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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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Samudra is the home of raw food and yoga in WA. I’d visited their awesome Dunsborough café many times before, so when the opportunity came up to experience one of their weekend detox retreats you could say I was pretty darn excited 😀

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DAY 1

Arriving at the café on Friday afternoon, I was greeted by the lovely retreat organiser Erin and filled out a quick questionnaire while sipping away on a fresh green juice. I then met the gorgeous group of 10 other ladies each on their own health and wellbeing journey.

Samudra has won a heap of awards for their vegetarian café (Open 7 days a week) and upon eating there it's easy to see why.

A delicious live food dinner was consumed (the BEST zucchini ‘pasta’ I have ever had!), followed by a 45 minute yoga nidra session (which is equivalent to 2-3 hours of sleep, winning!) before bedtime.

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DAY 2

I practically bounced out of bed I was that excited! 7am was our morning yoga class with the down to earth and witty Lisa. Every morning we practiced in a beautiful yoga space located within the Samudra grounds. Complete with calming music and the BEST smelling sandalwood essence, it was a great environment to practice in. Lisa was like a walking yoga encyclopedia (her knowledge was amazing) and modified the class to suit everyone. We were taught various breathing techniques and some basic Ashtanga yoga sequences.

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After breakfast (Granola and fruit, warm almond milk and beetroot juice, YUM!), we headed back to the yoga room where Erin took an informative workshop on Ayurvedic cleansing and eating. Lunch then followed and was a delightful affair of raw dips, dehydrated crackers and veggie wraps. Even though we were ‘detoxing’, at no point during the retreat did I feel starved or deprived. In fact every meal was so filling that I almost had to force myself to eat the next one (it’s a hard life, I know). The dessert cabinet (yes dessert and coffee are all still available at the cafe) had been calling my name since arriving on Friday, and after lunch I conceded defeat, sharing a raw carrot cake with one of my fellow retreaters. It was deeeeeeeeeelish 😀

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After 2 hours of free time for treatments, beach time, browsing in the eco-store, relaxation and reflection, Erin gave a fun demo on green smoothie making with some interesting flavour combinations! In the evening we practiced yin yoga with Lisa before a nutritious dinner and then bedtime.

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Day 3

After morning yoga, we had a satisfying breakfast of berry buckwheat porridge, fruit, and green juice. The rest of the morning consisted of activities including a kitchen tour (a behind the scenes look at where all the delicious Samudra goodies are made), a sprouting demonstration and a quick demo on how to make nut ‘cheese’ (because all of us were obsessed with the cashew cheese they had been serving us!).

Before lunch we were guided through an hour of mediation practice with Mike. This was absolute bliss and I know I wasn’t the only one who fell asleep to the sound of Mikes calming voice! The afternoon yin yoga session was a great way to end the retreat and was full of fun and laughs. One thing I really loved about the retreat was how personal it all was. Erin and Lisa would join us for every meal, and were always on hand to talk and answer questions. All the staff at Samudra were so welcoming and were always willing to share their expertise and knowledge.

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You can do the retreat by yourself (you'll make friends in about 3 seconds anyway) or with a friend. Accommodation isn’t included in the price but if you’re heading down with a friend or partner sharing the price of a hotel room would save money. Another bonus- if you sign up with a friend you each get $100 off the cost of the retreat!

These retreats aren’t just about detoxing your body. They’re about detoxing your mind, clearing out negative thoughts and beliefs, recognizing what triggers bad habits and learning strategies to deal with them. If you want to do something nice for yourself, be surrounded by beautiful people, eat good food, learn more about yoga, meditation and all round health, I’d definitely recommend you book yourself in for one of these awesome weekends away!

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**Note to future Samudra visitors. You MUST try their AMAZING choco mint ‘ice cream’. It’s dairy free and made from a base of almond milk and cashews. This flavour was truly out of this world! It includes the superfoods spirulina and chlorella, which are great for detoxification. My mini tub actually melted on the way home (which wasn’t so bad) because I ended up drinking it like a smoothie. OHMYGOD YUM!

Have you ever been to a retreat, detox or otherwise? Heard of Samudra before? I'd love to hear from you in the comment section below!

