We are back!!! Time to reinvigorate your diet

We are so happy to be back...  Its a new year,  a new beginning.  To be honest though I like to look at everyday as a new opportunity to make change, to make life better, to get healthier, to get happier.  Let's take this day as a new chance to make our lives everything we ever dreamed of, and to be real  the only way that most of our dreams can be achieved is with health.  It's the truest wealth.

I began my journey with health improvement, way back when I was 7  when I became a vegetarian for the first time, at 14 my mum made dramatic changes in our diets.   We were not unwell when my mum made these change, we were probably just like the majority of the population, fed, full and unaware.  Since that time my journey in life has been predominately an obsession with good health.  Now as a nutritionist I have the privelidge of having an academic education with which to impart knowledge to you all.  I am truly committed to living in optimal health and sharing that with you.  Its possible for everyone, its not just a dream.  We can all live healthy, happy lives and I want to help you do that.

So lets get to it, what is it going to take for you to be healthier, do you need to increase your energy? immunity? lose weight? increase stamina? sex drive? Interestingly these can all be improved with good nutrition, organic food and knowledge. And we want to show you how.

The first thing that needs to happen for change to take place is a decision, so today make that decision.  Write it down and commit to it. Write it in present tense, for example

'I am strong, fit and healthy, I nourish my body with the best organic foods, I live the healthiest life'. or ' I fit into my favourite dress by 1st March 2012', set a date.  Get committed and get to it!

STEP 1. Download our menu planner today and get organised, choose your meals (rather than choosing the non healthy variety of food because you are starving), check out our recipes for different ideas, plan it out.

STEP 2. Order your fresh organic produce and groceries online now.

STEP 3. Every day remember your goal, keep it fun, organise your time and make some delicious food, pack your own lunch, decide on your own destiny (just to let you know the majority of fast food outlets are not too interested in preserving your health, so you must be!).

STEP 4. Move your body, a 20 minute walk a day is a great start, see where you end up from there.

STEP 5.  Be grateful to be alive, we are truly so blessed to have amazing organic foods available to us, we have a real opportunity to nourish ourselves and everyone we love, promoting a beautiful life.  Share your food wisdom with people you know, let's get this world a healthier place.

Let me share with you my goal, I have a desire to change people's lives 

for the better to make them healthier, which in turn makes people happier= a better life for everyone.  I know the importance of good nutrition, from a scientific standpoint, but also as a fellow citizen of the human race, we all see what eating well does, and on the other end of the spectrum what poisioning our bodies with substances disguised as food does.

EXCUSE ME WHILE WE CHANGE IN FRONT OF YOU....

Ok so after much deliberation, we have decided to change the way we serve you.  We are continually researching new ways we can serve you better, and ensure that your produce is delivered at its best, and that you are happy and we think we have found the answer.  So please read on for changes to our deliveries.

We have a NEW Delivery Schedule, please check your delivery day.  

This means that the cut off time for delivery to your area has changed, please be sure to check and ensure that you order before the cut off times.  

It's best to order as soon as possible, to ensure that you receive your delivery, or do one better and sign up for our seasonal boxes and get a box of the freshest local organic produce delivered, without having to do anything!

PAPER NEWSLETTERS

We have decided to do away with the paper newsletters for the moment, in an attempt to become more ecologically sound we wish to direct you to our website  weekly for menu's and recipes.

OUR STORE

Renovations are nearly complete on our farm store, what that means is that you can come out to the farm and purchase your goods straight from us. We will let you know closer to the opening date.

FOOD SCHOOL

We are also excited to announce that we will be opening an Seasonal organic food school, where we will have a host of amazing raw food chef's, nutritionists, cooks and artisians sharing their wisdom with you. Stay tuned for a schedule of events.

