My name is Angie and I am a fitness freak who trains EIGHT times per week. I am a total F45 Lutwyche addict. We all know that. Getting my nutrition correct has been a difficult journey. If I eat too little, I lose fat but I get weaker in the gym because I also lose muscle. Drastic dieting also caused my menstruation to stop completely for TWO YEARS (but that is a blog post for another day). Eat too much, and I gain fat which makes body-weight exercises (pull ups, push ups etc) far more challenging. For the last twelve months I have been blindly guessing what to eat to support my level of training. I am not overweight but my goals are to continue to gain muscle/strength and to shed some body fat from my abdomen/thighs. A balance I can never seem to get right. After many months of trial and error macro-nutrient counting (and failing), I decided to enlist professional help. I found an accredited dietitian. THE Sports Dietitian, Taylor Ryan. You only need to look at her instagram for about two minutes to see that she is a nutrition nerd inside the body of a total babe. My initial email to Taylor went something like this: “Hi Taylor, I just wanted to make contact before I book in with you. I am looking for advice regarding my nutrition however before we start, I have some non-negotiables. If you won’t let me have dairy, gluten, coffee or dessert we may not be friends”. I have learnt through dozens of generic meal plans over the years, that if my favourite foods are not on the plan, then the plan is not sustainable. I NEED dairy. I NEED gluten. I NEED coffee. I NEED dessert. Luckily Taylor was happy to accommodate my demands and I booked in my initial appointment. My initial assessment involved an in-depth discussion regarding my goals, my training, and a fat pinch test with calipers. I told Taylor that one of my biggest vices is dessert. I CAN NOT finish my dinner and go to bed without something sweet. If ANYONE can do this, I would like to meet that axe murderer. I requested that Taylor incorporate Brisbane product Fitlato into my meal plan as my dessert every night. This gelato is low calorie, creamy and incredibly tasty. I mean..... look at it. Taylor agreed to my demands. When I received my meal plan a few days later, I flipped straight to the dessert section. My allowance was HALF A TUB of Fitlato after dinner every night. YOU BLOODY BEAUTY! I HAD to eat Fitlato every night!! It was in my plan!! The dietitian told me to! Was this a dream? So I embarked on (yet another) 8 week challenge. Unlike previous plans I had followed in the past, Taylor included a generous amount of food so my energy levels were great. I felt strong. I never felt deprived because I could have my coffee, pasta, bread, milk, cheese, and yoghurt. They were all incorporated into my plan. Best of all, I was eating dessert every single night. Half a tub of Fitlato! Entirely guilt free! I have tried many types of “healthy” ice-creams. Halo top, Fropro, and more recently the new Blue Ribbon low calorie ice cream. None of them are perfect. Some are too icey (fropro) , some make me thirsty (halo top), and some make me EXTREMELY bloated the next day (Blue Ribbon). Jane from Fitlato has somehow found the right recipe. I can eat Fitlato with zero bloating, zero thirst, and the consistency is perfect. Every week I would go in to pick my favourite flavours and I couldn’t decide. “I LOVE Cheesecake, Apple pie and Ferraro….. oh but I also love Carrot Cake, Malteaser, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon, and Honeycomb!”. DECISIONS DECISIONS. Through all this reckless gelato eating, people from the gym started to approach me to tell me how good I look! My clothes fit better and I feel so strong! Fast forward to eight weeks later. I checked in with Taylor to have my fat pinch tests done again. I lost nearly two and a half kilos of pure fat (mostly from around my abdomen). The best part is that I didn't lose ANY muscle whilst achieving this fat loss. A feat that I have always found incredibly difficult. Want photo proof? I know that for eight weeks, two and a half kilos of fat doesn't seem like much. We look at drastic weight loss before-and-after photos ALL THE TIME on instagram. In comparison, mine don't look anywhere near as impressive. BUT! Most rapid weight loss results in muscle deterioration (unless you are new to exercise) so my approach had to be slow, steady and balanced. AND IT WORKED! The best part about doing it gradually is that I am not hanging out for the end of the challenge so that I can go and binge out on “treats”. I have been treating myself the entire time! I didn't count ONE bloody macro-nutrient either. If you have counted "macros" before you will know how tedious it can be. I feel great and look pretty good for an old chook with two kids. I am in a really good place and I am not done yet! Taylor has on her website the quote: This resounds with me HUGELY! Eat to support your body in your training. No starvation. No diets. No restrictive eating. HELLO FITLATO!!!!! Have you tried Fitlato? What is your favourite flavour?
A HUGE THANK YOU TO: Jane at Ciao Gelato who fueled me with Fitlato throughout this whole challenge. Go and check them out at Ciao Gelato, Nundah. Jane (@sweetfitpharmacist) is a Pharmacist who (with her husband, Indi) quit their professional careers to open a gelato shop. They saw a demand in the market for a dessert product with the right balance of macronutrients tailor-made for the fitness community. After HUGE amounts of research, they nailed the recipe for Fitlato. You can talk to Jane for hours about how their product came to be (and I have). If counting macros is your thing, they have ALL the nutritional panels on their website. Fitlato is available in selected IGA's in Brisbane and at Ciao Gelato in Nundah. Get behind this local product. Taylor, the Sports Dietitian for showing me the way with my meal plan and who has gradually increased my daily calories over eight weeks while STILL achieving fat loss. F45 Lutwyche - my home away from home. The people who constantly push and inspire me to be fitter and stronger. Being fit takes a village!
