With extra spare time because of social distancing and restrictions, more people are embracing Iso-baking or Iso-cooking. At the same time, spending extra time at home means we are taking notice of things around the house that we otherwise normally wouldn’t notice, such as the amount of waste we are producing.
Did you know that Australians discard up to 20% of the food we purchase? That equates to 1 out of every 5 our grocery bags! This makes us ask the question “how do we minimize our waste?” In our previous blog ‘Waste not, want not’, we have suggested:
- Connect with your supply
- Know what you’ve got in your fridge and pantry
- Store (and eat) your leftovers
- Get creative with your food
Thankfully, there are organisations like Foodbank Australia who fight hunger by working with entire the food industry including farmers, wholesalers, manufacturers and retailers to source food donations and distributed to food relief programs. While this is happening on a greater commercial scale, it has left some asking – how do we contribute to helping our community directly as an individual?
OLIO has stepped in as a solution. The OLIO app was founded in England 2014 and their mission is to connect neighbours with each other and with local businesses so surplus food (and other things) can be shared and not thrown away. What better way to help a neighbour out while also making sure less waste is ending up at landfill, and all at the convenience of your fingertips? Alternatively, if you are struggling during current times, you can even request household items you may need!
But of course, with safety in mind, no-contact pick ups are encouraged during the current pandemic.
If you have some left-over banana bread from a big-bake session, or an unopened jar of pasta sauce nearing expiry that you can’t finish on your own, you can share it with a neighbour in need by downloading the OLIO app from the Google Play Store or iOS App Store!
Photo by Guus Baggermans on Unsplash
On the 29th May, the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) celebrates World Digestive Health Day (WDHD) and we anted to take this opportunity to talk a little about ‘fibre’.
As most of us know by now, our gut health is extremely important to our overall well-being. Our digestive systems take responsibility for the most critical functions of the body’s digestive and immune systems, housing beneficial bacteria that can affect our body’s vitamin and mineral absorbency, hormone regulation, digestion, vitamin production, immune response, and ability to eliminate toxins, not to mention your overall mental health. (1)
The food we eat plays an important role in your gut health. Foods that are rich in fibre also contain a raft of vitamins, minerals and plant-based phytonutrients. Aiming to include whole foods in their most natural state will tick two significant boxes that enable you to meet your fibre requirements and benefit from a range of nutrients that promote good health. One only needs to look at the impressive nutrient profile of the chia seed to appreciate that whole foods can provide a number of key vitamins, vitamins, essential fats as well as fibre.
One of the greatest benefits of adding chia to your diet is that it provides high levels of fibre to help keep your digestive system functioning at its best. As our resident dietician Emma Morris says, “Chia contains the perfect ratio of soluble and insoluble fibre which is needed to keep our digestive system healthy.”
Our resident dietitian, Emma Morris, explains that “soluble fibre forms a gel in water, while insoluble fibre remains close to its original form throughout the digestive path. Both types of fibre are vital for healthy digestion – the soluble fibre helps to moderate blood glucose levels and lower cholesterol while the insoluble fibre provides roughage, clearing out toxins as it passes through the digestive tract lowering the risk of colon cancer”.
Here is a list of our favourite high fibre recipes you can try to show your digestive health some TLC:
Wild Rice Salad with a Chia Turmeric Cashew Paste
(1) http://www.navacenter.com/community/article-library/browse/2015/06/01/your-body’s-second-brain—the-importance-of-gut-health
Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash
We’ve been spruiking the benefits of chia for heart health since forever, and now with Heart Health Week around the corner, we thought there was no better time for a refresher on all the heart-loving properties of our favourite super seed.
Chia for Heart Health
Just one tablespoon of chia each day can provide a range of essential nutrients with a long list of health benefits, including links to lowering cholesterol, regulating heart rhythms and blood pressure, preventing blood clots, and decreasing inflammation.
In particular, chia’s rich source of Omega-3 ALAs offers powerful heart health properties, with a large Chinese cohort analysis of more than 63,000 people showing those with the highest intakes of Omega-3 fatty acids from seafood and plant sources had a 17% reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality.
As our resident dietitian, Emma Morris, says: “Research shows that plant-based Omega-3 is essential for a healthy heart as it helps to lower cholesterol. Both Omega-3 ALA (found in chia) and DHA (found in oily fish) are vital for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The Heart Foundation recommends a daily consumption Omega-3 ALA and just 1 tablespoon of chia will provide you with your full RDI.”
Chia also provides a good source of both soluble fibre and insoluble fibre, which have been linked to improved heart health. According to Harvard Medical School, fibre’s role in preventing heart disease is thought to stem from its ability to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol.
Walnuts & Chia: A heart-healthy match made in heaven
One of the best things about chia is that it is super versatile and has virtually no flavour of its own, making it an easy match for your other favourite healthy foods. There is a rich variety of other nutritious foods that also boast impressive heart health benefits and one of our current favourites are Australian Walnuts.
Like chia, walnuts pack a hefty health punch for their size. Just a handful (30g, or approximately ten walnuts), as part of a healthy diet, has recently been found to offset inflammatory effects within the body, keeping blood vessels healthy, which prevents the hardening of arteries. In 2017, research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that consuming walnuts was associated with a 29% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Walnuts have also been shown to improve blood cholesterol, with a recent meta-analysis of 13 studies finding that 40–100g of walnuts a day can lower both total and ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol levels, without affecting ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.
Get it together
Make the most of all those heart-loving benefits by combining chia and walnuts.
Here are just a few of our favourite recipes:
We have been devastated to witness this unfolding global health crisis and wish to extend our support and best wishes to all our chia-leaders, friends, family and community. We hope everyone is staying safe and as well as possible during this uncertain time.
While we know this is a very difficult time for everyone, there remains an opportunity for growth and new hope. Our goal is to keep looking for that silver lining — whether it’s having more time to spend with your family, a chance to get those home reno projects finally underway, or just simply having the quietness to reflect. How often does the world slow down for us to catch up with life? Staying grateful for what we have and keeping our mindset positive will have an enormous impact on our wellbeing during this time.
Thank you to health workers and essential workers
As we watch doctors and nurses go into the frontline battle against this virus every day, we are overwhelmed with respect and gratitude for the vital job they are doing. We would also like to extend a very sincere thank-you to all other essential workers who are putting themselves in potential danger every day to help the rest of us stay safe. To those working in our supermarkets, to our police force, childcare workers, posties, in our food supply chains, janitors and all others still carrying on their important jobs right now, we cannot thank you enough.
Health from within
During these bizarre times, it can definitely be tempting to forget your usual healthy habits. Many of us might be struggling to keep up with our regular exercise regimes, while the increased stress can have us reaching for high-calorie, low nutrition foods and sugary snacks.
With so much doom and gloom in the world around us, it can be all too tempting to settle into the couch for a few weeks of Netflix bingeing and comfort eating. And indulging in these activities isn’t really all that bad, as long as you stay mindful of keeping your healthy balance.
Looking after your own wellbeing has never been more important than right now. A healthy immune system is critical in not only protecting against coronavirus but also in protecting against other more common placed illnesses like colds and the seasonal flu. It is also hugely important to consider your mental and emotional health at the moment. We encourage you all to seek out healthy, nutritious food (as we know, gut health and immunity are intrinsically linked) and try to get a little exercise every day, even if it’s just a walk around the block. Fresh air, vitamin D and a change of scenery can make a world of difference to not only your physical but emotional wellbeing.
For many of us, being suddenly housebound means we are now responsible for preparing much more of our daily meals than we are used to. But eating healthy doesn’t have to be hard work, just remember to try to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, include healthy grains, proteins, and of course your favourite super seed, chia.
A chia-ful lockdown
We know this has been a very difficult time for many people and there are still many challenges to come. Here at The Chia Co., we have closed our physical offices and will be scaling back some of our daily operations. However, our supply chain of chia seeds to distributors and retailers remains in place.
We are also pleased to let you know that our online shop is also still up and running. If you do choose to include chia as part of your diet during this period, we are happy to offer free shipping on all orders over $30. This discount will be automatically deducted at checkout.
Time to get creative
If there is one thing all this extra time at home is good for it’s an excuse to get a little creative in the kitchen! Many of us are too busy in normal life to really indulge in cooking adventures, so now is the perfect time to get your Nigella on and whip up some of those recipes you’ve always meant to try. Check out our recipe section for a huge variety of meals, snacks and desserts that’ll keep the whole family in good spirits:
Main photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash
This week, 13—20 March, is Coeliac Awareness Week, which aims to raise awareness about coeliac disease and the need for it to be treated seriously.
Coeliac disease is a permanent autoimmune disorder that causes an intestinal reaction to the gluten found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats.
Here in Australia, it is estimated that more than 355,000 people have coeliac disease — that’s 1 in 70 people. But, a staggering 80 per cent of those people don’t know that they have it. While there has been an increased awareness of the disease within the general community in recent years, there is still a huge gap in people’s understanding of what it is and what symptoms to look out for. Many people may be suffering for several years before seeking a diagnosis.
Coeliac Australia has been working hard to raise the profile of coeliac disease with medical professionals and the broader community. They hope that by raising awareness we can improve Australia’s low diagnosis rate, encouraging more people to seek help and ultimately feel better.
Could you be at risk?
There are more than 200 symptoms of coeliac disease, with the most common being bloating and pain in the stomach, digestive issues like diarrhoea, vomiting and constipation, weight loss and fatigue. Because coeliac disease limits your ability to absorb vital nutrients it can lead to many other medical conditions. Left untreated, coeliac disease can cause chronic ill health and lead to liver disease, osteoporosis, other autoimmune illnesses and cancer.
A diagnosis of coeliac disease is the first important step to managing symptoms and reducing the risks of long term health problems. If you think that you or someone you know could be at risk of coeliac disease, we encourage you to take the quick online assessment from Coeliac Australia.
Eating a healthy gluten-free diet
For those eating any free-from diet, making sure you are still getting essential nutrition is really important. Gluten itself doesn’t contain any vital nutrients, however, according to Harvard Health, gluten-free foods are commonly less fortified with folic acid, iron and other nutrients than regular, gluten-containing foods. And gluten-free foods tend to have less fibre and more sugar and fat.
Thankfully, there are a number of high-nutrition foods, like chia seeds, that are easy to incorporate into gluten-free meals. And, as luck would have it, our Chia Seeds Black 500g are now eligible for a ‘members only’ discount for Coeliac Australia members! If you’re a member of Coeliac Australia, you can get a 5% discount on this product when purchasing from a Woolworths store or from Woolworths Online.
Here are just a few of our favourite healthy, delicious gluten-free recipes:
Breakfast: Protein pancakes
Start your day with a stack of delicious, protein-rich chia pancakes. With almond meal replacing flour, coconut oil and chia “eggs,” this recipe is also great for vegans and dairy-free avoiders.
Lunch: Tuna Sweet Potato Jackets
With tuna and chia seeds both offering a rich source of healthy omega 3 fats, these sweet potato jackets are the perfect gluten-free lunch.
Snack: Banana Raspberry Muffins
Muffins without gluten, you say? Yep, you can do it. Hot tip: store these in the freezer and grab one on your way out the door in the morning. It’ll be thawed and ready to eat right on time for those 3pm hunger pangs!
Dinner: Chia & Zucchini Meatballs:
Who says you can’t enjoy a hearty, steaming plate of spaghetti and “meat”balls on a gluten-free diet?? This version (created by @healthyfrenchwife) is totally gluten-free and vegan.
Dessert: Berry Cheesecake:
Need we say more? The perfect way to end any day, this gluten-free dessert combines fresh, juicy raspberries with chocolate and an almond-meal base.
Balance is key
At The Chia Co., we believe in balanced, wholefood diets and that unnecessary food restriction should be avoided as much as possible. If you think you’ve been experiencing symptoms related to coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity, speak to your doctor before adopting a strict gluten-free diet.
Image credits:
Hero image via Coeliac Australia https://www.coeliac.org.au/
Chia Live photo by Frank Flores on Unsplash
On 20 March we will be joining in celebration for the International Day of Happiness – an annual awareness day established by the United Nations with the purpose of inspiring more happiness for people around the world.
This international day was the outcome of the UN’s happiness resolution in 2011, which formally recognised the pursuit of happiness as a fundamental human goal. It also highlighted the need for country leaders to take a more inclusive and balanced approach to economic growth, to promote sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and well-being of all peoples. All 193 UN member states have adopted this resolution and committed to making happiness for all people a greater priority.
Each year, the International Day of Happiness is celebrated with a specific thematic focus, coordinated by Action for Happiness, a non-profit group of people from 160 countries. This year’s theme is “Happier Together”, encouraging us to focus on what we have in common, rather than what divides us.
The United Nations invites each person of any age, plus every classroom, business and government to join in celebration of the International Day of Happiness. There are a number of ways you can get involved in this joyful celebration — join the Day of Happiness community to discover events and activities near you.
How to be happier every day
While none of us can expect to be happy all the time, we believe that making small changes in the way we think and relate to ourselves and the world around us can make a big difference. As part of their global pledge towards greater happiness for all people, Action for Happiness has defined ten key actions that they believe can contribute to happier living. Take a browse through the following list, and think about how you might be able to bring more happiness to your day-to-day.
- Do things for others
Generosity is linked to the reward mechanisms in our brains. When we give our time, energy and kindness to others it not only helps them, it’s also great for our wellbeing too. - Connect with others
People with strong and broad social relationships tend to be happier, healthier and live longer. Family and friends provide love and support, while community and social connections can help foster a sense of belonging. - Move your body
Being active isn’t only good for our physical health, but it makes us happier too. From walking or running to dancing or yoga, getting your body moving can instantly improve your mood. - Be more mindful
Practising mindfulness and being more aware can work wonders for well-being. Mindfulness helps us to get more in tune with our feelings and can provide relief from unhelpful thought patterns like dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. - Keep learning
Stay curious. Learning new things exposes us to new ideas and engages us with new people. It can also give us a sense of accomplishment and helps boost our self-confidence and resilience. Think about the ways you can bring more learning into your every day — from sharing new skills with friends, joining clubs, or playing a new sport. - Have goals
Goals motivate us to think positively about the future. They give our lives directions and bring a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when we reach them. Remember that goals are supposed to be challenging and exciting, but also realistic. Unachievable goals may only lead to stress. - Bounce back
Failures, loss and regrets – perceived or not – experiencing difficulty in life is inevitable. But, the way in which we respond to setbacks is within our power to control. Learning to pick ourselves up and get back on track builds self-confidence and inspires optimism. - Find the good
Be a “glass half full” person and focus your attention on the positive aspects of a situation. While we need to be realistic about life’s ups and downs, finding ways to see the good can help bring more happiness into your daily life. - Accept yourself
Nobody is perfect, and being aware of our shortcomings can be an important tool in personal development. However, it can be all too easy to dwell on our flaws. When we make the choice to be kinder to ourselves we increase our enjoyment of life, our resilience and our well-being. It also helps us accept others as they are. - Be part of something bigger
What gives your life meaning? For many, this might be religious faith. But there are plenty of other ways to find a sense of purpose in life, like community groups, being a parent, or doing a job that makes a difference.
Photo by Delaney Dawson on Unsplash
New decade, new you. Well… kind of.
We all dream of flipping a switch on New Year’s day and starting fresh on a clean slate, but the reality is we have to bring our same body (and ailments!) with us into 2020. And for many of us, this may mean continuing to put up with a bad back. According to this Global Burden of Disease study, back pain is the largest contributor to disability worldwide, with lower back pain (a particularly common issue) thought to affect 540 million people globally at any one time.
Back pain can be caused by a sports-related injury, an accident, or a congenital condition such as scoliosis. But most of the time, it simply develops during the course of day-to-day life. Lifestyle factors such as poor posture, stress, and repetitive activities at work or home, such as sitting at a computer or lifting and carrying, can all lead to muscle tightness, stiffness and backache.
The good news is that, while there’s no magic New Year’s wand to wave, there are a few simple things you can do to help make 2020 (and beyond) better for your back**.
Get moving
While our ancestors may have been out working in the fields, hunting and gathering, most of us modern folk spend a whole lot of time sitting down. From your morning commute to desk work, meetings, dinner dates, and reclining in front of Netflix — it’s incredible to think about how much time we actually spend in a seated position. And all this sitting can be really bad for our backs and health generally. Live a life less sedentary by making an effort to get up and about whenever you can throughout the day. Researchers agree that one of the most important things that people with back pain can do is to stay as physically active as possible in daily life and exercise regularly. Make a point to leave your desk at lunchtime and get outside for a walk, or get off the train a station early on your way home. The key here is more about doing it regularly, not so much about how long or how hard you exercise.
Stretch
It seems obvious, but many of us forget the simple relief that comes from giving those stiff back muscles a gentle stretch. It doesn’t just feel good – by regularly stretching your back you can reduce the risk of injury, improve your range of motion, prevent joint stiffness and enable your back muscles to work more effectively. All this combines to improve back pain.
Here are four essential stretches to support better back health:
Partial Crunch/Pelvic Tilt
The pelvic tilt is generally the first exercise recommended for recovering from back pain and helping to develop spinal stabilisation.
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- As you exhale, contract your abdominal muscles and flatten the small arch of your back, pressing it into the floor.
- Lift your head and shoulders slightly up off the floor as you reach toward your feet with your fingertips.
- Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Relax and return to the starting position.
- Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Cat-Cow Stretch
This simple manoeuver gently stretches the lower back muscles and helps realign the spine and pelvis.
- Begin on your hands and knees.
- Contract your abdominal muscles to pull your belly button up towards your spine, and slowly round your back, arching toward the ceiling
- Allow your head to drop forward and curl your pelvis under.
- Hold for 10 seconds before returning to the starting position.
- Then, begin to stretch in the opposite direction by raising your head up and directing your eyes look towards the ceiling.
- Let your pelvis tilt forward, scooping through your lower back as your belly reaches down toward the floor.
- Hold the position for 10 seconds, then return to the starting position.
- Repeat both stretches about 5 to 10 times.
Child’s Pose, supported
A supported Child’s Pose gives a gentle stretch to the lower back, hips, thighs and ankles, and improves circulation to the spinal joints.
- Kneel on the floor and stack one or two bolsters (or thick cushions) in front of you, between your knees.
- Bring your feet in toward each other, and sit your hips back towards your heels as you lean forward, resting your torso and one cheek on the bolsters (with head turned to the side). You can also place a blanket under your knees and a rolled blanket behind your knees for added comfort if you need.
- Relax in the pose for 5 to 10 minutes.
Bridge Pose
This backward bend encourages the release of the chest, shoulders, and hips while strengthening the backside of the body.
- Lay on your back on the floor, with your knees bent and heels pulled in close to the hips.
- Using your glute muscles, slowly lift your hips off the ground, keeping your pelvis straight and drawing your tailbone slightly toward your knees.
- Walk your shoulders underneath the body to reach your pelvis higher. Your hands can be clasped under your back, or pressing into the floor by your side.
- Hold for five slow breaths.
Posture
The way you hold your body while standing, sitting and moving about your day might be impacting your health more than you realise. If your posture is good, the bones of the spine are correctly aligned. And if not… well, say hello to aching muscles, stiffness, and (in some cases) injury. Improving your posture will take a little effort initially, but once the good habits are in place, it will become subconscious effort like breathing. Here are a few easy exercises that can help — aim to practice these throughout the day, and before you know it, good posture will be second nature.
Stand tall
When standing, imagine that a strong cord is attached to the top of your head pulling you upward and making you taller. Your ears, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles should be even and line up vertically. Try to keep your balance centred and your pelvis level — don’t allow the lower back to sway. Imagine stretching your head toward the ceiling, lengthening your neck (keep those shoulders back and down!) and increasing the space between your rib cage and pelvis. Picture yourself as a tall, elegant ballerina rather than a soldier stiffly at attention.
Upper-body stretch
Stand facing a corner with your arms raised, hands flat against the walls, elbows at shoulder height. Place one foot ahead of the other. Bending your forward knee, exhale as you lean your body toward the corner. Keep your back straight and your chest and head up. You should feel a nice stretch across your chest. Hold this position for 20–30 seconds.
Shoulder blade squeeze
Sit up straight in a chair with your hands resting on your thighs. Keep your shoulders down, and your chin level. Slowly draw your shoulders back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for a count of five, then relax. Repeat three or four times
Arm-across-chest stretch
Raise your right arm to shoulder level in front of you and bend the arm at the elbow, keeping the forearm parallel to the floor. Grasp the right elbow with your left hand and gently pull it across your chest so that you feel a stretch in the upper arm and shoulder on the right side. Hold for 20 seconds; relax both arms. Repeat to the other side. Repeat three times on each side.
**A word of caution:
As with any sort of pain, it is crucial to figure out the source so you can properly treat it. If you have back pain that feels sharp or sudden, or if the pain extends beyond your low back, or is accompanied by symptoms like abdominal pain and nausea, you should consult a doctor. Similarly, if you have a history of lower back injury or disc problems, always see your doctor before trying any new exercise.
Waking in the morning to the smell of freshly baked bread and the rich aroma of coffee… Breathing in that earthy fragrance of warm ground right after rainfall… the scent of a freshly mowed lawn wafting on a summer breeze… Few things in this world have the power to evoke emotions in quite the same way as our sense of smell.
The connection between what we smell and how we feel is inherent to our existence. As one of our five key senses, the ability to smell undoubtedly played a key role in the survival of our ancestors, helping to guide them towards desirable locations, and away from danger. Nowadays, our use of this powerful sense is perhaps a little less “animal” but is still just as important, impacting on a range of things including our sleep, moods, stress, self-confidence and even our physical performance.
How it works:
The impact of scent on our thoughts and feelings is caused by associative learning. Our olfactory receptors (or “bulbs”) are directly connected to the limbic system, a set of structures in the brain that deal with emotions and memory. As our olfactory bulbs register a smell, the brain makes a connection between the odour (or elements of that odour) with a previous event or experience. And voila — as the memory is evoked, so too is the emotion.
Is it always subjective?
Seeing as our “feeling” response to smells is caused by our memory of past experiences, does that mean that every person will have their own unique reaction to smells? Well, yes and no. There are definitely instances where a certain smell might conjure a memory and feelings that are unique just to you — like the smell of old tobacco reminding you of your Grandfather, or the scent of perfume that was worn by your favourite Aunty. But, for the most part, we all experience similarly pleasant or unpleasant associations with typical smells.
Some scents to try:
While there are no guarantees, here are some commonly agreed upon scents and their associated moods. Why not try them out for yourself to see if you recognize any impact on your experience?
- The clean, refreshing scent of lemon is thought to increase feelings of confidence, reduce stress and promote wellbeing and calm. If you’re having a difficult day at work, worrying about a looming deadline, or perhaps feeling overwhelmed by a messy house, try a whiff of fresh lemon!
- Peppermint is generally invigorating. The scent has been shown to increase activity in the part of the brain responsible for waking us up in the morning, according to Bryan Raudenbush, a psychologist at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia. His research has also shown that athletes run faster and do more push-ups when exposed to the scent, so why not try adding a few drops of peppermint oil to your wristband before a workout?
- Jasmine is usually recognized as a sleep aid. As Raudenbush says, “Research has shown that the scent of jasmine in your bedroom leads to a more restful night of sleep and a greater level of alertness the following day.” Use jasmine oil in an aroma diffuser next to your bed, or try a few drops of jasmine oil on your pillow.
- The symbol of love, roses are memorable for more than just their beautiful appearance — their aroma can actually help memories to set! In 2007, researchers from the University of Lübeck demonstrated that taking a whiff of rose scent while learning a task, and then being exposed to the same smell during sleep, led to an improved level of recollection the following day. So, the next time you’re struggling to learn a new task or remember a speech, why not try adding a rosy fragrance?
- Lavender has long been prized for its relaxing properties. Exposure to lavender scent can decrease heart rate, which makes it perfect for unwinding at bedtime. Add a few drops of lavender oil to your bath, spritz your sheets with lavender water, or add a vase of lavender stems to your bedside table.
(Photo by Leah Kelley from Pexels)
Can you believe it’s been 20 years since the year 2000? We don’t know about you but when we look back, it seems like only yesterday that we set off excitedly to a huge New Year’s Eve party, champagne in hand, listening to Mambo No. 5… along with the mild undercurrent of anxiety that the world might end, or that all our computers would crash and send us into an apocalyptic nightmare. How cute.
But if we take a deeper look at the last two decades, the changes have actually been plentiful and ‘lit’. From the rise of social media to society becoming more ‘woke’ about how our planet is run, and the way we all live has had a major overhaul.
With a brand new decade now stretching in front of us, let’s take a quick look at just some of the ways our world has changed for the better since the new millennium hit us with full force.
Understanding climate change
Supported by extensive scientific research performed and reported across the world, climate change has been one of the biggest concerns of the last two decades. And never more so than today. As with any large issue, the spread of awareness globally means we have been able to act in small ways to start making big changes in the world, to have our say and stand up for our rights as humans, and to influence the way things are done on a higher level.
The increased awareness of environmental issues has also led to an increased focus on sustainability, with both consumers and companies striving towards more sustainable models of production, use, re-use and recycle in almost every industry.
Importantly, the rise in awareness has also helped shape a more informed and empowered younger generation, who are actively striving for a better future. More power to them!
Easier to be green
Whether it’s limiting our use of plastic bags, growing our own fruit and vegetables or using natural cosmetic products, we are constantly thinking up new ways to look after our environment. Back in the 90s, “Being green” used to be a somewhat niche term reserved for idealistic “hippies.” Now, it’s an aspirational lifestyle choice. With the rise in awareness and popularity of being eco-friendly, organisations have come up to the plate providing us with a plethora of advice and tools to help us on our earth-saving journeys.
Food transformed
With increased awareness of food-related intolerances on the rise, and the inclusion of health, environmental and moral factors, the last 20 years have seen us looking at what we eat in a very different way.
Having the option to forego certain ingredients has allowed us to make personalised decisions about what we consume and hopefully start to make an impact environmentally on issues like palm oil production.
Athleisure bringing fitness into the cool mainstream
Fashion trends have come and gone and even done a full cycle back to the 90s. But Athleisure is proving to be an exception, offering a blend of style and comfort. With celebrity endorsements, flattering functional designs and huge designer labels coming out with their own luxury versions, the last decade has seen this trend become more popular. So popular in fact that even in 2015, when the whole retail industry stood flat, Athleisure sales rose by 12%. The rise of this fashion trend says a lot about our views towards health and wellness, and what is considered desirable. Say goodbye to the 90s heroin chic, and hello to healthy, strong and sporty. Today, it’s cool to be fit!
Smoking vanished from restaurants and public places
It’s crazy to think that it wasn’t so long ago that people were smoking in bars, restaurants, and cafes. All over the world, with varying laws, the crackdown on smoking in public spaces, areas where food is served, and even outside certain buildings has meant different things to different people. While we maintain that every person has the right to make their own choices, passive smoking has been proven to have serious negative health implications. There is no doubt that we can all benefit from stricter regulations that protect the air in shared spaces — especially for those with health conditions, pregnant women, children and seniors.
Since the year 2000, popularity in smoking amongst youths have decreased substantially. According to this 2018 report, since smoking peaked among high school seniors 20 years ago, smoking prevalence has plummeted by nearly 80%. Smoking bans in Australian workplaces are also showing a significant impact on reducing tobacco consumption, with an estimated 1.8% reduction in the nation’s cigarette consumption per year since the new laws came into effect. So, it’s safe to say all these new smoking laws are making a pretty big impact on health —and we think that’s great.
“We’re all going on a summer holiday…”! It’s the dream that gets us through those long winter months. But, for many of us this summer, heading overseas or even interstate on a summer holiday might not actually be a reality. With devastating fires raging across the country, many of our favourite national holiday destinations are a definite no-go. Add to that the crazily-hiked prices of travelling in peak season, and the no-longer-ignorable environmental impact of air travel, and it’s easy to see why you might be opting for a vacation closer to home this summer.
But, it’s not all doom and gloom. If you’re forgoing the out-of-town vacation this summer there’s no reason why you can’t still enjoy an incredible summer holiday. Keeping your holidays close to home saves money and also means less time cooped up on planes and trains — which means more time actually enjoying your loved ones = win, win, win! So, brighten up and make this summer staycation one to remember.
Here are some of our top picks for summer staycations this year:
Explore your region.
You’d be very surprised by some of the amazing experiences that are likely within just a few hours drive from home. Hop in the car (or better yet, take the train!) for a day road-trip. Get to know your regional landmarks, visit local wineries and artisanal producers. Exploring your own backyard not only reduces your greenhouse gas emissions but also means that your travel dollars are going to support local businesses and communities.
Stay at a fancy city hotel.
Take the amount you might have spent on flights or a week-long holiday and splurge on a few luxurious nights at a fancy hotel! It’s an expense that most of us wouldn’t dream of forking out for in normal life, but when you consider what that summer holiday might have cost you — with travel, accommodation, activities and food — a couple of nights at a five-star hotel should still leave you better off! Pack your glad rags and role-play as rich out-of-towners. Get a glimpse of your city from a new perspective, eat out or order room service, stretch out by the pool and enjoy those crisp linens.
Backyard camping
A great one for the whole family! Set up your tent and blow-up mattresses, grab your bug spray, and stock up on delicious campsite snacks. Use your backyard camping experience as a holiday from your devices, and instead enjoy the simplicity of low-tech entertainment. Tell stories, cook dinner over a bbq grill, and play board games by torch-light.
Spa day
Another way to make good use of those saved travel dollars. Book yourself in for an indulgent spa day and let the soothing sights, sounds and smells whisk you away to paradise. We rarely have time to take time out like this in daily life, so make the most of it with a massage, facial – the works! Better yet, why not avoid the outside world altogether and hire a massage therapist to actually come into your home? You absolutely deserve it!
