How many times have you been told to reduce your salt intake? If you’re eating too much of it, that’s fair enough. But if you’re using salt as a condiment, then don’t change the amount you’re using – change the kind of salt you’re using. Very few foods have been vilified like salt, saturated fat, sugar and now animal protein, yet each one of these foods have been in the diet for a lot longer than the disease they supposedly cause.  It’s not so much the food that is the problem but what we’ve done to it. Sodium, one half of salt, is an essential nutrient: It’s vital for cellular function ..read more

Coconut is a versatile and popular ingredient, which comes in many forms and can be used in many ways. But, if you have an allergy or sensitivity to coconut, or simply just dislike it, it can be tricky to find a good, healthy alternative that will work the same way in your favourite recipes. As I often get asked how you can replace coconut products in a healthy diet, I have compiled a list of a few tips and healthy alternatives you might like to try: DRIED COCONUT  If a recipe calls for coconut flakes or desiccated or shredded coconut, then it’s usually just for flavour or texture. Ma ..read more

A growing number of people are realising that they feel better without dairy. Whether this is because we are more aware of the symptoms of food intolerance now, or that our immune systems are becoming less resilient, it’s hard to tell. For most of my life I suffered many health problems, and eliminating dairy years ago was one thing that really took my health to a new level. Since healing my gut, I seem to tolerate a small amount of raw, mostly European (see below) goats cheese now and then. When it comes to cows dairy, however, I know I am better off without it – my immune system improves ..read more

As hunter-gatherers, seafood in some areas of the world was a big part of the diet and in others not so big.   Humans adapted to what was available to them and where they lived on the planet.  Not every human had a supply of fish, so we do not need fish to survive.  But having said that fish can be a wonderful addition to the diet.  But quality is of the utmost.  Crustaceans like oysters are filled with minerals and can be a wonderful addition to the diet.  For instance, instead of taking zinc supplements perhaps an oyster a day will take the zinc deficienc ..read more

As the cost of living goes up many people take short cuts, but when it comes to health this is where we should place more emphasis and reduce costs somewhere else.  Why? Prioritise your health when the budget gets tight Health is not hard to maintain, and even getting back to health is achievable with strategies. You can destroy your health getting rich and then destroy your wealth getting healthy.  When you have health there are very few lost work days, you have more energy, your mind has more clarity and life doesn’t seem such a burden.  You are able to achieve more in less ..read more

In my 1998 book Changing Habits Changing Lives I talk about how food can change mood and mental acuity.  I had read the book in the early 1990’s – Managing Your Mind and Mood through Food by Judith J. Wurtman (1988).  Judith showed how foods effect neurotransmitters either dopamine, the pick me up brain chemical or serotonin, the calm me down neurotransmitter. It showed how proteins increased dopamine and carbohydrates increased serotonin.  Fruits, herbs and vegetables were neutral and fatty fried foods and or overeating caused brain fog. This was long before we had much resea ..read more

The food we choose to eat can have a significant impact on our mood and overall well-being. Consuming nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, can help boost our energy levels and promote feelings of happiness and contentment. On the other hand, consuming highly processed and sugary foods can lead to feelings of lethargy and irritability. By making conscious decisions about the foods we eat, we can choose to nourish our bodies and minds and cultivate a positive and uplifting mood. Calming Carbohydrates All carbohydrates are not equal in their ability to offer mood ..read more

I’ve been in the health and nutrition industry for 43 years. I’ve seen the darlings and silver bullets of vitamins, minerals and health/super foods come and go.  I see celery juice as just another fad.  16oz of freshly juiced celery, with no additives, consumed on an empty stomach to be exact. Look, if you eat the SAD (Standard Australian Diet) diet and continue with a destructive lifestyle (processed foods, sugar, alcohol, drugs), I probably don’t have to tell you that consuming the recommended 16oz of pure celery juice every morning is going to do very little to reverse the damag ..read more

Changing Habits has always been based on two principles that guide our ingredients and our message. The first is Anthology (historically eating) and the second is Vitalism (synchronicity of the innate intelligence of food and the body).  With these two values guiding us we can know what is best for the human body. As Autumn slowly makes its way to The Australian and southern hemispheres and in the northern hemisphere spring comes into force, the food in our local area begins to change.  Living on the Sunshine Coast and having a farm I can see what grows in my local area and what th ..read more

I’ve always been an early bird.  I love to get up early with the sun in the summer at 4.30am and before the sun in the winter around 5.00am. Not long after I’m out of bed I drink two large glasses of water with seaweed salt and colloidal minerals, I paint iodine on my wrist and jump into my morning ritual. It starts with meeting friends at my local early-morning coffee shop. We shoot the breeze and sometimes we do breathwork, other times we just walk. We then head to the beach at 6.30 am to swim with The Mooloolaba Beach Bums in all weather and all temperatures.  There are days we ..read more