Tag Archives: healthy habits

Chia seeds – 3 reasons I add them to my meals

Health & Wellbeing, , , , ,

I’ve been experimenting with a number of different food types in recent years, and I now find myself eating mostly vegetarian. This means I am always looking for interesting, wholesome, cost effective ingredients to add to my meals.

Welcome Chia seeds.

Today I’d like to share with you what Chia seeds are, why I choose to include this superfood into my diet, and also why they are best used in moderation.

What are Chia seeds?

Chia seeds come from a flowering plant of the same family as mint. It’s native to Mexico and Guatemala, and history suggests it was an important crop for the Aztecs.

It’s benefits have only recently come to light, as the title “superfoods” is branded more and more across the health food scene.

Chia is extremely easy to add to your diet. The seeds are tasteless, so they won’t affect the flavour of your food.

How can you use them?

Sprinkle on top of salads or toast, or add them to smoothies and soups etc. to add nutrition and volume.

3 reasons Chia is good to add to meals

1. They’re high in Omega 3 and protein

A 28-gram serve of Chia has approximately 4.4 grams of plant-based protein.

Chia seeds are also packed with omega-3 fatty acids, with nearly five grams in a 28-gram serving. Amongst other things, these fats are important for brain health.

2. Chia seed is packed full of fibre, antioxidants, and essential minerals

Chia seeds are well known for being high in nutritional content. Some of the biggest benefits are:

  • Fibre – 7-grams per 28-gram serve.
  • Antioxidants – Chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don’t deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid.
  • Minerals – Calcium, manganese, and phosphorus are all present in large quantities for a plant-based source. Magnesium, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc are also present in smaller quantities.

3. They’re filling, and can help regulate appetite and blood sugar levels

The amino acid Tryptophan, which helps regulate appetite, sleep and improve mood, is found in Chia seeds.

Going hand in hand with an ability to regulate your hunger cravings, Chia has the ability to stabilize blood sugar levels and fight insulin resistance which can be associated with an increase in belly fat, according to this article by Live Strong.

 

But wait – The fine print

The benefits of consuming Chia seed are plentiful, and there are many health advocates out there claiming so.

Are Chia seeds really a golden superfood?

Yes, I believe so, in moderate quantities.

Since starting work at my local Paleo Cafe, I have been doing research into the Paleo diet and discovered contradictory research on the health benefit of Chia consumption. Unfortunately, like most nuts and seeds, Chia contains phytic acid.

Chia seed is not healthy in large amounts due to it’s high phytic acid content.

Phytic acid is an antinutrient that binds many minerals (calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and copper) making them unavailable for absorption. 

So for all the good stuff, there must be a balance of the bad. In moderate consumption, Chia can be a good nutritional source. Just don’t go overboard!

Well, there you have it. One of the latest superfood crazes going on out there.

Chia seeds.

As I continue to explore nutrition and how it makes me feel, I will play with this wondrous seed further. To date, I have been consuming lots of them daily. Although I have seen no abnormal adverse effects, I am now more aware of the potential downside of this level of consumption.

What can you take away from this post?

The importance of a balanced, healthy, varied diet. One with many vegetables, fruits, and protein sources.

Chia seeds are a great nutritional source, and they are not the only one out there!

Variety is the spice of life. Make sure you put a little zest in your meals too 🙂

I appreciate you taking time to read my work. If you like it, please share it with your friends on social media using the buttons below.

The more people I can help, the happier I’ll be.

Yours in inspiration,

Jason

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Getting sick with the flu? Here’s 3 things you must do to fight back

Health & Wellbeing, , , , , ,

It’s dark, and you’re woken by an insistent, loud, vibrating alarm on your bedside table.

Drowsy, you pull yourself upright and go about your morning routine. But wait, something is different.

There’s a cloud in front of you. Hold on, you notice a tingle in the back of your nose. Oh no.

“Damn it, I’m getting the flu!”

It’s the time of year again, winter (well, at least in Australia anyway), where it’s almost expected that we get the flu.

It’s annoying, disruptive, and disgusting.

I know all too well.

As I write this, I myself am fighting back the beginning of the flu, so I thought I’d share my experience and what I am observing, trialling, and learning.

The good news is, I am fighting it off well, and am confident of a fast recovery.

I want a speedy recovery for you too.