Play tourist
When was the last time you took an idle stroll through your town? Use that holiday time this summer to enjoy a day or two playing tourist. Start with breakfast or coffee at a cafe you’ve never tried, and spend your days exploring art galleries, museums and public gardens. Indulge in a little shopping, see a show, and book yourself into a new restaurant for dinner. The busy-ness of our everyday life during the year usually means that we miss out on doing a lot of things we want to do, like visiting that new book store or seeing that latest exhibition. This summer staycation is a golden opportunity for you to remedy that, and remind yourself just how much you love where you live.
Try something new
A holiday to a foreign land or culture is the catalyst for many of us to try out new and exciting activities. But there’s no reason you can’t do that on your staycation! Learn new skills with a day-long art or cooking class, or seek out adventure with local outdoor groups. From abseiling, kayaking, to skydiving (if you’re game!) – there are endless ways to find excitement and adventure without leaving your city.
Australia is the beautiful home of The Chia Co. Our company roots are in Australia and on behalf of all team members we have pledged a monetary donation to the Country Fire Authority.
Our thoughts are with the communities and families affected by these devastating fires and we want to thank all the firefighters and volunteers who are working tirelessly to help protect our country and to those who have already donated as every contribution counts.
Here are some more ways you may like to support:
- New South Wales Rural Fire Service
- Red Cross Australia for relief and recovery
- Food Bank Australia for those in need of emergency food
- Wires Wild Life Rescue NSW, Wildlife Victoria, Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, WWF Australia, RSPCA Australia and Australian Wildlife Conservancy for animal rescue.
—John Foss, CEO & founder, The Chia Co.
With Christmas around the corner, the work parties over and all (well, maybe most!) of your preparations for this busy time of year sorted, now could finally be the time to relax into the holidays. And what better way to do it than to switch off from the outside world for a while with a good read.
We don’t know about you, but the thought of sitting by the pool or at the beach with a tablet or a good book gets us pretty excited. With our lives being so busy during the working year, it isn’t always possible to get stuck into a really good book. So taking advantage of these precious quiet moments can help us to get in some me-time and recharge from what can sometimes be such a stressful time of year.
Aside from the enjoyability, reading also offers a number of health benefits. According to a 2009 study by researchers at the University of Sussex, reading for just six minutes can reduce stress levels by as much as 68%. And, another study which was published in Social Science and Medicine in 2016 actually found a correlation between reading and long lifespans.
So with this in mind, we have come up with our essential reading guide for these holidays to help you on your way.
The Testaments
As the sequel to Margaret Atwood’s ’The Handmaid’s Tale’, this deeply moving book is said to be jarring and dramatic and one that is hard to put down. Blessed be the author! Find it here>
Quichotte: A Novel
The New York Times best-selling author Salman Rushdie gives us this exquisite satire on the world we live in today. Quichotte is a metafiction that tells the story of an addled Indian American man who travels across America in pursuit of a celebrity television host with whom he has become obsessed. Find it here >
City of Girls
By the author of Eat Pray Love, this big-hearted and wise novel is set in the 1940s where frivolous and fun-loving Vivian Morris arrives in New York with the goal of “becoming someone interesting” – and in short order she is, but for all the wrong reasons. Find it here>
Dooce: Blog
Although there were personal websites that came before hers, certain elements conspired to make Heather Armstrong’s Dooce one of the biggest public diaries. Armstrong became one of the first high-profile cases of somebody being fired for writing about her job. Now covering such subjects as family life, postnatal depression, motherhood, puppies and her Mormon upbringing, and with an army of personal bloggers perhaps not directly influenced by, or even aware of, her work – she represents the hundreds of thousands who decide to share part of their lives with strangers. Find it here >
Run Away – Ebook
Master of suspense Harlan Coben brings us this thriller from the view of a parent whose daughter goes missing and doesn’t want to be found. Then spotted by chance, playing the guitar in Central Park is the drug-addicted girl, leading you into a dangerous world you never knew existed. Find it here>
Challenge Accepted
Funny woman, Instagram star and international comedy sensation, Celeste Barber’s Challenge Accepted! is a hilarious and outspoken guide to life, unwanted gas and how to rock a sexy scar. It’s real, like totally, really real. Find it here >.
Scrublands
Winner of the 2019 CWA Dagger New Blood Award for Best First Crime Novel, Scrublands by Chris Hammer is set in a fictional Riverina town at the height of a devastating drought, Scrublands is one of the most powerful, compelling and original crime novels to be written in Australia. Find it here >
Citizens of the World – Blog
Travel and lifestyle bloggers Meghan and Dominic Loneragan take us all around the world, cover lifestyle subjects from health issues to environmental hacks and even have a section for our little folk covering parental topics. This blog is as interesting as it is useful. Find it here >
Nowhere Child – Ebook
Inspired by Gillian Flynn’s frenetic suspense and Stephen King’s masterful world-building, The Nowhere Child is a combustible tale of trauma, cult, conspiracy, and memory. It is the remarkable debut of Christian White, an exhilarating new Australian talent. Find it here >
Back after the Break – Ebook
Our very own Osher Günsberg opens up in a powerful, dark, funny and heart-wrenching memoir about life, love and living with mental illness. Find it here >
If there was one key theme that dominated our thoughts, news feeds and social channels this year, that would be our environment. From climate strikes and protests around the world to news reports from the UN, and even our favourite celebrities joining the debate — you’d have to be living under a rock to not have felt the social impact of sustainability and climate change.
While it can be easy at Christmas to get swept away with the fun and festivities, the reality of these global issues remains. The planet doesn’t go on holiday just because we do! Christmas is undoubtedly one of the most wonderful times of the year — but it’s also one of the most wasteful.
Luckily, less waste doesn’t have to mean less fun! To get you thinking more sustainability this Christmas, we present our 12 Days of Sustainable Christmas:
Day 1: A reusable water bottle:
Great as gifts, or even as a treat for yourself! There are so many options for great reusable flasks and bottles today, here are just a few of our favourites:
Day 2: Eco entertaining
Skip the disposable plates and cups. Instead, ask a few friends or family members to loan you some plates, cups or cutlery that can be washed and returned to them. Or, charity shops often have plates and cups you could buy for a steal — simply use them, wash them afterwards, and donate them back to the shop. This way, not only are you reducing your party waste, but you’re also supporting a valuable part of your local community.
Day 3: Beeswax wraps
Buy these for yourself, or treat your loved ones to a plastic-free way to keep food fresh — a very handy stocking stuffer! There are plenty of great eco brands to choose from, or get a little crafty and make your own.
Day 4: Recycling gift wrap
Did you know that one of the biggest sources of waste each Christmas is from the wrapping paper? This year, why not reduce your wrapping waste by choosing reusable boxes or paper bags? Better yet, make the wrapping part of the gift itself by using a beach towel, a cute hair scarf, or wall hanging.
Day 5: Gift of food
Nothing says “Merry Christmas” like a delicious treat! Get creative in your kitchen and whip up some festive goodies that you can serve to guests, take to your work party, or add to Christmas stockings (wrapped in a homemade beeswax wrap, of course!) Need a little inspiration? Take a look at our Gift of food suggestions.
Day 6: Experience gifts
Instead of buying stocking-stuffer gifts for the sake of it, or risking a gift not being used and sitting in a cupboard collecting dust, why not look into gifting your loved ones amazing experiences? From organic wine tours, movie tickets, wildlife park memberships and even guided foraging trips, there are so many options. And the best part? There is no need to gift wrap!
Day 7: e-Cards
Christmas cards are lovely to receive, but these merry messages are usually foiled or plastic coated (aka not recyclable. Luckily, there are plenty of websites and apps that can help you create beautiful, unique and delivered-in-an-instant E-cards. And, with the ability to add moving image and sound, going digital is a really easy and fun way to say Merry Christmas to loved ones.
Day 8: Lovely leftovers
Few things bring more joy than a well-stocked Christmas table! And, by being a little clever with your leftovers, you could still be enjoying that festive meal in the days and weeks that follow. Leftover cold meats and salads are perfect sandwich fillers — they’ll typically last 3-5 days in the fridge if well covered. Give your leftover mashed potatoes new life as cheesy potato fritters, and turn your leftover vegetables into a boxing day veggie soup, a great meal that’ll keep for weeks in the freezer.
Day 9: Gifts that grow
Give a gift that gives back to our ecosystem. Trees and flowering plants are a thoughtful gift that will bring years of joy, or opt for potted plants for your apartment dwelling friends. Growing gifts are also a great opportunity for learning for little ones — we love these cute, clever and so-much-fun plantable colouring pencils.
Day 10: Shopping bag
Single-use plastic bags are so 2015. Help your family and friends make the transition into reusable shopping bags with these chic, eco-friendly carry-alls from Baggu.
Day 11: “Adopt” an animal
World Wildlife Fund has a range of adorable at-risk animals available for symbolic adoption, like a koala, lion cub or red panda. A tremendous gift idea for caring kids, your adoption will include a plush toy and an adoption certificate, along with other goodies.
Day 12: Indoor herb starter kit
Growing your own herbs is a really easy (and delicious) way to reduce waste. It’s also a fantastic gift idea that will have you popping to your loved one’s mind every time they reach for that parsley! Keep it simple with a cute windowsill planter, or invest in a smart starter kit like this one from Lakeland — it has its own LED grow light system and a self-sufficient water reservoir!
In essence, gift-giving is a beautiful thing. But, the crazy rise in consumerism and the consumption of recent decades — not to mention the added pressures of FOMO and constant comparison of social media — has seen the buying and giving of gifts at Christmas turn into a pretty wasteful exercise for many of us.
This year, why not fight the urge to have and give more “things” and instead give the gift of food? Taking the time to give a gift you made yourself is the perfect way to share the joy and love that this time of year is really about. Whether it’s taking a plate of treats into the office, adding something sweet to your Christmas stockings, or dropping off a basket of goodies to your loved ones to enjoy over the holidays, you’d be surprised just how easy and appreciated this gift is. Get a little creative with the packaging (we love vintage tins!) and you’ll also be leaving behind a practical kitchen accessory.
Here are a few of our favourite treats that make perfect gifts this time of year:
- Chia Christmas Mince Tarts
This classic Christmas treat is sweet, spicy and delicious! Here’s how > - Gingerbread People
These delicious ginger biscuits are cute and so much fun to decorate! Here’s how > - Chia Jam Drops
A great chewy biscuit that’s perfect for the whole family. Here’s how > - Bitter Orange Chia Cake
Bitter orange and creamy coconut make an elegant flavour match for this perfect tea cake. Here’s how > - Chocolate Chia Cookies
Simple, yet delicious. You can never go wrong with chocolate! Here’s how > - Mini Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie is a holiday classic, and these small vegan versions make a great gift. Here’s how> - Vegan Sausage Rolls
Change it up from the usual sweet treats and make these savoury bite-sized beauties. Here’s how > - Chia Egg Nog
Another classic Christmas treat! Find some vintage glass bottles to package your egg nog in, and draw a few handwritten labels. Here’s how >
We were so excited this month to have our founder, John Foss, speaking with a renowned triathlon and life coach, Simon Ward, on his popular podcast show.
If you read our interview with Simon Ward last month, you’ll know that he is a life and fitness coach, with a particular interest in helping others being High Performance Humans.
On the podcast, Simon speaks to John about his journey with chia and the building of a new industry, the importance of nutrition for a healthy body and life, and also touched on John’s own personal experience training to compete in triathlon events. It’s a very insightful conversation, touching on a number of topics like:
- What happened when John explained to his family, with a history of farming wheat, that he wanted to grow a virtually unknown crop and build a new industry – the chia seed industry
- How and where to grow chia and why it’s good for the environment
- Why chia, as a credible source of omega-3, protein and insoluble fibre, makes it a healthy addition to your diet
- The important role of chia in the plant-based diet
- Chia Fresca or Iskiate, the drink used by the Tarahumara and described in the book “Born To Run”
- John’s transformation from triathlete to high-performance human
You can listen to the Podcast on Simon Ward’s website, or find it on his Apple podcast channel.
Recently, multi-award-winning triathlon coach, Simon Ward, stopped referring to himself as a triathlon coach. Instead, he now prefers the title “a life coach for people who train for triathlons”.
Why? Because, as Simon says, the biggest obstacles to people achieving their triathlon goals are generally not a lack of motivation, or fitness either — it’s life “issues”.
Like us, Simon believes that achieving optimum health, wellness and happiness requires more than just one superfood, one fad diet or one crazy workout schedule; it’s about a balanced, holistic approach to mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. When we decide to shift our focus from just one area of our lives and take a bigger picture view, we have the power to achieve anything.
We caught up with Simon ahead of his upcoming podcast interview with The Chia Co. founder, John Foss (stay tuned for more on that one!) to hear more about Simon’s philosophy, and how we can all become what he refers to as “High-Performance Humans”.
How do you define a “high performing human”?
A high performing human is one who has and continues to, optimise their life. I consider there to be six or seven key areas that a person needs to get right: health (mental and physical), nutrition, recovery and regeneration, family, work, relationships and fitness. It’s about achieving a balance. As we know, a person’s ability to balance is constantly changing and so we must be mindful of this and constantly re-adjust.
What motivated you to shift focus from triathlon coaching towards this “high-performance human” concept?
In a previous ‘life’ I owned a personal training company. I had noticed that while the goals of the clients were different, their ability to achieve them was governed by the same key life elements (as mentioned above). More recently, I have been working with age group triathletes, many of whom are very successful in their careers. Through this work, I discovered that many of the obstacles to triathlon success were not fitness related but more to do with subpar nutrition, lack of sleep, or work-related stress.
What do you mean when you say people need to be in the “sweet spot”?
Think about one of those little handheld puzzles where the objective is to get the ball into the centre (sweet spot) of the puzzle. As you move your hand, the ball rolls around and pops out of centre and off to the side. If the centre is the ‘sweet spot,’ then the hardest task is to maintain that position. This requires an awareness of when one is in balance or out of balance and being able to make those adjustments. For example, a triathlete might be training for an Ironman and have all their mental energy focussed on this. To do so might mean less focus on family or work. The mindful athlete will communicate their plans/goals with their family and work colleagues and agree to restore balance once their race is over.
Do you think that everyone is capable of becoming a “High Performance Human” (and finding their sweet spot)?
Yes, I absolutely feel that everyone is capable of becoming a High Performance Human.
What is the biggest challenge you typically see for people getting to their sweet spot? What’s holding us back?
Communication and mindfulness. I observe many triathletes who enter races without communicating with their family or work colleagues. They seem unaware of the impact that their single-mindedness on achieving their goal will have on others around them.
Can you give a few simple, everyday tips that can help us be “High Performance Humans”?
Change your focus from specific, short-term goals to long-term health and performance. I assume that we all want to live long and be healthy in those older years. On that journey, thriving is much better than surviving. Do a full 360 analysis of all aspects of your life and work hard to improve them all. If you focus on your human health first, then it’s possible to keep achieving all of your goals for as long as you wish to keep doing so.
Any final tips or insights you’d like to share with our readers??
I share a lot of ideas on my social media channels. You can follow me on Facebook @simon.ward1, on Instagram as @TheTriathlonCoach, and twitter as @triathloncoach.
Triathletes particularly can follow me and join our thriving community on our Facebook page: TheTriathlonCoachCafe.
I also have a weekly podcast http://simonward.podbean.com/ where I chat with inspirational “High Performance Humans” and share their life lessons.
From Spring Racing Carnival to summer soirees, work functions and weddings, it’s official: party season is upon us!
We love an excuse to get glammed up and to add a few new fancy ensembles to our wardrobe. And, with the increase in online fashion retail and the big fast-fashion-low-cost shops like Zara and H&M, there’s no reason why we can’t have something new to wear for every occasion… or is there?
We were surprised to learn recently that fast fashion is considered the second most polluting industry in the world, second only to big oil. And much of this pollution comes from a global supply chain that relies on unethical production models in developing countries, with garments passing through many different hands and often continents before making it into our wardrobes.
Here in Australia, 92% of all clothing sold is imported. By choosing to skip the cheap imports and instead support local designers and producers, we can make sure that our dollars are going towards fair work conditions and ethical production models, while also helping to grow our local industry and economy. Designers who produce locally are inherently more mindful of their supply chain, tend to have shorter lead times and can be more reactive to best sellers. This, in turn, can reduce waste, landfill and the company’s overall carbon footprint.
We need to change our approach to fashion — to move away from trend-driven, churn-and-burn garments and instead focus on building a wardrobe of high-quality pieces that will last for many years to come. While locally produced fashion does come at a higher price tag, you’ll be spending less, in the long run, thanks to quality fabrics, expert craftsmanship and thoughtful design. And we think that’s beautiful!
Not sure where to start? Here’s five locally designed and produced Australian fashion brands, perfect for your summer party season:
Kuwaii
A mainstay in Melbourne’s local fashion scene, Kuwaii produces every single garment within 15km of their Brunswick HQ. The brand has a loyal personal relationship with their makers, and keep a close watch on production practises to make sure that everyone involved is being paid a fair wage, and working in fair conditions. Designer Kristy Barber is passionately opposed to the ‘churn’ model of fast fashion. Her range is built on an ever-evolving basis of “Classics” which are timeless, well-made, eternally flattering and wearable. These are high-quality garments, in timeless designs, made in very small runs.
Jillian Boustred
An artist and clothing designer based in Sydney, Jillian Boustred’s garments are made locally with a transparent production line from start to finish. She focuses on feminine, relaxed pieces that are beautifully made and lovely to wear. All prints are designed in house by Jillian using a combination of hand and digital techniques.
Post Sole Studio
Local footwear production is practically non-existent these days, with the expert skills required to craft footwear nearly extinct thanks to much cheaper offshore producers. Luckily, there are a few local makers who are doing what they can to keep this age-old industry alive. Post Sole Studio designs and makes everything itself, and for like-minded labels like Kuwaii (mentioned above), from their studio and factory in Melbourne. The brand offers quirky takes on wardrobe necessities, like t-bar shoes and platform sandals.
Arnsdorf
Jade Sarita Arnott is considered one of Australia’s leading fashion designers. Through her label Arnsdorf, she creates classic pieces with inimitable details which are guaranteed to become wardrobe staples. Arnott has done away with traditional ‘seasons’ and releases instead well-considered trans-seasonal collections in limited runs. Arnsdorf is also breaking the traditional wholesale-to-retail model to instead deliver clothing at a reasonable price direct to clients, without hyper-inflated mark-ups.
Obus
For almost 20 years, Melbourne based brand Obus has been supporting the local industry, with over 80% of their manufacturing based right here in Australia. Clothing made by Obus is of exceptional quality, featuring natural fibres and exclusive prints, inspired by designer Zerbst’s travel and wanderings. Obus is synonymous with ease of wear, pared-back tailoring and a constantly changing palette of unexpected colours.
Ask anyone today and chances are they will either be vegan or know a vegan. Veganism has become increasingly popular in recent years — in fact, Australia is now considered the third fastest-growing vegan market in the world, with the number of new vegan food products hitting our shelves rising a massive 92% between 2014 and 2016.
The term ‘vegan’ was originally coined in 1944 by British woodworker named Donald Watson — a vegetarian and animal rights activist since age 14 — who announced that because vegetarians ate dairy and eggs, he was going to create a new term called “vegan,” to describe people like himself who did not. Today, The Vegan Society describes veganism as a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.
Proponents of veganism credit the lifestyle with a long list of health benefits. Plant-based foods provide us with a valuable mix of nutrients, such as fibre and antioxidants, and eating a vegan diet has been linked with lower blood sugar and a reduced risk of heart disease. But it’s not just the health benefits that have so many people moving towards veganism — it’s better for the environment, too, leading to a reduction in overall energy usage, helping to purify the air and reducing water usage. Did you know that It takes over 20 times more water to produce 1kg of beef compared to rice, grains, beans, fruit and vegetables here in Australia?
With all the research now showing clear benefits to our health and environment, it’s no wonder that 70% of people worldwide are eating less meat and more plant-based meals, according to research firm GlobalData. But committing to a fully vegan lifestyle might not be practical or achievable for many of us. Thankfully, it’s not a case of vegan or nothing — there are plenty of variations of meat-reduced, fish only, or totally meat-free diets to choose from, which makes it easy for everyone to find the right way to reduce their meat intake.
Take a look at our round-up of some of the more common plant-based diet types out there, and how they compare:
Pescatarian
With “pesce” the Italian word for fish, pescatarians forgo meat and poultry but add seafood to a vegetarian diet, the fish playing a key role as the main protein source. Many pescatarians also eat dairy and eggs.
Benefits of adding fish (especially fatty fish) to our diets include the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which promote brain health, eye health and heart health to name a few.
Flexitarian
If you’re looking to add more plant foods to your diet but don’t want to completely cut out meat, going flexitarian may be for you. It encompasses the style of eating that encourages mostly plant-based foods while allowing meat and other animal products in moderation.
With no specific definition of the diet, it can be hard to pinpoint benefits, however, the higher volume of vegetables, fruit, legumes, seeds and nuts is clearly linked with improving your health and the environment.
A fascinating new report from the EAT-Lancet Commission shows that you don’t have to be entirely meat-free to make a positive impact, stating that “a diet rich in plant-based foods and with fewer animal source foods confers both improved health and environmental benefits.”
Lacto-vegetarian
This diet excludes meat, fish, poultry and eggs, as well as foods that contain them. Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter, are included. Benefits of keeping dairy in your diet can be good for bone health, reducing blood pressure and food containing probiotics can encourage the good bacteria in the gut.
Ovo-vegetarian
The ovo-vegetarian diet excludes meat, poultry, seafood and dairy products, but allow eggs. With all of the health benefits of a plant-based diet, this diet can include several nutrients that promote heart health such as betaine and choline from eggs. Eggs also contain Vitamin D which helps to protect bones, preventing osteoporosis and rickets.
The transition from Winter into Spring is a favourite time of year for many of us, bringing with it a renewed energy and sense of optimism. And it’s not just the warmer weather that has our spirits lifting — with those blossoms blooming, skies full of blue, new green foliage on the trees and honey bees buzzing in the morning sun… the world in springtime really is a glorious place!
Feeling great on a beautiful Spring day is a powerful reminder of how easily affected we are by what we see in the world around us. In particular, the connection between colour and mood is fascinating. Colour is a powerful part of visual communication — used to signal action, influence mood, and even influence physiological reactions. Certain colours have been associated with increased blood pressure, increased metabolism, and eyestrain. And savvy marketers have been using colour psychology for decades to try and influence consumer behaviour.
Have you ever noticed the instant uplift you get when wearing a colour you love? Or the feeling of calm when you enter a softly lit yoga studio? This spring, we encourage you to make the most of nature’s gorgeous colour mood and bring a little more pop into your everyday. Maybe add a bright vase of flowers to your desk or dining table, add a new colour to your wardrobe, or buy a new throw rug for your bedroom. You’ll be surprised what an impact on your mood it could have!
Not sure which colours to pick? While the scientific evidence is a little debatable, there are some generally accepted links between colours and emotional response. Here’s a quick rundown:
Warm colours:
Colours in the red area of the colour spectrum are known as warm colours and include red, orange, and yellow. Warm colours often evoke feelings of happiness, optimism and energy.
Cool colours:
Cool colours include green, blue, and purple. Cool colours are usually thought to calm and soothe, but can also express sadness. Purple is often used to help spark creativity as it’s a mixture of blue (calm) and red (intense).
Happy colours:
Happy colours are bright, warm colours like yellow, orange, pink and red. Pastel colours like peach, light pink or lilac are also thought to have an uplifting effect on your mood.
Energising colours:
Highly pigmented, strong colours like royal blue, turquoise, magenta and emerald green can have a stimulating effect and make you feel refreshed and energized. Colours like bright red, bright yellow and neon green can feel energising and make you feel more alert, but can also be irritating on the eyes. These colours will grab your attention and stand out from their surroundings, but less is more.
Self-care and wellness is a pretty massive industry these days and with that comes a lot of hype. Every day it seems there’s a new health craze, a latest superfood, or a bizarre new workout trend (hello, goat yoga..!). Sometimes, sifting out what is the real thing from something that’s here-today-gone-tomorrow can be difficult.
One of the most intriguing new wellness trends that have caught our attention this year is flotation therapy — fast becoming one of the most popular treatments for both mental and physical health. Thankfully, this is one trend that seems to have a real basis in health research; growing scientific evidence suggests a link between time spent floating in a sensory deprivation tank and a pretty impressive list of benefits including stress relief, insomnia relief, injury recovery and improved hair and skin health.
So, what’s the deal with these pods of water people are spending hours in?
What is a Sensory Deprivation Tank?
The tank is a closed pod, filled with water, heated to body temperature. The water is very salty, thanks to a high concentration of Epsom Salts. There is no light and there is no sound, so sensory stimulation is practically zero.
Much like in the Dead Sea, the magnesium and sulphate-rich Epsom salts raise the density and buoyancy of the water, increasing the specific gravity for the solution to around 1.27. So, for around an hour (more if you like), you just float.
But, Epsom Salts aren’t only amazing for their buoyancy. For hundreds of years, Epsom Salts have been used as an effective cure-all with benefits including stress relief along with easing aches and pains.
What happens in there?
People accustomed to the tank will typically fall into a deeply relaxed meditative state, emerging with a wide range of reported experiences including a heightened sense of reflection, a release of tension, and the feeling that you have left your body entirely. Your experience, however, will likely be unique and could differ from anyone else’s.
What if I don’t like enclosed spaces?
Hopping in an enclosed tank can definitely take some getting used to at first, and claustrophobia can be a huge barrier for some people. But, using this therapy can actually be a really successful way of overcoming these fears. The knowledge that the pods do not lock shut, that the lid lifts with the slightest prod, and that you can hop out whenever you like, can be enough to comfort for some. But for anyone who suffers from the debilitating fear, it might be wise to consult a health professional before proceeding.
How often can you float?
While it’s perfectly safe to float every day, the effects of each session last beyond a day or two. If this is something you try and love, it is recommended that two or three sessions a week is often the most effective amount of time spent in the tank.
In this fast-paced and demanding world, it can be really hard to make looking after ourselves a priority. The temptation to grab a quick bite while we’re out and about (usually high calorie and low nutrition), skip the work-out to squeeze in a few more minutes at our desks, or down a couple of drinks after work to de-stress, can be all too tempting. Add to that the dangerous amounts of time we spend scrolling, swiping and comparing ourselves on social media, and it’s no wonder many of us struggle to feel our best.
While all those little less-than-healthy lifestyle choices might seem fairly harmless at the time, the cumulative effect can be pretty damaging — not only for our physical wellbeing but also for our emotional and mental health.
This Thursday 10 October is World Mental Health Day. We want to take this opportunity to focus on some of the simple, everyday ways you can improve your lifestyle and your wellbeing.
Of course, when it comes to serious depression, anxiety, stress and other mental health disorders, the first person you should be turning to is your GP or other health professionals. But, for everyday ways to improve cognitive function and mental wellbeing, here are some simple things we can do:
Nutrition
Food fuels both our bodies and our minds. We eat nutritious foods so that our bodies can grow, repair, and function well. Much like our body, our brain needs nutritious foods, too.
Foods like whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, fermented foods and oily fish, offer powerful antioxidants, can improve our gut health and can encourage our bodies to produce chemicals that make us feel great. Here is a breakdown on some of the best foods for mental wellbeing
Making changes to your diet can seem hard, especially if you’re short on time. But, once your taste buds have adapted and you’re into the swing of it, you’ll be craving those greens and feeling more energetic.
Exercise
Physical activity promotes feel-good chemicals into your body like endorphins, serotonin, BDNF and dopamine — the reward chemical. What’s more, a good workout will get that blood pumping to the brain, which helps you to think more clearly.
There’s also a social benefit to working out; joining a gym or attending group classes can help get us out of the house and connect with others, helping us ward off feelings of loneliness or isolation.
Of course, the hardest part is getting started. But once you have got through those first few work-outs and it’s part of your routine, it gets easier and for some, quite addictive!
Sleep
Studies have shown that even partial sleep deprivation can have a significant effect on mood. University of Pennsylvania researchers found that subjects who were limited to only 4.5 hours of sleep a night for one week reported feeling more stressed, angry, sad, and mentally exhausted. When the subjects resumed normal sleep, they reported a dramatic improvement in mood.
The link between sleep deprivation and our moods, specifically stress and anxiety, seems like a bit of a vicious cycle; poor quality sleep = heightened propensity for stress and high stress = trouble getting good sleep.
Here are some more tips for how to get a better night sleep.
Cutting back on the booze
Although alcohol can make you feel more confident and relaxed, consuming too much too often can have a major impact on mental health.
Because alcohol is a depressant, it slows your body down and changes the chemical makeup in your brain. This can lead to a long list of negative emotional and mental impacts, such as altering mood, energy levels, sleeping patterns, concentration and memory.
While the occasional glass of wine is a-ok, keeping it to a “sometimes treat” rather than every day is definitely the way to go.
Practising daily mindfulness
The history of mindfulness can be traced back for thousands of years with origins in Eastern philosophy, and over the past 40 years, it has become increasingly popular in western societies, too.
The aim of mindfulness practice is to increase awareness so that we can respond to situations with choice rather than react automatically. We do that by practising to become more aware of where our attention is, and deliberately changing the focus of attention, over and over again.
Setting aside just five to ten minutes a day to practise mindfulness has been shown to relieve stress and anxiety, bringing us back to the present moment.
There are several resources available to aid us in our mindfulness. Apps like Headspace and Calm are a great start, with guided, short meditations for all sorts of situations.
Microbiome (which is a blanket term to describe the huge assortment of micro-organisms living either inside or outside of our bodies) has been a hot topic in regards to gut health for a while now, with plenty of research showing how our gut flora impacts immunity and a host of other biological mechanisms. Now, new research has started to shift focus towards how the microbiome affects our skin health, too.
Human skin is a complex ecosystem harbouring a staggering 1 trillion bugs, including up to 1,000 different bacterial species and up to 80 different fungi species. Collectively, these micro-organisms are known as the skin microbiome or skin flora.
