BERRY SMOOTHIE

Let's face it . . . everyone loves a good smoothie, and in our continued series of ways to use Coconut Oil, we are adding some to the mix.

Smoothies are easy to prepare, fill the mid morning or mid avo pick me up requirement, and depending on ingredients can give a good anti-oxidant hit.

Adding coconut oil makes a smoothie a higher energy option, and helps make you feel fuller for longer.

Obviously you need the oil to be in liquid form when you add it - the trick is to add it in a few drops at a time to the blender, to avoid it turning into solid clumps in your drink (it should make it frothier).


1/2 c berries of your choice
1/2 banana
1/2 c plain yoghurt
(some milk if it's looking a little on the thick side)
2 T liquid coconut oil

Place berries, banana and yoghurt in blender - blend (add milk if necessary) - very slowly add in coconut oil - enjoy!!

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Class of Life

So do y'all remember the Graduation 'wear sunscreen speech' that was put to music - and made it's way into your living rooms via the radio station??

Well my minions - it's been healthy-ised, and kHiSSt-ified, and the health version is ready to make it's way into your hearts and your heads.

We have put one paragraph into a wee graphic - just so you can have something to print off

 . . . and ladies and gentlemen - here it is . . .

Ladies and gentlemen of the Class of Life

GET HEALTHY

If I could offer you one tip for the future

Health would be it

The long term benefits of health have been proved by scientists,

Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable, than my own blundering experience

I will dispense this advice now

Enjoy the power and beauty of your body

For beware

The power and beauty of your body can be all too easily, taken away.

And trust me . . .

In 20 years, you’ll think back on your lifes story

And celebrate the potential that is within you

Or commiserate on how fantastic you could have been

It is not as hard as you imagine

Don’t worry about your abilities . . .

Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to lose weight by watching the Biggest Loser, while eating chocolate cake.

Some of the challenges in your life are apt to be things you could have avoided.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

EXERCISE

Don’t be reckless with your diet, and don’t put up with people who question your resolve

DRINK WATER

Don’t waste your time on guilt

Sometimes you will do well, sometimes you will slip up

The race is long, and in the end you will thank yourself

Remember to compliment yourself, ditch the insults

If you succeed in doing this, tell me how

Keep your good habits, dispense with your bad ones

STRETCH

Don’t feel bad if you don’t know where to start

Many successful people I know, started by getting up off the couch

The most successful people I know, rarely sit down

GET PLENTY OF SLEEP

Be kind to your liver, life is TERRIBLE when it goes

Maybe you’ll do sport, maybe you won’t . . .

Maybe you’ll keep up with the kids, maybe you won’t . . .

Maybe you’ll start at 50 . . .

Maybe you’ll learn to salsa for your 95^th birthday

Whatever you do . . .

Don’t ever give up, or think “Im finished now”

Your choices affect your future, and that of your family

Enjoy your mind, use it every way you can

Remember it is like a muscle that needs to be exercised – it is the greatest instrument you will ever own

DANCE

Even if you have nowhere to do it other than your own living room

Be sensible and avoid the lolly isle

Do NOT drink to excess, it will only make you look TRASHY

Get to know your body, knowledge is power

Be nice to yourself.

You are the only thing with you now, you can guarantee will be with you, your entire future

Understand that diet fads come and go

But your body is unique, and should be treated as such

Work hard to bridge the gaps in your knowledge and your lifestyle, because the older you get, the more apparent they will become

Be tough, but not to the extent that it makes you hard

Eat cake, but not to the extent that it makes you soft

PLAY SCRABBLE

Accept certain undeniable truths

Some people and places don’t want you to get healthy, so they can keep taking your MONEY

And you will get old

It will be then you realise you could have spent all that money on a fantastic holiday

Challenge your muscles and they will continue to reward you

Maybe you fit into skinny jeans

Maybe you rarely get sick

But without work, either can turn around

Don’t mess too much with surgery

Or by the time your 70  -  you will look FAKE

Be careful whose advice you buy, and trust your instincts when listening to them.

