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YOGA
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 Nourish
v 1 provide with the food or other substances necessary
for growth, health and good condition

What do you do to nourish yourself? The obvious answer might

be to eat a varied diet rich in wholefoods, drink plenty of water
and get a decent sleep each night (good on you!), but we’re
talking about nourishment on a deeper level — on a soul level.
How do you care for yourself? We’re sure you’re wonderful at
caring for your family, meeting important deadlines at work
and walking the dog, but what do you do for you? Struggling
to find an answer? Don’t worry, we’ve got some ideas. This
mages
ty Ima es

month, nourish yourself with a massage or facial; get to your

Getty

favourite yoga class; take a book to the park and lose yourself in
hy Get

it; meditate or journal your thoughts at night; ask for help with
raphy
tograp

the washing or the dishes; take a bath. Learn how to take care of
Photog

yourself and do it daily. That’s a WellBeing non-negotiable.

Pho
 Reflection
n 1 an instance of reflecting; especially: the return
of light or sound waves from a surface
2 a thought, idea or opinion formed or a remark
made as a result of meditation

The Buddha once wisely said, “Since everything is a reflection of our

minds, everything can be changed by our minds.” The environment
with which we surround ourselves — both our physical environment
and our internal environment — is a direct expression of our
discipline, self-respect and dignity. Your reflection, whether from a
mirrored surface or from the depths of a meditation, will rebound
and ripple out any feelings of harmony or disharmony you may
have. This means that in any given moment you have an opportunity
to wipe the frosted glass clean, challenge a cloudy thought or alter
an opinion that might no longer serve you. As humans, we have the
ability to reflect on our choices, make any necessary changes and
then sit back, enjoying the spectacular light show that is our lives.
 From the editor-in-chief
A
re you courageous?
I was made to ponder on courage when prompted by a remark by my
eldest daughter (yes, pretty much all my thinking does derive from those
wondrous female offspring of mine). We were in the car on the way to
dance class when she casually ruminated, “You know, I’m given everything I need in
life but I just don’t have the courage to use it.”
This little thought bubble sparked a few things in me.
For a start, there was awe; self-awareness like this was not part of my pre-teen
skill set. To the best of my recollection, when I was 12 my highest thought processes
centred around how to get my parents to buy me a fashionable pair of jeans and
the recent revelation that sophisticated kissing involved spitting in your osculatory
partner’s mouth (a concept I later finessed).
On top of all that, it left me wondering: what is this “courage” of which we speak?
I know it’s not a one-size-fits-all thing. For some, speaking in public takes “courage”
while for me it’s just fun. For me, however, going on a “caravanning holiday” (an
oxymoron in my lexicon) would take more courage than I could muster.
Is courage being able to drive yourself to do something you don’t really want to do?
Or is that just conformity? Is courage the capacity to do things that may injure you?
Or is that just stupidity?
I suspect that true courage is to be yourself. Implicit in that is being able to know
who you most truly are and in that I think we arrive at the heart of what we intuitively
mean when we say “courage”. To look yourself squarely in the eye and say, “I see you,
not as you want to be, not as you may be, not as a result of your history, but as you
are,” and to say it without hope or forgiveness: that is courage.
How do we acquire courage? I say we, but I mean me. I think my daughter has
it in bucketloads.
I know it’s not as simple as heading off to Oz and asking the Wizard. I’m pretty
sure you can’t get it at a weekend course, either, no matter how much you spend.
Like just about everything else that is governed by psychobiology, I think courage
evolves in stages. If you want to lift 100kg you don’t start by lifting 100kg; you start
by lifting 10kg. Once you have mastered lifting 10 you move on to 20 and eventually
you get to 100. Courage is not founded on one heroic act; it’s based on a daily
willingness to see yourself as you are.
That means courage is within the capacity of everyone who wants it, which,
I think, is encouraging.

Terry Robson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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 102
contents
Community
12 Your Say
WellBeing readers tell us
what’s on their minds.
24 Road Test — Kitchen Essentials
Forget hand-cut julienne carrots,
tricky mandoline slicers and poorly
blended smoothies; we put some
new kitchen appliances to the test.
26 Holistic Journey
The Warnindilyakwa women of the
Groote Eylandt Archipelago speak
about their not-for-profit skincare
brand based on bush medicines.
28 Art for Art’s Sake
Diane Geach’s art has been
influenced by the traditional
Japanese Zen aesthetic of wabi
sabi, which highlights the transient,
imperfect yet pure nature of
beauty.
143 Real Life Experience
Teisha Rose was diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis in 1997 at age
22. Teisha shares her journey and
how natural therapies helped her
reclaim her life.
158 What’s On
What’s coming up for you, plus
what’s inspiring us.
162 It’s Time to...
Start living your values with some
wellness homework.
OUR SECTIONS: Community
10 | wellbeing.com.au
Beauty, Food & Health
14 The Pulse
Learn how painkilling medications
influence emotions, and more.
20 Supplement — Co-enzyme Q10
CoQ10 is everywhere in your body,
producing energy for your body’s cells
as well as acting as an antioxidant
and fighting inflammation.
22 Healing Food — Walnuts
Walnuts are a good source of protein
and healthy fats and are great for your
heart, nervous system and digestion.
34 The Beauty Tree
Argan oil is a natural beauty aid that
can hydrate the skin, help with skin
blemishes and scarring, and add
shine and volume to hair.
42 Eating Keto
Cyclic ketogenic eating is an
achievable, effective way to balance
your metabolism and promote health.
68 Orally Right
Beyond oral hygiene and trips to the
dentist, is there something more you
can do to restore your teeth’s health?
80 Special Report: Depression —
Finding the light
From exercise and herbs to
mindfulness, gratitude and diet, there
are many effective strategies you can
use to help combat depression.
126 Recipes: Happy Hormones
Naturopath Belinda Kirkpatrick
infuses everyday dishes with
nutrient-dense, hormone-balancing
ingredients.
Beauty Food
80
Body, Mind & Spirit
16 Lifelines
Read how light affects intelligence
and how pollution impacts on
morality as we check out the latest
research on matters of mind, body
and soul.
30 Thinkers & Doers: Jacinta
McDonnell
Jacinta McDonnell is a “disruptor”.
She challenges the way things
have been done and has brought
entrepreneurial skills to areas as
diverse as fitness, yoga, meditation
and community building.
54 Hygge: Where the Heart Is
Do you want to slow down and
have more time for the people and
things you love? Embracing hygge
(pronounced hooga), the Danish art
of living well, might be the answer.
60 Wired for Wonder
By actively bringing wonder into
your life you can experience more
happiness and make your brain
healthier at the same time.
64 Change Your Self-Talk
In every moment of every day of your
life, your thoughts are determining
how you feel and behave. You’d
better make sure your thoughts are
facts because, more often than you
realise, they are not.
72 Yoga for the Upper Chakras
In the second of this two-part
series we look at how to balance
your upper chakras through yoga.
Health Body

90 A Planet for All Seasons
Astrological planetary links
between the seasons and the
qualities of heat, moisture,
coolness and dryness can guide
you into the correct activities for
each season.
94 Code Red (Embarrassment)
There are natural ways to
overcome the blushing and
sweating of embarrassment
and you can even make those
awkward moments into positive
opportunities.
98 Your Extraordinary Heart
Your heart is far more than a
pump. It has its own nervous
system, its own “intelligence”
and is intimately linked to both
emotions and wisdom.
124 Counter Culture
Find out what’s new in books,
music and film.
Home, Parenting & Relationships
38 Sustainable Kitchen Hacks
Your kitchen is a hub of activity
and, potentially, a lot of waste.
Here, we give you 14 simple hacks
to minimise your impact on the
environment, save you money and
help you lead a greener life.
48 Bounce Back
One of the most powerful skills you
can teach your kids is the ability to
deal with their emotions. Discover
10 tips to help parents help their
kids be emotionally resilient.
Mind Spirit
114
Planet & Travel
18 Green Beat
Read about the unexpected
environmental power of ducks,
and more.
106 Mountain High
A careful blend of tourism and
conservation is helping maintain
the survival of mountain gorillas.
110 Power to Us
We look at the possible options for
providing sustainable energy for
future generations.
114 South Australian Odyssey
Along the dramatic South
Australian coastline you encounter
stunning views but also have the
chance to mingle with whales,
sea lions, dolphins, lampreys and
sea-birds. There is also delightful
dining along the way.
118 Road Tripping Sri Lanka’s Coast
A road trip along Sri Lanka’s
south coast offers relaxation and
inspiration as well as galleries,
wine bars and ocean-view cafes.
Every Issue
128 Natural Source
Health products from our
advertisers.
130 Beauty Source
Products that care for your skin
naturally.
131 Food Source
Healthy food products from our
advertisers.
Home Parenting Relationships
106
132 Education Focus
Byron Yoga Centre runs a range
of different trainings and retreats
in Byron Bay as well as part-time
options offered in Sydney and
Melbourne.
134 Natural Beauty
Carla Oates reveals how good fats
are good for your skin.
135 Quick Kitchen
Lee Holmes guides you into some
delicious slow-cooker cooking.
136 The Conscious Life
Alexx Stuart provides tips on how to
detox on a daily basis.
137 Digging In
Jackie French profiles the plants to
grow to make your own jam.
138 Pet Care
Karen Goldrick shares how to
reduce cancer risk in your pets.
139 Workplace Wellness
Jan McLeod discusses how to eat
well at work.
140 Ageing Well
Michael Elstein considers the link
between gut health and ageing.
141 Clinical Casebook
Karen Bridgman confronts a case
of chronic anxiety.
142 Stargazing
Christine Broadbent reveals the
planetary influences for May and
June, 2018.
144 WellBeing Resource Guide
A directory of holistic products and
services.
Planet Travel
wellbeing.com.au | 11
 community
YOUR SAY

Soul Stories
Lucky me arrives home to my favourite
magazine placed in my work space,
Love your shadow self ready to delve into and indulge in all
live in the its goodness. Wellbeing, thank you with
flow state all my heart that I’m still with you, four
YOGA
for your
years later! I still pinch myself that Soul
lower chakras
Stories gets to play a tiny part in this
inspiring magazine. Sending all of my
heart and energy to your previous editor,
SPECIAL REPORT
beating Danielle Kirk. Her journey is taking her
back pain
STABILISING SATURN MODERN PARENTING
elsewhere and I hope it will be full of
YOUR THREE-YEAR
ASTROLOGICAL INFLUENCE
BESTIE OR DISCIPLINARIAN?

TASTY, HEALTHY
love, beauty and wonder.
LUNCHBOX MEALS
Issue 173 AUS $12.00*
NZ $12.00 (Both incl GST)
INTERVIEW:
Tams
MICHAEL LEUNIG
Finding fluid beauty
With natural fluid loss treatments
MUSICAL HOMES | SNORKELLING AUSTRALIA | COMMUNITY LIVING | ESSENTIAL ROSE | DRUMMING
Love letter
A quick love letter from a long-time
reader of WellBeing. To everyone journalists on the realities of the
involved with the creation of WellBeing, industry and hopefully these young
Did something resonate thank you — each issue just keeps women will not have to endure the
with you in this issue of on getting better and better! I’m so sexism and discrimination faced by their
WellBeing? Tell us! Write impressed with the quality of articles predecessors. Tracey’s work to expose
and in-depth research that goes into sexual predators and abusers within the
to WellBeing, Locked Bag
them. I dog-ear all the pages, put in media will also be the first crucial step
154, North Ryde, NSW motion the suggested mindful practices to reforming the industry.
1670, email wbletters@ and enjoy cooking some of the recipes. Vicki Chuah

universalmagazines. Thank you so much!

Emma Day Pause
com.au, comment on our I love WellBeing! Reading it is such a gift
Facebook page or tweet Inspiring women to myself. It helps me to press pause,
us: @WellBeing_Mag. Thank you for your article profiling breathe and to reconnect with my truth
the inspirational Tracey Spicer. In and an inner knowing. It also helps me to
We reserve the right the current social climate, we need tune into my body and calm my mind, as
to edit all letters. women like Tracey more than ever. well as fill it with new insights, wisdom
I’m so glad she’s mentoring young and wonder. Thank you, WellBeing.
Jade West

New chapters
I felt compelled to write and say
thinkers & doers
TRACEY SPICER
thinkers & doers
TRACEY SPICER thanks, WellBeing! I stumbled across
Spicer (centre) was proud
your magazine as I was preparing to
spend five days in hospital on a pain
to emcee the Women’s March
in Sydney in January 2017.

management program. I have suffered

from chronic pain for over two years
and it was not until day four of my stay
The good fight in hospital that I opened the WellBeing
magazine and read the excerpt from
Outspoken journalist Tracey Spicer fights for what she believes in. For a long time
now, that’s been championing women’s rights in the media industry and beyond.
Words AMY TAYLOR-KABBAZ

editor-in-chief, Terry Robson. He wrote,

N
o one can deny Tracey Spicer gorgeous young woman with coiffed hair the media hounding her each day for

“There are new chapters of life to be

has guts. If you were one of and a dazzling smile, and the trusted and comment, she talks it down. In her eyes,
the 1.5 million viewers who respected older male. As Spicer shares Spicer doesn’t see what she did as brave
watched her in her now- in her book, The Good Girl Stripped Bare, — it was just necessary.
famous TEDx talk in 2013 ceremoniously this is the era when your male bosses “That’s lovely of you to say that it was

written at any stage and any age. You

remove all her makeup, kick off her high
heels and strip off the tight-fitting suit
she was expected to wear throughout
her career, you’d know she has courage.
When Spicer finds something she believes
in, she’ll back herself all the way.
But for anyone who knows her 30-year
history in the media, and in particular
her fight for women’s rights to return
to work and — shock, horror — the TV
screen after motherhood, the removal
of her clothes on stage to highlight the
pressure women feel to look and behave
a certain way would come as no surprise.
Spicer has been silently — and not
so silently — shaking up the media’s
representation of women for a long time
now. In fact, she’s riding what she calls
the “fourth wave” of feminism.
This is not a new battle for the radio,
TV and newspaper journalist, however
— she has been fighting for a long time.
And, despite the relentless trolls and the
reluctance of the “old guard” media to
change, she’s not going to give up.
A fight worth fighting
Picture this: it’s the late 1990s and the
Australian media landscape is made
up of two types of personalities: the
30 | wellbeing.com.au
told you to “stick your tits out”, “lose two
inches off your arse” and “quit before
you’re too long in the tooth”. And forget
going back on-screen once you’d had a
baby. You were moved off camera to a
lesser-paid role, because no one wants
to see “a mummy” on their television.
Spicer knew this going into her first
pregnancy. She’d seen it happen to all
her female colleagues but, in what would
become her signature determination
to fight for what is right, when it was
time for her to return to work and the
predictable conversation about her
“new” role, she fought back. Arguing that
what Channel Ten was doing was against
national and state laws, she won her role
back — this time.
“It was a different story after my
second child,” she remembers. “Not
long after returning to work, I was
terminated.” This time, Spicer sued
Channel Ten for discrimination and
settled out of court. It was 2006 and
the very first time anyone had stood up
against the antiquated views around
women in media.
When I reflect on the courage it took
to take on such a case in that day and
age, and with two young children and
courageous, but I don’t think it was,” she
says. “I consider myself to have been in
a very privileged position at that time,
to have a husband who, even though
he worked at the same workplace,
supported me. We were in a financial
position to be able to hire an external
lawyer. I was a member of the union
already. I had education in this area;
I knew my rights. I had the emotional
support of my extended family. So, what
I would say is, I don’t want people to feel
less about themselves for not standing
up against the system. The problem is
the system. The problem is not us.
“A lot of my mentors and role models
are my very dear friends, who are
generally women a little bit older in the
industry, who’d either been sidelined
or sacked when they had children. So,
by seeing what they went through, I
thought, ‘I want to fight on behalf of
them.’ Because at the time they went
through it, they didn’t have any support,
and they weren’t able to take action. So I
wanted to fly the flag for them.”
Mentoring the next generation
Ten years on from that court case, Spicer
is still flying the flag. As an in-demand
speaker, mentor and trainer, she trains
young journalists at the Australian Film,
Television & Radio School, as well as
through her Outspoken Women and
Spicer Communications companies.
She’s also the co-founder and national
convenor of Women in Media and
is currently working on setting up
scholarships for young women and
women returning to work after children.
A decade on from being terminated,
though, does she think change is really
possible? It’s nice to think we’re moving
on from those days but a quick look at
the nightly news tells a different story.
The fact is, young women entering
into media roles want to get a job and
want to do well, and those rules about
appearance are still there. So how can
you get ahead if you aren’t willing to
follow the rules?
“(My husband) Jason and I talk
about this most nights!” replies Spicer.
“I mentor and teach a lot of young
women and what I say to them is
that, unfortunately, in society and the
workplace, women are valued for their
looks. It is our currency. So you’ve got a
choice to make. You can play upon [looks]
and get ahead in the short term, but it’s
“The more [women] who stand
up to it, the more the structure
will break down and the more
they will be valued for their
abilities and brains.”
a depreciating currency and we all end
up being sidelined in the end if we’re only
valued for our appearance. Or you can
forge forward based upon your abilities
and your brains and fight, as much as
you can, that expectation of appearing
like a Barbie doll on television. And then
I leave them to make their own choices.
“I think they’ve got to understand that
the structure is against them. However,
the more [women] who stand up to that,
the more the structure will break down
and the more they will be valued for their
abilities and brains.”
In her role with Women in Media,
which started in Perth 11 years ago and
became a national organisation three
years ago, Spicer is raising money to start
scholarships for either rural or regional
women, or women of different cultural
backgrounds, to get into the industry. One
scholarship she is particularly passionate
about is designed to get mid-career
women who’ve left work because of
caring responsibilities, either for children
or elderly parents, back into the industry.
“This is where we’ve lost a lot of
women, in their 30s and 40s,” she says.
“And with Women in Media, we not only
have never finished the magnum opus
want to help train those women so they
can go back into the industry again, but
we go into the media organisations and
talk to them about the gender pay award.
that is your life; your story is changing
It’s about getting more women into
leadership positions. It’s about sponsoring
more women to come through and about
ensuring that sexual harassment policies
and the characters evolving at every
point. Don’t waste time defending
are actually being practised. We also
have to look at training women to protect
themselves from trolling in the workplace.
Trolling is predominantly something that
women experience, so we want to help
them to handle that better.”
The change, however, is slow. Spicer
or lamenting who you once were but
admits that Women in Media’s first
discussions with industry were not
successful — they all “talked the talk, but
then they didn’t walk the walk”. So what
embrace new chapters and, whatever
is the solution to change? They haven’t
got the answer to that just yet.
“No, not yet. We’re trying! We’ve got
the data together but being a journalist
happens, just keep writing.” My gosh, it
wellbeing.com.au | 31 was as though it had been written just

12 | wellbeing.com.au

for me to read at that exact moment;
as if had I read it earlier in the week
it would have been lost. Thank you for
inspiring me to look for opportunities
that now exist and let go of what has
already passed. I look forward to
reading many more editions.
Jemima Hill
Inspired yogi
The WellBeing Yoga Experience issue #3
was given to me by my husband. It is
absolutely amazing! I teach yoga in my
own small studio and I feel so grateful
to have come across your magazine. You
can be sure I am
and will become
a better person
and teacher
because of this
publication and
am so inspired
to introduce
more yoga
concepts into
my teaching.
Thank you!
Kym Falvey
The writer of each letter
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It's in the doing
What were your
intentions for 2018? How
have you been tracking
with achieving them?
To be more conscious of the
environment. I have been achieving
this by recycling more and doing more
volunteering for charities. The biggest
thing I want to do is lose weight and to
quit smoking, which is going be hard, but
I have an amazing daughter who is going
to help me achieve my goals.
Denise Campbell
My intention for the year is to be
more mindful in all aspects
of my life; physically,
mentally, spiritually and
emotionally. I plan Elaine Boyd's WellBeing
Inspirations Diary.
to achieve this by
keeping a record
in my WellBeing
Inspirations Diary.
Elaine Boyd
Our intentions are
to help more people this
year with their health and
wellness than we did last year,
especially local kids. Also, to continue
on our own health and happiness
journey using more primal methods and
getting even more nature time.
Clint & Aimee
Clint & Aimee
Nothing. I’m not setting myself up
for failure. I’m not stressing myself on
goals. I’m not intending to do everything
possible to complete a challenge, and this
is peace. Letting it go. Saying no. Be sad.
Be mad. Be glad, when I choose.
Marina Abernethy
community
YOUR SAY
Julie Vulin
To practise happiness as much as
possible, with myself and with everyone.
Also, to be compassionate and
mindful. I intend to do this
by not letting my anger
or frustration get the best
me and instead focus
on the positives and
let go of the negatives,
as well as surrounding
myself with like-minded
people and smiling and
laughing often.
Julie Vulin
This year, my intention is to develop
as an artist. I’m a single mum of a five-
year-old boy with no family living nearby
so, in order to be the mum my son has
needed, I’ve had to focus on what I can
do vs what I cannot. I have managed to
exhibit and complete commissions but
not to the level I desire. My baby is off to
school very soon; I’m aiming to milk as
much out of those six hours as possible
by painting, creating a website, starting a
blog and going for it!
Midge McMillian
This year, I’m bringing more ease
and more awe into my life. I’ve been
saying yes to the things I want to do
and a firm no to the things that aren’t
for me any more. I’ve been looking at
my relationships with a new-found
sense of awe and marvelling at the
simplicity of nature.
Grace Williams
Want to join the conversation next issue?
Flip to the final page and dive in!
wellbeing.com.au | 13
 the pulse
COMPILED BY TERRY ROBSON

Recent medical findings for a healthier body

A breath of flu
It’s autumn/winter and the flu season is not far away. Unfortunately, it’s
easier to spread the dreaded flu than you may have thought. In a new
study, researchers measured influenza virus in exhaled breath from 142
confirmed cases of people with influenza during natural breathing, speech,
spontaneous coughing and sneezing. The analysis of the infectious virus
recovered from these samples showed that a significant number of flu
patients routinely shed infectious virus, not merely detectable RNA, into
aerosol particles small enough to present a risk for airborne transmission
just via breathing. Coughing was not necessary for infectious aerosol
generation and neither was sneezing. Keeping surfaces clean, washing your
hands and avoiding coughing does not stop you spreading the flu. If you do
have the flu, rather than go to work and be present, the best thing you can
do for yourself and others is to stay at home.
Source: University of Maryland

Can painkillers influence emotions?

Pain-relief medications such as ibuprofen experiencing physical or emotional pain Diet influences
and paracetamol are widely used but they and felt less regard for the person. People breast cancer spread
may be doing more than just relieving pain; who took a dose of paracetamol also rated
they may influence your emotions. This was pleasant and unpleasant photographs less In this new study researchers
found in a new review that found a variety of extremely than those who took placebos. studied triple-negative breast
effects from these medications. For instance, Paracetamol also led to more errors of cancer cells, which grow and
women who took a dose of ibuprofen omission when playing a game. It certainly spread faster than most other
reported less hurt feelings from emotionally seems that painkillers influence how you types of cancer cells. They
painful experiences, whereas men showed process information. It’s a reminder that any discovered that the appearance
the opposite pattern. People taking a single medicine will rarely have a single action. of asparagine synthetase in a
dose of paracetamol were less emotionally Source: Policy Insights from the Behavioural primary tumour, the enzyme
distressed while reading about a person and Brain Sciences cells used to make the amino
acid asparagine, was strongly
associated with later cancer
spread. Additionally, cancer
spread was greatly limited by
Curcumin for memory and mood
reducing asparagine synthetase,
Curcumin is a component of turmeric and gives
treatment with the chemotherapy
many curries their colour. In a new study, adults drug l-asparaginase, or dietary
between the ages of 50 and 90 who had mild restriction. When the lab mice
memory complaints were randomly assigned were given food rich in asparagine,
to receive either a placebo or 90mg of curcumin the cancer cells spread more
twice daily for 18 months. All subjects were given rapidly. This suggests that
cognitive function tests at the start of the study changes in diet might impact
and at six-month intervals. Subjects also had on both how a person responds
brain scans to determine the levels of amyloid and to primary cancer therapy and
tau in their brains at the start of the study and after their chances of the disease
18 months. People who took curcumin experienced spreading later in life. Foods rich
in asparagine include dairy, whey,
significant improvements in their memory (28 per cent
beef, poultry, eggs, fish, seafood,
improvement) and attention while the subjects who received
asparagus, potatoes, legumes,
placebo did not. Those taking curcumin also had mild improvements in mood and nuts, seeds, soy and whole grains.
their brain scans showed significantly less amyloid and tau in the amygdala and Foods low in asparagine include
hypothalamus, parts of the brain that control memory and emotional functions. most fruits and vegetables.
Source: The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry Source: Nature
Photography Bigstock

MEDIFACT: Standing burns 0.6kJ more per minute than sitting. By substituting standing for sitting
for six hours a day, a 65kg person would expend an extra 226kJ a day. If there was no increase in food
intake, and everything else remained equal, that would equate to 2.5kg lost in one year.

14 | wellbeing.com.au
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 lifelines
COMPILED BY TERRY ROBSON

Interesting slices of life

Polluted morality The light of intelligence
In a new review of existing For this study, researchers
studies, researchers found observed the brains of
that pollution is linked to Nile grass rats (which, like
humans, are diurnal and
increased feelings of anxiety.
sleep at night) after exposing
Additionally, cities with higher
them to dim and bright light
levels of air pollution also tend for four weeks. The rats
to have higher levels of crime. exposed to dim light lost
This association held true even about 30 per cent of capacity
after the researchers accounted in the hippocampus, a critical
for other potential factors like brain region for learning
population density, poverty and memory, and performed
rate, unemployment rate and poorly on a spatial task.
so on. However, these findings The rats exposed to bright
still don’t prove a causal link. So light showed significant
the researchers conducted experiments such as asking subjects to look at a picture of a improvement on the spatial
task. When the rats exposed
city and then imagine either clean or polluted air. They found that when people imagined
to dim light were then
polluted air they were then more likely to cheat on subsequent tasks. Further experiments
exposed to bright light for
showed the same thing and the researchers concluded that air pollution, whether physical four weeks (after a month
or mental, is linked with lowered morality through increased levels of anxiety. It seems break), their performance
that pollution corrupts more than the environment. Source: Psychological Science on the task recovered fully.
The researchers found
that exposure to dim light
Your “optimism bias” caused reductions in a
substance called “brain-
Sometimes you change your as being due to a bad test or to experience either positive derived neurotrophic factor”,
beliefs about yourself based bad conditions. This is known or negative life events, the a peptide that helps maintain
on information you receive. If as an “optimism bias” and researchers found that our healthy connections between
you do better on an intelligence it helps us cope with life by optimism bias extends to the neurons. Fewer neuronal
test than you expected to, you feeling good about the future, people we care about and connections results in less
would probably upgrade your but researchers wanted to even to strangers we think are learning. Language is no
belief about how intelligent know if it extends beyond the “good” people. Those rose- accident; it’s no wonder
you are. However, if you do individual. By asking people coloured glasses make life a we use the phrase, “He’s
worse than expected you would to imagine how likely friends, little easier to face. a bit dim.”
probably dismiss the results loved ones and strangers were Source: Psychological Science Source: Hippocampus

That bicycle testicle pickle

Cycling is a popular, healthy and sustainable method of transport. Over the years, though,
there have been reports that cycling may not be good for sexual health, in particular
erectile function. Previous studies, however, were small and lacked comparison groups.
In this study, subjects included 2774 cyclists, 539 swimmers and 789 runners. The
subjects completed validated questionnaires about sexual health. In general, when
compared to swimmers and runners, cyclists’ sexual and urinary health was similar,
although some cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures. Individual choices
did influence the effect of cycling. High-intensity cyclists had overall better erectile
function scores than low-intensity cyclists. Standing more than 20 per cent of the time
while cycling reduced chances of genital numbness, while adjusting handlebar height
lower than saddle height increased the likelihood of genital numbness and saddle sores.
Overall, though, gentlemen, back on your bike. Source: The Journal of Urology
Photography Bigstock

DID YOU KNOW? Research shows that having a clear picture in mind of what their future will look like can
motivate university students to keep going despite the challenges of the student life. Imagining your
future has also been shown to make you readier to take actions to deal with what comes along. Dwelling on
the past does not have the same effect. Clearly imagining your future can help you deal with your present.

16 | wellbeing.com.au
 green beat
COMPILED BY TERRY ROBSON

All the latest in environmental issues

Duck and cover
Ducks don’t get the plaudits they deserve. They are an
under-appreciated waterfowl, but a new study shows
just how vital they are to the environment. Ducks are
usually thought to disperse plant seeds primarily via
external means when stuck in their feathers or in mud
on their feet or their bills. The new study shows it goes
deeper than that. Researchers from Hungary and Spain
have studied hundreds of samples of duck poo and
found a veritable flotilla of plants were hitching a ride
therein. The researchers found seeds of 21 flowering
plants, including land species that were not previously
known to be spread by ducks. Not only that, they found
spores of floating watermoss, which the researchers
claim is the first known example of birds spreading
ferns. Ducks may be able to spread these seeds and
spores for hundreds of kilometres, revealing them as a
vital part of the ecosystem.
Source: Ecology

Magpie intelligence Energy for the future

Researchers examined 14 wild groups of
Australian magpies (Western Australian
subspecies Cracticus tibicen dorsalis) in
Perth. The groups ranged in size from
three to 12 birds. The cognitive ability of
each magpie was tested using four tasks,
including one in which they had to learn
to associate a particular colour with the
presence of food. There was also a test of
self-control in which magpies had to stop
themselves from pecking directly at the
Hailstorm prediction
Hail is among the most economically
damaging natural phenomena in Australia,
challenged in its cost only by flooding. In
an important advance, researchers from
the United States may have found a way
to predict hailstorms up to three weeks in
advance. The researchers examined hail
observations from national storm data for
the period of 1979 to 2016. They compared
those events with changes in the Global
Wind Oscillation (GWO) index, a collection of
climate and weather information that measures
“atmospheric angular momentum” (the degree of
Photography Bigstock
food through a transparent barrier and
instead had to go around to the sides of a
tube to get the food. The results showed
that the larger the group the magpie
grew up in, the more intelligent they
proved to be on the tests. Additionally,
more intelligent females produced more
offspring. It’s likely that the demands of
living in complex social groups may play a
role in the evolution of intelligence.
Source: Nature
Energy conversion and
storage is the key to a “clean
energy” economy. Solar and
wind sources produce plenty
of power but they only do it
intermittently, meaning we
need to store and save the
electricity they create. One of
the most promising ideas for
storing renewable energy is
to use the excess electricity
generated from renewables
to split water into oxygen and
hydrogen. Hydrogen has many
uses in industry and could
be used to power hydrogen
fuel-cell cars. However,
the catalysts required for
water splitting are precious
metals, such as platinum or
ruthenium, and they make
the process prohibitively
expensive. In a new study,
researchers from Washington
State University have used
two abundantly available
and cheap metals to create
a nanofoam that worked
better than most catalysts
currently used, including

waviness in the jet stream). The GWO index has eight distinct phases and four of
those made from the precious
those phases were reliable predictors of increased inland hail activity during peak metals. Large-scale testing
storm seasons. The model works better in some parts of the US than others and is required but this could be a
would not necessarily extend directly to Australia. However, similar research could mechanism to create energy
develop useful hail prediction models worldwide. for the future.
Source: Geophysical Research Letters Source: Nano Energy

18 | wellbeing.com.au
For the

of your life...
 supplement
COENZYME Q10
Energy & so much more
This nutrient is everywhere in your body, producing energy for your body’s
cells as well as acting as an antioxidant and fighting inflammation.
C
oenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), also known
as ubiquinone, is a fat-soluble
vitamin-like nutrient synthesised
by cells in human (mammalian) tissues.
Coenzymes are small molecules that
facilitate the chemical reactions of other
enzymes. CoQ10 is critical for producing
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in the
electron energy transport chain, thereby
being critical for energy production.
CoQ10 is a major antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory nutrient that plays an
important role in immune modulation.
It concentrates in organs and tissues
that are highly metabolically active:
the heart, kidneys, liver, pancreas and
immune system.
CoQ10 can be important to
supplement because synthesis becomes
less efficient as people age, while stress
as well as a variety of medications
deplete the body stores.
Ubiquinone was first identified in
1940 when it was isolated from beef
hearts. Its chemical formula was
derived in 1958. Found in beef, eggs
and in lesser amounts in beans, grains,
spinach and some oils, commercially it’s
manufactured by fermenting beets and
sugar cane with specific strains of yeast.
It wasn’t until 1972 that scientists
documented low levels of CoQ10
specifically in humans with cardiovascular
disease. In 1978, a Nobel Prize was
awarded for the discovery of the role of
CoQ10 in cell energy transport.
Therapeutic uses
Cardiovascular system
CoQ10 increases energy production in
heart muscle, normalises blood pressure,
optimises energy levels and reduces the
effects of ageing. It is highly concentrated
in heart muscle, contributing to its high
metabolic activity, functioning as a lipid-
soluble inhibitor of low-density lipoprotein
(LDL) and reducing lipid peroxidation.
It has been used clinically to improve
many cardiovascular disorders including
angina, arrhythmias, congestive
cardiac failure, cholesterol disorders,
hypertension and cardiotoxicity. It
protects heart muscle against damage
(and often sudden death) caused by
20 | wellbeing.com.au
Words DR KAREN BRIDGMAN
CoQ10 has been
shown to increase
exercise capacity
a viral infection (in otherwise healthy
people). 120–150mg per day for 28 days
has shown a marked reduction in a range
of cardiovascular events. In peripheral
artery disease and hypertension, up to
300mg/day in combination with other
antioxidants is effective.
Research has shown positive
results for patients with a mitral valve
prolapse (it assists in repairing the
valve, particularly when taken with
magnesium) and improved outcomes
when taken before coronary bypass
surgery. In cardiac patients, the plasma
level of CoQ10 has been found to be an
independent predictor of mortality.
Periodontal disease
When patients with advanced periodontal
disease had their gums biopsied, it
uncovered a significant deficiency of
CoQ10. When 25mg of CoQ10 was
applied topically (twice a day for
three weeks) there were dramatic
improvements. Even those who had been
unable to eat solid food were able to
resume doing so after the treatment.
Athletic performance
CoQ10 has been shown to increase
exercise capacity, improve athletic
performance and strengthen the heart.
World-class athletes may need 300–
600mg per day.
Diabetes
CoQ10 can decrease insulin
requirements in diabetics. An Australian
study showed that a total of 200mg/
day of CoQ10 for 12 weeks improved
both glycaemic control (reduced HbA1c)
and blood pressure (both systolic and
diastolic) in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Central nervous system
CoQ10 has shown multiple protective
effects in the central nervous system.
Research shows improvements in patients
with depression, Parkinson’s disease,
Alzheimer’s disease and age-related
memory loss when supplemented with
CoQ10. Dose used is 100–200mg per day.
Immune system
Coenzyme Q10 increases immune
function, leading to higher antibody levels,
increased T-cell activity and resistance
to infection. It improves outcomes
in autoimmune disease, including
autoimmune bronchial asthma and
infections such as AIDs.
Cancer
CoQ10 reduces the cardiotoxicity of
chemotherapeutic drugs such as
tamoxifen, doxorubicin and trastuzumab
and may increase the effectiveness
of the drugs. According to research,
CoQ10 suppresses cancer cell growth
by functioning as an antimetabolite;
meanwhile, as an antioxidant it prevents
free-radical damage to DNA. Substantial
research shows improvements in
outcomes in a variety of cancers,
including breast cancer.
Requirements & dose
Normal red cells appear to regulate their
CoQ10 effectively but the supplementation
impacts on reducing pathological
conditions. Doses up to 200–300mg per
day can be useful when taken with food
containing a small amount of healthy
fats to improve absorption. When
supplementing, plasma levels will plateau
within three weeks.
Both coenzyme Q10 and its
reduced form ubiquinol are important
supplements for mitochondrial health.
As you age, ubiquinol is the preferred
form as it’s the ability to process CoQ10
to ubiquinol in the body that decreases
with ageing. The body’s conversion
of CoQ10 to ubiquinol improves by
Photography Bigstock
eating lots of green leafy vegetables in
combination with appropriate skin sun
exposure (without sun creams).
Dr Karen Bridgman is a holistic practitioner
at Australian Biologics, Sydney.
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 healing food
WALNUTS
The hearty nut
Walnuts are a tasty snack and a good source of protein as well as healthy fats that protect
your heart. On top of that, walnuts are also good for your nervous system and your digestion.
W
alnuts are tree nuts of the genus
Juglans. Technically, they are
stone fruit, not true nuts.
Once picked, walnuts need to be stored
properly or they are susceptible to insect
or mould infestation, producing aflatoxin (a
potent carcinogen). They are best stored at
low humidity, below 25°C.
The nut meat is used as a high-protein
food and walnut oil as salad dressing but
its low smoke point limits its use for frying.
Nutrition
Walnuts contain high protein (15 per cent),
high fibre (7 per cent) and high fat (65 per
cent). Micronutrients are lutein, zeaxanthin,
a range of B vitamins (with high levels of
B6) and minerals, particularly manganese
(163 per cent RDA), magnesium,
phosphorus, potassium and zinc. The
fat profile shows high polyunsaturated
omega-3 fatty acids with alpha-linolenic
acid (14 per cent), linoleic acid (58 per cent)
and 13 per cent oleic acid (omega-9).
Polyphenols are the main active
ingredients, with seven phenolic
compounds including ferulic acid, vanillic
acid, coumaric acid, myricetin and juglone.
Walnuts also contain ellagitannins,
betulinic acid and beta-sitosterol.
Phytosterols, tochopherols and squalene
are present as well. Based on serving size,
walnuts are the seventh-largest source of
total polyphenols of all common foods.
Healing uses
In traditional medicine, walnuts were
used for a wide variety of ailments: to
treat worms and helminths, for diarrhoea,
sinusitis, stomach aches, arthritis, asthma,
eczema, scrofula, skin disorders, diabetes
mellitus, anorexia, thyroid dysfunction,
cancer and infectious disease.
Cardiovascular
There have been many studies conducted
on the therapeutic activity of walnuts
(and other nuts) on the cardiovascular
system. They have been shown to lower
total cholesterol and the LDL fraction,
trigylcerides and the ApoB marker,
while increasing the protective HDL and
antioxidant defense systems. Higher doses
give better results. They also lowered blood
pressure in people without diabetes.
22 | wellbeing.com.au
Words DR KAREN BRIDGMAN
The anti-inflammatory effect reduces
the risk of atherosclerosis development
in human aortic endothelial cells. Walnut
derivatives have also been shown to reduce
the oxidation of LDLs, thus lowering the
risk of atherosclerosis.
Walnuts have protective properties
in cardiovascular disease in overweight
humans with visceral adiposity (weight
collecting around the abdomen) — a known
risk factor for cardiovascular disease and
metabolic syndrome.
Comparing walnuts with fatty fish,
research has shown each regulates
different components of cholesterol
metabolism. The polyunsaturated fats of
walnuts lowered LDL and total cholesterol
levels in people with high blood fats and
the fatty fish lowered triglycerides and
raised HDL cholesterol. Overall, the high
walnut diet showed better results than
the high fish diet in regulating cholesterol
as well as improving antioxidant capacity.
Neurological
The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
ingredients of walnuts improve
neurological function, increasing
signalling, neurogenesis (development of
new neurons) and reduction in the amyloid
plaques involved in dementia, thus being
neuroprotective. Walnuts have been shown
to assist in the maintenance of brain health
and cognitive function in the ageing.
Obesity
Despite the high-fat, energy-dense content
of walnuts, the high protein and dietary
fibre components contribute significantly
to the feeling of satiety. Along with the high
levels of micronutrients, the net effect is
that walnuts have an inverse association
with higher levels of consumption (one
handful daily is ideal) and lower body
weight, helping prevent both obesity and
type 2 diabetes.
Metabolic syndrome & diabetes
Regular consumption reduces the risk of
the development of metabolic syndrome
and type 2 diabetes due to its anti-
inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Gastrointestinal
Beneficial changes in gut microbial
communities were shown on the ingestion
of walnuts. In rat studies, increased levels
of lactobacillus were measured. Walnuts
are prescribed for chronic constipation,
intestinal toxaemia, giardia, portal
congestion and haemorrhoids. Green
black walnut hulls have been used as a
traditional medicine to expel parasites,
worms and a variety of pathogenic
organisms inhabiting the gut. The juglone
component has shown antimicrobial,
antiparasitic effects, which ,when
combined with its laxative activity assist in
removing these organisms.
Liver function
Walnut consumption reverses non-
alcoholic fatty liver. It’s said that three
things are necessary for a healthy liver:
walnuts, coffee and oily fish.
Anticancer
The proteins from walnuts showed
antiproliferative activity against cancer
of the prostate and breast as well as
melanoma and leukemia. Walnuts have
been shown to afford partial protection
from colon cancer, possibly due to the
beneficial changes to the gut microbiome.
Ellagic acid from walnuts is protective
against UVA (sun-related) skin cancer
by reducing DNA damage in skin cells.
Various studies have shown that walnuts
improve pathways related to cancer
initiation, development and progression.
Eating walnuts
To get the most nutrients from walnuts
and take away the mouth dryness it’s best
Photography Bigstock
to activate them by soaking in filtered
water with a little salt for 4–12 hours then
draining them before consuming.
Dr Karen Bridgman is a holistic practitioner
at Australian Biologics, Sydney.
 road test
KITCHEN APPLIANCES
Kitchen essentials
Forget julienning carrots, tricky mandoline slicers and poorly blended
smoothies; we put some new kitchen appliances to the test.
Vitamix
The sleek design of the Vitamix Ascent
Series has my dinner party guests
drooling before I’ve even served dessert!
Featuring program settings for smoothies,
soups, dips, desserts and a self-cleaning
mode, I just hit the touchscreen interface
and walk away, knowing the Vitamix will
take care of the rest.
First up, I tested my favourite smoothie
recipe. I added one banana, some frozen
raspberries, a handful of baby spinach, a
few cashews and a scoop of cacao powder
to the two-litre container and hit the
smoothie function. I watched the speed
increase by half-speed increments, then
slowly reduce as it counted down from 50
seconds before shutting off completely.
Now, I’ve had this smoothie almost
every day for a few years, but this morning
it was different; it was the smoothest,
creamiest, most delicious version of my
go-to smoothie I’ve ever made!
Next, I made some almond butter,
an ingredient needed for the raw berry
cheesecake I was making (also in the
Vitamix). Following the nut butter recipe
that I found in the Vitamix Simply Blending
cookbook — which, by the way, contains
lots of delicious and healthy recipes —
was easy. The nut butter was creamy and
smooth, making it the perfect addition to
the raw berry cheesecake I also made.
The Vitamix has a lot of power. At full
throttle or speed 10, it’s loud but it gets
the jobs done quickly. With the 10-year
warranty cover, I’m certain I’ll have this
machine for a very long time.
I love the self-cleaning function, the
interlock technology that prevents the
machine from operating if the lid or
container is not secure and wireless
connectivity, which I’m yet to explore.
Who knows, maybe in the future my
Vitamix will 3D-print my smoothie
ingredients and blend it all in one!
Southern Cross Water Purifier
Photography Bigstock
I’ve never minded drinking water from the
tap. In Australia, we’re very fortunate to
have clean, running water that seemingly
appears like magic with the twist of
a handle. I must admit, though, after
sampling the water from Southern Cross
24 | wellbeing.com.au
Words KATE DUNCAN
Pottery’s water purifier, I can certainly
appreciate the growing trend towards
clean, purified water.
Handmade and hand-decorated, the
beautiful stoneware water purifier uses
a carbon and ceramic filter to remove
impurities such as bacteria, giardia,
chlorine algae, rust and fluoride (if a
specific fluoride-filter is chosen), while
ensuring healthy minerals like calcium
and magnesium remain in the water. It
holds approximately 12 litres and the pH
of the water is increased slightly due to
the calcium content of the filter, making
the water more alkalised.
Australian-made and easy to
assemble, the ceramic purifier has
become a striking feature on my kitchen
bench. I’ve taken a liking to filling up the
water purifier — standing boldly with its
turquoise, ocean-like glaze each morning
— watching the water trickle through the
filter and eventually into my glass. Taking
that first sip of pure, clean water has
quickly become a scared and satisfying
way to start my day.
OmniBlend Super Blender
I was craving something sweet and
chocolaty when I unpacked the
OmniBlend Super Blender. When
my cacao craving kicks in, I’ve got to
move fast. I flicked through the three
OmniBlend cookbooks included in the
box and found what I wanted: Coconut
Chocolate Bliss Bar.
Following the recipe, I added shredded
coconut to the BPA-free 2L jug and flicked
the switch to low. Considering I doubled
the recipe (cacao craving at its peak!),
I was surprised to see how quickly it
blended the ingredients — my old blender
would have struggled without any liquid.
Using the tamper to really help it along, I
made the recipe quickly and to perfection.
With low, medium and high settings,
plus a pulse function, the blades are made
from high-quality stainless steel and
designed at different angles to create a
seamless vortex, which cycles through all
my favourite ingredients, breaking them
down in a matter of seconds.
Plus, the OmniBlend comes with a
nut-milk bag, which I’m yet to use (my
cashews are currently soaking), a seven-
year warranty and free shipping.
Veggie Bullet
Spending close to $20 on a jar of
sauerkraut has never appealed to me,
considering it’s just cabbage and salt.
Now, with the help of the Veggie Bullet, I
can make my own in seconds for a third
of the price. As well as sauerkraut, I’ve
added kimchi and coleslaw to my weekly
repertoire and am thoroughly enjoying
the ease of this machine.
Although there’s a few parts to the
Bullet, they’re clearly labelled and easy
to assemble. With just one button, I can
spiralise, shred, slice and blend almost
any vegetable by simply feeding it safely
through the chute towards the blade.
I love salads, but sometimes get bored
with the usual suspects: greens, tomatoes,
cucumber and avo. Lately, my salads
have been transformed with zoodles and
sautéed sweet potato noodles, ingredients
I don’t usually have the time to prepare.
Plus, my vegie intake has increased
over the past month — it’s just so easy
to feed an extra cucumber, carrot or
beetroot through the Veggie Bullet,
watching in awe as it comes out sliced.
Also included with the Veggie Bullet
is a cookbook filled with delicious and
healthy recipes such as Rainbow Confetti
Salad with Tahini Turmeric Dressing
and Cauliflower “Rice” with Hazelnuts
& Tarragon Dressing, both of which I’m
excited to try.
Kate Duncan is the Assistant Editor of WellBeing.
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to break free
from allergies?
Regain control of
your health today.