Every person’s skin microbiome is unique, like a fingerprint.
Some parts are similar in everyone, but others are defined by personal factors like genetics and lifestyle, where you live, what you eat and even if you have pets. Specific factors like exposure to light and whether the area is moist, dry, hairy, or oily can also cause natural variance to flora on different parts of your body.
Skin microbiome plays an important role in keeping your skin looking and feeling healthy.
It protects your skin by crowding out pathogens as well as communicating with the immune system and coordinating the release of various antimicrobial peptides when needed. The microbiome also helps to minimize oxidative damage and exposure to UV radiation, promotes healing and keeps our skin plump and moist by producing a range of skin nutrients, and essential skin lipids.
However, things like your diet, hormonal imbalance, lifestyle, and use of medications can disrupt the healthy balance of the skin microbiome, leading to several skin disorders, such as dandruff, acne, psoriasis, or atopic dermatitis. Hand sanitizers, topical steroids, and internal medications (such as antibiotics, oral steroids, acid blockers, and nonsteroidal pain relievers) can also directly or indirectly damage the skin microbiome.
Helping your skin flora thrive:
- Look after your gut
Research shows that what you eat can influence your skin and skin microbiome in many ways. Keep food organic as much as possible, and avoid processed foods and extra sugar. Adding a high-quality probiotic into your diet can also help
- Not too clean
In the same way that we understand antibiotics to be damaging to gut flora, soap and sanitizers can spell death for your skin microbiome! Keep cleansing to a minimum and choose gentle cleansing products that respect your skin’s PH.
- Sweat it out
As long as you have a healthy diet and are well hydrated, getting sweaty is actually great for your skin! Try to get a decent sweat-inducing workout in a couple of times per week, or relax in a sauna or steam room, and let that good bacteria thrive.
With Father’s Day just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start thinking about how we can treat these special guys in our lives.
The role of a ‘Father’ has, in the past, tended towards the stereotypical: work-horse, provider, protector and pillar of the household. Nowadays, in these much more diverse and progressive times, the role of Dad can be many things. Families aren’t always the same old Mum, Dad & Kid combo — and, even if they are, we’re seeing Mums out there winning the bread now too, while some Dads opt to stay at home as the primary caregiver. It’s so exciting that Dads today are able to be appreciated for doing and being so much more.
We’re also aware that Father’s Day might be a difficult one for some. For those that have lost their dads too soon, or for whatever reason don’t get to spend time or enjoy a relationship with their father, it can be a painful reminder. We recognize that families are complex things, but everyone deserves a reason to celebrate. So whether it’s your own Dad, a grandfather, uncle, a family friend or even celebrating Dad’s the world over, why not take this opportunity to say ‘I love you’ by cooking some delicious food?
Remember the old saying ‘A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’? We reckon these winner recipes will have your person feeling pretty special.
These easy to make, five-ingredient little treats are great for a party table. With the yummy combo of chocolate and orange, this recipe makes 12-14 pastries. Enough for the whole family.
Sun-dried Tomato and Rosemary Palmiers
For a savoury option, these little beauties are just as easy to make as the chocolate version. With that classic tomato and rosemary taste, these are a winner for a Father’s Day luncheon.
This more grown-up style of cake has a tangy orange flavour. It has the goodness of almond meal and it’s low in sugar; looking after our loved ones in more ways than one.
For a wholesome dinner idea, why not try these vegetarian meatballs? With a zucchini base and the nutrition of chia seeds added, this meal will satisfy the hungriest of Dad’s!
How about a Father’s Day breakfast in bed? These pancakes are packed with protein, almond and banana to satisfy any lucky Dad! Sweeten them up with maple syrup, coconut yoghurt or blueberries to make for a delicious sweet start to the day.
Generally, this modern world we live in has us all pretty spoiled, and we’re used to getting what we want when we want it. And this is especially true when it comes to the fruits and vegetables at our supermarkets. Gone are the days when the produce shelves were limited to just a handful of items — Now, we can have stone fruits in winter, mandarins and kiwis in the summer, and avocados the whole year long.
This all seems so convenient but just because we can eat what we want year-round, should we? How are these foods grown and where are they coming from? Do they really taste as good out of season? And what kind of repercussions does it all have on our health and environment?
When picked in season, fruits and vegetables boast a range of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals natural to the amounts of warmth, sun, and water they receive when growing. This is one of the main reasons why they tend to have brighter colours and richer flavours. Seasonal foods are a way of reconnecting with the organic cycle that nature intended for us, and studies have shown that eating the right kinds of foods during the right times of year (and avoiding them otherwise) can make a surprising impact on our health.
Typically, the out-of-season fruit and veg we see at the local supermarkets are being glossed and sprayed with preservatives and waxes to keep looking fresh. If artificial or chemical preservatives are consumed, they can lead to health problems. And, a lot of these foods are also coming to us from overseas, contributing to the already hefty carbon footprint of our grocery supply chain.
We recommend shopping at your farmers market, organic grocer or local supplier whenever possible. Choosing to eat locally reduces the number of food miles your food has to make before it reaches your table, which is better for the environment. You’ll also know that you are eating in-season, as well as spending your dollars in support of our local growers. Double tick!
So, with all that in mind, what should you be keeping an eye out as we transition into spring? Here’s what to pack in your shopping basket:
- Bananas
- Navel Oranges
- Grapefruit
- Lemons
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Fennel
- Leeks
- Mushrooms
- Rhubarb
- Spinach
It’s the reason many of us get up in the morning. The afternoon pick-me-up that never lets you down. The hot steamy brew on your morning commute or the rich slow sip to enjoy over weekend catch-ups with friends.
Whether you’re an espresso type, latte art critic, love your filter, batch brew or can’t go past a mug of good old instant, there is arguably no other drink that fulfils quite as many important roles in our lives as the humble coffee.
On 1 October we celebrate World Coffee Day and pay homage to one of the world’s oldest and most beloved beverages. With a history as rich as its flavour, the origins of coffee date back over a thousand years. The first coffee plants were located in Ethiopia, where native tribes are thought to have ground the beans with animal fat, rolling the mixture into little balls and giving them to warriors as an energy-boost before the battle. In the 15th century, coffee cultivation began and quickly spread around the world, with the highly sought-after plants smuggled into India, and then into Europe. In the 17th century, the Dutch introduced it to their colonies in Indonesia while the French started planting it in the Americas. Today, more than 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed in the world every day.
Coffee and our health
For a long time, coffee has been a bit of a black sheep in the health world. While we love to drink it, we’ve all been well warned of the health risks — that it can raise your blood pressure, make your heart race, impair sleep, and maybe even cause cancer.
However, there is now increasing evidence that coffee might actually be good for you. In a June 2016 report, the WHO officially lifted coffee from the list of potentially carcinogenic foods. On the contrary, in fact, it went on to designate coffee as potentially protective against cancer of the uterus and liver.
In another important study published in Circulation in November 2015, coffee consumption of one to five cups per day was associated with a lower risk of mortality when compared to not drinking coffee. And, in further research published in The BMJ in 2017, researchers found that drinking three cups of coffee a day was associated with great benefit for cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke when compared with not drinking coffee.
How and How Much?
As with many things in life, the key to getting the health benefits of coffee lies in the balance: understanding how much of it is good for us, and the best ways to enjoy it.
Although we don’t have any concrete evidence that drinking six or more cups of coffee is dangerous, the risk of negative side effects is lower with moderation. Some of the not-so-fun side effects you can experience with a higher coffee intake include impaired sleep, a “speedy” or jittery feeling, and even increased anxiety. Heartburn, frequent urination (because caffeine is a diuretic), and heart palpitations are also a problem for some coffee drinkers.
In terms of how to enjoy it, the brewing method is entirely up to you but it is important not to drink it too hot! The WHO has recently raised concerns that drinking coffee (or other beverages) at temperatures higher than 65° C (or 149° F) may increase the risk of esophageal cancer. So make sure you’re adding a little cool water to black coffee, and hold off asking your barista for “extra hot, please!”
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to enjoy coffee that don’t require it to be super hot. In fact, ice coffee and cold filter coffees are perfect on a summer’s day. Or, why not try making this delicious Espresso Chia Pudding recipe that we’ve created especially to celebrate World Coffee Day?
Nowadays when we pop into a cafe we are greeted with the ever-growing plethora of different versions of our favourite caffeinated (or non-caffeinated) drinks. From espresso to batch brew and pour over, the coffee options are endless! And to make things even more confusing, you’ll usually find at least three or four variations of milk to choose from, too.
The incredible growth of the plant-milk industry in recent years can be attributed to a number of things, from dairy intolerances to the rise of veganism and plant-based diets, as well as a growing concern around the ethics and sustainability of the dairy industry.
Here in Australia, research from Dairy News Australia shows that sales in dairy alternatives have grown by 48% in the past four years alone.
It’s hard to imagine now, but as recently as 2008, having an alternative to cow’s milk largely meant soy milk, unless you were willing to spend a whole lotta time and cash scouring health food shops. Thankfully now, in 2019, there is no shortage of alternatives to dairy. Just walk into your local cafe or supermarket and the choices are seemingly endless. From different tastes and textures to different benefits and environmental impacts, it can be tough to choose which plant-based milk is right for you.
To celebrate World Plant Milk Day this month, we’ve compiled a bit of a roundup of our favourite dairy alternatives, with some insights that might make your choice just a little easier:
Soy Milk:
Let’s start with the original ‘alt-milk’. Soy milk is still the most widely available option. It’s made by either ground soybeans or soy protein powder, reconstituted with water and often adjusted with oil (and often sugar) to create the consistency and taste of cows milk. Soy milk is a good source of protein providing 7-12 grams in a 250ml glass and is often fortified with calcium and Vitamin D. Soy milk contains very little saturated fat but watch those added sugar levels…best to read the back of the carton!
Almond Milk:
Almond milk is made from ground almonds and filtered water. It’s lower in calories than other types of milk with just half the amount found in a glass of skim dairy milk, as long as it is unsweetened. It’s also free of saturated fat, and it’s naturally lactose-free. Almond milk is a good source of vitamin A and can be fortified to be a good source of calcium and vitamin D.
Coconut Milk:
Coconut water is the liquid inside a coconut, while coconut milk comes from the fruit’s white flesh. Coconuts contain a lipid called lauric acid, and many researchers believe that lauric acid can support the immune system and has antiviral and antifungal effects on the body. Coconut milk does contain high levels of saturated fat, but it also boasts a long list of vitamins and minerals. The nutritional contents of coconuts can vary due to a range of environmental factors so again, it pays to check the back of the carton!
Oat Milk:
Oat milk is a great choice for people with allergies or intolerances. It’s naturally free of lactose, nuts, soy, and gluten if made from certified gluten-free oats. It is an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals, as well as fibre to help keep you full. Commercial oat milk is also a good source of vitamin B12, which has been linked to healthy bones and a lower risk of osteoporosis.
Pea Milk:
The newest non-dairy alternative on the block. It’s nut-free, soy-free, and gluten-free. It’s better for the environment than other kinds of milk with much smaller water and carbon footprints. Pea milk is sugar-free and has 8 grams of protein per serving and 50% more calcium than other alternative milks. And don’t worry, Pea Milk doesn’t taste like peas!
If this drab winter has got you dreaming of warm beaches and tropical getaways, we hear you loud and clear! Grey days, chilly mornings, drizzly skies… it’s no wonder our energy levels, health and moods tend to take a nose-dive this time of year. A winter getaway to somewhere sunny, even if it’s just for a week, can make a huge difference by giving you a much-needed break from the groundhog day routine plus a chance to top-up that vitamin D.
But, before you reach for those passports and book your Bali break, have you ever stopped to think about the beautiful, warm spots right here in Australia?
It’s no surprise that we’re huge fans of The Kimberley region; our founder John Foss hails from Western Australia, and Kununurra is the home of our famous Australian grown chia farms. But, you needn’t take our word for it — there are so many great reasons why a winter getaway to The Kimberley should be on your bucket list. And, with August being the dry season, there’s never been a better time to go than right now!
Need a little extra inspiration? Here are just a few of the incredible things you could be doing in The Kimberley this winter:
Discover blow-your-mind scenery
Bookended by the towns Broome and Kununurra, The Kimberley is a huge expanse of wild landscape boasting rugged coastline, palm-fringed gorges, magnificent waterfalls, shimmering deserts and desolate mountains. Whether you’re looking for lazy beach days and luxury villas or off-road adventures to tropical waterfalls, The Kimberley has something for everyone.
See the amazing Bungle Bungles
Often likened to beehives thanks to their orange and black stripes, this cluster of enormous rock domes is one of the most striking geological landmarks in Western Australia. The Bungle Bungle Range is located in the World Heritage Listed Purnululu National Park, which is in the East Kimberley. Take a scenic helicopter flight to soak up the incredible view, or explore the park by foot and meander your way along the numerous walking tracks including the Echidna Chasm Walk and Piccaninny Creek Lookout. The park also offers several spots for overnight camping.
Road trip along ‘the Gibb’ road
Hire a 4WD in Broome or Kununurra and hit the road for one of Australia’s most epic journeys! The Gibb River Road is a 660km 4WD-only track that stretches through the middle of the Kimberley. A detour on one of the many off-shooting smaller roads will lead you to breathtaking gorges, swimming holes, camping grounds, and friendly outback stations. Along the Gib you’ll also find Aboriginal communities and conservation sanctuaries with accommodation like the Mornington Wilderness Camp.
One-third of all food produced for human consumption around the world goes to waste.
In Australia, we throw away around 3.1 million tonnes of food every year, which not only leads to a staggering waste of the energy, fuel and water used to grow the food but also contributes to dangerous greenhouse gas emissions. Many of us never think about the negative effects of decomposing food, but organic matter in landfills is actually responsible for 20% of all methane emissions.
Wasted food also costs the lives of millions of farm animals and hours of human labour, not to mention deforestation and the mountains of fertiliser and pesticides applied to crops that never get eaten. As a society, we have been challenging the food industry in recent years to make food production more environmentally friendly. But, we often fail to realise the role that we play as consumers, and that the amount of uneaten food we throw out at home is directly contributing to this global problem.
By thinking about the sustainable use of food and minimising our waste at home, we can all play our part in reducing environmental damage and contributing to a sustainable future for agriculture.
Connect with your supply
Becoming more connected to your food will help you avoid waste. Whether you grow your own food, shop at a locally-sourced farmers market, or simply take the time to learn about brands and suppliers at your local grocery store, the more you know and understand the process of your food supply the easier it is to take a conscious approach to your shopping, cooking and eating.
Know what you’ve got
Keep your fridge and pantry tidy and be mindful of the food you already have. We can all be guilty of forgetting the foods hidden at the back of the fridge, and accidentally doubling up! Make it a family ritual to have a weekly clear out of the pantry and fridge, and use the opportunity to think about meals you can make using your existing ingredients.
Store (and eat) your leftovers
Invest in quality storage containers in a range of shapes and sizes, making sure they are safe for both freezing and microwaving. We love this 10pc Glasslock oven-safe storage set. Learn how long certain foods will last (eg. a cooked lasagne will typically last 3-5 days in the fridge) and try to plan how and when you will eat these leftovers as your putting them into the fridge or freezer — that way, there’s less chance they’ll get forgotten! Label your leftovers with the date they were made, and try designating a certain shelf in your fridge so you always know where they are.
Get creative
There are plenty of ways to make use of the foods you would otherwise discard. Skip the store-bought stock and make your own bone broth from leftover bones. Similarly, you can use the often chopped-and-chucked parts of vegetables (like peels and ends) in vegetable soups and stocks. There are also a host of great recipes that make use of fruits that are a little past their best — bananas, in particular, are even better for baking when a little overripe! Take a look at our delicious Banana Raspberry Muffins, or try these super easy Overnight Banana Chia Oats.
Can you believe that we’re halfway through 2019 already? Time seems to move faster every year — one minute we’re toasting the New Year, the next we’re planning our Christmas holidays again.
This time of year can be a bit tough for many of us. Not only are we dealing with darker days and winter’s gloomy chill, but work pressures also tend to be building and we don’t have a long weekend in sight. Add to that the sudden panic as we realise we’ve not achieved nearly as much as we had hoped so far this year, and it’s a perfect storm for self-criticism.
But, rather than seeing this time of year as a reason to feel lousy, we believe it’s a fantastic time to pause for a minute and have a mid-year wellness check-in. How well are we looking after ourselves? What practices are we using to honour ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally? Many of us would have set healthy intentions for ourselves in the New Year; are we on track?
Speaking of New Year’s resolutions, research has shown that about half of all adults make these promises to themselves. But, fewer than 10% actually follow through for more than a few months.
With another six months to go, there is still time to make an impact on this year. So, what are some things we can do to get ourselves back on track to ensure we can end 2019 feeling proud of our well-est year yet?
Here are some of our go-to tips for a mid-year wellness checkup:
- Take a look at your goals for the year. Are they realistic? We can easily set ourselves up for failure if we expect too much of ourselves.
- On that note, let’s limit the self-judgement. We need to be kind to ourselves before we do anything else, so it pays to remember that we set ourselves these goals to benefit us, not to beat ourselves up over.
- Recommit to the wellness practises we might have let slide, such as daily exercise, healthy food choices etc.
- Practice some mindfulness. Research has shown that meditation and mindfulness can reduce stress. With less stress, we become more motivated and driven to achieve our goals.
- Take some time out. Usually at this time of year, our work, family and life pressures are ramping up. It’s a great time to take a little break, get out of town for a weekend away — with space comes perspective.
- Declutter your workspace or home. Having a clear, tidy space will leave you less stressed and overwhelmed, and create more headspace to keep things on track.
- Share your goals with someone else, or even team up with a friend who shares your intentions so you can both encourage one another. It’s amazing how motivating a little friendly accountability can be!
On Sunday 28 July we’ll be celebrating National Tree Day — Australia’s largest community tree-planting and nature care event.
Co-founded in 1996 by Olivia Newton-John and Planet Ark, National Tree Day is a call to action for all Australians to put their hands in the earth and give back to their community. Each year, about 300,000 people volunteer their time to help green their community and make a difference to their local environment, in an effort to see one million new trees planted across the country.
The importance of planting trees isn’t just because it makes our streets and parks look nicer; trees are an essential part of our planet’s health.
For our Climate
Trees help to cool our planet down, absorbing many harmful greenhouse gases and releasing clean oxygen back into the atmosphere. This can make a significant impact on the temperature of our cities, where pollution and overheating are becoming a bigger issue each year.
For our Water
Trees capture rainwater and, with their intricate root systems acting like filters, can remove pollutants and slow down the water’s absorption into the ground. This process prevents harmful waterside erosion and reduces the risk of over-saturation and flooding.
For our Air
Trees are our planet’s natural air filtration system! In urban environments, trees absorb nasty gases like nitrogen oxides, ozone, and carbon monoxide, and sweep up particles like dust and smoke. They also absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide and reducing the effects of climate change.
So, what are you waiting for? National Tree Day is a great excuse to venture outdoors, get to know your community, have fun and — most importantly — make a seriously positive impact on the world around you! Find out how you can get involved in events near you.
We all know that eating superfoods can offer plenty of benefits for our inner health. But, you might be surprised to learn that many of your favourite superfoods can also offer powerful properties when applied topically as a beauty treatment. Talk about bang-for-buck!
Consumers are growing more educated every day, demanding to know exactly what ingredients are going into the products we buy and use. And with good reason — many of the most common chemicals used in skin care products can have dangerous outcomes not only for our health but often the environment, too. The more we learn, the more we are challenging beauty companies to replace those icky chemicals with natural ingredients. And we think that’s tremendous.
Here are just some of the super-beauty foods we’re loving right now:
Reishi-Mushrooms
Known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic properties, Reishi are said to slow down the aging process by improving blood circulation, which improves the elasticity and tone of your skin. Youth to the People use the Reishi-Mushroom in their beautiful Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream, also using adaptogenic herbs, known for their calming effects on the skin.
Moringa Oil
This essential oil is culled from the Moringa Oleifera tree, which is also known as the Miracle Tree. Moringa Oil is said to help with dry skin, psoriasis, and dandruff and has antibacterial properties that can aid wounds, cuts and scrapes. There are so many products containing this magic oil out there, but if we had to choose a favourite, it would be the Kiehls Damage Repair & Rehydration Shampoo for gentle cleansing and emergency strand care.
Spirulina
A longtime smoothie favourite, spirulina is rich in nutrients, which when applied topically, can firm the look of sagging skin, protect the skin, and also offer anti-aging properties. Spirulina also encourages regeneration of new skin cells, helping us maintain a healthy glow. Affordable yet effective, the Sukin brand offers a beautiful Detoxifying Facial Scrub packed with lots of goodies including spirulina.
Chia seeds
Ah, how could we miss our own favourite nutritional powerhouse: chia! Not only does the humble chia seed offer a long list of dietary benefits, but it also offers plenty of beauty benefits, too. In particular, chia seed oil has been clinically proven to help your skin fight irritation, dehydration and even banish blemishes. It is also noted as being “the richest botanical source of 18:3 n-3 fatty acid” which means it can offer powerful anti-inflammatory properties when applied topically. Add a little chia oil to your moisturiser for a super boost of hydration, or try this DIY hair mask or face mask at home!
Ginger
Good old ginger. Best known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, studies show that ginger can also have a soothing effect on the skin. We love this Origins Smoothing Ginger Body Scrub —it starts as a gentle scrub, buffing away dry skin, then becomes a creamy, soothing lather, leaving the skin soft and invigorated.
One of the most common questions we get asked is “what is the difference between black and white chia?” — and the simple answer is, nothing!
The outer-shell colour of chia seeds is really the only difference between black and white chia. Both seeds share the same neutral taste, the same versatility of use, and (most importantly!) the same amazing nutritional profile.
But, while there’s no difference between black and white chia, you should be careful to avoid brown chia seeds, as the colour is a sign of immaturity. Brown chia seeds either lack sufficient sunlight and water to mature properly, or they’ve been hit by a climatic event, such as frost on the crop.
As long as your seeds are black or white, you can be sure you’re getting the most nutrient-rich dose of Omega-3, dietary fibre and protein.
How to choose the right chia for you
While black and white chia both offer the same fantastic nutritional benefits, there are some superficial differences that might impact your choice.
Some people believe that the outer shell of white seeds are slightly softer, meaning that white chia is easier to “gel-up” when blended with liquid and therefore the better choice for chia puddings or smoothies. However, our experience shows both black and white seeds are equally suitable for these purposes.
For the most part, the only reason we would ever recommend using one colour over another would be whether you want the chia seeds to be visible in your cooking or baking! The colour of the seeds might blend in better with the colour of whatever you are making, so if you’re wanting the seeds to stand out or to be invisible (for fussy little eaters!) you should choose the best colour to suit your needs.
Chia is one of the most simple, nutritious things you can add to any meal. And, with no discernable flavour of its own, you can do almost anything with it – sprinkle a raw teaspoon into your salad or smoothie, let it ‘gel’ into a chia pudding, add it to your soups, or even bake with it.
Many people are a little nervous to try baking with chia because they’re not quite sure how to do it, or whether it will ruin the recipe. Thankfully, it doesn’t take a master chef to include chia seeds in almost any baking recipe. Here are our top five tips:
As you like it
Chia is very versatile and durable during cooking. This means you needn’t worry that baking, blitzing or any other kitchen activities are going to impact the nutritional quality. You can use chia by adding it as an ingredient into your baking or by simply sprinkling seeds onto your bread or biscuits before or after the oven.
To grind, or not to grind
Chia has a soft outer shell which is easily digestible, and the seeds retain their full nutrition whether ground or whole, so it’s really up to you how you prefer to use them! Some recipes might work better with a smoother, ground chia – like cakes, brownies, and less textured baked goods. For a recipe with texture, like cookies, muffins or breads with nuts and seeds, whole seeds will work just fine.
Flavour-free nutrition
With virtually no discernible taste of their own, chia seeds will not ruin your delicious cookies or cakes. In fact, most people will not even notice they are in there! Fussy little eaters? Never fear, adding chia is a simple way to give your baking a nutritional boost of fibre, omega-3 and protein while making sure your whole family will enjoy it.
Gluten-free and vegan-friendly
Chia is terrific for gluten-free and vegan baking because it can replace a number of other ingredients. Use a portion of chia flour mixed with gluten-free flour for a valuable nutritional boost. Chia gel can also be used to replace thickeners like gelatine and can be used as a binder in place of egg and breadcrumbs for burgers, meatloaf and meatballs.
Chia eggs
Need to go totally egg free? We’ve got you covered. For each egg you need to replace, simply use one tablespoon of chia (ground or whole) mixed with three tablespoons of water. Allow the chia to form a gel in the water by leaving it to sit for 10mins.
Ready to give it a whirl? Try your new chia baking skills out with these delicious Jaffa Palmiers.
Celery isn’t exactly a newcomer to the health scene. Dipped into hummus, diced into a salad, or smeared with peanut butter (yes please!), this crispy vegetable has been a snack-time favourite of ours since pretty much forever. But recently, the humble celery has taken on a brand new shine as our go-to green juice.
Packed with a long-list of body-loving nutrients, here are some of the key reasons we’re loving celery juice right now:
For hydration
Not only is celery made from 95% water, but it also offers a high electrolyte count that helps cells absorb water more effectively, keeping you hydrated for longer.
For digestion and gut health
Celery has been shown to regulate the production of digestive juices and enzymes, which can lead to a reduction in bloating and better bowel regularity. Celery juice is also soothing and cooling to the digestive tract, which can help reduce inflammation and offer relief for anyone with digestive disorders and inflammatory diseases like IBS or Crohn’s.
For your bones
Containing high levels of calcium and silicon, celery can help to regenerate and strengthen damaged bones. It is also high in Vitamin K, which can protect against osteoporosis.
For your blood and cholesterol
Celery is rich in Vitamin A, C, iron, and magnesium – a powerful and nourishing combination that helps to rebuild red blood cells. Celery also contains a particular compound called coumarins, which promotes the activity of white blood cells and assists with blood flow, reduces blood pressure, and purifies the bloodstream.
Protect against inflammation
A long list of powerful antioxidant phytonutrients, such as polyacetylene and luteolin make celery an anti-inflammatory powerhouse. In particular, luteolin has been shown to help our bodies fight free radical damage, and to inhibit the effects of certain enzymes that activate genes responsible for inflammatory response.
When & How:
We recommend enjoying pure, simple celery juice first thing in the morning. Studies have shown that the digestive benefits of celery juice are heightened when drunk on an empty stomach. So, make celery juice your pre-breakfast beverage and you could be aiding your digestion for the rest of the day.
To drink it, simply blitz celery up and enjoy as is (it has a mild, clean flavour), or add your favourite smoothie ingredients like chia, banana and cacao.
We all know that working out has tonnes of physical benefits, like increasing stamina, building muscle strength, fat burning, revving-up that metabolism, and giving you more energy. But, what you might not know is that there is now heaps of research that suggests that exercise (particularly aerobic) offers a slew of benefits for our brains, too!
Exercise has been linked with improved cognitive function, thanks to a few different ways that it affects the brain. It increases our heart rate which pumps more oxygen to our brain, and it also aids the release of hormones which provide an excellent environment for the growth of new brain cells.
Joyce Gomes-Osman, an assistant professor in physical therapy and neurology at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, put together a study on how much exercise we need to improve cognitive functionality. Her study found that people who exercised about 52 hours over a period of about six months showed the biggest improvements. On average, these people were exercising for about an hour, three times a week. Totally doable, we think!
As well as improving the way our brain works, exercise can also benefit our mood — even acting as a natural antidepressant, according to this Swedish study. The study shows that exercise provides more cell growth in the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for learning and memory. According to the research, the suppression of cell growth in the hippocampus is one of the key underlying causes of depression. So, by stimulating cell growth in this part of the brain, physical activity might, in fact, be a very efficient way to fight depression. Combine this with the release of feel-good hormones and endorphins, and it’s no small wonder why most of us feel a spring in our step after a good workout.
So, just to recap… Working out can lead to:
a bangin’ bod…✓
more smarts…✓
better mood…✓
Do you really need any other reasons to get out there and get moving?!
Mums: aka, real-life superheroes. From day one the wellness of mums is integral to the whole family. But, all too often, mothers end up putting the needs of everyone else before themselves.
To celebrate Mother’s Day this year we want to shine a light on how important quality nutrition is to mums, and to encourage everyone to support the mums we know to make their own wellbeing a top priority.
During Pregnancy
It is so important that woman have high-quality nutrition while they are pregnant. Not only do mums-to-be need to have strong, healthy bodies during those nine long months for their own wellbeing and recovery, but a healthy diet can also have a lasting impact on the little bundle of joy they are creating.
Professor Felice Jacka, director of the Food and Mood Centre in Australia, says that there’s an evidence-based link between the food a mother consumes during pregnancy and the emotional health of their child shown in this groundbreaking study from 2013. What’s more, poor nutrition during pregnancy has been linked to higher chances of obesity and raised cholesterol levels.
Chia seeds can provide an excellent source of nutrients during pregnancy. The rich plant-based omega-3 fats help to facilitate healthy placental blood flow, promoting an efficient exchange of oxygen and nutrients between mother and baby. The high fibre content in chia can also assist in a healthy digestive function. This is really valuable during pregnancy, with a common complaint for many women being sluggish digestion and constipation.
After Delivery
The importance of nutrition for mums doesn’t stop after they give birth, either, especially those who are breastfeeding. Lactation requires a lot of energy and what we choose to eat can greatly affect milk supply. This article lists chia seeds as one of the twelve best foods for breastfeeding mums due to the high fibre and fatty acid concentration.
The omega-3’s in chia also promote heart health and can help build lean muscle mass for overall strength, keeping new mummies full of the energy they need to get through the day (and night!). The antioxidants in chia also offer a great benefit, helping to fight free radicals and promote wellbeing.
