Buddha bowls full of high nutrition veggies and salads can quickly become a family favourite. Easy to create, a variety of combinations that can be individualised to each person, and an endless array of possibility for your palate – what’s not to love! These bowls are a delicious way to sail through summer with variety (hello gut microbiome support), easy clean up (bowls and spoons thank you!), and something to suit everyone.
Build easy, nourishing meals – breakfasts, lunches or dinners – using the following recipe cheat sheet and you’ll never get bored. AND BONUS – throw the left over ingredients into a container, shake it and voila – ready made meal for the next day. So quick. So delicious.
Here are our secret recipe suggestions…
Choose one food from each category and mix it all together to create your unique Buddha Bowls:
Fresh leaves
Baby spinach
Rocket
Baby kale
Lettuce – any type
Bitter leaves like chicory, endive or radicchio
Thinly sliced red or green cabbage
Or a mixture of any of the above
Fresh veggies
Grated carrot or beetroot
Thinly sliced fennel
Tomato
Cucumber
Avocado
Radish
Capsicum
Celery
Green beans or snow peas, sliced
Red onion or spring onion, thinly sliced
Roasted veggies
Toss these in salt, pepper, olive oil +/- some spices like ground coriander, cumin and cayenne
Pumpkin
Sweet potato
Carrot
Parsnip
Beetroot
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Eggplant
Zucchini
Cooked grains
These are optional and you may like to skip them if you have used a starchy veg like sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnip, beetroot or carrot – or go all out and create a great, filling meal.
Quinoa
Brown basmati rice
Farro (not gluten free)
Barley (not gluten free)
Black rice
Bulgur (not gluten free)
Buckwheat
Millet
Protein
Salmon – pan fried, grilled or oven baked
Chicken breast – poached, pan fried or oven baked
Left over roast meat
Organic tofu – pan fried or roasted with tamari and sesame oil
Legumes like chickpeas, beans or lentils – organic canned or soaked and boiled till soft
Nuts and seeds
Fresh or roasted, chopped or whole
Almonds
Cashews
Walnuts
Pecans
Hazelnuts
Macadamias
Pistachio
Pine nuts
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Cheese
Crumbled goats or sheep’s feta
Finely grated parmesan
Grated organic cheddar
Torn buffalo bocconcini
Fresh herbs
Coriander
Mint
Basil
Parsley
Dill
Dressings
Mix olive oil, salt and pepper with:
Lemon juice
Lime juice
Apple cider vinegar
Red wine vinegar
Orange juice
Balsamic vinegar
Add a teaspoon or two of tahini and shake well in a jar for a creamy version…
Enjoy!
For more specific meal ideas, nutritional analysis for yourself or your family, and individualised nutritional plans, book in with senior Fertile Ground Naturopath and Nutritionist, Georgia Marrion. Georgia is all about helping you and your family achieve a healthy nutritional status, especially during times of higher nutritional needs and life stages.
Seedsli is a great alternative to muesli for the grain or gluten challenged and a delightful way to get creative with your breakfast! Seeds are an amazing source of good fats, protein, fibre, essential vitamins and minerals and energy, not to mention packed with flavour. This recipe is simple to put together and will keep in a sealed jar for up to several weeks. It makes approx 4 cups, is gluten free, coeliac, and grain free.
Ingredients:
¼ cup each of: unhulled sesame seeds, pepitas, sunflower seeds, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, buckwheat groats (or whatever seeds you have to hand to a total of 3 cups)
½ cup slivered or chopped almonds, toasted and cooled
½ cup coconut flakes, toasted and cooled
1 generous teaspoon cinnamon
1 vanilla pod, split (optional)
½ cup puffed quinoa (optional, but a very tasty addition)
¼ cup dried fruit (optional)
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to ensure cinnamon flavour is well distributed.
Place vanilla pod into a large jar and top up with seeds.
Allow to stand for a few days, with an occasional shake so the vanilla flavour infuses through the Seedsli giving it a delicious aroma and flavour.
Serve with fruit and yogurt, your favourite nut milk, on top of stewed fruit, or make it into a crumble topping with a crunchy, healthy difference. You can even just have it as a tasty snack on its own. For best nutritional results, soak it overnight in a little water or milk before consuming
This recipe is brought to you by The Breakfast Project and the senior fertility naturopathic and nutritionist team ,at Fertile Ground Health Group.
Are you keen to access dietary support for fertility, pregnancy, postpartum or general health? Book in with one of our Naturopaths for a free 10 minute telehealth consult to find out what’s possible for you > navigate to heading Naturopathy – Fertile Ground > 10 minute Free Naturopathic Introduction.
