When the sky turns overcast, connection is key. You are still reading the Winter Wellness Series. Though a salad doesn’t scream cozy to most of us, consider the nutrients nestled within. Grilled capsicum is as flavoursome as it is high in vitamin c. Parsley and fennel are brilliant gut microbiome boosters. The vitamin d present in the eggs is also a key nutrient for immune health and enjoying a stable mood.
Salads are the ticket for incorporating high, seasonally driven variety. Also a good option for staying light and energised throughout the day, as apposed to heavier, traditional winter comfort food (that is best saved for dinner).
Note that this is not strict recipe format, this article is more to serve as inspiration for brunch gatherings or solo, healthy options. However, do save the ingredients for the dressing. Its too simple and super tasty.
Ingredients for 4:
8 eggs
2 capsicum
1 whole fennel bulb
1 avocado
parsley
mixed herbs (optional)
pinch of salt and pepper
Loaf of sourdough (optional, locally crafted is ideal).
Super simple dressing:
1 part soy sauce
1 part lemon juice
1 part dark honey
1 part tahini
1-2tsp seeded mustard according to your preference.
Method: Shake in a jar until well combined
Method:
Gather and chop your seasonally available veg, opting for bright colours and great variety. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, season with salt, pepper, herbs and roast according to your oven or air fryer instructions. (180 degrees for 25 minutes would be about right).
While this is roasting away, get your eggs boiling. For best, most yellow and gooey results. Get the water in your medium-large sized pot boiling before adding the eggs. For gooey, take eggs out and into cold water from 8 minutes, leave for longer if you wish.
3. Construct a plate like so, crack salt and pepper atop and enjoy a messy feast with friends or a good book.
A performance enhancer, brain booster and hormone balancer. This is the hot chocolate you need when you are missing coffee but not the cortisol spikes. When you need to sharpen your mind and get in the zone with love and respect to your entire system, these 7 ingredients will deliver. It is also…. so tasty! And thank goodness because giving up coffee is hard! I see you, I feel you.
I like to sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top, just be aware when you lean in for that first, delicious, warming sip, if you sniff the chocolatey aroma with too much enthusiasm, the cinnamon nose burn is real.
Ingredients
50ml milk of your choice (I used soy)
1 tsp cacao powder
1 tsp honey (I used a super dark one for the extra medicinal and immune boosting properties)
1/2 tsp lions mane
1/2 tsp l-tyrosine (optional and with consideration to your unique needs*)
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
Method:
Get a kettle of fresh water boiling and whilst this is happening mix the above (without the milk) in good sized (300ml-ish) mug.
It should have formed a paste by the time you add a little bit of hot water in, this is just to help you mix it better. Once it resembles something silky smooth, add your milk and top with hot water till your cup is full (literally and figuratively.)
It is a fabulous amino acid, the precursor to L-dopa which then become dopamine. Beneficial in those suffering from depression or working with ADHD. The amino acid may serve to boost levels of dopamine in your brain such that you feel heightened levels of motivation, focus and drive. Often used by those in the general population prior to engaging in deep work, it can boost productivity and the quality of your work output.
A bit like caffeine, your body can adapt to l-tyrosine so trying one week on, one week off may serve you better.
What is critical to understand is dosage, timing and whether your brain chemistry will thrive on additional amounts of this amino acid. Know thyself and consult your physician should you have any concerns before changing or adding anything to your diet.
Further reading and resources
Bloemendaal, M., Froböse, M. I., Wegman, J., Zandbelt, B. B., van de Rest, O., Cools, R., & Aarts, E. (2018). Neuro-cognitive effects of acute tyrosine administration on reactive and proactive response inhibition in healthy older adults. eNeuro, 5(2), ENEURO.0035-17.2018-. https://doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0035-17.2018
The role of protein and amino acids in sustaining and enhancing performance. (1999). National Academy Press.
Yesssss to cozying up on winter mornings whilst you nibble away on fluffy pancakes. You can hear a light rain, feel a slight chill but you also smell that cacao hit the butter in the pan and taste all things that could go right at breakfast time.
Life is good, you think to yourself and at 5-7 ingredients, reasonably simple.
You may spy a decant of peanut butter, not strictly paleo, but neither am I.✌🏼Why? I choose paleo 80% of the time, with an overriding theme (95%) of learning about food, how it affects me and making a logical, self-loving choice from there. Peanuts fortify me with copper, fats, protein, vitamins A,E and folate. 5% of the time I say yes to scones that friends made, pizza nights out and a superbly crafted glass of wine.