While pregnancy and early parenthood can be a challenging time for a lot of mums, one thing that shouldn’t be hard is getting a nutritious, balanced diet. Adding a tablespoon of chia to your diet every day is one of the simplest ways to ensure you’re getting a healthy dose of fibre, fats and plant-based protein. Take a look at our recipes for some inspiration on how to make the essential nutrition of chia a delicious part of your day.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders, affecting one in four Australians at some stage in their life. Anxiety can come in many different forms and can have a significant impact on day-to-day activities for those suffering from it, affecting concentration, sleep and the ability carry out ordinary tasks at work, home or school.
Those who suffer from severe anxiety will usually require professional medical help, and we would never intend to replace the advice of your doctor or psychologist*. But, for mild-to-moderate levels of anxiety, making changes to diet and lifestyle can make a real difference. Just like there are foods that harm or help our bodies, there are foods that harm or help our mental health.
Dark Chocolate:
The mood-boosting effects of chocolate have been touted for quite some time, but more recent research has shown a particular link between dark chocolate and anxiety. And here’s why:
- Polyphenols
A 2013 study in the Journal of Pharmacology showed that a special compound found in cocoa called polyphenols can positively affect anxiety and enhance calmness. - Serotonin
Low serotonin is one of the leading causes (and outcomes) of anxiety. Dark chocolate provides large amounts of Tryptophan, an amino acid that also works as a precursor to serotonin. So, it’s possible that by ingesting more dark chocolate, you’re improving your serotonin levels. - Mood Elevation
Another ingredient in chocolate is theobromine — an ingredient that studies have shown can have a positive, mood elevating effect on those that ingest it. - Magnesium
Dark chocolate also contains high amounts of magnesium. Studies are starting to show that magnesium may be one of the few nutrients that has a noticeable effect on anxiety. People often take magnesium supplements, but getting your magnesium through food is considered a much healthier overall option.
Darker the better
It’s important to note that these benefits are only found in dark chocolate. Milk chocolate has almost no nutritional value, contains very little of those all-important nutrients mentioned above, and contains high levels of sugar that can actually lead to worse feelings of anxiety!
The closer you get to pure dark cocoa (preferably sugar-free) the more benefit you will see. We know that dark chocolate can be bitter, so try starting with a percentage of around 75% cocoa while your tastebuds adjust. We love Loving Earth’s Organic Dark Chocolate and 85% Dark Chocolate blocks.
Other diet tips to improve anxiety:
- Drink more water. Many studies have found that dehydration affects up to 25% of those with persistent stress, and dehydration is known to cause more anxiety.
- Look for foods rich in magnesium, vitamin B12 (and other B vitamins), zinc, and antioxidants
- Avoid eating foods that contribute to anxiety, such as fried foods, high glycemic carbs, refined sugars, and alcoholic beverages.
Each year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chooses a topic of particular importance to focus their efforts on for World Health Day: an international communication campaign designed to raise awareness and encourage change in our global approach to health.
The focus for this year’s World Health Day, on 7 April 2019, is universal health coverage.
Universal health coverage is WHO’s number one goal. Achieving it would mean all people having access to the quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship.
Progress towards this goal is being made in countries in all regions of the world. But, millions of people still have no access at all to health care. Millions more are forced to choose between health care and other daily expenses such as food, clothing and even a home. About 100 million people are pushed into extreme poverty each year because of out-of-pocket spending on health.
At The Chia Co, we believe that health is a human right — and it’s time for health for all.
To make health for all a reality, we need to ensure that all individuals and communities have access to high-quality health services so that they take care of their own health and the health of their families. But what does this really mean? It means supporting skilled health workers in our own communities, and better enabling them to provide quality, people-centred care. It also means encouraging our policy-makers to commit to investing in primary health care. Health is a political choice, and we need to make sure it is considered in all government policies.
Learn more about World Health Day and how you can get involved.
If you’re anything like us, those precious extra minutes of snoozing in the morning seem like no brainer! And how is it that you are never more comfortable than when that alarm goes off?!
Studies show that snoozing before we get up for the day is pretty standard practice, with more than half of people ages 25-34 hitting snooze daily. Unfortunately, hitting that snooze button might be leaving you more tired than you think.
If you snooze, you lose
Leaders in this science say we go through sleep cycles that last around 45 minutes and if you’re snoozing for additional periods of just nine or ten minutes at a time, you will never get back into any meaningful rest. This REM sleep is really important for our brains to properly rest and form new memories. Not getting this quality sleep can have consequences to our physical and mental health.
What’s more, recent research has shown that hitting the snooze button can extend the period of grogginess —called sleep inertia — we feel upon first waking. If you are woken towards the end of your sleep cycle, like when your alarm first goes off in the morning, your sleep inertia tends to last for up to 30 minutes as your brain adjusts to the waking-up process. But, when you hit the snooze button and go back to sleep, the next time you are woken by your alarm (usually just nine minutes later!) you are only at the start of a sleep cycle. And being jolted awake at this time can cause sleep inertia and grogginess that can last for up to four hours.
Want to become a morning person? Here are our top tips to making getting out of bed that little bit easier:
Get to bed earlier
Experts recommend all adults should be getting between 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Getting enough sleep will not only replenish your energy levels and set you up for a productive day ahead, but it can also help manage your hunger levels, maintain your immune systems and retain memory.
Don’t use your phone as your alarm
Ideally, we’d all wake up naturally every morning. But, let’s face it: most of us don’t have that luxury. Using your phone as an alarm clock usually means it’s next to you as you sleep, potentially buzzing or lighting up as notifications happen throughout the night, and interrupting your sleep. Sleeping with your phone next to you also lead to the temptation to keep looking at your phone in bed, which can make it harder to nod off. So, keep the phone out of the bedroom and instead use a clock alarm. Even better, placing it on the other side of your room will force you to get up and out of bed to turn it off, making it much easier to resist that snooze button!
Get outside
Going outside in the morning sun and getting that first breath of morning air is an invigorating, energizing way to wake up. Exposure to natural daylight first-thing can have a huge impact on your levels of serotonin and cortisol, leading to a better-regulated body clock, better quality sleep at night, and improved mood. So, take your morning coffee (or lemon water) out onto your porch for a few mins of early morning light. Or, if you’re feeling particularly energetic, use this period to get out for an early morning walk or run!
In moderation, meat is a great source of protein and nutrients. However, the downside is that most of us are eating much too much meat and dairy. This takes a nasty toll on our digestive and cardiovascular health, as well as our land, oceans and climate.
Launched by Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney in 2009, Meat Free Monday is a not-for-profit campaign which aims to raise awareness of the detrimental environmental impact of eating meat and to encourage people to help slow climate change, conserve precious natural resources and improve their health by having at least one meat-free day each week.
Going meat-free for just one day a week is an easy way to make a sizeable reduction in your annual meat consumption. Need a little push? Here are three key reasons why you should pledge to go meat-free on Mondays:
- For the environment
You’ve heard it before, but we’ll say it again: meat production is a leading cause of climate change, water depletion, soil erosion and most other environmental problems. By choosing to eat our vegetables and grains directly, instead of using them to feed the animals we eat, uses far less land and water. This is one of the main reasons that the UN has said that a global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from the worst effects of climate change. - For more nutrients
On the one day you don’t eat meat, you’ll most likely be including higher amounts of other foods into your diet, like vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. This means you’ll be giving your body a once-per-week boost of a wide range of nutrients, minerals and fibres you might not be getting otherwise. - For your heart health
We’ve long been told that diets high in red meat are linked to cardiovascular health. Now, new research is uncovering even more ways that red meat can increase our risk of heart disease, including heart attack and stroke — and it’s not just about fats and cholesterol. The Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute has established that bacteria in the gut is also a key player in red meat’s effect on heart disease risk. So, do your heart a favour and reduce your red meat consumption today.
The best news is that eating clean and green has never been easier or more delicious! Here are just a few of our favourite meat-free meals:
- Broccoli Soup with Hazelnuts
- Mushrooms on Toast with Spinach
- Roasted Winter Vege Salad
- Grain-free Chia Buckwheat Pizza
- Bitter Orange Chia Cake
Most parents will already know how important it is to limit screen time for kids. But have you ever stopped to think about what implications all that scrolling, clicking and watching might be having on your own health?
From work to socialising, and from phones to laptops to tablets, we rely on our devices for almost every aspect of our lives. The average Aussie adult spends 46 hours per week looking at a screen and checks their phone every ten minutes.
Too much screen time can contribute to a range of psychological and physiological problems. Rates of depression and anxiety in young people globally have risen by more than 70% in the past 25 years, while Dr Richelle Mayshak from Deakin’s School of Psychology believes the use of social media sites like Facebook and Instagram may be associated with feelings of inadequacy or reduced self-esteem.
What’s more, looking at a screen for extended periods of time can cause strained, dry eyes, blurred vision, and headaches. Studies have also linked heavy computer and smartphone use to increased sleeping issues, with the blue light from digital devices shown to suppress our melatonin: an important sleep-promoting hormone.
Switching off
Now, don’t get us wrong – we love technology! It makes our lives so much easier and has enabled us to connect with each other in a myriad of new ways. But, in the same way that we might limit our enjoyable-but-unhealthy food and beverage habits, it is important to take a mindful approach to the amounts of time we spend swiping and scrolling.
Switching off altogether is unrealistic (and unnecessary) for most of us. Finding your balance can be as simple as setting some boundaries and establishing more ‘screen-free’ hours into your day-to-day. Here’s a few ways to incorporate more time away from screens:
- Make your bedroom a phone-free zone
Here, you should be focusing on calm and relaxation, spending quality time with loved ones, and getting 8+ hours of restorative sleep. But for many of us, smartphone and tablets play an all-too-prominent role in this space. According to a 2018 Deloitte survey, 11% of Australians check their mobile phones immediately when they wake up, 12% do the same before they go to bed, and a shocking 30% of Australians check their mobile phone in the middle of the night. Give your brain the break it deserves and leave your phone out of the bedroom, you’ll be amazed at how better you sleep - Take a screen-free lunch break
By the middle of the day, chances are you’ve already spent a solid three or four hours glued to a screen. Lunchtime is a great opportunity to give your eyes and brain a break by closing your laptop and switch your phone off. Instead, use this time to take a walk outside, catch up with a friend (in real life!), and eat your lunch while reading a book under a tree. - Digital detox weekend
Patchy network coverage used to mean that country weekends were typically screen-free, whether we liked it or not! But nowadays, you might need to be a little more deliberate about switching off that phone or leaving that laptop at home for a few days. A whole weekend off-the-grid might seem like a lot to begin with, but trust us, you’ll likely get used to it within a few hours and find yourself really enjoying the experience. Connecting with the world around us, and focusing on the ‘now’ is a lot easier when you’re not plugged into social media feeds. The best part is, you’ll return from your weekend away refreshed, recharged and with plenty of photos to upload.
Here we go again: Another year, another viral workout trend taking over your Instagram feed! From the first jogging craze to the 80s aerobics buzz, fitness has always been dominated by fads. But, while most of the weird, wild, and wonderful workouts don’t stick around longer than a few ‘refreshes’ on your content reel (we’re looking at you, goat yoga!) some bigger-picture trends do have an ongoing impact on the workout world.
Here are just a few of the top trends predicted to impact the way we sweat in 2019:
1. Shorter workouts
Um, yes, please. With the daily advances in scientific understanding around how our muscles and bodies respond to exercise, experts are predicting that our workouts are going to become even more focused on bang-for-buck. Different forms of exercise, short burst “sprints,” shorter HIIT classes, and quick functional sessions are likely to have us working harder — but for just 15mins, rather than those hour-long gym slogs.
2. Work and working out will merge
As the line gets ever blurry between work-and-life, we are likely to see the merging of workspaces with workout spaces. Think advanced gym studios taking residence within corporate office buildings, so suits can get their sweat on between meetings. Similarly, fitness studios might begin adding more areas where people can hop on their laptops and work, post-workout. Sound like you? Check out spacely’s list of Top Co-Working Spaces for Fitness Fanatics.
3. HIIT with a twist
HIIT itself might not be anything particularly new, but what we will continue to see this year is a rise in the HIIT hybrid classes. Think fusions between HIIT with traditionally slower, strength and stretch based workouts like yoga, pilates and dance, which are just a few of the 32 classes on offer at new fusion studio, Total Fusion.
4. Sports brands and team workouts
From model workouts, to training alongside your favourite athletes on the Nike Training Club app, the crossover between celebrity and fitness fads is here to stay! This year, we’re likely to see a rise in brands and sports teams collaborating with fitness facilities to bring workouts to their fan base — like the Dallas Cowboys-branded gym in Texas, and the Spartan gym in Miami
5. Mental health more important to fitness than ever
The past year saw mindful running take the world by storm, with Headspace and Nike teaming up to create their now famous guided runs. Meditating is no longer just for yogis; as we begin to learn more about the connection between our mental and physical wellbeing, you can expect to see even more meditation-based workouts hitting the mainstream.
The summer holiday season has arrived, and many of us can’t wait to pack up and head off in search of adventure, from the nearby coastline to inter-state breaks, and beyond.
This is a great time to reset and recharge your batteries – however, being out of our regular routines and environments can wreak a little havoc on our usual healthy habits. So, we’ve enlisted the help of leading London nutritionist Lily Soutter to share her top tips that will help you make the most of your summer travel, without falling completely off the wellness wagon.
Don’t forget high-quality snacks
Let’s face it, travelling can be exhausting. Early morning flights and broken sleep on a plane can leave us feeling groggy and craving quick-fix foods. In fact, research has shown that when we have less than 7-8 hours of sleep, our appetite stimulant hormone (ghrelin) increases and our appetite suppressant hormone (leptin) decreases.
What’s more, research has shown that we tend to consume 330 more calories when sleep deprived and are 30-40% more likely to choose quick-fix sweet foods, white refined carbohydrates, and salty snacks. (Ref. 1)
This physiological response to a lack of sleep primes us to grab any quick-fix foods that we otherwise may have forgone. Preparing blood sugar snacks ahead of time is key to keeping hunger at bay and energy levels stable. Think fibre and protein-rich snack bars like these Chia Oat Bliss Balls for a healthier sweet fix, or try nuts, seeds, yoghurt and even fresh fruit.
Do your research
When travelling, regular mealtimes often go out the window, leaving us open to grabbing whatever we can find. Researching local supermarkets ahead of time means that you can pick up bottled water and healthy snacks ready for the days ahead.
Look for yoghurt pots, hummus, crudités, fresh fruit, wholegrain crackers, seeds, and nuts.
Use your hotel fridge wisely
Once you’ve picked up your healthy snacks, you can then store them in your hotel mini bar. This can be a great deterrent from the other high salt and sugar ladened options often found in minibars.
Love your hotel breakfast
Most of us have heard the saying ‘eat breakfast like a king’, yet one-third of us regularly miss breakfast. Research has shown that breakfast eaters tend to have more balanced diets, are less likely to be overweight and lose weight more successfully if overweight.
Breakfast may also help to reduce unnecessary snacking as well as improve mental performance, concentration, and mood.
Hotel buffets are great for a ‘DIY’ breakfasts. Try:
- Eggs, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and wholegrain toast
- Porridge
- Yoghurt with fresh fruit and seeds
Eating out
Travel usually means a rapid change in diet. Our normal routine stops and some may not touch anything green for days. Food is there for enjoyment as much as it’s needed for nourishment, and while it’s vital to have a good time on holiday, for some too much eating out can take a toll on their waistline, digestion, and even energy.
At restaurants:
- Try asking for an extra portion of vegetables
- Swap heavy sauces for olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice
- Swap rich desserts for sorbets and fresh fruit
Bring your own fibre
While eating out is fun, restaurants rarely serve enough fibre-rich foods such as wholegrains and vegetables, which can leave us with sluggish digestion. Fibre is essential for regular bowel movements and satiety.
By packing easy to transport fibre-rich chia seeds with you, you should have peace of mind that your digestion is unlikely to suffer. Just two Chia Shots contain as much as 6g fibre and will make a tasty snack and nutritious addition to your morning breakfast.
Consider taking probiotics
It’s not only the lack of fibre which can be bothersome to digestion. Depending on the country, traveller’s diarrhoea may affect as many as 5-50% and can put a huge damper on any trip. Interestingly there is more and more research to suggest that taking probiotics during the trip may be a safe and effective preventative tool. (Ref. 2)
Get inventive with herbal teas
If you struggle with jet lag, caffeine may seem like your best friend. The problem is that excess caffeine can delay the production of melatonin (Ref. 3), a key hormone involved with the sleep-wake cycle.
Instead, try green tea which has a lower caffeine content, yet is rich L-theanine, which is thought to help produce feelings of relaxed alertness and clarity. And if you struggle with sleep, try some lavender or chamomile tea which has been researched for their calming and sleep-inducing properties.
Alcohol
Cocktails are often associated with travel, but too many of these and you may find yourself over-consuming sugar and calories.
- For a low calorie and low sugar drink, try vodka or gin with soda water and a squeeze of lemon or lime
- Make spritzers
- Alternate each drink with a non-alcoholic beverage
Bring your trainers
While lying on the beach for weeks is seriously appealing, this sedentary lifestyle can leave us feeling sluggish and lethargic. Skip the taxi, bring your trainers and go explore! You’ll reach your 10, 000 steps whilst saving money and taking in the sites.
REFERENCES
- Burke TM, Markwald RR, McHill AW, et al. Effects of caffeine on the human circadian clock in vivo and in vitro. Science translational medicine. 2015;7(305):305ra146. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aac5125.
- McFarland, L. V. (2006). Meta-analysis of probiotics for the prevention of traveler’s diarrhea. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease, 5 (2), 97-105.
- Spiegel, K., Tasali, E., Penev, P. & Cauter, E. V. (2004). Brief Communication: Sleep Curtailment in Healthy Young Men Is Associated with Decreased Leptin Levels, Elevated Ghrelin Levels, and Increased Hunger and Appetite. Annals of Internal Medicine, 141 (11), 846.
Swimming, sunning, backyard BBQs and pool parties… if you’re anything like us, these gorgeous summer days will have you making the most of every opportunity to be outdoors! While it feels great to be frolicking in all this sunlight and swimming at every chance we get (hello, Vitamin D!), it’s often not till the end of the season that we realise how tortured our poor tresses have been! Chlorine from pools, salt water, humidity and even the sun itself can leech moisture and vital nutrients from hair, leaving you with dried out, frizzy lengths and broken ends.
Luckily, help might be closer than you think. Many of your favourite delicious fridge and pantry items also offer powerful benefits as rescue treatments for your hair. So, before you run out and spend a small fortune on fancy-brand products, why not try some of these great home remedies?
PROTECT: SPF hair spray
We all know how important sunscreen is for our skin, but we usually forget that our hair takes a beating from those harmful UVA/UVB too. Help protect your hair before it gets damaged by spritzing it with an SPF treatment. The best part? No need to shell out for an expensive salon product – it’s easy to make your own!
You’ll need:
- Two teaspoons of SPF 25 sunscreen
- 1 cup of water
- 3 or 4 drops of rosemary oil
Add the ingredients into a spray bottle, and shake well to mix together. Spritz into your hair before going into the sun or pool — while the SPF fights those harmful sun rays, the rosemary oil will encourage hair growth and strengthen your hair. Hot tip: rinsing your hair with apple cider vinegar, or adding a little baking soda to your shampoo, is a great way to get rid of any excess buildup.
TREAT: Avocado and olive oil mask
Nourish dehydrated strands with this rich, luxurious at home hair treatment. Avocado and honey will help rebuild the keratin protein bonds that get damaged by the sun, while lemon juice and olive oil moisturise your hair, leaving it silky and tangle-free.
You’ll need:
- 1 avocado
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- few drops of lemon juice
Mix the ingredients together in a bowl until you have a smooth, even, lump-free texture. Using your hands, coat your hair (wet or dry is fine!) from root to tip with the mixture, and massage through to ensure an even covering. Leave for 20mins, and then wash it out using shampoo and conditioner as normal.
SMOOTH: Leave-in moisture
Keep your hair frizz-free and moisturised throughout the day with a leave-in, smoothing hydration spray. This easy recipe combines the soothing and nourishing properties of aloe vera, which helps to restore moisture and fight humidity, with argan oil, which offers powerful de-frizz power and hydration without making your hair greasy.
You’ll need:
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons aloe vera juice
- 1 teaspoon argan oil
- 1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
Mix all the ingredients together in a large measuring cup, and pour into spray bottle. Spritz your hair with this leave-in treatment and comb through after washing. You can also use it anytime throughout the day that you notice strands getting a little dry and frizzy.
If you’d asked us a year ago, we would have told you more is always more when it comes to SPFs. You can never be too protected from those harmful UVA and UVB rays! But, recent research has revealed a very frightening truth: some of the chemicals used in sunscreens have been wreaking havoc on our ocean habitat and marine life.
According to the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, the main ingredient in sunscreens called oxybenzone is damaging coral reefs. When exposed to oxybenzone, coral larvae becomes deformed and unable to spread through ocean currents. The chemical also reduces coral’s defence against bleaching – which is a primary killer of reefs worldwide. In 2002, it was estimated that coral bleaching had affected more than 60 percent of the Great Barrier Reef, while a staggering 90 percent of the reefs in the Caribbean are estimated to have disappeared since 1980.
A few months ago, Hawaii became the first US State to ban two common sunscreen chemicals: oxybenzone and octinoxate, while several resorts in The Caribbean and Mexico have had bans in place for a while.
So, what can you do to keep yourself safe from damaging sun rays, without damaging our planet?
First and foremost: try to avoid oxybenzone (the most common compound found in some 3,500 sunscreens worldwide) and octinoxate (which is even more toxic than oxybenzone, but usually found in lower concentrations).
Thankfully, the options for environmentally-friendly sunscreen are growing every day. Look for rub-in sunscreens (not spray) with active ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium oxide, both of which are biodegradable. We’ve listed a few of our favourite harm-free sunscreens below.
It’s also important to remember that sun protection is about more than sunscreen. Cover up with UV protective clothing, rash guards, and hats to reduce the amount of sunscreen you need to apply.
Marine friendly natural sunscreens:
Surf Lifesaving Marine Friendly SPF 50+
This broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen contains no oxybenzone, is fish and algae safe, and comes in a recyclable aluminium can.
Coral Safe Biodegradable Sunscreen SPF 30
The name says it all! This sunscreen uses a 100% all-natural formula, is totally coral safe and non-allergenic
Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen SPF 30
Dermatologist formulated to protect sensitive skin from damaging sun rays, this mineral-based sunscreen formula SPF 30+ protection that’s water resistant for 40 minutes without parabens, fragrances or skin-irritating chemicals.
Badger SPF 35 Unscented Sunscreen Cream
This popular (and affordable!) sunscreen is free from all the nasties and contains moisturizing ingredients like sunflower oil, beeswax, seabuckthorn, and Vitamin E.
Happy New Year!
While the clock ticking over from one year to the next is really more symbolic than anything else, the New Year period does usually give us a little more breathing space for self-reflection. Time away from work and the break from our regular day-to-day routines offers a valuable pause from the usual rinse-and-repeat model of busy modern life. Instead, we’re spending time with people we love, catching up with friends and family, and reconnecting with ourselves. This is the perfect time to set some clear intentions — an opportunity to take stock and think about what things we would like to continue, adjust or implement for the year ahead. What are you most proud of in 2018? What lessons have you learnt? What would you like to let go of? And what would you most like to achieve in 2019?
Need a little inspiration? Here are three great wellness resolutions we’ll be implementing in 2019.
Daily mindfulness
Rather than waiting for a stressful period to arise and using mindfulness techniques as a solution, this year we’d like to get on the front foot and implement a daily practice. Mindfulness meditation has been linked to a number of proven health benefits, like lower stress, increased focus levels, improved sleep, protection against depression, and can even help you maintain a healthy weight. Mindfulness is a practice of paying attention to the here and now. It is not attached to any particular spiritual belief, nor does it require any special equipment — all you need is a quiet space to observe your breathing, and to let the whirl of your thoughts pass by without judgment. There are plenty of great podcasts, apps and audio tracks you can listen to for guided mindfulness meditation, like the headspace app.
Ditch the plastic
Plastic is so passe. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’re probably already pretty aware of how important it is that we reduce our consumption of plastics. In 2019, we’re committed to making the switch away from single-use plastics in our day-to-day. Here are a few of the changes we’ll be making:
- Reusable coffee cups.
Thanks to a plastic lining, those disposable coffee cups take up to 30 years to decompose. Instead, we’re going to invest in a quality reusable coffee cup like this little beauty from our friends at Fressko - Eco food wraps.
We’re going to replace our plastic cling wrap at home with a reusable eco food wrap, like these great beeswax or cotton options from eco food wraps - Shopping bags.
As supermarkets phase out those gross plastic grocery bags, it’s time we get a little smarter with carry options. We love the Baggu reusable grocery bags because they’re super compact and light enough to always carry in your handbag for whenever you need them. - Better packaging.
As a producer of consumable food products, we take our environmental responsibility very seriously. While we are proud of our sustainable farming practices, and of our fully recyclable Chia PodⓇ cups and spoons, our goal for 2019 is to find a more environmentally friendly packaging solution for our chia seed range. Stay tuned!
Sleep more
As the work pressures begin to mount, and our daily to-do lists stretch ever longer, we can all be guilty of sacrificing an hour or two’s sleep to stay up late and get those last few things done. But, the sleep you skip now could be making a serious impact on your productivity and performance tomorrow! Research shows that regular, good quality sleep is important to keep our brains functioning, for our emotional and physical wellbeing, and for optimum daytime performance. This year, we’ll be setting clear boundaries with our nighttime commitments and making sure we’re prioritising our sleep, aiming for at least 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.
One of our favourite Melbourne-based food bloggers and Instagrammers, Kitch Catterall (aka @soybabie_) is helping us get the New Year off to a healthier start by sharing her favourite plant-based cafes and eateries in Melbourne. And, she’s thrown in a few of her forever-faves from her hometown of Perth, too! For more delicious inspiration for vegan and plant-based living, check out @soybabie on Instagram.
Melbourne is well-known across Australia as being a vegan hot spot, with a number of amazing exclusively-vegan restaurants on offer. Narrowing down a ‘best-of-the-best’ list is incredibly hard, so make sure to follow me on Instagram to see more of my favourites. Here are just a few of my must-tries:
Shoku Iku
High Street, Northcote
From the plant studded, open space café front with beautiful mismatched wooden seating, to the beautifully crafted menu, this place is a tranquil, healthy haven. I love that the menu offers optional superfoods and herbal medicines that can be added to meals and drinks. They also have a fridge full of delicious, house-made raw vegan cakes that feature interesting twists such as raw pannacotta. Shoku Iku is situated almost directly opposite Terra Madre, an amazing health food mecca that is 100% worth a visit.
Shanklin
Hawthorn
Shanklin has one of the most lovely team of staff I’ve ever come across. I received a big warm welcome upon entering, and the wait staff were so attentive and I didn’t even have to make eye contact with them to try and urge them to take my order. As for the food, Shanklin offers a great menu with a lovely mix of both uber healthy bowls, salads and toasts, and some more decadent meals for those who feel like a treat. They also have fresh juices, smoothies, great coffee and some superfood lattes as well.
Union Kiosk
CBD
This humble little hole-in-the-wall has been a staple for me between work and Uni — you can’t beat a vegan jaffle for under $10! Union Kiosk has recently transitioned from being vegan-friendly to 100% vegan, with a great menu of both savoury and sweet jaffles, including a Vego Bar jaffle! The staff are always so kind and happy to have a chat. They also have a little selection of changing vegan cakes such as vegan lamingtons, brownies and cookies. The couple who own Union Kiosk are lovely, down to earth and radiate happy energy with an ethos that focuses on making wholesome, comfort food and sending out good vibes.
Mary Miller Café
Fitzroy North
One of my absolute favourites! Tucked away in the middle of a beautiful residential street in Fitzroy North, Mary Miller has a cozy yet bright and airy décor, with plants hanging from every corner. The service is always great with a menu that changes with the seasons. My favourite dish is the vegan pop chicken burger, which is so realistic that I had to keep asking my meat-eating friend to confirm it was indeed faux chicken! All the food is fresh with a great balance of wholefood nutrients and a touch of indulgence. Mary Miller also supports a mix of small local suppliers, from the Husk cups made from coffee grounds, to their superfood latte blends.
Tonic & Grace
Malvern
Located in Melbourne’s south side, Tonic & Grace is a lovely, light and airy café with a beautiful and unique menu. Offering a departure from the all-too-familiar, Tonic & Grace take what you’d perhaps expect to see on menus elsewhere and reinvent it with their own twist. My favourite meal here is the vegan chocolate pancakes, with coconut cream, fresh fruits, coconut and edible flowers to decorate. However, everything we have tried here has been delicious. Highly recommend!
Smith & Deli
Fitzroy
A crowd favourite and renowned vegan destination, Smith & Deli is the around-the-corner lunchtime extension of Brunswick Street’s celebrated vegan restaurant, Smith & Daughters. The deli is as exactly what you would hope for from a vegan reinvention of the classic sandwich deli: specialising in comfort food and classic combinations using mock meats and tofu supplemented for eggs. They also sell a great variety of vegan produce to take home such as ice creams, cheeses, frozen meals, snacks and sauces. I’d absolutely recommend it for both vegan and none vegans alike, as it is such a pinnacle in Melbourne.
Sardi Café
Hawthorn
Another great spot in Hawthorn, this quaint little cafe is easily accessed on the 48 tram from the City. My absolute favourite thing on the menu is their Vegan and Gluten Free Oreo waffle. The dish does include Oreo cookies (which contain palm oil), so not something everyone will be comfortable with. However, if you are willing to let that go and indulge in some incredible waffles that don’t otherwise contain animal products, then these are a must. They’re super crispy and soft in the middle, dripping in a delicious berry compote and loads of other yummy goodies like frozen coconut yoghurt. Sardi also offers great smoothies, coffee and plenty of other vegan options for sweet and savoury lovers alike!