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From what I understand, the main difference between sourdough and standard bread is the use of a starter (mother) instead of yeast to make the dough rise. Standard bread rises in 1-2 hours whereas sourdough rises over approximately six hours. This slow-rise has been a touted health benefit due to the gradual breaking down of gluten. Thus making sourdough easier to digest. Magic for our ever increasing gluten-intolerant tummies. A friend of mine, Gayle started making her own sourdough around the time I started brewing kombucha. A couple of years ago (at a party) we did a swap. A mother for a mother. A kombucha scoby for a sourdough starter. And so began my sourdough-making (and her kombucha-brewing) days. (If you have an interest in making kombucha, click on my beginners guide to brewing here.) Gayle gave me a book to read. It contained all the secrets of a sourdough baker. There was a lot of confusing information in there. It seemed there were a lot of variables in what separates a really good sourdough from a really crap one. So through trial and error, I fumbled my way through many baking fails to eventually get a loaf that is delicious and not too time consuming. The way I cook sourdough would have a purist baker stabbing their eyes out. But it is quick and easy which (lets face it) is what makes baking your own bread sustainable. So without further ado, here is my cheats Sourdough recipe! You will need: A sourdough starter (mother) 4 tablespoons of rye flour 650g plain bakers flour 360g water Salt Seeds/nuts of your choice Olive oil You'll need to source a starter from a friend who is already baking sourdough. However, if you don't know anyone already baking, you can make a starter yourself. Google a "how to" video . A sourdough starter is kept in the fridge where she lies dormant until you want to bake a loaf. You need to get her bubbling before use. Take her out of the fridge and spoon in approximately 2 tablespoons of rye flour, and a splash of water.** Mix together until a thick water consistency. Leave on the bench for 12-24 hours until bubbly (see below photo). You may see the liquid rise and fall which is a sign of a really active starter. A VERY GOOD THING! **Sourdough purists have more exact measurements and ONLY use filtered water** Once your starter is bubbling away, it is time to mix all the ingredients together. Now here is where I go REALLY rogue. I use a thermomix. **GASP** I hate getting dough stuck to my fingers. A sourdough purist just had a heart attack reading this. I have you-tubed videos on "how to knead sourdough". It is an art. The dough needs to be slapped and tickled in ways that I just don't have the time or patience for. So if you want to save a bit of time, mess and elbow grease, use a thermomix or kneading machine. Mix: 150g sourdough starter 360g water (I use unfiltered tap water because I am a rebel) 650g of plain white bakers flour In the thermomix, I do reverse speed 6 for 10 seconds until all ingredients are mixed (see below photo). If you are using a food processor, just do the same, turn it on until all the ingredients are evenly mixed together. Leave that dough to rest for 30 minutes in the thermomix. While waiting, you have to feed your starter again. Put another 2 tablespoons of rye flour into the jar and mix with a splash of water until a thick water consistency. Then place her back into the fridge for another day. You must feed her at least once per week to keep her alive. If you don't bake a loaf one week, feed her the flour and water anyway and place her back into the fridge. After 30 minutes have passed, add salt (approximately 1 teaspoon), and whatever seeds/nuts you want. Use as much or as little as you like of these two ingredients. I don't measure them. If you prefer plain sourdough, omit the seeds/nuts. Kneed for 6 minutes. Why six minutes? Don't know. After kneading for six minutes it should look like this. Tip the kneaded dough into a bowl greased with olive oil. Cover and leave it for roughly 2 hours. Take the kids to school. Do your groceries. Oil a loaf tin with olive oil and then line it with baking paper. The baking paper is optional but I find that your bread tends to slide right out of the tin after baking with the paper there. Ain't nobody got time to scrub a baking tin for hours at the end of the process. Baking paper leaves NO MESS! Get your dough from the bowl and punch it down a little with your fist. Wet your hand first unless you want your fist to stay in there. Roll the dough into a log and dump it into the tin. Leave it there for approximately SIX HOURS!** You don't have to stare at it for six hours. Go outside. Go to lunch. Do your housework. It will double in size. **Rise time will vary depending on the weather. In summer it might take less time, and in winter it may take more time. The below photo is an example of a good rise - round on top! If you get carried away with a few wines at lunch and come home to the bread sagging in the middle (see below photo), it has been left for too long. Not to worry! I usually bake it and eat it anyway**. **another sourdough purist just bit the dust with that comment Preheat your oven. Turn that sucker up to as HOT as you can get it. On my oven, that is 260 degrees Celsius. Wait until the thermostat confirms the oven has reached top temperature and put your loaf in the oven. Then immediately turn it down to 200 degrees Celsius. The bread will then bake in a gradually cooling oven making it CRUSTYYYYY! Some people put a dish with water in the bottom of their oven to make it steamy. That is too much effort for me. Leave the loaf in the oven for 35 minutes. Don't be a jerk and continually open the oven. LEAVE IT CLOSED! After 35 minutes, take it out, and tip it immediately onto a cooling tray. VOILA!
