Salmon is such a great source of protein, healthy fats, antioxidants, B Vitamins, Potassium, and other goodness.  Eating Salmon can is good for the brain function, joints, heart health, and nervous system.

This recipe has some great flavours and pretty simple to put together. 

Ingredients

• 2 pieces salmon –skin on
• 1 tbsp Sesame Seed
• Small handful of fresh Basil
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves – minced
• 1 tsp. ground Cumin
• 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
• Salt and Pepper

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Method

1. Rinse salmon under water and pat dry with paper towel.
2. Combine Sesame Seed, Basil, Garlic, Cumin, Coconut Oil, Salt and Pepper in small bowl.
3. Coat Salmon with marinade and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour or more.
4. Pre-heat oven at 200°C.
5. Line baking tray with paper, and prepare Salmon in tray.
6. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
7. Serve with Vegetables, fresh salad, or side of choice.

The hardest part is deciding if you want your Chia pudding for breakfast or dessert. Chia seeds are packed full of goodness. A great source of Omega 3, antioxidants, calcium, fiber, and protein. They make for a quick and easy breakfast that tastes great and will keep you going for your morning. But they can also make a great healthy snack, or dessert. These little Chia seeds are pretty versatile with a wide range of flavours that can be used. Here are just a few to get you started.

PALEO SPICED CHIA PUDDINGS - serves 2

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Coconut Milk
¼ cup Chia Seeds
¼ tsp ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp ground Ginger
Pinch of ground Cloves
1 tbsp maple syrup

METHOD
Place ingredients in bowl and mix well.
Let sit for about 10 minutes or so. Until the mixture starts to thicken.
Spoon mixture into serving bowls and refrigerate overnight.
Can be served with fresh fruit, coconut yoghurt, nuts, toasted shredded coconut, berries, fruit puree, or anything else that takes your fancy. 

These are all valid reasons to have the desire to do something well and achieve results.

Ultimately, it all comes back to our values which are instilled in us from such a young age. Values are difficult to change as they are ingrained in us. We are told many things when we are young. This can either encourage us to be successful and have the drive to do well, or it can have the opposite effect, and prevent us from doing well. Some of us may have been brought up in families where we are told to go to school, get a good job, and simply just do well and fit into society. But, few of us are encouraged that we can do amazing things along the way.

When we are brought up in this sort of environment, our dreams are hijacked. We are encouraged to do things that may not be related to our true values. As a result we go along and do what we think we are supposed to do but we get to a stage where there is a misalignment. We may be successful at our job, but we haven’t followed our heart or our true desires.

Our desires and dreams are usually linked to what we are good at. These desires are put on our hearts so that we can do them well and we can make a difference in society. To be truly successful we need to do what we are aligned with, and also to make a difference. It is human nature to want to be rewarded for what we are doing. Now this may not necessarily be monetary but it can also be associated with gratitude, acknowledgment or encouragement.

But we don’t necessarily have to change our values to be successful (and we shouldn’t). We can actually use them to our advantage. By using our values, desires and dreams and lining up our ultimate goal we can achieve great things.

If you value your family, and spending quality time with your family. You might be able to align Fitness or Paleo goals with the fact that improving your health and wellbeing will ultimately improve the time spent with family, kids and making a difference in their lives. No one wants to have trouble spending time with their family due to poor health, whether related to sickness or fitness.

Setting goals, and aligning them to your values can make you more successful at actually achieving these goals. Have a think about what is truly important to you. Think about what makes you tick. Your dreams and desires will be linked to what you enjoy doing. Our desires are put on our heart for a reason, and we were created to make a difference.

It may take some brain storming and a lot of reflection to identify what is truly important to you. This is usually due to the fact that most of us are told what we should do when we are at school, we are stifled into doing what is ‘right’ and we sometimes drift away from our creative side. Being creative allows us to think differently, instead of going along with the crowd.

