There is no doubt that it’s starting to get colder. Blue sky is a now a rare thing I drop everything for to chase that 5-10 minutes of vitamin D or opportunity to walk the dogs in comfort! I don’t know about you, but I have a real love/hate relationship with winter. On the one hand I prefer heat so it’s tough to motivate myself to get out and about but on the other hand, it’s so cosy and warm in side – it lends itself to the occasional sleep in, curling up on the couch with a blanket knitted by nana and with the dogs on top for extra warmth, and soups! Lots of delicious, tasty soups!
What is bone broth?
Bone broth is just like stock only instead of putting lots of vegetables and meat into the pot, you put bones! This released the collagen protein inside the bones into the water which is extremely beneficial to us. Ideally the bones should be slow cooked over a long period of time to get the most benefit. You can still add vegetables & seasoning just like you would with stock so don’t fear you’re going to end up with a bland tasteless substance.
What are the benefits of bone broth?
Dr. Axe does a much better job of describing the benefits compared to what I can offer so if you want a detailed explanation please click here to go to his website. In a nutshell – Bone broth contains essential and non essential amino acids which are building blocks for our body to utilise. It also has collagen which assists connective tissue development and has nutrients which help our immune system, brain function & digestive function. Therefore bone broth can be helpful for skin repair, joint repair, stomach problems including IBS for example, muscle repair and fighting off winter bugs!
Where can I get bone broth?
Bone broth can be made at home or be purchased from the store. In the local area the IGA at Hamilton Place have both chicken and beef bone broth, and the health food store at Chadstone has Bliss brand bone broth. The purchased ones will set you back about $10-$15 per 500 grams.
How do I make bone broth?
Please go to Dr. Axe’s article on bone broth and scroll right to the bottom for some important information on making bone broth yourself. You must make sure you get the right type of bones, that they’re from a good source and you should add some apple cider vinegar to help draw out the nutrients. Check out the recipe here.
How do I use bone broth?
I love using bone broth in so many things during the winter! My favourite at the moment is to use it in zoodle bolognaise and a yummy tomato & chilli soup I make but you can add it as a base to any soup, stew or curry recipe. Would love to hear what you come up with, feel free to share your recipes here so we can all enjoy them!
Tomato & chilli soup
Serves 2, double quantity for a family.
Ingredients
250 grams bone broth (not chicken)
2 heaped teaspoons of concentrated tomato paste
2 whole tomatoes diced
2 tablespoons onion/spring onion or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder or onion oil
1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic, garlic powder or garlic oil
2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil leaves
2 cups of baby spinach leaves
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon tamari
2 drops of doTerra oregano oil
Method
Heat the bone broth on low heat
Add the tomato paste, tamari & spices and mix until dispersed evenly throughout the liquid
Add the diced tomatoes, spinach leaves, basil leaves & any other desired vegetables
Cover for approximately 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened, mixing occasionally so the tomatoes cook evenly
Serve with your favourite bread or protein side, add thin noodles, mushrooms or another yummy vegetable for a bit more bulk or have on it’s own as an entree!
Made this choc-mint smoothie for lunch today and it tastes so good I had to share! Very refreshing on this hot day we are having here in Melbourne. Added bonus, it’s packed full of nutrition including anti-oxidants and is great for you brain, your digestion and your energy levels!
Ingredients
2 cups spinach or kale
250ml milk of your choice (I used Nutty Bruce coconut and almond milk)
1 banana fresh or frozen
6 ice cubes
1-2 drops DoTerra peppermint oil
2 tablespoons chocolate protein powder (I used a whey protein isolate from grass fed cows. Isolate is easier to digest for lactose intolerant people. I don’t suffer at all!)
1 tablespoon MCT oil (I used bulletproof brand available here)
1 teaspoon pure cacao powder
Method
Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. If it’s not sweet enough you could add some liquid stevia or a different type of sweetner but I think it’s sweet enough as it is.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I am (I am literally drinking it as I write!) let me know what you think or if you come up with any variations for me to try.
