A good diet is essential for great nutrition, but it’s also something we tend to take for granted. Pew Research reports that more Americans are concerned with healthy eating today, but not all of them are able to reach that goal. This could be due to a number of factors, such as access to healthy food or attitudes towards food.

If you’re concerned about your diet and health, it may be time to focus on specifics— namely, your gut. Maintaining your digestive health is important for the overall condition of your body. Your digestive system helps break down nutrients in your food, and boosts your overall immune system. If you aren’t sure you’re eating enough food good for your gut, then here are five things you can add into your diet to do just that.

Yogurt

If you want to boost your digestion and overall gut health, one of the fastest and easiest ways to do that is through eating fermented foods. In our previous article on ‘5 Reasons to Add Fermented Foods to your Family Meals’, we talked about some favourites, including sauerkraut, kombucha, and of course, yogurt.

Yogurt is a great addition to any diet because it’s easy to find and great for pairing with other foods. Natural and Greek yogurt varieties are especially helpful for building up healthy bacteria in your gut, and they taste great too!

Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass may not be the first thing you think of when you want to improve your gut health, but it’s actually a pretty powerful plant. Not only is it full of important minerals and nutrients, it’s also a great natural remedy for acid reflux.

Brightcore claims that wheatgrass powders are high in alkalinity and nutrient concentration which helps to detoxify your body and improve your digestive system. No more heartburn after meals— with wheatgrass, you can definitely rest easy.

Vegetables

When it comes to a healthy diet, including vegetables is pretty much par for the course. Vegetables and other plant-based foods are low in calories yet high in nutrients, making them foundational to healthy diets. But did you know that vegetables are great for improving your digestive health too?

Green leafy vegetables are especially good for your diet, because they tend to be high in magnesium. The Cleveland Clinic suggests greens like spinach, which can not only provide your body with necessary nutrients, but can also help relieve constipation. If that’s a concern for you and your household, it’s time to stock up on greens.

Prebiotics

Nutrition is a pretty complex process, one that involves a lot of chemicals and hidden functions in our bodies. While you’ll definitely see people recommending nutritious foods for healthier guts, it’s important not to miss out on feeding what does make our guts healthy— the good bacteria in our digestive systems.

These good bacteria feed on what’s called prebiotics, which are non-digestible starches and fiber. News Medical lists a few such as chicory root, onions, and oatmeal. While these shouldn’t make up the bulk of your household’s diet, they’re essential for maintaining the populations of good bacteria in your gut. Make sure to feed these bacteria every once in a while, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the nutrition you need, too.

Whole Grains

Fiber is pretty important in the digestive process, so we need to make sure that our families have enough of it. Not only does it play a crucial role in digestion, it also helps to lower cholesterol, improve digestion, and lessen the chances of constipation.

WebMD enumerates important high-fiber foods, including whole grains. Brown rice, millet, oatmeal, and even pasta are all great whole grain sources of fiber. Whole grain bread is another important source of fiber, and easy enough to switch out for sandwiches and other meals. For maintaining a healthy digestive system, fiber is one of your family’s best options.

I like my fridge to reflect my values around food and nutrition, and to say something about me. We are what we eat, after all. So I don’t particularly want to be associated with a shrivelled, forgotten six month old prune, or a science experiment that has added new and interesting growths and tear-producing aromas to last week’s take-out.

What you put into your fridge directly determines whether you eat well or not, so I stock my fridge in a way that is always able to deliver smoothies, soups, stir fries, ‘eggy’ dishes, granolas, parfaits and salads.

“Studies have shown that we reach for what’s convenient and what’s visible,” says Janet Polivy

What you won’t find in my fridge is a bunch of  products with numbers, colours, additives or chemicals. I like to think of myself as ‘refined’ in my own klutzy way, but refined products are a no-no in these parts!