And lastly, a little shout out to my original home of Perth for still having some AMAZING vegan eats available, too. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten at these places so I won’t list any specific dishes but if you’re in Perth, or visiting, and looking for great vegan fare, try one of these spots:
- Roho Bure: Vegan ice cream in Fremantle. Absolutely amazing!
- Flora & Fauna: Vegan café in Northbridge, homemade cakes and wholesome café food
- Little Bird Café: Northbridge café with a great variety of vegan options and vegan cakes
- Varsity Burgers: Chain restaurant with locations all over WA. This American-style burger and football joint has vegan options for every category on the menu like pizzas, hot dogs, loaded fries and burgers, so you can enjoy binge eating session alongside your non-vegan friends
- Raw Kitchen: located in Fremantle, Raw Kitchen is a definite a must-dine. It is a beautiful warehouse space dedicated to food as medicine, with an amazing eco shop at the front for all of your waste-free essentials. The food is cooked by vegan speciality chefs and is definitely some of the best plant-based, whole food vegan eats I’ve ever had. It’s a little more on the pricey side, but is worth every penny — great for birthdays or special occasions.
We believe that when it comes to living your fullest, happiest and most healthy life, balance is everything. And that means that we fully support your right to let your hair down and have fun with food, rather than sticking to rigid rules and dietary restrictions day-after-day. Over the holidays it is super important that you give yourself permission to enjoy eating with your family and friends — nobody likes the Christmas calorie grinch!
Thankfully, it’s easy to have the best of both worlds. Healthy recipes have come a long way in the past few years and there is a world of options for creating healthy-ish treats that are as delicious as you deserve them to be.
Whether filling your own Christmas table or bringing a plate to someone else’s celebration, here are a few of our favourite festive recipes that are the right balance of naughty and nice:
Chewy Chia Museli Bars
These little bite-sized beauties are great to store in the fridge for whenever you need a snack, but also make a great little gift wrapped in kitchen paper and tied with a bow!
How to >
Mini Chocolate Tarts
No allergens? No problem! These delicious little chocolate tarts are vegan and gluten-free — the perfect sweet treat for everyone these holidays.
How to >
Labneh Dip with Crudites
Skip the store-bought hummus and impress your loved ones with this homemade labneh! Use it as a dip for your favourite veggie sticks, as a spread on sandwiches, or a dressing for salads.
How to >
From parties to picnics and beach holidays, there’s a lot of fun to be had at this time of year. There’s also a lot of great excuses to skip that work-out you usually wouldn’t dream of missing! Late nights, hectic holiday schedules, and the break in regular daily routines can make sticking to your healthy habits nearly impossible. But, it’s precisely at this busy time that keeping up your exercise and prioritising your health can be so important. Not only does exercise help your body combat the ill-effects of all those Christmas indulgences, but it also offers great stress relieving and mental health benefits.
Thankfully, you don’t have to be sweating it out at the gym for hours each day to get the benefits. Just 20-30mins of exercise each day is all it takes to relieve stress, keep those happy endorphins pumping, and avoid the post-holiday blues.
Reduced holiday hours at your gym or being away from home is no excuse – try a brisk walk or run, or download a yoga program you can take to the beach for an early morning stretch-sesh. Indoors more your thing? Try our easy 30min no-equipment workout below, perfect for getting your blood pumping in the privacy of your own home (or holiday home!)
Warm Up: five mins
Make sure to prepare your body by getting your heart pumping and muscles warmed up. Try jogging (or dancing!) on the spot for a minute, before focusing on loosening your joints. Circle your arms to loosen shoulders, stretch your hips by shifting your weight side-to-side, and rotate your head to stretch out your neck. Stand on one foot and then the other while circling your raised foot to warm-up those ankles, and finish with a few slow stretches down to your toes to loosen your lower back.
Home Workout Circuit: 20min (three to four sets, depending on your pace).
Complete the following circuit at your own pace, trying to rest only at the end (rather than between each move). Grab whatever household items you can find and use them as hand weights — like a shampoo bottle, tin of tomatoes, or milk bottle.
- 20 bodyweight squats
Stand feet just outside your shoulders with toes turned slightly outwards. Bend your knees and lower your body, keeping knees tracking over your toes, chest up and out, and your butt pushing out behind you. Breathe in as you lower, and out as you push back up to your starting position. - 10 push ups
Do your push-ups on your toes, on your knees, or a bit of both – whatever works for you! - 20 walking lunges – 10 each leg
Use bodyweight, or grab a weight for each hand. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands on your hips. Step forward with one leg, bending through the knees and descending until your rear knee nearly touches the ground. Your posture should remain upright, and your front knee should stay above the front foot. Drive through the heel of your lead foot and straightened up through your legs to raise yourself back up. Then, step forward with your rear foot and repeat the lunge on the opposite leg. - 10 dumbbell rows
Taking your hand weights, start with your feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Bend through your hips and knees and lower your torso to about 90 degrees to the floor, keeping your back straight and eye-line straight ahead. Let the weights hang at arm’s length from your shoulders. Pull your shoulders down and back and hold for a few seconds. Then, pull the weights up to the sides of your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades up and inwards toward your spine. Pause and hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position. - 30 jumping jacks
An oldie but a goodie! Take these at your own pace but try to keep at continuous motion, rather than pausing between each movement. - plank
Do your plank on your elbows and stretched out to your toes, or drop to your knees if you need to build your strength. Start with 15 seconds at a time, and increase to 30 seconds and up to a minute when you can.
Stretches: five mins
Finish with five minutes of gentle stretching to lengthen your muscles and let your body cool down.
This time of year is a whirlwind of gift-giving, family vacations, holiday parties, and activities galore. And, if you have kids, there’s the added pressure of keeping the little ones entertained for six long weeks of school holidays stretching before you.
While this season will no doubt bring plenty of positive feelings of love, warmth, and cheer, it can also bring increased levels of stress and anxiety for many of us. Excitement and stress are actually pretty closely linked, and some amounts of stress can be good for us (researchers call this positive type of stress “eustress”). But, too much stress can have a very negative impact on our mental and physical health.
Luckily, holiday stress is fairly predictable. Unlike most other types of negative stress that we encounter in life, we tend to know when this crazy period will start and end, and by making an effort to get out in front of it, we can put in place strategies to minimize it.
Eating and drinking:
‘Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry! Unfortunately, there can absolutely be too much of a good thing. The break from our regular routines, plus the daily temptations of rich foods and alcohol on offer at parties, can quickly result in overeating and skipped workouts, leaving us feeling sluggish and less-than-our-best. This year, plan ahead by being aware of your triggers and practice mindful eating and drinking to keep the indulgences to a healthy level. Be sure to keep healthy snacks on hand at all times so you’re not arriving at parties hungry, and increase your water intake alongside your alcohol consumption to keep hangovers to a minimum.
Set your priorities:
Remember, we cannot do everything. And we cannot please everyone. There can be a huge amount of pressure from friends and family at this time of year, and it can be easy to spend the holiday season in a frenzied blur of cooking, baking, shopping, and seeing relatives. This year, before you say “yes” to everything, take time to think about what it is that is really most important to you. Set clear priorities and don’t be afraid of turning down an invitation if you have to. Set a limit for the number of parties you will attend or how many times you will host people in your home. Decide who it is that you really want to spend your time with this Chrismas and if you need to set boundaries with your extended family, do so. You deserve to be able to enjoy a special and joyous time of year, without being totally drained.
Prepare a budget:
There are an endless amount of expenses this time of year. From maxing out credit cards to falling behind on bills and overspending on gifts, stretched finances over Christmas and the New Year can be a huge contributing factor to feelings of stress. This is where taking a mindful approach to money can really help. Before the Christmas madness sets in, take some time to map out your likely expenses over the holiday period. Work out what you can realistically afford to spend, and set a budget with allocation for each element – from dinners out, to gifts, to holiday groceries. Budgeting might seem like a less-fun way to approach the holidays, but it will allow you to take control over your spending and make a significant reduction in your stress.
Breathe!
Take some time each day to clear your mind and find your balance. Being alone for even just a small amount of time can allow us the space to recharge and reflect. Try to spend at least 15 minutes alone each day doing something you enjoy — whether it’s yoga, listening to relaxing music, taking a bath, or even getting a massage — taking a little you-time can work wonders in reducing holiday stress. Breathing meditation is a great way to restore calm and balance. Find a quiet spot to sit for ten minutes and focus on slow, steady breaths, while visualizing that you are breathing out the stress, and breathing in the serenity.
This insightful post is by our guest contributor, Sara Jackson. Sara is a Registered Nutritional Therapist and Naturopath who embraces a balanced Functional Medicine approach to support her clients’ health. Learn more about Sara and her approach to meaningful nutrition and healthier living.
We’ve all heard the mantras: you are what you eat, eat to nourish you, mindful eating, intuitive eating, clean food, dirty food, let food be thy medicine…you get the drift. And while I agree with a lot of the headlines that have helped get debates about positive nutrition back on the table, I believe that nutrition is nuanced, complex and very individual. Educating people about proper, balanced nutrition is now my life’s passion and work.
I want you to stop and actually think about how food affects you. How it affects your mind, body and soul and what part it plays into how you feel as a human being in your life at this very moment — both the good, and the bad bits. Forget about all the rules, fads and fiction and just think about your body for a moment.
I know firsthand the effects that positive and poor nutrition can have on our bodies. This time about seven years ago, I was facing a diagnosis of stage 2 cervical cancer that came totally out of the blue. In hindsight, I can see the link between developing cancer and my long hours in a stressful job, very haphazard diet, and generally just not really prioritising my health in any meaningful way. These factors compromised my immunity and made me more susceptible to the HPV virus, which most of us live with every day, but for me turned rogue and developed into cancer. With the help of both conventional and natural medicine, I have thankfully been clear of cancer ever since my treatment finished.
I have used this experience positively and changed almost everything that I felt was important in my life. I studied for four years retraining to become a fully accredited Registered Nutritional Therapist. My goal was and is to use my personal experience with how nutrition, along with some other powerful lifestyle changes, have transformed my health and kept me free from cancer. I am now privileged enough to help others dealing with cancer journeys, as well as a host of other illnesses and disorders that I specialize in such as chronic fatigue, digestive health and many more.
So I would like to share with you four meaningful and manageable ways you can really use nutrition to make a difference in your life:
1. Eat more health giving food, and less processed foods.
Recent studies show we should ultimately eat 8—10 daily servings of rainbow coloured vegetables and fruit.
Action point:
The next time you go shopping, pick one veggie that you usually walk straight past and find a delicious new recipe to cook with it. Start off by adding one extra green veg to your lunch and evening meal. Think about seasonal cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, chard, salad greens, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower), and lots more garlic and onions which help increase sulfur in the body and help detoxification.
2. Ditch the unhelpful carbs
Not all carbohydrates are bad, however many of the “simple” carbohydrates found in processed and refined foods can contribute to insulin disruption, bloating, fatigue, moodiness and poorer gut health.
Action point:
We need carbs no matter what you heard – but it’s time to embrace the good guys. Oats, quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, beans and lentils can be your new best friends.
3. Use dietary fibre to prevent disease.
There seems to be less hype about fibre than many other dietary considerations such as sugar and fats. Fibre consumption in the Uk is well below national targets of 30g a day for adults (the average intake is 17.2/day for women and 20.1g/day for men). There are countless evidence based studies to show that diets rich in fibre can play a part in lowering the risks of many disease such as cardiovascular disease, coronary events, stroke, type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, gastrointestinal and digestive health disorders.
Action point:
Increase your daily intake of fibre‐containing foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds and high‐fibre/wholegrain starchy foods. Adding two tablespoon of chia seeds daily adds a whopping 12g of dietary fibre to a well balanced diet.
4. Get good gut bugs.
Our gut micro biome are central to our immune systems, our mental and emotional health and the way we absorb and get the most out of the food we eat. Stress, processed food, antibiotics, alcohol, cigarettes, sugar, pollution may compromise good bacteria and feed the pathogenic bacteria. However we can improve this pattern with changes to lifestyle and diet and adding natural probiotic and prebiotic via supplements, fermented food and drink.
Action point:
Try out some probiotic rich food and drinks to help improve your gut health. Look in the refrigerated section of your supermarket or health food store for kombucha and kefir drinks, or try foods like sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, bio-live plain yoghurt and coconut yoghurt.
The holiday season is fast underway. This time of year brings with it a whole lot of fun and we all deserve the chance to let loose and indulge a little. But, with the work parties, dinners with friends, and back-to-back family celebrations, it can be very difficult to keep a healthy balance. The delightful but dastardly combination of alcohol, late nights, and high-calorie meals can have you feeling sluggish, skipping the gym, and reaching for that breakfast bagel before you know it.
As always, we believe that prevention is better than a cure. Take a mindful approach to your diet and exercise this holiday season to avoid major blowouts, and add some simple, natural steps to your daily routine to help reset your body after a festive feast. Over-indulge a little? Don’t sweat it. Skip the crash diets and remember: your body is resilient and knows how to heal itself. Here are a few gentle ways to help it along the way:
Drink warm water with lemon
Begin your day with a glass of warm water and lemon juice, which will help to alkalise your body, kick-start your metabolism, and curb sugar cravings throughout the day. It’s also a great way to start your day off with essential hydration. Keeping your water intake up throughout the day will provide vital support to your liver and kidneys as they work on flushing out toxins from your system.
Thoughtful eating
Set your intentions and maintain a mindful approach to your eating these holidays. Focus on gratitude and appreciate the abundance of food (and love) that this season brings. Try to restrict your unconscious eating: chew slowly and give your full attention to each mouthful you eat — you will be surprised how easy it is to keep your portions in check!
Green tea
Try sipping on warm green tea before and after meals to keep your metabolism moving, and aid in digestion. Green tea is packed with powerful antioxidants called polyphenols and has been revered for its digestive properties for thousands of years. Fennel tea is a great choice as well — this herb stimulates digestion and soothes the digestive tract, relieving indigestion, bloating, constipation, and heartburn.
Plant power
If overeating has left you feeling bloated and guilty, we know you might be tempted to skip meals or restrict your calories to try to get back on top. But remember, now is the time to be strengthening your body (not starving it!) by boosting your natural detox and digestive functions with healthy, nourishing meals. Fill your plate with fruits, veggies, and plant-based proteins. Rich in fibre, chia is a great source of plant-protein that will help you feel full and energized throughout the day, as well as aiding in a healthy digestion to get things moving. Need a little inspiration? Take a look at our recipes.
Stretch it out
For thousands of years, yoga has been regarded as one of the most effective ways to reset balance and restore order to our energy systems. It’s also a great mood booster! Start your day with a quick 20-30 morning yoga practice and you will notice the benefits in no time. Don’t have time to hit the yoga studio? Try this simple but effective detox sequence by our friends at mindbodygreen.
Have you been watching SBS’ Born to Cook, Jack Stein Downunder? If you caught last weekend’s episode you would know that Jack Stein paid a visit to our chia farm in Kununurra, Western Australia!
We were super excited to host Jack on a visit to our farm, and to introduce him to the home of our Australian Grown chia. He spent the day with John Foss, our CEO and Founder, along with Farmer Fritz to learn all about plant-based nutrition and how our chia is sustainably farmed in the ideal environment to achieve the highest nutrition.
We put Jack through his paces on the farm, and introduced him to the challenges of water syphoning – our sustainable farming alternative to pumping water. Lets just say that it’s a good thing that Jack can cook better than pumping water! The episode finishes with Jack’s recipe for chia pizza with szechuan pineapple and tomato.
Spring means warmer weather, brighter days, and with daylight savings time now in effect, we’re going to have more of those daylight hours, too! After a long winter, this extra daylight can do wonders for our mood and our health, so now is the time to really make the most of it and embrace every minute of this additional sunshine.
More sun, better mood
Give those winter blues the heave-ho! Research has shown that incidents of depression increase over winter, so if you’re one of the people who suffer from seasonal depression or even just feel a little flat after those gloomy months (aka, nearly everyone), that extra hour of sunlight can do a world of good.
Get that good sleep
It can take a little while to adjust your sleeping patterns to the new daylight savings hours. But, once you’re in the rhythm, you might actually find you’re sleeping better than ever! Increased exposure to sunlight can boost your body’s production of melatonin — a hormone that can help make you feel sleepy.
Ready to go out there and get some sun? Here are some of our favourite ways to make the most of that extra hour of daylight:
Take your workout out
You’ve probably been sweating it out in the gym all winter, so now’s the time to take it out into the fresh air. Switching it up will energize your work out and you’ll get to enjoy the extra sunlight and changing of the season.
Read in the park
Whether you’ve got a great book, a magazine, or even a podcast to listen to, take it outdoors! Leisure time activities can be even more enjoyable when they’re coupled with fresh air and sunshine, so head to your nearest park and find a leafy tree to sprawl under.
Alfresco meals
It might be a little early for a summer BBQ, but now is a great time for lunch or a late afternoon snack outside. Grab some street food, a sandwich from your nearest deli, or put together a picnic spread to share with friends.
From 3—7 September we’ve been celebrating Women’s Health Week here in Australia – a week dedicated to encouraging all women to make their own health a priority.
Research has shown time and time again that the two biggest barriers to women maintaining a healthy lifestyle is ‘lack of time’ and ‘health not being a priority’. So, Women’s Health Week is a great annual reminder to women that it’s time to put themselves first, and start making positive changes that can last a lifetime.
The good news is that making health a priority doesn’t have to mean a full life overhaul – sometimes, the simplest changes can make the biggest difference. Not sure where to start? Here are a few of our favourite simple health hacks that can help all women – from busy mums, to students, to career power babes – make their own health a daily priority.
Start with water
As soon as you get up in the morning, drink a glass of room temperature water. Water helps to clear our system, keeps you hydrated, gets your metabolism started, and can flush out toxins. Add a slice of lemon or lime if you need a little flavour.
Stretch
Skip the snooze and make use of the extra ten minutes to give your body a gentle wake-up from its slumber. Take a few deep breaths and gently stretch your back, legs, and your neck. Stretching in the morning increases blood flow to your muscles, boosts your oxygen levels, and helps set your body up for the day ahead. Here are five of our favourite morning stretches.
Fuel right
Many of us can be tempted to skip breakfast on busy mornings. But having a nutritious breakfast should be a priority for everyone. Not only does breakfast give your body a burst of energy and get that metabolism revving, it also provides an opportunity to fuel your body with important nutrients such as protein and fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins. The best news? A healthy breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated — try our immune-boosting Tropical Breakfast Bowl, our Banana Chia Overnight Oats, or if you’re in a real rush, simply grab one of our ready-to-go Chia Pods Oats+Quinoa Cranberry and Coconut.
Move it
We all know the health benefits of physical activity, but for those of us with busy schedules and long days, finding time for a workout can be next to impossible. If squeezing in a gym session is just not possible for you, why not look for ways to include more movement in your everyday? Use the stairs instead of the elevator, take a walk on your lunch break, or try biking to or from work. Take advantage of any possibility to be more physically active. Research shows that as little as two hours of walking over the course of a week can improve heart health. So let’s get moving!
Get good sleep
Not getting enough sleep can make us feel tired, irritable, and can reduce our ability to concentrate throughout the day. It can also have significant impact on our physical health, especially heart health. So, it’s important to do what you can to help make sure you’re getting at least eight quality hours of sleep each night. If you struggle to switch-off at night, a few tricks can help set the mood for bed-time: avoid screens for an hour before bed, limit your caffeine throughout the day, and try a spritz of lavender water on your bed linens.
Along with the blossoms, brighter mornings and warmer days, spring brings with it a renewed sense of hope and energy. It’s easy to see why the tradition of a spring clean took hold – at this time of year, we feel motivated to clear the clutter, throw open those windows, and let the sunshine in! With the scene set for fresh starts and new beginnings, this is the perfect time to not only spring clean your home but your life.
Here are a few of the ways we’ll be spring cleaning our lives this spring:
Health, not haste
You’ll no doubt be bombarded in coming weeks with demands to ‘get in shape for summer!’ and ‘shed those winter pounds’ with a slew of crazy diets and fitness regimes promising instant results. Here at The Chia Co, we are passionate about health and wellbeing – NOT fad diets. We want you to be the most healthy, fit and happy version of yourself. And if this means shedding a little extra winter padding, then go for it! We encourage you to choose a sustainable approach to healthy weight management by eating a balanced, wholefood diet and engaging in regular exercise that’s right for your fitness level.
Make fitness fun
This is a great time of year to switch up your workout, especially if it means getting outside into that fresh spring air! Try adding in a 20min morning walk, a weekend bike ride, or yoga in the park. Making fitness fun by doing something a little different is good for your body and mind, and is key to building a lasting exercise routine.
Have a digital detox
In the same way that de-cluttering our home feels cathartic, so too can de-cluttering our digital lives. Unread messages, overflowing inboxes, and electronic distractions can contribute to stress, leaving you overwhelmed and anxious. Take a look at some of the very helpful online services like Unroll.me to help tame that inbox, and commit to unplugging on the regular – even if only for 20mins, switching off your phone and laptop will go a long way to reducing the ‘noise’ in your life.
Start a gratitude journal
Shifting your mindset towards appreciation is one of the fastest ways to improve your mood. This spring, we’re making a commitment journaling our gratitude every day – and we encourage you to do the same. Every night before you go to sleep, write down three things that you are grateful for today. Not only will it help you sleep better by switching off the stressors from the day you’ve just had, it’ll help you wake feeling positive for the day ahead.
Clear your workspace
Considering most of us spend more time at work than we do at home, having a workspace that is clean, bright and uplifting is essential. A clean and clear desk will work wonders for your productivity. Bring in some items that make you feel happy – photos of friends, books you love, and some inspiring art.
Most of us spend at least half of our waking hours sitting —in the car, at work, while resting at home—and this amount of sedentary behaviour has been linked to poor posture, and a range of other more serious health risks such as higher blood pressure, diabetes, and even cancer.
While quitting your desk job might not be an option, getting more physical activity into your daily life around those seated hours can make a big impact.
One great way to do this is to jumpstart your day with a light session of morning stretches! Here are five easy yoga stretches you can do in the comfort of your own bedroom to stretch out your stiff muscles and counteract the periods of inactivity your day might bring.
Child’s Pose (Balasana)
From kneeling, bring your chest down onto your thighs and your forehead to the floor. Let your arms lengthen by your side with your hands next to your feet, or if you prefer, stack your hands underneath your forehead. Take a slow, full breath in through your nose and as you exhale through the nose, see if you can sink your butt back down toward your heels, feeling your spine gently curving over your thighs. Stay here for 5-10 breaths.
Cat/Cow Pose (Bidalasana)
Move into a tabletop position with your wrists directly beneath your shoulders, and knees beneath your hips. Press your palms into the mat to ensure your shoulder blades are broad. As you inhale, look forward, or up towards the ceiling if it’s comfortable for your neck, and stretch your tailbone towards the ceiling. As you exhale, tuck the chin to the chest and reach your tailbone back towards the floor. Continue to move with each breath, feeling your spine being massaged. Breathe through 5 rounds.
Downward Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Take the palms a little wider than your shoulders, tuck your toes and lift your hips into the air. Bring your chest back towards your thighs, with your head relaxed and arms straight. Roll your shoulders away from your ears, and – with your knees slightly bent – start to walk your heels down towards the floor. Remember: it’s more important to keep the hips high than to get the soles of the feet to the ground. Take another 5 -10 breaths here.
Standing Forward Bend Pose (Uttanasana)
Walk your feet toward your hands, and let your upper body hang with your neck and head are relaxed, and knees bent to start with. If there’s no tension in your lower back, start to straighten your legs. As you inhale, let your spine lengthen. As you exhale, move your head slowly closer to your feet. Take 10 slow breaths here.
Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
From a standing position, widen your leg stance to about a leg-length. Turn your right foot out to the side, making sure your heel lines up with the centre arch of your left foot. Take your arms parallel to the ground and reach out to the right side, keeping both legs straight. When you can’t reach any further, pivot the arms so they are in one line, moving in opposite directions, with your chest remains open and torso lengthening. Take 5 breaths here, and repeat on the other side.
Leading London Nutritionist Lily Soutter shares her top 10 ways to put a smile on your face this August.
As we edge into the final weeks of winter many of us will be feeling tired and sluggish. And, with sleeveless season on the horizon, it can be pretty tempting to embark on a quick-fix diet. But, this approach is unsustainable for long-term health and, quite frankly, takes a lot of pleasure out of our day.
Food is there for enjoyment as much as it is needed for nourishment. It’s totally possible to trim down whilst brightening up your August with a diet proven to benefit your mood, too. Here are my top 10 ways to ensure that your diet puts a smile on your face.
1: Balance blood sugar
White refined carbohydrates and sugary foods are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. This may cause an initial ‘high’ or surge of energy that soon wears off. A blood sugar ‘high’ can often result in a blood sugar ‘crash,’ leaving us feeling tired and low.
To balance blood sugar make sure you include protein, fibre, and healthy fats into each meal and snack. All three components help to slow the release of sugar into the blood stream.
I love incorporating chia seeds into my cooking as they contain a whopping 11g fibre, 4g plant-based protein, and 9g of healthy fats per 2 tbsp.! This wholesome seed is a perfect combo for balancing blood sugar and keeping hunger at bay.
Other great options include: protein-rich beans and pulses, fibre packed wholegrains and essential fat rich oily fish.
2: Don’t skip meals
Ensure that you eat at least three meals a day. Skipping meals can lead to low blood sugar, which can result in low mood, anxiety, irritability, and fatigue.
3: Don’t skimp on omega 3 fats
Did you know that 60% of your brain is made up of fat? Most of these fats are similar to essential fats called omega 3’s that are found in oily fish and chia seeds.
A few studies suggest that supplementation of omega 3 fats may reduce symptoms in patients with depression and on antidepressant medication.
Choose: salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines anchovies, chia seeds, and chia seed oil.
4: Consume tryptophan-rich foods
Tryptophan is part of a protein molecule and is the precursor to our happy hormone serotonin. Consumption of foods rich in tryptophan such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, beans, lentils and even chia seeds can play an important role in influencing mood.
By combining 30g of carbohydrates with tryptophan-rich foods, you can boost absorption and utilisation drastically.
Choose: a slice of wholegrain bread topped with tryptophan-rich turkey, or a pot of yogurt with mixed fruit and chia seeds.
5: Don’t fear carbs
Unfortunately, many diets may encourage cutting carbs!
However, carbohydrates play a key role in transporting tryptophan to the brain, which is then converted to our happy hormone serotonin. Our brain also runs on glucose, which comes from the carbohydrates within our diet.
This means that a low mood can be a common side effect of very low carbohydrate diets.
Choose: wholegrain bread, wholegrain pasta, brown rice, oats, white or sweet potato with the skin, quinoa, buckwheat, beans, lentils, chickpeas, vegetables, fruit.
6: Vitamin B6
This water-soluble vitamin plays an essential role in the production of key neurotransmitters, which are involved with mood, including serotonin and dopamine.
Low levels of vitamin B6 have been associated with symptoms of depression as well as PMS and mood swings.
Choose: beans, nuts, legumes, eggs, meats, fish, whole grains, bananas, and fortified bread and cereals.
7: A healthy gut, a happy mind
90% of our serotonin is located in the gut, and only 10% is located in the brain. Scientists are now referring to our gut as our second brain, and the latest research has shown that our gut bacteria may influence how much serotonin we produce.
While the research is still relatively new and not yet conclusive, many of us could do with a little more good gut bacteria, due to widespread antibiotic use. Fibre is our gut’s best friend and the primary fuel for our good gut bacteria. Adults should aim for 30g per day, however most of us are only consuming 15-18g. Luckily foods such as chia seeds contain as much as much as 11g fibre per 2tsp!
Other ways to boost healthy gut bacteria include: Prebiotic foods such as Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, onions, leeks, dandelion greens, asparagus, unripe banana, chicory root, apples, oats, and flaxseeds; or Fermented foods (probiotics) like natural with live yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, and kimchi
8: Don’t overdo the caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate and energy drinks. While we know that it in some people it can improve feelings of alertness, in others caffeine can affect mood and may result in anxiety.
If you notice that caffeine makes you feel jittery or anxious it may be time to cut back. Although caffeine is fine to have in moderation, it’s important to note that people’s sensitivity to caffeine can vary greatly.
Choose: calming herbal teas such as chamomile, lemon balm, and lavender.
9: Top up on the sunshine vitamin!
Vitamin D is referred to as the sunshine vitamin for good reason. This vitamin is manufactured by the body in response to sunlight reaching our skin. This means that there is an increased risk of developing a deficiency during the dark winter months.
Interesting research has also shown that supplementation with vitamin D may reduce symptoms of depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder, which occur during the winter months!! However, it’s important to note that positive outcomes with supplementation have only been shown in those with very low levels of vitamin D.
Vitamin D can be found in foods such as oily fish and egg yolk.
10. Shake up your winter meal plan for a healthier & happier you…
- Breakfast – Chia jam & coconut yoghurt on seeded wholegrain toast
- Lunch – Sweet potato jacket topped with tuna, lime, chilli, chia & yoghurt dressing
- Dinner – Beetroot & chia soup topped with a creamy horseradish sauce and dill, served with crusty bread & olive oil
About Lily:
Lily graduated from Newcastle University with a BSc (Hons) degree in Food and Human Nutrition (AfN accredited) where she was awarded with the Sage Faculty for Excellence Scholarship. She then went on to gain a Nutritional Therapy Diploma from the Institute of Optimum Nutrition.
Lily’s extensive knowledge of the science of food and health, enables her to regularly write for The Times, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Independent, Women’s Health and Cosmopolitan. Her frequent TV appearances include ITV’s prime time series Save Money: Lose Weight with Dr Ranj Singh.
