Innehållsförteckning för Issue 61 July/August 2018 från Good

@paulrangiwahia @emma.mildon Paul Rangiwahia Paul is the creator of A mentalWOF and I AM (so) Worth It – artworks, guides and personal development services to help people realise their potential and to navigate through life’s ups and downs. Paul’s aim is to get more wellness conversations going and to use art to share simple messages that everyone can relate to, presented in a fun, relatable way. See more at paulrangiwahia.com and check out his work as this issue’s Good Thought on page 128. Emma Mildon Born in the South Island, raised in Auckland, Emma is happiest when writing, evolving from blogger at large, to a columnist and best-selling author of The Soul Searcher’s Handbook: A Modern Girl’s Guide to the New Age World. Her piece of advice for anyone seeking…

Tauranga Coffee Festival JULY 28, TAURANGA Boutique roasters, tastings, coffee collabs and competitions. downtowntauranga.co.nz Beervana AUGUST 10–11, WELLINGTON More than 60 craft breweries serving 400 types of beer to 14,000 beer lovers in the capital. beervana.co.nz Arts Festival Dunedin SEPTEMBER 21–20, DUNEDIN A boutique festival celebrating the excellent and extraordinary. artsfestivaldunedin.co.nz Taupo Winter Festival JULY 11–14, TAUPO Five days of festivities and winter fun in and around the Taupo Domain and Great Lake Centre. taupowinterfestival.co.nz Go Green Expo AUGUST 11–12, CHRISTCHURCH New Zealand’s largest green living expo hits the garden city. gogreenexpo.co.nz/christchurch World of WearableArt SEPTEMBER 27–OCTOBER 14, WELLINGTON This year celebrates 30 years of World of WearableArt. worldofwearableart.com Matariki Festival JUNE 30–JULY 22, AUCKLAND More than 100 events across Auckland celebrating Māori New Year. matarikifestival.org.nz Auckland Vintage Textile Fair…

Marina Davis Ovna Ovich Thoughtful design sums up Marina Davis’ approach to fashion and her Ovna Ovich label. Her beautiful designs – mostly made from transparently-sourced silk, hemp, certified organic cotton and linen – deftly balance elegance, contemporary, timelessness, masculine and feminine. Her processes are also environmentally and socially sound. Prior to launching her own label Davis gained experience in her field as head designer at Kowtow, assistant to Lela Jacobs and as a textile breakdown artist for Peter Jackson at Stone Street Studios. She also spent time studying at Massey University, Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and the prestigous school Central Saint Martins in London. Her desire is to make clothing that respects our natural resources and people. ovnaovich.com Jyoti Morningstar WE-AR A leading light of ethical fashion…

@winsome_nz @makersmgmt @baudry.lisa @anieszka_banks @hannahjensenart @floxnz…

On a full moon day in May each year, Buddhists across the world gather to commemorate the birth, death and enlightenment of Gautama Buddha. In Sri Lanka, a nation where nearly 80 per cent of the population is Buddhist, Vesak Day holds pride of place in the cultural calendar. Vesak is a time of abstinence and prayer, when devotees are encouraged to refrain from alcohol and meat, and to practice and contemplate humility and simplicity. The festival, also called Buddha Purnima or Buddha Day, is based on the lunisolar calendar so dates change slightly each year. But certain things remain constant – contemplation, colour, fervour, lights and prayer.…

Andrea Green Manager - Good Neighbour Community Gardens Soaring in popularity, community gardens are a great way to foster community relationships and grow great produce - but they take a lot of hard work to build and maintain. Andrea Green is a local champion working hard for hers. Community gardens are a beautiful way to bring people together, grow your own food and share knowledge and lifelong skills. It is with this purpose in mind that drives Andrea Green to work tirelessly at her local organic garden in Tauranga as a dedicated member of Good Neighbour Trust. Green’s local garden is aptly called the Welcome Bay Community Garden, and the plant-lover is part of the team designing, growing and maintaining the gardens for members of the public, of all ages,…

