Philosophy

My name is Philippa, but you can call me Phil…

Feb 08

Photo by Catch/Compose Photography

About ten years ago, I used to think that anyone who bought recycled toilet paper was a bit of a hippy.

The extent of my interest in sustainability was putting out my recycling bin each week, and even then I didn’t separate paper from plastic. I was living in a bit of bubble, where I didn’t really think about the world around me but all the while was wondering why my life wasn’t much fun and I didn’t seem to be all that happy. I spent most weekends inside, watching DVDs with the blinds shut, and a couple of blocks of chocolate for company. It was an unconscious life, in every sense of the word.

Keep reading…

Feb 03

Gorgeous greens - image from our fabulous new friend: Wellness W.A.

Hello, lovelies. Welcome to the “Re-Nourish” edition of Living Clean. Today’s installment is your foundation kit of your-body-is-a-temple-already rituals, ingredients and tricks of the cleansing trade to get you really re-nourished, deeply refreshed and hella re-energized. So, crack open a coconut water, and let’s get started.

Green Juice

The number one thing I would instill in you as an absolute must is green juicing. It’s certainly something I’ve got to get back into (yeah – I’ve totally fallen off the wagon, friends) – whenever I go green first thing in the morning, every morning, I don’t catch so much as a sniffle (even when the worst bugs are floating around), my energy shoots through the roof, and well – let’s just say that when I say “it’s cleansing” I really, truly mean it.

You can use most green veggies that are good raw – everything from broccoli stalks to spinach leaves. Make sure that when you add your fruit component, that it’s roughly a third or less the amount of vegetable that you juice (apples & kiwi fruit is great, and I’m quite partial to a bit of watermelon at this time of year…). This ensures your blood-sugar doesn’t spike too quickly first thing. Fresh lemon and ginger will give your juice a detoxification supercharge.

The Singaporeans know how to juice.

Here, I’m borrowing a pre-loved recipe from a previous post of mine, because it’s still my absolute, 100% favourite.

The Lean Green Clean

1/2 cucumber (or whole if Lebanese) – peeled if not organic
2 x celery stalks (include the leaves)
2 cups of baby spinach leaves
1/2 – 1 lemon (peeled)
a good thumb-sized knob of ginger
1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves

Sometimes if we make too much, I pop the remainder into an old agave bottle or jar, whack it in the fridge, and leave it to enjoy later onwards in the day. It beats a 3pm caffeine and sugar jolt hands-down. We use the Breville Ikon/Juice Fountain Plus, which is roughly the equivalent of this one.

Salad

Eat this shit. And lots of it. But seriously now, in my very humble opinion you can salad up at every meal while you’re cleansing (and beyond, my darlings) and not feel like you’re in any way in denial.

When I was a very young actor graduating from drama school, and on a get-trim-fast-fest while still needing to maintain incredibly high energy levels throughout the day, I had the best “breakfast salad” routine down.

Hot-to-trot “breakfast salad”

Soak half a cup of raw, organic nuts in chilled, filtered water overnight to “activate” them (or get them in the sprouting state). Cashews, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds & pepitas are amazing for this – but go nuts (oh, sorry) and experiment with other favourite if it takes your fancy.
In the morning, smash your nuts up manually – just a tiny bit – until they’re a little rough and chunky.
Chop up a serve or two of raw fruit (in season, of course). The lower glycemic-index versions are best. Apple, peach, pear, nashi, melon, kiwi… play around and combine a couple if you like, depending on what’s available.
Grate some fresh ginger. Not too much – you don’t want to be overwhelmed. But it should be enough to give your salad a good kick up the patootie.
Mix all that good shit up together. You can add a squeeze of lemon juice if you like.
If you feel like you need a bit of solid oomph, you can ladle a good spoonful of natural (unflavoured & unsweetened) soy yoghurt on top. But this is optional, and not nutritionally essential, ’cause you’ve got such nummy goodness in those blissfully activated nuts.

