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Did you know that we make delicious breakfast packs that you can add onto any order for only $20?

Our breakfast packs are made in house by our clinical Nutritionist and are gluten free, dairy free, preservative free, cane sugar free and additive free. We can also make them low FODMAP!

Our breakfast packs include a mix of smoothie packs and our homemade cereal packs (some weeks we mix it up a bit and make our yummy breakfast frittata too).

Our delicious superfood smoothie packs are the perfect blend-and-go brekkie for those busy mornings – simply blend with your choice of milk or water. No prepping, no waste and no mess!! For an added boost, you can also add a serving of our homemade protein powder blend, which can be added onto any order. 

We make our own cereal blend from scratch, using premium ingredients (and no added refined sugars in sight!). We keep our dried fruit content low, occasionally we might add xylitol, honey or maple syrup, but it's rare and it's minimal. We like to use wholesome, nourishing ingredients in our cereal…think puffed quinoa, pepitas, sunflower seeds, shaved coconut and freeze dried fruit, just to name a few! We are constantly creating new cereal blends with different and exciting ingredients to add variation so that you’re never bored…which we believe is essential for an enjoyable, yummy breakfast!

Perhaps you have a super busy schedule, or you have some food sensitivities, or you simply just want more time for a sleep in! Add a breakfast pack to your next order here. Breakfast is one of the most important nourishing opportunities of the day. Make it count. 

Author:
Lisa Cutforth
B.Sc Nutrition with Psychology (Dual Degree)
Consulting Clinical Nutritionist to The Banyans Wellness Retreat
Owner and Managing Director of Wholesomeness

Instead of a list of foods to avoid, we’ve put together a list of amazing nutritionally-dense foods that you should be eating (unless you have specific intolerances/allergies or are on a low FODMAP diet). Eat from this list daily, and your challenge, should you choose to accept it is to create as many of your meals with these foods in them as you can.

Here are our top 20 healthiest foods to add to your day:

1. Berries especially blueberries and blackberries. High in antioxidants like polyphenols and despite being a fruit they aren’t going to spike your blood sugar terribly.
2. Lemon: squeeze it into water, over meat, over salads, over avocado
3. Coconut: eat the flesh, drink the water, use the oil (cold pressed)
4. Sardines (in a can): high in omega 3, without the mercury, and because they contain the bones they are also high in calcium.
5. Fresh herbs like basil, mint, coriander, rosemary and thyme don’t just add flavour to meals, they have great health qualities too.
6. Sugar snap peas… yummy crunchy, green and full of B vitamins, fibre, protein and yumminess.
7. Broccoli and cauliflower (preferably organic): there is so much goodness in cruciferous veg!  Wonderful cancer fighters.
8. Tahini (sesame seed paste) high in calcium…and yummy in dips or dressings
9. Apples (organic and washed!) – full of gut-friendly prebiotics
10. Chilli or Harissa
11. Cinnamon (this is a spice, not a food, but it can actually help you manage your blood sugar levels so eat it with foods like pumpkin, oats, apple)
12. Olives
13. Pistachios (one of the best nuts to eat for a number of reasons!)
14. Walnuts: bursting with ALA, the omega 3 fatty acid and super-antioxidant that works to scavenge free-radicals and repair and protect cell membranes in the brain.
15. Sauerkraut or Kimchi (fermented foods are great for gut health)
16. Ancient grains: quinoa, millet, amaranth, buckwheat (all wheat free and naturally gluten free, so these grains are not going to irritate your gut like other gliadin grains tend to, they are also high in essential amino acids)
17. Leafy greens especially watercress, Chinese cabbage, beet greens, dandelion greens, spinach and kale (which are great “liver cleansers”)
18. Ginger and Turmeric (cook with them, add them to stir fries, rice, casseroles…so good! Read all about the healing properties of turmeric in our blog post here.
19. Sprouted legumes or beans – bursting with B vitamins!
20. Great quality cocoa – full of antioxidants!