You have a sexy looking sourdough loaf that you baked all by yourself! A loaf that cost you under $2 instead of $10! Wait for it to cool and then tuck right in! Carb-induced coma come at me! Sourdough purists, I'm sorry for my sins. What corners have you cut baking sourdough? **Thank you Gayle for your mentoring in all things sourdough (and triathlons)** If you haven't heard of kombucha yet, you have been living under a rock. It is the new superfood. Touted as being the answer to a healthy gut biome. I have just finished reading Michael Mosley's book "The Clever Guts Diet". Dr Mosley attributes all kinds of illnesses to an overgrowth of unhealthy gut bacteria such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), obesity and even depression! Enter kombucha! A fermented drink using a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) which supposedly boosts your healthy gut bacteria and therefore improves your overall health. I am a physiotherapist. We like to use evidence-based practice. This means that if there isn't a substantial amount of evidence for something being of benefit, then we shouldn't use it. Kombucha has no such evidence supporting its use in creating a healthy gut biome. Case studies are not real evidence people! Regardless, I have been brewing kombucha for a couple of years now. While I am skeptical it can cure any diseases like some health 'gurus' tout on the internet, it is delicious (and a shit load cheaper to make yourself than to buy for $5 per bottle in the shop). With that in mind. Here is how I brew it up. Step 1 - SuppliesYou will require: - A large saucepan with lid. - A glass bowl with lid - A wooden spoon - 3 plastic or glass bottles - A large 3 1/2L jar with lid (with or without pouring tap) - 3/4 cup of rice malt syrup - Any tea of your choice (I use green tea) - Approximately 10 teabags - A SCOBY - find a friend who brews kombucha and get them to give you a SCOBY from their brew **This is a collection of SCOBYs. Bloody ugly things aren't they? Step 2 - The BrewIn a large saucepan mix together: 3 1/2L of BOILING water, 3/4 cup of rice malt syrup 10 teabags or the equivalent of loose-leaf tea Place the lid on top. Leave it there for the day until the liquid cools to room temperature. Step 3 - CleaningI CANNOT stress enough how important this stage is. I have had countless friends message me with photos of mould growing on their SCOBYs asking what they did wrong! The cleaning process is SO important. Any cases of illness from home-made kombucha have come down to poor cleaning practices. If you EVER see mould growing in your brew, it's gonners. Throw it all out and start again. With that in mind, now is a great time to get out a brand new kitchen sponge. Every time I brew, I replace my kitchen sponge and use the BRAND NEW one to clean my jar. Using your new kitchen sponge, wash the inside of your large glass jar with warm soapy water. If you are using a glass jar with a tap, take the tap apart and wash each piece thoroughly. Then, rinse it all well and air dry it until it is BONE DRY! Do not use last weeks tea towel to dry it because I guarantee you will get mould. |
COSTCO Quinoa 1kg $8 Chia 1kg $9.70 Flaxseeds 1kg $9.00 Sunflower seeds 1kg $9.10 Pepitas 1kg $16.15 Coconut oil 1L $11.10 Cacao powder 350g $5.77 Organic raw cashews 1kg $23.79 TOTAL $92.61 | MRS FLANNERY'S Quinoa 1kg $16.99 Chia 1kg $20.99 Flaxseeds 1kg $12.99 Sunflower seeds 1kg $13.99 Pepitas 1kg $13.99 Coconut oil 1L $14.99 Cacao powder 350g $13.99 Organic raw cashews 1kg $34.49 TOTAL $142.42 -20% discount =$113.94 |
The difference between the two trolleys is $21.33
A $20 saving is not big enough to make me want to drive a 1 hour 20 minute round trip to Costco.
Let's pretend that while I am there, I also stock up on some pantry staples that I would usually buy at Woolworths supermarkets.
A $20 saving is not big enough to make me want to drive a 1 hour 20 minute round trip to Costco.
Let's pretend that while I am there, I also stock up on some pantry staples that I would usually buy at Woolworths supermarkets.
COSTCO Free range chicken 1kg $12.89 Vegemite 380g $4.60 Almonds (raw) 1kg $12.50 Red Island Olive oil 1L $7.20 Pearl Cous Cous $2.09 Red Salmon (tinned) 415g $8.79 Vanish Gold 1kg $8.25 18 Free Range Eggs $5.09 TOTAL $61.41 | WOOLWORTHS Free range chicken 1kg $14.00 Vegemite 380g $6.00 Almonds (raw) 1kg $13.20 Red Island Olive oil 1L $8.70 Pearl Cous Cous $3.65 Red Salmon (tinned) 415g $10 Vanish Gold 1kg $10.99 18 Free Range Eggs $9 TOTAL $75.54 |
That's another saving of $14.13
So for my total shop I have saved $35.46
Realistically if I was a member (due to Costco's location) I would only get there every 2 months. That is 6 times per year.
Purchasing the above grocery shop, I would've paid back the membership fee in only 2 visits.
But after that, I have to factor in petrol and the time taken out of my day to get there. Is that worth $35 to me?
Probably not.
So what is the verdict?
If I lived within a 15 minute drive from Costco, I would go there often for a large portion of my general grocery items which would indeed save me loads of money.
But for someone who is geographically distant from it, I just don't feel it's worth my while to drive all the way out there. I'd rather purchase locally and have the extra hour of time to do other shit....... like write a blog.
I do love supporting my local family-owned health food shops (read about them here).
Buying from Costco would reduce my dollars spent at my favourite stores and time spent shoulder rubbing with vegans. I just don't think I would be willing to sacrifice that.
But I would gladly go back to Costco as a guest. I had a great time looking at products and reading labels.
I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of organic foods to select from.
So for my total shop I have saved $35.46
Realistically if I was a member (due to Costco's location) I would only get there every 2 months. That is 6 times per year.
Purchasing the above grocery shop, I would've paid back the membership fee in only 2 visits.
But after that, I have to factor in petrol and the time taken out of my day to get there. Is that worth $35 to me?
Probably not.
So what is the verdict?
If I lived within a 15 minute drive from Costco, I would go there often for a large portion of my general grocery items which would indeed save me loads of money.
But for someone who is geographically distant from it, I just don't feel it's worth my while to drive all the way out there. I'd rather purchase locally and have the extra hour of time to do other shit....... like write a blog.
