Nourishing Works

Home
New Zealand
Lyttelton
Nourishing Works

Nourishing Works helps you take charge of your health, heal your gut and rebalance your hormones using nutrient-dense foods and lifestyle tools.

Welcome to Nourishing Works. I was born and raised in Eastern Europe in a small country called Moldova, which used to be part of the Soviet Union. I have happy memories of my childhood – loved and protected by my parents and grandparents, their love was expressed in many ways, but especially through food. My jewish ancestors cooked their food from scratch, nothing went to waste, every part of the animal and plant were lovingly prepared and served at the family table. My mum loves telling this story about her grandmother making five meal courses from one chicken: bone broth, stuffed chicken neck, meat jelly, chicken liver pate and chicken mince patties – oh and schmaltz (chicken fat) with crackling! I grew up on lovingly prepared, seasonal, locally grown foods. In the Soviet Union, we had no processed foods in stores, no variety of brands, no advertising, and the food shortages were real. Yet people were creative and industrious with their food growing, making and preserving. Our small kitchens in the hearts of our tiny apartments were places for everyone to gather, share stories and eat. When we immigrated to New Zealand in the late 80s, we couldn’t believe the abundance and variety of foods in the supermarkets. My mum was crying on our first visit to a food store while walking through the animal food aisles – New Zealand pets were fed better than people in the Soviet Union. Little did we know that all these processed foods were making humans and animals sick. In the last few years, living through my personal health challenges, as well as chronic diseases in my family – I became increasingly disillusioned with conventional medical care but learnt a great deal about my own body and how our environment (including what we eat) influences every aspect of our health. That’s when I decided to make changes to the ways I ate and lived. These changes were evolved out of pain and fear of losing my life purpose, fear of medical authorities, statistics, genetics, and fear of losing my energy and drive to fully embrace and enjoy life every day. I’m still on my healing journey, but day by day I feel more energy and vitality than ever before in my life. I want to share my knowledge to empower others to heal themselves. I want to make difference in people’s lives where they can take charge of their own health and vitality through common-sense tools of nourishment and self-compassion. I became a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner to help people who feel exhausted, inflamed and brain-fogged to make better nutritional and lifestyle choices so they can reduce their pain, eliminate fatigue, and start enjoying their lives to the full.

04/11/2025

Summer holidays are almost here, and every year I face the same dilemma: more solitude or more human connection? From my quiet rural farm, I made this post to unpack the functional science behind both, because I live this question daily.
 Save it, share it, and try the simple daily practice before the holiday season starts.
 Comment: How do you usually feel after too much quiet or too much people? I’ll reply to everyone.

20/10/2025

BORSCH RECIPE🫜🫜 + bonus SOUR CREAM RECIPE 🍶

Soups are a wonderful wholesome foods, which heal the gut, improve digestion and balance your blood sugar levels.
•
Made with bone broth or meat stock, soups are extremely nourishing, full of minerals, vitamins, amino acids and other nutrients in a very bio-available form.
•
If you feel like you need some soup in your life right now, try making my BORSCH - traditional beetroot soup that is served throughout Russia and Eastern Europe all year round. It’s usually served with generous scoop of sour cream, dill and lots of love! You’ll feel overwhelmingly satisfied and nourished after eating a bowl of this truly ancestral dish, and your digestion will feel amazing too. Enjoy! 💞
•
•
BORSCH RECIPE 🫜
Ingredients (organically grown if possible):
• 0.7 kgs grass-fed beef, cubed (use up a cheap cut here if you want)
• 1/2 a small green cabbage, chopped
• 2 large red beets, peeled and grated
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 large onions, minced
• 4 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 7 cups of chicken or beef bone broth or meat stock
• 2 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar (ACV)
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. free range lard or tallow
• 2 tsp. sea salt to taste
• Fresh dill to garnish.