The pictures below show off the contents of my fridge, shelf by shelf. Thanks to the clever Natural New Age Mum for inviting me to take part in this link up

Top Shelf

• B.d Farm Paris Creek Yoghurt
• Global Organics Tomato Paste
• Almond Butter
• Pan De Mar Mussels
• Homemade parsley and lime tahini
• Date Syrup
• Activated Sunflower Seeds
• Activated Pecans (my favourite nut!)
• Full Fat cream
• Unpasterized Brown Rice Miso
• Organic prunes
• Cultured veges

Second Shelf

• St Dalfours Strawberry Jam
• Spiral pasta sauce
• Home-made choc-coated activated almonds
• Gruyere cheese
• Cherry tomatoes from the markets
• Organic strawberries from the market
• Borgul my mum made
• Activated sesame seeds

Third and Fourth shelf and draws

This section mainly consist of my fresh organic vegetables from the markets with an abundance of leafy greens. There is also a glass container of delicious home-made chicken stock in there. But that’s normal, right?

Side of fridge top shelf

Not pictured but this section but where you will find my:

• Parmesan Regianno
• Cultured Butter
• Pastured Eggs
• Barambah Cheddar cheese

Side of fridge bottom shelf

• Sauces including Spiral Mirin and Tamari
• Home made mayonaisse in the Global Organics jar
• NiuLife Coconut Aminos
• Global Organic mustard
• Canadian Maple syrup in the big jar
• My family’s favourite milk : ) … for bathing, clearly …
• Ceres ABC nut butter – super delish

As the weather warms up I will move my Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar & Organic Ghee into the fridge too.

A little note that as you can probably tell I’m trying to move towards using glass as opposed to plastic containers, much better for our health!

If you need help overhauling your fridge, freezer or pantry to a real foods haven,  please check out my Kitchen Reboot program here.

I hope you’ve enjoyed peeking inside my fridge. This post was part of a blog hop organised by Natural New Age Mum. Check out the link below for an extra voyeuristic peek into some other fridges.

Bren x

Tell us a little about yourself.

 I am a very proud mum (foremost) to Bella-angel (6) and Phoenix (2), founder of successful fashion label Otto Mode and have 10 years’ experience in sales, manufacturing, import and export of both local and international fashion. I am completing a Masters of Project Management at UTS, an aspiring athlete,  an ambassador for the Red Cross Blood Centre and the Heart Foundation, Founder of Micro Miracles Matter – a platform created with the intention to aid causes I believe in by spreading awareness, educating people on the power of positive thinking, acts of kindness and the rewards of a healthy balanced life.

Always striving towards having a holistic work-life balance incorporating health and wellness is the foundation for all I do. Career driven I have worked my way through the ranks of the scuba diving industry as a dive master, the T.V and media sector of the advertising industry and an extensive love affair with the rag trade. Combined with an athletic drive that started in school with track and field, state netball, competitive surfing then later in life boot camp, interval training and to now becoming an Ultra-marathon runner.

Most recently I have embarked on a new career role in public relations and new business development in events.

Nutrition and optimal health are always at the forefront of priorities, the love for my children and passion to inspire others to be the best version of them motivates me to stay focused and lead by example.

Tell us why you created “Mirco Miracles Matter” and what it’s about? 

They say timing is everything. For me it’s time to start giving back wherever I can. That is, use my resources to pay homage to causes that have touched my life, and to pursue my acts of kindness on a greater scale toward those less fortunate.

Micro Miracles Matter is an organic extension of myself and has been created as a platform where I can add a greater purpose to some of the wonderful things that I do in my life and to encourage everyone to become more conscious of the small ways in which they can contribute, thus making a huge difference in someone else’s life.

I have been forever inspired by the miraculous fight and survival of Bella-angel, then the incredibly divine experience of going on to have a near term, healthy second baby in 2010 and finally, last year, going through one of the most confronting chapters of my adult life.

I have become aware of the destructive effect of fear, the damaging effect of inaction, the  transformative power of action, the necessity for purpose and that when united we can make a difference; micro miracles matter.

Through my running and the Micro Miracles Matter platform my intention is to aid causes I believe in, spread awareness, educate those around me on the power of positive thinking and acts of kindness, the rewards of a balanced healthy life, believing in oneself, the joys of giving and the difference we can make together.

This year mmm  is all about spreading the word on the need for blood donors and heart disease awareness. I have just completed my first 100km ultra marathon. My purpose for the run was to raise awareness for the need of blood donors. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgmO6NzJC78. The race was amazing, the determination to never give in to the pain was fuelled by the love for my children, the desire to be the best I can be and in doing so inspire others.

What are you passionate about?

Everything!!

