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8 LIFE HACKS
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Yoga
Olivia Newton-John to stretch
on the joy of giving your brain
KATHMANDU’S GREAT ESCAPE | TASSIE’S FINE FOOD | SILK’S HEALING POWERS
www.ara-anz.com
 Joy
n 1. a deep feeling or condition
of happiness or contentment
2. something causing such
a feeling; a source of happiness

Derived from the old French term joie and the Latin
gaudium, joy is an ember of an emotion set alight
by the smell your lover’s skin or a glimpse of the sun
setting over mother ocean or a guitar riff from your
childhood thrumming from the car speakers as you
joyride through the radio stations. Joy, writes Miroslav
Volf in Joy and Human Flourishing, may be thought
of as “the emotional dimension of the good life, of a
life that is both going well and is being lived well”.
It’s an experience, a memory and, like other positive
emotions, builds resilience, promotes creativity, ideas
and social bonds, broadens the mind and builds
your inner resources of wellbeing.
Photography Getty Images
 Simplicity
n 1 freedom from complexity, intricacy or division into parts
2 the state, quality or instance of being simple
3 not ornate or luxurious, unadorned

Simplicity — simplicité in Old French; in Latin, simplicitas — is

a profound, understated value innate in us all. “Less is more” is a
common yet powerful philosophy that, when explored as an individual
m ges
es

or community, opens the doorway to progress and personal growth

Gettyy Ima
Im

without the need to attain or divide. By purposefully nurturing a

phyy Get

simpler lifestyle, you can cultivate greater focus within and grow more
deliberate and present. Simplicity’s biggest advantage, perhaps, is
tograp
grrap
ap

that it permits you to create more space for what you enjoy and
P otog
Pho

to channel energy into doing less — but doing it well.

My first day at work …
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 From the editor-in-chief
S
earching questions are asked at bedtime.
Maybe it’s the secure comfort of pyjamas, snug bedding and fluffy bed
partners. Perhaps it’s that the moment of getting into bed is a gap ... a
hiatus between the activity of the day and the regeneration of the night,
into which uncertainty, kept at bay all day, can creep. Possibly it’s just that there’s
time available to ask big questions. Or it could be that having donned garments
emblazoned with leaping unicorns, philosophical cats or multicolour clouds (admit
it, your pyjamas are at least this spectacular), the mind is freed from its limiting
shackles. Whatever the mechanism, one thing is certain: questions are asked at
bedtime that are not ventured in the harsh light of day and workplaces.
The other night my daughter asked as she lay her head on the pillow, “What do
blind people see? Is it black?”
This sparked an initial confession of fatherly ignorance followed by a spirited
grappling with a fairly ungrappleable topic. There were mentions of deep-sea fish,
the role of gravity in black holes (this marked by a fairly extensive lack of physics),
the nature of “light” and how perfect or otherwise is the seal when you put your
hand over your eyes.
In the end, we accepted that as sighted people we actually couldn’t know what
blind people “see”, but it was a worthwhile reflection nevertheless. My daughter
was happy that we had explored the idea. Those moments happen with children
because kids know they don’t know everything and that leaves their minds open-
ended. A television show once referred to childhood as “the wonder years” but why,
as adults, do we stop wondering?
We are seeing in the world now the consequences of people who think they know
things just because they have information. In the “information age” you can search
up facts, opinions and assorted gibberish on just about anything. In the next five
minutes you can search up “wave-particle duality” and be able to recite what it “is”,
but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will understand it.
The magnificent thing, however, is that you don’t have to understand all things.
The end of every thought process does not have to be a conclusion; that’s just an
essay and life is not an essay.
Expecting transformative understanding at every point in life leads to emotional,
intellectual and spiritual dishonesty. The internet and digital technology make things
seem instantaneous and certain, but life is a droplet of jelly dancing on the rim of a
cosmic wineglass; it’s deliciously precarious.
Allow yourself to swim in the sea of uncertainty and in those moments you’ll be
touching reality.

Terry Robson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Join the WellBeing community

