Take the pressure down

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Did you know that a specific Chiropractic adjustment can significantly lower blood pressure? The effect of an adjustment on the C1 vertebra (the very first one that holds up your head) is just as effective as taking not one but TWO blood pressure medications at the same time and the bonus? No nasty side-effects (such as fatigue, dizziness, depression, impotence, respiritory distress or kidney damage) like those high blood pressure drugs! Not only can a qualified Chiropractor administer this adjustment but they can also point you in the right direction to modify your diet and exercise to help you get more out of your life. See? Not just back pain...

Review: "Food Matters" Doco

Oh my. Not in a long while have a seen something that resonated so much with me. I urge you all to go out and get the dvd of food matters right now. Seriously, drop what you are doing and go get it. This brilliant documentary talks about how important nutrition is. It talks about politics and govenment and cancer and personal responsibility and every person in this film has the same opinions on health and all these other things that I and other Chiropractors do! Finally! Yes, we are not crazy, there are many smart people out there who believe that we do not need anything to "cure" us, that health comes from nature and from within. Brilliant. I thank James & Laurentine for bringing information that is so often ignored to the public. Really top draw.

Superfood: Chia Seed

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Something that I have started adding to my morning smoothies is Chia seeds. These tiny little seeds are the highest plant source of omega 3's. And we all know how important omega 3's are. They also have a very good ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 (3:1) while most foods have a ration of about 1:15-30, a ratio that is actually bad for you as it increases inflammation and thus pain and other nasty symptoms. But the superfood Chia is also a great source of dietary fibre, which helps stave off colon cancer and heart disease. Chia is also packed full of protein to keep you full and anti-oxidants in the form of Quercetin, which helps you stay fit, healthy, young and full of energy. What's not to love?
Sprinkle them on salads, bake them in muffins or bread or try them in a smoothie.

Anti-oxidant fill me up
great for breakfast
serves 2
1/4 cup frozen blueberries or mixed berries
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons high quality vegetable protein powder
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup coconut milk or cream
2 small bananas
1/4 cup organic apple juice
2 heaped teaspoons green powder (either wheat grass, barley grass or vital greens)

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend till combined. Drink straight away.

Quick vietnamese omelette

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The other day I whipped up a quick lunch for Mr. Ox and I before work with left overs from the fridge. It just goes to show that it's not hard to whip up a simple, healthy, low carb meal in a few minutes.

Vietnamese Omelette
serves 2
omelette
3 large free range organic eggs
pinch of sea salt
pinch of sugar
pinch of turmeric
4 tablespoons water
small amount if coconut or peanut oil for frying

Filling
12 raw prawns (or any left over cold meat)
1 small red chili chopped (this was pretty hot, so next time I'd use 1/2)
1 spring onion, sliced
3 sprigs garlic chives, sliced
1/3 handful fresh chopped corriander
2 teaspoons soy sauce
small squeeze of fresh lime
handful of bean sprouts

Wisk together eggs, water, salt, turmeric and sugar and place aside. In a fry pan cook the prawns and spring onions in a little oil till opaque or if using cooked meat till meat is heated through, place in a bowl and add chili, garlic chives, corriander, soy, lime and bean sprouts. In the same fry pan, add a little more oil and once hot pour in egg mixture. Tilt pan for egg to coat the bottom of the pan. Turn down heat and cook till the egg is set but still moist on top. Tip prawn mixture onto one half of the omelette and fold other half over the mixture. Serve with cut cucumber and iceberg lettuce.

Pain killers, help or harm?

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A Swiss literature review has found that people who take painkillers regularly, such as those who take it for chronic pain of conditions such as arthritis,  double or even treble their risk of heart attack and stroke.
In response to these findings Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, was quoted as saying:

"This confirms what has been known for some years now: taking non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs on a regular basis increases heart attack or stroke risk. However, some patients with debilitating joint pains may consider the small increased risk worthwhile when set against the improvement in their quality of life that these drugs bring." 

Oh my Omega 3

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A new study has shown that omega 3 fatty acids such as those found in fish and flaxseed can be beneficial in the prevention of psychotic disorders. The study focused on individuals aged 13 to 25 with "subthreshold psychosis" (meaning they we're displaying enough symptoms to be classified as having full blown psychosis but were classified as ultra high risk). Subjects were either given 1.2g (4 standard strength fish oil tablets) per day of omega 3 or a placebo for 12 weeks, and then were monitored for a following 40 weeks. By the end of the 52 week study only 2 out of 41 (4.9%) in the Omega 3 group had transitioned to psychotic disorder compared to 11 of the 40 (27.5%) in the placebo group.
Snaps to nemo.