Life, positivity, health, nutrition, fitness, my family, friends, food, wine, travel, adventure, the outdoors, kindness, truth and dreaming.

What are some of the things you value most in life?

Time, my children, freedom, friendships, choice, sunshine, living close to the ocean, living in Sydney, daily exercise, quality food, clean water, travel, education.

What is your favourite quote?

As you think, so you are. As you imagine, so you become.

What are your tips to staying happy and healthy?

Be positive, make it a way of life. Find what you love and do it. Add purpose to all you do. Stay consistent, persistent and dream big.

Do you find time to nurture yourself? What does this involve?

I make time. It involves doing what I love and what makes me happy, such as running, reading, writing, creating, rejuvenating my body with massages, yoga, meditation and time alone.

As a single mum of 2 this requires good time management, giving myself the gift to continually evolve and learn, knowing when to be selfless and selfish and staying true to myself regardless of the cost.

What does healthy eating mean for you?

Everything!! I see food and what you fuel your body with as an investment. Investing in your livelihood, your future, how you will function 10, 20, 30 , 40, 50, 60 or more years from now.

Like most things in life, health and wellness are a choice, but most importantly they are a way of life. When you find what works for you and what aids your being to be the best you can be the choice is not difficult. The secret is to make it a way of life, integrating health and wellness into all areas of your world.

Having an abundance of energy, positivity, health and fitness flows into all areas of your life and enables you to thrive in all that you do.

What are 5 of your kitchen pantry essentials?

Only 5….mmm Chia, Chinese 5 spice, Coconut oil, Sunwarrior Protein Powder, activated, raw or roasted mixed nuts

What do you indulge in?

Me time, exercise, super foods, fine wine, organic coffee and fun 😉

What do you and your kids like to do on the weekend?

Go on adventures, rock climbing,, swimming in the pool or at the beach, scootering, cooking, arts and crafts.

Would you like to share one of your favourite healthy recipes?

I have so many! I am, and always have been, a foodie and health junkie! To keep it simple let’s go with my latest healthy recipe discovery that is a hit with my children, has converted my view on ‘pancakes’ and got me through a 42km run – mmm super almond meal and coconut pancakes!

The recipe and nutritional break down is posted on my site under mmm recommendations, mmm recipes.

mmm super pancakes discovery

Ingredients

• 1/2 large ripe banana

• 2 egg whites

• 25 gm almond meal

• 2 5gm desiccated coconut

• 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence or if you can ground fresh vanilla bean pod

• 1/2 tsp of baking powder (gluten free)

• Coconut oil for cooking

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon -or if you are like me to taste…I love spice you can even use all spice another fave of mine.

To Top

Serve with frozen mixed berries that you have defrosted so get the treat of berry juice accompanying the berries, a dash of agave syrup for those of you who have a sweet tooth and a dollop of your favourite yoghurt combined with 2 teaspoons of Sunwarrior protein powder

YUM!!!!

• Mixed frozen berries defrosted

• Agave Syrup

• Yoghurt (I love Jalna Vanilla)

• Sunwarrior protein powder choc or vanilla

Method

1. Mash the banana into the egg whites

2. Add the spices and dry ingredients mix to form a batter

3. Pre heat the fry pan on a medium – low heat  with coconut oil

4. Add spoonfuls of the mixture to the  pan forming pancake size to your liking, when you see bubbles surfacing turn over

5. Cook the second side untill golden

6. In a seperate bowl combine Sunwarrior protein powder and yoghurt

7. To serve place pancakes on a plate and top with desired toppings!

You can connect with Kerrie through  her website

www.micromiraclesmatter.com

or on her  Facebook Page

I have always, or rather thought I had always been really healthy. In 2002, my body, after giving me signs which I chose to ignore, developed tumours in my spleen. That was a turning point in my life. Going through an experience like that is such a highly personal experience, I have never felt so alone, although I had the support of my family and friends, it was an extremely personal battle that I had to endure myself. The insight into my body, spirituality and life itself was incredible at this time. I nurtured my body to wellness, after having a splenectomy (my spleen removed) and have since lived an organically rich life – living and breathing all things healthy.

What are some of the things you value most in life?

Above everything else: family. Family and having great family relationships is the foundation for a happy, healthy life.

