Health Writer's Challenge; Day 2

"Quotation Inspiration. Find a quote that inspires you (either positively or negatively) and free write about it for 15 minutes."

This quote was only sent to me this morning by my friend, C, when I was pondering decisions like leaving full time stable work for university, wondering if it was the right decision and all that (I know for sure I want to study nutrition, but sometimes question how I'm going about it or my timing).

It also reminds me of a lovely lady, G, that I used to work with, who once said to me, "If you're scared you know it's the right thing to do because you're challenging yourself".  I hope she reads this so she knows I remember.

I'm not interested in people being scared of me or being particularly feisty or loud, and I'm not really interested in being an extreme person, (in fact, I have spent a lot of time avoiding that exact personality trait), but I do hope to always be as strong as I can be and always tackle everything as head on as I can (comfortably do).  I'm not interested in disappearing and I'm  not interested in going with the flow, I like to make things happen, and super do not believe in 'luck'.  In fact, one of the most annoying things I find that people say to me in relation to my illness is how 'lucky' I was that I got better.  OK, a, super smidge, of luck was involved that the particular treatment I went on did eventually work for me, but I made the decision to tackle the most insane treatment protocol ever, which made me incredibly sick before I got better, and I chose to stick with it for years on end.  That bit was not luck , it was damn hard work.  

So when I wake up in the morning I don't want the devil, or anyone, really, to think 'oh crap' because I am up, I want them to think 'oh crap, what is she going to make happen today'.  I want to continue to be strong and determined in myself and always aim high and chase after what I want, but I also want to be gentle in my approach to myself and others.  I am on a rampage, but I am only rampaging to make my own life exactly how I want it.

I'm not sure if that made sense.

Stay well,

Nat x

Week in Food / Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge

Happy April!  1/4 of the year down, so far, so good!

As I've previously mentioned, I'll be participating in the Health Activist Writer's Month challenge. Basically, I've accepted the challenge to write a post a day for a month about the topic WEGO Health has set. You can check out the WEGO Health site here, their Facebook page here, or check out hashtag #HAWMC on Twitter.

Today's topic;

"Pretend you’re making a time capsule of you & your health focus that won’t be opened until 2112. What’s in it? What would people think of it when they found it?"

My capsule would have my Janella Purcell books, as her way of cooking and living is what I am striving for constantly and she inspired me to get into nutrition in the first place. It would also contain some Stevia, Agave Nectar, Coconut Sugar, Pure Maple Syrup etc, to reflect my current mission to not feel the need for sugar on a weekly basis.  It would contain the URL for my new web site (hopefully launching beginning of May!), as that is where all my thoughts would be and it would be interesting to see how it'd grown. I'd also stick a McDonald's Big Mac in there to see if it's true that they don't really ever go off... ew. 
I'm not sure what people would think when they found it, probably that I was crazy because by 2112, we will know SO much more about health, nutrition and food etc.  It would be naive to think we won't.  A part of my brain constantly thinks that going back to basics as the trend is now, (tracking back in time to find the way way to eat), will eventually go out of fashion and we will come back to the technology we use for everything else - food engineered to be easily digestible and best for us that mimics nature. Who knows? The future excites me!

Check back in tomorrow when I talk about a quote that inspires me....

Now for my Week in Food....


Where I made my first ever Hot Cross Buns.

They needed more spice and more fruit, but they were good for a first go.  I was sad that my criss-crosses disappeared.

I was sad to hear many kids won't be eating hot cross buns or Easter eggs this coming weekend as they contain sugar.  OK, if not giving any sugar to your kids is that important that's OK and I support that, at least offer an alternative that mimics the bun or egg; don't offer carrots instead (I seriously heard people say this; because 'bunnies eat carrots too'.)

Spicy Lentil Soup

Onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, diced carrot, rind of 1 lemon - fry off.  Add red lentils, canned tomatoes and some reduced salt vegetable stock, cook until lentils are tender.  Add spinach and cook for 2 more minutes.  Finish off with a squeeze of lemon juice.  Super tasty & good for the cold I've had for 4.8 million years (ie. 3 weeks).

The Easiest Curry Ever

Just add onions, garlic, cumin, ginger, sweet potatoes and chick peas to those cans.  That is by far my favourite packaged curry paste but go easy; it is hot.

Stuff that lived on my kitchen bench all week

Yesterday M & I went to the Flower & Garden show.  It was stunning, but I still have this cold (as does half of Melbourne, well, at least around where I live), and wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been as a result.  It still made me desperately want a larger block to have a bigger garden, though.  We are doing our garden in the coming months, so a lot of inspiration was taken (excessive plants randomly planted, please).

Hello, I also cut my hair off.

Love this, want this in our garden.



So I guess I'll see you tomorrow.. anyone else participating in HAWMC?

I have a physiology test tomorrow and I've got a good day of study ahead of me.. then my next few weeks are pretty cruise-y, a lot of catch up study and revision, and hopefully a lot of work on my web site.

