GET HEALTHIER, honest to goodness health.

I am a big believer in honesty, it is the most beautiful gift that you can give yourself and to everyone else, it's liberating and beyond that it keeps you healthy.

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame found that people that spoke their truth had fewer headaches and sore throats as well as experiencing less mental health compiaints.

 This insecurity driven behaviour usually leads to self sabbotage, saying 'yes' when we mean 'no', keeping your opinions to yourself and not standing up for what we believe in. 

This doesn't have to be the life you live out,it can be honest and happy and healthy, you can have a strong sense of your self and your self worthiness will define you. not other peoples opinions.

This week I would love you to work on your sustained honesty, it keeps life clean.  Be honest with you, be the most honest person you know.  What do you believe in????? For me, it's a good world, one where we all have access to organic food and to be honest with you all, I would love to know that you begin to live the best, healthiest life ever.   

As always, thanks for your love and support and assistance in creating a better food system, we hope that you have  a beautiful happy healthy week,

Angela and the team at Organic Empire XX

"Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world...would do this, it would change the earth." 

William Faulkner

 

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life on the farm

The rains have come, I have never truly known the value of rain, well that is before I became a farmer.  Rain is something I would dance for, it's so exciting particularly because we had so many autumn seedlings go in today.  

For those of you that haven't yet visited our farm, we like to consider it to be 'beyond organic', we don't practice monoculture production nor do we enlist heavy machinery to do all our labour, we have people.  Everything that we do is done by hand with love, rain or as Summer has dictated heat..and it is looking amazing.  

  

I am so passionate in demonstrating that growing food can be aesthetically beautiful, as well as functional and our food forest is a perfect example of that.  We are using time honoured methods of food production as well as utilising the wisdom of the present and our organic produce is divine for it.  Despite the continuing heat, our summer crops are still going strong, we have cucumbers, apple and lebanese, silverbeet, all the herbs, eggplant, tomato, pumpkins, corn, amaranth, beans, lettuce, rocket and so much more and I can't wait till we open it up and share it with you all.  In the meantime you can rest assured that you can't get any fresher than straight from the farm, this defines slow food.  Imagine when we have completed the whole farm, imagine when the majority of your food is harvested on the day you purchase it, this concept is virtually unheard of in this day and age...we are bringing it back. Absolute freshness and amazing health.

That is what I want for you..healthy people make a good world and good world makes for the best life, so get healthy, we have our last juicing chart available online this week, this is no 5 and looks at juicing peaches to plums and all the juice inbetween.

Download it here

If you are lucky enough to live in Melbourne, you can take advantage of our home delivery service all throughout Metro Melbourne or you can come and choose your own from our farm store at 138 Monbulk Rd, Mt Evelyn

If you are interested in learning some new skills in food production, why not volunteer on our farm, register your interest here

  

As usual thanks for your amazing support, we are so grateful to build an amazing world with you,

  

Angela and the team at Organic Empire XX

"

"If food was no longer obliged to make intercontinental journeys, but stayed part of a system in which it can be consumed over short distances, we would save a lot of energy and carbon dioxide emissions. And just think of what we would save in ecological terms without long-distance transportation, refrigeration, and packaging--which ends up on the garbage dump anyway--and storage, which steals time, space, and vast portions of nature and beauty." 

Carlo Petrini 

Organic food home delivery melbourne, organic farm, organic food, farm fresh organics

Spring cleaning and becoming earthed.

Spring is just about sprung and it is just about time to start peeling off the layers. As we let go of the old and make way for the new, the coming cycle brings with it a feeling of ascension and new growth. The freshness and cleansing that comes from the active burst of greenery in these new beginnings places emphasis the need to include more raw and fresh foods into our daily living. Spring is the season of revitalisation and is of many simplistic beauties. 