In this post, I’ll cover my recent battle with the flu (a.k.a ‘Mr Hanky’) and how I fought back. I’ll share with you the early warning signs (I failed to recognise), how to fight off the symptoms using simple, natural remedies, and, of course, what I’ve learnt and will do better next time.

With this information, you’ll be able to build a strong defence plan when (or if) the time comes, and assist your body in a speedy recovery.

The onset: My early warning signs

Looking back, I can see that I started feeling the effects of an immune system attack around 2 weeks ago.

Why didn’t I act back then?

I didn’t believe I was getting sick.

Sure, I felt a bit ‘off’, but I was still functioning well enough to kick goals.

Had I listened closely, I would have recognised and acted upon the following early warning signs:

  • Increased fatigue – This is the first thing I noticed. I started becoming unusually tired during the day, with decreased energy for exercise and, ahem, extra curricular activity. 
  • Abnormal morning grogginess – Following daily and evening fatigue, I experienced a morning fog that, in some cases, made me a danger to society! Forgetfulness, absent-mindedness, and disorientation started to take place amongst my morning routine. 
  • Poor concentration and mental drive –  With the fog came a reduced concentration on things like conversation, work, and driving (some close calls avoided last minute). I noticed a reduced mental ability and focus too. Those ‘thinking’ tasks became way too much effort. Better to sit and stare………
  • Muscle aches – Exercise became gradually harder to recover from. “Aching back? I don’t remember working those muscles?” Even with low impact exercise, the recovery was notably slower (and more painful).

Fight against flu: 3 ways to strengthen your counter attack

I’ve had some good teachers in recent times (honourable mention to you Mona 🙂 ) whom have increased my awareness of what is good recovery ‘fuel’.

The good news is, it isn’t complicated.

It’s important to recognise that when your body is getting sick, it’s battling with a lack of energy to fight the intruder, to fight the flu.

So how do we get the better of the flu?

The key is to give your body the energy to fight back!

I hope you have your notebook ready.

1. Take it easy

Sounds logical right?

It’s amazing how so many people (including myself in the past) get this wrong.

Our body is struggling with a lack of energy, so why would we continue to deprive it?

If you start feeling a bit low, here’s some good things to avoid:

  • Stressful tasks – Fancy cooking, balancing financial accounts, trip planning, meetings etc. Leave anything that is unnecessary until later. If it compromises your health, it can wait.
  • Odd jobs – cleaning the car, fixing the lawnmower, readying the bike for the next tour. These can turn stressful very easily if not completed or if problems occur.
  • Strenuous exercise – Put the marathon training on hold, drop those weights NOW. Heavy exercise is very draining on the body and will only fuel the progression of the flu.

2. Get good sleep

Sleep. It’s how your body recovers. To get better, you need to be in a space that nurtures recovery.

You need to get quality sleep.

Get rid of the TV, put down that book that you can’t let go of, say no to that dinner date.

This is where you need to exercise diligence, and in many ways the ability to say no.

It’s that simple.

3. Use natural remedies and avoid complex food

Put down that burger and fries, lay off the store bought chocolate, hold back on the daily coffee shop visits, hold off on that trip to the drug store.

During your time of energy deficiency, don’t turn to drugs.

In food lies the answer to treatment.

Drugs act as a band aid, giving you a short term wellness feeling which you can mistake for recovery. You then continue your hectic life as normal – running 10km three times a week, socialising with friends, late nights with loved ones…

Two weeks later, you’re still sick. Why?

The drug acted as a placebo, masking the real problems.

Since you need to eat, why not use this as a natural way to assist in the healing process?

Consume foods that are easy to digest and vitamin rich.

Here are some things I’ve been doing:

  • Liquid echinacea –  I take 10-15 drops of this with water at least twice a day when I feel a flu may be coming on, and always have it handy. It’s my insurance.
  • Green drink – Vital Greens & wheatgrass. This stuff is packed full of vitamins and minerals, and is alkaline in nature. Energising and revitalising, it’s just what your body needs as fuel. You can read more about my previous experience with green drink here.
  • Warm Cacao and Maca drinks – These ancient superfoods are loaded with antioxidant goodness, and when combined with coconut and warm water provide a delicious, energising, vitamin and mineral packed drink to warm you up and make you feel good.
  • Vitamin C – A tried and true favourite. Get as much of this as you can. I take supplements as well as consume foods rich in this wondrous vitamin.
  • Ginger, lime and honey tea – full of vitamin C and many other minerals that aid in your fight against flu.

