Innehållsförteckning för Issue 196 från WellBeing

Meditation cuts mistakes Some types of meditation have you focus on a single thing such as your breath, while open monitoring meditation has you pay attention to everything going on in your mind and body. In a new study, researchers recruited 200 people who had never meditated before and took them through a 20-minute open monitoring meditation. The subjects then completed a computerised test while their brain activity was monitored using EEG. When you make a mistake a certain brain activity pattern occurs half a second later, known as “error positivity” and indicates conscious error recognition. In people who had meditated this signal was much stronger than in controls. This indicates that just 20 minutes of meditation increases the brain’s capacity to detect and pay attention to mistakes, reducing the…

Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa, also called Chinese gooseberry) is native to central and eastern China. The first description was recorded during the Song dynasty in the 12th century; however, it was gathered from the wild, not cultivated, and used as a medicine. During the 20th century the cultivation of kiwifruit spread from China to New Zealand as the first commercial plantings, although by 2018 China still produced half of the world’s crop. There are about 60 varieties of kiwifruit, the most common being Actinidia deliciosa (fuzzy kiwifruit), but there is also golden kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis), hearty red kiwifruit, purple kiwifruit and kiwiberries among others. Kiwifruit grow in temperate climates and are generally either male or female — both are needed for pollination, with one male to between three and eight females…

Start small As you look at your life, consider what would you like to change. Who do you want to become? Choose a mini habit that’s small enough you could do any day, even on those days when your energy is low or you’re pressed for time. If you’re feeling resistant to getting started, break down your habit into one that could be done in two minutes or less. Get specific Set yourself up for success by being clear and specific about the details — when and where you will do your mini habit? Clear suggests you fill out the sentence, “I will [behaviour] at [time] in [location].” For example, “I will go for a 10-minute walk at 9.30am after breakfast, at the local park.” This is much better than…

Sourdough. Banana bread. Baked oats. The pandemic saw many of us begin to master a new hobby: baking. In fact, a 2020 Canstar survey of 1024 people revealed that one third of Australians (the equivalent of 6.3 million adults) turned to baking or had someone in their household take up baking during the COVID-19 lockdowns, fuelled by trend-catching social media platforms Instagram and TikTok of course. It seems this was a global trend too, with the Home Baking: U.S. Market Trends & Opportunities report finding an increase of 24 per cent in the sales of baking-related products. According to the Canstar survey, around 32 per cent of those who jumped on the baking bandwagon wanted a new hobby, while 15 per cent simply got caught up in the trend. You…

As long as our orientation is toward perfection or success, we will never learn about unconditional friendship with ourselves, nor will we find compassion. ~ Pema Chödrön. Unconditional friendship. Is there anything better? Those people who are there for you no matter what version of yourself you are. The ones who are your cheerleaders, supporting you in the good times and the bad, whether you are at your best or your worst. Those friends teach us so much about the power of limitless love; of what it’s like to be accepted, understood, acknowledged and supported as you are, warts and all. They bring a sense of steadiness, strength and peace that might otherwise be elusive in our lives. Without those friends around us, we may forget what unconditional love is, and…

Pregnancy is a time of momentous change, and with change comes learning. One of the first things women learn when pregnant is what foods to avoid in order to minimise any risk of bacteria or other toxins, such as mercury, coming in contact with their growing baby. What can often be overlooked are other harmful substances found in our everyday environment, some of which reside in personal care products. Several of these substances have the potential to impact the health of a mother and baby. Surveys have found that some women use between 12 and 15 personal care products a day, with a typical teenager using between 17 and 20. Many of the ingredients in beauty products are known allergens and irritants. Some ingredients are known endocrine disruptors and have…

Prep time: 10 minutes Serves:2 2 cups almond milk2 tbsp cacao powder2 tbsp carob powder2 tsp maca powder1 tsp reishi¼ teaspoon ashwagandha1 tbsp cacao butter or coconut oil, melted1 tbsp coconut nectarPinch Celtic salt Place all the ingredients together in a blender and blend till incorporated. Adjust sweetness to your taste. Warm to serve. I love to use a milk frother which makes it super-creamy. Note: While reishi, maca and ashwagandha are incredible additions, you don’t have to use these exact adaptogens. Feel free to play around with what you have available and/or tailor your selection to your individual wellness goals.…

