Thursday 30 May 2013

plant-based shopping list

Today's blog post is gonna be a quick one because I've been in the kitchen making this awesome raw sunflower bread, www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au/2013/05/foodie-friday-monique-pollard/, which is now dehydrating away in my dehydrator! Hooray! My first attempt at making bread!! And it's raw!!

I thought I'd start a shopping list for you all that has plant-based items. As you begin to make changes to your food lifestyle and start to read new recipes it can be a little overwhelming to understand what some of the things you find in them are. And of course, where in the world can you get such things?! Don't fret, I'm here to help! A couple of years ago, when I first started substituting processed food for unprocessed food, non-organic for organic, animal-based for plant-based, and so on, I'd take long trips to my local health food store to peruse the aisles and have a good time building up my pantry supplies. Yes, it takes time, but now, I've got an overflowing pantry full of yummy, healthy, plant-based food...

Before I get into the list, I want to say this: before you buy anything always read the ingredients!!! Let me give you an example to explain why this is important. In a magazine that was delivered today there was a free sample sachet of Uncle Tobys Oats with a Creamy Honey flavour twist. On the packet the product is marketed as containing "no artificial colours or flavours" and being a "nutritious start to the day". But when I read the ingredient list I found that this sachet not only contains wholegrain rolled oats (64%) but also sugar, honey powder [dried honey (1.5%), glucose (maize), maize maltodextrin], milk powder. The first three ingredients are usually what make up the bulk of processed and packaged food. This product contains oats, yes, but also sugar, more sugar and dairy. Honestly, you're better off buying 100% rolled or steel-cut oats and making your own. Soak the oats overnight in pure water or almond milk, gently heat on the stove in the morning, add a teaspoon of raw honey or your choice of natural sweetener, and throw in a handful of frozen blueberries. 

Nowadays most of us have access to the internet so I'd suggest googling to find your local health food store, an organic fruit & veg shop or your local farmer's market and the nearest Woolworths. You'll find a fairly good selection of organic raw nuts, seeds and dried fruit at Woolworths, and anything you can't find in the health food store you'll probably find online. Check out lovingearth.net for some rawesome products, including raw chocolate, kale chips and ancient superfoods!!

So, here is a list to help guide you on your quest to make healthier choices. At first you may find you are spending more money on food but don't worry, you will be saving money on your doctor's bill...

For Your Pantry


grains, nuts & seeds
  • agar-agar or arrowroot
  • almond meal
  • amaranth
  • brown rice, coconut or spelt flour
  • buckwheat
  • dried chickpeas or lentils
  • gluten-free, wholegrain products
  • millet
  • oat groats
  • quinoa
  • almonds
  • cashews 
  • chia seeds
  • flaxseeds
  • hemp seeds
  • macadamia nuts
  • pecans
  • pine nuts
  • pumpkin seeds
  • sesame seeds
  • sunflower seeds
  • walnuts
oils, condiments & sweeteners
  • almond butter
  • apple cider vinegar
  • basic dried herbs
  • cayenne pepper
  • celtic sea salt or himalayan crystal salt
  • coconut oil/butter
  • cold-pressed olive oil
  • curry powder
  • ground cinnamon
  • maca powder
  • nutritional yeast
  • organic herbal tea
  • raw cacao or carob powder
  • sea vegetables (dulse flakes, kelp noodles, nori wrappers)
  • shoyu or tamari
  • spirulina powder
  • unhulled tahini
  • unpasteurized miso paste
  • coconut nectar or sugar
  • dried apricots, dates, figs, plums/prunes (sulfate-free)
  • dried desiccated or shredded coconut
  • goji berries
  • pure maple syrup
  • raw honey (non-vegan)
  • stevia or xylitol
  • sun-dried tomatoes
  • vanilla beans or extract
  • yacon syrup

For Your Fridge


fruit, vegetables & herbs
  • almond or coconut milk
  • apples
  • avocados
  • bananas
  • basil
  • beetroot
  • broccoli
  • cabbage
  • capsicum
  • carrots
  • cauliflower
  • celery
  • coconut yoghurt or ice-cream
  • collard greens
  • coriander
  • cucumber
  • dill
  • eggplant
  • frozen berries
  • garlic
  • ginger
  • kale
  • kiwi fruit
  • lemons or limes
  • lettuce varieties
  • olives
  • onions
  • oranges
  • papaya
  • parsley
  • pears
  • plums
  • pumpkin
  • silver beet
  • spinach 
  • sprouts
  • sweet potato
  • tomatoes 
  • young coconuts
  • zucchini