There you go. I continue to learn more about my body and it’s fighting potential with each flu experience that I have.

A key take away is to trust in nature, and don’t turn to drugs as a quick fix. Instead, be smart and invest in yourself.

Eat right, take a break, and get more sleep.

Getting the flu isn’t all bad. In fact, I see it as an opportunity for you and your body to learn to fight back better and stronger next time.

I know I’m more equipped, and I hope you are too.

I appreciate you taking time to read my work. If you like it, please share it with your friends on social media using the buttons below.

The more people I can help, the happier I’ll be.

Yours in inspiration,

Jason

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What a cauliflower pizza reminded me about sharing (and a yummy recipe to try)

Health & Wellbeing, Personal Development, , , , , , ,

Yep, you read right. Cauliflower pizza!

Well, actually it was a cauliflower pizza base 🙂

I absolutely love this substitute for a simple, healthy, wholesome pizza base. It uses no flour either, which is great for those who are aiming to reduce or avoid gluten in their diets. I consciously make an effort to reduce my gluten intake as much as possible for 6 out of my 7 day weeks, as I follow a cyclic carbohydrate eating plan.

This post isn’t all about pizza though.

The greater act of joining another to create this masterpiece in the kitchen, highlighted something even more important in my life that I was oblivious to.

The act of sharing.

Along with a super yummy pizza base recipe, in this post I would like to share (!) the importance of sharing with others, and ways I add this simple act to my life. Not only will you have a take-home dinner idea to impress, you’ll also become aware of sharing and how it can enhance the quality of relationships in your life.

 

Sharing – How can I indulge?

Sharing, giving, contribution, quality time…..

However you refer to it, sharing is a fundamental experience that we as humans were designed to have. In fact, it isn’t just humans that were designed to share.

It is a fundamental principal of nature.

Take any organism for example. Oxygen is used to create energy which is shared with the cells that require it.

Sharing is everywhere. You just have to look.

What forms of sharing am I talking about, and how can you create a sharing experience for yourself?

Consider the following, my favourite forms of sharing:

  • Knowledge – collaborating books, information, experiences.
  • Resources – exchanging tools, equipment, physical resources required to achieve a common goal
  • Time – devoting attention, a pair of listening ears, a pair of helping hands, a shoulder to cry on.
  • Space – the physical sense of being in the presence of another, whether it be an animal or human.

You can see that in its many forms, sharing helps us grow – emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

There are many ways you can enhance your life experience through sharing. My example is through the teaching of a yummy new recipe.

 

Cooking, food, and the ultimate sharing experience

Now I can provide a link between cauliflower pizza and the act of sharing.

I like to use cooking, preparing, and enjoying fine food as a way for me to indulge in sharing.

After all, food is such an important gift that every living animal on the earth shares as a common need.

To me, it is a way I can satisfy all of my forms of sharing – knowledge, resources, time and space, at once. Not only is it efficient, it is extremely rewarding.

Let me explain.

I invited my girlfriend over for a cooking date, as I wanted to spend quality time with her (away from TV and other distractions) in person alone (space). I decided to teach her a yummy recipe which she had not tried before (transfer of knowledge), using my own hands and ingredients I had supplied for us (my resources).

Needless to say, I got a lot out of the experience, and so did she.

Cooking. I love it, and it’s a great way to share.

 

My yummy cauliflower pizza base recipe

Now for the recipe!

How did I create the chemistry of sharing through food? I added this awesome and fun recipe for healthy pizza 🙂

 

Servings: Makes 1 large family size pizza

Preparation time: 30 min (including pre-cooking)

Ingredients

  • Half a head of a large cauliflower
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup of shredded melting cheese (Colby, Mozzarella etc.)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Wash cauliflower in cool water and separate florets from the head. Leave to drip dry.
  2. Use a food processor to grind cauliflower to a fine consistency, similar to oats or breadcrumbs.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, add the cauliflower, eggs, and cheese. Combine well.
  4. Spread the mixture evenly over a large oven tray, making it as thick (or thin) as you like. Use baking paper to avoid the base sticking to the tray.
  5. Place in heated oven and cook for 20 min or until browned and slightly crisp to touch.

Once cooked, simply prepare your pizza as normal, adding your favourite toppings as desired.

Simple!

