Feeling Good this Autumn
Boost your gut microbiome with kombucha on tap from Moses and Co Wholefoods
Certain social media influencers would have you believe that the key to looking and feeling like a goddess is some expensive supplement, likely hand-harvested by monks at midnight from the shores of the Black Sea. But for us mere mortals who haven’t been gifted these products, don’t worry, we have some good but very old news: when it comes to taking care of yourself, the best place to start is to “let food be thy medicine.” (Hippocrates, approximately 2500 years ago).
The foods we eat can help our mind, body and soul feel better, and with cold and flu season soon to be upon us, autumn is the perfect time to start incorporating ingredients that will help build a strong immune system and keep your mood up during those interminable winter months.
Pretty much every fruit, vegetable and minimally processed food you eat is going to provide you with a great range of nutrients (even an unpeeled potato has about 45% of your daily vitamin C requirements) but we’d like to give a shout-out to a few seasonal favourites:
Boost your gut microbiome with fermented foods.
Fermented foods are full of probiotics which add beneficial bacteria to your gut microbiome.
Gut micro-what we hear you ask? Your gut microbiome is the ecosystem of microbes that live in your intestinal tract - the average human has over three trillion microbes living in their gut! Having a healthy gut microbiome has been shown to be crucial for maintaining not just good physical health, but mental health as well.
Probiotics can be found in a range of products from fermented dairy (e.g. yogurt) to pickled vegetables and delicious drinks.
Beef and mushroom blended Korean bibimbap bowl from www.abetterchoice.com.au
If you want to improve your gut health while also minimising waste, bring your refillable bottle to Moses and Co Wholefoods to get locally brewed kombucha on tap. South Melbourne Market Organics have both dairy and coconut milk kefir available, or buy some spicy kimchi from Golden Dragon to make this mushroom and beef bibimbap. You’ll also be surprised at how easy it is to make your own fermented pickles using new season vegetables like cabbages and cauliflower - this beetroot kimchi is a great place to start.
Improve mental health with omega-3 rich walnuts.
Studies suggest that consuming foods rich in omega-3 may be beneficial for people suffering from mental decline and help alleviate symptoms of depression.
Fatty fish like salmon are a fantastic source but for an extra boost with your brekky, or if you don’t eat fish, walnuts are a great source of alpha linoleic acid, a type of omega-3 that is found in plants. If you think you don’t like walnuts because of memories of bad carrot cake, it’s most likely you’ve been eating old walnuts that have started to go rancid. Fresh Australian walnuts are deliciously creamy with only a hint of desirable bitterness, and with harvest starting in April, they’ll soon be at their best. Try them in this carrot and fig cake for easter – you’ll both change and improve your mind!
If you want to keep walnuts fresh for longer, Sally from Rita’s Coffee and Nuts suggests storing them in the fridge, or if using for baking, they’ll last even longer in the freezer.
Stave off colds and make the most of your steak with vitamin C rich Kiwifruit.
Kiwifruit start to come into season in March and are a delicious, seasonal way to get your vitamin C before citrus fruit reach their peak in winter. Amongst its many benefits, vitamin C will help build your immune system, heal wounds and better absorb iron from great sources like beef. Even better for steak lovers, kiwifruit has been shown to be good for your heart health by increasing your HDL (the good cholesterol).
Kiwifruit aren’t just for snacking or topping a pav - try this kiwifruit salsa with roasted salmon for double whammy of both vitamin C and omega-3.
Kiwifruit Salsa with Roasted Salmon from www.abetterchoice.com.au
Or, if you love the already controversial Hawaiian Pizza, you might be tempted to swap the pineapple and make a ham and kiwifruit pizza instead. Just be prepared for the outrage! If you’re pressed for time, take a shortcut and buy a readymade base from Vangeli’s Deli.
Make chicken soup to soothe almost anything.
Whether Vietnamese Pho, Greek Avgolemono or “Jewish Penicillin”, chicken soup is known across the globe for its restorative properties. Chicken soup has been shown to reduce inflammation, relieve a stuffy nose, and give your skin a collagen boost, helping to keep it hydrated over the drying winter months. Some will even swear that it’s just the thing to soothe a broken heart. Chris and Oliva, the new owners of SMM Poultry, recommend using a mix of chicken necks, Marylands and wings to make their "infamous" chicken stock. Use it to whip up this chicken noodle soup which is packed with veggies for an extra vitamin hit.
Go out for coffee with a friend.
You can have the healthiest lifestyle in the world, but if it doesn’t include regular doses of socialising, your wellbeing is still at risk. Loneliness has a detrimental impact on both your health and longevity, with studies indicating that lonely people are 50% more likely to die prematurely.
So next time you catch up with friends at Pizzateca Lupa for a mortadella pizza or invite your neighbour over for tea and home-made rosewater and raspberry sponge, think of it as a gym session for the soul.
Rosewater and raspberry sponge