A little taste of Heaven on Earth

A couple of months ago as I was strolling down Queens Parade (Clifton Hill), I stumbled across this cute cafe called Down to Earth . As you walk in, the grounding and earthy colours help you unwind as you nestle down for a coffee of your choice or my all time favourite the LSD ..far from a drug though can have the addictive nature of one ... its a Latte Soy Dandelion, a Dandelion ( Herb) infused Chai, which is apparently great for your liver ! 

But there is more to this comfy joint and its chai - above this nourishing cafe is home to Heaven on Earth a Wellness Centre created to "support yourself and the community with services which inspire , heal , educate and awaken people to their potential for wellbeing."  The Wellness Centre has three beautiful and quaint healing rooms where you can enjoy and experience Massage, Shiatsu, Reiki, Meditation and life coaching. 

The Wellbeing Services at Heaven on Earth

  

Antje Janssen is the in house Life coach and owner of this wellbeing cafe & Centre. Not only does she bring over 12 years of training and experience but her warmth , compassion and care for people only makes Down to Earth a place of nourishment and balance. To support the work of the Wellness Centre , the cafe has a variety of of yummy and socially conscious meals and snacks...most of them also are Gluten free and Vegan friendly. 

Some of the palette surprises for me have been the Chocolate & Avocado cake and the Chocolate & Beetroot cake , which were inspired by Jess one of the innovative chefs at the cafe!
*Stay posted for the newest product addition to the Cafe , its very own Jess and Paul have pioneered the world's first Spicy Peanut Butter range . To be launched in less than 2 Weeks*

Tried and Tested : I recommend the Chocolate Beetroot Cake !

When she isn't in session, you'll often find Antje making you a coffee or in the Kitchen, she has created a beautiful family of practitioners and employees at Down to Earth /Heaven on Earth who all warmly welcome you in. 

Come and meet the family at Down to earth , check out all the wellbeing services , let Brett make you a coffee, have a chat with Paul while he serves you your meal and take some time out of your busy day for a 'lil nourishing. 

Brett and Paul doing what they do best :)

Where is it ? 

Down to Earth Cafe : 308 Queens Parade , Clifton Hill 

I've recently joined the Heaven on Earth family thanks to the support of Antje , So look out for my Wellbeing Training and Lifestyle Coaching.

Friday Foodie: Ugg Boot - Warm Calamari Salad!

Hi ya ! So Anjana ( Eora Wellbeing ) and I have decided to join forces and share with all our readers , recipes from our kitchens. We both live by healthy , nutritional and yummy food! So when we get together we like to experiment and create! As part of our Foodie Friday we hope to bring new and easy culinary experiences to your stove top!

To launch our combined blogs ! This week's recipe is :

The Ugg boot -Warm Calamari Salad -On those nights when you feel like something warm but light on the tummy ! 

Best eaten with Ugg boots on and with a good Movie or series! 

 Since Anj had bought Calamari and fresh Olives earlier on that morning . We decided Calamari it was for dinner. Inspired by the two ingredients we came up with our own Mediterranean infused Grilled Calamari salad .  Funnily I have always been reluctant to make calamari in the fear of them becoming rubbering rings ! But with Anj by my side we were undaunted  by this task ,  gathered our ingredients and set to the chopping board.

What you will need 

Ingredients

300gs of Calamari –rinsed

1Tablespoon Olive oil

1 table spoon rice brain oil

½ teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ a lemon juice

1/2 punnet Cherry tomatoes

50 g pitted Kalamata olives

1 Avocado

Rocket & Baby Spinach

1 navel orange

Dressing : Olive oil ,  Balsamic and lemon 

In a mixing bowl place the calamari rings , olive oil , salt & pepper and the lemon juice . Mix well with your finger tips.

         

                                         

You can also try marinating it with basil leaves , garlic , soy sauce and lemon juice if its stocked in your pantry

Heat  1 table spoon of rice bran oil in a pan  , wait till hot then  toss your marinated calamari rings into the pan . Cook for 5- 7 minutes.

Admittedly the first time we tried this recipe we sauteed the calamari rings in the pan first and then grilled it in the oven for about  8 minutes. Although it turned out yum , my fear about cooking calamari had kicked in and I suddenly didn't trust myself to make it well ..so I played it safe and decide to sauté and grill it! 

Being in the kitchen has really taught me to trust myself , my choices of ingredients , my decision making , thinking outside the box and experimenting! My confidence has especially boosted when the finished product is yum and all gone by the end of the meal! Also having a co-chef really helps with encouragement, discernment and is just more fun. 