Lily sees clients from her clinic in Chelsea and from the Portobello Clinic, a private medical practice based in Notting Hill.
Instagram: Lily_Soutter_Nutrition
Facebook: Lily Soutter Nutrition
Twitter: lilysoutter
Beetroot and Chia Soup image courtesy of Georgia Gold.
More nutritious than kale. Twice the protein as spinach, and three times the iron.
Move over matcha, there’s a new super green in town!
Moringa is the latest green hero to take the wellness world by storm. Growing in abundance in tropical climates, the moringa tree was revered by ancient cultures of India, Chile, and Africa for it’s healing properties – so much so that it was given the name, Tree of Life.
Why we love it:
Moringa is rich in iron, calcium, plant protein, essential amino acids and is packed with vitamins and antioxidants. It is also a powerful anti-inflammatory. It’s a great way to get even more nutrition into your balanced diet, adding a substantial kick of vitamin and antioxidants to boost your healthy foods and drinks.
How we take it:
A single serve of moringa leaf powder is equivalent to two servings of leafy greens. The powder is dark green and does have a distinctive ‘green’ flavour (similar to matcha) so isn’t suitable for all meals, but is an ideal add-on to your morning smoothie.
Try our current favourite smoothie combo: banana, blueberries, chia, almond milk and moringa leaf powder. Or, simply add a scoop of the powder to any of these recipes:
For most of us, eating healthy everyday is only realistic if it works in with our busy lifestyles. That’s why one of the best things about chia – on top of it’s powerful nutritional profile, of course – is that it’s just so easy to include it in your day-to-day eating.
With no discernable flavour, and no processing needed (you can eat it right off the plant!) chia is one of the simplest ways to get more healthy nutrition into your diet.
We know that trying to eat a healthier diet can be a little daunting at first for some people. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a healthy eating expert or full-time green smoothie guzzler to get the benefits of chia – just add it in to your regular meals and snacks for a healthy boost of fibre, protein, omega 3 and antioxidants.
CHIA FOUR WAYS
Here are our top four ways to get a little chia into your everyday:
Breakfast
The most important (and too often skipped) meal of the day! This is a great time to get a dose of chia into your diet because it’ll set you up with a great start with slow-release energy.
- How: Sprinkle or Mix into your favourite breakfast go-tos like oatmeal, smoothies, avocado toast or yoghurt
- Our go to: Brekkie Smoothie Bowl
Lunch
Skip the greasy noodle bowl or boring sandwich and add a little chia to your lunch break. With its balance of fibre, protein and fat, chia helps to stabilise blood sugar and keep you fuelled with slow, steady energy through the afternoon, helping you avoid that 4pm trip to the vending machine!
- How: Thicken and Stir chia into your soups, salads or smoothies, mix a tablespoon into the mayo for your pita wrap, or use it as an extra dipper for your sushi rolls.
- Our go to: Broccoli Soup
Dinner
Round off your day with a delicious and healthy dinner. Chia is also an excellent source of tryptophan, an amino acid that helps to promote a good mood, good sleep and a sense of calm – the perfect nightcap!
- How: Bake or Grill chia into your breads and quiches, or use as a crunchy coating for salmon. Stir into hot pots, add it to your BBQ side salads, mix it into mashed potato… the options are endless!
- Our go to: Buckwheat Pizza
When: Snacks
It doesn’t matter how iron-willed you are, there are some days where snacking is simply non-negotiable. And there’s nothing wrong with eating between meals as long as you choose wisely. Your mid morning or pre-gym nibble is a great time to add a little chia boost.
- How: Blend and Bind chia seeds into your favourite snacks like bliss balls, muesli bars, stir it into your hummus and scoop onto carrot sticks, make a chia pudding, or simply stir it into a green juice.
- Our go to: Vegan Raspberry Chia Bars
Still a little unsure how to include chia in your diet? Here are some final FAQs that might help:
Do I need to grind or mill the seeds?
Nope! Chia is totally digestible in its whole seed form. The chia seed shell actually provides insoluble fibre, which is really beneficial for your digestive health. If you’re not used to eating a lot of fibre it might take a little while for your digestion to adjust – you can soften the chia seeds by letting them gel in a little liquid before consuming, and start with a smaller dose until your tummy gets used to it.
Does chia’s nutrition get affected by cooking?
It really doesn’t! You can use chia in soups, stews, baking, roasted vegetables, pretty much anything and it’s nutrition will not be compromised. The only thing that can affect chia is super hot flash frying, so we recommend avoiding that.
Is it vegan and gluten free?
Yes! Chia is great for those on free-from diets because it delivers such powerful nutrition. It’s a particular star for vegan diets because it contains a healthy dose of plant protein, and can even be used to replace eggs in baking.
With the seal of approval from recent royal bride, Meghan Markle
The wedding of the year took place just few weeks ago, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walked down the aisle on Saturday 19th May.
Fit for a princess, it has been widely reported that homemade chia pudding is one of Meghan’s favourite snacks. Bursting with a wealth of nutritional benefits, it is not hard to see why they are the perfect store cupboard essential for any bride.
Here to share the secrets of the little seeds that feature on Ms. Markle’s shopping list, we’ve enlisted the help of leading London Nutritionist Lily Soutter, who explains why chia seeds continue to reign, plus why they are perfect for any busy bride focusing on wedding prep and the big day itself:
“Not only do they make a great addition to tasty smoothies, energy bars, soups and salads, their versatile nature means that they can be incorporated into almost any meal of the day,” says Lily.
“Chia provides a rich source of plant-based omega 3 fats, these fats line every cell membrane within the body are important for soft and supple skin. Just one tablespoon of chia seeds also provides a whopping 6g of fibre, which can help to keep appetite in check, balance blood sugar and support healthy digestion.
Lastly, they pack in a decent amount of calcium, magnesium, B vitamins and zinc which are involved with energy production and immune function.”
How to eat it
Chia seeds have a very mild taste and will not affect the flavour of what you are eating. They are easy to include in your everyday diet:
- Sprinkle raw on your food
- Make a gel as a base for smoothies or as an egg replacer.
- Add to breakfast cereals, salads and soups
Chia pudding recipes fit for a royal wedding
To celebrate the royal wedding, we’ve teamed up with leading American health foodie Flora & Vino to create two new Chia Pudding recipes. Based on traditional English puddings, but with an American twist, the delicious pots are sure to leave your friends and family with insta-envy!
Founder of Flora & Vino Lauren is a plant-based recipe creator, food photographer, and writer. You can find her in the kitchen, at the yoga studio, or visiting local wineries and she lives in the United States with her husband and golden retriever puppy, Harper. The all-new Chia Puddings are a must-try.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Chia Pudding
Lemon Lavender Lucuma ‘Cheesecake’ Chia Pudding
From the 70s jogging craze to televised aerobics and the more recent explosion of the athleisure fashion industry, the world of fitness has always been dominated by trends.
While some trends are short-lived, others are enduring – which is evidenced by the annual American College of Sports Medicine global fitness trends survey. Every year, the smart folk at ACSM gather information from around the world to predict coming trends that we can expect to see in the year ahead.
Some of 2018’s predicted trends are nothing new – for instance, the trend of educated, certified, and experienced fitness professionals (number 6 in 2018) has been a trend since the first survey was conducted in 2007. Similarly, strength training (number 5 in 2018) has been at the top of the list since 2007, too. But there are some new trends that seem to be emerging for 2018, such as licensure for fitness professionals (number 16) core training (number 19) and sport specific training (number 20).
One important thing to note is that there is a big difference between a trend and a fad. As the Cambridge dictionary defines it, a trend is “a general development or change in a situation or in the way that people are behaving.” So, while there’s no denying the popularity of current fads like doggie yoga (and even goat yoga?!) you won’t see these on the ACSM list. Instead, this list defines trends which will have a more ongoing impact.
Below are the top ten workout trends for 2018:
1. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): This one’s been around for awhile, but for the first year now claims the top spot. HIIT involves short bursts of activity followed by a short period of rest or recovery, these exercise programs are usually performed in less than 30 minutes.
2. Group Training: These include any program led by exercise instructors, designed to motivate individuals though through group classes. Group programs are designed to be effective for people at different fitness levels, with instructors using leadership techniques that help individuals in their classes achieve fitness goals.
3. Wearable Technology: includes fitness trackers, smartwatches, heart rate monitors and GPS tracking devices.
4. Body Weight Training: Body weight training uses minimal equipment, making it more affordable. Not limited to just push-ups and pull-ups, this trend allows people to get back to the basics of fitness.
5. Strength Training: Strength training remains a dominant trend for most health clubs. Incorporating strength training is now recognised as an essential part of a ‘complete exercise program,’ alongside the other essential components: aerobic exercise and flexibility.
6. Educated and Experienced Fitness Professionals: Given the large number of organisations offering health and fitness certifications, it’s becoming increasingly important that consumers choose professionals with legitimate, industry recognised qualifications.
7. Yoga: Again, nothing new here. Based on ancient tradition, yoga utilises a series of specific bodily postures practiced for health and relaxation. This includes Power Yoga, Yogalates, Bikram, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Kripalu, Anurara, Kundalini, Sivananda and others.
8. Personal Training: More and more students are majoring in kinesiology, which indicates that they are preparing themselves for careers in allied health fields such as personal training. Education, training and proper credentialing for personal trainers have become increasingly important to the health and fitness facilities that employ them.
9. Fitness Programs for Older Adults. As the baby boom generation ages into retirement, some of these people have more discretionary money than their younger counterparts. This is why many health and fitness professionals are taking the time to create age-appropriate fitness programs to keep older adults healthy and active.
10. Functional Fitness. This is a trend toward using strength training to improve balance and ease of daily living. These functional fitness programs are closely related to special fitness programs for older adults.
See the full list of 20 ranked trends at: ACSM Survey Results
Sunday 29th April to Saturday 5th May is Heart Week here in Australia, an annual occasion promoted by the Heart Foundation in a bid to raise awareness, education and ultimately try to lower the staggeringly high levels of heart disease in our country.
According to national statistics, heart disease is the biggest killer of Australians. What makes that statistic even more shocking is that the majority of cardiovascular conditions can be prevented and/or treated.
When it comes to keeping your heart in optimum beating condition, there are a few pretty obvious things: If you smoke, try to stop. Maintain a healthy weight. Keep yourself fit. And of course, don’t overdo it with the booze.
But, there are also a ton of other ways you can help your heart stay healthy. Here are our top ten tips for a healthy heart.
Take responsibility
Your heart health is in your hands, and the sooner you identify an issue the more chance you have to remedy it. Have your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels checked at least once per year. If you need to, ask your doctor to help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Be sure to follow your doctor’s advice, including taking any medications as directed.
Skip the soda
Many of us don’t realize just how many calories are hiding in those sugary drinks. To make keeping a healthy weight just a little more attainable, save your calories for the things that really matter and ditch the high-sugar sodas.
Get a little nutty
With their healthy balance of protein, fat and fibre, nuts are great solution when the 3pm snack attack calls. And, according to the American Heart Association, they can also lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Just take care to watch your portions – while nuts are full of healthy stuff, they’re also high in calories.
Drink more water
Increasing your water intake is one of the best things you can do for your health. Take a water bottle with you wherever you go. Not only will you stay hydrated but drinking water can help you feel fuller for longer which, in turn, helps you avoid over-eating.
Heart-loving oils
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for a healthy heart. As our resident dietitian, Emma Morris, says: “research shows that plant based omega-3 is essential for a healthy heart as it helps to lower cholesterol. Both omega-3 ALA (found in chia) and DHA ( found in oily fish) are vital for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The Heart Foundation recommends a daily consumption omega-3 ALA and just 1 tbsp of chia will provide you with your full RDI.”
Increase your fibre
Fibre comes in two varieties, soluble and insoluble, both of which have been shown to prevent heart disease by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Insoluble fibre is found in whole grains, wheat cereals, and vegetables such as carrots, celery, and tomatoes. Soluble fibre sources include barley, oatmeal, beans, nuts, and fruits such as apples, berries, citrus fruits, and pears. Chia is a great source of both soluble and insoluble fibre.
Bend and stretch
There’s a reason why yoga has been practiced faithfully for thousands of years; not only can it help improve balance, flexibility, and strength, but it also lowers stress which is essential for health and wellbeing. The potential for yoga to lower the risk of heart disease has been highlighted in recent research, published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine.
Get your LOLs
Laughter really is the best medicine, it turns out! According to the American Heart Association, laughing can lower stress hormones, decrease inflammation in your arteries, and raise your levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as “good cholesterol.”
Dark chocolate
Cacao is a rich source of flavonoids which can help reduce inflammation and lower your risk of heart disease, according to scientists in the journal, Nutrients. Avoid the sugary milk chocolate version and opt for dark, bittersweet chocolate – just remember, moderation is key.
Get your Zzzzz
If you don’t sleep enough, you may be at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease no matter your age or other health habits. Researchers believe sleeping too little can cause disruptions in biological processes and impact on underlying health conditions, including blood pressure and inflammation.
Last week was Ceoliac Awareness Week here in Australia, so we thought it was a prime opportunity to share with you some of our favourite delicious and totally gluten-free recipes!
What is coeliac disease?
Coeliac disease is a permanent autoimmune disorder that causes an intestinal reaction to the gluten found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats. If someone with coeliac disease eats gluten the cells lining their small bowel will become inflamed and damaged, which restricts the bowel’s ability to absorb vital nutrients from food.(1) This can lead to deficiencies in vitamins and minerals and cause a range of significant health problems. While the disease is hereditary, there are a number of genetic and environmental factors that can also contribute. There are more than 200 symptoms of coeliac disease, with the most common being bloating and pain in the stomach, digestive issues like diarrhoea, vomiting and constipation, weight loss and fatigue. (2)
Coeliac vs gluten sensitivity
Gluten sensitivity is a term used to describe people who experience symptoms similar to those with coeliac disease but, when tested, don’t present the same antibodies and intestinal damage as those with the disease.(3) For these people, eating a gluten-free diet may reduce their symptoms. However, there are other other conditions which could be at play and need to be considered, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), wheat intolerance, and malabsorption of fermentable sugars (FODMAPs).
Great gluten-free meals:
You don’t have to have coeliac disease, or even gluten sensitivity, to enjoy a delicious meal free from gluten. Here are a couple of our favourite recipes:
Chia & Zucchini Meatballs: Don’t let this classic pasta plate fool you, our version (created by @healthyfrenchwife!) is totally gluten-free and vegan.
Chocolate Chia Pudding: Call it breakfast, call it dessert, call it whatever you like – our chocolate chia pudding is super quick to make and (thanks to all that fibre from the chia) surprisingly filling.
Banana Raspberry Muffins Muffins without gluten, you say? Yep, you can do it. Hot tip: make a double batch of these at the start of the week and store them in the freezer – grab one in the morning on the way out the door and hey presto, a gluten-free afternoon snack will be thawed and ready to eat in time for those 3pm hunger pangs.
Balance is key
At The Chia Co, we believe in balanced, wholefood diets and that unnecessary food restrictions should be avoided as much as possible. If you think you’ve been experiencing symptoms related to coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity, speak to your doctor before adopting a strict gluten-free diet.
References:
- http://www.coeliac.org.nz/coeliac-disease/what-is-coeliac-disease
- https://www.coeliac.org.au/symptoms/
- https://www.coeliac.org.au/gluten-sensitivity/
We don’t know about you, but few things make us happier in life than a good duo. That’s why we’re so excited to share with your our latest fave coupling: Lunch, in a mason jar. Or, as we like to call it, Munch!
Healthy, fresh and oh so convenient, Mason Jars make the perfect salad bowl on-the-go. And, the glass locks in freshness meaning you can make your Munch in the morning, store it in the fridge at work, and come 1pm hey presto: crunchy, fresh flavours are yours for the eating.
Another reason we love Munch Jars is, well, a little superficial… But, while we all know that there are much more important things in life than looking pretty, when it comes to food the honest truth is looks DO matter. Most of us eat with our eyes, and if your healthy lunch looks great you’re much more likely to eat it! Munch Jars are the ultimate feast for the eyes. Get creative and layer up your favourite rainbow foods, add some healthy grains and a sprinkle of our Chia Salad Booster and you’re good to go.
Be as creative as you like, or try one of these tried and true recipes:
To make Munch even more appealing this month, we’re giving you 20% off our Chia Salad Booster when you use the code ‘munches’ on our webshop. So, what are you waiting for? It’s munch time!
We love love! With February being the official month of love, it’s a great time to celebrate our friends, family and those that matter the most to us. But, it can be all too easy to forget about one of the most important loves there is: self-love.
Loving ourselves doesn’t come naturally to most of us. Harsh self-criticism and negative judgments are much more common to most of our inner dialogues. But, without love, compassion and genuine affection for ourselves, we can never really be at our best or give the best of ourselves to others.
This month we wanted to share with you some of our favourite ways to make positive self-reflection a little more habitual and hopefully bring more self-love into your everyday.
Start your day with love
Before getting out of bed and into your day, take a moment to remind yourself of your worthiness. Breathe love in and out. Take time to meditate and journal – even if it’s only for ten minutes each morning, it will make an incredible impact on the energy you bring with you into the rest of your day.
Mind your words
The words we use, both aloud and in thought, have a huge impact. Gently steer yourself away from self-criticism and self-judgment and instead reframe your thoughts towards the positive, for example: “I love and accept myself completely and unconditionally.” The tricky thing is, you must try not to judge when you find yourself practicing self-criticism. The key here is to notice it, distance yourself from it, and let it pass.
Expand your interests
Try something new. Visit a new place, learn a language, try out that new yoga class. Discover healthy foods that make you feel amazing. Put your phone on silent and spend some time doing things that make you feel alive. Make a deliberate attempt to look for opportunities to do things that you know you are good at – this will work wonders for your confidence. Set aside more time to indulge and improve your skills, and your self-esteem will thank you ten-fold.
Live in appreciation
Be grateful, both for the world around you and for the person that you are. Appreciate your talents, kindness, your generosity, what a great friend you are. Focusing on gratitude is one of the fastest ways towards self-love.
Trust yourself
We all have moments when we feel confused, unsure or scared. At these times it is important to remember that the answer to all our happiness really does come from within. Trust yourself, and have confidence in your abilities. Know that you are capable of making important changes for yourself, as long as you believe you can.
Own your potential
Love yourself enough to believe in the limitless opportunities available to you. Don’t let percieved boundaries or the uncertainty of unchartered waters stop you from reaching for something you want.
Forgive yourself
Learn from your mistakes and go forward. If you have made mistakes in the past that had caused you to feel less worthy, then you need to forgive yourself. All of us make mistakes, but the key here is learning from our mistakes and moving onwards.
Look after your body
The connection between your brain, body and your emotions are undeniably linked. Unsurprisingly, a lack of self-love and negative perception can be an underlying cause of many health conditions. This is why it is so important that you take care of yourself with proper nutrition and regular exercise. Your body is a temple, so treat it that way!
Be patient
Understand that the art of self-love is always going to be a work in progress, so don’t be too hard on yourself if it takes a little while to shift some of those old habits.
Long summer days and balmy nights call for easy, alfresco dinners – and it doesn’t get much easier (or more delicious) than the classic Aussie BBQ!
The traditional spread of steak, snags and prawns are guaranteed to keep nearly everyone happy, and we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel… But, in keeping with our Veganuary theme this month, we thought it was high time we shared some of our favorite meat-free BBQ dishes! This way, whether you’re a meat eater, plant eater, or in between, you can guarantee to serve something that the whole family will love.
Grilled Avocado Bellies
It’s officially avocado season right now, so there’s no better time to be eating these green delights. Packed with corn, coriander and tomato these Avocado Bellies are bursting with bright summer flavour. Hot tip: this is a great dish to get the little ones involved in making! Here’s how to >
Beet Burgers
A delicious, meat-free alternative to the classic BBQ hero. Pop a few of these patties on the grill and vegetarians no longer have to miss out on building their own salad-and-sauce creation. Here’s how to >
Roasted Garlic and Chia Guacamole
We’ve boosted this summer-ready dip with the added fibre and protein of chia seeds. Serve as a spread for burgers, with crusty bread, corn chips or even crackers. Here’s how to >
Chia Lamingtons
It doesn’t get much more classic than this. We’ve taken the much loved Aussie fave and given it a modern, chialicious, gluten-free spin. Bake these ahead of time, pop them in the fridge and serve as your perfect BBQ dessert. Here’s the how to >
In the mad rush that is school mornings, making sure we’re sending our little learners off on their day armed with the perfect, nutritious lunch can be quite the headache.
We’ve all been there: a lost footy boot, forgotten homework assignment, missed school bus… before you know it, you’re reaching for your purse and praying the tuck shop has something half way decent on offer. While a naughty lunch once in a while is not the end of the world, being armed with a couple of healthy (and delicious!) go to snack options for lunch boxes could be all the difference you need to keep on top of things.
To get things started on the right foot this school year, we’ve asked our friend @HealthyFrenchWife to share with us some of her tried-and-true lunchbox saviors. These tasty treats are packed with chia nutrition to power little ones through the day – they’re also nut free, and low in sugar:
Chocolate Chia Cookies:
Wholemeal flour, chia seeds and coconut oil give these cookies a healthy balance of fibre and fats, perfect for an afternoon energy boost. What’s more, you can use a dairy-free milk to make these a great option for lactose-free eaters. Here’s the how to >
Chia Oat Bliss Balls:
These delicious little morsels are so fast to whip up and they keep for over a week in the fridge. This means you can make a batch on Sunday and have a healthy, tasty lunchbox treat ready to roll the whole week ahead! Here’s the how to >
The New Year is the perfect time to try some new healthy habits out for size. And, with the benefits of eating plant-based foods so well documented, there’s no better way to get a head-start on your healthy year than trying out Veganuary!
While going completely meat-free could be a bit of a stretch for some of us, swapping just a few meals per week for a vegan alternative is a great step in the right direction. The best part? With so many amazing cafes and restaurants offering great plant-based options nowadays, going meat-free doesn’t have to mean missing out on anything.
Here are just a few of our favorites:
Girls and Boys (Melbourne)
Taking pride of place on Melbourne’s Brunswick St, this clever vegan dessert bar serves up decadent delights made from blended coconut and soy milks, vegan thickshakes and spiced mylks, matcha almond tarts and maca fudge bars. The have a great selection of options that are free from gluten and refined sugar, too.
Smith & Daughters (Melbourne)
If you’re looking for a vegan option that’ll keep even the most stubborn carnivores happy, this is your answer. Smith & Daughters offer an all-vegan menu, inspired by South American specialties. Think paella, garlic ‘prawns’ and tacos with ‘chorizo’. Looking for a quick lunchtime bite? Head just a stone’s throw from the Brunswick St restaurant and you’ll find Smith & Deli, where all the classic deli sandwiches have been given a vegan do-over. Don’t go past the ‘Meat’ball Sub… you can thank us later.
Bliss & Chips (Sydney)
One look at the menu of this Newtown eatery and you could be forgiven for mistaking it as just another regular fish ’n’ chippery. Fish, crab sticks, prawns and calamari… yep, all the usual suspects are here. But, instead of marine life in the fryer, these are ocean-flavoured soy-based proteins, with a gluten-free and non-GMO batter.
VERD (Sydney)
It’s time to face reality: the lunch bowl trend is far, far from over. And for good reason! As long as establishments like VERD (at Barangaroo and Surrey Hills) keep serving up their delicious selection of plant-based bowls, we’re gonna keep eating them. Choose one of their classic combos, or create your own. Top it off with a delicious smoothie, nut-mylk coffee or raw treat.
Flora and Fauna (Perth)
Tucked down a little alley in trendy Northbridge, this tiny hole in the wall cafe is well worth hunting out. The decor is bright and retro-chic, the coffee is delicious (they’re brewing Micrology) and the brunch menu is all-day. With both vegetarian and vegan options available, the food here is as beautiful as it is delicious with edible flowers and raw treats aplenty!
Bambi & Co (Adelaide)
And the award for cutest cafe name goes to…! What’s more, the offering at this tiny inner-city establishment is just delightful. The menu is small and changes often, with a terrific selection of vegetarian and vegan meals like wraps, salads, soups, cakes and green juice.
Ding Ding! It’s the week before Christmas and do you know what that means? Yup, the drop-in season has officially begun. It’s a fun and frivolous time of year, packed with lunch dates and impromptu BBQs and all the excuses to open that bottle of rosé and toast with our friends and family.
When you’re burning the social candle at both ends it can be easy to let the little household admin slide… Next minute, you’ve got unexpected visitors dropping in and you’re in a mad panic to rinse a few glasses and hide that overflowing washing hamper! We’ve all been there. And, over the years we’ve learned a couple of sneaky tricks to help keep your home host-ready at a moment’s notice:
Back up dinnerwear
Take it from us, the one thing you will never regret purchasing is a set of extra dinnerwear. Tuck it safely up in the top of your pantry and when those unexpected guests come knocking, you’ll be ready to roll. Don’t want to fork out for a whole set of porcelain? We hear you. That’s where these great bamboo plates from Ecoplates come in. For just a smidge extra, you’re getting something way more classy than waxy party plates – plus, they’re super kind to the environment.
Have snacks ready to go
This time of year, your fridge is likely overflowing with leftovers and random ingredients that you bought for that never-attempted-before dish. Well, here’s where it’s time to get a little creative! By working with what you’ve got, those left-overs and random ingredients can easily be turned into snacks for your guests. Cold meats, cheeses, and leftover salads can be turned into delicious sandwiches, or mini pizzas toasted on pita pockets. Or, take those corn kernels from your pantry and add a few interesting flavours – like lime juice and chilli – to get instant pop-props. Our secret weapon? Those little flavour satchets from your ramen noodles make a crazy-yum popcorn seasoning. You can thank us later.
Don’t forget the alcohol-free drinks
Chances are, during the Christmas holidays, your cup will runneth over with the festive drink. We’re talking beer, wine and spirits. But, we often forget that there’s some people that don’t drink…Like children. Or your pregnant sister in law. So, do yourself (and them) a favour by making sure you’ve got a few good non-alcoholic options up your sleeve. Juices, teas and soda is great – or, make up a big batch of iced tea, or this delish chia ginger limeade. It’s great for kids, and (the best part) all you have to do is throw in a splash of your favourite tipple into it for a delicious afternoon cocktail.
Pick your battles
We’ve all been there: A phone call out of the blue, and before you know it, you’ve invited friends over for lunch. In 15 mins. And the house is a complete mess. Here’s the thing: your guests will most likely not even notice half the things that you’re freaking out about. But, what they will notice is if you’re unable to relax and enjoy their company. Our advice? Double check the one thing that bothers you most. This will be something different for every person – maybe it’s dust, maybe it’s dirty dishes in the sink. Whatever your biggest pet peeve is, just take care of it. Even if your guests never notice, you own peace of mind will mean you can relax and enjoy the time with your guests. Afterall, that’s the whole point!
The countdown to the big day is on! How’s your to-do list looking? If you’re anything like us, you’ve fallen totally off the gift-buying wagon, left everything to the last minute (just like you swore you wouldn’t) and are now in full internet click-hole panic trying to find just the right thing for everyone.
Well, today is your lucky day – we are here to be your knight in shining mistletoe with these eight great gift ideas. The best news? With express shipping, you’ll have these in your hot little hands before the weekend.
Sunnylife Market Bag
Bring a pop of colour to your market, poolside, picnic or beach adventures! This transparent PVC bag is as cute as it is durable, and even has a bonus zippered purse that’s perfect stowing the essentials.
Arty Kitchen Towels
Melbourne quirk-boutique Third Drawer Down have collaborated with local artists to create these tea towels which will look just as good on your wall as they do in your drawer.
Silk Eye Mask
The perfect treat for your glamourpuss friend, these silk eye masks promise a luxurious sleep. Plus, they look ultra chic sitting on the bedside table.
Drawer liners
Turns out your Nana was on to something with drawer liners – and, these modern versions have much better patterns and fragrances than in Nana’s time, too.
Shakers
Another one from our friends at Third Drawer Down… Um, hello most adorable salt and pepper shakers of all time. Perfect for the friend who’s just moved into a new home, or, really, just because.
Fressko Flask
This is one gift that will please literally everyone – a high quality double walled flask that will keep your beverage as hot or cold as you like it.
EMUSlippers
It might be feelin’ hot, hot, hot out there right now, but come those cooler months these EMU slippers are gonna be the late-blooming-best-gift-you-ever-gave. We love EMU products because not only is it the softest, warmest thing your toots have ever touched, it’s sustainably farmed too.
Aesop room fragrance
Aesop is the patron saint of all last minute gifting, how could we not include them on this list?! These room fragrances are so much cooler than eau-de-glade, think smokey florals and tobacco, lavender and pink pepper, or cedar and citrus.
And one final gift from us to you:
Give the gift of health this Christmas, or treat yourself with a hamper of our Chia goodies! To make things extra sweet, we’re giving you 30% off your total order from our webshop. But you’d better be quick, the code is only valid until 31 December – simply enter ChiaXmas at the checkout!
The positive impact our furry friends can have on our lives is undeniable. In fact, psychologists and wellness experts the world over have been touting the benefits of ‘dog therapy’ for decades. But, what many might not know is that it’s actually been proven that owning a dog can lead to a longer life! Yep, that’s right – in a recent study, Swedish scientists have found a direct correlation between owning a dog and a decrease in early mortality rates.
The study analysed the hospital record of 3.4 million people aged 40 to 80, and compared them to dog ownership registers. The team found there was a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in owners of dogs, and that dogs could have a particularly positive effect on those who live alone – a group previously found to be at a higher risk of cardiovascular death.
“The results showed that single dog owners had a 33% reduction in risk of death and 11% reduction in risk of heart attack,” compared to single non-owners, said lead study author Mwenya Mubanga of Uppsala University.
