Healthier version of my favourite Anzac Cookies in time for Anzac Day

Mmmm... I still remember the smell of Anzac cookies baking from mum's oven each year Anzac Day rolled 'round and we'd run home from school. The three of us girls would literally demolish the whole lot in one afternoon. And to this day, I love an anzac cookie. However, always one to try and change a recipe up a bit to make it even a pinch more nutritious, I have found this recipe from Guy over at 180 Nutrition as my travels in Thailand right now don't allow me the luxury of a kitchen and ingredients to play with.

So here you go. But first, a little history (cue that trip-down-memory-lane-music in your head here)...

During World War 1, the wives, mothers and daughters of Australian soldiers were concerned about how well their sons, husbands and brothers were eating while in Gallipoli. They wanted to send the soldiers food from home, but were faced with the problem of transporting across the ocean on ships that had virtually no refrigeration.

A group of women came up with a solution – a biscuit that used ingredients that were readily available and would remain edible for over two months. Instead of using eggs as the binding agent, golden syrup or treacle was used which overcame the problem of a general scarcity of eggs during the war. These biscuits were first called Soldiers biscuits, but then became so popular that they soon became known as the ANZAC biscuit.

As the war continued, many groups, such as the CWA, church groups, schools and other women’s organisations devoted a great deal of time to making Anzac biscuits for the troops, packed into tins and sent overseas.

And here's the healthier version...

What I wanted to try was to stick to the original recipe as much as possible because let’s face it, the Anzac biscuit, when it’s made well is just delicious! This recipe has taken out the cup of sugar and the honey / golden syrup, left out the flour but I did leave in the oats because I couldn’t justify an Anzac biscuit without them.

What you're gonna need:

• 1 cup dates
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 heaped tsp bi carb soda
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup oats (optional, if you leave them out then add a little more 180 coconut)
• 1/2 cup 180 Natural Protein Superfood (coconut)
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 125g melted butter (almond butter or you could use  2 tabs melted coconut oil)

Method:

First up, put the dates, boiling water and bi-carb into a blender and set it aside for 5 min. Then put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and melt the butter. Blend the dates and add to the dry ingredients and then put the melted butter into the bowl as well and stir.
The mixture should be moist but not runny, and not too dry.
Grab a tray and put some baking paper on the tray then grab handfuls of the mixture and mould into your perfect biscuit size.
Bake in an oven at 180 for 10-15min.

And there you have it… healthy delicious Anzac biscuits.

Christie xx

As for me, I wont be online now until next week sometime as I take some time off, and head north to a monastery where I will be meditating and observing silence until further notice (likely Monday tho). Have a fabulous weekend, and I'll see you next week with my favourite breakfast ideas that aren't your average cardboard box cereal junk, and will give you a spring in your step all day long!

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Words for a Bangin' Body

The things we tell ourselves can be very powerful. A well-trained mind can overcome pain, fear, and self-doubt.
A well-trained mind can also become negative and convince our bodies of physical sensations or conditions that aren’t actually present (I've had this happen).

We can pick up many negative messages in our society that train our minds to believe things that aren’t true (again; very easy to have happen).
That’s why it’s so important to send positive messages to ourselves.

I've had successes and not with affirmation over the years and I think I can reflect back and say now that the times they didn't kinda gel well with me, was when I was just repeating them for the sake of repeating them - hoping I would feel self love through repetition - and not really connecting to the words. When they work well for me is when the words I choose resonate on some level.

I'm reading The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari at the moment and LOVING every bit of it, and one paragraph says the following:




"...when an undesirable thought occupies the focal point of your mind, immediately replace it with an uplifting one. It's as if your mind is a giant slide projector, with every thought in your mind being a slide. Whenever a negative slide comes up on the screen, take swift action to replace it with a positive one." 

I love that analogy.

So I dare you to start repeating positive affirmations to yourself! But pick and choose the ones that sit well for you, and scrap the rest. What is there to lose?


I'm Creating My Beautiful, Perfect Body NOW And I'm Doing An Amazing Job!

I Love And Accept Myself Unconditionally

I AM Beautiful, Perfect and Amazing!  Right NOW!

Where I Am Right Now Is Perfect!

Right Now, This Second I'm Creating My Perfect Body!
 
I Love Who And What I See In The Mirror!
 
I Can Feel And See Myself Fitting Into My Perfect Size Clothes!

Releasing Weight Is Easy And Effortless For Me, I Just Let It Go! 

