More on Millet!

This week I teamed up with Sarah Wilson to talk millet. Visit Sarah's awesome blog to read her tips on millet and my guest blog. Sarah also regularly features amazing, interesting and thoughtful articles and information on mindful and healthful eating. She's a must read for me. You can find her here :: Sarah Wilson's Blog

Perhaps I'm better off not to sleep?

Beautiful Images of Papou with his grandchildren


We lost my father-in-law on Friday, to that demon known as cancer. I can only describe the feelings that followed as mixed. In one minute we felt a sense of relief, and in the very next instant, sadness. I sat at my in-law's house and I watched, as one by one each family member and friend shuffled in to pay their respects. Then something happened. My phone rang. A patient, so overjoyed, I could feel it. She was pregnant. And then... like some miracle... another called. She too, was expecting.
As clichéd as it is, I was watching this unfold before my eyes. One life ends and another life begins.

With all the heightened emotions running about in this mind of mine, I have to say, I'm afraid to sleep. I'm not kidding. I have dreamt every night since this that I am pregnant! I type this with a smirk because, for those of you who know me understand that this is not at the top of my list right now. It's a running joke, mostly by those who think they are funny. We will have more children for sure, in the near future, but not right now. According to dream analysis, dreaming of birth signals new beginning and new starts - funny that.

Spring has kicked in and according to Chinese Medicine, this is the time that the Liver energy is in full swing. Emotions and physical health are intimately connected and the liver is responsible for spreading qi, blood and nutrients around the body. Heightened emotions - specifically grief and sadness, will directly affect the Liver. If such emotions are not properly resolved it may lead to all sorts of complaints and illness (like dreaming - interesting that!). It may mean that the liver can't do it's job properly, and so other organs miss out on what they need. As a result, all body systems are affected. I know dreaming isn't an illness, and seems innocent enough. It is when dreams continue to disrupt sleep over a period of time that the body will begin to suffer. Not having a restful nights sleep will lead to fatigue and other health issues. Long term fatigue will for sure affect all body systems, including fertility.

So the aim in this household, especially now that it is spring, is that we take on these emotions and we deal with them properly. We don't tuck them away to be dealt with another day, we allow our bodies to fully feel what we are experiencing each minute. It may be something you aren't used to doing, but let me tell you, it is so important for your health, your fertility and your mind body connection.

Good Food Friday :: Tabouli

You may have noticed, there has been a lot of one ingredient spoken about this week. I've been experimenting in the kitchen with millet. You can find millet in your health food stores, or even in good supermarkets.

I hope you enjoy my Tabouli recipe - delicious and healthy with all the fresh ingredients.

Terrific Tabouli

1 large bunch of parsley
3 finely chopped tomato
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1/2 cup of cooked Millet (boil in a pot with 2 cups of water for approximately an hour or until soft)
The juice of one lemon
2 - 3 table spoons of olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl and enjoy!

Something delicious :: Raspberry and Millet Muffins

Don't say it too quickly! "Raspberry and Millet Muffins" is indeed a mouthful! But a delicious one at that.


I've been asked to blog about Millet by a fellow blogger, and in my quest to develop my own Millet recipes, I came up with this beauty.

Millet is an awesome grain to support fertility. It's is packed with essential vitamins, necessary for healthy reproductive function, so add it to your diet and reap the benefits.



Raspberry and Millet Muffins

2 cups of organic flour
1/2 cup organic hulled millet
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup of bonsoy (or milk or buttermilk)
1 lightly beaten egg
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup proper mayple syrup
1 punnet of raspberries

1. preheat oven to 180 degrees and line 12 muffin/cupcake holes with patty cases
2. In a larger bowl combine flour, millet, soda and baking powders.
3. In another bowl combine the milk, egg, oil and mayple syrup.
4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine well.
5. Once combined, add raspberries. Avoid stirring too much so that raspberries maintain shape.
6. Fill muffin cases, and cook in oven for approx 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Enjoy on their own or with a lick of organic butter to the warm muffin.

You can find me here :: bellaMUMMA

I've been very fortunate in the past week to be asked to do several feature blogs. I must say, I've been smiling from the inside because I love to share! Today my guest blog post happens to be on bellaMUMMA Have you checked out her blog? I must say, I'm a huge fan and jumped at the opportunity. Go and take a peek. Today you will find me there.



Stay tuned for other guest blog posts in the coming days.

