Native Box was founded by two young health and nature conscious Australians who craved easy access to affordable eco-friendly, natural and organic products.

The way Native Box works is that you sign up for a monthly box of eco goodies, varying between natural personal care, food, lifestyle, household and cleaning items. These arrive in either a sample or a full size.

The Native Box team get together to curate a box of healthier and safer alternatives to conventional household and kitchen products that are all 100% Australian owned. Once they’ve searched high and low for a variety of products the native box is born, packaged and delivered directly to your door.

Boxes start at $19.95 a month and you can sign up for one, three, six or twelve months. You can also give a Native Box as a great gift for someone’s birthday, to say thank you or to spread the Native Box love!

There is also a beauty box that can be delivered to your door with some fantastic natural skin care products and cosmetics. Every month you’re provided with a random assortment of new and emerging products in the market that will not leave a mark on the environment or cause an array of unknown consequences on your body and skin.

If you like a product they send to you, you can then visit their online store to buy some of your favourite natural products. If you’re interested visit their website and also enter the latest Supercharged competition to win one of three amazing Nature Box prize packs.

Give your mum the day off this Mother’s Day! Why not indulge her in a delicious homemade food all day eating affair?

Here's a sample menu with recipes below to get you started.

Mother's Day Menu

Make ahead breakfast in bed ideas

Strawberry Granita

Wow your mum with a hand made granita. As the granita starts to melt, it becomes slushy and the texture, coupled with the flavour of the berries, is out of this world. She will love it.  Find the recipe here.

Chai Chia Breakfast Pudding

Put mum in a happy morning mood with a breakfast porridge full of vitamins, essential fatty acids and an exotic blend of chai spices, this pudding will fill her with joy.  Find the recipe here.

Lunch or Dinner Idea

Seven Minute One Pan Salmon with Greens

A quick lunch preparation means you can get on with spending time together and less time dawdling in the kitchen. This dish will give mum a much needed energy boost and the good fats in the salmon and olive oil will help her body absorb beneficial iron from the spinach.  Find the recipe here.

Make Ahead Dessert Ideas

Cauliflower and Raspberry Cheesecake

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Today I'm introducing a couple of my favourite smoothie recipes to brighten up your breakfast.  I created them especially for the Kenwood kCook multi-cooker launch breakfast that I hosted recently. 

It was a beautiful morning that was held in Balmoral in Sydney at The Public Dining Room.

The sun was shining and the water was sparkling as guests watched swimmers taking their early morning plunge in the autumn sunshine.  Kids were frolicking in the water and building sandcastles. There was a feeling of excitement in the air.

A crowd gathered with lots of my foodie friends and media who came along.

I got myself included in a super hunk 'manwich'. Not that I am complaining, I can think of worse ways to spend a morning.

Then next up I did a demonstration on two of the new machines, the X pro blender and the kCook which I demonstrated a breakfast bar recipe in.  It was delicious and I'll share this recipe next week on the blog. I used a gluten free muesli, coconut milk, berries and rice malt syrup to make the bars.

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image via pinterest

Most of us are familiar with inflammation on the surface of our bodies which involves local redness, heat, swelling and pain, but there is another kind of inflammation that lingers within our bodies. Inflammation exists within us all and is an extremely powerful, necessary function for our survival. It’s the cornerstone of the body’s healing response; ensuring that appropriate nourishment and adequate immune activity is delivered to an area that is injured or under attack.

However, there’s a darker side to the wonderful healing capabilities of inflammation and because of its gripping, powerful responsiveness, inflammation can be incredibly destructive to your health, particularly when it extends beyond the boundaries of a localised area, or continues for long periods of time.

The body has very complex mechanisms to ensure that inflammation stays where it’s supposed to stay, and ends where it’s supposed to end, but it’s becoming increasingly common that people have persistent inflammation lingering in their bodies. Unlike a normal, healthy inflammatory response, this type of inflammation serves no purpose.

Since the 19^th century, the idea that inflammation is the underlying cause of ageing, and age related illnesses has been studied in depth. Researchers have discovered that complex chemical reactions occur throughout the body in response to inflammation which leads to an overactive immune system.

Over a lifetime, an overactive immune system will contribute to an overproduction of AGE’s, advanced glycation end products, initiating oxidative reactions within cells that will gradually damage organs throughout the body. This type of chronic, low level inflammation is very common and researchers believe it is a contributor in age related diseases including cardiovascular and neurodegenerative illnesses.