Bridget Scanlan Designer of KYT Meet the designer of accessories brand KYT - Keeping You Together - aimed at making life easier for New Zealanders living with diabetes, whom must carry an abundance of medical equipment with them at all times. In 2010, Bridget Scanlan was a happy-go-lucky 20-year-old, when one day, that all changed and she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Scanlan joined the more than 30,000 New Zealanders who have Type 1 diabetes. For them, daily life includes taking multiple finger prick tests to check blood sugar levels, as well as insulin injections more than three times a day. Constant monitoring and awareness is required, as is constantly carrying a multitude of equipment: think blood test monitors, finger prickers, test strips, insulin pens, and emergency supplies for…

“Green tea is most often found in a tea leaf form whereas matcha translates to ‘powdered tea’.” Matcha, a finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves, is finding its way into more than just hot water and pancakes. It’s the new Yoda of skincare, even haircare and DIY beauty routines. After all, drinking matcha tea is known to help slow the ageing process – so why stop at just imbibing it? “We all know how good green tea is for us to drink, but matcha actually has around 10 times the antioxidants of regular green tea,” says Jenna Mullinger, founder of Oh Natural. “Antioxidants are extremely desirable in skincare as they help ‘deal’ with the free radicals and UV radiation which causes skin to age. The…

About Arbonne For over 35 years, Arbonne has developed products by combining the best of nature with leading science. arbonne.com When we pack for a weekend away the clothes that end up in the overnight bag tend to be the ones that we reach for every other day. A capsule wardrobe that works for us by making us look and feel good. The same can be said for our bathroom beauty cabinet and make-up drawer. We use the favourites while other products sit at the back of the cupboard or at the bottom of the drawer, unused and mostly forgotten. And they stay there because usually we invested good money buying them, plus we are not wasteful creatures so we’re reluctant to part with them. Well, don’t feel guilty anymore…

@hobbsandco Having a creative space where the only sound is birdsong and the beach is a five-minute walk away is a constant source of inspiration for Katrina Hobbs. Since launching her label Hobbs & Co two years ago, the artist and fabric designer’s life has been split between New Zealand and Australia, where her beautiful collection of cushions, tablecloths and scarves is in growing demand. When she is not working on her designs, Hobbs is a busy actress, having appeared as a regular on both Shortland Street and Home and Away. But whatever side of the Tasman her work takes her, she is always drawn back to her studio on Auckland’s wild west coast. The light-filled space in the backyard of her mum’s house at Muriwai beach is where she…

Découpage comes from an old French word for “cutting out”. There are variations in découpage technique, but it basically involves using small scissors to cut out paper pictures, arranging them in a pleasing way, gluing them to a surface, possibly adding embellishments using special paint effects such as gold leaf and finally applying a number of thin coats of clear lacquer on top. Traditional technique used 30 to 40 layers of varnish which were then sanded to a polished finish. Découpage can be applied to wood, metal, glass or other surfaces if first painted or covered in paper mache. A découpage effect can also be created using single layers of printed tissue paper. You can use a simple découpage effect to spring life into boring everyday tools such as this…

Dark Chocolate and Toasted Sesame Birthday Cake (Vegan) Flecks of toasted sesame seeds and sea salt combined with rich dark chocolate make this devilishly decadent cake hard to resist – but perhaps the real beauty of this recipe is that it is surprisingly simple to prepare and pop in the oven. You’ll be left with plenty of time to flick through the rest of Good magazine while the house fills with mouth-watering aromas. Serves 10-12 Cake3 cups white flour2 cups good-quality dark cocoa2½ tsp baking soda3 cups raw sugar, whizzed until finely ground (white sugar is fine to use, too)1 tsp salt⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil2½ tbsp apple cider vinegar2 tbsp vanilla bean paste3 cups plunger or filter coffee, cooledzest of ½ an orangeIcing (This can be halved if…

