Jessica Muhlbier has perfected her Saturday morning routine.
She leaves her apartment and heads out for a 9:30 a.m. yoga class, and follows it up with brunch. She then heads over to the South Melbourne Market to pick up groceries.
With dozens of vendors selling fresh fruit and vegetables, Jessica makes her way through the aisles, embracing the market’s special ambiance and atmosphere.
A Torontonian now living in Melbourne, Jessica is completing a Master of Media & Global Communication at the University of Melbourne.
As she completes her year-and-a-half-long course, Jessica has also taken the opportunity to discover what Australia has to offer in order to fulfil her true passion – health and food.
Her passion comes following years of trying to develop a diet and lifestyle that works for her body. Now a self-proclaimed holistic health nut, Jessica has comfortably shifted to a natural and whole foods lifestyle.
“My approach to food is quite simple: fresh, wholesome, and real. I treat my body as the temple it is and fuel it with healthy and honest ingredients,” she says.
Chronicling her experiences on her blog at Forever Addicting, Jessica keeps her her readers intrigued with her beautiful food photos and delicious recipes. She has touches on her Australian food discoveries.
She recently caught up with OzTREKK to talk about how she fulfills her holistic lifestyle Down Under.
Since arriving in Australia in January, Jessica says she’s had to adjust her regular diet, but it’s mostly due to product availability in Melbourne.
“While Australia supports local farming and ingredients, many leading North American health brands are not yet available,” she says.
For instance, almond milk is expensive and hemp seeds are hard to come by.
But the limitations have produced benefits.
“Because Australia rarely imports produce, I have the pleasure of eating more local,” Jessica explains. “Now that I’ve discovered the various farmers markets and smaller health food stores, I’ve gained new knowledge and a comfortable routine for my lifestyle.”
She’s also tested out Australian-produced foods, giving her the chance to compare them to their Canadian-grown counterparts.
“Organic eggs are awesome in Australia, much better then I’ve experienced in Canada. The yolks are so orange!” she says. “Some not-so-good foods would be fresh raspberries, as they’re small and mould quickly. I don’t think the climate is equipped for fresh berries as it is in Ontario.”
She says Australia’s food choice limitations also creep into the grocery chain business.
“Australia also doesn’t have an organic-friendly grocery store, such as Whole Foods,” she says.
“Coles and Woolworths have a large monopoly over the grocery chains in Australia, making it difficult for a small organic grocery store to even survive.”
But with her yoga mat and grocery bags in tow, she’s happy to continue her weekly trips to the market.
“Melbourne has a lovely range of markets, my favourite being South Melbourne Market,” she says, adding how she’s embraced her Saturday morning routine. “The combination can’t be beat!”
Jessica plans to use her Master’s degree to help live out her passion through her career.
“Upon graduation in June 2012, I plan to work in Melbourne as a community manager for Lululemon Athletica until September, 2012,” she explains. “I then plan to transfer to Vancouver and join the digital strategy team at the Lululemon Athletica Store Support Centre. I will also complete my certification in holistic nutrition and grow a small practice.”
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