Talk us through the moment you decided to create Cheeki. I’m a lover of the outdoors, from hiking to kayaking and everything in between. Living on the northern beaches of Sydney, I started to notice more and more plastic waste popping up on the beaches — mainly single-use plastic items like plastic bottles, plastic containers and so on. Not only is it a terrible look for us but it’s even worse for the natural environment. In my mind, this had to change. So back in 2009 Cheeki was created and became the first Australian brand of stainless-steel water bottles. It was a bold move, but with few eco-friendly alternatives on the market, I felt it had to be done. The idea was to create premium reusable food and beverage containers…

What inspired your health journey to create Supercharged Food? I was inspired to create my website Supercharged Food more than 12 years ago. I was keen to start a lifestyle blog that incorporated recipes, online learning programs and wellness information and products. Back then, it began as a place to house my recipes and share them with family and friends and it grew from there. After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and fibromyalgia, I was accustomed to feeling constantly lethargic and achy with no energy. I was taking myriad prescribed drugs and antibiotics to “cure” my body, but I knew that the real change in my health could only come from within. This sparked my interest in wellbeing, the gut and nutrition. Instead of just reading about this information,…

Please tell us about AcuEnergetics®. AcuEnergetics® is an organisation with a core focus on improving bio-electrical flow in the body and mind. We do this in three main ways — treatments, trainings and meditation. The AcuEnergetics® treatment is a unique and effective approach to treating illness and easing pain. It works with the bio-electrical system in the body and was developed over the past 45 years by an Australian, Kevin Niv Farrow. It works by encouraging the body to promote faster, natural healing to ease pain and improve physical and emotional health. What role does mindfulness play at AcuEnergetics® ? I see mindfulness as bringing conscious awareness to whatever we are doing, so it plays a very important role. Mindfulness in our everyday life makes us present and gets us out of…

EMA TAYLOR is a naturopath, clinical nutritionist and certified fertility awareness educator. For more, visit emataylor.com or @emataylornaturopathy on Instagram. Possibly, it is best to listen to the proverbial saying “You are what you eat” and begin with enjoying a vitamin C-rich diet. Our skin is where the first visible signs of ageing often occur, and while ageing is a natural process caused simply by the passage of time, there are a number of environmental factors that affect the structure, function and appearance of skin, speeding up the ageing process. Exposure to harsh environmental elements such as ultraviolet rays from the sun and chemicals from beauty products, hair dyes, detergents, bleaches and soaps can cause skin discoloration, dryness, accelerated wrinkling, burns and wounds, all of which impact the health and…

I work in an integrative veterinary practice in the inner west of Sydney. Our clients come from all over, not just from the inner west: a large proportion of our pet owners come from other parts of the city, from regional New South Wales and even from interstate. So distance-based teleconsultations (or technology-based consultations) aren’t a thing new for us. Most of our long-distance clients also maintain a relationship with their local vet for in-clinic checks and emergencies. However, since the COVID-19 lockdowns, with people increasingly unable to travel outside of their local government areas, teleconsults have become more common, and may now outnumber our in-clinic consults. Regulations In New South Wales, the Veterinary Board has legislated specific requirements when carrying out an act of veterinary science using technology. We…

Inspiring activities • Swim at sunrise. There’s something so cleansing about ocean water, and starting your day with a sunrise dip is the perfect way to nourish your body, mind and soul. Before diving in, take in the ombré hues of the sky and the briny sea air, pausing in a moment of gratitude. You’ll feel instantly refreshed and ready to take on the day. • Try something new this summer. Always wanted to learn to surf, go paddleboarding, skydive or try a different hiking trail? There is no better time than now. It’s a new year and the world is opening back up again, so it’s the perfect moment to push yourself and tap into your adventurous spirit. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone —…