Friends: I am extremely blessed to have several groups of friends, most of who have known me for most of my life. I have three girlfriends who I have been friends with since I was eight years old. I have another group of friends who I have been friends with for half my life – every year we go away together for a girls weekend and it is such a joy to experience such incredible fun times together.

Health: our health is so important and having experienced a health crisis it is so important to value our bodies – most of us don’t and we take our body so much for granted and that is not in anyone’s best interest. We only have one life (in this body anyway), it is all about nurturing the body mind and spirit. We don’t have to grow old expecting to get frail and ill, the more we nurture and look after our body now, the more it will reward us in years to come – see healthy lifestyle practices on www.theresekerr.com – I share a lot of information on health and wellness from myself and an array of people as my goal is to educate. When we are educated we can make informed decisions as to our health.

Happiness, peace and joy: It is so important to me to feel content and happy and at peace in my life. I am releasing a book in the not too distant future as to how I have achieved this and I share incredibly personal experiences in the book in the hope that people who have experienced similar things get to understand that their past in no way defines them or what they are capable of. I have a peace that radiates through my being now and it is such a magical place to sit in.

Can you share with us the benefits you and your family experienced once embarking on a focussed, healthier, more holistic lifestyle?

Personally, I have never felt as fit and healthy in all my life. Energy radiates from my core and my cells feel as though they are alive and vibrant and as a result I am truly living an active, balanced life. My skin glows, my hair shines, my body feels strong and vibrant and that was not always the case. I had a live blood analysis not that long ago and most people’s blood is about 12-14 years older than their physical age, the practitioner told me that my blood “age” looked about 12 years younger than my physical age and I don’t have a spleen (your blood filtering organ so that in itself is testament to the benefits of living a healthy life.

Miranda is the epitome of health, she lives and breaths health and nutrition.

None of our family, including John’s parents, Peter and Anne are on medication. Peter is 82 and Anne is 77 – not a bad result to be medication free at that age – testament to living a good healthy life.

Is organic produce best, and why?

“Certified organic” is the only true organic product. There is a huge misrepresentation in the world over in the use of the word “organic”. A product only has to contain one carbon to be classed as organic yet can contain a thousand or more chemicals. Certified Organic is the consumers guarantee of quality of product, their guarantee that the products don’t contain the nasty chemicals so commonly found in foods, chemicals such as food additives, pesticides, insecticides, preservatives, colourings, msg, etc. On average women put around 200 chemicals a day on their skin. Chemicals like sulfates, parabens, TEA’s, DEA’s, glycols, formaldehyde, formaldehyde derivatives, ethoxylates, artificial colours, flavourings, etc etc and we wonder why we don’t feel alive and lit up by our presence here.

I believe most people in our society are not giving their bodies the adequate nutrition needed in the first place and then they place the additional load both in and on their bodies by eating nutrient depleted, chemical laden foods and by applying a concoction of synthetic substances to their skin.

We like to use the analogy of a bucket, There is only so much water a bucket can hold, right? When the bucket reaches 99.99% capacity it only takes a few drops of additional water to overflow the bucket and inevitably there will be a mess to clean up. Likewise, we believe at some point the body will not be able to handle additional chemicals, without some adverse reaction, illness or disease resulting.

How important is it have a healthy diet and lifestyle from a young age?

A healthy diet from an early age is vitally important. Avoiding sugar is a must for parents with children and for every person. Sugar will cause bone, fertility, obesity, pancreatic and all sorts of challenges so it is vitally important to eliminate refined sugars from the diet. As a family we don’t eat sweet things that often. We live by the 80/20 rule where we are mostly healthy and a little indulgent. The funny thing is, the more healthy you eat, the healthier you want to be and you don’t put bad, highly processed, highly refined, high sugar content foods into your system as you don’t crave them.

By starting early with living a healthy life, you are giving your body the best chance not to age and to remain healthy and disease free. The World Health Organisation (WHO) state on their website that one of the critical concerns faxing the world today, even in Western culture is malnutrition – malnutrition meaning the lack on nutrient-rich foods. We can eat all we want but there is a big difference between “diet” (what we put in our mouth) and “nutrition” (what nutrients our body absorbs from the food we put in our mouth). Education is the key and that is what I am all about and I surround myself with people who are wellness focussed and want to share the benefits of living a healthy existence and living that through to a ripe old age – it totally is possible..

