3 things you should eat everyday & other wisdom with Amy Ritchie

It's been a while since I've shared wellness words with you, and it's all because I've settled into life as a Physiotherapist in Melbourne, Australia, after leading retreats in Bali. So now I'm all nestled in, here's an incredible interview with our friend holistic nutritionist Amy Ritchie who tell you why you can't hate yourself healthy, and other gems.

What is healthy eating?

This one is tricky. I think often we want to the know the 5 foods we need to eat all the time to be “healthy.” Because this is easy. The real work is looking at who we are as eaters.

We can’t talk about healthy eating, or achieve wellness, without addressing our relationship with food. You can't hate yourself into healthy! Choosing foods from a place of respect for your body rather than hate & restriction is healthy eating.

Enjoying a treat without experiencing shame afterwards is healthy eating.

Why are food pics and cooking shows taking over social media?

We’re visual & we have short attention spans. I love getting inspired by food shows & photos but it needs to leave the screen and get to your kitchen! It’s easy to feel like you’re making steps to being healthy by pinning recipes, but then never actually making them. Get inspired, find one good recipe and then make it! You can pin more later.

I also get curious as to how this plays into overeating. There’s a phase of digestion referred to as the cephalic phase. In this phase seeing, smelling and thinking about food begins the digestive processes in the body. You have a physical response to seeing pictures of food (salivating at a picture is a real thing!) So try to follow healthy food accounts and look before eating not before bed. It may actually be a good way to ramp up digestive function!

What are your 3 favourite things to make? 

Eggs are a go to for me in the morning and lately I’ve been loving them scrambled with some raw garlic, turmeric, cherry tomatoes & arugula (I think you call it rocket). 

I’m also on a collagen/bullet-proof coffee kick. I blend 1 tbsp organic ghee (clarified butter) + ¼ tsp vanilla extract + 1 scoop collagen powder + 1 cup organic French press coffee. It’s heaven - frothy & delicious. The type of fat in butter & coconut oil is more readily used for energy and the collagen powder provides protein.

I also make a lot of wild rice. It’s a great alternative to pasta, white rice or other heavy carbohydrates. It takes a while to cook so I recommend soaking it for at least 4 hours prior, which will also improve digestibility. 

What's the biggest question people ask you about how to eat well?

What can I do to help with sugar & carb cravings. 

What's the biggest thing everyone needs to work on when it comes to nutrition?

Eating real food and not getting to caught up on the logistics.

Real food doesn’t contain ingredients, real food is ingredients.

It doesn’t usually come in a box, or pre-made. Don’t stress red quinoa or white quinoa, kale vs spinach or steaming vs baking. These things matter much less than eating a variety of unprocessed foods daily. 

If you had your way - what are 3 things every one should eat once a day?

Holistic Nutrition is all about what for whom – but for ME: salmon, turmeric, dark chocolate. 

What's your favourite treat?

Definitely chocolate. In all its forms. Pistachios are a close 2nd. 

What is your BEST tip about healthy eating and nutrition?

Listen to your body, get curious. Slow down and pay attention to how you feel after eating. Nobody can ever know your body better than you do. I ask my clients to listen for the whispers. This means hearing and responding to the subtle signs that your body is struggling, before it has to shout. 

In Melbourne? Want to learn more about healthy eating and great, nourishing food?

Come to our One Day Wellness Retreat on June 17th! The food will blow your mind, and it's incredibly healthy!

How to Eat Healthy In Winter - 3 Easy Recipes

Simple Recipes to Supercharge Your Winter Wellness

At my retreats and workshops this winter, so many people have told me they struggle to eat healthy in winter when fruit and veggies are hard to find.

So! Here are my top 3 recipes full of super healthy foods you can make with the best seasonal veggies winter has to offer!

1. Vegan, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Soup

You don’t need heavy cream to create a great pumpkin soup! This one is super easy and jam-packed full of rich vitamins to supercharge your winter wellness.

Cooking Time: 1.5 hours (but mostly simmering. You can work on your Aprivé Wellness workbook while it's cooking!) 

