Purple Tiger &raquo; Living Life WELL

Tags: Healthy dessert alternatives,Let's Celebrate Health Lennox Head,Tasty healthy organic truffles

by Diana

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Making Almond milk – Delissshh!!

Friday, August 24, 2012

So why almond milk?

We simply wanted an alternative to dairy. This is not something that we needed to do as we have no symptoms of lactose intolerance or any other medical or ethical driver to move away from traditional milk (as others do), but we simply wanted to have more control over what goes into our milk and how it is processed. We can make our own almond milk controlling the ingredients, the processing and it comes packed with a great variety of nutrients:

Vitamin A
Vitamin E
Vitamin D
B Vitamins
Calcium
Phosphorus
Magnesium
Manganese
Potassium

To get these sorts of benefits you need to first soak your almonds in water overnight (7+ hours) to reduce the presence of enzyme inhibitors and to promote good enzymes that in turn increase the availability of many vitamins (especially B vitamins). Nuts and seeds simply need to think they are germinating before they will release much of their goodness. Almond milk is also very low in calories, protein and fat.

Is there any downside? From what I have read there is a downside if you have known problems with a low thyroid function. Almond milk is listed as a goitrogenic food and has the potential to lead to the development of goiters, by disrupting thyroid function. Other foods that are listed as goitrogenic foods are spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, peanuts, flax and soy.

So how do you make it?

Well first there are a few things you need like – a blender, a nut milk bag (or straining equivalent such as a few layers of cheese cloth), Almonds (of course) and water. If you want to flavour it or sweeten it a little there are a variety of options you could add. We like to sweeten ours with 2 dates (per cup of almonds), others use stevia, vanilla etc to give it a unique flavour.

To make 1lt of almond milk we use 1 cup of almonds, add 1lt or water and 2 dates. As mentioned above we soak and rinse our almonds before adding everything into the blender.

We then blend for a 2-3 minutes. You want to make sure you there aren’t any chunky bits left. Then you are left with a mixture of the almond milk and lots of fine solids (also known as almond meal). We pour this mixture into a bowl lined with our nut milk bag.

Then you close up the bag and begin to twist and massage the liquid out into a bowl

When it gets hard to squeeze any more liquid from the bag you are left with almond milk, ready for drinking or storage

In the nut milk bag you are left with almond meal. Many people use almond meal in a wide range of baking, it can also be sprinkled on to salads or on breakfast for a light nutty flavour and a good source of fiber.

Any questions or thoughts on almond milk – leave a comment below. We absolutely love the taste of our home made almond milk (with date sweeteners). It’s used for all things requiring milk – mostly breakfast and smoothies at our place 🙂

– Craig

Tags: Benefits of almond milk,lactose intolerance,Making your own almond milk,milk alternatives,nutrition,organic

by Diana

1 comment

John GormleyAugust 24, 2012 - 6:57 PM

I quit dairy and started using oat milk last year some time, earlier this year I switched to almond milk and haven’t looked back. It tastes great with my homemade honey roasted macadamia muesli. I have only used commercial organic almond milk, so thanks for the technique to make my own.
Only downside I have found is it separates when heated. I tried to make chai tea with it and also tried it in coffee- not so good.ReplyCancel

Lismore Runners and the Gold Coast Airport Marathon

Thursday, July 5, 2012

It’s time to introduce you to my running buddies – the Lismore Runners crew! Some would describe us as quirky and others would say insane, either way we ~~should be committ…~~ are a committed bunch 😉 A friendly group of runners of all standards – ‘shufflers’ through to ‘zoomers‘. Some of us meet on Mondays to tackle the hill repeats, then a few more of us get together for a mid week run on Wednesday but the majority of the group gather for our Saturday morning long runs that depart from Lismore’s Luv-a-coffee generally from 6am. Afterwards, it’s just great to stop in for a coffee, juice or breakfast and catch up on how everyone’s doing – quite a social bunch really!

Before my time, the group has been written up about in the local newspaper and it’s always handy to know that the group comprises of a priest, a doctor, some osteopaths, and a number of high school teachers, among other professions. Such a mix from young to old-er 🙂 and all so encouraging! The wealth of running experience in the group is nothing short of amazing and very inspiring.