What are the must have ingredients in your kitchen, and what types of food do you regard as poor choices that we should avoid, and why?

• Certified Organic Coconut Oil is by far one of the ingredients I must have. It has a high heat resistance and is the only oil I cook with.
• I use Olive and Macadamia Oil in my salads as well as coconut oil as they are some of the most nutrient-rich oils as well as Chia Oil from the Chia company
• Fresh healthy certified organic green leafy vegetables, eg Kate, Spinach, Silverbeet, lettuce, Bok Choy and all greens generally – they are a high alkaline food and are so beneficial to the body. I put all of these in my healthy shakes, see my recipes at www.theresekerr.com. Each day I include a heaped handful of raw kale and spinach, silver beet in my shakes – you could not ever get a child to eat that amount of raw green leafy vegetable so by adding this to a shake, they get super nutrient rich food in something they will love.
• Avocado – a super food and one I include in my shakes as well.
• Chia Oil and Chia Seeds, along with Acai, Maca, Mesquite, Cacao, Spirulina, Vital Greens, nuts and more nuts – these are superfoods and fill the body with incredible nutrients, support the digestive system and 60-70% of the immune system operates from the digestive system so I cannot overemphasize the importance of looking after your digestion
• I use Quinoa, Almond or Hazelnut Milk instead of dairy – low GI, (Quinoa is a high protein alternative), fantastic alternatives to dairy
• Fresh baby coconuts are the base for most of my shakes – I use the coconut water and the flesh and it is incredibly nutrient-rich. Coconuts are one of the understated superfoods – coconuts should be in everyone’s pantry
• Broccoli is a superfood – but only eat certified organic or farm fresh from the markets (as long as they don’t use pesticides and insecticides)
• Homemade Bioactive yoghurt – I make it myself from Progurt starter and it is so great for your tummy and digestive system
• Rejuvelac – I make my own fermented grain products including fermented rejuvelac (grain juice) and then use the grain to make fermented porridge – great way to kick start your day is by having high enzyme, sprouted porridge and rejuvelac – these become a broom for the intestines.

Can the foods we choose to eat impact on our moods, behaviour and energy levels?

Without question our diet or rather our nutritional intake or lack thereof impacts every part of our life. Having adequate nutrition in our body and not having chemicals in our foods, personal care and household products impacts every part of our lives, including moods, behaviour and energy levels. Our foods are filled with chemicals, additives, preservatives and we wonder why the incidence of ADD, ADHD etc has escalated. We are eating nutrient deficient foods and to add further insult we are adding toxins that our body then has to eliminate in some way. In our society today, I believe our liver spends so much time detoxing that it doesn’t get the opportunity to perform other vital roles, one of which is breaking down fat.

An example of how the food we consume impacts our mood, etc… The higher the sugar content is in the food we consume, the higher the energy peak will be but it is only short-lived. As our body craves more energy, we get agitated, can’t concentrate, we crave more sugar there begins the continual roller coaster ride because we then beat ourselves up because we had that extra lolly or cake. Anything containing high levels of sugar is what we call quick releasing energy food, but the challenge is if we have too much “sugar” or highly refined, highly processed foods, high carbohydrate foods, anything in excess of what our immediate needs are, our body converts that sugar to fat as opposed to burning it. It is estimated that in America, for example, people are consuming four times as much sugar-type foods than the pancreas can actually handle. Frightening statistic.

Filling our body with nutrients is essential for mind as well as body health. Our bodies need vitamins and minerals and essential oils to function effectively. Our body also needs adequate rest and downtime as well a high quality filtered water.

Your new book, Lunchbox Solutions, incorporates the ideals of healthy living you describe above, and the graphics are yummy on their own! Do you feel that families let themselves down nutritionally when it comes to lunchtime?

I feel that families do the best with what they have and what they know. One of our goals as authors or Lunchbox Solutions is to educate people, because it is only when we are educated about nutrition and/or the lack thereof in our foods, that we have the ability to make informed choices as to our health. We wrongly presume that what is in our foods is healthy and will provide us with everything our bodies need, that is certainly not the case. With a lot of the foods currently available on supermarket shelves, you might as well eat the packaging because the nutrient-content within is so depleted.

