There Isn’t Just One Way to Eat Well
One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is…
“Healthy eating takes too much time.”
I understand completely because I’m busy too.
This week I wandered through my local supermarket and health food store looking for ingredients for this recipe. Halfway through shopping I found myself thinking exactly what many of my clients tell me…
“I simply wouldn’t have time to prepare all of this every week.”
That’s when I realised something.
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be perfect.
It simply needs to happen consistently.
Buying organic pre-cooked quinoa, ready-prepared vegetables or a beautiful quality seed blend doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
In fact, I would much rather see someone eat 80% well every day than attempt perfection for one week before giving up altogether.
Food as Medicine should fit into your life—not become another source of stress.
So this week I’ve included two versions of my Morning Reset Jar.
One for life’s busy weeks.
One for those Sundays when you have a little more time to prepare ahead.
Both nourish your body.
Both support your health.
Both are wonderful choices.
OPTION ONE
The Busy Person’s Morning Reset Jar
Five minutes. One jar. Three nourishing breakfasts.
Sometimes the healthiest decision isn’t preparing everything from scratch.
Sometimes it’s simply choosing better convenience foods.
Shopping List
- Organic microwave quinoa or pre-cooked refrigerated quinoa
- Unsweetened coconut yoghurt with live cultures
- Charmaine’s Stewed Healing Apples
- Organic ready-prepared rainbow vegetable mix
- Ready-washed parsley or fresh herbs
- Organic seed and nut blend (unsalted where possible)
- Free-range eggs
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh lemon
- Fresh ginger
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground turmeric
Build Your Jar
Layer One
2 generous tablespoons of Charmaine’s Stewed Healing Apples
Layer Two
¾ cup coconut yoghurt
Layer Three
½ cup warmed quinoa
While still warm, gently stir through:
- A pinch of cinnamon
- A pinch of turmeric
- A little freshly grated ginger
These simple additions give the quinoa a beautiful warmth while contributing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant compounds.
Layer Four
A generous handful of ready-prepared rainbow vegetables.
Every Morning
✓ Drizzle over the fresh dressing.
✓ Add one chopped boiled egg if desired.
✓ Top with fresh grated pear, diced green apple, a handful of fresh blueberries or a sprinkle of pomegranate arils(choose one depending on the season and your individual tolerance).
✓ Finish with your favourite organic seed and nut blend.
Enjoy immediately.
Why I Love This Version
Because it’s realistic.
Your vegetables may already be chopped.
Your quinoa may already be cooked.
Your seed mix may already be blended.
And that’s perfectly okay.
A bag of fresh prepared vegetables is still vegetables.
Organic cooked quinoa is still quinoa.
A quality seed blend is still whole foods.
Convenience isn’t the enemy.
Ultra-processed food is.
Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is simply make healthy eating achievable.
Charmaine’s Stewed Healing Apples
One of my favourite foundations for gut health.
I often recommend enjoying two generous tablespoons every day. They can be added to your Morning Reset Jar, enjoyed on their own or served alongside natural yoghurt.
The gentle cooking process softens the apples, making them easier to digest, while providing soluble fibre that helps nourish your beneficial gut bacteria. Combined with cinnamon and raisins, they create a delicious, comforting base that beautifully complements a whole-food lifestyle.
Ingredients
- 6 cooking apples (or red apples), preferably organic
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup raisins or sultanas
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Method
Peel, core and chop the apples into small, even pieces.
Place all ingredients into a heavy-based saucepan with the lid on.
Cook gently for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the apples are soft and have broken down into a rustic consistency. The cinnamon will give the mixture a beautiful rich brown colour.
Allow to cool before storing in airtight glass jars in the refrigerator.
Enjoy warm or cold.
Why I Recommend Stewed Apples
Stewed apples provide soluble fibre, including pectin, which nourishes beneficial gut bacteria. A healthy gut microbiome supports the production of short-chain fatty acids that help maintain the integrity of the intestinal lining. Together with fermented foods that contain live cultures, this forms one of my favourite foundations for supporting digestive health.
If tolerated, adding foods such as coconut yoghurt, coconut kefir or naturally fermented vegetables can further contribute beneficial bacteria to the gut and complement an overall dietary pattern aimed at supporting a healthy gastrointestinal environment.
