5 Guilt-Free Treats

Guest Post by Cassie Mendoza-Jones – naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist. Treats don’t have to be naughty to be nice. They don’t have to involve chocolate (but sometimes they do!) and they don’t have to cost the earth. Growing up, many of us were often given food as treats. Ice cream to stop us crying, jelly beans to make us put our shoes on, curly wurlys (remember those!) to pry us from the playground. Some ‘adult’ treats will of course involve food but it’s also important we learn to reward ourselves or pick ourselves up by doing other things, not just heading for the pantry!

Here are some of my favourite treats – some of the things I’m loving at the moment. They put me in a good mood and positive headspace. I can enjoy them alone or with a friend (you may want to try the cake part alone. More for you. Just saying) and you can enjoy them again and again and again.

 

1. A $59 hour-long Shiatsu Massage at Enishi (Bondi Road)

I think massage is one of the best ways to treat ourselves. Touch therapy is very soothing and healing to the soul. Enishi is a Japanese massage spa with attentive staff and an affordable price tag. The reflexology is also wonderful, and they’re open late, which is a bonus.

 

2. A piece of cake from Earth to Table (Bondi Junction)

This little vegan café does the best cheesecake I’ve ever eaten. What’s a vegan cheesecake you ask? DELICIOUS! My favourite is the lemon meringue. And the choc mint cheesecake. And the blueberry cheesecake. And all the others that I haven’t yet tried! All vegan, gluten, sugar, dairy free goodness for under $10. Heaven on a plate! Because they’re not full of white sugars and flours and instead use wholefood ingredients, you don’t leave feeling sick, bloated, tired and guilty! All that yummy can make one thirsty. Pair it with a fresh juice, tea smoothie or almond mylk coffee/dandy/chai.

 

3. A trip to Kikki.K to organise your life (Bondi Junction)

This store makes me seriously happy. I think I came out of the womb being organised. I love a clean external space as it leaves room for a clean mind. Being organised is the first step to being successful and organising your workspace or your home is a great mood-booster as well. When you clean and de-clutter you use the intellectual side of your brain, leaving no room for any anxious thoughts to invade your mind.

My last visit to this gorgeous store involved purchasing post-its that say “Work” on one side and “Play” on the other, a large 2013 whiteboard calendar to note down events, seminars, holidays etc., 3 blank diaries (use: undecided), a New York Times #1 bestseller called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (she dedicates a year of her life test-driving ways to be happy) and a few other things that I know will make my life a little cleaner and simpler. If you become a member you get a discount with your first purchase too. Happy days.

 

4. A mid-week dinner at Bondi’s Best seafood (Bondi beach)

I’m a little bit in love with this place. It’s quick, cheap and so fresh! The menu includes sushi, sashimi, fried and grilled fish, the perfect variety of side dishes and even a gluten-free salt and pepper cuttle fish! My fave: the crispy snapper with the $5.50 sides of rocket and Parmesan salad and steamed greens.

 

5. A bag of Cobbs Organic Popcorn at the movies (the movies)

Sometimes a girl just wants to eat popcorn at the movies. But that excessively salty, 2-day old stuff is not that appealing. I recently went to see the new Bond movie and snuck in my own bag of organic popcorn (how very Bond of me). No one noticed and if they did, they either didn’t care or were too jealous to say anything. Mine tasted much better than my neighbors’ and didn’t leave me parched and bloated! Find it in all health food stores and the health food aisle of supermarkets. Get the ‘Salty’ variety, not the ‘Salty and Sweet’.

 

About Cassie

Cassie Mendoza-Jones is a dedicated, caring and passionate naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist who believes in the healing power of nature. She has particular interests in stress, exhaustion and adrenal fatigue, anxiety and depression, disordered eating, weight loss and digestive disorders as well as hormonal imbalances and women’s health issues. Cassie is passionate about helping her clients achieve their goals of health, balance and wellbeing through nutritional and herbal treatment, education and motivation. You can visit her website, find her on  or Twitter, or read some of her previous blog posts.