There’s a great connection between periods and chocolate, and given that we’re an office full of girls, chocolate is never in short supply (the organic, raw variety of course!). Not surprisingly, Sarah Wilson’s new I Quit Sugar Chocolate Cookbook has been a massive hit with the TOM team, not that we ever need an excuse to eat cake, especially when it’s sugar free and packed with goodness, this week we made Sarah’s Beetroot Red Velvet Cupcakes (pictured above)!!

Have you ever wondered why that chocolate craving just happens to coincide with that time of the month arriving? Well, it’s not the sugar you’re craving – but the magnesium in the cocoa. As our period arrives our hormone levels (estrogen and progesterone) rise – our bodies use magnesium to break down these hormones – so it reasons that when their levels are high we use more of it.

Low magnesium levels have shown to contribute to increased period pain and cramping, and even to heavier and longer periods – so if there was ever a time to be raising your magnesium levels – it’s that time of month! Who needs an excuse to eat more chocolate?

But remember, the magnesium is in the cocoa bean – not the “chocolate” – which is why making your own chocolately snacks is the best bet – Sarah’s recipes recommend using raw cocao – which is great source of both magnesium and anti-oxidents. Time to get baking…

The post Sugar Free Chocolatey Goodness appeared first on TOM Organic.

PMS tends to affect women between the age of 20 and 40, and is surprisingly more common over the age of 30. When you are premenstrual, there will be an increase of hormones called prostaglandins. These hormones are directly related to the inflammation processes within the body and can cause problems such as breast tenderness, mood swings and can increase headaches. They may also decrease your pain tolerance.

PMS may also cause problems due to low blood sugar. When a woman is premenstrual, her blood sugar levels may drop more easily after a meal. Usually, levels stay stable for a period of up to five hours, however, during the premenstrual stage of the cycle, blood sugar levels can drop as soon as three hours after eating. This can cause poor concentration, tiredness, and sugar or carbohydrate cravings.

NUTRITION

Sugary foods or caffeine are contributors to mood swings, irritability, and anxiety, and salty foods are linked to water retention. As well as resisting cravings, women that suffer from PMS should eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, include more wholegrains in their diet, and eat smaller meals throughout the day, as this stabilises blood sugar levels and helps to combat food cravings.

There is speculation that women that suffer from PMS may be deficient in essential fatty acids, especially gammalinolenic acid, which is found in evening primrose oil, safflower oil, borage seed oil, and blackcurrant seed oil. Therefore supplementation may be beneficial for PMS symptoms.

Vitamin B6 and Vitamin E may also be useful. Vitamin E can help to reduce breast soreness while vitamin B6 seems to relieve symptoms. Calcium and magnesium supplements may be beneficial. A study has shown that calcium supplementation led to a 48 percent reduction in the symptoms of PMS. Magnesium can reduce PMS-related bloating, fluid retention and breast tenderness.

EXERCISE

Exercise increases endorphin levels within the body, the chemicals that are responsible for a sense of wellbeing and pain relief. Regular exercise is also helpful for reducing stress and maintaining self esteem. Exercise has been shown to be helpful with PMS, with those who exercise reporting an improvement in their PMS symptoms.

STRESS REDUCTION

While a certain amount of stress is necessary in day to day life, too much stress over a prolonged time has a negative effect on our health. In fact, stress is capable of disrupting the menstrual cycle. Women who suffer from PMS may find that their symptoms worsen when they are stressed. To help stress, utilise strategies such as yoga, meditation, and relaxation therapies. It may also be helpful to try and rearrange your schedule if possible, so that you are reducing stressful factors or events in the time that leads up to your period.

And do not underestimate the power of a warming, nurturing cup of tea. Oh, and of course, choose organic feminine hygiene products like TOM Organic.

Jacqui is the founder of Jacqueline Evans, a beautiful range of naturopathic skincare for your face and body. She’s also a practising naturopath and our resident health & wellbeing guru.

Connect with Jacqui:

Website: jacquelineevans.com.au
Instagram: @jevansskincare
Twitter: @jevansskincare
Facebook: facebook.com/jacquelineevansskincare

The post PMS Naturally appeared first on TOM Organic.

 

THE BASE

1/2 of a cup of almonds

1/2 of a cup of walnuts

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

1 heaped tablespoon of almond butter

1/2 tablespoon of raw honey

BANANA CREAM

4 ripe bananas

2 tablespoons of almond butter

CARAMEL

1 cup of pitted medjool dates

1 tablespoon of almond butter

1 ripe banana

1/2 a tablespoon of coconut oil

1 tablespoon of water

SLICED BANANA

2-3 ripe bananas

Start by making the base. Place the nuts in a food processor and blend for a minute or two until a crumbly mix forms, then add the coconut oil, almond butter, honey and coconut oil.