Potato and Pea Dumplings Kroppkakor These tennis-ball-sized potato dumplings are the Björn Borg of the dumpling world. They are old-school champions, and can be boiled or fried, filled or unfilled. Peas aren’t usually added, but I like the way they give the otherwise grey-looking dumpling a lovely green pop. I’ve skipped the filling in this recipe, instead piling them high with a salty, sweet and spicy topping. GF Serves 4 – 6 Prep time 1 hour Cooling time 30 mins Cooking time 40 mins For the dumplings 300g potatoes300g frozen peassea salt2 medium eggs½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg300-350g potato flour For the topping a knob of butter1 tsp ground allspice1 tsp white pepper250g smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped2 onions, peeled and finely choppeda handful of chopped fresh chivessugared lingonberries or lingonberry…

Wise Cicada Lower Level 88 Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland 8am-6pm Monday-Friday 9am-6pm Saturday-Sunday wisecicada.co.nz Flavour was the founding factor that inspired Babak Sarfarazi to open Auckland’s Wise Cicada Café 10 years ago. As a child he was surrounded by the amazing aroma of watermelons and cucumbers grown on his family orchard and farm in Darab, Iran. When he arrived in New Zealand in 1990 he was initially impressed by the “big and beautiful fruit”, but wondered why it was so tasteless. It got him thinking about opening something that was a bit different, with an emphasis on organic produce and good, tasty food. Today, Wise Cicada is an organic plant-based café as well as a wholefood and organic super store that sells dry and fresh organic goods. These include the Sarfarazis’…

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned, it’s that being brave and stepping outside your comfort zone can bring rewards that you might not have ever imagined. As well as getting to experience new things, being brave is a way to grow, evolve and flourish. I’ve been brave over the past year. I went back to studying and also tried a new fitness challenge. Both of these pursuits pushed me out of my comfort zone. I already have skills in the wellness industry. I’m a journalist who specialises in wellness, a yoga teacher and director of the InspiredHealth lifestyle website where I work with lots of brands to inspire New Zealanders to live healthy and happy. But I wanted to broaden my health knowledge further. So, signing up to take…

greenleaforganics.co.nz Greenleaf Organics’ Switchel juices are certified organic, raw and unpasturised and refined sugar-free. Apple cider vinegar is the hero ingredient and the five delicious flavours include Turmeric, Pineapple, Beetroot, Lemon and Grapefruit. rachelhill.co.nz If you are not jumping out of bed eager to get to work then you need to see Rachel Hill, a business mentor and life coach helping you take bold steps to challenge your limiting beliefs and reach your own breakthroughs. jayayoga.co.nz JAYA is a nourishment-inspired methodology of yoga, promoting accessibility of yogic practices through simple, conscious movement, breath work, and mindfulness. Jayayoga invites yogis of all ages for classes, workshops and retreats. arbonne.com Personal care, wellness and nutritional products that are crafted with premium botanical ingredients and innovative scientific discovery for a pure, healthy lifestyle.…

Beautifully bespoke New Zealand accessory label BESS has collaborated with theKnitter this winter by combining two of BESS’ silk scarf colourways with theKnitter’s iconic chunky knits. The extra-long 100 per cent wool scarves, $340, are made to order and every one unique. bess.studio Buy one, give one Knitwear social enterprise Make Give Live has launched its winter 2018 collection with new hat styles for the whole family, plus a scarf and gloves. Styles include the Reagan beanie, $65, with a faux fur pompom made from New Zealand wool. For every beanie sold, one will be donated to a homeless or elderly person. makegivelive.com Patch perfect Tsuika patches offer a conscious fashion solution for upgrading garments that need some extra TLC. Made in Auckland, the ethical iron-on patches are made from…

1 Cut and grow Cut spring onion leaves about 3cm above the root, place the bulb in some shallow water and it will sprout. Once sprouted, you can plant it in your garden or continue to grow it on your bench – you’ll never have to buy spring onions again. From our friends at consciousaction.co.nz 2 Party trick Hold your glass in your non-dominant hand. It sounds ridiculous, but just doing something a little bit unfamiliar will make you drink more slowly and, yes, more mindfully. From Mindful Drinking: How Cutting Down Can Change Your Life by Rosamund Dean 3 Make your own coffee body scrub Collect 1 cup of coffee grounds and add to 1 cup of sugar, ½ cup coconut oil. You can add optional extras like ½…