Seasonal foods to enjoy and why…

Seasonal food…	Healthful benefits…
Cauliflower	Rich in antioxidants called Indoles which are helpful to protect against hormonally-related cancers, as well as assisting with the detoxification of chemical substances from the body. Cauliflowers go well in mild curries and with rice dishes and can be sliced thinly into salads.  Be cautious with too much raw cauliflower if you have an underactive thyroid.
Carrots	Rich in natural B-carotene which is important for maintaining healthy vision and for liver cell protection against alcohol and other damaging environmental chemicals. Eat carrots raw as a snack, grated into sandwiches and lightly steamed at dinner. Be cautious with too much carrot juice as it is quite high in sugar causing a blood-sugar spike.
Cabbage	Rich in glutamine, vitamin C and potent antioxidant glutathione, good for keeping skin youthful and beautiful. Can be helpful for hormonal balance when eaten regularly. Cabbage is an excellent source of glutamine and can assist with the healing of stomach ulcers.
Broccoli	An excellent booster of vitamin C and folic acid for the health blood cells and immune system. Only have organic broccoli, as it tends to be one of the most heavily laden with pesticides.
Kiwi fruits	Rich in enzymes and antioxidants, enhancing digestion to improve the breakdown of food into nutrients. Kiwi fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C and fibre making it is great for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Strawberries	Cleansing and strengthening for the elastic collagen structures of the skin, artery and tendons. Traditionally strawberries have been used to heal problems with the gums, including for the removal of tartar build up and gum diseases.
Oranges	Vitamin C increases the absorption of minerals like iron and calcium from plant based food, this can be beneficial for vegetarians and those choosing to eat a more naturally-based diet. The white fleshy part is rich in bioflavonoids which is potent healers for hemorrhoids.
Apples	Contain antioxidant quercetin which is naturally antihistamine, anti-inflammatory and is healing for the immune system.  Apple seeds contain a substance which converts to the toxin cyanide in the body, for safety avoid having large amounts of apple seeds or remove before use.
Leafy green vegetables	Rich in important magnesium and chlorophyll which are both essential for preventing arthritis and bone and joint problems. Eat 2 cups or more daily for optimal results.

A great way to ‘get your greens in’, is to start off the day with a Green smoothie. A basic recipe is as follows (serves 2):

Blend for 1 minute- 1 ½ medium banana, 1 cup berries, 2 cups cos lettuce, 1 ½ cups fresh filtered water. YUM!

After the long and cold winter, that refreshing sense of revitalisation, rejuvenation and renewal, is just the most beautiful motivator to get us out of the house and into the great outdoors. Oxygenating the body is a major key to good health; and this can be done through exercise and through food. Choose an abundance of brightly coloured seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables and opt for less packaged and processed foods, which lack vital force.

Start to become more ‘earthed’ and spring into action by taking these simple lifestyle measures: 

• Rise early with the sun and take a brisk walk to get the blood flowing 
• Take small breaks during the day, outdoors
• Breathe deeply whilst stretching in the sun
• Take a walk on your lunch break in the local park
• Drink plenty of fresh filtered water
• Spend weekend afternoons in the garden with the family pet
• Eat some fresh raw foods with every meal
• Pick fresh herbs from your garden and sprinkle them on meals
• Make a delicious green smoothie

In this current day and age of technology, we can sometimes forget to reconnect with nature and be thankful for our food source. Ultimately, our connection to, and understanding of food should bring us closer to nature. 

“Our food is in our nature, and our nature is in our food” 

By becoming more aware of the impact our food choices have on the environment, and by choosing to eat organically, we are choosing to take a more holistic approach to foods. 

“Love your foods, love your body, heal-thy world”

For a more personally tailored approach to Natural Nutrition Therapy for Optimal Spring Health Cleansing and Detoxification, contact Know Foods Australia. Nutrition Therapist Jessica St Clair Rogers practices at clinics in Middle park and Brighton. Treat yourself and your health to a Personalised Eating Plan at Know Foods Australia TODAY!! 

