Blooming Vital Naturopathy

20/03/2026

Quick Easy Fruit and Nut Stuffed Baked Pears
2 ripe pears, halved
¼ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans (or a combo of both)
3 tablespoons of raisins or dried cranberries (or a combo of both)
½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, more for garnish
3 tablespoons of agave or maple syrup (or a combo of both), more for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and line a baking sheet.
In a bowl, mix together the nuts, dried fruit, pumpkin pie spice, and agave or maple syrup until well-combined.
Using a melon baller or spoon, scoop out the seeds of the pears. Add a generous scoop to each innard of the pears.
If you’d like to drizzle on a little more sweetener or powder or a bit more pumpkin pie spice, feel free. (Can use nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon in place of spice)

Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
://plantbasedonabudget.com/

22/02/2026

Roasted Beetroot Sweet Potato/Kumara Salad
This roasted beetroot kumara salad with maple balsamic dressing is loaded with colour, flavour, and texture.

2 medium kumara cubed
2 large beets peeled and cubed
4 tablespoons of olive oil divided
1 teaspoon of salt divided
1 teaspoon of black pepper divided
½ cup of red onion very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of agave or maple syrup
⅓ cup of pecans or walnuts
1 cup of rocket or mesculin leaves
½ cup of vegan feta cheese

1. In a large bowl, toss the cubed sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Spread them on one half of the baking sheet.
2. In the same bowl, toss the cubed beets with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Spread them on the other half of the baking sheet.
3. Roast for about 30 minutes or until the beets are tender. Check the sweet potatoes at the 20–25 minute mark and remove them early if they begin to burn, as they cook faster than beets.
4. Meanwhile, place the thinly sliced red onions in a large salad bowl. Add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and mix well. Set aside to marinate while the vegetables roast.
5. Once the beets and sweet potatoes are done, remove from the oven and allow them to cool slightly on a wire rack.
6. To the bowl with the marinated onions, add the balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, agave or maple syrup, and a pinch of black pepper. Slowly whisk in the dressing and set aside.
7. Add the rocket to the bowl and toss well to coat with the dressing. Add the roasted vegetables and pecans, then toss again gently to combine.
8. Top with vegan feta and serve immediately.com

21/02/2026

Wonderful information about herb Mullein - excellent for ear infections.

21/02/2026

Support for pain and inflammation with the golden spice, turmeric.

Of all the anti-inflammatory agents, curcumin, found in the bright yellow pigment in turmeric, has the most positive evidence. It has been known about and used medicinally for thousands of years.

What has really brought curcumin-rich supplements into the spotlight is the discovery of ways to enhance its absorption into the bloodstream.

Typically, when ground turmeric is eaten there is very little increase in available curcumin in the bloodstream. However a new generation of supplements has increased absorption at least a hundred fold.

Plenty of studies show it works as well as anti-inflammatory drugs, but without the side effects. Like NSAIDs, it blocks the formation of the pro-inflammatory prostaglandins (PGE2), as well as leukotrienes. In fact, it turns out to be what everyone hoped drugs like Vioxx would be (a mild 5-Lox and Cox-2 inhibitor that not does not affect Cox-1).

There is no evidence of any downsides, even in high doses of 8g a day. It also mops up nitric oxide (another inflammatory mediator) and is a powerful anti-oxidant. In addition, it has been shown to promote detoxification. A review of Turmeric in the Journal of Clinical Immunology states that curcumin at low doses can also enhance antibody responses.

This suggests that curcumin’s reported beneficial effects in arthritis, allergies, asthma, atherosclerosis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer, might be due in part to its ability to modulate the immune system and dampen down inflammation.

Read more - https://bit.ly/4aKkjeq

04/02/2026

The Oral Microbiome
Gut bacteria, known as the gut microbiome, is a colony of
microorganisms which is involved in digestion, immunity and
general wellbeing. We now know that there are also other colonies
of microbiomes in different parts of the body, including the mouth.