And as for lunch and dinner?

Really, this is all about picking fabulously fresh, organic-where-you-can, and most definitely in-season produce, and combining as much raw with lightly cooked ingredients as possible. Aim for 60-100% raw veg for at least lunchtime, if not dinner too (a little lightly steamed veg is totally fine, if you’re struggling to ease yourself onto raw, btw). Your body will definitely thank you for it.

The other awesome thing about raw and par-cooked vegetables is that they fill you up way faster than crap that’s had the shit cooked out of it. Give it a burl for a few nights, and you’ll find you’re not running back for seconds anywhere near as fast as you used to!

Quick tip: If you’re used to creamy sauces and salad dressings, a wildly delicious and hella healthy alternative is to use chickpeas (or just plain supermarket-bought hommus if you’re in a hurry), cashews and sesame seeds (or tahini) in place of the scary dairy. Talk about protein pack!

Cashews will need to be soaked for a couple of hours, chickpeas cooked (a can is cheating but totally acceptable if you’re short on time or patience, and would otherwise struggle with the chick), and sesame seeds or tahini paste can be thrown in with either as you prep you paste.

You just need a hand blender, a food processor, or a mortar and pestle and some awesome cardiovascular fitness.

Smash em up, season to taste (tamari, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, cumin powder… play around with flavour as you will). Et, voila: healthy creamy dressing and/or sauce.

Water.

Not much to say about this really, except drink up. Have a good stainless steel or glass flask on your person at all times with chilled, purified water. Stay hydrated throughout the day. A squeeze of lemon and a sprig of mint, or slice of cucumber can zazz things up a little if you’re getting tired of plain H2O. Whatever makes it easiest to get roughly 1.5 litres of it down your hatch every day – do it. You’re going to need to stay incredibly well-watered as you’ll be flushing out a f**kton of toxins as you cleanse, and you’ll need lubrication to wash them away with. *Slurp.*

Supplements.

Yep. This is really a consult-your-doctor one, but I would say that if your diet’s been a little hairy in the past and you’re struggling to add the fruit and vegetables back into it in the volumes required to pick your system up off the floor, a daily multivitamin (a good one, and vegan-friendly of course) for at least a month or two won’t hurt. Once your diet is richly packed with a wealth of seasonal, organic and raw fruits and vegetables however, you can probably rethink your need for this one.

It’s commonly recognised by most medical professionals that those eating a plant based diet are at a higher-than-normal risk of vitamin B-12 deficiency (it’s the only nutrient you can’t get from plants alone). Hell, I was put onto this stuff when I was still a flesh-muncher. You can get tested for deficiency (it’s not a bad idea all round), but it’s not one that I’d ignore at any rate. Ask your doctor or naturopath what the best route is for you.

Then there’s bacteria. The good type. The stuff that you commonly find in yoghurt. Well, the great news is that you can get non-animal-based capsules of good bacteria/flora to work wonders in your digestive system, and keep your gut-work happy.

In addition to these three reasonably essential puppies, for gut cleansing, it’s worth checking out psyllium husks and aloe vera juice to aid in the, er… release of solid toxins that have built up in your intestines. Yummy.

And finally, other supplements to consider are zinc (especially in cold and flu season), vitamin D, and magnesium. Spirulina (a superfood seaweed) also rocks my world. And as always, check it all out with your health care professional first – or at the very least, the qualified naturopath in the health food store. Seek out a good intergrative doctor, and you’re set for life.

Breath.

Yeah. You do it without thinking. It keeps you alive. But while you’re transitioning to a life of living clean, begin to give yourself the gift of big, deep, conscious breaths. Detoxing is about so much more than just dumping crap out of your body. It’s getting the toxic evil ju-ju karma out of our lives, too. The junk-food of the soul.