Stay well, (& check back tomorrow)

Nat x

How To; Listen to your Body

Mouth ulcers?  More thirsty that usual?  That head cold is lasting longer than everyone else's?  Craving food you never crave?  I think your body is trying to tell you something....

flickr - highersights

Today I want to encourage everyone to really start paying attention to their body and listen to what it's trying to tell them.  It's not normal to be insatiably thirsty, or to have random stabbing pains in your head or cramps you've never felt before.  You shouldn't be constipated or bloated, it's not 'just how' anyone is, it's your body trying to tell you something's up.

Although you should always check with a doctor when your body is behaving unusually, no, it's probably nothing serious - you might be thirsty because you're diet's high in salt or you're coming down with a cold.  Stabbing pains or cramps can be stress and anxiety, and constipation and bloating can be related to diet or again, anxiety.  It's not the point, these things shouldn't be ignored or dismissed as normal 'for you'.  It might not require a doctor's visit, but surely you desire a feeling of good health and energy and a sense that everything is working and working well all the time, who wouldn't?

Look at your diet, pay attention to your fluid intake, exercise regime, the people around you - everything.  I know it's a cliche, but your body really is a temple and we do actually only get one, it's very well worth taking care of it because it's a lot easier to prevent than it is to cure.  If your lifestyle is hurting your body, change it.  Yes, we all need money, but without our health we have nothing.

If you know nothing about nutrition apart from what a few health bloggers write on their pages, buy a basic nutrition book and learn about what your body needs.  I guarantee, flicking through it, you will read about a vitamin or mineral and what foods contain it and go, 'Oh, I don't really eat any of them'.  Don't run out to buy it in tablet form, go out and get the foods that contain it and start using them in your cooking or as a snack.  Food is always better than tablet.

May I recommend for first timers;

Nutrition; The definitive Australia guide to eating for good health
(Buy at Nutrition Australia or any good book shop)

It goes through what a basic healthy diet is, all your vitamins and minerals one by one etc, without the fad diets or what's currently in fashion.  It's a great little book and was my first - a gift from a great friend when I was still very ill.  Despite a million books since then, I still refer back to it.

Anyway, just stopped to say please listen to your body.  If you're not sure how, learn by experimenting and remember what works and what doesn't.

The solution to ongoing sleepiness is not a daily coffee!

I leave you with this;

"The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered "Man.  Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.  Then he sacrifices money to recuperate health.  And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."

Stay well,
Nat x

The Week in Food

Time for another edition.

I'm a bit annoyed at myself actually as I know my posts have lacked substance lately, but I've had a ripper virus/flu thing going on (finally feeling 70% human today, hurrah!) and, well, I was instructed by All Who Matter to rest and do absolutely nothing (including my new boss, who I am coming to really super like).

So, on Tuesday, home I came with a medical certificate that excused me from work and uni for the whole week, and on the couch I lay (bored as all hell). I experienced The Doctors and Dr Oz (OK a little, BS-y, but has good intentions and definitely won't hurt the American public), Ready Steady Cook, (most annoying show ever), and Good Chef Bad Chef (3.30pm, channel 10 - Janella Purcell is the 'Good Chef', so super inspiring, for me). I ate ridiculously, seriously, my body has been craving he strangest things ever; a part of the reason I know I feel human again is that I looked at the white choc and macadamia cookies I baked yesterday and I do not want want. Hallelujah! I am back!

So I might be behind on uni and I might have taken the 5th week of my new job off, but at least I am starting to feel human. Now for my week, in food..









Oh yes, I did.







Banana Cake Aftermath.








Parmigiana in the making.
Don't want meat?  Grill up some eggplant and top it with your sauce & cheese, super yummy.
Otherwise crumb & fry it just like you usually do the chick or veal, it will be 100 times lighter and if you do a good red sauce, you won't even notice.







I eat this a lot for lunch when I am sick.








Munro says, "Mummy, this is how you rest when you're sick".








Penne with mushrooms, spinach, ham and caramelised onions.
The Boyfriend got a lot of 'easy to make' meals this week.









Tuna Pizza.
Make your base from scratch, with wholemeal flour (or something even better, if you've got it), spread it super thin.  Make your own tomato sauce (skip the excessive oil and salt, use herbs to flavour it - I also finely chopped some capers as I love them with tuna & chucked them in), add some mushrooms and spinach near the end.  Spread on your pizza base, top with a large can of tuna and a little light tasty or mozarella cheese.. bake!  Healthy pizza craving killer, and with all that tuna and mushrooms piled on top, you'll be getting heaps of protein & not a whole lot of carb.







Avo and Vegemite on Toast with my first coffee in over a week.Yummmm








Raw Choc-Fudge balls from Lola Berry .Very yummy, I will be making these for Easter.
Only adjustment I made was adding a little agave nectar as they were a bit dry (tbs at most).Lola is great, check out her site if you haven't already.