Oh Natural Oh Natural’s conscious beauty and lifestyle store provides thousands of 100 per cent natural products! Browse cruelty-free, vegan and organic cosmetics, skincare and haircare; waste-free homewares and natural baby products online. Oh Natural makes shopping for beauty products that are kind to your body and the planet easy and fun! ohnatural.co.nz INIKA Organic INIKA Organic is revolutionising the beauty industry by dispelling the myth that natural products mean a lesser level of colour, texture and glamour. Pioneering innovation and development in cosmetic formulations has led to the creation of a complete range of 100 per cent natural and certified organic products across face, eyes and lips. inikaorganic.com Snowberry Blending nature and science to get the best results for skin, Snowberry’s new Radiance Face Serum was the only anti-wrinkle…

Most businesses in New Zealand would be thrilled to celebrate a one-year anniversary, so you know you’ve got a good thing going when 2018 marks 30 years of trading. Cottonsoft is a household name that broke the monopoly in 1988 to bring New Zealanders more options for something we all need – toilet paper. Three decades on, the company makes, markets and distributes toilet paper, facial tissues, napkins, kitchen rolls and commercial products for hotels and restaurants through a suite of brands that includes CottonSofts, Livi, Paseo, Tuffy and Kiwisoft. “By 2010, we had recognised the growing demand from consumers for premium tissue products,” says Kim Calvert, country manager for Cottonsoft. “We developed the Paseo brand with thick, luxury 3-Ply tissue, sustainable sourcing, and a premium look and feel that…

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the global, social and environmental issues we face as we grapple with deadlines and the demands of technology in our daily working lives. Yoga, a 3000-year-old tradition of mindfulness and sustainability, may hold the key to thriving in modern times. In particular, the concepts of advaita and ekagrata, both Sanskrit words, show the ancients had some tools that we may find useful today. Advaita meaning: not two A goal of yoga is to bring us into our bodies. We tend to see the mind and body as two separate entities, with TED Talk speaker Sir Ken Robinson talking about viewing our bodies as simply a way of getting our heads from meeting to meeting. But when we do yoga, it’s about bringing mind and…

Good magazine and Ceres Organics want to personally thank every entrant of the inaugural Ceres Organics Good People Awards. The judging panel read each entry, and wow, it left them feeling filled up, inspired and at times teary. It is comforting to know that there are so many incredible ‘good people’ out in our community, shaping our nation and making a difference. Because the standard of entries was so high the judges worked with a criteria to select the 12 category winners in organics, food/beverage, environment, social enterprise/charity, design, arts, fashion, technology, beauty, education, tourism/travel and wellbeing. What was the product/offer differentation versus others in the marketplace? To what extent do they solve a consumer/category problem? To what extent are they doing good – ethics, sustainability, community, giving back? And,…

Lucas Parkinson Head chef and owner of Ode restaurant Lucas Parkinson has had years of experience working as a chef, but it wasn’t until he opened his own restaurant in Wanaka that his true passion came to life. Not only a great cook, Parkinson is a local community champion too. Lucas Parkinson, head chef and owner of Ode restaurant in Wanaka, has a passion ignited by purpose. His core mission, in his words, “is to show New Zealand that you can run profitable and sustainable restaurants that support local producers over convenience.” While dining in Wanaka is a treat of its own, Ode has a unique point of difference that Parkinson has worked hard to establish. Everything on the menu uses organically grown, local produce, with nothing taking longer than…

Nick Davies Co-founder of the Tutukaka Land Care Coalition Most people would be pretty content with living in the picturesque coastal spot of Tutukaka, in Northland, and be without a care in the world. But for Nick Davies, there’s a lot of work to be done. For more than 20 years, Nick Davies has been seriously committed to actively preserving and restoring New Zealand’s natural environment and brown kiwi population, while educating his friends and community about nature conservation and living sustainably. Davies’ passion for nature is reflected in the volunteer work he does, both on land and at sea. He is a marine and fishery biologist, specialising in mathematic models of tuna populations and sustainability for commercial fisheries. Davies works as a fulltime consultant to the Secretariat of the…