Live the good life in the real world. You are reading part 8 in the Winter Wellness Series.
Ingredients:
1/2 banana (ideally brown and mushy)
1 egg
2tbsp cacao powder
20g collagen powder
pinch of salt
smudge of butter
1 tbsp peanut butter (though you could use any other variety you like).
optional extras
berries
cinnamon
vanilla
Method
Whisk egg in a cup and once well beaten, add mushy banana. Mush more and combine well before adding the cacao, collagen and pinch of salt.
Get a medium sized pan pan a low, gentle heat, let the smudge of butter coat the pan and melt. Then you are ready to spoon out about 3 or 4 small pancakes.
They will need about 3 minutes one side and 1 minute the other depending how you like them. Once cooked, flip carefully onto a plate and dollop your peanut butter.
Double your batch to share! They also store well as a high protein snack for the next day
Macros: The following are per serve and assume you opted for a controlled dollop of peanut butter Per serve:365kcal 21gC 16gF 34gP
Hearty, hot and healthy. All the things we love in a winter’s dinner date. Seasonal greens and fresh fish are certainly best served lemony and a tomatoey richness over lentil pasta makes the meal.
Lentil pasta… It’s not bad and especially if you don’t over cook it as I did my first, overly enthusiastic go at it. Gluten free, higher in protein and packed with fibre. You can find it in most grocers.
You are reading part 7 of the Winter Wellness series. Be messy, creative and generous with those you may share this meal with. If you are cooking for one, dim the lights, turn off your phone and pair this meal with your favourite acoustic jam. We loved this one with José González’s El Invento. Sensational songs, company and pasta all make excellent winter warmers and will soar your soul past winter blues.
Ingredients for two:
2x 250g fillets of white firm, fish (I used barramundi on my mongers strong support, ask yours what is good).
180g of dried pasta
1 tin of tomato
1 zucchini
1/4 finely sliced fennel bulb
A good few stalks of parsley
juice of one lemon
1 small knob of butter
1 knob of garlic
1 tbsp Italian herbs
1tsp stock
pinches of salt and pepper to taste
Method
Get a fresh pot of water boiling and chop the zucchini into thin-ish slices and salt. Set aside so your board can see you chop the fennel and parsley too. You need not be too fine or finicky with your fennel, a mandolin is helpful but there’s no harm in chunkier pieces to soften in your buttery pan.
Add your pasta to your freshly boiled water, a pinch of salt and cook to instructions, about 4-6 minutes should be ideal. Drain water and let stand in the pot once cooked. While this is on the go, melt your knob of butter into another pan on a medium heat. Add your chopped vegetables and stir till it starts to soften which should take close to 8 minutes. The chopped parsley and juice of lemon can be added to the vegetable pan at the absolute last minute. Once cooked, add to the pasta and stir through.
Blend (in a blender if you have access to one) your tin of tomato, Italian herbs, stock and garlic. Get this heating on a medium-high heat in a pan (pan must have a lid). Once bubbling, add your fillets of fish, cover with the tomato concoction and place the lid on the pan. They should take between 8-10 minutes to cook.
Once the fillets are close, you may need to gently heat the pasta and vegetables before dosing them into a bowl. You can do this in the pot, stirring together over a low heat for a minute Your fillets and sauce will be carefully poured atop.
Macros: The following are per serve and assume you opted for the higher protein, lentil pasta Per serve: 535cal 70gC 7gF 48gP
Sooth your throat and boost you immune system! The anti-inflammatory spices within offer nature’s support to your body if it needs to come back from fighting flues or dealing with stress.
Simply add the ingredients listed to a pot, gently heat, combine and serve into cups.
Catching up with friends of a chilly afternoon? Make it together, rug up and listen to each others stories. The social connection is absolutely as powerful for your health* as the ginger and turmeric you’ll be sipping on. This winter warmer drink comes to you as Part 6 of the winter wellness series.
*Leschak, C. J., & Eisenberger, N. I. (2019). Two Distinct Immune Pathways Linking Social Relationships With Health: Inflammatory and Antiviral Processes. Psychosomatic medicine, 81(8), 711–719. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000685
Fusion at its most tomatoey and delicious; a soujourn from Central Europe through Northern Africa. You are reading Part 5 of the Winter Wellness Series and receiving another warming and fortifying recipe for the colder months ahead.
