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Meet our July Featured Friend, Nat Kringoudis. If you are a health & wellness enthusiast and haven’t heard of her, you’ve probably been living under a rock.
Nat is a doctor in Chinese medicine, acupuncturist, author, speaker and all-round natural fertility expert. As if that wasn’t impressive enough Nat is also the founder of Melbourne women’s health clinic, The Pagoda Tree, and producer of HealthTalks TV.
Nat’s mission is to educate and empower women, so they can get clued up on their own bodies and take control of their hormone health. Nat will help women ditch the stress, the confusion and the endless disappointment, and give your temple the love and attention it deserves.
Nat is an incredible advocate for women’s health and we are so lucky to have her featured this month.
Firstly, what does creating ‘a healthy mix for life’ mean to you?
I love the use of the word mix! Because it’s all about the mix. Bringing in healthy foods that make your body thrive is so vital for wellbeing and ongoing health, but it’s also blending this with the things you love that counts. So to create a healthy mix, we need to be mindful of the food we eat, the lifestyle we live alongside a healthy mindset and attitude. These are the corners to wellness.
What does your day on a plate look like and why do you eat the way you do?
I’m an eggs woman – feed me eggs and I’m one happy lady, so I’ll generally start the day with a couple of poached eggs. Lunch is typically soup, fish or a delicious curry and dinner we love slow cooked meals, soups and stews. We are very lucky, my mother in law cooks for us a lot of an evening – I’ll never say no to somebody else preparing my meals! That said, I do enjoy getting into the kitchen. I rarely get a chance to snack at work, since I’m generally on my feet until I pick up the kids at 3:30pm from school. If I do snack it’s generally nuts, seeds, a fresh juice or a cuppa.
Living a healthy life doesn’t just mean eating well … how do you keep your mind and body healthy?
Each day is a new day – a chance to step up and take your body on it’s wellness journey. I’m a huge advocate for positive mantras or affirmations to keep me on track and focused. There are days we can get caught up in the ‘swirl of busy’ which can be really difficult to break out of. So drawing on my goals to get me through the day helps keep me on track. I actually have a reminder set in my phone at 11am and 2pm that are my goals or vision for whatever is going on which means they may change from moment to moment. Realigning to where I’m going (and not focusing on what I don’t want) is a true game changer.
Who is your health, wellness or fitness guru and why?
There are many! My mum is one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to health. She really is the example when it comes to healthy living and has ingrained this in us from young children. I’ve been surrounded by inspirational people – the likes of Jess Ainscough, Melissa Ambrosini, Samantha Gowing, Sarah Wilson, Pete Evans – people truly making a difference in the world each aligned to their visions and helping to educate on food as medicine, mindset, attitude and being a good human! And of course then there are the forefathers of Chinese Medicine who have allowed me to learn and develop skills that have taken my on my own path to a practitioner. The space I’m in is unique – Chinese Medicine really is a stand alone modality, so I don’t really have a guru as such, but I draw on inspiration from many.
What is your ONE Super Hero Food that you cannot live without?
I can only choose one? All foods are super to me. I’m a huge fan of maca for it’s ability to regulate hormones by addressing the thyroid – so I guess it deserves a mention. Eggs whilst not considered a ‘super food’ they are my superfood – so a special mention goes to them too since they are the perfect balance of fat and protein – key also to balancing hormones in general since our hormones are made of fats and protein!
If you could share with the Raw Blend Family one piece of your wisdom what would it be?
Embrace your health rather than fear it, no matter what. There is no ‘end point’ or arrival when it comes to our healthy journey, but rather living life to the fullest of our abilities each and every day. I believe the best way to overcome fear when it comes to health and wellness is to get educated and make informed decisions. When we are clued up on the facts, all of a sudden we understand ourselves better, remove the fear and make choices from a place of love.
We are lucky enough to have you share one of your favourite recipes with us, why do you love this recipe?
There are many reasons I love this recipe – first and foremost, it’s delicious! Equally as important is that it’s made from cauliflower, a cruciferous vegetable that is excellent for your hormones, your gut health and fertility. I remember the first time I made this version of the cauli soup and I could hardly believe it was made from cauliflower! It tastes like some delicious bisque or similar. It is a family favorite at the Kringo residence indeed!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup of olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 medium sized cauliflower broken into florets
- 2 medium sizes onions, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 5 cups of water or stock
- 1 cup of rice milk
- Salt and pepper to season
Method
- Heat oil in a large pot, adding onion and garlic. Allow to cook for a few minutes until they start to become clear . Add Cauliflower and allow it to begin to brown. Cover with water or stock and allow it to come to the boil.
- Reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes (the longer the better really) until the cauliflower is very soft and breaks up easily. Run a wiz stick through or put into the blender until there are no lumps and the soup is a very smooth consistency.
- Place back onto the heat and add rice milk. Stir through and then remove from heat to serve.
- Garnish with parsley and pepper.