A perfect glow Arbonne RE9 Advanced® Prepwork Soft Focus Veil Broad Spectrum SPF 30, $72, creates a breathable, lightweight veil that blurs the appearance of pores and fine lines. With a 100 per cent mineral-based sunscreen, it can be worn alone or under make-up. Oil cleanser Trilogy’s beautiful new Rosehip Transformation Cleansing Oil, $35, is a blend of botanical plant oils that transform into a cleansing milk when mixed with water. Flawless skin with INIKA Organic Certified vegan and cruelty-free, INIKA Organic’s Liquid Foundation with Hyaluronic Acid, $74, provides a beautiful finish as well as increased elasticity and hydration. Add a beautiful cheek tint with INIKA Organic’s Mineral Loose Blush in Peachy Keen, $49, for extra radiance. Super serum Proven by a gold standard clinical trial and containing a world-first…

There’s something incredibly thrilling about being able to kayak all the way up to – and even under – a waterfall, as foaming white water rushes around you. Being amongst such forces of nature is both invigorating and calming, helping to reconnect our mind and put a perspective on things that may be causing stress in everyday life. Paddling through mangrove forests, amongst colonies of sea birds nesting in trees overhanging the river with Kayak Cruises, before approaching the Haruru Falls in Paihia was just one of the things I did to practice mindfulness while on a recent mini-break to the Bay of Islands. The magic of this picturesque paradise at the top of New Zealand is that you don’t need to do much here to feel your tensions disappearing:…

Terrific tea towels For more than 10 years Ruby Seeto has been designing and selling tea towels to fundraise for the Starship foundation after battling cancer as a child. Since teaming up with Wallace Cotton to sell the tea towels, $10 each, Seeto has raised more than half a million dollars. Add a pop of colour to your kitchen with Seeto’s current design, Pineapple Paradise. Her new design featuring ice pops will be released in August. wallacecotton.com tradeaid.org.nz Handcrafted with love Trade Aid’s winter collection features a striking selection of handcrafted candles and ceramics from Vietnam and cosy hand-woven textiles from Thailand that will add a sense of soul and comfort to your living spaces. tradeaid.org.nz wigleyware.co.nz More than star appeal Wellington-based ceramic artist Sarah Wigley has joined forces with…

Resene the paint the professionals use For more paint, colour ideas and inspiration visit your Resene ColorShop or resene.co.nz You will need A mud room (or mudroom) is a utility room separating the indoors from the outdoors. It is the place to hang up coats, or leave dirty boots or shoes. It’s also where you stash dog leads, umbrellas and other sundry items that clutter up the house. In large houses, mud rooms are located at a back entrance, but they can also be at the front door or be part of a verandah or conservatory. Mud rooms are hardworking spaces – and even the tiniest version will help keep the house clean and organised. If you love the idea of a…

You might feel like hibernating and binge watching Netlflix series after series for the chilly season – but is that going to make you feel good? Probably not over the long term and it may even place you into a winter funk. Try using some of these simple steps below to help keep your spirits high. Keeping hydrated is really important over the winter months. Drinking plenty of water interspersed with some warming herbal teas is a good plan of attack. All the artificial heating can be dehydrating, particularly for our skin. Shorter days mean our natural sunlight is reduced in the winter months. For that reason, topping up with some vitamin D – nicknamed the ‘sunshine vitamin’ – can aid immunity and mood over these challenging wintry months. If…

01 Hans Herzog ‘Cuvée Thérèse’ Marlborough Méthode Traditionelle Rosé 2015, $75 Hans Herzog brings a European elegance and seriousness to the concept of sparkling rosé. Coming from a family of Swiss winemakers, Hans and his wife Thérèse chose Marlborough as the site for their winemaking project, where they grow almost 30 different grapes on a tiny organic micro-site. All hand-tended and farmed with tiny yields, the fruit going into this cuvée is incredible and it shows in the product: a rich, full-bodied and beautiful rosé that still manages to be bone dry. 02 Supernatural Wine Co. ‘Super Nat’ Hawke’s Bay Pet-Nat Sauvignon Blanc 2018, $29.90 Pétillant-Naturel, otherwise known as the ancestral method of sparkling wine, may be all the rage at the moment in France and across the globe, but…