You’ll Need:

• 1/2 Pumpkin

• 1 tbsp. Gluten-free, vegetarian stock (Vegeta is my fave)

• 2 Sweet Potatoes

• 1 Leek

• 2 Potatoes

• 6 Cloves of garlic

• 1 Brown onion

• 1 jar of chilli flakes

• Salt & pepper

• 1 cup of raw lentils

Method:

1. Fill your kettle and boil the water. Once ready, pour the boiling water into a saucepan and add the lentils. Boil for 20 minutes or until soft. Wash and drain in a colander (no you don’t have to soak them overnight!)

2. Dice garlic, onion and leek into small pieces. Only use the leek up until the green leafy part.

3. Add a big soup pot to your stove and turn up the heat. Once it’s hot, add 2 tbsp. olive oil and the garlic, onion and leek. Add salt, pepper and a sprinkle of chilli and stir rapidly.

4. Once the mixture has browned, turn it off and set it aside while you peel and cut the other veggies into small squares.

5. Once your pumpkin, sweet potato and potato are cut, add them to the onion mixture and stir on a high heat. 

6. Add a litre of boiling water and around a tbsp. of stock.

7. Bring the mixture to the boil and let it bubble away for around 5 mins.

8. Turn it down to simmer, and let it simmer slowly for around 1 hour (you can work on your wellness goals while it’s cooking!)

9. Once the mixture is mushy and soft, squash it with a wooden spoon to make it lumpy and thick. If you prefer a smooth soup, take your hand blender to it!

10. Add lentils and garnish with a little curl of leek and it’s ready!

2. Pumpkin Salad with Feta - Your Healthiest Lunch Yet!

Cooking Time: 30 mins

Tip: Get up 30 minutes earlier on Monday morning and cut up pumpkin (leave skin on) and sweet potato with garlic (skin on). Cover in 2 tbsp. olive oil and add salt and pepper. Bake until soft. Then keep the mix in the fridge, ready for your lunches for the week!

You’ll Need:

• Half a pumpkin and 2 sweet potatoes pre-roasted with garlic & salt and pepper

• 2 handfuls of baby spinach

• 1 tomato

• 3 slices of feta

• 1 grated carrot

• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

• 1 squirt of mayonnaise or a creamy vinaigrette

Method:

1. Get all the ingredients

2. Throw them into a big tupperware container

3. Put it in the fridge at work

4. When you’re ready to eat it, give it a good shake till the feta, balsamic and mayo all mix

5. Eat!

3. Silverbeet & Ricotta Side Dish - The Super Food Winter Side Dish

If you’re a fan of meat and three veg, you can sick of the standard steamed broccoli side. Try this silverbeet dish. Silverbeet is full of iron and tons of goodies only found in dark green leafy veggies, and it’s best in winter! Perfect!

Cooking Time: 5 mins

You’ll need:

• 1 pack of Silverbeet (around 12 stalks)

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1/2 tub Ricotta cheese

• 6 Mushrooms

• Hot sauce

• Sweet Chilli sauce and/or Hot Sauce

Method:

1. Cut out the stalks and stems of the silverbeet so you’re left with only green leaves.

2. Cut the silverbeet into thick ribbons

3. Squash your garlic, remove the skin and dice into small pieces

4. Place a non-stick frypan onto your hottest element and warm it until it’s too hot to touch

5. Add a tbsp. olive oil

6. Add garlic and stir quickly

7. Add silverbeet and turn down the heat

8. Once the silver beet is covered in oil, add mushrooms

9. Once mushrooms are gently brown, add Ricotta

10. Stir fry for 3 minutes. The Silverbeet will shrivel up a lot, especially when coated in ricotta. Don’t worry it’s normal!

11. Serve with a lashing of sweet chilli and hot sauce. My favourite are the home made versions from Caribe or Empanada kitchen in Queenstown

Want more winter recipes to boost your health? Try this handy breakfast one below

AND

Follow @aprivewellness for more free wellness tips & tricks!

5 Little Known Hacks: A Cheat Sheet For Getting Your Family To Eat Healthier In Winter

You may love green leafy veggies, chia smoothies and whole foods, but if your kids or partner don’t, it makes meal time hard. Below are some handy ways to get your family to eat healthy, and only have to make one meal you can all enjoy!

