Hi everyone, and welcome to this month's newsletter, we are delighted that you have signed up to receive our bi-monthly offerings.

May it remind you to find joy in the little things in life, and guide you to wholeness and heart-centred living. 

With Love & Blessings, 

Arzu xo

 Let's talk about Authenticity and why our opening tag line and quote is "Always Be Yourself". We want to encourage you to take notice of how it feels to ALWAYS be yourself.  Essentially what we are saying is that authenticity is a trait that is being lost these days where people and society are continually 'chasing' the dream of being something they are not. Let us explain.   Why is it that we want to continually follow what the norm or social media or celebs are doing and strive to be something we are not? Why are we not happy being ourselves. Here's why...

People are afraid to shine their own light for the fear of rejection, fear of disconnection, fear of isolation and fear of just whatever else they are afraid of. Being yourself, means to be, speak and breathe your-self in everything that you do, say, eat, wear or behave. It is really quite amazing when you pause and tune in to what it really means to be you. 

Authenticity, when practiced fully and wholeheartedly, can bring about more happiness and joy to your everyday. When you are comfortable with who you are, you don't have to be part of the external world that is pushing you away from authenticity. 

We understand that leaning into Authenticity is not always easy for some of us and so we've come up with these simple tips on how you may want to find your power and lean into your authentic self.

When you are feeling authentic and  centred, you are more aware of yourself and life.  We hope they help...

• Step 1 - Self-Love & Authenticity

To love yourself is to have great admiration and respect for yourself. When we practice self-love fully we are leaning into who we really are as we have an appreciation for our own well-being and happiness. Self-love is the magic potion that helps us stay grounded and connect with who we really are.  Self-love is the way we cultivate our authenticity.

• Step 2 - Self-acceptance & Authenticity 

Self-acceptance is also very important in helping us lean into our authentic self. Self-acceptance is when we are in a state of accepting and understanding all that we are, and all that we do. The important thing to note here, is to limit that little voice or ego in your head that tries to 'judge' you or make you something that you are not and move you away from being truly authentic. Remember to accept your decisions and be yourself fully to embrace your authenticity.

• Step 3 - Stop the Comparison and tune into your Authentic self

When we begin to compare ourselves with others, we stop being authentic. When we begin to judge ourselves and all that we do, thinking we are not good enough, or that others are better than us, we force life and push away our authenticity. We have all heard the saying that 'Comparison kills Joy', but we are here to remind you that comparison kills and destroys authenticity. Learn to activate your feelings of being 'good enough' and feeling 'worthy' so that you can be true to yourself and be authentic.

• Step 4 - Practice Daily Affirmations for your Authenticity

As always, you know we love our affirmations and mantras here at Vitalityandmore, and practicing them daily can enhance how you feel about yourself, manifest the life that you want and definitely, help you tune into your authenticity. Affirmations help remind us of who we are and how our authenticity is really about feeling happy through self appreciation and awareness of our divine existence.

• Step 5 - Tune into your Heart for Authenticity

So this is a big one, tune into your heart, your intuition and develop a sense of who you are. When we connect back to our heart centres, we feel more, we release the "need" to be more and we work on our internal guidance systems. Our heart is our compass for authenticity, all we have to do is learn to ask it for guidance, learn to lean in and trust it.

And before we head onto our recipe of the month...we have some exciting news to share! We have finally launched our new Podcast - "Conversations with Arzu": The Vitalityandmore Podcast. If you are keen to listen and or tune in, we would love to hear your feedback and share more conversations with you soon.  Check it out here:

https://music.amazon.com.au/podcasts/d034def2-35eb-4302-a021-4674c5fe528f/episodes/7e0ba77a-05cb-43d0-b435-a31dbb01e8e1/conversations-with-arzu---the-vitalityandmore-podcast-episode-2-what-it-means-to-follow-your-heart

Now to some FOOD & RECIPE sharing.

Our recipe of the month is a savoury dish and perfect to prepare when you have left over quinoa and an abundance of fresh herbs and make ahead for picnics, lunches and mid-week dinners or whenever you feel like enjoying them.

They are our Delicious Quinoa & Herb Falafel Patties, they are baked - not fried, 100% gluten free and made with 100% plant based goodness.

Quinoa & Herb Falafel Patties

The perfect accompaniment to your plant-based food menu...

Ingredients & Directions for the Falafel Patties :

Makes 16 Patties in total

(Best to keep refrigerated and then heat up when needed)

2 cups pre-cooked quinoa (cold)

1 cup pre-soaked and crushed chickpeas

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 1/2 cups freshly chopped herbs (we used flat leaf parsley, mint and coriander/cilantro)
1 large onion peeled & grated

Olive oil for drizzling and baking tray before baking in oven

Method: 

Simply blitz chickpeas separately and then add quinoa, grated onion, herbs, seasoning, flaxseed meal and mix all items together. Should be a little sticky - make patties into desired size and place them on lined baking tray (pre-heat oven to 220-240 degrees - needs to be really hot) drizzle olive oil and place in oven to bake, turning over half way and drizzle again so the other side also bakes evenly. Keep turning over as they are cooking to get an even and crispy shell. Only need 20 min approximately to bake in oven. 

Remove from oven and enjoy! Bon A Petite...

Please save this recipe and do tag us if you try it on our social media pages, perfect staple addition for your Spring, Summer or Fall dishes.

#vitalityandmorerecipes #patties #falafel #plantbased

Mantra of the MONTH

If you haven't read my book yet, then here's a link for you to get a copy and if you have read it then please drop us a review, we would love to hear your thoughts and how it has helped you...

https://www.amazon.com.au/Follow-Your-Heart-Live-Eat/dp/1982292164