You can make this in a larger pie dish or six smaller cups (jars are great!). Start with a layer of this nutty goodness (use it all!). Then make the banana cream layer by simply placing the bananas and almond butter in the processor and blending until smooth. Put this on top of the nutty layer and place in the freezer for 20 minutes (You can skip this step depending on time, but it will give your layers more definition).

While it’s freezing you can create the caramel layer – this is also made by simply placing the ingredients into the food processor until smooth, if the mixture is too thick you may need to add a little more water. Slice up your remaining bananas.

After twenty minutes remove the pie from the freezer, place a layer of sliced banana, then layer on the caramel, finish with some more sliced banana on top.  Enjoy!

note: makes 4-6 small cups or 1 large pie. This recipe was adapted from Deliciously Ella 

The post Raw Banoffee Cups appeared first on TOM Organic.

Here in the TOM office we all remember the moment we first saw Phil, he was hidden behind the biggest array of flowers we’d ever seen. Later that day, standing in our kitchen in his khaki coloured overalls and wellington boots, clipping the ends off bunches of David Austin Roses for an event in the building, the discussion turned from roses to medicine. This GP turned florist is a far more intriguing character than first meets the eye…

Tell us about your journey from being a doctor to florist. Are there any regrets, have you compromised anything? I went to college in Boston and moved to NYC to work as a doctor at New York Presbyterian. But for a number of years over breaks I would fly to California to work on an organic urban flower farm. My love for flowers and growing them stemmed from this so the decision to leave medicine early this year wasn’t regretful. I do miss living in Manhattan and working with some of the best doctors in the world but that becomes a fleeting thought when I’m out in the country foraging and working with beautiful flowers!

My work is about…Using the freshest flowers and having fun

I decided to become a florist because of…One person, Katie Marx! My boss, friend, mentor is the reason why I made the final decision to pursue floristry. She’s constantly inspiring me and so much fun to around. Plus her baby Hazel is the cutest! But it’s the creation of beautiful arrangements and seeing how people positively react to flowers is always amazing to see. It’s also incredibly satisfying to be able to work with flowers at all stages from seeing them grow on farms, to the harvesting and then to see them used in events. Flowers also have the innate ability for people to connect memories to them. From whether a certain flower takes them back into their childhood in their grandpa’s garden, like me with dahlias, or their wedding day where it was used in their bouquet.

My favourite season is….Spring by far. There’s nothing like walking through fields of wild spring flowers in the country or the abundance and beauty of cherry blossoms.

I’d spend my last dollar on…Flower seeds or fritillaria imperialis bulbs

Where do you go for inspiration? Gardens, nurseries, farms, the country, basically anywhere outdoors. Mother nature is always inspiring, whether its witnessing the will to grow from plants, color combinations in flowers or even after they’ve died and dried.

If I were a flower, I’d be a bunch of…Sunflowers! They always make me smile.

Best flower for a winter date night? Hellebores! I’m absolutely crazy for them especially the double hybrids.

What’s on my window sill in the kitchen? Wheatgrass for juicing and a bouquet of Jude the obscure David Austin roses

What does a working day look like for you? It varies from day to day but I’d say I spend the majority of my time in the country on farms, whether foraging, landscaping or digging holes for trees.

What book are you reading at the moment? The Rose by Jennifer Potter and Modern Farmer magazine.

What does the world look like now through your eyes? Much more natural and it’s beautiful and rewarding.

You’ll be seeing a lot more of Phil, aka Mister Snippers, over the coming months, as our newest guest blogger Phil will be giving us insight into what flowers are in season with his favourite arrangement. Starting with the month of June:

Flowers in season: Hellebores, Daphne, Camellias, Cyclamen, Pieris japonica, Snowdrops, Holly berry, Allspice, Witch Hazel. As roses come off their season, their fruit, rose hips develop. An absolute joy for florists to use in Autumnal weddings it also has many other uses. It can be made into jams, jellies and my favorite a tea, high in antioxidants and vitamin C. (pictured: roses and rose hips)

Phil works with Katie Marx, an incredible freelance florist based in Melbourne. Follow Phil & Katie on Instagram (STUNNING!!):

Phil: @afloralfrenzy
Katie: @katiemarxflowers

Photo of Phil courtesy of the lovely Megan Morton taken in the TOM office garden, flower photos by Phil himself.