Mr. Ox's "Pasta" Sauce's

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Once in a while Mr. Ox dons the apron and shoves me out of the kitchen. His "go to meals" used to be pasta, but alas, being the bossy boots I am, he now smothers green veggies with his amazing pasta sauces. Both are adapted from Jamie Oliver recipes, the tuna is my favourite while Mr. Ox prefers the creamy one.

Tuna Sauce
1 large can of good quality tuna in oil
1 large red onion diced
1/2 of a lemon
1 400g can of canned tomatoes
1 fresh red chili, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt to taste
safflower oil

Fry the onion in the oil until translucent. Drain tuna and add to onion, stir to break up a little, then add the cinnamon, chili and zest of half the lemon. Stir to combine then add can of tomato. Heat through then add the juice of half a lemon. Serve over steamed greens.


Courgette Carbonara
4 small courgettes, cut in half and then sliced on the diagonal
3-4 rashers good quality bacon cut into small chunks
200ml organic cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 a handful of freshly ground parmesan cheese
small amount of organic butter
small handful of thyme leaves

Fry the bacon in a fry ban with a small amount of butter. When the bacon is starting to colour and crisp up, add the cut courgettes. Add a good amount of ground black pepper and thyme leaves then stir to coat the courgette in the bacon. Cook until courgette is soften and lightly golden. Turn the heat down and add the cream. Stir and then add the grated parmesan. Cook until the sauce thickens a little then serve over steamed greens.

Hear the happy

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We all know that listening to our favourite band can make us feel good and finally scientists have come up with the reason why, dopamine. This study found subjects who listened to music that they liked experienced a 9% rise in basal dopamine levels in the areas of the brain linked to pleasure. The same areas that are stimulated by eating chocolate, having sex and even taking cocaine. What better way to boost your mood after a long day than to blast your favourite song? Finally a scientific justification for that Brittney Spears album...
Thanking my old teacher for the heads up on this one.

Healthy Snax

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The first thing I noticed about giving up processed carbohydrates was how hungry I felt. Back in the old days I would grad a few rice cakes to tide me over, but alas, no more. So I had to get creative. Stashing healthy snacks in my desk draw kept me from gnawing my own arm off. Here are a few tips:

Not so sweet

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The other night I flipped over to Food Additives: An Edible Adventure on SBS, a documentary hailing the wonders of food additives. Difficult though it was to hold myself back from screaming at the television (mental note: sell tv) I did watch the full episode and would be interested in seeing others in the series. Even though Stefan Gates did gloss over a huge amount of not so glowing evidence about food additives, he did touch on one very interesting piece of evidence about artificial sweeteners. The brain and body can tell the difference between artificial sweeteners and sugars.This is because although the artificial sweeteners bind to the same receptors on the tongue, they do not stimulate the same reward centers in the brain and sugar does. Also when artificial sweeteners are broken down by the body they do not release the same amount of energy as sugar does. The body is very smart, when we eat something sweet the brain expects there to be a sudden burst of energy, but alas, with artificial sweeteners there is none. So what does the body do? It must seek this energy from somewhere else and thus your body will make you more hungry so you will consume more food to get that extra energy it feels it has been deprived of. Add this to the detrimental health effects of artificial sweeteners and a case "for" artificial sweeteners seems a little thin. Mother nature 1, Scientist: 0.

Burger in a Bowl

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Ah the first recipe of the year and it's a good one! In fact it's Mr. Ox's favourite, because lets face it, who doesn't love a good burger? The beauty of this is that you can tweek it to suit yourself, make it as healthy (or naughty) as you want. Perhaps use lentil patties or tofu or a field mushroom or chicken or lamb or steak or fish or kangaroo instead of a mince patty. A friend of mine has build-your-own-burger night where she just puts a whole lot of things in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves. Marvellous.

New Year Resolutions

Truth be told, I'm not one for New Years Resolutions. I always seem to break them. This is possibly because they always involve me taking up some sort of physical exercise...something that (lets face it) is not a priority of mine. But I was reading this post by Robin Sharma on 60 tips for a stunningly great life and I think 2011 is the perfect time for me to implement this list, although the 5am wake up isn't my favourite idea. I do however, love the idea of gratitude. Everyday I see people wishing for more, more money, more time, more stuff. All to often we forget to be thankful. About a week or so ago I stopped wanting and feeling sorry for myself and started being grateful. And things around me began to get better. Well, most likely nothing around me changed, but my perception had changed and perception is all that reality really is. So this year I urge all of you to change your perception and see how it changes you. Bring on 2011, I'm finally ready for you!

For the sake of auld lang syne

Happy New Year everyone.

I hope this year brings you all happiness and love.

Stick with me, 2011 is going to be a ripped of a year for

Eat, Love, Adjust

Wishing you all the best of Health

~Leandra xx