Brazil nuts originate from the South American rainforests, especially abundant in the amazon. Brazil nut trees can live to be more than 500 years old, and require the presence of a specific orchid that attracts the particular bee that is needed to pollinate the flowers. Unable to be farmed, Brazil nuts are harvested from wild trees without harming the rainforest.

Brazil nuts are rich in the mineral selenium, a powerful antioxidant that is beneficial for thyroid and cardiovascular health as well as detoxification in the liver. A single Brazil nut contains more selenium than most supplements!

Brazil nuts are also rich in monounsaturated fats, which are great for cardiovascular and brain health. They are also a good source of magnesium and calcium, which will help to keep your bones strong and also help with stress.

For best results, try to eat 3 raw Brazil nuts every day. They are also a great addition to salads and are yummy ground up and put in yoghurt or on muesli.

The Alkaline Diet – It All Comes Down to the PH

The acid/alkaline diet may be something you have heard of before, but what does it mean? Foods have different properties when consumed. Acid or alkaline refers to the effect the food has within the body, being acid-forming or alkaline-forming. A common misconception is that foods such as lemon are acid, however, when consumed in the body they are actually highly alkaline-forming.

pH is a scale used to measure the acidity or alkalinity of certain things. The higher the pH, the more alkaline, the lower the pH, the more acid.

• Acid – 0
• Alkaline – 14
• Water – 7
• Seawater – 8.5
• Blood – 7.5
• Urine – 6
• Wine, beer, and cola drinks – 3

The ideal blood pH is 7.5. Eating too many acid-forming foods can reduce this pH, leading to acidity in the body. The correct pH is needed for ALL bodily functions to work correctly, from the cellular level to our metabolism and organ function.

Foods that are acid-forming should therefore be reduced in the diet, and limited to 20% of your total dietary intake.

Foods that are the most acid-forming in the body include:

• Sugar
• Refined and Processed foods
• Soft drink
• Wine, beer, and other alcohol
• Coffee
• Black Tea
• Dairy products, especially milk and milk powder
• Wheat
• Artificial sweeteners
• Rancid Oils
• Most grains (except buckwheat, millet, amaranth, and quinoa)
• Most legumes (except lentils)
• Most nuts and seeds (except almonds, pepitas, and sesame seeds)

Alkaline-forming foods should form the basis of your diet, making up 80% of the food you eat.

As a general rule, most fruits and vegetables are alkaline-forming, with the most alkaline foods being:

• Lemons
• Green leafy vegetables (spinach, silverbeet, kale, etc)
• Broccoli
• Raw salads
• Tomato
• Almonds
• Sesame seeds
• Pepitas
• Raw honey
• Buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa
• Spirulina, barley or wheatgrass

Changing your diet

Most people have a very acid-forming diet, being high in wheat, refined foods, and sugar. Substantial improvements in most health conditions can be obtained by reducing acid-forming foods in the diet to only 20% of your intake. This is not an easy task initially, as significant changes will need to be made to achieve this.

A good start is to look at substituting some of the acid foods for alkaline foods:

• Wheat – use buckwheat, millet, amaranth, or quinoa.
• Sugar – use raw unfiltered honey instead (honey is acid-forming once cooked).
• Dairy milk – try rice milk or oat milk on cereal, BONSOY milk in tea and coffee – these are still acid but less so than dairy.
• Coffee – try herbal tea or roasted dandelion coffee.

Try looking at your meal and imagining how you could make it more alkaline. Adding green leafy vegetables is a good way to do this, or having a salad on the side can also help. Lemon juice in water can be had on rising and before meals (30 minutes) to stimulate digestion and alkalise the body (always rinse your mouth out with fresh water after having lemon juice).

Quinoa, pronounced keen-wa, was the staple food of the Incas. It is gluten-free, has the highest protein content of any grain and contains many nutrients including calcium, iron, zinc and B vitamins.

The seed coating contains saponins which can irritate the intestines, so quinoa must be soaked and washed under running water thoroughly to remove these. Quinoa is available from most health food shops.

Preparation of quinoa:

1 cup quinoa + 1 1/2 cups cold water

• Soak overnight then rinse under running water OR soak for 15 minutes then rinse under running water for 5 minutes. The first option is more effective and better for the environment as it uses less water.
• Drain quinoa well in a fine sieve.
• Place quinoa in a pot and add the water.
• Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer.
• Cook for 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to sit five minutes with lid on.
• Fluff gently with a fork and serve.

Quinoa is delicious on it’s own or served with anything you would normally use rice for.

You can tell when quinoa is cooked as the edge of the seed separates as a white spiral and the seed turns clear.

Try adding the rinsed grain to soups and casseroles or use it as a porridge.

Have you been asking yourself what the craze is with wheat grass? Wheat grass is a fantastic companion to a healthy diet, as it contains high levels of chlorophyll, the nutrient that gives it its deep green hue.

Chlorophyll is structurally very similar to haemoglobin, the molecule responsible for carrying oxygen around our bodies, and therefore is said help oxygenate our body.Chlorophyll is traditionally used as a blood cleanser and alkaliser, so is great for detoxification.

Wheat grass contains 82 of the 92 minerals found in soil, including calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. It also has B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin A.

