Eat Pray Workout - Australia's Leading Lifestyle & Healthy Living Blog

Kale, Sweet Potato and Feta Muffins (kid friendly!)

June 29, 2020 By Amy Darcy Leave a Comment

I.Love.Snacks.

And it turns out it’s not just me – Tiffy Hall loves them too. So much so that she wrote an entire cook book dedicated to snacks! And not just any snacks, these ones are filling and jam packed with ingredients that are good for you!

Kale, Sweet Potato and Feta Muffins. Any recipe with kale in the title gives it health points! I make these muffins at the start of my week and use them throughout the week. I have them for a quick grab and go snack, or as a nutritious breakfast option if I’m running short on time. They work for Finn and Aria too! If there are any left over on the third day after baking (which is unlikely) I just pop them in a sandwich bag in the freezer to use later. They are brilliant!

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6 Questions to ask your spouse every week to improve your relationship

June 21, 2020 By Amy Darcy Leave a Comment

Today we welcome Diana Indries, co-inventor of Better Topics, The World’s First Replayable Card Game For Couples. I saw this card game for couples and fell in love with the concept of building strong marriages by using a game to encourage meaningful communication. Marriage should be so much more than co-existing or managing life admin together. To avoid joining the upsetting amount of marriages that end in divorce it is important to invest time and effort in your loved partner. I asked Diana to share 6 questions you can ask your spouse every week to improve your relationship! So grab a cuppa and share with your spouse (or on social media so you can easily find the link later) and make a time to chat!

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Healthy Indonesian Fried Rice with Vegetables

May 20, 2020 By Melanie Sharpe Leave a Comment

Did I hear you ask for a delicious, easy, minimal prep one pan dinner? Well here it is! Growing up in my house, fried rice was a staple, and always a favourite. Now I’m the cook in my own house and it’s still a favourite! I love indonesian fried rice with vegetables because it’s such a great, easy family meal. It’s simple enough for Finn to help me cook and he is still excited to eat it for lunch the next day too.

The best part about this recipe? It’s all cooked in one pan (except for the rice), which is my favourite way to cook.

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Berrylicious Coconut Cream Scone Biscuits (GF & DF options)

May 8, 2020 By Amy Darcy Leave a Comment

These Berrylicious Coconut Cream Scone Biscuits are a favourite to make in our house because not only are they mouth wateringly delicious, they are low in sugar and simple to make, meaning the little people in the family can enjoy baking and eating them too! They have a crunchy outer like a biscuit, and a soft fluffy inner like a scone. Best of all, they use simple pantry items, which I can guarantee most of us have on hand. They’re gluten free and low in dairy (although I’ve provided completely dairy free options too). I hope you and your family love them as much as we do!

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Grief and COVID-19 – counsellor shares how to thrive in the face of loss

April 28, 2020 By Amy Darcy Leave a Comment

I invited counsellor and psychotherapist Mandy Scotney, to share her insights with us on navigating grief and loss due to COVID-19. Most of us have experienced either the loss of jobs, income, family members due to illness or borders closing, freedoms to travel, freedoms to have family celebrations and more. The loss of control over our lives, freedoms and perhaps sense of identity has left many of us experiencing the grieving process. I knew Mandy would offer us a valuable professional insight with practical tips, but what I wasn’t expecting from her article was her own vulnerability of how her life was crumbling down around her too. An incredible read, with valuable food for thought.

‘The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths.’

– Elisabeth Kubler-Ross…

Three Easy Steps to Infusing your own Olive Oil

April 22, 2020 By Amy Darcy Leave a Comment

If you’ve been with me for a while you will be aware that I love olive oil, extra virgin olive oil to be precise (nutritionally there is a big difference). I use it for cooking, mix it with a balsamic for salad dressings or pair it with dukkah and bread as an appetizer. If you were with me through my low FODMAPs journey (hello, you loyal reader) then you’ll know that garlic is one of the common contributors to IBS, but it’s also one of the most common ingredients when it comes to cooking! Disaster! But that is where infused olive oils come in to save the day. They retain the flavour of the ingredient, without the compounds that cause gastric distress.

It used to be that you could only find infused olive oils in specialty stores, but there is now a wide range available in your regular supermarket. Cobram Estate (my favourite olive oil producer) make an excellent range, and they are Australian too (see their farm I visited here)! I use a lot of these in my pantry, particularly the garlic variety. As much as I love convenience of buying these oils in the supermarket, there is something so satisfying about infusing your own olive oil. It might be due to nostalgia? The romance of a simple, homemade kitchen? The extra bit of love put into the meal? Maybe it’s the combination of all of those things. Whatever it is, I love being able to do things myself, and I want to share this method so you can do it too. Because of the simplicity of this item the quality of your ingredients really matters, so choose the best ingredients you can afford. As with all new projects it is best to start simple. I chose some fresh herbs (rosemary and garlic) to begin my preserving process. There are a number of ways to make your own infused olive oil, but I have chosen cold infusion as it is the most simple.

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This company provides dignity and confidence to women in need by gifting their natural & organic pads.

April 18, 2020 By Amy Darcy Leave a Comment

Have you ever had to miss school because you had your period and if you went to school you would be bullied for it? Has your education been put at risk because you weren’t able to hygienically manage your period? Have you ever been unable to afford or have access to basic sanitary products? …To be honest I feel uncomfortable even writing these questions because I know that the answer for me (and most of you) is a definite no, yet I know some of our sisters both at home and around the world do experience these problems, and their health, education and livelihood is impacted. It breaks my heart!

I often feel a bit helpless and overwhelmed when I hear about the unjust challenges facing so many women in the world. I don’t know where to start or what, if any, difference I could make to their situation. It can be easier to just ignore it. Or maybe to stop reading this post, -but WAIT! Before you do that, I want to stop you and ask you for another five minutes of your time. Are you with me?

There is a EASY way you can help.

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What are the Immune Boosting Ingredients a Naturopath always has on hand?

March 27, 2020 By Amy Darcy Leave a Comment

As we head into the cooler months, keeping our immune systems in tip-top shape starts to become front of mind for many of us. While there is certainly no conclusive proof that the food we eat or supplements we take will protect us from infection, it is important to think about ways that we can support and maintain a healthy immune system. According to naturopath Angela Cali, eating plenty of immune boosting ingredients is just one of the steps we can take (along with getting enough sleep and regular exercise). A nutritious diet will help our bodies maintain a healthy immune response to anything that comes our way in the shape of colds, flu and viruses.

Here are Angela Cali’s top 5 immune boosting ingredients:

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Who doesn’t love that hydrated, dewy, fresh and healthy skin look? It’s #skingoals right? Well, over the years I’ve sought to find out what helps keep my skin like this and I thought I would share what I’ve learnt. I believe there are two parts to maintaining and/or improving the moisture in your skin. Today…

Eat Pray Workout Australia top health blogger Amy with baby boy Finn sitting in rocking chair with Waverly Mills wool blanket in nursery reading book in the morning

My mornings look very different today than they did 2 years ago. First of all, I am living in Canberra not Brisbane, which means they are a whoooooole lot colder. And secondly, there is a third person in our family, who loves cuddles, kisses and waking up before anyone else in the house. Things change…