 

Now you can see how I applied cooking as a way to experience my primary forms of sharing, which were through knowledge, resources, time, and space. 

I hope in reading this, it has given you a new awareness to the forms and ways that sharing can potentially enhance your life experience, and your relationships.

Go on. Get out there and share something with a person close to you. I want to hear your experiences!

Thanks for reading my work.

Like it? Please share with your friends on social media. The more people I can inspire, the happier I’ll be.

Until next time…..

Yours in inspiration,

Jason

 

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It’s not Old Spice, but this natural antiperspirant deodorant actually works!

Health & Wellbeing, , , , , , , ,

I’m standing beside the desk of a colleague the other day, and as I lean over I inhale the ‘interesting’ scent of my own B.O.

Oh no.

My mind starts racing.

Is it actually me? Is it really that bad? Can the other person smell it too? Surely they must……..

If you’re like me and have had this problem before, you may have come to the same conclusion, which for me is that my deodorant just wasn’t up to scratch.

On my journey to experiment with natural alternatives to common products and ways of doing things, I have been using a store-bought variety of deodorant with no aluminium, to reduce my absorption of metals and chemicals in this highly sensitive area of the body.

Unfortunately, it costs a lot, and wasn’t that great. Then I got thinking, what if I could make it myself?

That’s what I want to teach you today. How to make an effective, natural alternative to a deodorant! By the end of this post, you will learn how to make your own, and I’ll share with you the results of my testing so you know what to expect.

But my deodorant works. Why would I change?

There is much debate of the health affects antiperspirant deodorants have on our bodies, so for me, as with all things concerning my health, my opinion remains the same.

Less is best.

The fewer ingredients, and the more natural they are, the better it is likely to be for you. When you go to the next level and start making your own products, as I will show you in this post, then your health is in even better hands!

Natural products are normally expensive, right?

Wrong. Well, mostly.

When you buy store bought natural products, the prices tend to be high.

You’re paying for the marketing of a health product.

Making these products yourself from (even simpler) recipes with fewer ingredients, slashes the cost by over 80%! Yes, once made, my version of an antiperspirant deodorant costs approximately $1.32 for 150ml, compared to $9.95 for a 70ml store bought natural equivalent!

Natural Antiperspirant Deodorant Ingredients

The ingredients I used to make my deodorant. A total cost of $13.17!

Using my recipe, not only do you get double the amount, but it’s at a purchase price which is 86.7% cheaper!

What’s even better, is that all the ingredients can be used in your everyday cooking and baking. This means no waste. Perfect!

Do I have to go to a special shop to find the ingredients?

Not at all!

I purchased all the ingredients required from my local grocery store. The options I chose are not all organic, and I don’t personally see this as being necessary.

All ingredients are common and are not difficult for you to buy. Pick them up when you next do your grocery shopping.

It’s so, so easy!

My recipe for an natural, effective, antiperspirant deodorant

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 
1/8 cup cornflour
  • 1/8 cup arrowroot (Tapioca) powder
  • Essential oil of choice (optional)

Directions

Combine coconut oil, cornstarch, and arrowroot in a suitable storage container (either a sanitised jar or a small plastic snack container will do).

Place lid on and shake well to combine. Add in a drop or two of your favourite essential oil as desired.

The result, and a real-life review

 

The coconut oil mixed with arrowroot and cornflour solidifies, making this a no-mess product

The coconut oil mixed with arrowroot and cornflour solidifies, making this a no-mess product

I have been using this product for a week now, and I can confirm…It works!

I have almost no body odour, drastically reduced sweating, and it feels so much better than anything else I have used.

As a preference, I chose to use this deodorant without the essential oil for a more neutral, slightly coconut smell, and it works amazingly well!

A word of warning though. I decided to use an old garlic jar for my first batch. Even though I soaked and washed it thoroughly, guess what happened?

It smelled like garlic! Not ideal for a first date.

Round two was much more successful 🙂 I plan to keep using this and adding scents if I feel like something different. Natural vanilla would be a nice touch I think.

 

There you have it. A totally natural deodorant that is easy to make, uses only 3 easily accessible ingredients, and works! Next time you go to buy a new antiperspirant deodorant, pause to look at the price, the ingredients, then remember this post. It’s dead easy, and I challenge you to try it yourself!

In fact, I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below to share your recipe and results. I want to hear just how your experience was, and if it was as easy to achieve as mine!

