Innehållsförteckning för Issue 175 från WellBeing

The comfort of familiarity can be a wonderful anchor to bring you back “home”. Home might be physically returning to your humble abode, the warm embrace of a loved one or perhaps even a connection to your breath. These examples all share a common theme: they nurture us. In yoga, this is described as bhava, a feeling state. Bhava is cultivated through a clear intention of what you want to create and impart, which you then hold space for. When putting together this issue of WellBeing, our annual Nurture Me edition, I discovered something very interesting. “Coming home” and feeling a sense of warmth, familiarity and ease can also occur in unprecedented circumstances — like a new job. As with anything new, your experiences are predominantly unfamiliar when starting a…

Lasting gains from meditation The Shamatha Project is a study that examines the effects of two intensive meditation retreats held in 2007. It follows 60 experienced meditators who attended these three-month meditation retreats and received ongoing instruction in meditation techniques. They attended group meditation sessions twice a day and engaged in individual practice for about six hours a day. Immediately after the study, subjects showed improvements in attention as well as in general psychological wellbeing. Since the retreats, the researchers have followed up with participants at six and 18 months and, most recently, at seven years. The subjects who remained in the study at the seven-year followup all reported that they continued some form of meditation practice over the seven-year period, equivalent to about an hour a day, on average.…

The olive tree is indigenous to the Levant, in the Eastern Mediterranean, but is now grown and used extensively throughout the world. The first Spanish settlers introduced the tree to America. Since ancient times, the olive tree has been utilised for its many medicinal properties. It’s the first botanical medicine mentioned in the Bible, in Ekeziel 47:12: “The fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” Ancient Egyptians used it for mummifying royalty and the ancient Greeks used it to relieve fevers. In 1843, Englishman Daniel Hanbury reported the use of the leaf for healing malaria and fevers. Active ingredients The primary constituents of the leaf are the secoiridoids — oleuropein mainly — plus polyphenols, triterpenes including oleanolic acid, and the flavonoids rutin, quercetin and diosmin.…

What initially drew you to aromatherapy? I never even knew pure essential oils existed when I was introduced to the exotic scent of jasmine blooms more than 30 years ago! Yet, since that first aromatic encounter, I have never looked back. To this very day I marvel at the wonder of this ancient practice. It has always been [about] the rapture of scent and the way that in one simple breath you can feel uplifted, aroused and relaxed. Pure essential [oils] have enriched all aspects of my life. What is aromatherapy? Simply put, aromatherapy uses pure essential oils extracted from plants as medicinal remedies for emotional and physical wellbeing. Aromatherapy is like a journey of discovery into the world of the senses. It works on the mind, body and spirit,…

When the nights are long and the days are short, there’s nothing like soothing the soul with a hearty bowl of bone broth. Bone broth is one of the world’s miracle foods and broth-based dishes are the cornerstone of many traditional food cultures because of the remarkable health benefits bone broth contains. When you simmer fish, beef, chicken, venison or lamb bones with filtered water, a dash of apple-cider vinegar, salt, pepper and a few of your favourite in-season vegetables for 12 or more hours, it creates a concoction that can assist in building stronger joints, improving digestion and even helping to keep inflammatory conditions, such as hay fever and asthma, at bay. Plus, given that a bag of bones (I use organic bones wherever possible) costs just a few…

Over the past decade, gluten has received a great deal of attention as the medical community and other healthcare practitioners have become more aware of the potentially harmful effects of it on some people. We have seen a rapid increase globally in the incidence of coeliac disease (CD) and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) as well as a current trend of people choosing to avoid gluten without being diagnosed. Gluten is a protein complex found in wheat, rye and barley. It’s one of the most widely consumed proteins in the world. Gluten is made up of two different proteins, glutenin and gliadin, which are responsible for giving dough its elasticity and ability to rise. It’s like glue holding food together, giving it shape and texture. Wheat, rye and barley are ancient…

Modern astrologers identify eight different phases within the longer monthly Moon cycle. As the Moon moves through her phases, she changes shape and size, sometimes waxing or growing, other times waning, shrinking or staying hidden. Each moon phase has its own feeling and focus, and is better for certain things and less helpful for others. Firmicus Maternus, writing in the 4th century CE, said, “The innermost parts of the human grow when the Moon grows, and when she begins to lose light they languish, fatigued in body; when she (the Moon) grows again, their power of growth comes flooding back.” Following the moon phases You, especially your physical body and your innermost self, that is, your emotions and moods, respond unconsciously to the call of the Moon. As the Moon…

