Innehållsförteckning för Issue161 från WellBeing

One of my daughters recently said to me as I tucked her into bed, “If love was a food, I wonder what it would taste like?” Her thoughts were that it might taste like all meats combined together. This is not because she is a carnivore. Far from it; she subsists mainly on salad, berries, eggs and fish, despite all efforts to coax her outside this comfortable comestible realm. Her thoughts were along the lines that love may taste like all meats combined because of all the love that the animals had received. After a moment’s reflection, she did embellish that the meat-combo should perhaps be covered in tasteless red icing so that it looked like love as well. I’m not endorsing this view, but I do report it faithfully.…

WE ASKED: WHAT’S YOUR DAILY PRACTICE FOR LIVING WELL? ■ The wise man does not regret that which he has not, but rejoices in that which he has. Allan Mitchell ■ Need to write school reports over the weekend. Doing it sitting in the hammock under my gorgeous tree. Meeting my responsibilities but choosing to be positive about it. One aspect to living well. Michelle Knynenburg ■ Making myself a cup of tea in the morning and sitting out on the balcony to observe the birds and my breath. Tara Fountain CONVERSATION POINTS ■ Home from work. Raining hard ... but that won’t stop me from running. @smostasz ■ Accept. Let go. Have faith. @Christina_Cagle ■ Melbourne, thank you for giving us all a decent dose of #vitaminD! The #sunshine…

Time seemed in short supply last year. Regardless of the clock’s repeated insistence that 24 hours or 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds exist each day, it felt like it was fibbing. So when an invite came to try out A Daily Dose of Bliss, an online course for emotion regulation that involved a five- to 10-minute yogic practice daily for six weeks, it all seemed too much. Then curiosity kicked in, as well as rationality — after all, didn’t we feel “busy” even 2000 years ago when Seneca counselled his friend that “life is long if you know how to use it”? I signed up. Soon after, a personalised email arrived from Dr Lauren Tober, the course founder, providing access to her online yoga shala — a resource hub for…

The Secret was a gamechanger in the world of selfdevelopment. While many “in the know” had been aware of the Law of Attraction and the concept of what you think you attract, to the mainstream public this book was a turning point. For the first time, many people started exploring the idea that they were the creators of their lives and that, by focusing on the positive, more positive would come into their world. But it wasn’t as easy as that. While The Secret was important, it was simplistic, too. It probably had to be; it was intended for mass consumption. But if you really want to dive into the Law of Attraction, your energy fields and how to really get your life ticking along smoothly, it needs more than…

Why is it so important to eat with the seasons? The reality is that eating foods in sync with what’s happening around us in nature means we source locally grown food (and support our farmers), maximise our nutrient intake and minimise our environmental footprint. My family and I go to our local farmers’ market every week to get our produce. There’s also lots of amazing programs happening around Australia that will deliver locally grown fruit and vegetables to your door and are designed to nurture the health of our soils by using sustainable farming techniques that will benefit future generations. When you eat seasonally, not only is it friendlier to the planet because there are fewer miles involved, it’s also far kinder to your body and your wallet. Ayurvedic medicine…

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche Humans in all places, cultures and times share many things in common. One is our inherent capacity for meaning; to consciously seek meaning in life, to make meaning of events. We are creatures of meaning-making, seekers of recognising the significance of things or events in and throughout our lives. In times of rapid change, turmoil and global violence, in times of personal stress, anxiety and depression, we become increasingly prone to question our views and beliefs about the world, our place in it and who we really are. In times of personal and/or collective suffering, it’s natural to feel uncertain about beliefs and perspectives that once gave us a sense of meaning. Even if…

■ Getting there Oberon, Jenolan and Kanangra-Boyd National Park lie just beyond the villages of the Blue Mountains and before the regional cities of Bathurst and Orange. See links below for specific information. ■ Staying there Enjoy Victorian-era comfort at Caves House or a bush setting at Jenolan Cabins (jenolancabins.com.au). Sparadise Japanese Bathhouse (japanesebathhouse.com.au) offers Japanese-style accommodation. ■ Dining there Chisolms (jenolancaves.org.au/dining/chisolms-restaurant), named after its resident ghost, dishes up wholesome modern Australian food in Caves House Grand Dining Room. Secret Creek Cafe, Lithgow, (secretcreekcafe.com) is situated within a wildlife sanctuary. ■ More information jenolancaves.org.au, nationalparks. nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/KanangraBoyd-National-Park, mayfieldgarden.com.au, oberonaustralia.com.au…