A Natural Healthcare Practitioner can prescribe a targeted treatment plan to help you manage your allergies or intolerances.
Your Practitioner will help you achieve and maintain optimum health by addressing the underlying causes of reactivity and
not just treat the symptoms.

Metagenics quality Natural Medicines are only available from Natural Healthcare Practitioners.

Contact Metagenics to ind a Natural Healthcare Practitioner near you.

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 holistic journey
BUSH MEDIJINA
Healing bush medicine
The Warnindilyakwa women of the Groote Eylandt Archipelago in the Gulf of Carpentaria
blend traditional bush medicines for the not-for-profit skincare brand Bush Medijina.
What is Bush Medijina?
Bush Medijina, the name of our not-for-
profit social enterprise, means “bush
medicine” in the Anindilyakwa language.
Where is Bush Medijina located?
Where do you harvest?
Our base is the Angurugu Community on
Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
We harvest our plants locally; the whole
island is home to our medicines.
Please describe some of the bush
produce you collect?
We use knowledge passed down from
our mothers, grandmothers, aunties
and elders to harvest produce on our
country to make skincare products and
healing remedies. We pick merrika
(broad-leaved wattle) and dumburumba
(native sandalwood) leaves and boil
them to make body balms, lip balms and
soaps. We traditionally use merrika and
dumburumba for treating sores, cuts,
stings and skin rashes. These balms
can be rubbed on the body in areas as
needed or used as a general body balm.
Mamaburra (wild peach tree) is
commonly found on Groote Eylandt
and we eat the fruit from the tree.
We sometimes bathe ourselves in
mamaburra or rub it on our bodies as
it helps us with skin problems. We cut
the red bark from the tree and boil it. It
gives our soaps a lovely deep-red earthy
colour. Sometimes we dry it and use it in
our soap scrubs as an exfoliant. We add
the dusty colours of our very own Groote
Eylandt ochres to some of our soaps,
along with clay to make soap scrubs.
Yilyakwa (sugar bag), found in the
hollow of trees, is honey made by the
native bee. We use sugar bag in soaps
and our lip balm; it’s good for the skin.
We also make lip balm from
angarrakaka (jungle currant). This fruit
is like a blueberry. We eat it when it’s
available in the hot and wet season. All
our lip balms have merrika (broad-leaved
wattle) which is good for soothing the lips.
What are some of the traditional ways
you use to blend the bush medicines?
We harvest leaves, bark, roots and
seasonal fruits.
26 | wellbeing.com.au
What types of skincare products
do you create?
We make healing balms, soaps, hair
oil, lip balms and body butter. We are
working on new formulas and products
and our range is slowly developing.
What traditional knowledge and
ancient wisdom has been passed
to you by your ancestors?
Leonie, aka Gayangwa Lalara: “As a young
girl, I had arthritis in my knee. My mother
and the women in our family collected
yuwarra [Tinospora smilacina, commonly
known as snake vine]. They hit the vine
with a stick to make it come loose from
where it was living. Then they soaked
it in cold water; you can also boil it or
crush it using a rock. They wrapped the
vine around my leg and bathed me in the
liquid. They left the wrap on all day. After
that, the swelling in my joints went away.”
Many bush medicines can be
used both internally and externally.
Infusions, decoctions, tinctures and dry
preparations are the four main internal
preparations, while washes, compresses,
poultices and salves are the four main
external preparations.
Our ancestors did not have medical
clinics so, when someone was burnt,
stung by a jellyfish, cut themselves or
felt sick, we’d know where to get our own
medicines and how to prepare them. The
land provides all we need for a healthy life.
What bush tucker ingredient have you
found helps with headaches and colds?
Mamarra (small-leaved paperbark) and
mawilyaburna (liniment) are traditionally
used for coughs and colds, muscle pain,
headaches and stress. We boil them to
make our popular Breathe Easy + Calm
Balm. The balms can be rubbed on the
chest to sooth a cold or on muscles to
help with general aches and pains.
What environmentally sustainable
practices do you follow when it comes
to harvesting bush medicine?
We collect plants when they are in
season and know the best time to
harvest according to weather conditions.
We make small batches at a time, so only
collect small amounts when needed. We
are grateful to live on a big island with an
abundance of pants and wildlife.
How has Bush Medijina paved a
way for young women and girls?
Making bush remedies is women’s
business. As women, we know this is
important work and knowledge and we
value it as part of our culture. We also
value being good mothers, showing
kindness to others, being loving and
caring, being respectful, thoughtful and
friendly. We want to create jobs for the
women in our community so they can be
financially independent and have a nice
working environment that also preserves
our culture.
What’s next for Bush Medijina?
We want to expand into other communities
across the Groote Archipelago so women
from all communities can be part of
Bush Medijina. However, probably the
most important part of our business
is to foster our Wellbeing Program. As
women in Indigenous communities, we
face many challenges. Part of our vision
is to support other women to become
stronger in mind and body so we can
better deal with these challenges. We
want to be leaders and advocates for
our communities.
We are very proud of what we have
achieved so far; we are enjoying the
journey and coming closer to our overall
dream of a successful social enterprise
that supports us, the Indigenous
Warnindilyakwa women of the Groote
Eylandt Archipelago.
For more, visit bushmedijina.com.au.
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 art for art’s sake
DIANE GEACH
WellBeing gives space to the creative souls in our community
Diane Geach
T: +61 418 166 111
E: chat2di@gmail.com
28 | wellbeing.com.au
M
y art has been influenced by
the traditional Japanese Zen
aesthetic of wabi sabi, which
highlights the transient, imperfect yet
pure nature of beauty.
Coming from an Asian heritage
has helped my understanding and
appreciation of this Zen philosophy,
which I try to emulate through my
painting. After experimenting with
differing media, watercolour is the
medium I feel the greatest affinity for.
I have been encouraged in my artistic
endeavours by my photographer
husband Brian and my Moku teacher,
Bronwen Wade-Leeuwen.
My inspiration is from nature; its
abstract shapes, luminosity, colours,
hues, shadows and highlights sharpen
my senses and awaken my creative
inner self. This inspiration allows me to
reflect upon, contemplate, concentrate
and create, allowing space, the fluidity of
colours and water to organically emerge
as an image on my paper.
In the past, I had often considered
painting, but a busy corporate life and
other distractions meant this impulse
was often relegated. However, a life-
changing encounter with breast cancer
in 2009 led me to revaluate what was
important in my life. After my treatment
ended, I made the decision to pursue my
artistic side.
It’s a decision I’ve never regretted
and one that has been validated by
the modest success I’ve achieved in
exhibiting my work. But the true nature
of success is what my art has brought to
me personally: a new-found confidence,
an ability to see, to observe, to create
and, with that, the recognition that art
can heal and nurture.
Sometimes life takes an unexpected
turn and what often seems like a setback
can manifest itself as an opportunity.
Now, I look upon my sudden and daunting
encounter with breast cancer as a
positive, sparking an epiphany and an
awakening to the natural world and, most
significantly, to my artistic world within.
Stony Creek 42cm × 29.5cm, watercolour
Are you an amateur artist and would
you like to see your art in WellBeing?
Send a high-resolution colour image of
an unpublished artwork to wbletters@
universalmagazines.com.au.
 thinkers & doers
JACINTA MCDONNELL
The creative disruptor
Jacinta McDonnell is a “disruptor”: she challenges the way things are done.
Over a successful life, she has brought entrepreneurial skills to areas as diverse
as fitness, yoga, meditation and community building. Here she shares the
philosophy that underlies all she has achieved.
I
f you had to choose one word to sum
up the work of Jacinta McDonell,
“disruptor” would be apt. While
this word is often thrown around
in the current entrepreneurial world,
it’s particularly relevant for this mother
of three. Her special talent? Making
something very rigid approachable for all.
She looks at the rules, regulations and
requirements of everyday parts of life and
asks — why? Why can only that person, at
that time and in that way, do it? When she
doesn’t get a good enough answer she
goes ahead and creates the change.
First it was Australia’s first 24-hour
gym. Then it was charity work in Africa.
And now it’s yoga and meditation. In
each industry, this born entrepreneur
is able to break down the barriers that
keep people separated, whether they are
timetable, access or understanding.
First, the fitness world
Think back to the fitness industry of the
early 90s for a moment. Not only were
the gyms themselves very sterile (and
often male-oriented) places but what
you wore and what you did inside those
gymnasiums were equally inaccessible.
Fitness was very much governed by
timetables: you paid your substantial
fee, picked a class (and hoped to be able
to get to it), showed up and then left an
hour later.
Jacinta McDonell grew up in this
30 | wellbeing.com.au
Words AMY TAYLOR-KABBAZ
industry. Both her parents worked in
gyms and after leaving school she started
working part time, along with her brother,
in a partnership that would go on to
change the face of fitness in Australia.
“I think it was actually my mum who
had this grand idea that my brother and
I should open our own gym. In the early
90s it wasn’t expensive to open a new
studio because there wasn’t the level
of cardio equipment you see now, and
the technology wasn’t super-advanced.
So we managed to open our first gym in
1992 and I started teaching aerobics. Our
careers were always intertwined. Even if
we didn’t own businesses together, my
brother and I were somehow working
together for most of our lives.”
By 2007, the siblings owned two
female health clubs in Sydney but were
always looking for the latest trends out of
the States. The two would go over there
every year to research the market. When
they first heard about the new 24-hour
fitness centres gaining popularity there,
they knew it was what they had been
looking for.
“There’s a magazine that comes
out every May that highlights what’s
happening in the franchises in the US.
My brother and I both saw Anytime
Fitness was listed and I still remember
my brother coming in and saying,
‘You have to have a look at this.’ I had
a seven-year-old at the time and I
remember going home and thinking, ‘Oh,
my goodness.’”
Two weeks later, they were in the USA
meeting with the founder and negotiating
the first franchise outside of the States.
“A lot of the people that we really
respected within the fitness industry
thought we were crazy. We had to find
backers here to get it off the ground, as
my brother and I didn’t have the money
at first and the reaction we got from
some was so negative. We just kept
getting told, ‘This is just never going to
work in Australia. No one’s going to go to
the gym 24 hours a day.’”
Jacinta saw it differently. “We were
just so convinced that this was the right
thing for the consumer in Australia
because at the time the fitness industry
was really just big box clubs. There was
one huge franchise and some tiny little
centres and that was it. The consumer
really didn’t have a choice as to where
to exercise and the price point was
relatively high. So we just really had to
back ourselves.”
That was 10 years ago. Now there are
almost 450 clubs open across Australia.
But what if that’s not enough?
Right in the middle of this booming
business success, McDonell found yoga.
First, it was to help her fall pregnant but
then it became so much more than that.
After decades of aerobics and gyms,

The Human Kind Project aims to connect
people with something that’s creating
change on the other side of the world.
physical exercise become about more
than just the body.
“Yoga really started to expand my
thinking. I’d always had an interest in
philanthropy and my favourite part of
Anytime Fitness was empowering the
franchisees to create their own life, and
so I just started to think bigger. I started
asking, ‘How are we living our lives, and
what is our true potential as humans?
Not just as business owners? What are
we here to do?’”
Two children followed and McDonell’s
role and day-to-day involvement began
to change within the franchise. She
moved into a board position and her
yoga and meditation continued to quietly
transform how she wanted to live her
life. Then she went to Africa.
“In 2014, I went on a trip with The
Hunger Project to witness the work that
they do on the ground. It was a leadership
trip, so we weren’t there to build a school
or anything like that — we were really
going to learn from the women and the
men on the ground. To learn how they
were transforming their communities.
“I was lucky enough to spend the
whole week with the CEO of The Hunger
Project Australia, Cathy Burke, and
had many conversations with her, and
this really changed me. I think that the
concept of what is our true potential
and what are we capable of as humans
is at the forefront of what The Hunger
Project is all about. It’s empowering
thinkers & doers
JACINTA MCDONNELL
“Absolutely the safest
option would have been just
do business as usual and
write a cheque every year
but I don’t think that’s a
wholehearted decision.”
people in rural Africa to be able to
transform their communities and lift
themselves out of poverty.
“But it was the human connection
while I was there that made it so
powerful to me. Because of my yoga and
meditation, I could be really present with
what was happening. You’re meeting
these people in rural towns in Malawi
wellbeing.com.au | 31
 thinkers & doers
JACINTA MCDONNELL
and you’re asking them what’s going on
in their day, what’s going on in their life,
and what are their hopes and dreams.
That was a really powerful lesson for me
on what is our human potential back here
in the West. How can we actually support
other humans globally to be able to have
the opportunities that we have here?”
While the trip had obviously changed
her, no one would criticise McDonell —
still at home with two young children
and an older son — for coming home
from Africa and writing a cheque for The
Hunger Project and continuing on with
life. She would be supporting something
she believed in and had played her
part. For many busy entrepreneurs and
business owners, that would be enough.
So why didn’t McDonell just make her
donation and leave it at that?
“I often get asked that,” she says
“and I don’t feel like I made a decision.
I know I did make a decision but it just
seemed like this is what I should do.
It’s how I want to raise my children and
what I want to teach them. If I just held
onto the limited belief that my success
can only come from this (fitness)
business and I can’t let that go, that
would be playing it safe. So absolutely,
the safest option would have been
just do business as usual and write
a cheque every year but I don’t think
that’s a wholehearted decision.”
Instead, just as she’d done with the
barriers to exercising when and how you
want, McDonell began to question how
businesses could be more involved in
community work while supporting the
not-for-profits on the ground.
More than just a donation
How do you make the act of corporate
fundraising for a charity more enjoyable
and rewarding? You bring the two
much closer together. Rather than the
involvement ending with the cheque,
you allow the business owners and
leaders to go beyond the tax-deductible
donation and see how they are making
a difference. This is where Human Kind
Project comes in: it connects businesses
with the people who are on the ground
making the changes in the communities.
“We don’t do the work on the ground
but we want to be a very strong voice for
the projects that we support. We’re more
a voice and a channel to enable people to
connect with something that is creating
change in the other side of the world.
That’s really why we exist.”
To date, they have funded over
$800,000 in projects and have a further
$943,000 in current projects.
32 | wellbeing.com.au
[The Human Kind Project]
connects businesses with the
people who are on the ground
making the changes in the
communities.
“We’re committed to fundraising
about $1 million in the next three years
for a number of different projects. But
the vision is really just to do two things:
to support the entrepreneurs that are
already connected to Human Kind
to help them have a greater reach in
their community to fundraise for these
amazing projects. And number two is to
support them to feel like they are making
a difference in the world.
“It’s grown in a pretty organic way and
it’s probably bigger than I thought it was
going to be at this point in time. We have
a big goal — we want to be a part of the
global goal to end extreme poverty and
injustice by 2030 — and we believe in
business for good. Business leaders want
to be a part of something bigger and see
how they can make a difference. If we
can help them do more by connecting the
amazing people on the ground in Africa
and India with the business leaders here,
then we can play our part.”
Yoga without the hype
You’d think that would be enough, right?
Ending world poverty? Not for the eternal
changemaker, McDonell. For her, there
was one more industry where she felt
she could make some change and that
was the daily practice that had made all
this change possible.
“Yoga has definitely become more
mainstream now and people aren’t so
put off by the idea of it, but I feel there’s
still a lot of barriers around meditation.
People still say things like, ‘Yeah, I can’t
sit there. I can’t quieten my mind.’ And
so they don’t try it. I really wanted to
change that. So through yoga that is
approachable with great music and great
energy. I wanted to bring in meditation
that was also approachable.”
Following on from the success of
her yoga studio in Surry Hills, Sydney —
offering a type of yoga she has developed
with her teachers that’s built around a
playlist of music — McDonell took her
classes online. W1LL (pronounced “will”),
launched at the end of 2017, allows the
user to choose from a selection of yoga
and meditation classes for a monthly fee.
“I wanted W1LL to demystify
meditation a little bit. Our meditations
are very simple; easy to integrate into
your life. We’re not talking about energy
centres or chakras — and I don’t say
that out of disrespect. I think that people
can choose their own journey but I feel
like we’re a nice place for people to start
to try to integrate some stillness and
mindfulness into their lives.”
Accessible at any time, without the
hype? Just as she did with fitness? “I
wanted people to know that meditation
is not something you can skip over. If you
want to live a fulfilled life, you need to
find some sort of mindfulness practice.
Everything these days is external: it’s
focused outwards and on what you need
to do, what you need to get done. I think
that people need to be able to find a way
— hopefully, a simple way — to connect
to an internal practice and see what is
going on in their minds.”
It’s within that mind that McDonell
continues to question what role she can
play in this world. “I look at things and
ask, ‘Why is like that? Why is the yoga
industry like that? I don’t understand.’
Things seem so simple in my mind and
I’m willing to give it a go.
“I’m not attached to whether
something I do is successful or not — I
just believe that it should exist in the
world. So disruption’s probably one thing,
but it’s more that I’m not scared to just
give it a go. A lot of people probably think
the same way I do but maybe they haven’t
got it out into the world in a real form.
“The truth is I don’t want to raise my
kids to lead a safe life, which means I
can’t tell them that they can do anything
they want in the world if I’m living a
limited life. I want to live from that space
of possibility and show my kids that if you
really want to do something then that’s
what you do, and things will work out.”
Amy Taylor-Kabbaz is a writer, speaker and
creator of happymama.com.au. She is the author
of Happy Mama: A Spiritual Survival Guide and
commentator on parenting and wellbeing. You
can follow her on Twitter at @amytaylorkabbaz.
 born in
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 beauty
ARGAN OIL

A
rgan oil, the oil extracted
from the nut of the argan
tree, is sometimes referred
to as liquid gold and has been
touted by many as the magical elixir of
the new millennium. It’s not surprising
that cosmetic giants are getting on board
and infusing argan oil into moisturisers,
cuticle creams, hair serums, bath
products and even makeup. You can now
buy argan oil-infused lipstick to plump
up your lips and give them extra shine.

Out of Africa
Half a world away, in the vibrant cultural
melting pot of Morocco, is where the
argan tree (Argania spinosa L.) grows.
It survives for up to 200 years in
the harsh conditions, its deep roots
protecting the arid landscape from the
march of the desert.
It’s the nut that contains the oil but
much of the tree is put to use. The Argan oil is a moisturiser,
discarded kernels are used for fuel toner, hair serum and cuticle
to cook and farmed goats are fed the cream and it’s great
for all skin types.
leaves; you’ll often find native goats
clinging happily to the branches and
nibbling on the fruits of the tree.
The tree grows in the Essaouira
and Souss-Massa-Drâa regions, in the
southwest of Morocco, where Berber
women have been extracting the oil from
the nuts for centuries. They use it as a
topical oil in cosmetic applications, to
treat skin conditions and for dry hair.
The harvested nuts have culinary
uses, too. Cooks drizzle the oil over
breads and pancakes as well as fish and
warm sliced goat’s cheese.

The beauty tre

Argan oil can hydrate the skin, making it appear more youthful. It can also help with skin blemishes
and scarring, and add shine and volume to hair. What’s more, that’s just the beginning.

Words STEPHANIE OSFIELD

34 | wellbeing.com.au

While we are focusing on beauty
here, it’s important to note that argan
oil for cooking has important health
benefits, too. It slows the oxidation of
LDL cholesterol and contributes towards
good cardiovascular health.
The argan nut has a flavour and
aroma similar to that of roasted
hazelnut. The oil that’s designed for
cosmetics is a light golden colour; oil for
consumption is a yellow-ochre colour.
Oil that glitters
So what is it about argan oil that makes
it so unique? For starters, it has a wide
range of applications. Dermatologist Dr
Katherine Armour, who specialises in
cosmeceuticals, says its rich and diverse
range of properties means it can be
used for a broad range of applications.
“Basically,” she says, “it’s three things
— an antioxidant, moisturiser and
anti-inflammatory.”
Research into argan oil is still in its
infancy, with little hard scientific data
to extol its virtues, but Dr Armour says
anecdotal results are encouraging. “It’s
always wonderful to find a compound
that has multifarious potential benefits,”
she says. “I don’t think it’s been
thoroughly enough researched in a
systematic way yet but it is promising.”
The treasure trove of active
compounds found in argan oil work in
conjunction with one another. Primarily,
it’s composed of around 80 per cent fatty
acids, which are the building blocks of
cell membranes. Dr Armour explains
that oleic acid (around half of the
compounds) works to open up the skin
barrier to allow penetration of the other
useful ingredients.
“The linoleic acid then helps to
hydrate the skin. It produces more
ceramides,” she says. The linoleic
acid accounts for around one-third of
the compounds. Ceramides are lipid
Photography Getty Images
molecules in the skin’s upper layer that
form a protective barrier that holds
moisture. Linoleic acid also blocks
prostaglandins, inflammatory mediators
in the skin, which is why argan oil is good
for treating skin inflammation.
The rest of argan oil is made up
of palmitic acid, stearic acid and
antioxidants, including polyphenols and
tocopherols (mainly vitamin E). These
antioxidants help prevent oxidative
damage and improve skin elasticity and
cell strength, leading to more youthful,
firmer-looking skin.
One beauty product?
Argan oil is a moisturiser, toner, hair
serum, cuticle cream and, according to
naturopath Marnie Downer, it’s great for
all skin types, including oily skin. “People
with oily skin recoil at the idea of putting
oil on their skin, but the constituents
in argan oil have healing properties,”
she says. Of course, you’ll also save
money on buying a multitude of beauty
products, so that means fewer bottles
and less packaging ends up in landfill.
Ms Downer says going all natural
The chemical
makeup of argan oil
Oleic acid: 42–49 per cent
Linoleic acid: 29–36 per cent
Palmitic acid: 11–15 per cent
Stearic acid: 4–7 per cent
Antioxidants: 1 per cent
Courtesy Dr Katherine Armour
for beauty makes good sense. “By the
time we walk out of the bathroom in the
morning, some of us have put hundreds
of chemicals on ourselves. Skin is our
largest organ and we absorb what we
put on it.”
The price of beauty
Genuine argan oil isn’t cheap; it can
fetch as much as $60 per 100mL bottle
for genuine 100 per cent argan oil. With
such a high-end price tag and being a
highly sought-after commodity, there is,
of course, the lure of fraudulently mixing
argan oil with cheaper additives like
olive oil and selling it off as the genuine
product. Some products that use the
words “argan oil” as a marketing claim
have only traces of the oil in them. Or
beauty
ARGAN OIL
the bottle might say Moroccan oil, which
doesn’t mean it’s argan oil.
Dr Armour suggests it’s always a good
idea to tread carefully: “I think it’s good
to have a healthy dose of scepticism.”
The real deal also has only a very
short shelf life — three to four months.
“However, the edible form kept at a
normal temperature of around 25°C will
last for two or three years,” she adds.
There will always be unscrupulous
sellers peddling their wares so, if you’re
looking to buy 100 per cent pure argan
oil and not just an additive to a cosmetic
product, buy from established sellers
who are registered companies.
Colour & texture
The oil should be a light golden colour.
Naturopath Shevawn Becker says if it
looks a bit set at the bottom, that’s a
good sign it’s pure. “Argan oil should be
liquid at room temperature but solidify a
bit at the bottom,” she says.
How are the ingredients listed?
If you buy a beauty product containing
argan oil, there may only be trace
amounts present and, according to
Dr Armour, there’s no real way to tell.
“Cosmetic companies aren’t obligated to
list percentage amounts, but if ‘argan oil’
is near the bottom of the ingredient list,
I’d steer clear,” she says.
Take a sniff test
Look for oil that has a subtle aroma. Ms
Becker says true argan oil has a raw
nutty scent that has been likened to fresh
popcorn. “The aroma should dissipate
quickly as the oil is easily absorbed by
the skin,” she says.
Packaging
Genuine argan oil will be packaged in a
dark bottle to protect the integrity of the
product inside. Ms Becker says argan oil
is photosensitive and can be damaged
by heat. “Ensure purchased argan oil is
within amber or dark-coloured bottles so
its health properties are not destroyed,”
she says.
8 uses of argan oil as
a beauty product
Facial moisturiser
Rub a few drops of argan oil between your
fingers to warm it, then apply to clean
skin using an upward circular motion.
wellbeing.com.au | 35
 beauty
ARGAN OIL
Hair serum
When your hair is feeling dry, gently
rub in a few drops of oil. Leave for 15
minutes before rinsing in warm water.
Treat your feet
The rich moisturising properties of
linoleic acid will help tired, sore feet.
After a warm shower, rub a couple of
drops of argan oil into your feet and
elevate them.
Razor burn
Use a drop or two of pure argan oil and
gently apply to soothe rashes and razor
burn on legs, face or your bikini line.
Luscious lips
The healing properties in argan oil will
help dry, chapped lips. Just mix a couple
of drops with sweet almond oil.
All-over body lotion
Argan oil has emollient properties — it
increases the skin’s hydration ability and
reduces evaporation. After a shower,
lightly towel dry your skin and rub argan
oil into it from top to toe.
Makeup remover
It won’t sting your eyes and helps unclog
pores while you remove your makeup, so
it’s great for those with pimples or acne.
Cuticle oil
To help with rough cuticles, soak your
hands in warm water for a few minutes.
Lightly pat dry, rub in a little argan oil,
then push back the cuticles with an
orange stick.
A colourful history
Argan oil is more than a sweet, nutty
serum from the nut of the argan tree
that nurtures, soothes and heals. The
story of argan oil dates back centuries
and is entwined in the cultural fabric
of a nation; a tale that’s woven around
political, ethical and ecological issues.
The traditional means of extracting
the oil is a painstaking series of manual
processes, handed down through
generations of Berber women.
The fruit is collected, peeled, then
hammered with a stone to extract the
kernels. When the oil is intended to be
used in cooking, the nuts are lightly
roasted first, then manually crushed
with a millstone. A dough is made and
mixed with water, it’s hand pressed and
the brown emulsion is decanted. It takes
36 | wellbeing.com.au
Natural eye serum
150mL jojoba oil
50mL argan oil
50mL evening primrose oil
A few drops vitamin E oil
or carrot seed oil
Courtesy Marnie Downer
around 20 hours’ labour for one person
to extract just 1L of oil.
Changing times
Around 40 years ago, diminished habitat
threatened the argan tree through
desertification and deforestation.
Progressive Moroccan scientist Zoubida
Charrouf sought to help the local
Berber women and at the same time
save the ancient trees that were the
lifeblood of their communities. “I wanted
to know how we could transform this
environmental problem into an economic
solution to rejuvenate the forest and
empower women,” she says.
With the help of the Moroccan
government, Dr Charrouf modernised
the labour-intensive processes by
implementing extraction machinery,
which also meant any bacteriological
issues from the process being hands on
would be addressed.
A certification process was also
established so buyers would see they
were purchasing a genuine product. With
the money from sales being ploughed
back into the local communities, they
had a real vested interest in helping to
preserve the trees.
Modernisation also improved the
amount of argan oil extracted. With the
labour-intensive method, only around
35 per cent of the oil was successfully
extracted, but new cold-pressing electric
screw-press methods increased the yield
by up to 60 per cent.
For Dr Charrouf it was a daunting
task, because locals weren’t convinced
they were better off working in co-
operatives with modern machinery.
Despite the detractors (many of whom
were the local men), Dr Charrouf didn’t
lose sight of her vision. She helped
to establish many co-operatives that
process and sell the oil. The co-
operatives have given the Berber women
a voice, opportunities for a better life
and, for many, avenues to education.
At the same time that co-operatives
were being established, the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) stepped
in to protect the regions where the argan
tree is grown. The argan forest, which
extends over 8000 square kilometers,
was declared a biosphere reserve by
UNESCO in 1998. A year later, the tree
was World Heritage listed.
Moroccan farmers are now planting
argan trees and the establishment of
co-operatives brings hope to many. It’s
estimated the trees sustain the livelihood
of up to 3 million people.
Using argan oil
Argan oil can soothe skin conditions
like eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and
rosacea. Inflamed, red and peeling
skin is itchy and uncomfortable. Rub a
few drops of argan oil into the affected
areas, each day.
Polyphenols in argan oil reduce
itching, scaly skin and inflammation.
These chronic conditions can also
be helped by avoiding stress and
other triggers.
Argan oil can also help with joint pain.
Just rub a few drops into the affected
area. It’s also a cicatrizant, which means
it helps wounds to heal through the
Photography Getty Images
formation of scar tissue. Gently rub a few
drops over the affected area.
Carrol Baker is an award-winning freelance
journalist who is a passionate advocate of
natural health and wellness. She writes for
lifestyle and healthy living magazines across
Australia and internationally.
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 home
SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN
A
re you guilty of putting your
leftovers in the fridge only to
rediscover them growing moss
a week later? You’re not the
only one. Australians discard a whopping
$8–10 billion worth of food every year,
which eventually ends up in landfill.
The average Australian throws
out one in every five shopping bags
of groceries, which means we’re not
using food as smartly as we should
be. Fortunately, there are a few simple
steps you can take to reduce your
environmental footprint, create a more
sustainable kitchen and save money
while you’re at it.
1 Develop a weekly meal plan
Most food wastage comes from
buying things you don’t need and from
inadequate planning. To avoid ending
up with four bags of sugar in the pantry
next time you shop, it’s a good idea to
shop from your fridge and pantry first.
This way, you can plan your next meals
around what needs to be eaten. Sounds
simple, right? Before you go shopping,
jot down your weekly meal plan with a
detailed list of ingredients and make
sure you stick to it to avoid getting
sucked in by tempting offers and impulse
buys at the supermarket checkout.
When a dish calls for two tomatoes,
resist the temptation to buy a whole
bag. Be honest with yourself. Unless
you’re 100 per cent sure you are going to
consume all of them before they go off,
don’t buy them. It may sound like a no-
brainer but never, ever shop on an empty
stomach. You won’t believe the amount
of time and money you will save.
Experiment with doing one batch-
cook a week. Sunday afternoons can be
a great time to get set up for the week
ahead. This helps you to plan ahead and
freeze extra meal portions if required.
Sometimes life can get chaotic and plans
can change, so it’s great to have an extra
meal you can enjoy without the fuss.
2 Love your leftovers
Who said leftovers are boring? Try
having a weekly Leftovers or Kitchen
Sink night to use up all your yummy
leftovers in the fridge and avoid any
unused food ending up in landfill. Whip
38 | wellbeing.com.au
14
sustainable
kitchen hacks
Your kitchen is a hub of activity and, potentially,
a lot of waste. Here, we give you 14 simple hacks to
minimise your impact on the environment, save
you money and help you lead a greener life.
Words LISA HOLMEN
up a breakfast smoothie with all your eat with your eyes first rather than your
leftover fruit, or use up leftover vegies stomach. Restaurants and cookbooks
in a soup or vegetable bake or a frittata can often blow out portion sizes so
for lunch the next day. people overeat. A good trick to avoid
Another great way to use up leftover over-serving is to use smaller plates
vegetables is to make homemade stock, and serve a small portion of food on your
which can then be stored in portions in plate. If you want more you can always
the freezer. Or, if you’re running short of help yourself to seconds.
time, vegetable trimmings and bones can Wait 15 minutes and see if you’re
be stored in an airtight container in the still hungry before filling up your plate
freezer, ready to whip up a homemade again. When cooking rice or pasta, make
stock when you have the chance. This is sure you measure portion sizes to avoid
one of the easiest ways to reduce your two cups being left over at the end of
food waste at home. It’s amazing how each meal.
many delicious dishes you can create
from leftovers if you get a bit creative. 5 Compost your food scraps
About half of household garbage is
3 Repurpose food waste made up of food and garden waste.
Too often we throw out food that’s not By composting your food scraps, you
ideal to be consumed or doesn’t look drastically reduce your share of the
good. Try using as much of your produce greenhouse gases produced by landfill.
as possible when you’re cooking. Nose- Vegetable peel, fruit, tea bags, ground
to-tail cooking is a popular technique in coffee and eggshells are all great
restaurants around the world and home examples of what can be composted.
cooks are starting to do the same. To make it easier, keep a small bin
Often the skin on fruit and vegetables in the kitchen that’s dedicated to food
is full of nutrients and fibre. But if eating scraps. If you live in an apartment or
fuzzy kiwi or peach skin is a turnoff, are short of space, there are plenty of
try repurposing it by blending it into a space-efficient composting kits that
smoothie to hide the texture. Try using can be stored underneath the kitchen
up broccoli stalks and kale stems to beef sink or on the balcony. You will notice a
up your next stir-fry. Stale bread is also dramatic reduction in your household
great for converting into breadcrumbs waste in no time.
for a schnitzel or burger mix. Worm farms are also a great way to
reduce food waste and they don’t smell.
4 When cooking, don’t While worms aren’t fussy eaters, try to
over-serve food avoid dairy produce, meat or fish, bones
Have you ever felt like your stomach was and onions and garlic.
about to burst half an hour after a big If you’re finding the idea of
meal? When you’re hungry it’s easy to composting a little overwhelming,

Avoid the temptation to overcrowd your fridge or
the air will not circulate efficiently and keep it cool.
some local governments in Australia
offer green organic bins, which can be
used for food scraps and taken to local
composters and repurposed. These bins
are collected from households alongside
regular garbage and recycling.
Photography Getty Images
6 Smart storage
Correct storage is the key to keeping
food fresh for longer. Take fruit and
vegetables out of their bags so they
don’t “sweat” and spoil and place them
in airtight containers to make them last
longer. It’s always a good idea to check
the use-by dates on perishable items
and use the “first in, first out” tactic,
ensuring you move older products to the
front so they are consumed first. Out of
sight can definitely mean out of mind
when it comes to your fridge.
It’s also good to know the difference
between date labels: “use by” means the
food must be eaten by that specific date,
while “best before” means the food can
be eaten after this date as long as it has
been stored correctly.
Make friends with your freezer
to store food that would otherwise
home
SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN
Say goodbye to plastic
bags and paper towels
and hello to shopping
totes and cloth napkins.
go off. Most fruits can be frozen and
defrost well while some vegetables,
once frozen, are best used in cooking.
Try blanching them first to keep them
fresher for longer. Did you know you can
even freeze eggs? Just make sure they
are cracked into an ice cube tray for
easy storage before freezing.
7 Optimise your fridge
When was the last time you checked the
temperature of your fridge? Make sure your
fridge is functioning at maximum efficiency
by giving it a regular maintenance check.
One of the most common mistakes is
setting the temperature of the fridge
incorrectly. Foods can be accidentally
frozen in the fridge if too cold, which often
wellbeing.com.au | 39
 home
SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN
Experiment with natural cleaning alternatives like
vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. Your kitchen
doesn’t have to smell like bleach to be clean.
means it’s more costly to run. Keep your
fridge at 3–4°C and -15–18°C for the
freezer at all times.
Avoid the temptation to overcrowd
your fridge or the air will not circulate
efficiently and keep it cool. Fresh
fruit and vegetables should be stored
separately in the vegetable drawer.
Always place the produce that spoils
faster on top so you are more likely to
consume it first.
8 Eat local and seasonal
produce where possible
Eating local, seasonal produce is not
only good for the environment but better
for flavour, since the produce is picked
closer to the time it will be eaten rather
than being harvested early. It also has
the added benefit of being cheaper since
it’s at the peak of its supply and storage,
transport and refrigeration expenses are
minimal. When you eat local, the money
is more likely to go back into your local
community, so it’s a double win.
9 Sustainable cleaning
Try sourcing sustainable and natural
cleaning products whenever possible
to minimise your exposure to strong
chemicals and bleaches. Fortunately,
there are plenty of natural plant-based
detergents on the market using non-
toxic and biodegradable packaging.
Experiment with natural cleaning
alternatives like vinegar, baking soda and
lemon juice, which are great for kitchen
40 | wellbeing.com.au
Fresh fruits and
vegetables can be
used for longer by
following a simple
preserving process
without sacrificing
flavour, nutritional
value and taste.
cleaning. Your kitchen doesn’t have to
smell like bleach to be clean.
10 Grow your own vegetables
and herbs
If you’re tired of spending $3 for a
handful of parsley from the supermarket,
think about growing your own herbs
and vegetables so you use only what
you need. There’s nothing better than
going outside and picking what you need
from your herb garden to add to your
homecooked meal. When you grow your
own food, you’re often more conscious
while you shop and less likely to waste.
Growing fruit and vegetables is also
a great way of reducing some of the
harmful gases produced by processing
and transporting food. Not only is
growing your own food rewarding; it
tastes better, too. Alternatively, seek
out a community garden to share your
produce with your neighbours and grow
that community spirit.
11 Go beyond recycling
and upcyle
Cans and jars can be recycled easily
but, before you put them in the bin, why
not think about reusing and reinventing
them? Transform tins into vintage vases,
biscuit cutters and tea-light holders. If
you’re an avid camper, you can use them
as a base for a mini rocket fire or as a
holder for your breadsticks when your
friends come over for a wine-and-cheese
night. The possibilities are endless.
12 Reduce packaging
The kitchen is one of the worst places for
bringing unnecessary packaging into our
homes. By making small changes to your
household, you will be surprised how
many disposable goods can be cut down.
Say goodbye to plastic bags and paper
towels and hello to shopping totes and
cloth napkins.
It’s said that plastic can take up to
1000 years to break down. Whether it’s
water bottles, chip packets or cheese
wrappers, packaging is one of the major
sources of non-recyclable plastic waste.
The more products you buy with limited
or no packaging, the better. Next time
you go shopping, avoid prepackaged
salads, vegetables and meats whenever
possible and always take your own bags.
Do your research and shop at bulk food
and organic stores where you can take
your own containers along.
If you can’t avoid packaging on some
items, ensure it’s properly disposed of
and recycle wherever possible.
13 Learn the art of pickling
and preserving
Pickling and preserving are making a
welcome comeback. Preserving is a
great way to enhance flavour by adding
salt, vinegar and spices so you can enjoy
the produce all year round. Fresh fruits
and vegetables can be used for longer
by following a simple preserving process
without sacrificing flavour, nutritional
value and taste.
From sauerkraut and pickles to
preserved lemons and jams, conserving,
fermenting and drying foods to increase
their longevity is now all the rage. It also
helps to reduce energy consumption and
food waste.
14 Donate what you won’t use
Do a weekly pantry and fridge clearout.
If you’re never going to eat that can
of beans or curry paste, think about
donating it to a food kitchen or charity
so it can be consumed by someone who
really needs it. Some supermarkets even
Photography Getty Images
have donation bins for non-perishable
food items, including pet food, in a
prominent position.
Lisa Holmen is a Melbourne based food writer,
photographer and blogger. Instagram @lisaeat-
world www.lisaeatsworld.com
 )XOORQIODYRXU
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 food
CYCLIC KETOGENIC DIET

Healthy fats can be

found in pastured
eggs and seafood.