"Be willing to be a beginner every single morning

"'

Meister Eckhart 

        

Organic Empire, organic food home delivery Melbourne, local organic foods, organic delivery, ORGANIC FOOD MELBOURNE

Making friends with salad

Salad is one of the best friends you could have in this world. I am not suggesting that you ditch all your other friends, merely expand your horizons.  Having a salad a day could in fact be one of the most significant and beneficial changes that you can make to your life.  It sounds preposterous, I know, but by enjoying a salad a day not only do you increase your daily fruit and vegetable intake, your increase your fibre which is so important for warding off many cancers, preventing constipation and lowering cholesterol.   You increase antioxidant intake, which is beneficial for everything, by protecting the body from damage from free radicals which lowers the risk of most cancers. You increase your water intake, hydration is one of the most important elements to good health and ensures the proper functioning of our bodies. You increase your enzyme intake; enzymes are found in raw foods and are destroyed by heat; enzymes serve as catalysts for virtually every function in the body...no enzymes sluggish metabolism, poor digestion.  Eating salads encourages the use of good fats, healthy fats are crucial for our good health and are found in avocado's, extra virgin olive oils and nuts; healthy fats help the body absorb protective phytochemicals.

So that's a wrap, a salad one for today, perhaps and a hope that you will do something new, try something new, try one of our salads....

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

Get Wild with Australian Bush foods

Marketing is an amazing thing, focusing on eating non indigenous animals as a symbol of being Australian.. I'd prefer to market something truly Australian, bush foods.  Foods that have the fed the indigenous Aborigine's for thousands of years, as nomadic hunters and gatherers, they learnt what was safe and nutritious and what was to be avoided.  These foods flourish wherever you are, because they are indigenous to our soils and adapt to water availablity, soil type and structure.  And are something that we should all promote, enjoy and grow.
I have found a great site 'How to Grow Australian', they have lots of resources that will help you find indigenous stock wherever in Australia or overseas you may be.   On this Australia Day why not do something truly Australian and make a difference to your life, grow Australian....


ORGANIC EMPIRE, ORGANIC FOOD HOME DELIVERY, ORGANIC HOME DELIVERY MELBOURNE, ORGANIC FOOD, LOCAL ORGANIC FOOD, ORGANIC FRUIT, ORGANIC VEGETABLES

Feeling the heat

Its definitely heating up in Melbourne and what a blessing that is....that is of course if you can cool down. Do you know that nature has tailored seasonal foods to cool us down in the heat...amazing but true. 


Vegetables, try cucumber, leafy greens (except spinach), cooked beetroot, cabbage, celery, potato, sweet potato, sprouts, fennel, asparagus, beans, zucchini, carrot, artichoke, snow peas, coriander, broccoli, cauliflower, 
peas, rocket, watercress, lettuce, endive, pumpkin, kale, radicchio and parsnip.
Herbs, try coriander, mint and basil.
Fruits, of course watermelon, mango, cherries, lemons, oranges berries-blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, grapes ...anything high in water content

Interestingly these foods contain a high water content, which helps thin the blood  and release the heat...


Want to stay cool as a cucumber: AVOID salty and fried foods..


Why not relax with a Watermelon and mint juice or a Fattoush Salad, perhaps a lemon granita or some fresh homemade lemonade


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

Beet the sugar

So in a time gone by, when mass farming, production and processing of our foods wasn't centralised to one area, when foods were not highly refined,....there was sugar beets, beta vulgaris var altissima.  


The desire for sweetness is an inbuilt one in humans, an innate understanding that sugar = energy in the form of simple carbohydrates, once broken down provide fuel for all the cells in the body.  (interestingly most big food companies know that, and that's why you find sugar as the main ingredient in most foods, even savoury ones.)

In the 18th century, scientists found that root vegetables, in particular sugar beet were sweet as 'sugar'. By mid 19th century most of the sugar in Europe was produced using beetroot.  Even Melbourne had a go, constructing a railway from St Kilda to Oakleigh that was to be dedicated to sugar beet production, finally Maffra in Victoria's east was the production mecca, that was until 1948.

Now most of our sugar (sugar cane) comes from South America, in particular Brazil with no commercial quantities of organic sugar any longer being farmed in Australia.  All of the commercial agave coming in from Mexico.  Sugar beets are still grown commercially, and Genetically Modified crops have been approved for cultivation...ouch.Why not make your sweetener at home??  Get local, get organic and get cooking....