I do love supporting my local family-owned health food shops (read about them here).
Buying from Costco would reduce my dollars spent at my favourite stores and time spent shoulder rubbing with vegans. I just don't think I would be willing to sacrifice that.
But I would gladly go back to Costco as a guest. I had a great time looking at products and reading labels.
I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of organic foods to select from.
I was slightly confused as to why they market their meat as grain-fed as if this was a good thing.
I learned that if you "Costco", you don't go on the weekend because the lines are MASSIVE.
And I found it rather a lovely metaphor that the HUGE line for the fast food:
Was right next to the coffin section:
Do you Costco?
With last week’s blog post in mind about how I do not trust big-chain supermarkets, I thought I better put together a list of retailers that I do indeed now place my trust.
If you missed it, you can read my blog post from last week here.
These are my top picks for retailers where I now get the majority of my food. They are all located in South East Queensland. Alas, I have included some online options for you folk further afield so stay with me.
**None of these retailers have paid me to write about them. I genuinely love them.**
If you missed it, you can read my blog post from last week here.
These are my top picks for retailers where I now get the majority of my food. They are all located in South East Queensland. Alas, I have included some online options for you folk further afield so stay with me.
**None of these retailers have paid me to write about them. I genuinely love them.**
HOME FRESH ORGANICS
I get a weekly veggie box delivery from Home Fresh Organics. There are literally LOADS of fresh fruit & vegetable delivery options in Brisbane. The BEST part about the Home Fresh Organic boxes (and the reason why I choose them) is that you get to fully customize which veggies and/or fruit goes into the box unlike many of their competitors.
I get the medium organic veggie box for $56.50 per week however there is also a conventional option ($39.50) if you don’t wish to pay more for organic. All boxes (both organic and conventional) come in small, medium and large. Small gives you 10 fruit/veggie selections, medium is 15 selections and large is 20 selections.
I also order “extras” such as milk, meat, eggs, cleaning products, and pantry staples from them. Their prices are VERY competitive. For example, Natural Mountain Bread wraps are $2.91 at Home Fresh Organics as opposed to $3.99 at Woolworths. Pure harvest “Coco Quench” coconut milk is $3.25 as opposed to $3.50 at Woolworths. Any "extras" are delivered free with your weekly veggie box.
Home Fresh Organics have a large selection of free-range, grass fed, and organic meats and eggs.
All fresh produce is locally sourced and seasonal. *Gasp* Sometimes you can’t get summer veggies in winter.
They leave the delivery on your front doorstep or at a designated location on your property so that you don’t have to be home. No more waiting around for the delivery drivers that give you a three hour window! The cold goods are placed in ice boxes that are reused every week. All produce is minimally packaged and where packaging is required, brown paper bags are used instead of plastics (where possible).
Home Fresh Organics state on their webpage that they are required by law (for hygiene) to place a plastic liner inside each delivery box. While this is not ideal, I recycle this liner each week with my soft plastics. You can read about soft plastics recycling in a previous blog post of mine here.
This week I used Home Fresh Organics for 100% of my grocery shop.
No Coles. No Woolworths. No Aldi.
WINNING!
I get the medium organic veggie box for $56.50 per week however there is also a conventional option ($39.50) if you don’t wish to pay more for organic. All boxes (both organic and conventional) come in small, medium and large. Small gives you 10 fruit/veggie selections, medium is 15 selections and large is 20 selections.
I also order “extras” such as milk, meat, eggs, cleaning products, and pantry staples from them. Their prices are VERY competitive. For example, Natural Mountain Bread wraps are $2.91 at Home Fresh Organics as opposed to $3.99 at Woolworths. Pure harvest “Coco Quench” coconut milk is $3.25 as opposed to $3.50 at Woolworths. Any "extras" are delivered free with your weekly veggie box.
Home Fresh Organics have a large selection of free-range, grass fed, and organic meats and eggs.
All fresh produce is locally sourced and seasonal. *Gasp* Sometimes you can’t get summer veggies in winter.
They leave the delivery on your front doorstep or at a designated location on your property so that you don’t have to be home. No more waiting around for the delivery drivers that give you a three hour window! The cold goods are placed in ice boxes that are reused every week. All produce is minimally packaged and where packaging is required, brown paper bags are used instead of plastics (where possible).
Home Fresh Organics state on their webpage that they are required by law (for hygiene) to place a plastic liner inside each delivery box. While this is not ideal, I recycle this liner each week with my soft plastics. You can read about soft plastics recycling in a previous blog post of mine here.
This week I used Home Fresh Organics for 100% of my grocery shop.
No Coles. No Woolworths. No Aldi.
WINNING!
MRS FLANNERY'S
Mrs Flannery’s is a franchised chain so check their website. There may be one in your area. The Chermside store have recently completed a major expansion and renovation. They sell pantry staples, skincare, meats, fresh organic produce, and an awesome selection of breads depending on your dietary requirements. They now even have a cafe for when you need to rest your weary legs and refuel after all that shopping.
The thing that get me NUTS about Mrs Flannery's is the HUGE selection of.......NUTS. Their bulk produce section is a thing of beauty! I can spend an hour perusing and stocking up on nuts, seeds, quinoa, oats, coconut, cacao power. This list goes on. And best yet, the prices are amazing. At the time of writing this, pesticide-free raw almonds were $11.99 per kilo!
Run, don't walk!
Take a look at their shelves in the above photos. My OCD heart wants to sing zippity fucking doo dah with all that symmetry and cleanliness.
They have NO plastic bags at the cashier (paper only) but bring your own bag anyway.