Its fair to say that both Anj and I  take a lot of our cooking experiences in to our daily lives by trusting our decisions and choices more, by experimenting and trying something new.  We also learnt that with practice you will be able to refine the recipe. 

I decided to give this recipe another go and on the second time around the above method suggested worked best resulting in al dente calamari ! 

Serve with warm rosemary toast 

                                            

To Finish ....

In serving bowl place the rocket and spinach at bottom , place the cooked calamari rings on top. Dress with olives , sliced cherry tomatoes , avocado and peeled and sliced orange & Salad dressing.

Bon Appetite 

                                         

We hope you enjoy this yummy salad and dont be afraid to play around with the recipe to suit your palette ! 

Happy cooking ! 

lots of love 

Shants & Anj 

Fitting into those skinny Jeans !

Brrr…..its cold in here ! For those of you in my hometown Melbourne you are currently experiencing the full force of winter as we step into July ! Yes it's July already …where has this year gone ..well that’s a topic for another post!

For many winter is the time of hibernation, mulled wine , hot chocolates and all those cozy winter warmers! 

To hot chocolate or to not

Like the weather for a lot of us, our weight or fitness is also seasonal or cyclical.  On most instances I would recommend following the seasons with eating seasonal fruits and vegetables and exploring different seasonal activities .. however allowing your fitness and weight to be driven by the seasons might not be so good on your body.

So why do we gain weight in winter ?

Many people believe that eating more will increase the feeling of warmth. Sorry guys but this is a myth !Busted if you've been following this one for a while . It’s the brown fats that we hold which keeps us warm , eating more only accumulates the white fats which is very unhealthy to have reserves of. 

Another reason for winter weight gain can be the lower levels of Melatonin. This hormone produced by the pineal glands influences the body’s daily cycles including sleep , body temperature and metabolism.  When Melatonin levels are low , the ability to get a good nights sleep is reduced. The lack of sleep causes fatigue and frustration which increases the secretion of certain hormones such as Leptin  and Cortisol.  When we are fatigued or tired we tend to eat more to keep us awake or alert.Increased levels of Leptin and Cortisol encourages the body to gain weight and makes the ability to lose weight more difficult.

To restore or increase low Melatonin levels to a normal level

1. Melatonin levels are affected by light – dim lighting in the bedroom will encourage the release of melatonin.  
2.  Consumption of certain foods like Oats , cottage cheese , tuna and soy nuts are known to increase  melatonin levels

Many experts believe that the lower levels of Vitamin D, which is accumulated in the body from the sun, can also influence your weight. Eating more fish or exposing oneself to some sunlight can gain this vitamin

NB: please consult yout GP to check If your melatonin levels are low before adhering to any of the above suggestions *

We tend  to consume higher amounts of fatty and energy dense foods due to dissatisfaction or unhappiness caused by the cold and dark weather . Eating such foods  raises your blood sugar levels up drastically only for them to plummet quite quickly  and then needing more energy again.  This oscillation of blood sugar levels aids in fat deposits

 Now you know WHY  so HOW can you prevent this?

Keep up your training in winter 

Keep moving or even sign up for a fun run ! 

We are not creatures of hibernation and like most animals who fast during winter , we don’t just become inactive but are likely to eat more! Some benefits of winter training you may not have known 

1. Winter is the optimal weight loss season . If you need to burn some calories winter is the best time. If you're cold your body will speed up your metabolism to help keep it warm and in turn burn some calories.
2. When we become less active your muscles atrophy or shrink and your metabolism slows down.
3. If you train outdoors leading into winter and during , you will acclimatize to the changing seasons. Crispy mornings  wont seem so cold and it will take you less time to warm up. Imagine the justice you will be doing to the climate by reducing your carbon foot print and getting out of the heated house! Might even go as far to say you'd save at least an hour off your heating bill.
4. Winter training will improve your cardiovascular system , muscle endurance , mental discipline and increase weight loss .

Remember you are what you eat and you will reap the benefits of winter training coupled with good nutrition. 

Having said this its also important to listen to your body if  you re feeling unwell or feel a cold brewing allow your body to rest , be mindful of the weather if you re going to train outdoors …its makes no sense training in the bucketing rain only to fall sick and impede your winter training routine!

Find your balance and as Nigel Marsh , Author of 'Forty , Fat and Fired' :

We need to approach  balance in a balanced way .

If you are concerned about your melatonin levels or fatigue. I recommend having a chat with Dr. Anjana Arunachalam of Eora Wellbeing. 

 Have a great week and happy Training ! Next post will be a few healthy Winter Warmer recipes :)