Step 1.  Grow your own, we will have the organic sugar beet seeds available soon.(Organic Empire).
Step 2.  Plant in early spring and harvest in autumn.
Step 3. Add the leaves to your salad.
Step 4. Wash and chop, slice or grate beetroots finely.
Step 5. Cover with water and simmer till soft and tender, this is usually around 30 mins.
Step 6.  Strain beetroots and RETAIN the water, this is your sugar syrup.  Do not discard the beetroots instead using in a salad or for preserving.
Step 7. Return the beetroot water to the stove and simmer till liquid thickens up and produces the syrup.  Remove from the heat.
Step 8. Cool then place in a container.  This beetroot juice/syrup over time will then crystallise just like honey does.  As this process occurs its important to break them up and over time forming sugar crystals. Or you can further reduce syrup so that this process is sped up, and this is done by cooking for longer until the crystals begin to appear.

NB You can just use from Step 7 as a sweetener in a syrup form.

100kg fresh sugar beet can give 12 - 15kg sucrose, 3.5kg molasses, 4.5kg dried pulp and varying amounts of filter cake.

Bearing in mind that even though this sugar is made from beetroot, its still a sugar just like any other sweetener and has the same effect on the human body, raising blood glucose, providing simple pure carbohydrate to our bodies... this is not the best, so like everything in life use in moderation.

Thanks to Lorri for opening up the conversation.



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

Salad Days

This divine Melbourne heat is the perfect time to eat fresh food in its most natural state, raw and preferably organic, but that doesn't mean boring.  Fresh raw foods provide your body with an optimal opportunity to absorb and utilise the vitamins, minerals and enzymes within the food.  If this is not enough they taste amazing too.
I am known in many circles as the Salad Queen I could live on them.. I virtually do most of the year, so for me salads need to be everything, satisfying, full of texture, appealing to the eye and most of all nutritious... Without further adieu allow me to give you just a taste of the 3 summer favourites at the moment.

Vegan Vietnamese Salad- inspired by food from a market stall food vendor I had here in Melbourne, I had to recreate it.  It's divine and full of amazing flavours.

Tomato Salad- if you have access to heirloom tomatoes , use these.

Fattoush Salad- this salad makes use of summer's amazing bounty with the addition of optional wholemeal pitta bread for texture.

For more super salad ideas, check out the website.

ORGANIC HOME DELIVERY MELBOURNE, LOCAL ORGANIC FOODS, ORGANIC EMPIRE

Growing Change

So I often don't get time to watch much Television, which I think is quite a blessing.  Occasionally though I will sit, rather hesitantly to watch some amazing shows... Growing Change is one of them.  I thought it necessary to open the conversation....
What do you believe in?  Do you believe that humans and life on this planet are meant to thrive without mass corporations controlling our world...with people in charge of our most important commodities...us and our lives

Do you think that humans are capable of producing their own food?? Do you think that we are capable of pure health I do, do you think that our food need to be grown with oil based fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides I DON'T..I believe in clean food produced by people; farmers .
Why do we poison our waterways?, make extinct so much life?  think its ok to patent our food, to create sterile seeds? to genetically modify our foods?  Why do we give control of our lives to mass corporations that grow our food with chemicals that make us sick then medicate the masses with more toxins.
I believe that we can live the best life with good clean food, grown organically, I believe that we can change, that everyone can have access to food, health giving food...
When people are healthy, they think better, with clarity, we can create a new world, one where hunger and famine don't exist, free of disease, full of possibilities....let's get to it!  Lets get informed, speak up, connect with others, eat well, feed those you love well with organic fresh produce..


ORGANIC EMPIRE, ORGANIC HOME DELIVERY MELBOURNE, LOCAL ORGANIC FOODS

SUN DAMAGED.. Saved by the ...carrot

Not just rabbit food...Did you know that you can boost the bodies ability to heal and repair with organic foods... the magic word is 'antioxidants' and carrots contain an antioxidant called beta carotene which helps the skin retain moisture, repairs cells after damage and wait for it also increases the bodies natural sun protection factor, otherwise known as SPF.

What are you waiting for, make like a rabbit and munch...