Most Mrs Flannery's stores have “Super Saturday” sales on the first (and more recently third) weekends of the month. At these, they offer up to 20% off their "Flannery’s Own” range and bulk produce to loyalty card holders. If you stock up on your bulk produce on these days, their prices are extremely hard to beat!
If you are like me and eat more seed and nuts than a budgerigar, this is your shop.
The thing that get me NUTS about Mrs Flannery's is the HUGE selection of.......NUTS. Their bulk produce section is a thing of beauty! I can spend an hour perusing and stocking up on nuts, seeds, quinoa, oats, coconut, cacao power. This list goes on. And best yet, the prices are amazing. At the time of writing this, pesticide-free raw almonds were $11.99 per kilo!
Run, don't walk!
Take a look at their shelves in the above photos. My OCD heart wants to sing zippity fucking doo dah with all that symmetry and cleanliness.
They have NO plastic bags at the cashier (paper only) but bring your own bag anyway.
Most Mrs Flannery's stores have “Super Saturday” sales on the first (and more recently third) weekends of the month. At these, they offer up to 20% off their "Flannery’s Own” range and bulk produce to loyalty card holders. If you stock up on your bulk produce on these days, their prices are extremely hard to beat!
If you are like me and eat more seed and nuts than a budgerigar, this is your shop.
NUTRITIOUS DELICIOUS & CO
This little unassuming health food store is nestled inside the Terry White Chemist at Lutwyche City.
I don’t know who buys stock for this place but they always seem to have EVERYTHING I need.
My Dad (the weirdo) eats 100% pure cacao bars (the darkest of dark chocolate). My mum and I called every health food store in Brisbane looking for someone who stocks it. Nutritious Delicious & Co was the only store we could find who had it! The funny part is that it was recently sold out when I went to buy it. My Dad’s mind can rest easy knowing that he is not the only freak in the village. There are other loonies in Brisbane who actually eat that shit.
Nutritious Delicious & Co also stock LOTS of pantry staples, free-range eggs, protein powders, dairy products, natural skincare and natural cleaning products.
They have a HUGE vegan section for the plant eaters amongst us. Don’t judge vegans. They are saving our planet one soy dog at a time. The way I see it, having a vegan friend kind of acts as a carbon offset for us meat eaters. Everyone needs a vegan friend.
Nutritious Delicious & Co also stock Ancient Grains bread – one of the only bread ranges I have found that use olive oil instead of seed oils.
Every second Thursday this little store has 20% off for their loyal customers.
This place is definitely worth a look!
I don’t know who buys stock for this place but they always seem to have EVERYTHING I need.
My Dad (the weirdo) eats 100% pure cacao bars (the darkest of dark chocolate). My mum and I called every health food store in Brisbane looking for someone who stocks it. Nutritious Delicious & Co was the only store we could find who had it! The funny part is that it was recently sold out when I went to buy it. My Dad’s mind can rest easy knowing that he is not the only freak in the village. There are other loonies in Brisbane who actually eat that shit.
Nutritious Delicious & Co also stock LOTS of pantry staples, free-range eggs, protein powders, dairy products, natural skincare and natural cleaning products.
They have a HUGE vegan section for the plant eaters amongst us. Don’t judge vegans. They are saving our planet one soy dog at a time. The way I see it, having a vegan friend kind of acts as a carbon offset for us meat eaters. Everyone needs a vegan friend.
Nutritious Delicious & Co also stock Ancient Grains bread – one of the only bread ranges I have found that use olive oil instead of seed oils.
Every second Thursday this little store has 20% off for their loyal customers.
This place is definitely worth a look!
CHARLIE'S FRUIT MARKET
In the hustle bustle of Everton Park’s busy South Pine Road is Charlie’s Fruit Market. Charlie’s has a HUGE range of fruit and veggies at sometimes INSANE prices.
Most impressive about Charlies is their company ethos surrounding both food waste and plastics.
They have the most delightful “ugly produce” section. Produce that farmers were unable to sell on to supermarkets just because of its appearance is for sale at a fraction of the regular price. For those on a budget, this is the best way to get your fresh produce with your loose change. If this section didn’t make me want to cry with happiness enough, they have packaged it all in paper bags. No plastics to be seen.
Their organic section also makes me want kiss someone. It is packaging FREE! All produce is loose.
Praise Charlie’s.
Just when I couldn’t love this family-run business enough, they have also started taking in soft plastics for recycling. And unlike Coles and Woolworths, I trust Charlie’s is in fact recycling these plastics and not dumping them in the creek.
Charlie's Fruit Market is also open 24 HOURS! Great for shift workers and for those who find themselves without a spaghetti squash at 2am.
As I write this, one of Charlie’s specials includes:
An ugly produce box which includes 8kg of fruit and vegetables FOR TEN DOLLARS!
If you can't get to the store, they also offer home delivery.
Charlie’s have also recently opened “Charlie’s Vegan Pantry” (adjoining the fruit market) with all your vegan pantry staples, treats, cleaning products and skincare. You know how I feel about vegans. Meat eaters may just meet their special vegan for the offset program browsing the shelves of this little nook.
Charlie's also have a side business called Moo Free Burgers which is a vegan burger joint. Sounds loco I know but take one look at their instagram and suddenly meat seems irrelevant in a burger. Did I just say that?
Of course, most SE Queenslanders will know Charlie's for its famous chain of Raw Squeeze Vegan Superfood Bars around Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. These locations are where you can get your Acai bowls, Smoothies and Vegan treats. I took my son for a banana "nice-cream" here after his very first day of school.
Charlie's are a fruit market with over THIRTY SEVEN THOUSAND instagram followers!