42 | wellbeing.com.au
 food
CYCLIC KETOGENIC DIET

Eating keto
Evidence suggests a high-fat, low-carb, adequate-
protein diet is ideal for weight management and other
health benefits, but cycling in and out of this eating
pattern may bring even more rewards.
Words PETE EVANS

W
hat if I told you there’s
a way to address the
underlying causes
of illness simply by
understanding what ingredients to
eat, how to prepare them and when to
eat? It’s an equation that adds up to
food most definitely being medicine. By
understanding where our food comes
from, what ingredients, preparation and
cooking techniques are best and even
consciously selecting the times you
choose (or choose not) to eat, you have a
recipe for living in optimal health.
Most common chronic diseases —
such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart
disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer — have
similar root causes. They are triggered
and accelerated by insulin and leptin
resistance, resulting in mitochondrial
dysfunction. The mitochondria are
the small subunits within cells that
essentially generate your body’s energy.
Getty Images
this state, you stop disruptions to the all-
important mitochondria. The way to do
this is by adopting a cyclic ketogenic diet.
Cyclic ketogenic diets
The latest studies have confirmed
that cyclical nutritional ketosis is a
fundamental and effective strategy in
tackling a long list of health problems.
Emerging scientific evidence suggests
a high-fat, low-net-carb (net carbs are
calculated as total carbohydrates minus
fibre) and adequate-protein diet is ideal
for most people.
This is because it keeps your
hormones, insulin and leptin balanced
and operating correctly. Insulin is a
hormone released by the pancreas to
keep blood sugar at the appropriate
level. Meanwhile, leptin is one of our
master hormones, regulating appetite.
What’s interesting is that, while leptin
is stored in fat cells, over time the brain
dietary choices. That’s why if we want to
enjoy better sleep and enhanced brain
function and protect ourselves from the
onset of chronic diseases, we need to
consider adopting the highly effective
practice of a cyclic ketogenic diet.
However, repairing your metabolism
at a cellular level doesn’t come from
always eating or always minimising net
carbs to solely burn fat (ketosis). In fact,
new research has discovered that it may
not be a good idea to be in this state
long term. Instead, the answer is to use
nutritional choices to cycle in and out,
spending five days in ketosis and two
days out of ketosis. Think of it as fasting,
feasting and maintaining.
It’s also important to be aware of how
much protein you’re consuming. While
it is an essential building block for the
body that you need, eating too much too
often stimulates an ancient metabolic
signalling pathway called mTOR

Optimising their function is one of the
most important things you can do for
your health because, when mitochondria
aren’t working correctly, it leads to
inflammation and cellular damage.
By eating a healthy high-fat, low-
carbohydrate and adequate-protein diet
you eventually enter into a condition in
which your body learns to burn fat as
its primary fuel, rather than glucose. By
teaching your body to cycle in and out of
can become desensitised to leptin’s
signals (a condition known as leptin
resistance) and we end up eating more
than we need to be healthy. Let’s face
it, there are already enough disrupters
in our environment — including
electromagnetic fields (EMFs) that come
from our rampant use of technology —
messing with our mitochondria.
In my opinion, we don’t need to
interfere even more by making unhealthy
(mechanistic target of rapamycin).
mTOR is responsible for triggering
either growth or repair in the body,
depending on whether it’s stimulated
or inhibited. Consider that cancer is
essentially unchecked growth and it’s
easy to see why research shows having
an upregulated mTOR pathway can
increase your risk of cancer and other
degenerative diseases.
The other important thing to note

wellbeing.com.au | 43
 food
CYCLIC KETOGENIC DIET
Eat low-carb and fill up
on healthy fats such
as avocado, coconut
oil, nuts and seeds.
about cancer is that all your cells,
including cancer cells, can use glucose
as fuel. However, unlike your healthy
cells, cancer cells do not have the
metabolic flexibility to adapt to using fat
as an energy source.
When your body enters a state of
nutritional ketosis, precancerous and
cancer cells become impaired and far
more susceptible to being eliminated by
apoptosis, the process your body uses to
eliminate disease and damaged cells.
The pattern
I began following a cyclic ketogenic diet
while writing my two latest books — Low
Carb, Healthy Fats and the Fat For Fuel
Cookbook — with Dr Joseph Mercola.
While I’m a trained chef, it’s only through
using this tool that I’ve really understood
my relationship with food and how my
body responds to it. I can’t believe how
empowering that is.
By learning to cook and eat the right
amount of ingredients and choosing
those that are designed to balance,
regulate and satiate, you are allowing
your body to regain its metabolic
flexibility. What this means is that, just
44 | wellbeing.com.au
The answer is to use
nutritional choices to cycle
in and out, spending five
days in ketosis and two
days out of ketosis. Think
of it as fasting, feasting
and maintaining.
like our hunter-gatherer ancestors, we
can return to naturally being able to burn
both glucose and fat.
In the modern-day Western world,
most people have lost the ability to burn
fat altogether, so by moving in and out
of nutritional ketosis for several months
we can again reignite our primal ability
to burn fat for fuel. If we can continue
to have periods of doing this, it helps us
enjoy better health and longevity.
So how do you do it? Start by reducing
sugar, eating low-carb and filling up on
healthy fats such as avocado, coconut
oil, nuts and seeds. You’ll also want to
maximise the quality of your protein and
eat only a moderate amount.
For most of the week, you eat this way
and healthy fats (in the absence of sugar)
are the key because, not only is dietary
fat fuel, it’s also a foundation of our
biology. When it comes to choosing the
best healthy fats, my recommendation is
to think about your oils. For cooking I like
to use coconut oil, which can withstand
high temperatures, as well as lard,
tallow and chicken and duck fat. I also
recommend olives and olive oil but only
used cold in salad dressings because
olive oil oxidises at high temperatures.
Healthy fats can also be found in
organic grass-fed meats, pastured
eggs and animal-based omega-3s
such as seafood, and in nuts such as
macadamias and pecans, which are high
in fat but only have moderate amounts of
protein. I also like to use seeds such as
black sesame, pumpkin and hemp. Raw
cacao butter is also an excellent source
of good-quality fat that can be used in
baking and smoothies.
Ideally, on these days, you’re looking
to limit protein and the number of net
carbs to below 50g per day. It’s about
replacing carbohydrates with high-
quality, healthy fats.
One day a week is then set aside to
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 food
CYCLIC KETOGENIC DIET
intermittently fast, meaning eating the
last meal before 6pm at night and the
next meal not until 10am.
It’s important to note that while
fasting is an effective method to correct
metabolic imbalances, it may not the right
option for everybody. If you are dealing
with type 2 diabetes, adrenal issues,
chronic renal disease, cancer, cortisol
dysregulation or an eating disorder, talk
with your healthcare professional before
doing this.
Along with eating and fasting regularly,
you also get to feast for one to two days a
week, consuming double or triple (up to
150g) the amount of net carbs. It doesn’t
mean scoffing down potatoes and other
starchy foods, which will simply convert
to glucose and spike blood sugar levels. It
does mean enjoying a bit of kumara and
other carbohydrate-rich options such as
pumpkin, parsnip, carrot, beetroot and
paleo bread during these days. See my
recipes for more inspiration.
The context
How you eat is also key. I encourage you
to get rid of any distractions and commit
46 | wellbeing.com.au
By learning to cook and
eat the right amount of
ingredients and ones that
are designed to balance,
regulate and satiate, you
are allowing your body
to regain its metabolic
flexibility.
to sitting down and slowly chewing your
food without the interruptions of a phone,
work or anything else. That’s why the
dinner table is such a good place to eat.
Even when I have a pretty hectic filming
schedule, I always make sure I get to kick
my shoes off and eat my food outside
because my mitochondria thank me for it.
The other big piece of advice to
consider when following a cyclic
ketogenic diet is our changing seasons.
One study has shown that the Hadza
hunter-gatherer community in Tanzania
used to get much of their caloric
requirements from honey during the wet
summer season but they expended a
You can enjoy some
carbohydrate-rich
options such as carrot,
beetroot pumpkin and
parsnip occasionally.
lot of energy to get it. The same applies
today. If you are thinking of eating more
fruits in summer, that works with the
season, but consider the energy you
expend, too.
Most importantly, remember that this
whole process of maintaining and feasting
is about celebrating all the different ways
you can create delicious dishes that
nourish body, mind and soul. Food isn’t
just designed to deliver us nutrients;
rather, it’s a way we connect, commune
and share our love for each other.
That’s why I reckon you can’t go past
choosing to eat in a way that assists in
losing weight, lowering inflammation,
reducing cancer risk, increasing muscle
mass, normalising appetite, lowering
insulin levels, improving mental clarity
and taming junk food cravings. But don’t
take my word for it — get out there and
try it for yourself.
Cook with love and laughter.
Pete Evans is a chef, paleo ambassador, health
coach, restaurateur, media personality and
author of Low Carb, Healthy Fats and The Fat
For Fuel Cookbook. peteevans.com.au
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 parenting
KIDS’ RESILIENCE

Bounce back
One of the most powerful skills you can
give your kids is the ability to deal
with their emotions and be able to
bounce back from negative emotions
to positive ones. Here are 10 practical
tips to help parents teach their children
to be emotionally resilient.
Words ANNA PARTRIDGE

48 | wellbeing.com.au

T
hose big feelings, like
disappointment and anger,
are hard to take. They are
hard enough for adults who
understand emotions and have rational
minds to deal with them but, for kids
who have not developed this level of
rational thinking, they are much trickier
and often cause significant angst in
families. It’s our job as parents to help
our children recognise their feelings
and not “rescue” them from the hard
ones but help them develop their own
strategies for dealing with them. Every
feeling comes for a reason.
Anger is a clue that something is wrong
and we need to make it right again.
Fear or being afraid stirs up our fight-
or-flight instinct and we need to take it
seriously to change a situation.
Sadness is a cue to retreat from the
world and take time to heal from the
event that has caused the sad feeling.
Loneliness helps us to reconnect to
others and live our lives together.
Tiredness tells us to stop, take a rest
and recharge the batteries.
Anxiety is a sign that something is a
threat or a fear and we need to sort it out.
The positive ones are also there for
a reason. Being excited, happy or calm
allows your body to release the “happy
chemicals” such as dopamine and
endorphins to promote a relaxed state.
Also known as the feel-good chemicals,
these hormones have a calming effect
on the brain so you can let your body
relax and do its job.
However, the negative feelings are
often the strongest, certainly for kids,
and we need to help them find strategies
to bounce back.
By design, the cycle of life is meant
to be up and down. If you were always
up you would have the impulse of an
Photography Getty Images
addict, always searching for the next
high. If you were always down, you
would be depressed. You wouldn’t be
able to feel the ups and release those
happy chemicals.
It’s these two states that we want
to help our children develop strategies
Children need time to work through their own feelings and
find some solutions to their problems rather than have us
jump in all the time to try to fix their negative feelings.
for. By learning how to manage their
emotions they will ideally be able to
balance the ups and downs of life.
Ways to help children
navigate their emotions
1. Remind them that all feelings are
OK — validation is key
It’s OK to cry, it’s OK to be angry, it’s
OK to be sad. It’s what we do with these
feelings that will have the big impact.
One rule we established in our house
when the children were little was that
no matter what our feelings we needed
to “respect self, respect property and
respect others”. This gives boundaries
around what is expected when children
feel angry or mad.
It’s also important to validate the
feelings first before you react with
your own thoughts, using a statement
like, “I know you are feeling angry.” This
helps a child feel reassured that the
feeling is normal and we all experience
these feelings.
2. Help them label their emotions
Children are born with emotions. Babies
who are just a couple of hours old have
already experienced being hungry, tired,
content, calm and fulfilled. By about six
weeks they can smile and react to others
and then they start to laugh, giggle and
get excited by flapping their arms and
moving their bodies. One of the cutest
memories I have of my four-month-
old daughter is her excitedly bouncing
around in her Jolly Jumper when her
daddy came home.
What we are not born with is
effective ways to label or control our
emotions. The part of our brain that
controls emotions is not fully developed
until our mid-20s. Through behaviour
modification and societal norms, we
shape and modify a child’s reactions
to their feelings. Having a tantrum is
parenting
KIDS’ RESILIENCE
not generally accepted when they feel
angry. Crying excessively when they are
sad is also not generally accepted. As
parents, we are quick to put behaviour
modifications in place for these reactions
but we also need to help kids label the
emotions they are feeling.
Validation works well by saying, “I
know you are angry” or “I know you are
sad about ...” They can then recognise
and label their emotions and know what
they are the next time they experience
them. A lovely book to read to help kids
label their emotions is In My Heart: A
Book of Feelings by Jo Witek.
3. Thoughts affect feelings,
which affect actions
A well-researched and widely used
psychotherapy model is cognitive
behaviour therapy (CBT). The underlying
premise of CBT is that our thoughts
affect our feelings and our feelings
affect our behaviour and actions. This
is a powerful message for kids and one
worth trying to help them understand,
especially by the age of nine or 10.
A classic example where this could
apply is when a child is scared of the
dark. Talk about the “thoughts” your
child is having in the dark (there are
scary monsters), then the “feelings”
they are having (I feel scared and
frightened) and the action they are
taking (that’s when I run to your bed).
Now change the scenario using positive
thoughts with them.
Talk about the positive thoughts
they could have (there has never been
a monster so there is not going to be
one tonight), positive feelings (I feel OK
because I know a monster won’t come
tonight) and the action (now I can go to
sleep). When children can have more
realistic thoughts, they will have positive
emotions and positive behaviours. Help
them develop positive self-talk.
wellbeing.com.au | 49
 parenting
KIDS’ RESILIENCE
4. Don’t try to “fix” their feelings
A couple of weeks ago, I set homework
for my class where the children had to
say a time when they felt sad or angry
and how they had calmed themselves
down. One little boy wrote that he had
kicked his ball too hard and it went over
the fence and was now lost. After an
hour of tears, sadness and eventually a
tantrum, the dad went out and bought
him another ball.
I’m sure we can all relate to this
story. Yes, this dad fixed the problem
for this little boy, but a more valuable
lesson would have been for him to feel
the disappointment and come up with
his own idea for “fixing” the problem.
Eventually, he may have really searched
for the ball and found it or asked the dad
if they could go out and buy another one,
or found a way to cope without the ball.
Children need time to work through
their own feelings and find some
solutions to their problems rather than
have us jump in all the time to try to fix
their negative feelings. Disappointment
is one of our kids’ biggest teachers and,
if taught to manage it, they will have that
skill for the rest of their lives.
5. Help them identify strategies to move
from negative feelings to positive ones
Once your child knows the difference
50 | wellbeing.com.au
Use the metaphor that feelings are like bubbles. Label the
bubbles as you blow them and see if they can keep
the bubble going — eventually they pop.
between negative and positive emotions,
it’s great to help find strategies to move
from one to the other. One way I have
seen work is creating a “feelings ladder”.
With your child, draw a ladder where the
bottom half of the rungs show negative
emotions such as sad, angry, annoyed,
frustrated and lonely. The top half of
the rungs show the positive emotions
including happy, excited, joyful, positive
and optimistic. Around the ladder,
children write down how they plan to
“climb the ladder” when they are feeling
negative. Prompt them with strategies
they can use such as bouncing on the
trampoline, cuddling with Mum or Dad,
reading a book or talking to a friend.
If the negative feelings are happening
often, a calming corner somewhere in
the main area of the house could help.
This may have soft cushions, music
on an iPad, access to a Smiling Mind
meditation, books or anything the child
uses to calm themselves.
6. Slow down the pace
When we are tired, our feelings radar
is challenged and so are our kids. We
don’t have the same go-to strategies
to react to the big emotions and our
feelings are overwhelmed. We live in a
fast-paced society where we are racing
from one activity or task to another and
our kids live it with us. They get tired.
We get tired. Sometimes as a family we
go through a week or two when we are
all tired and in a constant state of being
angry, tired, sad and frustrated.
Slow down or stop. Have a day at
home together or a slow weekend. Let
your kids know you are going to have
some downtime together to regroup and
recharge. Allow them this time to just be.
Let them know it’s OK to take the time to
slow down and recharge.
7. Feelings don’t last forever
When kids are feeling the big emotions,
it seems like they’re going to last
Photography Getty Images
forever. Remind your kids that we feel
many different emotions in a day and
sometimes we can feel two at the same
time. Feelings come and go. Some are
big and scary or big and exciting and
some are just part of our day.
A great activity for this is the Feeling
 parenting
KIDS’ RESILIENCE

Bubbles metaphor from the book Creative
Ways to Help Children Manage Big Feelings,
by Dr Fiona Zandt and Dr Suzanne
Barrett. Use the metaphor with your
child that feelings are like bubbles. Some
are big and some are small. Blow some
bubbles to watch the big bubbles and the
small bubbles. Then compare bubbles to
a positive feeling like happiness. Label the
bubbles as you blow them and see if they
can keep the bubble going — eventually
they pop. Repeat the same exercise with
sadness. Feelings come and go just like
bubbles do.
8. Show your own feelings
Parents are not robots. In the fast pace of
life we live with our children it’s easy to
forget we are also human and not perfect
when it comes to managing our emotions.
You are actually the best role model to
show kids what emotions look like and
how you deal with them. Tell your kids
when you are feeling cranky and let them
know your own strategies to be able to
The part of human brains that allows us to have rational
thought, our pre-frontal cortex, is not fully developed
until the age of 25. So, when your children are crying
and having an angry outburst, be kind.
9. Help kids recognise their choices so, when your children are crying
body triggers and having an angry outburst, be kind.
The fact that our bodies often feel worry, Remember that they haven’t developed
anger or disappointment before our their reasoning power yet and you have.
thoughts and actions respond resonates To do this, you need to have filled your
with kids. They generally are more in own love cup and have the patience to
tune with their bodies than adults are deal with the irrational outbursts. So
and we can help them harness this. take time out and do what you love, too.
Their hearts might beat more quickly Just as kids are taught how to read
when they’re scared. They have and write, they often need to be taught
butterflies in their tummies when they’re how to manage their emotions. This
worried. One of the children I worked will ideally provide them with their own
with said before she got angry she could strategies to navigate the ups and downs
see red and felt a volcano bubbling up of life and help reduce the high rates of
in her tummy that was about to explode. anxiety and depression currently being
Allowing kids to tune into their bodies experienced in the Western world.
will help them anticipate what is about
to happen and put strategies in place Anna Partridge is an experienced school
Photography Getty Images

move from negative to positive emotions.
It might be as simple as making a cup
of tea to calm down or going for a walk;
share your strategies with your kids.
It’s also OK for kids to see you when
you’re not calm and composed all the
time so they can see that all feelings are
OK and everyone has them.
before they do.
10. Show kindness
The part of the human brain that allows
us to have rational thought, our pre-
frontal cortex, is not fully developed
until the age of 25. That’s a long time to
make irrational decisions and emotional
teacher and works with children to help them
manage their anxiety as an accredited Cool
Kids instructor through Macquarie University.
A mother of three, Anna guides parents to raise
resilient, confident and emotionally intelligent
children. To connect with Anna at facebook.
com/positiveparentingannapartridge) or visit
annapartridge.com.

52 | wellbeing.com.au
 spirit
HYGGE
Where the heart is
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all slow down
and have more time for the people and things we love?
Embracing hygge (pronounced hooga), the Danish
art of living well, might be the answer.
Words LIZ MCLARDY
D
enmark is continually rated as
one of the happiest and most
contented societies in the
world, so it’s no wonder we’re
fascinated with their secrets to happy
living. A big part of the Danish way of life
is experiencing hygge.
You have probably already experienced
some of the hygge “trend” that has been
rippling across the world. Chances are
you are attracted to the cosiness and
closeness that’s central to this Danish-
born philosophy.
While hygge is not new to
Scandinavians, this way of living could
not have been shared with the rest of the
world at a better time — when we are all
living such fast-paced and technology-
overloaded lives.
Hygge offers us respite from the
modern problems of exhaustion,
adrenal fatigue and disconnection; from
ourselves, our communities and where
we live. It seems that hygge encompasses
all the things that our minds, bodies and
souls are craving.
Meik Wiking, author of The Little
Book of Hygge and CEO of the Happiness
Research Institute in Copenhagen, has
spent years studying the magic of Danish
life. Wiking writes that hygge has no
direct translation and has been called
everything from “cosiness of the soul”
to “the absence of annoyance” and, his
personal favourite, “cocoa by candlelight”.
Hygge is a term that encapsulates
our desire for comfort, simplicity and
peacefulness. It’s not a concept that only
the Danish enjoy but its power comes
from their conscious choice to weave it
into their everyday lives to such an extent
that it’s described as a part of their DNA.
54 | wellbeing.com.au
Hygge is essentially a philosophy
for living that encompasses warmth,
togetherness, safety, familiarity,
peacefulness, simplicity and
contentment. It’s no wonder the global
awareness of this concept has taken off
as so many of us are yearning to slow
down and create more joyful, fulfilling
and sustainable lives.
So what does hygge feel like and what
can we learn from Denmark in terms of
hygge, happiness and health?
Be meaningfully connected
There are countless studies that show
how important social connection is to
our health and wellbeing. Without it, our
health declines at a greater rate than
from the effects of obesity, smoking
and high blood pressure. With it, strong
social connections increase our immune
system function, lower our anxiety and
boost our self-esteem.
Hygge is about experiencing
meaningful, sincere and loving
connections with others. It is usually competitive or jealous; making time to be
described as a shared sense of “this with them to share stories, feelings and
is my tribe” where there is a genuine enjoyable experiences to embrace this
connection, care and contentment feeling of being meaningfully connected.
between friends and family. It’s similar to Sharing fun, uplifting stories from
the Buddhist concept of loving-kindness your past is a great way to connect with
and realising that we are all vulnerable, family and friends.
precious and connected to each other.
In all of Wiking’s years of research Be consciously cosy
at the Happiness Research Institute in The decision to incorporate hygge into
Copenhagen, he says, “This is the point your life needs to be a conscious one —
I am surest about: the best predictor of not only from the onset but every day as
whether we are happy or not is our social you weave it into your life. It’s essential
relationships.” the homely cosiness that is hygge is
In your relationship with your family created consciously to ensure it’s fully
and friends, it’s about enjoying their embraced, enjoyed and savoured.
company without being controlling, A family meal is hygge when all
 spirit
HYGGE

A hyggekrog, is the
place in the room where
you love to snuggle up
in a blanket with a book
and a cup of tea.

your family members actively make the Hygge is essentially a philosophy for living that
decision to be present when sharing
a meal. Start by choosing to turn off
encompasses warmth, togetherness, safety, familiarity,
all electronic devices to eliminate peacefulness, simplicity and contentment.
distractions, sit together at the table and
listen to each other’s stories.
Hygge is an experience that’s all about ways you can create a sense of warmth candles per head than any other group
feeling at home, which really refers to and security within all areas of your in Europe. Wiking says, “The Danish
where you feel safe to be yourself. It’s not life without needing to compare and obsession with lighting comes from
Photography Getty Images

exclusively felt at home or with family.
It’s about feeling safe, secure, content
and present with the ones we love.
Our need for shelter and safety is
at our core, but hygge highlights the
importance that this comes from a
desire for comfort and not from a desire
to rise above one another. Consider
compete with others.
Have harmonious lighting
Lighting is one the most significant
element of hygge. No recipe for hygge
would be complete without considering
lighting to maintain a softness, as
with candles. The Danes burn more
their lack of contact with it in the
natural world from October to March.”
It’s the light that candles create
that’s important. It’s warm and soft and
creates a greater depth of atmosphere.
The aim is to turn our living spaces into
homely sanctuaries with small caves of
light around the room.

wellbeing.com.au | 55
 spirit
HYGGE
The Danes prefer natural and organic
candles and consider scented candles
artificial. Candles can be found burning
in classrooms and boardrooms.
Embrace simplicity and sincerity
Simplicity is at the heart of hygge. It’s
about being, not having, and about
celebrating life’s simple pleasures.
“Hygge happens when we commit to the
pleasure of the present moment in its
simplicity,” says Louisa Thomsen Brits in
The Book of Hygge.  taking a break from the rush of life and
Virtually anything can be hyggelig,
although the Danes do have lists of things
that qualify. It’s less about choosing the
right activity and following rules and
more about knowing what makes you feel
peaceful, content and secure.
Hygge cannot be bought or sold. It is
a philosophy for living that allows you
to fully embrace experiences with your
mind, body and soul. Many cultures
have an equivalent of “sitting down to
have a nice cup of tea”, but in the Danish
philosophy it’s about experiencing this
ritual fully and in a way that is similar
to the mindful awareness practices of
Buddhist teachings and yoga practices.
The key is to embrace the experiences
you love, fully and completely. These
experiences can be shared, solo, at home
or work-based — it doesn’t matter. Allow
56 | wellbeing.com.au
The aim is to turn our living spaces into homely sanctuaries
with small caves of light around the room.
yourself to live them in the moment and
appreciate how they nourish your spirit as
well as their other tangible benefits, like
nourishing your body with a good meal or
soaking in warm bath.
Charlotte Abrahams, the author of
Hygge: A Celebration of Simple Pleasures.
Living the Danish Way, writes, “It is about
really noticing that break. I think the
distinctive thing about hygge is the fact
that it gives those moments of downtime
a name and that means we are more
likely to make time for them and regard
them as important.”
Feel indulgent
Hygge is all about taking a break from
eating healthy and giving yourself an
opportunity to enjoy sweet and indulgent
treats. “Sweets are hyggelige. Cake
is hyggeligt. Coffee or hot chocolate
are hyggelgt, too. Carrot sticks, not so
much,” Wiking says. Meik believes the
high level of meat, confectionary and
coffee consumption in Denmark links
directly to hygge.
Although the Danish burn more
candles per capita than any other
Simplicity is at the
heart of hygge.
nation in the world and enjoy sweet and
indulgent treats, they are not known for
type 2 diabetes and fire hazards; they are
known for happiness.
“Hygge is about being kind to yourself
— giving yourself a treat and giving
yourself, and each other, a break from the
demands of healthy living,” Meik says.
How to hygge
Even if you don’t live in Denmark, here
are some easy ways you can incorporate
more hygge into your life. It doesn’t
need to be a cold winter’s day for you to
be inspired to embrace the cosiness of
hygge. Its essence can be embraced in
any climate and celebrates the season
you are experiencing.
Here are five quick tips for bringing
more hygge into your life:
Ask yourself where you feel most
at home.
Photography Getty Images
What activities and rituals anchor
and ground you?
What activities and rituals help you
to unwind?
Who makes you feel at ease?
What contributes most to your sense
of wellbeing?
 spirit
HYGGE
Hygge is taking a
break from the rush
of life and really
noticing that break.
At home
In many ways, hygge begins at home.
Many of the welcoming images we have
come to know as hygge are of living
rooms with warm, heavy, woven knit
blankets, roaring fires and cups of hot
chocolate. Remember, “Hygge is about
an atmosphere and an experience rather
than about things,” says Wiking.
If you are wanting to craft a hygge
experience at your home, here are
some of the essential elements you
should consider:
Soft lighting, warming foods and
tactile objects: “A hyggelig interior is
not just about how things look; it’s just
as much about how things feel. Letting
your fingers run across a wooden table,
a warm ceramic cup or through the hairs
of the skin of a reindeer is a distinctly
different feeling from being in contact
with something made from steel, glass
or plastic,” says Wiking.
Decorative items, preferably from
nature, including plenty of plants
that reflect and resonate with you:
“Hyggelige homes should be a reflection
of who you are, so curate collections
of personal treasures on coffee tables,
mantelpieces and windowsills,”
Abrahams explains.
Make a hyggekrog: “The one thing
that every home needs is a hyggekrog,
which roughly translates to ‘a nook’. It’s
58 | wellbeing.com.au
Wiking’s hygge manisfesto
Atmosphere: Turn down the lights.
Presence: Be here and now. Turn off
phones.
Equality: “We” over “me”. Share the
tasks and the airtime.
Pleasure: Coffee, chocolate, cake
and cookies.
Gratitude: Take it in. This might be
as good as it gets.
Harmony: It’s not a competition.
We already like you. There is no need to
brag about your achievements.
Comfort: Get comfy and take a
break. It’s all about relaxation.
Truce: No drama. Let’s discuss
politics another day.
Togetherness: Build relationships
and narratives. “Do you remember the
time we ...?”
Shelter: This is your tribe. This is
a place of peace and security.
Remember, hygge is where the heart is.
the place in the room where you love to
snuggle up in a blanket with a book and
a cup of tea,” says Wiking.
At the office
The Danes believe hygge is not just
restricted to cosy cabins and snuggling
in front of a soothing fire. Hygge should
also be experienced at the office.
Any efforts to make work spaces more
casual and authentic will impact on your
happiness and health at work. Consider
ways to make your workspace and work
routine more comfortable.
If your workplace doesn’t permit
candle burning, instead focus on natural
lighting, taking breaks to chat with co-
workers who connect with you in a kind
and open-hearted manner and finding a
comfortable lounge chair or park bench to
sit on and enjoy your natural environment.
Consciously embracing hygge
throughout your work day will replenish
your spirit and give you more energy
to enjoy evenings with your family and
close friends.
Could hygge be the remedy to the
busy, disconnected and exhausting lives
we live? It’s up to you to find out. Spend
more time with your tribe, be present with
the ones you love and savour the simple
pleasures, indulgences and experiences
that make your spirit sing.
Liz McLardy is an accountant, money
mindfulness expert, mum of two and creator
of lizmclardy.com. She runs consultations and
courses to inspire and empower women to have a
peaceful relationship with money. She combines
her business and healing expertise to make
money sacred and practical. You can follow her
on Instagram @mclardyelizabeth.
Australia’s FAVOURITE Brand of
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 mind
WONDER

Wired for wonder

By actively bringing wonder into your life you can experience more
happiness and make your brain healthier at the same time.
Words JESSICA LEE

D
o you do the same things day
in and day out? Does life feel
a little “same old, same old”
and lacking in vibrancy? When
was the last time you felt amazed by the
world, yourself and those around you?
The dictionary defines wonder as “a
feeling of amazement and admiration
caused by something beautiful,
remarkable or unfamiliar” or a “desire
to know something; to be curious and
to marvel”. There is so much wonder
to be experienced, from the everyday
to the extraordinary, but it requires a
certain type of “seeing” that starts with
developing a curious mindset.
How often do you seek out novelty
and the unfamiliar? Playing it safe has
a flow-on effect. In his article, Effects of
Novelty and Danger on the Brain, Keith
Hillman says, “A complete lack of novelty
and excitement means that we aren’t
testing ourselves, we aren’t learning, we
aren’t growing ... and our performance
and our health thus suffer as a result.” Travel to new places
in your city or country —
By adopting a more wondrous and
or overseas.
curious approach to life you can begin to
experience more happiness, support your
brain health and enhance your problem-
solving skills. Being willing to engage in
the unfamiliar allows you to become more
sensitive to the wonder around you and
sparks your brain in exciting ways.

Your curious brain

Dr Emrah Düzel, from the University
College London’s Institute of Cognitive
Neuroscience, says, “It is a well-known
fact amongst scientists that the midbrain
region regulates our levels of motivation
and our ability to predict rewards by
releasing dopamine in the frontal and
temporal regions of the brain.
“We have now shown that novelty
activates this brain area. We believe that
experiencing novelty might, in itself, have
an impact on our dopamine levels.”
Your brain lights up when it

60 | wellbeing.com.au

experiences something new and exciting.
The midbrain region, the “novelty centre”
of your brain, when activated increases
levels of dopamine, one of your brain’s
feel-good chemicals.
It’s this activation of dopamine that
gives you the pleasure and rush you feel
when you say, “Wow, I never knew that!”
or you see something remarkable and
inspiring. Not engaging with new ideas
or experiences means you miss out on
this release of dopamine, which is why
life can feel “flat” and uninspiring when
you are stuck in a rut.
The more grateful you feel, the more you see the
world as a good place and the more you experience
moments of awe and wonder. I call this circular
process the “gratitude/wonder loop”.
I can always tell when I’ve let my life
become too comfortable because I feel
less inspired and like life has “flatlined”.
I’m also aware how fantastic it feels when
I step out and engage in the unknown and
get that wonderful dopamine buzz.
Recently I had a truly fabulous day. The
day consisted of presenting to a group of
women at a conference about living on
purpose. I then stayed for the rest of the
day and listened to the other speakers.
After the event I met my husband for
dinner at a restaurant, before surprising
him with tickets to a comedy show.
mind
WONDER
While there were a lot of wonderful
things going on during the day, the
reason this day was so fulfilling was
because it involved so many new
experiences. The talk I presented was
one I hadn’t given before and at the
conference I met so many new people.
I was taken out of my comfort zone
and that led to new personal insights.
I then tried a new restaurant with my
husband before seeing a show in which
a comedian we hadn’t seen before
explored ideas we’d never considered.
Being willing to break out of the norm
and engage in the unfamiliar is what
leads to the very experiences in life that
make you feel the wonder, beauty and
potential that life holds. Approaching
life with greater curiosity and wonder
also has a positive flow-on effect when it
comes to problem solving.
Improving your
problem-solving skills
Imagine a big bucket and a pile of cards.
Write each new idea and experience
you have on a card and place it in that
bucket. When you need to think creatively
and solve problems you can pull out
the cards to help you find answers, new
connections and insights.
The number of cards in your bucket
will limit or enhance how many ideas you
have. If you have lots of cards you’ll have
more ideas to draw from but if you have
just a few cards you may struggle to find
new angles and answers. The more vast
and varied your experiences, the more
innovative your brain can be.
When you close your mind to
possibilities you get stuck in “thinking
ruts”. When you ask the same questions,
you get the same answers. In his book
Cracking Creativity, Michael Michalko
writes, “Once we have an idea we
think works, it becomes hard for us to
consider alternative ideas. We tend to
develop narrow ideas about what will
work or what can be done and stick with
it until proven wrong.”
Similarly, Albert Einstein said, “We
cannot solve our problems with the same
thinking we used when we created them.”
Do you say yes to varied experiences
that stretch you and expose you to new
ways of thinking or living? Do you surround
yourself with people who know more than
Photography Getty Images
you so you can learn from them?
Your brain is capable of complex
and creative thinking. The more you
engage with the world and try new
things, the more your brain can establish
novel connections between seemingly
unrelated ideas. By seeking newness in
wellbeing.com.au | 61
 mind
WONDER
your life, you open up possibilities for
finding effective and innovative solutions
to your personal and work challenges.
At the heart of being a great
problem solver is the commitment to
being a life-long learner. If you want
to become a more effective problem
solver or creative thinker, become more
inquisitive, ask more questions, learn
new skills, read more books, attend
more events and connect with inspiring
people you can learn from.
Building a healthy brain
By becoming more curious and
inquisitive you not only develop your
problem-solving skills but also protect
your brain from cognitive decline.
Studies are showing that becoming a
life-long learner is an essential element
to building your cognitive reserve and
keeping your brain fit and healthy.
Yaakov Stern, Professor of
Neuropsychology at Columbia University
College, says, “Individuals who lead
mentally stimulating lives, through
education, occupation and leisure
activities, have reduced risk of developing
Alzheimer’s. Studies suggest that
they have 35–40 per cent less risk of
manifesting the disease.”
A curious mind allows your brain to
work more optimally in the here and now
while also becoming more resilient for
the future. What new skills or knowledge
could you commit to learning this year?
What events are coming up that would
stretch your current thinking or opinions?
Is there a course you have always wanted
to take that you could sign up for?
The gratitude/wonder loop
The brain is such that what you focus
on is magnified. This means your focus
can determine how you experience your
life. What you pay attention to forms your
perception of life. When you focus on
the negatives in life you will see more
challenges and problems. However, if
you focus on the positives you begin to
see more of the good things in your life.
What you focus on is your choice. You
have considerable control over what you
see in the world and how you feel about
your life. When I was 23 I was diagnosed
with chronic fatigue syndrome. I lost my
health, my job, my independence and my
sense of self. One of the ways I managed
these massive changes was to focus my
attention on what I could still do, not on
what I couldn’t. Choosing to focus on
capacity and not limitations was what
allowed me to stay open and curious
about the world. I believe my choice to
62 | wellbeing.com.au
15 practical ways to become
more curious
Ask more questions, be more inquisitive.
Surround yourself with smart and
engaged people.
Say yes to experiences where you would
normally say, “No, that’s not really my thing.”
Read more and more widely.
Watch documentaries that are inspiring
and expand your thinking.
Go for mindful walks, paying close
attention to everything around you.
Try new cafes and restaurants and
order new dishes.
Attend seminars, workshops and events
that stretch your thinking.
Take more risks and follow more of
your dreams.
Become a life-long learner; sign up for a
new course or learn a new hobby or skill.
Look up and observe the world more often.
Spend less time looking at a screen.
Travel to new places in your city, in the
country or overseas.
Spend time in nature.
Spend time in silence, tuning in to your
own inner wisdom and genius.
focus on capacity and gratitude helped
me rebuild my health and my life.
Studies have shown that the more
grateful you feel the more grateful you
become as your brain tunes into all
the good things around you. The more
grateful you feel, the more you see the
world as a good place and the more you
experience moments of awe and wonder.
I call this circular process the “gratitude/
wonder loop”.
In the same way that gratitude
activates wonder, so too does wonder
activate gratitude. By focusing on the
good, the beautiful and the amazing
in your life, you rewire your brain to be
more positive and to experience a greater
sense of wellbeing. You can kickstart the
“gratitude/wonder loop” by becoming
more conscious of what you’re thankful
for and being on the lookout for “wonder
moments” in your life.
The challenge of curiosity
There’s no doubt that wonder and
curiosity are good for your brain and
wellbeing, but it’s not always easy. While
I was writing this article, I looked at my
own life and asked myself, “Why do I
sometimes struggle to be curious and
open to new experiences?”
To experience wonder you need to be
open to the unknown and willing to try
new things. I don’t always find this easy.
Inherent in the unfamiliar is also fear of
the unknown. Sometimes I feel threatened
by new opportunities and experiences
rather than excited and motivated. My
fears stem from thoughts of not being
good enough, getting it wrong, making
bad decisions, being criticised or looking
silly. Maybe you can relate?
At times I have let these thoughts
stop me from taking action. The problem
with this safe approach to life, however,
is that nothing truly magical happens in
our comfort zones. In order to develop
a curious mindset and experience more
wonder in my life, I realised I needed
more courage and humility. I needed to
be more willing to move through fear and
accept that I won’t know everything or be
good at everything I try and that’s OK, not
something to be feared.
I know it’s only through engaging with
the unfamiliar that I learn, grow and
discover what I am truly capable of. So
now, when I want to pull back from new
experiences, I consciously take a few
deep breaths, reframe my thinking and
choose to engage.
While it can be daunting to move into
the unknown, the times I have done this
have allowed me to experience the most
wondrous moments in my life, including
climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge
despite being afraid of heights, to making
the choice to become a mum despite all
the inherent unknowns of raising a child.
What might be standing in your way
of developing a more curious approach
to life? What are you missing out on in
your life by playing it safe? There are
many simple day-to-day things you can
do to develop your inner explorer, novelty
seeker and wonderer.
Your brain is wired for wonder.
By cultivating your curious side and
exploring new ideas and experiences
you will become happier, healthier and
smarter. You will also be activating
and protecting your brain for years to
come. The world is a truly wondrous
place. Move out into the world, saying
“yes” more often to new experiences.
Quieten your fearful inner voice, be more
inquisitive, explore and enjoy the truly
wondrous journey that is life.
Jessica Lee is a writer, speaker and business
consultant. She is the owner of The Spark Effect
and is passionate about sharing neuroscience-
based strategies to teach individuals and corporate
teams how to better use their brains to reduce
overwhelm and stress while boosting productivity,
creative problem-solving and wellbeing. Get in
touch at jessica@thesparkeffect.com.au, +61 424
358 334 or via thesparkeffect.com.au.
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 mind
SELF-TALK

Am I thinking in al-or-none terms?

aking something personaly that has

I
I
paying atention to only the black side
e
geratingg the
hances of disaster or exag
mportance of events? Am I thinking i
64 | wellbeing.com.au

? Change your self-talk
In every moment of every day of your life, your thoughts are determining how you feel
and behave. Given they have such enormous power over your life, you’d better make
sure your thoughts are facts because, more often then you realise, they are not.
“If a person gave away your body to some passer-
by, you’d be furious. Yet you hand over your
mind to anyone who comes along so they may
abuse you, leaving it disturbed and troubled.
Have you no shame in that?” ~ Epictetus
W
hat essentially makes you
depressed or anxious or
s
angry? Most would say
it’s what happens to you
that determines how you feel. You were
retrenched from work today and are
devastated. You were abused by a friend
and feel angry and sad. You were ignored
I
by your partner and feel rejected.
Many people, however, including
psychologists, now recognise life events
play only a small role in how you feel
and behave. The real culprits are your
thoughts. It’s not what happens to you
I
but how you interpret and think about
what happens to you that matters.
Many of our interpretations of events
are distorted and this is where cognitive
therapy comes in. Cognitive therapy is
not about positive thinking. It’s about
e
rational thinking. It’s about learning to
identify our interpretations of events,
otherwise known as our self-talk, and
then learning to challenge the self-talk
by examining the cold hard evidence. In
effect, we are using our rational brain as
e
a weapon to fight the distortions we are
prone to in our everyday thinking.
The idea that our thoughts influence
our feelings and behaviour is not a
new one. The Greek Stoic philosopher
Epictitus, born 55 CE, once famously
e
said, “Men are disturbed not by things
but by the view which they take of
Photography Getty Images
them.” Twenty centuries later, American
psychiatrist Aaron Beck founded the
most highly researched and applied
therapy of recent times based on this
in
idea. Beck called it cognitive behavioural
therapy (CBT), cognitive being another
term relating to thoughts.
Words SONIA ZADRO
Before developing CBT, Beck worked
for many years with depressed patients in
the 1950s until he came to wonder if there
was more he could do to help his patients.
He suspected they weren’t revealing
certain thoughts they were only dimly
aware of because they weren’t taught to
focus on them. So he began to check in
on these momentary thoughts.
For instance, one anxious female
patient was openly discussing her sexual
conflicts, yet over a long period he made
no progress. One day, Beck asked her
how she was feeling about what she’d
been discussing. She responded, “He is
bored with me ... This sounds foolish ...
He’ll probably try and get rid of me.”
Beck realised her anxiety was not
from her sexual conflicts but from her
self-criticism and fear of being judged.
He called these thoughts “self-talk” and
said they are often not fully conscious
but just below the surface and we have to
train ourselves to focus on them.
Identifying your self-talk
Sometimes self-talk is obvious. For
instance, you lock your keys in your
Helpful questions to
challenge negative self-talk
Am I jumping to conclusions?
Am I thinking in all-or-none terms?
Am I blaming myself for something
that’s not really my fault?
Am I taking something personally
that actually has little or nothing to
do with me?
Am I expecting myself to be perfect?
Am I paying attention to only the
black side of things?
Am I over-estimating the chances
of disaster or exaggerating the
importance of events?
Do these thoughts help or hinder me?
mind
SELF-TALK
car for the third time in a week and
think, “I’m an idiot. I never remember
anything!” Often, however, self-talk
isn’t so obvious. We simply just feel
emotionally triggered and ask ourselves,
“What am I thinking right now?” — then
write out a stream of consciousness.
For example, say a friend at work
doesn’t say hello and seems to ignore
you. You spend the day feeling flat and
worried but can’t pinpoint why so you
write out your stream of consciousness:
“Fran ignored me and is angry with
me because I didn’t make lunch last
Friday.” This is your self-talk.
Then you ask the following: Is this a
fact or belief? Did Fran directly tell you
she was annoyed with you? If the answer
is no, then your self-talk is a belief, not a
fact, so don’t treat it like a fact.
This is often the case. Even though
self-talk might “feel” like a fact, it
doesn’t mean it is. What’s the evidence
to support this self-talk?
This is rational thinking, not positive
thinking. So honestly explore whether
there is there any evidence to support
the idea that Fran is annoyed with you.
The answer might be yes — Francis
sometimes calls on the weekend and she
didn’t last weekend.
Is there any evidence to support the
idea Fran is not annoyed with you? Yes,
she sent two work-related emails that
seemed friendly. She also seems a bit
withdrawn from everyone today and may
be preoccupied.
Is there another possible way to view
this situation? It’s possible Fran simply
didn’t see me this morning. She might be
distracted by a problem with her husband
or kids or work, or feel unwell, or be in a
bad mood for a hundred other reasons.
After examining the evidence, do I feel
any different? Usually you feel a little
better having looked at the situation
more objectively.
wellbeing.com.au | 65
 mind
SELF-TALK
Underlying beliefs
Self-talk can also direct you to the
underlying negative belief being
triggered in a situation. Take the same
situation with Fran not acknowledging
you at work, only this time you identify
different self-talk.
“Fran didn’t acknowledge me because
my friendship doesn’t matter to her.”
Here you could use this self-talk to
discover underlying negative beliefs you
hold about yourself. To do this you would
ask the following:
Start by assuming your self-talk is
correct (which it likely isn’t) and ask, “If
this idea is true, what do I think this says
about me?” Your answer might be, “It
means I don’t matter.”
Next assume this is correct and
ask, “If I don’t matter, what does that
say about me?” You might think, “It
means I’m insignificant, unworthy of
others’ love. I’m unlovable.” Hence we’ve
identified several negative core beliefs.
Asking these questions about our
self-talk can direct us to the deeper
beliefs we have about ourselves,
which likely influence many of our
interpretations at an unconscious level.
We can then remind ourselves that our
original self-talk is coming from an old
distorted belief we have about ourselves
and is likely not factual. We then could
explore other therapies that can help
shift these core beliefs, such as schema-
focused therapy or EMDR.
Challenging your self-talk may seem
time-consuming, but when you take the
time to do it you gain tremendous insight
into yourself and can become your
own therapist. You will likely recognise
patterns in your thinking. You may notice,
for instance, that you tend to take things
personally a lot. Or that you tend to
imagine the worst possible outcomes
for situations. Or that you tend to make
assumptions about what others are
thinking all the time.
Beck identified many common
unhelpful thinking patterns. It’s likely that
all of us relate to some of these patterns
at one time or another. Here are a few.
Unhelpful thinking styles
Black-and-white/all-or-none thinking
This is when you see things in black and
white — as one extreme or the other.
Some examples are:
“If I don’t get really high marks in
my exams I’m a complete and utter
worthless failure!”
66 | wellbeing.com.au
Learning to examine your thoughts does
not discount the tremendous trauma
or difficulties people can experience,
and such trauma often requires deeper
processing than cognitive therapy.
However, no matter what you encounter,
there is one thing no one can take from
you: your thoughts.
It was Austrian psychiatrist Viktor
Frankl, survivor of the World War
Two concentration camps, who said,
“Everything can be taken from a man
but one thing: the last of the human
freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in
any given set of circumstances.”
Try replacing this with “If I don’t
get high marks I’ll be disappointed
but I know I’m still smart, capable and
worthy. I just need to look at what to do
differently next time.”
“If I do something that goes
against my values — for example, be
dishonest — then I’m a shameful,
unforgivable person.” Replace this with
“I’ll be disappointed in myself but I’m
human, still worthy, and I can to use
this mistake as feedback to behave
differently in future.”
Black-and-white thinking comes
when you get really attached to a
standard you have for yourself. This
causes tremendous pressure on you and
feeds your anxiety. If you have black-
and-white thinking, sooner or later,
realistically, you’re not going to meet
your rigid high standards. Where does
that lead? To depression. So this thinking
also feeds depression.
If you hear yourself using a lot of “I
should ...!” or “I must ...!” in your self-
talk, it’s likely you are putting too much
pressure on yourself and have black-
and-white thinking. You can also be black
and white about day-to-day activities like
getting the house cleaned by noon or
building a new cupboard perfectly.
Catastrophising
This involves thinking the worst possible
outcome for a situation and is the
hallmark of anxiety. Let’s say you are
fearful about public speaking and have to
present a speech at a wedding. Your self-
talk might go like this: “I’ll forget what
to say, then say it all wrong. No one will
laugh at my jokes. I’ll appear ridiculous,
incompetent and be so humiliated the
entire night will be ruined and the bride
and groom will hate me for ruining their
wedding, no one will talk to me ever
again and I’ll never want to show my face
in public again!”
If you catch yourself thinking this way,
remind yourself you are catastrophising!
In reality your speech may not be perfect
but the earth won’t open up and swallow
you if you make mistakes. Most people
are too focused on their own issues to
care that much about your performance.
Mind reading
Here you assume you know what people
are thinking without clarifying it with
them. A friend might not return your call
so you tell yourself, “He probably doesn’t
like me any more.” Or your boss gives
you some feedback to improve your work
output and you think, “She thinks I’m
completely hopeless and I’m not good
enough for this role.”
Mind reading is commonly in the
form of taking things personally. Remind
yourself these are beliefs, not facts.
Examine the evidence and explore
whether this thinking relates to a deeper
core belief about yourself.
Filtering
When you filter, you pick out one
negative detail and forget all the good
stuff. Say you attend a party and have
some laughs, great food, fun dancing,
but make a thoughtless remark to an
acquaintance and embarrass yourself.
On returning home a friend asks how the
party went and you say it was a complete
disaster because you embarrassed
yourself. You forget all the good parts of
the night and focus on the one thing that
didn’t go well.
Over-generalising
This is when you have one failure or bad
experience and assume it means you
will always fail or have a bad experience.
You might fail your driving test and think,
“I’ll never get my licence! I’m always
going to fail!” Or a partner ends your
relationship and you think, “I’ll never
have a successful relationship. Everyone
will always leave me!”
The fact is you failed one driving test
and had one failed relationship, no more
and no less. You simply can’t predict your
future based on this. If you explore what
you might do differently next time, you’ll
have a better chance of success.
Sonia Zadro is a clinical psychologist with 20
years’ experience and a freelance writer. She
is interested in helping healing and opening
minds through science. To find out more, visit
soniazadro.com.
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 body
DENTAL HEALTH

Brushing techniques
should focus on the
thought process behind
why it’s important rather
than just technique.