Talking about money with your significant other involves emotional vulnerability. This makes it a topic that’s ripe for tension, but also one with the potential for developing closeness and healing past wounds. In long-term relationships, partners’ financial lives and outcomes are closely tied together. Here, we’ll unpack some practical tips for how to talk about money productively and create shared financial goals. Identify each others’ money-related strengths. Conversations go a lot more smoothly if people’s strengths are part of the discussion, rather than just their weaknesses. Often, weaknesses and strengths are flip sides of each other. So if you’re struggling to identify your partner’s financial strong points, look at what annoys you and find the hidden upsides. For example, my spouse isn’t very good at buying items when they’re on…

How does my @goodmagazinenz know to arrive on days when both of my little treasures go to sleep at the same time so I can sit down with my pot of tea and enjoy my first flick through? Feeling eco-inspired to go and sew some pretty, reusable bags now! #lovetheearth #salutethereuser #beatplasticpollution @hellee_dee via Instagram Comfy mornings spent relaxing with my blueberry oats and the new @goodmagazinenz before a day of essay writing @oliviadobbs_ via Instagram Making time to slow down, enjoy the simple things & listen to my body with a warm lemon water & a good read @goodmagazinenz. @juila_b____ via Instagram Lindy Davis’ article on the future of food took some digesting. Shedding light on, but not dwelling on, the grim statistics around livestock production, her article gently…

Tearrific Healtheries have just expanded their fruit and herbal teas range to include four new delicious flavours – their Detox Tea with Dandelion & Milk Thistle, Turmeric Tea with Lemon, Sleep Tea with Chamomile & Passionflower, and their Lemon & Ginger Tea. $3.59, pack of 20 tea bags. healtheries.co.nz New leaf on the block With 15 per cent more anthocyanin than blueberries, JusTea’s organic purple tea blends, $24 each – make for an extremely healthy brew. JusTea is Rainforest Alliance certified and an active member of the Fair Trade Federation too. justea.co.nz Nitro cold brew Minor Figures nitro cold brew coffee range comes in three dairy-free flavours, $4.75 each. The brews are made using nitro-widget technology, flooding the coffee with nitrogen bubbles, creating a draught-style that settles into a frothy…

The Woman’s Herbal Apothecary JJ Pursell, Quarto US, $37 Perfect for a budding herbalist wanting to learn the tricks of the trade, this all-encompassing tome offers 200 natural remedies to treat common illnesses and assist in four stages of life: pre-childbirth, reproductive years, menopause and beyond. Low Tox Life Alexx Stuart, Murdoch Books, $37 Stuart guides readers along a journey to detoxing their home, body, mind and food of nasty chemicals all while referencing the latest science and expert advice. Reach Your Goals Without Stressing Out Chantal Hofstee, Exisle Publishing, $30 Work smarter not harder with Hofstee’s eight-step goal-setting process, created by drawing on her years of experience working as a clinical psychologist. The Autoimmune Protocol Made Simple Cookbook Sophie Van Tiggelen, Quarto US, $37 For those who struggle with…

In today’s world, where air pollution is on the rise and ills spread so easily, it’s no surprise that face masks have become increasingly popular – not just overseas but on our shores too. MEO is the latest in antipollution face masks. Created by Auckland-based company, Healthy Breath, their MEO Lite Face Mask is being hailed as the most innovative and fashionable product of its kind – with fashion designer and icon Karen Walker lending her talents to create bespoke designs for export to international markets – especially China, India and South-East Asia. The team at MEO set a goal of creating the world’s most innovative mask, using all of New Zealand’s best qualities. They analysed every other mask in the market before designing a new one from scratch. The…

Yealands Estate - 10 years Established in 2008 by founder Peter Yealands, this extraordinary Blenheim winery has quickly become one of the world’s finest. They were awarded the best Sauvignon Blanc title at the 2012 International Wine Challenge (IWC), and have been on a winning streak ever since, for both their wine and sustainability efforts. The first winery in the world to become carboNZero accredited from inception, they also hold the country’s largest solar power initiative (with 1314 solar panels). yealands.co.nz Kinross Cottages - 4 years Treating visitors to blissful Central Otago mini-breaks for four years, the property on which Kinross Cottages were built was purchased in early 2013 by Christine and John Erkkila of Waikato. The vision was to create modern and attractive accommodation in the heart of Gibbston…

