is a good source of carotenoids such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene. These carotenoids are beneficial for eye health and vision.

A few other options for zucchini recipes from some favourite sites and a few recipes for inspiration;

Gratin with Potato and Zucchini

  • 500g potato sliced thinly
  • 4 small zucchini cut into small rounds
  • 2 red capsicum finely sliced
  • Thyme

In a casserole dish layer zucchini, capsicum and potato. Start with zucchini on the bottom and finish with potato on the top and sprinkle with 2 tsps dried thyme. Cover with lid and cook in over an 180C for up to an hour. Serve as a side with grilled meats or fish.

Stir fried zucchini with ginger and orange

  • 600 g zucchini
  • Small knob of ginger
  • peel of half an orange grated
  • 2 Tblsp Soy Sauce

Cut zucchini into batons. Grate ginger finely and saute lightly for 30 seconds in a wok. Add zucchini and stir fry until soft and a little blackened. Stir through the grated peel and add the soy sauce, stir through for 30 seconds and then serve.

Simple Potato Curry

One tablespoon curry paste,
1 tsp each cumin, mustard, ginger and garlic
One onion
2 potatoes
1 piece sweet potato or pumpkin or 2 carrots
2 red capsicum
1 eggplant
2 zucchini
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can coconut milk


Add a little oil to the pan and a chopped onion plus the spices. Fry the onion in the spices. Add two potatoes, a quarter pumpkin, two red capsicum (scrub potatoes, don’t peel – less work and better for you). Cut all the vegetables about the same size – for instance, in quarters.

Chop and slice salted eggplant and two zucchini. (Before you use eggplant – slice it, pour salt on it and then after 10 minutes wash it off). Stir this through, add a can of chopped tomatoes, cover for 20 minutes, cook on low heat. Check that the potatoes are getting soft. Add a small can of coconut milk and simmer for a further 5 mins before serving.

Variations: add a bunch of spinach (chopped) or Chinese cabbage a few minutes before it is finished cooking. Leftovers will make another meal with a tin of legumes or chickpeas added.

Christine Pope is a naturopath and nutritionist based at Elemental Health St Ives. Appointments can be made on 02 8084 0081 or elementalhealth.net.au .

Posted by Christine Pope on in Alzheimer's, Health Care, Nutrition, Recipes, Tea, vegetables

Balancing Blood Sugar

Did you join me for my Natural Medicine Week Webinar? If you missed it or want a review of the highlights then click through to the youtube recording or scroll through the powerpoint which is attached below.

In the webinar we cover the following topics;

  • Blood Glucose and insulin how does this work and what does this mean for you?
  • What are the risks from a health perspective of poorly managed blood sugar?
  • Which diet is best able to assist you to manage blood sugar
  • A simple meal plan to help you put it altogether
Balancing Blood SugarDownload

The webinar recording is linked below.

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If you have any other queries please pop them in the comments below or book in with Christine on 02 8084 0081. Christine Pope is an accredited naturopath and nutritionist based at Elemental Health at St Ives and is offering both in person and online consultations.

Posted by Christine Pope on in Health Care, Homeopathy, Recipes, Tea

Natural medicine for sore throats

My kids have always been a little worried when they were first getting sick, except when they had a sore throat as they would be excited as they could have honey! Good quality Manuka honey that is usually combined with a lemon and garlic tea.

The first symptom that many people notice with a cold or flu is often a sore throat. A niggling or slight scratchiness initially and then within a few hours it has developed into a sore throat. Depending on the symptoms its usually a good idea to provide gentle immune system support and some appropriate homeopathic remedies. Three options are useful for supporting the immune system manuka honey, elderberry and lemon and garlic tea.

Sore throats are often a precursor to a cold or flu so supporting the immune system with Elderberry is ideal. A good over the counter option for Elderberry is the product Sambucol which comes in capsules or lozenges. The advantage of a lozenge is that it provides a way of topically treating the sore throat. This option also tastes a lot better than most which helps if you are treating children.

For sore throats where there is also congestion or a cough its usually helpful to add a good quality tea combined with manuka honey. To make lemon and garlic tea boil up 5 cloves of garlic with a quartered organic lemon in about 1L of water. Bring to the boil an then reduce to simmering on the stove for 20 minutes. Keep the lid on as this ensures that the limonene essentials oils are retained in the tea. One to two cups a day with a teaspoon of good quality Manuka honey will help with symptoms and recovery.

Homeopathic medicine is a useful way to support recovery from a sore throat. Its usual to match the symptoms of the sore throat to the homeopathic remedy. First up look at the location of the sore throat, is it on the left or right side. Then look at the type of pain associated with the sore throat, is it dry, sore, stabbing or burning ? Check to see if anything makes it better or worse (this is what we call the modalities), this could be that its better for cold or warm drinks for example. It could be a little different in that they are better for covering the throat. Then look at any other symptoms that are occurring at the same time and see if they have a similar patter.

Two remedies that focus on the side on which the sore throat starts are Lachesis and Lycopodium, Lachesis tends to start on the left side and usually is associated with burning pain in the throat. Lachesis is also known for people who may have a sore throat but can still talk incessantly. People who need Lachesis often find drinking doesn’t help but eating my provide relief. Lycopodium tends to start on the right side or is worse on the right side and the pain is usually better for warm drinks.

Hepar Sulph is often useful where the pain extends to the ears and the sore throat comes on after a cold or after getting chilled.

Where the throat is more infected and glands are swollen you should consider Mercurius Solubulus (Merc Sol). When this remedy is indicated there may be excessive saliva such that the pillow is drenched in the morning as well as bad breath. The sensation in the throat could be dry or burning pain. This remedy can be of significant benefit in the acute phases of glandular fever.

For more information on managing the symptoms of acute illnesses see the recent blogs Treating colds and flus naturally , Stomach Aches and Pains and Natural Medicine First Aid .

Christine is a practicing Naturopath and Nutritionist based at Elemental Health, St Ives and can be contacted on 02 8084 0081.