Tips on how to Avoid Sugar

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• Remove sugar from your coffee/tea – if it seems like a massive task start by reducing the amount of spoonfuls added.
• Don’t add sugar to your cereal – it really is sweet enough!
• Avoid Soft drinks – is it really necessary to have a ‘Coke’ or ‘Red Bull”? Try replacing it will a glass of water – this will better quench your thirst and rehydrate you.
• Avoid Fruit poppers and packaged Juices – apart from the sugar in the Fruit added sweeteners have usually been added by the truckload. Try a piece of fruit instead – yes fruit has a form of sugar in it but it is a 'good' sugar.
• Avoid packaged foods. Chips, Biscuits, Muesli Bars.
• Make a batch of home baked muffins – you can then monitor the ingredients.
• Eat fresh homemade popcorn as a snack add some olive oil.
• Replace that afternoon chocolate bar with a piece of Dark chocholate – best if it is over 80% cacao – you will then get other benefits!
• Cut out lollies and sweets at your desk and eat a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts (Almonds are best), a small container of ‘Natural’ yoghurt.

Magnesium an elemental mineral - what's it good for?

Magnesium in our community is an underrated mineral. I have just had a client tell me that she thinks it has changed her life! I also love Magnesium. And seemingly everyone else should – I remember one of my university lecturers saying the food with the most amount of magnesium in our trolley is usually in the block of chocolate!

Most of us know that magnesium is specific for our Musclo-skeletal system, it helps our muscles relax, and restores and repairs them after we work out, it helps ease our aches and pains. We use magnesium to prevent muscle spasms, twitches, convulsions and tremors.

The secondary action of Magnesium and I feel it’s most important – it works on our nervous system. It helps maintain healthy nerve function; aids nerve transmission, and ultimately helps our brain function properly. It helps us deal with stress and is involved in aiding cellular energy production.

It is very difficult to get the recommended daily intake of magnesium from our foods, various reasons being - the content of magnesium in our soil is often low, processing and milling removes 60% of magnesium stores and cooking in water also causes leaching.

Food sources that include Magnesium are:

• Leafy greens; Spinach
• Nuts: Almonds, cashews
• Soyabeans: non GM is best
• Whole grains, oatmeal, bran
• Milk and dairy; Natural yoghurt

Symptoms magnesium can treat:

• Muscle cramps, aches and pains
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic Fatigue
• Depression
• Anxiety
•  Irritability
• Sleep disturbances and Insomnia
• Stress
• PMS and period pain
• Pregnancy; prematurity and prevent intrauterine growth retardation
• Cardio-vascular health

One third of Australians over 18 years do not get their recommended daily intake of magnesium and a deficiency may be exacerbated by stress, strenuous exercise and poor absorption. It is best to use a practitioner range of magnesium because it is formulated properly and will prevent you from having gastro-intestinal cramps and loose stools. 

HAPPY EASTER - here's what's good about it!

Did the easter bunny come to you? I hope so because chocolate has so many benefits, it isn't all bad however remember all in moderation. I heard Michelle Bridges (Australia's fitness guru) claim that it takes a half an hour walk to work off one egg, so remember to enjoy and taste the ones you eat.


Here are some benefits of chocolate that should make you feel better about over indulging.

• Chocolate contain antioxidants.  Antioxidants protect the body from ageing, sickness and help reduce blood pressure.
• Chocolate can reduce blood pressure, making chocolate good for your heart.
• Chocolate makes you feel good.
•  Chocolate gives you a feeling of pleasure.
• Chocolate is a mood enhancer and makes us feel happy.
• Chocolate can give you energy.
• There is also evidence that it may increase your sexual desire.
• And most importantly chocolate tastes good!

Happy easter I hope you have a fabulous break, with lots of love, rest and of course chocolate.

A Decadent Delight - Happy Valentines Day

I love Valentines day - when it is kept simple and the one you love gives you something picked from the garden, a poem written for you or a decadent delight of chocolate. 

Call me an old fashioned fool but a bit of love and passion goes a long way in keeping you healthy and feeling good about yourself.

Here is my valentine gift.

A very good, very chocolaty chocolate cake that I suggest you try and bake one day, I have taken the recipe from Matthew Evans (see link). Matthew Evans; A very good, very chocolatey chocolate cake

So today I write for you the benefits of chocolate – if it has over 75% cocoa then it is all good, eat til your heart is content, there are both emotional and physical benefits.

The benefits of chocolate!

• Chocolate contains flavonoids, which act as antioxidants.  Antioxidants protect the body from aging and help reduce blood pressure via the production of nitric oxide.
• Studies have proven that chocolate can reduce blood pressure in those with high blood pressure and lower cholesterol (LDL’s) -the bad cholesterol. Thus, making chocolate good for your heart.
• Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, which increases glucose and adrenaline levels in the blood, making you feel good.
•  It stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure.
• It helps release serotonin, which acts as a thymoleptic (mood enhancer).
• Scientists have discovered that chocolate stimulates the production of serotonin in the brain, which is one of the chemical compounds that makes us feel good.
• It contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances, which are stimulants and may give you energy.
• There is also evidence that it may increase your sexual desire.
• And most importantly chocolate tastes good!