Scientists have confirmed that inflammation increases with age, and research conducted in the late 1990s showed that C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory protein, is a very accurate predictor of future heart problems, superseding high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

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Kale is a four letter word that’s been copping alot of flak in the media lately. 

The guardian calls it “shorthand for smug health freakery” or a symbol of the dietary quirks of a clueless, effete bourgeoisie.

“The maid forgot to put kale in my royal jelly smoothie! Waaaah!”

Really? ouch.  That’s gotta hurt the poor veggies feelings no?.

Aside from all of the clickbait headlines, Ryan Gosling memes and National Kale Day, because it’s everywhere like a Kardashian during awards season, you can see why it’s been ceremoniously knocked of its pedestal and ridiculed as the hip queen of greens.

Even if it is just histrionics.

But just because uber trendy people with half samurai, half mid-life crisis man buns and skinny jeans like to eat it in hipster hangouts or drown it in coconut oil and make chips out of it doesn’t mean that it should demonised as a faddish fashion food. 

This Roman staple has been around long before so called “new aged ancient superfoods”.   

I guess it’s inevitable when you start schmoozing with the in-crowd that the out-crowd crucify your cruciferousness and want to tear you apart in cyber space.

That’s why I’m going to share with you a delicious kale recipe. And it’s for no other reason than I like it and it tastes good when partnered with the right ingredients or cooked well.

Plus at this moment right now, it really is the perfect crossover time whichever continent you’re living on, to incorporate this seasonal primeval member of the cabbage family with its crisp texture and hint of bitterness into your spring or autumn meals.

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On my recent book tour through the UK for my new book Eat Clean, Green and Vegetarian, I stopped off in Copenhagen on my way back home to discover a little piece of Denmark that I had always wanted to visit.  It’s been on my list of places to go for as long as I can remember.

On doing some online research I decided to take my lodgings up at Ibsens Hotel, because it was affordable on my budget and close to the city on the Northern part of town, surrounded by the canal and a huge park.  It turned out to be a fantastic location and one that allowed me to discover Copenhagen very easily by bicycle, as there was a bike hire shop just around the corner.  Handy!

It really is such a magical city, albeit a tad colder than what I’m used to in Sydney. Think zero degree nights!

Ibsens Hotel is centrally located, so handy in fact; it’s just a short five minute walk to the famous Copenhagen food markets Torvehallern, and to the central city train station.

The markets are fantastic, and located in what looks like massive green houses, bursting with stalls of wonderful fresh produce, juice bars and healthy and nutritious eateries with options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There's also a cute cafe across the road called Kalaset with great food and a warm atmosphere.  Think whimsical vintage charm, hot chocolate with marshmallows and a veggie filled soup or daily special.

Once I have gathered my bearings, I hired a bike and used that as my mode of transport for my entire stay, zipping around the city in no time to see famous sights, such as The Little Mermaid and the Royal Palace Amalienborg and the charming waterfront town of Nyhaven lined with bustling restaurants and cafes.

The Ibsen has a range of room options quaintly named by their size- Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, X-Large and Suites. I stayed in a large room which was comfortable and beautifully decorated with a combination of soft material and timber furnishings.

Fortunately there was heating available for the cold nights ensuring that my toes and fingers and other body parts were warm and cosy and not subject to chilblains!

One of the wonderful benefits of staying at Ibsens Hotel, was the phenomenal  breakfast.  Every morning I would wake to the smell of freshly brewing organic coffee and baked granola, one of the many items available on their daily breakfast buffet menu.

But this is nowhere near a mass produced buffet.  At the Ibsen they pride themselves on providing meals filled with seasonal produce with the freshest ingredients that are sourced locally with the names of their origin on little placards for you to see.  They also offer yoghurt and fresh fruit cups, sliced meat platters, cheeses and a selection of pastries and hearty, grainy breads.

Ibsens’ boasts an adjoining spa which offers a relaxing sauna, steam baths and hot tubs.  If you’re in the mood for relaxation, there are a large range of treatments available including foot spas, the perfect antidote after a long day out exploring Copenhagen by bicycle and one that your feet will rejoice in.

At night happy hour runs in the dining area with complimentary drinks.  You can relax in the lobby in front of the beautiful open fireplace with large armchairs and couches and listen to records on the old school record player, just the perfect place to make your home away from home.

Taking time out whilst travelling to have some time to yourself is very important to ensure that you don’t get run down and have time to reflect on the amazing journey you are currently on, being mindful and in the moment is a must and Ibsens Hotel provides the perfect place to do just that.

To find out more about rates at the Ibsen visit here.