Samira Parker BHSc

Intuitive cooking.

Cooking and eating, like other healing modalities, are beautiful combinations of science and art.

Once we understand the basic chemistry, we can get creative with it, continuing to learn through experimentation and exploration. Less reliance upon recipes and lists and plans means more fun in the kitchen.

Psychology of eating.

What we think and feel while we prepare and eat food is as important as what ingredients we use. Our thoughts and emotions affect our biochemistry, and vice versa. The way we choose food, the way we digest and assimilate nutrients, our general physical functionality, are all influenced by both our physical and mental states. Cooking to your favourite music and plating up and garnishing your food creatively are two easy ways to turn a chore into a luxurious and fun self-care activity.

Low carb and ketogenic eating.

I discovered ketogenic eating when my first husband was diagnosed with cancer, and I was researching everything that would or could help him. He outlived his 18-month prognosis by 6 years, and I believe our healthy food change is a big part of the reason. Aside to that, I personally felt so healthy and vital when in ketosis, both physically and mentally, that I maintained my way of eating and continued to educate myself on nutrition and cooking, eventually studying the finer details at university. I’ve now been learning about low carb and ketogenic eating for more than 10 years and I’ve helped many others along the way.

Sustainability.

Sustainability for the planet, but also for the human.

For the planet, we need to keep our food sources as local and resource light as we can, so that life can continue for a long time to come.

For the human, we need to keep our diet as easy, flexible and enjoyable as we can, so that it can become our normal way of life rather than a restriction to be adhered to.

I have always intuitively preferred natural healing methods. Over the course of my life, and particularly through raising three children and caring for a husband with cancer, I developed a deeper interest in the most natural medicine of all, food, as well as a passion and skills for growing, cooking and eating. My curiosity eventually led me to university to study the science and in 2022 I graduated from UTAS with a Bachelor of Health Science. Now I combine my scientific knowledge of nutrition, biochemistry, psychology, and so much more, with my natural inclination to feed, nurture, heal, and entertain!

When I’m not cooking or eating, or feeding family and friends, I spend my time growing food, caretaking my forest property, parenting my young adult children, helping to build my local community as Secretary of the Lilydale District Progress Association, foraging or fishing for my dinner at my local beach or forest. Oh, and learning. Always learning something new.

My approach to nutrition education.

Eat real food.

This is by far the most important piece of advice I give. Industrialisation of food production has gone hand in hand with declining population health. The big grocery stores are full of manipulation and misinformation aimed at making money rather than nurturing humans. With the rise in popularity of low carb and keto eating, the aisles have been filling with highly processed food products labelled “low carb” or “keto”, but while these foods might be low in carbohydrates, they are often even lower in nutritional value. Cooking from scratch using fresh ingredients doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Learning to navigate the grocery stores is as important as learning how to cook, and eating real food is more important than eating low carb. You don’t have to eat a low carb diet to be healthy, but you do have to eat real food.