Breath helps to clear this. Take in big, deep, hedonistically gorgeous gulps of it. Close your eyes and drown in your stillness. In the midst of chaos, the horrors of peak hour, on the verge of a fight, when you’ve eaten something you wished you hadn’t, on a day you just haven’t had a break and it’s breaking you, stop. Close your eyes and breathe. In, two, three, four, five. Pause. Out, two, three, four, five. Pause. Repeat.

___________

Okay, so we’re really on our way here.

On Monday: a treat! That’s all I’m saying! Except that it will be a whole cocktail of fun… I’m saying that, too.

And then next Friday, we’re going to batten down our Living Clean hatches and set some grand and juicy goals.

Until then, mes chéris, Santé!

Ming-Zhu. xx

Jan 11

So, while everyone’s busily setting new year’s resolutions, intentions, goals and words of the year, I’m trying a different approach in 2012: immediate action.

I know that in order to make the change I want to enact last long-term, I’ve gotta stop planning on doing, and to just do.

The awesome thing about this method is that stuff actually gets done – even if it’s only little – and the stuff that’s done creates the momentum and inspiration for further change, more action, etc, etc – until what you have is one giant snowball-effect of great, thrilling newness, rather than a list of things you’d half forgotten you were going to try and do, but that you’d rather sit on the couch eating biscuits from the packet than think about again.

As I say – the changes you make – the things that you do – they don’t have to be big to make a difference.

So here is a easy-peasy list of 5 things that you can do at the counter to change the world – right now:

1. Count the ingredients – if you’re buying stuff to put on, in or around your body the rule of thumb is the fewer ingredients the better. And I’m talking ingredients whose names you can pronounce. If it sounds like it was made in a lab, it probably was. I’m not suggesting you avoid these all together (difficult, and probably unwise in this day and age), but becoming more conscious of purer options is never a bad idea.

2. Pay attention to GM & Organics – organic is good. Certified organic is even better. Biodynamic is great. GM free is also an advantage. If you’re unclear on the distinctions between these and you give a damn, it’s worth doing a Wiki-round and schooling up on their finer points and how they influence our domestic buying decisions. Bon chance – we’re with you all the way on this – because once you make the choice to start to consume more organics, your life really will change.

3. Go vegan-friendly. Even if you’re not vegan or vego, you will start to notice a difference (for the better) in your buying habits when you become conscious about what animals have gone into a product to bring it to your dining or dressing table. And not just by-products of sacrificed animals, either – but living ones, too – they all make a significant impact on the environmental state of the planet, and aside from it being an act of compassion, cutting back on your animal-product purchases is the one big change you can make in your lifetime to your carbon footprint.

4. Ask where it’s made. This is a no-brainer, really. Just beyond the elementary step of becoming more aware of how the products you consume and use every day are made, is asking the question (not just of people, but of packaging, marketing and presentation) where the product and its ingredients come from. It’s a manifold process of course – where the ingredients are grown or manufactured, where the product is put together, and where it’s packaged. Bonus points if it’s made by a business which is locally owned.

5. Pay a little bit more. Come on, you know it’s worth it. 2012 is the year of no compromise. And you know what? You’ll start to find that if you invest a little bit more seriously in the buying choices you make, that you will start to be remunerated through a strengthened local economy, and more (and therefore cheaper) local, ethical options. It’s all part of the great cycle of sustainable economics, and you’re a key cog in the wheel, baby.

Of course you’re not going to be able to do all of these things all of the time (I certainly don’t, and I don’t pretend to), but making an effort to go that little bit further when you do have choices at the checkout will end up making a real difference – especially if you get a bunch of like-minded friends and family on board with you.

And if you act on only a couple of these 5 things each time you go shopping, you’ll have made a great, super-ethical kick-start to the new year!

- Ming-Zhu. xx

Organic veggie gardening: it’s seedling time!

Nov 10

Oh yes, it’s getting hot, and that’s a great thing for sprouting! I’ve missed the whole seedling thing of late.