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 or Instagram page: @WellBeing _Magazine. We reserve the right to edit all letters. Happy New Year WellBeings! I can’t quite believe 2021 is over, the year that held such universal promise and delivered yet more disaster. The collective mood is more cautious this year, but nonetheless optimistic. And how can we not be? For better or for worse, humans are hardwired for hope. I, for one, am a sucker for a fresh start, and January delivers that back-to-school with brand new stationery feeling I have loved since childhood. This January feels even more momentous because it marks my daughter’s first birthday, or…

Shapeshifting animals Animals are adapting to climate change and significant physical changes are happening among the planet’s fauna. Several species of Australian parrot have shown an increase in bill size of between 4 and 10 per cent since 1871 and this has been linked to the summer temperature each year. In North America the small sparrow songbird the dark-eyed junco has also shown a link between beak size and temperature extremes. In mammals there have been changes reported, including tail length increases in wood mice and tail and leg size increases in masked shrews. So far the size changes are less than 10 per cent, but predicted changes may be more dramatic and more noticeable. For instance, elephant ears may be much bigger very soon. This shapeshifting does not mean…

Spend 10 minutes with our Paradigm Shifters, the people who are shaping the ideas that will take us into the future. Meet Mina Guli, water advocate and ultra marathon runner on a mission to draw attention to the global water crisis. How I start my day… Pulling on my running shoes to welcome a new dawn. This always fills me with a sense of respect for what we’ve got in our lives and in this world & excitement for what is to come. On ambition… I truly believe that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, every one of us can do great things. Too often I’ve thought “I’m just one person, a kid from Oz, how am I going to be able to create change in…

“Muffins are a great treat to bake and share. I created this recipe for fun and have been enjoying sharing with my family and friends. It’s simple to throw together and has some great ingredients hidden in there like flax and high-protein Greek yoghurt.” 3 ripe bananas, mashed⅓ cup Greek yoghurt⅓ cup sugar (use coconut sugar for a healthier alternative)1 egg ¼ cup ro lled oats1 tbsp flaxseed2 tsp vanilla extract½ tsp cinnamon½ tsp salt2 tsp baking powder ¼ cup butter, melted1½ cups flour¾ cup dried blueberries Raspberry jam Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl, then add the yoghurt, sugar and egg. Once combined, add the rest of the ingredients except for the jam. Mix until combined and scoop into muffin tins that…

Back in the “old days”, fermenting foods was mostly used as a way to preserve produce to make it last through the winter after harvest time. Now fermented foods are appreciated for their wide-ranging health properties. From homemade sauerkraut to adding miso to your next salad dressing, there are many easy and delicious ways to add fermented foods to your summer entertaining spreads. So what exactly is fermentation? Depending on the type of microbes involved in the process, there are many types of fermentation since microbes all have a different effect on food. Broadly speaking, fermentation is a metabolic process which occurs when bacteria and yeast convert the starches and sugars in food into alcohol, lactic acid, carbon dioxide and other compounds, resulting in an array of health benefits. Fermented…

In the world of fashion, it’s rare that everyone wins. The thirst for fast fashion often means that while the consumer may think they’ve “grabbed a bargain”, further down the line those cheap garments have cost a lot to both maker and Mother Earth. But according to one of Australia’s bravest sustainable fashion designers, Kit Willow, we are finally starting to turn a corner in the fashion industry’s war on the planet. Alongside a new wave of brands, Willow is reshaping the industry with ethical models and clever sustainable fabrics, heralding a new era of shopping in which everyone benefits. Endings and beginnings Willow is something of a warrior in the Australian fashion industry. Like the clothes she designs, her story is one of resilience, power and reinvention. At just…

Unfortunately, most of us do not get enough good-quality sleep. Research by the Sleep Health Foundation revealed that 60 per cent of Australians regularly experience sleep symptoms like having trouble falling and staying asleep, or waking too early and not being able to get back to sleep, and nearly 15 per cent have clinical insomnia. Sleep has a direct effect on both your physical and your mental health and is essential for proper functioning of all systems in your body. It is during sleep that your body restores and regenerates, and your immune system is replenished and strengthened. While you sleep you form new memories and your cells produce and release proteins that are essential for growth and tissue repair. How do you know if you have insomnia? Insomnia is…

