Simply Nourished Nutrition

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Whether you're spending you V-Day with some sweet pals, a lover, or kicking it solo and loving yourself the way you should, this cacao is a perfect winter treat for anyone in your life!

Pure cocoa (cacao) has been shown to benefit heart health, brain health, lower bad cholesterol, help with blood sugar and healthy weight.

There are also claims that it can help keep your skin and teeth in tip top shape as well!

Once you try this cacao and see how delicious it tastes you'll be shocked that it isn't bad for you and contains 0 refined sugar!

If you really want to romanticise it for yourself or someone you love, I recommend garnishing it with some beautiful dried rose petals.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons cocoa powder, (no sugar added)
1 tablespoon mini dark chocolate chips
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, (more to taste)
1 teaspoon cinnamon, (more to taste)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
2 cups almond milk, (or oat or skim milk)
2 pinches sea salt

How To Prepare:

1. Add the milk to a small saucepan and add in the coconut oil and dark chocolate chips. Bring to a low simmer.
2. Stir occasionally to ensure the chips are melted and then add the cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon and maple syrup and either whisk in the pot or if you own a hand held frother for coffee, us that!
3. Ready to serve and a tasty, and healthy treat for the whole family that can help curb sugar cravings.

(I also recommend investing in the Harmonic Arts 5 mushroom cacao blend )It's already sweetened and has adaptogenic properties and many other benefits. Can use one teaspoon of this combined with a teaspoon of regular cocoa as well!)

Burdock root is yet another invasive medicinal plant that often takes over the yard and is a bit of a b***h to remove, but has an impressive list of benefits when used in teas or cooking preparations.

For years I’ve been periodically drinking burdock root tea for a detox of the body (mixed with dandelion root of course). Studies have actually shown that burdock has similar, but even more beneficial qualities than dandelion root (full disclosure: it tastes way worse though).

More recent findings have shown that burdock root actually might be very beneficial for those at risk or suffering from diabetes! The root contains polysaccharides (complex carbohydrates) which can lower blood glucose levels and enhance inulin sensitivity.

The polysaccharides also seem to have many other potential effects and benefits such as immune regulation, anti oxidative effects and anticancer properties!

These are all reason enough to give this pesky, smelly root a chance.

Whether you steep it as a tea and try to chug it like a shot to get its benefits, or cook it by peeling, chopping up and sautéing the root in coconut aminos or tamari and sesame oil (or pickling it!), it’s worth experimenting with.

Book your free 15 minute phone consultation with me through the link in bio to find out more about burdock and many of the other herbs you can add into a tea blend with it for optimum benefits.

This recipe is packed with protein as well as omega-3 and fibre! The patties can be eaten as a traditional burger topped with tomato and cucumber or eating on rice or salad!

Salmon Burger Patties (GF, DF):

2 teaspoons dried dill w**d
1 salmon filet
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch ground pepper
2 teaspoons ground flax
2 teaspoons h**p hearts (optional)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dijon
1 teaspoon mayo (optional)
1 teaspoon thyme, dried or fresh
2 teaspoon parsley, dried or fresh
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like things spicier)
2 tablespoons crushed up cornflakes, organic and sugar free
2 teaspoon capers
1/2 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, large and minced
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

For the Sauce:

1 teaspoon dijon
2 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
1 small pickle, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon parsley, fresh and minced
1 teaspoon dill, fresh and minced (optional)

Directions in the comment below!👇🏻👇🏻

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This is a simple and tasty recipe that can keep in the fridge for a few days and has beta-carotene from the carrots (good for your vision, skin and immune system).

It contains many benefits from broccoli (compounds to reduce cancer risk, fibre, vitamin C, etc).

Added nutritional yeast not only gives a bit of a cheesy flavour but is super high in B12.

Sunflower seeds are high in vitamin E and many other vitamins and minerals as well as a source of fibre and healthy fats.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

-2 stems from broccoli heads, with outer layer peeled, then shredded or cut into matchsticks
-2 medium carrots, peeled and then shredded or cut into matchsticks
-1/2 cup of dried cranberries or blueberries
-3/4 cup mayo, ideally organic without seed oils (can sub for vegan mayo to make the slaw vegan!)- recommend the avocado oil mayo by
-1/4 cup dijon mustard (or honey mustard)
-1 teaspoon maple syrup (more if you like a little more sweetness)
-Sprinkle of sea salt (more to taste)
-Sprinkle of ground pepper (more to taste)
-1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
-1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
-1 teaspoon dried dill w**d (gives it a bit of a ranch flare)
-1 tablespoon minced parsley
-1 teaspoon paprika
-1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds

Directions:

1.Mix all of the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl with the dry seasonings to form a sauce.
2.Add the veggies, sunflower seeds and dried berries and toss together. You’re done! I find this the tastiest after its been in the fridge for a few hours to soak up the flavours.

