Innehållsförteckning för Issue 185 från WellBeing

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. All the wonderful things in life I bought my first ever copy of WellBeing (issue #177) a while ago now, purely the natural traveller because the picture protect your health & enjoy your travels on the front cover drew me in. I wanted to be that woman swimming in the ocean. I read through the magazine in the little bits of time snatched between working, being a mum and living life. As I sit in my hammock today, on a gorgeous sunny day in Melbourne, I read about…

Insects on the slide A new study in Germany has shown that insects are disappearing even more rapidly than was previously thought. For their study, researchers collected more than one million insects at 300 sites, in 2008 and then again in 2018. The resulting figures were quite alarming. They found that in forested areas there was a 40 per cent reduction in insect overall biomass. The results in grassland were even more dramatic, with the insect biomass decreasing by 67 per cent. The biggest losses in insect numbers were in grasslands surrounded by intensively farmed land, and the most impacted species were those insects that could not travel far. Although forests are doing better than grassland the overall figures are concerning, given the vital role of insect species in the…

“The sound of the crickets kept me awake … again!” I complained to my fiancé Henry for the third night in a row. He was surprised; I’m not one to agitate easily. “They always sound like that. Just think of them as soothing nature sounds,” he said, trying to ease my irritation. I knew something wasn’t quite right. Why were the crickets bugging me like crazy?! “Your nutrient levels might be low. Let’s get some bloods done,” Kirsty Wirth from Kultured Wellness explained when I voiced my frustrations about the crickets over our weekly video call. “You can get very sensitive to sounds when you’re low in nutrients. It’s a sign your body is working overtime to remove toxins,” she explained with a knowing smile. “Go and get yourself some…

The boundless beauty of the ocean still astounds me as I glide over the long, elongated branches of an underwater paddock of dusky pink sea whips, swaying in the current below on Half Moon Wall. No matter how many times I dive into her depths, the mesmerising colours, the changing shades of blue, the smell and the sounds of the sea still entrance me. What is it about water that intoxicates and draws us into a suspended state of bliss? I am enjoying a week of scuba diving on one of Aggressor fleet’s liveaboard vessels stationed in Belize, home to the world’s second-longest barrier reef. The reef system runs parallel to the country’s entire coastline, promising adrenalin-induced encounters with beautiful, bizarre life forms, countless species of fish and exotic gardens…

It goes without saying that seafood has some unique nutritional properties, not to mention an incomparable richness in flavour. If you’ve been thinking fish is just another weekday meal on a plate, it’s time to think again. Protein Seafood has an incredible abundance of nutrients, but one of the standouts is the macronutrient protein. The human body requires a balance of macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) from the diet and, while protein requirements can be some of the more challenging for individuals to meet, a small serve of seafood can help increase quality protein intake with ease. Seafood such as fish and shellfish contain the nine essential amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine) or building blocks required to make a complete protein. These essential…

John Gottman in Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child outlines four parenting styles as follows. You might find you draw from one or more styles at different times. The dismissing parent Here, the parent treats the child’s feelings as unimportant or trivial and either ignores them, distracts them or makes light of them and shows little interest in them. They see the child’s emotions as irrational or toxic and think focusing on them will make them worse. They downplay the events leading to the feelings and think the child is demanding that they fix things when they may just want to be soothed. The disapproving parent This parent is like the dismissing parent but more exaggerated. They criticise the child, reprimand or punish the child for emotional expression even when they…

Jessica Sepel is the kind, compassionate and hard-working clinical nutritionist, bestselling author, international health blogger and beloved voice behind JSHealth and @jshealth. She spoke to WellBeing from her beachside home in Vaucluse, Sydney, which she shares with her partner in business and in life, Dean Steingold. The warm, bubbly and gracious 30-year-old is so down-to-earth that you feel that you are chatting with a close friend, which is surely how her 263,000 Instagram followers also feel. After a quick scroll through her honest and relatable feed, which is all about cultivating a healthy relationship with food and body-love practices, you can see why Sepel has attracted such a cult following. After having experienced her own struggles with food and body image, Sepel is passionate about helping others overcome disordered eating…

Arthritis is the term given to more than a hundred different medical conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system, specifically the joints. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, which is considered a “wear and tear” degenerative disease. Osteoarthritis occurs when there is continual stress being put on particular joints, which wears down the cartilage between the bones and joint. Cartilage is a type of smooth connective tissue that covers the ends of bones where they come together to form joints. It allows bones to glide easily over each other, along with providing cushioning and absorbing shock, and protecting the joints from injury. When cartilage wears down over time the bones start rubbing together, which results in pain and swelling, and eventually loss of mobility. Other types of arthritis…