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wellbeing.com.au | 9
 48
Contents
Community
12 Your say
WellBeing readers tell us what’s
on their minds.
24 Road Test
We join a women’s circle for four
weeks and learn how to create a
spiritual practice and awaken the
divine goddess within.
26 Holistic Journey
We sit down with the founder of
That Red House for a chat about
soapberries and sustainability.
28 Art for Art’s Sake
Amateur artist Jessie Haley
talks creativity and the power of
vulnerability.
149 Real Life Experience
Jennifer Johnston shares how a ski
mishap on the slopes of a Japanese
mountain proved a lesson, in more
ways than one.
166 What’s On
What’s coming up for you, plus
what’s inspiring us.
170 It’s Time To ...
Start working towards your dreams
with some wellness homework.
Beauty, Food & Health
14 The Pulse
Read about how probiotics can
affect moods and more in our
medical news section.
20 Supplement
Touted as one of the most popular
supplements around the world,
OUR SECTIONS: Community
10 | wellbeing.com.au
glucosamine helps with many
common health complaints.
22 Functional Food
Spinach isn’t just a tasty addition to
your meals; it’s also full of potent
healing nutrients.
54 Time to Burn the Bra?
Some ingenious devices have been
fashioned over the years to support
the bust, most recently the bra. Do
our boobs really need it?
60 The Secret Powers of Silk
Silk has long been admired for its
texture and sheen, and research
shows it can help with everything
from fighting the signs of ageing to
saving lives.
66 Special Report: Tea Break
Tea is more than a tasty, soothing
drink that comes in a variety of
flavours; your cuppa also offers plenty
of hidden health benefits.
80 Low-Carb Living
Following a low-carb eating plan can
help boost your moods, sleep quality,
brain function and energy levels. Pete
Evans shares delicious recipes to help
you on your way.
96 Moving Beyond Pain
Eye Movement Desensitisation
and Reprocessing therapy may
appear simple but it’s useful for
treating post-traumatic stress, grief,
depression and more.
132 Recipes: The Healthy Convert
In The Healthy Convert, home cook
Nicole Maree presents wholesome
Beauty Food
66
treats for healthy sweet-tooths.
We (graciously) share four.
Body, Mind & Spirit
16 Lifelines
Read about how you can mend a
broken heart and more in our body
and soul section.
30 Thinkers & Doers:
Olivia Newton-John
Singer, actress and activist Olivia
Newton-John is an approachable
superstar who’s hopelessly devoted
to making a positive impact from her
public platform.
34 8 Life Hacks for Wellness
Health is about mind-body-spirit
harmony and we share short, simple
interventions to help you achieve it.
38 Loving Goals
Do you feel like a failure when you
don’t achieve your goals? Perhaps
it’s time to start celebrating the goal-
setting process — and yourself.
42 The Art of Love and Money
Money can be a touchy topic in
relationships, but discussing it
openly with your partner can deepen
your connection and bring peace to
your purse.
48 It’s in the Receiving
True giving comes from being fully
present with another and receiving
them — just as they are.
86 The Yoga of the Brain
Yoga doesn’t just leave your body
more limber; it can also improve your
Health Body
 116

80

emotional health, concentration, 34

focus and memory.
92 Fight Arthritis with Tai Chi
Arthritis is Australia’s leading cause
of pain and disability. Tai chi is an
effective way to help manage it.
130 Counter Culture
Find out what’s new in books, music
and film.

Home, Parenting & Relationships

100 The Happy, Healthy
Home Office
Do you work from home? Discover left it shattered, Kathmandu and 143 Digging In
how to create a soothing, creative its surrounds continue to draw Jackie French takes us on a forage
and healthy space with some simple, adventurous travellers to its beauty through the suburbs and shares her
work-friendly ideas. and wonder. favourite finds.
106 Reading Together 144 Pet Care
Reading aloud with your kids, even Every Issue Karen Goldrick offers strategies
when they’re old enough to read by 134 Natural Source to help you support an ageing pet.
themselves, can help to boost their Health products from our advertisers. 145 Workplace Wellness
wellbeing and your own. 136 Beauty Source Jan McLeod teaches how to
Products that care for your skin perform a four-step workplace
Planet & Travel naturally. wellness check-in.
18 Green Beat 137 Food Source 146 Ageing Well
Read about how nature boosts Healthy food products from our Michael Elstein presents a new
life satisfaction and more in our advertisers. “it” girl in the probiotic arena:
environmental news section. 138 Education Focus Saccharomyces boulardii.
112 Fairer Trade News from our natural health 147 Clinical Casebook
Fairtrade began as a movement to educators, this issue Yoga Australia. Karen Bridgman tells how she
protect and support producers from 140 Natural Beauty managed the case of a client
poor countries but, as it booms, is it Carla Oates reveals how healthy fats diagnosed with an increasingly
staying true to its founding principles? are must-haves for optimal health common parasite.
116 The Island Advantage and beauty. 148 Stargazing
Tasmania is a whole-foodie’s dream 141 Quick Kitchen Christine Broadbent reveals the
and Hobart’s the ideal weekend Lee Holmes cooks up three dishes planetary influences for September
destination to sample some of its that celebrate seasonal produce. and October, 2017.
fresh, sustainable fare on a plate. 142 The Conscious Life 150 WellBeing Resource Guide
122 Kathmandu’s Great Escape Alexx Stuart discusses the little things A directory of holistic products
Two years after an earthquake you can do to travel greener. and services.