In an age of disruption and chasing spontaneity there’s still something to be said for predictability and process. However, when the notion of routine is raised, a shudder of boredom is the response. Many creative types or innovators feel that the drudgery of routine is an enemy of the imagination. One of the most iconic and revered of American writers, John Steinbeck, lamented, “It’s a hard thing to leave any deeply routined life, even if you hate it.” Yet, when novelty is all you seek, you forget the subtle power of routine and how it can be woven into your life to enhance it and stabilise you. Finding your groove While variety may be the spice of life, in times of adversity, having those rituals and routines can be the…

Most of us will be familiar with many of the self-care practices professed by wellbeing experts around the world, like meditating, journalling and eating nourishing superfoods. But there is an essential self-care element we often forget about and that’s the practice of managing our money. So many of us are rushing through life, doing jobs we don’t enjoy, buying things we don’t need to impress people we don’t like, that we forget to consider what we value and what role we choose for money to have in our lives. Is it any wonder that we (and our purses) are feeling burnt out? Thankfully, the selfcare movement has emerged to remind us that it’s OK to slow down and give our minds, bodies, spirits and finances the attention they need. Like…

Beady eyes penetrate mine and for a split second my whole life flashes by like the blur of a snow flurry. Behind the eyes stands 450 kilograms of bulk. Bold. Beautiful. Her buttery popcorn-coloured fur is streaked with caked-on mud. It would only take a few bounds and the apex predator of the Arctic could satisfy her hunger. But she doesn’t. Instead, she stands and stares at me. Beside her, a mini version of herself takes a couple of steps closer. Playful, inquisitive and stretching the boundaries of a cub, his fur is more like that of his brown cousin than a polar bear. “Hey, beautiful,” says Andy, our quietly spoken guide who is known as the Polar Bear Whisperer. “Your cub looks healthy. You’re doing a great job.” Andy’s…

Screens THE POST Directed by STEPHEN SPIELBERG Starring MERYL STREEP, TOM HANKS FILM STARS DON’T DIE IN LIVERPOOL Directed by PAUL MCGUIGAN Starring ANNETTE BENING, JAMIE BELL In the movies, true stories aren’t always exactly true and history is often told by men. But here are two “difficult” women in a man’s world, one calling the shots in the world of newspapers, the other a Hollywood star in exile. In The Post, it’s 1971 and The Washington Post is struggling. Owner and publisher Katharine Graham is about to launch the daily on the stock exchange to raise much-needed capital when her feisty editor Ben Bradlee proposes they risk everything by publishing the Pentagon Papers, a cache of leaked documents exposing the lies four administrations have told about the conduct of…

When we think about stress, we usually think it’s something that happens only in our heads. But when we feel stressed the good bacteria in the gut feel it, too, and this affects mood, general health and skin. So how does stress affect your gut, your brain and your beauty? Your gut is engaged in constant two-way communication with your brain via your vagus nerve. Think of the vagus nerve as your internal information superhighway and your gut as your second brain. Some research suggests that people who are more grateful experience less stress, anxiety and depression, sleep better and have better relationships. How stress works Stress activates two main pathways in your body: the pituitary–adrenal axis, which increases production of stress-regulating hormones, and the autonomic nervous system, which regulates…

There is a tree in a community garden. Every day, patients at a nearby mental hospital gather to sit beneath its branches or lean against its trunk. The tree was a gift to the community several decades ago. It was a seedling then; now it is massive, solid and beautiful. A tree cannot have emotions and yet it does. It is serene. Ten years ago the garden’s caretakers noticed people had begun to sit under the tree. They were calm, happy and smiling, sitting in the dappled shadows, with green and growing things around them. Staff at that hospital now encourage patients to sit there each morning. The gardeners bring biscuits or herbal tea to share if anyone feels like joining them. And, no, a wellness tree does not replace…