CARLA OATES is a natural beauty expert and the author of Feeding Your Skin. When glycation and AGEs degrade connective tissue fibres in the dermis, these fibres become irreversibly crosslinked, stiff and rigid, and skin noticeably loses its strength and spring. You know that eating too much sugar is bad for your waistline, but did you also know it can contribute to the ageing of your skin? It’s all down to a natural process called glycation, whereby the sugar in your bloodstream latches on to proteins to form new molecules called advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) that can leave skin looking dull and wrinkled and can accelerate the ageing of your skin and body. While sagging skin and fine lines are an inevitable part of getting older, there are often visible…

Hi, my name’s Danielle. I’m 33, I’m single and I’m looking for love. My sister thinks I should go on The Farmer Wants a Wife, one of my grandmothers tries to sell me on any single man aged between 25 and 75 who moves to her small country town and my best friend from school asks me whenever she writes if I’ve found myself a bloke yet. As for me, I always thought “the one” would just turn up, so I didn’t spend much time looking. Until three years ago, when I decided love might need a helping hand. So how do you meet eligible men in a new city when many people your age are already married or coupled up? That’s a good question. Doing yoga, cooking and bushwalking…

WALK FOR WEIGHT LOSS A lot of research into walking takes place on a treadmill but these researchers observed that this is not really a reflection of the real world. To test how having to change pace yourself might impact on the energy you burn while walking, they asked subjects to vary their pace while keeping the pace of the treadmill constant. They found that walking at varying speeds burns up to 20 per cent more kilojoules than walking at a steady pace. This is because the very act of changing speed burns energy. To change the kinetic energy of your walk, your legs have to do work and that burns energy. To achieve the kind of variations in pace that will burn kilojoules, the researchers suggest walking with a…

Garcinia cambogia, garcinia gummigutti, brindleberry or Malabar tamarind — call it what you will — is an important tropical plant native to Indonesia. The fruit looks like a small pumpkin, varying in colour from green to yellow to red-orange. It shares culinary uses with the other tamarinds (Tamarind indica) as a souring agent, particularly in fish curries. The dried rind of the fruit is used in curing fish and, in combination with salt, acts as a bacteriostatic, preserving the fish. The extract and the rind are used for the sour flavours and in Ayurvedic medicine sour flavours are reputed to activate digestion. The fruits are edible but very acidic and generally not eaten raw. ACTIVE INGREDIENTS The main active ingredient of garcinia, known as HCA or hydroxycitric acid, has been…

What inspired you to create the zk’in skincare range? In 2007, I was diagnosed with an inoperable tumour on my optic nerve. This condition affected the vision in my right eye and I was in severe pain. My doctors didn’t offer me any hope, but with two small children I couldn’t give up. I commenced B17 therapy and became vegetarian, eating only organic foods, and sought to rid my environment of anything unnatural. This led to me learning how to make my own skincare products. What I observed during my early years of skincare making was that, while many women make healthy food choices, they are willing to compromise on their skincare and use synthetic ingredients — the equivalent of a junkfood diet for our skin — because they feel…

Soaking in a warm tub is good for the soul — but is it even more than that? Historically, bathing was seen as a way to heal the body, not just from external ailments such as rashes or irritations but also for internal health concerns and wellbeing. Right from the early days, there was an understanding that when you soak in water filled with certain minerals and naturally occurring ingredients your body benefits. It somehow soaked in. We’ve all heard of the famous daily “milk” bath that was loved by Cleopatra; legend has it she required 700 lactating donkeys to supply the milk for her daily bathing regime — to keep her skin soft and beautiful. And our love of soaking has continued ever since. Of course, thousands of years…