I Am Letting Go Of Everything That No Longer Serves Me

My Body Is A Beautiful Temple That Houses My Spirit! 
 
I Am Wonderful Just The Way I Am!

My Womanly Figure Is A Gift, I Love And Embrace It Now!
 
I Love, Love, Love My Body! 

My Body Needs Carbohydrates, Fats, And Proteins To Function Properly. So I’ll Give My Body What It Needs While Honoring My Hunger And Fullness.

The Mirror Is My Friend, It Reminds Me To Appreciate Today And Anticipate Tomorrow!
 
I Am Divinely Inspired To My Perfect State Of Health, Fitness And Beauty! 

My Body Is An Energetic, Efficient, Fat Burning, Muscle Building Organism!

My Body Is A Temple. I Want To Treat It With Love And Respect

My Body Is A Gift

The Food I Eat Is Nurturing And Healing For My Body

I Am Grateful For All The Things My Body Allows Me To Do

I Nourish My Body With Healthy Foods, Rest And Exercise

I Am Perfect And Complete Just The Way I Am

I Have A Great Body

I Am Slim And Beautiful

I Visualize My Ideal Body And Take Action To Make It Happen

I Am Dedicated To Achieving My Ideal Weight

I Believe Deeply In My Ability To Be Thin And Healthy



PS. There are 3 billion women who don’t look like supermodels, and only 8 who do. (See this Rubenesque Ruby post).


Are you already an affirmation-advocate? What have you found or experienced through your daily practice? Is it a daily practice even? Or just a sometimes-practice? I would love to hear your thoughts below.

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Christie xx

Weekend Recipe - Birthday cake for Lisa x

It's that time of the week again; time to let your mouth water over what's lurking in your Friday weekend recipe post. And this week it's sure to not disappoint because it's a raw cheesecake. And they're always so darn good. And it's from Sarah B over at My New Roots. Which doubly means it's gonna be so darn good. And I've posted this in celebration of my little sister Lisa as today she turns 25yrs old - Happy Birthday beautiful. I'm eating cake with you in spirit!

Ingredients:

Crust:
1/2 cup raw almonds (pecan or walnuts will also work)
1/2 cup soft Medjool dates
¼ tsp. sea salt

Filling:
1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours, overnight is best
juice of 2 lemons
the seeds of 1 whole vanilla bean (or 1 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract)
1/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup raw honey (solid or liquid.)(Vegans use agave nectar.)
1 cup raspberries (thaw completely if using frozen)

Directions:

1. Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are to your desired fineness (process a finer crust longer than a chunky one). Test the crust by spooning out a small amount of mixture and rolling it in your hands. If the ingredients hold together, your crust is perfect. Scoop out crust mixture in a 7” spring-form pan (if you don’t have a spring-form pan, use a pie plate lined with saran wrap), and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Rinse food processor well.
2. Warm coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan on low heat until liquid. Whisk to combine.
3. In the most powerful food processor / blender you own (you decide which one has the most torque) place all filling ingredients (except raspberries) and blend on high until very smooth (this make take a couple minutes so be patient). If you have a Vita-Mix, absolutely use it.
4. Pour about 2/3 (just eyeball it, you can’t make a mistake!) of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add the raspberries to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first layer of filling. Place in freezer until solid.
5. To serve, remove from freezer 30 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. Serve on its own, or with fresh fruit. Store leftovers in the freezer (what leftovers?).

 


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Christie xx

Practicing the Power of Now in Pai

Hello and Happy Wednesday to you all.

I'm still in Pai, Thailand chilling out and have done even more chilling out the past few days due to a few little mis-haps that have taken place...

+ I caught something; be it food poisoning, a bacterial thing from the water festival/fight that for 3 days had everyone throwing, squirting and pouring water on one another (let it be known that the locals here only drink "drinking water" that gets brought into town so who knows what is in the tap and river water - ie. the stuff that gets hurled around), heat-stroke/dehydration, or a combination. Needless to say I had my head in the porcelain bowl an entire night, got no sleep, was bedridden the following day and could only manage a dry bagel in nibbles over 24hrs, followed by 2 days since in and out of bed, sipping water, eating rice soup or toast, feeling very weak and extremely tired.