The following recipe delivers a balance of nutrition to meet energy needs and promote muscle growth as well as containing anti-bacterial garlic, herbs and spices to fend of flu and soothe sore throats.
This recipe requires a slow cooker and the ingredients will feed four or two people and their lunch the next day.
Ingredients:
800g chicken tenderloins
700g Potatoes
500g Pumpkin slices
1 bunch of broccolini
1 tin of tomatoes
1/4 cup soy sauce
3-4 cloves garlic
1tbsp vegetable stock powder
1 tsbp tomato paste
1 tbsp dukkuh for dusting pumpkin and potato
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
sprinkling of thyme and oregano (this is the sign you were looking for to start a herb garden. Call your grandparents and ask for tips now).
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
In your slow cooker, mix together the tinned tomato, stock, cinnamon, nutmeg, soy sauce, garlic and tomato paste. Once this is well combined, add your chicken tenderloin and set your slow cooker to low if cooking for 8-9 hours, high if cooking for 5-6 hours. Leave to simmer away while you go about your other day’s adventures and projects.
2. Slice pumpkin into 3cm thick-ish pieces and arrange on a lined baking tray (or within an air fryer as I did). Salt and dust with dukkuh, if using an oven you may need a light drizzle of olive oil to prevent drying. Roast in an oven or air fry for 30 minutes at 185 degrees Celsius. An oven may require more time.
3. Wash and cut potatoes before boiling in fresh water and a pinch of salt for 10-15 minutes. To check when done, poke through with a fork, they should be soft.
4.To cook broccolini, blanch by covering in boiled water for 2-5 minutes till softened to your liking. Top tip: cook your broccolini in the bowls they will be served in to warm up the bowl and keep your food hotter, longer. Ensure you drain excess water properly.
5. Then all you need do is bring all elements together in your bowl, dosing the herbs onto your potatoes and sprinkling more dukkuh if you wish.
Macros: The following are per serve Per serve: 451cal 48gC 7.3gF 48gP
Sweet, chewy and anti-inflammatory. Make in abundance so you can share the warm-hearted wintery wellness.
These cookies had such a satisfying mouth-feel, they were a joy to munch on and you can feel super good about sharing them and their healing properties with those you love! You are getting an excellent dose of zinc from the oats and butter whilst the honey, lemon and turmeric are delivering anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial goodness to stave off or sooth winter ails.
This is part 4 of the Winter Wellness Series. Shout out to the awesome client who supplied the honey featuring in this recipe. Appreciate you!
Ingredients for 20, as mentioned, they are to be shared with neighbours, friends, work colleagues, family members and hungry partners:
1 cup of steel cut oats (pre-soaked).
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup honey (the darker, the more medicinal its properties are).
80g salted butter (grass fed is ideal)
2 eggs
1/4 cup maca powder (optional)
rind of 2 lemons
1tbsp turmeric
1tbsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
Method:
Tip 1 cup of steel cut oats into your mixing bowl with 1 cup of freshly boiled water. Allow to soak 1-2 hours and then drain the excess liquid not soaked up by the oats. Add the rolled oats to this once steel cut oats have bee soaked through. Now is a good time to get your oven preheating to 180 degrees Celsius , fan forced.
In a separate pot, heat the butter through on a low heat, add honey, spices and salt. With a grater, microplane or similar, grate the rind of the lemon into this mixture.
In a seperate cup, beat your eggs and then add to the rest of the ingredients. Stir all the mixture to combine.
Next you want to scoop out into small cookie sized portions on a baking tray. Then pop the tray into the fridge an hour or two (this isnt a necessary step if you are super impatient but it stops the cookies spreading into each other.
Bake for 8 minutes-ish minutes on 180 fan forced (depending how chewy, crispy or soft you like them, longer will entail a crispier cookie).
The colder, the windier, the rainier, the greyer, the harder it gets to get outside. Yes! However, time outdoors does not become less important to our circadian rhythm, cognitive function, mood or well being during the winter. It remains a crucial, and even more so at this time of year, element. You are reading Part 3 of the Winter Wellness Series.
The lower intensity of the winter sunlight means all the more reason to spend more time outside to ensure we are getting enough vitamin d and natural light stimulation to support sleep/wake cycles and all the other functions of our body. 80% of our cells operate on a timing schedule! That is 80% of the cells in your body need to know what time of day it is and we get this from safe exposure to natural light.