Until the next post, thanks for being part of my journey. Keep fostering those healthy habits!

Jason

 

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My 5 day juice detox – Why I decided to reboot

Health & Wellbeing, , , ,

Those who know me, know that I’ve always been big into health an nutrition. I’ve tried a lot of weird stuff, so now I am looking to push my understanding to a new level and try a juice detox – eating no solids and consuming a high nutrient “green” drink.

This blog post is the first in a 3 part series, and will provide you with the benefits of detox, and my top 3 reasons for giving it a try.

Maybe the information will inspire you to try too.

To give you a personal recount, I have included a video diary of the results, followed by some real-life journal notes from the experience. You can check these out in the next post 🙂

The good news is, I loved doing the detox, and I’ll be doing it again.

Let’s get to business…..

 

Why did I do a juice detox?

Our lives are busy. Our meals are fast. Our time is short. With all of this constant activity (and eating), it is easy to get complacent with the glorious food we have access to.

I believe this thought is directly reflected in our digestive systems. There is so much food we are consuming, the body becomes overwhelmed and numbed to it’s nutritional properties. At some point, we need a break. A change in habit. A new start.

It’s referred to as a detox.

I was inspired by my “mentor” Tony Robbins. In his audio coaching series “Get the Edge”, he indicates a juice detox is an ideal way to unlock your inner energy by clearing your body of toxins and bad fats.

I am also extremely health concious, curious and willing to experiment with new things, so I thought “why not?!”

Aside from that, there are some well known scientific and spiritual benefits to enjoy as well.

The following are my top 3.

 

My top 3 reasons for doing a juice detox

1. Cleanse my body of toxins

The average diet contains a lot of nasties – trans-fats, starches, yeasts, toxic chemicals, preservatives, salt, sugar etc. Over time, these all get caught in your body (stored with fat, trapped in the intestine and colon), and accumulate until you gradually get sick.

Without giving your body a well-deserved break, there is no chance for there to be a recharge. Think you feel good? How do you really know? It may be that your understanding of “good” is actually a definition you have given to your normal state.

What if you could actually feel better?

Create yourself a new definition of “feeling good”?

I think that’s something worth finding.

2. Re-energise and alkalise my body

After the cleanse, comes the recharge.

With the absence of any nasties present in conventional food, and the digestive stresses that solids put on your body, far less effort is required to replenish energy stocks while consuming juice (or liquid nutrient).

It is also true that there is less exposure to stomach acids and enzymes that degrade important nutrient content in the foods we eat. With an average ingestion rate of 15 min for liquids, versus 2 hours for solids, the nutrient bypasses the laborious digestive cycle and hits your bloodstream with high-potency goodness much faster, and with less effort.

What does this mean for your body?

High potency, easy accessible goodness, that’s what.

It must be noted that I am consuming a special vegetable-based juice, not a supermarket variety. My juice of choice (Vital Greens) is loaded with nutrients and is alkaline in nature (very low acid). Regular fruit juices are highly acidic, full of sugars, and are not that great for your body.

I won’t go into it in detail, but you can read on the importance of alkalising your body here in this excellent article.

The ingestion of this highly potent alkaline drink, ensures that I am receiving an overload of complex nutrients that the body can use to repair, re-energise, and cleanse throughout the detox.

3. Re-invigorate my connection with food

I have been doing lots of experimenting with food lately. Most recently, I have been experimenting with techniques used by Tim Ferriss in his 4 Hour Body book.

Although it made eating far more efficient, I feel I have lost contact spiritually with the taste, texture, excitement and enjoyment of the food experience.

It’s boring, lifeless, and really un-inspiring when used 100% of the time.

I want to take stock, take a break, and really see what I am missing altogether. I want to see how my mind reacts without the succulent goodness of a salmon portion and side of green vegetables (my favourite) as an expectation of an evening.

It’s about a mental challenge to test my craving and level of connection with nature’s succulent delights.

 

There you have it. When life get’s stagnant and uninspiring, It’s a good time to try something new. Maybe this post will inspire you to try something new in your life, and add in a little “shake” with the stir.

How did the 5 day juice detox turn out? You can see a video of the results and the real life journal entries in the next post.

 

Thanks for reading my work.

Like it? Please share with your friends on social media. The more people I can inspire, the happier I’ll be.

Until next time…..

Yours in inspiration,

Jason

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