+ My brand new mini tablet laptop has died; (first world problem?) yep the one I bought especially to travel with so I could blog and do B-School with decided to shut itself off the other day. And it hasn't woken up since. We've tried rebooting it, charging it, the lot. My prepared blog posts I'd saved are no longer. My book on kindle I was reading is gone (more on this below). I'm ready to throw that thing in the dirty river water! So my lying in bed reading or writing has turned into lying in bed staring at the ceiling. And there's a whole lot more Internet cafe fun going on now too.

But I'm still alive and have all my limbs and managing a super short and excessively slow walk each day before collapsing back to bed. B has been wonderful given I've been a sick, exhausted, under-slept, under-nourished, weak and fragile female who needs a push getting up the hill and into bed.

What I have also noticed, ironically enough, is that I'm more able to actually practice this power of now stuff. You know the book. Well here's a funny story --

I bought The Power of Now back home after my coach told me too (one of those books that for years you think you should read coz everyone else is, but it just doesn't happen - obviously not ready). And I'm always one who takes a book away travelling but due to my small backpack already stuffed full, I couldn't fit a book in. No joke. A girlfriend had a spare and I was gonna shuv it in B's pack (bigger bag, less stuff; he's male after all) but I completely forgot. So I was just gonna find one over here. Being stingy perhaps, I didn't want to pay the second hand prices I saw them for in Bangkok, as I already have the book at home so I'd unlikely be keeping the one I got here. So I left it, figured I'd find it again in Pai. Cheaper.

Well I should have been more specific as I did find it in Pai - only in every other language besides English. B joked that the focus and presence I showed just in looking for the book, was the power of now. So after days of no luck, I decided to download it to my laptop. And YAY I could finally begin reading it.

But now my computer has died and I can't get to it.

However... I've noticed myself Practicing The Power of Now and caught myself out on a few things which has surprised me --

+ My worrying about the thought of having to go home early to fix whatever I've now got - then stopping to tell myself that regardless of how shit I feel right now, I could feel 100% better tomorrow, so stop worrying

+ My worrying about the thought of going home fullstop (yep, clever ego I've got) and begin studying and working again when I don't feel at all rested and am still tired most days - I had to change that one around too. Tell myself I'm stronger everyday, and I don't actually have to go back to working and studying really. I'm choosing too. And I can be as all-in or as all-out of both as I choose

+ B asking about where we want to go after Pai - I'm too tired to care right now but it's working in my favour here coz I'm only thinking about how my tummy is feeling as I lie in bed, when I lie in bed

+ Last week we'd decided where we wanted to eat dinners to try new places, but now it's totally meal-by-meal for me, and even then I don't care; if they sell toast or rice soup I'm easy

So perhaps a few blessings in disguise?

My weekly newsletter is out this Friday so if you're loving what you're reading here and want the whole week's juice in one easy spot, with additional juice - get it here. Until then, eat and drink safe. I've got a ripper special recipe for you on Friday (which will also be in your newsletter) so make sure you pop back.

Christie xx

My pet hate from working in Health Food Stores + Why our bodies need Calcium

Having worked in a health food store for close to 3yrs now, I've seen healthy people, sick people, and everything in between. Some individuals pop in to just scout around, where others often know exactly what they are after. Either way, I have to say the vast majority are all wanting something they they think they need thanks to Google.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not discounting Google as such; they are an exceptionally valuable tool in this day and age, but i believe that when it comes to our health, it can do us more harm than good.

Whilst working I have always had a niggly little pet hate that I've struggled with. I'm there to help the customers best choose what they need, but it is also a business, and so far none of them have been my business. So there's money to be made. And sometimes I have to shut my mouth and let the customer buy what they want.

Calcium suplements are that thing I have to shut up about and let them buy. And it really rubs me up the wrong way. Let me just say though, I'm not a staff member that doesn't first let customers know the natural, simpler, safer, and often cheaper alternatives to whatever they are after, first. I always do. But it's when they're not willing to hear it (coz Google self diagnosis surely means they need African Mango for weight loss and talking about their diet with me - who appears to know nothing - doesn't mean shit), I shut my mouth, and the product in question gets bought; for the sake of this post, it's that said calcium supplement.

Why do we need calcium anyways?

+ It is used by almost every cell in the body including the heart and nerves
+ It is necessary for muscle contraction
+ Needed for the development and maintenance of bone structure and teeth structure
+ For muscle contraction
+ For proper blood clotting
+ For nerve impulses to work optimally
+ To keep the body alkalised

Although we imagine our bones are permanent, they are actually being constantly renewed throughout our life and replaced with new bone tissue.  In fact, our entire skeleton is renewed approximately every seven years! So ensuring adequate calicum is very important. We want to prevent this day and age's ever so common osteoporosis instead of just dealing with it once we get it - which by then is irreversible.