You may have heard the epithet, “adapt or die.” In fact, this simple saying has been used in a number of settings, from coping with life to optimising business as well as in personal relationships. The thinking behind this notion was first proffered by English naturalist Charles Darwin in his seminal work, The Origin of Species, published in 1859. Still relevant today, Darwin contended that those species which have the innate ability to adapt to a changing environment have the best chance of surviving. He observed that “it is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Those that can’t adapt inevitably die or even die out as a species. This serves as a warning…

Getting there Mataranka is located 430km south of Darwin. Little Roper Stock Camp is located on Homestead Road, 2km from the hot springs. When to go Visit the Top End over the mild, dry winter months from May to September. Where to stay Great for adventurous souls, a moonlight swag at Little Roper Stock Camp offers a slice of the simple life with starry night views ($35/single, $50/double). If that’s not you, Bitter Springs Cabins is located within walking distance of the springs (from $130/night). The best luxury stay in the region is at Cicada Lodge in Nitmiluk Gorge, an hour’s drive from Mataranka (from $616/person/night, breakfast included). Don’t miss Mataranka’s Never Never Festival in May. Contact littleroperstockcamp.com.au, nt.gov.au.…

Yoga: A Manual for Life NAOMI ANNAND, BLOOMSBURY Naomi Annand’s first book, Yoga: A Manual for Life, is a compelling guide to modern yoga, its poses (asans) and how they can be worked into sequences to calm your busy mind. Beautiful images, neutral colours, nature photography and stunning illustrations fill the pages of the hardback, exposed-binding book. With accessible language and images, the guide teaches you how to use yoga and breath work to wake up feeling energised and inspired. Written for those who wish to develop a home self-practice, the sequences in Yoga: A Manual for Life offer self-care that can be fitted into your busy day-to-day life. Annand, the founder and owner of Yoga on the Lane, an East London yoga studio, has been practising and teaching yoga…

What does your personal beauty bag look like? Like many others, it might be overflowing with beauty creams, serums, perfumes, nail polishes and oils that you apply daily to your skin, body and hair. You’ve no doubt heard of “clean eating”, but have you heard of “clean beauty”? Similar to food, clean beauty is a term used to describe beauty products that are non-toxic. When applying high quantities of beauty products to your skin, a wide variety of chemicals is absorbed. Becoming conscious of what you put on your body is just as important as the food you put in your body. Is it time your beauty bag had a detox? The skin is your largest organ and consists of three layers: the epidermis is the outermost layer, the dermis…

Ever wondered what plant you can milk? The bean! Though, admittedly, you can make a “milk” from almonds, too, but it will take four to seven years to get a good almond crop from a newly planted tree. When it comes to beans, you can have your “soybean milk” in just 10 to 14 weeks from planting. What plant can give you jelly, tofu, miso for a delicious soup, natto, extremely dry and uninteresting fake hamburgers but the most delicious soup you have ever eaten? Beans. Beans come in thousands of varieties, shapes, colours, textures and tastes. You can eat them green, or use the dried bean, or, if really starving, the dried green bean American colonists called “leather britches” because they looked, tasted and had the texture of the…

At the fourth International Australian Biology of Ageing Conference 2019, world-renowned luminaries reinforced the premise that eating less is the primary way to slow down ageing. We’ve actually known this for quite a while. The buzz phrase is “caloric restriction” and it comes in many guises. You can try alternate day fasting or the much easier gambit of simply eating a mere 10 per cent less at each meal. And then there’s the much-vaunted 5/2 diet whereby you gorge yourself into oblivion for five days and spend the other two hunkered down in a 500-calorie restricted bunker. The problem with any of these diets is sustaining them for an extended length of time. As Stephen Simpson, professor in the aptly titled School of Life and Environmental Science at the University…

Flashes of movement from the busy street streamed through the cheap aluminium blinds, protecting me from the world outside. I watched in awe as the light danced on the roof, before I was ushered into a small room in the hospital. In there, I heard the worst four words of my life: “It’s not good news.” I’d had a miscarriage. Knowing that I was now part of a 25 per cent statistic made me feel like a failure. I was the person people would refer to when saying, “I know someone who’s had a miscarriage.” The pain of miscarriage is a strange one. For me, it was like missing something or someone who was never there. It was like mourning an idea or a dream; longing for the potential of…