The benefits of resistance bands are proven and working out with them will not only promote good form, balance and focus but also prevent injury. Resistance bands are an ideal tool to use in rehabilitation after a sports injury and to enforce limited form for body protection. These stretchable fitness bands help athletes focus and work on specific muscles, and this protective muscle tracking speeds up the process of rehabilitating joints and muscles post-injury. While improving muscle strength and tone and protecting joints from injury, resistance band training also increases flexibility and balance, which can help to support mobility as we age. The focustraining regime of resistance bands has been shown to help with a more productive level of weight management as the body burns more kilojoules when using resistance.…

Humans have been communing around a fire since the first flint stones were bashed together to ignite a spark. Archaeologists and anthropologists suggest that tending fires and performing rituals taught Homo sapiens how to plan, cooperate and possibly even speak. Those early gatherings established the essential social interdependence of human groups. We are social creatures, and our mental and physical health is closely tied to our connection with others. Loneliness manifests when a person feels a mismatch between the relationships they have and those they want, and when the innate need to belong to a group is unmet. According to research on the impacts of COVID-19 on health and wellbeing, conducted by Swinburne University at the end of 2020, one in two Australians reported feeling lonelier since the onset of…

1 Hemptuary Face & Body Oil Boost your skin with this lightweight oil that’s infused with the healing powers of hemp and manuka oil. Sea buckthorn adds a calming benefit while avocado oil deeply nourishes. hemptuary.com.au 2 Cheeki Classic Insulated Bottle Whether you’re in the office, on a hike or at the beach, you need a Cheeki Classic insulated bottle. This 600ml bottle is made from high-grade stainless steel and will keep your beverage cold or hot for as long as you need it. cheeki.com 3 Amazon Power Original Organic Açaí 1Kg Tub Store this tub in your freezer and enjoy açaí every day thanks to Amazon Power. This is the perfect summer food, whether you’re adding it to a smoothie or creating a delicious açaí bowl. Visit the website…

Go Garig Gunak Barlu National Park is located 560km northeast of Darwin (seven-hour drive, 4WD only, no caravans). The park opens from May to October. Stay Venture North’s four-day safaris cost $2990/adult and $2590/child (venturenorth.com.au). If you camp, week-long stays in the national park cost $232.10 for up to five adults (kids are free). Facilities include solar hot-water showers, toilets, bore water, firepits, tables, boat ramp and an interpretive centre. Numbers are limited so book well in advance. Pack Fishing gear, a tinny, firewood, reef-friendly sunscreen and plenty of fuel. Croc safe Garig Gunak Barlu is absolutely off limits to swimming. Plan Park guides and camping permits are available online at nt.gov. au. Phone Black Point Ranger Station for road conditions before setting out (08 8979 0244).…

Futuresteading JADE MILES, MURDOCH BOOKS Looking to live a simpler, more sustainable lifestyle in 2022? Futuresteading will show you how. This book will teach you how to live, eat and garden with the seasons and offer reimagined routines and rituals that give back to the planet. Miles leaves no eco-stone unturned, providing plenty of tips, tricks and recipes that will have you living sustainably in no time. Think propagating your own veggies, essential medicinal herbs and flowers to have in your garden, plant-based recipes, clothes swaps, summer activities and plenty of DIY household supplies. The best part? You don’t have to live on a farm or even have a backyard. Futuresteading will teach you how to make the most of your space and your lifestyle and guide you on your…

A month or so into Sydney’s second lockdown, cabin fever truly taken hold, I decided to make a change. If I was going to survive the next months with my mental health intact, I needed to make groundhog day more enjoyable. As a busy working mum, I’m guilty of pushing self-care to the bottom of my to-do list. I don’t say that to celebrate my busyness; there is little glory to be found in martyrdom, and as the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. So I set out to fill my cup, metaphorically but also literally, with Organic Merchant’s range of naturopathically formulated tea blends and cacao infusions. I promised myself I would take a few moments each day just for me, to enjoy a mug of freshly…