The post From stethoscope to secateurs: a floral adventure appeared first on TOM Organic.

Sophie Liley is on a mission. Most people don’t realise that feminine hygiene products are considered luxury items under the GST Act. What does this mean? It means that “essential” items (including tomato sauce and nicotine patches!) aren’t taxed, but that tampons and pads get the 10% added on. Perth student Sophie Liley wants this to change (and so do we!), she’s started a petition via change.org called Axe the Tampon Tax and she needs your support. We don’t need to convince you that fem hygiene is an essential item, but we’d sure like to see all of our female MP’s spend their next time of month without their “luxury” tampons and pads. We caught up with Sophie to find out more.

Why did you start Axe the Tampon Tax petition?

It’s completely outrageous that women are forced to pay the GST on tampons because they’re labeled as ‘luxury’ items – particularly when condoms, lubricants, incontinence pads and sunscreen are GST free. I strongly believe that a Government that charges women the GST as a direct consequence of their basic biology is a country that is fundamentally sexist. It sends the message that in this day and age, despite having our first female Prime Minister, we are okay with continued sexism in this country.

Do you think most people are aware that fem hygiene isn’t GST free?

No, I don’t think they are. Almost everyone i talked to wasn’t aware or didn’t really think hard about what it means. I honestly have no idea why or how it was brought to my attention and stuck in my mind, but it’s lucky it did.

How many signatures do you hope to receive?

We’re hoping to receive about 50,000 by the federal election but of course more would be good.

Do you currently have any political support?

We don’t currently have massive political support. Senator Louise Pratt has been hugely helpful and has put me in touch with some back benchers; unfortunately though we missed our opportunity with the Budget Review this year and until we get more political support it doesn’t look like much will happen.

What can our readers do to help?

They can sign the petition at change.org, and they could also email, write to, or call, their local member for parliament to highlight the issue. It takes five minutes and it will really help us get more traction.

TOM Organic have signed on to support Sophie to help get her message heard by as many people as possible. So please help her spead the word!

Photo courtesy of Patrick Cornish, Axe the Tampon Tax Design by Sophie Connor.

The post Axe the Tampon Tax appeared first on TOM Organic.

I caught up with Vinita, one half of Bhumi Organic Cotton, to talk about some of the major misconceptions around conventional cotton farming, and why choosing organic is doing our planet an incredible service.

How did Bhumi come to be?

The post Why choosing organic is a game changer appeared first on TOM Organic.

We fell in love with Jacqueline Evans at first sight, her skincare range is incredibly beautiful, feels divine & smells amazing, oh yes, and it’s entirely chemical free! Jacqueline is the kind of woman you could easily sit and talk to for hours, her wealth of knowledge extends far beyond her skincare line, she’s a practising naturopath who keeps one foot firmly planted in the pharmaceutical science camp. We like to think of her as our resident heath and wellbeing guru! Which is why we were all super excited when she agreed to come on board as a regular on the TOM blog, over the coming months Jacqueline will be sharing her insights with you all – from battling PMS the natural way to eating for clearer skin. We’re kicking off with a few questions so that you can get to know her a little better, and we’re sure you’ll love her just as much as we do!

How did the Jacqueline Evans skincare range come into being?

The post Introducing: Jacqueline Evans appeared first on TOM Organic.

This super simple salad lovingly shared with us by Bannie from the The Healthy Ingredient

Recipe (serves 1)

½ cup of cooked organic pearl barley

The post Pearl Barley with Baked Figs & Pumpkin appeared first on TOM Organic.

I’m delighted to be sharing the Inika story with the TOM community.  I met TOM founder Aimee at a conference last year and was blown away by this incredible and inspiring woman.  I love the TOM products and think Aimee has created such a beautiful and worthwhile brand.

This is the story of Inika and how our prestige natural cosmetics brand came to be.  My background is not in cosmetics.  I migrated to Australia from the UK in 1997. Having struggled with endometriosis and associated infertility for many years, in my mid 30s I had all but resigned myself to the fact that I would not conceive naturally when I came across a book called The Hormone Heresy. Written by American holistic wellness guru Dr. Sherill Sellman, the book suggested that women like me could restore balance to our endocrine systems by changing our diet, eliminating chemicals in the daily products we use, and using natural progesterone cream.