I think we can all agree that Charlie’s is doing everything right!
Most impressive about Charlies is their company ethos surrounding both food waste and plastics.
They have the most delightful “ugly produce” section. Produce that farmers were unable to sell on to supermarkets just because of its appearance is for sale at a fraction of the regular price. For those on a budget, this is the best way to get your fresh produce with your loose change. If this section didn’t make me want to cry with happiness enough, they have packaged it all in paper bags. No plastics to be seen.
Their organic section also makes me want kiss someone. It is packaging FREE! All produce is loose.
Praise Charlie’s.
Just when I couldn’t love this family-run business enough, they have also started taking in soft plastics for recycling. And unlike Coles and Woolworths, I trust Charlie’s is in fact recycling these plastics and not dumping them in the creek.
Charlie's Fruit Market is also open 24 HOURS! Great for shift workers and for those who find themselves without a spaghetti squash at 2am.
As I write this, one of Charlie’s specials includes:
An ugly produce box which includes 8kg of fruit and vegetables FOR TEN DOLLARS!
If you can't get to the store, they also offer home delivery.
Charlie’s have also recently opened “Charlie’s Vegan Pantry” (adjoining the fruit market) with all your vegan pantry staples, treats, cleaning products and skincare. You know how I feel about vegans. Meat eaters may just meet their special vegan for the offset program browsing the shelves of this little nook.
Charlie's also have a side business called Moo Free Burgers which is a vegan burger joint. Sounds loco I know but take one look at their instagram and suddenly meat seems irrelevant in a burger. Did I just say that?
Of course, most SE Queenslanders will know Charlie's for its famous chain of Raw Squeeze Vegan Superfood Bars around Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. These locations are where you can get your Acai bowls, Smoothies and Vegan treats. I took my son for a banana "nice-cream" here after his very first day of school.
Charlie's are a fruit market with over THIRTY SEVEN THOUSAND instagram followers!
I think we can all agree that Charlie’s is doing everything right!
LOCAL MARKETS
I am a HUGE fan of local markets. Local, fresh, beautiful produce in abundance often at prices cheaper than the supermarkets.
Any place where the kids can bounce to infinity on a jumping castle for $5 whilst their hungover parents drink lattes in the sun is alright by me!
I could carry on for pages about each beautiful market in my city.
I think that is a post for another day.
Any place where the kids can bounce to infinity on a jumping castle for $5 whilst their hungover parents drink lattes in the sun is alright by me!
I could carry on for pages about each beautiful market in my city.
I think that is a post for another day.
As I mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, subscriptions are so trendy right now. A regular delivery of your necessities ensure that you never run out of the essentials.
Notably my favourite online subscriptions include:
WHO GIVES A CRAP
This is a company who recognized that billions of people around the world do not have access to toilets. These unsanitary conditions lead to a HUGE number of otherwise preventable diarrhea-related diseases. According to their webpage, 900 kids under 5 years old are killed every day in Africa due to these diseases.
So Who Gives a Crap developed a toilet paper subscription. We all buy toilet paper right?
Every quarter I get 48 double rolls of toilet paper delivered to my door. I NEVER run out.
Each roll is wrapped in paper. There is no plastic packaging.
50% of the profits from rolls sold help to build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.
Their product is made from 100% recycled paper or bamboo (no forests chopped down for your arse's pleasure).
They also have a forest-friendly tissue and paper towel range that you can add to your subscription.
From a design point of view, you nearly don’t want to wipe your butt with it because the rolls look so good in your bathroom. And when you are finished a roll, it is all recyclable.
It’s loo paper with a conscience. I highly recommend it.
So Who Gives a Crap developed a toilet paper subscription. We all buy toilet paper right?
Every quarter I get 48 double rolls of toilet paper delivered to my door. I NEVER run out.
Each roll is wrapped in paper. There is no plastic packaging.
50% of the profits from rolls sold help to build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.
Their product is made from 100% recycled paper or bamboo (no forests chopped down for your arse's pleasure).
They also have a forest-friendly tissue and paper towel range that you can add to your subscription.
From a design point of view, you nearly don’t want to wipe your butt with it because the rolls look so good in your bathroom. And when you are finished a roll, it is all recyclable.
It’s loo paper with a conscience. I highly recommend it.
THE COFFEE POST
My husband is a bit of a coffee snob. He will turn his nose up at beans that are more than six weeks past their roasting date. Worse still if the beans don’t have a roasting date stated on the bag. Who knows how old they could be!
The Coffee Post is another local subscription service that delivers 500g of fresh coffee beans every month for $29.95. There are so many boutique coffee roasters in South East Queensland and this is the most delightful way to try them all without even having to get in the car.
All beans are freshly roasted and have the roasting date displayed along with a little story about the roasters themselves. Some even give you barista tips, coffee quizzes, or a free in-store coffee.
So far we have had Fox Coffee (Geebung), Blackstar (West End), Fonzie Abbott (Albion), Wolff Coffee (Hendra), and Abrisca Coffee (East Brisbane). All delicious and all VERY local.
You can choose to order grinds instead of whole beans if you don’t have a grinder at home.
I love supporting local businesses and if supporting them means that we have to drink their delicious coffee then so be it!
The Coffee Post is another local subscription service that delivers 500g of fresh coffee beans every month for $29.95. There are so many boutique coffee roasters in South East Queensland and this is the most delightful way to try them all without even having to get in the car.
All beans are freshly roasted and have the roasting date displayed along with a little story about the roasters themselves. Some even give you barista tips, coffee quizzes, or a free in-store coffee.
