The Organic Empire is about delivering the highest quality organic foods all over Victoria. Real food grown by people that have passion for what they do and in turn create the freshest, healthiest organic foods around. To these our farmers, we take off our hats for their bounty is what keeps us healthy and alive.tastesbetter@organicempire.com.au
Apricots | Capsicums | Radish |
Gooseberries | Celery | Squash |
Lychees | Cucumber | Asparagus |
Avocado | Lettuce | Eggplant |
Strawberries | Blueberries | Tomatoes |
Watercress | Zucchini | Beans |
Sugar snap peas | Cherries |
ORGANIC EMPIRE, organic home delivery melbourne, local organic foods
'Heirloom' or 'heritage' fruit and vegetables are essentially old varieties that have stood the test of time; these varieties are not used in modern large scale agriculture. So these plants have been engineered by nature. They are living artifacts and living history exhibits
Before the industrialization of our fresh produce, an enormous variety of crops were grown for humans to eat. Through time and with the modern agriculture in the industrialized world, most crops that are grown conventionally use large monocultural plots, which is the practice of growing one variety of crop over the whole farm. This is great if you are a farmer, easier to tend to your soil, but growing the same crops year in year out in the same soil leads to soil deficiencies, and in conventional farming, increased fertilisers, and increased pests because of the deficiencies in the soil.
These varieties that are mass produced are generally chosen for the drought/frost tolerance, crop yields etc.
Heirloom varieties are enjoying a new resurgence in our society, being chosen for the taste, visual appearance, their adaptability to grow in different environments and increasing the genetic diversity of the plants that exist. These plants have adapted through time, and as such are often resistant to local pests, diseases and extremes of weather. Flavor is one of the key reasons people like to preserve heirloom seeds. Their flavor is exceptional
We have some amazing heirloom Italian variety of zucchini, these are delicious, grown locally, certified organic and simply support to biodiversity of nature. Stay tuned for the heirloom tomatoes that are about to become available, black Russians, yellow, purple....
If you would like to organic goodness contact us tastebetter@organicempire.com.au and we can deliver it to your door, or perhaps you would like some heirloom plants for yourself contact us.
2 organic Lebanese cucumbers
3 - 4 organic tomatoes, cut in half and deseeded
1 organic bunch spring onions
1 bunch organic radish 1 Organic red capsicum
1/2 organic bunch parsley, washed and chopped
1/2 organic bunch mint, washed and chopped
1/4 organic bunch coriander, washed and chopped
100 mls Extra Virgin Cold Pressed olive oil
2 organic lemons, zest and juice
2 slices of wholemeal pita bread, torn up
Pinch of cracked black pepper and sea salt
Dice the cucumbers, red capsicum, radish and tomatoes into small cubes. Place both into a large salad bowl. Slice the spring onions into fine slices and add to the tomato and cucumber. Wash the parsley, coriander and mint, and then combine and chop the mix to a fine consistency. Add to the other ingredients.
Tear the pita bread into the required size and bake in the oven for around 5-10 minutes, till crispy. Put the pita bread to one side and add to the salad just prior to serving.
Season salad with a little salt and pepper; add the lemon zest and then toss all the ingredients together.
Make the dressing by combining the olive oil and the lemon juice and mix well, pour over the salad and add the fried pita bread. If your salad needs a little more volume, you can add some finely chopped iceberg lettuce to it.
Spelt is an ancient grain, one which has been around for thousands of years. It is naturally resistant to insect pests and diseases such as 'rust', which often attacks wheat crops (It has not been hybridized like wheat meaning that this is grain is solely as nature created….. but wait it gets even better…this amazing grain is more flavourful, more nutritious and easier to digest than wheat. It can be used wherever you would ordinarily use wheat. More nutrition bite for bite.
Kamut is also an ancient grain, originating in the Fertile Cresent of the Old World thousands of years ago. Kamut is also naturally resistant to insect pests and diseases. It has 20-40% more protein than wheat, high in Selenium , and has 30% more vitamin E than wheat. Kamut had an inherent sweetness, so no sugar is required to hide the subtle bitterness associated with most wheat and a delicious buttery flavour.
For those with wheat sensitivities, it is generally 70% more tolerable. This is not the same for those with gluten intolerances.
Metabolic Syndrome
The fattest nation on Earth!
Australia is now officially the fattest nation in the world, with more than nine million adults classified as obese or overweight. Four million Australians are considered obese (26% of the adult population) and five million are considered overweight (33% of the adult population). Being obese or overweight is extremely unhealthy and has been shown to increase your risk of many chronic illnesses, including metabolic syndrome.
What is metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a condition often seen in people who are obese or overweight. This condition can affect your blood sugar control, your cholesterol levels, your blood pressure and long term can significantly increase your risk of developing heart disease and/or diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is now recognised as a major contributing factor behind the two major causes of death in our society: heart disease and cancer. In fact, if you have metabolic syndrome, this increases your risk of heart attack and stroke by around 500%!