Whether you’re a vegetarian, flexitarian, #MeatlessMonday follower, vegan or just trying to cut your meat intake, everyone can benefit from eating meatless meals. This January why not take part in Veganuary? We know one of the keys to good health is to eat a balanced diet, but what exactly are we meant to eat? There’s a mountain of conflicting advice available and it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in a pool of experts. Simply put, a balanced diet is one composed of whole and unprocessed foods, with adequate protein, fibre, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and water. It’s much more enjoyable than cutting out every food group you love. No matter your diet, we can all agree that vegetables are the backbone of a healthy plate. Eating whole, nutrient-rich…

DR MICHAEL ELSTEIN is a Sydney-based anti-ageing physician and writer. 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. Aside from being good for the environment, limiting eggs to three a week can help to prevent prostate, breast and ovarian cancer. For most of us eating is a pleasurable and habitual, but mostly unconscious, activity, with little regard for its environmental impact. We don’t deny ourselves an ice cream because it might increase our carbon footprint. As we all froze in 2020, when our survival was suddenly threatened by a lethal microorganism, global warming enjoyed a temporary downturn while we momentarily aborted some of our customary travel behaviours.…

An astrology reading interfaces the mysteries of birth patterns and the science of planetary cycles. For Christine, astrology is a healing art with rich insights that offers self-knowledge and a path to an integrated life. She has been sharing this approach with clients for over 30 years, offering distance readings, webinar classes and workshops and retreats in Australia and New Zealand. Book to see Christine in Sydney in January 2022, Melbourne in February and Auckland in March. Contacts Australia: 0402 664 101 NZ: 0214 10126 or visit astrologyspot.com.au. Aries Since challenges make Aries feel alive, the New Year is an opportunity to shine. Surprises around January 1 to 9 push you into enterprising mode, with vocation and money on your mind. Ignore anxiety around January 12, and let the 17th…

Diet and children’s mental health For this study researchers gathered data from nearly 9000 children in 50 schools around Norfolk (UK). The children self-reported their dietary choices and took part in age-appropriate tests of mental wellbeing including cheerfulness, relaxation and having good interpersonal relationships. The results showed that around 25 per cent of the subjects reported eating the recommended five servings a day of fruit and vegetables. More than 20 per cent of high-school students did not eat breakfast and more than 10 per cent of them did not eat lunch. Analysis found that eating well was associated with better mental health in the children. Getting the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables was strongly associated with mental wellbeing as was eating breakfast. Interestingly, those children who had an energy…

While selenium was known to be an important nutrient in agriculture, the biological role of selenium was only discovered in 1990, and since then there has been accumulating evidence for its importance in human health. Selenium is an essential trace element but has the potential to be toxic at high doses, with a relatively narrow therapeutic window — a factor of only eight times the dose separating out a therapeutic dose from a potentially toxic one. The correct dose is therefore an important issue, although this is regulated to some extent by manufacturing processes. It is a good idea to consult a health professional to establish your required dose. There are enormous geographical variations in the selenium content of soil and food, and therefore also in selenium intake from food…

It’s often thought that big change leads to big results, but this often isn’t the case. Consider the phenomenon of New Year’s resolutions; with great enthusiasm people commit to making big changes in their life, only to slide back into their old ways by February. In fact, a study from the University of Scranton found that 92 per cent of people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions, and 80 per cent will fail by the second week of February. As exciting as big life transformations can seem, they often don’t last. You can, however, shift the trajectory of your life simply by making small changes. By lowering the bar of expectation, you can more easily wire new habits in your brain that lead to lasting results. Instead of prescribing…