This is a totally different breakfast alternative to the usual eggs on toast. Scrambled tofu is a simple to prepare, tasty, warming meal that is hard to get wrong. You can serve it with whatever you like, as part of a big breakfast with mushrooms, bacon spinach, etc. We’ll leave it to your imagination. Of course, your vegan, vegetarian or allergy prone friends will love you for having a different option to eggs!
Serves 2 people or 4 with accompaniments
Ingredients:
Approx. 250 grams firm tofu
Tamari
6 spring onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
1 teaspoon dried turmeric (or 2 teaspoons fresh)
Half of a long green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
2 large-ish whole tomatoes, diced
1 big handful each of basil and parsley, roughly chopped
Method:
Mash the tofu with a fork and sprinkle with tamari until most of the top layer is brown.
Toss onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric (and chilli if using) into a hot frypan with a little water. Gently stir-fry for approx. 3-4 minutes.
Push this mix to the edges of the pan, add the tofu and stir-fry for 5-10 minutes until a little browned. Once cooked to your liking, stir the onions back in and add the tomatoes.
Cook this mix at least until the whole thing is hot. For a wetter scramble cook for a shorter time, for a dry scramble cook a little longer.
Stir through basil and parsley.
Serve on great heavy sour dough and you’ll be full for hours!
Vary this recipe easily by: adding pine nuts, coriander, other grated vegetables like pumpkin or carrot – just use your imagination. Tofu is very accepting!
Cooking up a hearty breakfast of poached eggs with kale and walnut pesto is a great way to stabilise your blood sugar and fuel up with nutrient dense delicious veggies in the morning. It’s a super easy, quick and convenient option.
Important note – if making this dish in pregnancy be sure to poach the eggs until hard, as a soft yolk increases the risk of salmonella poisoning.
Serves 1
INGREDIENTS: Poached eggs, Mushies and Toms
2 eggs
4-8 cherry tomatoes (halved)
½ cup raw mushrooms (sliced)
1 tablespoon butter
METHOD:
Boil water in a small saucepan for the eggs.
Once the water has boiled, poached eggs for 4 minutes or until yolk is hard (in pregnancy).
Pan fry cherry tomatoes and mushrooms in some butter with salt and pepper.
INGREDIENTS: Kale and walnut pesto (1 serve = 1-2 tablespoons)
1 cup raw kale
1 cup fresh basil
½ cup walnuts (toasted)
¼ cup parmesan cheese
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180 C. Spread walnuts evenly on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook for 5 minutes or until golden.
Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blitz until smooth. Season as required.
Store in the fridge.
Drizzle the kale and walnut pesto over the top of your delicious eggs, mushies and cherry toms for a breakfast that gives you a great supportive start to the day.
Oaty Blueberry Muffins…of course, these are not your usual fluffy sugar-filled muffins like you might have grabbed en-route to work from your favourite coffee shop once… or twice…
These are a hearty, guaranteed-to-fill-you-up-with-goodness kind of muffin.
Oaty Blueberry Muffins Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 ½ cups almond milk, warmed
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or seeds of one pod
1 sweet red apple, skin on, cut into small pieces
1 cup almond meal
1 cup frozen blueberries
Method
Preheat oven to 170°C and prepare the muffin pan by greasing with coconut oil or lining with baking paper. Mix oats, chia and warm milk together in a small bowl, and soak for 10 minutes. Add in coconut oil. Stir in maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, apples and almond meal Gently fold through the blueberries, still frozen. Spoon into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool to cold. They keep for about 5 days in the fridge.
These scrumptious muffins will keep you fuller for longer. They are a great breakfast on the go or snack that will keep you going. Love to meal prep? We do too! You can bake and freeze so you have a muffin on hand all week!
We believe that bodies and minds thrive when given the right ingredients. We are dedicated to boosting our community wellbeing and this is why our brilliant team of practitioners offer free 10-minute introduction consults on rotation, so that you have access to expert care.
These sessions are designed as an introduction to what is possible whilst working with your chosen practitioner. They are a great way to virtually meet and discuss your needs to see how they can help your individual circumstances, fertility and health care needs. You will , of course, be referred if they think another practitioner will better suit your needs.
With health and fertility, there is endless possibility, multiple angles for fine tuning and a plethora of ways to start to feel better. We want to help you feel your radiant vitality shining through.
Register for your free 10 minute Introduction Consult
Simply head to our bookings page, navigate to Acupuncture, Naturopathy, Nutrition, Counselling or Coaching and choose ’10 min Free Intro Call’ under Acupuncture/Naturopathy/Nutrition/Counselling or Coaching
Note: If you are interested in fertility, IVF support or trying to conceive, please book with a Fertile Ground naturopath. For general health concerns and questions, please book with a Melbourne Apothecary naturopath or nutritionist.
