Food Hangover!

It is real!

It is when you wake up the next day after eating something 'off plan' and you feel hungover without the actual fun of drinking yourself into a stupor the night before!

Symptoms include headache of mammoth proportion, bloated, in need of a bucket, clammy, cold, hot, heavy head, brain fuzz and general feeling of MEH..... Yep Meh is a thing!

Then the emotional side of 'WTF was I thinking eating *insert chemical bomb here*'

One thing I didn't know when embarking on my Wholefood Plantbased diet was that if I slipped up or decided to cheat it would end in me being knocked on my arse!

Yesterday was a massive day of traveling, emotion and no time to eat properly if at all..... Today I am now suffering *considering if I need a bucket* my head may explode and my pants (yoga pants) feel tight, I generally feel MEH, cant be bothered doing my chores let alone spell correctly (spell check is my knight in shining armor) 

I am trying to nourish my body with fruit and veg smoothies, lots of water and essential oils to ease my headache..... But can't help thinking is this really worth it? Maybe I should just stay unhealthy?

I don't think it matters what health journey you are on! You have moments of WHY?

Life gets in the way, emotions, time restraints etc

Its easier to be unhealthy..... Sad but true.... At least how I feel right now

Yesterday was a tangle of emotions, saying goodbye to my 16 year old as she is off to explore Japan (first ever time over seas) then not wanting to be left out from eating like a 'normal person', temptation was EVERYWHERE and my sticking power was obviously left in bed! Then the tight schedule left me no time to have lunch or dinner and went to bed feeling BLA.....

Luckily today life can resume to normal, daughter safely landed and touched base with us *insert happy dance here*

But now to shake these feelings of MEH BLA and UGH..... Yes these too are real feelings lol

So bring on the happy music, uplifting essential oils a fresh sushi bowl and some sunshine!

Don't let bad day's, week's, month's throw you off your path, they are just steps in your journey, you can redirect those steps :)

Also don't let others tell you how your journey 'should be' it's yours, its personal and its none of their business, they can either support you or F@#ck off!

I am only learning it now, but I really do think that my Wholefood Plantbased diet has given me so much more than just health, its given me confidence in myself and the knowledge of what what my body REALLY needs :)

So if your having a bad day..... HANG IN THERE..... you got this ;)

Lessons to be learned

What I have learned in the recent chaos of having everyone so sick!

I know that usually when everyone is so sick us mum's just feel run down, exhausted and run on pure determination.......

I have had at least one child sick all winter, unfortunately my 5 year old was hit the most and at times it was bloody SCARY!

I currently have all 3 home sick......

I am utterly exhausted and at times felt utterly depressed!

Normally I would be spouting off about germy people should just stay the F@#ck at home (yep I have the mouth of a sailor hehe) but instead I have had a light bulb moment and it took me getting to my wits end to have this moment.

I have dragged the kids to doctors then hospital and then back to the doctors AGAIN with no real help..... in fact if I was told rest, fluids & Panadol one more time I might of screamed or popped the doctor in the nose!

Utterly at my wits end off to the chemist I went (AGAIN) to buy more 'drugs' to try and help comfort my kids and hopefully get some sleep..... Looking at the mind boggling amount of syrups, cough lollies and tablets with all their claims of easing symptoms and yet so far none have worked..... I decided to chat to the pharmacist *insert angelic music here* little Chinese man, softly spoken and full of smiles, he was my Knight in shining armor hehe

He listened to my exhausted rants and explained that instead of suppressing symptoms I needed to look at immunity boosting *insert ah ha moment* he passed me an immunity booster advised me to double the dose to start then use a daily dose there after and even suggested a nice cup of green tea to help me re-energise...... See he was my Knight :)

So I went and enjoyed a cup of green tea and had a think about how I have been handling the stress that is sick kids...... I have been merely dragging myself and the kids through doing what I thought was right but really in my exhausted state it was wrong...... I have not been using food as medicine!

So the old me who relied on take away, processed foods took over when the reality is that there is so many quick easy wholefood recipes that can nourish and fight viruses!

So out of the chaos that has been winter I have learned that I need to be more organised, I need to stop relying on doctors and 'drugs' and I need to rely on what I have learned about about real food.

I have also learned that I need to stay away from super markets when I am exhausted, I have spent SOOOOOO much money buying convenient foods (and takeaway) I found myself impulse buying, buying packaged food that unfortunately had no real nutrients in it!