Contact Jessica on 0431 039 277 or Visit www.knowfoods.com.au

Eat your way to the best skin

The health and glow of you skin, is more about what you are eating....and not eating than it is ever about what you are putting on your skin.

The key's to beautiful skin are for the most part minerals and enzymes, critical for every function in the human body. This week we look at minerals,  compounds that are found in the soil, originating over time in the evolution of our existence.  The food we eat has learnt to absorb these minerals, creating a nutritious bank in plants, this nutrition is then transferred to us when we ingest them. The better the soil quality, the better concentration in the plants, which then equates to better nutrition with every bite. This is a very important reason to eat your produce organic, healthy soils=healthy people.

Would you be surprised if I told you that organic green vegetables are one of the most abundant sources of these minerals required for healthy skin, as well as an abundance of complete nutrition to facilitate every other function.

The most important minerals for great skin include silicon, zinc, and iron, and some of the most abundant sources of these are...GREEN FRESH VEGETABLES. These vegetables include chlorophyll and are alkalizing in the body so serve to reduce inflammation and puffiness as well as serving the body as a natural deodorant.

Silicon is a fundamental mineral for skin health, it serves to strengthen the skin, hair and nails, by helping to produce collagens which maintain the skin matrix. Good sources included cabbage, green vegetables, cucumbers, onions, radish, cos lettuce, tomatoes, apples,  

Zinc is essential for re-building damaged tissues and wounds including collagen, preventing wrinkles, hair loss and brittle nails.   Good sources include  Organic raw dark chocolate, Raw pumpkin seeds, Pine nuts, Sesame seeds, Pecans, Rolled oats, Dried watermelon seeds, kale, silverbeet

Iron is required to transport oxygen around the body, including the skin's surface.  This act improves circulation and in turn skin tone, good sources include Spinach, Artichoke, Squash Seeds, Dried Apricots, Pistachios, Raisins, Walnuts, Asparagus, Quinoa, Mushrooms, Beans

Enzymes play an equally important role by purifying the blood, metabolising fats, renewing aging skin and keeping the blood clean.

A interesting fact... a study undertaken by St Andrews University of Psychology found that by increasing fruit and vegetable intake, the tone of the skin improved, resulting in an improved healthiness and attractiveness of facial skin.

So what does this all translate to??? Something truly simple...increasing your daily intake of fresh organic produce, preferably as close to its natural state as possible, this doesn't mean eating all of it raw, but at least in the colder months including at least a juice/green smoothie a day and a salad with your lunch and dinner. 

Try our: Green Smoothie

All Hail Kale Juice

WEEKLY PRODUCE REPORT

So this week we have the certified organic apples available, our local sustainably grown apple orchard will be back first week in September.  

The oranges are sensational at the moment, refreshing, hydrating and sweet.  

Heavy rainfall in the valley has meant that limited amounts of spinach and wild rocket are coming through this week  

Continental parsley is sensational at the moment, so tasty, add it to your smoothies, juice, everything.  Its a great source of vitamin C and Iron  

The rainbow radish's are sensational too.  Make a delicious salad with them, they look and taste amazing 

Watercress is back this week, watch this space for a delicious potato salad with avocado and watercress 

Organic Empire, local organic foods, organic food home delivery Melbourne, Organic Food, Organic Cooking School Melbourne, Organic Farm Gate

Go slow eat some organic food

You know in our region, the Yarra Valley and the greater Melbourne, we have so many fine artisans, masters in their craft, that could rival any. We are so blessed to live where we live, to have access to some of the highest quality, nutrient dense foods in the world and we have a responsibility to our kids to preserve these producers for they are the ones that will save us all.  I know that I can be quite melodramatic at times, but its true.  Imagine, if your choices were to only purchase your foods from one of two stores, these stores stocking mainly mass produced, mass farmed foods, primarily fast foods....what do you think the future would look like...is that one where you are in control of your destiny... I don't know about you, but I don't think that scenario is healthy for anyone.  

