Carbing out, the lowdown on carbs

Carbohydrates have such a bad reputation, touted to be the greatest evil and for the majority of the western world, there is good reason to avoid them because most of the carbohydrates in the standard western fare consist of highly refined, and concentrated carbohydrates that are devoid of any nutrition.  The carbohydrates in this form require no digestion, as they enter the body and are assimilated as sugars.  

Removing this essential nutrient, carbohydrates that is, though is truly not in your best interest, its most likely to cause fatigue, moodiness, lack of concentration, increased sweet cravings and weight gain.

  

NOT ALL CARBS ARE CREATED EQUAL......

But it's not all bad news, you see there are some amazing carbohydrates that provide the body with vitamins, minerals and nutrients, and unlike the nasty carbs, these carbohydrates provide the body and most importantly the brain with a slow steady stream of glucose.  There's more, the digestion of complex carbohydrates leaves no residual chemicals to be eliminated, once they are broken down, the only wastes are carbon dioxide and oxygen, unlike proteins and fats.  These carbohydrates we speak of will help you lose weight, will help you feel good and will nourish your body.

  

So let's look at what substitutions we can make....  less desirable for the more desirable, please don't discount these substitutions till you have tried them, especially the ones we have for the pasta.

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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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Pesticides and the Dirty Dozen

Have you tried some of our strawberries? They are so sweet and divine...and soooo good for your health.  It is so important to make sure that you eat organic strawberries whenever you can, conventionally farmed strawberries have been found with over 60 different pesticide traces, thats pretty scary.  In fact, there are many chemicals used on conventional produce that remain once harvested....strawberries are one of the worst.  The Environmental Working Group, a non for profit US group has released a foldable pdf, titled the Dirty Dozen, a list complied based on pesticide residues with recommendations for the most heavily sprayed crops. This can be downloaded HERE.  (Even though its from the US, its still relevant to us in Australia)   Back to the sweetness of strawberries , these little wonder fruits are one of the best sources of Vitamin C,  the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient content of strawberries is simply outstanding. Studies have found that the intake of strawberries on aged animals increased cognitive performance and motor function. The studies I think are most interesting are the ones based on digestion with recent studies finding that strawberries can improve the digestive state of those with inflammatory bowel problems including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.     TRY THEM THIS WEEK Come into the shop this week for some great specials on strawberries and lots of other divine produce.  We also have tempeh, yoghurts and cheeses in stock. I hope that you have a sensational happy healthy week, thanks for all your amazing support Angela and the team at Organic Empire XX 'Right now, this moment is the only one we're guaranteed. We make lists and plans.  We think we know what we'll do tomorrow, next week, next month. But really...all we have is right now. All we ever have is one wonderful now after another. So in this one golden moment of precious life-pick the strawberries.' AUTHOR UNKNOWN   ORGANIC FOOD, ORGANIC FOOD MELBOURNE, LOCAL ORGANIC FOOD, ORGANIC FOOD STORE, ORGANIC FOOD SCHOOL, ORGANIC EMPIRE

Living the sweetest life

Hope that you are all sweet (pardon the pun)... This week is all about living the sweet life sans the sugar.  Allow me to step back in time, a time when a desire for sweetness was created as a survival mechanism, the sweet foods provided an abundance of instant energy and as much as we believe that we have evolved, humans have an underlying preferance for sweet foods.

Rather than deny our desires, I think that we can all make better choices, one's that contribute to a better body, health and overall life..why do I think that...??

Without going into it too much, refined sugar from the sugar cane contains no other vitamins and minerals and thus robs the body of the B Vitamin complex to process, these sugars when broken down are also responsible for cross linking of proteins, and feeding nasty bacteria's in the body. 

There are many alternatives to sweeten up your day, that can provide nutritive qualities to support good health as well as provide the desire for sweetness. 

A craving for sweets can indicate many things ;a blood sugar drop and the body signalling it requires more energy, can be a reaction to stress, a result of boredom, and so many other health factors.

 So allow me to give you some alternatives, you choose what's best for you, just make it as healthy as you can!

Turbinado - is sugar made from the cane plant, not as processed as normal sugarr with only 1/3 of the molasses remaining.   Same sweetness as table sugar.

Rapadura - is made from can, but is unrefine and unbleached. The sugar stream and original molasses remain together, meaning that nutritionally the essential vitamins and minerals are retained.

Sucanat - is made by dehydrating fresh cane juice. more refined than Rapadura

Agave Nectar -  The Nectar or syrup is 50% sweeter than table sugar but has a low glycemic index. 

Barley Malt - is a sweetener made from sprouted barley, it has a similar taste to molasses.  It is  1/2 as sweet molasses so you can substitute for molasses or other sweeteners. 

Brown Rice Syrup - is made from brown rice, with a slight butterscotch flavour, its 1/2 as sweet as table sugar.

Maple Syrup - This divine syrup, is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals

Honey - is the food of the goods and its your friend too, make sure that you get Raw organic, so that you can be sure that the its still full of vitamins and minerals.  Video to come later on this week

Stevia - This powder is 250-300 times sweeter than table sugar. No calories. 

Personally for me, fresh raw organic medjool dates are the best sweetener, add them to raw and baked goods for a flavour that's real, healthy and alive. 

The ultimate sweet treat though is raw fresh organic fruit, providing your body with all the essential minerals and nutrients, antioxidants, fibre, water and AMAZING TASTE. 

For more information on living the sweet life jump onto our Facebook page and get involved.  There will be tips on curbing sugar cravings, and creating a delicious bounty of sweet treats.

ORGANIC EMPIRE FOOD SCHOOL

 If you are new to raw food preparation, then you must come and join us at our B-RAW workshop. THERE IS ONLY ONE SEAT REMAININGand in three hours, the amazing raw foodie Andrea Brosnan will teach you how to make green smoothies, raw treats, make amazing salads, dips, skin care and so much more with a light meal included.  This is  an event not to be missed.  We only have a couple of seats left for this event, so be sure to book now!

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK NOW

FARM STORE and FOOD SCHOOL UPDATE:

Farm news: Our crops have all been decided up and so now we must wait until they can have a chance for survival when the weather warms up.

Store news: Ok so the table for classes is getting picked up this week and we have to just paint a few places and we are ready to go for opening from next week onwards....

DON'T FORGET TO PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW.

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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

Organic broccolini or baby broccoli is sweet and delicious and its perfect for eating at the moment.  Eat it raw or sautee lightly with a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of oil..

Green cucumbers are in, a divine refreshing vegetable that is also an amazing alkaliser and in the absence of lebanese cucumbers, these make every salad complete.

Organic pumpkins are limited at the moment, meaning that if you want pumpkin for this week, order it now!!!

Oh me oh my we have a new organic avocado grower, Kumbara Organics from Victoria...yes you read this right.  His avocado's are huge coming in from the Murray River region of Victoria.  

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