ACUPUNCTURE
Kiah McGowan
Registered Acupuncturist & Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner
Kiah McGowan is a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner who completed studies at University of Technology, Sydney, as well as at the Chengdu University of TCM in China. In their 4 years of practice, Kiah has developed a deep understanding and respect for holistic health, and treating people as whole beings rather than just their symptoms. Their goal is to cultivate a space where you feel valued, heard, and supported in your journey toward balance.
Kiah has a personal passion for mental health – initially finding Chinese Medicine in their teenage years as relief for anxiety and insomnia, they now find it incredibly fulfilling to help those struggling with stress, depression, anxiety and sleep issues. Kiah quickly began to discover their fascination with female reproductive health early in to their studies, and enjoys seeing people along their journey through all aspects of hormonal health: from regulating hormones and cycles, promoting optimal fertility and conception, assisting during pregnancy, supporting mothers through the postnatal phase and the transition to menopause. Kiah also provides Cosmetic Acu-facials, having developed a signature combination of traditional Chinese facial tool massage and cosmetic acupuncture to enhance the skin’s natural radiance.
Kiah is your go-to general health acupuncturist, employing holistic approaches for all health concerns, including common conditions such as muscular pain or tension, fatigue, and digestive issues. Kiah has special interests in areas of hormonal health (from balancing cycles, to fertility, pregnancy and menopause), mental health (stress, anxiety, depression and sleep), and offering rejuvenating cosmetic acu-facials for radiant skin. Kiah is committed to nurturing a sense of understanding and self-awareness within all their clients, so that they may recognise the ways their body speaks to them through their symptoms.
Kiah loves to balance the ancient intricacies of Chinese Medicine with their love for modern science and research, and enjoys practicing in an evidence-based manner. Kiah believes in empowering individuals on their path to health, both inside and outside the acupuncture room. They do this through creating highly structured treatment plans which highlight weekly at-home self care tasks, so that patients can take an active role in their healing journey.
Buteyko breath coaching for total health / Financial health coaching for women
Instant Calm Breath Coaching (Buteyko) with Carly
Carly is passionate about teaching you simple and powerful ways to be able to regulate your nervous system and enhance healing using Buteyko breathing therapy and naturopathic lifestyle support, because these are foundational aspects that have been so profoundly transformative to her own health. Carly believes in making health fun, engaging, and practical. She loves to give you simple tools to help resolve your stress and anxiety, optimise your respiratory health, enhance your sleep and soothe your digestion.
Suzanne Hurley is a Perinatal & Fertility Counsellor, Supervisor & Dance/Movement Therapist. She attends to those who may be unhappy, distressed, afraid or otherwise impacted by fertility related events where additional support may be needed. She has an impressive level of expertise having worked with varying degrees of reproductive loss, including pregnancy options counselling, infertility and IVF support, perinatal mental health, abortion counselling, parenting and with reproductive health issues. She has provided her clients with counselling, group support and presented to health professionals in various perinatal settings. Her expertise and understanding of the issues women, couples and families face when immersed in the perinatal period is highly specialised. She knows that when confronted by the unexpected you need someone by your side.
Suzanne brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience after having worked in multiple settings where perinatal mental health has been the focus of her work. This has included time on the PANDA Helpline (Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia), at Carrington Health in the Community Outreach Perinatal Support Service. She spent 10yrs at The Women’s Hospital’s Pregnancy Advisory Service and other periods of time at Marie Stopes Australia National Counselling Service for unplanned pregnancy, Melbourne Pregnancy Counsellors and at Adora Fertility.
Suzanne also works at Austin Health Psychiatric Unit in the Parent Infant Program as a Dance/Movement/Play Therapist. She has also run groups Pregnant Pause and Moving Stories: explorations of the pregnant body, past present and future, through movement.
Suzanne provides clinical supervision to health professionals often working with perinatal mental health, reproductive loss, grief and infertility and in other areas of public health and community services.
In Counselling Suzanne can address:
Contemplating Pregnancy
Fear and worry about pregnancy, birth, baby.
Relationship issues including Family Violence
Infertility
IVF
Single women contemplating using donor sperm
Another baby after difficult perinatal experiences
Health issues
Unintended Pregnancy
Pro Choice, unbiased pregnancy options counselling
Unplanned/planned/IVF, wanted/unwanted, complexity in circumstances
Unplanned and unwanted with beliefs against abortion
Unplanned, wanted but am I sure?