Elderberries for the flu Elderberries have a long reputation as being flu fighters, but researchers wanted to establish exactly how these berries might do their work. To do this the researchers turned commercially farmed elderberries into a juice that was applied to human cells before, during and after being infected with the influenza virus. The researchers found that elderberry stops the early stage of infection by blocking proteins that the flu virus uses to attach to and enter cells. There was another unexpected effect though, in that elderberry also stopped the multiplication of viruses that did manage to enter the cells. On top of all that, elderberry caused cells to release chemical messengers called cytokines that enhanced immune activity. Obviously, if you can block the virus cycle at multiple points…

Curcumin (actually a group of curcuminoids) is the main active ingredient of the root of the turmeric plant, the “solid gold” of Ayurvedic medicine. It is a group of polyphenols with the chemical name of diferuloylmethane. First isolated in 1851, its chemical structure was determined in 1910 during research in Germany. Today turmeric (as curcumin) is prescribed worldwide with remarkable effectiveness. Turmeric powder contains about 3 per cent curcumin; curry powder contains less than 0.2 per cent. Bioavailability Curcumin in turmeric root has poor bioavailability as it is rapidly metabolised in the liver and the intestinal wall, so has limited use medically. However, when combined with piperine contained in black pepper (or long pepper in Ayurveda), bioavailability increases by 2000 per cent (in humans the dose was 2g curcumin to…

What are the core values behind your skincare brand Natural Instinct? Natural Instinct is all about helping women achieve beautiful skin, naturally. We know most women want to feel good about themselves and achieve glowing skin. Our greatest joy is found in helping these women do so without a huge price tag. We put our hearts into everything we do and every interaction we have. Our brand DNA is all about: • Using the finest natural ingredients sourced in a responsible and sustainable way.• Offering highly effective and uniquely formulated products that women love.• Caring for all living things — our face care products are all vegan and we do not test on animals or use animal by-products. What is your personal definition of natural beauty? Every woman is a…

Walking in the front door can feel like sanctuary. Alternatively, it can be a stressful environment of its own, filled with reminders of domestic jobs and repairs needing to be done, mess, clutter, noise, arguments with household members and other problems. While few of us have a perfect home life, it is possible to modify our personal domains to make them more of a refuge. Rather than fork out on sanity breaks in luxury hotels and day spas, why not spend time and effort on making our own home into a rejuvenating retreat? Ancient, holistic principles of design Understanding how the various elements of interior design impact our moods and emotions is key to creating a peaceful, nurturing home, says holistic interior and building design consultant, speaker and university lecturer…

Meet Australia’s award-winning natural medicine practitioners The Australian Traditional-Medicine Society (ATMS) are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2019 Natural Medicine Awards. In November 2019, ATMS hosted the Natural Medicine Awards Gala Dinner in Sydney, where the four finalists for Practitioner of the Year, Clinic of the Year and Student of the Year, along with industry professionals, family and friends, gathered for a special evening to celebrate their outstanding achievements. The event included keynote speaker Professor Stephen Myers, a highly respected academic and passionate advocate of complementary and integrative medicine; and honoured special guest Marcus Blackmore who presented the award for Clinic of the Year, dedicated to his father Maurice Blackmore, for professionalism and contribution to the natural medicine industry. ATMS would like to congratulate the 2019 winners and…

How often in your daily life do you stop and take stock of what’s going on in your mind and physical body? Do you get so caught on the treadmill of the everyday that you don’t realise when you’re feeling a little frazzled, until you’re a lot frazzled and headed for burnout? If you don’t slow down to feel these first negative signs, it could mean you’re not slowing down enough to feel the positive signs either. A regular yoga practice can help you identify these signals before you hit a wall. It helps you slow down, breathe deeply, move assuredly and think with clarity. It teaches you to get curious about how you move through your everyday life. It asks you to slow down enough to consider: • How…

Your older smartphone runs slow. The toaster lever doesn’t stay down. The zipper on your backpack gives up the ghost. Over the past few decades, the quantity of materials used in the global economy has been accelerated by the phenomenon of planned obsolescence where items are designed to break down or be replaced. The environmental effects include a sizeable contribution towards climate change, the depletion of non-renewable resources and landfills filling up with waste, including in more recent years fast-growing quantities of electronic waste. Recycling helps a lot, but has some drawbacks. Materials diverted for recycling may be stockpiled or even dumped, some energy is inevitably used to process it and some recycling could be more accurately described as downcycling because the materials are directed to lower-grade uses where no…