The way you treat your body is a form of currency

You cannot skimp now and expect it to perform more than it is worth.

And so my friends  . . .

I ask you to

Trust me on the HEALTHY

 We would love you to share - and be kind to one another.  Hugs to ya!

CHOC-BANANA ICES

My daughter loves these . . .  and lets face it, when you have kids, there needs to be the occasional treat food available . . .

and these are a great alternative to shop bought ice-cream . . . and she thinks they're great because she can make them.

Directions:

Half a banana and insert stick in blunt end.
Place on non-stick paper and freeze


When banana has frozen solid you will need:

150g good quality dark chocolate
At least 1 Tbsp coconut oil - the more you put in the runnier the mixture will become.

Break up chocolate and place in glass bowl.
Microwave at 50% power no more than 30 seconds at a time
Stir in between each heating time
When just about melted, stir in coconut oil - if you keep stirring this should melt of its own accord in the warmth of the chocolate

Spoon choc mixture over the frozen banana to coat (it will harden very quickly) so if you want to put something special over it such as nuts or coconut - have it ready and do it before choc hardens.

Enjoy :-)

You can see more about me at www.healthcoaching.co.nz and about coconut oil at www.discovercoconut.co.nz

DOG TREATS

In our continuation of ways to utilise coconut oil - we even have some for the doggie friends in the family :-)

1 3/4 cups plain flour
2 tsp toasted wheat germ
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sesame seeds
12 tsp coconut oil 
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp of dried chicken or beef stock 


Combine all the ingredients. Knead until thoroughly blended. Divide into 6 parts. Roll each into a log. Wrap loosely in waxpaper. Freeze.
When needed, thaw and slice into 1/2 cm thick slices (across roll). Preheat oven to 375F. Place cookies on an ungreased cookie pan. Bake about 12 minutes. Makes 6-8 cookies per roll.

www.discovercoconut.co.nz

ENERGY BOOSTER HOT COCOA

While our friends over the other side of the world are basking in sun - Jack Frost is showing up on NZ's doorstep in the mornings.

And with it comes winter sports . . .

The addition of the Coconut Oil to this drink makes it a great energy booster for the kids before they head out onto the courts or field, and helps keep them going for the whole game (and possibly for sideline parents aswell - gotta love a good thermos as a spectator!)

1 Tblsp Coconut Oil
Approx 2 tsp cocoa (or to taste)
Hot milk
Choice of sweetner to taste

Pour boiling water into a mug, let sit for 30 sec and pour out.  While mug is still hot from water, add Coconut Oil and Cocoa.  Stir to combine and melt together from warmth of mug.
When combined, pour over hot milk and add sweetner of your choice to taste (unsweetened cocoa is fairly bitter and does need something to 'cut' it).

Enjoy!

For more info on Coconut oil see www.discovercoconut.co.nz and www.facebook.com/discovercoconutoil

HERBAL MEDICINES - QUALITY AND SAFETY

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved to stop and smell the roses - then she grew up and fell in love with lots of other plants aswell . . .

. . . and when she found they could help people get healthy . . . her life path was clear . . .

and then she went and wrote a guest blog - just for us, to make sure that when it comes to Herbal Medicines, you know the ins and outs . . .

so your health and wallets aren't compromised.

Oh and don't forget a few posts back we have our competition for 10 weeks of health coaching - closes real soon - so get in quick!

As always check us out on www.facebook.com/healthynationnz and at www.healthcoaching.co.nz

But for now, I'll leave you in the very capable, smelling like roses hands of Sara Hamer

Herbal medicines – quality and safety

By Sara Hamer, Dip Phyt (UK), MNZAMH, Medical Herbalist

herbalists@marchingcubes.com, www.herbalists.co.nz

Herbal medicines are not like pharmaceutical drugs in a number of ways.  Drugs tend to be single chemicals created in a lab.  They are regulated by strict legislation. So if you buy paracetamol, for example, from the chemist, you know it is the same as paracetamol you might buy from a supermarket, or get from a hospital.  If the box says “500mg paracetamol”, you know that is what you are getting.