There are two things we know about exercise: it’s good for you in more ways than you expect and, if the contorted grimaces of pain etched on the faces of those who are dedicated to pounding the pavements and straining their honed biceps are anything to go by, we don’t like doing it. Yet there’s mounting scientific evidence that exercise is not only beneficial for your heart and waistline but it also has the power to curb osteoporosis, overcome depression, alleviate fatigue, reduce the risk of breast, colorectal and stomach cancers, boost your memory and mental faculties, possibly prevent dementia and, most importantly, make you more adroit and nimble between the sheets. Despite all this, the floodgates of enthusiasm for getting off the couch have not opened. Exercise simply doesn’t…

My mind loves to segment things and compartmentalise so it can attempt to process them: ideas, events, thoughts and feelings. I appear to have done this with my life: pre-25 years old; then 25–30; 30–now, aged 33. The first stage can sometimes appear as a blur. Perhaps that made it easier to deal with the painful period. A challenging upbringing, tragic events, abuse and trauma pushed me so far into a shell that I never thought I would emerge. During the OK times, this was OK with me. My introverted character and lack of self-esteem meant hiding was easier and far less painful than attempting to be happy in front of people; or, worse, opening up to the ridicule of others. Until the occasional but inevitable explosions of emotion, anger…

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Did something resonate with you in this issue of WellBeing? Tell us! Write to WellBeing, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde, NSW 1670, email wbletters@umco.com.au, comment on our Facebook page or Instagram account: @WellBeing_Magazine. We reserve the right to edit all letters. Michael Leunig I’ve just finished WellBeing #173 and very much enjoyed the Thinkers & Doers article on Michael Leunig. I grew up with his cartoons; Mum and Dad would often cut them out of the newspaper and put them up around our house. Even though Leunig is such a respected and celebrated artist, it was very grounding to hear him say he still doubts himself. At age 28, I achieved a huge goal of mine: running for my local council. Even though I was very successful in my campaign,…

Men & punishment For a new study, subjects were men and women given the opportunity to punish each other by withholding tokens. Results showed that men punish more than women, men obtain higher rank and punishment by males decreases payoffs for both sexes. Furthermore, men are willing to punish people who have done nothing wrong except co-operate. According to the researchers, there may be two reasons for this gender disparity. Men are known to favour physical punishment of unfair behaviour and men are also less co-operative and less generous compared with their female counterparts. Second, status affects co-operative behaviour and women may feel differently about status and rank. If so, punishment may be a tool used by certain individuals to advance in rank. For example, explicit rankbased incentives caused men…

Matcha tea is grown in the shade, resulting in a higher percentage of chlorophyll than other green teas, and is the centrepiece of ancient Japanese tea rituals. Before it can be used, matcha is forced through a sieve to remove lumps. For the Japanese tea ceremony, it’s placed in a small tea caddy or used straight from the sieve. Two to four grams of matcha is scooped into a bowl then 60–80mL of hot (70–85°C) — not boiling — water is added. The mixture is then whisked to a uniform consistency with a small bamboo whisk. This is traditionally served with a small sweet to balance the bitterness. There are two main ways of preparing matcha: thick (koicha) and thin (usucha). Koicha has twice the amount of matcha and about…

T: +61 429 623 135 E: rveckermann@hotmail.com W: instagram.com/rubyeckermann My grandmother was the first person to introduce me to arts and crafts. She was quite an accomplished painter in her own right and somebody who could do anything in that department. Together we would paste, draw, mix, plant, sew and try any type of practical innovation I could imagine. I seem to have learnt or inherited her ability to create; for as long as I can remember I’ve been entering art competitions and experimenting with different media. I was introduced to lino printing a few years ago and since that time I’ve been repeatedly drawn back to its intricacies and simplicity to convey beautiful detail and impact simultaneously. My most recent series was created for my coursework portfolio and I…

A revolution is underway, one that is on track to radically change the way citizens of affluent countries live, and it involves becoming “smart” — in a radiofrequency (RF) energy-emitting sense. The nexus between the internet and the smartphone is fertile ground for a growing number of smart home devices, and over the next couple of years these are expected to undergo an explosion in quantity. Predictions of the number of connected things in use worldwide by 2020 range from 20–50 billion. An internet of things The Internet of Things (IoT) is a vision of appliances and objects communicating with one another in a structure that increasingly resembles a global brain. Another frequently used term for it is the “smart grid”. For users, there’s a range of anticipated benefits. These…