As a mum we also put the kids needs first so I haven't looked after myself, all the things that I was doing to create a healthy me fell by the wayside and this added to the exhaustion. I didn't really know the damage I was doing to myself till my skin broke out! And I don't just mean a zit or two I mean my whole face became this red, irritated, bumpy mess that looked TERRIBLE and felt ever so painful, my body is aching and I feel bloated....... I know I need to get out into the fresh air and move my body but I am just too embarrassed :(

As a mum I face these stressors on a regular basis and every time I have fallen apart (on the inside cause us mum's can't show we are a hot mess) and resort to takeaway and processed foods so now I have to replace this behavior with what I do on a normal day, on a stress free day my nutrition is spot on and I feel amazing, so now its time to make that happen on stressful day as this will help me be a better mum and it will help my kids over come their illnesses FASTER.

Miss 5 has been on this immunity booster for 5 days now and for the last 2 nights she has finally had restful sleep! Which means I got sleep too..... Hello brain I have missed you :)

So I have avoided the supermarket, bought only fresh veg and fruit and have avoided all packet foods and deleted all takeaway menus from my phone!

AND lots of green tea hehe

Its easy to forget all the good stuff when you feel like shit! And that's Ok.......

But don't let that then define you......

Instead let it be a lesson :)

Also don't be afraid to ask for help, whether its just to off load your emotions or to ask for assistance do it, don't go it alone and don't forget to look after yourself!

Craving adventure..... Updates on where my journey is heading

I am still a long way off of where I want to be in both my home and my diet but I have to say I am feeling more and more alive and want to experience more!

I want ADVENTURE!!!!

I am not sure if it was not having the time or the energy (more the latter) to go exploring, I am embarrassed to say that I haven''t even explored my home town...... Sad I know!

My excuse it I have been to busy, but the reality is that I have been to wrapped up in the hustle a bustle that is life...... But it doesn't have to be that way, I see that now.

So I have just taken another 4 bags to donation, my front entrance has finally returned to a lovely clear open space where I have full access to my beautiful bearded dragon Luna, she waves to us to greet us when we get through the door..... Its the little things like this that mean far more to me than any other possession! Although I think she owns us more than us own her hehe

My cleaning routine has already reduced and I have been able to spend more time learning, reading, cooking up potions :)

Time to start using that time to create lasting memories with the family!!!

So its time to find some local wonders to explore..... Has anyone got any places in mind for us to start?

To help power us along on our adventures I have found some yumi whole food plant based recipes and started to buy us all a stainless steel drink bottle, lunchbox, cutlery, hiking backpack to put it all in and some new hiking boots :)

I'm thinking to work our way from small hikes to larger ones with a bit of camping when its warmer weather. But I am thinking for now of lashing out with the money we are saving from our new way of life on a cabin somewhere, Hubby has been working super hard and with all the recent sickness we've been battling a nice long weekend would be the perfect way to recharge the old batteries :)

Updates:

I joined my local Co Op, Ballarat wholefood collective. The ladies have been so welcoming and helpful as I had no idea how it all worked...... So my advice for you is take a pen, piece of paper and your Zero waste shopping kit (mason jars, produce bags, shopping bags) and when you first join up it's $50 (take cash) wheen you ready to do your first shop you write down what you have bought along with the weight (they have scales at the front desk to use) and they can email you your receipt another win for zero waste. I found they had a wonderful selection of staples, they also had our local mushrooms, cheese, milk, eggs, bacon and amazing fresh bread that was still warm from the oven :)

To get your Veggie fix head:

Spring Creek Organics is a local farm that produces so many wonderful organic veg that taste like nothing you've ever tasted before! Here you can only buy whats in season which means you are getting quality fresh veg, you are also supporting the farmer and this farmer is not only good at what he does but also an absolute scream to chat to :) And you can take your veggie scraps back to the farm to feed their piggies!!!

In the journey to waste free & healthy living I have found that I have cut down on a lot of things that I saw as a luxuries or that I just had to have to make me happy BUT I have found that what really makes me happy is gym!

Spartans gym is not only the place my Hubby works out and trains but also the place that I feel the most confident and comfortable! My training goals have swapped and changed ALOT over the years but Spartans and the team have always been there for me and have always encouraged me to chase my goals. My goals have changed (again, poor hubby lol) I am currently working towards strength, I want to have a go at Powerlifting :)

I've been struggling with my diet so I am back on Emma Roche, my excuse is LIFE but with that said I haven't fallen off the wagon completely I just need a plan to follow as I simply can't be creative enough on my own.

So thats where I am at.....

So how is your journey going?

Procrastination

I have three tubs of compost in my kitchen, as my Maze bucket is leaking thanks to a loose spout so its outside waiting for me to empty it but before I can empty it I have to either dig a hole or rebuild the outdoor compost..... But alas the 'can't be bothereds' have struck

Instead I have been in the kitchen brewing up baked beans, potato pies, fruity kombucha and rearranging my kitchen bench tops.....

