Friday Favourites

What I loved reading (and watching) on the web this week...

Raw coconut cream pie and berries from The Alkaline Sisters

Image via The Alkaline Sisters

Crossfit: Fit Happens from Health-Bent

Image via Health-Bent

7 habits of highly healthy people from The Paleo Network

Image via The Paleo Network

Bacon salt (umm, yum!) from Not Quite Nigella

Image via Not Quite Nigella

How I became a morning person from The Hoopla

Image via The Hoopla

Your meditation questions answered from Dalai Lina

Image via Chakra Meditation Today

Jess Ainscough's interviews with James Colquhoun from Food Matters: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Image via The Wellness Warrior

Enjoy!

Planning to succeed

Image via Advice to Sink in Slowly

I read. A lot. I mean A LOT.

I am constantly pouring over books, blogs, newsletters, websites - anything on paper (or screen) that I can get my hands on. It's one of my favourite things to do. Particularly when it comes to our lives and the way we live them.

The only problem with this is that one thing often leads to another, and another, and another... and, before you know it, you've got more information than your head knows what to do with. That's kind of what's been happening to me. About a year (or so) ago, I stumbled on to Sarah Wilson's blog, which started to change the way I thought about food and health. Sarah then led me to David Gillespie, and his book, Sweet Poison. I also bought Sarah's fabulous e-book, I Quit Sugar and thus began my journey.

Image via Advice to Sink in Slowly

Since then, I have found my way to blogs like The Wellness Warrior, Elana's pantry, My New Roots, Mark's Daily Apple, and The Clothes Make the Girl - to name just a few.

I have become addicted to scouring blogs to find new nutrition info, recipes, and advice and I can't seem to quench my thirst for this knowledge. One of the hurdles that has come, off the back of my new-found enthusiasm, is that I spend so much time gathering info and talking about it, and not enough time actually doing it.

I can't stop talking about grains, sugar, exercise, and beauty products, but I'm yet to fully commit to the changes I believe I should be making.

So I've decided to make a plan. Maybe if I put some things in writing, I will be more accountable and motivated to make them happen. I want to start slow though. Sometimes I get excited and think 'this is what I'm going to do for the rest of my life!' and then life intervenes, as it inevitably does, and nothing much changes. So let's start with a one-week plan, and go from there.

• Move every day. Go for a walk, do some sprints, bodyweight exercises, or yoga. Just something. Everyday. Eek!

Image via Mark's Daily Apple

• Meditate. I keep hearing how good it is for me but, to be honest, I am a bit daunted. I've always thought it was a bit... fluffy. From Monday, my goal is to meditate at least 5 days of the week (7 is better!). I will give it some time, and then see how I feel.

Image via What meditation really is

• Eat mindfully. This just means that I need to think about what (and how much!) I put into my mouth. I'm getting better at this, but it's still a work in progress. Specifically I want to limit my sugar, grain/carb, and other junk-type foods. My meals should be largely veggie based, and accompanied by a small serving of protein and some good-quality fats. 

Image via Trend Hunter

• Get some sun. About 20 minutes a day to keep my vitamin d levels topped up.

Image via Blue Batting Helmut

• Get my sh*t sorted. I need to get more organised. It's easy to feel overwhelmed with ALL THE THINGS that need to get done in our busy schedules. Sometimes the combination of all the tasks that need doing, seems so scary that it's easier to just not start. But that is problematic when it comes to... y'know, doing stuff. So, with that in mind, I have decided to adopt a gently gently approach and just make it my goal to tackle one household project per week. I can knock it off in one day, or do little bits over the whole week, as long as it gets done. Things on my list include - cleaning out the kids' wardrobes, pantry detox, tupperware sorting (Zzzzzzz), veggie garden.... and on and on it goes.

Image via Things Organized Neatly Tumblr

• Chill out. If it all goes to hell. Know it's ok. Life is good.

And that's it for now (unless I think of something else). I reckon it's do-able. 

Wish me luck! Any tips are welcomed (and, let's face it, needed).

Friday Favourites... on a Sunday

Better late than never... My top reads for the week.

All about grains from Nourished Kitchen

Image via Nourished Kitchen

Adore Home Magazine Feb/March issue

Give yourself a bedtime from The Happiness Project

Image via The Happiness Project

Tips for relationship bliss from Mind Body Green

Image via Mind Body Green

Should the government regulate sugar like tobacco from Co.Exist

Image via Co.Exist

Chocolate chip coconut bars from Supercharged Food

Image via Supercharged Food

Enjoy!

Bathroom clean-out success

A few weeks ago I wrote about fat houses and how I have one.

I know I will feel better once I shed the clutter, but it's the starting that often proves difficult for me. Nevertheless, I faced my fears and tackled the bathroom cupboard first.

And this is what I was faced with.

And then. This.

There are no words.

Soon after though, thanks to one mammoth garbage bag, and a handy tip about storage (get these great drawers from Office Works) from Rachel at the lovely blog In Spaces Between, my bathroom cupboard now looks like this.

And can I tell you - it feels good.

Next stop - kitchen pantry. Might need to tackle on a Friday night with wine...

Green smoothie goodness

I have been having smoothies in the morning for a couple of months now, but have been psyching myself up to replace the fruit-heavy version with something a bit more... green. There's something about a big glass of green sludge that doesn't automatically make my mouth water, but I needn't have worried.

It was delish.

Here's what I whipped up:

I used:

2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 banana (broken up into chunks)
About a 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tbs almonds
1 tbs chia seeds
1 tbs macadamia oil
1 egg
1 tbs colloidal minerals
1 tsp green powder
1/2 tsp maca powder
lots of ice

Blend and go!

Friday Favourites

What I loved on the net this week...

• All the food you eat is why you're fat from Co. Exist

image via Co.Exist

• Robb Wolf (Paleo guru) interview

• Is fear of the unknown holding you back? from The Wellness Warrior

Image via Wellness Warrior

• Coconut oil touted as Alzheimer's remedy from CBN

Image via SMH

• When we seek comfort in soup from Canelle et Vanille

Image via Canelle et Vanille

• Sugar as harmful as tobacco, alcohol, experts say from SMH

image via SMH

• How to detox your closet from Lifestyled

• First food for baby from The Healthy Home Economist

• Part one of  'I quit sugar' webinar from Sarah Wilson

image via Crossfit Ignite Sydney

• Gotye on Jimmy Kimmel from Noise11

Enjoy.

Have a great weekend!

Lunch... reinvented

I love lunch. In fact, I love all meals, but there is something about having a great lunch in the middle of the day that feels... indulgent. Exciting.

Is it just me?

In my gradual journey toward a grain/wheat/sugar-free life, I am saying goodbye to my beloved toasted sandwiches and becoming acquainted with big salads, dinner leftovers... basically anything that doesn't include fun things like carbs.

It actually hasn't been that hard - I'm loving my salads (bacon! nuts! oil!) and they are really satisfying. The problem comes, however, when you come back from two weeks of holidays to a pretty bare pantry. This is the dilemma I faced today and thus the inspiration for the lunch I just ate.

I have decided to call it, Tricky Tuna. Not the best name, I'll admit, but let's just go with it.

I threw together one small tin of tuna (I like mine in olive oil), half an avocado, about a tbs of whole egg mayo, some red onion, some chopped, toasted walnuts (about a handful), some chilli flakes, coriander, salt and pepper.

And guess what? It was delish!

* Thank you instagram for making a pretty dodgy photo, slightly more palatable.