An important note is to be mindful of severe temperature drops and the importance of keeping your core body temperature at a safe level to avoid hypothermia. This article is not to encourage unsafe behaviours that result in sickness. This is to remind us to still get that walk in, even when we need to put a jacket on to be comfortable doing so. Know thyself in understanding what is and isn’t for you, be responsible in prioritising your own health and safety as you read on.
Our bodies were designed to experience ranges of temperatures and to respond to these, setting of beautiful cascades our our bioloogical response. Just as a muscle must respond to strength demands in the gym to come back stronger and healthier. Due to today’s ‘comfort crisis’ and living in constantly temperature controlled rooms we are missing out on important hormonal signalling through pathways in the body that can only be activated through cold exposure. Just 10 minutes exposure to temperatures between 10 and 16 degrees celsius is enough to encourage some of this cell signalling that will improve metabolic function, mood, sleep and other hormonal systems.
If you needed more benefits of spending time outside:
Decrease anxiety levels by spending time in nature, switch off your phone, breath in the fresh air and be rather than do.
Enhance the quality of the time you spend with loved ones without the distractions of TV and other technology.
Avoid sensory overload by putting yourself in a more natural environment to unleash creativity and problem solving capabilities.
What does getting outside this winter look like?
Pack the car with blankets, rugs, thermos and set off to find a spot to watch a winter’s sunset with your friends, partner or solo!
Organise a hike with friends. Trust me, they will eventually be stoked you got them out even if it takes a some creative convincing.
Getting that walk in the morning before the day unfolds to set you up for a day of high performance.
Doing your workout outside, perhaps an achievable 10 minutes of body weight HIIT? Or some yoga in those awesome, woollen leggings.
Winter is the perfect opportunity to develop mindset. It is a signalling to yourself that the weather does not determine your actions, you determine your action! That you are driven more by internal desires and commitments to health than external drivers. It is the keeping of a promise you make to yourself to uphold the healthy habits or walking, getting natural light and air.
Further reading and Resources
Burns, A. C., Saxena, R., Vetter, C., Phillips, A. J. K., Lane, J. M., & Cain, S. W. (2021). Time spent in outdoor light is associated with mood, sleep, and circadian rhythm-related outcomes: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study in over 400,000 UK Biobank participants. Journal of Affective Disorders, 295, 347–352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.056
Dettweiler, U., Becker, C., Auestad, B. H., Simon, P., & Kirsch, P. (2017). Stress in school. Some empirical hints on the circadian cortisol rhythm of children in outdoor and indoor classes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(5), 475-. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14050475
Klimek, K., Bugla, K., Gabryel, Ł., Wikarek, A., Dołęga, J., Grabarczyk, M., Kosińska, P., Rybak, J., Magiera, B., & Grabarczyk, A. (2024). Exploring the benefits of cold exposure in health and athletic performance – review of articles. Journal of Education, Health and Sport, 55, 52–72. https://doi.org/10.12775/JEHS.2024.55.004
Part 2 of the Winter Wellness Series for optimal physical and mental health!
70% of your immune system operates from your gut! In order to maximise your immune systems response to threats it is critical that your gut is well fortified by a thriving colony of good bacteria. This means feeding the beneficial gut flora, keeping it well populated through a diverse range of plants and avoiding things that will harm your gut health. This relationship is bi-directional meaning a poorly functioning immune system will have negative effects on your gut health and this can lead to a cycle no one wants to be in. This may present as bloating, fatigue moodiness and other symptoms. The link here is chronic inflammation. What does this look like? Imagine you are overworked, under slept, you haven’t been hitting your exercise or nutrition goals and so your weak and worn out body essentially begins to run out of fuel for important functions all the while the gut that is distressed by chronic stress and inflammation fails to produce an adequate immune response to the the bugs that take advantage of a depleted system. Take heart! Your gut health wants to thrive, your immune system wants to protect you! All you have to do is give it what it needs to do so and avoid the things that hamper this miraculous and wonderful ability of our bodies.
How can you fortify your gut health to improve immune function?Eat, exercise anddestress your way to robust immune and gut health!
Let’s start by eating our way there….
Fermented foods are a winner for populating your gut with beneficial flora.
Feed your gut with probiotics; raw garlic, onion, asparagus, green banana and fibre are all excellent examples.
Eating a diverse range of plants! 30/ week is the gold standard and this may sounds tricky at first but sprinkling extra herbs and spices here and there, getting creative with seed and nut mixes on your porridge and asking whats good and in season at your local grocer will come together to see you to this number comfortably.
