To all the beautiful mum’s out there

Dear Beautiful Mummy,

I know you are feeling tired & I know the day in day out, never ending work is exhausting.

I know looking after children can be lonely and you long for adult conversations. I know your heart is bursting at the seams for your tiny humans and you would do anything for them.

I know beams of sunshine radiate from your face when you talk & even think about your children.

I also know you put yourself second to the endless pile of washing, cooking & care of your family.

We are Mum’s, we have big beautiful hearts & our families needs often come before our own. We all know the saying ‘You can’t pour from an empty cup’ and if you are not looking after you, then something’s going to give & it’s your health.

I see countless women in clinic that are completely drained, physically, emotionally & mentally. Our fast paced lives and pressures are so taxing on our health and what we are fueling our bodies with can ultimately prevent a disease or feed one.

You are totally worth investing in & I don’t say that lightly. I want you to be in awe of yourself & feel what great health feels like. When we step up and look after ourselves, everyone around us is impacted.

I’m a Mum

I do washing

I do dishes

I clean

I run my own business

I am a Mum taxi

I pay bills

I grocery shop

I cook

I am also precious & I treat myself accordingly.

I fuel my body with nourishing foods I make choices to nourish my mind, body & soul. It is ok to say no to people and it is ok to put yourself first. It is not selfish, it is a priority.

What you put in your mouth everyday is the most fundamental act of self-love.

Eating whole, unprocessed foods is the ultimate tool to start living a healthier life. I know when you are rushed off your feet, kids are screaming, the house is a mess & you have been needing to pee for the past hour but you keep going, it is easy to forget to eat, eat scraps of the kids plates or make poor choices.

I don’t feel you need more motivation to look after yourself, I feel you need to get in touch with how truly fabulous you are and give yourself the unconditional love you deserve.

I cook nutritious food for myself & my family because I am passionate about health and our wellbeing. In saying that, I understand how busy life can be, I have tips & tricks for getting good food on the table with limited time. We are all in the same boat. Some days are easier than others and some days scrambled eggs on toast is where it’s at.

• Cook once, eat twice, or three times for all I care!

• Cook in big batches and be versatile with food. I turn bolognese in nachos and roasts into frittatas. See recipe below.

• Whole food snacks like nuts, seeds, chia pudding, boiled eggs, tin of wild salmon, vegie sticks & hummus, a piece of fruit and yoghurt are all very nutrient dense & take no time to prepare.

• Bake one sweet treat a week and make it last. I know if you have older kids it can go in one sitting but portion them ready for lunch boxes.

• Smoothies are a fabulous way of getting a whole lot of nutrients into a meal or snack. My favourite smoothie is: 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 cup organic berries, 2 handfuls of spinach, 3 brazil nuts, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, coconut & almond milk blend & a serve of protein powder. Yum!

Here are a couple of recipes that I cook often and we get a few meals out of each. These recipes are based on feeding our family of 4.

Spaghetti Bolognese

• 500g grass fed beef mince

• 2 onions diced

• 3-4 cloves of garlic minced

• 500g mushrooms diced

• 1 red capsicum diced

• 1 head of broccoli diced

• 1 zucchini diced

• 1 jar of organic passata or organic pasta sauce

• Splash of red wine if you have a bottle open.

Method:

1. Sautee onion & garlic in coconut oil until onions are soft & clear.

2. Add beef mince & brown on high heat.

3. Turn heat down & add all other ingredients and salt & pepper to taste then simmer on low for an hour, while you have a lay down. Just kidding! Its crazy o’clock and the kids are feral.

4. This makes a big pot of bolognaise, we usually eat ½ in one meal.

5. Serve with zucchini noodles if you’re feeling fancy or just some good quality organic pasta. 

Left over pot of Bolognaise:

1. Get it out of the fridge, heat on low & add 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika & chili to taste. Drain & rinse a can of red kidney beans & add to the mince. Cook on medium heat for 20-30 minutes.

2. Use this to make nachos, burritos, tacos or locos (lettuce tacos)

3. We often stuff a lettuce cup with mince, tomato, cucumber, grated cheese & a dollop of sour cream. YUM!

Roast veg:

I often dice up two big trays of vegetables. Potato, sweet potato, carrot, onion, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, capsicum, pumpkin etc you can roast anything! Drizzle macadamia oil or olive oil over them all season with salt & pepper & any herbs you love. Herbamare seasoning gives a lovely flavor.

Serve with your choice of protein, you can roast a chook at the same time but know this very simple food prep has you a big batch of cooked veg ready to go when you get home from work or school.

Use leftovers to make soup, just add them to your blender with some chicken stock/broth or add your diced roast veg to a baking dish & cover with whisked eggs, feta cheese, bacon if you wish & bake until cooked. You have yourself lunch for the week… Frittata!

I once lived with the mantra “life is so busy” & “I am so busy.” I associated been busy with success, when truth is, stress doesn’t equal success, it equals burnt out Mum who is at breaking point. How you show up to a situation and how you manage your life equals success. How you feel within yourself and how you treat yourself accordingly will have the greatest impact on your life and those around you.

Don’t stop believing in your own beauty, you light up the world with your very presence & those little humans look up to you. When we let ourselves shine, it ripples to those around us.

With love & vibrant health
Gina xx