Some other tips: garlic is amazing, any veg especially mushrooms, artichoke hearts, asparagus, spaghetti squash, tomatoes.  If you are going to eat potatoes opt for purple or red skin new (small) potatoes or sweet potatoes.

If you are going to eat meat, go for organic where possible and always grass fed, same applies for chicken. Game meats and bone broth are great and full of goodness too.

Organic soya beans or tofu have amazing health benefits, are rich in B vitamins and have actually been found to be protective against cancer.

Of course, this list of healthy foods can go on for ages, but these are some of our favourites that we love using in the Wholesomeness kitchen 🖤

References:

Harvard Health

Aha Journals

It’s nearly June, which means winter is nearly upon us here in Queensland. Characterized by frosty mornings, early sunsets and chilly nights, the cooler months call for hearty dishes to keep you warm and nourished all winter long. 

You may think that the range of winter fruits and vegetables is limited, but with a bit of creativity and preparation, you can enjoy fresh, local produce all season long. With a Wholesomeness meal delivery, we have done all the hard prep for you – we source fresh, local seasonal produce to create tasty winter dishes that are packed with nutrition and maximum flavour. Winter is all about comforting foods that are warming, cozy and satisfying. Think flu-fighting soups, winter one-pots, hearty stews and roast root vegetables.  

Fruits and vegetables flourish at certain times of the year, however grocery stores stock just about everything all year round, which makes it easy to forget what’s in season and what’s not. A good tip is to take a walk around your local farmer’s market and see what kinds of produce are available – these will usually be the ones that are in season at that time.

There are many benefits to eating seasonally.  The food is at its freshest, tastes the best, is best for you, is more sustainable, and is usually cheaper. It also allows us to get back to the roots of local and sustainable eating, by supporting local businesses and our local community as a whole.  

Seasonal fruits and veggies that have been allowed to fully ripen on the plant and picked at the peak of freshness are better quality and higher in nutrition compared to produce that is picked unripe and then transported to different areas or countries. Therefore, eating local sustainable produce allows for maximum nutrition that is tailored to your local environment.

In winter, many people often lack vitamin D due to the increased time spent indoors. Mushrooms are often at their peak during winter, and they contain excellent sources of vitamin D (see our previous blog post on mushrooms and vitamin D here). Mushrooms are such a versatile ingredient, with the potential to add a delicious savoury and warm umami flavour to so many dishes. We love using them in our Mushroom Bourguignon with Mash and Green Beans, and our Mushroom, Spinach and Truffle Risotto with Broccoli and Pepitas.

During winter, we also need extra vitamin C to keep our immune system strong and to help fight off colds and flu quicker. Winter citrus fruits like navel oranges, mandarins, grapefruits, lemons and limes all contain amazing sources of vitamin C and antioxidants. Winter fruits also often last a lot longer than the soft summer fruits, which means less food wastage and more value for your money.

Eating foods that are in season gives you the opportunity to appreciate the foods that are available, and allows for more variety in your diet as seasonal foods are constantly shifting – a wonderful cycle that allows you to experience each food.

What veggies are in season this winter? Print out our handy list of winter seasonal veggies and hang it on your fridge!

When we talk about “gut microbiome”, we’re referring to the millions of microorganisms that inhabit our gut, or our gastrointestinal tract. Interestingly, each microbiome is unique and contributes to different health benefits and that’s why a rich and diverse gut microbiome is incredibly important for overall health. However, there are different factors that can influence the diversity and density of our gut bacteria, including stress, lifestyle and environmental factors, excessive alcohol consumption, food allergies, antibiotic usage and artificial sweeteners.

The health of our gut is deeply connected to our hormone levels, brain health, skin health, metabolism, body weight, immune system and mood. In fact, researchers continue to find remarkable links between a diverse gut microbiome and certain illnesses and diseases, including cancer, heart disease, liver disease, asthma, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome and depression.