Mind Spirit Home Parenting Relationships Planet Travel

wellbeing.com.au | 11
 community
YOUR SAY
Did something resonate
with you in this issue of
WellBeing? Tell us! Write
to WellBeing, Locked Bag
154, North Ryde, NSW
1670, email wbletters@
universalmagazines.
com.au, comment on our
Facebook page or tweet
us: @WellBeing_Mag.
We reserve the right
to edit all letters.
Uluru inspiration
I’ve been an avid reader of WellBeing for
some time now and haven’t missed an
issue since I stumbled across it in the
newsagent’s a few years ago. But it was
issue #167 and the story on Uluru that
has changed mine and my family’s lives
for the better. It has given us the most
amazing memories we'll cherish forever.
Your fantastic article stirred a deep
desire to go to Uluru that I didn’t really
even know I had. So, on a whim, we
decided to pack our camper and set off
from our home in Bundaberg for the April
school holidays. I had high expectations
but little did I know that it would surpass
them, and so much more. When I first
saw Uluru, its beauty and magnitude
took my breath away. Never have I felt
so deeply connected to the earth as I did
there, so much so it brought me to tears.
We did so much on our two-week
adventure. Not only did we connect with
this amazing country we are so lucky to
live in but our connection as a family was
deepened, too. The adventure, the things
we saw and did and the quality time
12 | wellbeing.com.au
From the editor
C
hange is a funny thing, isn’t it? Sometimes you run from it, terrified it’ll eat
you whole and invert all you find familiar — a fear unfounded on whether
all that’s customary is good for you or not. Other times you wave a red flag
in front of change so it comes for you swiftly, intensely, uprooting all stability — an
instinctual desire for newness so strong it blinds you to what’s helpful long term.
Change has no real order. It can hit like a coconut falling from a palm tree,
striking before you have a chance to prepare or raise a defence. Other shifts
happen slowly, gradually, like the ever-so-slightly lilting tip of the Earth’s axis as it
circumnavigates its way around the sun. You can create change through will and
meticulously planned action; you can experience it by doing nothing it all.
The thing is, change in all of its forms happens to us all. Life is change. Yes,
it can floor you with the fear-pit it lights in your belly, but it can also leave you
breathless and dizzy, excited by its invitation to leap and the potential to soar.
The trick to handling transformation well, I am learning, is to relax into its ever-
presence and to extend compassion to yourself and others through the process.
For some time, I’ve been trying (trying) to follow the poet Rumi’s advice: “Try not to
resist the changes that come your way. Instead, let life live through you. And do not
worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are
used to is better than the one to come?”
We’ve breathed some intentional change into this issue and I sure hope you
relax into the freshness and lightness and space of its pages. For those who like
continuity, be confident that the heart of what we deliver is unchanged. WellBeing
remains grounded in editorial depth, integrity and holistic goodness; that’s a
constant you can trust.
Let us know your thoughts about our new look by emailing us at wbletters@
universalmagazines.com.au or tagging us on Instagram (@wellbeing_magazine),
Facebook (@wellbeingmagazine) or Twitter (@wellbeing_mag). And share how
you get on with your “wellness homework” on the last page. We hope it inspires
change — of the very best kind!
Danielle Kirk EDITOR
A companion on the journey
I would just like to say a big thank you to
WellBeing. I’ve been a subscriber for two
years now and I can’t imagine not having
your magazine in my life.
About three years ago, I started to
suffer from anxiety; the rug was ripped
out from under me and my world was
thrown into chaos. My psychologist
recommended your magazine to me —
there was an article in one of your issues
we spent together made it the trip of a that she suggested I read and she lent
lifetime. It has also deepened our desire me her copy. I was a devotee from that
to keep exploring this beautiful country moment. I couldn’t believe that such a
we call home. Next on our bucket list is magazine existed with a focus on caring,
Tasmania. So, a big thank you, WellBeing. loving and showing compassion to
Christie Howden yourself, others and the environment.
 community
YOUR SAY