The gallbladder is a small sac located below the liver containing bile, the digestive fluid that breaks down dietary fats. The gallbladder removes water from the bile until the liquid becomes very concentrated. When fatty food is being digested, the gallbladder squeezes bile through the small bile duct into the small intestine to aid digestion. As you can see, your gallbladder serves a very important digestive function, but I have rarely heard a surgical colleague discuss this or even consider it when dealing with gallstone patients. I have also rarely heard a colleague discuss the very important issue of diet and lifestyle habits with patients, whether before removal or after removal. In fact, it’s usually the patient who asks what they should do from a dietary viewpoint, at which time…

If you have an eating disorder ■ Have realistic expectations. Recovery is about the journey, not the destination. ■ Try to avoid comparing yourself with other people. We know we don’t choose our height or hair colour, yet somehow we trick ourselves into believing we can choose our healthy weight and shape. ■ Think about the impact your eating disorder is having on things that are important to you, such as your health, relationships and happiness. ■ Remember that it’s normal to feel uneasy or have disordered thoughts, even when you look physically better, but that others may not understand this. The right mental health support network is key to recovery. If one person isn’t helping, keep looking until you find someone who makes you feel comfortable and safe. If…

Our “take, make, dispose” economy leaves a heavy ecological footprint in terms of resources, fossil energy use and waste. In affluent countries, more energy is embodied in products and services than is directly generated through household fuel usage. With finite supplies of non-renewable resources, inevitably we will be coming up against limits sooner or later. The world economy, in response to these pressures, is starting to go through a profound shift — for the better. The waste hierarchy features, in priority order: prevention, minimisation, reuse, recycling, energy recovery and landfill. The greener first half of this sliding scale, which is sometimes overlooked, is the basis of an important new economic paradigm known as the circular economy. In essence, this represents an evolution towards joined-up thinking and non-linear production systems. For…

Are you ready to create a microclimate around your home? Here are five easy ways to get started. ■ Mulch your plants. Mulching is an easy way to control weeds, conserve moisture and protect your plants from the elements. ■ Create hard surfaces. Driveways, pathways and paved areas made with dark material can absorb heat during the day and reradiate it inside at night, creating warmth in cooler temperatures. Alternatively, planting grass or ground cover will have the opposite effect. ■ Protect on the west side. In the afternoon, the western side of your garden can be hot during the summer. Protect this area with tall trees and shrubs to help keep it cool. Plant deciduous trees to allow the sun to penetrate in winter. ■ Build a wall. A…

As I float on the Bohorok River, slowly spinning and drifting beneath the towering forest canopy, a sudden blaze of orange catches me off guard. While I clamber to find my feet on slippery rocks, a blur of amber crashing in and out of view swiftly materialises into the creature I’ve travelled so far to see. I catch my breath and stare because, in all my wildest dreams, I never imagined I’d encounter my first orangutan without even setting foot in the forest. When I eventually do, joining rangers on a forest trek to Gunung Leuser National Park’s primate feeding station, a 30-year-old female orangutan carrying her wild-born infant ambles slowly past me within arm’s reach. Sitting cross-legged by the trail, I absorb the experience: the smell of her fur,…

In The New Vegan, Áine Carlin explains the importance of veganism in a way that is gentle, simple and fresh. The British author’s latest cookbook reveals what all plant-lovers know — the key ingredients for a life of abundance: healthy soil, curiosity and a compassionate heart. Whether you’re a long-term vegan, have been instructed to include more plants in your diet or simply want to jazz up your salads, this beautifully photographed book features more than 80 delicious wholefood recipes. Carlin shares how her decision to go vegan was simple yet complex and explains the health and nutrition benefits of a high plantbased diet. Natural beauty recipes such as a tomato and tahini face pack and orange blossom bath milk also feature, alongside resources such as how to create a…

Last year I spent time in Kerala, India, where I studied Ayurvedic practices and philosophy and did a hands-on Ayurvedic cooking and nutrition course. It was wonderful. Ayurveda is an ancient healing system, originating in India, that takes a holistic approach to feeling well and living in harmony with yourself and your surroundings. It focuses on treating the individual as a whole rather than just a specific issue or disease, so that you can achieve balance and good health — in body, mind and spirit. Ayurvedic practice has three main objectives: to prevent disease, to encourage wellbeing and to promote longevity. These objectives are reached by applying four healing modalities to your life: eating nourishing food, engaging in cleansing and detoxification processes to purify the body, administering warm oil massages…