If you’ve already been in to the clinic you will know that we love aromatherapy! We use doTERRA oils. In the winter we diffuse the ‘on guard’ mix to ward off cold germs; we use tea tree oil in our mix for wiping down the leather and vinyl surfaces; if hayfever is rampant we diffuse the ‘easy air’ mix and I use an array of oils in cooking and baking which I have mentioned in some of the previous recipes posted on our site. Today I want to share a couple of oils that you can use for various aches and pains. Make sure you get good quality oils to guarantee their therapeutic effects. Modere, Living Young & doTERRA are the companies I know of that provide good quality oils but I’m sure there are others too, just do your homework. Hopefully you find these oils as helpful as we do!
Lavender
Lavender oil has a relaxing effect on the body. For headaches dab a drop or 2 of the oil at the base of the skull and let it trickle down the neck. Unless you’re allergic to lavender oil you should find it very calming and balancing. Besides headaches lavender oil is also great for relaxing the body and mind to prepare for sleep. A few drops on the bottoms of your feet massaged in is quite effective. It can also be used for bites and stings to reduce the swelling and take away the itch. It can help with eczema and other skin irritations such as dermatitis and dandruff, I suppose that’s why they use it in a lot of shampoos for sensitive skin! It has anti-bacterial properties so is good for minor cuts and burns. It sounds strange but for travel sickness or nausea a drop on the end of the tongue, behind the ears and on the belly is helpful. Lavender is a really well rounded oil which is why it’s at the top of the list of must haves!
Peppermint
Due to Peppermint’s cooling effect on the skin, it has a similar effect for muscle aches as other menthol based gels such as ice gel. Use a few drops over the effected area or add a few drops to a squirt of oil or moisturiser for larger areas. Peppermint oil can also be used in the kitchen in place of peppermint essence. You need much less of the pure oils though so just keep that in mind so you don’t ruin your baking! It also has anti-microbial properties so you can use it to freshen your breath (or your dogs breath) just make sure you dilute it 80-90 percent when using with animals. It’s great for soothing stomach aches as well, you can add a drop to your dry teabag before brewing a cup of tea!
Frankincense
Frankincense is an extremely versatile oil. A study conducted by Cardiff University showed reductions in inflammatory molecules that are involved in Rheumatoid Arthritis but it’s long been used for pain of joints and muscles, oral hygiene & repair, digestive complaints and with colds and respiratory complaints. Topically simply rub a few drops into the painful area. For digestive complaints you can put a drop onto a tea bag and ingest it; for colds you can put it in a diffuser and for oral hygiene you can dilute it in a home made toothpaste or mouthwash.
Wintergreen
Wintergreen promotes circulation and brings warmth to the area, therefore it’s good for tired aching muscles. It’s analgesic and relaxant effects are quite powerful and therefore it’s also useful for sleeping, to reduce stress, to relax the airways for asthma or congestion, it’s good for muscle cramps, stomach cramps and nervous conditions such as ticks and anxiety. This oil is only ever used externally due to it’s very strong antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial properties. Care should also be taken not to apply to any open wounds. If taken internally it can be quite toxic. To use wintergreen simply rub on the affected area or nearest to the internal organs you are trying to effect. For example, for asthma you may rub on the chest, for kidneys you may rub on the lower back.
These oils are at the top of my list for relieving pain because they have other uses too so they wont go to waste in your home. If you want to incorporate the 4 oils and make a super pain relief blend you can absolutely do that. I’m sure these oils have other amazing benefits and qualities about them not listed here but if you’d like more specific information about the oils please click here.
I love coffee! Unfortunate downside of coffee and other foods such as red wine and dark chocolate to name a few is that they can leave your teeth looking less than pearly white. This is how I got onto this recipe. I knew that charcoal and bicarb were good teeth whiteners so I thought why not add them together! I don’t know why but my teeth also feel smoother and cleaner from using this, give it a go as a powder with you’re regular toothpaste first to see if you like the feel and the results then you can add the other ingredients to turn it into a paste. Each batch should last about a week.