WellBeing has often sustained me mummy tummy, big thighs that I got from
through hard times and every article my daddy and shoulders strong enough It's in the doing
resonates. Sometimes, when I receive to carry a family, but I feel how your cover
your magazine in the post, its articles woman looks — happy and healthy. How do you practise
cover exactly the issues I am wrestling Thanks for keeping it real! compassion in your life?
with at the time. Your magazine has Cath Nichols
Compassion
is when you
assisted in my healing and my journey
create healthy
and I am forever grateful. Promoting a better world
boundaries for
Natasha Van Schaik Whether one believes in fate, in God, in
yourself. This
the Universe or just plain old luck, I have
allows true
“Something wonderful” not one speck of a doubt that something
happiness and
I had forgotten how much I LOVE this divine, something magical caused me to confidence
magazine! I recently needed to purchase find your magazine. You see, 10 days ago, when making
a gift for a group of women I was hosting I fell into a state of despair. Having been a decisions and holding yourself
a lunch for and the idea of WellBeing police officer for over 20 years, I've seen accountable for them.
instantly sprang to mind. I bought them much heartache and much negativity; the Divina Jamon
each a copy — and, of course, one for constant exposure to tragedy has caused I have this little thing I do called
myself! I didn’t get more than 20 pages in my mental health to finally crumble. 11:11. My father passed away when
when I jumped online to subscribe. Ten days ago, I was sitting at my work I was 15 and I’ve always thought,
Thank you, for reminding me of one of computer when I was suddenly overcome “I wonder if he would be proud of
the small pleasures I used to enjoy in my with tremendous sadness. The welling me/my life/family?” So, when I see
life but foolishly let slip. I let “life” get in eyes turned to overflowing tears; before I 11:11, I take that 1 minute to have a
the way of doing something wonderful for knew it, I found myself on the toilet floor, conversation with him and remember
myself — like read my fave mag! vomiting and sobbing. all the loved ones we’ve lost. It keeps
Simonne Sigston I write this letter not for sympathy, me grounded and gives me peace
not for pity, but to thank you and your knowing they will never be forgotten.
A normal woman! writers. I found your magazine the day Cherie Maher
I wanted to tell you how pleased I was after my work incident. I have read just I recently took my partner and
to see the cover of issue #168. It is so about every page. I’m reading it every our little dog off to a cottage in the
refreshing and relieving to see a picture day, finding something encouraging and country for a few days. We live
such busy city lives and
of a gorgeous, fit, healthy and normal something beneficial. I’m also reading it
need to make a point
woman instead of what we’re usually slowly, savouring it, building the mental
of recharging in
bombarded with: images that have been strength to complete some of your
beautiful, natural,
photoshopped and are unrealistic and suggested tasks. And, I’ve started yoga,
quiet surroundings
fake. I’ve finally found a magazine that stemming from your yoga article. Having
together. While I
really promotes healthy living! never done yoga before, I’m finding it was there, I taught
Jodi Morgan challenging but beneficial — for my body myself how to knit so
and my currently noisy mind. I’ve also I can donate blankets to
Happy and healthy just purchased one of the books you the dog shelters in time for
I just wanted to thank you for showing reviewed and am eagerly awaiting its winter. Knitting in beautiful country
the world what a cover model should be. arrival in the post. surrounds was a great way for me to
Every other “health” magazine out There have just been so many tools to unwind and doing this with a very
there would have photoshopped that help me not only find my feet/mind/soul special cause at heart made it all the
model into an unrealistic version of again, but also to start to see glimpses more special and fulfilling.
herself that makes society think that is of the sun filtering through. There is so Maria Martello 
how a healthy woman should look. Your much love, compassion and knowledge I practise compassion by putting
cover (issue #168) shows us — men and within the pages of your beautiful aside time for self-care. My favourite
women alike — that healthy includes magazine. It promotes self-love — which, technique is getting back to nature
strong, happy, sporty, a bit of wobble, a in turn, promotes a better world. Thank and away from technology and the
strong mind and so many more things. you for adding to my wellbeing and pressures of society. After dealing with
I am a strong, fit, healthy, mid-30s assisting me in, once again, being well. mental health issues since I was little,
woman who has abs covered by some Rachael (last name withheld) it’s incredibly important that I have
compassion for
myself and put
time aside to
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wellbeing.com.au | 13
 the pulse
COMPILED BY TERRY ROBSON

Recent medical findings for a healthier body

Rosemary for kids’ memories
In this study, a total of 40 children aged 10–11
took part in a class-based test on different
mental tasks. Children were randomly assigned to a room that had
either rosemary oil diffused in it for 10 minutes or a room with no scent.
The children were tested individually, seated at the table opposite the
researcher. After introducing herself to each child, the researcher said,
“You are here to play some memory games. Please don’t be nervous but
try the best you can to remember what I ask you to.” Analysis revealed
that the children in the aroma room received significantly higher scores
than the non-scented room. The test to recall words demonstrated
the greatest difference in scores, showing that rosemary enhanced
working memory. Poor working memory is related to poor academic
performance, suggesting rosemary as a simple intervention to improve
academic performance in children. Source: Northumbria University

