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While it's perfectly possible to dine out on a gluten and dairy free diet, it does get a bit tedious having to ask wait staff endless questions and sometimes having to compromise on what you really fancy. In spite of this hassle, I've persevered over the years because whilst I love to cook, I also relish the social side of eating out and don't want to isolate myself because of my dietary issues.

So when a gluten and dairy free restaurant recently opened up on my doorstep it was time for celebration! Solomon's is the brainchild of Paul Ridge aka rapper Drapht. Having experienced his own health challenges and dietary limitations, Paul was determined to create a quality health-focussed outlet in his neighbourhood, giving the food-challenged consumer more choices. Nothing inspires me more than when people turn personal adversity into a gift that helps others. Bravo Paul.

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To say I was keen to sample the goods is a huge understatement! A lunch date was quickly arranged and giddy with excitement I was soon devouring the menu, feeling like a kid in a lolly shop knowing that nothing was off limits. The menu includes raw, vegan, fish and meat based options – great variety to suit all appetites and a range of prices to suit different budgets. But how to choose? A dilemma I haven't faced in a long time. It all sounded so amazing. From the sweet potato gnocchi with citrus and coriander pesto, to the purple carrot and black bean sliders on homemade quinoa bread. Heaven! Orders finally placed and fingers tightly crossed that my expectations would be met, we settled in with a vegan mango lassi and enormous pot of rooibos tea.

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I wasn't disappointed. A combination of organic chicken, brown rice and broccoli salad with Asian herbs and spices, and raw falafels with coconut yoghurt was a winner. Great flavours, fresh ingredients and filling, but not heavy. A large side of kale chips served with pink salt and fresh orange wedges completed our entree.

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The raw goji berry cheesecake proved impossible to resist – refined sugar free of course – and was so delicious that a small amount leftover was quickly wrapped to take home.

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As well as serving up tasty, healthy food Solomon's has a relaxed friendly vibe, a cool urban interior and open air dining at the back of the restaurant. Paul was a fantastic host, generously sharing information about his naturopath and other health tips alongside the lovely food. Two very happy and loyal local customers achieved!

Solomon's, 487 Beaufort Street, Highgate
08 9328 7995
http://www.facebook.com/SolomonsSoulFood

Have you been to Solomon's yet? How do you handle eating out with dietary limitations? Any go-to places in Perth that I should know about?!

Article by Karen, holistic health coach and owner of Conscious Cravings whose mission is to inspire people be more nourished with food, life and love. Find her on Facebook!

Be well,

xoxo

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Simple Nosh is a cosy family run café serving up fresh, healthy and deeelicious food (with loads of vegetarian options!). Fremantle is a healthy foodie hotspot, and this cute little café is tucked away on a quiet street just off the main strip.

We opted for a sunny spot on the outside verandah (YAY for Perth’s warm winter weather!) and scanned over the breakfast menu.

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It really excites me when I see green smoothies on café menus and although this one sounded great (spinach, apple, kiwi, banana, lemon), I opted for a freshly squeezed carrot and ginger juice instead. This one was awesome and really hit the spot.

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For breakfast I ordered the scrambled eggs on GF toast with a side of house made beans. After some recent terrible experiences (since when were baked beans and four bean mix considered house made beans!?), I’ve been on a mission to find the best beans in Perth. I’m pleased to report the beans here were VERY good! A huge portion of plump beans in the most delicious tomato sauce, the flavours were just right and tasted great with the eggs, YUM!

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My dining partner opted for the breakfast roll. The huge roll was STUFFED full of spinach, mushroom, feta, smoked salmon, basil pesto and topped with 2 poached eggs. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the salmon was so fresh. Needless to say we were both extremely satisfied with our meals : )

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Leah and her mum Irene have got a good thing going on. All ingredients are locally sourced (just what I like!), the vibe is welcoming and relaxed and they’re both are so friendly. The sofas inside looked rather comfy and would be perfect to snuggle into come winter!