You have a brand-new mortgage and your work hours are cut, your partner has cancelled a weekend away and the dishwasher has just flooded the kitchen. Before you reach for a handful of cookies or that brie calling you from the fridge, get curious about the motivation behind it. Are you really hungry? Why do we eat if it’s not for sustenance to fuel our bodies? To fill a need? For something to do? Because we’re happy, sad, tired or afraid? Turns out it can be all of the above. Dr Michelle May, author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat, says that by asking the simple question “Am I hungry?” you open the door to a deeper awareness and understanding of yourself. “Once inside, there’s much to…

Denise Linn is an international lecturer, healer and worldacclaimed expert in feng shui and space clearing. She has given seminars in 25 countries to audiences of thousands, published 18 books, which are translated into 28 languages, and has appeared on the BBC, Oprah and NBC. Her message is simple: the soul loves the truth. When you read Linn’s work it transports you, sucking you into a meditative, sensual trance where her concepts stir a latent wisdom deep within. Speaking to her is much the same. You can almost feel the Earth’s hum and pulse as well as the trees, clouds and sea coming to life when she speaks with such reverence for the wisdom of native cultures or the signs the natural world imparts to us. Linn draws most of…

The so-called baggage of the past that we seem to take with us cannot ever be truly released from our psyches, but it needn’t define who we are if we learn to accept the past and reappraise its influence on us. Reappraisal is an emotion-regulation strategy that involves changing your emotional response by reinterpreting the meaning of what has occurred. Defined as the use of deliberate and effortful processes to change an enduring and negative emotional response, reappraisal tries to untie us from the often debilitating emotions that can accompany life events. It’s a process that involves recognising the negative feelings you have around an event or series of events and then reinterpreting the situation to reduce the severity of those negative feelings. By changing your negative attitude to a…

Many people take their spirituality for granted. By spirituality, I am referring to an individual’s experience of the sacred or transcendent that expands their sense of self into a more unified state of awareness. It’s usually associated with a search for deeper life meaning, with questioning identity and having a willingness to change through personal transformation. Whether pursued within a structured religious expression or a more informal, personalised context, spirituality is viewed by spiritually aware people as a core aspect of identity. They have a “spiritual knowing” that grounds them to something greater than their mortal lives, a knowing that helps them deal with life’s challenges. It’s not that they never experience doubt; it’s just that they hold that experience within the comforting embrace of a faith or deep knowing.…

Getting there From Australia, the gateway to Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge is through Vancouver or Los Angeles, on to Winnipeg and into Churchill. There you will pick up a Churchill Wild charter flight (one hour flying time) directly to the lodge. Winnipeg is also a fascinating city to explore. Head to the Assiniboine Park Zoo, home of the International Polar Bear Conservation Centre and the Journey to Churchill exhibition, where you can get an underwater perspective of polar bears swimming. When to go Polar bear viewing season is between July and November, with each month offering a different type of experience. Early in the season, there’s a chance to see females emerging from their dens with cubs, right through to late season when the polar bears are gathering on the…

Whether you’re new to yoga or a seasoned practitioner, Lola Berry’s new book, The Yoga Body, is like receiving a warm hug from your yoga teacher after class: gentle, inspiring and full of wisdom. Berry, a nutritionist and yoga teacher, shares how to achieve and maintain your “yoga body” and how to quieten your busy mind. Gorgeous mandala illustrations fill the pages, which are thoughtfully separated into three sections: yoga practice, yoga food and yoga mind. At the beginning, you’ll learn the benefits of yoga, the different styles of yoga and a few sequences, as well as detailed instructions for getting into the poses. In the middle section, Berry offers her top tips for healthy eating, a vegan seven-day cleanse and more than 60 scrumptious recipes. Then, in the final…