Orally right
The health of your teeth remains steeped in controversy but are dental caries really
a disease of choice or a modern affliction? Beyond oral hygiene and trips to the
dentist, is there something more you can do to restore the health of your teeth?
Words LINDA MOON

A
ble to survive fire and
the grave, your teeth are
unique, identifying you like
a fingerprint. Like the rings
of a tree, they’re also a time capsule of
information about your diet and lifestyle,
reveals Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg in
her 2016 book What Teeth Reveal About
Human Evolution. Your pearly whites
may contribute to a great smile, the
shape of your face and the pronunciation
of speech, but their most important
function is to tear apart and grind down
food for further breakdown and digestion
in the stomach.
This frontline role in the digestive
process also makes your teeth
vulnerable. “Teeth are the only parts of
our skeleton that interact directly with
our environments,” Guatelli-Steinberg
states. “A less well-appreciated fact is
that, as parts of our anatomy, teeth are
affected indirectly by changes occurring
elsewhere in our bodies.”
To help protect them — against food,
drink, microbes and other things in our
mouths — our teeth have a tough enamel

68 | wellbeing.com.au

layer, an inbuilt, natural crown as such,
that covers and protects the softer
dentine structure beneath. Built to last
a lifetime and the hardest substance in
the human body, tooth enamel is 96 per
cent mineral, primarily hydroxyapatite, a
crystalline calcium phosphate.
Yet, as a society, our teeth are in bad
shape, with health experts reporting
a global epidemic of dental problems.
Over half the world’s population is
affected by severe tooth decay (caused
by the interaction of bacteria and sugar
on tooth enamel) and gum disease,
according to a 2013 study in The Journal
of Dental Research.
A 2015 government report into oral
health in Australia found that 30 per cent
of Australians aged 25–44 have untreated
tooth decay; 55 per cent of six-year-old
children had experienced decay in baby
teeth while 19 per cent of those 65 and
over had no natural teeth left.
When it comes to public health
policies, our teeth are treated, unlike
the rest of our bodies, as a non-core,
optional health item (they aren’t covered
by Medicare). While dental health was
the biggest health concern of those on
low incomes (in a 2016 NCOSS survey),
38 per cent said they skipped on the
dentist because of cost. Not helping
matters, we tend to view our teeth as
separate parts of the body rather than
holistically in relation to our health, diet
and lifestyle. For many of us, beyond
brushing and flossing, the health of our
teeth remains a mystery.
A systemic model of dentistry
Long before Colgate and the toothbrush,
Indigenous Australians were almost
entirely free of dental decay. Weston
Price’s monumental research
(published 1939 in Nutrition and Physical
Degeneration) discovered tooth decay
was rare among indigenous peoples
on traditional diets across the world.
However, once they consumed the
same modern diet as their “civilised”
counterparts, their teeth became just
as defective.
He attributed this to the amount of
nutrient-poor processed food and sugar
consumed by modern humans, which
displaced nutrient-rich foods. Price
analysed the diets of the indigenous
Photography Bigstock
peoples and found that, compared to
their modern equivalents, they contained
dramatically higher proportions of fat-
soluble vitamins (A, E, D and K), calcium
and phosphorus, essential for strong,
healthy teeth.
A major consideration
in improving our oral
health is balancing the pH
of the “whole” body.
The microbiome of the mouth
Modern diets have also altered the
composition and type of bacteria within
our mouths. Dr Bill Kellner-Read, a
Brisbane-based dental surgeon, speaker
and author of Toxic Bite (2002), says
scientists have analysed the tartar of
early humans and found a “really healthy,
varied number of bacteria”.
“Since the industrial revolution and
the introduction of agriculture,” he
goes on, “our diet has changed. With it,
the microbiome in the mouth has also
changed” — with pathogenic, acid-
producing bacteria that contribute to
tooth decay predominating.
“The research tends to show
an increase in acidity in the mouth
increases tooth decay. On the other
side, a slightly more alkaline mouth
predisposes us to gum disease.”
Emerging research suggests probiotics
may be useful as an oral health therapy.
Oral hygiene
Given our less-than-ideal diets, the
fundamentals of good oral hygiene
— brushing and flossing — remain
important, Dr Kellner-Read says.
While, ideally, we should brush after
every meal, it’s about what’s practical.
Brushing techniques have changed over
the past 40 years, so these should be
individualised in collaboration with your
dentist and focus on the thought process
behind why it’s important rather than
just technique.
“One of the things I often tell patients
is you miss the same spot every time
you brush your teeth. So use your non-
dominant hand to brush your teeth for
30 seconds — that brings toothbrushing
back under conscious control rather
than unconscious control.” Interdental
brushes are also useful for getting
between the teeth.
Dr Kellner-Read suggests regular
checkups every six months (every three
months if you suffer from gum disease
as calculus can grow back within three
months). These are especially important
as cancer screening is part of the
protocol. “Dentistry is about prevention.
An ounce of prevention could save you
dollars in the long term, so make sure
you get there early.”
body
DENTAL HEALTH
Teaching children to brush
As information on tongue tie and a
retruded lower jaw gain momentum, Dr
Kellner-Read believes dentists will want
to see children really early to rule out
potential problems and educate on tooth
brushing. “As parents, we assume the
moment a child can hold a toothbrush
they know how to use it. If you look at the
levels of dexterity of a lot of children you
have to question whether or not they’re
really able to brush their teeth.”
He suggests parents be involved in
tooth brushing at least until the age of
eight. “As they get older, teach them to
floss as that gets between the teeth.”
In tribal cultures, conception was
taken very seriously. Weston Price
observed women being taken away to eat
a very specific diet to ensure maximum
health before conceiving. Dr Kellner-
Read says research shows the same
bacteria that we have in our mouths turn
up in the placenta.
“Harmful bacteria are being
introduced into baby very early in life.
Research has also shown that women
with periodontal disease are more likely
to have a low-weight pre-term baby. If
you want to have children, get that mouth
absolutely 100 per cent before you do.”
The interconnected body
The holistic model of dentistry looks at
the impact of the mouth on the rest of
the body and vice versa. Recognising the
body as a whole, consideration is given to
issues as varied as diet, tongue position,
ear health, headaches, neck and back
pain, bite, the growth of the upper and
lower jaw, respiratory function, sleep,
snoring, habits such as thumb-sucking,
and whether or not the person is a
mouth or nose breather.
For example, “If they’re a mouth
breather then they’re more likely to get
tooth decay,” Dr Kellner-Read says. “Is
crowding a sign you’ve got too many
teeth or a sign you haven’t grown
sufficiently? In my opinion, God didn’t
get it wrong. If we were meant to have
32 teeth then the question is, why are we
not growing big enough to accommodate
all our teeth?”
Anthropologists like Guatelli-Steinberg
believe human jaws have adapted to a
softer diet by reducing in size to the point
that our teeth, which are genetically
programmed, no longer fit in our mouths.
She reports that impacted wisdom teeth
are 10 times more common since the
Industrial Revolution than previously.
Dentistry is now recognising that an
wellbeing.com.au | 69
 body
DENTAL HEALTH
overcrowded mouth, high palate and jaw
size are contributing factors for sleep
apnea, Dr Kellner-Read says.
Demineralisation
While we’ve all heard of tooth decay,
it’s less known that our teeth can
demineralise. Demineralisation (the
loss of minerals from our teeth) can
occur from a range of external and
internal factors, including existing health
problems, diet and medication.
“Erosion and carious lesions
are the two main consequences of
demineralisation,” according to a
research review in the International
Journal of Nanomedicine, 2016. Erosion
refers to loss of tooth surface. Eroded
teeth become softer and weaker, are
more likely to crack or chip and are more
susceptible to dental caries.
The study authors attribute the rise in
tooth erosion to widespread consumption
of acidic and sugary soft drinks and
juices, which they note are “thought to be
over half of all of the liquids consumed”.
Many health issues (gastro-esophageal
reflux, bulimia nervosa and alcoholism,
for example) also contribute to acidity in
the mouth.
While saliva is able to neutralise these
acids (it’s also anti-bacterial, cleansing
and a source of protective minerals), its
production can be hampered by many
things, including medications, smoking
and alcohol. Fortunately, they reveal,
“Demineralisation is a reversible process.”
Healing your teeth naturally
Dagmar Ganser, a naturopath at True
Medicine clinic in Queensland with 17
years clinical experience, says she’s
seen evidence of clients who’ve healed
their teeth and gums through diet and
supplementation. “We can re-strengthen
pretty much any part of our body. Our
teeth aren’t static. They’re not dead.
They’ve got roots; they’re connected to
our gums; they’re connected to our blood
supply. It’s the same as when people say
their hair is falling out. It’s an expression
of the entire body’s condition. We’re
nutritionally deficient, we’re over-acidic,
we’re highly toxic.”
She believes a major consideration in
improving our oral health is balancing
the pH of the “whole” body. “Our blood
has a very narrow range of pH. When our
bodies become too acidic, minerals such
as calcium are drawn from storage in our
teeth and bones to balance our internal
pH. Our body has to use something to
alkalise and it uses minerals.” Acidity of
the body is also associated with lower
70 | wellbeing.com.au
Get plenty of calcium from
raw kale, quinoa and almonds.
High-calcium foods
According to naturopath Dagmar
Ganser, foods with the highest
calcium content include sesame seeds
and kelp (both contain more than a
gram of calcium per 100g) and green
vegies (kale, silverbeet, broccoli and
watercress provide the highest levels).
Other sources include almonds,
hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, buckwheat,
flaxseeds (these must be ground),
organic (GMO-free) soy beans, mung
beans, chickpeas, molasses, eggs
(particularly the yolk) and buckwheat.
For those who can digest dairy, organic
cheddar cheese and natural yoghurt are
also good sources.
oxygenation of tissue and impaired wound
healing, she adds.
Ganser suggests a diet based on
fresh, locally sourced, unsprayed,
wholefoods to supply all the nutrients
the body needs. Avoid sugar, processed
foods, wheat, grains, alcohol, soft drinks,
caffeinated drinks, stress and a toxic
environment — these all contribute to
acidity in the body, she says. “Greens are
especially alkalising. Every single meal
should contain vegetables, and every
plate should be a rainbow.”
Supplement
Given nutrient deficiency is extremely
common, supplementation may be
necessary. For instance, 73 per cent
of females did not meet the minimum
dietary requirement for calcium, according
to the 2012 Australian Health Survey.
However, calcium supplementation alone
is not enough: the health of our teeth is
dependent on many nutrients and parts
of our bodies, including the endocrine
glands, gut and liver.
Weston Price prioritised the fat-
soluble vitamins D and A (for their key
role in bone health) and prescribed cod
liver oil (high in both vitamins) as well as
foods rich in calcium, phosphorus and
other minerals.
Ganser recommends celloid minerals
for their bioavailability to the body and
advises always taking supplemental
calcium in calcium phosphate form. “For
example,” she says, “calcium carbonate
is very difficult for our body to absorb
properly. Consult a qualified naturopath
before supplementing in order to
maintain a healthy balance between all
the minerals.”
This should include silica, “a calcium
reorganiser, so you will never get any
calcium buildup”, she says, adding, “We
need everything. We’re eating more than
ever but we’re starving to death.”
Environmental & other factors
Ganser suggests a minimum of about
six months to see improvements to
tooth enamel. If problems continue,
seek complete professional assessment
from someone able to look at the whole
body, including hormone balance, other
health issues, medications and heavy
metal toxicity that might interfere with
mineral absorption.
For example, lead blocks the
absorption of calcium while aluminium
blocks magnesium, she says. “Lead will
actually displace calcium in the bones
where calcium should be. And that can
be in our body since conception. You
can have a really good diet but it’s not
going anywhere. Most toxins in one way
or another block out the absorption or
metabolism of nutrients.”
There are so many other things
that come into play, with insufficient
sunlight (vitamin D) plus smoking and
recreational drug use among a long list
of factors that can affect our oral health.
We need to chew
“In order to keep your teeth and gums
healthy, they need to be used,” Ganser
says, “so chewing food helps, especially
harder foods like raw carrots, apples,
nuts. Chewing stimulates circulation
to the gums. Anywhere you have good
circulation, the flesh stays healthy.
You have healthy gums, you have
healthy teeth.
“When you think about the foods
we mostly consume, they’re mostly
soft. In recent research, they’ve shown
chewing helps reduce the incidence
of dementia.” Illustrating our teeth’s
connectedness to the rest of us, “It
Photography Bigstock
doesn’t just help the teeth and the
gums; it helps the entire head.”
Linda Moon is a freelance health, travel and
lifestyle writer and a qualified naturopath based
in Katoomba, Blue Mountains.
 body
YOGA & UPPER CHAKRAS
Chakra exploration: Part II
This article is a continuation of a two-part chakra exploration through yoga.
In the previous issue we suggested practices for the lower chakras and here
we offer practices aimed at balancing the heart and upper chakras.
Words MASCHA COETZEE Photography RICK COETZEE
W
hen exploring chakras,
you are invited to dive into
investigation of your energy
body and the vital force
within, which is also referred to as prana,
ki, qi, chi and mana, which connects
your physical and subtle bodies and is
transmitted by the means of chakras, the
spinning vortexes of energy positioned
alongside your spinal cord, aligning from
its very base to the crown of your head.
As mentioned in part one of our
chakra exploration, the seven-chakra
system, commonly accepted by various
healing modalities and practices such as
Reiki, qi gong, tai chi and crystal healing
among others, is discussed here.
Your subtle body, of which chakras
are a part, is intangible but it unavoidably
penetrates your physical body and
influences the state of your mind, health
and overall wellbeing.
Therefore, when your chakras are
in harmony, you enjoy good health
and vitality, your mind is clear and you
are able to be present and grounded.
When the chakras are unbalanced, that
energy may manifest itself in physical,
emotional, mental and energetic
malfunctions.
Overview of the heart
& upper chakras
This overview and recommended
practices outlined further in this article
will focus on anahata (heart chakra) and
the upper three chakras (vishuddha, ajna
and sahasrara), which are regarded as
your spiritual centres
The lower three chakras (muladhara,
svadhisthana and manipura) are
considered your physical energy centres
connected to your self-image, your
relation to the physical world and your
physical and emotional identity.
72 | wellbeing.com.au
Fourth chakra/heart chakra
Heart chakra is the emotional centre of
love and empathy, determining what you
feel and how you accept yourself and
love others. It’s the centre of your being,
the connection between the physical and
spiritual chakras, with three chakras
below it and three chakras above.
The colour associated with this
chakra is green and its element is air;
hence breathwork is important when
working with anahata.
Anahata opens from the seventh
thoracic vertebra into the entire thoracic
cavity and the heart, encompassing its
front, back and sides together, sternum,
ribcage as well as pectoralis minor
(chest), rhomboids (muscles between
shoulder blades) and trapezius (neck and
upper back muscles).
Heart chakra rules your circulatory,
immune and respiratory systems due to
its connection to the lungs, diaphragm
and thymus gland.
When your heart chakra is balanced,
you are filled with joy, compassion,
kindness and goodwill; you are capable
of unconditional love and accepting
yourself and others; you are also able
to genuinely give and receive love and
cultivate joy.
Its psychological malfunctions may
manifest in resentment, withdrawal,
isolation, grief, self-centredness, lack
of empathy and inability to forgive;
physical imbalances may include
circulatory and respiratory disorders,
weak immunity and physical tension,
particularly in the area of the body this
chakra encompasses.
To harmonise heart chakra,
incorporate loving-kindness and
compassion meditation practices,
reflective journalling and expansive
pranayama (breathwork), together with
yoga poses that open your upper and
middle back, shoulders and chest,
inclusive of Cat, Cobra, Upward-Facing
Dog, Melting Heart Pose, Reversed
Warrior, Bridge, Hare, Camel and
Spinal Twists.
Fifth chakra/throat chakra
Vishuddha chakra is the centre for
truth and clarity; it’s about finding
your authentic voice and your ability to
listen attentively, communicate with
genuineness and express yourself
effectively (and creatively, too, through
your speech, writing, music or art).
The elements associated with the fifth
chakra are space and, not surprisingly,
sound, as it’s in throat chakra where
your thoughts convert into speech.
The colour linked to vishuddha is blue
and this chakra is also about purifying
the other chakras and communicating
the information acquired from them. It’s
located at the throat and it rules your
neck, throat, ears, tongue, jaw, shoulder
girdle, cervical vertebrae and thyroid.
When this chakra is in harmony, you
are creative, truthful, a good listener and
communicate articulately from the place
of kindness.
Deficiencies in throat chakras present
themselves in fear of public speaking,
weak voice, excessive shyness and
communication difficulties, whereas its
excess materialises in inability to listen
and being too loud and aggressive or
unable to cease talking.
On a physiological level, throat, voice,
thyroid and ear disorders, together with
frequent colds and tightness in the neck,
shoulders and jaw, are the signs of
disharmony in vishuddha.
When seeking to balance out your
throat chakra, explore exercises and
activities that inspire your creative

expression through the use of your voice
(chanting, singing, writing, journalling);
soothe your throat with herbal teas
(eg licorice, peppermint, turmeric,
chamomile); and incorporate Ujjayi
Breathing Exercise, Neck Rolls, Camel,
Shoulder Stand, Plough and Fish into
your yoga practice.
Sixth chakra/third eye chakra
Third eye chakra is associated with
insight, intelligence, inner wisdom and
intuition ruling eyes, forehead and pineal
gland. It’s located in the midbrain in the
area where the left and right optic nerves
cross, forming a space for the third eye of
a kind. The element of the sixth chakra is
light and its colour association is indigo.
Heightened intuition and awareness,
ability to be perceptive and observant,
good vision, memory and imagination are
the qualities of balanced ajna.
body
YOGA & UPPER CHAKRAS
When in disharmony, though,
headaches, poor memory, concentration
difficulties and vision problems can be
experienced, together with confusion and
inability to trust your inner wisdom.
Being the “command centre” (the
translation of the name of this chakra
in Sanskrit) and associated with the
pituitary gland (the master gland
responsible for hormone secretion
controlling the entire endocrine system
and its processes), this chakra is also
a “command centre” for the glands,
associated with the other sixth chakras:
1. Root chakra — muladhara — gonads
2. Sacral chakra — svadhisthana —
adrenals
3. Solar plexus chakra — manipura —
pancreas
4. Heart chakra — anahata — thymus
5. Throat chakra — vishuddha — thyroid
6. Crown chakra — sahasrara —
pineal gland
To assist your third eye chakra in further
balancing, incorporate Alternate Nostril
Breathing Exercise on an empty stomach
into your practice to restore the equilibrium
between the nadis and balance the left
and right hemispheres of your brain and
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous
systems with them.
Alongside with pranayama, regular
meditation practice and inclusion of
guided visualisations together with the
following asanas may also be beneficial:
Downward-Facing Dog, Child’s Pose,
Tree, Eagle, Dolphin and Handstand
Preparation or Handstand.
Seventh chakra/crown chakra
Translated as “thousandfold” with
reference to its thousandfold-petalled
lotus symbol, crown chakra is the
centre of ultimate knowledge, your
consciousness, spirituality and your
connection to the higher self (the divine,
God, or/and universal consciousness,
depending on your belief system), which
goes beyond the physical form and finds
its manifestation in selfless service and
faith, your devotional practices, open-
mindedness, intelligence and ethics.
The element of this chakra is thought,
its location is the crown of the head
and the colours associated with it are
violet and white; it governs your central
nervous system inclusive of the brain.
When it’s in balance, you possess
wellbeing.com.au | 73
 body
YOGA & UPPER CHAKRAS Melting Heart

great intelligence, wisdom and

analytical skills and you are thoughtful,
aware and have a broader outlook and
understanding of the interconnectedness
of everything.
If the crown chakra is in disharmony,
attachment may be present, together
with apathy, inability to trust,
confusion and overthinking, as well as
disconnectedness from your body and Eagle Pose
pose
the world.
Purification of the mind starts by
releasing blockages and stagnation in the
body first by means of yoga practice, only
Preparation
so you can sit in meditation, which is the
for Camel Pose
ultimate way to open this energy centre.
Savasana is essential, too, as in order
to integrate your yoga practice you will
need to allocate time to allow your body
to relax and your breath to quieten,
inducing the level of relaxation that’s
stilling for the mind.

Yoga sequence for the

heart & upper chakras
1. Melting Heart (anahatasana)
Begin on your hands and knees. Walk
your hands forward, allowing your chest Camel Pose
and arms to descend toward the floor.
Keep your hands shoulder width, or a
little wider, apart and hips above your Rabbit Pose
knees. Relax your forehead onto the floor
or a cushion, bolster or yoga block if your
head doesn’t reach the floor. Remain in
this pose for 5–10 breaths.
To come out of the pose, slide onto your
stomach, placing one cheek on the floor,
and release your arms alongside your
torso with your palms facing up. Rest for
a few breaths.

2. Eagle (garudasana)
Begin by standing on both feet. Bend
your knees slightly, transfer your weight
onto the left foot and cross your right
thigh over the left, hugging both thighs
together. Keep the standing leg bent and
point your right toes towards the floor or
hook the right foot behind the left shin
and balance on the left leg.
Take your arms out to the sides, then
cross your right arm under the left with
your palms facing each other. Lift your
elbows, lengthening from your forearms
through the fingers.
Hold the pose for 5–8 breaths, then
repeat on the other side.
3. Camel (ustrasana)
Start by kneeling with your hips above
your knees, keeping your knees slightly
apart and resting your hands on the
back of your pelvis with the heels of
your palms on the upper buttocks, and
pressing your shins and the tops of your
feet into the floor.
Inhale and lengthen from your pelvis,
drawing the tailbone in. As you exhale,
lean back, keeping the hands on the back
of the pelvis. If comfortable, drop your
head back and stay in Camel preparation
for 3–5 breaths.
To come out, lift your chest forward
first, keeping your head back, as you
come up. Rest by sitting on your heels
for 3–5 breaths.
Repeat once more, or if you are ready
for Camel, enter the preparation pose
first, then bring your hands onto your
heels or the soles of the feet, allowing
your head to drop back.
4. Rabbit (sasangasana)
This pose offers similar benefits to those

74 | wellbeing.com.au
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 body Fish Pose
YOGA & UPPER CHAKRAS

from shoulderstand (which you can also

incorporate into this sequence).
Begin by sitting on your heels, with the
tops of your feet on the floor. Reach back
for your heels, cupping them with your
hands, thumbs facing outward.
On the exhalation, lower your chin
towards the collarbones, as you begin to Preparation for
slowly bend forward, rounding your back Headstand
and lowering the crown of your head
onto the floor in front of your knees so
that your forehead draws in towards your
knees (or touches them).
Keeping the grip of your hands against
your heels, lift your buttocks as high as
available, keeping your chin against your
chest.
Breathe deeply into the back of your
heart, holding the pose for 5 breaths.
To come out of this posture, lower your
buttocks towards your heels, releasing Headstand
your hands, and then rest in Child’s
Pose. When your heart
chakra is balanced,
5. Fish (matsyasana)
Begin supine with your feet on the floor you are filled with joy,
and your knees bent. compassion, kindness
Lift your hips, bring your hands under and goodwill.
the buttocks, allowing your thumbs to
touch, keeping your palms on the floor.
Release your buttocks onto the hands,
extend the legs and flex your toes. On the
in-breath, press into the forearms and
elbows, lift your chest up towards the
ceiling and release the back or crown of
your head lightly onto the floor.
Take 5 breaths.
Come out on the exhalation, lowering
your head and torso back onto the floor.

6. Headstand preparation/Headstand
(sirsasana)
Begin on your knees with your forearms
firmly pressing onto the mat. Keep
your elbows shoulder-width apart.
Interlace your fingers forming a cup
shape with your hands. Keep your wrists
perpendicular to the mat. Release the
back of your head into the heels of your
hands and rest the crown of the head on
the mat.
On the inhalation, lift your knees off
the floor and walk your feet closer to
your head, bringing the hips above the
shoulders, and lifting the shoulder
blades toward the tailbone. If you are
new to headstand, remain here for 8–10
breaths with your feet on the floor before
resting in Child’s Pose.
If you practise Headstand, use your
Resting Child’s Pose
abdominal strength to lift both of your
feet simultaneously off the floor with
your knees bent or legs straight.
Lengthen your tailbone towards the
ceiling and keep pressing actively into
the forearms. Extend your legs above
the torso. Remain in sirsasana for 10–15
breaths.
To come out, exhale and release your
feet on the floor. Rest in Child’s Pose.
Another inversion alternative is Legs
up the Wall Pose (viparita karani) where
you lie on the floor with your hips and the
backs of your legs against the wall.
To complete your practice, take savasana
(Corpse Pose), remaining in it for at least
5 minutes.
Mascha Coetzee is a certified holistic health &
wellness coach and yoga teacher who believes
in using wholefoods and yoga to heal the body,
tame the mind and improve wellbeing. Mascha
is based in Launceston, Tasmania, where
she teaches yoga classes and holistic health
workshops. She can be contacted at: coetzee.
mascha@gmail.com or maschacoetzee.com.

76 | wellbeing.com.au
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P tog
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G ty Ima
magess
 Resilience
n 1 an ability to recover from or adjust
easily to misfortune or change
2 the ability of a substance or object to
spring back into shape; elasticity

Boil the kettle, find yourself a comfortable seat

and take a moment to reflect: when was the last
time you faced a challenging situation? How did
you deal with this difficult event? Or are you still
in the midst of it? Challenging life experiences
happen to everyone. Initially, we react with a
flood of strong emotions, uncertainty and fear.
But, generally, after some time, we adapt to
situations that may have changed the course of
our lives forever. How? It’s called resilience — the
process of adapting well in the face of adversity,
trauma, tragedy and stress. It’s your “bounce-
back” ability and involves behaviours, thoughts
and actions that can be learned and developed
in anyone, no matter how heartbreaking or
challenging the circumstance.
 special report
DEPRESSION
Finding the light
From exercise and herbs to mindfulness, gratitude
and diet, there are many effective strategies you
can use to help combat depression.
S
top right now and check in with
how you are feeling. Now put
the spotlight on how you felt
yesterday. And last week. And
last month. And last year. What does
your emotional audit tell you? Are you
in a good place much of the time? Do
you have moments where you enjoy life,
connect with others, experience pleasure
and meaning and fulfilment and feel
good about yourself and positive about
life? Or have you been mostly flatlining?
If you can’t remember the last time
you had a good belly laugh or climbed
out of bed feeling happy to face the day,
you could be at risk of depression. Or
you could be en route to depression or
already experiencing this serious mental
health condition.
Depression is the leading cause of
ill-health and disability worldwide, says
the World Health Organization. It’s a
global health crisis with more than 300
million people living with the condition
— an increase of more than 18 per cent
between 2005 and 2015 — and that figure
is constantly rising. This is startling
given that research shows that chronic
depression carries risks that are equal to
the impacts of smoking or not exercising.
In Australia, one in 11 people
report having depression or feelings
of depression, according to the last
2014–2015 National Health Survey by
the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Women (10.4 per cent) experience more
feelings of depression than men (7.4
per cent). This may be due to hormonal
shifts during the menstrual cycle and life
changes like pregnancy and motherhood.
Recognising depression
Though it’s normal to suffer low moods
that pass, chronic gloom, teariness and
exhaustion that interfere with day-to-day
life should never be ignored.
80 | wellbeing.com.au
Words STEPHANIE OSFIELD
Depression is more than just feeling
a little down. It dominates mind, body
and soul, changing the way you think
and behave. It can impact on everything
from hormones and brain chemistry to
thought patterns and physical responses
to stress.
One key point of difference is that
depression lasts more than several
weeks and the feelings become chronic
and start to impact on your quality of life,
relationships, work or study performance
and health. Common symptoms of
depression include:
Feeling sad, teary, empty, hopeless,
worthless, overwhelmed and that life is
not worth living
Withdrawing from close friends and
family
Recurring thoughts of guilt, self-blame
or feelings that you are a failure
Significant changes in sleep patterns,
appetite and/or weight
Constant fatigue and difficulty getting
out of bed
Increased irritability, frustration or
moodiness that’s out of character
Loss of interest and enjoyment in
activities you once found enjoyable
Agitation and anxiety
The many faces of depression
Depression is an umbrella term that
refers to a range of different mental
health conditions, including:
Mild, moderate or major depression:
You feel persistently sad, unhappy
and low and find it hard to function at
work or face work. You may withdraw
from friends and family, lose pleasure
in activities you used to enjoy and feel
empty and that life has no meaning.
Bipolar disorder: For no obvious
reason, moods swing from intensely high
(mania) to extremely low (depression).
The highs often lead to erratic or
energetic behaviour, while the lows may
cause lethargy and the desire to hide
away from the world.
Dysthymia: Is a form of low-grade
depression that causes ongoing low
mood. It can persist for years without
being diagnosed.
Cyclothymic disorder: Causes
alternating mood shifts, such as feeling
very happy or quite low. These shifts may
go on for months then suddenly change.
Meanwhile, they may lead to changes in
behaviour, appetite, self-confidence and
ability to socialise.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD):
You experience a plummet in mood
during the winter months. SAD can
make you feel depressed, withdraw
and want to eat and sleep more than
usual. SAD is thought to be caused by
lack of exposure to sunlight, affecting
the production of melatonin, which
regulates daily biorhythms and the
sleep/wake cycle. Sitting under special
sun lamps and seeking short episodes
of sun exposure may help.
Antenatal and post-natal depression:
During pregnancy or after the birth
of a child, some women experience
depression due to the big life transition
of becoming a mother with the range
of feelings that go with this, including
anxiety, exhaustion and fear of being
responsible for the health and wellbeing
of their child.
Agitated depression: This can lead
people to suffer chronic anxiety, which
makes them feel physically uptight and
emotionally drained. Over time, this
Photography Getty Images
anxiety can lead to major depression.
Depression triggers
Depression does not always hit your life
like an electrical storm; sometimes it’s
more like an overcast day that goes on
and on with no promise of sunshine. It
Depression does not always
hit your life like an electrical
storm; sometimes it’s more
like an overcast day that
goes on and on with no
promise of sunshine.

wellbeing.com.au | 81
 special report
DEPRESSION
can be caused by chronic stress at work
(such as a job you dislike or a high-
voltage boss), relationship issues (a bad
breakup) or your lifestyle (for example,
a combo of too much stress, too little
downtime and too little sleep).
Sometimes depression occurs with
no obvious triggers. If you tend to
be self-critical, anxious, pessimistic
or a perfectionist, you may be more
vulnerable to developing depression.
Depression comes in different forms.
Reactive depression sometimes follows
a life event — for instance, the death of a
loved one — while biological depression
often has no obvious trigger or it may
kick in after chronic difficulties such as
being unemployed.
A tendency to depression and anxiety
can also run in families due to inherited
genes. However, just because you have a
genetic predisposition doesn’t mean you
will definitely suffer from depression —
there are proactive steps you can take to
help protect yourself.
Changing your emotional
landscape
In our busy modern world, many
people complain of being pushed for
time and this can prove a fast track to
feeling overwhelmed or isolated and,
ultimately, depressed. Don’t ignore
those powerful feelings.
Your emotional state has an impact
on every level of your physical health. If
you’re often feeling upset, unhappy or
stressed, this can switch on your fight-
or-flight response to varying degrees.
This response prepares your body to fight
a tiger, so your blood pressure and heart
rate go up while your body pumps out
more glucose and fats for extra energy.
Meanwhile, processes like digestion slow
and your immunity drops.
If the tigers are in your mind, however,
you don’t get the chance to utilise those
adrenal chemicals through physical
action, such as fighting or running. Over
time, repeated release of these adrenal
chemicals can increase your risk of
getting conditions like diabetes and
heart disease.
Depression is often triggered by
a range of different emotions and
concerns. Identifying those recurring
82 | wellbeing.com.au
Trying new things can
lift you out of the rut
that may be causing
you to feel gloomy.
Though it’s normal to suffer low moods, which pass,
chronic gloom, teariness and exhaustion that interfere
with day-to-day life should never be ignored.
feelings can help you address which of
the following emotional states you’re
stuck in so you can work on changing
and challenging them.
Anxious
Signs: You breathe faster and feel sweaty,
shaky, hyped up and nauseous.
Impact: Though anxiety can help you
run from a burning building, if it’s
disproportionate to the situation, it
negatively affects everything from your
relationships to your ability to fight off a
cold. Grappling with chronic anxiety can
wear you down to the point where you
suffer depression about feeling anxious
and constantly wired.
Change it: Recognise your anxiety
triggers, such as going to parties
or worrying about work deadlines.
Consciously slow your speech,
movement and thoughts. Breathe in and
out to the count of three or five to reduce
your stress levels.
Channel more: Calm.
Become more mindful: When you
fully engage in the sights, sounds and
feelings of every moment you can’t worry
about the past or future.
Eat regularly: Skipping meals causes
a drop in blood sugar. That’s bad news
for your energy levels and can cause
hormonal changes that totally ramp up
anxious and depressed feelings.
Try EFT: The Emotional Freedom
Technique can help to promote calm
and elevate your mood. Often called
Psychological Acupressure, it involves
tapping on a number of acupressure
points on the body while you either
repeat positive affirmations or state your
most negative thoughts and feelings.
Tapping on certain acupoints while
activating your most negative thoughts
appears to help reset your neural
functioning so those feelings no longer
trigger the same big responses and you
feel less bothered by them.
Gloomy
Signs: You feel the future is bleak and
obsess about things like climate change,
your diet or whether you will ever find
the right partner.
Impact: When you often get upset or
stressed or despairing, you strengthen
the wiring for those emotions in your
brain, so the gloomier you are the
gloomier you continue to feel.
Change it: Have positive expectations.
Expect the best from life and people and
this will help to open your eyes to all the
positive things happening around you
every day.
Channel more: Hope.
Photography Getty Images
Enjoy feel-good thoughts and
activities: Take up painting, book in
for a massage, watch the sun set. The
neuroplasticity of the brain means
that every time something makes you
feel happy, stimulated or uplifted you
strengthen those positive pathways in
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 special report
DEPRESSION
Speak to yourself the way you
would to a friend if they were
feeling upset or unhappy.
your brain. Feel good more often and the
pathways forming your negative brain
networks will grow weaker.
Shake things up: Take risks, make new
social connections, eat at a different
cafe or go for that promotion. Trying new
things can lift you out of the rut that may
be causing you to feel gloomy.
Choose to be happy: Write a list of
emotional states you would like to feel
more of and five ways to increase each
emotion. For example, for more laughter,
watch some comedies on DVD, speak
in a silly voice, tickle your partner, ask a
friend to tell you a joke. Then give your
happiness action plan a try.
Self-critical
Signs: You tell yourself constantly that
you’re not good enough and lie in bed
going over your conversations with
people, worrying that you may have
talked too much or said something that
was tactless.
Impact: Every time you are critical of
yourself your negativity encourages the
release of chemicals that make you feel
even lower than before.
Change it: Engage in emotional
regulation. Don’t suppress emotions
like annoyance or frustration but
acknowledge their presence without
getting caught up in them.
Channel more: Compassion.
Be kind to yourself: Speak to yourself
the way you would to a friend if they were
feeling upset or unhappy.
Break with the past: Don’t hold on to
past annoyances and upsets such as
being retrenched from your job. Reliving
those feelings over and over will only
make you more bitter and miserable.
Write a letter outlining the many ways in
which a past hurtful event upset you then
tear it up as a symbol that this is in the
past and you are putting it behind you.
Fearful
Signs: Worry and what-ifs seem to
dominate your thinking.
84 | wellbeing.com.au
Impact: The worry doesn’t change
anything but can leave you feeling
constantly inadequate and overwhelmed.
Over time, such fears can also hold you
back from taking risks that could open
up your life to new pleasures, people
and experiences.
Change it: Take control where you can.
Challenge your fears by asking yourself,
“What’s the worst thing that could
happen?” You will soon realise that you
can cope with the worst-case scenario.
Then look at what the evidence is that
the worst will happen and it’s probably
much more likely that things won’t get
that serious (and even if they do, you will
be able to cope).
Channel more: Hope.
Face your fears: Write a list of your
fears then beside each one note
strategies to address them so you realise
you do have some control.
Hear hopeful stories: When you’re with
loved ones, talk about great things that
have happened to you this week so that
they share their hopeful stories, too.
Stare at a flower: This kind of spot
meditation also works well when you
look at a pond or clouds or picture.
Better still, engage in deeper meditation
for up to 20 minutes once or twice a day.
The act of slowing down and becoming
more mindful during meditation not
only re-energises your body and mind
but also benefits the immune system,
helping your body work more efficiently
to keep you well.
Helpless
Signs: You often feel overwhelmed and
caught in a rut but don’t know how to
reconfigure your life.
Impact: The more you tell yourself your
life is beyond your control, the more
hopeless and helpless you feel and the
less you will try to improve your situation.
Change it: Separate thought from reality.
Remind yourself that just because you
think something doesn’t make it true.
Channel more: Realism.
Watch what you think: Avoid unhelpful
thinking styles, such as black-and-white
thinking or catastrophising. This will help
you keep events in perspective, so life
seems less overwhelming.
Remember other low times: Remind
yourself of other life difficulties you have
managed to cope with even when you
thought you couldn’t go on.
Guilty
Signs: You constantly beat yourself up
over everything, from eating that piece
of cake to losing your temper or saying
something you regret.
Impact: When guilty thoughts become
a habit they can provide a roadblock to
happiness, even though they are often
Photography Getty Images
unfounded and irrational. Guilt can often
be a sign of low self-esteem: you beat
yourself up to remind yourself you’re
not worthy.
Change it: Accept you’re not perfect. We
all make mistakes and if we learn from
them we become better people. Know

Stare at a flower: This
kind of spot meditation
also works well when
you look at a pond or
clouds or picture.
when you’re not to blame. If your pet
cat was sick and died before you could
get to the vet, then it’s the illness, not
you, that’s responsible.
Channel more: Pride.
Pat yourself on the back: If you’re
honest you’ll realise that most of the time
you’re doing your best as a friend, partner,
work colleague and human being.
Write yourself a letter of forgiveness:
Address it to yourself to help let go of
guilt or feelings of failure about times
when you feel you made mistakes or
were not your best self. State why you
are writing the letter and what you feel
guilty about. Make your expression of
forgiveness to yourself and note what you
learned, what you are managing better
now and how well you are doing.
Good mood food
A growing body of evidence suggests
depression is not simply caused by what
you think but is related to a chronic state
of inflammation in the body that then
affects everything from your hormone
levels to your brain function.
Eating too many processed foods
that are high in fats and sugars can
contribute to this state substantially by
causing low-grade inflammation that
contributes to anxiety and depression,
according to research from Deakin
University. Fast foods have also been
linked to the smaller hippocampus —
the part of your brain responsible for
regulating mood.
Most importantly, a poor diet
increases the populations of bad bacteria
in your belly and a growing body of
evidence shows that unhealthy gut
bacteria can directly impact on mood and
is linked to depression.
Unsurprisingly, research shows that
people who eat a diet rich in fresh fruit
and vegetables, whole grains and lean
protein are less depressed and less
anxious than those eating a diet high
in processed foods. That’s good reason
to plate up with depression-beating
foods, including:
Mediterranean meals: People who
eat a traditional Mediterranean-style
diet, tucking into foods like Moroccan
vegetable tagine, minestrone and
chicken cacciatore, enjoy better mood
and lower incidence of depression, says
research from the School of Health
Sciences at the University of South
Australia. The Mediterranean diet is
high in minerals such as magnesium
and zinc, needed for many important
biochemical reactions that benefit mood
and ensure optimal brain function.
Deep sea fish: Omega-3 fatty acids
found in foods like fish, nuts, seeds and
dark leafy greens help maintain the
health of the brain’s cell membranes
and assist the transmission of feel-good
chemicals like dopamine and serotonin.
Blueberries & broccoli: Fruit and
vegetables are packed with polyphenols.
These potent antioxidants support brain
health. Their high fibre content helps
keep blood sugar and energy levels
stable, which can reduce anxiety and
lower depression. People who eat three to
four serves of vegies every day experience
lower levels of stress, according to
research from the University of Sydney.
Nuts: Snacking on almonds, cashews,
walnuts and macadamias is good news
for your mental health. Nuts contain
the mineral magnesium, which is a
natural muscle relaxant. If you have low
magnesium levels you’re more likely to
experience anxiety, shows research from
the University of Innsbruck.
Jasmine rice: This kind of rice is rich
in tryptophan, an amino acid that helps
your brain make serotonin. As serotonin
helps your body make melatonin, the
sleep hormone, you may then enjoy
special report
DEPRESSION
Take a technobreak
A study of 25,000 people by Chiba
University in Japan has found that
people on a computer for five or more
hours a day suffer more anxiety,
depression and sleep problems. Too
much television also makes us feel less
satisfied with our lives and is linked
to depression. That’s good reason to
engage in non-techno activities to
boost your brainpower and spirits.
So why not:
Read a book or the newspaper (not
online!).
Play a game of chess, memory or
Trivial Pursuit.
Knit a jumper or scarf.
Do a crossword or Sudoku puzzle.
Handmake cards for birthdays of
loved ones.
Start a herb garden.
Write a short story or haiku poem.
Sit outside and cloud watch.
Listen to old records or CDs.
Call a friend or relative to catch up.
Meditate on a water feature, painting
or flower.
Do some yoga stretches.
Take fantastic portrait photos of
family members.
Practise a musical instrument.
Start a scrapbook of family history
and stories.
better zzzs, according to research from
the University of Sydney.
Whole grains: Foods like rye
sourdough bread, wholemeal pasta and
brown rice give your body a slow release
of energy, which keeps hormones
stable. They also boost serotonin, which
can help improve mood.
Fermented foods: Women who eat
more fermented foods have lower levels
of social anxiety, according to research
by the University of Maryland. So serve
up a little sauerkraut, sourdough, kefir
or kimchi (a Korean vegetable dish) every
day to boost good belly bacteria and help
you feel more relaxed.
Emotional life rafts
When you are depressed you can feel
all at sea and struggle to feel grounded
and centred. The following can help shift
depression and make you feel more in
control of your life and your mood.
Find more meaning in life: Birthdays,
life changes and a dull day-to-day
routine can prompt you to ponder
everything from the big life questions
(“Why are we here”) to the choices you
are making in your life (“Why do I stay in
 special report
DEPRESSION
a job/relationship I hate?”). If you
are confused about the answers you
may feel purposeless, aimless and
downhearted because your life appears
to lack meaning.
Boost your mood: Help others. Do
volunteer, charity or fund-raising work
or simply help out a frazzled mum or
ageing person living in your street.
Contributing to other people’s lives can
help your own life feel more meaningful.
Discover your passions: Go back to old
hobbies you’ve let go or try learning new
skills to find activities that make you feel
vital and satisfied. Make time to fit them
A poor diet increases the populations of bad bacteria in your
belly and a growing body of evidence shows that unhealthy gut
bacteria can directly impact on mood and is linked to depression.
into your life on a regular basis.
Read books about self-knowledge
and wisdom: These will give you ideas
about how to live and think in a more
spiritual way.
Express your values: Speak, think and
behave in ways that promote the ideals
you value most, whether you want to be
open and authentic in your relationships,
more available for your family or less
materialistic.
Stop deferring happiness: Do you
live your life thinking “I’ll be happy
when I’m five kilos lighter/don’t have a
mortgage/find the right partner”? When
you create preconditions to happiness
it’s often more difficult to attain. You
also forget to be happy in all the present
moments when you could be more fully
enjoying your life by being more mindful.
Instead, realise that happiness is not an
unchanging state but occurs in moments
such as feeling the sun on your face or
enjoying a hot cup of tea.
Take back control: Give your life a
simplicity makeover with changes such
as finding a less demanding job, moving
to a smaller house to downscale your
mortgage, cutting back on one after-
school activity to have more family time
and putting yourself first instead of
always trying to please everyone.
Slow down: Keeping chronically busy
can be a subtle form of avoidance
86 | wellbeing.com.au
that shields us from recognising and
changing the things in our lives that are
not making us happy. Reality check to
identify these roadblocks to calm and
happiness and address them.
Keep a worry diary: Write down what
is bothering you then try to put it out of
your mind. At the end of the day, review
your concerns and address their causes
(eg “I take on too many tasks”) and some
solutions (eg “I need to delegate more”).
Write a letter from the future: Fast-
forward a few years or a decade and write
a letter that prioritises how you wish
your health, relationships, career and
lifestyle will be. Focus on your character
strengths. Describe what is happening
in your life in the future and what you are
thinking and feeling. Write about how
your needs and values are being met
and how these are motivating you. Write
about how you created these changes.
Be as detailed as you can. A powerful
tool, the letter from the future helps you
recognise your core values so you can
then work on achieving them. This can
help combat depression. After writing the
letter, identify two or three little things you
can do to help make purposeful change
towards those desires for the future.
Write down those action steps and follow
them through. This will help you feel far
more in control of your life, which will
reduce fears about the future.
Women who eat more
fermented foods have
lower levels of social
anxiety, according to
research by the
University of Maryland.
Become more mindful: Mindfulness
can be a powerful ally against depression
because it reduces rumination.
Boost your mood
Find your flow: You know that great
feeling when you’re so absorbed in an
enjoyable activity that you forget the time
and lose yourself for a while? This state,
which musicians, painters, athletes and
writers often enter, was dubbed “flow”
by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,
who has found it’s a powerful path to
happiness. So embrace activities that
lead to a state of flow, such as painting
a watercolour, rock climbing, doing a
jigsaw puzzle or playing an instrument,
and increase happiness and satisfaction
with life.
Unhook from your thoughts: Ask
yourself, “Is it helpful for me to dwell on
this, hold on to my fear or sadness and
play it over and over in my mind?” This
will encourage you to realise that worry
is no protection and does not better
prepare you for the worst but actually
wears you out. This is your cue to bring
your thoughts back to the present and
become mindful.
Express yourself: Tell friends and
family how much they matter to you.
This will bring more love, connection and
Photography Getty Images
intimacy into your life.
Practice kindness and giving: Drop
a meal in to a sick friend, babysit for
your exhausted sister or offer to make
your partner breakfast today. Being
thoughtful, generous and empathetic will
make you feel good about yourself and
 Reaching out for help
As depression cannot be wished or willed away, it’s important
to seek help. The following will boost your level of support and
make you feel less alone:
Talk to trusted and empathetic friends or family.
Network with friends about the names of good counsellors
or see your GP for a referral. Ventilating feelings and fears
often lightens the load and puts problems in perspective Make
an appointment and debrief about your feelings while getting
helpful strategies. Find a counselling modality that is a good
fit for your personality such as cognitive behavioural therapy
(which deals with distorted/faulty thinking), psychotherapy
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(which uses different modalities) or behavioural activation
(which involves scheduled mood-boosting activities).
Join an online chat group for people suffering depression.
Ask your GP about antidepressants. Or see your naturopath
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John’s wort. Studies show it can help reduce depression.
Read self-help books or look at online programs that walk
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· Beyondblue: beyondblue.org.au KLZPNULK[VWYV]PKL`V\^P[O[OLRUV^SLKNL
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· Moodgym: moodgym.com.au TLKP[H[PVUJV\YZLZ
· Headspace National Youth Foundation: headspace.org.au