Procrastination..... of a productive manner hehe

So while in the kitchen I have created a list of things that I can swap out instead of buying pre-packaged and plan to go to Go Vita as they have bulk dispensers, they even have raw chocolate in their bulk dispensers which makes my taste buds very happy hehe. I also downloaded the bulk list from Ballarat whole food co op and plan to visit on Wednesday before work :)

My rubbish has more than halved since I have changed the way I 'throw away waste', I don't use rubbish bags anymore as everything that goes into my 'rubbish' bin is dry! All my food waste goes into the compost, I now only make enough to feed the family so leftovers never get thrown away and citrus peel gets reused in my homemade cleaner.

I have also been working hard on my recycling as here in Aus our recycling used to be sent to china but since that stopped inn 2017, Aus doesn't know what to do with it! So now I am using up what I can by re-purposing it into things such as cutlery holders but not for food as plastic can leach chemicals especially when heated.

While procrastinating I was thinking about how my Nan used to do things, always making things from scratch, most things came in glass or tin and she always slathered things in butter instead of using what I now conveniently use baking paper.

Then the light bulb went off......

Convenience is what has gotten us to where we are today!

So I am going to work hard to no longer buy convenience, I have already started by going to farmers markets but I want to take it further as I still rely heavily of the supermarket for sauces, spices and baking goods. I have managed to cut back on plastic by making my own juice and Kombucha but I still buy milk, which I use nut milk so can easily make that but the rest of the family still enjoys milk now 1 plastic container a week down from about 8 is a huge achievement but I am going to hunt down an alternative....... Luckily I am loving this journey and I don't see it as inconvenient, its fun hunting down alternatives and teaching my kiddies along the way :)

My best tip is pintrest best place for ideas on upcycling, zero waste replacers and tips for creating a convenient zero waste lifestyle..... I have made so much, I feel so creative. I've made plantbased wax food wraps, lipbalm, healing balms, deodorant, toothpaste, facewashers, gifts boxes along with making my own sauces, spice mixes, cakes, biscuits and so much more  :)

But alas this is not dealing with my stinky compost..... Which you can freeze (if you have room in your freezer) and take it to the food is free garden instead of creating your own compost.

Old habits take time to beat....

Well beat isn't really the right the right word, in reality you are replacing a bad habit with a good one!

In any journey you need to be prepared for ups and downs!

Learning to be flexible, dropping the negative self talk when you do fluff up and resetting is the approach I take...... That makes it sound sooooo easy but unfortunately its taken me a long time with many failures to get to this 'happy' place.

When we embark on a journey we seem to have this all or nothing approach, mistakes are not seen as something to learn from but instead a complete and utter journey stopper!

If we could shift our thinking we can shift our journey.....

Think of your mistake as a step, use that step as a place to sit and think for a minute. Better yet get a journey diary, write down the mistake and pull it to pieces by asking questions like why it happened, how you can prevent it next time, how it makes you feel right now, what can you do right now to make this negative a positive?

Most of the time our mistakes aren't that big of a deal, but our all or nothing approach makes even the smallest thing a huge journey stopper!

I know you must be thinking 'easier said than done' and your right! I wont lie this process is fluffing hard! But as my mum always say's anything worth having is worth the hard work :)

Changing habits that you have had for many years is going to take many years to replace, but that doesn't mean you can't make positive steps now!

Setting goals creates a road map that you can follow.....

This is where I know I have gone wrong, I set a short time goal and had complete success but then I didn't reset I thought I could just go it alone..... WELL DER EM YOU CAN'T

So back to the drawing board, new goals, a new path, new steps towards my happy place :)

What is throw away culture?

Believe it or not the phrase 'throw away culture' was first used by Pope Francis!

Pope Francis is referring to how everything seems to be disposable, replaceable or temporary. He also spoke about over flowing landfills being an obvious sign of our throw away culture.

Throw away culture is due to consumerism, we over-consume. Our excessive nature now influences over-production, disposable and less durable products.

As a kid I remember my mum taking our VCR (yes I am old) to get repaired, now days we just throw it out and buy another one! The same can be said for many things that we consume; clothing, toys and other household items.

When you add this culture on top of the single use plastic products its no wonder our landfills are over flowing!

We live in a society that portrays more is better, the more 'things' you own the better your are in societies eyes...... Media plays a big role in this misconception, I know as a child I was bought up to work hard for what I wanted, that nothing is handed to you on a silver platter. As a child my most prized possession was a walking doll, she went everywhere with me, she even got buckled into the car! When she broke my dad fixed her, when she was dirty she got a bath...... Nowadays a doll just gets replaced and I must admit I am guilty of this!