Contact me through the link in bio for more quick, easy and healthy lunch recipes you can use throughout the week.

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With the grey winter season in full swing and the start of the new year, many of us may be feeling lethargic and frankly a bit blah about the pressure of making positive changes for 2025.

I've come up with a list of my go-to natural supplements and herbal teas to help relieve anxiety and depression during our transition into the next year.

If anyone is interested in more detailed information about these remedies, where to find them, how to consume them or a detailed supplement, herbal and meal plan to kick start your year, please contact me via the website in my bio!

Supplements to Aid in Anxiety:

-5-HTP
-Saffron (much cheaper in supplement form than in the cooking form)
-Kava Kava
-GABA
-Magnesium Glycinate
-Vitamin D
-Ashwagandha
-Niacin
-L-Tryptophan
-Siberian Ginseng
-Ginko Biloba

Herbs to Use in Teas:

-Lemon Balm
-Passionflower
-St. Johns Wort (Don't use if on prescribed SSRIs)
-Lavender
-Chamomile
-Valerian Root
-Rhodiolia
-Hops

I definitely recommend investing in a tea steeper so that you can curate your own combination of soothing herbs. Many of these also help ease the mind in the evening for a better nights sleep. You can find stainless steel tea steepers for individual mugs of tea and pre-fill with your favourite herbs to bring to work with you during the day!

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No two people are the same.

We’re all unique individuals with varying schedules, struggles, and forms of rest and relaxation.

Find those things that bring you a sense of calm, peace and joy and make the time in your week to follow through on them.

It doesn't always need to be a session at the gym/sauna or journaling. Sometimes, maybe you need to treat yourself to a cookie and watch a movie. And those days are ok!

Finding some rituals that put you at ease can be detrimental, especially during a shift of seasons into winter (that seasonal depression vibe), life changes, busy months and work/home stresses.

Some small things that make a big difference for me include:

✦ Curating different nightly tea blends depending on how I'm feeling that day (anxious, stressed, on edge, bloated, under the weather, etc)

✦ Having dimmed lights with my trusty twinkly lights and nothing else on in my room

✦ A lavender incense that makes me feel like I'm at the spa

✦ Magnesium salt baths even in the middle of the day

✦ A fancy frothed coffee and cookie from my favourite bakery as a mid week treat

✦ Being completely alone or surrounded by friends who really know me well

✦ Cooking a big tasty dinner with many components that make me feel nourished (and taking a digestive enzyme when I eat it)

Find your niche when it comes to self care and make it a priority in your life!

We can talk about all of these things and more while figuring out what works for you when you schedule a consultation to start a wellness journey with me through my website:)

🌿I'm sure many of you grew up like I did- with your parents humming and hawing about Dandelion season, getting the w**d whacker out to take care of these little yellow flowers when they would pop up.

I also have plenty of memories of picking the dying buds and blowing their puff balls across the yard (which was actually just spreading the seeds and causing more growth, sorry Dad).

Little did I know that these plants weren't as inconvenient and annoying as my parents made it seem. There's actually so many benefits to these resilient w**ds.

Let's go over a few:

-Bees love dandelion flowers, and apparently beekeepers say that this plant helps produce some of the best honey (which we need more of-save the bees)

-You can eat Dandelion greens....And they actually supply you with loads of vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, C and K.

-They contain antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals. This means that ingesting them can actually help you prevent disease. They have lots of beta-carotene, which can help protect against cell damage (and is also great for your eyes/vision)

-Dandelion root is a natural liver detoxifier as it might reduce excess fat stored in the liver and therefore protect it.

-Dandelion leaves help support the kidneys.

-It aids in digestion and can help treat constipation and keep you regular, which is also a key part of detoxifying the body.

-Dandelion root extract can apparently help the generation of new skin cells, supporting the appearance of your skin as you age!

-It's easy to consume the greens in a salad, or the root or dried leaves in tea or tincture form.

This list is just to name a few of it's beneficial qualities. Feel free to contact me through the Simply Nourished website to find out more details about this misunderstood magic plant!

🔪 🍳 Take a look at my blog post on the Simply Nourished site about which kitchen items I consider life saving and which ones are just taking up unwanted space so you can Marie Kondo your life, declutter and get the most use out of your things. It’s helpful for your wallet as well as your mental health!