An annual pilgrimage for many of the Lismore Runners is the Gold Coast Marathon. They tend to target the marathon or half marathon, but some happily run the shorter distances. All did a great job last weekend, with PBs being smashed left, right and centre – and I’m sure if you’ve seen any of the wonderful faces below around this week, they might have been sporting a fashionable recovery limp and/or the Finishers T-shirt 😛

If you’ve recently taken up running or you’re a seasoned road pounder and are looking for some running company in Lismore, come down on Saturday mornings to Luv-a-coffee and say hi! It’s always good to see new enthusiastic runners! You’ll never know where the journey could take you! If you’re asking yourself ‘why run?’, check out Craig’s post – So, Why Run?

On a personal note, less than a year ago, I was not a runner and loathed the idea of getting up soooo early in the morning. Now 11 months later, with 2 10km races and 2 half marathons under my belt… I am thrilled to say that running is definitely a part of my life – and God-willing, for many more years! With great thanks to my wonderful husband, Craig (who started it first in our family) and all those quirky Lismore Runners that have set the bar, cheered me on, shared in the early morning craziness, encouraged me and even treated my injuries along the way! It means a lot and you guys rock!

Some stats from the GC Marathon events

So a BIG congrats to all those who competed in the Gold Coast events last weekend. Whether the run was tough or cruisy, whether you broke a PB or not, the fact that you finished is a mighty effort! Three cheers! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

– Diana

Tags: 2012 Gold Coast Marathon,Lismore Luv-a-Coffee,Lismore Runners crew,Running in a group,Social running

by Diana

1 comment

Warren QuigleyJuly 8, 2012 - 5:46 PM

Who cannot fail to acknowledge your complete enthusiasm for life!!!
All I can say is..’GO GIRL!!!’
Great story and well told. You know how to set a challenge and then climb the mountain.ReplyCancel

Evohe mineral makeup – love it!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

In my search for a natural range of skincare and makeup I did a lot of reading and trialling. I even tried semi-making my own but not really understanding what I was doing – bzzzzt. I was torn between the excitement of creating my own things and the time that I don’t have to do it :-S.

I then came across an Australian brand called Evohe and after much great reviews from shop owners and some online reviews, I decided to try some. Being quite cautious with things I put on my face, I was quite nervous to move away from the brand I had been using for at least the last decade. But after watching ‘The Story about Cosmetics’ video, which I’ve included on my first post on ‘Going Natural‘, my awareness could not stop me from thinking about things I use on a daily basis, especially on my skin, which is really the largest organ of the human body. It covers our entire body and has a surface area of around 2 square metres!!

In this post, I’ll review the mineral makeup and save the skincare range for another day. What appealed to me about the makeup on first hearing about it was the ability to mix not only the shade, but also the consistency, coverage and finish. I’ve had to experiment a little bit with the available products for a little while before discovering how versatile this makeup was. So my first experience with the makeup began with the ‘Medium’ coloured mineral powder and the 3.6.9 Omega serum.

The 3.6.9 Omega serum contains (key ingredients highlighted):

Rice Bran Oil – Oryza Sativa
Acai Pulp Oil – Euterpe Oleracea
Arctic Cloudberry Seed Oil – Rubus Chamaemorus
Borage Seed Oil – Borago Officinalis
Goji Berry – Juniperus Communis
Hemp Seed Oil – Cannabis Sativa
Jojoba Seed Oil – Simmondsia Chinensis
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Pumpkin Seed Oil – Cucurbita Pepo
Vitamin E – Tocopherol Acetate
Arctic Sea Buckthorn Oil – Hippophae Rhamnoides
Brazil Nut Seed Oil – Bertholletia Excelsa
Rosehip Seed Oil – Rosa Rubiginosa
EVOHE 100% Natural Parfum
Rosemary Leaf extract

I have to say, at first I was skeptical and a little concerned about putting a product with so much oil on my face as I don’t like having oily skin, but what I came to discover was surprisingly pleasant.