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

THE ORGANIC DEBATE

It's truly this SIMPLE........the message again is to go ORGANIC


ORGANIC EMPIRE, LOCAL ORGANIC FOODS, ORGANIC HOME DELIVERY MELBOURNE

Change your ways

This is a inspirational video from Severn Cullis-Suzuki, these words coming from a 12 year old girl...the message is clear... GO ORGANIC.

Look after the earth in which we live peoples, we are the blessed one's who can make educated decisions to make this earth a wonderful place... our own heaven

When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.
~ Cree Prophecy ~

LOCAL ORGANIC FOOD, ORGANIC HOME DELIVERY MELBOURNE

How lucky we are.....

I have come to realise how blessed we are to live in Melbourne, I will admit as an avid traveller, actually more of a gastronomic traveller its always about the food and my recent journey within Australia , to Sydney actually has affirmed the superiority of Victorian food . This is not a cheap shot, it's a reality! Victorian food is fresher, generally of a superior quality and the price Is substantially better...this is disheartening as much as it is endearing for our farmers. My latest journey has reinforced the definite need to have fresh food that is financially accessible to everyone. Everyone needs to be able to afford fresh foods, this is paramount to fostering a healthy community; and a healthy world.
Melbourne's fresh food is truly affordable! We really should count our lucky stars, I know that the quality of Victoria food is revered the world over but its not until you step outside the comforts of our border can you truly appreciate the value and privilege of our food. It tastes better, and is better.
Just a bit of interesting information...the majority of fresh organic food in Sydney comes from our Victoria farmers...that's how good we have it!

 My wish for you this year is that you choose fresh local organic foods over dry processed packaged foods, because often when people are watching their dollar, they choose these foods to provide satiety, but its the fresh foods that give life, I hope that you realise how blessed we are to have all that we have, to enjoy your foods, to savor every bite and eat more live fresh foods because we are amongst the luckiest people on this earth.
We head back to work on the the 30th January and we have for you growing right now the freshest organic foods to deliver to nourish you and your families, we look forward to serving you then xx

Organic Empire, local organic food, organic home delivery Melbourne

Salt of life

Salt is a necessary part of the diet, which is essential for the maintenance of correct volume of circulating blood and tissue in the body and is especially important in the warmer months when we tend to sweat more. Currently though the majority of people over consume salt, which causes many health problems, including high blood pressure, a very common ailment here in Australia. The aim with salt intake is to make sure that you take in no more than 4g a day ( if you are engaging in vigorous exercise this amount increases). This is approximately 1.5 teaspoons of salt, but humans can survive on 1g of salt a day if required to.

Preservation of food and enhancement of flavour and the primary reasons that salt is used so heavily in processed foods. The result of over consumption of these foods correlates to a high intake of salt without even picking up the grinder.

Why not try Himalayan Sea Salt ($8.99) with over 87 trace minerals, stay away from processed foods, eat lots of fresh foods high in potassium and drink lots of water to help flush your body!

Organic Empire, Local organic foods, home delivery Melbourne

Happy new health

Happy New Year, hope that 2012 brings you all; health, happiness and good living. Its nice to start a new year, turn a new page, write a new chapter in your life story.

There are lots of changes going on around here, keep turned to learn all about them, change the way you shop and live, we are about making your life and our world a better place with organics.

Its time to get healthier and the most important change you can make in your life is to eat fresh, alive organic foods, (that in conjunction with drinking clean water). So don't hesitate, make a change now, become who you want to be, the healthiest person that you can be.

Without your health you have nothing, your health is everything, so nurture your body in the best way that you can....with organics.

ORGANIC TIP FOR THE DAY

Enjoy your day, be happy, breathe deeply, stop, this day is yours. Eat some fresh organic foods, laugh often, drink some fresh water...enjoy your summer days. Start your day with a beautiful organic fruit salad, recipe for it is here

Why not go raw just for one day a week. Have fruit for breakfast, vegetable juice for morning tea, salad for lunch, nuts for afternoon tea and salad for dinner. Help cleanse the bowels and give your real enzyme energy, real nutrition and real live foods=life...

ORGANIC EMPIRE, local organic foods, organic fresh foods Melbourne