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lingering hug with your kids, partner, friend or dog. Contemplation
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person and that you are intelligent, compelling and
appealing. Tell yourself you deserve to be happy.
Salute the sun: After taking up yoga, people enjoy 1300 651 211 | www.gawler.org
increased levels of a brain chemical called gamma-
aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is linked to improved mood.
Poses like down-facing dog and tree posture may be the
ultimate mood-enhancing exercise, says 2010 research from
the Boston University School of Medicine.
Become a pleasure seeker: Walk at sunset. Catch up
with friends. Enjoy a candlelit bath. Scheduling pleasurable
activities into every day provides an instant mood boost and
ensures you always have something to look forward to.
 special report
DEPRESSION
Try karaoke therapy: Sing in the
car or at home while cooking dinner.
Studies show that singing helps boost
your release of endorphins, natural
painkillers that make you feel calmer
and happier.
Keep a gratitude journal: Notice and
record great things that happen every
day. Note everything from the sun
shining on your face to a lovely chat
with a fellow commuter or a relaxing
soak in an evening bath. Research by
Tell friends and family how much they matter to you. This
will bring more love, connection and intimacy into your life.
the University of California has shown
that people who keep a gratitude journal
enjoy increased enthusiasm, alertness
and optimism and reduced depression
and stress.
Look for beauty: Linger on the
sparkle of the dew on a spider’s web,
the changing cloudscape or the sound
of your friends laughing. You will feel
instantly uplifted.
Helpful supplements
These can give your body and mind
support when you are depressed.
Herbal adaptogens
Ashwaganda: Often called Indian
ginseng, this herb is used in Ayurvedic
medicine to lower stress hormones and
stabilise thyroid hormones. It’s a calming
tonic that reduces anxiety, improves
sleep and combats inflammation.
Rhodiola: A potent herbal adaptogen,
rhodiola helps your body reduce anxiety
and irritability. At the same time it
boosts immune function, hormonal
balance and concentration.
Vitamins & minerals
Vitamin C: Your adrenal glands use
vitamin C and store it, too, so take a good
vitamin C in powder form or powdered
camu camu, a Peruvian berry that has
more vitamin C than oranges — as have
green capsicums, among other foods.
Vitamin B: When you’re stressed you
burn through your B complex vitamins,
so a good B complex is important.
Magnesium: This important calming
mineral helps relax both your nervous
system and muscles.
88 | wellbeing.com.au
Nervines & relaxants
St John’s wort: A Cochrane review of
numerous studies has shown that this
helpful herb can be effective in treating
mild to moderate depression. Make sure
you don’t mix it with antidepressants
as this can lead to unhealthy high levels
of serotonin.
Skullcap: This has traditionally been
used to treat conditions like panic
attacks and anxiety and also to promote
better-quality sleep.
Chamomile: This is a calming herb
that boosts levels of glycine, a nerve
relaxant with mild sedative properties.
It also contains a potent flavonoid
called apigenin, which acts like a mild
tranquiliser, encouraging better sleep.
Lavender: Research comparing the use
of lavender to sedating benzodiazepine
medication for anxiety has found it
provides equal benefit, minus the side-
effects of the medication, which may
include tiredness, trembling, dry mouth,
nausea and addiction.
Energisers & wellbeing tonics
Licorice: This herb has adaptogenic
qualities that help your body regulate
stress hormones such as adrenalin,
countering adrenal fatigue and
encouraging hormonal balance.
Ginseng: This has been used for
thousands of years to treat issues like
low adrenals, fatigue, lack of vitality and
low libido.
Spices: Warming spices such as ginger,
cumin, turmeric and cinnamon can
increase energy, boost metabolism and
stabilise blood sugars.
Nothing is more precious than
a big, lingering hug with your
kids, partner, friend or dog.
Should you take
antidepressants?
A growing number of people are taking
antidepressants to help alleviate
mental health issues such as anxiety
and depression. Some people report
that antidepressants do a great deal
to lift their mood and reduce issues
like teariness, rumination and malaise
caused by depression.
However, many people also find
that antidepressants can cause side-
effects that range from agitation and
weight gain to belly problems and sleep
issues. In some cases these side-effects
don’t kick in immediately but develop
over time, so the link between the
medication and the health issues is
not always obvious.
What’s important to remember
is that any medication, including
antidepressants, should be used with
caution. Taking them for a short
period of around three months is a
good compromise. However, in
cases of severe depression, if
antidepressants are working for you,
you might choose to stay on them
for a lengthier period of time. Or you
could try a herbal alternative such as
St John’s wort, combined with exercise,
as both of these approaches have
been proved effective in helping to
reduce depression.
Photography Getty Images
Stephanie Osfield is an award-winning freelance
health journalist, published in Australia and
overseas. She is an advocate of nutritional
medicine and specialises in all aspects of health,
from exercise and disease prevention to stress,
depression and women’s health issues.
W O R L D C LA S S YO GA
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 Connect with and calm
your mind through gentle
exercise like walking and
through meditation.

A planet for all seasons

Planetary links between the seasons and the qualities of heat, moisture, coolness
and dryness can guide you towards the correct activities for each season.

Words KELLY SURTEES

90 | wellbeing.com.au
 spirit
THE PLANETS & THE SEASONS

Spring and autumn are seasons where movement is

possible as the Sun charges through the sky, changing
direction and striving for a new goal.

A
strology is grounded in an
understanding of the seasons
and the ways in which nature,
along with all life, changes
as core qualities like heat, moisture,
coolness and dryness shift through the
year. These four core qualities were
originally understood to define the
essence of all things. Each planet
and season is a combination of two of
these four primary qualities. A planet
or season is either hot or cold; and
then it’s also either dry or wet.
Seasonal qualities
Spring is a season of heat and moisture;
it combines the qualities of hot and wet.
The hot influence raises things up while
the wet quality encourages growth.
Summer is a hot and dry season
where the moisture of spring gives way
to dryness. If spring comes with lots of
moisture (rain), there will be abundant
growth and ripening of fruit and flowers
during the high heat of summer.
Autumn is a season defined by the
qualities cold and dry. The cold quality
slows things down and we see this in
nature as plant growth slows and, by
the end of autumn, stops altogether.
Dry has a separating influence, which
can lead to things hardening and pulling
apart. Autumn is considered the most
difficult season for the human body
as these qualities can contribute to
unease. Cold and dry are the qualities
associated with the planet Saturn and
the melancholic state.
Winter continues the cold influence
that began in autumn but changes from
dryness to moisture, so that winter is a
cold, wet season. It’s associated with the
phlegmatic humour — no surprise, since
winter is often cold and flu season when
our bodies can suffer from an excess of
moisture from the cold, which leads to
congestion and runny noses.
exact time and date shifts a little each
year but is usually within 24 hours of this
date.) The solstice happens as soon as
the Sun enters the zodiac sign of either
Cancer (near June 20) or Capricorn (near
December 20).
Solstice seasons also begin on these
dates, which in Australia means winter
begins on June 20, when the Sun enters
Cancer. Summer begins on the December
solstice, near December 20, when the
Sun enters Capricorn. The solstice dates
are the same in both hemispheres but the
seasons are reversed.
Summer and winter are seasons of
extremes when the climate reflects the
Sun’s extreme closeness to or distance
from Earth. Energetically, these are also
seasons where extremes take over and
the tendency to overdo things is high.
Spring and autumn are seasons
where movement is possible as the
Sun charges through the sky, changing
direction and striving for a new goal. In
spring, the Sun rises in the sky, warming
and lifting all it touches. This brings new
growth in nature and encourages you to
turn your heart towards inspiration and
plans for progress. Autumn sees the Sun
coming down from its high, encouraging
a slower pace and inspiring you to
complete things you’ve already started.
Spring and autumn are equinox
seasons, which begin when the Sun is
at one of its two midway points on its
annual journey. The equinoxes occur near
March 20 and September 20 each year.
In Australia, the March equinox brings
the start of autumn and the September
equinox brings the start of spring. In
the Northern Hemisphere, the seasons
change on these dates but in reverse.
Equinox seasons are those in which
nature strives to adjust and rebalance
from the previous solstice season’s
extreme. In spring, the goal is to warm
up, move forward and grow, to make
up for the sluggish nature of winter’s
low point. In autumn, it’s time to slow
down, reassess and complete unfinished
projects. While summer’s heights might
be a distant memory, autumn is a time
of getting back to basics and getting
grounded again.
Planets & seasons
Each planet is naturally aligned with the
essence of a specific season. This planet
will be more accessible during its time of
year and the planet’s qualities and goals
provide celestial inspiration for what to
focus on during its corresponding season.
Spring and summer share the hot
quality and encourage activity, decision
making and forward movement. These
are the seasons where being out in the
world, and dreaming big, is encouraged.
Autumn and winter share the cold
quality, which encourages rest and
reflection. They share an introspective
quality and highlight the power of
looking within.
Spring: Jupiter & Venus
Jupiter is the planet associated with
growth, progress and opportunity and is
the main planet associated with spring.
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar
system and when Jupiter is active,
plans and projects can flourish. Jupiter
is connected to learning, as well as
abundance and support, which is part of
why spring is a wonderful time to begin a
new initiative or to take action to pursue
your dreams.
Travel and learning are special Jupiter
interests, so taking your big annual trip
in the spring can help ensure you gain
maximum inspiration for the next 12
months. Study, teaching, writing and

Season Qualities Planet

Seasons, solstices & equinoxes
Photography Getty Images

The seasons are set by the Sun’s Spring Hot, wet Jupiter, with Venus
relationship to Earth, which changes as
Earth moves through the sky. Twice a Summer Hot, dry Sun, with Mars
year the Sun appears extremely high or
low in our sky. These are the times of Autumn Cold, dry Saturn, with Mercury
the solstices, which occur around June
Winter Cold, wet Moon, with Venus
20 and December 20 each year. (The

wellbeing.com.au | 91
 spirit
THE PLANETS & THE SEASONS
publishing plans can also get a boost
from Jupiter’s strong influence during
the spring months. Jupiter is also the
planet of luck, so this is a great time
for risk taking as you’ll have celestial
support on side. Jupiter is also about
generosity, so give freely of your wisdom,
support or wise words to others during
the spring, too.
Venus is a moist planet and,
depending on her relationship to the
Sun, can be cold or hot. This means
Venus is active generally in the latter
half of winter and the first half of spring.
Venus is about love and beauty, so the
first half of spring — from the September
equinox to early November in Australia —
is a great time for beauty and pampering
rituals. You probably already do this a
little in terms of pre-summer beach
preparation, perhaps. But this is also a
lovely time of year to refresh your love
life, either by looking for a new partner if
you’re single or taking time to have fun
and enjoy extra quality time with your
existing partner.
Spring rituals
Book a fun adventure or a make a
weekend getaway.
Make pampering, and beauty or
grooming rituals, a regular part of life.
Sign up for a course.
Summer: Sun & Mars
Summer is literally a time to shine,
as it’s the season of the Sun. The Sun
represents leadership, royalty and
sticking to a steady course. As summer
rolls around, it’s a good time to take
charge and refocus.
The Sun is also linked to luxury
and things that are of high quality,
so don’t skimp on yourself during
summer. Instead, select a few five-star
indulgences and space them out through
the season so you can luxuriate in living
it up while the Sun rides high in the sky.
The Sun is one of the steadiest, most
consistent planets and maintaining a
stable routine is also helpful during the
summer. Creative energy peaks under
the Sun’s influence, so take time to
develop your artistic side or enjoy the
creative output of others through shows,
92 | wellbeing.com.au
exhibitions and performances.
Mars is the other planet linked to
summer as both the Sun and Mars share
the hot, dry qualities. Mars can go to
extremes, though (the Sun is the more
balanced or temperate summer planet),
so summer comes with a little caution,
especially against trying to push beyond
your limits.
While testing or challenging yourself
to find new ways to shine is great, taking
things to extremes can cause illness
and stress. With so much heat during
summertime, cooling activities like
swimming, meditation and reading can
help you slow down and stay calm.
Physical activity is great to help burn
off any excess Mars heat. Consider
medium-intensity exercise or opt for
short bursts of high-intensity training.
High-intensity workouts for extended
periods in the summer are not ideal
as this can trigger an excess of heat,
leading to exhaustion or depletion of
your vital forces. Instead, set yourself a
challenge at work or in your personal
life that you can focus your energy on.
Summer rituals
Learn or develop a creative talent.
Be bossy — at home or work — and
clearly ask for what you want.
Splurge on a five-star experience.
Autumn: Saturn & Mercury
Autumn is for slowing down and for
mental work. The main planet of autumn
is Saturn, which can help you focus on
long-term plans. Slow and steady wins
the race this season so, instead of racing
ahead, pause and reflect.
Mercury, the other planet associated
with autumn, is linked to the mind,
thinking and communication. This means
you’ll need to feed your mind in autumn.
This might inspire you to take a course,
sign up for a workshop or splurge on
books. Time spent listening to your
favourite podcasts and learning about
info or skills you need to achieve your
long-term goals is time well spent.
It’s normal to experience some
melancholy during Saturn’s season.
If you feel a bit flat or uninspired, take
quiet time alone to explore what’s
A winter ritual: host
friends or family
for a slow-cooked
meal at home.
missing. Autumn is the time for
reflection and adjustment as Saturn
draws your attention towards the
foundations in your life. I often describe
Saturn as representing the four pillars of
life. These pillars can be a little different
for each of us but they usually include
work/career, family and home, personal
life, including love and friendship, as well
as health and vitality.
If even one of those pillars isn’t quiet
firm enough, you can feel unsupported or
on shaky ground. Your task is to observe,
notice what’s lacking and then formulate
a slow, practical plan for lasting security
and stability.
Under Saturn’s influence you may
have to make a confronting but necessary
choice. In autumn you have Mercury on
hand to help with communication, so this
is a great season to get some of those
ideas or worries off your chest. Spend
extra time talking with loved ones or
consider seeing a counsellor or other
healing practitioner. Saturn represents
the past, so slowing down and asking
deeper, more reflective questions can
help you overcome the past and break
away from limiting habits and patterns.
Autumn rituals
Write out your fears or worries, then
burn them and watch as they blow
away in the smoke.
Change your thoughts to change
your life.
Connect with and calm your mind
through gentle exercise (walking,
Pilates) and through meditation.
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Winter: Moon & Venus O Aids energy, younger looks and longevity
Winter is for nesting and spending time at home. The
main winter planet is the Moon, which is all about home,
family and your living situation. If you’re not 100 per cent
comfortable with your home, what needs to change can Available in 600ml
become clear now. If you love your home, now’s the time and new 1.5Lt bottles.
to add comforting touches to make it even more relaxing.
You might decorate, especially in the bedroom or living
room. Food and family (or friends who feel like family)
are highlighted, so host loved ones for a meal or make
mealtimes with family a priority.
Your body can be sluggish during the cold, damp winter,
so adding heat through warming foods and spices, along with
gentle exercise, is important. The Moon is one of the main
planets of health and wellbeing, highlighting the importance
of self-care and looking after your body during the winter.
Venus, goddess of love and beauty, starts to show her
influence in the second half of winter, from early August in
Australia, which is a great time to reconnect with or refresh
your beauty, grooming and pampering rituals. You might
splurge on a facial or massage or add a new piece of artwork
to your home. Love, dating and relationships will also be
important so, as you spend time nourishing what matters
during winter, extend that to your special someone or take
action to meet someone new if you’re single.

Winter rituals
Host friends or family for a slow-cooked meal at home,
Nourish your body with quality oils.
Update your bedding and soft furnishings like throw rugs
and pillows.
Let go of anything you have outgrown.
Photography Getty Images

May tuning into the planets inspire you to honour the

seasons with a life aligned with the cycles of the sky.

Kelly Surtees is a writer, astrologer, teacher and editor who loves

reading, writing and escaping into the ocean. She travels regularly
Phone: 1300 309 109
between Australia and Canada. Visit kellysurtees.com or facebook.com/
KellySurteesAstrology, or follow her on Twitter: @keldreamer.
evalifewater.com.au
 mind
EMBARRASSMENT
D
o you blush bright red even
when you feel just a tiny
twinge of embarrassment?
Perhaps you get slippery,
sweaty palms when you give an
impromptu speech, or your heart feels
as though it will explode out of your
chest when you feel nervous.
Fear, anxiety and awkwardness
are very real emotions that everyone
experiences in different situations. Some
people seem to take circumstances
that can potentially cause fear or
embarrassment in their stride. For
others, tripping over their tongue,
or feeling uneasy, leads to blushing,
sweating and feelings of anxiety.
Being embarrassed often leads to
even more uncomfortable sensations,
Fortunately, you can deal with these
reactions in natural ways and break the
embarrassment cycle. In fact, you can
even find ways to find the silver lining in
those awkward moments.
What’s really going on?
To gain an understanding of how and
why humans react in different situations,
clinical psychologist Les Posen says we
need to take a step back. “What happens
in an anxiety-provoking situation that
causes blushing or sweating is often the
result of overestimating the presence of
danger and then underestimating our
ability to cope with it,” he says.
Often we imagine the worst. For
example, “If I walk in front of my
workmates to do a presentation, I’ll
forget everything I planned to say.”
Posen says it’s important to challenge
your beliefs. “Ask yourself, where is the
evidence for that? How do I really know
it’s going to happen? Unfortunately, if you
do get stressed, you may inadvertently
set yourself up for failure. By being extra
vigilant, you actually bring on the very
thing you’re trying to avoid,” he adds.
In an anxiety-provoking situation —
say, when your heart is hammering so
loudly in your chest you feel others can
hear it — take a step back, try to turn it
on its head and draw out the positive.
Posen says if you’re nervous about giving
a presentation, for example, try to look
at the situation from a fresh and positive
perspective. “Say to yourself, that’s my
heart pumping more oxygen to my brain,
so I’m going to give an even sharper
presentation. You can reframe it,” he says.
Work to develop your self-confidence,
surround yourself with those who
make you feel good about yourself
94 | wellbeing.com.au
and remember that everyone makes
mistakes. Learn from them, forgive
yourself and move on.
Embrace the blush
Charles Darwin once described blushing
as “the most peculiar and most human
of all expressions”. A 12-year-old turning
10 shades of pink can be kind of cute
but, when an adult blushes, it can be
awkward, causing them to blush even
more. It begs the question, what is the
science behind rosy red cheeks? Why do
some people blush at things that might
seem trivial and how can they control it?
Blushing is due in part to overactivity
of the involuntary nervous system.
There’s an increase in the diameter of
the blood vessels on the face, blood
Code red
We all feel embarrassed at
times and spend a lot of time
avoiding embarrassment.
Yet there are natural ways to
overcome the blushing and
sweating of embarrassment
and you can even turn those
awkward moments into
positive opportunities.
Words CARROL BAKER
rushes in and — voilà! Here’s the
kicker: it’s involuntary, so you can’t
really control it but you can control how
you think about things, so moments of
awkwardness don’t have to necessarily
mean you are going to blush.
If you’re a habitual blusher, however,
it can have a compounding effect. If you
think you’re going to blush, you start to
feel anxious about blushing, which can
lead to more blushing. It can also mean
blushing in situations that aren’t really
linked to embarrassment, potentially
leading people to suspect you may have
been up to something when you have not.
If you blush, you may feel that
everyone is looking at you, but chances
are they may not even have noticed. Even
if you do have a rosy red glow, take heart
that those who blush are seen as more
sincere, honest and trustworthy. After
all, your emotions are mirrored on your
face; it’s not something you can fake.
Researchers from the University of
California, through a series of social
experiments, showed that, when
someone feels embarrassed, it’s a
prosocial trait, not an antisocial one.
Matthew Finberg, lead author of the
paper, says embarrassment is a good
thing, not something you should fight.
“Moderate levels of embarrassment are
a virtue,” he says.
Some people blush excessively, which
can lead to a fear of blushing, a phobia
called erythrophobia. It can be traumatic
for sufferers and lead to social anxiety
and avoidance of social situations. If this
is you, help is at hand and chatting with
your GP is a good way to start.
Don’t sweat it
Do you discreetly wipe your hands before
you shake hands with others? Do your
hands feel clammy, even on cool days?
Some people only sweat mildly, but for
others, slippery handshakes are their
everyday reality, impacting on their
social and work lives. This excessive,
uncontrollable sweating of the hands or
palms is called palmar hyperhidrosis.
Generalised sweating (including the
palms) can be the result of becoming
overheated, a medical condition such as
hyperthyroidism, menopause or a side-
effect of some medications.
Sweating not related to any of
the above is generally caused by the
overactive functioning of the involuntary
nervous system, which is activated by
stress and anxiety. There’s a genetic link,
but no one really knows why it’s more
prevalent in some families than others.
Treating chronic blushing
or sweating
If you blush or have sweaty palms as a
result of anxiety-driven feelings, help is
at hand. Splashing your face with cool
water is one quick way to lower the heat.
For excessive perspiration on your palms,
antiperspirants can help — just a little
squirt or roll on the fingers. According
to The International Hyperhidrosis
Society, for maximum effectiveness,
antiperspirants need to be applied at
night before bed and to completely dry
skin. You need to be careful of overuse
of antiperspirants, though, as blocking
perspiration is something you only want
 mind
EMBARRASSMENT

Having a glorious
giggle reduces blood
pressure and also
helps you stay healthy
by boosting your
immune system.
Photography Getty Images
 mind
EMBARRASSMENT
to do on an occasional basis. If you do use
them, look for aluminium-free brands.
Rosewater can be effective. Buy some
or make your own by boiling up rose
petals and letting them cool, then dab on
your hands (and feet if needed).
Sarah Henschel, naturopath and
nutritionist from Natology, says one way
to be as cool as a cucumber is to eat
one. “Cucumbers have a high potassium
content, which regulates the pH in and
around your cells. It works on keeping
the blood pressure stable and reduces
inflammation (a heat-driven process),
which in turn lowers flushing and is
cooling,” she says.
Magnesium is another way to help
beat the blush and relieve sweaty
palms. Henschel also suggests sage
(1–2 drops on the wrists) as a tea or
herbal tincture as it’s a cooling agent
and has anti-perspirant properties.
Green oats is another option. “This is
considered a cooling, nervous-system-
calming herb. It regulates the output of
adrenaline, which is activated when we
are stressed,” says Henschel.
For excessive sweating alone, she
says, chlorophyll reduces perspiration
and acts as an odour and toxin binder
to reduce the odour produced by sweat
glands. “I call it the internal deodorant.”
Navigating an “oops” moment
Every single person on the planet could
own up to a cringeworthy moment where
they wished the floor would open up
and swallow them whole. From a trail
of loo paper stuck to your shoe as you
sashay back to the table on a first date to
politely asking your boss’s wife when the
baby’s due and a deafening silence (and
steely glare) informs you she’s not even
pregnant. Bouncing back after a social
blunder isn’t easy, but it can be done
with grace, dignity and even humour.
Here are some tips to overcome common
embarrassing moments.
Forgetting someone’s name
Try reintroducing yourself to the other
person, with “hi again”, state your name
and where you met. Chances are the
other person will respond with their
name. If they don’t, just ask them their
name again. Don’t make a big deal of it
and they probably won’t, either.
Passing wind in public
Breaking wind, farting, bottom burping,
whatever you like to call it — flatulence
96 | wellbeing.com.au
is a perfectly normal bodily function.
In the animal world, fish like herring
use bubbles from their rear ends
to communicate with each other. In
humans it’s considered by most to be
impolite to let one rip in public. If you
do, just ignore it or be gracious and
apologise. Have a chuckle if that feels
right and, if there’s a dog in the vicinity,
blame it.
Awkward social silences
Silences in conversations are natural.
People need time to digest what’s being
said before they respond, or perhaps the
topic of discussion has naturally run its
course. Don’t rush to fill it. If the silence
stretches too long, try introducing another
topic, such as something you’ve seen
in the news. Ask the person something
about themselves or their interests.
Everyone feels weird or
scared or silly at times. Accept
that. Learn the art of self-
compassion. You’d probably
forgive another, so it’s time to
forgive yourself.
Dropping a clanger
If you’ve made a big embarrassing
mistake, like calling a female customer
“Sir”, or nodding off at your desk, don’t
feel bad. You could do a whole lot worse.
Take the dozen or so publishing houses
who knocked back J.K. Rowling’s Harry
Potter series. Or the tech who taped over
the original Apollo 11 moonwalk footage.
Owning up to an error is empowering.
It shifts the balance of guilt and allows
you to move forward with integrity and
honour. It isn’t easy to say “OK, I’ve
stuffed up,” especially if the stakes are
high. So own up — don’t shift the blame
to others — and then do what you can
to remedy the situation. Learn what you
need to and vow not to repeat it. Don’t
let your self-confidence take a nosedive;
take time to regroup and move on.
The upside of awkward
moments
When something embarrassing happens
it can feel as though all eyes are on you.
Time seems to pass agonisingly slowly,
your cheeks can burn and it can feel hard
to breathe. Here are some ways to cope.
Take a reality check
OK, are you the first person in the throes
of passion to call your partner by the
wrong name? Probably not. The first
person to send an email about a sickie
you took and accidently CCed your boss?
Probably not, either. Or the first person
ever to walk in on someone on the loo?
Hasn’t everyone done that?
Keep it real. From accidental faux pas
to big old social gaffes, things like this can
happen to anyone. Today’s office chatter
or mothers’ group gossip will be replaced
by another hapless incident courtesy of
another human being very soon.
Learn to laugh about it
When something embarrassing happens,
if appropriate, laugh about it; make a joke
of it. Be a bit blasé and those around you
will, too. Having a glorious giggle reduces
blood pressure and also helps you stay
healthy by boosting your immune system.
Everyone faces embarrassing situations
from time to time. It’s how you deal
with them that counts. Have a chuckle,
address it and get over it.
Let go of perfectionism
Remember, feeling embarrassed is a
very normal and acceptable emotion. You
don’t have to be perfect. Everyone makes
mistakes. Striving for perfectionism
can lead to missed opportunities
because you can fear that you will fail.
Everyone feels weird or scared or silly
at times. Accept that. Learn the art of
self-compassion. You’d probably forgive
another, so it’s time to forgive yourself.
Seek help
If you can’t get an incident out of your
mind, if it keeps coming back unbidden
and manifests in a traumatic memory
over time — then, says Les Posen,
“That’s when you need some specialist
help, because it can lead to avoidance in
certain situations.”
Whether it be coping with a blush or
learning from a faux pas, embarrassment
offers you an opportunity to understand
your own body and mind. Don’t run from
your embarrassment — embrace it and
the outcomes can be truly spectacular.
Carrol Baker is an award-winning freelance
journalist who is a passionate advocate of
natural health and wellness. She writes for
lifestyle and healthy living magazines across
Australia and internationally.
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Your extraordinary heart
Your heart is far more than a pump. It has its own nervous system and its own “intelligence”.
More than that, it is intimately linked to both emotions and wisdom.
“H
eart” is a mysterious
and unfathomable word
with its many definitions
and interpretations.
There’s a heart that doctors medicate
and treat, a heart that surgeons operate
on or transplant; there’s a heart that can
be deeply hurt following loss or tragedy;
there’s a heart that can be filled with joy,
a heart brimming over with love; and
then there’s a heart wherein resides the
centrality of the entire universe.
The human heart is deeply complex
and truly extraordinary — far more than
a “blood pump” for the body. Modern
medicine will have you believe it’s simply
a four-chambered muscular organ that
beats at around 100,000 times a day,
24 hours a day, delivering oxygenated
blood to your 75 trillion-plus cells. Did
you know it contains its own neurons
and intelligence? Your heart, in fact, has
its own nervous system composed of
around 40,000 neurons.
Another perplexing question has
been posed and extensively debated
for thousands of years: where does the
mind reside? Many believe it resides
within the heart. Aristotle argued
that the heart is, in fact, the organ of
intelligence; the Egyptians believed the
heart, rather than the brain, was the
source of human wisdom as well as
emotions, memory, the soul and the
personality. The wisdom and intuition of
the heart is a central theme in several
religious belief systems.
The heart’s nervous system
As mentioned, your heart has its own
nervous system comprising around
Photography Getty Images
40,000 neurons. These neurons are
connected differently from and more
elaborately than elsewhere in the body
and, while they’re capable of detecting
circulating chemicals sent from the
brain and other organs, they operate
independently in their own right.
Words VALERIE MALKA
The heart’s own “mini-brain” is the
reason why heart transplants work, given
the fact that severed nerve connections
do not reconnect in a different body.
Furthermore, this elaborate nervous
centre in the heart has more functions
than simply regulating the electrical
activities of the heart to keep it pumping.
Scientific research demonstrates that
the human heart is thousands of times
more powerful than the brain in sending
signals and information to the rest of
the body. The heart communicates with
the brain and body using hormones, the
nervous system and an electromagnetic
field. The electromagnetic field generated
by the heart is far greater than that of
the brain, enveloping the entire body
and extending over five metres from it.
The field has been calculated to be over
According to a Mayo
Clinic study of individuals
with heart disease,
psychological stress was
the strongest predictor of
future cardiac events.
60 times greater in amplitude than the
electrical activity generated by the brain.
Research at the HeartMath Institute,
discussed below, shows that “information
regarding a person’s emotional state is
communicated throughout the body via
the heart’s electromagnetic field”. The
rhythmic beating patterns of the heart
change significantly as we experience
different emotions. Negative emotions,
such as anger, are associated with an
erratic, disordered, incoherent pattern
in the heart’s rhythms. In contrast,
positive emotions, such as love or
gratitude, are associated with an ordered,
coherent pattern.
Another fascinating finding is that
body
THE HEART
of heart field interactions between
individuals and between humans and
animals. Social communication is
thought of in terms of signals expressed
through language, voice qualities,
gestures, facial expressions and body
movements. However, there is now
evidence showing that there’s actually
an electromagnetic or “energetic”
communication system operating below
our conscious awareness. It’s thought
that this may explain the curious
attractions or repulsions that occur
between individuals.
Experiments show that one person’s
brain and heart waves can synchronise to
another individual’s and that the heart’s
electromagnetic field can transmit
information between people around two
to three metres apart.
A recent study in Sweden found that,
when a choir sings, their heart and brain
rhythms actually synchronise. Also, it’s
shown that a mother’s brainwaves can
synchronise with her baby’s heartbeats,
even when they are a few feet apart.
The nervous system is thought
to act as an antenna that’s tuned to
and responds to the electromagnetic
fields produced by the hearts of other
individuals and where an exchange
of energetic information occurs. It’s
believed by researchers that “the
heart’s field plays an important role
in communicating physiological,
psychological and social information
between individuals”.
HeartMath
HeartMath is an internationally
recognised non-profit research and
education organisation dedicated to
helping people reduce stress, self-
regulate emotions and build energy and
resilience for healthy, happy lives. It
has, over 25 years, conducted scientific
research on the “psychophysiology
of stress and emotions, and the
wellbeing.com.au | 99
 body
THE HEART

interactions between the heart and

brain”. There are over 300 independent
peer-reviewed academic papers
published on HeartMath Science.
They study personal coherence,
also known as psychophysiological
coherence, which refers to the
synchronisation of our physical,
mental and emotional systems. This is
measured by our heart-rhythm patterns:
the more balanced and smooth they are,
the more in sync, or coherent, we are.
HeartMath has shown that the
heart “communicates with the brain
and body in four ways: neurological
communication (nervous system),
biochemical communication (hormones),
biophysical communication (pulse
wave) and energetic communication
(electromagnetic fields)”.
Stress and negative emotions such as
anger, fear, regret, resentment and guilt
have been shown to increase disease
severity and worsen prognosis for
individuals. On the other hand, positive
emotions and effective emotion self-
regulation skills have been shown to
prolong health and significantly reduce
premature mortality.
Emotions and resilience are closely
related because emotions are the
primary drivers of many key physiological
processes involved in energy regulation.
HeartMath defines resilience as “the
capacity to prepare for, recover from and
adapt in the face of stress, adversity,
trauma or challenge”. It is in meditations on
Therefore, it follows that a key to the heart that the ancient
wisdom of the ages
good health and resilience is the ability
comes to us.
to manage one’s emotions. Resilience is
defined as “a state rather than a trait and
that a person’s resilience can vary over
time as demands, circumstances and
level of maturity change”. The risk of heart attack is increased smoking, diabetes or sedentary lifestyle.
21-fold and the risk remains substantially Furthermore, almost three-quarters of
Emotions and heart health elevated, at around 10 times normal, those with at least three of these factors
People can actually die from a broken for at least a fortnight and may remain never experience a heart attack.
heart. Research shows that following a double for up to a year after your loss. The According to a Mayo Clinic study
significant loss such as the death of a risk of stroke is similarly increased. Grief of individuals with heart disease,
loved one or other traumatic event such can also precipitate the onset of cardiac psychological stress was the strongest
as divorce, the body releases a flood of arrhythmias and distressing palpations. predictor of future cardiac events such
stress hormones into the bloodstream A growing body of compelling as cardiac death, cardiac arrest and
that can lead to a heart attack or scientific evidence is demonstrating heart attacks. A review of 225 studies
Photography Getty Images

precipitate cardiac failure. Intense grief-
related stress leads to increased blood
pressure, increased heart rate, raised
levels of stress hormones like cortisol,
constriction of blood vessels and a
disruption of cholesterol-filled plaques
that line the coronary arteries.
a link between mental and emotional
attitudes, physiological health and long-
term wellbeing. Up to 80 per cent of GP
visits are related to stress. Surprisingly,
over 50 per cent of heart disease
cases are not due to the well-known
risk factors such as high cholesterol,
concluded that positive emotions
promote and foster sociability and
activity, altruism, strong bodies and
immune systems, effective conflict
resolution skills, success and thriving.
In a study of 5716 middle-aged
people, those with the highest self-

100 | wellbeing.com.au

regulation abilities were over 50 times
more likely to be alive and without
chronic disease 15 years later than those
with the lowest self-regulation scores.
An international study of 2829 people
aged 55 to 85 found that individuals who
reported the highest levels of personal
mastery — feelings of control over
life events — had a nearly 60 per cent
lower risk than those who felt relatively
helpless in the face of life’s challenges.
Three 10-year studies concluded that
emotional stress was more predictive of
death from cancer and cardiovascular
disease than smoking was.
The transplanted heart
Organ donation is universally seen as
the final and perhaps ultimate altruistic
act — that of giving life to another
when yours is finished. Over 5000 heart
transplants are done worldwide each
year and, interestingly, there have been
curious reports of organ transplant
recipients claiming that they somehow
have inherited the memory, experiences
and emotions of their deceased donors
and, moreover, are demonstrating clear
personality changes. So the question
is: does a transplanted heart retain
the energetic imprint of its original
heart-mind-body complex even after
transplantation into another body?
Paul Pearsall, a world-renowned
neuropsychologist, is famous for
documenting and researching hundreds
of these cases in his book, The Heart’s
Code: Tapping the Wisdom and Power
of Our Heart Energy. He wrote that “the
donated cells remained energetically and
nonlocally connected with their donor
and seemed to ‘remember’ where they
came from”. Extensive research over
decades led us to believe that cardiac
cells contain memories and are a source
of informational energy and that it’s the
heart, not the brain, that is the major
energetic organ of organisation and
integration of the human body.
Heart chakra
The heart chakra, or anahata in its
original Sanskrit name, fills our life
with compassion, love, gratitude, joy
and beauty. The fourth energy centre
is the bridge between the lower three
earthly physical chakras and the upper
three spiritual chakras. Anahata is the
centre of your love and deep bonds with
other beings, your sense of caring and
unconditional compassion, your feelings
of self-love and acceptance, altruism,
generosity and kindness.
If your heart chakra is well-
balanced and open, you are filled
with unconditional love, forgiveness,
gratitude and compassion. Conversely,
if it is out of balance, or closed, you will
be filled with anger, resentment, hatred,
selfishness and jealousy. (See the
article on Yoga for the Upper Chakras on
page 72 of this issue for ways to balance
the heart chakra.)
Located at the exact centre of the
chest, in a magnificent green colour,
it corresponds not only to the heart
but your lungs, thymus gland, chest
area, breasts and upper limbs. When
the anahata energy is blocked, it will
manifest as disease on a physical,
mental, spiritual and emotional level.
Blockage of this chakra’s energy can
manifest as poor circulation, heart
conditions, high blood pressure,
Paul Pearsall, a
world-renowned
neuropsychologist, wrote
that “the donated cells
remained energetically
and nonlocally connected
with their donor and
seemed to ‘remember’
where they came from”.
arrhythmias, lung complaints, breast
cancer, poor immunity and inflammation
in your upper extremities.
Meditation on the heart chakra is
believed to convey a multitude of benefits,
from reducing stress levels and anxiety
to healing emotional trauma and mental
illness. Heart chakra meditation has
been shown in numerous studies to
reduce high blood pressure and increase
coronary blood flow. It has also been
shown to boost the immune system and
balance adrenal hormone output.
The wisdom the heart
The theme of the heart being the centre
of humanity and containing the entire
universe is at the core of many religious
teachings. It is in meditations on the
heart that the ancient wisdom of the
ages comes to us. In religion, the heart
is said to contain the “inner man”,
houses the seat of consciousness and,
body
THE HEART
more importantly, is the dwelling place
of God. It’s often seen as our moral
and spiritual compass.
To quote the words of the Upanishads,
“The sun and the moon and the stars,
the very space and the clouds and the
lightning and the rains — all this miracle
of creation is within the heart of man.”
Chanting the well-known Buddhist
Heart Sutra or meditating on the
Christian Sacred Heart of Jesus
will bring an increase in awareness
and connection with the divine
consciousness. It’s thought by many to
be the temple of the soul, although some
argue that the soul resides in the pineal
gland of the human brain.
In Judaism, our hearts are the vessels
of our thoughts, feelings and our wisdom
and are seen as “the mind”. In the
Islamic faith it’s called the “true essence
of a human being” containing “all levels
of inner being” and for the prophets it is
“the place of revelation”.
There are dozens of idioms using the
word “heart” that we use in everyday
life. We “set our heart on” things, we
“love with all our heart”, we grieve with
a “broken heart”, we describe others as
“hard hearted” or having “a big heart”
or a “heart of gold”. We also “cross our
hearts” to assert our honesty or take
an oath, we “follow our hearts” or are
discouraged with “a sinking heart” and
“take things to heart” when upset.
The heart is truly extraordinary. It is
a physical marvel and a spiritual jewel.
Bless this jewel and meditate on its
magnificence. Listen in your silence to
the messages and guidance from your
heart and be filled with its unconditional
love, forgiveness and gratitude. As
Helen Keller said, “The best and most
beautiful things in the world cannot be
seen or even touched — they must be
felt with the heart.” Rumi said, “As you
live deeper in the heart, the mirror gets
clearer and cleaner.”
So throw yourself into its great ocean
and find its hidden depths and “find the
divine within your heart”.
Dr Valerie Malka MD FRACS MIPH MA is a
general surgeon and trauma specialist with
a degree in public health, a masters degree in
journalism and a diploma in humanitarian
assistance. She has a great interest in all forms
of natural therapies, Buddhism and animal
rights. She currently works as a surgeon, freelance
journalist and in advocacy as well as completing
humanitarian missions overseas.
wellbeing.com.au | 101
 parenting
REWILDING MOTHERHOOD
Wild whisperings
Becoming a parent does mean you have to be responsible for your children — but it doesn’t mean
that your own wild behaviour, happiness and excitement in life have to be extinguished.
W
hen I became a mother
I stopped jumping off
bridges and climbing tall
trees. My world became
sleep times, healthy snacks and
managing screen time. I planned for
my children and eagerly awaited their
births. After they were born, I loved them
deeply but I also wanted to retain the
wild aspects of myself that made me feel
happy and excited to be alive.
In my heart I was still the woman who
travelled the world alone and walked
across Spain on the Camino de Santiago.
I kept my wild inclinations under wraps
as I went about changing nappies and
obsessing over sleep schedules. I
thought that the adventurer in me died
with the birth of my children because I
could no longer board a plane to Europe
or paint for hours.
I also believed I shouldn’t want for
anything more than my children, as if
yearning for my creative practices made
me a bad mother. My shameful secret
was that I wished I could be both a
mother and a woman of my own. It took
me years to realise that wildness was a
state of mind that I could cultivate in the
here and now.
The suppression of my natural
instincts in the quest to be a good
mother came with a price: feelings of
depression and anxiety. The birth of my
second child was empowering and, in
the quiet hours of a home-birth labour,
I glimpsed my animal nature shining
through. I was amazed by the efficiency
of my body and all its knowings but this
knowing disappeared after the birth
with the barrage of information on how
to sleep train, breastfeed and discipline.
I felt weighed down by my inability to get
it all right.
102 | wellbeing.com.au
Words GEORDIE BULL
Something nagged at me ... the quiet
whisper of my body, who knew there
was a better way, a way I had never been
shown. A question formed: what would it
look like to rewild motherhood? To move
towards a more natural state of being
as a woman and mother? The answers
that formed have since shaped the way I
approach motherhood and the rest of my
life. I invite you to try them out.
Create a circle
Be part of, or create, a supportive
women’s circle. The experience of
motherhood is so much richer when it’s
shared with other supportive women in
an environment of honesty and integrity.
See if you can gather together a few of
your closest female friends (sans kids)
once or twice a month for a good soul
session. Let the wildness begin.
Some elements of an effective
women’s circle are:
Talking bowls. They facilitate a safe
space for mums to share stories and
listen to each other deeply.
A blessing or spiritual ritual to begin
and end the session. My women’s circle
begins with a smudging with sage and
ends in a meditation where all the
women present hold hands.
Trust and integrity. All women who are
part of the circle must understand the
confidentiality of everything that’s said.
Crafts like basket weaving, knitting or
drawing. These can anchor the session
and have a calming effect. Try choosing
a different craft for each session.
Ask everyone to bring a plate of home-
made food.
Set up the space using cushions,
natural cloths and nurturing colours.
Light a candle in the middle of the
women’s circle.
For more ideas on how to begin,
visit melissaambrosini.com or
gatherthewomen.com.org.
Awaken your sexuality
As a busy mum it’s so easy to let your
libido go on an extended holiday, but it’s
worth reviving it. Women with a sexuality
of their own exude a wild, natural energy,
health and wellbeing, so take the time to
explore what makes you feel sexy.
Here are some ideas to start:
Check in with your body and notice
what feels good when engaging in sexual
activity. Also notice what doesn’t feel
good and ask yourself why you do it. Stop
doing things that don’t feel good for you
— it’s all about becoming fully present
and inhabiting your true sexual self.
Avoid mainstream porn that degrades
women. There are alternatives that
respect both sexes and draw on the
Kama Sutra for inspiration.
Wear clothing that makes you feel
feminine and sexy and avoid overly tight,
uncomfortable garments.
Devise a ritual before engaging in
sexual activity to clearly mark the time
as sacred. Light a candle, put a special
oil in the burner or listen to relaxing
music. Make sex a spiritual practice
where possible. I know it’s hard when
you’re worried about kids bursting
through the door! Just do your best and
have a sense of humour.
Check in with your pelvic floor — you
may need to learn to strengthen or
relax these muscles after childbirth
as they are integral to sexual pleasure
and comfort.
In my experience, it pays to get
educated on female sexuality and there
are many fascinating sites to help you
on your journey. Two great sites to get