Difficulties deciding
Pregnancy the result of sexual assault
Considering abortion later in pregnancy
Abortion support; pre and post
Pregnancy Support
Anxiety and or Depression
History of mental illness
Unhappy
Change of circumstances during pregnancy
Birth preparation
Foetal abnormalities
Harmony testing at 10wks
Life With Baby
Birth debriefs
Not enjoying your baby
Not feeling like yourself
Relationship difficulties
Isolation
Family issues
Postnatal Anxiety and or Depression
Missing work or thinking of return to work
Who we are as a family?
Who am I as a mother/father?
Unexpected outcomes
Grief and Loss
End of Reproduction
Who am I if I am not a mother?
Childless not by choice
Health issues impacting fertility
Hysterectomy counselling
But I wanted more children
Suzanne’s approach to counselling:
What I believe…
I firmly believe compassionate, early counselling intervention for all reproductive trauma events, including unbiased abortion support, will establish parents both today and in the future with the best possible outcomes for managing the unexpected realities for if they do, when they do and during having their babies. This can be done alone, isolated and uncertain or accompanied with honour, good humour, and grace. You get to choose…Read more about Suzanne
Charmaine Dennis is a naturopath, fertility and health expert, mentor, writer, mother, and businesswoman with 20+ years of experience. She is the founding director of Fertile Ground Health Group and The Melbourne Apothecary, co-author of Create A Fertile Life and The Breakfast Project and co-creator of the Be Fertile relaxation CD series, among other health inspired projects. Her greatest gift and inspiration is making health, wellbeing, and passionate living accessible, inspiring and achievable for everyone.
Through her own health crisis at 34 years old (a shocking and life-threatening diagnosis of acute leukaemia in 2010) Charmaine experienced first-hand immersion into the medical system. This transformative, life-affirming, challenging time has refocused and reinvigorated her drive for good health and living life to its fullest. Undoubtedly this experience has deepened her passion for collaborative health care.
Charmaine’s naturopathic career has followed a special interest in working with people with fertility issues requiring IVF support since 1999. She has assisted many in realising their dreams to conceive healthy, beautiful babies in collaboration with GPs and fertility specialists, acupuncturists and other health modalities. Since her own cancer experience, she can see the gaping need for more collaboration between natural and medical oncology approaches and enjoys working with people who need support for wellness and advocacy through their own cancer journey at any stage of treatment or recovery.
As well as mentoring and supervising students, naturopaths and other practitioners at Fertile Ground Health Group, Charmaine is running retreats,immersions and workshops for anyone to support their personal or business development.
Gina Foxis a naturopath with over 20 years’ experience. She trained under Francesca Naish (author of Natural Fertility Management and Better Babies) and has a Masters in Reproductive Medicine. As well as being an experienced clinician she is a speaker, naturopathic lecturer and student clinic supervisor.
Gina is highly skilled in providing naturopathic care for women’s health issues, pre-conception health, infertility, IVF support, pregnancy care and through menopause. She treats a wide range of issues including recurrent miscarriage, thyroid, auto-immune antibodies and she has seen good results working with men to improve sperm quality. She also enjoys the post birth appointments with mother and baby, maximising wellness for the whole family and educating parents on how to manage many common childhood illnesses. Her professional approach involves working in collaboration with doctors and specialists to create an effective co-ordinated treatment.
Gina loves to help couples achieve full-term pregnancies and give birth to beautiful healthy babies. She excels at addressing underlying stressors while couples achieve their optimal fertility. Her own meditation practice led her to become a meditation instructor and co-develop the Be Fertile series of guided relaxation meditations for women around conception, IVF and pregnancy support, which is now available for free to everyone to access and download.
Georgia is a naturopath of 19 years’ experience with a Degree in Complementary Medicine and a Masters in Nutrition. Along with extensive clinical experience in reproductive health and fertility, Georgia is also an experienced writer and well regarded speaker.
Initially embarking on reproductive health as a clinical speciality following her own personal experience with sub-fertility and pregnancy complications, she has a strong curiosity and passion for supporting people who are experiencing reproductive challenges. Georgia specialises in supporting individuals and couples during their journey through preconception, conception, pregnancy and postpartum life stages.
Areas of focus include menstrual cycle irregularities, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) , pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) and histamine issues as well as male fertility and sperm health issues.
With 2 children of her own in their primary school years, Georgia can help to expertly guide you through the early years of family health issues, and enjoys treating babies and children with recurrent infections, failure to thrive, digestive issues at all ages and any challenges that you need support with for your baby or child’s best health.
Georgia also enjoys treating women and individuals during the transition to menopause including peri-menopausal imbalances.