The mineral powder contains:

100% Pure Minerals, NO NANO Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Kaolin (Organic Clay), +/- Iron Oxides, Ultramarine Blue, Tin Oxide

Available in colours:

(BL) BLUSH Soft, rosy highlights for cheeks, lids and brow

(03) FAIR Best suited for light to pale complexions

(06) MEDIUM Suits most skin tones, giving a warm, healthy glow

(09) OLIVE Suited to olive tones and darker complexions

(BR) BRONZE Earthy, sun-kissed highlights for cheeks, lids and brow

Now I’m no scientist or cosmetologist, but apparently the NO NANO emphasis means that unlike conventional ‘nano’ sunscreens, the large molecules of Evohe minerals sit on the skin’s surface, allowing it to breathe whilst providing SPF protection.

Ok so enough with the technical stuff and jargon – how did I find it??

Well in order to create the makeup, I was advised to sprinkle the minerals in the palm of my hand, the quantity determining the coverage, and then dispense one pump of the 3.6.9 Omega serum to mix it up and apply all over my face and neck. I actually found 2 problems with this: – 1 was that the ‘dewy’ glow that was being promoted looked a little too oily on me, 2 was the time that it would take me to dispense the powder and mix into the required consistency when I had been used to pre-mixed and ready foundation for years.

As I did more reading, I found that there was a way to make the foundation provide a matt finish – that grabbed my attention! I hadn’t written it off because although I didn’t like the finish with the Omega serum I found that using some translucent powder (from Dr Haushchka at the time before I discovered you could use the Evohe minerals as translucent powder as well) would give me the matt finish I was after, at least temporarily.

I found that to achieve a more matt look, Evohe recommended mixing the powder with their Moisture 24/7 lotion or the Repair Intensive cream for more inflamed, sensitive or acne-prone skin. It was time for me to look into their skin care range. I sent away to purchase their trial pack, but the lovely people at Evohe gifted me the pack with some additional samples and more useful information … 🙂

I started to experiment with the recommended products and found that by using either the Moisture 24/7 with the powder or the Repair Intensive with the powder, the consistency was nice but tended to dry pretty quickly in my hands and made it a little difficult to spread effectively, so I would add a spray of the Mist. What I’ve eventually come to settle on as the perfect combination for me is using the Repair Intensive lotion with the powder and a small squirt of the 3.6.9 Omega serum to keep it nice and moist for applying before it dries and creates a great matt finish – YAY!.

The issue I had with the time to dispense the powder became a non-issue after the initial uses as I got better with it and also as the powder loosened up inside the container it dispensed a lot easier. The other thing I discovered with the Omega serum is that you only need a tiny amount to use in the makeup OR as a standalone moisturiser (which I love to use at night).

I now have to say, I absolutely love this makeup!! Because:

I can mix it fresh each morning and be assured that it is full of natural goodness
I can control the consistency, coverage and finish of my makeup depending on what look I am after
I love the versatility and choice of products to use to create the perfect makeup for each individual
I don’t have to use very much product at all and most of the products have multiple application (i.e. the Omega serum is a great moisturiser as it is compatible with the skin’s natural sebum and can be absorbed very quickly once the moisture needs of the skin is brought back into balance and the Repair Intensive is a great spot cream for blemishes)
The products smell really nice 🙂
I love that the ingredients for the products are sourced in a sustainable way and the company promotes a ‘conscious living’ philosophy.
The powder can be used as a concealer, foundation and translucent powder to finish
Powder also has SPF protection

I am really happy with the foundation solution I’ve found in Evohe! If you like, check them out on their website at http://evohe.com.au and/or like them on facebook for their regular specials and freebies.

Over to you gals. Anybody used Evohe and want to share their experience? Would love to hear your thoughts.

– Diana

Tags: Evohe 3.6.9 Omega,Evohe Colours,Evohe makeup,Evohe mineral makeup product review,Evohe Moisture 24/7,Evohe Repair Intensive

Shampoos – The story so far …

Monday, June 11, 2012

Since going natural, I’ve now tried about 3 different shampoos & conditioners. I thought I might provide some of my thoughts on each one in case it could help anybody in their journey to transitioning to natural shampoos. In return, I’m keen to hear suggestions and your thoughts of shampoos you’ve tried. Just to preface this post, I have long, straight, thin hair so what works for me might not work for you.