What happens to a woman when she becomes a mother? This is the question I have been asking myself for more than a decade. When motherhood turned my world upside down and then seemed to continue to disrupt everything, I thought I knew about myself. As each new year and new baby emerged, I became a detective searching for evidence that what I’d experienced was “something”. Surely I wasn’t alone in what I was feeling, and questioning? Surely I wasn’t the only one feeling this radical shift in who I thought I was? But I couldn’t find anything. Why didn’t we talk about what happens to a woman when she becomes a mother? Why didn’t we acknowledge the massive redefining of her identity, her dreams and goals, her relationships? Why…

For aeons, humans have revered the sun, yet over recent years, many have come to fear its power. It has long been known that sun exposure fortifies bone structure, elevates mood and governs your body clock; however, too much will put you at risk of deadly melanoma. With the looming threat of skin cancer, the rise of vitamin D deficiency, and the sunscreen aisle becoming a minefield of toxic ingredients and perplexing terms, you too are probably confused. Is the sun good or bad? The answer, of course, lies in between. The healing power of sunshine The first rays of morning sunlight stimulate serotonin and cortisol production, gently awakening you from your slumber. Sunlight detected via the retina throughout the day prompts the release of more serotonin, which regulates appetite…

Given the inherent need humans have to feel connected and bonded to other people, your attachment experiences and style significantly influence how successful you are in forming strong and stable relationships with friends, family and lovers. Understanding your attachment style can help you to build strong foundations, stop you making the same relationship mistakes over again and help you to move forward into healthier and happier unions. Attachment theory in psychology and social science is founded on a psychological model that attempts to describe the subtleties of the thinking and behaviour that influence your long- and short-term interpersonal relationships. It’s founded on the premise that your earliest experiences of relationships — primarily the parent–child relationship — colour the way in which you think about and behave in your relationships as…

Of all the waiting rooms I’ve been in, Pura Lempuyang Temple is by far the most spectacular. Instead of white walls and fluorescent lights, I’m sitting beneath an open sky flecked with clouds tickled pink by the morning sun. I’m not here to see a doctor; this appointment is of a more spiritual kind. You could call it a check-up for the mind and soul. My guide, Andy, has arranged for me to meet with a holy man to learn more about the temple, one of the six holiest sanctuaries in Bali, and Hinduism, the predominant religion of Bali. “Understand Hinduism,” Andy tells me, “and you will understand Bali.” Sitting cross-legged on the bare floor, Ketut tells me life is all about balancing the yin and yang, the spiritual and…

“The foundation for good health begins with the food we eat,” proclaims Teresa Cutter in her latest cookbook, Earth to Table. Cutter, the founder of The Healthy Chef, is one of Australia’s most prominent experts on living a healthy and nourished life. Not only does Earth to Table offer beautiful, elegant photography captured by Cutter’s cinematographer husband Paul, but it’s a very generous cookbook. In it, you’ll find 160 plant-based recipes for radiant health. Looking to eat less meat and more plants? In true Cutter style, she has covered every possible eating occasion in this impressive cookbook, making your plant-based transition a smooth and long-lasting one for you and your family. Earth to Table pays homage to the healthy life that everyone can lead with balance, grace and ease. Crispy…

Manuka honey Manuka honey is a famed antibacterial and renowned as one of nature’s unique superfoods, promoting good health and immunity. HoneyLife uses only “raw” unrefined honey without applying any heat or chemical process. It is Australian sourced, made and owned. Each batch is university laboratory tested for MGO active value. W: honeylife.com.au Dr Sandra Cabot’s 15-Day Cleanse Dr Sandra Cabot’s 15-Day Cleanse is a triple-strategy program that targets the liver, gut and immune system for a total-body cleanse. Eliminate toxins, burn fat, boost your energy, heal your gut and improve your overall health and wellbeing. W: cabothealth.com.au Pana Organic Unleash your tastebuds on an adventure with either the creamy and indulgent Salted Caramel Ice Cream Stick coated in a salted caramel choc or a decadent version of an after-dinner…