Manufactures make things to last so long and then be replaced they make things easily disposable although they never think about what happens when the item is disposed!

This topic certainly opens up a can or worms and is very complicated!

Part of the complication is resources, carbon footprint, followed by weighing up the costs of production, transporting etc which can sometimes lead to the conclusion that single use is cheaper to produce but of course doesn't breakdown in landfill so will remain in the ground for:

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by what I am discovering, I am slowly changing the way I shop. The way to change the world starts in your own home!

If I don't bring it into my home, I can't waste it

If I stop using single use plastics, I can't throw them away

If I fix it, I can't throw it away

If I re-purpose it, I can't throw it away

If I teach my kids to respect their possessions, They can't throw it away

If I share my journey with my family, They will join my journey

Even the smallest reduction of personal waste whether it be single use plastic or getting something fixed, reduces the amount you contribute to landfill :)

Lets embrace loving what we have, consuming only what we need and open our minds to embracing experiences over material 'things'.

Imagine what the world could become :)

Mason Jar Mania

The humble mason jar.....

Mason jars in different sizes, the way of the future!

Food storage, beauty products, medical storage, gift storage..... The list goes on :)

Zero waste solution!

As I slowly change my kitchen, bathroom and other areas of my home more and more mason jars are coming in. What I have learnt so far is that carrots, celery and cucumber cut up into sticks put in mason jars and then topped up with water keep your veggie snack crisp for days and days when kept in the fridge. Apple cider vinegar, garlic, fennel, caraway seeds and honey make a wonderful cold and flu stopper and keeps for weeks in a mason jar. Bicarb, coconut oil and essential oils make wonderful toothpaste and deodorant and keep for ages in a mason jar.

Mason Jars open you up to exploring zero waste while changing you into a healthier person, a happier person.......

How simple!

How wonderful :)

Mason Jars made my meal perp beautiful! My fridge is now filled with colorful, live foods that makes me want to eat them. I now know exactly what I have in my fridge, pantry and bathroom cupboard which reduces waste while making shopping list writing easier too as I can see exactly what I need to buy.

Meals in a jar, no need for expensive plastic free lunchboxes!

Gifts in a jar, so pretty and reusable! Pintrest and Google have wonderful gift jar ideas.

Mason Jars making life simply beautiful :)

Insert excuse here....

'I don't have time'

'My family wont eat that'

'I am lazy'

'I am just too tired'

'I'm too stressed'

Admit it, you have either used one of these or something similar......

I too am guilty of this, especially since my already packed schedule just got even more packed!

I am guilty for eating takeaway or packaged food like products that have had more numbers than actual ingredients :/

I am guilty for wasting organic veg because I have just been too tired or too lazy to cook them!

I am also guilty of skipping meals.....

So how can I make these excuses disappear?

FOOD PREP

Having food ready to grab will eliminate every excuse :)

I have been ordering organic fruit and veg boxes so I plan to meal prep after Friday's delivery, firstly I will come up with a menu to cover brekky, lunch and dinner, then I will check my staples just in case I need to restock before doing a big cook up on Sunday.

I want to plan my meals around creating little waste, I want my meals to be portable and to be eaten cold if I am out of the house, I am also trying to cut out using the microwave and only heat food either in the oven or over a pot of boiling water like my mum used to do when my dad worked late shifts (ahhh the memories)

I am also going to make sure my meals can easily be adapted for my family by simply adding more startchy veg or a little bit of meat which I have sourced from local organic butchers.

Sunday is my lazy day, I sometimes catch up with friends and family but mostly my afternoon is spent at home chilaxing with my kiddies and hubby so I am going to use part of this chill time to prep my meals and plan for the week ahead so that I am more organised both in the kitchen but also in my daily activities so that my stress levels are not impacting my digestion :)

As a mum I am always putting my kids first, but if I don't look after myself how am I going to look after my family?

I am also going to add in a weekly yoga class, it will be my time to recharge and focus on ME :)

My first prep will be tomorrow so I will keep you all posted with pictures and descriptions, wish me luck :)

Saying No....

Ok hands up if you find saying 'No' hard........ ME ME ME

OMG why is such a tiny word so freaking hard to say!?!

No thank you I don't want that tree you just used to print out information that could of easily been emailed to me, No thank you I don't want that plastic bag, No thank you I am not an environmental jerk!