Having only just finished moving house, one of the things I’m most excited about is that I now have the excellent combination of outdoor exposure to sunlight AND sufficient space (not that we need much, really) for gardening. So never mind unpacking boxes, I want a veggie patch, stat!

Earlier this week I paid a visit to Plump Organic Grocery in Yarraville to grab some cleaning supplies, but who cares what I went there for – I left with their home-grown organic seedlings, including some blue lake climber beans, Genovese basil and an heirloom tomato – the Rouge de Marmande. Once I get those in the ground, I’ll be back for more. Their punnets are 3 for $10. So long, Mr. Yates.

Chilli seeds by Sow 'n Sow

It’ll be a few weeks before I get an actual raised garden bed, but I cannot wait. Or perhaps when Dad comes to visit soon, I’ll supervise him making one for me. Something along the lines of the phenomenal urban-backyard-friendly veggie beds that The Little Vegie Patch Co. specialise in. Actually, I will possibly make a trek over to the Bayside when I have a spare half-day, just to snatch up some seedlings from their new summer range and inhale some general in-store inspiration. What a great lil biz they’ve got growing.

There’s a real diversity of organic and heirloom seedling companies springing up in these parts, and this summer I’m embracing it. I haven’t completely sussed the CBD yet, but your local organic grocers in the inner ‘burbs are sure to stock your baby veggies-in-waiting. I’m also in love with the Sow ‘n Sow organic seed label, founded by young Melbourne designer Michelle Brady, with the help of her lil’ sis. Check their site for stockists or order online.

One other great, newish enterprise worth a mention is Living Fundraisers’, with their organic veggie and herb growing kits. This is the new lamington drive, folks. These handy little kits are also great for passing on to kids, being all chemical free and good dirty fun. They pass on 5% of all their veggie product sales to the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Foundation (make that 10% when schools do the fundraising). I’m sure you’ve already heard all about that one – a great cause.

Organic seedlings tend to be more genetically diverse, and thus overall, display more resilience. They’re far more likely to thrive and succeed without without needing chemical interference, and you get to avoid all those Fertiliser and Pesticide Dependency Issues; the blight of modern garden and farming practices.

Ah, you get my driftwood…

Happy planting, whether you’re in the city or the bush – it’s easy to get your hipster green on!

Cassie.

Oct 31

Bassike Organic Grey Marle Singlet

I’m going to begin this article that focuses on the very important issue of fashion, by talking briefly about another very important issue: chocolate.

My absolute favourite chocolate in the world (yes, folks – in the world) is Conscious Chocolate. It’s raw, certified organic and handmade very, very locally. It’s vegan, gluten free and only uses the absolute highest quality organic ingredients. It’s rich, creamy, indulgent and wildly moreish. It’s also $6.65 for a 45g block. It’s owned by the dude who makes it, in Port Melbourne.

“45 grams!?” I hear you say, “How the bloody hell ~~much~~ little is that!?”

Well, your standard Green & Black’s block of chocolate is 100 grams, and you can buy that from Coles for $4.27. It’s fair trade, bears the UK’s Organic Soil certification, and is owned by Cadbury Schweppes who is owned by Kraft (correction: not the other way around). If you want to just get the good ol’ budget Cadbury Old Gold dark chocolate, Coles has that going for $5.87 for a 350g block. Their website has conveniently done the maths for me and tells me that this price equates to the chocolate costing $1.68 p/100 grams. For the same amount of choccie that’s in a block of Conscious Chocolate, Old Gold (and please don’t read the ingredients unless you actually want to give yourself a coronary) costs $0.75.

Conscious Chocolate is 9 times the cost of the Cadbury. Nine times.