It took me years to realise that wildness was a state of
mind that I could cultivate in the here and now.
you started are kimanami.com and
gettingnaked.com.au.
Know your body
Form a healthy relationship with your
reproductive organs. I had no idea what
Photography Getty Images
a uterus or cervix even looked like until I
experienced abnormal uterine bleeding
— and that was after having children.
It’s so easy to ignore and separate
yourself from parts of your body that you
can’t see and many women opt to have
hysterectomies after their children are
born to stop the unpleasant symptoms of
their bodies crying out for attention.
While this is an essential and healthy
option for some women, there are
benefits to keeping your reproductive
organs and tuning in with them on a
regular basis.
I’m now grateful to my “issue” for
forcing me to listen to my body. When
I heeded its message I realised it was
telling me to rest more and make some
important decisions from my wild heart,
facilitating deep healing.
There are so many ways
to move your family and
yourself into the outdoors
on a regular basis.
Here are some ideas for tuning into
your reproductive organs:
Read Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom
by Dr Christiane Northrup to find out
everything you need to know about the
workings of your reproductive system and
the spiritual significance of each organ.
Chart your menstrual cycle in a journal.
This is an empowering process that puts
you in touch with the rhythms of your
body and nature. For more information
on this check out moonsong.com.au.
Whenever you have an unpleasant or
wellbeing.com.au | 103
 parenting
REWILDING MOTHERHOOD
Women with a sexuality of their own exude a wild, natural energy, health
and wellbeing, so take the time to explore what makes you feel sexy.
painful feeling in your pelvic area ask
your body what message it’s trying to
send and document the first answer that
pops in your mind, without judgment.
Tune into your pelvic area daily, checking
that you aren’t habitually tightening your
pelvic floor muscles. Keep it all relaxed
and breathe into any tension in this area.
Practise affirmations that assert the
health of your reproductive organs.
Louise Hay has some great affirmations
to get your started — or you could just
make up your own.
Set boundaries around
your creative work
Creative work can be anything that
puts you in a state of flow where you
lose track of time. It could be baking,
bushwalking, pottery, drawing mandalas,
journal writing — anything. These
beautiful pastimes are often the first to
fall by the wayside for mothers because
creative practice is seen as a luxury
rather than a necessity.
I believe the opposite is true.
Regularly prioritising creative work can
help to keep feelings of depression and
anxiety at bay. So start a creative project
today and affirm that you are prioritising
it for the sake of your family. Here are
some ideas to get you going:
Join a group that meets at a certain
time each week to practise an activity
you love. It could be drumming, painting,
writing, meditating, walking or basket
weaving. Being part of a group will
give you a sense of commitment to
the creative practice and the benefit of
social interaction.
Let your kids watch you doing your
creative work at least some of the time.
It’s great for kids to see you making time
to do something that lights your fire and
they will know that creative work is a
valuable and life-affirming pastime.
Schedule your day on paper or on a
phone app, marking time for creative
work. It’s a sure-fire way to avoid saying
yes to tasks you don’t love or taking on
too much. Self-love at its best.
Let go of rules and of trying to be
perfect and let the process take over.
View your creative work as a meditation.
Share you work with others — you may
find yourself connecting with more like-
minded creative souls.
104 | wellbeing.com.au
Be outdoors as much as possible
Nature has the power to heal even the
darkest of moods and there are so many
ways to move your family and yourself
into the outdoors on a regular basis.
Here are some ideas:
Pack a picnic dinner and take it to
the beach.
If the kids wake up super early, pile
everyone in the car and drive somewhere
beautiful to watch the sunrise.
When it gets cold enough, switch off
the telly and sit around a campfire or
chiminea. Tell stories and watch the
stars. On a recent camping trip, my
six-year-old daughter sat beside the fire
for two hours drawing and writing. The
peaceful look on her face was priceless.
Cook dinner outside. Barbecues are
great for summer and camp ovens are
toasty in the winter months.
Get the whole family out in the vegie
patch, harvesting fresh food. Ask the kids
to help prepare dinner.
Source mini-bushwalks in your local
area. Go on magical mystery tours.
Involve the kids in keeping track of the
moon phases and the tides. This helps
to keep you in tune with the rhythms of
nature and forges a deep connection to
your immediate environment.
Nurture a daily spiritual practice
Spiritual practice is another important
facet of a nourishing life that’s often
discarded by busy mums. It need not
be this way. There are so many ways
to inject spiritual practice into your life
and the benefits are huge. Even a short
practice can leave you feeling recharged
and calm. It can even inspire creative
problem-solving abilities and more
effective relationships. Here are a few
tips on how to create a spiritual practice
that fits your busy life:
Try the Headspace app for a short
meditation practice. It even includes a
daily reminder so you can’t forget.
For short yoga classes at home, try
doyogawithme.com.au. You can choose
between 10-, 20- and 40-minute classes
with experienced teacher, all in the
comfort of your own home (while the
baby sleeps).
Lighting a candle and staring at the
flame for 10 minutes can be calming.
Say a prayer before dinner.
Take a few breaths of morning air when
you wake up.
Write down five things you are grateful
for before you go to sleep each night.
Try this loving kindness meditation
on your daily walk. As you walk, say in
your head, “May I be peaceful, may I be
happy.” If you encounter strangers along
the way, silently say to yourself, “May you
be happy, may you be peaceful.” Watch
the magic follow.
Create monthly vision boards to
help you stay on track with your
spiritual values.
Experiment and see what beautiful
spiritual habits you can form in your
daily life.
The evolving wild self
To me, wildness no longer looks like
a young woman with a backpack and
a map of the world. Life has taught
me that wild women can have both
family and a rich inner life and that the
two nourish each other. With a little
creativity and imagination, you can
fully inhabit your wild self and be an
inspiring, loving member of your family
and an evolving culture.
While you must live in this world as
it is — with some rushing and nagging,
bills to pay, houses to clean — there
is much you can do without. You can
discard the self-flagellation that comes
with years of being told that you must
serve others first at the expense of
your own deepest longings. You can do
without scheduling your kids for fear that
they’ll be left behind by a culture that is
moving way too fast. You can let go of the
notion of perfection; success is simply
you being your best, most authentic self.
What you cannot do without is your
wild heart, the whispers that don’t
always makes sense but are never
wrong. You cannot discard the nagging
feeling that you must make time to
be creative, reflect on your life and
spend time outside in the wind, rain
and sunshine.
So listen to your wild whisperings.
Your children, partner and community
will one day thank you.
Geordie Bull is a journalist, copywriter and yoga
teacher with an interest in natural parenting and
conscious living. geordiebull.com.au
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 planet
GORILLAS

Mountain high
Sharing 98 per cent of human DNA, mountain gorillas are distant relatives that
deserve our attention. Over the decades, conflict, habitat infringement and illegal
poaching have landed these magnificent primates on the critically endangered list.
However, a careful blend of tourism and conservation is helping their survival.
Words VERONICA JOSEPH

106 | wellbeing.com.au

U
ganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable
National Park is 331 square
kilometres of rolling
green hills dotted with
tea plantations and flanked by misty
mountaintops and extinct volcanic peaks
known as the Virungas.
I am walking down one of these
hills, which is blanketed in a dense
undergrowth of lush vegetation and
Hagenia forests, when my local guide,
Joseph whispers in a calm yet urgent
tone, “Make room!”
Unbeknown to me, there’s a mountain
gorilla, a juvenile female, casually
knuckle-walking her way toward me.
She’s a latecomer to the troop of gorillas
we have been tracking the past hour-
and-a-half in the depths of the forest.
My eyes dart back and forth between
the thorn bushes and stinging nettle that
surround me. I am still processing where
exactly to move to when the female
gorilla nonchalantly brushes past me
to join her family feasting on the rich
vegetation below.
The female takes a seat close to
Rafiki (Swahili for “friend”); he’s the
leader of the family and has a coat of
glorious silver hair on his back. This only
appears on mature males and is where
the name silverback comes from. The
female and Rafiki use their sausage-like
fingers to pull seemingly never-ending
vines from the bush in front of them to
their mouths. They chew each mouthful
thoughtfully and grunt contently, before
going back for more.
The female turns toward my group
of eight less-hairy primates who are
looking on in awe and amazement. She
glances at us for just a moment and then
goes back to her meal. What strange
creatures, she must be thinking.
Saving the gorillas
Uganda and its neighbours, Rwanda and
the Democratic Republic of Congo, offer
visitors the chance to observe mountain
gorillas in their natural habitat. Mountain
gorillas are found only in East Africa
on the volcanic slopes of the Virunga
National Park in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, the Volcanoes
National Park in Rwanda and Bwindi
Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.
There are some 880 mountain gorillas
My eyes dart back and forth
between the thorn bushes and
stinging nettle that surround
me. I am still processing where
exactly to move to when the
female gorilla nonchalantly
brushes past me.
in the wild; none in captivity. Although
these numbers are astonishingly low,
this is a vast improvement over the 620
gorillas recorded in 1989 and even lower
numbers before then.
Following the scientific “discovery”
of mountain gorillas in 1902, poaching,
habitat infringement, disease and conflict
in surrounding areas led to a dramatic
decline in numbers. The drop was so
significant that many feared mountain
gorillas would become extinct within
the same century of their discovery — a
would-be first for any species.
Conservation efforts, particularly
the work of Dian Fossey of Gorillas
in the Mist fame, have greatly helped
the plight of these primates. Fossey
herself dedicated 18 years of her life to
protecting mountain gorillas, before she
was murdered in Rwanda in 1985. To this
day, the crime remains unsolved.
Fossey’s methods were sometimes
unorthodox; however, she was pivotal in
encouraging the enforcement of anti-
poaching laws and establishing patrols
to protect mountain gorillas in the area.
Fossey’s Karisoke Research Centre in
Rwanda has carried on her work since
her death and last year celebrated its
50th anniversary.
Although without Fossey mountain
gorillas may not be here today, threats
still remain. The need for land for
cultivation and expanding human
settlements severely encroaches
on mountain gorilla habitat. Such
encroachment by humans and livestock
also increases the risk of exposure to
disease. Gorillas are susceptible to many
of the same diseases that affect people.
For mountain gorillas, however, these can
develop into severe infections that can be
life-threatening. Mountain gorillas are
also victims of illegal poaching, in most
cases stumbling into traps poachers
planet
GORILLAS
have left for other animals. They are also
hunted for trophies and their live infants
and suffer collateral damage when dying
to protect their families.
Today, conservation efforts focus
heavily on awareness raising, constant
monitoring, intensive anti-poaching
efforts and emergency veterinary
interventions. Other programming
also provides funding to the protected
national parks and supports initiatives
in areas of reforestation, sustainable
livelihood training for nearby
communities and “rehabilitating” and
retraining former poachers as farmers,
to name a few measures.
With a nine-month gestation period
and females reproducing only once every
four to eight years after they pass their
10th year, population growth for mountain
gorillas will always take a slow pace.
Seeing the gorillas is one way to
contribute to their conservation. For
the safety of the animals and humans,
permits to see the gorillas are limited
and treks will only take one group of
eight people at a time to visit the various
families. Treks can take one to eight
hours, depending on where the gorillas
have chosen to set up camp. Once they’re
found, visitors have an hour to watch the
gorillas in all their glory. The permit costs
roughly US$600 in Uganda. Although
this may sound steep, money earned
through gorilla tourism has a significant
and powerful impact on conservation.
Permits provide funds for security and
monitoring and ensure the government’s
commitment to protecting the species.
Tourism is also a boon to the local
economy, creating jobs — particularly for
guesthouse and hotel staff, porters and
trackers. It also brings other benefits to
communities living near the gorillas.
Trekking and tracking
It’s a long drive into the mountains from
the nearest “big” city of Kisoro to see the
gorillas. As we ascend, the air becomes
fresh and crisp and the houses at the
base soon become tiny dots peppered
along the foothills, before disappearing
completely as we enter the thick
undergrowth of the forest.
After a two-and-a-half-hour “African
massage” thanks to the bumpy, dirt
roads, we arrive at a meeting point for
wellbeing.com.au | 107
 planet
GORILLAS

Clockwise from top: The author, complete with hiking stick, on the way
into Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; up close and personal
with a magnificent silverback named Mzuri, meaning “Handsome”; and
Joseph, a local guide and ranger.

108 | wellbeing.com.au

Growing up to 1.8m tall and weighing over 200kg, mountain gorillas are truly something to behold.
orientation. Here, we learn Gorilla 101.
This includes keeping a good seven-metre
distance from the gorillas at all times,
for obvious reasons. No pointing or direct
eye contact, as gorillas can interpret this
as aggression. Cover your mouth and
turn away from the gorillas if you need
to sneeze — due to their susceptibility to
disease — and, finally, keep your voice to
a whisper and remain inconspicuous so
as not to disturb their habits.
We then collect our hiking sticks
and begin our walk down a rocky,
dusty incline, avoiding massive piles
of elephant dung and their crater-like
footprints. We take the hill route and
walk through the tea farms, some
of which are now worked by former
poachers. We pass bubbling streams
that take stepping stones to cross. We
skilfully learn to avoid thorn bushes,
stinging nettle and rouge branches.
We dredge through mud, down slippery
slopes, and climb rocky boulders using
our hiking poles to hoist ourselves up, all
while our guide in front machetes brush
out of the way and an armed guide at the
back watches over us. They don’t call it
the Impenetrable Forest for nothing.
It’s just over an hour into our
trek when our guide tells us we are
approaching the gorillas. We leave our
bags and poles with the porters and
quietly make our way down yet another
hill where the family has stopped to eat.
Rafiki, who is roughly 30, sits in front.
On the vegetated slopes you can make
out two shy babies clinging dorsally to
their mothers’ backs, along with several
juveniles and other adult females. Our
fearless female joins the group after
brushing past me. That’s 11 of them. They
sit chewing contentedly, unfazed by our
presence, as we marvel at their sheer size
and beauty. Growing up to 1.8m tall and
weighing over 200kg, mountain gorillas
are truly something to behold.
Then, another rustle in the bushes in
the distance reveals a slightly younger
Photography Veronica Joseph
silverback. That’s 12. Although he is
part of the troop, as the subordinate
silverback, Mzuri — whose name
translates to “Handsome” — follows at a
distance to avoid confrontation with Rafiki.
Mzuri has a very fresh-looking gash on
his shoulder as a reminder of his position.
Peripheral silverbacks like Mzuri follow
Know before you go
Going trekking? Here are the essentials
you’ll need for your trip:
Gardening gloves. To protect you
from stinging nettle.
Rain jacket. With high altitudes in the
mountains and weather conditions that
can change in an instant, a rain jacket
is a must.
Long-sleeved, breathable top and
thick pants. You will be walking
through thick brush, so the more
protection, the better.
Hiking socks. Long, thick socks are
essential. Tuck these into your trousers
so as to keep away fire ants and other
creepy-crawlies.
Hiking boots or shoes with a good
tread. Wear these in thoroughly before
your trek.
Plenty of water. Your trek potentially
could last eight hours and conditions
can be treacherous, so be prepared.
There are many local guesthouses
and hotels close to the national parks as
well as in the cities further away. Choose
a local and sustainable option that gives
back to the community and contributes
to conservation.
their group at a distance before usually
setting out to establish their own range
area. In the meantime, Mzuri sadly lives in
the shadow of Rafiki. Mzuri is about 28, so
with an average lifespan of up to 35 years
he still has some time.
Perhaps noticing Mzuri in the
distance, Rafiki, remaining cool and
calm, subtly shifts himself forward to
make his presence known. He now
faces directly toward us and we quietly
shuffle backwards to give him his space.
Rafiki resumes stripping leaves off a
branch and pig grunts as he eats. With
an uninterrupted view of Rafiki, we see
just how magnificent he is. Along with
his silver mane, he has giant pectorals, a
rotund belly, darling little ears and hints
of white corners in his eyes that make
him look uncannily human-like.
A family reunion
While a breathtaking sight, the gorillas
are generally rather quiet. Most of the
time you’ll find them eating, lazing about
planet
GORILLAS
or, if you’re lucky, you might catch the
youngsters engaging in some rough-
and-tumble.
Troops like Rafiki’s are habituated to
a degree, in the sense that they are used
to the occasional visit and, quite frankly,
aren’t fussed by it. This allows visitors a
unique chance to observe them in their
natural habitat. Unthreatened by humans
(unless there’s cause for aggression),
they go happily about their day-to-day
activities. There’s nothing to be startled
about and the guides and trackers are
experts in reading gorilla behaviour.
In the rare case a gorilla becomes
animated, the guides will be able to
pacify them and will direct you to step
back or break eye contact.
Although population growth is slow
and threats are still present, gorillas
have made quite a comeback. The fact
that they share such a large part of our
DNA reminds us of how close to home
this all is and makes the experience even
more moving. And it’s times like these,
in the depths of the jungle with such
majestic animals, that the differences
seem so small. Being in their presence
is almost a family reunion of sorts —
with some rather hairy distant relatives.
Like us, mountain gorillas have strong
family units and social structures within
each group, held together by long-term
bonds. Fossey observed in her beloved
silverback Digit, in particular, many
emotional and human-like qualities.
Digit’s sacrificial love when dying trying
to defend his family from poachers really
exemplified the bonds within these
familiar groups.
Gorilla trekking is indeed an emotional
and intimate experience. I wasn’t alone
in feeling chills and an indescribable
connection when looking upon these
animals with their strong kinship ties,
expressions and mannerisms that so
closely resemble ours. The encounter is
brief but extraordinary — which makes it
all the more important to remember to
put your camera down and simply soak up
the surroundings.
This is once in a lifetime.
Veronica Joseph is a yoga teacher and writer and
also works in communications for an interna-
tional NGO. Visit her blog alotusinmud.com or
contact her at veronicaajoseph@gmail.com.
wellbeing.com.au | 109
 planet
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
Power to us
How we will provide sustainable energy for ourselves into
the future is the hot topic of our time. Here we look at possible
options to keep the lights on for future generations.
A
ustralia’s energy sector is
widely regarded as a mess.
Soaring electricity prices,
questions about how to
rein them in, ageing coal-fired power
generation, a lack of government support
for renewables and policy uncertainty
present challenges to both consumers
and businesses.
The fossil fuel sector
Polluting fossil-fuel generators
contribute most of Australia’s power
generation, despite fast growth in the
share of renewables. Coal (63 per
cent), natural gas (18 per cent) and oil
(2 per cent) are all part of the mix. The
three big generators (Origin, AGL and
EnergyAustralia) rank among Australia’s
top four carbon polluters.
The current political climate is
growing increasingly pro-coal despite
the fuel being in structural decline.
Politicians are staking a lot on “clean
coal” carbon capture and storage even
though it’s highly uncompetitive and
barely feasible. “Ultra-supercritical”
efficient coal-burning technology is
already here but it cuts carbon emissions
by only a modest 15 per cent.
In terms of climate change
implications, Australia is a signatory to
the Paris Agreement and has agreed to
a greenhouse gas emission reduction
target of 26–28 per cent between
2005 and 2030. However, instead of a
downward trajectory, emissions are
tracking upwards, with fossil fuel-
powered energy a major culprit. In
particular, the 2014 removal of the
carbon tax has had an upward influence
on national greenhouse emissions and
this stands to continue into the future.
Renewable sources
Although Australia is the world’s sunniest
110 | wellbeing.com.au
Words MARTIN OLIVER
continent, the country has been slow
to embrace solar power. However, with
new-build wind and solar farms cheaper
than gas and coal, the economics now
favour renewable energy. Increasingly
large projects are being built, including
a 450-megawatt (MW) wind farm near
the Bunya Mountains in South East
Queensland and a 1000MW solar farm
planned for Wandoan in the same state.
This shift towards renewables mirrors a
global trend.
The contribution of renewables to
Australia’s electricity generation includes
hydro (7 per cent), wind (5 per cent), solar
photovoltaic (3 per cent) and biomass (1
per cent.) Other types of generation that
are too small to make this list include
geothermal, concentrated solar, landfill
gas and tidal power.
Despite ominous warnings, the
technical challenges to the grid of
moving entirely to renewables are
surmountable. The Homegrown Power
Plan, launched in 2016 as a joint
initiative of GetUp! and Solar Citizens,
is calling for a shift to 100 per cent
renewable energy by 2030, based on
modelling carried out by the Institute
for Sustainable Futures in Sydney. The
CSIRO also agrees that close to or
as high as 100 per cent renewable is
technically feasible.
For consumers keen to support
renewable energy, more than 20 per
cent of Australian households have
installed rooftop solar and their number
continues to grow. Another option is the
GreenPower offset-based system, where
an additional levy on the electricity bill is
directed into new renewable generation.
GreenPower is available from most
retailers and plans range from 10 to
100 per cent. Importantly, GreenPower
is counted as being additional to the
Renewable Energy Target (RET).
The renewable energy target
Also known as the Clean Energy Target,
the RET is 33,000 gigawatt hours GWh)
by 2020, which is expected to represent
23.5 per cent of total generation.
Like many aspects of Australian
energy policy, it has a fraught history.
The Abbott government preferred to
see it abolished, or at least slashed
substantially. Following a political
tug-of-war, in 2015 a deal was reached
where it shrank from 41,000 GWh.
More controversially, the government
successfully widened the criteria to
include power from burning native forest
“waste”, which risks watering down
the contribution of genuine renewable
energy to the target.
Alongside the RET, a number of
states have their own renewable targets,
including South Australia, the ACT,
Victoria and Queensland. Both Tasmania
(93 per cent) and South Australia (53 per
cent) already run largely on renewables.
Consumer choice &
runaway prices
Australia’s states (except for Western
Australia and the Northern Territory)
have linked up their grids in what is
known as the National Electricity Market
and consumers have the option to switch
energy retailers. A useful resource is the
Green Electricity Guide, which rates power
companies on a range of environmental
factors. Best ranked are Powershop and
Diamond Energy.
Electricity prices increased by
183 per cent between 1996 and 2016,
approximately three times the Consumer
Price Index rise during the same period.
While this provides a financial incentive
for investing in efficiency improvements,
it’s also causing a lot of hardship and
financial stress for low-income earners.
The cost of electricity is now a major

political issue. Despite elements of
the media holding renewable energy
responsible for high electricity prices, only
5–15 per cent of an electricity bill relates
to green programs; a much larger 40–55
per cent funds the poles and wires.
The number-one cause of electricity
price rises, in the estimation of the
Australian Competition & Consumer
Commission (ACCC), is what is known as
Photography Bigstock
gold-plating, where network companies
have an economic incentive to over-
invest in infrastructure. The growing
retail and generation market dominance
of Origin, AGL and EnergyAustralia,
which together supply 70 per cent of the
Australian market, is a further factor.
Price gouging by retailers is yet another.
Energy crisis or energy hype?
Since a South Australian grid blackout
in September 2016 following a severe
storm, security of the grid has been
under discussion, with federal politicians
pointing the finger at the large share of
wind power. While an investigation by
the Australian Energy Market Operator
(AEMO) concluded that management of
wind power generation was responsible,
the risk of a repeat has been removed by
a change in turbine control settings.
Australia’s coal-fired power stations
planet
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
With new-build wind
and solar farms
cheaper than gas and
coal, the economics
are now favouring
renewable energy.
are steadily closing down and are not
being replaced. Over the past six years,
12 have shut their doors. The overriding
issue, as this generating capacity is
retired, is what will take its place?
The Federal Government has been
advancing the narrative that coal and gas
are needed for grid reliability. Its views
are echoed by the AEMO, which believes
that up to a further 12GW of gas-fired
generation may be needed over the next
two years as coal is retired. However, an
Oxford University study concluded that,
for a realistic chance of reining in climate
change, from 2017 onwards no more
fossil fuel infrastructure can be built.
wellbeing.com.au | 111
 planet
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
Since the launch of the Tesla Powerwall in 2015, batteries have become part of the
suburban landscape, with numerous other products coming on the market.
Several issues challenge the necessity
of fossil fuels. The arrival of large-scale
battery storage is increasingly making the
need for baseload energy irrelevant. In
South Australia, Tesla has just switched
on what is currently the world’s largest
battery. Another option for storage is
pumped hydro, one planned project being
the Snowy 2.0 plan, which is expected to
have a capacity of 2GW. The energy for
pumping could be supplied by surplus
renewable generation.
Other factors relieving pressure on the
grid include the decentralised quality of
renewable energy adding to grid stability;
rooftop solar supply being at a peak on
the hottest days with maximum air-
conditioning power demand; “vehicle-to-
grid” power from electric car batteries;
a suite of demand management tools;
peer-to-peer solar trading between
households; and energy efficiency.
A gas shortage?
The natural gas sector is also
characterised by its own dysfunctions.
An export-oriented gas boom in the
eastern states was surprisingly not
accompanied by a gas reservation policy.
The consequence of this oversight was
a trebling of wholesale gas prices once
the eastern Australian and overseas gas
markets connected up.
Despite national production being
expected to ramp up until beyond 2030,
from 2017 a widening gulf is anticipated
between demand and domestic supply.
Solutions include breaking export
contracts to reserve gas supplies, a
range of trade deals including resorting
to imports, and development of onshore,
largely unconventional, supplies such
as coal seam gas (CSG.) Difficulties
associated with CSG include social
impacts, strong community opposition,
the risk of environmental damage,
higher production costs and fugitive
methane emissions that have not been
reliably measured in Australia.
From renewable target
to energy guarantee
In October 2017, the Federal Government
unveiled proposals for a program to
replace the RET. The National Energy
Guarantee (NEG) shifts the focus to
“dispatchable” energy sources flexible
112 | wellbeing.com.au
enough to supply power at short notice,
in a bid to enhance grid reliability.
These include gas, battery, pumped
hydro and biomass, with coal also
included in the “dispatchable” definition
despite requiring a long lead-up time.
The NEG has been dismissed by some
as a “dirty energy target” at a time
when renewables win out on both
environmental and economic measures.
Ensuring that the NEG accommodates
Australia’s Paris target would be the
responsibility of retailers, who would be
purchasing sufficient quantities of low-
carbon power in the form of renewables
and efficient gas.
National adoption of the NEG is not
a certainty as it requires support from
the states and they are largely more
supportive of renewable energy than
the Commonwealth. Further discussion
is likely to continue in the second half
of 2018 and, until the NEG debate is
resolved, policy uncertainty is likely to put
the brakes on new renewables investment.
Battery storage & the grid
Until recently, domestic battery storage
was only encountered in rural off-grid
settings but things have since changed.
Since the launch of the Tesla Powerwall
in 2015, batteries have become part of
the suburban landscape with numerous
other products coming on the market.
Batteries offer the householder a chance
to store energy from their panels for
later use rather than sell it for a feed-in
tariff that’s a fraction of the retail price.
For domestic batteries, the cost per
unit of energy storage capacity is high
but is quickly coming down. Gizmodo
recently calculated that, of the products
on the market, the Tesla Powerwall had
the lowest cost of 23 cents per warrantied
kilowatt-hour (kWh.) Australian battery
sales were 6750 in 2016, with 2017’s
figure rising to at least 20,000.
While being independent from the
grid offers freedom from steep standing
charges and avoids the risk of power
cuts caused by grid outages, there are
other issues to consider. Unless power
usage is very frugal, multiple batteries
are likely to be needed as householders
will need to plan for several days without
sunshine. Staying with the grid also
enables “behind the meter” forms of
power generation, storage and trading.
In a worst case, a growing take-up of
batteries could result in an increasing
number of households going off-grid,
leading to ever-rising grid costs for
the largely lower-income households
that remain. This is the “death spiral”
scenario, which could only realistically be
resolved through legislation that prevents
further households from exiting the grid.
Demand management
Several demand management initiatives
are now substituting for energy
production. Time-of-use meters create
an incentive to reschedule high-wattage
electricity consumption to cheaper,
lower-demand times of day. Owners of
large solar arrays have an incentive to
move power use to the hottest time of
the day; this can include major drains
such as a heat pump water heater as an
alternative to solar.
Avoided power usage is a means of
curbing unnecessary power generation
and dodging expensive infrastructure
upgrades otherwise needed to handle
the hottest days of the year. Regional
Queensland households have the option
to take part in the PeakSmart program,
where they are paid up to $400 as a
one-off payment if they agree to keep
their air-conditioner above 26 degrees or
higher at certain peak demand times.
Similar is the Curb Your Power
program, specific to Powershop
customers in Victoria. Participants are
alerted in advance to peak usage events by
text message, and each time they meet a
reduction target they receive a $10 credit.
This requires having a smart meter.
United Energy is a distribution
business that is carefully reducing the
voltage to customers by 3 per cent
during brief peak demand periods.
Another fast-growing area is peer-to-
peer solar trading. This decentralised
system is at the pilot stage and involves
households and businesses selling
surplus home-generated energy to
one another. Companies that are
working in this field in Australia include
PowerLedger and Localvolts, with
numerous others overseas.
Martin Oliver is a writer and researcher
based in Lismore, NSW.
 A fresh approach to corporate health and wellbeing

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 South Australian odyssey
Along the dramatic South Australian coastline you encounter stunning
views but also have the chance to mingle with whales, sea lions, dolphins,
lampreys and sea birds. There is also delightful dining along the way.
Words CATHERINE LAWSON Photography DAVID BRISTOW

C
rumbling along the edge of
the Nullarbor’s vast, treeless
plains, the Bunda Cliffs dare
me to the edge, beckoning the
thrillseeker in me to stand 80 vertigo-
inducing metres above a pounding sea.
Far below, I spot a solitary, spy-hopping
humpback whale, watching this watcher
with one enormous, all-seeing eye.
I take its curiosity as a good omen.
Like this whale, lured by the warmth of
the Leeuwin Current to Australia’s most
important marine sanctuary, I’m going
east to Head of Bight to witness a great
annual gathering of whales.
Every winter, more than 100
endangered southern right whales
monopolise the high seas to socialise,
joined by frolicking humpbacks and
mesmerising onlookers with their
antics. The size of buses, right whales
were so named because they were
deemed the “right” whales to hunt: slow
moving close to shore and, conveniently
for whalers, staying afloat when dead to
offer up a bounty of blubber and oil.
It’s no surprise, then, that Australian
whalers hunted them to the brink of
extinction, reducing their numbers so
dramatically that after more than 80
years of conservation protection they’re
still on our nation’s endangered species
list. Thankfully, all that Head of Bight
baby-making means the southern rights
return to their sub-Antarctic feeding
grounds after winter with 50 or more
tiny Aussie-made calves by their sides.
Today, the region is a conservation
stronghold: overlapping marine
sanctuaries parallel the Nullarbor’s
dramatic coastline while, on land,
Nullarbor National Park and its buffering
reserves protect a mind-boggling
200,000 square kilometres of blue bush
plains, sinkholes and caves in the world’s
largest, flattest limestone plateau.
At first glance, this region, known
as Oondiri or “the waterless”, reveals
few signs of life, but some hardy wild
things — including Australia’s largest
population of southern hairy-nosed
wombats — are at home here. Behind
Nullarbor Roadhouse, we follow dingo
tracks to Murrawijinie Caves, spooking
lolly-pink Major Mitchell cockatoos en
route, to discover galleries of ochre hand
stencils and the mud nests of welcome

114 | wellbeing.com.au

swallows in deep underground caverns.
Further east, where the Eyre Highway
passes through Penong, Ceduna and
Streaky Bay, we crunch across rosy salt
lakes and go surfing, swimming with sea
lions and kayaking shallow, see-through
bays, all of which blows our itinerary
to bits as we attempt to see as much
wildlife as possible on South Australia’s
astounding coastline — all 3816km of it.
Sea lions & sunshine
Beyond the shimmering mirror of Blue
Lake, a windswept coastline of giant
white dunes lures us to Chadinga
Conservation Park and the perfect surf
breaks at Cactus Beach. Here, surfers
brave big winter waves and white
pointers while Big Lap travellers nestle
into rustic campsites with bore water
showers and wintertime campfires.
We swim and beachcomb all day
long without reaching the end of Cactus
Beach. Across the headland at Port
Le Hunte is a shark-proof swimming
enclosure that makes us happy not to
have met Cactus’s dominant species.
It’s a different story up the coast
at Baird Bay where Point Labatt
Conservation Park shelters our largest
mainland breeding colony of sea lions.
They snooze and snuggle on hot granite
Clockwise from left: The Bunda Cliffs; on the Coorong, eyeball the world’s
largest breeding colony of pelicans; powder-blue bays surround Lincoln
National Park; lolly-pink salt lakes at Chadinga Conservation Park.
slabs — more than 75 huge brown males
and creamy yellow-and-grey females
with cuddly, plump pups — and we watch
them floating and fishing far out to sea.
We wet the sea kayaks again at the
end of the Eyre Peninsula in Coffin Bay,
idyllic home to some of the best oysters
in the country. With its calm channels
and tranquil inlets, this laidback town
swells its population over summer when
South Australians return to their beach
shacks to spend sunny days paddling,
fishing and sailing. We take long walks,
watch the water birds and devour
oysters, fighting off seagulls for our
share of delicious freshly fried seafood.
Across the peninsula, wild seas wrap
around neighbouring Lincoln National
Park and break onto a vastly contrasting,
pristine coastline of huge sandhills,
limestone cliffs and white-sand beaches.
We peer from Donington Cottage across
a bay three times the size of Sydney
Harbour and climb the giant, shifting
edge of Wanna Dunes.
From Taylors Beach we paddle south,
escorted by dolphins to Memory Cove,
named by navigator Matthew Flinders in
honour of eight doomed crew members
who set out around Cape Catastrophe in
search of water and never returned.
Calm conditions prevail and later,
travel
SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S COAST
as we loll, eyes closed, in the glassy
shallows off Taylors Landing, a couple of
whiskered heads bob to the surface and
suddenly I’m face to face with two cute,
curious Australian sea lions, splashing
and swimming rings around me!
Elsewhere on Eyre
The Eyre Peninsula’s unpretentious
seaside towns, with old timber jetties
to dangle lines from while munching on
fish and chips, recapture long-forgotten
summers. We take our sandy feet to
Tumby Bay and soak in the sea then
leapfrog north to Lipson Cove.
We paddle easily across a barely
rippling sea to Lipson Island and watch
crested terns, cormorants and pairs of
magnificent Pacific gulls shift restlessly
on the sand. Suddenly, the sea explodes
as dolphins hunting blue salmon into the
shallows trigger a seagull feeding frenzy.
Back on the beach it takes mere
minutes to reel in the first salmon,
served up as the sun goes down, our
feet dug into the sand on one of South
Australia’s prettiest beaches.
The big attraction of Lipson Cove
might be the lovely bay, the free
beachfront camping or the clifftop walk
trail. At low tide, a thin sliver of sand
surfaces to connect campers to Lipson
wellbeing.com.au | 115
 Deep in Ewens Ponds,
a freshwater adventure
to remember.
Escape routes
Getting there
South Australia’s 3816km coastline
requires time and several trips to
explore. From Adelaide, fly/drive
travellers can divide the journey,
looping east along the coast to return
via Mount Gambier and the Barossa
Valley. Westbound travellers could
trace the Eyre Peninsula’s coastline to
Ceduna and Head of Bight for whale
watching before following the Eyre
Highway back to the city.
When to go
Winter is the best season to whale-
watch, wildflowers bloom in early
spring and the coast’s white-hot
summers are tempered by top beach
swimming and surfing.
Watching whales
Whales are spotted close to shore
right along the Nullarbor’s coastline
every winter, congregating in large
numbers off Head of Bight where
boardwalks and viewing platforms
facilitate close encounters. Entry
costs $15 for adults, $6 for kids and
$35 per family (June 1 to October 30,
headofbight.com.au
Where to stay
Close to Streaky Bay, the two villas
at Perlubie Sea (perlubiesea.com.
au) will tick all your earth-friendly
boxes (from $240/night). On the tip
of the Eyre Peninsula, sleep close to
top walking trails at Lincoln National
Park’s Donington Cottage ($100/night,
minimum 2 nights, sleeps 6). North
of Port Lincoln, Tanonga Luxury Eco
Lodges is a top choice (from $340/night).
116 | wellbeing.com.au
Island across the bay and, for self-
sufficient travellers, this is one of the
best places on the peninsula to kick back
and relax.
When it’s time to move on we make
a beeline for False Bay where anglers
wrangle snapper and blue swimmer
crabs while razorfish and cockles are
easily gathered in the shallows. Yet it’s
not the fishing that lures us north but
the hope of seeing thousands of giant
cuttlefish in a startling mating spectacle.
Flaunting ever-changing colours
and patterns in shimmering displays,
the cuttlefish are among the world’s
largest — 60cm long and weighing up to
5kg — and come to False Bay to compete
for mating rights over a much smaller
gathering of females. Our timing is out
and the cuttlefish don’t appear on cue
but the shallow sea is bath-warm and
we leave determined to return.
Coorong to Canunda
Looping south to Adelaide, we skirt
shallow Gulf St Vincent and push on
towards the mouth of the Murray River
to meet the water birds that make the
Coorong’s fragile ecosystem of lagoons
and salt lakes famous. We train our
binoculars on malleefowl building nesting
mounds and emus dashing single-file
across ankle-deep samphire flats. We
discover what it feels like to be swarmed
by pelicans — the world’s largest breeding
colony, to be precise — dazzling with their
swirling overhead dances and melodious
chatter. Later, we sleep peacefully by the
sea on Australia’s longest stretch of sand.
Finally, at the very end of the wild
Limestone Coast, we pull into sleepy
Southend, a tiny settlement with a grassy
beachfront holiday park and not much
else. But looks can be deceiving; this
little gem is one of the richest around.
Just offshore, a 30-strong crayfishing
fleet snares the “nice reds” favoured by
the Chinese: a million-dollar live export
market in southern rock lobster.
Crays here sell for upwards of $100 a
kilo and cut-throat exporters court local
fishermen to get their hands on as much
of the daily catch as they can. The crays
are delicious gently fried with garlic
and butter over our tiny camp stove in
neighbouring Canunda National Park
where a breathtaking sweep of lonely
sea stacks and glistening blue coves
stretches east.
Strolling along the edge of Canunda’s
Cullen Bay, an arcing path leads us
through heathlands pocketed with
wombat burrows to stand above sea
caves that explode in the enormous
winter seas. At the top of Khyber Pass,
massive sand dunes shift in all directions
while in Abyssinia Bay we stand beneath
towering coastal dunes carved by the sea
to reveal the ancient shells of a thousand
Aboriginal feasts. An adventurous, sandy,
65km 4WD track links remote beaches,
lakes and campgrounds at either end
of the national park, so we head for
Cape Banks Lighthouse and the nearby
Victorian border.
Underwater exploring
Just as we’re about to run out of
South Australian coastline, a surreal
snorkelling experience at Ewens
Ponds becomes a final hurrah. What
thrives in this trio of frigid inland
ponds isn’t brightly coloured or even
remotely tropical. Instead, this strange
underwater world harbours lurid
green algae and primitive fish that hide
beneath ledges and scatter into reedy,
shallow swim-throughs.
I don a thick wetsuit against the
10-degree water temperature but the
plunge into the ponds is still literally
breathtaking. Once underwater, though,
I lose myself completely, finning deep
through bubbling streams rising 11
metres from the limestone floor and
circling towering tendrils of algae as I
rise. The water clarity is superb. There
are tiny 10cm-long galaxiids and Ewens
pygmy perch and I duck under rock
ledges in the hope of eyeballing the
world’s most primitive, enduring fish: the
rare parasitic pouched lamprey.
Narrow channels and a gentle current
push me from pond to pond, all clear and
deep and equally startling, so much so
that despite my brain-freeze I jump back
in to relive the adventure. Discovered by
Thomas Ewens in the late 19th century
after his dog chased a kangaroo into
the water, Ewens Pond is rivalled by
nearby Piccaninnie Ponds where divers
queue to tour superb underwater
limestone. But Ewens Ponds leaves
us more invigorated, stretched out in
the sunshine in rapturous solitude, our
wetsuits discarded, contemplating just
one more lap before we sign off on the
most amazing coastal journey you are
likely to find anywhere in the world.
Captivated by wild places and passionate about
their preservation, Catherine Lawson and David
Bristow run wildtravelstory.com, a website
dedicated to inspiring travellers to travel deeper,
journey further and tackle adventures they never
thought possible. Road testing every experience is
the couple’s six-year-old daughter Maya, who is
world-schooled along the way.

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Clockwise from above: Tangalla’s ever-patient fishermen; the day’s catch
for dinner at Tangalla; wooden outriggers ferry fishermen beyond the
breakers; time slows on Sri Lanka’s south coast.

