How do you develop habits? Plus, a Summer Mango, Maca, Macadamia Smoothie

I quite like personality quizzes. I’m curious about people, so I’m drawn to anything that helps me to understand my own and others’ behaviours. Sometimes, this can see me digress into doing useless quizzes like; ‘Which Harry Potter Character would you be?’ or ‘How long would you survive on Game of Thrones?’ (Not long. I’m not ruthless enough.)

A while back, a friend sent me this quiz, about the four tendencies of developing habits. I also recently listened to Brooke McAlary’s podcast with Gretchen Rubin, who designed the quiz. Unlike the Buzzfeed quizzes, this one is truly interesting – it helped me to understand why I’ve been successful at forming some habits but not others – and that this is inherently related to how I went about establishing those habits, rather than the habit itself. I came out as an Obliger, which essentially means I meet outer expectations and resist inner expectations, explaining why I’ve always been so terribly bad at exercising, unless I’m accountable to or doing it with someone else. Additionally, I also have rebel responses to this – periods of time when I become resentful and burnt out, and then stop ‘obliging’ altogether. Continue reading →

Simple Strawberries and Cream Smoothie (sugar-free, vegan, with hidden greens!)

I came up with this smoothie one afternoon when my 4 year old requested a ‘strawberry milkshake’. I do buy him the odd milkshake when we’re out and about, although he more frequently enjoys a babyccino, which he shoots back like a yuppie drinking espresso (he has become quite the babyccino connoisseur and is unimpressed if there is no accompanying marshmallow or chocolate freckle). In relation to milkshakes however, I’m not a fan of the supermarket flavoured milk drinks, syrups and powders that have loads of added sugar, as well as various numbers, preservatives, and other ‘ingredients’ I can’t pronounce. That popular strawberry (and chocolate) flavoured milk powder, loved by Australian children, is basically ALL sugar – nearly 3 tsp of it per serve. That’s assuming one sticks to the suggested serving size.

But, negativity aside, I also love smoothies because they provide a wonderful opportunity to sneak in extra healthful ingredients, such as greek yoghurt, kefir, chia seeds, oats, spices (vanilla and cinnamon are lovely), LSA mix, coconut milk or coconut water, as well as vegetables – I frequently add spinach and avocado. Smoothies use the ‘whole’ food – rather than juice, which separates out the fibre. My kids enjoy green smoothies, unaware that they contain all sorts of green vegetables, but they particularly love colourful fruit smoothies. Continue reading →

Why my family quit sugar: with tips and strategies for parents who want to reduce their children’s sugar intake

This post describes my family’s experience of going sugar-free, along with some strategies for other parents who are interested in reducing their own children’s intake of sugar and processed foods. It doesn’t come from a place of judgement or criticism – I am lucky and privileged to have been in a position to make this lifestyle change, so I would never judge another person, or parent, for their decisions. Continue reading →