Researchers believe there could be a few reasons WHY dog owners have lower rates of early mortality. Firstly, owning a dog can encourage physical activity. It can also protect people from cardiovascular disease by increasing their social contact or wellbeing. Or, it could be that having a dog in your home means you are exposed to many different bacteria’s that you might not be otherwise, which leads to a more comprehensive immunity.
While it might not be realistic for everyone to own a dog (apartment dwellers, we hear you!), it does give you a very good excuse to make friends with your neighborhood pooches, offer to dog walk for your friends, or even sign-up to be a temporary dog fosterer at your local lost dogs home.
Choosing to eat whole grains rather than refined, processed grains seems like an obvious choice if you’re trying to eat a more healthy diet. Research has continued to show that eating whole grains can lead to a long list of health benefits including better weight management and reduced risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
In the most comprehensive study to date of its kind, researchers have studied the effect of exchanging refined grain products in the diet – such as white bread and pasta – with wholegrain varieties. The study showed that when overweight adults exchange refined grain products with whole grains, they eat less, they lose weight and the amount of inflammation in their bodies decreases.
But, exactly what is it about whole grains that make them better for us? Well – more than you might think! Here’s a quick rundown of all the essential nutrition found in whole grains.
Fibre
Dietary fibre can help prevent heart disease, diabetes, weight gain and some cancers, and can also improve digestive health. Fibre comes only from plant foods like fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.
Iron
Iron helps our bodies make red blood cells and myoglobin (cells for muscles), both of which help carry and store oxygen. Iron also plays a role in many other routine bodily functions.
Protein
It might surprise you to learn that whole grains are a rich source of protein, which is great news for those of us who prefer to eat plant-based diet.
B Vitamins
B vitamins help with metabolism and help maintain healthy skin, hair and muscles. They also help our bodies make red blood cells, promote healthy immune and nervous system function, and have even been linked to helping ward off depression and anxity.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is an essential mineral, present in every cell in your body. Its main function is the formation of bones and teeth, but it’s also crucial for cell repair, growth, and maintenance; for heartbeat regularity; and nerve conduction.
Zinc
Zinc can help out immune systems fight off bacteria and viruses, and help our wounds to heal faster. It also helps our bodies make proteins and DNA.
Magnesium
An essential mineral, magnesium is required for hundreds of biochemical reactions, including converting food into energy, body temperature regulation and maintaining a strong immune system. Magnesium also helps us absorb calcium, for healthy bones and teeth.
Copper
Copper helps us absorb iron, and also helps regulate blood pressure and heart rate. Copper is also needed for the production of melanin, which colors our hair and skin.
Manganese
The mineral manganese activates many important enzymes in the body that are essential in the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, and cholesterol. Manganese is also essential to the formation of healthy cartilage and bone.
Selenium
Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to helping prevent cellular damage from free radicals, regulating thyroid function, and supporting a healthy immune system.
There are plenty of things to love about spring: we get warmer days with longer sunlight hours, getting out of bed in the morning becomes a little easier, and everyone just seems to be in a better mood generally.
One of our favourite of all the spring blessings is that we suddenly have the chance to mix-up our exercise regime. Unless you’re a crazy all-weather jogger, chances are you’ve spent the better part of five months working out safely inside your heated gym room or yoga studio. But now, with longer days and dryer weather, it’s the perfect time to take things outdoors.
The outdoors isn’t just great for running. With a little creativity and imagination, you can replicate almost any gym exercise outside. And, not only does the fresh air and change of scenery make your workout a little more interesting, there are many proven physical and mental benefits of relocating your sweat session to the great outdoors:
Variety
When you exercise outside you get a constantly changing environment and variable terrain. Working out on a changing terrain teaches your body and muscles to be responsive, and can also help build strength in your connective tissues.
Burn more calories
Believe it or not, but the wind can actually help you burn more calories. The natural resistance of a strong headwind makes you work harder, while a good tailwind can help you move faster – activating the larger type II muscle fibres responsible for strength and definition.
A healthy mind
An increasing amount of research shows outdoor activity is great for the mind. In fact, a Harvard study in 2016 found that exposure to higher levels of green vegetation is actually linked to decreased mortality rates! Exercising amongst trees and wildlife can give you a healthy mood boost and can help to combat anxiety and stress. Bonus points if you take your shoes off to feel the grass under your feet.
Community connection
Running through your local park, or simply walking around your neighbourhood, can be a great way to get to know your neighbours. Being connected with your community and having a healthy relationship with those around you is great for your emotional and mental wellbeing. So, take those earbuds out and engage with your community.
We’re delighted this month to congratulate Daisy Pearce, winner of the Women’s Health Women in Sport Leadership Legend Award (presented by The Chia Co.).
As well as being an impressive captain of Melbourne FC in the new AFLW league, captain of the Darebin Falcons in the VFL Women’s and captain of the winning team (Victoria) in this year’s AFLW State of Origin, Pearce is also a stand-out AFLW leader – she’s been an upstanding role model and helped garner positive public attention for the new league. Not only has she helped increase the profile of women in sport, Daisy has shown exceptional sportsmanship both on and off the field.
At The Chia Co., we are passionate advocates for equality and firm supporters of women in sport. We believe it’s essential that our community recognizes achievements of female athletes, and celebrates the powerful impact these women can have as role models. We are proud to support this iconic Women’s Health event, and in particular to present the Leadership Legend award, recognising the incredible job Daisy has done this year.
Daisy was honoured with her award alongside some of the biggest names in sports, at the star-studded evening at the International Convention Centre in Sydney. Congratulations to Daisy, and to all the 2017 Women in Sport winners:
- Hall of Fame Betty Cuthbert, Athletics
- Women’s Health Sportswoman of the Year Samantha Kerr, Soccer
- Moment of the Year AFLW inaugural game, Carlton versus Collingwood
- A-Team of the Year Matildas, Soccer (as voted by the Australian Public)
- Person of Sporting Influence Dr Susan Alberti, Women‟s Football trailblazer
- Local Sporting Champion Mariella Teuira, Sports Club founder
- Leadership Legend Daisy Pearce, AFLW
- One to Watch Ashleigh Gardner, Cricket
- Australian Federal Government Award for Outstanding Woman in Sport Britt Cox, Mogul Skiing
One of our favourite holidays is right around the corner: Halloween! From decorations, trick-or-treating, and those wild day-of-the-dead parties, this time of year is a total hoot, whatever your age and stage of life.
As you know, we’re big on balance. And that means that when the time is right to indulge in a little sugary treat, we think you should go for it! However, to make it a little easier to avoid a total blow out, we’ve created some (super cute) and not-so-naughty Halloween treats especially for you.
The Main Acts:
- Banana & Coconut Ghoul Pops
These sweet little ghouls are super quick to make and can be kept in the freezer for a few days before you need them. - Gingerbread Skeletons
A spooky take on an old favourite, we’ve added a little extra cinnamon to create a darker base colour for the cookie so the piped white chocolate really pops! - Vegan Pumpkin Pies
One for the big kids! These are one of our all-time favourite desserts and are made using a Vanilla Chia Pod – although it would work just as well with a Coconut Chia Pod.
The Decorations:
Get a little creative and whip up some of our edible Halloween decorations, the perfect addition to your Halloween table:
- Strawberry Dead Heads
Dip strawberries into melted white chocolate and, after leaving to set for a few mins, use broken pieces of chocolate buttons for eyes, and piped icing for the mouth. Refrigerate for 20mins to set. - Kiwi Frankensteins
Using a paring knife, cut a jagged fringe and remove the kiwi skin to reveal your Frankenstein’s face. Decorate with yoghurt, raisins for eyes and pieces of apple for the mouth and bolts. - Spooky Spiders
Use a big dark red grape for the body and a row of raisins along toothpicks for the legs. Just make sure to keep an eye on any little ones with those toothpicks!
Happy Halloween to you all – we hope it’s deliciously fun for everyone!
Earlier this month, we celebrated the launch of our newest product collab: Be Natural Chia Exotic Berry Bites, with two fun-filled The Chia Co x Be Natural Pound workout events in Melbourne and Sydney.
At the free events, attendees had a chance to sample the delicious Be Natural Chia Exotic Berry Bites before jumping, grooving and pounding their way through a 45min Rockout Workout with our friends at Pound. They were also given a free yoga mat, t-shirt and drink bottle.
Now available in the muesli aisle of Woolworths, Be Natural Chia Exotic Berry Bites are packed with energy-boosting nutrition, making them a great pre or post-workout snack. Not only is every Chia Bite packed with 25% of our sun-ripened chia seeds, they also boast a veritable ‘who’s who’ of other nutritious ingredients, like Goji berries, rolled oats and tahini sesame seed paste. Every Chia Bite contains over 1000mg of omega 3- ALA and is a source of fibre.
Look, we’re not trying to rain on the parade. It’s warm. It’s sunny. Sweet breezes abound. Yeah yeah, we get it, spring is magical!
However, if you are one of the more than 5 million people in Australia who suffer from hayfever, you’ll agree with us that not everything about this time of year is sweetness and light. Stuffy nose? Itchy eyes and throat? That irritating tickle-in-throat? Yep, hayfever is no joke.
There are plenty of pills and potions available at your local pharmacy – either over the counter or on prescription. But, for the majority of us who only suffer from mild to moderate hayfever, there’s no need to pump your body full of Zyrtec day and night. Natural remedies can make a real difference to your allergies, so try adding some of these hayfever heroes into your daily diet this spring:
Turmeric
A favourite spice in Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine, turmeric has also been used for thousands of years as a natural remedy for a range of ailments, including hayfever. Turmeric contains curcumin, a phytochemical that offers powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are comparable to those provided by steroidal drugs. Curcumin has also been shown to inhibit the release of histamine, which is exactly what those over the counter anti-histamines are combatting!
Horseradish, garlic and ginger
Horseradish is a pungent root vegetable which acts as a decongestant, helping to clear nasal passages. Garlic also helps to clear nasal congestion and is a good source of quercetin, one of the best natural anti-histamines available. Garlic also offers potent antibiotic properties which can help prevent respiratory infections in those who suffer from chronic hayfever. Ginger is also a powerful natural anti-inflammatory that helps reduce nasal swelling and associated hay fever symptoms.
Avoid dairy
When combatting hayfever, what you don’t eat can be as important as what you do. Certain foods can actually exasperate your hayfever symptoms, and the worst culprit for most people is dairy products. During hayfever season, try and limit your intake of cow’s milk and yoghurt and they can cause an increase the production of mucus in the respiratory tract, making the congestion from your hayfever even worse.
Things are really looking up out there, Australia! Feels like it’s been a long time coming but the temperature is slowly rising, the mornings are getting just that little bit brighter, and blossoms are starting to burst into life. It’s officially the spring equinox!
Also known as the Vernal Equinox or Ostara, this is a time to celebrate new life, awakening, fertility, coming out of the winter, and most of all, balance (since at this time of year, day and night are of equal length).
With all this fresh, cleansing spring energy in the air, this is the perfect time to put into practice some new healthy habits. You’ll naturally be feeling a little more energetic, so why not make the most of it?
Here are some of the healthy habits we’ll be trying to put into action this spring:
10 mins of meditation each day
For many of us, meditation is like drinking more water: We all know it’s one of the simplest ways to improve our health and well-being, and yet we just can’t seem to make a habit of it. But, if there is one new habit you adopt this spring, mindfulness could be the most rewarding. Even just ten minutes of mindfulness practice a day has been shown to improve insomnia, relieve stress and anxiety and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Meditation has also been shown to improve your productivity, so while it might seem hard at first to find that extra ten mins in the morning, it’s actually a worthy investment that will pay off for the rest of your day.
Don’t forget to stretch
When we’re short of time, stretching is usually the first thing to go from our exercise regime. Because the results aren’t as visible as lifting weights or running, we can be mistaken for thinking it’s not really doing much. But, when it comes to a healthy, balanced body, stretching is crucial because it keeps your muscles flexible and strong. Without regular stretching, your muscles become short and tight which means that when you call on them for activity, they are unable to extend the way they should, putting you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage. So, keep stretching a core part of your workout and say hello to long, flexible and healthy muscles.
Eat local, seasonal produce
Eating seasonally offers many benefits for your health and the environment. And, with all the incredible fruits and vegetables coming into season in the next few months, now is a great time to try and take advantage of in-season produce. When you eat with the seasons you’ll be more likely eating fruit and veg from local growers, which not only means a lower carbon footprint but also that you’re supporting the farmers and businesses in your community. Seasonal fruit and veg are usually harvested at peak ripeness too, giving you the full benefit of both flavour and nutrients. So, what’s good to eat now? We’re loving bananas, oranges, broccoli, brussell sprouts, mushrooms, peas and spinach.
Find your balance
At this time of year, day and night are of an equal length which makes it a great time to take a life review and make sure that you are as ‘in balance’ as nature is. How is your work/home life balance? Do you allow yourself enough time out for you? Do you prioritise your needs as much as you do the needs of others? Before the busy, buzzing summer and holiday season kicks in, take this opportunity for an honest look at all areas in your life and find as much balance as you can.
With the benefits of meditation and mindfulness crossing over from just ‘hippie fodder’ to actual scientific fact in recent years, there’s no denying the powerful role our brains can play in our well-being. But what might be news to most of us is how important our brain is to our physical health and fitness.
Recent studies from both Stanford University and Manchester University have found a direct connection between the way we think and physical outcomes, including strength, health and even how long we live.
A Stanford University study (1) of 60,000 people found that individuals who believed they were less active than others were up to 71 per cent more likely to die in the following 21 years, even if they were relatively fit. In contrast, those who considered themselves to be physically fit seemed to be protected against early death, even if that perception was wrong, in what researchers believe to be an exercise placebo effect.
The placebo effect, where people experience physiological changes without receiving any actual treatment, is nothing new. And now, scientists believe that in the same way, people who believe they are getting good exercise may experience real physiological benefits.
Similarly, in a Manchester Metropolitan University study featured in New Scientist (2), neuroscientists tested the impact of ‘imagined’ vs actual exercise, with fascinating results. One group was asked to do a muscular pushing activity for a month, a second group was asked to imagine, vividly, doing the exercises, and a third group was asked to do nothing. The results? The first group increased strength by 33%, the second group 16%, the third group did not improve at all. The neuroscientists concluded that imagined exercise or movement initiates the same motor-programming in the brain as real exercise, which improves neural pathways between the brain and the muscle group involved.
So, what does this really mean and how can we benefit?
While the affects aren’t powerful enough to completely replace the need for healthy eating and exercise, it does highlight how important it is to include healthy, fit thinking into your day to day. Where many people might think that vigorous exercise in a gym or pounding the pavement for hours on end is the only way to stay fit, these new studies can help alleviate some of that pressure. Being mindful of and feeling good about activities you do every day – like taking the stairs, walking or biking to work, or cleaning the house – could be an easy way to get even more benefit from the exercise you do.
(1) Zahrt, O. H., & Crum, A. J. (2017, July 20). Perceived Physical Activity and Mortality: Evidence From Three Nationally Representative U.S. Samples. Health Psychology.
(2) Mighty Minds (1998). New Scientist.
The fact that water is good for your health is no shocking revelation. It’s old news, right? Which is why it can feel a little boring. It’s much more fun to follow the newest advice, try the latest superfood or the freshest fitness regime. And there’s nothing wrong with that, we wholeheartedly believe in mixing things up, trying new things out, and not getting too stuck in your wellness ways.
BUT, as much fun as those new tips and tricks can be, the fact remains: There are few things in the world that are as positively, simply good for your health as drinking good old H2O.
Still not excited? Some of these unexpected benefits might help that boring glass of water take on a whole new shine:
Helps to keep you feeling full
Are you hungry, or are you thirsty? It can be hard to tell sometimes. Keeping your water intake up throughout the day can help to ward off those hunger pangs, and when combined with food, will help make you feel fuller much faster – which can be really helpful if you’re a little prone to overdoing it at mealtime!
Keeps your skin glowing
Skin is our body’s largest organ, and it’s made up of more than 60% water, so drinking plenty of water is essential for healthy skin. What’s more, water helps your body to flush out toxins, another key contributor to beautiful, glowing skin.
Fatigue buster
Move over coffee, there’s a new fatigue fighter in town. One of the most common effects of dehydration is tiredness and lethargy, so keep your water intake up throughout the day and you might not even need that 3pm caffeine boost.
Promotes brain function
Like the rest of your body, your brain is made up of mostly water. Drinking plenty of water will help your brain function to its full potential, increasing your focus and improving your concentration levels. Conversely, dehydration can lead to memory loss, inability to focus, and sleep problems.
Supports kidney function
Our hardworking kidneys process up to 180 litres of blood, every day. Pretty impressive huh? That means that your entire body’s blood volume is being filtered upwards of 25 times a day, with waste and toxins being sifted out and disposed of. And what is one of the key things your kidneys need to function at their best? You guessed it – water.
For most of us, our dads are our heroes. They’re the ones we go to for advice, for a shoulder to lean on, or whenever we just need the world to feel a little more safe and secure. Dad’s are the best, and with Father’s Day around the corner, we thought it was a great opportunity to talk about men’s health and in particular, nutrition.
Men tend to be blessed with fast metabolisms, especially in their 20s and 30s. Whether they’re working in physically active jobs, or playing sports on the weekends, or maybe even just a desk dweller who hits the gym once in awhile, most men don’t have to think too much about what they’re eating day to day.
However, despite what that testosterone might tell them, men are not immortal. As they get older, most men find that their bodies become less tolerant of bad food choices, and they need to make more informed decisions on nutrition to better keep their body healthy and mind sharp for the many years to come.
Here are some of the key nutrients older men need to be getting:
Calcium and Vitamin D
For: strong and healthy bones
Older adults need three servings of calcium and vitamin D every day. Calcium can be found in many foods, some of the best sources include dairy (milk, cheese and yoghurt), fortified cereals and fruit juices, dark green leafy vegetables and canned fish with soft bones. Vitamin D comes from the sun and is one nutrient many of us struggle to get enough of, especially during winter. We recommend talking to a health professional about the different ways you can increase your Vitamin D, or kill two birds with one stone and opt for a combined calcium and Vitamin D supplement.
Fibre
For: digestive and heart health
We know you’re probably sick of hearing us harping on about fibre, but it really is nutritional gold! Not only does it help keep your digestive tract healthy, it keeps you feeling fuller for longer which is great for healthy weight management. It’s recommended that men older than 50 get 30g of fibre in their diet each day, so make sure Dad’s eating plenty of wholegrains, fruits, vegetables and chia (of course!). Chia is the highest combined plant source of fibre, protein and omega-3, so it’s an easy way to make sure Dad’s getting a solid hit of nutrition. Handy hint: get Dad onto this delicious and fibre-packed Tuscan White Bean, Kale and Chia bowl.
Potassium
For: lowering blood pressure
Potassium helps to prevent high blood pressure by balancing the negative effects of high-sodium diets and supporting kidney function. But, put the supplements down – there is such a thing of too much potassium so instead, simply add more potassium-rich foods into your daily diet, like avocados, spinach, sweet potatoes and coconut water.
Healthy Fats
For: energy, brain and heart health
Healthy fats are a crucial part of everyone’s diet, and have a particularly important role in providing energy, and keeping our brains and hearts healthy. Unsaturated fat is generally considered the healthiest, so encourage Dad to fill his plate with avocados, nuts, oily fish and olive oil. For healthy older men, it’s recommended that saturated fat (the kind that comes from meat and dairy) be limited to 10 percent of their total fat calories, while those who do have high cholesterol or heart disease should try and keep it even lower.
Winter is officially in full swing and chances are you’re enjoying plenty of cosy nights tucked in watching telly. The shorter daylight hours and cooler weather point to all-things-snug: red wine in front of a fire, pub meals, hot chocolate, and Netflix. The only problem is that it can be really hard to stick with your health and fitness regime – who wants to get up for that HIIT class after a late night sipping mulled wine? Who wants to order the grain bowl when there’s a hearty pasta on offer? We don’t blame you.
If you’ve been indulging in the cosy delights a little too much lately, don’t sweat it. These five tips will make it easy to keep that extra winter padding at bay:
1) Increase your protein
High protein foods keep you feeling full for longer and they also lead to faster fat loss because they take more energy to digest than carbs or fat. Also, when paired with strength or weight training, high protein foods will help you build muscle which helps your body burn more fat, even when you’re not exercising. Increase your protein by adding more plant proteins into your daily diet like chia, lentils or quinoa.
2) Sleep right.
Make it your mission to have at least seven hours of sleep, every night. When we don’t sleep enough, our bodies produce more cortisol – which is a stress hormone that causes our bodies to store fat. Lack of sleep is also linked to higher BMIs and reduced muscle recovery and growth. If you’re struggling to get seven uninterrupted hours, try limiting your alcohol and caffeine consumption – these can wreak havoc with the quality of your sleep. Or, try setting a pre-bed ritual to help you wind down: ban screen time after 9pm, dim your lights, and try listening to a relaxation podcast.
3) Eat fat to lose fat
Seems like a paradox, but eating more fat won’t necessarily make you fat. In fact, increasing healthy fats like nuts, avocado, and coconut oil can help reduce hunger and maintain blood sugar levels, which makes you less likely to reach for that sugary 3 pm snack. Try to get at least 25% of your daily calories from healthy fats.
4) The numbers don’t lie
As much as we’d like to do away with calorie counting, the simple truth is that if you are putting more ‘fuel’ into your body than you are burning, it will become stored on your body. We’re not terribly fond of restrictive diets, but it does pay to educate yourself on where your calories are coming from – you might be surprised by some of the hidden calories in snacks and beverages.
5) Get stronger
While cardio has long held the ‘fat burning’ crown, strength training is really the unsung hero. In fact, too much cardio can cause you to lose muscle, which slows your metabolism and fat burning. Even if your goal is to be smaller, training heavy and building strength will improve your body composition. That old ‘heavy weights make you bulky myth’ is so 1993 – get some big exercises like squats and deadlifts into your routine, heavy enough that you can get 4-6 reps out at a time. You can thank us later.
Well, just like that 2017 is halfway through. And, as much as we’d prefer to be bright, shiny optimists, sometimes we need to call a spade a spade: It’s been a pretty tough year at times. With environmental disasters and climate change debates raging, the rate of extinction for plants and animals increasing by the day, political instability around the world, refugee crises, and numerous terror attacks, it’s not surprising that many of us are feeling a little less-than-fond of the world right now.
It can all seem overwhelming and knowing what – if anything – we can do to help is hard. What difference can I really make? With problems so big, it might seem futile to even try. And, when the daily news only seems to make you feel worse, you could be forgiven for wanting to shut yourself away from it all.
But, it’s exactly at these times where we need to make the effort – no matter how small it may seem – to spread the love, peace, and tolerance in our own communities. Making a difference to those around you can lead to a pretty major impact on the greater community, not to mention on how you feel day to day. So, what can you do? Here are some of our favourite ways you can make a small, but important, difference in your community:
- Be present when it counts. Show your support for inclusiveness, be it marriage equality, anti-racism, the plight of refugees, or gender rights. Add your voice to the chorus by signing petitions and participating in peaceful demonstrations. You don’t have to shout the loudest or hold the biggest sign – simply by adding yourself to the head count will make a difference in how far the positive message is spread.
- Be active in your community. Say hello to your neighbours, especially those who may be a long way from home. Join the local council or community board, and participate in the conversations that affect the way of life where you live. Make it your goal to help promote a neighbourhood that is friendly and welcoming for everyone.
- Lend a hand when you can. There are plenty of ways you can help through volunteering – even if you can only spare a few hours per month. Help serving food at your local soup kitchen, or get in touch with your local asylum or refugee centre. By donating your time you will make a valuable contribution to those who need it, and you’ll also be setting a great example to your friends and family.
Monday 12 June was World Meat Free Day – a day designed to raise the awareness of the health and environmental benefits of eating less meat.
Contrary to what many might think, it isn’t about converting everyone to vegetarianism, it’s about promoting a more balanced diet and encouraging us to eat a little less meat throughout the year, and better quality meat when we do eat it.
Swapping the meat on your plate for plant foods will reduce your carbon footprint and save heaps of water. Even giving up meat for one meal will save you enough carbon emissions to boil a kettle nearly 400 times, and the daily water usage of nine people. It often better for your health too, with studies showing meat-free meals generally have less fat and fewer calories.
At The Chia Co, we are firm believers that everyone should be free to make their own choices around the ethical consumption of meat and animal products. We’re champions of eating healthy, nutritious meals – from vegan to carnivore, and everything in between! At the same time, we are also huge advocates for plant-based nutrition, because we believe this is something that is often lacking in many modern diets.
We see World Meat Free Day as a fantastic opportunity to get a little more informed on the topic of eating plant-based diets, to learn about ethical meat consumption, and be empowered to make better choices when you can. Luckily, it’s never been easier to eat meat-free meals with the plant protein in chia making sure you’re still getting the best nutrition on your plate.Try a few of our favourite meatless meals:
Getting sick sucks, there’s no two ways about it. Losing a few days to the couch is never convenient, and can cause havoc with your social calendar, work commitments and workout schedule.
But, not all illnesses are the same, and there’s a huge difference between a slight case of the sniffles and a full-blown flu. When is it ok to sweat it out, and when should you head for the doona?
When it’s bad:
A decent workout, where you’re sweating, breathing heavy and putting strain on your muscles, creates a stress response in your body.
When we’re in good health, this stress is a good thing. Our bodies are forced to adapt to the stress, which is precisely why we get fitter and stonger the more we workout.
But, when we’re sick, the stress of a tough workout can be more than our immune systems can handle. You could do real damage to your body if you try and push it at a time when it’s already under the strain of battling a severe illness.
When it’s good:
Surprisingly, in cases of mild sickness the right kind of exercise can actually help you feel better and strengthen your immunity. Non-strenuous exercises like walking, some types of yoga, tai chi, and qigong, can help get your circulation moving, gets you breathing deeply which can help to clear sinuses, and can help your body to de-stress.
The golden rule:
When trying to decide whether or not to attempt some light exercise, most experts recommend using the ‘neck rule’. That is, if your symptoms are confined to the neck and up – so, sore thoat, sinus congestion, sniffles and headaches – light exercise should be ok. Anything below the neck – bronchial, stomach related, achey limbs – best to stick to the couch.
As always though, listening to your own body is the most important rule. Even if your illnesses seem mild, your body will tell you if it’s not up for it.
Sunday 28 May was World Hunger Day – a globally recognised day that aims to inspire people to show their support for the women, men and children that are ending their own hunger and poverty.
Hunger and malnutrition are the number one risk to health worldwide, greater than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. And, contrary to what most people think, chronic hunger isn’t just caused by war or famine – it persists when people lack the opportunity to earn enough income, to be educated and gain skills, to meet basic health needs and to have a voice in the decisions that affect their community.
Improving global nutrition has always been a foundational goal for us at The Chia Co. We know that many of the world’s greatest health problems come from people not having access to healthy, nutritious food – and it’s something we’re determined to do what we can to help improve.
World Hunger Day is an initiative by The Hunger Project. Started in 2011, it aims to celebrate sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty. It’s about raising awareness of chronic hunger and about celebrating the achievements of millions of people who are already taking actions to improve their situation.
We encourage you to support The Hunger Project’s ongoing work in any way you can – whether by sharing the message through your social channels, getting involved in one of The Hunger Projects local events, or by donating via their website.
From Ab Blasters to Thighmasters, Tae Bo and Step Aerobics, the world of fitness has always been dominated by fads. And that’s not a bad thing, especially for those of us who get bored quickly! Mixing up your workout regime and trying new things is a great way to keep yourself motivated.
So, what are the biggest fitness trends going to be this year? Thankfully, the smart people at American College of Sports Medicine have done the hard work for us. Every year, ACSM conduct a global survey to better understand our thoughts and feelings about exercise, and from this research are able to predict coming trends. Here are ten of the top workout trends we can expect to see in 2017:
Wearable technology
Fitness trackers have been around for awhile now, but the technology is evolving fast. Huge improvements to the accuracy of these devices, plus an ever-expanding list of available features, will see smartwatches and fitness trackers take an even bigger slice of the fitness pie this year.
Bodyweight training
Sometimes you just can’t beat the tried and true. We love body weight workouts – like pushups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, and planks – cause they’re equipment free and easy to modify.
High-Intensity Interval Training
No surprises here – HIIT has been popular for a few years now, and with good reason. With short bursts of intense movement, alternated with periods of rest, HIIT is a sure fire way to have you building muscle and burning fat fast.
Working with certified fitness professionals
This trend has been driven by clients becoming more informed and smarter about who they seek out (and are willing to pay!) for help. ACSM predict that 2017 will see the fitness industry become more accountable and professional than ever.
Strength Training
The popularity of strength based workouts continues to grow. In particular, more women are becoming fans of strength based workouts as research continues to show that lifting weights won’t make you bulky, and instead leads to increased metabolism and fat burning.
Group training
This is a trend that’s been a few years in the making – think Pound, SoulCycle, PureBarre, and CrossFit. ACSM predicts that these types of group workouts will continue to thrive in 2017.
Exercise is medicine
Research has shown that regular exercise can have huge benefits for overall health, including lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia and other chronic diseases. ‘Exercise is medicine’ is a global movement that encourages the connections between physicians and fitness professionals, with both groups working together to help patients.
Yoga
Yoga has been around for thousands of years and has been a modern fitness trend for at least a decade, so how does it continue to be so popular? ACSM notes that while traditional Ashtanga, Hatha, and Vinyasa classes are readily available, fitness pros are also constantly finding new ways to reinvent yoga — think aerial yoga, hot yoga, and rope wall yoga.
Baby boomer fitness
Baby Boomers were the original fitsters, ushering in the fitness revolution back in the ’80s. Now, they’re reaching retirement age and more businesses are tailoring classes to better serve this aging population.