“If you wanna get good gut health, you’ve gotta get with my friends. Make it last forever, digestion never ends…” Sorry, you just caught me singing along to my favourite Spice Girls song. If you’re wondering what the digestive system and the Spice Girls have in common, you’re in for a wild ride. There’s a plethora of things that affect the state of your gut microbiome such as diet, lifestyle, stress levels, physical activity, whether you smoke or drink, your weight, relationships and chemical exposure. When you first start looking after your gut, these factors can seem extremely overwhelming. Instead of allowing yourself to get overwhelmed, I think the trick to gut health is to start slowly. With just a sprinkle of this and a dash of that, you’ll be…

Whether it’s the cat peeing on the bed, the dog cowering under the bed during storms, separation anxiety or signs of aggression, management of your pet’s behavior may require a combination of calming strategies, behaviour modification programs, environmental changes and maybe medications to reduce stress. One thing you can change, which may reduce stress and anxiety for your pets, is their diet. Your pet may have special dietary needs however, for other medical conditions, so any diet change should be discussed with your vet. A strategy that may improve behaviour in pets is reducing or eliminating conventional dried foods from their diet. I’ve discussed this in articles on treating allergies, digestive disorders, weight gains and other chronic health issues. Dry foods in general are higher in carbohydrates (even grain-free foods…

What does a person do when they seem to react to everything — and it doesn’t matter what they do, it doesn’t seem to help? Think high histamine levels. This was the story for a 35-year-old woman who didn’t know where to turn. She had seen many practitioners, both medical and complementary, with little relief. The symptoms She presented with multiple and complex symptoms. Despite many years of detoxing and following strict diets, there had been times of some improvement, but this never lasted. Significant digestive symptoms included wind, bloating (she had been diagnosed with IBS but the diet made little difference) and constipation. She had episodes of palpitations and shortness of breath, recurrent cystitis, itchy skin, cold sores and hives, and was prone to regular debilitating frontal headaches. While…

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE PRACTITIONER STRESS FREE MANAGEMENT p (02) 9609 4881 e info@stressfreemanagement.com.au stressfreemanagement.com.au COUNSELLING & PSYCHOLOGY THE INDIGO PROJECT p +61 2 92125469 e hello@theindigoproject.com.au theindigoproject.com.au EDUCATION SYDNEY INSTITUTE OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE 502/25-29 Dixon St, Haymarket NSW e administration@sitcm.edu.au p +61 (2) 9212 1968 sitcm.edu.au AUSTRALIAN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE SOCIETY Suite 12/27 Bank St, Meadowbank NSW 2114 p 1800 456 855 e info@atms.com.au www.atms.com.au HART LIFE COACHING Suite 12/27 Bank St, Meadowbank NSW 2114 p 0414 364 494 e anne@heartlifecoaching.com.au hartlifecoaching.com.au MASSAGE & ORGANIC BEAUTY SAGE BEAUTY 292 Campbell Pde, North Bondi NSW 2026 p 02 9130 7064 e info@sagebeauty.com.au sagebeauty.com.au SKIN HEALTH EXPERT EVA KARPATI 17 Bay Street Double Bay NSW 2018 p 02 9363 2395 e skinclinic@karpati.com.au karpatiskinclinic.com.au DENTAL DR SCOTT MAKIOL BIODENTISTRY p 0738482320 biodentistry.com.au INTEGRATED MEDICINE…

Fake news, fake morality “Fake news” refers to news or stories that are deliberately created to misinform or deceive readers. Researchers have found that people are not likely to share a story that they perceive as fake news. However, in the study the more times subjects saw the story, the more likely they were to share it and “like” it. Interestingly, the increasing likelihood of sharing a story did not correlate to any increase in perceiving the story to be accurate. For some reason, people feel more comfortable sharing news they know to be fake when they have seen it before. Somehow, people give information they know to be false a moral pass when it is repeated, even if they don’t believe it. It might tie in to the fact…

Theobroma cacao or the cacao (cocoa) tree is native to the deep tropical regions of South America from Mexico to the Amazon. (The terms “cacao” and “cocoa” are interchangeable, but for the sake of consistency “cacao” has been used throughout this article.) The trees grow as an understorey in humid forest ecosystems, and the evidence suggests that the wild trees survived the last ice age 21,000 years ago. The cacao bean is the dried and fully fermented seed of Theobroma cacao from which cacao solids and cocoa butter are extracted. These beans are the basis of the myriad forms of chocolate. Evidence suggests that the cacao bean was cultivated at least 3600 years ago, possibly originally for the pulp that surrounds the beans, which was fermented into an alcoholic beverage…