I've spoken to so many women at my retreats who have a real interest in healthy eating, but their families don't. These women inspired this post! I hope it helps.

1. Try Eastern Food for Hearty Vegetarian Dishes

There are still plenty of people who think vegetarian food is lacking and boring. But! It doesn’t have to be. The very best curries are usually vegetarian, and they use paneer (Indian cheese) and rich, flavourful sauces to generate flavour, rather than meat.

With new compelling research linking excessive red meat consumption to cancer, it's important to try to eat vegetarian at least 3 days a week.

Tip: Keep it simple, and buy curry paste from the supermarket, but make sure it's from Thailand, Malaysia or India. The authentic ones are less likely to have additives and nasties (and are usually gluten free) Add your paste to your stock or coconut milk, throw in your veggies are you're good to go. Pumpkin curries in winter - yum!

2. Add Garlic to Green Leafy Veggies

One of my favourite recipes is kale, or silverbeet with garlic and mushrooms. My partner loves it too! By adding plenty of fresh garlic, you cover up the ‘planty’ taste of the greens, and boost the flavour of the mushrooms and garlic. I sauté it lighty, and serve it as a side.

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped or pressed

• Leaves of half a whole silver beet

• 6 button mushrooms finely chopped

• Splash of olive oil

Method:

• Remove the veins and stem of the silver beet (these get really tough when cooked)

• Chop the leaves roughly into thick ribbons

• Heat a fry pan & once hot, add olive oil

• Add the garlic, then throw in the silver beet ribbons and mushrooms.

• Once it’s wilted but not soggy, pop on a plate & serve

3. Use Flavourful Vegetable Stock in Soups & Rices

A lack of flavour is what most people associate with healthy eating. Not so! By using quality vegetable stock in soups, and water when you cook rice, you’ll inject all your dishes with extra flavour. If you steam veggies, you can even add the stock to the water for a bit of extra taste.

4. Mix it Up

Variety is key to keeping you, and your family interested in food. Whoever cooks, it’s great to try new recipes, new ingredients and new flavours. There are so many websites and apps out there to help you, but try following a few recipe-creators in Instagram.

Tip: My fave websites for healthy eating recipes are Julie & Libby and The Healthy Food Guide.

5. Encourage Mindful Eating

Beautiful fruit & veggies like pumpkin and oranges are jam-packed full of flavour in winter. At mealtime, if you switch off the TV and put phones away, you and your family can concentrate on the taste, smell and texture of your food. You’ll find everyone will enjoy the food more when they concentrate on the flavours.

If you contact me about the article above, you'll get my interactive Wellness Workbook free! Just mention this blog post.*

*I'll also add you to the Aprivé Wellness Email List to give you health tips & retreat offers

Healthy Recipe: Peanut Butter Tofu

Gluten Free Vegan recipes

If you're gluten free like me, and you're trying to eat less meat, it can be tricky to find interesting recipes. This is one of my absolute favourites and even my friends who hate tofu love it! It's rich and beautifully creamy, perfect with fried rice for a hearty winter meal, or with an asian salad for summer.

Peanut Butter Tofu Recipe

Tip: Don’t forget to check your ingredients for gluten, as some peanut butters and sauces can have glucose or maltodextrin derived from wheat or barley. Look for maltodextrin or glucose derived from maize instead.

You’ll need:

• 500g packet of of white tofu

• 1/4 tamari or gluten free soy sauce

• 2 tbsp peanut butter

• chilli flakes

• 3 tbsp brown sugar

• 5 tsp sesame oil

1. Mix your ingredients together to form a sauce, apart from the tofu.

2. Cut the tofu into small squares the size of a teaspoon and sauté until brown (about 10 minutes)

3. Once you've cooked the tofu, pour your sauce over the tofu like a marinade (You can always add more if you want a saucier dish)

4. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes

5. Once the tofu has taken on the colour of your mixture, add some olive oil to a pan and sauté the tofu again until the mixture turns a dark, honey brown.

6. After about 5 minutes in the pan, you're good to go!