Is it worth it? Hell yes to the are-you-shitting-me it is. Now that I have the information about:

What’s in it
Where it’s made
At what cost (humanitarian and planetary)
Its carbon miles, and
Who owns it

there is absolutely no question whatsoever that I will forever more continue to pay up to nine times more for my chocolate than I would if I were succumbing to the standard fare available on supermarket shelves. When I can’t afford it, I simply won’t buy chocolate (or alternatively, I’ll make my own – recipe to come…). Not only is it better for the world (on pretty much every level that chocolate can be), but it’s far, far, far more beneficial for my body. And it’s certainly the kind of food that I would be more than happy to offer my loved ones for both pleasure and nourishment.

But what the flaming heck has any of this got to do with fashion? Well, in the local broadsheet (The Age) this weekend was published an article on the subject of local green – or ethical – fashion. Written by Janice Breen Burns, Style and Sustainability is a timely, solid and gripping piece that explores the “challenges” that the conscious consumer faces when it comes to choosing ethical fashion (namely, the price), as they relate to the many and often heartbreaking challenges that designers and producers face in trying to get ethical fashion both on the rack and out the door.

It’s a disposable market modeled on free trade and all of free trade’s hidden implications. We’re a Target, K-mart, Zara culture that is dangerously in love with unconscious spending, bargains and “the latest thing”. This behaviour is so stitched in (pun intended) to the fabric of our society that we often look at the status quo, and the alternative, and feel that we have no choice but to continue on perpetuating the violence upon the earth and product manufacturers that is blind bargain hunting.

Bento - Wool Louis V Black - local, ethical fashion exquisite.

But the thing is, we do. You and I have a choice. An excellent one. We can choose to spend the extra, buying fewer pieces that yield not only garments of a higher quality (and therefore maximum longevity), but ones that don’t weigh either heavy on our conscience, or the future of our planet and humanity. This is so much more important than we often give pause to consider.

As Janice Breen Burns writes in her article, on a “cost-per-wear” basis, the more ethical and sustainable choices end up making more financial sense than our fast-fash disposable options. We simply have to begin to think about our sartorial investments differently.

From Wednesday, Superéthique is going to begin featuring locally manufactured fashion labels who spin ethical and sustainable garments from the yarn of their business. We’re not going to harp on any further about the benefits and costs (I’ve done more than enough of that here!) – we’re just going to show you how goshdarned sexy, and timelessly classy truly good fashion can be.

- Ming-Zhu. xx

Oct 07

Apparently when I was two years old, I used to toddle alongside my mother on the street and pick up random pieces of rubbish – as much as my two, tiny fists could hold. I’d then bring them home and dump them on the bookshelf that sat just inside our front door.

My mother jokes that this was the first sign that I was going to grow up a big, screaming greenie.

I’ve not always kicked-butt as a day-to-day eco-warrior, though. Few of us have. I drove a car for years without carbon offsetting my petrol. I forget to take appliances off standby when I leave the house all the freakin’ time. Sometimes, if I’m chucking a jar out of something on the turn, I won’t rinse it out and recycle it. It’ll just go straight in the bin. Oh, no. I’m no angel, not by a million miles.

But I’m getting better. I’ve now set myself informal ethical-benchmarks. I’ve drawn the line in the sand for myself, so to speak.

I think, if we’re going to embrace a lifestyle of more conscious living, we each need to do this for ourselves. Even if that line does happen to shift around a little bit.

Shoe shopping, for example, has become increasingly difficult since I went vegan. I’ve got very particular taste aesthetically, difficult feet to fit, and a comfort imperative. My values dictate not wearing animal product. But sometimes if I’m in a tight spot and genuinely can’t find anything that will enable me to walk for more than five steps unless it’s leather, then I will offer deep condolence and thanks to the cow/s who have contributed to my footwear, and concede. But you can be damned sure I’ll wear those shoes to bloody death (pun so not intended).

It’s easy to be good. It really is. But sometimes it can feel a little less easy than at others. And that’s okay. So long as we are deeply conscious – actively mindful about the choices that we make when going about our lives – so long as we are clear on our values and draw that line in the sand for ourselves with love, then we’re living well.

- Ming-Zhu.