We all know how important it is to bounce back from hard knocks, overcome rejection and keep trying. Yet there’s a common misunderstanding in our culture about resilience. The key to handling change, challenges and setbacks isn’t due to grit and determination. Nor is it dependent upon willpower, endurance or some innate quality a lucky few were born with. Instead, resilience requires something surprisingly lovely. Better still, it’s simple to achieve, no matter the circumstances. Our resilience is greatly determined by two factors: self-compassion and how we recharge. Self-compassion means being gentle, accepting and kind to oneself, just the way we would treat the person we love, respect and care for most. While this seems logical enough, self-compassion doesn’t always come naturally. When events don’t go our way, survival mechanisms…

Elisha Watson Founder of Nisa Social enterprise Nisa is an organic cotton underwear brand employing women from refugee backgrounds in a bid to give them independence, self-esteem, skills and a way to provide for their families. Elisha Watson was a successful litigation lawyer working in Wellington when one day she decided to give it all up. It all came about after she began volunteering for the Red Cross’ refugee resettlement programme, and in the conversations with families she worked with, one request kept coming up: “help me find a job.” Watson had learned first-hand the obstacles, particularly around language, these people faced in acquiring employment. “After everything they had suffered in their countries of origin, and the years-long process of gaining refuge in a new, safe country to call home,…

Nic Turner Founder of Mainstream Green An everyday mum who is doing big things in the waste-free space, Turner has started a greenfulness movement which she hopes will take off all around the country and change our ugly daily habits around waste for the better. Nic Turner is a woman on a mission. The founder of Mainstream Green, New Zealand’s first ‘greenfulness’ coaching business, Turner hopes to encourage as many New Zealanders as she can to change their relationship with ‘stuff’, and join the zero-waste movement. Based in Cambridge but working nationwide, Turner believes less stuff is better for our personal wellbeing and the planet, and works with individuals, businesses and councils to spread the message of greenfulness and empower others to make simple changes that can make a big…

Janette Searle Founder of Take My Hands Tracking technology and good will has enabled social enterprise Take My Hands to send functional prosthetic equipment (destined for landfill in New Zealand) overseas to people who need it. While having a cup of tea at a conference in 2010, Janette Searle learnt that perfectly functional prosthetic equipment was being dumped in landfills in New Zealand, yet there were people in other countries who needed it to be able to live a normal life. That cup of tea prompted Searle to start the Take My Hands (TMH) project, leveraging a supply chain of spare capacity to collect unused prosthetics and other medical equipment in New Zealand – and deliver it to people in need in developing countries. The first shipment saw 400kg of…

With all of this talk of good people, many of them being women, Good decided to chat with Rodnie Whitlock, the quiet matriarchal backbone of Ceres Organics. She talked us through her role in founding of one of New Zealand’s most successful organic brands and her ongoing vision for a better future. “It was a long time ago now, the 1980s. A few of us had an idea, a bit of a vision. We had no money behind us and hardly any products to begin with but we saw this amazing movement happening overseas so we decided to make a start for an ideal that we believed in. The vision was the fire that kept us going – there wasn’t much else at that point,” says Whitlock. “We were all…

Stunning views met sunkissed light filtering through The Gallery at Orakei Bay on the afternoon of May 26 for Good’s beauty and botanicals event with Linden Leaves and Mission Estate Winery. Guests were treated to delicious canapes on arrival, as well as bubbles from Mission Estate Winery, before learning more about the Hawke’s Bay winery’s delicious selection of tipples from expert Michelle Fraser. Next it was time to hear from legendary Linden Leaves founder Brigit Blair who shared her family’s personal skincare journey that led to the creation of her business, now 23 years strong and recently crowned the Best New Zealand Beauty Brand at the Best in Beauty Awards. Blair guided guests through the process of making their very own Aromatherapy Synergy Memories Body Oil, with each bottle containing…