Silly Yaks Silly Yaks Anzac Biscuits are free of wheat, gluten, nut, dairy, egg, soy and yeast but they still taste great! The biscuits are handmade with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, making them a fantastic allergy-friendly kids’ treat or adult indulgence. W: sillyyaks.com.au Sassi Salts Black Pyramid Sea Salt Flakes Mixed with activated charcoal, a natural digestive aid and detoxifier, Sassi Salts Black has the same versatility as white salt and can be used to add a spectacular colour contrast to virtually any dish; it’s particularly impressive over white meats and fish. W: sassisalts.com.au HoneyLife Manuka Honey Manuka honey is renowned as one of nature’s finest superfoods. HoneyLife uses raw, unrefined honey without heat or chemical processes and each batch is university laboratory-tested for MGO value. HoneyLife’s range…

While the season of warm coats, movie nights, fluffy blankets and soup ladles is upon us, it’s time for some real talk: The Winter Talk. During summer, most of us tend to feel and eat better. During winter, it becomes easier to let our health slip; we can fall into hibernation mode. It’s important to ensure you’re still looking after yourself because it helps build your immunity when colds and viruses are most prevalent. So how do you stay healthy without constant sunshine, ocean swims, smoothie blitzing and salad bowls? Here are some simple ways to improve your gut health, enjoy food and feel the benefits this winter! We all know probiotics are necessary for the flourishing of “friendly” bacteria in the gut but we often forget to acknowledge their…

Functional foods promote wellness and healthy cellular function. Examples of those we may give to pets include curcumin, milk thistle, probiotics, spirulina and some berries. Medicinal mushrooms are also becoming popular for pets with chronic illness or debility. Mushrooms have been used worldwide for centuries for their medicinal effects. Modern research is helping us understand the benefits of medicinal mushrooms for our health. Although most research is centred on human medicine, we have prescribed combinations of medicinal mushrooms for many years to treat cancer, immune-mediated disease, kidney disease, liver disease, allergies and stress in dogs and cats. Mushrooms tend to grow in cool, damp climates. They consist of an above-ground fruiting body (the stem and cap) and the mycelium below ground. As well as having medicinal benefits, these mushrooms are…

A 48-year-old woman who has had severe migraines since adolescence came to see me. She had tried every medical treatment offered, with little improvement. She had taken Zomig, Cafergot and Panadeine for years for pain relief and, while these helped her cope on a day-to-day basis, they did little to reduce the frequency or severity of her condition. Anatomy of a migraine Research has shown that about 12 per cent of the population suffers from migraines, women three times more frequently than men. While there’s considerable debate about the pathophysiology, migraines are thought to be caused by changes in the excitability of the neurons in the trigeminal nerve (a major pain pathway). Imbalances in serotonin are a contributing factor and levels tend to drop during an attack, causing the trigeminal…

What would a tradesman be without his tools? There is always a method to the madness. Toolkits are imperative for solving a problem or preventing an issue from developing into something greater. They’re used for resolving common concerns in our material world, but where do they come up in our wellbeing? You often visit a doctor or specialist when you’re feeling physically unwell. If you are experiencing any form of mental struggle, you may talk to a psychologist or psychiatrist. If you’re energetically out of balance, you might visit a kinesiologist, reiki practitioner or other type of energetic healer. Then there are the spaces in between these levels of severity. You cut yourself shaving, so you cover the wound with a Band-Aid. A bystander speaks to you poorly on your…

My younger daughter and I were chatting on the way to school. We had misjudged someone who turned out to be quite nice once we met them. I offered “Don’t judge a book by its cover” as the proverbial learning. She countered, “Don’t judge it by … what’s that thing on the back of a book called?” “The blurb?” I offered. “Yes.” She seemed satisfied. “Don’t judge a book by its blurb.” That set me thinking about blurbs. A blurb, after all, is where a book tells you what it wants to be, not what it actually is. We all know the sad deflation of getting 10 pages into a book only to find that the promised “riveting” read is, in fact, a vacuous ramble. It set me thinking, too,…

I exercise to feel a happy dose of endorphins. Afterwards, I feel like I can take on the world! I nourish my body with healthy foods and the occasional treat. I love nature walks with my dog and long bike rides with my daughter. Nata Jonjic By reminding myself to breathe from my belly whenever I remember and encouraging myself each evening to go to bed that little bit earlier. @cecilia.rosenberg In my life, I include a loving practice of self-reflection and gratitude. This includes guided meditation, walking, learning something new, eating clean wholefoods, drinking clean water, as well as enjoying clean air and nature. This is all in the name of finding peace, joy, health and happiness in everything I do. Diane Jurcola Daily rituals that connect me to…