Review by Kavisha, who’s already making plans for a trip back and wishes they’d extend the train line down to Dunsborough…

Disclaimer: I was a guest of Samudra's, all thoughts & opinions are 100% honest and my own!

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With a funky set up, welcoming atmosphere and awesome products, The Little Concept in Freo has definitely taken a step forward in the Perth café scene.

The café offers a variety of coffee, tea and chocolate beverages with a strong emphasis on their red espresso rooibos menu (which consists of items such as red cappuccino, red latte, red smoothie and red frappe). What's with all the 'red' you ask? Well these delicious bevvies are all made with a base of Rooibos tea- an alternative to coffee that can be enjoyed just like it! Rooibos comes from South Africa, is naturally caffeine free and has 5 x more antioxidants than green tea. Whoop!

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I got chatting to the lively and passionate owner Micheal who said he wanted to provide an option for people who couldn't have caffeine but still wanted to enjoy their 'coffee'. However don't stress of you need caffeine to get you through your morning, the café still caters to the masses (meaning yes they still have normal coffee!). Another bonus, these awesome peeps offer the option of soy, rice, almond OR oat milk in any of their beverages to cater for people with certain intolerances (this is what I like to see!). And another big plus, most beverages are sweetened with coconut blossom sugar- a low GI, healthy alternative to white sugar containing protein (12 amino acids), potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc and iron!

The prices are great by Perth standards with most hot coffee beverages around the $3.50 mark. The hot chocolates and chai are a little more expensive (between $5-$6.50). I enjoyed a red smoothie on my visit which consisted of raspberries, banana, honey, cinnamon, almond milk and red rooibos tea- it was deeeeeelicious 😀

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If you're feeling a bit peckish there's also a great range of food available from raw dessert treats and freshly baked goods, to sandwiches and wraps that are made fresh in house. The vegetarian sandwich was screaming “eat meeee!” and will be consumed upon next visit 😉

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After hearing great things about their chai I picked up a bag of the famous Prana Chai to take home with me and try. It's a wet chai, which means no need to steep. Simply pour some hot milk over, add honey and enjoy! The Mork Hot Chocolate also sounded tempting and I couldn't resist picking up a bag of this too. Available from the café as a hot chocolate, iced choc or choc affogato (to name a few), this is definitely one to try. I made mine at home using fresh cashew nut milk. YUM!

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Head into The Little Concept to try some of there awesome beverages or pick up some goodies for home. Check out their instagram @thelittleconcept for more pics of their delightful creations and get down there sooner rather than later!

The Little Concept is located at 7 Wray Ave, Fremantle, WA.

Have you tried this new cafe before? A fan of rooibos? Leave a comment below!

Article by Kavisha, newly found lover of all things rooibos and chai.

Be well,

xoxo

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wellness |ˈwelnis| n the state or condition of being in good physical and mental health :

What do you know about your health and wellbeing? Do you assume that you’re in tiptop shape just because you’re not fighting a cold or don’t have any aches and pains? I used to think a bit like this. I was always under the impression that how I felt physically, reflected exactly what was going on inside. Truth is, there is so much more to our inner health and wellbeing than we actually know about, and sometimes the smallest change in behaviour can have the biggest effect.

I recently completed a Wellness Package at A Fine Balance, a physiotherapy and clinical nutritional practice located on Green Street, Joondanna. Having never had the opportunity to take part in a package like this, I was really keen to learn more about my body and changes I could make in my lifestyle – being a bit of a perfectionist, improvement is something I’m always on the hunt for!

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The first part of the package is a clinical consultation with AFB’s clinical nutritionist Joanne. This was a one hour appointment where Joanne assessed all aspects of my diet and lifestyle to work out where I may be limited in achieving optimum wellness. After reviewing my current situation, she proceeded to advise me on ways in which simple diet alterations would be beneficial to my wellbeing. This included dietary recommendations as well as nutritional supplements to complement my diet.

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One of these recommendations has changed my life. I have been suffering from headaches for over a year now and after a series of medical tests and checks I was ready to accept that maybe I was destined for a life of debilitating headaches. Not the case apparently! The miracle cure has been a magnesium supplement called BioCeuticals Ultra MuscleEze Energy®. The supplement provides a high dose of magnesium, which is essential for the healthy functioning of nerves, muscles, bones and heart rhythm. In my case, my neck and shoulder muscles were craving a bit more of the old magnesium, since I started taking it I probably get one headache a week now – sometimes none!