On the weekend I went to a beautiful new farmers market, it was a new one in my local area. I had in my head that I was going to ask questions, say no to plastic and not buy anything wasteful.... I succeeded :)

But today at a meeting I felt guilty about not accepting a gift bag and then I had to take copies of paper work home...... It's cause I have British blood in me, it's a Netflix serious so it's true hehe

There also seems to be some sort of stigma associated with being environmentally friendly, people give you a weird look when you say no thank you to things or they tag you as a hippy, a greeny or that your some sort of trash Nazi..... I don't mind the idea of wearing tie-dyed clothing and hugging a tree or two but I am definitely no Nazi!

I am more aware of my environment because I want my kids to grow up in a world that still has natural beauty like forests, trash free beaches and clean fresh air :) But I also want to teach my kids the value of what the environment has to offer and that if we look after it, it will provide for them for the rest of their lives and their children's lives.

I just signed up to a permaculture course so that I can learn how to grow veggies and then pass that knowledge onto my kiddies, I have just set up a proper compost bin and my next project is setting up a better recycling zone and teaching my kiddies how to wash and separate their recycling.

Us parents have the ability to mold our children, to pass on our knowledge and to share our mistakes so that they don't repeat them! So it is with this knowledge that I am going to push passed the 'saying no is hard' I am also going to push passed the stigma and show how much this lifestyle has helped me to see whats important to me and how happy this lifestyle not only makes me but also for my family :)

If you want to join my journey comment below X

Chaos....

So when I started my quest to minimizing my household 'stuff' I had no idea the chaos that was going to breakout!

OMG we have sooooooo much CRAP!!!!!

Currently my boot is stuffed filled with things to donate!

Its funny though I was hanging onto a lot of 'stuff' for stupid reason's like 'I might  need that late or it was expensive' none of this stuff bought me happiness let alone serve a purpose other than gathering dust and taking up space.

I never thought this stuff was harmful until now.....

All that stuff was taking valuable time and energy away from what does make me happy, my family :)

I have completed about half the house and I already feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders, cleaning up only takes an hour instead of the WHOLE day and I now have time for more important things.

I have also learned to delegate, my time is important and valuable and I can't do EVERYTHING on my own so I have enlisted the help of a lovely gardener to clean up my jungle, I have my step father coming over to help me remove some hard rubbish to the appropriate recycling facility and I am getting my weekly shopping delivered from an organic farm.

I feel so good, less stressed, more relaxed..... Who'd of thought living with less would give you so much in return :)

Community

Do you know whats going on in your community?

Do you feel part of the community?

Something that my journey has lead me to is finding my own community, getting more social in my community and discovery what wonderful community resources I have at my finger tips!

So we have local farmers markets:
1st Saturday of the month is Bridge mall
2nd Saturday of the month is Wendouree lake, Sunday is Clunes
3rd Saturday of the month is Creswick, Sunday is Talbot
4th Saturday of the month is Wendouree lake, Sunday is Avoca

We have local farmers:
Spring creek organics, Kielys rd 3352 Navigators (you can visit their farm or see them at the farmers markets, find them on Facebook)
Food garden (organic farm fresh veg from multiple local farms that you can pick up or get delivered, find them online http://foodgarden.com.au or on Facebook)

Bulk by take your own bags/jars:
Go Vita, 23 Sturt st Ballarat
Ballarat wholefood collective, Reid st Brown hill reserve Ballarat in the cricket hall (you need to join, simply print out form & pay $50 first time joining fee and renew for $20 each year there after) It is volunteer run and only open on Wednesday's 9am-11am 5pm-7pm

Holistic health:
Acorn & Oak herbal dispensary 46 Armstrong st Ballarat (An amazing, colorful array of herbs & tea's and the friendly staff can help to prepare tinctures, special teas and more amazing potions that are tailored to your specific needs)
Go Vita (A great range of health related vegan friendly products)

This is just what I have discovered so far, I dare say its not even scratching the surface of what I have available in my local area. I promise I will add and update this list :)

Getting involved in your community is not only supporting local farmers, growers & business's but also making your community a better one, a healthier one and most of all a more passionate one!

Not only have I become a more social shopper but I've also become more mindful of who I buy from, when you buy something you are supporting that business something I never really put much thought into until I changed my diet to whole food plant based. My diet change opened my eyes to the horrible world that is the meat industry, I cannot believe what is deemed ok in the meat industry but only now do I realise that being a consumer of meat and me purchasing me was ultimately me saying its ok to miss treat, torture and kill animals.

This too can be said about consuming products from the 'big' shops, my purchasing from super markets etc is supporting the over depletion of natural resources, creating masses of waste, taking away money from small business and so much more!

I also wasn't a nice consumer, I just wanted my stuff I didn't to talk I just wanted to get in and get out.... Yep I was a bitch! I am ashamed of what my over consumption made me but the honest truth was I was not a nice person!