For some of us it can take months, or even years to identify our true meaning in life and “what we want to do when we grow up”. But the journey at identifying, and focusing on our goals is magical. We become more in tune with what we want and what we don’t want. We learn to listen to our intuition, and can make clearer decisions by knowing where we are going.
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Take up the challenge!! Take some time out and just think about what is important to you. Think about what your perfect life would be and what it would mean to you. Write it down. Then align some real goals. This will be the most rewarding and challenging thing you will do. But it is worth it. 

What is going on with society today? Why are we always in a rush? Trying to get somewhere or fit in as much in our day as humanly possible. We all have schedules to abide by. Everyone has families, work, gym, households, social lives and many other aspects of our life to consider. We tend to cram everything into 24 hours of the day, 7 days of the week, and the 365 days of the year. It all seems to roll into one.

Are we actually living to our purpose if we live like this? Are we in tune with our bodies? And are we getting the most out of the foods we eat?

We were designed to do amazing things, to live with purpose, and to do what is right by our bodies. For a start, that means putting the right foods into our bodies. Not food that has been highly processed, made with additives or other ingredients to make it last longer on the shelf, or is filled with just ‘stuff’ that is low cost to make.

Once we start putting the right kind of foods into our bodies. That is, real foods that are high in nutrients, full of flavour, and taste amazing. We have clearer thinking. Our bodies (and mind) become balanced and we start to operate how we should. Putting the right foods into our bodies isn’t just about weight loss. It’s about actually becoming in tune with our bodies.

Much of society today doesn’t take time to actually sit down and enjoy each and every mouthful. We seem to be on a schedule to just fit our meal in. Whether it’s a quick fix with a protein shake, or eating lunch on the run. We seem to be doing it faster and finding ways to make it more convenient to do it this way.

Eating healthy isn’t just about trying to fit into that dress that you wore last year, it’s about being in complete balance. A lot of this has to do with brain health, our happiness, and how we think. Although, we may be putting the right foods into our body, there can still be an imbalance. This is due to how stress affects our bodies. Stress causes cortisol production, which in turn does crazy things to our bodies. We don’t get all the nutrients from our body, and we can be malnourished.

Do you take time out of your day for you?

This is the big question. Many of us don’t focus on the present, we tend to just focus on the end result and forget about enjoying the actual doing part. The part where you are grateful for every little aspect of what you are doing. Life is a journey, and we should enjoy every aspect of it.

Make time for you, stop at your local park on the way to work, make sure you take that lunch break, or take that morning or afternoon walk. There are so many options for taking time out for yourself. The challenge is actually forming new healthy habits that make the journey of life better. The other thing to keep in mind that if you are thinking clearer, have less stressed, and are able to stay focused you will actually perform better at work.

​Take the challenge, make time for yourself in some way. You may need to start small but keep at it and you will reap some amazing rewards.
 

​If you are looking for a baked Chicken recipe that keeps all the moisture in. Then this is the recipe for you. It tastes absolutely amazing, and you will want to go back for more. The preparation and cooking time is less than an hour and would make a great week night dinner for the family. It also makes for some tasty leftovers the next day. The chicken could be served with roast vegetables, salad, or steamed greens. The options are endless.

Ingredients
4 Maryland Chicken Pieces
400ml can of Coconut Milk
2-3 tbsp. fresh Herbs (finely chopped)
2-3 Garlic Cloves minced
Juice of 2 Lemons
Dash of Coconut Aminos
Dash of Tabasco Sauce
Salt and Pepper
Method

1. Preheat oven at 175°C
2. Heat frypan with a tbsp coconut oil. Bown chicken turning once. Place chicken in lined baking tray.
3. Combine Coconut Milk, Herbs, Cloves, Lemon Juice, Coconut Aminos, Tabasco, and Salt & Pepper in bowl. Pour over chicken, and place left over lemon halves in baking tray with Chicken.
4. Bake in oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes.
5. Serve with Roast Vegetables, Salad, or Steamed Greens
6. Enjoy