Try to buy your fruit and vegetables organic, local and seasonal for superior nutritional value. There are many new, exciting foods I've tried by eating seasonally, like custard apples, dragon fruit, mangosteen, persimmons, and many more! My hope is that my plant-based shopping list helps you to incorporate plant-based foods into your diet and to make healthier choices. And don't forget to enjoy the process!


Brooke with her beloved 1L stainless steel drink bottle from www.onyainnovations.com.au.

Thursday 23 May 2013

oil pulling therapy

I thought I'd introduce this post with a photo of my twin sister and I on our 27th birthday (my oh my, I feel old when I look at that number!) in March of this year. Notice the shiny brilliance of our super straight teeth?!


In all honesty, I can't take any credit for the straightness of my teeth with which I have been genetically blessed. Over the years we've both received compliments on our beautifully straight teeth. But, looks can be deceiving, and straight teeth does not necessarily equal oral health. Would it shock you to know that there are more bacteria living in your mouth than there are people living in the world?! Did you know that your digestion starts in your mouth? Therefore, your mouth is a reflection of your digestive tract. What's going on in your mouth? bad breath? bleeding gums? decaying teeth? Your mouth is a reflection of your body's health, so if you have poor oral health you can be assured that there is disease elsewhere in your body too.

Since research links chronic illness to oral health I am very interested in the state of my mouth's thriving - or not so thriving - ecosystem. Unlike many others my experience of visiting the dentist has always been positive. Up until a few years ago I'd been seeing the same gentle, friendly and mild-mannered dentist my entire life. So when my family dentist retired a few years back we all moved on to start seeing another gentle, friendly and mild-mannered dentist. And it was this dentist who, with his eyes wide behind his magnifying spectacles, introduced me to the concept of flossing! Yes, I only started flossing in my mid-twenties!

Now, the problem is, even with regular brushing, flossing and use of mouthwash, at least 90 per cent of the world's population has a measure of poor oral health.* Our methods simply aren't effectively preventing gum disease and tooth decay. Even my perfectly straight teeth and lack of tooth decay, my anal retentive need to brush and floss at least twice a day, and use a mouthwash when recommended by my dentist, as well as my strict avoidance of processed sugar, has not made me immune to developing a case of gingivitis. This was not acceptable to me so when I came across the ancient Ayurvedic concept of oil pulling I thought, What can I lose by trying it?

It turns out I had nothing to lose and much to gain. In a nutshell, oil pulling is simply rinsing the mouth very thoroughly with oil. Every morning, after having a drink of filtered water, I take 2 to 3 teaspoons, or 1 tablespoon, of liquid coconut oil (n.b. coconut oil is my preferred oil but you can use any type of oil), and for 15 to 20 minutes I vigorously swish it around my mouth and pull it back and forth through my teeth. Then, I spit the oil out into a bag for easy disposal and thoroughly clean my teeth with a natural toothpaste. Since I started doing this over a month ago the gingivitis I was experiencing has cleared up, my teeth are whiter and my breath is fresher.

Here, Dr. Bruce Fife explains in more detail how this method works:
The sucking or swishing of vegetable oil inside the mouth aids the body in healing itself. The process "pulls" toxins and germs out of the body and allows nature to take its course to bring about healing (p. 86) ... Oil pulling offers an excellent way to reduce the microbial populations and improve oral and systemic health (p. 108) ... The oil itself doesn't do the healing; it's the body that does that. All the oil does is provide a way for the body to heal itself (p. 116).*
Oil pulling is not the cure for chronic illness, but it is a useful tool to remove disease-causing bacteria from the mouth. When oil pulling is combined with a healthy lifestyle and other detoxifying methods the pressure of disease is relieved and the body is more able to start the process of healing. My gentle, friendly and mild-mannered dentist may not know about oil pulling but last week at my bi-annual checkup he unknowingly attested to my daily practice of it. After finding nothing wrong with my teeth or gums, and commenting on the healthy state of my mouth, he declared that if everyone he saw had my excellent oral health then he'd be made redundant! Delighted, I proceeded to inform him of my daily practice of oil pulling. And he didn't diss it; he wanted to look into it! Jokingly, he suggested that we keep it a secret or he might be out of a job! Little did he know I'd be writing this...