Zinc and the common cold

There is conflicting evidence as to whether between 80 and 92mg/day. Such doses are Probiotics
zinc lozenges can ease the common cold substantially higher than the recommended for depression
but this conflict might be due to inadequate daily zinc intake. However, it is highly In this pilot study, adults with
doses of zinc. This study was a meta- unlikely that 80–92mg/day of zinc for one Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
analysis of three randomised controlled to two weeks, starting very soon after the and mild to moderate anxiety
trials of zinc acetate lozenges. The analysis onset of the first cold symptoms, might or depression were followed for
found that, if taken at the first symptoms lead to long-term adverse effects. The 10 weeks. Half took a daily dose
of a cold, after five days 70 per cent of zinc effectiveness of zinc lozenges can also be of the probiotic Bifidobacterium
lozenge patients had recovered compared reduced by the presence of citric acid, which longum; half took a placebo.
with just 27 per cent of the placebo patients. binds to zinc ions. After six weeks, 64 per cent of
The dose of zinc in the three studies was Source: Open Forum Infectious Diseases the patients taking the probiotic
had decreased depression
scores compared to 32 per
cent of patients given placebo.
Plant protein and diabetes Functional Magnetic Resonance
Researchers analysed the diets of 2332 men who Imaging (fMRI) showed that the
were between 42 and 60 years of age and who improved depression scores
did not have type 2 diabetes. During a follow- were associated with changes in
up of 19 years, 432 men were diagnosed with multiple brain areas involved in
type 2 diabetes. The risk of men with the mood control. This confirms what
highest intake of plant protein developing many other studies show: there’s
a strong relationship between
type 2 diabetes was 35 per cent less than for
the microbiome (the bacteria
those with the lowest intake of plant protein.
in an individual’s gut) and their
The researchers calculated that replacing five overall health including their
grams of animal protein with plant protein daily mental health. This study is not
would reduce the risk of diabetes by 18 per cent. Grain suggesting probiotics to heal the
products were the main source of plant protein followed microbiome are all that’s needed
by vegetables. High intake of meat protein was linked to a higher risk of type to treat depression but they
2 diabetes but this is likely caused by other compounds found in meat than should certainly be considered as
protein. Interestingly, a higher intake of egg protein was associated with a lower part of the treatment regime.
risk of type 2 diabetes. Source: British Journal of Nutrition Source: Gastroenterology

MEDIFACT: To stop cold and flu spreading, handwashing is important, but researchers wanted to establish
Photography Bigstock

what are the important elements of handwashing for getting bacteria (or viruses) off your hands. They tested
the amount of soap used, time spent lathering and temperature of the water. It emerged that the water
temperature made no difference and as long as you used a little soap (as little as 0.5mL) then time spent
lathering is the key. You need to lather for 10–20 seconds to really clean those hands. Source: Journal of Food Protection

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

Recent medical findings for a healthier body

Wanting self-control
How does wanting self-
control impact on your ability
to achieve it? To test this,
researchers conducted a
series of four experiments that
tested the impact of wanting
self-control on performance.
They found that those people
with a stronger desire for self-
control found it more difficult
to exert self-control when the
task was difficult (that is, it
demanded much self-control).
The reason for this is that,
when faced with a difficult
task, the desire translates
into a sense that you don’t
have enough self-control,
which causes low self-efficacy
(a reduced belief in your
abilities) and, subsequently,
disengagement from the
task at hand. This was true
regardless of whether people
were by nature high or low in
self-control. Self-control is a
good thing but encouraging
people to desire more of
it runs the risk of actually
undermining their confidence
and increasing their doubts
that they have the resources
to exhibit self-control.
Source: Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin
Money and
self-esteem
Consumer culture suggests
that money will make you
happy — but will it? For this
study, researchers measured
the degree to which people
base their self-esteem on
financial success. When asked
to write about a financial
stressor, people who link
financial success to their self-
esteem experienced a drop
in their feelings of autonomy
and gave up searching for
solutions. This did not happen
in people who didn’t tie their
Smiles versus surprise self-esteem to financial
We associate smiling with positive emotions and success or among those who
youth but does a smile make you look younger? For were asked to write about an
a new study, researchers flashed images of people academic stressor. People
with smiling, neutral and surprised expressions on a who highly based their self-
screen. Subjects were asked to rate the age of the face worth on financial success
they were seeing. The results showed that subjects also used more negative
perceived the surprised faces as the youngest and words like “sadness” and
smiling faces the oldest. Smiling was found to add “anger”. Just thinking about
a financial problem generates
about two years compared to a neutral expression
a lot of stress and negative
and a surprised look dropped between one and two
emotions for these people. Yet
years. The ageing effect of a smile is thought to come this effect was eliminated by
from the viewer’s inability to ignore the wrinkles thinking about their personal
that form around the eyes during smiling. A look of strengths. Money is not a bad
surprise, on the other hand, smooths any wrinkles. thing but it won’t take you to
If all of that surprises you, the good news is you’re happiness if you aren’t already
looking two years younger right now. there. Source: Personality and
Source: Psychonomic Bulletin & Review Social Psychology Bulletin

Mending a broken heart

For a new study, researchers had volunteers who had experienced an “unwanted romantic
breakup” in the past six months bring a photo of their ex into the lab. Inside a functional
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine, the subjects were shown images of their
former partner and asked to recall the breakup. The subjects were then taken out of the
machine and given a nasal spray. Half were told it was a “powerful analgesic effective in
reducing emotional pain”. Half were told it was a simple saline solution. Back inside the
machine, the subjects were again shown images of their ex. The placebo group not only felt
better emotionally but their brain also responded differently when shown the ex. Activity
in brain areas involved with modulating emotions increased sharply. Across the brain, areas
Photography Getty Images & Bigstock

associated with rejection quieted. So, how do you mend a broken heart? Take a placebo.
Source: Journal of Neuroscience