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I’ll be back soon, if anything to try a slice of one of their delicious looking homemade cakes 😉 Make sure you leave room!

Simple Nosh is open 6 days a week, Mon-Sat for breakfast and lunch. 14 Norfolk Street Fremantle.

Have you been to Simple Nosh before? What's your favourite place to eat brekky in Fremantle?

Review by Kavisha, breakfast eating connoisseur.

Kavisha was a guest of Simple Nosh, opinions & thoughts in no way influenced by this! 🙂

Be well,

xoxo

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One of my favourite things to do is to get a whole stack of health & fitness magazines and spend the evening poring through them, making notes on ideas for Wellness WA articles. Wellness nerd! 🙂

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A super kind card from my friend Haley from Peachy Clean Organic Beauty Boutique when I was feeling stressed! You get one of these cuties every time you make an order and I’m slowly adding to my collection, hopefully one day I’ll have them all! 🙂

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After hearing many raves about the Artisana products from American health bloggers, I was thrilled to see this at the Subiaco Farmers Market a few weeks ago. It’s very sweet and a lot different to pure coconut oil, it has the coconut flesh mixed in too. Very yummy and decadent – a sometimes treat!

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Another farmers market find! A 6 day old baby lamb (it looks so much like a goat!). This poor babe had been abandoned by it’s mama and adopted by human parents. What a sweet heart!

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A really easy and yummy salad I threw together, chopped spinach, avocado, cherry tomatoes, quinoa & sesame seeds. I probably put a drizzle of olive on too. YUM! + fresh orange for dessert.

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Hooray for Amazon orders! I picked up (L-R):

♥ Tamal Dodge’s Hatha & Flow Yoga for Beginners (2 classes, 1 easier, 1 stronger): I really like this class and instructor, he has a very soothing voice. I finish the classes feeling great and stretched out. Slightly challenging but not too hard!

♥ Crunch Candelight Yoga with Sara Ivanhoe – this is my favourite of the three! It’s suitable for all beginners and is a very gentle and restorative practice with variations for different skill levels. There’s also a bonus 15 minute energising routine included Highly recommended, and it’s only $6.36 on Amazon!

♥ Yoga for Stress Relief – this DVD has over 20 sequences to choose from. It is very heavily focused on calming breathing and slow movements. If you have injuries, are very stressed out or are not looking for any kind of workout from your yoga, then this will be a good one for you.

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Here’s a healthy crumble I whipped up in a jiffy. A large tin of pears (preferably in juice, not syrup), half a cup of frozen mixed berries, some steel cut oats, crushed walnuts, cinnamon, wheatgerm & flaxseed meal. Baked for about 20 minutes at 180 (or til the top starts to look golden). Serve with greek yoghurt & some extra cinnamon if desired. So quick, easy, tasty & healthy 🙂

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My final crush for this week is this outstanding vegetarian gnocchi with semi sun dried tomatoes, rocket & parmesan from The Trustee on St Georges Terrace. Absolutely divine. At about $32 for the above size, it’s not your everyday lunch meal, but for a treat I can highly recommend it. I’m dreaming of going back now!

Let me know what your week of wellness consisted of in the comments below! 🙂 Looking forward to hearing from you!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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Having been on the smoothie wagon for a bit, I decided to jump back to juicing today for a pure shot of easily digestible nutrients that my body was craving. I recently bought this set of 4 glass jars (approx $25) so that I can make bulk juice/smoothies and refrigerate for later use – win!

I’m also currently doing a little experiment with another exciting use for them, which I’ll tell you about later!

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Due to the number of carrots I put in, the juice turned an orangey-brown colour. It was still delicious and energising though, even the whale thinks so 🙂

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Inspired by the meditation workshop with David Michie at The Inspiration Factory, I packed a bottle of water, this book and jumped on my bike to head down to the beautiful lake that I am very lucky to live so close to. It was a perfect Sunday and baby birds & teenage ducklings were out in full force. The sun shone down and my cells revelled in it. I spent some time reading, and then meditated for 6 minutes (it’s best to start out with small amounts, and build up) – a feeling of bliss began to emerge as hoped!

