The Importance of B Vitamins

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Importance:  Plays a key role in the body's metabolic cycle for generating energy; aids in the digestion of carbohydrates; essential for the normal functioning of the nervous system, muscles & heart; stabilises the appetite; promotes growth & good muscle tone.

Deficiency Symptoms: May lead to mental depression & constipation; weakness & feeling tired; nervous irritability; insomnia; the loss of appetite; paralysis &  loss of weight; vague aches & pains; heart & gastrointestinal problems.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Importance:  Necessary for carbohydrate, fat & protein metabolism; aids in the formation of antibodies and red blood cells; maintains cell respiration; necessary for the maintenance of good vision, skin, nails & hair; alleviates eye fatigue; promotes general health.

Deficiency Symptoms: May result in sluggishness; itching and burning eyes; cracks and sores in the mouth & lips; bloodshot eyes; purplish tongue; dermatitis; retarded growth; digestive disturbances; trembling; oily skin. 

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)

Importance: Improves circulation and reduces the cholesterol level in the blood; maintains the nervous system; helps metabolize protein, sugar, & fat; reduces high blood pressure; increases energy through proper utilization of food; prevents pellagra; helps maintain a healthy skin, tongue & digestive system

Deficiency Symptoms: May result in mental depression, nervousness, irritability,  fatigue, insomnia, pellagra, gastrointestinal disturbance, headaches, vague aches & pains, loss of appetite, skin disorders, muscular weakness, indigestion, bad breath, canker sores

Pantothenic Acid  (Vitamin B5)

Importance: Participates in the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats & protein, aids in the utilization of vitamins; improves the body's resistance to stress; helps in cell building & the development of the central nervous system; helps the adrenal glands, fights infections by building antibodies

Deficiency Symptoms: May lead to restlessness, painful & burning feet, skin abnormalities, retarded growth, dizzy spells, digestive disturbances, vomiting, stomach stress, muscle cramps

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Importance:  Necessary for synthesis & breakdown of amino acids, the building blocks of protein; aids in fat and carbohydrate metabolism; aids in the formation of antibodies; maintains the central nervous system; aids in the removal of excess fluid of premenstrual women; promotes health skin; reduces muscle spasms, leg cramps, hand numbness, nausea & stiffness of hands; helps maintain a proper balance of sodium & phosphorous in the body. 

Deficiency Symptoms: May result in nervousness, insomnia, skin eruptions, loss of muscular control, anemia, mouth disorders, muscular weakness, dermatitis, arm & leg cramps, loss of hair, slow learning, and water retention.

Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)

Importance:  Necessary for DNA & RNA synthesis, which is essential for the growth and reproduction of all body cells; essential to the formation of red blood cells by its action on the bone marrow; aids in amino acid metabolism

Deficiency Symptoms: May result in gastrointestinal disorders, anemia, Vitamin B-12 deficiency, pre-mature gray hair.

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

Importance:  Helps in the formation & regeneration of red blood cells, thus helping prevent anemia; necessary for carbohydrate, fat & protein metabolism; maintains a healthy nervous system; promotes growth in children; increase energy; needed for Calcium absorption.

Deficiency Symptoms: May lead to depression, tiredness, nervousness, pernicious anemia, poor appetite, growth failure in children, brain damage, neuritis, degeneration of spinal cord,  lack of balance.

Biotin

Importance:  Aids in the utilization of protein, folic acid, Pantothenic acid, and Vitamin B-12, promotes healthy hair.

Deficiency Symptoms: May lead to depression, extreme exhaustion, drowsiness, loss of appetite, muscle pain,  grayish skin color.

PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid)

Importance: Aids healthy bacteria in producing folic acid; aids in the formation of red blood cells; contains sun screening properties; aids in the assimilation of Pantothenic acids; returns hair to its natural color.

Deficiency Symptoms: May cause depression, nervousness, extreme fatigue, irritability, eczema, constipation , headaches, digestive disorders, hair turning prematurely gray. 

Finding the Right B Complex

To get the most benefits from any of the B's, you need all of them, so start with a B-complex supplement that contains all 11. With the right B complex as a foundation, you can add larger amounts of individual B's depending on your health concerns.

The B's are best taken with food and early in the day, as they can cause nausea when taken on an empty stomach. (Vitamin B6 increases neurotransmitter activity; when taken late in the day, it can lead to increased dreaming, resulting in a restless night's sleep.)

There are striking differences in potencies among different brands of B-complex supplements. Labelling  methods vary, so read the fine print to know what you're getting. 

Good food sources include sunflower seeds and wheat germ (vitamin B6); fish and eggs (vitamin B6 and B12); cheese (B12); beans and walnuts (vitamin B6 and folate); leafy dark green vegetables; asparagus, almonds, and whole grains (folate); and liver (all three).

Spinach and Lentil Soup with Paleo Pumpkin Bread

This soup takes less than 1/2 an hour from start to finish, so is perfect for when you're running home late from work and in need of some comfort food. Lentils are rich in protein and fibre, so whether you choose to eat this soup on its own or with bread, you'll be feeling satisfied. If you include the pumpkin bread, which uses almond meal to replace the flour, you'll be adding even more protein, which lends to nourish and repair your body an immune system. The perfect rainy day meal!

1 onion, finely diced

2 cups dry red lentils

1/4 cup rice

3 litres vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 bunch spinach or silver beet

Lemon juice

Coconut oil (or butter for a richer soup)

Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Add the onions and stir until soft. Add the lentils and rice, coating them in the onions. Pour in the stock and allow soup to come to the boil. Turn down to a simmer, adding the spices, salt and pepper and the shredded spinach. Cook for another 15 minutes or until the lentils and rice have become a part of the broth. Don't be shy with the lemon, it really does make the soup so much tastier as well as assisting the body in absorbing the iron from the greens.