The reality is as consumers we need to educate ourselves on where our products are coming from and what we are supporting when purchasing those products.

Now I am passionate about what I consume, I am passionate about who I support because ultimately I'm voting for something whether that be animal cruelty or local veg growers. I am now so much happier and I love learning and conversing with my local producers. Shopping day is no longer dreaded it is something I really look forward to, meeting the happy farmers, grower, producers and learning how they lovingly make or grow their produce for me to buy to nourish and enrich my family :)

Don't be a bitch like I was! Support the community, get social, join in and ultimately be HAPPY :)

All the local Mum's are smiling

Mum's are doing the happy dance, I know I did :)

So I was going to write a post on Monday but I was just soooooo busy putting my house back in order I fell asleep after dinner!

So I have been a busy bee, Monday was used to put the house back into working order and spent time brewing potions to help combat the winter blues (Lets be honest my children have been germ infested snot monsters so the house needed to be burnt down really, but instead I opted for a potion with ninja abilities to hunt down those germies and kill them before they knew what was coming hehe) I also made up a hearty soup using up all my limp veg, cleaned out the science projects from the back of the fridge.

Today I made some bathroom products, sandwich wraps (reusable, vegan plantbased wax) and I started working through toys, bathroom cupboards and junk draws using my new minimalist approach. I am so proud of my efforts, I have a basket of gifts, donations and re-purposable items and only one small bag of rubbish..... WINNING

I have also managed to go out to the shopping center and not go into Kmart.... I know true strength right there!!!

Tomorrow on my 'to do' list is minimizing my clothing, minimizing the kitchen cupboards and writing out a menu with new tasty meals to try.

I have to confess I have been a little lazy, I've resorted to pack foods and takeaways because I have been unorganized while working. No excuse though!!!

Sometimes life gets in the way.... And that's Ok!

Keep trying!

I have noticed that I am more aware of what I want, I want to remain feeling amazing, I know how to get those feelings, by eating Whole Food Plant Based and I know that I can do it! I just need some time out to recover from a busy fortnight and get back to planning :)

I forgot my number one rule #To make myself a priority

I think as a mum I forget to say NO, I also put everyone else's needs first.

It is not selfish to put yourself first, infact its the best thing you can do for your family!

If your happy then your family will be happy..... YUP its that simple :)

So now that the school holidays are over it;s time to get your mojo back!!!!

Take up a class or hobby, try something new, go visit a new place or catch up with friends, volunteer in your community.... Do something that makes YOU happy.

So it begins......

Cleaning that is.....

And when I say cleaning what I really mean is purging my house!

I am sick and tired of living in clutter, not being able to find things, always have to clear away 'stuff' before I can cook or work at my desk.

I always thought it was because we live in a small house with 5 people but the reality is we have been sucked up into the world of commercialism!!

As you've been following me on my journey, you would have noticed how simply changing my diet has opened my eyes up to the world around me. I am no longer just focused on the scales or even the bigger picture my health. I am now open to all the possibilities that I guess I just didn't have the energy to see before!

So with some googling and YouTube I have discovered a movement called ZERO WASTE LIVING, and this way of living not only fits in beautifully with my whole food plant based eating :)

Not only is is ZERO WASTE its also ZERO CHEMICALS, ZERO CLUTTER & ZERO EXTRA COST..... I am doing my bit for the environment, getting more involved in my local community and teaching my kids along the way.... WINNING

Two places that I have found helpful so far are found both on YouTube and Facebook, Waste is for tossers and Zero waste home.

I am going to start in my kitchen as its the room I use most, its where all my healthy yumi food is prepped and right now its just chaos hidden behind those cupboard doors!

I have deccluttered many times, in fact I am known well for having a skip bin at least twice a year for my 'clear outs' and I hate to admit it but I reckon I was a huge contributor to landfill! I didn't think what was to happen with what I was throwing out as long as it was no longer in my house causing chaos! I am a tosser!

But this time is going to be different! I am not ordering a skip, instead I am going to recycle, re-purpose, rehome and donate my clutter. The good old saying one mans trash is another mans treasure :)

This also fits in beautifully with Plastic Free July!

Bring on the composting, growing organic veg & living a clutter free life!

Habits

Whether its what your eating, what your putting on your body or using in the home trying to make change to these things is difficult!

From my own personal experience when I make changes I can change completely for a week or two and then stop, I think for me if I am not doing something perfectly then I am failing. I have found since getting older and life getting busier that when I enact a change it lasts days then I am back to old habits!

What I failed to realize is that a HABIT takes time to learn, time to ingrain itself into my every day life, THEREFORE it's going to take time to unlearn!

