Sophia Eats – A book review and giveaway.

July 25, 2014 · 51 Comments

One thing that really annoys me is ‘toddler formula’ !!

Even way back when my kids were little (15 years ago now) and I wasn’t as nutritionally savvy as I am now, I still thought, that is crazy! Why not just feed kids food?

Let’s face it though – nutrition can be confusing! Toddlers are notoriously fussy eaters and it can be hard to know if they are getting the right amount and type of nutrients.

Leading Aussie naturopath and nutritionist, Emma Sutherland, has the solution.

After becoming a new mum a few years ago, Emma saw a need for a one stop guide for overall toddler health and vitality….. so she created it herself! Sophia Eats – A Parents Guide to Toddler Health & Vitality is now available directly from Emma on her website.

“When I was pregnant I began thinking about how I could ensure my child also shared my passion for food. I simply couldn’t imagine raising a child who wouldn’t enjoy hours of cooking and meal times with me! ” Emma Sutherland.

This is not just another recipe book, Emma has also shared a lot of amazing information about nutrition as well as practical advice and tips on toddler health in general. This lady knows her stuff – it’s not outdated nutrition advice!

Gut health is a feature and Emma has a fabulous recipe for bone broth and advice about probiotics. Emma even talks about removing toxins from your child’s diet and relaxation techniques. You will find food tips for better behaved kids, getting kids to sleep and calming hyperactivity as well as strategies for fussy eaters. It’s very much an holistic approach.

The photography is stunning and Sophia is such a cutie and makes a great model!

The book is full of little gems of parenting wisdom like… “The table is a place of emotional warmth and connection”. It’s all about taking the stress out of meal times and instead making them a fun, pleasureable experience for everyone. I mean … who doesn’t want that?

The recipes are simple but all feature nourishing whole foods – things like apple and chia muffins, chocolate ‘ice cream, jelly vitamins and immune boosting milk. The recipes are suitable for all ages, really.

I love this book!

Emma writes in a friendly way that makes you feel supported. No holier than thou parenting advice here! Just helpful, useful information and tips that are achievable and easy to put into practice. I am thrilled that this information is available to parents to help them negotiate the tricky world of toddler feeding (without going insane).

And … no toddler formula in sight!

What’s in the book?

♥ Sophia and Emma’s favourite recipes, tried, tested and proven successful!

♥ 7 day diet diary template with portion suggestions

♥ Top 10 things nobody told you about being a parent

♥ Top tips for fussy eaters and frustrated parents

♥ Top 8 nutrients for a growing toddler

♥ 5 food mistakes even smart parents make

♥ How to become a food detective

♥ Is your toddler getting enough nutrition?

♥ 10 foods to ensure better behavior

♥ Foods to help your toddler sleep

♥ Quick & healthy family breakfast ideas

♥ My top 6 nutrients for toddlers – what is the research saying?

You can get it for direct download at Emma’s website here.

Giveaway:

This giveaway is now closed. The lucky winners are Glynis, Claire and Winsome.

Want to win one? Emma is kindly giving away three copies of Sophia Eats!!

All you need to do is:

♥ Be a blog subscriber (add your email to the right hand side box)

♥ Like Emma’s Facebook page, Emma Sutherland Expert Nutritionist

♥ Leave a comment on this blog post telling us why you want to win

[box] Terms and conditions. This giveaway runs until 9am, 4th of August 2014. One winner will be chosen using a random number generator from those meeting the entry criteria. Giveaway is open world-wide. Please make a note to check your emails! Good luck![/box]

20 Awesome Ebooks for Natural, New Age Mums!

January 11, 2014 · 98 Comments

I love ebooks! They are so eco-friendly and much more affordable in this format. No shipping costs or waiting for them to arrive in the post either.

I am sharing with you a list of some of my all time favourites. Enjoy!

Supercharged Food for Kids

My kids love this book! There are so many fabulous and fun recipes including Zoo Poo! Lee’s recipes use real food and are gluten free, dairy free and sugar free. You can sample a recipe here.

This book will inspire you to create fresh, wholesome and nutrient rich meals that your children will eat again and again and help develop good eating habits they can maintain for the rest of their lives. As well as recipes, Lee gives us lots of practical advice, tips and planners.

Like Chocolate for Women

Overwhelmed? Overstressed? Overtired? Overworked? Over it? Like Chocolate For Women is every woman’s self-care handbook packed with hundreds of tips and ideas to help all women live the life they want, reminding them that self-care is not selfish – it’s essential!

This is one book that I refer to over and over again – it helps me refocus and make self care a priority in my life. I could not be without it and recommend it to all my girlfriends!

Manifesting Matisse

In this moving and inspiring book, Dr. Michelle Nielsen teaches a powerful and practical 10-step system to clarify and achieve your goals by aligning and better connecting your body, mind and spirit. Using this system you will be empowered to create rapid results that are nothing short of spectacular! Additionally, you will be deeply moved as the author narrates the miraculous story of how, through the use of this system, she helped heal her son and set the stage for his transformation from a special needs child into a healthy, happy and thriving boy.

Our Favourite Sweets

From the gorgeous Organic Sisters, Sal and Brooke, this ebook is jam-packed with 25 mouth-watering healthy recipes. The girls show you how to enjoy delicious and simple treats without any nasty additives or processed junk! Every dish is made with whole, real ingredients and they are all gluten–free, grain-free and dairy-free. There’s also a mix of nut free, egg-free and raw one’s too.

Clever Cook – A Year in Recipes

50 Healthy Thermomix recipes by the Clever Cook , Brisbane mum, Sarah Wong. There is a selection of recipes from ice-cream to soups, to entrée’s & mains, sweet things and a gluten-free section.