Although we know that diet is not the only factor that contributes to good gut health, research has shown that it is incredibly important. The more diverse your diet, the more diverse the nutrient supply is to your gut microbiomes.

Happy and well-fed gut microbiomes = a happier and healthier gut!

Here are a few key things you can do every day to optimize your gut microbiome:

👉 Incorporate prebiotics (apples, almonds, chicory root, asparagus, legumes, onions, raw garlic, cabbage).

Prebiotics promote the growth of beneficial bacteria and discourage dysbiotic growth (pathogenic bacteria). 

👉 Incorporate probiotics (yoghurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, kefir, tempeh)

👉 Eat the rainbow

Have as many different varieties and colours of fruits and veggies that you love over the course of the day.

👉 Eat foods rich in polyphenols (blueberries, green tea, broccoli, grapes, olive oil)

👉 Drink teas that are good for your gut (e.g. liquorice root tea, fennel tea, green tea)

👉 Avoid GMOs

👉 Plan your meals ahead of time, or stock your freezer with healthy prepared meals. Click here to order.  

👉 Avoid endocrine disruptors

Some endocrine disrupters include air pollutants, BPA’s, pesticides, parabens, mercury and phthalates. Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals has been shown to disrupt the gut microbiome, which may result in dysbiosis.

👉 Minimise unnecessary antibiotics

👉 Decrease stress and have good sleep hygiene

Responsible health advice: There is no one size fits all approach to nutrition or the healing properties of food.  If you are unwell please seek professional advice.

References:

Gálvez-Ontiveros, Y., Páez, S., Monteagudo, C., & Rivas, A. (2020). Endocrine Disruptors in Food: Impact on Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Diseases. Nutrients, 12(4), 1158. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12041158

Author:
Lisa Cutforth
B.Sc Nutrition with Psychology (Dual Degree)
Consulting Clinical Nutritionist to The Banyans Wellness Retreat
Owner and Managing Director of Wholesomeness

A new meta-analysis of 17 observational studies, involving a total of 562,455 participants and 36,727 major cardiovascular “events” has found a significant connection between fried-food consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

The analysis, which was recently published in the Journal Heart, discovered that with every 114 weekly serving (that’s a medium McDonald’s fries), the risk of cardiovascular disease rose by 3%, 2% and 12%, respectively.

Compared with the participants who were consuming the lowest amount of weekly fried foods, the participants with the highest intake had a 28% heightened risk of major cardiovascular events, a 22% increased risk of coronary heart disease and a 37% increased risk of heart failure.

The problem with fried-foods

Frying means cooking food in hot fat, usually some kind of oil. This significantly increases the energy and fat content of the food, and generates harmful trans-fatty acids from the partially hydrogenated vegetable oils which are often used in restaurant deep fryers. A diet high in trans-fat has been known to increase your risk of heart disease and contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels.

The process of frying also requires considerable high temperatures, which causes changes in the vitamin and antioxidant content of the food, and generates carcinogenic compounds, which have proven to be harmful to our health.

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is currently the leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for 16% of the world’s total deaths. The strength of current research and evidence highlights the importance of healthy dietary patterns and lifestyles for the prevention of CHD and stroke. A healthy balanced diet that contains no to minimal fried-foods will play an important role in the management of crucial risk factors of CHD such as diabetes, hypertension and excess weight. 

We promote a healthy balanced diet with our nutritious and wholesome ready-made meals. Our meals are rich in whole foods, nutrients, bioactive compounds and antioxidants. They contain low sodium, and no processed sugars, preservatives or additives. Our meals contain no processed or fried foods, and we use minimal oil in our cooking (typically extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil for our Asian dishes).

Find out more about us here.

References:

Pei Qin et al. Fried-food consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Heart, 2021; heartjnl-2020-317883 DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2020-317883

Author:
Lisa Cutforth
B.Sc Nutrition with Psychology (Dual Degree)
Consulting Clinical Nutritionist to The Banyans Wellness Retreat
Owner and Managing Director of Wholesomeness