Her clinical approach involves supporting and guiding you to optimise your health physically, mentally and emotionally using an approach blending traditional and scientific knowledge. This is based on an integration of her many years of clinical experience with ongoing education to stay up to date with new research and treatment strategies. Along with gaining her Masters Degree, this includes post graduate mentoring and training with Rachel Arthur, Rhiannon Hardingham, Leah Hechtman, Dr Andrew Orr and The Fertility Mentoring Program (The Baby Maker Network) among others.
Georgia believes that a team approach gets the best outcomes for all. She works in close collaboration with her patients’ medical care team to ensure the most effective, appropriate evidence-based treatment plans for each individual.
Shantini Iyngkaran is a Naturopath whose practice focuses on maternal care including pre and postpartum experiences. She believes the vitality of a mother is the result of unconditional support, attuning the mother to her body and replenishing all her cups, emotionally, physically, and relationally.
She also has a special interest in gut and immune health. As someone who has struggled with her own health challenges in these areas, she approaches this with lived experience and compassion.
Shantini values time and presence in her consults as she learns about the individuals physical, spiritual, emotional, and home health. She discerns a variety of modalities, techniques, herbal, and nutritional knowledge to identify and support health needs.
Shantini brings insights to her work from her multifaceted career as a solicitor, entrepreneur, personal trainer and yoga teacher. Her multi-passionate approach to her career and life, allows her to provide a holistic and tailored naturopathic practice.
When she isn’t working at the Melbourne Apothecary, you will either find Shantini walking in nature, with her beloved pooch, Sir Waffles, creating in the kitchen, serving her local community, enjoying a matinee at the cinemas or relishing the company of her friends. She is a connoisseur of hugs, so if you feel like a warm embrace book in with her.
As someone who deeply values connection and community, Shantini is currently offering free Naturopathic 10-minute consults to help to get you started towards better health. These sessions are a chance for you to make sure the therapeutic relationship is a great fit and get clarity about what you want to achieve on your health journey.
Zucchini and chilli pepita salad is a simple dish that I love for shoulder seasons where we are still having some nice days but the weather is getting colder. It’s still got a lot of freshness about it but the grilled zucchini is easier to digest than raw salad and the chilli pepitas give it some warmth. The lemon, dill and feta really get your tastebuds going.
This dish is super yummy as a BBQ side salad with just about every type of protein – fish, tofu, tempeh, chicken, red meat, falafel, chickpea or lentil burgers. If I have some leftover I often have it for breakfast on a slice of dense wholegrain bread with a poached egg on top.
Zucchinis are very high in fibre, which feeds beneficial gut bacteria and helps you to feel full and satisfied, as well as aiding healthy bowel movements. They are also very low in carbohydrate. All of these things are great for hormone balancing, general health and are compatible with a PCOS diet, if that is what you are aiming for. Being dark green in colour, they are a natural source of antioxidants and folate, making them great for fertility and pregnancy.
Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) add a good source of zinc – helpful for skin, hair, immunity, fertility and so much more.
Ingredients
4 large zucchinis, sliced lengthwise
A large handful of pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
A pinch (or more as desired) of cayenne pepper (chilli powder)
Half a bunch of fresh dill, leaves picked
30-40g of goat’s chevre or goat’s feta
Half a lemon, juiced
Olive oil
Salt
Method
Brush zucchini slices with olive oil and cook them on a grill plate until soft and browned, flipping halfway. You could also roast them in a 200 degree oven on trays (don’t overcrowd the trays or they’ll go soggy before they brown).
Toast the pepitas in a fry pan with a splash of olive oil, pinch of salt and the cayenne pepper until just starting to go light brown, then remove from heat to cool on a plate.
Assemble the salad by tossing the zucchini with the dill, lemon and olive oil, crumbling the feta on top and sprinkling over the pepitas.
Weight loss improves just about every aspect of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Whilst it is often more difficult to lose weight when you have PCOS, even modest weight reductions can have a significant impact on PCOS symptoms plus reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
How do I know if I need to lose weight?
Being overweight, especially around the waist, causes insulin resistance (even if you don’t have PCOS) because fat cells release substances that mess with insulin sensitivity. This means that being overweight increases insulin levels even more, worsening PCOS signs and symptoms. In short, being overweight is bad news for PCOS.
Body mass index (BMI) is a good guide to determine if you are in the overweight range or the healthy weight range. You can calculate your BMI using a simple online calculator and plugging in your height and weight (there are many available).