Figuring I had nothing to lose, I resolved to follow the guidelines in the book – which included throwing out all my makeup – and within three months I was pregnant, and suitably overjoyed ! After the birth of my healthy daughter Lola in 2002, my endometriosis cleared up completely, after years of being told by doctors that there was no solution other than surgery. I was amazed, and resolved to focus my life on helping to educate and empower other women to take control of their health by limiting the toxins they put into their bodies and by seeking out natural options wherever possible.

Shortly after, I presented community workshops on Toxic Free Living, and went on to form the not for profit website www.thrivinghealthywomen.com.au, dedicated to providing information and resources on women’s health and toxic free living.

After being bombarded by emails from women around the globe searching for all-natural makeup, and finding there were so few options out there, I decided to create my own range. The result was INIKA, a 100 percent natural makeup brand incorporating organic and vegan products that were devoid of synthetic chemicals, containing only the finest natural ingredients.

We have won numerous awards since our inception in 2006, over 30 awards for product excellence and innovation including the prestigious ACP Magazine award for Best Foundation and we were nominated for the Marie Claire Prix de Beaute award for Best Product, sitting alongside Dior and Chanel.

Unlike many so called ‘natural’ brands, INIKA products are guaranteed to be completely free from harsh petrochemicals, fillers, talc, bismuth oxychloride, GMO ingredients, parabens, preservatives, mineral oils, phthalates and fragrances. In an industry that is still largely unregulated and rife with ‘green washing’, I believe it can be difficult for consumers to make informed choices about what to use on their skin. That’s why all our INIKA products carry the triple consumer guarantee: to be cruelty-free, to be vegan, to be Halal, in addition half of our products range is CERTIFED Organic by Australia’s OFC body, which ensures that they contain between 75-95% certified organic content.

I believe in glamour that is good for you, natural does not have to be boring!

We are so excited to be sharing INIKA with TOM customers that we are offering an amazing introductory $20 voucher for all TOM customers, simply check out the TOM Facebook page for details. 

Do try our NO COMPROMISE makeup and discover a whole new world of organic cosmetics..

Enjoy!

All my love,
Miranda
CEO and founder INIKA

The post The INIKA Story + Special Offer appeared first on TOM Organic.

It’s ANZAC day tomorrow (April 25^th) so we though it might be nice to share with you one our favourite office ANZAC biscuit recipes.

ANZAC BISCUITS: INVENTED BY INCREDIBLE WOMEN.

The wives and mothers of Australian soldiers first came up with the recipe for these biscuits during World War 1. The original ingredients were chosen because they didn’t spoil and didn’t need refidgeration: rolled oats, sugar, plain flour, coconut, butter, golden syrup or treacle, bi-carbonate of soda and boiling water – this meant the biscuits travelled well over the long boat trip from Australia to Europe. As the war continued many women’s groups spent a great deal of time making ANZAC biscuits to send to the troops. And they’ve been made every April since (but they’re good all year round!).

We’ve given our recipe of this classic Aussie treat a twist by using some of our favourite superfoods! These biscuits still taste delicious and are a little bit guilt free. As always, it’s best to buy organic wherever you can!

Ingredients 

This recipe makes about 30 medium sized biscuits

1 cup of Organic Wholemeal or Spelt Plain Flour sifted

1 Cup of Organic Rolled Oats

1/2 Cup of Organic Coconut Sugar

1/2 cup of Organic Desiccated Coconut

2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds

125gm of Organic Coconut Oil (in liquid form – heat to melt if necessary)

1-2 Tablespoon of Rice Bran Syrup

1/2 Teaspoon of Bicarb Soda

2-3 Tablespoons of boiling water

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 175 degrees Celsius (347 F).

2. In a large bowl mix the Flour, Oats, Sugar, Coconut and Chia Seeds.

3. In a smaller bowl, combine the Coconut oil and the Rice Bran Syrup.

4. Dissolve the baking soda into 2 tablespoons of the boiling water then add this carefully to the Coconut Oil mix.

5. Stir the liquid mix into the dry ingredients, if the mixture is still crumbly add another tablespoon of water. Note: If the ingredients are too dry the biscuits will fall apart, so the wetter the better!   

6. Roll into balls and place on lined baking tray and squish them down a little so they’re a bit flat. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool – if you want crunchy ANZACS leave them on the baking tray until they’re cool – for chewy ones leave them for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack.

7. Enjoy with a cup of your favourite tea!

The post Superfood Healthy ANZAC Biscuits appeared first on TOM Organic.