Plums give you lots, which is the best possible thing a fruit tree can give you. Lots to eat fresh, to freeze whole for winter feasts or breakfasts, to make into jam or to give to friends. Plums are among the world’s hardiest trees, too. Once they’ve been in a year or two, they’ll survive drought, extreme heat, cold that will freeze the wombat droppings and gale-force winds. Even if plum trees blow over, they’ll probably sprout again if you hoosh them back up, stake them and cut them back till the damaged roots have time to recover. You can grow plums anywhere except tropical areas, as long as you choose varieties that don’t need chilling. Ask at your local garden centre and they’ll show you the best plums for…

PISCES Wonder is close to the Piscean heart, be it wondering at life’s mysteries or exploring and understanding them. A total solar eclipse at Pisces New Moon, Mar 9, signifies a renewal of your deepest vision quest. You spread your wings mid-March but, by Mar 23 Full Moon, a Saturn-Jupiter challenge pushes you to test your vision and make it practical. If this guides you, and Mar 23–26 is carefully negotiated, a powerful partnership and greater social visibility will unfold Apr 6–22. ARIES March and April have challenges. The first is hardest: solar eclipse and New Moon Mar demand a go-with-the-flow approach. Mar 23’s Full Moon highlights partnerships and is a lunar eclipse: its challenge is to co-operate with others for muchneeded change. Mar 26–30 helps you explore this; Aries…

A very sprightly 94-year-old arrived with her favourite cab driver. While she was using a walker, she was fit for her age and mentally she was as sharp as a person 50 years younger. She was living with her daughter in a retirement village in their own self-maintained unit. The cafeteria supplied their main meals but they also did some cooking themselves. This delightful woman was currently taking prescribed medication for a variety of conditions and had been for over 10 years: Metformin for diabetes, Crestor for hypercholesterolaemia, warfarin and Astrix (aspirin) as blood thinners, Aldactone as a diuretic and Panadol Osteo for spinal pain. Quite a pharmaceutical cocktail. She was managing quite well on this regime until about three years ago, when she developed a severe itch (pruritis) mainly…

The phrase “the elephant in the room” came to mind when I entered the yoga studio for the first time. This brightly coloured studio, with images of Ganesha and the blazing sun painted on the walls, is where I would spend every weekend for the next three months. Ganesha and I were to become firm friends; the elephant in the room was not him alone but how I felt embarking on my journey to becoming a yoga teacher. The images of yogis that come to many people’s minds are lithe, willowy instructors in the latest yoga attire, bending their bodies into Celtic knots and whipping up a glistening power-yoga sweat. I, on the other hand, am a size-16, five-foot nineinch black woman living in Sydney. Before my teacher training, my…

Did something resonate with you in this issue of WellBeing? We’d love to hear your feedback. Write to us at WellBeing, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde, NSW 1670, email wbletters@universalmagazines. com.au, comment on our Facebook page or tweet us: @WellBeing_Mag. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. STAR LETTER Wow, WellBeing! My husband and I are new parents and I cannot tell you how invaluable your articles from issue #158 on sustainable living, selfcare and rewilding have been. I’ve only just purchased it and cannot put my copy down! We’ve lived a fairly Paleo life for a few years now: growing our own herbs and vegies, avoiding prepackaged goods, making bone broths etc. We use rainwater wherever possible and have solar panels, tinted windows, insulation and LED downlights in…

A powerhouse green leafy vegetable with some of the most concentrated nutrients of any food, kale (Brassica oleracea acephala) is the closest of the Brassica family to the original wild cabbage. Until the end of the Middle Ages, kale was the most widely eaten green vegetable in Europe. There’s evidence that both curly and flat leaf varieties were eaten as far back as the 4th century BCE in Greece. The Brassica family is a large family that includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kohlrabi, mustard, turnips and rocket, among others. NUTRIENTS IN KALE One cup of kale contains about 40 calories, low oxalates (so mineral absorption is improved) and significantly more nutrients overall than spinach. It contains minerals such as copper, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron and phosphorus, along with…