So why do calcium supplements erk me?

As the dairy industry has forever told us how much we need sufficient calcium for our bones (silly them; they should have taken the protein debate instead and they might have gotten somewhere - dairy has pretty good protein levels, but does nothing to add calcium to our bones), we have always believed that we need to be consuming it (ie. dairy) everyday. And if we're not eating dairy, we must need a supplement. Basic math so-to-speak. Right?

Well, first up, as I mentioned above, dairy is a real crappy source of calcium --

Allow me a sec to explain pH here; on a scale of 0-14, 0 is super super acidic, and 14 is super super alkaline. Our blood pH sits beetween 7.35 and 7.45. If it's either side of this very specific range, somethings very wrong. Our stomach pH however sits at about a 2 so that our foods can be broken down. Ever had reflux? That burn? This will explain
why it hurts so much. It's literally acid.

So back to the dairy. It's naturally an acid-forming food. Not bad in of itself (apples turn into acid in our gut for exmple, and apples aren't a bad food), but too much of any acidic food will force our body to find alkaline minerals to balance back out, and stay within that 7.35-7.45 window. So where do these alkalne minerals come from then? Our bones. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus... these are all alkaine minerals in our bones that get pulled out when our blood is too acidic. So explain to me how multiple servngs of dairy each day is helping our bones? "Countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis, such as the United States, England, and Sweden, consume the most milk. China and Japan, where people eat much less protein and dairy food, have low rates of osteoporosis." Nutrition Action Healthletter, June, 1993

So if not dairy then we must take a supplement right?

This is where my pet hate lies; "do you have a calcium supplement?"
It has always erked me long before I really understood anything about supplemental calcium. I knew only that calcium is often sourced from rocks... and I simply felt that calcium from rocks surely cannot be useful in our bodies. Yes, I said rocks.

Calcium citrate, calcium gluconate and calcium lactate, all readily available from health stores under various brand names, are all processed from limestone or chalk. Calcium hydroxyapatite is dervied from crushed animal bones. Vegetarian or not, I don't think my body needs crushed up bones, let alone limestone or chalk. To me, these are all foregin materials and my body is likely to have a hard time recognising something foreign, and then trying to process it into something useable. If nothing else, it's possibly a waste of money buying something that our bodies potentially cannot use.

Science (common sense, and intuition if you listen to it) tells us that calcium in a natural food complex is the best form of calcium to take, as our bodies can and do use the calcium in plants and food sources far better than they do from those that are not plant or food based (that's those rocks I mentioned above).

But before jumping into even the supplemental plant sources of calcium, my first recommendation is and will always be to get it from your foods. Plant based sources of calcium are far superior than any other regardless, and within them you'll also get other synergistic vitamins and minerals (such as vitamin D) that work with the calcium for better absorption. Some of my favourites include:

+ Tahini
+ Sesame seeds
+ Kale
+ Broccoli
+ Dark green leafy vegetables
+ Tofu
+ Sardines

If you still need a calcium supplement (an athlete, pregnant woman, peri- or post-menopausal woman, smokers, or a vegan that's sadly allergic to tahini?), I suggest getting your blood levels checked first by a doctor, and them assessing them with either your doctor or nutritionist. Be warned here though; if your doctor says you need a supplement, he'll no doubt prescribe that dodgy Caltrate from the chemist, or another formula made from rocks and chalk. So go chat to your local health shop chic. She will likely give you one of two products, and if not you can get them both online. These are the only calcium products I will happily sell someone;

+ Green Calcium from Green Nutritionals

+ Natural Calcium from LifeStream (Certified Organic)

These are both 100% pure, plant-sources of calcium sourced from marine plants and naturally rich in calcium as well as magnesium and another 72 (or there abouts) trace minerals from the ocean that are important and needed for optimum calcium absorption and bone and teeth health.

I have also compared the calcium content from these plant sources with a leading practitioner brand (which shall remain unnamed), and found them to be almost exactly the same.

So now that you know a little more about calcium supplements, and why we need calicum, you are better equipped to make the perfect decision for your and your body.