*For more information with regards to oral health and oil pulling I highly recommend the book Oil Pulling Therapy (Detoxifying and Healing the Body Through Oral Cleansing) by Dr. Bruce Fife.

Saturday 18 May 2013

every seed-bearing plant

Hello lovely reader! Well, I thought I might extend the yumminess of my last post and the coco-nana nice cream and bring you a smoothie version with a base of almond milk, banana and... chocolate!!!

And, I thought I might explain to you why in the world my blog is strangely named seed bearing fruit. This phrase comes from the story of Creation in the Bible. We read in Genesis 1 of how God created the heavens and the earth. On the third day, He created the land and the seas, and He saw that it was good. Here is what happened next on that day:
Then God said, "Let the land sprout with vegetationevery sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came." And that is what happened. The land produced vegetationall sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:11-12, NLT).
On the sixth day God created human beings in His very own image, breathing into us His breath of life. How beautiful! Then God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, in which they were free to eat from the fruit of every tree in the garden, except the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Then God said, "Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food." (Genesis 1:30, NLT)
Now, whether you believe in the Creation story or not, I find it very interesting that this account of how human beings were made very specifically outlines what food God intended for us to eat. Not only is it spoken by God that we are to eat the food that is produced by plants, but it is reflected in our biological makeup. The human body shares a similar genetic makeup to primates, such as monkeys, chimps and gorillas. Primates are herbivores, which means that their diet is solely and completely raw and plant-based. Kimberly Snyder, a celebrity nutritionist and beauty expert, explains how the human body is designed to digest food:
The human intestine is extremely complex, and at around thirty feet, it is about twelve times as long as our torso. (The gorilla also has a long intestineabout eight to twelve times its torso length.) It is designed to be long so there is adequate time to absorb the minerals and nutrients of fruits and plant matter, which quickly break down and move through our bodies much faster than animal protein does. (The Beauty Detox Solution, Kimberly Snyder, C.N.).
My observations from my personal experience and my research into food tells me that we are designed to eat raw plant-based whole foods. While none of us are perfect, and most of us have to make huge adjustments to our food lifestyles to eat in this way, I think that we can all take steps in this direction of eating. If we are designed to function at our best by eating this kind of food, imagine how your life could change just by changing what goes into your mouth.

So, there it is. The story of why my blog is so aptly named seed bearing fruit. On a quirky side note, I thought the name would also play nicely into the pronunciation of my surname, Siede (which is said as see-dee). Sounds rather like seed, don't you think?! Along with the fact that I eat a high raw vegan diet I thought the name fit me at this point in my blogging life. Fits like a glove fruit in my digestive tract!



choc-nana smoothie


2 cups almond milk
2 bananas, peeled and frozen
1/4 cup dried shredded coconut
1 Tbs raw cacao powder*
1 tsp mesquite powder* (substitute: 1-2 medjool dates)
3-4 raw brazil nuts
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Garnish: dried desiccated coconut, goji berries, mint leaves

Blend all the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Serve with garnishes. Bon appetit!


*Mesquite powder is a traditional Native American food with a low GI and a high mineral content. The sweet and caramel-like taste means mesquite powder can replace any of the processed sugar in your smoothies or desserts. You can purchase raw cacao powder or mesquite powder at lovingearth.net

Thursday 9 May 2013

plant-based milk & ice cream

I bet some of you thought you'd never see those words together in the same sentence! Yes, that's right, today I'm going to share my recipes for a plant-based milk and a plant-based ice cream. So yummy!

I've been in the process of tweaking my food lifestyle for nearly two and a half years. A few months in I decided to cut out dairy and try the vegan thing. There have been countless times when I've thought to myself, "What in the world can I eat?!", which I'm sure many people can relate to. Sometimes, you just hit a wall! But, when something is off limits, it forces you to find a new way. So, I found a new way to make old favourites! And using plant-based ingredients means that the food is better for your body, so you don't have to compromise on your health.