10 Apps for Natural, New Age Mums

October 18, 2013 · 26 Comments

Apps allow information and entertainment to be at our fingertips 24/7 in a portable, user-friendly way.

But it’s not all for techno-geeks and game players, apps can be used to enhance your everyday. These ten awesome apps will help you lead a healthy, happy, holistic life.

1. Headspace Meditation. Headspace is a project designed to demystify meditation. Using the wonders of science and technology, they make it easy-to-learn, fun-to-do, and relevant to your everyday life. Featuring how to meditate, daily meditation sessions and reminders. Download it here.

2. The Whole Pantry. A very popular health, wellness and lifestyle app with a vision to restore balance and empower. The Whole Pantry is the new go-to place, filled with a continually updating library of resources, empowering information, lifestyle guides and simple, yet beautiful nourishing recipes. Visit the website here.

3. Healthy Home. Is your home making you sick? With the increase in asthma, allergies, chemical sensitivities and other illnesses related to indoor pollutants a healthy home has never been more important. Take a walk through your home and complete the quiz to identify health assets and challenges. Discover tips and resources to help you create a healthy home for your family. Find out more here.

4. GS1 Go Scan. By either browsing the database or scanning products in store, Go Scan gives you information about food to help you make the right choices for your family. It includes information on allergens, ingredients, nutrition, storage and preparation, dietary and basics like country of origin and company website. Check out the website here.

5. EFT Clinic. This free app allows you to tap into (see what I did there) the amazing healing power of EFT (emotional freedom technique) with a combination of text, diagrams and video. Free yourself from difficult emotions wherever you are, be it stress or anxiety, depression, low self esteem, weight loss and much much more. EFT Clinic is presented by Sue Beer, one of the first certified EFT Masters. Check it out here.

6. Safe Runner. Aussie mum, Rebecca has come up with app to not only be a personal tracker for running, walking or pushing the pram, it comes with inbuilt security. Safe Runner will track your distance, calories burnt and if required will automatically notify your emergency contact that assistance is needed as well as your GPS location. For more information go here.

7. Inspire Me Quotes. With quality images and designs, get inspired and uplifted by beautiful quotes. Inspire Me Quotes offers users the chance to browse through a variety of inspirational quotes to reveal wisdom from great minds such as Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Mark Twain, Steve Jobs, Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, Abraham Lincoln and many, many more. Find out more here.

8. Shop Ethical. A quick and easy way to avoid companies with a negative track record and support those making a positive impact. With 10 years of research as a basis, this app have everything you need to start shopping ethically. With information on animal testing, factory farming, food miles, labour exploitation, GMOs, overfishing, palm oil and more, you can find products that fit with your values. Get it here.

9.Yoga Studio. This app is like your own yoga studio on call. It features detailed info and advice on 280 poses and 16 hours of yoga classes in a clean, easy to see format. Ideal for beginners up to advanced, it’s an affordable way to bring yoga into your life. Check out the website here.

10. The Chemical Maze. The very popular book by Bill Statham is also available in app form. With ten years of research and a huge database, you have access to information about food additives and cosmetic ingredients. Identify the risk level and possible reactions and problems of each. Invaluable in navigating the world of chemicals! Go here for more details.

Want more? My friend Alexx Stuart shares her top apps here.

What is your favourite app? Link us up!

A natural, new age Mother’s Day gift guide

April 22, 2013 · 22 Comments

A natural, new age Mother’s Day gift guide

Mother’s Day is a time to show appreciation of our mums and all the wonderful things they do for us! Here are my favourite gift ideas for the natural, new age mum. Ladies, you might like to share this on Facebook or email to the appropriate loved ones!

♥ Cosima Skincare

Cosima Flawless Nourishing gift pack. I am a big fan of this range – I was lucky enough to win some from Facebook a while ago and totally loved how they made my skin feel. Angela is a Queensland mum who has created these natural products using certified organic ingredients of remarkable quality.

Flawless is a new line, full of anti-aging ingredients and is a natural alternative to Botox (much better than injecting yourself with toxins, I reckon!). It’s all backed up with clinical evidence, not false promises. Not tested on animals, recyclable packaging and manufactured in Australia – it ticks all my NNAM boxes.

You can get it online direct from Cosima.

♥ Pana Chocolate Gift Pack

It’s no secret I love chocolate and Pana is one of the best healthy chocolates around. Pana chocolate is handmade in Melbourne using raw, fair trade, certified organic ingredients. No sugar, soy, dairy. gluten, additives, preservatives, GMOs or animal products.

I totally love the packaging which is made in Australia with 100% recycled cardboard, soy based inks and recycled foil. Yeah, this company walks the talk!

Get it online here.

♥ DIY teacup candle.

I have seen this idea in so many places and I can’t wait to give them a go. It’s so easy and thrifty! Just pick yourself up a vintage tea cup from an op shop, some soy or beeswax and pure essential oils. Find out how to do it at Inhabitat.

♥ A maternal care pack.

For just $20, get Mum a charity gift from Act for Peace. The maternal care pack is for women in Pakistan who are not allowed out of their home and often give birth with untrained help. The pack goes towards midwives and safe birthing delivery kits as well as post and ante natal care.

You can help lower the maternal and child mortality rates in this country, which are among the highest in the world. Head to Karma Currency for the details. “Thank you for coming to provide us with the clinic and health care. You have done more for us than you will ever know.” – Yesmeen, Pakistan.

I hope this has given you a little inspiration for your mum or some ideas on what you can put on your wish list! However you like to celebrate, have a fabulous Mother’s Day and enjoy the precious time with your family.