Habits become some natural you become UNAWARE of them! So true, when I first embarked on my Plant Based eating I was fine at home because I was surrounded by veg but when I went out I would order the 'usual' food because that was my habit! I changed that habit by adding a new habit that has now become ingrained in my mind, so it has pushed out the old habit and replaced it :)

It took time though, just like any habit that you want to change or replace.

So you need to be your own cheer leader!

And what I mean by this is get excited about your small achievements, so you go out to dinner and you follow your new goal and eat the plant based meal 'WOO HOO GO YOU GOOD THING' relish in that amazing achievement..... The next time you go out for dinner, you forget to really look at the menu and ask questions about the meal and you order something that doesn't fit plant based goals, IT'S OK! YOU HAVEN'T FAILED!! Instead look at ways that you can make your next dinner out a success.

Once you change your thinking, once you stop beating yourself up, you'll start seeing the successes more than the failures and before you know it you only see the positives and this amazing feeling you get will become the norm!

This can be applied to any goal :)

I joined Plastic free July, my first day was a failure because I was not used to saying 'no' to plastic, I was also very unaware of things that were plastic for example plastic straws. Instead of dwelling on my failure I went home and started educating myself on plastic and thinking of ways to make my next shopping day a success! So now I have my reusable bags in my car, I have one in my handbag along with my reusable cup and I also have ordered myself reusable straws, cutlery and lunchbox.

If you'd like to join me on my Plastic free July follow this link: https://plasticfreejuly.seedsandsprouts?kid=Q1DJT

Start by writing down your goals down, break them down, really get stuck in! Get excited! Be your own cheer squad! Surround yourself with like minded peeps!

You've got this!

Anything you want, you can achieve it :)

No I am not Vegan BUT......

I get asked daily if I am Vegan?

When I say 'no I am whole food plant based' they look at me funny and say 'so Vegan then!'

Simply put Veganism is based on animal cruelty where as WFPB is based on eating for health.

The real difference is that I (mostly, still a work in progress) don't eat anything out of a packet, nothing processed. Everything is as close to its natural whole food as possible no added salt, oil or sugar and when I do buy something in a tin I always read the labels, where as most Vegans (not all) don't read labels, eat packet foods that are heavily processed and contain more numbers than plant based food, I like to call them 'food like products'.

I was watching a documentary the other day where a doctor explained that although 'natural flavoring' may have started from something natural but is now so over processed with additional chemicals added that its no longer 'natural' yet companies still claim its natural because it started from something natural..... Confusing isn't it? So how do we really know whats in our food? WFPB takes out this confusion for me :)

I must admit since starting my journey I've become very curious in where my food comes from, I also understand and sympathies with the Veganism goal of removing animal cruelty from society. I've watched a few documentaries now on the treatment of animals breed for the meat/dairy industry and find it absolutely appalling and definitely a topic (I feel) should be made public because something should be done! 

Lucent (full doco found on YouTube) is an Australian documentary, it was just what I was looking for in the sense that I had seen many american and European documentaries and wondered could this be what we experience here in our beloved Australia, could we be just as bad? In fact I honestly think we are WORSE, the treatment of the animals was just disgraceful I had to look away many times! It also got me questioning what type of people these slaughter house workers!

I plan to watch Dominion next, it is the 2018 squeal to the 2014 Lucent. I am pretty sure its on Netflix.

I can't exactly explain why I put myself through watching such heartbreaking documentaries, I mean what can I do? Well I hope through what I share here, on my Facebook and with my family that I can educate them to make better choices. I also hope through my not buying meat,dairy and other animal products that I am at least not adding to the problem.

The thing that veganism misses however is their own health, they are so busy fighting a good cause yet forget that if they don't look after themselves they are in no real condition to fight the good fight! WFPB looks at the direct impact food has on the body, it looks at how whole food can heal the body and return the body to homeostasis while also harming none :)

The other thing that WFPB does is not support big food companies, instead it supports local vegetable farmers and for me it also means supporting local home based business that make products such as vegan soap. I have also started to eliminate chemicals such as bleach and replace it with things like vinegar and essential oils, in fact for me my journey has taken me to what I'd like to think a better place, a more environmentally friendly, more caring place.

I hope you are enjoying the hustle and bustle that is school holidays.

Don't forget if you have any questions just pop them in the comments :)

School holidays

IT HAS BEGUN......

A shout out to all you Mum's trying to put your health first!

For me school holidays are a love hate thing, love not getting up early or being on a schedule but hate how school holidays meant that my 'diet' and gym routine were also on holidays..... Anyone else?