For women in their 40s, 50s and beyond, life’s midpoint has never looked better. Gone are the days when women who had come through their fertile years were expected to don a kaftan, speak only in hushed whispers about “the change” and quietly “go gentle into that good night”. Today, midlife is when a lot of us are just getting started. Rather than a time to simply be endured, it’s a time to embrace the hard lessons learned, grab hold of life’s second wind and enjoy what the next decades have in store. The shift in mentality around what it means for a woman to be “middle-aged” has meant conversations about the perimenopause (the years approaching menopause), menopause (defined as the final menstrual period) and beyond are freely flowing. Countless…

Do you want to be in control of everything as a parent, but find this only leads to more disappointment when you can’t keep up? Do you find yourself getting swept up in reactivity when your child does something wrong? Do you feel flawed when things don’t go the way you thought they would? Do you often self-criticise or tell yourself you shouldn’t feel this way because parenting should be joyful? It’s not uncommon to have these internal experiences. Whether it’s coping with your child’s behaviour, dealing with your own feelings of inadequacy or burdening yourself with guilt, parenting can bring up a lot of difficult thoughts and emotions. But it’s the way you respond to these difficult thoughts and feelings that is the key to improving your wellbeing and…

What we choose to eat each day not only affects our health and wellbeing, but has a huge impact on the health of our planet. Agriculture produces around a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). The carbon footprint can vary greatly between different types of foods. Meat production, in particular beef and lamb, have the greatest emission levels of all foods. Beef’s GHGE per kilogram is around 10 times that of chicken and 20 times that of legumes, nuts and seeds. Changing the way we eat, even just moderately, by moving towards a more climate-friendly diet can play an important part in helping stop climate change and improve our health. What is a climatarian diet? The main principle behind a climatarian diet is choosing foods based on their…

George Bernard Shaw once wrote, “It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him” — a phrase that still rings true to this day. Whether you’re aware of it or not, everyone has an accent. The way you speak can tell others a lot about you: “It’s a telltale giveaway of where you’re from, where you live, where you were raised,” says podcast host Josh Clark on the ‘What’s the deal with accents?’ episode of Stuff You Should Know About. An accent is formed based on the people you are around and how they speak. Just like you, your accent is a product of the environment around you, but it can tell you a lot about your family history, too,…

From ancient art and tradition to modern wellness offering, incorporating adaptogenic plants into your lifestyle is a timeproven method for cultivating a strong immune system, helping your body cope with stress, supporting healthy hormones, protecting your brain, increasing vitality, providing anti-ageing actions and returning your body to a state of balance. It is time to become the alchemist of your own wellbeing with a dive into the world of medicinal mushrooms and tonic herbs. Discover the health-enhancing potential of these incredible substances and how to invite them into your kitchen apothecary. What is an adaptogen? The word “adaptogen” is used to describe a collective of non-toxic plants that are believed to help the body resist and cope with all kinds of stressors, from physical and chemical to biological and emotional.…

1 Byron Yoga Centre Make the most of a weekend and spoil yourself with a retreat at Byron Yoga Centre. The centre’s affordable wellness retreats are available all year long. Choose a three, five, seven or eight-day health retreat to rejuvenate and reconnect to your true path. byronyoga.com 2 Byron Bay Tea Company GLOW Tea Beauty begins on the inside, which is why Byron Bay Tea Company’s GLOW tea is the perfect primer. The zesty blend of lemongrass and ginger is complemented by a purifying punch of peppermint. For a naturally healthy complexion, and to sustain your internal vigour, sip Byron Bay Tea Company’s GLOW. byronbayteacompany.com.au 3 Superfeast Mason’s Mushrooms A super-blend of nourishing medicinal mushrooms hand-picked to support immunity, gut health, hormonal function and the nervous system. Revered in…

What comes to mind when you hear the word “common”? Is it a community of Wombles or perhaps a bucolic English village green? Or is it a traditional way of sharing or allocating resources that predates the modern market economy? Despite rarely receiving attention in the media and academia, the commons is important in building mutually beneficial rather than hierarchical social structures. The origin of the noun “common” dates to around 1300 CE and means a fellowship or brotherhood. Western cultures have been moulded into seeing the world through a lens of private ownership, and this has certainly been good for national economies. However, when access to some resources is shared rather than privately controlled, society as a whole tends to benefit, and this avoids inefficient use of resources and…