 I know I constantly harp on about preserving food traditions, but its truly the single most important thing you can do for our food.  Cooking up a storm for your family and friends, does more than just fill the stomach, it fills the soul.  There is magic in a culture that values its food, and passes on this to their offspring.  These were the secrets of survival that stood the test of time and ensured starvation was kept at bay, and at least hunger was.  We are the first generation that mostly abandons this in favour of convenience and fast food, with research showing that our diet has changed more dramatically in the last 100 years than in the last 10,000 years of evolution.  Mostly not by choice, but need.  Our lives are so fast, that eating becomes refueling, more than it is enjoyment.  That's sad.  Make a stand, and make a change, you have the power in you!

It also so important to learn about where your food comes from, not only does this breed respect in the food (and reduces waste), but it also this connection that gives your food a face.  Meet some of our farmers here (this list is not complete, still awaiting some happy snaps of some of our other farmers;).

We are so committed to this, to fostering a community of people that want to learn, grow and share with the same common goal, to enjoy amazing food.  It's this passion, that drives us to create an independent space to foster this, our grocery lines in the store are produced from local artisans, our chefs, cooks and health professionals all local and committed to making your food the best.

So this week, we are going to go SLOW... FOOD, teach you how to make some sourdough culture for your bread, make biscotti, and a some other foods that have been around for centuries.  Join us on Facebook to learn more

Join us in preserving food, real organic food and place your ORDER NOW. 

FEEDBACK

Whilst we are on the subject of food...mmm am I not always, I was wondering if anyone has any special requests for cooking classes that they would like to attend at the farm.  Email us with your ideas...

IMPORTANT CHANGE

 Orders to the northern Suburbs, ie orders delivered on Tuesday's, will need to be made before 5pm Sunday's as of this next week.

  

THIS WEEK'S MENU

Ok so we had alot of requests for a high raw menu plan for this week, so tomorrow it will be available on the site.   

DON'T FORGET TO PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW.

GET A SMS REMINDER and BE ABLE TO TEXT ORDER  

Forgot to place your order??, register for our SMS reminder service and never miss getting the best organic produce delivered each week. REGISTER HERE.  Once you are registered you can then text through your seasonal box orders whenever you like.  How easy is that?  

DELIVERY DAYS

Don't forget that some delivery days and zones have changed, check here to see yours.  CHECK DELIVERY DAY/ZONES

  

To ensure you receive your delivery, why not ORDER NOW

  

WEEKLY PRODUCE REPORT

So the time has come, it is always pretty special when organic mandarins make an entrance into our lives, always right on time, when the Autumn variety of fruits tends to dwindle, these are the light. These are second picking, meaning that they are sweet and ready to eat.

We have fabulous ottway red potatoes...these are washed.  Yes its amazing.  These are a great all rounder potato too.

The organic leeks are amazing at the moment , flavoursome and huge.

Royal gala apples have now finished for the season, but don't despair it only gets better with Pink Lady apples being picked for us this week. Fresh from the trees.

  

 ORDER THEM IN OUR STORE NOW

Avocado, Apples, Banana,Fig,Grapes, Lemons, Nashi, Orange,Papaya,Pear,Plum, 

Artichoke
Asian greens,Avocado,Beans,Beetroot,Broccoli,Cabbage,Capsicum,Carrot, Cauliflower,Celery,Corn,Cucumber,Daikon,Eggplant,Kale,Leek,Lettuce,Mushrooms

,Onion,Onion, spring,Potato,Pumpkin ,Radish,Silverbeet, Spinach,Sweet potato,Tomato,Zucchini

 YOUR DAILY BREAD

    

  "You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself 

any direction you choose. 

You're on your own. 

And you know what you know.

And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...."

Dr Suess Oh! The Places You'll Go

We thank you for your support as always, we are very grateful that you are making your body healthier, your kids stronger and the world a better place to be.  