When changing your food lifestyle go by the principles of adding and swapping. Try adding a green smoothie to your daily diet. The research shows that even if you change nothing else, you'll experience improved health. Or, try swapping dairy out of your diet with the plant-based dairy alternatives below.

almond milk


1 cup raw almonds (substitute: cashews, sesame or sunflower seeds, oats)
4 cups filtered water, to blend
Filtered water, to soak

Optional: 1-2 dates; 1 tsp coconut sugar/nectar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp cacao powder; pinch of sea salt

Soak the raw almonds (substitute with any nuts, seeds, or grains) overnight in filtered water. Drain and rinse before adding them to a blender or a food processor with 4 cups of filtered water. Process for 1-2 minutes. Squeeze the liquid mixture through a nut milk bag or strain using a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. The milk will separate from the pulp, or almond meal, which can be stored in a sealed bag or container in the freezer. If desired, add the milk to the blender and process again with the optional ingredients of your choice. Pour the milk into a sealed bottle or container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. 


coco-nana nice cream


4 bananas, peeled and frozen
1 cup almond milk, add 1/2 cup more if desired
1/2 cup dried shredded coconut (substitute: young coconut meat)
1 Tbs maca powder*
1 Tbs almond butter
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Place all the ingredients into a blender or a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy (you may need to stop and stir the mixture once or twice). Pour into bowls and serve! 

*Maca is an energising superfood of the Incas and is packed full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, all nine essential amino acids and nearly 60 phytochemicals. 

Thursday 2 May 2013

lessons from my life... to be or not to be

This last week I've been reminded of something that has been a constant lesson in my life during the last few years; the importance of being. The adored family cat, Pookie, is very good at this. Can you tell?!


Pookie is so loved in my house that she has earned the title of Fur Child from my mum. Yep, you read that correctly. She is loved, fed, sheltered, cared for, played with, snuggled and - I'm almost ashamed to admit - taken for walks around our backyard on a lead because she is a timid little girl, all because she belongs to us, and we call her ours. And Pookie, well, she has no concerns. Why should she?!! All she knows about living is how to be in the here and now. 

During the last week I've been sick with a sore throat and a head cold for the first time in nearly a year. Due to my CFS, I'm advised to rest more when my body is fighting illness. I don't view this kind of illness as negative; it's my body working on my behalf to get rid of the germs that are not good for me. To rest is to assist my body in this process by not interfering with the healing that is taking place. And this requires me to stop and just be. Now, for someone who likes to be ticking off items on a to-do list this can be challenging. Anyone else?! Well, I did this last year during my seven month sabbatical. And guess what? I learnt what it means to be a human being; my worth is not defined by what I do, my worth is defined by who I am.

But how many of us define ourselves by what we do? our job title? our good deeds? our family life? our socio-economic status? Let me tell you... all of these things, while they have a place in our lives, they are temporary and they can be gone in a second. The Bible says, "Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow" (Psalm 144:4). Our days are numbered on this earth. But we spend them reliving what happened yesterday, worrying about what may happen tomorrow, all the while missing the moment that is today. 

We make choices every day, from the moment we wake up until the moment we lay down to sleep. I want to choose being over doing. I don't know about you but I'm tired of the doing, of the striving, of the pace of life when you try to keep up with the Kardashians! It's all in vain! I don't think you can be satisfied when you try to pour yourself into a picture of someone else's life! Let me tell you dear reader that you are enough! You were created in the image of a loving God who knit you together in your mother's womb. You weren't an accident; you were a thought in the mind of God before you were conceived. And He knows exactly who you are. 

My worth is not defined by what I do, my worth is defined by who I am. And who I am is a child of God. Even if I did nothing more for the rest of my days, He would still love me, all because I belong to Him, and He calls me His. So, I think there's something I can learn from the family Fur Child. I think I can embrace being present in every moment, being thankful for what I hold in my hands and my heart, and remembering to stop and just be. 

I encourage you to find a place of stillness, do some dreaming, and let the burden of doing be lifted. Just be.