DID YOU KNOW? Swearing makes you stronger People who are asked to swear out loud before strength
tests show improvements in strength as well as endurance. This is probably because swearing stimulates
the body’s sympathetic nervous system, the part of your nervous system that makes your heart pound
when you are in danger. We don’t fully understand the mechanisms of swearing’s strength-boosting (and
pain-relieving) effects but they are #*^%@$^ well real. Source: British Psychological Society

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

All the latest in environmental issues

The buzz on bees
Declines in wild and managed bee populations threaten the
pollination of flowers in more than 85 per cent of flowering
plants and 75 per cent of agricultural crops worldwide.
Monitoring of bee populations could lead to better
management but tracking bees is not easy. In a new study,
researchers measured the characteristic pitch of the buzzes
of different bees in the lab. Then they placed small
microphones in the field and collected the acoustic data from
bee activity. Using the data, they identified and quantified
the bee buzzes in each location and compared that to visual
surveys made in the field. Significantly, the buzz surveys
were more sensitive and accurate. This means that bee
buzzes could allow us to monitor pollination of orchards and
vegetable crops and avoid pollination deficits. The researchers
are also developing a smartphone app that could record buzz
activity as well as document the bees photographically.
Source: PLoS ONE

Nature boosts satisfaction Natural capital

The connection between environmental Economists agree that
conditions such as drinking water and natural ecosystems store
air quality and objective wellbeing have large quantities of wealth but
the challenge of measuring
been studied quite a bit but not so well
that wealth has prevented
researched is the link between engaging
it from being included in
with the natural environment and typical accounting systems.
subjective wellbeing. In this study, A new study led by Yale
researchers used 13 different criteria to University addresses this by
measure the relationship between overall using as a case study the
life satisfaction and engaging with the Baltic Sea fishery ecosystem.
natural environment. Eleven of the 13 had a The researchers found that
positive correlation to life satisfaction including the interaction of three
community activities, access to wild resources, commercially important
stress eased by time outdoors, having a “sense of place” and feeling trust in Baltic fish species (cod,
herring and sprat) has
policymakers. So, if you want to increase your sense of wellbeing, get in touch
a critical impact on the
with nature: try regularly hiking in a forest or just lying on the grass under
value of the whole system.
the trees. Don’t take it for granted, though — reflect on the people involved in Specifically, they conclude
managing the forest or green space where you like to be. You’ll feel better for it. that the prey species (herring
Source: Journal of Environmental Psychology and sprat) have greater value
than expected, based on
market value, due to their

Is climate change keeping you awake? role in helping produce their

predator, cod. By contrast,
This study was based on data collected Exchange, warmer temperatures could managing a single species
Photography Getty Images & Bigstock

from 765,000 US residents between 2002
and 2011 who responded to a public health
survey. The researchers linked data on
self-reported nights of insufficient sleep to
daily temperature data from the National
Centre for Environmental Information. The
most significant finding was that anomalous
increases in night-time temperature by 1°C
translate to three nights of inadequate sleep
per 100 individuals per month. Using climate
projections for 2050 and 2099 by NASA Earth
cause six additional nights of insufficient
sleep per 100 individuals by 2050 and
approximately 14 extra nights per 100 by
2099. We know that sleep is critical to health
and wellbeing so the changes expected
from unarrested climate change will impact
individuals on a fundamental level. Those
most affected will be the elderly and those
on lower incomes. Climate change is not an
abstract idea; it’s personal.
Source: Science Advances
will typically produce
declining wealth in any given
system. It’s a reminder
that all ecosystems are
comprised of interconnected
species and, to maintain
and get the most from any
ecosystem, you need to look
at it holistically.
Source: Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences

18 | wellbeing.com.au
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 supplement
GLUCOSAMINE
Glucosamine: joints and more
One of the most popular supplements globally, glucosamine helps with many common conditions.
G
lucosamine is the most popular
supplement taken worldwide.
First prepared in 1876 by Georg
Ledderhose but not sold commercially
until 1939, it was first made by processing
chitin from shellfish shells. Today, it’s also
produced from the tracheal cartilage of
cattle used otherwise for food; reputable
manufacturers ensure this is free of
growth hormones. For vegetarians, it can
also be made from the fungus Aspergillus
niger and from fermenting corn.
Glucosamine is an amino sugar. Amino
sugars are formed in the body from
glucose and an amino acid; in the case of
N-acetyl-glucosamine (NAG), the amino
acid is glutamine. These amino sugars
bind together to form long polysaccharide
chains called glycosaminoglycans
(GAGs), which include glucosamine and
chondroitin. They then combine with
fibrous proteins such as collagen to form
the extracellular matrix in the human
body: the meshwork of tissue that holds
cells (and therefore the body) together.
The chains of GAGs also attract water
and form huge gels that swell and fill
the spaces between cells, strengthening
them and giving the tissues resistance
to stretching forces. This “glue” also has
a critical function regulating the flow of
nutrients, hormones and other molecules
into the tissues from the bloodstream.
Therapeutic uses
Osteoarthritis
Idiopathic osteoarthritis is the most
common form of osteoarthritis (OA)
globally and the leading cause of disability
with an associated socioeconomic burden
in an increasing ageing population.
GAGs are a major component of
cartilage (and ligaments); therefore,
supplementing with glucosamine
provides the specific nutrients for the
repair of these tissues while reducing the
inflammation and so alleviating OA.
Glucosamine comes in hydrochloride,
sulphate and NAG form; the sulphur form
appears to be most effective for arthritis.
Cancer: angiogenesis inhibition
Glucosamine (particularly as NAG) has
been shown to reduce the risk of cancer
metastases via angiogenesis. Early-stage
cancer cells parasitise nutrients from
nearby tissue but before they metastasise
20 | wellbeing.com.au
Words DR KAREN BRIDGMAN
they have to grow new blood vessels
(angiogenesis) to supply them with
enough nutrients. Thus, angiogenesis
inhibitors in effect starve growing cancer
cells and reduce the risk of spread. This is
more effective for solid tumours.
Research has shown glucosamine’s
potential usefulness in breast and
prostate cancer. In breast cancer, it
downregulates glucose metabolism that
supports cancer growth and invasion and
is associated with decreased cell cycle
progression and increased expression of
the cell cycle inhibitors, thereby inhibiting
the reproduction of cancer cells. In
prostate cancer, NAG has been shown to
reduce angiogenesis and invasion, thus
reducing the risk of metastases.
Anti-inflammatory
Inflammatory cytokines have been
implicated in the pathogenesis and
progression of OA and are the major
cause of pain. Glucosamine has been
shown to dramatically decrease the
number of these inflammatory cytokines.
Repair of gut membrane and microbiota
NAG is vital in the integrity of the mucous
membranes of the digestive, respiratory
and urinary tracts where it protects
against the entry of pathogenic organisms
while letting vital nutrients pass through.
People with gastrointestinal
inflammatory conditions have up to
three times greater turnover rate of the
mucous membrane than normal. These
higher turnover rates require more NAGs
but also tend to have reduced synthesis,
resulting in a weakened mucosal layer
and increased intestinal permeability
or “leaky gut”. This, in turn, leads to
many conditions including food allergies,
inflammation and autoimmune disease.
Skin
Glucosamine cream reduces wrinkles and
brown ageing spots by helping to mend
connective tissue. It also helps repair
post-surgery scar tissue formation.
Taking glucosamine
Bioavailability
Researchers have measured the
concentrations of glucosamine in the
synovial fluid and plasma after oral intake
of glucosamine sulphate by both healthy
volunteers and people with OA. In both
cases, the level of glucosamine increased
significantly, but this was still lower than
what is assumed to be effective to rebuild
new cartilage tissue. Applied regularly as
a cream, though, glucosamine has shown
significant improvement of the cartilage.
Glucosamine creams have about
twice the absorption of the GAGs
needed for cartilage repair than oral
supplementation and are more effective
in reducing inflammation and cartilage
healing. Whatever form you use, cartilage
takes a long time to heal — so be patient.
Dosage
One clinical study showed that oral
ingestion of glucosamine in doses of
1500mg per day is safe to use.
Cautions
Despite some initial doubt about
glucosamine contributing to insulin
resistance, further research showed no
evidence of this when taken at standard
doses. Those with shellfish allergies must
take glucosamine from a different source.
Adverse effects can include stomach
upset, constipation, diarrhoea, headache
and rash, and there are recorded cases
of problems with liver disease related
to taking glucosamine. This may be an
issue in those allergic to sulphur as the
common form is glucosamine sulphate.
Glucosamine hydrochloride may be OK.
Glucosamine may interfere with
blood-thinning drugs such as warfarin.
Being a potential angiogenesis inhibitor,
glucosamine isn’t recommended for
Photography Bigstock
a few weeks either side of surgery.
References available on request.
Dr Karen Bridgman is a holistic practitioner at
Australian Biologics, Sydney, and Pymble Grove
Health Centre, Gordon.
 functional food
SPINACH
Spinach: delicious, nutritive power