So far we have had Fox Coffee (Geebung), Blackstar (West End), Fonzie Abbott (Albion), Wolff Coffee (Hendra), and Abrisca Coffee (East Brisbane). All delicious and all VERY local.
You can choose to order grinds instead of whole beans if you don’t have a grinder at home.
I love supporting local businesses and if supporting them means that we have to drink their delicious coffee then so be it!
We are really spoiled for choice when it comes to fresh produce in Brisbane. There are so many more fruit markets, butchers and health food stores that I didn’t even list!
So many options outside of the big-chain supermarkets.
I personally love knowing that my money is going to hard working families and well-deserving charities instead of shareholders.
Give these places a try and let me know what you think.
Yes it can take a bit more leg work and you will probably still need to get some things at big-chain supermarkets (I still do). However, shifting the majority of my weekly spend to smaller businesses flips the bird to Coles, Woolworths and Aldi and allows for these amazing local businesses to continue and flourish.
Do you have any favourite local stores that you can’t live without?
In the last two years, I have dramatically reduced how much of my total grocery spend goes to you big chain supermarkets. I used to spend $300 per week with you. Now, I spend under $100.
The reason? I don’t trust you.
I want to trust you.
But I don’t.
Aldi. How about that time that you were selling us “grass-fed beef” at a premium price and then *whoops* the beef wasn’t actually grass-fed?
Woolworths. How about that time you placed all of those soft plastic recycling bins outside your supermarkets only to be uncovered by ABC’s War on Waste that you actually throw it all into landfill?
Coles. How about that time you advertised your bread as “freshly baked in store” when it was actually partially baked off-site, frozen and then "baked to completion" at the local Coles store? That little lie cost ya $2.5 million in court didn’t it?
You are all guilty.
You can all do better.
I realize that you all have shareholders to keep happy.
But you have a triopoly on the supermarket game in Australia.
People shop with you for convenience.
I work hard to find the best and most ethical produce from local independent stores. But this takes time. Time most people don’t have.
I implore you to do better.
Restore my faith in you.
Can I make some suggestions?
Ban the Bag
Don’t wait until the law is changed in 2018 to ban plastic bags. Do it now.
And don’t just change your lightweight plastics to the heavier type under the guise that they are reusable. Just don’t give the option of using ANY new plastics.
Better yet, give reward point incentives at the checkout if you bring your own reusable bags!
The reason? I don’t trust you.
I want to trust you.
But I don’t.
Aldi. How about that time that you were selling us “grass-fed beef” at a premium price and then *whoops* the beef wasn’t actually grass-fed?
Woolworths. How about that time you placed all of those soft plastic recycling bins outside your supermarkets only to be uncovered by ABC’s War on Waste that you actually throw it all into landfill?
Coles. How about that time you advertised your bread as “freshly baked in store” when it was actually partially baked off-site, frozen and then "baked to completion" at the local Coles store? That little lie cost ya $2.5 million in court didn’t it?
You are all guilty.
You can all do better.
I realize that you all have shareholders to keep happy.
But you have a triopoly on the supermarket game in Australia.
People shop with you for convenience.
I work hard to find the best and most ethical produce from local independent stores. But this takes time. Time most people don’t have.
I implore you to do better.
Restore my faith in you.
Can I make some suggestions?
Ban the Bag
Don’t wait until the law is changed in 2018 to ban plastic bags. Do it now.
And don’t just change your lightweight plastics to the heavier type under the guise that they are reusable. Just don’t give the option of using ANY new plastics.
Better yet, give reward point incentives at the checkout if you bring your own reusable bags!
Get Ugly
Buy more ugly food from farmers. Farmers are throwing out tonnes of food daily just because they don’t meet your stringent aesthetic requirements.
Change your requirements.
OR, purchase all of that otherwise wasted produce and put it for sale in your stores for a big discount.
I am a huge advocate for subsidizing fresh produce. Our country is in the midst of an obesity crisis because we are able to buy a burger for $1 when a salad is $7. Make fresh produce too cheap to refuse.
Ugly produce is a great way to get cheap, fresh food to the masses while bypassing any lengthy bureaucratic government subsidy process. Buy those warped bananas off the farmers. They were going to go to waste anyway. Sell them for half price. Make them cheap. People will buy them.
I guarantee it.
Plastic packaging
While we are in the fresh produce aisle, get rid of that ridiculous amount of packaging!
No more plastic trays.
No more cling film.
No more plastic bags.
Keep the produce loose!
Aldi, ban the pods!
Aldi have announced that they have partnered with Terracycle in a new recycling program for their Expressi coffee pods. Hoorah! All you have to do is POST your used coffee pods to them.
What bullshit.
Realistically, who is going to do that?
Billions of coffee pods are being used every year. They have been in the spotlight time and time again for the scourge they are on the environment.
Are we still seriously using coffee pods?
Ban the pods altogether Aldi.
Stay true to your word
If you say that you are going to recycle your soft plastics, for God’s sake, recycle your soft plastics! Don't bloody dump them in the nearest creek!
** Keep in mind that best practice is not using plastics in the first place**
Woolworths, I appreciate what you are trying to do with your “odd bunch” range however if this is truly produce that was otherwise going to waste, what is with the price? $1.30/kg of ugly carrots compared to $1.70/kg for the Brad Pitt of carrots? Or $4.00/kg for ugly lemons compared to $4.80 for Lemon Clooney? There is hardly a significant discount here.
Also, with your shareholders always in mind I know you have developed your “macro” organic range. A product produced and packaged by Woolworths is more money in Woolworth’s pocket after all. At first I was cartwheeling with glee over this range.