How to get started on weight loss
It’s not so simple to just lose weight and if you have PCOS with insulin resistance, this can be even more difficult because insulin is a hormone that promotes fat storage. Both diet and exercise matter when it comes to weight loss but if you need to make changes in both areas, start with diet and once that is a routine for you work on your exercise routine – changing everything overnight is hard and you don’t want to set yourself up to fail.
When it comes to diet, head over here and get your copy of my free PCOS & Diet eBook. It outlines the dietary changes that have the most impact on weight loss for people with PCOS. If you check out the eBook but still need more help or have questions, you might need to work with a naturopath to work out the best diet for you as an individual.
What’s the best type of exercise for weight loss and PCOS?
There are two types of exercise that have been shown to be effective for PCOS and weight loss:
Resistance training
Resistance training means moving your body against a resistance. The resistance can be your own body weight (e.g. push ups, planking or yoga) or equipment such as bands or weights. You can do resistance training at home if you’ve already got some experience with how to do it safely. If not, get help from a professional PT to ensure you adopt the correct posture and alignment, avoiding injury.
If you can’t afford a personal trainer, join a gym and ask the staff for assistance in getting your posture and alignment right on their equipment. If the gym is not your thing, join a strength yoga class such as Iyengar, Ashtanga or Vinyasa.
Resistance training is designed to build muscle mass. Increasing muscle mass has a positive effect on insulin resistance and boosts metabolism, meaning your resting metabolic rate is faster; you burn fat while at rest.
Research has shown resistance training can reduce androgens, waist circumference, body fat percentage and fasting blood glucose: all good things for PCOS. However, the best results come with doing a combination of resistance and aerobic exercise.
Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise is also known as ‘cardio’ exercise and refers to any exercise that gets your heart and lungs to work faster. You breathe harder, your heart pumps faster and you work up a sweat. There are many ways to do this and lots of them are actually fun! Dancing, swimming, sex, aqua aerobics, team sports, cycling, HIIT, circuit training and jogging are just a few of them.
Beyond improving insulin resistance, aerobic exercise has many benefits. Aerobic exercise improves circulation, increases energy levels, increases endurance, reduces risk of heart disease and diabetes, reduces body fat, maintains a healthy weight, improves mood and improves sleep.
How much exercise do I need to do?
Based on the research you should do 1hr of resistance training three times weekly but you should start slowly and build up to this. On alternate days you should do 30 minutes of aerobic exercise. Have one day off per week to give your body a rest.
More is not better
If you push yourself beyond the above guidelines you run the risk of pushing your stress hormones too high, which inhibits weight loss and increases insulin.
My top 4 tips for success
Get friends and family in on it
Making a time to exercise with friends or family increases your motivation and makes exercise more enjoyable. It makes you accountable for showing up. Likewise, a healthy diet, such as outlined in my PCOS & Diet eBook, is something that can be done as a family or with friends. It is a health choice that is beneficial for everyone, not just those with PCOS (if you have children they can eat the same as you, just let them eat freely of healthy carbohydrates rather than limiting their intake).
Any type of exercise is better than no exercise
If all you can do today is just go for a walk then it’s better than nothing – you are still having a beneficial impact on your hormones when you exercise, even if weight loss is not achieved.
Set realistic goals
If you can’t stick to a strict regime as outlined in the exercise section above, just do what you can. Any sort of increase in physical activity is better than none.
Set a goal of something you can do that is easily achievable. Once you can stick to that for 3 weeks, set a higher goal. For example, if you currently walk for 10 minutes per day, increase this to 15 minutes. Or get a pedometer and increase your daily steps by 2000 each week.
Prioritise it
One of the excuses you might give yourself is that you simply don’t have time exercise and prepare food. This is when you need to sit down and make a list of all of the things that take up time in your life and prioritise which ones are going to make you the happiest. Chances are that being healthy is going to be near the top of your list.
Other things might have to take a back seat in preference of your health. You might find that some things can be combined. For example, seeing friends and exercising could be rolled into one on some days. Preparing food and family time are other things that could be done together. How you shape your life is up to you but one thing is for sure: if you don’t prioritise time for weight loss, it won’t happen.
Need more help?
Losing weight can be really tough, so don’t be afraid to reach out for help if you need it. Some great choices are personal trainer or exercise physiologist, naturopath, nutritionist, osteopath, acupuncturist and psychologist or counsellor. All of these professionals can help you tailor a plan that is most effective for you as an individual and help keep you accountable and motivated along the way.
Josephine is currently offering free 10 minute consults to everyone. These sessions give both practitioner and patient the chance to see if the therapeutic relationship is a great fit, as well as to get you started on the path to feeling better, whether that be prescriptions on the day, referral for testing, or simple extras that you can incorporate to support yourself even more.