Buying quality fresh produce, produce that doesn’t contain all of the nasty chemicals is one of the best things you can do for your body and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Go to the local farmers markets (see www.theresekerr.com for local farmers markets around the world), as certified organic is usually reasonable at the markets and/or if you can’t buy CO product buy farm fresh produce.

Avoid sugar and any foods that rapidly convert to sugar, eg pastries, pasta, anything containing sugar and/or anything that is highly processed. Avoid trans fats (found in a lot of our foods), they are poisonous to the body. Use certified organic coconut oil as your cooking oil (certified organic) and avoid tinned or packaged products wherever possible. Also avoid low fat, low sugar. We, including our kids, need healthy, low GI, sustaining meals and Lunchbox Solutions provides those answers. See http://theresekerr.com/books/lunchbox-solutions/ to access some incredibly healthy, nutrient-rich, low GI, sustainable alternative lunches – great for all the family!

How easy is it really to prepare healthy lunches for ourselves and our children, and what are some preparation tools you find useful?

It is easier than you think. Like everything it is all about preparation.

Sometimes it seems a whole lot easier to just give into children and throw into their lunchboxes that vegemite or jam sandwich, packet of chips and a cupcake. There is no doubt that this type of approach to lunches is quick, simple and easy. But the question is: Is life simple and easy when we have tired, angry or unwell children? Isn’t it easier to get through the day when our children are vibrant, happy and healthy.

What we eat directly influences our health, our energy, our capacity to learn and our relationships. If we can see value in this then we will be able to find the extra time we need to create nourishing food.

The reality is that everyone is busy and yet we naturally prioritise whatever activity we value. If we value exercise, then we organise our day so that we have time to visit the gym or go for a run. Our choices are always influenced by the value we place on them. That said, there are plenty of ways to economise your time in the kitchen. Even though preplanning menus, sourcing and purchasing high quality food and preparing nutritious meals may take more time, we can assure you that once you get used to creating a few meals and snacks at the same time (best done on the weekend) and making larger quantities of a meal (so that you have pre-planned extras) you will find that making lunches in the working week becomes a breeze.

Here are a few tips:
• Think ahead and plan – If you know what is on the menu for the week ahead you will save countless trips to the shop as well as the stress of having to decide what to create for lunch and dinner each day.
• Cook pre-planned extras – Sometimes when you make your evening meals, double the recipe so that you have plenty of leftovers or what we call “pre-planned extras” – for lunch the next day.
• Keep your pantry well stocked with staples – these might include healthy grains, flours, pasta’s, rice, beans, cans of coconut milk, healthy tuna, salmon and sardines, and rice and nut milks so that you always have ingredients to make meals and nutritious treats when time allows
• Keep your kitchen well stocked with snacks – the simplest being fresh certified organic fruit and vege’s. You can also buy a selection of dried fruits, nuts (preferably activated nuts) and healthy crackers, all of which can be used as quick additions in lunchboxes.
• Consider lunches the night before – make sure that everything you need is ready. Sometimes nutrition gets left behind in the moring madness and we focus on simply getting “something” into the lunchbox, as opposed to getting “something healthy” in there.

How do you deal with picky eaters?

Children observe everything we do, they always have. If we truly want them to participate in life in a healthy manner, then we have to be an inspiring example of that. In order for our children to develop broad, healthy palataes they need to notice how we honour our body – there is enormous power in role modelling. When our children observe us eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, choosing to drink water or eating a nourishing breakfast every day, they will follow suit – Monkey see, monkey do.

Become the “Health Guru”. Because you can only teach what you know, the onus is on your to become knowledgeable. We say, elect a food captain, someone who is in charge of the household’s “food culture”. This person not only researches and sources healthy food but also monitors the family’s diet, ensuring adequate intake of fruit, vegetables and water, for example.

A powerful way of teaching is to invite your children to help you plan and cook meals. Explore healthy recipe books together and have them select what they would like to eat. While cooking or shopping you can teach them about wholesome ingredients and how to prepare food; these are wonderful life skills and their participation will encourage commitment to new lifestyle habits.