Reasonable prices AND organic.
But my trust in you is so low, I now question if these products are actually organic at all and if you pay your farmers fair prices for their produce. Have you tried to source locally or are you just purchasing from overseas because it is cheap?
You see?
Trust is everything.
I don’t trust you.
Do better.
Trust is everything.
I don’t trust you.
Do better.
What are your biggest gripes about your large chain supermarkets?
I don’t pretend to be in the same league as Sophie Guidolin or Tammy Hembrow. We do have some similarities. We are all Aussie mums and we are all just trying to juggle #mumlife with fitness.
That is where the similarities end. I can’t crack a walnut with my arse like them.
I have however been exercising consistently 5-6 days per week for over 3 years and have learned some tricks of the trade when it comes to finding time to exercise when you have kids. These have all been tried and tested by me at different points of motherhood.
That is where the similarities end. I can’t crack a walnut with my arse like them.
I have however been exercising consistently 5-6 days per week for over 3 years and have learned some tricks of the trade when it comes to finding time to exercise when you have kids. These have all been tried and tested by me at different points of motherhood.
Before you have kids you have endless time.
Once you have kids, spare time is rare. The laundry needs doing, the lunches need to be made, the house needs to be cleaned. The list goes on, and on, and on. We get to the end of the day and fall into a heap, sleep, then wake up and do it all over again.
We are often so busy making sure everyone else is organized/fed/healthy that we put ourselves last.
It got me thinking that as heads of our households, we owe it to our family to take care of ourselves. We need to make sure we eat foods that nourish our bodies and we need to exercise.
It is not selfish to take the time to make sure you are fit and healthy.
It is selfish not to.
Our families depend on us!
With that in mind, here are my top tips for exercising as a parent.
1. Walk
New mums! There is no better way to start exercising after birth than walking. Babies LOVE being in the pram so get out there and pound the pavement. Walking is gentle enough to start very soon after birth or c-section. It gets the endorphins flowing and it gets us out of our pajamas and into the fresh air. If you have multiple little ones, get on Gumtree and purchase a good quality second-hand double pram. They are easy to push and steer. Mine set me back $250. I re-sold it 2 years later for the same price!
2. App it up
When your body feels ready for a little more (usually around 6 weeks post-partum and after your medical professional has given you the go ahead), get an exercise app on your phone. I was a Sweat with Kayla BBG devotee. Her program doesn’t require much equipment, the exercises are easy to do at home, her app is very user-friendly, and each session is only 28 minutes. Perfect to squeeze in during nap times. There are countless other apps out there too. Look around.
3. Gym childminding
If you find home exercise boring (which eventually I did), find a gym with childminding. My kids started at the gym crèche when they were just babies. Sure it is daunting dropping off your most precious possessions initially but my kids grew to know and love the ladies at the gym just as much as they love their kindy teachers.
4. Childcare
If you are a working parent, drop the kids at childcare a bit earlier or pick them up a bit later so that you can go to the gym. Better yet, exercise in your lunch break. It clears the head and makes you more productive in the afternoon.
5. Early starts
If you don’t have access to childcare or a crèche, get out of bed at 5am. Get to the gym before your partner leaves for work. Not a popular suggestion I know (especially in the colder months). You get used to the early starts I promise.
6. Baby bootcamp
For the single mummas, find classes that include your babies. There are many bootcamps around that get you to push, pull, lift, and curl your babies. Unfortunately your attendance at these classes are usually short-lived. Once your kid starts crawling, it becomes impossible to do any exercise without having to chase them around the room. Which brings me to the next point…..
7. Exercise WITH the kids
Take the kids with you. Ride a bike with a baby seat or when the kids are older, put them on their own bikes/scooters. I am lucky enough to live near a running track where I regularly see parents and primary school age kids out running together! A kid on my son’s soccer team (who is 5 years old) goes on NINETY minute mountain bike rides with his Dad on the weekend. Find something the kids like and run with it.
I have an adult sized scooter!
8. Schedule it in – make it routine
Schedule the time. Put some “meetings” with yourself in your diary a few times per week. That is your exercise time. Non-negotiable. No other appointments are to be scheduled in those times. That is your time.
9. Never cancel
If you have had a rough night with the kids, you don’t have to push yourself. Attend anyway but take it easy. It keeps you in the routine. Routine is important for exercise longevity. I have actually just laid down on the floor stretching whilst my kids were at the gym crèche. You still get one hour of thinking about no-one but yourself. Listen to music. Allow your mind to wander. It is good for the soul.
10. Negotiate
Have you heard the saying: “there can only be one athlete in the family?” It doesn’t have to be true. Sit down with your partner and negotiate both of your training schedules. Mum and Dad are both equally important. Negotiate your training times and stick to them.
Find something you enjoy.
You will never stick to regular exercise if you don’t love what you do. What one person loves, another mightn’t. Find your thing. The thing that makes you want to go.
For me, I love the friendships and community. I love feeling like I am part of a team. My gym at F45 Lutwyche feels like the heart of my community.
Many mums and dads from my son’s school attend.
The Principal of the local school.
The carers from my son’s after school care.
I run into people from my gym at school, at the shops, and down at the park.
I have made so many new friends. It is what I love about going.
PLUS! Both exercise and community are shown in studies (time and time again) to reduce depression and prolong your life.
Most importantly,
Don’t compare yourself to others.
Enjoy the time alone.
Take care of yourself so you can take care of your family.
They need you.
** This blog post is dedicated to a mother I know who puts herself last. You know who you are.**
How do you exercise with your kids?