However, herbal medicines are made from plants, which consist of hundreds, if not thousands of chemicals that work together to create its unique medicinal properties.  Plants are living things, and their chemistry is affected by things such as weather patterns, the environment they are grown in, the time of year they are harvested, how they are harvested, prepared and stored. Legislation around herbal medicines is far less stringent than that for drugs.

In order for a herbal medicine to be effective, it needs to be made from the right plant, from the correct part of the plant, and harvested and prepared with care.  Unfortunately, either deliberately or not, many herbal medicines sold in shops are not.  In some cases, the medicine is adulterated to make it seem like the real thing, when it is actually a cheap alternative.

The best way to identify a plant is by its botanical features, especially the flowers, but also the shape of its leaves, roots, stems and so on.  But if you buy a herbal tea, tablet or liquid preparation, you won’t be able to see its botanical features.  Many herbs also have characteristic tastes and smells that help identify it, although these may be obscured by how the plant is prepared – if it is in a capsule, for example, you won’t be able to taste it.

Producing good quality plants for herbal medicines can be difficult and expensive.  A good harvest is not guaranteed – Australian growers, for example, have had major problems over the last several years due to droughts and floods.  Producing the right plant part can also be difficult – for Echinacea, the root is the best part to use medicinally, but it takes 2 years to mature, and each plant can only be harvested once, because taking the root kills the plant. So many producers use the tops, which can re-grow 3 times a year.  But the tops are far less effective than the root, and can cause allergic reactions in some people.

When herbal medicine producers buy dried plant material from growers (or their agents), there are a number of ways they can check the identity and quality of the plants.  The first way is by tasting and smelling, and by looking at microscopic features in the dried plant that help to confirm it is the correct plant.  The second way is with chemical tests to check for the presence of chemicals that should be present in the plant.  Some of these tests are quite general, and show whether particular chemical groups are present, such as bioflavanoids or alkaloids.  Others are more sophisticated tests that look at specific chemical profiles that are unique to the plant.

If a manufacturer only uses the more basic tests, a supplier can provide very cheap plant material, with cheap additives, and pass it off as a good quality, expensive herb.  Examples include poor quality Ginkgo or Hawthorn with rutin added (rutin is a biolavonoid found in many plants – it has nutritional value, but does not give the medicinal properties that Ginkgo or Hawthorn have).  If the manufacturer had used those plants to make Ginkgo and Hawthorn preparations, the preparations would have been useless.

Adulterations can also be dangerous.  In the 1990s, there was a well-publicised case where a clinic had remedies made up that should have contained a plant called Stephania tetandra, a Chinese herb known to be safe.  However, the plant they got was a toxic plant called Aristolochia.  It caused kidney damage in some of the people who took the remedy.  Substitution of Stephania by Aristolochia is so common, both plants are now banned in Europe.

Sometimes the plant may be substituted for a different species of the same genus, because it is cheaper and easier to grow, or because the seeds have been mis-identified.  A survey a few years ago on Black Cohosh products in the US revealed that around 30% of the products labeled as Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) were not that plant.  Some of them were a different species of Cimicifuga that can cause liver problems in some people.  Some preparations claiming to be goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) have been found to be completely different plants, with yellow dye added, to make it look like goldenseal.  Genuine goldenseal is very endangered in the wild, and it is difficult to cultivate.

Many herbal products are very good, as the manufacturers source their raw materials carefully, and check every batch with sophisticated chemical tests to ensure they are the correct plant. But how can you be sure that the herbal medicine you are using is good quality?

·         Avoid very cheap herbal remedies – they are likely to be either the wrong plant, poorly prepared, or in too low amounts to be effective.

·         Check that the label gives you the full botanical name of the plant and not just the common name.