Road tripping
,
Sri Lanka s coast
A road trip along Sri Lanka’s south coast
offers relaxation and inspiration as well as
galleries, wine bars and ocean-view cafes.
Words CATHERINE LAWSON Photography DAVID BRISTOW
S
trung out in a swaying hammock,
fresh frangipani buds in one
hand and a rum coconut in the
other, I while away the hours
before dinner, too unwound to even pick
up a book. I could be surfing or boating
among blue whales, or poking around
in search of yet another secret strip of
sand, but there’s no need: nirvana is
right here.
After almost a month of long Sri
Lankan bus rides, zigzagging a hectic
path across the country, I begin to realise
that blissed-out, beautiful Marakolliya
Beach will be my undoing. Days melt
into each other and the slow, easy pace
of living, eating and sleeping within easy
reach of the sea becomes my new norm.
I wake, stretch and fall into the sea,
swim, eat, stroll and laze, sip cocktails
on the beach and watch the stars appear:
rinse and repeat. There’s a beautiful
rhythm to it and, like so many travellers
before me, I’ve finally succumbed to
the irresistible charm of Sri Lanka’s
gorgeous south coast.
Blissed out in Tangalle
Our family of three beds down at
the Starfish Beach Cafe, a popular
backpacker joint but a noisy choice, I soon
realise, for a solitude seeker like me.
The next day we stroll into Sanjana and
throw down our backpacks in a breezy
thatched bungalow with ocean views and
a tiny $20-a-night pricetag. There’s no
sales pitch here (and no English spoken);
the elderly owners appear daily to sweep
the verandah and smile. We are utterly
undisturbed and it’s glorious.
It takes mere minutes to slip into
swimwear and skip across the sand to
the water’s edge where we snorkel inside
the beach breakwater and bodysurf on
beginner waves. Our daily search for the
spiciest Sri Lankan cuisine leads us away
from the touristy guesthouse cafes and
into Tangalle’s tiny town centre, following
our noses to a string of bustling curry
house. Here we sit elbow-to-elbow with
locals, slurping mugs of milky tea, all
of us noisily tucking into big plates of
creamy potato and coconut curries,
mopped up with bread and delicious
circular noodle nests called hoppers.
The mood is happy, spills are expected
and remedied with patience and extra
helpings are offered freely. It’s delicious
and cheap and we never pay a bill without
a beaming cashier filling my daughter’s
tiny hands with wrapped sweets.
After our mid-morning feast, we
wander through town and invariably end
up down by the sea exploring bustling
fish markets or climbing high cliffs to
take in the sea views. Barefoot fishermen
travel
SRI LANKA
in chequered sarongs push their skinny
outrigger canoes into the surf, paddling
beyond the breakers and returning at
day’s end to patiently sort their nets on
the sand. They bookend long, sunny days
that invariably end on the beach, dining
by candlelight at tables dug into the sand
and sharing chilly bottles of beer.
Beyond the bleached sand beaches,
a mangrove-fringed wetland beckons
us into kayaks and, to the east, green
sea turtles lumber ashore under the
cover of darkness, tirelessly digging
nests and laying eggs and rendering
each small gathering of tourists utterly
spellbound. Understandably, that shady
beach bungalow at Tangalle proves
rather difficult to leave but, with our
visas nearing expiry, we shoulder our
backpacks and hit the road.
Out of the blue
A mere two hours of bus travel separates
Tangalle from World Heritage-listed
Galle to the west but, in true south
coast style, we manage to stretch time,
spending six days leapfrogging along the
coast before we finally shake off the sand
and pass through the fortressed gates of
Sri Lankan’s oldest occupied city. Along
the way we discover Matara.
As our ageing bus chugs slowly
along the seafront of this unlikely tourist
wellbeing.com.au | 119
Clockwise from above: Buying ‘bites’; hidden beaches
at the base of Galle’s Fort; Parey Dewa in Matara; Galle’s
streets retains their historical charm; the National Tea
Room in Galle; the landmark Clock Tower above Galle Fort.

destination, we suddenly spy a tiny
outcrop, circled by sea and topped by a
gilded Buddhist temple. On an impulse
we grab our backpacks and jump off the
bus, spellbound by the sight of Parey
Dewa (“Rock in Water”) and the stream
of pilgrims crossing a golden bridge that
spans the sea.
We join the procession and abandon
our shoes on the other side, climbing
a haphazard maze of cool concrete
staircases to discover shrines and
lotus-filled fish ponds and pausing to
take in the astounding 360-degree views.
Saffron-robed monks sit cross-legged in
meditation, and prostrate pilgrims offer
flowers and hopeful prayers.
There is more to Matara than meets
the eye, so we look for a room and find
ourselves at Polhena Beach, scanning
the reef-fringed shore for green sea
turtles that surface with quiet, distinctive
puffs as they refill their lungs. The clear
waters betray their movements and the
high tide brings them close to the edge
of this rocky shoreline.
We sit and watch, enjoying the shade
and serenity, outnumbered by locals who
have nothing to sell us and better things
to do. A short stroll away, where the reef
arcs out to sea and sand is piled high
on a sunny beach, we don snorkels to
eyeball the turtles at closer range and
drift in the current, scattering schools of
fish. The reef isn’t pristine in a way that
might impress an Aussie but the water
time is soothing and the sea is our own.
Literally overnight, though, the whole
scene changes. We wake to find the
country in holiday mode and that once
deserted stretch of sand is suddenly
playing host to a hundred picnics. There
are food sellers and music and reunions
everywhere we look. Locals launch
gaudy, oversized blow-up toys and float
en masse over the reef, flippers hitting
masks in a watery, crazy swarm. It’s all
good fun but ultimately a little too much.
We leave the madness behind to amble
around Matara’s waterfront markets,
buying up pineapples and bananas, and
make historical sojourn at Star Fort
where a solitary crocodile guards what
might just be the world’s smallest moat.
Our lively guide turns the afternoon on
its head and our engaging tour ends yet
another surprising day in Matara.
Strolling the fort
The next day at sunrise we jump
a bus to Galle, Sri Lanka’s oldest,
thriving city — incredibly popular,
astonishingly beautiful and humbling
Escape routes
Getting there
Air Asia flies from Sydney,
Melbourne, Gold Coast and Perth to
Colombo via Kuala Lumpur (airasia.
com). A 30-day online tourist visa costs
US$35 for adults (kids under 12 years
enter for free). Apply at eta.gov.lk.
When to go
Expect great weather, crowds and
peak season prices from December
to April (avoid the June–September
monsoon). Beds are easier to find in
May and November.
Where to stay
In Tangalle, try the recycled decor
rooms at eco-friendly Serein Beach
(from AUD$55/night, sereinbeach.com).
In Galle, Fortaleza runs five premier
boutique hotels, priced from AUD$200/
night (fortaleza.lk).
Don’t miss
Aurudu (New Year’s Eve) on April
13; blue whale watching in Mirissa
(December to March); Galle’s Literary
Festival in January (galleliteraryfestival.
com) and green and hawksbill turtles
nesting on Rekawa Beach from April to
September.
More information
To plan your trip and get inspired,
visit wildtravelstory.com and book stays
at lanka.com.
in its authenticity. Built by the Dutch
(to characteristic perfection) in 1663
and now World Heritage-listed, Galle
(pronounced gah-le) harbours immense
historical charm within its fortressed
walls while effortlessly accommodating a
summertime influx of tourists.
The locals lucky enough to call these
flagstone streets their own add colour and
flair, so much so that Galle has become
something of a sanctuary for cutting-
edge Sri Lankan art, design and food.
For tourists, that means plenty of great
galleries and wine bars, ocean-view cafes
and boutique hotels that occupy some of
the oldest addresses in town.
Yet what makes Galle really
interesting is the ordinary daily rituals
that keep things real: the kids bouncing
home from school, the three-wheelers
ferrying shoppers from the markets and,
at dusk, the street sellers hawking deep-
fried discs of spicy lentils and curried
potato samosas, Sri Lanka’s favourite
beer snacks.
At sunrise we climb to the top of
the fort, strolling high stone walls for
travel
SRI LANKA
ever-improving views from Star, Moon
and Sun Bastions, and spy a hidden
swathe of sand down below where we
join giggling schoolgirls dipping toes in
the cool, green sea. As the day begins
we disappear into twisting backstreets,
pocket our phones and discover by
chance the oldest cafe in Galle.
Eighty-five years after her father
opened Galle’s National Tea Room,
Mrs Silva and her husband continue
to serve the most authentic cuppa in
town. The tea is especially good, brewed
by Mr Silva for a tiny 50 cents a cup
and teamed with lovely homemade
biscuits and all sorts of advice about the
comings and goings of Galle.
Armed with Mrs Silva’s to-do list we
wander on, ticking off museums and
mansions, getting lost and finding great
eats, and finally climbing to Flag Rock
to watch the locals watching the sun
go down. When a sudden tropical rain
shower scatters the crowd, we snap up
delicious spicy bites and devour them
with cold ales as the beam from Galle’s
landmark lighthouse brightens the view.
Beyond Galle the road beckons us
north to Colombo and a new adventure a
long way away, but before we check our
bags there is just enough time for a few
days’ surfing at Hikkaduwa. As Sri Lanka’s
most popular surf break, Hikkaduwa is a
squash and a squeeze — overpopulated
and far too noisy to conjure relaxation
— so we join the party, order a round of
cocktails and get rowdy, too.
The beach vibe is fun and the
waves at Wewala are pumping, but
our accommodation is overpriced and
past its prime, and leaves me hankering
for another stint back on the sleepy
south coast.
Offering us beach life in all its guises,
Sri Lanka’s accommodating and oh-
so-affordable south coast is like India
without the crowds and as easygoing as
Thailand 20 years ago. And, although
surfers, beach-lovers and hammock-
dwellers have been “discovering” this
surprising slice of paradise for decades,
the pace remains mellow and the
experience authentic. The only hazard
in time spent here is that you’ll find it
rather difficult to leave.
Catherine Lawson and David Bristow run
wildtravelstory.com, a website dedicated to
inspiring travellers to travel deeper, journey
further and tackle adventures they never thought
possible. Road testing every experience is the
couple’s six-year-old daughter Maya, who is
world-schooled along the way.
wellbeing.com.au | 121
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 spirit
BOOKS, MUSIC & DVDS THAT WILL ENRICH YOUR LIFE
Counter culture
Reviews by Kate Duncan, Dana Diament and Chris Stafford
The Shape of
Water; left: The
Florida Project
DVDs
THE FLORIDA PROJECT
Directed by SEAN BAKER
Starring WILLEM DAFOE, BROOKLYNN
PRINCE, BRIA VINAITE
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Directed by GUILLERMO DEL TORO
Starring SALLY HAWKINS, MICHAEL
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Opposite Moonee is the film’s
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protector of the local brats and
124 | wellbeing.com.au
rendered with dogged weariness by
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There’s danger and desperation out
there on the margins but, between
Bobby and Moonee and mother and
daughter, there’s also love.
Outsiders are also the subject of
the beauty-and-the-beast fantasy
The Shape of Water: Elisa, a mute
Latina (the wonderful Sally Hawkins,
speaking not a word), her gay friend
Giles (Richard Jenkins), her black co-
worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) and
the mysterious amphibian man she
falls in love with.
Elisa meets her scaly, gilled hero
in the secret government lab where
she works as a cleaner. At the height
of the Cold War, the US military is
studying the captured creature’s
complex breathing apparatus in order
to steal a march on the Russians in
the Space Race. Suffice to say the
three friends hatch a plot to liberate
Aquaman before Colonel Strickland
(Michael Shannon) can vivisect him to
find out how he works.
With its gorgeous retro design and
evocation of the sights and sounds of
old Hollywood (including the horror
classic Creature from the Black
Lagoon), Guillermo del Toro’s magic-
realist masterpiece is a seductive
underwater swoon. However, it would
be remiss of me not to warn potential
viewers that, like any Grimm’s
fairytale, it does contain some dark,
confronting material, mostly involving
Shannon’s character, a study in pure
evil. But fear not: just when you think
all is lost, true love — as it should —
wins the day. CS
FROZEN HOPE
JACQUI COOPER, BLACK INC BOOKS
As one of Australia’s most successful
aerial skiers, five-time Olympian and
motivational speaker, Jacqui Cooper
knows a lot about being brave and
hopeful against all odds. This is her own
story of IVF: the emotional responses
she didn’t expect, the things she wished
she’d prepared for and everything else in
between. Much like her amazing career,
this journey is filled with the highest of
highs and the lowest of lows. Her brave
and honest account is the ideal handbook
for women experiencing the challenges
of infertility and IVF. Learn how to choose
your dream IVF team, why doing your
own research is important, costs and
everything else you need to know when
embarking on your own IVF journey. KD
THE AUSTRALIAN HEALTHY
HORMONE DIET
MICHELE CHEVALLEY HEDGE, PAN
MACMILLIAN AUSTRALIA
Want to tame your hormones? Ready to
find your healthy weight, increase your
energy and improve your mood? Here, a
nutritionist offers a four-week reset to
help you get back on track. She begins
with the crucial role hormones play and
what happens when they’re unbalanced
before explaining a few key hormones in
depth, such as cortisol, insulin, thyroid
and serotonin. Next, you’ll read clinical
case studies before getting to the crux of
the book: a 28-day hormone rebalance
plan. You’ll find healthy wholefood recipes
and tips on how to make positive changes
to your lifestyle long after the four-week
plan is over. KD

SUPERCHARGE YOUR GUT
LEE HOLMES, MURDOCH BOOKS
WellBeing columnist and holistic
nutritionist Lee Holmes knows about gut
health. Her latest book goes beyond a
healing protocol to provide a regime for
lifelong gut health. She examines the
myriad ways gut health impacts on weight,
mood, energy, the immune system and
sleep and discusses different digestive
problems, histamine intolerances,
FODMAPs, stress and more. Her simple
two-day-a-week gut maintenance plan
is more than just appetising; it’s suitable
for the whole family, with 100-plus
gut-friendly recipes that will leave your
tastebuds tingling. When Raspberry &
Coconut Yoghurt Slurpies and Chocolate
Chilli Beef are on the menu, you know
you’re in capable hands. KC
THE GIFT OF SILENCE
KANKYO TANNIER, HODDER & STOUGHTON
Often, people give up on meditation
because they find it hard to sit at the
same time for 20 minutes each day.
Sound familiar? Here you’ll discover
a new approach to finding peace and
stillness. Kankyo Tannier, a French
Buddhist nun of the Zen tradition, has
practical exercises that can be integrated
into everyday life. You’ll learn to access
inner silence by letting go of mental
images, recurring internal voices and
adverse feelings. Her sense of humour
and ability to share personal lows as well
as highs make for an encouraging and
pleasurable read. Discover how to be
more at ease in uncomfortable situations,
more present in noisy environments and
more serene during emotional turmoil. DD
BOOKS, MUSIC & DVDS THAT WILL ENRICH YOUR LIFE
THE WONDER DOWN UNDER
NINA BROCHMANN AND ELLEN STØKKEN
DAHL, HACHETTE AUSTRALIA
Ever wondered if your painful monthly
cramps are normal? Trying for a baby but
not sure when you’re ovulating? Two Oslo-
based medical students and sex educators
explain the female anatomy with an aim
to bringing vaginal enlightenment to the
world, answering the curly questions
you’ve Dr-Googled late at night and
dispelling myths and misconceptions
around female health. No topic is off
limits: hormones, menstruation, orgasm,
different types of contraception, sex,
abortion, cervical cancer, vulvodynia,
herpes and loads more. Delivered with
humour and wit, their no-nonsense advice
will inspire women to make informed
choices about their sexual health. KD
THE DREAM HANDBOOK
JANE TERESA ANDERSON, HACHETTE
AUSTRALIA
Do your dreams contain wisdom and
insight about your waking life? Dream
analyst and therapist Jane Teresa
Anderson explores the mysteries of
dreams — teeth falling out, wheelchairs,
dead bodies, flying, snakes, intruders,
spiritual visits, losing things — and how
to interpret them, design your own dream
alchemy practices and sleep with new-
found ease. You’ll discover how to stop
uncomfortable recurring dreams, heal the
past, tap into your creative source, identify
spiritual lessons, discover your talents
and loads more. Filled with affirmations,
questions and positive reflections, this is
the perfect gift for the dreamers, drifters
and deep thinkers among us. KD
spirit
THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT
DAYS
DR SANJIV CHOPRA AND GINA VILD,
HACHETTE AUSTRALIA
American writer Mark Twain said, “The
two most important days in your life are
the day you were born and the day you
figure out why.” Sanjiv Chopra, a professor
of medicine, and his colleague at Harvard
Medical School, Gina Vild, share tried and
tested ways to discover your purpose in
life and how doing so leads to a healthier
and happier you. In depth, they discuss
forgiveness, friendship, yoga, music,
passion and meditation as well as offering
personal struggles and practical steps.
Through captivating stories, scientific
studies, quotes, exercises and poetry, they
leave you equipped with a roadmap to
living a more fulfilled life. KD
THE MINDFUL BODY
NOA BELLING, ROCKPOOL PUBLISHING
Heard of embodiment practices or flow
but unsure of what they really mean?
Want to tap into your body’s wisdom and
intelligence? Ready to live a more fulfilled
and attuned life? Psychotherapist/yoga
teacher Noa Belling offers a direct path to
mindfully living in harmony with your body.
Guided by both theoretical and scientific
studies, she shares simple movement
practices that give insight into how you
hold life experiences in your body. You’ll
learn to release emotions and stress and
enhance your vitality. Whether you’re a
newcomer to mindful movement practice
or a seasoned practitioner, this book is
great for deepening both your relationship
with your body and your understanding of
how you experience life. DD
wellbeing.com.au | 125
 recipes
HEALTHY HORMONES

Happy hormones

This is an edited extract from

Healthy Hormones: A Practical Guide
to Balancing Your Hormones by
Belinda Kirkpatrick and Ainsley
Johnstone, published by Murdoch
Books, RRP AU$35.00

A
re your hormones healthy
or a little off balance?
Unsure of the role
hormones play in your
overall health? Naturopath Belinda
Kirkpatrick answers all the important
hormonal questions in her latest
book, Healthy Hormones: A Practical
Guide to Balancing Your Hormones.
Cleverly infusing everyday dishes
with nutrient-dense, hormone-
balancing ingredients, she shares
50 delicious, gluten-free recipes
that are suitable for the whole
family. With over a decade of clinical
practice, Kirkpatrick’s passion for
balancing hormones and improving
women’s health is unsurpassed. The
in-depth guide reveals the impact
hormones have on energy levels,
sleep quality, mental health, period
regulation, conception and pregnancy
and what to do if your hormones
are out of whack. She delves deep
into period pain, acne, bloating and
cravings, along with other hormonal
conditions such as polycystic ovary
syndrome (PCOS), endometritis,
autoimmune conditions and thyroid
problems. If that’s not enough to get
your hormones into line, discover
her top 10 fertility foods, a detailed
supplement section, which household
and personal care products you
should avoid and loads more.
Salmon Fishcakes Heat a frying pan over medium heat and
Serves: 4 add olive oil. Fry the patties in the oil
until golden on both sides.
1 sweet potato, coarsely chopped Scatter with micro herbs and serve
2 × 210g tins wild-caught salmon with a green salad, lemon wedges and
with bones, drained any other condiments you like.
2 eggs, whisked
¾ cup quinoa flakes
½ cup finely chopped fennel
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup chopped spring onions
¼ cup chopped dill
Zest 1 lemon
Olive oil, for frying
Micro herbs, for serving
Fill a saucepan with water, add sweet
potato and boil for about 10 mins until
soft. Drain and mash with a fork
so it cools slightly.
Add salmon, eggs, quinoa flakes,
fennel, parsley spring onion, dill and
lemon zest, then season with salt and
pepper. Gently mix to combine. Form into
small patties roughly the size of the palm
of your hand.

126 | wellbeing.com.au

Mushroom & Ricotta Crepes
Serves: 2
1 tbsp olive oil
1 French shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp butter
300g brown mushrooms, quartered
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp finely chopped sage leaves
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
1 handful rocket leaves
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
3 tsp ricotta cheese
Crepes
¾ cup buckwheat flour
2 eggs
250mL milk
Butter, for frying
Put olive oil and shallot in a medium
frying pan and cook over medium
heat for a few minutes. Add butter,
mushrooms, coriander seeds, sage and
rosemary and cook gently for about 10
mins, then add a few tbsp water to get
pan juices flowing.
While this is cooking, make the crepes.
Combine the ingredients in a bowl and
Photography Ainsley Johnstone
whisk together. Melt some butter in a
medium frying pan. Pour in small amount
of batter and spread evenly to cover pan
as thinly as possible. Cook until bubbles
form, then flip crepe over. They take a
few minutes each side. Repeat to make a
second crepe.
To serve, place a crepe on each plate
and divide mushroom mixture between
them on one half of each crepe. Top with
some rocket, walnuts and ricotta, then
fold crepe over and serve.
Super Green Soup
Serves: 4
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 bunch asparagus, coarsely chopped
1 small head broccoli, coarsely chopped
2 zucchinis, coarsely chopped
1 large potato, chopped
2 handfuls herbs (parsley & mint)
1L organic chicken broth
2 cups frozen baby peas
1 handful baby spinach leaves,
plus 5–6 extra to serve
1 tbsp ricotta cheese, to serve
5 toasted almonds, coarsely
chopped, to serve
Heat olive oil in a heavy-based frying
pan, add leek, onion and garlic and cook
for a few minutes until softened. Season
with salt and pepper.
Add all ingredients except peas and
spinach. Cover with water to 3cm above
the top of the vegetables. Bring to boil
then reduce to a simmer and cook for
about 30 mins. Add peas and spinach
and cook for a further 2 mins. Puree
until very smooth.
To serve, top with creamy ricotta,
spinach leaves and roasted almonds.
recipes
HEALTHY HORMONES
Nut Biscuits
Makes: 12 biscuits
1 cup almond meal
¼ cup coconut flour
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup chopped dates
80g butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 tbsp pear juice concentrate*
1 tbsp honey
1 egg, whisked
Chocolate drizzle
1 tsp raw cacao powder
1 tsp coconut oil
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray
with baking paper.
Put almond meal, coconut flour,
desiccated coconut, walnuts and dates in
a bowl and mix well.
In a separate small bowl, stir
together butter with vanilla, pear juice
concentrate and honey. Add to almond
mixture. Add egg and mix well so it all
comes together like dough.
Roll small amounts of mixture into
flattened balls and place them on the
tray, leaving a space between each ball.
Bake for 20 mins or until slightly golden
on the edges.
For the chocolate drizzle, melt the
ingredients for about 1 min and drizzle
over the top of the biscuits.
*Pear juice concentrate can be bought in
healthfood stores.
wellbeing.com.au | 127

A range of six natural and functional beverages
scientifically formulated to promote wellbeing.
Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat
Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat’s award-winning
recipe book A Taste of Gwinganna features
160 pages of delicious gluten- and dairy-free
recipes, plus a special section on how to make
your own fermented foods.
W: gwinganna.com
Synergy Natural Super Greens
200g Powder
Synergy Natural Super Greens Powder combines
four of nature’s most calorie-sparse and
nutrient-dense wholefoods: spirulina, chlorella,
barley grass and wheat grass. Boasting an
extraordinary array of easily digestible nutrients,
fat-burning compounds, vitamins, minerals,
proteins and phytochemicals, the powder
packs a true superfoods punch.
W: synergynatural.com
Golden Door Elysia Health Retreat and
Spa, Hunter Valley
This year, make yourself a priority. Experience
healthy eating, physical activity, informative
and motivational seminars, rest and
rejuvenation at Golden Door. Golden Door’s
all-inclusive programs will change your life
— the way you live it, the way you see it,
the way you experience it.
W: goldendoor.com.au
128 | wellbeing.com.au
Herbal Fix
Each beverage contains up to seven organic
herbs and eight vitamins and minerals with
only 65 calories per serve. Free from artificial
ingredients and processed sugars, Herbal Fix
helps you revitalise your mind and body. The
Australian-made wellness range is available
in a variety of fruity flavours for you to enjoy.
W: herbalfix.com.au
Health
source
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W: zianibeauty.com.au
Radiance Retreats
Jessie Chapman and the experienced
Radiance Retreats team have been offering
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Golden Door at home
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International Yoga Teachers Association
The primary activity of the International Yoga
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highest level of yoga teacher training and
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IYTA is managed by a dedicated group of
volunteers who are passionate about yoga
and its professional and ethical teaching.
W: iyta.com.au
 Living Toxic Free with Cheeki
Keeping food and drink free of plastic
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W: cheeki.net.au
Retreat to beautiful Byron Bay
Byron Yoga Retreat Centre is a tranquil
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of town and beautiful beaches of Byron Bay,
offering affordable 8-, 5- or 3-day wellness
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W: byronyoga.com
Olive Oil Skincare
Our philosophy is simple. We are committed to
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Wisdom Yoga Institute
Find your light in 2018! Do you love
yoga and wish to share it with others?
Find out more about our foundational
and post-graduate yoga teacher
trainings in Perth, Melbourne and Bali.
W: wisdomyogatraining.com
Nirvana Organics
Nirvana Organics Stevia is an all-natural,
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Not only does it taste great, Nirvana
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Australian Traditional Medicine Society
ATMS is Australia’s largest natural medicine
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practitioners across naturopathy, massage,
traditional Chinese medicine, homoeopathy and
more. It provides its accredited members with
a wide range of education events, promotes
the benefits of natural medicine and lobbies on
behalf of members and the industry.
W: atms.com.au
Cabot Health
Dr Sandra Cabot is launching a
breakthrough 15-day Ultimate Total Body
Cleanse program to help you achieve
maximum vitality and overall health.
Make Dr Cabot’s healthy detox recipes or
get them delivered straight to your door.
W: cabothealth.com.au
POWEROLL Massage Oil
POWEROLL is a blend of essential oils
specially formulated to relieve muscle
pain. Its roll-on applicator massages
aches and pains as it applies the
extra-strength oil, which soothes and
provides muscular relief. It may also
assist in managing lower back pain and
temporary relief of arthritis pain.
W: poweroll.com.au
Southern Cross Pottery
Southern Cross Pottery is a multi-award-
winning Australian manufacturer of handmade
high-quality gravity stoneware water purifiers.
Available in two sizes and dozens of colours,
the purifiers remove virtually all impurities,
including chlorine, fluoride and bacteria,
and keep the water cool with no plumbing
or electricity needed.
W: southerncrosspottery.com.au
wellbeing.com.au | 129
 EverEscents Organic Hair Care
EverEscents Organic Hair Care has created
the next generation of hair repair products
that are not only beautiful but easy to use on
all hair types. Using sweet almond and rice
to restore the hair’s structure and replace
essential proteins, it’s the perfect treatment for
hair that’s hopelessly damaged from excessive
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Grants
Perfect for kids who tend to think
toothpaste is “too spicy”! Grants
Australian-made and -owned kids’
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blueberry flavour, which kids love, and
uses plant-based xylitol, proven to
reduce decay-causing bacteria in the
mouth. Plus, it’s certified vegan and
free from fluoride.
W: grantsofaustralia.com.au
Life Basics SPF 30 All Natural
Facial Sunscreen
Lightweight and non-greasy, this daily
sunscreen contains soothing calendula, green
tea and rosehip to moisturise skin while
providing lasting UVA and UVB protection.
This gentle formula is ideal for use on both
the face and body as well as children.
W: nourishedlife.com.au
130 | wellbeing.com.au
P’ure Papaya Care Papaya Ointment
An ultra-rich, nourishing ointment
containing enzyme- and nutrient-rich
Australian organic fermented papaya (paw
paw), this 100 per cent natural formulation
is perfect for lips, heels, cuticles and
patches of dry, sensitive or irritated skin.
W: purepapayacare.com.au
Beauty
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Weleda Skin Food
Weleda Skin Food is a universal saviour
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Eco-Luxe Retreat Skincare
Coming soon in 2018 is the exciting relaunch
of Olivia Newton-John’s toxin-free skincare
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i-Care Eyewear
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Muscle Recovery — Silk Bath Oil
A powerful blend of wintergreen, tea tree and
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of aching limbs while revitalising mind and
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W: oilgarden.com.au
 Black Bean Wafer Crackers
Using the goodness of black beans,
ORGRAN has produced the ideal entertainer
to complement your dips, toppers and side
dishes. Featuring all-natural ingredients and
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Gaia Spa Cuisine
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Sassi Salts Black Pyramid
Sea Salt Flakes
Mixed with activated charcoal, a natural
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has the same versatility as white salt and
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Madura Tea
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Food
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Ceres Organics
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CORN THINS
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Planet Organic
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wellbeing.com.au | 131
 education focus
BYRON YOGA CENTRE
Byron Yoga Centre
C
hoosing a yoga course can be
daunting; not just who to train
with, but which course to select.
Byron Yoga Centre, located in Byron Bay
on the New South Wales north coast,
has trained more than 3000 teachers.
The centre runs a range of different
trainings and retreats in Byron Bay as
well as part-time options offered in
Sydney and Melbourne.
Beginning your teaching career
Starting out as a yoga teacher can feel
like a giant leap. It’s not easy to go
from being in a class to leading it but
you can ease into it. Begin by teaching
friends and family and offering classes
by donation. Then, when you are ready,
you can start with one or two classes
a week, organically building towards a
fuller schedule.
The minimum qualification required
by studios and for insurance is a 200-
hour Level 1 training. Byron Yoga
Centre offers this as a 20-day or 12-day
residential intensive or as a part-time
training in Sydney and Melbourne.
However, many students are looking for a
more in-depth training that goes beyond
the minimum requirements, which Byron
Yoga Centre also offers.
Get a head start in the
teaching arena
Byron Yoga Centre offers a 500-hour
residential training and also an 800-
hour certificate IV course. Completing
a 500-hour or 800-hour course will give
you a substantial advantage in the yoga
industry. You will gain more skills and
knowledge and boost your confidence
with significant practical teaching
experience.
John Ogilvie, the founder of Byron
Yoga Centre, comments, “When I first
132 | wellbeing.com.au
started running teacher training courses,
most trainees had many years’ yoga
experience. Now we are finding that
students with just two or three years’
yoga practice are being drawn to our
trainings. For experienced practitioners,
a 200-hour course is sufficient to
establish them on a teaching path but
those with less yoga years can really
benefit from a longer course.”
The ultimate yoga teaching
qualification
Byron Yoga Centre is one of only a
few organisations to offer the yoga
industry an 800-hour certificate IV in
yoga teaching (either as a seven-week
residential intensive in Byron Bay or as
a 12-month part-time non-residential
course in Melbourne and Byron Bay).
Australian students can apply for Austudy
and international students qualify for a
12-month student visa to Australia.
If you’re serious about making yoga
teaching your profession, Byron Yoga
Centre’s certificate IV in yoga teaching
is the smart choice. Committing to
the 12-month part-time option allows
you time to genuinely develop your
own teaching style by teaching public
classes. The course also helps you
to integrate both the theoretical and
practical elements and develop your
own yoga practice.
The course is an exceptional level of
qualification and will boost your teaching
skills and your confidence and progress
your yoga journey.
Advanced trainings
for yoga teachers
Byron Yoga Centre believes in supporting
its students throughout their yoga
teaching careers and is continually
developing and launching specialist
trainings. Currently on offer are
courses in yin yoga, pre- and postnatal
yoga, remedial yoga and meditation
teacher training. These are ideal for
yoga teachers who are members of a
professional body such as Yoga Alliance
and need to undertake training each year
to gain CPD (Continuous Professional
Development) points.
To gain the 500-hour certification,
you can join a Level 2 residential
training at Byron Yoga Retreat Centre
or choose one of the part-time options.
Then, if you choose, you can complete a
bridging course to achieve the 800-hour
certificate IV in yoga teaching.
The Byron Yoga advanced courses
offer teachers the opportunity to deepen
their knowledge, delve into their passion
and connect to their peer group.
Course accreditation
Byron Yoga Centre trainings are
recognised by Yoga Alliance and Yoga
Australia and the Certificate IV is also
an ASQA (Australian Skills Quality
Authority) accredited national course.
As Australia has one of the most
internationally recognised vocational
education systems in the world, this
kind of accreditation enhances its
international standing.
Train at Byron Yoga
Retreat Centre
At the tranquil Byron Yoga Retreat
Centre, students enjoy delicious, healthy
vegetarian food, a heated mineral salt
pool and the chance to experience Byron
Bay and its beautiful beaches.
For more information, contact Byron Yoga Centre:
T: (02) 6685 8327
E: info@byronyoga.com
W: byronyoga.com
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 column
NATURAL BEAUTY
Fat & your skin
W
hile the word “fat” and fats in our diet
have garnered negative attention over
the years, good fats are friends, not
foes. The right fats are absolutely essential for a
healthy mind, lean body and beautiful skin.
Eat fat, be slim
Research shows a healthy high-fat diet can reset
your metabolism and prevent obesity. Including
good fats in our diets will help regulate blood
sugar levels, burn fat stores, increase feelings of
satiety and reduce hunger so we’re less likely to
CARLA OATES
binge on refined carbohydrates.
is a natural beauty
Good fats are essential for healthy skin,
expert and the author
hair and nails. They are often loaded with
of Feeding Your Skin.
vitamins and antioxidants, making them
anti-inflammatory. They help the body absorb
fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E
and K and phytonutrients such as carotenoids,
lycopene and lutein from other foods. Good fats
also help stimulate collagen synthesis and are
required to make hormones. Plus, they keep
your skin nourished and lubricated.
Types of fat
Of course, not all fats are equal. Some are good,
some are best eaten in moderation and some
are to be completely avoided.
Saturated fats
These fats are found in full-fat dairy products
including butter and cheese, plus beef and
chicken fat. Grass-fed beef, dairy, lamb and
turkey contain conjugated linoleic acid, an
antioxidant that may help protect against heart
disease, cancer and diabetes.
Grain-fed animals are lower in these
beneficial fats and higher in inflammatory fats
like palmitic acid, which also raise bad LDL
cholesterol. Grass-fed beef is also higher in
a type of long-chain saturated fat known as
stearic acid, which has been shown to lower LDL
cholesterol and inflammation.
Cacao butter, found in dark chocolate, is a
plant-based source of stearic acid — good to
know if you love chocolate. Cold-pressed virgin
coconut oil is a plant source of medium-chain
saturated fat, which is anti-inflammatory and
includes anti-microbial lauric acid (also found
in breast milk) and may boost metabolism. You
need only a little saturated fat, so don’t get more
than 10 per cent of your daily calories from it.
Mono-unsaturated fats
Mono-unsaturates are found in olive oil (extra
virgin), avocados, oily fish, cashews and
Good fats macadamia nuts. Avocados also contain skin-
keep your skin loving vitamin E, K, folate and fibre.
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) is rich in
nourished and
phytonutrients and omega-9 essential fatty acids
lubricated from (also known as oleic acid, or OLA) plus vitamins A,
the inside out. B1, B2, C, D, E, K, iron and skin-loving squalene.
134 | wellbeing.com.au
Polyunsaturated oils
These oils are also known as essential fatty
acids (EFAs) because we can’t make them.
These nutrients help us build skin, brain and
nerve cell membranes, boost immunity, support
heart health, burn body fat, reduce appetite and
reduce inflammation. EFAs come in two forms:
omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Omega-3s can be found in marine sources
(EPA and DHA or eicosapentaenoic acid and
docosahexaenoic acid) found in fish, marine
algae and supplements such as spirulina.
Omega-3 oils also come in the form of
alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) from flax seeds, hemp
seeds, chia seeds, green leafy vegetables,
kiwis, strawberries and walnuts. Our bodies are
not as efficient at converting ALA into the more
active forms of EPA and DHA, so these omega-
3s are not as potent as marine sources.
You’ll find omega-6 oils in avocados,
coconuts, olives, cashews, pine nuts, sesame oil,
evening primrose oil and borage oil. Small doses
can support your nervous and immune systems
and nourish your skin. The sixes are also found
in plant oils such as canola, sunflower and
soybean oils, which are abundant in packaged
foods and very easy to over-consume.
Just remember to eat more omega-3s and
less omega-6s (aim for a ratio of 1:3). Omega-3
oils are super for your skin but a little omega-6
oil goes a long way and too much causes
inflammation, weight gain and ageing.
Trans fats
Trans fats are polyunsaturated vegetable
oils that have been hydrogenated or partially
hydrogenated to make them solid at room
temperature and prolong their shelf life. They
damage your skin, flood your body with free-
radicals, raise your bad LDL cholesterol, cause
heart disease and inflammation, promote
ageing and have been linked to cancer. You’ll
find them in store-bought mayonnaise and salad
dressings, most packaged snacks, biscuits and
crackers, margarine, most fast and deep-fried
foods. Read labels carefully and avoid these
manmade fats at all costs.
How much is enough?
Including a little healthy fat in every meal will
help you feel fuller for longer, regulate your
blood sugar levels and increase the absorption
of many nutrients from the other foods on your
plate. Aim for a total of around 40–60g of healthy
fat daily and no more than 30 per cent of your
Photography Bigstock
total calories. A small serving of fat with each
meal could be drizzling a tablespoon of EVOO
on your vegetables, or adding a quarter of an
avocado, half a dozen nuts or a small portion of
oily fish to your plate, or a sprinkle of pumpkin
seeds on your salad.
 column
QUICK KITCHEN

Slow cooking central

I
n my Supercharged Kitchen at home,
autumn/winter is a time when I rev up the
stove, bring out the crockpot from the back
of the cupboard and get more into home cooking.
My philosophy for this time of the year is based on
the concept of low and slow and feeding my family
warming, nourishing meals made with hearty
ingredients and coloured with herbs and spices.
Slow cooking is a traditional method of cooking
that uses a gentle flame for a long period of time.
The long, slow heating allows the dish to retain
the vitamins and minerals that would otherwise
be destroyed. Slow cooking also helps break
down the cell walls of vegetables and meat,
making them easier for us to absorb and digest.
I find slow cooking easier than regular
cooking; all you need to do is throw your
ingredients into your slow cooker in the morning,
turn it on and come home to a deliciously
aromatic meal. It doesn’t get any easier than
that when it comes to family meal times.
You might like to use a crockpot or a
casserole dish in the oven. A crockpot is a
type of slow-cooker that has a ceramic bowl
inside a heating unit, with varying cooking
settings. A crockpot keeps moisture in the pot,
which means it won’t dry up in the oven like a
casserole dish might. A crockpot is also cheaper
to run and uses less energy; however, it does
usually take more time. So it depends on what
your individual preferences are.
In terms of ingredients, I love to add a good
bone broth to my slow-cooked meals and then
LEE HOLMES
some apple-cider vinegar, wheat-free tamari and
runs Supercharged Food
lemon to balance out all the flavours and give it
and recently released her
some depth. They are the staple ingredients I use
newest book Supercharge
for the base and then build on that.
Your Gut. Visit her blog
Start with garlic, celery and onion, add meat,
at superchargedfood.com
chopped vegetables such as sweet potato or
for more cooking
parsnips and then the broth. If you like a sweeter
inspiration, recipes
taste, adding a few chopped dates can really take
and tips.
your slow-cooked meal to the next level.

Butter Chicken Claypot Stir in ground spices and 1 cinnamon stick

Everything tastes better in a
claypot — even butter chicken!
This will give your Friday-night
curry a gut-friendly upgrade.
Serves 4
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large brown onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3cm knob fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1–2 tsp ground coriander
1–2 tsp ground cinnamon
1–2 tsp ground turmeric
1–2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
750g boneless, skinless
chicken thighs, halved or
cut into pieces
1 bay leaf
400mL tomato passata
(puréed tomatoes)
250mL coconut cream
100g roasted unsalted
cashews, crushed or
finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
Coriander leaves, to serve
Heat olive oil in large clay pot
or heavy-based saucepan over
medium heat. Sauté onion for
3–4 minutes, or until softened.
Add garlic and ginger and
sauté for a further minute.
salt and sauté for 2 mins, or
until fragrant.
Add chicken and cook,
stirring frequently for about
5 mins before adding bay leaf,
passata, coconut cream and
cashews. Reduce heat to low
and simmer uncovered for
20–25 mins or until chicken is
cooked through.
Stir in lemon juice, scatter
with coriander and serve with
your choice of accompaniment.
Braised Beef Ribs with
Lemongrass & Tamarind
In this busy age we sometimes
forget how important and
special the slow enjoyment of
ritual meals can be. So bring
back the Sunday feast with this
lovely braised beef.
Serves 4
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2kg beef short ribs
2 red onions, finely diced
4 cm knob fresh ginger,
finely grated
8 garlic cloves, roughly
chopped
2 lemongrass stems, white
part only, roughly chopped
2 coriander roots, scraped &
finely chopped
3 whole star anise
3 tbsp raw honey
150g (½ cup) tamarind purée
80mL (1/3 cup) wheat-free
tamari
750mL–1L (3–4 cups) good-
quality chicken stock or bone
broth
Coriander leaves, to garnish
Preheat oven to 150°C.
Heat olive oil in large
frying pan over medium–high
heat. Working in batches if
necessary, cook ribs, turning
occasionally, for 3–5 mins or
until browned. Transfer to deep
roasting pan that will fit them
all snugly in a single layer.
In the same frying pan, I find slow
sauté onion, ginger, garlic, cooking easier
lemongrass and coriander
roots for 3–4 mins or until than regular
onion has softened, then add cooking; all
mixture to ribs in the roasting you need to do
pan, distributing it evenly. Add
star anise and cinnamon stick.
is throw your
Drizzle the honey, tamarind ingredients
and tamari over the ribs, then into your slow
pour in the stock/bone broth.
cooker in the
Cover tightly with sheet of
baking paper, then sheet of foil. morning,
Transfer to the oven and turn it on and
roast for 2–3 hours, or until the come home to
meat on the ribs is very tender.
Garnish with coriander and a deliciously
serve with your choice of sides. aromatic meal.

wellbeing.com.au | 135
 column
THE CONSCIOUS LIFE
The daily detox
W
e live in a world where, at every
turn, it seems as if we’re being sold
something to detox, much of it with
very little substance or proof that it will work.
Do we need to detox, though? I mean, don’t our
bodies just detox all the time, anyway? Many
skeptics say, “We detox every day — we don’t
even need to think about it — so it’s pseudo-
science to say we need to ‘do’ detoxing.” But
a couple of issues are worth noting here that
counter that thinking.
For a start, we are exposed to vastly more
ALEXX STUART
than we were once upon a time. If you pop a
is a passionate
lot of painkillers or are subjected to acetone,
educator in the space she
pesticides, paint solvents or tattoos, to name
calls “living a low tox-life”.
a few comon avenues of exposure, over time
Through her speaking,
these can deplete your glutathione stores.
workshops, e-courses and
Glutathione is considered one of the most
online community, she
important antioxidants we produce, super
helps people make the
important to detoxification and immune
best new choices for them,
function. So some of us, for various reasons,
their families and the
are poor detoxifiers — I am and need
planet. lowtoxlife.com
additional support.
Unfortunately, it’s not a perfect world where
we’re all detoxifying perfectly and so most of us
do need support on the detoxification front. The
question is, how do you detox?
Well, this is where your practitioner comes
in. If you have a specific issue or a specific thing
you need to detox from, you need one-on-one
support and an individualised treatment plan.
There are many systems of the body involved in
detoxification, so here’s a guide to the various
ways your body can detoxify along with a few
practices that help you ensure your detox
systems have all the support they need
to function well.
Skin
Your skin is your biggest organ and it needs
some TLC to keep it in good shape. A lot of
nasties get absorbed through our skin (because
there’s so much of it and so many things
touch it, even if you’re squeaky clean on the
lifestyle front). Try dry body brushing your skin
for a couple of minutes every day before your
Unfortunately, shower or even a couple of times per week for
it’s not a a longer five-minute session. This stimulates
the lymphatic system and boosts circulation,
perfect world which is excellent for detoxification. You can
where we’re
also add Epsom salts or magnesium chloride to
all detoxifying your bath. Add ½–1 cup to your bath, which you
should be taking more often to relax and unwind.
perfectly and
so we do, most Eyes
of us, need Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest.
The best way to detox your eyes, which like your
support on the
skin can absorb toxins, is to have a good old-
detoxification fashioned cry. Crying is a detox for not only the
front. eyes but the entire spirit.
136 | wellbeing.com.au
Nose
Have you tried neti potting yet? Once you do,
you’ll get very addicted to the clear feeling in
your nose after a good neti potting session. It’s
a little bit weird while you’re first getting used
to it but it’s such a wonderful and natural way
to moisturise, clear out and detox your nose.
It cleans your nasal cavity and improves your
breathing. Make sure you get a porcelain one
and clean it with soapy water after each use.
Lymphatic system
Your lymphatic system can hold a lot of toxins, so
you have to make sure to keep it moving. Dry body
brushing, as mentioned (circular motions towards
your heart), helps to stimulate your lymphatic
system and, as a bonus, can help with cellulite.
You can also get specialised lymph massages that
help your lymph system get rid of cell wastes,
proteins, excess fluid, viruses and bacteria.
Exercise also assists with lymph circulation.
Kidneys
Your kidneys filter your blood and get clogged
with gunk. Have beet juice or beet kvass,
cranberry juice (not too much because of the
sugar), ginger, turmeric, spirulina, cucumbers,
celery juice, sprouts, lemon and lime in your
day-to-day routine to clean your kidneys and
keep them in perfect working order.
Liver
Start the day with a warm glass of water with
lemon and have lots of beetroot, carrot (grated
and raw is best with lemon and olive oil),
avocados, apples and olive oil. Garlic is also
excellent for the liver, so make sure you add
some to your salad — raw is best if you can
handle the heat.
Pooping
You can tell a lot about your health from what
comes out your back end. We need to poop
every day and if we don’t it can be due to a
range of factors. Explore self tummy massage
to keep things eliminating. Start your day with
a lemon or cider vinegar in water and ensure
you’re incorporating a good range of the above
activities. If you’re not getting to the loo daily
with the tips mentioned here, my advice would
Photography Wellness Stock Shop
be to see a practitioner.
We live in a world where there’s far more
for our bodies to deal with than there once was
and we owe it to our many systems that aid in
detoxification to support and look after them as
best we can.
The thing I love most about all these
suggestions is that in the end it adds up to
self-care and self-awareness, both of which will
serve us very well in the long run.

