Blog
Hail the Kale…
Kale has it origins in ancient Greece and Rome. Kale is the ancient member of the cabbage family. Kale was widely consumed in ancient Greece and was and still is used for medicinal purposes. To the Greeks kale has always been considered a super food and it grows wild...
Cooking & Eating Wisdom for Better Health
The ideas behind “Cooking & Eating Wisdom for Better Health” and what I would like people to takeaway after reading the book. Cooking & Eating Wisdom for Better Health teaches people how to cook intuitively using healing ingredients that harmonize your body...
My background and how it helped…
My background and how it helped in the writing of "Cooking & Eating Wisdom for Better Health"... I started my working life as an accountant and concentrated in taxation law. Completing my two degrees; Bachelor of Business (Accounting) and a Masters of Taxation Law...
My motivation & inspiration for writing “Cooking and Eating Wisdom for Better Health”…
It is through the ritual of cooking & eating that I have always connected and shared my love with other people, myself and nature. We live in a world where we are experiencing a continual increase in health related issues that doctors are unable to cure or...
What you eat is a reflection of how you feel – what story are your food cravings revealing about you?
The ancient Greeks were firm believers that your emotions determined your state of health and what foods your body craved. The ancient Greeks adopted a “wisdom eating” philosophy to restore health, harmonize the body and to spiritually connect with themselves and...
10 ways to help your body detoxify and cleanse
As Hippocrates (the Father of Medicine) rightly shared, “Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease”. Our bodies have the ability to detoxify themselves however the body can become overwhelmed due to the volume of toxins exposed in its environment by way...
10 things we could all do now to change our food system & better our health
1. Eat at home instead of eating out Most eating establishments unfortunately do not use healthy ingredients to prepare the food that they sell to the consumer. Many use genetically modified ingredients, ingredients with pesticides and chemicals, “bad oils” etc For...
Your illness could be linked to your body’s pH balance. How to maintain a healthy pH balance for good health!
Did you know that the pain you feel may be directly related what you eat and whether your body is acidic or alkaline (Acidic or alakaline describes the acidity or pH a certain food leaves in the body once assimilated). As the saying goes we are what we eat. What we...
The healing properties of Water
Water is one of the sources of energy that our bodies cannot live without. Most of our body is made up of water and therefore it requires the energy of water to be added to replenish and repair it. Water is one of the four elements which forms earths and our...
Say NO to GMO! Say no to been used in scientific food experiments!
A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose DNA has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Essentially GMO tampers with nature and forces it to do something (such as to produce poisons to kill off pests) which is against its nature and the...
The Fruitful & Healing Olive Tree – The quintessentially Greek Olive oil!
Did you know that the oldest Olive Tree is in Greece? It is in Ano Vouves, Chania, Crete. Olives and olive oil are extremely important in Greek culture and cuisine. To the Greeks, the olive tree is a symbol of knowledge, wisdom, abundance, peace, strength, beauty and...
Awakening to our life’s purpose & My Fanouropita
“I was given a choice: to remain in the Light and not return into the body - or to come back; to come back and become a Guide, to restore for people the knowledge which I perceived in the Purity of the Great Origin of Everything. I chose the second, because this...
Remembering Mrs. Michaelides “The Vine Leaf Lady”
Giasas. Today I am sharing Mrs. Michaelides recipe of “endratha” and her personal story from my book “My #Greek Family Table”. She recently passed away. This dish is also called Fricasse”(Braised lamb with a delicious egg lemon sauce). She provided me and my family...
What the world needs right now is Love and not another diet?
Did you know that the word diet derives from the Greek “diaita”? Meaning way of life. Dietetics has existed since the days of Hippocrates. It was a form of preventative method which helped the ill obtain good health in life. In Ancient Greece a diet was about good...
Could the ingredients you are cooking with be making you unwell?
“When buying your ingredients choose with mindfulness and heartfulness”. Maria Benardis “When you respect yourself and nature you eat respectful foods from respectful sources”. Maria Benardis The father of medicine, Hippocrates once shared the wise words – “Let...
What energy are you bringing into your cooking? (Cooking your way to good health)
“Only food cooked with good energy and love can truly nourish and heal our bodies and souls.” – Maria Benardis “If you put love in your cooking you will give love to yourselves and others”- Maria Benardis When cooking it is important to be mindful and consciously...
Are you a cook or a chef and does it really matter?
I was recently reading this article in Foodservice Rep, titled “Black Hat”. Chef George was commenting on the titles of chef and cooks and the issues that this appears to be creating for food professionals. Comments made were: - “the need to stop the exploitation of...
Terra Madre Day – 10 December 2010 – Let’s celebrate together!!
Friday 10th December 2011 is Terra Madre day. Terra Madre day is the day we celebrate the the divers food traditions, cultures and quality food grown using responsible and sustainable ways. It is about food grown in ways that respects the environment and people. This...
Travels to Greece
On the way to Terra Madre 2010 I stopped over in Jordan in the middle east. I was overjoyed to see so may religions living in one country in harmony and with the greatest respect for each other. The food was amazing and I was thrilled to see many Greek archeological...
Terra Madre 2010 and my inspiring encounter
Whilst in Terra Madre I met a remarkable woman from India , Kudarti Mitra Pravasan Kendra. I attended the Indian regional meeting and she gave a presentation on the organisation she works with called SEWA. The organisation is a network that assists women to find...
Terra Madre 2010 – Gathering in Torino Italy of Slow Food members
I was privileged to be invited to attend Terra Madre 2010 (www.terramadre.org) . The event was held October 21-25, 2010. More than 5,000 people attended from countries covering the world. The gathering brought together food communities, cooks, academics, youths,...
Honest & Ethical Labeling urgently needed – show that you care about what you eat.
"Food for Thought – it starts with the Ingredients, Honesty, Ethics and Global Respect.”Maria Benardis I recently wrote to Senator Nick Xenephon about the misleading and deceptive labeling that we have here in Australia. It becomes a serious health issue in some cases...
Bake a Fanouropita and make your wish come true
In the Greek Orthodox faith we have a Saint called Saint Fanourios. There is a traditional cake/pie that is dedicated to him. This sweet cake is usually made once a year, on the eve of Saint Fanourios’ name day, every 27 August. It is brought to the church of Saint...
Thank you for your kind words and stay positive
I wanted to thank everyone who sent me emails and letters to share with me their hear felt gratitude for my book “My Greek Family Table”. I feel touched that I have inspired so many of you to follow your dream and to get back into the kitchen and cook. Taking the big...