So I decided to use this 2 week holidays to start a new holidays trend! I am getting my kids involved in the food prep, letting them decide whats for dinner while also adding some fun and adventure into the holidays.

Farmers markets will be a great place to teach my kiddies where the plant based diet really comes to life,  meet the farmers and see what veg is in season now. Then I will show them how to wash and prepare the veg for storing in the fridge. I am also going to teach them about fermenting foods which is not only a great way to preserve food but also fantastic for gut health!

I also want my kiddies to unplug and get out into the fresh air! It's my fault too as I must admit when they are plugged into their devices the house is lovely and quiet BUT its time to unplug and connect with family and the great outdoors. Its too cold for camping here but definitely not too cold for some road trips to great hiking tracks :)

I am taking on a small challenge of saying no to plastic bags for July so I want to get the kiddies involved in that too, I already have my handy produce bags and my basket but I think I will purchase some more produce bags and a couple of bread bags. I plan to go back to bread making so that will eliminate bagged bread, I just have to remember to say no to bags at some of my fave veg stalls as a couple still use plastic bags but this is where the kiddies can remind me!

I also purchased a greenhouse, so I reckon the kiddies can help me set that up as its HUGE and maybe they have greener thumbs than mine! I have started some seeds ready for the green house,  I'm looking at doing small crops of the veg we eat most and maybe one or two things we haven't tried yet.

So what are your holiday plans?

Dealing with stress

As a mum of three (four when you include hubby :P) 

stress is a natural part of every day life, I myself am always watching the clock, checking my 'to do' list, reminding the kids to grab their lunch (usually checking if lunch is actually in their bags and they're not just saying it) watch the time slip away as my patients wears thin, usually ask myself how many times do I have to do this till they can do it themselves..... Where's your shoes? where's your socks? why are you still eating brekky? WE ARE LATE!!!!

An this is just the week days!

Then your juggling work, extended family, friendships, staying active,  eating healthy...... The list goes on and on!

But what about the stress that we don't see, the toll that our thoughts have on our bodies?

So I started to realize that a lot of my 'symptoms' where stress related, it was this AHA moment that got me looking into ways that I could naturally and holistically treat my stress.

So I started with what I already had in my house (remember I was the fad queen so a lot of things are still floating around my house) I had a great selection of essential oils, now what I love about essential oils is not only can they replace the need for some modern day medicines they also all have multiple purposes so one oil can 'fix' multiple problems!
For example Lavender essential oil:

I always use a carrier oil and I use a therapeutic dose, so if I am massaging my tummy I will use carrier oil in the palm of my hand it would be about the size of a 20 cent piece then I would add 1 drop of essential oil, I usually choose 2-3 oils so a drop of each. I then massage in clock wise circular stroke this helps to aid digestion, move lymph and stimulate blood circulation.

Essential oils can aid weightloss, improve moods, increase detoxification, improve skin and so much more.

But do your homework, just like buying food when your buying essential oils read labels, buy a brand that you can trust! I personally use doTerra and AWO I use oils topically, in my bath water and in my diffuser.

I have also been using dry brushing with a natural bamboo brush, in long strokes starting from your toes and working up the body, stroke towards the heart in an upward motion with a firm pressure (start off light and as your body adjust get firmer) I do this every second day before I hop into a nice hot shower. On the other day I use exfoliating gloves with a vegan soap that has lemongrass essential oils in. These exfoliating techniques don't just get rid of dead skin, they also aid in detoxifying, moving lymph towards the two drainage points near the collar bone but also bring in fresh oxygenated blood that helps nourish from the inside out!

I also go to the gym or for a walk outside moving my body and getting out of the house is another helpful way I deal with the day to day stress.

Music, watching my fav movie or watching something educational or motivational to help keep me motivated as well as relax.

Massage either thanks to my lovely hubby or at my gym, getting my hair done or nails.

Its all about finding what works for you, making the time for you and most importantly connecting your body and giving it what it needs!

My journey is weightloss focused and this is very stressful on my body, I work, run my home and family so stress is high but when I make the time to do what makes me happy the stress just melts away and I can enjoy my day and when something unforeseeable crops up I have the energy and ability to cope :)

But remember e all have bad days, its normal!
On Friday still manflu ridden I was just done, my house was a dump and no body was helping in fact my kiddies we so glued to their devices I could of starved if I hadn't had soup in the freezer, I actually told my children I have failed as a mother and I have raised ARSEHOLES...... Yep it was a bad day!
BUT the next morning I got up, dry brushed, did a facial enjoyed a hot shower and then took myself out for the morning. I came home apologized to my kiddies and sat them down and said from now on you guys need to get more involved in the daily running of the house, we will see how this works!

Never give up, just keep trying :)