Pittwater Life June 2022 Issue

Health & Wellbeing
with Matilda Brown
Health & Wellbeing
6 daily health reminders for
surviving the modern world
Up until the age of 13 I
was a bean pole – not
an ounce of fat on me.
When puberty hit, I developed
boobs and hips and was
suddenly labelled “fuller
figured”. Luckily for girls now,
a fuller figure is celebrated,
and fat shaming is a thing of
the past. Phew.
But not when I was a teen.
Chubby little 13-year-old-me
quickly learnt to hate herself
and for the next five years
explored fad diet after fad
diet, each time getting further
Here’s a go-to, quick-and-easy recipe to warm
the bones and nourish the soul:
Bangers, Mash &
Onion Gravy
(Serves 4)
8-12 sausages (gf)
3 tbs olive oil
2 large brown onions
75ml balsamic vinegar
500ml beef broth
250ml red wine
1 tsp dijon mustard
3 sprig thyme
1 sprig rosemary
2 tbs besan flour (optional)
pinch salt
1 large sweet potato – chopped
4 white potatoes – chopped
4 tbs butter
splash of milk (optional)
Method
1. Remove sausages from the fridge 30 minutes
before cooking.
2. Add sliced onions to a saucepan with 2 tbs
olive oil. Sauté for 5-6 minutes on medium,
add balsamic vinegar and continue to cook
for 3-4 mins. Reduce heat to low and place
the lid on for 20 minutes. Then cook for
further 10 mins.
3. Meanwhile bring the broth to a boil and
continue to cook until it reduces by 50%; add
wine, mustard and herbs and continue to
reduce. Add the besan flour to thicken the
gravy; gently whisk. Allow to simmer on low
while sausages cook.
away from that “ideal” body.
Consequently, I had eating
disorders well into my mid-
20s, body dysmorphia and a
plethora of different versions
on what I should and should
not be putting into my body.
Add to that the pressures
of being an actress, and you
can imagine that being inside
my head was at times a little
unpleasant.
I know many can relate
to this story. We live in
a superficial world with
information being thrown
at us from all directions.
Enter Instagram, Influences,
filters and fillers and the
standard seems even more
impossible to reach, the
plight of obtaining self-love,
exhausting.
As luck would have it, I met
and married the one person
who would both feed me
delicious food and teach me
about nutrition – my husband
Scott. Relearning has been a
gradual process, but I now see
my body and health through a
much more philosophical lens,
A little something to nourish the soul
4. In a saucepan, add the chopped potatoes to
some salted water and bring to the boil; cook
on a rapid simmer until cooked through.
5. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large frypan and add
the sausages on med-high heat. Turn often
to ensure until cooked through. Set aside.
6. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove from
heat, drain and add butter (and milk if you
like). Mash with fork or masher. Season.
7. Add the onions to the gravy and stir.
8. Serve the sausages with the mash and onion
gravy.
guided primarily by my six
daily health reminders:
My body isn’t someone
1. else’s to comment on nor
is it a commodity for society
to make money off.
My body is my home
2. and it houses my past,
present and future. It’s the
only home that I’ll never move
out of, which means I need
to take really good care of
it – not just physically, but
mentally and spiritually.
Decide what to put into
3. your body based on
nutritional, energetic, and
spiritual value. When your
thoughts and beliefs get old,
or no longer serve you, just
like furniture or clothes – give
them a good scrub or put
them on the curb for council
clean-up.
Try not to punish
4. yourself. “Punishment”
creates perpetual negative
self-talk loop and a toxic
relationship with food.
Instead, treat yourself with
high-quality, nutrient-dense
cooking and create a positive
relationship with food.
Don’t subscribe to diets
5. that promise to achieve
your target in two weeks. See
health as a life-time goal, not
a short-term goal. It takes
time for the body to break
old habits and find its new
rhythm.
Know where your food
6. comes from and eat
unprocessed as much as
possible.
Matilda Brown is
an actress, writer and
business owner. Her
husband Scott Gooding
is a holistic performance
& nutrition coach, sports
nutritionist and chef.
Together they founded and
run The Good Farm Shop.
www.thegoodfarm.shop
Health & Wellbeing
54 JUNE 2022
The Local Voice Since 1991
The Local Voice Since 1991
JUNE 2022 55