Penguins in flow King penguins are threatened by climate change with warming temperatures shifting their main food sources farther south. A key to king penguin survival may be the discovery that their colonies behave like a liquid. Instead of building nests, king penguin pairs lay a single egg per breeding season, which the parents take turns incubating and protecting by carrying it on their feet. Breeding pairs and individuals form very large and dense colonies. Using aerial photographs, researchers found that the penguin colony’s movement resembles the movements of molecules in a liquid. Although a colony consists of pairs at vastly different parts of the 14-month breeding cycle, if a pair loses or abandons their egg, their space in the colony is immediately filled; the colony flows into the space…

Balance is universally desired, yet seeking and achieving a sense of equilibrium can be one of life’s greatest trials. One such way to unite light and dark or, as the yogis call it, effort and ease, is through sound healing. It is no coincidence that Tibetan Sound Healing and Gong Aura held their sound-healing event during the autumn equinox. Equal parts day and night marks the start of autumn and this is a sacred time for seeking protection and undertaking healing practices. There’s a motivational cosmic force at play and you can harness its power to embark on change. It’s an opportunity to assess what you have welcomed into your life as well as acknowledge what you are ready to let go of. It’s a Friday night in North Bondi.…

In the developed world we spend most of our lives within humanmade environments. Artificially lit, air-conditionea within. While few of us would challenge such a way of life, a growing body of evidence suggests deprivation from the natural environment has negative consequences for our health and wellbeing. In fact, many researchers believe a lot of modern stress derives from our lack of adaptation to living in urban environments. A report commissioned by Beyondblue (Beyond Blue to Green: The Benefits of Contact With Nature For Mental Health and Well-Being) found contact with nature, including merely viewing a garden through a window, can enhance our health. As well as invigorating and rejuvenating us, nature can reduce stress, depression, anger and frustration, improve our mood and physical health, enhance focus and clarity, and…

It’s almost universally referred to as an oil when, in fact, it’s a polyunsaturated liquid plant wax. When is an oil not an oil? When it’s a natural beauty product called jojoba. It might look and feel like an oil but it’s actually a nutrient-rich organic wax extracted from the seed of the jojoba plant and has a diverse range of beauty uses. With a global shift away from potentially harmful cosmetic additives like parabens, phthalates and propylene glycol, jojoba, along with other organic products like it, is becoming more and more popular. The name jojoba — pronounced “ho-ho-ba” — is a derivative of the Native American name for the seed, hohowi. It’s also known as coffeeberry, pig nut and deer nut. Native Americans used jojoba for centuries in medicines…

Nature has its own cycles: the wheel of the year turns through the seasons and the Sun and the Moon move through their rhythms. We are part of this magic universe and to live in harmony with our magnificent Mother Nature is to recognise, appreciate and connect with her rhythms. The Moon symbolises the divine feminine energy of the universe, which has been revered by a multitude of ancient cultures including Babylon, China, India, Israel and the Arabian Peninsula. These cultures recognised the potent influence of the Moon on planet Earth and incorporated it into their lunar calendars, which are believed to have preceded the solar ones. “The New and Full Moons represent to the month roughly what the solstices mean to the year, for during one synodic month the…

When you face a challenge in your life, do you feel equipped to handle it or do you become overwhelmed and stuck in the difficulty, grief or even the unfairness of your situation? Whether you are facing an illness, career change, divorce, family challenge, or any other significant difficulty, there are techniques you can use to build optimism and rewire your brain for resilience. 1. Embrace the power of vulnerability “Vulnerability is not weakness. And that myth is profoundly dangerous,” says vulnerability and courage expert Brene Brown. When I became a mum for the first time last year I discovered why being real and vulnerable was crucial to building resilience. In the early days when our little guy was not sleeping well, unsettled and crying all night, I quickly became…

Self-care is taking care of oneself with the aim of improving mental health. When you engage in self-care, you are more likely to feel positive and less likely to suffer from stress. Self-care can strengthen your relationships with others, such as friends and family, because when you feel positive, others feel positive around you due to the contagious nature of emotions. Effective self-care also means you have more energy and compassion to put into support for your loved ones. Self-care can also help lower your risk of unmanaged stress, as well as mood and anxiety disorders. While we can all benefit from self-care, it’s especially important for people who work in high stress environments or environments with exposure to trauma. Here are some helpful self-care tips to get you started.…