BRANKA DONCEVSKA W: myartyfriend.com.au, facebook.com/myartyfriend, instagram.com/myartyfriend I am a curious and passionate person. I appreciate beauty and enjoy spending time in nature and in the company of animals. Love and connection are important to me and it’s my nature to seek to understand myself and those around me. I enjoy reading books with words that inspire me and expressing myself through art, poetry and philosophy. Being true to myself and following my heart are really important values to me. For me, my art is about relationships and connection: the relationship between line and space, between colours, between my experience and my expression; connecting to myself, connecting to the colours, the medium, the page or canvas. I seldom plan my work and don’t seek or listen to criticism. I don’t need…

Microneedling has become the darling of the beauty industry over the past five years. With research showing it’s able to increase your own natural collagen up to 1000 per cent after a single treatment and is safe for all skin types, it’s no wonder people were queuing up at salons when it was first released. Yet did you know this treatment can be performed completely holistically, working with your body to reduce sideeffects and increase results? Best of all, it can be performed either in a salon or in the comfort of your own home. Interested? First, it’s time to explain what microneedling actually is. Microneedling is also referred to as skin needling or dermarolling. It involves the use of tiny microneedles being rolled or stamped onto the skin to…

To get your little one used to added zest, start with mild spices such as cinnamon, fennel, dill and lavender, then introduce other flavour enhancers such as garlic and onion. Here are some more suggestions from Leah Hechtman: ■ Cinnamon added to stewed fruits is therapeutically supportive to warm the body (helpful with newborn circulation challenges) and warm digestion (helps them digest foods more easily). ■ Fennel is a great carminative (relieves gas). The essential oil content eases wind and helps the release of digestive enzymes to break down and assimilate foods eaten. Great for colic or tummy upsets, too. ■ Dill is also a carminative but is gentler and milder-tasting than fennel. Excellent when added to a vegetable mash for windy babies. ■ Lavender flowers can be added to…

Tea, known by its botanical name Camellia sinensis, is the second most popular beverage consumed in the world — second only to water! It’s estimated that every year around 5 million tonnes of tea leaves are produced and enjoyed by tea lovers the world over. The story of tea encompasses many varieties, all made from this one plant, and the many health effects that arise from this singular brew. TEA VARIETIES All varieties of tea we discuss here — white, green and black — come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. To make the different varieties of tea, the fresh tea leaves undergo different levels of oxidisation: a natural chemical reaction that produces a variety of different tastes and colour characteristics. Tea plants need to be immaculately maintained and cultivated,…

Several companies are already embracing aspects of the circular economy. These include Mud Jeans in the Netherlands, which makes its product from a mix of organic cotton and recycled worn jeans. Options include leasing, purchasing, repair and swapping. American clothing firm Patagonia aims to maximise durability and also runs the largest repair facility of its kind in North America, where 45 employees mend clothing that has been returned to the company. Together with eBay, it launched a remarkable anti-consumer program known as Common Threads, where customers are encouraged to buy used Patagonia products in preference to new. Desso is a Dutch carpetmaker that has received Cradle to Cradle accreditation for its practices. All materials are recycled, reused or remanufactured, and all the energy used in production comes from hydroelectric power.…

■ Getting there Air Asia, Malaysia Airlines and Qantas all fly direct to Kuala Lumpur. Air Asia connects to Sumatra’s capital Medan where 30-day visas are off ered to Australians on arrival (US$35). Buses depart Medan’s Pinang Baris bus station for Berastagi (90 minutes) and Bukit Lawang (2.5 hours). To reach Pulau Weh, fly Lion Air, Garuda or Sriwijaya Air to Banda Aceh, catch the fast ferry and continue by taxi to Iboih (pronounced ee-bow). ■ When to go The dry season, which lasts from February to September. ■ What to pack Lightweight hiking boots and a waterproof jacket for Gunung Sibayak’s often wet and windy summit; malaria medication and snorkelling gear for Pulau Weh; adventure sandals to explore Bukit Lawang, and plenty of local currency.…