A friend has given me an abundance of Tomato’s so I decided to do some experimenting and create an amazing Tomato and Garlic soup. Growing up I was not a fan of tomato soup. Maybe I just didn’t have the right one. But this one is great. As we are still getting some cooler days and nights, soup is still a great option to enjoy.
Roasting the Tomato and Garlic gives an amazing flavour. I like a bit of bite to my food so I have also added some Chilli but of course this is completely optional. I’m sure you guys will love this one.
Ingredients

• 1 Garlic Bulb
• 2kg ripe Tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 2 Brown Onions (finely diced)
• 1 Chilli (finely diced) - optional
• 500ml Vegetable Stock
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• Dash of Tabasco Sauce - optional
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
• 400ml Coconut Cream

Method

• Preheat oven at 180°C
• Line 2 baking trays with baking tray. Slice Tomatoes in half and remove core. Place skin side down on tray. Slice Garlic in half (sideways), and place on baking tray. Season with Salt and Pepper. Roast for approximately 45 minutes or until softened.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Peel skin of Tomatoes and place in food processor. Process until desired consistency is reached. Can remove seeds from tomatoes if desired, using a sieve.
• Peel Garlic and place in bowl. Mash Garlic into a paste.
• Heat Coconut Oil in large Saucepan. Add onion and chilli, and sauté for a couple of minutes.
• Add Tomato, Garlic, Stock, Tomato Paste, Tabasco Sauce, and Coconut Aminos. Bring to boil and simmer for approximately 10 minutes
• Add Coconut cream and heat through
• Serve and enjoy.

I love trying new recipes and creating from existing recipes.

This recipe contains butter which  still consume on a regular basis. It does not make me unwell like other dairy products. This is due to the fact that it does not contain Lactose, it still contains some milk components but most people will find that they are okay to eat it. If you find that it does disagree with you I could suggest going to Ghee which is still made from Dairy but contains no milk components. The benefits of butter include the fact that it contains Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) which has anti-cancer properties. I always try to buy butter that has been from Pasture fed cows. 

This recipe is really quite simple, and doesn't take long to make. It is a great week night dinner and tastes so amazing.

INGREDIENTS

• approximately 500g green Prawns
• 2 tblsp Butter (organic or from pasture fed cows if possible)
• 3 tbsp fresh herbs (chopped) - I used Basil, Oregano, and Parsley
• Salt and Pepper
• Serve with salad, or vegetables

I'm excited by what I know that 2016 is going to bring. 2015 was a great year but I know that this next year is going to be even better. Opportunities are going to open up and I know that my life is going in the right direction. I am healthy, I am able to provide for myself and I love life. I'm meeting new people who are inspiring me to be a better person and who are also helping me to encourage and help others with their lifestyle. 

I meet people regularly who ask about the benefits of Paleo and why I'm doing it. The answer is easy. I know 100% that I am healthier and happier by being Paleo. I enjoy life to the fullest, and have more energy then I ever have. Everything seems to just work better. My body is working how it is supposed to be working.

I have seen the benefits of Paleo with those that I have met or have come along to one of my workshops. In some instances I have just planted the seed by a once of chat or I have been more involved with the changes. The benefits are amazing. It is truly awesome to know that what they have learnt has affected them and helped to improve their lifestyle. By knowing that people are benefiting what I have to offer I am encouraged to impact more people. 

One of the major factors in changing or improving your lifestyle is the purpose to back the change. In terms of Paleo it may be caused by ill health, improvements in sports or fitness, or just to be happier. What ever the reason behind the improvement, it has to back the change and help you to overcome obstacles every single day until the new happier and healthier lifestyle has been formed. Consistency and persistence is the so important to making changes to your lifestyle. 

It is so exciting to know that by meeting new people, by facilitating workshops, and encouraging people with Paleo or their general health that I am making a difference. 2016 is going to bring more improvements, lifestyle changes, and happier and healthier people. I can't wait to meet you and challenge you to make a difference to your life and your family.