Psst... are you getting my newsletter yet? You're missing out on snippets of Thailand if not so get your butt over here and sign in today

Christie xx

Your Weekend Recipe - Tom Yum Inspired Soup

Being in Thailand right now, I'm obviously eating a lot of Thai food - beside the eggs at brekkie and a few other things. So in keeping to the theme of where I am right now, I've hunted down a great recipe from Ani Phyo -- a raw Tom Yum inspired soup that is delish and super quick to make.

What you're gonna need:

Toppings:

1/4 cup shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup straw mushrooms, sliced
3 Tbsp green chillis, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Soup Base:

2 cups coconut meat, from oung Thai coconuts
1 tsp garlic
5 kaffir lime leaves
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 Tbsp lemongrass, chopped, lower stalks only
1 tsp sea/rock/himilayan salt
3-4 cups filtered water, as needed

Garnish:

2 Tbsp coriander

Method:

+ Marinate the toppings by placing them all in a bowl and set aside for 10mins

+ Put all soup base ingredients into a good blender with 1 cup of the water, and blend well. Add the remaining water, and blend until smooth.

+ Serve into 4 bowls, add the toppings and garnish to serve.


A coconutty-soup always tickles my taste-buds and totally grounds me and warms my heart. I had one for dinner last night in fact - with salted crab and dang that was good!


Ooh also are you on my newsletter list yet? Why you waiting so long girl? I'm hitting send real soon for this week's one so be sure you're getting it! Sign up here

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Love and 40 degree heat from Pai, Thailand

Christie xx

10 Drinks to Drink When You're Not Drinking

I've been there too; you want to stop drinking alcohol, or at least cut down considerably, but you don't really fancy sipping on water all night long watching your friends get messy while you feel like you're missing out. So I've compiled a list of alternatives that you can get at a bar or take to your mates BBQ or house party.

But before we get there I want to give you some tid bits of info about alcohol that might make it easier for your rational mind to, well, rationalise.

Alcohol isn't something our bodies need. At all. It's just something that we have been brought up to believe is fun, cool, and yes it can be an escape for some. But none of these make it good for us. In parts of Europe small amounts of wine are consumed from a very early age, and later on (likely 18yrs of age) there is no binge drinking done. Alcohol was never forbidden as such so the novelty value of it once of a legal drinking age is not there -- I'm condoning early drinking, I'm just pointing out different cultures.

Alcohol depletes our bodies of vitmains and minerals, particularly vitamin C and all the B vitamins. When I see someone who is unwell and expereincing whatever the symptoms may be, and I know they are or recently have been a consistent drinker, these two vitamins are the first things I suggest for them, amongst others.

Alcohol messes with our heads (think stupid decisions on a night out), screws up our emotions (blubbering mess or angry mo-fo?), and can make us feel like we are invincible (well that could be cool, but not if we end up doing something stupid we regret or pay for later).

But if none of that cut's it for you, grog can often be super expensive compared to other beverages! So give your beautiful body a break and notice how you feel.

+ Coconut water
If you can find this at a bar, let me know. Super hydrating and deliciously tasty; drink it straight up or add some pineapple and mint to it. Buy fresh coconuts and drink with a straw, or buy bottled stuff and pour into wine or cocktail glasses. I bet you'll have others wanting what you're drinking.

+ Ginger Beer
Sometime there's a fair whack of sugar in ginger beer but it's still a winner inplace of grog. You can always dilute it with some sparkling water or make your own.

+ Fresh juice
Make your fav fruit and veggie mixes before you head out to your girlfriends dinner party, and I bet you'll have all your girlfriends wanting in on your luscious looking colourful elixir of life.

+ Flavoured water
Add cucumber slices, strawberry pieces, mint leaves, passionfruit pulp, raspberry coulis... the possibilities are endless. You can also add ice cubes that you've frozen with fruit pieces added for a funky looking Summer drink.

+ Chammomile tea
I heard this one off Jess Ainscough and I loved it. She wasn't drinking alcohol at a recent party and so instead poured her chammomile tea into her champagne flute and carried on.

+ Mineral water
A bubbly alternative that almost anyone will drink. Add lime, mint or strawberries for an extra flavour kick. If you're at the bar, ask for some lemon slices, mint leaves, or a splash of grenadine.

+ Kombucha
It's fizzy, light and refreshing, and if you're not used to it you may feel a little buzz in your head akin to your first sip of wine. Also great for digestin help with whatever it is your munching on too. a fuky chic at my local organic store grabs one each Friday as her "Friday arvo beer" with her man. Great brands include Mojo (which I've seen in NSW and Qld; it's made in SA) and Buche (my favourite; still only available around the Goldie, Sunny Coast and inbetween). Or google it and learn how to make your own.