·         Check that the manufacturer’s contact details are on the packaging, so you can contact them if you have questions or concerns.

·         Avoid herbal remedies that are stored in clear packaging, or that have been kept in sunlight or heat.  Even very good herbal preparations deteriorate quickly if exposed to light or heat. Dried herbs should still retain colours, smells and tastes characteristic of that plant – if they lose those qualities, they are useless.

·         Check that the manufacturer is Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certified.  This ensures the medicines are subject to the same kinds of quality controls that pharmaceutical drugs are.  It guarantees the herb is correctly identified and the correct part is used.  It ensures each batch is as consistent as possible, and ensures traceability for every step in manufacture, from sourcing raw materials to distribution. GMP certification is currently voluntary for New Zealand natural health product manufacturers.

·         A medical herbalist, such as myself, supplies only GMP certified products, so can guarantee the herbal medicine is the correct plant and good quality.  My suppliers also ensure that the plants they use are organically grown or spray-free, and are ethically and sustainably produced and harvested. A consultation with a medical herbalist means you can get a herbal treatment plan tailored exactly to your needs.

LIFE'S A BITCH - SO JUST GET ON WITH IT!

I shall now take a minute to interrupt your regular programming for a special announcement

LIFE ISN’T ALWAYS SMOOTH SAILING – PAIN IN THE ARSE MOMENTS CAN, AND DO OCCUR

You know it, and I know it –

Aint a story anywhere, that doesn’t have some trials and tribulations for it's hero’s or heroines to conquer.

Snow White had an evil step mother

Michael Jordan was cut from his High School Basketball team

27 publishers rejected Dr. Suess' first book

Lucille Ball was told by her school drama teacher she was too shy and wouldn’t make it

Cinderella had evil step sisters

And you my love . . .

It is quite possible you have your naysayers too . . .

But it is likely, that your biggest problem comes from, well

YOU!

And Houston we really therefore do have a problem!

How many times have you not attempted something, or not given your all . . .

Just in case you missed the mark, failed completely, it hurt, or someone looked at you, or worse yet laughed at you . . .

Many of these things can be rectified by knowing which stress bracket you fall into, working out your specific stressors, (especially for the constant ones and those larger in nature), and being taken through a plan to eliminate or work around them - yes, it takes a little figuring out but it’s do-able  . . .

But I know you.  You want something to help you now . . .

Well my child, Fairy God Mother is here . . .

And what I can do for you now, is give you just a wee exercise, which will help you stop stressing about doing the small things, and therefore help you on your healthy way

(Something small might be:   joining an exercise class, going for a walk every day, seeing someone about a health issue that has been nagging at you, phoning me to get some sessions underway).

Point is, there is likely to be one or two little annoyances, or misfires that you have to deal with along the way . . .

but oftentimes “it ain’t as bad as you think child” and the rewards can most certainly outweigh the negatives.

So here’s your little do-able for the day:

1         Determine what you’re going to set your mind to do – write it down

2         Write down what the worst thing is that could happen when you give #1 your best shot (the reality is you aren’t going to die or get maimed now, are you? – and really, anything else is manageable)

3         Write down what you are going to do, to cope with/get over it, if #2 does by some chance occur   See not only is it do-able, but you can actually deal with something if it doesn’t turn out perfectly – and baby, you’re on your way to being a rockstar!

4         Write down all the good things that could happen - these are the things you want to concentrate on

5         Tack your page right on your ‘puta screen – where we know you’ll see it, because you come visit me at www.facebook.com/healthynationnz every day :-)

6    Now superstar, get on with getting on with it!

Oh and do remember to push the little subscribe button  – it doesn’t give me your details, just means you wont miss any future posts J

And if you want contact me via admin@healthcoaching.co.nz is the way to go (no, I ain’t going to give you my address, likelihood is someone out there just a little on the weirdo side), but www.healthcoaching.co.nz has all the rest of the ways you can do the getting in touch when you need   ;-)