Talk your kids up – everyone loves praise especially our kids! Develop the habit of giving your children praise about how healthy, strong and vibrant they are, here are a couple of examples:

“You are a powerhouse, look at those muscles… It must be all the good food you eat.”
“You are one of the best eaters I know.”
“I love seeing you look after your body like that – you are amazing.”
“I am so proud of the choices you make.”
Be a stand for what’s possible for your children’s health. Take out sugar and highly processed foods, highly refined foods. Flynn, for goodness sakes is only two years old yet he loves olives, grapefruit, paw paw, eggplant and foods that you wouldn’t expect a two year old to eat. When we are a stand for our children’s health, they only know what we know and therefore accept what we accept as normal.

What’s next for Therese Kerr?

Breakfast Solutions will be released around April this year and I am so excited about that. I am also releasing three other books in addition to Breakfast Solutions this year so stay tuned for that. I have moved out of the GM role of KORA Organics to undertake more public speaking and to take on the event management role as I love more than anything sharing the benefits of living a healthy life with others. I have sat in an office for most of my life and my heart sings more when I am out with the people hence making this very exciting change.

I am also releasing my own certified organic household products – again another exciting venture and I am creating programs for health and wellness so this year is going to be an exciting time for myself and my family and I am so looking forward to what lies ahead for us all.

More than anything though I also intend to take more time for myself and my family, to spend quality time with Matty, Flynn, Miranda and Orlando and Johnny.

I will be giving more of my time to Kids Helpline as it is an incredible organisation that supports all children in Australia. A child phones Kids Helpline every 60 seconds in Australia, and on average, Kids Helpline receives between 12-14 youth suicided related calls every night. I am off to Peru in November for Kids Helpline, fulfilling my own personal dream of trekking Machu Picchu and in the process raising much needed funds for KHL – to put it bluntly, 40% of all kids aged between 5 and 25, who phone Kids Helpline can’t get through and we need to change that. If you would like to help me help the kids of Australia by donating to this non-government funded organisation you can do one of two things or even both if you feel inclined:

• Participate in the Peru trek with me
• Donate to my fund-raising initiative to help raise the money for KHL

To do the above please go to: http://kidshelplineperu.gofundraise.com.au/page/ThereseKerr and together we can make the difference to many lives.

Would you like to share one of your nutritional kids’ lunch box ideas plus its health benefits?

Roast two chickens at dinner time – one for the meal and one for leftovers. Use the drumsticks in the lunchbox (ensure you have the adequate insulated bag to keep the food in the lunchbox cool and safe). Add to the lunchbox ½ a sliced cucumber, some grapes and an apple. You may also like to make in advance a mini quiche or falafel balls with our dipping sauce and include. You could even add a healthy fruit spelt bun – all of this information can be found in Lunchbox Solutions.
In Lunchbox Solutions we provide so many healthy lunchbox options for you to make and you can make them on weekends and then freeze them – even frozen they are a much better option that the high GI, high fat, highly refined and processed food options currently filling the lunchboxes of today.

Most of all, enjoy the journey on taking your kids on a healthy adventure – the rewards will be enormous – you will have happy, healthy, children who are equipped to learn more efficiently and are less likely to get bored, hungry or even anxious at school.

Enjoy and let your little lights shine.

Love Therese xxx

Local and in-season foods are best, and buy organic if you can. Below is a list of 6 of my kids’ favourite nutrient-rich and enzyme-rich raw foods. I hope your little munchkins love them as much as mine!:

1. Avocado – Available all year round, it is rich in protein, enzymes, fibre, potassium, vitamin E and healthy fats. Spread on toast or sandwiches, add to smoothies (which thickens while creating an ice-cream like consistency), make guacamole, or add to sushi rolls.

2. Blueberries – Blueberries are a wonderful way for children to get a natural sweet fix. They are a superior source of antioxidants, which are important in fighting harmful “free radicals” which can lead to cancer and other diseases. Add blueberries to morning smoothies, to cereal, in your healthy muffins, or mixed into yogurt.

3. Lettuce – In season all year round, lettuce is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, manganese and chromium, as well as being a very good source of dietary fibre. My kids have fun making” iceberg lettuce cups” which they fill with lots of healthy fun stuff like prawns, tuna, grated carrot, cucumber with a squeeze of lemon or lime, roll and enjoy!

