Foodie Friends- Megan Bullen

Today on the blog I have another amazing foodie friend for you. I am very happy to introduce Megan Bullen, a Health & Wellness Coach, Meditation Facilitator, Writer & Mum who lives on the Gold Coast, QLD with her husband Jeff, and two kids Amber & Tristan.

Megan work’s in the corporate world and also helps women and corporate workers to improve their health and also the health of their families, allowing them to squeeze the most out of life, whilst feeling really good and full of energy.

Megan is a 2014 graduate of Institute for Integrative Nutrition and also a Meditation Facilitator, one of Megan’s goals is to assist parents in teaching their children the importance of mindfulness and visualisation for ongoing health, and achieving goals in life.

You are in for a treat, Megan’s muffin recipe is so tasty! Make sure you try them this weekend!

Over to Megan…

Why did you decide to study at IIN?

I always thought I’d been living a pretty healthy lifestyle, and I was to a certain degree. In 2011 I came to the realisation that my skin problems and constant outbreaks could be indicative of what was going on inside of me. I made it my mission to clear up my skin by cleaning up my insides, but since I ate really healthy already I didn’t quite know how I was going to achieve this.

I read lots of books, and over a two year period I researched further study I could do on the topic of health. IIN kept popping up in my radar, always being in the back of my mind. The course appealed to me because it’s curriculum focused on so much more than just what foods to eat to stay healthy.
I finally enrolled in 2013, which was when I made the decision to put my health and the health of my family first. For the first time in my life (at 36 years old!) I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up! Whilst I was currently working full time in the Corporate world, I knew in my heart that my purpose was to help people change their world and that of their family through wellness, teaching them the importance of Nutrition for the mind, body & soul.

What is your goal once you complete your studies with IIN and how do you plan to help people?

As a graduate of IIN I can honestly say that it was the most life-changing year of my life! Not only did I become a Certified Health Coach, but I gained so much knowledge in many different dietary theories, Relationships, Physical Activity, Career & Spirituality, as well as learning about the concept of Bio-individuality and how to de-construct and crowd-out Cravings. IIN taught me how to create a balanced healthy lifestyle for myself and my family.

Through IIN I also uncovered that Candida was behind all my skin problems. Candida is an overgrowth of Yeast in the body caused by unhealthy eating, stress, medications or the contraceptive pill and can present itself as many different ailments. For myself, I believe Candida showed up due to stress and over 20 years of being on the Pill or having a Mirena! Ridding the body of Candida can be a long journey with lots of ups and downs. Through my own experience and experimenting with what works and what doesn’t, I have the knowledge to be able to support others suffering with the condition.

My dream is to help people gain a new level of health and vitality by focusing on all aspects of their lives, not just what food they eat or don’t eat. I write regular blog posts and will soon be holding Meditation Classes, Workshops, Group programs, and the opportunity to work with me one-on-one so that together we can help you reach your goals.

What do you eat on a typical day?

Breakfast:

I start my day with a nourishing bowl of Quinoa. Here’s how I do it:

Place ½ cup of Organic Quinoa Flakes in a bowl with 2 tablespoons Chia Seeds. Pour 1 ¼ cups Boiling Water over and mix well. Leave to sit for at least 1 hour (overnight is preferable). I then add 1 tablespoon of Flaxseed Oil, ½ teaspoon Maca Powder and ½ teaspoon Slippery Elm, and a little more water. Yum! You can also add ½ a chopped Banana or some Berries if you like.

Lunch:

My Lunch is a big salad full of greens like Mixed Lettuce, Kale & Baby Spinach Leaves, and topped with Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber, Capsicum, Avocado, Asparagus, and Snow Peas. I then add some Salmon or lean grilled Chicken Breast.

Dinner:

A typical Dinner for me consists of 1/3 of the plate being a Salmon Fillet, Chicken Breast or a lean piece of Organic Grass Fed Beef. The other 2/3 of the plate is Steamed Vegetables in a variety of colours.

Snacks:

Herbal Teas, Coconut Water, Green Smoothie, Almond Milk based Protein Smoothie, My go-to snack (see below), a 2 egg Spinach Omelette or leftover steamed vegetables.

Of course not all of these are on the same day!!

Could you please share your favourite go-to snack on a busy day?

My all time favourite would have to be Smashed Avocado seasoned with Herbamare (organic vege salt), with Vegetable Sticks to dip. If I’m looking for something a little more filling I spread the Avocado on Organic Rice Cakes.

What is your number 1 tip for living a healthy lifestyle?

You have to create balance in your life. There’s no use doing something really well like going to the gym 5 days a week, and then eating food that doesn’t nourish you. Living a healthy lifestyle is as much about the mind as it is the body. If you’re stressed and feeling like you’re running on empty then no amount of eating right will keep you healthy. Your body and your mind need balance… in all areas!

Banana-Nut Muffins (that my kids love!!)

This is my version of a Healthy Banana Muffin, full of goodness! Use Organic ingredients wherever possible.

Ingredients:

2 overripe Bananas, mashed

1 1/2 cups Almond Meal

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

2 tablespoons Coconut Oil

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 tablespoon Organic Honey

3 Eggs (Organic & Free Range if possible)

1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped roughly to sprinkle on top

Method:

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 160oc, and place 10 paper muffin cases in a muffin tray.

2. Place the mashed bananas, almond meal, vanilla essence, coconut oil, cinnamon and honey in a large bowl. Separate the eggs, and add just the egg yolks to the mixture, setting the egg whites aside in a separate bowl. Combine mixture well with a wooden spoon.

3. Beat the Egg whites with an electric beater in the separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into the muffin mixture.

4. Pour the mixture evenly into muffin cases, and sprinkle the walnuts on top.

5. Place in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Note: Muffins will be dark in colour, however, depending on your oven, you may need to reduce the temperature to 140oc for the final 20 minutes so that muffins don’t get too dark. Muffins are cooked if a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

– Makes 10 muffins

Enjoy!