Eating the grass provides little nutrition as our digestive system cannot break down the cellulose int the plant to release the minerals. Wheat grass should therefore be consumed juiced.

A special expresser is required to juice wheatgrass. Top of the line juicers can sometimes have an attachment, or you can buy a manual one to clamp on the bench.

To grow your own wheatgrass, use a seedling tray filled with organic soil. cover soil with whole wheat grains and put a piece of newspaper on top. Soak thoroughly daily. When the grains have sprouted (2-4 days) remove the newspaper and leave in a sunny position. Water daily.

Wheat grass should be consumed within 12 hours of juicing, but ideally straight away to maintain its nutrient value. Most people don’t mind the taste, but you can follow with a slice of orange to help if you don’t like the taste of wheatgrass.

Don’t want to buy a juicer? Wheat grass juice shots can be purchased at most juice bars for around $2, so try it today!

Antioxidants; why we need them and where you get them from.

Antioxidant is a word that is thrown around a lot in food advertising these days – you hear about it in breakfast cereals, juices, and even now on chocolate! The hard part is deciding how to interpret this information – dark chocolate is high in antioxidants but the sugar content lowers it’s therapeutic capacity substantially, so you have to read between the lines.

Antioxidants are substances needed in the body to protect our cells and tissues from oxidative damage. Oxidative damage in the body can lead to tissue damage and has been linked to cardiovascular disease and aging. Antioxidants have a protective effect on cells, slowing the aging process and keeping our cells and organs healthy.

Antioxidants are found in many food sources but hormones, neurotransmitters and other compounds in the body also have antioxidant properties.

Some of the best sources of antioxidants include:

• Green tea – especially with lemon juice added
• Berries – especially blueberries, bilberries and blackberries
• Green leafy vegies
• Capsicum
• Kiwifruit
• Apples with skin
• Pawpaw and pineapple
• Broccoli
• Tomato especially cooked with oil
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Goji berries
• Red grapes
• Red wine – especially pinot noir (in moderation of course)
• Cocao / Cacao (raw cocoa)
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Foods which are brightly coloured generally have a high antioxidant content, so aim for a rainbow on your plate!

Try these recipes to help fight the flu this winter!

Honey, lemon and ginger drink

Yes, an oldie but a goodie. For best results, stir the honey through once the drink is slightly cooled.

• 1/2 lemon
• 5 slices of fresh ginger
• 1 tsp of honey

Cut lemon into pieces, put in a mug and crush slightly to release the juice. Add sliced ginger and pour boiled water over the top. Add honey last when cool.

Sore throat tea and gargle

• Steep 1 tsp fresh or dried sage in one cup of hot water.
• Once slightly cooled add honey and 1/2 tsp slippery elm.
• Sip on the tea, gargling occasionally.

Immune boosting smoothie

High in vitamin C and bioflavonoids, this smoothie is both nutritious and delicious!
In a blender put:

• a handful of blueberries
• a handful of raspberries
• 1/4 red paw paw – chopped
• 1 kiwifruit – skin on
• the juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
• a little extra water
• a handful of ice
• 1 tsp or 1 broken capsule of probiotics (optional)

Blend until smooth

• Add water until desired consistency.
• Drink immediately.

For more information about colds and influenza, click here.

Winter is the time when our immune system is more vulnerable to catching the common cold and influenza. Both the common cold and influenza start out as a virus, which makes them very contagious. These viruses change year to year, with many different strains around each flu season.

The common cold is relatively harmless if your immune system is working correctly, and is usually short lived. Influenza virus however is much more dangerous, especially in the young and the elderly, and if not treated promptly can lead to severe illness and even death.

The common cold and antibiotics

Antibiotics are not effective against viruses – only bacteria, so they do not actually target the cause of the cold or flu – just the bacterial infection left behind, often presenting as mucous build up or a runny nose.

Antibiotics are harmful to your digestive and immune systems as they wipe out your beneficial digestive bacteria strains, such as lactobaccilus and bifidus. This leads to an imbalance in the digestive system which can cause bloating, indigestion and candida overgrowth.

In your digestive system there are 2-3kg of these bacteria, hanging in a delicate balance to perform many functions. Studies have shown that these bacteria have critical roles in modulating our immune system, reducing inflammation and allowing nutrient absorption in the intestine.

A good way to avoid antibiotic use is to visit your naturopath at the first signs of a cold or flu. Naturopathy helps by using herbs which support your immune system in fighting off the virus, as well as using specific antiviral herbs and nutrients that work quickly to resolve the illness. Symptoms such as runny nose, sore throat, coughing, sinusitis and post nasal drip also respond well to naturopathic treatment, getting you feeling back to 100% quicker.

Antiviral foods

The following foods have antiviral properties:

• Raw garlic
• Spirulina

Antibacterial foods

These foods have antibacterial properties – great to use on a sore throat or for gastroenteritis

• Raw unfiltered honey
• Sage
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Garlic
• Coconut oil

Foods that boost the immune system

These foods are rich in immune boosting nutrients such as vitamin C, zinc and omega 3.

• Lemons
• Kiwifruit
• Berries
• Pineapple
• Sardines
• Salmon
• Flaxseeds
• Onions
• Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• Oysters
• Shellfish

For great flu fighting recipes, click here.

To make an appointment, click here.