Good Food Friday :: Have you noticed... Healthy goes Gourmet?

I admit to being excited. Everywhere I turn I see that healthy eating seems to be the new thing! Healthy goes gourmet. Who would have thought?
Some of us do run up against a problem though with healthy going gourmet. It can be some times expensive and hard to replicate at home. In this case, I'm showing you it doesn't need to be. It has been a little while since I have posted a recipe so today is your lucky day!
Last week I whipped up a batch of stuffed mushrooms. If I had realised how good they were going to taste I would have taken a photo for you to see how yummy they were. You're just going to have to make them to find out for yourself.


Original Image Here


Nat Kringoudis :: Persian Fetta Stuffed Mushrooms


8 good sized field mushrooms
1 cup Chunky Bread Crumbs (I made my own using spelt flour bread - the one and only bread to be eating right now)
1/2 cup Marinated Persian Fetta, keep the oil for drizzling (you could use goats cheese instead)
Salt and Pepper

Steam mushrooms for approximately 10 minutes or until almost cooked.
Preheat oven (or you could grill) at 180 degrees.
On a lined baking tray, place mushrooms, cup side up.
Arrange bread crumbs and Fetta inside mushroom cups.
Drizzle the left over oil over the bread crumbs and Fetta.
Season with Salt and Pepper.
Cook in oven for approximately 10 minutes or until breadcrumbs begin to brown.

Enjoy these delights with a salad. My mouth is watering now as I think about it!

Why you can't sweat the small stuff

ha ha! this is me, looking stressed!


I am astounded every day at the amount of people I meet and immediately I can identify that they are feeling stressed. The funniest thing happens when I ask them "are you stressed?", I almost always get the response "NO!" . Then they stop to ponder a little and say "well, my job is busy, but I like it that way." Here's the thing - stress of any kind does evil things to the body. Stress of any kind lessens normal body function. Stress of all kinds affects fertility. This is the bottom line.

Here is another thing. It's all good and well for me as a practitioner to say "stress less and be happy" but let's be real here. The way the majority of people live their lives is jam packed full of stress and pressure. It's almost like we have been genetically modified to work this way in 2010. Now I know if I could have all my patients stop work, live in a Bali Beach hut, sipping on fresh juices, eating raw foods and meditating all day they would more than likely fall pregnant in a tick. The thing is, it is not very often possible for this to happen. With this in mind I have a new mantra. 'I can't always change stress, but I can treat the body to lessen it's impact,' . With this mantra in the forefront of my mind I am on on a mission because I know that reduction of stress increases fertility ten fold.

Oh, and before I hear one more person say "but I'm not stressed!" I'm going to stop you right there. We all need to recognise that stress comes packed in all different shapes and sizes. Being busy, under the pump, under pressure, meeting deadlines, financial woes, working long hours, trying to have a baby, being told you're 'supposedly infertile' (more than often NOT the case), IVF, being a parent, disliking your job, eating poorly, exercising less, being unhappy, living, breathing, walking... can all be stressful things. We all need a bit of "stress" in our lives to keep our bodies and minds working - but there are different types of stressors.

This is why it is so important to not sweat the small stuff, because it is stressful and it is certainly having an impact on your health. Working out what is worth worrying about and what will work itself out is essential for healthy living. All good for me to say, right? Wrong. It is my job to make you aware. I see my role as helping you how to make distinctions between the stresses in your life.

Every day in the clinic I treat the effects that stress has on the body. Sometimes, lifestyle changes aren't quite enough to allow the body to function better, nevertheless they are still important to maintain. I'm encouraging patients now days to pear things right back, to live more simply and gain better health.

Couple this with a healthy attitude, a great diet and a simpler lifestyle, and you're on the road to bigger and better things!

I can't take away your life stresses but I can show you ways to assist your body in coping with the bad, everyday stress, which will lead to a healthier, happier you.

5 Things to do right now to reduce stress:

1. Have regular acupuncture, massage, osteo/chiro or the treatment of your choice. You can't afford not to. Literally.
2. Laugh as much as you manage. Spend time with those you love, or do things you love that make you happy. E.V.E.R.Y D.A.Y.
3. Sleep. Get at minimum 7 hours, and make at least one of those hours before midnight.
4. Walk. Everyday, even if just for 10 minutes.
5. Think good thoughts. This is much easier to do when in the right headspace -having done steps 1-4!