+ Mocktails
The list of these are only imited by your imagination; peach and raspberry with sparkling mineral water, or green apple, mint and lime, pineapple with coconut, or acai and mango.

+ Non alcoholic wine
You can get this at your local supermarket. I can't vouch for what it tastes like though.

+ Lemon, Lime and Bitters
A favourite of many, available everywhere, on every continent. It does contain a teeny bit of alcohol in the bitters, but next to nothing really.


If you've aready kicked or curbed your alcohol drinking, I invite you to share your experiences below. Or if you've got other suggestions to mine above, I would love to know what you enjoy drinking. Let us know on Facebook or tweet @Eat_More_Plants

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Love and Blessings from Thailand,

Christie xx

My Thailand Travel Essentials

I could say I'm reasonably frequent traveller - at least in the last 18months I have been - short trips to Melbourne, Sunny Coast, Brissie and Sydney, but it's been a few years (almost 6 now I think) since my last International flight.

When I fly domestic I don't feel the need to take everything with me; I can still buy most things I might need at other major cities. However, when flying overseas, there are a few things I like to take for peace of mind, where my health may be at, and simply because it's unikely I'll be able to get something similar (quality, ingredients, price, source) depending on where I'm headed.
Now I'm in Thailand and there was considerable thought put into what my necessities were (clothes and the usual aside). So here they are:

+ Charcoal tablets
If we happen to eat anything that instantly feels funky, get tummy bugs or the runs, this will be our best friend. Charcoal literally grabs everything that doesn't belong in your lower digestive tract and takes it out the other end (gas included)

+ 2012 fermented shelf-stable probiotic powder
A probiotic at home is taken for preventative measures against nasty guys in our gut, so when travelling to South East Asia, this wasn't even up for discussion. B and I both knew it was coming.

+ Nano Greens
Vital Greens, or an equivalent - basically a green food supplement containing fruit and veggie powders, enzymes, nervous system support, immune system support, probiotics and more. Neo Greens is just made differently so absorption is super duper fabulous (and as my digestion and absorption is not great right now; I'd rather take something that I know will reach and get into my cells). It'll make sure our daily nutrition is adequate, and add extra goodies to ensure we're feeling our best.

+ Digestive enzymes
For now anyway as my digestion is needing help. Not always necessary.

+ Tea bags
Not many but a few just-in-casies. On the aeroplane I don't like paying for a tea bag (it's totally different out a cafe sipping from fine china, listening to tunes and watching passers by) so I just ask for hot water. Peppermint and chammomile also settle an upset tummy which can be a comon occurance for me, and any tea can also calm down flying- and travelling-related stress making the world of difference.

+ A few snackies to begin with
Nothing worse than a long plane trip, taxi ride, train into town, late arrival, and no decent food. So be prepared. I grabbed a pumpkin, chickpea and garden salad at the airport and added my own salmon for lunch and dinner plane meals. Had a few bits of Loving Earth choccie from Easter. Some activated walnuts and goji berry mix. And of course, a few Simply Raw bars. Once we hit the ground in Asia we can find healthy snacks of Thai flavour.

+ Castile soap bar
It's small and as it is based on oils, it is all naturale. Liquids over 100ml are a no-go on International flights so this bar is great and can be used as body soap, face soap, even shampoo.

+ Immune Blend essential oil
This stuff is amazing I'm in love with it. It's by Twenty8 on the Sunny Coast, but I'm sure most essential oil brands do something simliar. Great to dab on a tissue if you're feeling a little cold and flu-y-ness coming on from somewhere, but it is a lifesaver in a small spritzer bottle of filtered water on the plane. Have the empty spritzer bottle going though customs, then add filtered water and a few drops of the oil once you're through (and it's safe it won't be taken off you). Spray on your face as much as you want whilst flying. It wards off nasties flying about the enclosed, confined, air conditioned plane, and doubles as a skin hydrator and sanity life saver. Trust me on that. It smells so fresh and feels so good, why wouldn't you use it? Oh, I have been told that some airlines don't like us patrons spraying stuff around, so if need be, take it to the bathroom and spray it all around and breathe it all in there. Parade out on Cloud 9.

+ Tampons
One's that I'm happy using. Enough said.

+ BPA free water bottle
To re-fill with water of course.

+ New mini laptop
Well it's an ASUS tablet with a keyboard attached so it's tiny, and allows me to continue blogging, skyping and doing B School whilst relaxing in a hammock with a coconut in hand.