The oral microbiome is the bacterial colony of the mouth. It helps to maintain oral and
overall health. Did you know that specific probiotic strains can promote remineralisation of teeth and reduce inflammation in the mouth?

04/02/2026

The sun is ripening the passionfruit in Auckland right about now....

Passionfruit Bliss Balls

Sweet and fudgy, these healthy passionfruit bliss balls are perfect with a cup of herbal tea for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon pick me up.

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup strained passionfruit pulp - approximately 6 fresh passionfruit
½ cup dessicated coconut
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup + 2 tablespoon ground almonds (almond meal)
4 medjool dates
1 tablespoon coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS
Start by straining your passionfruit. Spoon the pulp into a fine sieve, then use the back of a spoon to scrape the seeds and pulp around and extract as much pulp/juice as possible. You'll be left with a mess of seeds. As far as I know they're not good for anything, so dispose of them.
Put coconut, oats and ground almonds into a food processor and pulse until you have a fine textured dry mixture. The odd chunky bit here and there is fine, but it's the fine texture of these ingredients that adds to the fudgy texture of the finished bliss balls.
Add dates, coconut oil and passionfruit pulp to the food processor and whizz to combine. The mixture will come together into a ball.
Roll teaspoonfuls into balls then refrigerate to firm up. Store in the fridge or freezer.
Makes 20.
://quitegoodfood.co.nz/

30/12/2025

Sparkling Blueberry Ginger Mocktail
Vibrant, bubbly blueberry mocktail with ginger, lemon, and rosemary. A celebratory, sparkling, non-alcoholic drink for everything from parties to poolsides. Naturally sweetened and just 6 ingredients required!

Ingredients
BLUEBERRY SYRUP
2 cups water
3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh rosemary, woody stems removed
3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup lemon juice

SPARKLING MOCKTAIL
Ice cubes
1/4 cup blueberry syrup (plus more to taste)
1/2 cup sparkling water
Few dashes of orange bitters (optional // elevates and rounds the flavors!)

BLUEBERRY SYRUP: In a small saucepan, combine the water, blueberries, rosemary, and ginger. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the blueberries have lost most of their color and the mixture is dark and fragrant.
Strain the blueberry mixture into a measuring cup or jar and add the maple syrup and lemon juice. Stir to combine and set aside to cool slightly.
SPARKLING MOCKTAIL: When you’re ready to serve, add ice to your drinking glasses and top with 1/4 cup blueberry syrup. Top each with ~1/2 cup sparkling water, plus more blueberry syrup for sweetness or sparkling water to taste. A few optional dashes of orange bitters really elevate and round out the flavors. Stir to combine, and enjoy!
://minimalistbaker.com/

28/11/2025

My daughter bought a Pomegranate last night in the grocery shopping, and I am looking forward to putting the delicious sweet and slightly tart seeds into some salads this weekend.

Pomegranates are low in calories and fat but high in fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Benefits include antioxidants, heart health, urinary health, exercise endurance, and more.

Pomegranates support a healthy gut microbiome, by promoting beneficial gut bacteria (e.g. Lactobacillus spp., Bifidobacterium spp.) while reducing the growth of harmful bacteria (e.g. Bacteroides fragilis group, Clostridia). The nutrients in pomegranate also support internally with strengthening the intestinal barrier and reducing inflammatory processes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37335106/

10/11/2025

Support for autism

08/11/2025

What happens in a Naturopathic Consultation?
1. Connect - Relax in a welcoming clinic space
2. Be heard - Time is taken to listen to your health history and the issues you wish to work on.
3. Focus - A plan is developed that is just for you, working to YOUR goals, achievable and attainable.
4. Solutions - Are prescribed that are tailored to you, to suit your needs
4. Plan- Understand how long it will take to get to where you want to be with your health.

06/11/2025

Just taking one small step towards health can lead to positive change. Eg Just include a salad each day.
The smallest step is the most achievable goal.
https://bloomingvitalnaturopathy.com/

28/10/2025

May your dreams be sweet, your worries be few, and your sleep peaceful 💤