SYNERGIE SKIN REJUVADERM HOME ROLLER The Rejuvaderm microneedle roller creates 0.25mm microchannels in the skin surface, allowing the passage of active ingredients through the dead outer layer and into the target zone. Daily rolling with the Rejuvaderm improves penetration of active ingredients by up to 40 times more effectively than massaging the serum directly into your skin. It’s simple science that can improve the performance of your skincare. For best results, use with Synergie SuperSerum. W: synergieskin.com EVERESCENTS NATURAL HAIRSPRAY A natural hairspray lacquer that provides strong hold and a natural gloss finish without any aerosols. It is water-resistant, strong, durable and packaged in an easyto-use trigger spray or a convenient travel-size mist spray. No petrochemicals, plastics or polymers — no more scalp or eye irritations! W: everescents. com.au DERMA…

SALLY MATHRICK is a practising naturopath who runs Sparkle Wellness & Detox delivering detox information, online courses and retreats. She is running her next Detox Your World workshop at Seven Sisters Festival in March. For more details, visit sparklewell.com.au and soundmedicine.com.au. Theory U helps us to step into an “eco-centric” rather than “ego-centric” way of thinking, working and acting together. If one actively investigates the level of toxicity on our planet today, it’s easy to feel helpless and overwhelmed. It can seem as though there’s no way out of the quagmire of plastic, pesticides and poisons littering our waterways, soils and airways. It’s not abnormal to feel defeated by the mechanics of contemporary consumer culture, propped up by annual production of tonnes of toxic chemicals, further adding to the toxic…

KAREN GOLDRICK is a holistic veterinarian at All Natural Vet Care, Russell Lea, Sydney, Australia. T: +61 2 9712 5844 W: naturalvet.com.au The most important rule is this: your pet needs to want to eat the food. Recent reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend reducing our consumption of processed meat to reduce the risk for colorectal cancer. Similarly, there are foods we should avoid feeding our pets to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses. What you eat, and what your pets eat, is an integral part of wellbeing. Food provides the building blocks of life: protein for growth maintenance and repair, carbohydrates for energy, fats as an important source of calories, essential fatty acids for absorption of fatsoluble vitamins, vegetables for fibre, vitamins, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Using a…

DR MICHAEL ELSTEIN is an anti-ageing physician and writer based in Sydney, Australia. He is the author of three books including his latest, The Wellness Guide to Preventing the Diseases of Ageing. He has also designed the app The Diet Guide To Ageing Prevention. Sleep disruption carries with it the increased likelihood of developing diabetes, obesity and heart disease. Many modern people are insomniacs, which prompts us to grab the medicinal quick-fix to numb our hypervigilant brains. However, our reliance on a drug to anaesthetise our mental disharmony comes at a substantial cost. Benzodiazepines or the Valium derivatives, the most commonly prescribed sleep-inducing medications, erode memory function if taken for a protracted period of time and there is evidence linking long-term Valium use with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. Antidepressants,…

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO Editorial assistant Kate Duncan has been busy getting inspired at workshops held by nutritional biochemist Dr Libby Weaver (left) and intuitive energy healer Caroline Myss (below). It’s a tough job ... but someone has to do it. WHAT’S COMING UP FOR YOU February 1–29, AU Heart Research Month heartresearch. com.au February 6–28, Victoria, AU Sustainable Living Festival slf.org.au February 19–21, Canberra, AU Health, Harmony & Soul Festival healthharmonysoul. com.au/canberra February 20 UN World Day of Social Justice February 20, 21, 27 & 28, Various, AU Food Matters Live foodmatters.com.au February 25–28, Hawaii Wanderlust Festival wanderlust.com March 1–7, Rishikesh, India International Yoga Festival internationalyoga festival.com March 11–13, Auckland, NZ Voices of Sacred Earth Festival kawaipurapura.co.nz/voices-of-sacred-earth March 11–13, Panama Forest, TAS Panama Festival panamafestival.com.au March 11–14, Adelaide,…