Weekend Brekky is best!
When your mushrooms and tomatoes start drying out in the pan, don't add more oil - splash a little water in.
You will not notice the difference in flavour and you will save yourself a whole lot of fat & calories.
No, olive oil is not bad, please put some in to start them off - moderation is the key.









If my cat can eat wholegrain, why can't you?









Who here knows of the institution that is Eiffel Tower?
I felt a bit more human yesterday so after I struggled through a huge grocery shop ($220 later..), The Boyfriend took me for a trip to Assembly Drive.  Pasta also made its way home.










Fish & Chips.










The start of Macadamia & White Choc Chip cookies.

How was your week?

What do you eat when you're craving pizza or fish & chips but want to eat healthy?


Pump up that vege intake and keep warm - I'm far from the only one I know to have gotten this virus. It's gone Melbourne-wide.


Is there anything I've made that I've photographed on my blog lately that you'd like an actual recipe for?
Let me know!

I am super excited, I registered a domain name & got hosting for my web site this past week.  Soon, you will be visiting a whole other URL - Lemon Living will appear on a blog tab over there.  Give me time, I'm learning Wordpress...

Stay well!
Nat x

PS.  I hope you've liked Lemon Living on Facebook!

If you want to be Popular...

You'll 'Like' Lemon Living on Facebook!

kidding, sort of

I love this (old!) ad, not because I agree that there's anything wrong with skinny girls, or think that a tablet to make you bigger is a positive thing (can I get a 'hell no'?), or that I want to put pounds of 'welcome weight' back on my 'skinny figure', but because it's a great reminder of how what's popular is always changing.

Eat whole, nutritious food in moderate portions, exercise regularly and keep your health in check. If you have these things in line, the number on the scales is irrelevant.

Stay well & be happy!
Nat x

The Week in Food

Another installment of 'The Week in Food'.

This week sucked. M & I are both sick and have been off work stuck indoors for 2 weekends in a row through this gorgeous weather. We had to cancel our express lunch at Embrasse yesterday, and today we were meant to go to Vic Market for the annual Food & Wine Fest stalls they set up so you can try a zillion different amazing foods.

What are we doing instead? Sitting in our separate studies, drinking tea and wasting time on the internet. Oh well! If that's the worst of our problems, we're doing well.

My eating for the past week has been a bit crazy, my body has been craving the strangest things through being ill (strange for me is like, white bread and white pasta, and masses of milk chocolate), but I've just listened to it. When I'm sick, I don't care what I eat (within reason, still no packaged stuff or fast food, but I would never crave that), as I think a few days of eating white pasta or some honey, as my body asks for it, is not going to hurt my otherwise clean diet.

I even had half a glass of diet coke for the first time in about six months. I know! Vice totally gone, and it does not taste good.

Anyway, here is my week in food....

Can you believe this is vegan, free of added sugars and just ridiculously tasty?
Soaked Oats with banana, pecans, cinnamon and pure maple syrup.
Try it and tell me you don't love it. SO good.

Mushroom & Asparagus Risotto (in the making)

Complete with Parmesan rind floating in the middle.

Mum & Dad got me this

Semillon is my favourite white wine.

Brown Rice with Lentils and Vegies, and a can of Salmon.
When I started to get sick, I started shoving in nutrients.

Miso Soup

With tofu, broccoli and mushrooms

Spaghetti Marinara

White - how M likes it.

I hadn't had a toasted cheese sandwhich in years.

Confession; Mum used to make them on white bread with loads of butter and cheese when I was a kid.
I made it on grain bread with no butter and a little low fat cheese.

Not the same. Not good.

I've had the biggest craving for Blue Cheese this week.

This one is Castello.

M made me dinner which made my day!
Ricotta & Spinach Agnolotti with Walnuts, Pumpkin & Herbs

Impromptu Creme Caramel making.

Feeling terrible on the couch on Friday night and someone made it on tele, so then we went and did it.

So easy. SO good.

(Comment if you want the recipe)

If you're going to eat sugar, eat something sweet!

Buckley likes to bathe...
SO CUTE.

Did you eat anything interesting this week?

Did you get involved in the Food & Wine Festival?

We are considering the Yarra Valley Food & Wine Festival as we missed out on Melbourne thanks to this insane virus.
Does your cat like to bathe? I've never seen a cat do this.... he seriously has a daily bath.

Have you liked Lemon Living's Facebook page? Come on over!

Stay well (and don't get this virus!)
Nat x

Become a Facebook Fan!

The time came for my darling little blog to mature.

Now that her mother is going to uni to make sure she's fed the highest quality things she can be, and so her opinions will be taken more seriously (self-taught know it all doesn't go far on the resume, these days), it was time to her to get out and spread the word.

10 minute Photoshop knock up banners were made, (oh the shame), and a dodgy photo of me eating breakfast in Port Douglas uploaded, and Lemon Living's Facebook Fan Page was born.

(enter dodgy photo-shopping)

CLICK HERE

Click and start telling me things you want me to hear, or write about, or asking me questions or tell me I'm annoying and a bit spammy, I don't care.

See you there!

Nat x