Violet Lim Zi Yan T: +61 415 326 100E: linzy0210@gmail.comW: instagram.com/violetdream0210 Some days, I’m the ocean. Some days, I’m the ship. Tonight, I’m the lighthouse, alone and burning. Like a guardian angel, I stand, sending out hope in the night. Like a faithful friend, I shine, bringing comfort, truth and light. I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for the darkness must also be present for the light to shine so bright. I am an aspiring illustrator based in South Australia. I enjoy doing a variety of illustrations for fashion, magazines, children’s books, cards, board games, card games, mugs, pillows, movies, dramas and videos. Particularly, I love writing and illustrating children’s books. I have written and illustrated three children’s books,…

Split ends, frizzy fly-aways, dull and dehydrated hair? If you’ve complained about these hair woes, there are ways to overcome them — but don’t expect the answers to await inside the latest haircare packaging. Traditional advice of “It’s the products you put on your locks” is missing important pieces of the haircare puzzle. Real healthy hair starts from within and is then managed and maintained by how you look after it once it sprouts from your scalp. The vitality of your scalp also needs consideration; it’s a non-negotiable foundation for ultimate hair care. What is hair, really? According to stalwart beauty industry chemist and Biologi formulator Ross Macdougald, hair grows in follicles. This can be thought of as “little pockets”, where hair begins growing from a root. These roots are…

At primary school, Rick has lots of friends and is involved in lots of clubs. He listens, shows empathy for others and tries to help when he can so that others will trust him. His younger sister Emma, however, is quiet and creative and has only a few close friends. But she’s also a good listener and easy to talk to. She shares her feelings a little and uses music and art to express them. Both Rick and Emma have high emotional intelligence (EQ). They are connected to their feelings, manage and express them in helpful ways and understand and have empathy for others’ feelings. Jasper is in Rick’s class. Like Rick he’s extroverted, he knows everyone, loves to be centre of attention and is always telling people how he…

In the world view of India’s ancient sages, a central concept was the underlying unity that links all forms of life. Many of the sacred rituals and hymns of these early times expressed reverence for this eternal principle that allows the universe to function as a unified whole. The spiritual wisdom developed by these seers included the discovery of a way to control the mind so that this highly valued unity could be experienced within the self. This was the birth of meditation and the term used to describe this “union” was yoga, a Sanskrit word meaning to join or unify. Yoga’s original association with meditation later expanded to include many other disciplines, including the hatha yoga that has become so important in recent times. At its highest level, yoga…

Move over the paleo, keto or lemon-detox diet. With civilisation in jeopardy due to human consumption, and the world’s population predicted to climb to 10 billion souls by 2050, scientists are urging us to eat not only for our own health, but for that of the planet. In the EAT-Lancet Commission report published in January 2019, 37 scientists from varied disciplines and across 16 countries worked together to devise a healthy, global diet sustainable for the planet. Calling for a transformation in the way we produce and consume food in order to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, they warned, “Food systems have the potential to nurture human health and support environmental sustainability; however, they are currently threatening both.” What’s wrong with our diet? In the…

As more and more people look to align their financial decisions and products with their personal ethics, banks are responding with products and services that meet that demand. As regulators, government and consumers grapple with the impacts of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry, people are reconsidering their choices in banking. “What’s really pleasing is that the concept of responsible/ethical investment is moving into the banking sector, and more and more banks are positioning themselves to respond to that demand from consumers who want to make sure that where they put their money is aligned with their own values,” says Simon O’Connor, chief executive officer of the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (RIAA). RIAA operates a third-party certification standard for investment and banking…

When applying sunscreen, take care not to forget the ears, lips, feet, back of the hands, inner thighs, upper back and the part in your hair. It’s recommended to apply 35mL of product to cover the average adult’s body. If you use a spray, be sure to avoid inhalation. Reapply your product every two hours, or after swimming or sweating. A hat, kaftan, sunglasses and shade should also be used for prevention. It’s important to remove your sunscreen at the end of a day in nature to avoid a lingering white film and blackhead-inducing layer. Massage coconut oil into your skin, then soak a hand towel in hot water, wring it out and wipe the skin clean.…

