Shakin' it up....

Exercise should be, first and foremost, FUN (as well as safe and effective). Otherwise the motivation to do it is zip. In addition to interval training and yoga (both of which I love), I have recently joined the world-wide dance craze of Zumba. Much like technology, I have joined as a very late adopter. I resist fads and trends, or at least try to. I was slightly embarrassed for my sister when she told me she took it up years ago. But when she  took me to a class earlier this year I walked away eager to do more. Why? It was so much FUN!! And it was something different. Moving my body in ways that it hasn't moved in years. Shaking things up a bit.

If you like dancing, popular music and working up a sweat, then you'll probably love this. It has all of the benefits of dancing in a nightclub without any of the seedy, smoky drawbacks. The dance steps can be fairly complicated, which I actually relish, because when you nail the routine- co-ordinating different body parts to music at the same time- it feels awesome.

It's also cheap ($7 per 1 hour class for a block of 20), convenient (it takes me 5 mins to walk to Tamarama surf club) and I get to look at this view out the window when dancing:

Class timetable and price list is below.

How do I fit it all in? With difficulty. It seems that when I prioritise one thing, something else (like sleep and admin!) slips by the wayside. At the moment it's 2 Zumba classes a week, 3 interval training classes a week and 30 mins of yoga most nights at home after kids have gone to bed. I find this combination of movement is a really nice balance of co-ordination, aerobic fitness, strength, speed and flexibility. For me, the more movement I do in winter the more it keeps feeling cold at bay and the better my circulation (and head space). I'm not drawn to doing so much exercise in summer as it too hot, I feel naturally more chipper when the weather is warmer and  I want to spend more time just hanging out at the beach.

I've written about the benefits of interval training here, here and here if you want to know more about that and where to train. And check out my previous blog here on ideas on how to keep kids active over winter. 

How are you shaking things up?

MoVida- restaurant review

MoVida has been one of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne since forever. Now us Sydney-siders are blessed to have MoVida in Surry Hills when it opened up late last year. Spanish food, tapas style - all designed to be shared. The waiters are very willing to give you a hand on what, and how much, to select. I highly recommend the Slowly Braised Beef Cheek in Pedro Ximenez on Cauliflower Puree ($23.50), but everything we ordered was a winner. The menu is set out on their website here. My friend and I paid $60 each for a total of 5 dishes, a bottle of mineral water and 2 glasses of wine. Not bad for Sydney.

There's a hip, groovy, buzzy vibe to be expected in Surry Hills. Bookings highly recommended otherwise be prepared to be sent off and return in an hour (in which case  I recommend having a cocktail at the new Button Bar 400m up the street at 65 Foveaux St....another Prohibition era bar following on the heels of Palmer & Co in the city).

MoVida's kitchen mostly uses olive oil in their cooking but a few dishes are made with vegetable oils in which case I put my usual caveat of "No vegetable oil" when ordering

which was very happily accommodated (and I think the kitchen actually respected this request in this case because it was clearly stated on the bill).

Contact details here:

Have you been to MoVida? What did you think?

Bone-broth cooking class: Wed 15 May 7:30pm

Due to a number of requests I'm running another bone-broth (stock) cooking class in mid May.

Cost of the cooking class is $60 per person and includes:

* information on the nutritional benefits of bone broth * a detailed handout with step by step guide on how to make a good broth

* recipes that incorporate bone broths

* ways to incorporate bone broth into daily meals and drinks

* practical demonstration

* hands-on experience

* food tasting that incorporate chicken stock and beef stock

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When: 7:30-9:30pm (ish) Wednesday 15 May 2013

Where: 77a Hewlett Street, Bronte.

RSVP:  To secure a spot contact soulla.chamberlain@me.com or 0407 871 884 and deposit $60 into bank account:

Account name: star anise organic wholefoods

BSB: 062 267 Account no: 10166103

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Please feel free to forward to any friends or family members.

Here are a few reasons why broth is my and my family’s foundation food:

1. broth should be consumed whenever muscle meat is consumed.This is because methionine from muscle meat can only fulfil its essential functions in the body in the presence of glycine that can be found in the skin, bones, connective tissue and organ meats of animals. Modern diets provide abundant quantities of methionine-rich muscle meats while bone broths have fallen by the way side.  The result of this imbalance is that excess methionine in diets rich in muscle meat generates toxic byproducts which is likely to contribute to reduce longevity, cardiovascular and other chronic disease. I am NOT saying that we shouldn’t eat muscle meat, but that we need to team it with broth or some other glycine rich food.  An excellent article detailing the science behind this is written by Chris Masterjohn PhD and can be found in the Weston A Price Wise Traditions journal 2012, Vol 13, No 3, P 15. This shows us that nutrients often cooperate with one another to produce vibrant health.

2. the gelatin in the broth aids in digestion (a must for anyone with digestive issues)

3. the collagen in broth builds and repairs joints, cartilage, ligaments and tendons (a must for athletes, anyone with osteo-skeletal issues and sporting injuries)

4. the collagen in broth is a kind of rejuvenating youth serum, making your skin glow and look years younger (this is why I like to say that bone broth is my botox)

5. broth makes everything more flavoursome (from smoothies to casseroles to soups, jellies and sauces)

6. broth is immune-building and fortifying (a must for young kids, anyone who frequently succumbs to flues and infections, or aspires to have a bullet-proof immune system)

7. broth is a great source of protein, healthy saturated fats from pastured animals and amultitude of micronutrients that we need to function and perform our best. People who regularly consume broth report feeling stronger with more energy (myself included).

So a diet rich in pastured meats, veggies, fruit, eggs and whole dairy is really only half the picture. I believe that for really robust health and longevity we need to place bone broths, organ meats (eg pate) and lacto-fermented foods (like sauerkraut and kefir) center stage and make them a staple rather than a once in a blue moon delicacy. Broths were a staple in all traditional cultures. Remember the wholefoods principle- the whole of the animal (including the bones and organ meat) should be consumed. In fact our hunter-gatherer ancestors and people in traditional societies prized the bones and the organ meats of an animal over and above the lean muscle meat. Most people in modern society simply don’t consume home-made broth on a regular basis. Here’s your opportunity to build a resilient immune system for the cooler months ahead by learning how. 

For more information on the benefits and uses of bone broth refer to one my earlier blogs here.