1 in 4 Australian adults have metabolic syndrome – could this be you?
It is estimated that 19-29% of Australian adults aged 25 and above have metabolic syndrome. If you have been diagnosed with one or more of the following conditions, you may have metabolic syndrome:
• High blood pressure.
• Diabetes or at risk of diabetes.
• Problems with your triglycerides or cholesterol.
• Carrying extra weight around your waist.
What causes metabolic syndrome?
Many factors contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome, including:
• Lack of exercise.
• Poorly managed stress.
• A high calorie diet.
• A diet high in processed foods and sugar.
• Toxicity.
These factors can throw your body out of balance so you lose the ability to regulate the levels of fat and sugar in your blood. This can cause cardiovascular problems, like high blood pressure, and increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes – affecting your long-term health.
The "beer belly" is bad news
Keeping your weight under control is the first step to addressing metabolic syndrome. Being obese or overweight is a major risk factor for metabolic syndrome and where the fat is stored actually has a major influence on the risk of metabolic syndrome. Abdominal fat (i.e. fat around your mid-section) increases your risk far more than general body fat (i.e. fat on hips and thighs). The preferred waist measurement for men is below 94 cm, and for women it's below 80 cm. A measurement of above 102 cm for men or above 88 cm for women puts you at risk of developing
metabolic syndrome.
The good news…
If you think you may already have metabolic syndrome, it's not all bad news. Metabolic syndrome is largely caused by diet and lifestyle, so there is a lot that can be done to remedy the condition, providing you address it early enough. The bad news is that if you do not address the causes of metabolic syndrome, it can lead to irreversible damage to your heart and arteries, kidneys, liver and nervous system.
Take the first step today!
Along with a healthy lifestyle and diet, there are many nutritional and herbal supplements that have been shown to be very effective at addressing metabolic syndrome. If you suspect you may have metabolic syndrome, come in today and see me to help address this condition and get you on the way to wellness!
MELBOURNE NATUROPATHIC WELLNESS
Marisa Camilleri - Naturopath
Melbourne Suite 15 / 12 Collins St 9663 5940
Williamstown 95 Douglas Parade 9397 7885
marisa@naturopathicwellness.com.au
www.naturopathicwellness.com.au
* Specialist in Fat Loss, Wellness & Preventative care * Naturopathy * Herbal Medicine * Homeopathy * Nutritional & dietary advice * Ear candling * Bioimpedance Analysis (BIA)
A lot of us face a conundrum when we want to eat out, or have to buy fresh produce that's not organic…what is better to eat…what has the least pesticides, herbicides. First and foremost, the fresher the produce the better it is for your body. Irrespective of the amount of pesticides, herbicides and insectides that are applied to the growing of conventional fruit and vegetables, there is also the absorption of the nasty chemical ferilisers that are applied to the soil of the growing plant. So when we talk about the least chemicals, this refers to the spraying of the plants, which plants are sprayed least, this changes seasonally though because different climatic conditions mean that there will be different insect infestations, funguses etc. (this is where we need to take our hats off to our organic farmers, who use traditional and scientific methods without the toxic chemicals to poison us). Did you know that eating conventional foods daily, that you eat a minimum 12 different pestidices that are absorbed into your body and play havoc with your health…not nice.
The rule of thumb is that if you not going to eat the skin, its not as bad to eat it conventional. But at the end of the day, I would suggest going organic whenever you can. In addition to these lists, I would not recommend eating any canola or soy products unless they are CERTIFIED ORGANIC. The introduction of Genetically Modified Crops means that unless these are from certified organic production, more than likely they will be Genetically Modified.YUK.
ALWAYS EAT THESE ORGANIC | CONVENTIONAL CROPS THAT CAN BE OK |
Broccoli | Potatoes (but generally a lot of commercial premises purchase their potatoes , pre peeled, dipped in Sulphur Dioxide, if this is the case –avoid) |
Cauliflower | Watermelon |
Berries, strawberries, blueberries etc | Onions |
Peaches, nectarines | Avocado |
Apples (can be sprayed with over 40 different chemicals, before it reaches your hand, also generally coated in a food grade wax…tasty) | Corn (its protective sheath, protects it somewhat from the chemical onslaught) |
Celery | Pineapple (its tough skin means that not many insects can penetrate) |
Leafy greens | Mango |
Grapes | Asparagus |
Cabbage | Papaya |
Dark greens (Silverbeet, kale, etc) | Pumpkin |
GARLIC (90% of conventional garlic is imported and every single bulb is fumigated with one the world's most dangerous chemicals, Methyl Bromide.) |
Do you best, eat as many fruits and vegetables daily where you can and GO ORGANIC!!!!!