So the three that I’ve tried so far are:

Uniquely Organic Coconut shampoo & conditioner
Sukin Purifying shampoo & Nourishing conditioner
Avalon Organics Rosmary Volumising shampoo & conditioner

Here’s my review of each one:

Uniquely Organic Shampoo and Conditioner

Ingredients:

Purified Water, Coco Betaine, Alpha Olefin, Sea Salt, Coco Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Safflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Nettle, Organic Chamomile, Vitamin E, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Vanilla Extract, Almond Extract

Pros:

Love the coconut smell
Good Value (approx. $10 each for 500mls)

Cons:

Left my hair a little bit dry (I think it’s better suited to those with oily hair)
I had to use a fair amount of conditioner to get the right coverage
Didn’t do a great job at detangling my long hair

Overall:

Even though I absolutely looooove all things coconut – as those who know me know, this shampoo was just not suitable for me. I would imagine those with oily or thick hair might find it great. Craig is enjoying using it 🙂

Sukin Purifying Shampoo and Nourishing Conditioner

Ingredients:

Shampoo: – Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Equisetum Arvense Extract (Horsetail), Arctium Lappa Extract (Burdock), Urtica Dioica Extract (Nettle), Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Extract, Citric Acid, Linalool,* Limonene.*

Conditioner:- Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetrimonium chloride, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Hydrolysed Wheat Protein, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil (Rose Hip), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Urtica Dioica Extract (Nettle), Arctium Lappa Extract (Burdock), Equisetum Arvense Extract (Horsetail), Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Extract, Citrus Paradisi Extract (Grapefruit Seed), Linalool,* Limonene.*

* Natural component of essential oils.

Pros:

Has a very organic and pleasant smell
Also great value (approx. $10 each for 500mls) – better value for 1Ltr bottles
Leaves my hair soft and silky and smelling great
Shampoo best used with the compatible conditioner

Cons:

The pump on shampoo is a little awkward and takes a while to pump due to thickness of shampoo
Not very foamy (but this isn’t a biggy – just takes a little getting used to for those switching over from traditional shampoos)

Overall:

This one is a very good shampoo and conditioner. Good value for money and leaves hair silky, soft and shiny. A nice ‘every day shampoo’. I did find that for my very fine hair it seemed to somehow make it feel like there was extremely little there … thus my search for a volumising shampoo next …

Avalon Organics Rosmary Volumising shampoo & conditioner

The reason I went for another shampoo was for the specific purpose of putting more volume in my hair. While I enjoyed the Sukin shampoo and conditioner, it didn’t do anything for providing any volume when I wanted some, so I looked around and decided to try Avalon Organics. The brand has a number of different shampoos and scents. The Rosemary one is the volumising one.

Ingredients:

Too many to mention. Refer to the link to get more detail on ingredients and the range available.

Pros:

Smells great
Shampoo lathers better than any of the other two (which makes me slightly suspicious though)
Only small quantity of each required for great coverage
Provides a small amount of volume

Cons:

Bottles are hard and slightly difficult to squeeze product out
Conditioner needs to be stored upside down after first few uses due to hardness of bottle
A little pricier than the other two shampoos

Overall:

Does an ok job of volumising but nothing to get really excited about. Smells great. Does a good job cleaning and leaving hair soft. Jury is still out on this one.

My conclusion so far is that while the Sukin and Avalon Organics have worked best so far, I haven’t really been super excited about either. I have read other people’s reviews on each of these and some have glowing reviews after first or second use and some know that they are absolutely sold. I however would have to say I am still unsure and open to try others. Not sure if that means I’m too fussy?? 🙂 or just that I haven’t found my perfect shampoo. The great thing about these natural shampoos though is just that, they are natural and don’t contain any of the harmful toxins so I guess there’s no harm in trying different ones until I absolutely fall in love with one. I have been thinking of making my own too and now that I’ve purchased a book called ‘1001 Natural Remedies‘ by Laurel Vukovic it might be my next adventure – delving into the world of making my own natural products – how exciting!!

If you’ve tried any shampoos that you love and want to rave about, feel free to comment below. Or if you have suggestions for me please do the same. I am keen to hear your thoughts. Thanks.

– Diana

Tags: Avalon Organics Rosmary Volumising shampoo,Natural Shampoo review,Sukin Nourishing Conditioner,Sukin Purifying shampoo,Uniquely Organic Coconut shampoo

by Diana

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