I left my consultation with Joanne feeling inspired and ready to make some changes in my diet. I didn’t forget this feeling either, not long after I left the clinic, an email from Joanne came through with some handy diet tips as well as suggested meals and recipes. Talk about motivation! I’ve since taken a very conscious approach to making sure I consume more foods which produce an alkaline environment and help to control inflammation in the body. I believe this has played a major role in helping combat my headaches too, keeping inflammation levels down and helping to support a healthy and balanced immune system.

I returned a few weeks later to continue my Wellness journey at the hands of AFB’s remedial masseuse, Emma Gater. Remedial massage is the blissful combination of deep tissue massage techniques and works to release tension in the soft tissues to increase circulation, relieve pain and promote healing throughout the body. It is also mighty relaxing!

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Posturally speaking, my next and final stop was a clinical Pilates class and postural assessment with clinic owner and physiotherapist Roshan Singh. This Pilates class was nothing like the reformer and mat classes I attend religiously, it was a customised session which assessed my core strength from head to toe and identified particular weaknesses and strengths.

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One thing I found particularly interesting was finding out that I actually have muscle wastage in my left thigh muscle as a result of a knee injury from my high school days! I have since been working on building up and strengthening that muscle, to prevent further injuries later in life. Roshan then took a look at my posture, which is the poor victim of various daily wear and tear. It doesn’t really take much to get yourself all straightened out, but the difference a small chin tuck for example can make is huge in the long run.

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The Wellness Package at A Fine Balance costs $350 (valued at $513) includes:

• 1 full clinical nutrition consultation
• 1 follow up clinical nutrition consultation
• 2 half-hour massages
• 1 postural assessment with a physiotherapist
• 2 Clinical Pilates classes
• 1 take home massage ball

The package must be used within 3 months of purchase.

Call A Fine Balance on (08) 9444 9663 or email reception@afinebalancephysio.com.au to book.

Think about how comfortable you want to be in your old age, and start working towards it now. Give your body the absolute best it deserves, look after it and nurture it with good food and rest and listen to it when it speaks to you. For it is the investments we make today, that will be worth it tomorrow.

Have you ever considered a wellness package before? If so, what would you like to gain from it? Leave a comment below as I'd love to hear from you!

Review by Lucy Anderson.

Be well,

xoxo

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I recently started a new job in the CBD and boy, life has definitely changed up a gear! I love my job, but lately I’ve found stress getting the better of me, and I’ve been feeling the physical effects of sitting at a desk from 9 to 5. What is a hard working city gal to do?!

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Enter The Yoga Vine, with a super convenient pop-up location next to The Aviary at 140 William Street in the Perth CBD. Classes are held in what looks like a newly renovated office space, which works really well, as the area is open and full of natural light. I attended one of their 45 minute lunchtime classes, and at the bargain-basement price of $10 a session, forget picking up a toasted turkish and use your lunch money for this instead! The website asks participants to bring their own mats, though on the day I attended our lovely instructor Amanda brought a few extras along.

We started with some breath work, moved into sun salutations and then into several trikonasana poses. These sequences really called on my hips and hamstrings, and after a long morning at my desk, it felt amazing to stretch them out. To finish, we practiced some balance poses, and ended in savasana (always a crowd favourite!).

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I was a bit worried that I would return to work in the mood for a snooze, but I found the exact opposite- I felt invigorated and fresh- and had a super productive afternoon! I really liked that the class seemed to be tailor-made for office workers, including poses accessible to beginners and experienced yogis alike. I would wholeheartedly recommend Yoga Om to anyone with the ability to attend- not only does it offer the opportunity to include yoga into your exercise routine (or to try it for the first time!), it’s the perfect midday pick-me-up before heading back to the office to meet that 3.30pm deadline.

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Classes also run on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings in the William Street location, and The Yoga Vine offer a number of other public classes in North Perth and Osborne Park. Visit www.theyogavine.com.au for more information.

Is anyone excited to give these classes a try? How do you use your lunch break to maximise your wellness? Let me know in your comments below!

Article by Katie, a corporate green smoothie lover and yoga newbie.

Be well,

xoxo