Ingredients
1 tsp of Baking soda (I use Bob’s Red Mill because it’s aluminium free)
1 tsp of Activated Charcoal powder or capsules
2 tsps of Coconut Oil melted
1/2 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Bragg’s with the mother)
6 drops of Peppermint Oil (I use DoTerra)
Method
To trial the toothpaste add the baking soda and the activated charcoal to a shallow container so that it’s easy to dip your toothbrush in.
When you have your regular toothpaste on your brush dip it in the mixture before brushing your teeth.
Once you have decided you love it add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a teaspoon or something smaller so it doesn’t go everywhere. (It’s kind of a mash and repeat process.)
It does make the bowl a bit messy so you can either spit into a bin or what I do is just run the water as I spit so it goes straight down the plug hole.
Make sure you give your mouth a good rinse afterwards as well. You could use your normal mouth wash, water, peppermint tea or a homemade mouth wash to bring it all together! Maybe I’ll try that next!
If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me or google the hell out it! Just a FYI, if you have a diet high in sugar it’s probably best to stick to fluoride based toothpastes however this is something best talked about with your dentist. Did you know there are holistic dentists now?
An oldie but a goodie. I have made and adapted this so many times over I honestly can’t remember where I got the recipe but it is sooo delicious. So if you are reading this blog and this recipe sounds familiar, thank you! There are a few reasons I like this recipe so much. Firstly it’s really quick to whip up, secondly raw ingredients are a good source of micro nutrients (chocolate is quite high in magnesium – us Myotherapists love magnesium!) and thirdly, as an alternative to high sugar desserts or treats it really does tick the delicious box! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Ingredients & Method
1 cup of coconut flakes or desiccated coconut
1 cup cashews (try other nuts such as almond or macadamia for slight flavour variation)
1 cup pitted dates (I use fresh medjool dates and I do just under a cup as I don’t like it sweet, this is about 7-8 dates)
1/2 cup cacao powder
Blend all these ingredients in your ThermoMix, bellini or food processor until chopped up into little pieces (about 30-60 seconds should be enough)
Add 5 drops of food grade pure peppermint oil (I actually add 6 because I like it extra minty)
Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
Blend for another 10-30 seconds until the coconut oil has spread throughout and started clumping the mixture together
Line a 20cm square tin with baking paper and spoon the mixture in.
Flatten down nice and firm then pop it in the fridge or freezer to set (it takes about an hour in the fridge and about 10 minutes in the freezer)
Cut into squares (16-24 squares depending on size) and enjoy!
For variations, instead of the peppermint oil, you can use orange oil, coffee beans or you can add cherries for a cherry ripe flavour. You can also leave the cacao powder out for a caramel flavour, you can make 2 batches of different flavours and layer them such as caramel and cacao, you can also roll them into balls instead of flattening into a tray if you wish. Have fun and I look forward to hearing your variations and creations!
Here is a homemade ‘pain relief mask’ recipe.
I adapted this from a face mask I use and combined some well-known muscle soothing ingredients. Give it a go and see if it helps!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons clay
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp spirulina or kelp
1/2 tsp Epsom salts
1/2 tsp baking soda
5 drops peppermint oil
5 drops wintergreen oil
Enough magnesium oil to make it into a ‘wet’ paste
Directions
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix until well combined
Apply to affected area (don’t apply to broken or sensitive skin and stay well away from eyes if you are applying it for headache purposes)
Let it dry and leave on for about 20 minutes, this will allow the minerals to completely absorb
Rinse it off
Moisturise after if your skin feels dry
It’s that simple, would love some feedback if people found this helped them or not. Also if you would like some assistance with where to place for your specific pain please email me. Happy masking!
Extra Tips
Do this before a shower so easy to wash off.
If you want it less messy just dab some peppermint, wintergreen and magnesium on the affected area. This one you don’t even have to wash off!
If you want to use it for face mask purposes remove the peppermint oil, wintergreen oil and magnesium oil.
We stock magnesium oil and can help you source good quality essential oils if you need them as well.
You can use any kind of clay suitable for the skin. Bentonite clay is really nice to use. It is edible and has loads of health benefits too, find out more and purchase this clay here.