We are here to help you – it’s what we love to do. This COVID care package is for you if you:
Want better health, rest and body-wide repair,
Want help with navigating the complexities of making your Fertility Plan,
Have PCOS and want to start making healthy recovery strides simply by adjusting your diet,
Need help creating better breathing and respiratory health habits to carry you through a COVID climate,
Are experiencing frayed mental edges that need soothing,
Want relief, attention and release of areas that experience cyclic or persistent pain,
Love to have beautiful restorative sleep,
Want insights into how to ramp up the health of your diet and your digestive tract
How can we help?
You may have noticed that we’ve enacted an outpouring of free things to you since the inception of COVID. We have made a concentrated effort to create free resources for you with love from many of our wonderful practitioners, to support your mind, body, and sense of connection through all the recent challenges and beyond.
These resources have felt like a lifesaver for many people who have felt disconnected, stressed, in pain, anxious and fearful with reverberating body-wide repercussions like restlessness, digestive issues, insomnia, panic attacks, breathing difficulties, muscular pain and more. It’s important that you pay attention to your health with even more precision during stressful times like these.
We are robust and resilient when given the right ingredients for thriving and surviving.
Your COVID Care Package Freebies
We are dedicated to supporting you now and beyond – download any and all of the freebies contained below in our free COVID Care Package. We have built all of these resources for you and will be adding to this package often over the coming months, so keep your eyes peeled on our newsletters and Instagram OR Facebook pages so that you can grab each freebie as it comes out.
It is our pleasure and mission to support your glowing health and healing always.
Free 10-minute Naturopathic Wellness Consults
Book herefor anyone who needs preventative wellness strategies for immunity, symptomatic relief for an acute condition and general health enquiries. We will, of course, refer you if needed for more complex issues/conditions, but this is a great way to make a start toward your healthier life.
Immune Essentials E-book
Nine simple steps to enhance your health and resilience written by our wonderful naturopathic team.
Get instant free access and start taking simple actions every day to improve your immunity and stay well this winter.
Your Fertility Plan
Naturopath, Sage King, is putting together a free 6 part series designed to help you navigate your fertility journey. Sage touches on everything from preconception care, pathology screening, to assisted reproductive technology (ART) and how to optimise your outcomes with Naturopathy. Register to be notified when the series is released.
Free PCOS & Diet Guide
Do you have PCOS? Access this simple Naturopathic guide to get started with balancing your body through your diet. Inside you’ll receive delicious PCOS friendly recipes, detoxification details, information on how to approach carbohydrates, fats and proteins, food swap charts, as well as steps that you can take to really kickstart your healing. Well known PCOS treating Naturopath, Josephine Cabrall, has put this together to help anyone suffering with PCOS start to find the path to healing. Get your free copy of this fantastic resource.
Deep Sleep Yin Yoga
Jane Holland, yoga teacher, international retreat facilitator and educator has lovingly created this Deep Sleep online series in collaboration with Fertile Ground at The Melbourne Apothecary.
These yin classes are designed to guide you into your body to fully inhabit sensation, find release and arrive in spaciousness, allowing you to melt tension and move into a deep state of rest. Jane is generously offering to everyone to come and experience their first class free.
Free Buteyko Starter Pack for Healthier Mask Breathing & Nervous System Relief
Mask wearing and mask breathing is really hard. Why? Much of it is to do with carbon dioxide which, when understood and used to your advantage, can actually be used to improve your health rather than hinder it. In fact it can be part of the solution to many health issues beyond respiratory protection. Use this Starter Pack to begin to address your foundational respiratory health.
The Starter Pack includes 3 x 15 minute Buteyko embedded meditations and comprehensive instructions about duration, frequency, what to expect as results. Made with love by our breath specialist naturopath Carly Woods
Carly has also made a hilarious and informative online quiz entitled ‘Are you a Dirty Mouth Breather?’ So go ahead and find out – are you a Dirty Mouth Breather?
Acupressure for Stress Relief
Stressed? Understatement of the year perhaps.
Download this wonderful Acupressure for Stress Relief Guide from Acupuncturist, Chinese Medicine practitioner and Naturopath, Holly Peyton-Smith (thanks so much Holly).
This fabulous Super Soups Ebook has been built for you with love by Naturopath Tina Jenkins. Do you want to ramp up your Winter wellness in an oh-so-delicious way?? If so, make sure yougrab your copy here.
Phew! That’s A LOT of resources for healthy living that you can use right now or access later as you need. Feel welcome to share it with your friends too – these resources are for everyone.
Have a great time consuming all of these wonderful resources packed full of actionable health-enhancing goodness. Thank you to all of our loving practitioners and team for putting these together for our community so quickly and with such care.