Giddy and nervous under a sunny summer sky, we pack our gear and join the throng of tourist traffic pouring east out of Hobart. Halfway towards the Tasman Peninsula we detour north, rumbling off the bitumen and onto the washed-out Wielangta Forest Drive to begin the long, rugged climb to Marion Bay Lookout. It’s a tough first day with full-laden touring bikes, lots of get-off-and-push hills and plenty of breaks. But when we top out above a deserted arc of coastline and stoke our first Tassie campfire, this freewheeling adventure from Hobart to Launceston, the long way, has us smiling. In true Tasmanian style, the wind begins to howl, the temperature plummets and rain falls in earnest. We attempt to sleep through it, cook in it, pack our bikes in…

Herbal Fix An Australian-made wellness range of six all-natural, functional beverages scientifically formulated to promote health and wellbeing. Each beverage contains up to seven organic herbs as well as eight vitamins and minerals known to boost your brain and body. Free from artificial ingredients and processed sugars, with only 65 calories per serve. W: herbalfix.com.au The Gawler Cancer Foundation Do you know someone who is facing a cancer diagnosis? Learn practical ways to promote healing, as well as help recovery, at a Lifestyle Medicine Cancer Retreat with The Gawler Cancer Foundation. W: gawler.org Golden Door at home Rejuvenate and restore with Golden Door’s body and haircare range featuring signature essential oil blends. Products are all natural and Australian made, with no harmful chemicals, colours or synthetics and are not tested…

At the end of each day I often used to sit down and watch TV because it was a way to relax and unwind. Since reality TV has become so popular, I find just watching some shows makes me feel more stressed. On these shows, contestants are always racing to beat the clock. We hear statements such as, “I have to get it perfect or I’ll be going home.” Then we break for an ad where you see a busy mother who is suffering from heartburn and, rather than being told to slow down and eat better, she is told that this medication will fix all her problems. These messages have led to an epidemic of mindlessness, and the repercussions affect our entire population. We are seeing increasing numbers of…

Endocrine di sruptors, put simply, are chemicals (manmade or natural) that can alter your endocrine (hormone) system. They can block hormone receptor channels or send mixed messages, allowing your system to believe you are already producing adequate amounts of certain hormones as they mimic them, thus slowing your natural production. It’s not a great idea to disrupt hormones as, when your body’s balance is upset, health and mood issues from minor to major may arise. Unfortunately, “normal” modern life means you are exposed to a whole bunch of endocrine disruptors throughout the day. As a result, the incidence of health issues related to hormones, be they thyroid, sex hormones, adrenals or others, is rising. The effects of endocrine-disruptive chemicals on your body include compromised reproductive and behavioural health, immune system,…

Have you tried to make wellbeing change and felt you failed? Do you find yourself lurching from adopting great wellbeing strategies to abandoning them at other times? Or do you have desires to adopt new wellbeing strategies but just never seem to find the time to decisively act on these desires? Be assured, you are not alone. Let’s look at how to achieve sustainable wellbeing change. Think of a new habit as a dim light. The more you use the new habit, the stronger the light becomes. Awareness is not enough The first step in any change journey is awareness. Awareness will provide you with the impetus, the reasoning you need to have the desire to make wellbeing change. Achieving awareness means you start by acknowledging that your present wellbeing…

Cancer With a New Moon in Cancer on Jul 13 there will be no more sidestepping things. Pluto opposes the Sun and Moon in their monthly embrace and it’s all about Cancer’s relationships. Via your lunar nature, relationships are intense, whether off or on. It’s time to go deep, get real, forgive and stand up for your morals. Compassion towards self and others is key. Neptune is helping you take this perspective even more strongly in August when Jupiter joins the water dance. Virgo Earthy and practical Virgo is more concerned with emotions as the water dance of Neptune/Jupiter whirls you onto less solid ground. What mysteries outside daily routines are asking more of you? It may be time to redesign the schedule in July and August to encompass the…

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