  

 Thanks you are awesome, look forward to serving you, have a healthy week

Angela Gioffre 

(Your nutritionist) and the team at Organic Empire XXX

Get back to basics

Its amazing how quickly the weather can change, in the blink of eye its gone from being warm and sunny, to wet and humid.  It's these weather conditions that bring with it its own challenges, increased humidity means some crops prosper other wither, and if we were to imagine that this weather change was quite permananet that would mean that the crops that used to grow in our regions, would no longer, or certain pests would flourish attacking our crops.  What am I getting at you may ask...  the importance of crop diversity and indeed earth biodiversity, you see at the moment four food crops provide half the worlds food energy requirements, they are rice, corn, wheat and potato, and in the last century we have lost over 75% of our crop diversity( UN Food and agriculture organisation). Now less than 30 crops feed 95% of the worlds population.  What that translates to is 1000's of varieties of produce lost to a time gone by....it's that same time gone by that share's the wisdom of the Irish potato famine, in which millions of people died as a result of a reliance on a crop that failed.  The potatoes in which was the staple of their diet's.  

This is called monoculture farming, agricultural practices of growing a singular crop.  This kind of farming is more susceptible to devastation from pests and other factors. So imagine what would happen if the world over was growing the same strains of seeds..sounds crazy, but its true and its happening.  Writer Michael Polllan maintains that 'preserving biodiversity is like an insurance policy, by growing multiple varieties of a crop, we increase the chances that if one fails, another will have the genetic traits that enable it to thrive.'  Its this diversity that we as consumers need to preserve, for our health and for the health of every generation to come.  Sounds dire..it is.

So get to it, we've got 6 EASY ways to preserve the biodiversity of our food and get back to basics.

This week I want to share with you some of my families traditional recipes, please feel free to share yours online on facebook with us all or email them through and we will put them on the website.

So this week, my wish for you is that you mix it up, get outside of the box try new things, new flavours, cuisine, our food is so precious and the culture and food security it represents are worth preserving.

GET A SMS REMINDER and BE ABLE TO TEXT ORDER  

Forget to place your order, register for our SMS reminder service and never miss getting the best organic produce delivered each week. REGISTER HERE.  Once you are registered you can then text through your seasonal box orders whenever you like.  How easy is that?  

DELIVERY DAYS

Dont forget that some delivery days and zones have changed, check here to see yours.  CHECK DELIVERY DAY/ZONES

To ensure you receive your delivery, why not ORDER NOW

WEEKLY PRODUCE REPORT

So Autumn is nearly upon us, and so are all the amazing autumn flavours. 

Zucchini flowers, local and delicious.  Grown in the Yarra Valley and a sensational price. No pesticides, no chemicals 

Organic Leeks, locally grown and fantastic sauteed 

Organic lettuces, coming in from Macclesfield are getting better and better each week. 

Organic Corn, we have a special on local organic corn, this one is only .88c each.  Incredible value, please note that these corns are smaller.

YOUR DAILY BREAD      "We human beings are part of 'biodiversity.' We are dependent on the whole food chain down below us." "' Darrell Merrell

We thank you for your support as always, we are very grateful that you are making your body healthier, your kids stronger and the world a better place to be.     Thanks you are awesome, look forward to serving you Angela Gioffre  (Your nutritionist) and the team at Organic Empire  ORGANIC FOOD MELBOURNE, ORGANIC EMPIRE, ORGANIC FOOD HOME DELIVERY MELBOURNE, LOCAL ORGANIC FOOD

Get juicy with us

I want this week to be all about feeling good. Feeling good is SO important, because how you spend your days..you spend your life.  SO we are all about feeling good the majority of the time, and we know the power of food to exert those good feelings. When the body is balanced and nutritionally sound everything works perfectly, you sleep well, you feel full of energy, your skin glows, your  are eyes clear.  This all sounds dreamy and divine, but then the reality of a hectic lifestyle reminds us of why we are the way we are, consuming foods on the run, forever busy.. 