Brought to you by Carly Woods Director, Naturopath and Breath Specialist, Fertile Ground Health Group and The Melbourne Apothecary.
Lots of people are asking me, “How can I support my health during this pandemic?”.
My answer? Start with your diet.
There are, of course, many aspects to having a well functioning self. Diet, however, is so incredibly foundational and something we can all attend to daily to help amplify health that it’s one that I recommend you pay attention to straight away.
One of the great things about paying attention to your diet is that you can get started immediately and see results quickly. So here they are – some of my best tips for optimising your diet during a pandemic.
Stay hydrated
Aim for 2-3 litres of water per day. Remember, the following drinks can boost your hydration for the day: decaffeinated tea, mineral water, broth, and fresh, raw, cold-pressed vegetable juices. To help you stay hydrated, carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go (and make sure it’s not a plastic one).
Don’t skip the protein
Protein helps build and repair every part of the body. Without enough of it, you can feel run down, lethargic, and your immune system can’t function as well as it should. Meats, eggs, poultry, and seafood are excellent sources of protein, but so are certain vegetables. High-protein plant foods include beans and legumes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, lentils, nuts and seeds, oats, potatoes, spinach, and wild rice. If you’re sick, aim for 1.5g protein per kg of bodyweight per day.
Eat plenty of healthy fats
Healthy fats will help support brain and heart health while keeping you feeling full and providing your body with much needed energy to keep you motivated whilst working from home. Opt for more omega-3s (from avocados, fatty fish, nuts and seeds, olives, sea vegetables, grass-fed meats, etc.), and fewer omega-6s (from processed foods, salad dressings, and sauces; as well as processed vegetable oils like canola, grapeseed, safflower, etc.). Keep in mind that low-fat and fat-free products contain a lot of added sugar and artificial fillers, these are best avoided and swapped for full fat versions.
Opt for carbohydrates from vegetables
Most people only associate carbohydrates with grains. But bread, pasta, cake,
cookies, etc., are not the only sources of carbohydrates. Many whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and legumes fall into this category, too. When balancing your diet, try to get the bulk of your carbohydrates from vegetable sources. The fiber found in vegetables helps balance blood sugar and improve digestion.
Eat the rainbow
Our bodies function best when they take in nutrients from all different types and colours of wholefoods. Aim to eat at least six different colours of fruits and vegetables each day.
Experiment in the kitchen
Play around with different foods and cooking methods to discover what you like. Try at least one new recipe per week. If you’re not confident in your cooking skills, watch a youtube video and learn a new skill! Practice makes perfect! The goal is to become more comfortable with cooking. The more comfortable and enjoyable cooking is for you, the easier it will be to incorporate into a regular routine. Cooking and preparing food for loved ones is a great joy – there is no better time to get started than during lockdown!
Limit sugar and processed foods
We know that the excessive intake of refined sugars and grains contributes to many chronic health issues. In order to stave off illness and reverse symptoms, limit your intake of refined sugars and grains. Both of these are found in highly-processed foods like shelf-stable cakes and cookies, lollies, and other snacks. Read food labels carefully, and select foods with no added sugar (or very little added sugar). Excellent swaps for a sweet treat include: a whole, fresh piece of fruit, vegetable sticks and dip, a teaspoon of fresh nut butter, stewed apples, yoghurt and nuts.
Include probiotic and prebiotic foods
This will support both immune function and digestive function. Supporting digestive function ensures optimal absorption of nutrients and vitamins from food, replenishing the resources available for immune function. Probiotic foods are those that contain beneficial bacteria. Great probiotic foods are sauerkraut, natural yoghurt/coconut yoghurt, kombucha, kim chi, naturally preserved pickles, miso soup, or tempeh.
Prebiotic foods are those that support the function and health of the good bacteria in our digestive system. They are typically foods that are high in fiber such as banana, seeds, wholegrains, Jerusalem artichoke, leek.
Everything in moderation
After all, we’re locked inside! It’s important to allow yourself some wiggle room and listen to your body’s cravings. Enjoying a healthy, balanced diet includes being flexible and limiting your rules. Make a point to indulge occasionally without any guilt or stress about your food choices.
Freya Lawler, Fertile Ground/Melbourne Apothecary naturopath and functional nutritionist is passionate about food. She believes that in order to optimise your health from the ground up, you must begin with your diet. She loves to identify simple ways to make a huge difference in your health, through optimising your diet and creating tailored nutritional plans. Whether it be for balancing hormones, clearing your skin or improving digestion – Freya can guide you back to your best health through functional nutrition.