Serve with paleo pumpkin bread.

Paleo Pumpkin Bread

450 g grated raw pumpkin 

4 free range eggs

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

pinch nutmeg

1/4 cup olive or coconut oil

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 cups fine almond meal 

Pumpkin seeds to sprinkle on top 

Preheat your over to 180 degrees, a little less if you have fan forced. Combine the pumpkin, eggs, almond meal, baking powder, lemon juice, salt and nutmeg in a bowl and mix well. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and spoon in the mixture. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and bake for around 1 1/2 hours. Test at around 1 hour as timing may vary according to your oven. I like to un-paleo mine by adding crumbed goat's milk feta through the mix before baking...

Vegan San Choy Bau

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cm piece of ginger, grated

4 king oyster mushrooms, finely diced

15 fresh shitake mushrooms, finely diced

1 packet firm organic tofu, crumbled

3 spring onions, finely sliced

100g water chestnuts, finely diced

1 bunch coriander

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Juice of 1 lime

1 hot chilli

1/2 cup bean sprouts

1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Iceberg or butter lettuce leaves

Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a large pan or wok. Fry the garlic and ginger, then add in the crumbled tofu (I blitzed mine in the food processor for a second to create a kind if minced texture), mushrooms, and water chestnuts. Once this has colour slightly, add in the sauces, lime juice, chilli, sesame seeds, spring onion and half the coriander. Once cooked, separate into individual lettuce cups and top with bean sprouts, peanuts and the remaining coriander. 

Meat Free Week

Plants can only be as healthy as the soil, animals can only be as healthy as the plants and we can only be as healthy as the animals and plants that we eat.

Australian’s eat 111.5kg of meat per person every year. The world average is 41.9kg per person each year. We are the third biggest meat eaters in the world.

I am no longer a vegetarian, but I do think it is incredibly important for us to take responsibility for how much meat we do eat and where it comes from, to ensure the animal’s cycle of life is as healthy and humane as possible. A little awareness and a moment of thought into the dramatic reality of the meat industry’s morality may encourage an appreciation for our planet and the animals we share her with. When you wholly realise the extent of cruelty we as humans have allowed to fall upon another living being, it is impossible, from where I stand ethically anyway, to not want to assist in the progression of positive change.

The U.N. has identified the livestock industry as one of the most significant contributors to today’s serious environmental problems. Meat production takes a heavy toll on our natural resources. Did you know that the world’s major fishing areas have reached or exceeded their natural limits, yet one third of the world’s fish catch is fed directly to livestock? Growing the amount of grain needed to feed factory farmed animals has a weighty environmental impact as well, potentially putting the future of our global food sources in peril.

This disrespect for nature and disregard for our fellow conscious, living beings which we share the earth, all comes down to the control and commodifying of nature. It seems fairly far fetched to wish for a reversal of the tragic trend of factory farming and GMO crops, but an informed choice on what you choose to eat can be claimed. Recognising the profound ecological, physical and metaphysical connections between all life on this planet and honouring the unity and coexistence between all things are enough reason for me to speak out against this detrimental system and inspire a more ethical approach to health.  

Being only one week until Meat Free Week, a campaign encouraging us to think about how much meat we eat an the impact eating meat has on your health, the environment and the animals, I thought I’d share some of my favourite plant based meals to animate the energy within those of you enlivened to create a change.  

A common misconception amongst meat eaters is that a meal without meat will leave them feeling hungry and dissatisfied, this is almost certainly a limiting belief that blocks exploration into the diversity and creativity of plant based meals. Incorporating good quality proteins like nuts, beans, legumes, seeds, cheeses and yoghurt initiate satiety whilst adding dimensions that build on flavour and texture.

This Kale, Pear and Goji Detox Salad is packed full of wellness promoting ingredients, vibrancy of colour and flavour, and most importantly tastes amazing!

Any green leafy can help to increase alkalinity and detoxification in your body. They are also rich in vitamins A, C and K and folic acid, as well as calcium, potassium, copper and iron. These nutrients are necessary for healthy bones, skin and eyes. Garlic and turmeric help stimulate circulation, reduce inflammation, aid digestion, assist with elimination and boost the immune system. Goji berries are filled with powerful antioxidants, which protect our DNA from damage by free radicals. Chia seeds boast all 8 amino acids making it a complete protein, as well as omega 3, calcium, potassium, Vitamin C and Iron. 


250 g kale 

100g beetroot leaves or whatever greens you have in the fridge

2 pears, thinly sliced (I used a purple heritage variety, but any variety is fine)


2 spring onions, sliced

1 lemon, juice and zest


1 teaspoon ground black pepper


Pinch sea salt


1 hot chilli, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon ground or fresh turmeric


1 clove fresh chopped garlic


2 tablespoons goji berries

2 table spoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons olive oil


Wash and de-stem the kale. Shred the leaves and place into a large mixing bowl.
 Add a little salt, pepper and the juice of 1 lemon plus the olive oil, garlic, chilli and turmeric.
 Massage the aromatics into the leaves for 1 – 2 minutes or until the kale has slightly collapsed and softened.
 Add the beetroot leaves, pear, chia seeds and goji berries. 
Toss through gently until they are evenly distributed through the salad.
 Divide between serving bowls and enjoy.