This is the story of my life, so I can sympathise with you all, and as a nutritionist I know the importance of sound health and good food. I would like to encourage you all to do one thing this week for you, for your health. Something you can take in the car, make it in a flash and revitalise your body with, helping the body obtain all the nutrients it can.  They are tasty and delicious and the kids will love them too.  Intrigued ??? 

Its organic juices and smoothies, these powerhouses of health can be made to provide all the nutrients we need.  All you need at home is a blender/juicer and we will supply the rest in the form of amazing organic produce, just be sure to place you order now.            

We want to help you, so this week we have all the juicing essentials on special, as well as the juicing box discounted to $20 for only this week, CHECK OUT OUR ORGANIC STORE NOW.

There is more, we are also going to provide lots of recipes for juices and smoothies updated daily on our site, so check back daily and let's get juicy.

 There are lots of ways that we can work on improving nutrition so stay tuned on Facebook and on the website for meal ideas, green smoothies and juices this week.  Together we will build a program a lifestyle that cleanses and energises the body and mind.  So plan your menu out this week to try and include a vegie juice or smoothie a day!

ORGANIC HOME DELIVERY MELBOURNE, ORGANIC FOOD HOME DELIVERY MELBOURNE, LOCAL ORGANIC FOODS, ORGANIC EMPIRE, 

Get juicy with us

 ORGANIC FOOD MELBOURNE, local organic foods, organic food home delivery, organic food home delivery melbourne, 

Putting LOVE into your food

This article written by our own Angela Gioffre, Nutritionist about the importance of putting love in your food.

Download it here

Ethical Meat

So in light of today's media coverage of an abattoir in Sydney, in which animals were beat prior to slaughter has heavily reinforced the need for us as a community to become more connected with our food.  Its such a tragedy that these creatures are killed so inhumanely, in a country with enough knowledge and resources to make more informed choices, instead choosing willed ignorance.  The mistreatment of these defenceless animals is just another example of the problems associated with mass business riddled with moral and ethical ambiguities.  It hasn't always been this way, in a time before mine, families reared loved and killed their own animals, only taking what they could eat, with integrity and respect for the animal.  This symbiotic relationship equated to healthy animals, and healthy people.  On a recent trip to Italy we visited my aunties farm, where she keeps pigs.  Everyday we would go and visit the pigs, where she would feed them, rub them and kiss them.  Perplexed, I asked her why she was kissing her pigs, and as absurd as it may seem, she proceeded to inform me it was because she loved them.  I told her that perhaps you could love a pig, but she didn't need to kiss it. She answered she loved the pig because it would feed her. The penny dropped, this profound respect for the pig, her connection with the animal meant that the love that reared and worshiped it would take it's life with integrity.  This makes me wonder, if we all had to look after the animals which we wished to eat, how different our lives would be.  Its also a realisation that this disconnectedness with our food creates the world in which we live, where animals can be beaten before slaughter, that can cry for their fellow creatures when they see them killed on the kill floor. Is it not enough that they have given their lives to be consumed by humans?


The truth is we vote for the world we want with every dollar we spend.  Demand ethical treatment of animals, demand a world where your food is produced humanely.


Do you think that humans have the right to treat animals badly? You owe it to yourself, as well as to the animals to make informed choices.   What are the consequences of your eating decisions? Trace your food, can you find a farmer that loves and cares for his animals?  If you are aware of a local farm in Victoria that we should all know about, please let us know, comment below.  Thanks


HUNGRY FOR CHANGE?
PETA.  People for the ethical treatment of animals
Humane Society




ORGANIC EMPIRE, LOCAL ORGANIC FOODS, ORGANIC FOOD HOME DELIVERY,  ORGANIC FOOD HOME DELIVERY MELBOURNE,ORGANIC FOOD MELBOURNE