Functional fitness
Functional fitness improves coordination, balance, force, power, and endurance and helps enhance your ability to perform normal daily activities. In a nutshell, this is the type of strength that really matters: the kind that lets you lift a suitcase into an overhead locker, move furniture, or carry your child.
February is officially the month of love, which is great. Love is fun, makes us feel invigorated, and usually involves chocolate. We love love!
But, we also know that the whole Valentine’s Day thing can be a bit of a drag for some people. If you’re single, or if you’re in a non-traditional relationship, seeing the rest of the world celebrate their happy situations with heart candies, hand holding and roses can be a little icky.
So, this month we’re encouraging you to focus instead on the most universal (and important, if you ask us!) type of love there is: self-love.
What is it?
Well, before you get too excited, we’re not meaning self-love in a physical sense… we’re talking about the kind, loving ways you treat yourself. Putting your own wellbeing first, cherishing your uniqueness, being generous and avoiding negative self-judgement.
How to love yourself
Most of us are harder on ourselves than anyone else. Learning to swap out your criticism and self-doubt for uplifting, encouraging thoughts can feel impossible – especially when so many of our negative feelings and thoughts happen unconsciously. To build a new rhetoric with yourself, you need to actively instill positive habits.
Here are our top five tips for how you can get better at loving yourself:
1: Get creative
Creativity is an expression of self, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. Spending time on activities which encourage self-expression – be it painting, writing, sculpting, music, or whatever takes your fancy – is a great way to get a little self-love in your life. The key is to approach your creative pursuits from a non-judgemental perspective. Forget what the outcome is, and enjoy the process.
2: Prioritise your health
Your body is your temple. It’s an old saying, but really does stand the test of time – when you’re treating your body well, your mind and emotions will naturally follow. Fuel your body with food and drink that is nourishing, and invest time in self-care routines that make you feel cherished.
3: Embrace gratitude
Find something to be grateful for every day. It’s inevitable that you are going to have your down days. This is fine and very human of you. It’s especially important on these days to find at least one thing you are grateful for as it helps to shift your mind and energy around what’s going on.
4: Tune out that inner critic
The way your talk to yourself has an enormous impact on your life, happiness, and well-being. Take notice of your self-talk patterns and make a conscious effort to replace negative messages with more positive statements. Struggling to find the positive? Try imagining you’re talking to a friend rather than yourself – we usually find it much easier to find the love when we’re encouraging our buddies! So take that kind, compassionate perspective and turn it back on yourself.
5: Go easy
Self-love takes practice and persistence, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see a dramatic change overnight. Learning to love yourself is a practice that can take a lifetime to master, and there’s no finish line to reach. It’s about being kind to yourself every day, recognizing where you’re doing a great job and where you can improve.
The holidays are officially over, and chances are the silly season has left you feeling a little worse for wear. All those parties and weekends away, and the break from work and regular life routines, have had most of us enjoying a good few weeks of overindulgence.
Then, reality sets in. As much fun as those cheeseboards, afternoon drinks, and skipped workouts might have been, you’re left feeling sluggish and unmotivated. Getting back to work and your usual day-to-day routines can come as a bit of a shock.
What you need is a little reset. We hate the term ‘detox’ – it makes us think of fad diets and extreme restrictions, which tend to do more harm than good. So, skip the leek soup diet and instead try out a few of our #positivelysimple tips to improve digestion, boost your metabolism, and give you more energy to go out there and get moving again!
Start your day with hot water and lemon
An oldie but a goodie. Before you hit the coffee, start your day with a glass of hot water and lemon. It will help to flush out toxins from your body, and also leads to healthier digestion, increased nutrient absorption, reduces bloating, and encourages a steadier insulin level throughout the day (aka: less risk of sugar cravings!)
Get moving every day – even if it’s just a walk
Ok Ok – so you’ve probably already set some bold New Year’s exercise resolutions, right? Maybe even signed up for a boot camp? Yeah, us too. But for those of us that struggle to stick with crazy workout schedules, we recommend instead simply making a commitment to incorporate more movement into your every day. Even 20mins of walking will make a huge difference to your metabolism and energy levels. Use your lunch break to get out for a short walk, or make the most of these summer evenings to meet a friend for a pre-dinner bike ride. Or, if you’re really short on time, try our short and sweet circuit workout.
Cut down on alcohol
If you’ve been enjoying more than your regular tipple these holidays, it’s probably time to reign it in – too much alcohol on a regular basis can lead to a host of health problems, not to mention making other healthy habits much harder to stick to. So, why not try replacing a few of those glasses of rose with a refreshing ginger chia limeade? It might feel like the party is over, but your body will thank you for it.
Good bacteria
A healthy digestive tract is essential to clearing out toxins, ensuring your body is absorbing as many nutrients as possible from the good food you are eating, and keeping your immune levels in tip-top condition. Healthy bacteria from probiotics and fermented foods can work miracles for your digestive tract. Increasing your intake of natural yoghurt, fermented foods like kombucha or sauerkraut, or even taking a probiotic supplement, will have you enjoying more energy, less bloating, and clearer skin in no time.
Increase your fibre
Again, this is about helping your digestion move effectively to process foods and eliminate toxins. Increasing your intake of both soluble and insoluble fibre will clean out your digestive tract, promoting a slower conversion of carbohydrates to sugar, and will keep you feeling fuller for longer. One tablespoon of chia provides 6g of fibre, so adding chia to your daily diet is an easy way to up your fibre intake. Need a little inspo? These chickpea and chia falafels are a great fibre-boosting lunch or summer dinner option.
When it comes to working out, consistency is key. Which kinda sucks. It would be a lot easier if we could all just commit to that one or two 90min sessions per week, huh?
The good news is that your workouts don’t have to be long and gruelling. In fact, shorter workouts every day are the most effective way to build muscle and burn calories. The benefits of daily exercise go far beyond the physical, too. It can lead to a steadier appetite, without the full-on exhaustion and crippling hunger which tend to accompany long workouts. You get the stress relieving benefits of exercise more often, and it also keeps your energy levels on an even keel.
And – probably the best reason of all – the ‘short but often’ exercise method combats one of our most common self-defeating excuses: “I just don’t have time to workout.” We get it, life is really busy… But everybody can find 15mins in their day, right?
15 Minute Workouts:
When time is of the essence, dynamic circuit training that focuses on strength will give you the most bang for buck.
Here’s our go-to 15min strength circuit. If you have time to add an extra 10min on the treadmill or bike afterwards for a cardio boost, that’s great, but not totally necessary. Trust us, your heart will be pounding after this 15min workout! Follow these four exercises, and repeat the circuit three times.
Lunges – 50 seconds:
With your feet hip-width apart, take a large step forward with your left foot. Plant the foot, then slowly bend the left knee to a 90-degree angle. As you lower, your back heel will lift off the ground as your right knee drops close to the ground. Push up with your front leg to return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side.
Make it harder: Use weights to increase resistance. You can hold a kettlebell to your chest, or light dumbbells in each hand
==Rest for 10 seconds==
Plank – 50 seconds:
Lie on your stomach with your elbows on the floor in front of you, then slowly rise up onto your toes and straighten your body like a plank. Your elbows should be under your shoulders, your hips should be neither dropping or raised – you want to try and keep a straight diagonal line from your ankles to hips to shoulders. Aim to stay on your toes the full duration, but if you need to drop to your knees that’s ok.
Make it harder: Starting in the regular plank position, press your body to the top of a push up by placing one hand on the ground and straighten your arm, followed by the other arm. Return to forearms one arm at a time. Repeat.
==Rest for 10 seconds==
Squat – 50 seconds:
Start with your feet slightly wider than hips, with your toes turned out slightly. Keep your spine in a neutral position, with the weight resting on the heels and balls of your feet, and begin to lower as if sitting on a chair. Your spine should be neutral and your chest up as you squat down, keeping your knees in line with your feet. Keep dropping till your hips are parallel (or lower) than your knees, and then return to standing by driving through your heels and squeezing your butt at the top of the move. Repeat.
Make it harder: Regular squats too easy? Make it a squat press instead! Take a dumbbell in each hand and hold at your shoulders with elbows bent, palms facing inwards or forwards. Lower into your squat position, and as you come back to standing, push the dumbbells up to the sky. Return the weights to your shoulders before lowering into your next squat.
==Rest for 10 seconds==
Push-ups – 50 seconds:
You know the drill… key to getting the most from this move is to make sure your hands are beneath your shoulders and to keep a nice straight line from ankles to hips to shoulders – similar to the plank. As you lower your chest, be careful not to let your head drop. Do as many as you can on your toes, dropping to knees when you need.
Make it harder: If you can do continuous push-ups for one minute on your toes… hats off to you! You can make the move more challenging by adding weights. Ask a friend, family member or gym buddy to balance a light weight on the upper-mid part of your back. Start with a light weight, like 2.5kg, and add more as you get stronger.
==Rest for 1 min==
This year, make a positively simple intention to find time to do things that make you feel good.
Life can be busy, and we often have many competing demands on our time and attention. It can be so easy to feel as if there’s no time to do the things which make us feel the best. And we can all be guilty of putting our own needs behind those of our family, work and friends.
Whether it be a mindful break between meetings, an early morning run, joining your squad for an intense session or your bestie for a yoga class – we encourage you to make your health and happiness a priority this year.
Find your #chiapodtime, and let’s make 2017 your wellest one yet!
An all-natural source of plant based energy, Chia Pod® combines sun ripened chia seeds with only natural ingredients, like coconut milk and real fruit. Free from artificial flavours or preservatives, and providing a ton of nutrients, Chia Pod® is an easy, ready-to-eat breakfast, lunch or snack . It’s healthy food that saves you time, so you can enjoy the things you love.
Join the conversation – what is your #chiapodtime?
New Year’s resolutions can be a little fraught. We tend to make them in a frenzy of champagne-fueled optimism, where every bold statement seems entirely possible. “I’m never eating chocolate again!” or “I will go to the gym every day!” But then, morning comes and reality sets in… usually accompanied by a hangover. Suddenly, before you know it you’re swiping on Uber Eats for the nearest pizza delivery.
While it’s not the end of the world to break a New Year’s resolution – in fact, it’s almost as much a part of the tradition to break them as it is to make them – making promises to ourselves which we can’t keep for even 24hrs does bring with it a little negative self-judgement.
The New Year is a remarkable opportunity for reflection. It’s time to take pause, think about the things we achieved in 2016, and lay out some of our goals for 2017. This year, instead of focussing on resolutions, we encourage you to set some clear intentions.
Take your time
Instead of making wild midnight resolutions that are all-but impossible to keep, take the first few days of 2017 to really think about the intentions you would like to set for the year ahead. Most of us are still on holiday during this period, and January tends to be a little quiet work-wise for everyone. This is a great time to take a little space for yourself and set some goals for the year – before we’re swept back up into the hectic pace of normal life.
Big picture
Focus on the big picture of what you’d like to achieve this year, rather than focusing on the specific actions you want to take or not take. Instead of thinking “I will not eat chocolate,” try and bring your focus to the real reason you’d like to do this – “I want to eat more healthy food, more often. I want to feel more energetic. I want to feel good within myself, and know that I’m giving my body the fuel to operate at it’s best.” Bigger picture goals are less restrictive, and allow you a little more flexibility in approach – which wards off the nasty “I’ve already failed, may as well stop trying” mindset.
Say yes, not no
Us humans are simple creatures. And we generally don’t like being told that we can’t do something. Instead of saying what you won’t do, phrase your intentions as “I will” statements. So, rather than “I won’t every skip yoga…” try to phrase it as “I will prioritise my yoga classes because they are important to me.” You’d be surprised what a difference can be made simply by shifting from negative to positive thinking – instead of feeling like you’re missing out, or taking something away, the focus becomes on what you are gaining.
Keep it real
This is a big one. There is no point in setting goals for ourselves that are simply not achievable. It can feel good in the moment to declare a big, bold resolution – almost like a rallying cry – but when the inevitable happens and you aren’t able to achieve it, you’ll be left feeling disappointed. Be honest with yourself about what’s realistic for you, and you’ll be much more likely to achieve your goals. The added bonus is that achieving goals feels really good, no matter how small they might seem. After a few wins, you’ll be even more motivated to tackle some of your more challenging intentions.
Check on it
Please don’t leave it till the final moments of 2017 to assess whether or not you achieved your goals! Checking in on your progress, and reassessing your intentions throughout the year, is crucial. Sometimes, life doesn’t go the way we expect. Maybe you’ll have a change of job, or relationship, or move to a new city. These unexpected changes might mean that the goals you set in January no longer apply come June. But, by keeping your eye on the big picture intentions you have set for the year, and regularly checking in to see how you’re progressing, will help keep you on track.
Christmas is just a few days away and – to be completely honest – if you don’t already have your menu for the day locked in, now is the time to start panicking!
Most of us plan our Christmas lunch or dinner well in advance, but there’s always going to be some last minute tweaks needed. Just found out you’ve got a vegan guest coming to dine? Need to feed a few more people than you expected? Or maybe you’re invited to a last-minute boxing day luncheon?
Whatever the reason, it always pays to be prepared with extra sides and sweets that can be thrown together at a moment’s notice.
We’re rounded up some of our best last minute ring-in dishes for the holiday season, guaranteed to impress your family and friends. Avoid the store-bought cakes, and keep these recipes up your sleeve – they’re all super easy to make, and are packed with healthy nutritious ingredients.
A little sweet, a little spicy, and so much fun to make. Get the kids involved on Christmas Eve, and you’ll be busy snacking on these Gingerbread Men throughout the holidays.
Made with sweet potato and coconut flour, these brownies are the perfect dessert or afternoon tea treat for your gluten free guests.
A super easy, delicious dip that’s whipped up in seconds. Serve with toasted baguette or crackers as a snack, or use as a spread on sandwiches. Once made, it will keep up to two days in the fridge.
With zucchini, broad beans, fresh peas and asparagus, this salad a nutritional superhero. The perfect light lunch for those days when you need to take a break from the indulgence.
This spicy, fragrant spicy dip is the answer to all your vegan snack food problems! Serve with vegetable crudites or vegan-friendly corn chips.
Apple, walnut and celery salad
Fresh, crunchy and delicious. If you’re looking for one final salad to add to your Christmas table, this is the one you’ve been looking for.
Strawberry and Coconut popsicles
Another great activity to get the kids involved in! Make these popsicles on Christmas Eve, and the whole family will enjoy pulling them out on those hot holiday afternoons.
Ahhh, the festive season. A time to rest and recharge… When you have all the ‘you’ time you need, and every day starts with a leisurely 90min yoga session at your favourite studio, followed by a green smoothie…
Not exactly, huh?
Finding time to maintain a regular exercise routine can be tricky any time of year, but over the holidays it becomes pretty much impossible. Our regular schedules get thrown into chaos, every day is jam packed with activities, and we have a million things competing for our attention. Add an out-of-town holiday into the mix, and before you know it you’ve let three weeks slip by without squeezing in a single workout.
Once a routine is broken, getting back on track can be hard. And with all the extra indulging you’ll be doing this Christmas, trying to maintain some form of regular exercise becomes even more essential for your wellbeing. Thankfully, the solution to your workout dilemma could be just a phone swipe away.
Fitness Apps are a fantastic way to make sure you can squeeze in a workout whenever you find a spare moment and no matter where in the world you are. Here are a few of our favourites:
Great for both men and women, Freeletics has more than 900 workouts pre-loaded which can last anywhere from 10-30mins. The exercises are bodyweight based, which makes them perfect for when your regular gym or studio isn’t an option – you can literally do it anywhere and anytime, at the office, a hotel, or your living room. The app offers a mix of running, strength and cardio exercises, which can be tailored to your own personal preferences.
The name says it all, really. If you’re someone who struggles to find the motivation for running, this app guarantees to get you moving. It combines the thrill of a zombie apocalypse storyline with game elements which will have your running like you’ve never run before. Put your headphones, press start and before you know it you’ll be dodging zombies as you follow orders from the voice recordings. You’ll be so distracted by the game, you won’t even realise you’ve just completed a workout!
A beautiful, simple approach to yoga which is perfect for people under a time crunch. 50 different classes – all under 30mins – offer sequences that are each designed with a specific focus, like abs, back and chest. There are also classes that offer a chance to finesse your yoga skills, such as standing yoga and sun salutation. It’s great for the seasoned pro and beginner alike, with three different intensity levels and several durations to choose from.
With more than 100 workouts designed by professional trainers and athletes, Nike+ Training Club comes with everything you’d expect from a world-leading fitness brand. It’s a fantastic starting point for those who need a little motivation and offers a four-week program which is customisable, making it great for all fitness levels.
Another impressive body-weight app that helps you workout anywhere, anytime. It offers strength and cardio routines, alongside a selection of yoga and pilates workouts. What we like the most about Sworkit is how customisable it is: you tell the app how much time you have available (from 5min to an hour), and what type of workout you’re after, and Sworkit delivers a routine that’s perfect for you.
It’s the silly season. AKA: the time when all our healthy habits get thrown out the window. From work parties to family gatherings, the temptation of naughty food, alcohol and late nights is a daily struggle.
Nobody expects you to skip out on the fun altogether – part of a balanced life is being able to enjoy yourself from time to time, right? The problem is, it’s a slippery slope. A night on the margaritas can lead to bad food choices the following day, not to mention getting up for the 6am yoga class practically impossible.
A little blow-out from time to time is no big deal. But, the trouble with this time of year is that it’s never just a one-time thing. Before you know it, two weeks of bad eating and binge drinking have left you feeling guilty, tired and unmotivated.
Setting boundaries and trying to keep some moderation can help you enjoy the festive season without completely falling off the wellness wagon. Here are some of our top tips:
Eat before you go out
As a general rule, party food is unhealthy. Avoid the temptation of a buffet table blow-out by filling up on healthy foods throughout the day, and having something small to eat before you get to the party. Try something high in fibre, like our Nut-Free Oat Slice, or even a Chia Green Smoothie. It’ll keep you energized throughout the night, and you won’t arrive starving and tempted to eat every naughty canape in sight!
Hydrate properly
Let’s be real. Unless you have the willpower of a monk, you are going to drink a fair amount of booze this season. And that’s ok – just try and balance it with a decent intake of water. Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day leading up to a party, and try to alternate your alcoholic drinks with water. It’ll help you avoid getting too inebriated, and will make the morning after a fair sight easier to handle.
Move your workouts to the morning
If you’re not already a morning exerciser, this is the season to become one. This time of year we have so much on throughout the day, and often last-minute plans in the evening – it’s just too easy to skip a workout. Getting up early and getting your workout done first thing will help keep you on track. And, knowing that you’re going to be hitting the gym at 7am might even make it a little easier to party sensibly the night before… Maybe.
Move away from the buffet table.
Those tasty little nibbles are way too easy to graze on, especially if you’re unconsciously picking away while mid-conversation. Instead, fill a small plate, and then move away to eat it. You can decide to go back for seconds if you really want to.
Hit the dance floor!
One sure fire way to counteract some of that naughty food and booze is to get that body moving! It’ll slow down your eating, burn a few calories, and stop you from mindlessly knocking back those glasses of champagne.
In the past few years, sugar has eclipsed fat as the ultimate villain on the health scene. And it’s not without reason – as well as a long list health problems caused by high-sugar diets, the prevalence of this substance in almost everything we eat or drink is frightening. The average American consumes 126g of sugar every day – five times the recommended daily intake. And the stats aren’t much better for us in the UK or Australia, either.
We are firm believers in a healthy, balanced approach to nutrition, and we know that eliminating sugar altogether isn’t achievable for most people. Luckily, not all sugars are created equal. While you should still try and keep your daily intake to less than 25g per day, swapping out refined sugar for more natural sweeteners is a positive step in the right direction.
Here’s some of our favourite ‘better for you’ sugars:
Stevia – A herb originally from South America that has been used as a sweetener and medicinal herb in various cultures around the world for centuries.
Why we like it: It is naturally very sweet – 100 to 200 times sweeter than sugar – but it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels like sugar and other artificial sweeteners do.
However… Stevia has the strange bitter aftertaste that many people don’t like and can make it not suitable in a lot of recipes.
Raw Honey – the unprocessed sweet liquid that honeybees produce from the concentrated nectar of flowers.
Why we like it: Honey is only about 30% glucose and less than 40% fructose.There are about 20 other sugars in the mix, many of which are much more complex, and require more energy to break down. This means you end up accumulating fewer calories from it. Raw honey also contains varying small amounts of minerals like zinc and selenium, as well as some vitamins. It also has proven natural antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties
However… Any of the minerals and vitamins you might get from honey are destroyed with heat, which means these benefits become void if you’re using honey in your baking, or adding to hot cups of tea.
Coconut Sugar – made from the dried sap of coconut trees
Why we like it: Coconut sugar has a low-GI, with has much less blood-sugar-spiking fructose than most other sweeteners. It contains B vitamins, potassium, chloride, and other vitamins, minerals and enzymes that aid in slower absorption into the bloodstream.
However… Coconut sugar is very high in calories (same as regular sugar), and you’d have to eat a significant amount of it to benefit from any of the above nutrients.
Real maple sugar – made from the sugary sap of maple trees, used for many centuries in North America
Why we like it: a naturally sweet treat that is packed with more minerals than honey. Real maple also contains antioxidants that may even ward off cancer and heart disease.
However… Even though maple syrup does contain nutrients and antioxidants, it is also very high in sugar and has more calories than cane sugar.
Date Sugar – finely chopped dried dates
Great because: An unrefined natural sweetener, with no processing whatsoever, allows for retention of dates’ natural fibre, tannins, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals.
However… Date sugar has a high-GI, and higher fructose percentage that other natural sweeteners. Overconsumption of fructose has been linked to liver problems and weight gain.
Who knew that those wild nights spent air drumming your way across your living room could actually pay off? And who knew that working out could be so much fun?
If you’ve ever dreamed of being a rock star, and if you need loud music and excitement in your fitness regime, POUND® could be just the right workout class for you.
What is it?
Founded in 2011 by two female drummers, POUND® now has over 8,000 instructors, teaching in various gyms and studios, worldwide. It’s a fast, fun full-body cardio jam session, combining light resistance with constant simulated drumming. The 45-min workout fuses cardio, Pilates, Isometric movements, plyometrics and isometric poses to strengthen and sculpt infrequently used muscles and drum your way to a fitter physique.
Why you’ll love it:
- It’s fun. POUND® workouts are spent thrashing it out to upbeat tunes with quick movements. There’s no boring repetition or holding positions for extended periods of time, in POUND® you’re constantly challenged to keep up and stay in time – which is great, because it means you really don’t have time to think about the fact that you’re working out. It’s the perfect type of exercise for those of us that get bored quickly.
- It’s effective. Each 45min POUND® workout can burn up to 800 calories. It’s a full body workout, with a lot of the class spent in squats or lunges. The continuous up-and-down movement works a treat on your butt, inner and outer thighs, and core. And while those Ripstix might not feel too heavy to begin with (they’re about 500g each), the constant drumming and variation of speed and arm height means you’ll be definitely feeling the action in your arms, shoulders and chest.
- It’ll make you feel good. As well as delivering a serious physical workout, POUND® will improve your rhythm, timing, agility and coordination. What’s more, studies have proven that rhythmic movements, such as drumming or dancing, can have powerful brain-boosting and stress relieving effects, with associated health benefits including increased focus, boosted immunity, and reducing anxiety and fatigue.
Beginner tips:
Designed for all fitness levels, POUND® provides the perfect atmosphere for letting loose, getting energised, toning up, and rockin’ out! Nearly every sequence in POUND® comes with easy modifications, which makes it a great workout for every fitness level. Dial it up or dial it down to suit you – squat deeper to get a bigger burn, or skip the jumps if you need to take it easy.
Try it out:
POUND® classes are offered at thousands of venues around the world. Find your nearest class on the POUND website
It’s time to dust the cobwebs off those dumbells.
Are you prepared for Halloween? Like, ready to run if you have to?
For most of us, the reasons we work out are a little less dramatic than saving our lives: it makes us feel good, boosts energy, helps relieve stress… and, aesthetics (duh).
But, have you ever watched a chase or fight scene in a horror movie and thought: How would I fare? Could I outrun Jason? Duck from the shredding swipes of Freddy Kruger? Well, friends, we are here to help.
This special Halloween workout is designed to get you physically prepared for whatever you may encounter – be it a gruesome foe, or a new pair of jeans:
SPRINTS
Why: When you have to get away, and get away fast.
Also because… As well as saving your skin, sprints are also a great full body workout. The explosive movement targets your butt, hips, hamstrings, quads, calves and abs. What’s more, short bursts of high-intensity sprinting also boosts your metabolic rate and helps burn fat.
Do this:
- Warm up with a slow jog for five minutes, and some leg stretches.
- Decide on your sprint track – you’ll need about 100m
- Sprint the 100m, and walk back to the start of your track slowly (this is your rest)
- Repeat 6-10 times
Newbie tip: If you’re new to sprinting, start with running at about 50% max speed and gradually increase your speed each round. Aim for six repetitions. If you need to take a longer breather between sprints, that’s ok too.
SQUATS
Why: Ducking to avoid the fatal swings of a knife-wielding maniac.
Also because… Your whole body benefits from squats. Whether you’re doing bodyweight squats or adding extra weight, the movement builds strength in your legs, butt, back, and core. Squats also increase joint flexibility.
Do this:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, tummy tight and your shoulders back and down.
- Keeping your head forward and chest raised, sit downwards as if you’re sitting on a chair. Continue to lower down so your thighs are parallel to the floor, with your knees over your ankles.
- Focus on keeping those glutes tight as you push your weight through your heels to raise back up into your standing position.
- Repeat 12 times
Newbie tip: Posture is key. To stop your back from rounding as you descend, let your lower back arch slightly. Once you’ve got the form nailed, try adding light weights with a shoulder bar or by holding a dumbbell to your chest.
CHIN UPS
Why: To get yourself up and over a cliff’s edge or side of a building, out of harm’s way.
Also because… Chin-ups are the original body weight exercise, and they are a great way to strengthen a number of different back muscles, as well as your arms, shoulders, and chest.
Do this:
- Underhand grip on the bar, hands in line with shoulders
- Pull yourself up till your chin is level with the bar, and lower yourself slowly back down
- Aim for five or six, and then rest for a few minutes. Repeat three times.
Newbie Tip: OK OK , we know – chin ups are hard work, especially if you’re new to them. Most of us are lucky if we can get one or two out! To build up your strength, try starting with reduced resistance by using a stretch band, hooked around the bar and under one of your feet. The band gives buoyancy to the movement and gives you the extra lift you need to get up there. You can also try using negative resistance to build strength – start at the top of the movement (use a box or step to get up there) and lower yourself slowly down. A bit of practice with either of these beginner variations will have you well on your way towards proper chin-ups in no time.
MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
Why: Scrambling your way under a bush or beneath a car to hide from a zombie
Also because… This is another great full body workout that engages a lot of muscles at once (read: more calorie burning bang-for-buck). Mountain climbers benefit muscular and cardiovascular fitness, while also improving flexibility, blood circulation, and overall strength.
Do this:
- Get into a push-up position, with hands directly under your chest, shoulder-width apart.
- Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles
- Lift your right foot and bring your knee as close to your chest as you can
- Return your right leg to the starting position, and repeat with your left leg
- Three sets of ten moves (five each leg), with 30sec rest in between
Newbie tips: If you are new to mountain climbers, perform the knee to chest motion slow and steadily, aiming to build up to a faster pace with practice.
Life can get busy, and we can all be thankful for the many ways that food has become faster and easier. Pre-packaged meals and lunch box items are a saviour for most modern families. And, with plenty of healthier options now available in the ready-to-eat aisles, fast food no longer has to mean ‘bad’ food.
But with this growing reliance on ready-made food, we are at risk of creating a generation of non-cookers. For many kids today, the connection between the food they’re eating and the ingredients or processes involved in preparing food, is entirely missing.
Taking the time to get your child involved in cooking and meal prep can go a long way to making sure they develop a healthy approach to eating. Teach your kids how fun easy it can be to make delicious, healthy food for themselves and you might even save them from the ‘2-min noodle’ student diet once they leave home!
What is it, and why do we eat it?
You can try and instill healthy eating habits til the cows come home, but unless you make it real, your kids won’t get on board. Instead, focus on giving your children an education around common ingredients, such as fresh produce, grains, and legumes, and start a family dialogue around what each food type offers nutritionally.
It doesn’t have to be complex, either. Start with a simple guide, such as the ‘two and five’ rule, and explore with your kids how many different fruits, vegetables and methods of preparation they could use to achieve it. Turning a lesson into an adventure is a great way to help those good food habits stick.
A few of our favourite kid-friendly recipes:
We asked one of our favourite healthy foodies, Jemma Gray of The Healthy Journey, to help us put together some delicious, kid-friendly recipes:
- Strawberry and coconut popsicles
- Raspberry bliss ball pops
- Oat and chia pikelets with mixed berry jam
- Nut-free oat slice
Tips for kids in the kitchen:
- Make it hands-on: This isn’t about your child watching while you do all the work. Some tasks might not be suitable for little ones, but wherever possible let your kids get their hands dirty – they’ll find it much more engaging and will be more likely to learn if they’re actively involved.
- Messy is good: Cooking can be messy and, for kids, mess usually means a good time! Try not to restrict the mess making along the way, as this can ruin the fun. But do make sure to involve everyone in the clean-up afterwards.
- Let them do it their way: Try not to overcorrect – this isn’t about right or wrong ways to tear lettuce! Keep it easy and fun by giving a little guidance, without it becoming a boring lesson on technique. It’s also fun to let your kids choose the ingredients they like, and experiment with different flavours. Not sure if banana, tomatoes and cucumber is a good combo? Maybe you should let them try it – you might be surprised!
- Stay safe: We understand it can be scary to see your child wielding a kitchen knife! Use your best judgement on what tasks are appropriate, and take the opportunity to teach safe utensil handling where you can. You can also try out some kid-friendly cooking equipment – – we love Ikea’s SMABIT range.