Method:
• Heat fat in a large stock pot on medium heat.
• Add cubed beef and garlic, sauté until it browns.
• Add the ACV, onions, and celery.
• Continue to sauté another 5 min.
• Add all remaining ingredients, cover and bring to a boil.
• Turn heat to low and continue to simmer until all the vegetables are soft.
(1-2 hours)
• Serve topped with a spoonful of sour cream and garnish with dill.
—
SOUR CREAM RECIPE 🍶
Ingredients (organic and raw if possible):
• 500 ml cream
• 2 tablespoons greek yogurt

Method:
Place the cream and yogurt in a jar, stir well and leave in a warm spot at room temperature for 12-24 hours, depending on how sour you want it to taste. That’s it. Place it in the fridge and enjoy with your borsch.🫜

30/09/2025

Your medical tests offer a snapshot of your blood chemistry at a single moment. While these tests can be useful occasionally, frequent testing may cause anxiety for some.

On the other hand, your body’s signals are powerful indicators of what’s happening internally. Swipe for insights into common symptoms and holistic approaches to support your healing journey.

15/09/2025

I often get asked about the difference between bone broth and meat stock, so let me break it down:

If your goal is gut health - addressing issues like eczema, histamine intolerance, itchy skin, allergies or food sensitivities - meat stock is the better choice.

For a nourishing, mineral-rich drink packed with electrolytes, I recommend bone broth, ideally with added sea salt.

Why is meat stock superior for gut repair? It’s rich in key nutrients like the amino acids proline and glycine, as well as biotin, collagen, elastin, glucosamine, and gelatin.

These components directly support the lining of your small and large intestines, aiding in the repair of damaged cells.

Think of it as a sealing agent for your gut. If you’ve ever noticed a slight stickiness on your lips after drinking meat stock, that’s the amino acids at work. They act like a glue, helping to mend the “tight gap junctions” in a compromised gut lining.

Signs and symptoms of a damaged gut include:

• Bloating and gas
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Skin conditions like rashes, eczema, or acne
• Metabolic disorders
• Allergies
• Hormonal imbalances
• Mood irregularities
• Low energy or insomnia

Ultimately, nearly every health issue can be traced back to gut health - it truly is the foundation of overall human health. Let me know if you have any questions 🙏🏻

27/06/2025

We'd love to hear from you! Take our quick 3-5 minute survey ( https://bit.ly/nourishing-works-survey ) and win a Tallow Skincare Gift Pack worth $115!

Plus, get 15% off your next purchase of our organic skincare products through 2025.

Your feedback will really help us step up our game! ✨🙏🏻✨

19 minutes ago

11/03/2025

Amazing information about tallow + story about my work in bringing you organic tallow skincare products 🙏🏻

Ready to transform your skincare routine?

Discover the power of tallow—a nutrient-rich, animal-based remedy that hydrates, heals, and fights aging naturally.

Our latest blog dives deep into its benefits and spotlights FNTP Graduate Irina Itskovich, and her evolution in the holistic health space to create Nourishing Works Skincare.

Check it out 👉🏼 www.ntaaustralia.com.au/articles/power-of-tallow

30/12/2024

Great listen! ♥️

Celebrity Chef Pete Evans and Afternoons host Lucy Zelic reflect on a period four years on. Listen to more highlights from Summer Afternoons below:

Address

309 Chartreis Bay Road
Lyttelton
8971

Telephone

+64274838415

Website

http://nourishingworks.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Nourishing Works posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Nourishing Works:

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Lyttelton?

My Story

My mum loves telling this story about her grandmother making five meal courses from one chicken: bone broth, stuffed chicken neck, meat jelly, chicken liver pate and chicken mince patties – oh and schmaltz (chicken fat) with crackling! I grew up on lovingly prepared, seasonal, locally grown foods. In the Soviet Union, we had no processed foods in stores, no variety of brands, no advertising, and the food shortages were real. Yet people were creative and industrious with their food growing, making and preserving. Our small kitchens in the hearts of our tiny apartments were places for everyone to gather, share stories and eat.

When we immigrated to New Zealand in the late 80s, we couldn’t believe the abundance and variety of foods in the supermarkets. My mum was crying on our first visit to a food store while walking through the animal food aisles – New Zealand pets were fed better than people in the Soviet Union. Little did we know that all these processed foods were making humans and animals sick.

In the last few years, living through my personal health challenges, as well as chronic diseases in my family – I became increasingly disillusioned with conventional medical care but learnt a great deal about my own body and how our environment (including what we eat) influences every aspect of our health.