Luke Hines The Healthy Chef Interview

With Mother's Day just around the corner, we're speaking with The Healthy Cook, Luke Hines today to learn more about his favourite tips for spoiling the women in his life, and celebrating Mum during these difficult times.

• What tips do you have to Spoil Mum's in isolation 

This year, it's more important than ever to show Mum just how loved and appreciated she really is.

I love to use Mother's Day as an opportunity to cook wholesome meals and introduce the kids to the kitchen. It's the perfect time to spoil mum with breakfast in bed and can be a great chance to let the kids have fun in the kitchen, without leaving food all over the floor and walls.

Embrace wholefood, nutritious ingredients, like those from the Mediterranean, to give Mum a healthy and delicious meal for Mother's Day. 

• What are your favourite go-to recipes for Mother's Day? (we can share 1-2 with image)? 

I don't think you can have Mother's Day without chocolate! I recently cooked healthy chocolate as part of the Comvita Wellness From Home sessions and it is just delicious! Using raw ingredients like cacao butter, cacao powder, coconut oil and a sweetener of choice, you can also personalize your chocolate just for mum!

I'm also an absolute sucker for anything that's simple with loads of flavour, so for me I love to whip up a batch of my crispy Pumpkin and zucchini hash browns with a zesty Avocado smash (https://www.instagram.com/p/B_t-9KyB5Y5/).  Not only are they gluten and dairy free, but they're just so versatile - they make the perfect brunch, lunch or dinner meal for Mum's special day.   

• How do you plan to make this Mother's Day feel as normal as you can this year? 

For me, Mother's Day is about spending time with the women you love – whether this be together at home, socially distancing catchups or over Zoom, it is so important to make those connections and show our appreciation.

I find great joy in cooking – it's a time that I can find peace and relax – so I plan to cook for those I love and focus on Mum. The little things like cooking her favourite recipe or watching her favourite movies can make a real difference right now.

• What wellness tips can you share to help us during isolation times? 

I'm really excited to have partnered with Comvita, Australia's leading Olive Leaf Extract brand, for their live Wellness from Home sessions focusing on how to embrace Timeless Wellness and build healthy minds and bodies with a few simple tips and tricks. Now is the perfect opportunity to rediscover the simple, ancient wellness traditions that have been tried and tested for centuries but remain more relevant than ever before.

I always try and keep it simple, and looking after your personal health and wellbeing doesn't need to feel complicated. 

Getting 7-8 Hours of sleep a night and doing 30 minutes of exercise 3 times a week are simple ways to take care of your body and mind.  Going for a walk with Mum this Sunday is an opportunity to spend some great quality time with her in fresh air – and you are also moving your body.

• What is the Comvita Wellness from Home program? 

I'm always trying to learn more and improve myself, even in isolation, and the Comvita Wellness From Home program is designed to help Australians to emerge from the ongoing situation more well than when it started.

Follow Comvita on Instagram (@comvita_au) for the weekly sessions and visit Comvita's 'WFH- Wellness From Home' web-page comvita.com.au/timelesswellness for full details of the program.