Eating foods rich in the nutrients that further support your gut health such as MCTs, omega 3s, vitamin d, c and zinc. The bowl to your left features a diverse range of plants, fermented foods, tinned mackerel and a garlicky, lemony, homemade hummus as an example.
Exercise your way there!
Weight training and getting your heart rate up shows consistent benefits for gut health and immune system and assisting you to find balance from stress. Improve blood flow and cardio health, aid your mitochondria (the power house of your cells) to boost and enhance all metabolic functions within your body, improve hormones, sleep and cell signalling that needs to happen in order for your immune system to operate effectively. There is simply no replacement for the mental and physical feel good factor of exercise.
Destress your way there.
We all know how it feels to eat in a stressed out rush, that bloating feeling that comes later and most of us have experienced the flu that hits us when we feel at our most burn out from work or other life stresses. Taking time to get outside and connect with others in the sunshine is vital to keeping yourself on kilter to avoid the damaging effects stress has on your body.
If you need someone on your team who understands nutrition and exercise to get you going this winter season, click the button to find out more!
Boyers, L. (2014). The Everything Guide to Gut Health : Boost Your Immune System, Eliminate Disease, and Restore Digestive Health. F+W Media.
Calder, P. C., & Yaqoob, P. (Eds.). (2013). Diet, immunity and inflammation. Woodhead Publishing.
García-Montero, C., Fraile-Martínez, O., Gómez-Lahoz, A. M., Pekarek, L., Castellanos, A. J., Noguerales-Fraguas, F., Coca, S., Guijarro, L. G., García-Honduvilla, N., Asúnsolo, A., Sanchez-Trujillo, L., Lahera, G., Bujan, J., Monserrat, J., Álvarez-Mon, M., Álvarez-Mon, M. A., & Ortega, M. A. (2021). Nutritional components in western diet versus mediterranean diet at the gut microbiota-immune system interplay. implications for health and disease. Nutrients, 13(2), 1–53. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020699
Gleeson, M. (2006). Immune function in sport and exercise. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.
Leutholtz, B. C., & Ripoll, I. (2011). Exercise and disease management (2nd ed.). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/b10856
Meat cooked on the bone is an unbelievably delicious way to get extra nutrients in. The calcium, zinc , collagen and other minerals stored within the bone become infused in your stewey sauce to boost your own bone density, nervous system function and immune system. On a mild Autumnal evening or amidst the depths of winter, what could feel more nourishing?
Look after yourself this winter and make this soulful season yours! You are reading part 1 of The Winter Wellness Series! All about fortifying yourself against the winter season to come through food, training and a host of mental resilience tools to fend of stress and winter blues. Think soups, stews, exercise for immune system and mental health as well as practices to keep you centred and blissful through chilly grey days.
First up though… Lamb shanks!
Ingredients:
3 lamb shanks (Note that this recipe could look after 3 people for dinner or 2 people and next days lunch for one).
1 head of cauliflower
1/2 bunch of silverbeat
3 serves of rice (cooked according to instruction)
1 tsp olive oil
just a pinch of oregano, smoked paprika and salt to season your cauliflower (optional).
For the stewy sauce:
2 tins tomato
3 cloves garlic (or more, I like more :))
1 tbsp stock powder
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
Method:
Sear off lamb shanks in a well sized pan for a couple minutes a side on a medium high heat. You just want to see a hint of browning before you pop it into your slow cooker. No need to add any oils here, the lamb is plenty fatty to avoid sticking if you don’t overheat the pan.
Blend all the sauce ingredients in a blend and pour over. If you don’t have a blender, simply stir together in your slow cooker first, then place lamb shanks into their saucy bath. Turn Slow cooker to high if cooking for 8 hours, low if cooking for 12.
3. Cut cauliflower into thickish ‘steaks’, drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and season with a touch of smoked paprika, salt and oregano. They will air fry for 20 minutes on 175 degrees Celsius or roast in a conventional oven for 15 minutes on 190. While this is roasting, start cooking your rice according to packet instructions.
4. Heat a pan to medium and slice stalky bits off silverbeat to get an extra three minutes sautéing before you add the leafy bits, as pictures. Once leafy bits are added, sauté a further three minutes, stirring often.
5. The elements of your meal should come together like so to create two plates with a lunch option.
Macros: The following macros are per serve and include 1 lamb shank, 1 serve of rice and 1/3 the vege used in this recipe.
Per serve: 471cal 51gC 13.5gF 36.7gP
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