December | 2013 | Bloom & Nourish

Food is not just fuel. Food is about family, food is about community, food is about identity. We nourish all those things when we eat well. – Michael Pollan

I have wanted to host a proper dinner gathering with close friends for years. A few weeks ago, I was able to witness that dream coming to fruition. About fifteen of my close friends gathered for a night of delicious food, hand crafted drinks, a carefully curated playlist, and most importantly conversation and community. There were a handful of us that crafted plans, thrifted linens, created beautiful papeterie, perused the farmer’s market, hand-picked leaves from the fiery fall trees and made it happen! I loved watching it all come together—to see everyone coming alive in their own way, following their talents and passions. That is community—people coming together, giving of themselves, enjoying each other, breaking bread together, being intentional, telling stories, and listening intently. Food is definitely something special. It’s a necessity for survival, but it’s also most enjoyable. It brings people together in a way that’s different than almost anything else. Gathering together around a common table to take part in a meal feeds not only our body, but our souls.

My husband carefully curated a playlist for the evening. Listen in the player below.

^Apple Thyme Gin Fiz Continue reading →

{Today we have a guest post from Sarah Nicholls of Nutritional Bliss. Sarah is a holistic nutritionist, registered nurse and all-round wellness lover. She helps soul-centered women to create glowing health, get bounce-out-of-bed energy, and generally feel more awesome.}

The Holiday season is here, and many of us are getting excited about a break in work and possibly a little holiday somewhere. Whether it be, overseas or just locally, travelling while having to be gluten free can be really daunting.

Here is an extract from my up and coming eBook, about my tips for staying healthy and travelling gluten free this Christmas time!

First step: I want you to sit down and learn how to say “excuse me, is that gluten free?” in every language.

Okay, I’m just joking. But you have to admit that the idea of travelling gluten free can be a little overwhelming when you start out.

I love to travel, but I completely understand that it can be somewhat daunting to travel into the unknown and not know what you will actually be served to eat.

But the good news is that I have traveled quite extensively, and eating gluten free abroad has not been as challenging as I thought it would be.

Here’s what I do:

Research.
Where are you going? What is the local cuisine in that area? This is best to know before you go! For example, if you are going to Italy, what is the traditional diet? Pizza, pasta and gelato! Can you eat this? Probably not, but instead of being disheartened when you get there, start looking for other traditional Italian foods that you can try while you’re on holidays. For example, say you’re going to Japan. Can you eat Japanese food? Soy sauce is a very common condiment in the Japanese diet. Can you eat this? No. So pack your own GF soy sauce or tamari. Easy, right?

Another option is to jump online, with the majority of the world being pretty internet savvy these days, a simple Google search can go along way. Have a search for the area you are going, and what they have to offer. Other places online, which may help, is Facebook. I have found just putting the word out on Facebook can be helpful, “travelling to Fiji, does anyone know of any resorts that are gluten savvy” or also jumping onto online travel forums.

Some websites which may also help:
www.happycow.net – predominately a vegan/vegetarian guide however it also has links to health food stores and gluten free restaurants from around the world.

A little research can go a long way when holidaying! Depending on where you are going, you can also look at booking a self-contained apartment, sussing out the local markets and buying your own food. This can be especially handy when making breakfasts and snacks during the day.

Flying gluten free!
I have some awesome news for you: airlines now carry gluten free meals. Pretty good, right? All you have to do is double check that GF is available when you book your flight. Then, add in a note to the special dietary requirements segment of the booking form (being sure to use the special word ‘severe’!).

But, the bad news is that airline food is pretty dismal. It’s highly processed and unhealthy. So, the best option really is to pack your own food for the flight. Pack yourself a little lunch box with a meal and some healthy, gluten free snacks. It is completely fine to take food onto a flight, but remember that the food you don’t eat will have to be thrown in the rubbish bin at the airport of your next destination if you’re flying overseas, or state to state. You will notice food disposal bins in the airport lounge or ask the flight attendant where you can dispose of the food. When taking foods onto a flight, be mindful of the liquid limit and keep water, juice or salad dressings to a size appropriate for this.

When arriving at your destination.
Your first stop is to speak to the hotel. This can be very helpful in terms of finding out local restaurants to eat at, or at least finding out how to say gluten in their language!

Until you become comfortable in your new holiday destination, eat with caution. Be mindful of sauces, packaged foods in languages you can’t understand, and foods you have never heard of.

The last thing you want to do is to become unwell on your holiday, but also, you don’t want to feel stressed either. You are on holidays, so relax and enjoy your trip!

Rescue remedies to pack:
1) Hot water bottle, to soothe any abdominal pain & discomfort.
2) Herbal tea, to aid in digestion and to soothe the stomach, I always travel with peppermint, ginger and fennel. Another great tea’s to include are green and liquorice.
3) Essential oils, peppermint rubbed on the stomach externally is great to soothe pain.
4) Natural anti-nausea tablets (ginger is the best for this)
5) Slippery elm powder. This is a super herb, which lines and stomach and protects the digestive tract from mouth to anus. You can purchase this from any health food store, it is great to talk travelling and to use daily. Start by taking ½ teaspoon daily, mixed in 1 glass of water, and you can increase this dose up to 1 teaspoon, twice daily if your pain and bloating persists.
6) Probiotics, to restore gut health, I recommend a high strength probiotic

I hope this helps!! And have a beautiful and safe holiday season