These are just a few things I've got with me this trip, and I'm sure it will change depending on the destination. Hopefully they're all I need. Have you been to Asis before and taken any essentials of your own? I'd love to hear what they were and perhaps add them to my arsenal next time.


Love and Blessings from Bangkok

Christie xx


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I'm in Singapore + Your Weekend Recipe

Hello hello and happy Friday. I am in Singapore! It's hot but we're having a ball - besides the laptop issues I'm having which is why this post is so late, as is your newsletter (are you on my list?).

Anyway, gotta be quick now so here is a recipe I've posted before that I'm going to revist coz it's just so dang good - that and tonight we're on our way to Thailand!

Raw Pad Thai

3 cups spiralised daikon
1/2 cup carrot, grated
1 cup kale, shredded (I used chard)
1/2 cup red capsicum, julienned
1 spring onion, sliced fine
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
40 basil leaves, ripped
2 Tbsp coriander, chopped

Sauce:

1 cup coconut milk (blend coconut meat and water from one coconut together, and use 1 cup of this mixture)
1/2 cup almond butter
2 tsp chopped dates
2 Tbsp tamari
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp miso paste
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Prepare all the ingredients for the dish and combine gently in a bowl. Set aside.

Blend all the sauce ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Adjust anything to taste (I found the tamari a tad to strong so added more coconut milk)

Serve on a bed of greens and top with a few sliced cherry tomatoes, a few almonds, and more coriander if you're like me! YUMMO!


 



The recipe is out of I Am Grateful which is an amazing (although at times, time-consuming) book of recipes from the Cafe Gratitude.

Sydney Highs and Lows

I'm still here in Sydney and was going to post an all-pretty-post on what I've been doing, but instead I'm going to get real down and dirty here. I'm feeling like shit --

Well a litte pretty-ing is still nice to begin with -- First up, I've been having a ball chilling with my besties, cruising around Bondi, and enjoying a few cheeky coffees and cuddles with my man now that he has arrived here too (it's been over a week since I got cuddles ok) ... but I needed to buy some clothes for an outing this evening as I've got absolutley nothing to wear (I mean that too - it's not just a girly winge when my wardrobe is busting at the seams; it's legit as my backpack contains half a dozen pairs of running shorts, two tshirts, maybe 3 singlets, and 2 airy-fairy beachy dresses from about 6yrs ago that could potentially be left in Thailand if need be; ie. nothing spesh but super comfy... a pair of thong, sneakers and my vibrams).

So, as the weather has totally changed and it's now freezing, wet and miserable, my Lorna Jane bike shorts, singlet and sneakers aren't quite appropriate even if it is my choice of clothing and all I've got in my backpack right now...
Who am I kidding? Even if it was sunny and warm I dont think I could get away with wearing gym gear out tonight.
So this morning I set off into Bondi Junction to find some clothes. Ok. Not so bad you think. Well, I'll let you in on a not-at-all-secret secret of mine; contrary to almost every other female on the planet it seems, I hate clothes shopping. I always have. I never know what to buy, what suits me, what looks good with what, where to shop and where to buy. I do know what I like though - gym gear. It's comfortable and suits me. Asides from my work tshirt (which I wear with black gym pants), I don't wear much else. But every now and then when I've gotta present nicely and wear something that's not gym gear - I hate it. And Hate is a strong word I know but I'm using it. I feel the pressure to buy, to dress a certain way, to appear a certain way... And sure I can get dressed up with a spin of my style but I've no clue what that is. No doubt my biggest problem.

Shortcut to now so you don't hav to live through my painful teary Westfield experience like I did, and I'm feeling like a miserable bitch trying to perk myself up... I'm sitting here comfy as all hell in my bestie's trakkie daks and my Lorna Jane jacket. With nothing to wear out tonight. What to do? Only time will tell. And as to why I allow all this to happen, what I need to learn from it and all that other jazz... I'm too stuck in it right now to want to care to be frank. I could try and pretty all this up by telling you why this always comes up for me, what it's teaching me, yada yada yada... but I'm yet to nail it, and so continue to avoid clothes shopping, always getting the shits when I've got an invite somewhere that I need to get dressed up for. Yay.

Now let's move along...