I scream, then laugh as a smiling stranger empties a bucket of iced water over my head and respond by squirting them with a water pistol. Everyone around us is laughing and water flies everywhere because it’s Songkran – a three-day nationwide water festival in Thailand from April 13 to 15, celebrating the lunar New Year. Songkran, Sanskrit for “astrological passage”, begins with a blessing ceremony led by monks, who sprinkle water over images of Buddha, before turning into the world’s biggest water fight. If you visit Chiang Mai or Bangkok over this time don’t expect to stay dry! The upside is getting wet at this time of year can be a welcome relief with temperatures climbing as high as 40°C. Songkran is a joyful time embraced by young and…

Rich in Māori folklore and stunning views, Mount Manaia is one of the best short walks the Northland region has to offer. Twenty-eight kilometres east of Whangarei, the start of the track provides a great photo opportunity for capturing the epic summit you’re about to climb. The Department of Conservation suggests this is a walk for most fitness levels – which is true – but don’t underestimate the steady incline of 324m and 1088 steps that come with reaching the peak, which stands 420m above sea level. However, any calf burn is quickly rewarded with increasingly impressive vistas the higher you get. There are many places to stop to catch your breath and take in the scenery, one highlight being a rock plateau approximately three quarters of the way up.…

This smoothie doubles as nutrient-dense and delicious iceblocks. See the full instructions at good.net.nz/recipes This recipe is so versatile. I sometimes double or even triple the amounts so I can have a smoothie bowl and then use the leftover mixture for making iceblocks. My kids love these and they’re a healthy option for an after-school treat, as they’re preservative-, gluten- and dairy-free. And who doesn’t love the combination of chocolate and raspberries? Choc Raspberry Smoothie Bowl Serves 2 Raspberry Chia Topping½ cup raspberries1 cup water1 tsp honey (we used The True Honey Co.)¼ cup chia seeds Choc Smoothie Base 1 cup water¼ cup cashews2 frozen bananas (skin removed)1 tbsp cacao powder (we used Ceres Organics)¼ cup coconut cream (we used Ceres Organics)pinch of salt½ tsp vanilla essence1 tbsp honey (we…

For more information about the joys of low and no-sugar champagne go to good.net.nz Low-calorie, low-sugar, skinny champagne. “Is it a real thing?” was a friend’s eager question. Technically yes, but such flippant labels aren’t quite the real story. Referred to variously as Extra Brut (for low), Non-Dose, Brut Zero or Brut Nature (for zero), in truth this champagne style has its origins in grower-producer creativity, experimentation and pride in how the Champagne region’s climate, soils and terrain can shape the taste of a champagne. What exactly is Brut Zero or Non-Dose? Let’s start with the dosage, or, ‘liqueur de dosage’ or ‘liqueur d’expedition’ in French. This magic liquid, a mix of wine and cane or beet sugar, or a concentrated sweet grape syrup called MCR, is added to replace…

Eating advice can be so muddled that it almost causes a stomach ache. Over the past decade we’ve red lighted fats, carbs and sugar while good fats and fermented foods are currently getting the green light. It can be confusing. For example, how much kombucha is too much? And why is it important that we feed our gut fibre? Aren’t we supposed to be avoiding carbs? While there’s no magic formula for a healthy gut, we do know what’s beneficial. Here’s what the experts recommend for achieving a healthy digestive system. Why is a healthy digestive system key to good health? Eighty per cent of your humoral immune system (a part of your immune system that protects you from the outside world) is located around your digestive system. Ben Warren,…

Before we get into what foods to eat to use your body fat as a fuel, I want to give you a basic understanding of energy production. Our bodies don’t directly run on the foods we eat. We need to oxidise (burn) the carbohydrates, proteins and fats in order to produce the energy molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the currency of energy within your body, like the currency of money in New Zealand is the New Zealand dollar. About 90 per cent of the ATP your body and cells need is made in your cells within an encapsulated organelle called the mitochondria. So: we eat proteins, carbohydrates and fats. These get broken down and burned within the mitochondria and ATP is produced. Lots of food means lots of energy,…