At first light I’m out the door, rugged up against the tropical winter chill with a towel flung over my shoulder and goggles dangling from my wrist. Within minutes I’m at the water’s edge, unpeeling layers beneath towering fan palms and sliding into the steaming translucent flow of Bitter Springs. My oh-so-dreamy drift dive begins. I lift my feet and float silently, staring up into a dazzling canopy of lime-green palms and watching rainbow bee-eaters hunting on the wing. I slip on my goggles and duck-dive through thermal bubble trails rising from the deep, spooking wide-eyed freshwater turtles and schools of tiny fish with my wayward kicks. The 6am solitude is heavenly enough, but it’s the water — warm, soothing and mineral-rich — that unwinds me to my core, stealing…

It’s the season of love with Valentine’s Day just around the corner. On a day full of roses and chocolates, we can forget to focus on our own health and fail to keep our wellbeing front of mind. This year focus on your wellbeing and get to know your gut better. Your gut microbiome is a powerhouse, contributing to many bodily functions far away from their resident home in your gut. Many people remain unaware of how much their gut bacteria influence their overall health. In fact, the gut microbiome — the community of microorganisms (mostly bacteria) in your gut — is intricately involved in functions such as digestion, immunity and cognitive function. Brisbane-based Microba are world leaders in the analysis of the bacteria living in your gut, including identifying…

I was watching a stellar classic tennis final: Wimbledon in 1980 and Bjorn Borg versus a young John McEnroe. Tennis is a great passion of mine, and I will beat my coach one day even though he’s a young 32-year-old CrossFit lover who was a junior champion in Poland. A middle-aged girl can dream, right? You might be wondering: What on earth does a game of tennis have to do with leading a low-tox life? Here’s why it’s relevant… There were lots of camera pan outs to the crowd, cheering on key points, as they do. After I got over the shock of seeing the cigarettes and cigars being liberally enjoyed, I noticed something else. There were all these enthralled people right there in the moment, yet no one had…

Continuing our discussion of aligning your personal ethics with your financial choices, let’s turn our attention to insurance. You probably have several insurance policies, whether it’s health, life insurance, car, business, etc., so if you’re looking to extend your view of your ethics and your financial products, insurance could be another destination for your study. The insurance industry is a large part of the financial services industry in Australia — it represents $64 billion, according to IBISWorld. The five largest general insurers in Australia are Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Suncorp, Allianz Australia and QBE Insurance. Let’s look at this question of finding insurance that’s acting in line with your values from two perspectives: their operations and their products. What I’m going to write about here is by no means an…

Taurus March is very much your month, Taurus. Venus enters Taurus on March 5 and features at March 10’s Full Moon, which inspires appreciation with those you love as well as creativity. Unusual people reach through your deep reserves, prompting you to reconsider your notions of happiness when Uranus meets Venus on March 9–10. This shift of perspective simmers slowly, gaining flavour on March 11–15, 22–23 and 28-29. April shifts your focus to the daily grind, but your Taurus New Moon of April 23 rings the changes. April 26–28 returns that indelible taste for something new. Cancer A fateful year feels lighter in March. Remain a little detached around March 10’s Full Moon if others try to push you in a direction you do not want to go. Even if…

February/March/April FEBRUARY 1–28 Victoria, AU Sustainable Living Festival slf.org.au FEBRUARY 1–28 AU Heart Research Month heartresearch.com.au FEBRUARY 14–16 Apollo Bay, AU Apollo Bay Seafood Festival apollobayseafoodfestival.com FEBRUARY 20 Global UN World Day of Social Justice un.org/en/events/socialjusticeday FEBRUARY 26 AU Teal Ribbon Day ovariancancer.net.au FEB 28–MARCH 3 Oahu, Hawaii Wanderlust Festival wanderlust.com MARCH 1–7 Rishikesh, India 19th Annual International Yoga Festival internationalyogafestival.com MARCH 3 Global World Wildlife Day wildlifeday.org MARCH 1 AU Clean Up Australia Day cleanupaustraliaday.org.au MARCH 8 Global International Women’s Day internationalwomensday.com MARCH 6-8 Panama Forest, AU Panama Festival panamafestival.com.au MARCH 6-9 Adelaide, AU WOMADelaide womadelaide.com.au/program MARCH 19-29 Melbourne, AU Melbourne Food & Wine Festival melbournefoodandwine.com.au MARCH 20 Global International Day of Happiness dayofhappiness.net MARCH 29–APRIL 5 Ubud, Bali BaliSpirit Festival balispiritfestival.com MARCH 25–29 Melbourne, AU Melbourne International Flower…