OPTION TWO
The Sunday Food Prep Morning Reset Jar
If you enjoy preparing food, spending just 30–40 minutes on Sunday afternoon can provide three beautiful breakfasts ready to enjoy on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Repeat the process on Wednesday afternoon and you’ll have nourishing breakfasts ready for the rest of the week.
Layer One
Unsweetened coconut yoghurt
Cooked quinoa
A sprinkle of cinnamon
Layer Two
Build your rainbow with:
- Baby bok choy
- Purple cabbage
- Grated carrot
- Cucumber
- Grated zucchini
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh mint
Every Morning
✓ Drizzle over Charmaine’s Fresh Morning Dressing
✓ Add one chopped boiled egg if desired.
✓ Top with fresh grated pear, diced green apple, fresh blueberries or pomegranate arils (choose one depending on the season and your individual tolerance).
✓ Finish with Charmaine’s Healing Crunch.
Enjoy immediately.
Charmaine’s Fresh Morning Dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon (omit if not well tolerated)
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- Pinch Celtic sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Shake well before serving.
Charmaine’s Healing Crunch
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Buckwheat groats
- Flaked almonds
- Sesame seeds
- Shredded coconut
- Turmeric
- Cinnamon
Lightly bake until golden and store in an airtight glass jar.
Busy Person Swaps
|
If You’re Short on Time |
If You Love Meal Prep |
|
Organic microwave quinoa |
Cook organic quinoa in bulk |
|
Ready-prepared rainbow vegetables |
Chop your own seasonal vegetables |
|
Organic seed and nut blend |
Make Charmaine’s Healing Crunch |
|
Ready-washed herbs |
Fresh herbs from the garden |
|
Batch-made Stewed Healing Apples |
Prepare a fresh batch on the weekend |
|
Simple olive oil and lemon dressing |
Fresh ginger and herb dressing |
What Every Ingredient Brings to Your Body
|
Ingredient |
How It Supports You |
|
Stewed apples |
Rich in pectin, a soluble fibre that nourishes beneficial gut bacteria and supports a healthy gut environment. |
|
Coconut yoghurt |
Provides a creamy base and, when it contains live cultures, contributes beneficial bacteria that support microbial diversity. |
|
Quinoa |
Complete plant protein providing all nine essential amino acids together with magnesium to support healthy cellular energy production. |
|
Baby bok choy |
Rich in vitamin C, folate, calcium and sulphur-containing plant compounds that complement normal liver function. |
|
Purple cabbage |
Provides anthocyanins, fibre and antioxidants that help protect cells from oxidative stress. |
|
Carrot |
Rich in beta-carotene to support healthy skin, immune function and epithelial repair. |
|
Cucumber |
Naturally hydrating and contributes silica to support connective tissue health. |
|
Zucchini |
Gentle fibre and hydration while keeping the meal light and easy to digest. |
|
Parsley |
Excellent source of vitamin C, chlorophyll and protective plant compounds that complement liver and lymphatic health. |
|
Fresh mint |
Traditionally used to support digestion while adding freshness and flavour. |
|
Extra virgin olive oil |
Rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidant polyphenols that support healthy cell membranes. |
|
Fresh ginger |
Traditionally used to support digestion and healthy circulation while contributing antioxidant compounds. |
|
Turmeric |
Provides curcuminoids, natural plant compounds recognised for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. |
|
Cinnamon |
Adds natural sweetness while contributing antioxidant polyphenols and warming flavour. |
|
Pumpkin and sunflower seeds |
Supply magnesium, zinc, selenium and vitamin E, nutrients involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions including mitochondrial energy production. |
|
Buckwheat groats |
Add satisfying crunch, fibre and plant antioxidants. |
|
Boiled egg (optional) |
Provides complete protein together with choline, selenium and B vitamins to support healthy liver function and cellular energy. |
|
Fresh pear, apple, blueberries or pomegranate |
Provide fibre, vitamin C and colourful phytonutrients that help protect cells from oxidative stress while adding freshness and natural sweetness to every jar. |
Charmaine’s Kitchen Wisdom
“Don’t let perfection become the reason you never begin. Whether you prepare every ingredient yourself or choose good-quality convenience foods, every colourful meal is another opportunity to nourish your gut, support your liver, encourage healthy lymphatic function and feed the mitochondria that power every cell in your body.”
Food as Medicine doesn’t have to be complicated. It simply has to become a habit.
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🌿 Book online: www.charmainednaturopath.com.au
Because healing rarely begins with chasing symptoms. It begins when we understand why your body has been whispering to you all along.