Month: December 2024

Freekah Salad

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Freekah Salad

I have been making this one for nearly 15 years and it never get’s old.
It’s quite dense (with grains) so goes well with a light green salad and protein.
This was first inspired by my friend Caz’s party many moons ago. 
I hope that you enjoy it as much as I have.

Ingredients:

  • 300g freekah grain (or pearl barely as alternative)
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • sea salt and cracked pepper
  • 1 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 large bunch of flat leaf parley, chopped
  • 50g almonds, roughly chopped and toasted.
  • 100g marinated sheep’s fetta, crumbled
Instructions:
  • Bring large pot water to boil on high heat
  • Add freekah, reduce heat to low and simmer for 40min or tender
  • Drain well and place in serving bowl while freekah is warm, add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper
  • Toss through onion and parsley, then top with toasted almonds and fetta

Wombok salad

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Wombok Salad 

Quantity and ratio’s of ingredients can be worked out as you go ( the way I alway’s cook)
Trust your instinct on how it will taste best.

The Salad:

  • Wombok, sliced thinly.
  • Spring onion chopped.
  • Coriander, chopped. 
  • Crispy shallots, sprinkle over. 
  • Sesame seeds, toasted and sprinkle. 
  • Roasted almonds – chopped.
Dressing:
  • Sesame oil
  • Coconut aminos 
  • Squeeze of Lemon 
  • Oooh I also used pomegranate vinegar sometimes & that gives it extra zing!

Festive Salad – Pearl cous cous, pomegranate and halloumi.

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Ingredients:

The Salad

  • Seeds from one whole pomegranate.
  • 2 x small cucumbers, chopped.
  • 1-2 cup of cooked big couscous (depends how couscous heavy you want it).
  • Approx. 200g  halloumi, chopped into small strips and cooked on high in a fry pan until golden.
  • 1-2 heaped cup of spinach leaves, chopped (depends how spinach heavy you want it).
  • 1/2 cup of parsley leaves, chopped.
  • 3/4 cup of toasted walnuts, I heat them in a fry pan on low with some maple syrup of honey drizzled on top (optional).

The dressing

  • 1/4 cup of lemon juice 
  • 3.4 cup of olive oil
  • 1 heaped tsp of seeded mustard
  • 1 heaped tsp of honey
  • 1 whole clove of garlic for flavour.
  • Salt and pepper.

Instructions:

  • Prepare and mix all the salad ingredients together in a bowl.
  • Add all the dressing ingredients to a small jar and shake well.- Taste and tweak to your flavour preference.
  • Add dressing to salad and toss 

Sleep Support ideas

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SLEEP!

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SLEEP can be a real challenge for women during perimenopause. It often makes other symptoms worse and impacts on quality of life.

When sleep is bad everything can feel bad!

When sleep is good everything can feel good!

Let’s explore a few ways you can support you body with simple lifestyle medicine to improve sleep!

SLEEP SUPPORT IDEAS

>Eat early. This impacts your heart rate variability and quality of sleep. Try it!

>Ditch alcohol. Your body find it hard to rest when you have consumed alcohol. It impacts on Heart rate variability, liver and your ability to get deep sleep.

>Ditch/reduce caffeine. Have it early in the day to avoid it impacting sleep. Consider trialling a week without it and see if it impacts your sleep at all?

>Avoid sugar before bed. One reason to do this is, it can cause a blood sugar drop in the night and this can wake you up.

>Exercise during the day. Helping the body to settle to sleep and stay asleep.

>Go for a stroll after dinner. Helps balance blood sugar and calms the nervous system.

>Avoid screens and bright lights before bed. The level of light at night impacts our sleep hormones.

>Go to bed at the same time and wake at the same time. Stick with the new routine so your body starts to create a rhythm.

>Use Natural medicine. Consult with a naturopath for guidance and safety but you could consider trying things like magnesium and glycine. Relaxing herbs like passiflora and hops to help calm the body to fall asleep and stay asleep.

>Try meditation before bed. Or try when you get home from work to help switch the body into the branch of the nervous system that can relax and prepare for sleep. As little as 5 minutes can help.

If sleep is something you struggle, it often requires a multifaceted approach. 

Give one or some of these a try and see how you go. 

Need more guidance and support? Book in for a Naturopathic consultation. 

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