I’m probably going to be talking about meditation a bit more than usual, as I’m really fired up about it after this workshop. I have high hopes for the effect it is said to have on productivity, stress reduction & going through life with ease.

It goes without saying that I HIGHLY recommend Hurry Up and Meditate for anyone who is even considering finding out a little more about meditation and whether it might be for them.

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There’s not much I enjoy more than baby animals, and baby ducks have to be up there with the cutest of the lot. These ones have ventured beyond childhood to what I call ‘teenage ducklings’, as they are about half the size of an adult. So, so pretty! Just another reason I love living so close to a beautiful lake in springtime.

Warm Roasted Root Vegetable & Quinoa Salad

Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of this one, as it was a bit too dark at my table, but this evening I met up with lovely fellow blogger Elizabeth from Life With Elizabeth Rose at the Subi Hotel. As I checked out the menu, I was excited to find this dish before my eyes:

For $13.50 I was sold, and it was incredibly yummy! Roast beetroot, baby carrots parsnips, spinach, crunchy spices – it all came together so well, and despite not being able to see what I was eating, I was very happy with this dish and will definitely be back to have it again!! If you’re in the area and need a healthy bite then this wont disappoint.

What are your crushes this week? Be sure to share them so we can all be inspired to continue reaching for optimal wellbeing!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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I like the idea of health-conscious cafes, but I don’t like the ‘judgy’ vibes some of them have. You go there happy to slurp up vege soup and crunch raw things, but while you’re doing it you also want to be able to chat to your mate about how you stayed up all night and drank a buttload of red wine, without having to deal with the ‘you should really cut back on the booze and try to get more sleep’ glares from your fellow diners (yes, you can say all that in a facial expression).

The better cafes are ones that put an emphasis on healthy eating, and healthy product purchases, but acknowledge that lifestyle enjoyment comes in many forms. Yelo Café really hits the bullseye in this regard: at Yelo, vegan wraps and green juices sit alongside giant slabs of chocolate brownies and strong creamy coffees, and nobody gets their goat up about which combo you choose.

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Formerly the Bennion Street Café, Yelo is right on Trigg Beach; its clientele are mostly local, and often hit Yelo post surf/power walk (there’s always a few doggehs out front!). That said, the surfers are mixed in with more urban yo-pros: it’s a real diverse clientele. Yelo’s ‘Clean Carparks’ fruit and veg juice is a healthy favourite, Yelo also do acai smoothies, and have a fridge full of coconut water (including fresh young coconut), fruit juices and organic sodas.

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Their coffee is made from Fiori beans and Bannister Downs milk and served in a BioCup: it’s the best for miles around (there’s two coffee machines on the go so you get it quick, too).

Hydration choices aside, the best thing about Yelo is their wholesome, fresh, home-made menu of ‘snacks’. Favourites reel: the Vegan wrap, the gluten-free spinach and mushroom frittata, the oatbran muffins, the gluten-free macaroon slice and the bircher museli, but there’s also plenty of breakfast wraps, tuna patties, croissants, sandwiches and sweet treats on offer: many of which are vegan, or gluten free.

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Take in the sprawling ocean views while you wait for your order: or be tempted by Yelo’s ‘provedore’ section, curated with wellness in mind: for sale are healthy cereal boxes, Yogi Bliss trail mixes, Serenade Organic Skincare, Abhi’s Bread, Ecoya soy candles, surf wax and plenty of other goodies.

Yelo is located at 331 West Coast Drive, Trigg.
Contact: 9447 9441 or email yelo@bigpond.com

By Thousands Perth City Guide editor Danielle Marsland, who, in the words of Donovan, is just mad about Yelo.

Be well,

xoxo