More HIGHs from my Syd trip... Last night B and I had a huge Thai dinner with 30 of our friends at Thai Face in Crows Nest. So SO awesome to have seen you all. A great big restaurant with delicious food that's fresh, colourful, and damn tasty. We sat at one long table chatting, laughing, eating and catching up, all having a jolly ol' time. When the restaurant was closing up, the few of us left wandered down to Bravo for sorbets and gelatos, still laughing and talking non-stop in the centre of my old stomping ground. Love love all my friends and family here xx

Tomorrow we fly outta here over to Singapore for 24hrs of fun, food (and fashion? - unlikely)... before we hit Bangkok to begin our 6 week journey through Thailand and Burma. Eeek I am super duper excited!! This is my college break - and the only break I'll get until I finish up in December, so it was a no-brainer deciding to literally and physically get away from it all.

All I want to do (as I'm trying to physically plan less) is:

+ Get massages (after reading Leonie's fabulous post on why daily massages are needed for burnout, I think I might just experiment with these!)

+ Drink and eat coconuts

+ Reading and more reading

+ Yoga

+ Blogging to you lovelies

+ Finishing my online biz course

...and really resting.

If you've been reading me here for a while, you'll know that I've had a few ups and downs with fatigue and adrenal exhaustion, ontop of moving interstate, so now that I've got an extended break from college I intend on using it wisely and actually taking the break so I don't burn myself out further.

And after my coaching sesh yesterday morning, above all else, I am going to commit to being PRESENT. My mind is always off somewhere else and rarely in the here and now, and I can tell you it can cause all sorts of mischief when it's elsewhere.
So perhaps a little challenging, but likely more just a decision to do it... I'm commited to this, so I will keep you all in touch with how I go.

As for now, I gotta jet to finalise travel insurance, hotels, flight meal options (molto importante), and an outfit for this evening... Yippee.

When I next write to you I'll be in Singapore!

Until then...


Christie xx


PS. Have you signed up for my newsletter? Hitting inboxes on Fridays; make sure you're getting the latest goss on food, nutrition, life and more here.

PSS. If you're a clothes-shopping-star, feel free to be my personal shopper next time I'm in your neck-of-the-woods. I'll love you forever ;)

From Cairns - Sunny Coast - Sydney

Happy Easter Monday! 

How was your weekend? I suppose it's still going isn't it? Gotta love long weekends.
As most of you would know (if you're my newsletter subscriber - if not sign up here or Twitter follower) I flew down to the Sunny Coast last week for an extended Easter getaway, visiting mum and my step dad, and then having both my sisters arrive too.

I was so excited to get to mums on Tuesday as it meant my (10 huge) assessments would all have been done and emailed off, my last college class would have been attended do (for the next 2months), our place would have all been boxed up and put in storage, my last days at work and saying bye to friends would have been done, and my bag packed ready for Thailand. And. it. all. was.

So flying down was bliss. I could breathe again. And every moment at mums has been bliss. I love it on the Sunny Coast. I might just end up there at some point. ..

Our Easter weekend was fabulous; plenty of laughter and mucking about, intertwined with delicious chocolate munching, sunshine bathing, forest walking trails and creek splashing, coast jogs that my body loved, a quick catch up with a girlfriend and baby snuggles, and of course a multiple cafe escapades (a favourite past time of all us females in the family it seems)

Buderim State Forest

But now here I am in SYDNEY! And the reason none of you knew about this was because I had to keep it the biggest secret ever as my best friend had no idea I was coming. Her husband grabbed me from the airport last night and I rocked up at her doorstep with a bunch of flowers, super-super excited, and she greeted me with arms, screaming, huge hugs, more screams, disbelief, and questions about the how's and why's I was infact at her doorstep... It was so so good. Just the way we wanted it.
I'll be in Sydney town til Thursday morning when B and I are then flying to Singapore. We were initially flying from Melbourne but with the thought of totally surprising my bestie who is always super busy as she is getting her amazing new biz off the ground... I had to do it!
Opting to crash on her floor so B, my girl, her hubby and I can all get maximus cuddle time, eating time, laughing time and catching-up in, I am so excited to be here!

So Thursday we fly to Singapore for a night, then on to Bangkok where our Thailand adventure will begin, and later onto Burma, we cannot wait to get over there. I will try my best to get your regular posts to you all, and in Thailand I think it won't be too hard, but in Burma - I think you'll have to live without me for those couple of weeks. I've read it's pretty much no-outside-world once you enter Burma. And to be honest I couldn't be more excited!

Until then though, You've still got me for a while.

Speak soon

Christie xx