Plants for jam makers
I
can remember when jam was a treat. Real
jam, not the stuff that came from the shop
and was reputed to be mostly choko, sugar
and food colouring. Real jam was made of
strawberries, bought in bulk from the farm as
“jam berries” because they were too ripe to
sell to the shops.
These days, our favourites are homemade
lemon or lime curd, or cumquat or Seville orange
marmalade, apricot jam (again with large hunks
of fruit) and very, very small jars of sour cherry
jam, one of the best in the universe, as the fruit is
intensely flavoured without being sweet.
Jam lasts for months but is best eaten
fresh as the flavour slowly seeps away. There
are some glorious jam-making fruits that are
difficult to buy. If you love jam making, you need
to grow your own.
If you love homemade jam but are not a
jam maker, give the fruit away and hope for
“boomerangs” — fruit that comes back to you
as jam.
Seville orange
These “bitter” oranges aren’t sweet but have an
incomparable flavor. Marmalade makers adore
them. They are also more cold-hardy than other
oranges and will survive light frosts, especially
in a spot protected from cold winds, like the
fenced-in corner of the backyard.
In hotter areas they can be prone to sooty
mould from sap-sucking scale, so keep an eye
out for these tiny pests and use an organic oil
spray according to directions.
Mulberry
It’s almost impossible to buy mulberry jam,
partly because few people know how delicious it
is but also because it can be laborious stripping
the fruit from the stems. If this seems a chore,
make jelly and strain the fruit after cooking it
and before you add the sugar.
Mulberries will grow in all but arid or snowy
areas. Try a dwarf one that will grow about 2m
high and wide and give wonderfully reliably fruit,
as long as you feed and water it. Mulberries are
hardy but will only fruit well if tended.
Loquat
Loquats may be one of the hardiest fruits in the
world. They bear reliably and modern varieties
now have small seeds and lots of fruit rather
than giant seeds and not much fruit at all. The
Photography Getty Images
fruit is also one of the first of spring. It’s OK
eaten fresh but makes the most stunning jam, a
bit like apricot or plum.
There’s always masses of fruit on the tree
to make dozens of pots of jam — and give to
others who’ll make jam, too. Possums also love
loquats, which means they may leave your roses
column
DIGGING IN
alone while they dine on loquat fruit, flowers or
young leaves. Loquats are so hardy they usually
hardly notice possum invasion.
Plum
This is the classic jam tree. Plums are hardy,
relatively pest-free trees that flourish in a wide
range of climates and soils, plus they give an
abundance of fruit. They are also perhaps the
easiest fruit to make into jam as they’re rich in
pectin, especially if you pick them slightly green
— or at least add some under-ripe fruit to your
JACKIE FRENCH
fragrant, juicy ripe fruit.
is the author of
Anyone with a plum tree and recipe for jam is
The Chook Book
guaranteed a line of jars that range from golden
(Aird Books). Her oldest
jam through blood red to almost black, depending
chook, Gertie, is now 17.
on the variety of plum. I love blood plum jam
Although Gertie’s sisters
simply for the colour but lighter and purple-
have all long since fallen
skinned plums give great-tasting jams, too.
off the perch, Gertie still
lays extremely large
Fig
brown eggs most days
For years before he met me, my husband grew
of the year. Get in touch
a giant fig tree solely to give the fruit to an
with Jackie via facebook.
avid fig-jam maker. He got six jars of fig jam in
com/jackiefrenchauthor,
return, enough to last him for months on his
twitter.com/jackie_ french
toast. And if you have a fig tree that produces a
and Instagram.com/
crop of early-season figs (usually a smaller crop
Jackie_ french.
of very large but often somewhat drier and less
flavorsome figs called “breva” before the main
“higo” crop), these make excellent jam.
Strawberry
The fruit is so delicious, especially when
homegrown, that you need to grow a lot to spare
any for jam. Buy the varieties best suited to your
climate — your plant nursery can advise you.
Jam making
Jam making is far easier than you think. The
following is a recipe that suits almost any fruit.
Basic jam
Ingredients
1kg fruit, seeds & stalks removed
200mL water
Sugar
Simmer fruit in water till soft. Add one cup of
sugar for every cup of liquid. Heat slowly, stirring
all the time, so the sugar dissolves before
the jam begins to bubble. Add more water if There are some
necessary — this will vary with the juiciness of glorious jam-
the fruit. Keep stirring.
When it goes “glug glug”, place a little on a
making fruits
saucer. If it mounds instead of running, it’s ready. that are difficult
Don’t overcook as you can always reheat and cook to buy. If you
it a bit more. Place it hot into bottles to sterilise
love jam making,
them. Seal, cool and store in a cool, dark place for
up to six months. Throw out if it changes colour, you need to grow
turns liquid, ferments or grows mould. your own.
wellbeing.com.au | 137
 column
PET CARE
Reducing cancer risk
C
ancer is a disease that generally results
from a long timeline of events. There
are many factors that may influence a
pet’s chances of cancer, including genetics,
environment and lifestyle. If we address these
early, we may slow or even prevent cancer in pets.
Genetics
Some breeds have a higher incidence of certain
types of cancer. Boxers, for example, have
increased incidence of mast cell tumours, German
Shepherds of hemangiosarcomas, Schnauzers
KAREN
of squamous cell carcinomas and Rottweilers of
GOLDRICK
osteosarcoma. Though we can’t actively change
is a holistic veterinarian
genetic predispositions, we can make health
at All Natural Vet Care,
choices as well as adopt early detection strategies.
Russell Lea, Sydney.
T: 02 9712 5844,
Desexing
W: naturalvet.com.au
Neutering has been carried out in Australia since
the 70s as a strategy to reduce strays. Generally
desexing is done at six months. The timing may
influence the development of some types of
cancer in dogs and should be discussed by vets
and pet owners to allow an informed decision.
Speying, or castration, will help protect against
cancers associated with the reproductive organs.
Desexing of bitches before their first season will
have the most protective effect against mammary
adenocarcinoma. The likelihood of mammary
cancer increases with each season.
However, early desexing may increase the
incidence of other types of cancer. Rottweilers
desexed before 12 months of age have increased
incidence of osteosarcoma. Other studies have
shown increased risks for cancer development in
desexed Golden Retrievers (lymphomas and mast
cell tumours) and Hungarian Vislas (lymphomas).
These studies demonstrate that timing of
desexing may influence the development of
cancer in dogs, but that we do not understand
all the implications. From a holistic perspective,
we encourage delaying desexing where possible
in larger-breed dogs until after the first season
(in females) and/or fully grown (in males, unless
aggression is a concern).
Reducing inflammation
Chronic inflammation due to the effects of toxins,
infections, metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance
and chronic stress plays a role in the development
of cancer in people and pets.
The most
Environmental risk factors
important
Passive tobacco smoke exposure increases
aspect of your the risk for lung and nasal cancer in dogs and
pet’s health that oral squamous cell carcinoma in cats, as well
you can manage as lymphoma in cats. These are the two most
common cancers seen in cats. Fastidious
is nutrition — cleaning behaviour results in oral exposure to
and weight. toxins from environmental tobacco smoke.
138 | wellbeing.com.au
Exposure to phenoxy herbicides in Scottish
Terriers significantly increases risk for bladder
cancer. Lymphoma may be more prevalent in an
urban environment and may be associated with
exposure to herbicides, paint, asbestos, solvents,
radiation and electromagnetic fields. As part of a
long-term wellness plan for your pet, you should
consider elimination of potential toxins.
Calorie restriction
The most important aspect of your pet’s health
that you can manage is nutrition — and weight.
A lifelong study of restricted calorie intake in
Labradors showed increased lifespan.
Metabolic Syndrome in pets is increasing
and the causes are many. Increased calorie
intake, increased use of refined processed pet
foods and reduced exercise due to space and
time limitations are just a few. Dogs and cats on
dry food diets are more likely to have increased
weight and insulin resistance, which leads to
inflammation and increases the risk for cancer.
Diets made from real foods can be varied,
nutritionally complete and use high-quality
ingredients of your choosing. Vets experienced
in home-prepared diets can assist you with the
transition. Dogs and cats on real-food-based diets
are usually leaner and show reduced incidence
of inflammatory problems such as skin and ear
infections, and cranial cruciate disease in dogs.
Supplements to reduce insulin resistance
include cinnamon and berberine, found in
traditional Chinese herbal formulae wei ling tang
and si miao san, used for spleen qi deficiency, a
condition that frequently leads to accumulation of
fat, which may manifest as weight gain.
Exercise
Exercise supports weight management in dogs as
well as reduce stress, improves insulin sensitivity
and reduces inflammation. Dogs can also have
periods of vigorous exercise such as running,
chasing balls and vigorous swimming included in
their weekly regime. However, speak to your vet
about the most suitable exercise for your dog and
always warm them up before vigorous activity.
Flavonoids
Another study has shown that increased
consumption of green leafy vegetables and yellow
orange vegetables had a protective effect in
Scottish Terriers, who are prone to cancer of the
bladder. Flavonoids from plants, e.g. boswellin,
curcumin, luteolin, quecetin, resveritrol and
Photography Bigstock
epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), slow cancer
through NFkB inhibition. NFkB is a protein
complex that has been linked to the development
of cancer. Turmeric, blueberries, green tea and
other coloured vegetables can be included as part
of your pet’s diet.

Eating at work
L
ike you, many of my clients work in busy
work environments. Like you, they are
often short on time and long on priorities;
and, like you, they are juggling deadlines and
commitments.
There’s nothing wrong with this scenario
as long as it doesn’t have an impact on your
ability to invest in wellbeing fundamentals,
including healthy eating. Below I have outlined
key guidelines to follow for sustaining healthy
eating in the workplace.
Build sustainable eating habits
My experience tells me that if you can sustain
a new habit for three to six months you have a
good chance of converting it to a long-term habit.
Take a medium-to-longer-term view on creating
new eating habits. Importantly, regardless of
whatever eating habit you decide to focus on
creating, ensure it’s practical and one that can be
incorporated into day-to-day life. A great example
is eating a healthy breakfast every day.
Don’t compromise on flavour
Food tastes good and, if you like what you eat
and enjoy what you eat, it follows you are more
likely to eat it. So don’t compromise on flavour
when choosing the foods to eat.
Healthy eating does not equate to a salad
leaf with a piece of cucumber without any
dressing. Take a simple example like almonds,
which together with a piece of fruit can make
a great afternoon work snack. If you find plain
almonds boring or not to your taste, consider
trying tamari-coated or baked almonds. All
three options deliver on the health benefits
of almonds.
Don’t restrict food groups
Restricting a food group means you may be
removing essential nutrients from your diet. I
encourage you not to remove any food group
unless you have received professional advice
based on sound reasoning.
If you are given advice to remove a food
group, your next question must be how you will
otherwise source the nutrients you normally get
from the food group you are removing. The best
rule of thumb is to moderate rather than remove
a food group.
Photography Wellness Stock Shop
Protect your brain power
Your brain is one of the most energy-hungry
organs you have. It needs a constant energy
supply for you to perform at your peak. When
you are in full flight, using the part of your brain
responsible for solving a problem or making
a complex decision, your brain is at its most
energy-intensive. This part of your brain can use
up to 80 per cent of the brain’s resources and
column
WORKPLACE WELLNESS
up to 30 per cent of the body’s overall energy. It
explains why you can feel mentally fatigued.
Choose your energy source wisely. You can
drink another coffee or reach for a sugar hit
from a soft drink, chocolate or muffin. However,
this will not create sustainable quality energy
for your brain. You would be wiser to eat three
balanced meals a day and snacks as required.
Eat balanced meals containing fresh vegies
together with quality carbs, protein and fats.
Don’t inhale your food
JAN MCLEOD
I understand you get busy at work, but not making
is a highly respected
time to sit and eat your food and instead inhaling
coach, mentor, speaker
it on the run will only lead to work performance
and consultant, a
issues. Your body systems, including your
specialist in the areas
gastrointestinal tract, take their lead from you as
of high performance,
to what to focus on. Unless you stop, sit down,
wellbeing, nutrition,
focus on the food you are eating and chew it well,
and change strategy
your body will not reallocate its focus to digesting
in the workplace
and absorbing the nutrients from what you are
www.thecapacity
eating. Healthy eating is not just what you eat; it’s
equation.com.au Or
also about when, how and why you eat.
madforhealth.com.au.
Don’t skip meals
Another common side-effect of being busy at
work is skipping meals. Working hard means you
are placing ongoing demands on yourself to think,
relate to others and get things done. Your body
requires a consistent supply of energy in regular
drops that you and I call meals to do this.
An ongoing pattern of skipping meals and
eating insufficient nutrient-dense food can over
time undermine your physiology. The long-term
risk is that you will end up gaining weight around
the waist, lose your muscle strength and feel
fatigued; at worst, you’ll feel burnt out.
Skipping meals is not a formula for feeling
engaged, energised and motivated at work.
Be wary of the term “superfoods”
I love the term “superfood” as it can help
promote a food. However, it’s essential to
remember that all whole fresh foods that are
nutrient-dense can be called a superfood. It’s a
marketing tag, not a science term.
So be wary of finding yourself eating or
drinking foods that cost more, assuming you
will be healthier. Instead, focus on eating a
varied diet.
Just eat real food
Australians and New Zealanders are taking
more and more supplements. Supplements
play a role in specific circumstances, but if Healthy eating is
you rely on supplements for key nutrients you not just what you
may be heading down the wrong path. Your
eat; it’s also about
gastrointestinal tract was designed to chew,
digest, absorb and excrete food. I love the advice when, how and
“just eat real food”. why you eat.
wellbeing.com.au | 139
 column
AGEING WELL
The gut & ageing
F
or aeons, naturopaths have been telling
us that the gut is your most vital organ
and that if you keep your digestive system
in prime condition the rest of you will follow
suit and good health might be the result.
Conversely if your gut is dysfunctional, then a
host of illnesses can be a consequence. When
we address any of these infirmities the first
thing we need to do is examine the gut for any
disturbances in function if we want to give
ourselves the best shot at tackling anything
that’s wrong in our bodies.
DR MICHAEL
This means that fatigue, anxiety, depression,
ELSTEIN
forgetfulness and all else that can go amiss
is a Sydney-based
with your body, the incidence of which escalates
anti-ageing physician
with age, have at their source a gut that’s not
and writer. He is the
working properly. The gut is where we need to
author of three books
start by determining exactly what is making
including his latest,
our digestive systems malfunction. Then, by
The Wellness Guide to
correcting this disturbance, it might be that
Preventing the Diseases
much easier to access more energy, feel less
of Ageing. He has also
anxious, lift the veil of depression and have a
designed the app
clearer mind that’s less forgetful.
The Diet Guide to
Science is slowly starting to unravel the
Ageing Prevention.
connection between gut health and emotional
disturbances like anxiety and depression. Current
research is highlighting the association between
gut function and core diseases of ageing: cancer,
heart disease and dementia. If we are going to
give ourselves the best chance of preventing the
diseases of ageing the first thing we have to do
is ensure that our digestive systems are fully
operational. In fact, this is so easy to do.
The acid test
The gut is a simple organ. Essentially, all it has
to do is break down the food you eat in order
to extract the nutrients you need for your cells
to be energised and your brain to activate.
To digest your food you need two essential
components: hydrochloric acid, manufactured
in the stomach, and enzymes emanating from
the pancreas.
It all starts with hydrochloric acid. You
absolutely must produce enough of this
substance if you want to initiate a digestive
process that releases all the indispensable
nutrients your body needs. Top of this list is
protein, found in meat, fish, eggs and beans.
You need protein to make brain chemicals that
prevent you from becoming depressed and
Rather than anxious, to assemble hormones that make you
sexual, energised and mentally engaged, and
suppress acid
your bones must have protein to prevent them
production from crumbling.
we should Not only our bones but all our organs need
be aiming to protein to maintain their structure and to
replenish their cells, which are in a constant
enhance this key state of renewal. Without sufficient protein we
substance. visibly shrink and ossify, becoming sclerosed,
140 | wellbeing.com.au
shrunken skeletons of our former selves. We
age prematurely, leading to mental and physical
incapacity. All this might be preventable if we
produce enough hydrochloric acid and eat
sufficient protein.
As we age there’s a 30 per cent reduction
in hydrochloric acid production. This is
compounded by two of the most favoured drugs,
readily and, according to the admonitions
of health authorities, hugely overprescribed
by doctors: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
medications (NSAIDs) and proton pump
inhibitors (PPIs).
NSAIDs such as Voltaren and Naprosyn
are used to treat pain and arthritis and even
extensively to lower temperatures in overheated
babies, while PPIs like Somac and Nexium are
doled out like lollies to any patient complaining
of heartburn, indigestion or stomach discomfort.
Then there’s aspirin, not as liberally
recommended as the above two medicinal
stalwarts but promoted nevertheless to
prevent heart disease, eroding the lining of the
stomach and further compromising hydrochloric
acid production.
Two studies in 2016, detailed in highly
prestigious journals JAMA Neurology and JAMA
Internal Medicine, have revealed that those
who take PPIs for an extended period have
an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s
dementia and damaged kidneys, possibly giving
some pause to doctors and the mothers who
liberally give their babies these medications.
Already, in 2013, evidence surfaced that PPI
usage increased the production of beta-amyloid,
the protein associated with increased Alzheimer’s
risk. Scientists have also found that, in a test
tube, PPIs reduce the acid produced around
brain and kidney cells. This acid breaks down and
helps eliminate cellular garbage. With less acid
and an accumulation of junk it’s not difficult to
appreciate how dementia and kidney destruction
might evolve. While a test tube is a far cry from
an actual organ, a Danish-American research
collaboration in 2017 has further disclosed that
long-term PPI usage significantly increases heart
disease and stroke risk.
The message is clear. Rather than suppress
acid production for those wishing to prevent the
diseases of ageing by maximising digestive
function, we should be aiming to enhance this
key substance. Bloating, burping, bad breath
and a coated tongue are pointers towards
compromised hydrochloric acid production.
Photography Bigstock
Even heartburn and reflux, or regurgitation of
bitter-tasting fluids, might be caused by
inadequate rather than excessive production of
stomach acid. Bitter herbs such as gentian,
globe artichoke, hops and dandelion root can
increase hydrochloric acid, as can ginger tea.

Worried about being anxious
A
68-year-old man was virtually dragged
into my office by his wife, who has been
increasingly concerned with her retired
husband’s bad temper tantrums. He had always
been “fiery” but it seemed to be getting worse.
He said he was quite OK but, on questioning,
there did appear to be issues he hadn’t thought
of as a problem.
Since retiring several years ago, he had
been watching television a lot more and had
been checking out websites with controversial
political views. As a result he was also becoming
increasingly fearful of what appears to be
happening in the world.
My diagnosis was that he was suffering
from increasing anxiety (triggered by the fear)
and that this was manifesting as increasing
bad temper, making it very difficult for his wife
and family. They felt they were “treading on
eggshells” as he would erupt and become very
angry for no apparent reason. The symptoms
were worse after watching the news or reading
his internet sites for any length of time.
His wife was also having problems getting
him out of the house and he had been refusing
invitations to visit even friends and family,
preferring to stay at home. His sugar intake
had increased and he was eating bread and
honey several times a day (it was raw honey
and sourdough bread, but the amounts were
an issue). He was taking no pharmaceutical
medication as he had refused to go to a doctor.
Other problems his wife thought may have
been related were that he was sleeping less,
often not getting to bed until 3am when on
the internet; his alcohol consumption was
increasing in both volume and frequency and he
was experiencing increasing “asthma” attacks,
which she thought were related to stress. His
digestion was also deteriorating with symptoms
such as wind, bloating and loose stools, which
had not been a problem before.
Anxiety
Symptoms of anxiety include feeling nervous
or on edge, not being able to stop worrying,
anxious for no apparent reason (increasing
in intensity), trouble relaxing and/or sleeping
(thoughts racing round in the head), being
restless and easily annoyed or over-irritable,
afraid that something awful may happen. These
symptoms occur on an almost daily basis.
With the lack of sleep anxious people are often
physically exhausted, making them more prone
Photography Bigstock
to physical illness, irritability, weakening of the
immune system and an inability to think clearly.
If severe, anxiety can lead to terrifying panic
attacks with symptoms similar to a severe
asthma or heart attack: difficulty breathing,
increased heart rate and sweating. Medical
column
CLINICAL CASEBOOK
tests will, however, prove negative. Digestive
symptoms are common if they try to eat while
feeling anxious — the stress reaction. Their
sugar intake increases as part of the stress
response and lack of energy.
Treatment
From a naturopathic perspective, counselling is
important (this man was referred to a counsellor),
but there’s also a range of effective physical
approaches that can make a big difference.
In this man’s case, improving his diet was
KAREN
important, as serotonin — the happy hormone
BRIDGMAN
— is largely produced in the gut. Reducing the
is a holistic practitioner
honey significantly was a start and reducing the
at Australian Biologics,
alcohol consumption was important, making
Sydney.
sure he had three nights a week alcohol free.
Probiotics were strongly recommended via
coconut kefir (he was allergic to dairy products)
as this gave him a source of live gut microflora
to help improve the health of his gut. Slippery
elm was also added to provide a food source to
grow the correct bowel bacteria, along with daily
serves of dark-green leafy vegetables.
He started filtering his tap water (copper in
water pipes can reduce the level of zinc in the
body and this imbalance has a role to play in
anxiety) and a zinc supplement was suggested
with his night meal. Magnesium is also
crucial and, while a magnesium supplement
is important (commonly as a powder), topical
magnesium has been shown to be more
effective. We recommended rubbing magnesium
creams or oils into the soles of his feet every
night before bed. This reduces muscle tension
and is calming for the nervous system. He liked
this idea as it did not involve more “pills”.
Herbally, there is substantial research on
the calming effects of St John’s wort (if the
person is not on any other medication as St
John’s wort can have adverse interactions
with pharmaceutical medication). In this case,
two tablets of a high-dose St John’s wort daily
was very effective in reducing the anxiety and
therefore the anger he was manifesting.
To help with sleep, we recommended
a combination of valerian, hops and
passionflower as a tea and he found this very
effective. Spending less time on the internet at
night also helped.
Exercise has
Starting an exercise program was crucial, been shown to
as this has been shown to significantly reduce significantly
anxiety, improve oxygenation and assist in the
reduce anxiety,
management of stress — plus it got him away
from the computer for periods of time. We improve
recommended relaxation classes and he oxygenation
chose yoga. and assist in the
Over the next six months his symptoms
improved significantly and both he and his wife management
were very pleased with the results. of stress.
wellbeing.com.au | 141
 column
MAY & JUNE 2018

Taurus
Your earthy, productive skills are high-
lighted in May with a Full Moon on April 30 starting
May on a high-energy note. The transit of Jupiter
through your opposite sign smiles on partnerships
and public roles, especially May 6–12 and May
19–25, when Water sign harmonies add creative
flair. Capitalise on this May 29–Jun 7, when Venus
provides a sweeter touch. Jun 20, 21 & 23 provide
another boost but late June requires restraint and
caution in contracts and communication.
CHRISTINE
BROADBENT
has been practising
Gemini
Apr 30–May 13, your curious mind responds
astrology for 30 years. As
to impetuous Mercury. Think before speaking May
a professional consulting
7–8 & 12–13. If you have to fix bridges, Water sign
astrologer and teacher,
harmonies will help. May 14–29, practical matters
she offers workshops,
call for patience. Gemini time begins May 21 with
personal readings and
inspiring ideas. Once Mercury enters Gemini at May
an informative newslet-
30’s Full Moon, you have the power; May 31–Jun 6
ter. Contact: Christine@
provides opportunities. Erratic energies dominate
astrologyspot.com.au or
the rest of June; early July is a better action time.
Ph: 0402 664 101. For
Cancer
April 28–May 20 is earthy, with practical
knowhow, strategic moves and ideal conditions.
Your Cancer security urge expresses itself now,
beautifying a treasured something, happily
nurturing those you love or future planning. Venus
in Cancer sweetens May 19–Jun 14. However, May
26 & Jun 6–9 could be exceptions via confrontation
with others. Sun enters Cancer Jun 21, marking
winter solstice. In your element now, move
cautiously through late June and July rewards you.
Leo
With May 15’s New Moon, worldly and
personal roles start a new cycle. You are a fixed
sign with fixed agendas but surrender now to
serendipity and late May will open doors. May
19–25, Jupiter and Neptune open hearts, helpful for
home and family life through to late August. May
31–Jun 6 is consolidation time, setting you up for
Jun 14’s New Moon. Don’t make plans that could
be too exhausting for late June, July.

Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius

Saturn is back in its home
sign of Capricorn and Sun is in
Taurus until May 21; Uranus is
also there for several months
— Earth signs rule! Good
news for earthy Virgo, it makes
May the month to get your
affairs in order and begin new
projects with May 15’s New
Moon. Inspired partnerships
or meeting new people that
deepen your perspective on
life reach defining moments
May 19–29. Guru Mercury
enters your career sign at Full
Moon May 30, which means
the pace of life gets much
busier through June.
Sun begins a new
cycle on May 21 and your
restlessness goes into
overdrive, meaning travel,
exciting learning and teaching
experiences. At the same time
ruling planet Venus is nudging
you into changes re home,
family and vocation. Yet Jun
6–8 & 14–16, problems are
likely related to those changes,
so move slowly. Waxing Moon
energy and a less sensitive
Venus carry you forward from
June 19 and solutions start to
take shape Jun 20, 21. However,
Jun 23–30 will require a very
patient, conciliatory approach.
As Jupiter in Scorpio is
your champion for most of the
year, any challenges for Jupiter
mean a lot. So, while May is a
month of ease and opportunity,
May 9, 23 & 26 require clear
decisions about how you deal
with others. Beware being
overly proud or autocratic in a
Jupiter year. The unique link-up
of Jupiter and Neptune occurs
again now, linking late May to
the events and opportunities of
early December. Consolidate
these now and in early June.
This way, you call out the best
in people, injecting confidence
in shared projects.
Expanded intuition
and spiritual perception
come courtesy of Jupiter,
complemented by Neptune with
an emotionally satisfying home
and family cycle May 13–Jun
6. Meanwhile, May 19–25 &
Jun 2–6 expand your clarity of
vision. Saturn could disrupt
financial expectations late May
but careful planning can create
balance. Your ability to call on
instinctual wisdom is most
important around Full Moon
in Sagittarius on May 30, Jun
7 & Jun 23–27. Hunches can
protect you from bad advice in
late June.

Capricorn Aquarius Pisces Aries

In May you can do a lot
when change planet Uranus
begins earthy harmonies with
Saturn in Capricorn for several
months. Don’t be afraid to try
something new. From May 15’s
New Moon to May 25, others
will be receptive and supportive
of your ideas. However, May 16
& 19 and June 6, be prepared
to be challenged. June 20–23 is
the next opportunity period, but
late June is challenging. June
28’s Full Moon in Capricorn
may seem to demand a
decision but you’ll think more
clearly and be less reactive if
you wait for early July.
As February to late July
is your karmic eclipse period,
timely action and consolidation
are helpful during easier
times, namely May 3–6, 19–20,
23–25 & 29–30. All but the
first date fall within the waxing
Moon with Full Moon in your
networking sign, May 30. June
follows by boosting the spirit
of enquiry and Air sign energy
Jun 2–6, 13 & 16. Late June
is more challenging: Jun 27
begins a rare two-month cycle,
with energetic Mars retrograde
in Aquarius, warning against
overextending yourself in late
June/July.
May is the month for
adventures. Short forays
outside your usual comfort
zone — a healing retreat, say
— are good choices. Rich in
earthy energy bringing practical
results, this is a productive time
with the right adventure. From
mid-May, a waxing Moon and
a reinvention cycle, courtesy
of Uranus, make you hungry
for stimulating conversations,
ideas that question taken-for-
granted views. While June is
bumpier and challenging, that
need is still met in interesting
ways, particularly around Jun
21’s solstice.
Many planets accent
your finances in May, making it
a profitable month. Yet May 7 &
16 warn against bad decisions.
Whatever happens around mid-
May when Mars and Uranus
clash, act fast to reduce any
chaos that comes into your
life. Containment and order
will protect against regrets in
Aug/Sep. Enjoy the sociable
energies of June that include a
strong family theme, courtesy
of Venus. A group event that
demands preparation time now
will require patience and focus
when Mars enters its rare retro
phase Jun 27–late Aug.

142 | wellbeing.com.au

Life interrupted
“Natural therapies have opened my mind to new ways of understanding and experiencing my life.”
I
n 1997, my life changed forever. As a
healthy 22-year-old, I was diagnosed
with multiple sclerosis, a condition
of the central nervous system affecting
the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.
According to the doctor there was no cure
and how MS would affect my functioning,
the frequency of relapses and level of
impairment were all unknown.
My first episode of immobility was
confusing. For the first time ever, I
experienced the disconnect between mind
and body. At work in an office with all eyes
on me, my mind knew I needed to walk
but my legs were unresponsive. My foot
dragged. I tripped, holding on to anything
I could to make it back to my desk.
From this moment, my life was
dominated by my condition. Everything
I did or didn’t do was because of
MS, whether experiencing a relapse,
recovering from a relapse or envisaging
the next period of dysfunction. I was
filled with fear and frustration. MS
made living the life I’d created difficult
and my dreams for the future seemed
impossible. My career, my inner-city
lifestyle, even plans for overseas
adventures all assumed good health. But
that was no longer a given.
As the relapses became more
frequent and aggressive I became
more and more despondent. I was at a
loss as to how to stop the avalanche of
poor health. All I could manage was to
tweak my existing life. I wasn’t willing to
compromise my corporate career, so I
withdrew socially to conserve energy and
hopefully prevent another relapse.
It didn’t work. I was merely reacting
to symptoms and, a few years after being
diagnosed, I had a massive relapse.
This meant months in hospital, initially
bedbound then confined to a wheelchair. I
was petrified I would never walk again.
Eventually, I regained mobility and
“walked” out of hospital determined
never to return. I decided my health and
wellbeing could no longer be an added
extra; instead, somehow, they needed to
be central to all aspects of my life.
For me, this shift was instigated by
exploring natural therapies. Meeting
people with different approaches to
wellbeing challenged my existing frame
of reference — the filter I’ve always used
Words TEISHA ROSE
to understand health, wellbeing and life.
The perfect example was my first
experience with intuitive healing, which
encouraged me to embrace the unknown.
My logical and rational mind couldn’t
make sense of what was happening.
I couldn’t see the energy or chakras
or where the blockages were. I didn’t
understand how the practitioner received
messages about past lives, insights into
childhood experiences or visions about
my future. In my existing framework, it
didn’t make sense, yet it felt right.
I knew these sessions were providing
clarity I’d never experienced before. I
learnt to stay grounded and became
aware of the flow of energy through my
body. I also become increasing intuitive,
tuning in to what my higher self was
saying, which in turn enriched my life.
I don’t write as an expert on a
particular natural therapy. I’ve tried
intuitive healing, kinesiology, Psych-K,
The Body Code, neuro-physiotherapy,
osteopathy, myotherapy, Feldenkrais,
Chinese medicine and acupuncture,
mindfulness meditation and various
diets. For me it has been the learnings
I’ve taken from all of my experiences
that continue to improve my overall
being — physically, emotionally and
spiritually. My learnings from natural
therapies include these benefits:
Being present. When diagnosed, my
mind raced ahead. I feared that walking
sticks and wheelchairs would be my
future. Learning the importance of
staying in the now, I no longer envisage
every possible catastrophe. What’s the
point of worrying when it may never
column
REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE
come to fruition? And if it does, I’m now
confident that I’ve gained insights to
ensure that I will not only cope but grow
through the experience.
Quietening the mind. Staying calm in
the midst of uncertainty is invaluable. A
quiet mind has made it easier to follow
my heart, be aware of energy and signs
around me and make decisions that feel
right — feeling rather than thinking my
way through life.
Embracing difference. My life path
is different from what I had envisaged
but embracing that difference has
been freeing. It has also given me the
confidence to explore new approaches to
wellbeing without worrying about what
others may think. People may question
the validity of some natural therapies but
that doesn’t mean my experiences aren’t
valid and right for my journey.
Focusing on self. After my diagnosis,
my focus was external, researching
and learning about MS. However, such
thinking didn’t acknowledge the impact
I could have on my prognosis. Knowing
that my response to MS will define my
life experience has been the motivation
I needed to continue working on myself.
Taking time to focus on myself isn’t
selfish; it’s necessary.
Being proactive. I’d always been
reactive in my health and wellbeing. If
sick or injured, I’d go “get fixed” then
continue until the next interruption. I no
longer sit and wait for another relapse
but keep mind and body healthy with
massage, exercise, meditation, clean
eating and osteopath appointments.
It has been 20 years since my
diagnosis. My life is unrecognisable, with
changes in my career and relationships,
overseas adventures and a sea change.
Although at times I struggle with walking
long distances, the relapses have
stopped. I feel good. I feel healthy. And I
am genuinely excited about my future.
MS has become a vehicle for self-
discovery. Although I continue to
be guided by a neurologist, natural
therapies have opened my mind to new
ways of understanding and experiencing
my life. This has undoubtedly improved
my overall wellbeing and created
opportunities I never dreamt of when
diagnosed with MS.
wellbeing.com.au | 143
 THE WELLBEING

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144 | wellbeing.com.au
Find your core!

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emotions, young and old. Pippa ofers
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 WORLD OF YOGA
HEALTH BYRON YOGA INTERNATIONAL YOGA RETREAT
SERVICES CENTRE YOGA TEACHERS CENTRE
AND YOGA p 02 6685 8327 ASSOCIATION SANCTUARY RETREAT
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Chris Middleton 02 9887 0629
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or email cmiddleton@
universalmagazines.com.au
 YOGA WELLNESS DETOX
For Body Rejuvenation, Energy Restoration,
and Mental Upliftment

19 - 22nd April
&
14 - 17th June
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 WORLD OF WELLNESS
PRACTITIONERS AESTHETIC JANSEN NEWMAN THE CRYSTAL ACADEMY OF
SUSAN WALLING PRACTITIONER INSTITUTE ADVANCED HEALING ARTS
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North Bondi NSW 2026 p 02 9130 7064 LIVING THERAPIES
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e sophyrobertson@gmail.com North Bondi NSW 2026 APPLIED HYPNOSIS
sophyrobertson.com.au p 02 9130 7064 p 02 9415 6500 HEALING &
e info@sagebeauty.com.au e admin@aah.edu.au MEDITATION
PSYCHIC READINGS sagebeauty.com.au aah.edu.au PIPPA NEVE
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e sophyrobertson@gmail.com UNDERWOOD HEALING p 1300 790 265 m 0424 518 884
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m 0408 997 599 ahs.edu.au www.pippaneve.com
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e info@infinitehealing e info.acap@navitas.com
energies.com.au acap.edu.au
infinitehealingenergies.com.au To appear please contact
Chris Middleton 02 9887 0629
or email cmiddleton@
universalmagazines.com.au
 the
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 Companionship
n 1 the fellowship existing among companions
2 the good feeling that comes from being with someone else

Companionship means something different to everyone.

You might find companionship on your morning walk,
discussing the ways of the world with your closest
friends. Or you might feel a sense of companionship at
your local cafe when the barista calls you by your first
name. Companionship could be felt with a furry, four-
legged friend or after a phonecall with a relative who
lives far away. To others, companionship might come
after some 30 years of marriage: a familiar smile and
welcome silence at the dinner table. Companionship
involves more than just somebody being there
physically; it’s about wanting them to be there. If you
or someone you know could benefit from a companion
right now, pick up the phone. You never know how
important that conversation could be.
ho
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 community
YOUR WELLNESS GUIDE

What´s on
April/May
APRIL 21 APRIL 22 MAY MAY
Tamworth, NSW Earth Day Global AU
Taste Tamworth Festival earthday.org Mindful in May (sign up by May 1 Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month
destinationtamworth.com.au to participate) crohnsandcolitis.com.au
mindfulinmay.org

MAY 5–6 MAY 11–13 MAY 14 MAY 13–19

Melbourne, AU Sydney, AU AU AU
ACNEM Conference: Mastering the Mindd International Forum 2018 Mother’s Day Classic Walk or Run Food Allergy Week
Integrated Approach mindd.org/mif18 mothersdayclassic.com.au foodallergyaware.com.au
conference.acnem.org

MAY 15 MAY 17–19 MAY 17–20 MAY 18–20

Global Sydney, AU Noosa, QLD Sydney, AU
International Day of Families Dietitians Association of Australia Noosa Food & Wine Festival Australian Acupuncture & Chinese
un.org/en/events/familyday National Conference noosafoodandwine.com.au Medicine Annual Conference
daa2018.com.au acupuncture.org.au

MAY 19 MAY 24–27 MAY 26 MAY 27–28

Global Sydney, NSW AU Waikato, NZ
World IBD Day MindBodySpirit Festival National Sorry Day New Zealand Association of Medical
worldibdday.org mbsfestival.com.au Herbalists Conference
nzamh.org.nz

Our #inspo @itsdayslikethese taking a

moment of stillness with our
Right: Our recent
trip to country Victoria
latest issue, WellBeing #172. left us in awe of the
sunsets and starry
night sky. Truly
magical.
Photography The Whole Daily

Left: We’re desperate

to get a WellBeing
office puppy! Look
how adorable this
guy is.

Assistant editor Kate recently made the move to Byron Bay and
we’re sure she’s spending her working hours surfing the Pass!

158 | wellbeing.com.au
 May/June/July
MAY 31 JUNE 1–3 JUNE 5 JUNE 8
Global Melbourne, VIC Global Global
World No-Tobacco Day The Good Food & Wine Show World Environment Day World Oceans Day
who.int/tobacco/wntd goodfoodshow.com.au/melbourne worldenvironmentday.global worldoceansday.org

JUNE 8–11 JUNE 8–11 JULY 23–24 MAY 5-6

Bellingen, NSW Melbourne, VIC Italy Grampians, Vic
Bellingen Readers & MindBodySpirit Festival 8th Traditional Medicine & Grampians Grape Escape
Writers Festival mbsfestival.com.au Acupuncture Conference grampiansgrapeescape.com.au
bellingenwritersfestival.com.au traditionalmedicine.allied
academies.com

Notes

Illustration Tams at Soul Stories: soul-stories.com Photography Sol + Co

Assistant editor Kate hiked Minyon Falls in Byron

Bay, watching in awe as the sunlight danced
rainbows across the shimmering water.

wellbeing.com.au | 159
 TERRY ROBSON
Editor-in-Chief
KERRY BOYNE
Managing Editor
Assistant Editor KATE DUNCAN +61 2 9887 0320
Designer RACHEL HENDERSON
National Business Development Sales Manager
NIA LLEWELYN +61 2 9887 0369
Queensland Advertising Consultant
REGAN HUDSON +61 411 424 356
Victorian Advertising Manager
TRACEY DWYER +61 3 9694 6403
Resource Guide Sales
CHRIS MIDDLETON +61 2 9887 0629
Advertising Production Co-Ordinator
CHRISTINE ORCHARD +61 2 9887 0325
Advertising Art Director
MARTHA RUBAZEWICZ
Publisher JANICE WILLIAMS
Cover Credit STOCKSY

PREMA PERERA
Chairman/CEO
JANICE WILLIAMS
Publisher
Chief Financial Officer VICKY MAHADEVA
Associate Publisher EMMA PERERA
Finance & Administration Manager JAMES PERERA
Creative Director KATE PODGER
Editorial & Production Manager ANASTASIA CASEY
Marketing & Acquisitions Manager CHELSEA PETERS
Subscription Enquiries: 1300 303 414
Circulation Enquiries to our Sydney Head Office: +61 2 9805 0399

WellBeing issue 174 is published by Universal WellBeing Pty Ltd, Unit 5, 6-8 Byfield Street,
North Ryde NSW 2113, Australia. Phone: +61 2 9805 0399, Fax: +61 2 9805 0714.
Printed by KHL Printing Co Pte Ltd, Singapore. Distributed by Gordon and Gotch.
Editorial advice is non-specific and readers are advised to seek professional advice for personal
problems. Individual replies to readers’ letters by consulting editors are not possible. The opinions
expressed by individual writers in WellBeing are not necessarily those of the publishers.
This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or
review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written
permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the publishers. The publishers believe all the information
supplied in this book to be correct at the time of printing. They are not, however, in a position to make a
guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. Prices,
addresses and phone numbers were, after investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, up
to date at the time of printing, but the shifting sands of time may change them in some cases. It is not
possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements which appear in this publication comply with
the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility must therefore be on the person, company or advertising
agency submitting the advertisements for publication. While every endeavour has been made to ensure
complete accuracy, the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. This magazine is
printed on paper that comes from a mill that satisfies the requirements of ISO 14001.
mages
ges

*Recommended retail price

tty Ima

ISSN 0812-8220
Copyright © Universal Magazines MMXVIII
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ACN 003 026 944

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grap

IMPORTANT: This magazine is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual. While the
information is based on material provided by researchers, the magazine does not presume to give medical
h tog

advice. Be sure to consult your physician before beginning any therapeutic program.
Pho

160 | wellbeing.com.au
 “The goal of life is to
make your heartbeat
match the beat of the
universe, to match your
nature with Nature.”
~ Joseph Campbell

wellbeing.com.au | 161
 Welnes work
I
f you could be a better version of yourself, what would you be? Take out a notebook and pen
and start writing everything that comes to your mind. Writer’s block? Unsure on how to
answer? Let’s begin by looking at the language of virtue and value.
Virtue, by definition, is moral excellence. It’s an honest habit that generally results in the
gaining or maintaining of your values. Virtues are certain qualities or characteristics you have.
We’ve touched on values here before but, as a refresher, your values represent the truth of
who you are. They reflect what matters to you, what you stand for and what gives you a sense of
purpose. Your values are principles that guide your behaviour in both professional and personal
realms, providing a blueprint for living that reflects your essence.
Still lost as to what your virtues are? Ask someone close to you, either a loved one or a friend,
what qualities they admire in you. They are most likely your virtues. How do they differ from
your values, I hear you ask.
Well, we know that virtues are the innate good qualities of people; the characteristics or
behaviours of human beings. But virtues do not define collective culture. This is where virtues and
values differ. Values reflect what is acceptable in terms of culture but virtues reflect individual
human characteristics. In simpler terms, if values are the goal, virtues are the way to get there.
Let’s dive deeper into a few common virtues, shall we? Perhaps we’ll discover places that need
a little work.
The ability to listen is a virtue. Listening is more than just being quiet and waiting for your turn
to speak; it starts well before words are spoken, before questions begin to be asked. Good listening
happens with an invitation. Then it develops into an awareness that you’re not there just listening to
the words, waiting for the pause in conversation; you’re there being present as a human being.
Another virtue is acceptance; the ability to embrace life on its own terms. Acceptance allows us
to bend without breaking in the face of life’s tests. Acceptance has been found to be an effective
strategy for lasting happiness.
The ability to forgive — now, that’s a powerful virtue. Forgiveness as a virtue means overlooking
mistakes, either yours or someone else’s, and being willing to move forward with a clean slate.
Forgiving others frees us from resentment and is part of a positive change. The sooner you can find
forgiveness in an unpleasant scenario, the sooner you’ll be free from the situation.
Krista Tippet, award-winning broadcaster and author, says, “Virtues are the tools that help you
pin aspiration to action because they’re practices; they join intention and presence.”
The more we recognise the potential impact that practising certain virtues can have on our lives,
the more our lives open to new possibilities. With this deeper understanding comes greater joy and
fulfilment from our lives.
So your homework for this month is to discover your virtues: the behaviours and characteristics
you’re working on within yourself. Closely watch yourself — with compassion and kindness — and
build up the list we began with. We’d love to know how you get on with this practice. Share with us
the efforts you’re making to define your virtues, via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, email or snail
mail. We’ll cheer you on — and print our favourite stories in Your Say.

WBx
Photography Bigstock

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