4. Almonds – Almonds are high in fibre, contain healthy omega-9 oleic fatty acids, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Kids can sprinkle raw almonds on their muesli or yoghurt, have a handful as a snack, or use almond butter instead of peanut butter (most processed peanut butters on the grocery shelves today are loaded with sugar and partially hydrogenated fats). Almond butter can be spread on anything from bread, to lettuce leaves or apple slices, or be added to smoothies.

5. Coconut – Besides being anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, coconuts are highly nutritious & hydrating. They are also rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals. We choose the baby coconuts at home and drink the water and eat the flesh as a complete snack or add the water and flesh as the base for our mango or berry smoothies.

6. Raw Honey – This is an unprocessed sweetener which has all its vitamins and minerals intact & can help with seasonal allergies. Drizzle on top of yoghurt or muesli or dip pieces of cut up fruit into it – yum!

Other wonderful and nutritious raw foods to enjoy this summer include apricots, raspberries, strawberries, peaches and nectarines, melons, plums, passionfruit, pineapple, beans, beetroot, capsicum, celery, cucumber, eggplant, mushrooms, pumpkin, squash, tomatoes, zucchini and sweet corn.

If you love some of these raw ideas, perhaps you would like to attend one of my Plentiful Workshops in February. Tickets can be booked through Facebook under Brenda Janschek Health & Lifestyle

Have a plentiful day.

Bren x

Believe me, I know what it’s like in this time-poor existence, rushing to get the kids to school so that we can get to work on time, and we reach for what is convenient (or what we’re told by marketing is convenient). But with a bit of preparation and the right ingredients in your kitchen, the family could be enjoying highly nutritious morning meals, and still get out the door on time.

So many breakfast cereals are marketed as health foods. Little wonder it’s the main form of breakfast for most families. We’re far too trusting, assuming it must be good because that is what the advertisements say. According to NY Times best selling author, Dr Mercola, “The unfortunate reality is that the cereals aggressively marketed to kids have the worst nutritional quality of all cereals. An analysis, published in the Journal of American Dietetic Association found that children’s cereals have more sugar, sodium, carbohydrates, and calories per gram than cereals not marketed to kids. They also have less protein and fiber.”

Here are 5 things to think about before you reach for the boxed cereal in the supermarket. Cereal is:

1. Highly processed – to make the flakes, shapes and puffs, the grains have  to be heated up to very high temperatures and extruded at high pressures. The shapes are then sprayed with synthetic vitamins and food colours

2. Nutrient deficient – the processing destroys many valuable nutrients in grains, causes the oils to become rancid and renders certain proteins toxic

3. Difficult to digest – cereal grains contain phytic acid, a substance that binds up nutrients and makes it difficult for you body to absorb and therefore difficult to digest

4. High in sugar and carbohydrates – most of the cereals marketed to kids have 30-50% sugar content which raises blood sugar levels very quickly

5. Health issues –  all of the above points can cause bloating, constipation, IBS, allergies, infections, concentration issues and contribute to weight gain, obesity and more

Breakfast is important fuel after fasting during sleep so that our bodies can rejuvenate each night. So it’s a prime time to feed our bodies real foods, whole unprocessed foods that contain protein, fat and carbohydrates, and come from plants and animals, to give us the best start to the day.

If you want to achieve vibrant health for your whole family, try these 5 quick healthy breakfast ideas instead of boxed cereal:-

1. Bircher muesli – rolled oats mixed with nuts, seeds, coconut, soaked in milk or coconut water and yoghurt overnight. It can be made and stored in the fridge for several days

2. Smoothies – simple combinations include milk, raspberries, bananas, raw honey and yoghurt, can be whizzed up in 5 minutes

3. Eggs – scrambled/poached/fried eggs on sourdough or sprouted toast with a spread of avocado

4. French toast – sourdough bread soaked in a mix of eggs, milk and cinnamon, lightly fried in butter, served with a drizzle of Canadian maple syrup and topped with fresh fruit

5. Fruit and yoghurt parfait – create layers of yoghurt, nuts, seeds, fruit, coconut or homemade granola for a delectable breakfast treat

So why not prepare your fridge and pantry with some of these staples, to make preparing a nutritious and delicious breakfast a breeze? Download my FREE BREAKFAST EBOOK with 10 delicious recipes to make your morning’s shine. 

If you need some guidance and inspiration to change your kitchen into a real food haven, check out my programs here

Bren x