This is an edited extract from Natural Harry: Delicious Plant-Based Summer Recipes by Harriet Birrell, photography by Nikole Ramsay, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $34.99, available in stores nationally. If you’re looking for the ultimate summer cookbook, Natural Harry: Delicious Plant-Based Summer Recipes is your answer. Packed from cover to cover with vegan goodness, rainbow hues and dishes that look too good to eat, this book will add so much colour, fun and sustainability to your diet. You’ll be able to create your own vegan café go-tos in your own kitchen — think tropical smoothies, nourishing bowls, fresh, zesty salads and meat-free alternatives that look and taste so good even the carnivores will love them! You’ll also find plenty of all-natural summer essentials recipes for your body and your…

What inspired you to start Pana Organic? I have had a great relationship with food since the day I was born. For me, food is for nourishing the soul. Growing up in a household with migrant parents was always full of love and wholesome meals, which evolved personally into a passion for artisan, slow and organic foods. So Pana Organic was a natural progression born from a love of sharing delicious, nourishing, artisan foods into a brand based on the same values. What was the process behind creating and perfecting the recipe for your original chocolate range? We focused on the origin first, sourcing the finest cacao from South America — this was essential. Then it was a matter of refining the perfect recipe using a few additional ingredients. We believe…

JACKIE FRENCH is an author, gardener and honorary wombat. She was the Australian Children’s Laureate from 2014 to 2105 and awarded Senior Australian of the Year in 2015. Jackie is also a patron, ambassador and director of projects for kids, animals and the land. Get in touch via Facebook @authorjackiefrench, Twitter and Instagram @jackie_ french_. Camomile soothes without being depressing or mentally confusing. It has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic effects, and the oil is also a mild local anaesthetic. After four or so years of drought, a bushfire summer and two years of beginning to restore the garden, I’m finally planting camomile again. Lots and lots of it. I drink the tea each night, partly as an aid to sleep, partly as an anti-inflammatory, but mostly because the flavour of…

A middle-aged moderately overweight woman visited the clinic with a persistent cough that had been gradually worsening over the last few months. She had been to the GP and initially given antibiotics thinking it was a lung problem, but they had made her symptoms worse. She felt her lungs were good (and a chest X-ray had been clear), but she had noticed that some foods made the cough worse. She also at times had a burning feeling in the middle of her chest that was worse when she was lying down and particularly severe after a big meal at night. Her doctor had then suggested she take Nexium, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), to reduce her stomach acid. She found this helped a bit but was not keen on taking…

You’ve probably walked by without noticing it. Or perhaps you glanced but didn’t think twice about it. But there, along the side of Beenleigh’s Community Centre, in the narrow plot of unused green space, is the site that will one day become our beautiful community garden, a garden that will not only strengthen our community, but also assist with helping people reclaim a positive relationship with nature and reconnect their minds and bodies to the natural world around them. There is clear evidence of how our physical environment impacts our mental wellbeing and behaviour. In one of his studies, Japanese physician and immunologist Dr Qing Li demonstrated that spending time in the forest lowers our stress and anxiety levels and boosts our immunity. Our garden won’t be a Japanese forest,…

The Australian Natural Therapists Association (ANTA) is the largest democratic national association of natural therapy, traditional medicine and complementary medicine practitioners. For over 65 years, ANTA has been representing the multi-disciplinary interests of thousands of accredited practitioners across the country, as well as natural therapy students, and has become synonymous with high quality within the industry. ANTA works with governments, researchers, educators, health funds, WorkCover authorities and professional organisations to help practitioners carry out their work to the highest standard. ANTA’s mission ANTA’s mission is to provide the public with best-practice health care, and the highest possible standards for the conduct and safety of traditional medicine and natural therapy practitioners. ANTA represents the interests of the following modalities: • Acupuncture• Aromatherapy• Ayurvedic medicine• Chinese herbal medicine• Homeopathy• Myotherapy• Musculoskeletal therapy•…