Spinach leaves are a delightful taste addition to a salad or a stir-fry, but they are also nutritious healers.
S
pinach (Spinacia oleracea) is an
edible annual flowering plant
thought to have originated in
ancient Persia and was then introduced
to India and China where it was known
as the “Persian vegetable”. The earliest
written record was in China around 647
CE and, by the 12th century, spinach
was a popular vegetable in the Arab
Mediterranean. Its popularity in England
and France in the 14th century was due
to it appearing in early spring when there
were few other vegetables available.
It’s the leaves of spinach that are
eaten. These days, botanically spinach
is in the “goosefoot” family that also
includes beets, chard, amaranth and
quinoa. The name Florentine is given to
dishes containing spinach (often with a
creamy sauce); it’s thought to have dated
from the 6th century when it was the
favourite food of Catherine de Medici,
who came from Florence.
Nutrition
Spinach leaves contain a wide variety
of nutrients including chlorophyll and
carotenoids (precursors to vitamin A)
and important eye nutrients such as
lutein and zeaxanthin. Spinach is also an
excellent source of vitamins A, C, K and
folic acid — a 100g serving containing
20 per cent of the daily allowance of
these vitamins. It’s also a good source
of manganese, magnesium, calcium,
potassium and iron. Vitamin K is
important for maintaining bone health
and is particularly high in spinach leaves.
Spinach is also a source of the B
vitamins B2 and B6, vitamin E and dietary
fibre. There is some debate about
spinach as a source of iron as the oxalic
acid levels in it inhibit iron absorption,
reducing its bioavailability. Calcium
absorption is also affected by oxalic
acid — only about 5 per cent of spinach’s
calcium content is actually absorbed.
The dark-green colour of spinach
indicates a high level of carotenoids and
chlorophylls, which have antioxidant and
“cleansing” properties.
Healing effects
While spinach is known for its extensive
nutrients, it has phytochemicals and
bioactive compounds that promote
22 | wellbeing.com.au
Words DR KAREN BRIDGMAN
health beyond basic nutrition (including
phenolics and nitrates). These
compounds have multiple roles in
scavenging reactive oxygen species
and can modulate the expression and
activity of genes involved in metabolism,
proliferation and inflammation. They can
also curb food intake by inducing the
secretion of satiety hormones. All these
activities contribute to the anticancer,
anti-obesity, hypoglycaemic and
hypolipidaemic properties of the plant.
Spinach has also shown anticonvulsant
activity, it reduces metabolic syndrome
and diabetes, lowers abnormal blood
cholesterol and assists in the healing of
ulcers. Traditionally, spinach was used to
alleviate anaemia and for its antibacterial,
antiviral and anthelmintic (worm-
eradicating) properties.
Eye health
The lutein and zeaxanthin in spinach are
important nutrients to prevent macular
degeneration and cataracts.
Central nervous system
Spinach is one of the plants highest in the
nutrients that improve cognitive function.
The phenolic compounds, flavonoids
and carotenoids, along with the vitamins
and minerals, produce an increase in
acetylcholine in the hippocampus (area
of the brain responsible for memory and
learning), along with a neurogenic growth
factor that is critical for the repair and
restoration of the brain’s neural circuitry.
In a study on healthy men and women,
a diet including extra spinach and a
combination of spinach and apples
showed that consuming these high-
flavonoid and high-nitrate foods reduced
the risk for both cardiovascular disease
and cognitive decline.
Cardiovascular system
The flavonoid compounds in spinach
enhance nitric oxide levels, which lowers
high blood pressure and improves heart
muscle function. This pathway improves
arterial stiffness, reduces inflammation
and improves platelet function and
exercise performance. A diet high in
spinach has significant implications for
boosting cardiovascular (and lung) health.
Insulin resistance and diabetes
The nitrates in spinach have other
positive benefits: improving nitric oxide
status will enhance lipid metabolism,
relieve inflammation and prevent the
development of insulin resistance.
Cancer inhibition
Research has shown that the glycolipid
fraction of spinach is a promising
suppressor of solid tumours, making
spinach a healthy food which has anti-
tumour activity.
Detoxifing and deodorising
Chlorophyll (with magnesium as the
central core of its molecule) detoxifies
the body and deodorises and will clean
the breath after consumption of foods like
garlic. It has major antioxidant properties.
Eating your spinach
To obtain optimal nutrients, spinach
leaves need to be steamed and eaten
with a little oil: olive oil, macadamia oil,
coconut oil, ghee or even a little organic
grass-fed butter. This applies particularly
to absorbing the nutrients lutein, beta-
carotene and zeaxanthin.
Safety
Like most leafy green vegetables,
spinach contains a high amount of
oxalate (oxalic acid). Individuals with
a history of oxalate-containing kidney
stones should avoid overconsumption.
Oxalic acid may also inhibit the
absorption of other minerals, such as
calcium, but it has a positive relationship
with the nitrate content of the vegetable.
Lightly cooking spinach is thought to
reduce its oxalic acid content without
Photography Bigstock
adversely affecting the nitrate content.
References available on request.
Dr Karen Bridgman is a holistic practitioner at
Australian Biologics, Sydney, and Pymble Grove
Health Centre, Gordon.
 road test
WOMEN’S CIRCLES
A gathering of sisters
We joined six women in a spiritual circle for four weeks and, in that time, discovered how
to create our own spiritual practice and awaken the divine goddess within.
I
’d like to share with you my afternoon’s
activities. I went on a nature quest,
foraging for wild flowers in the nearby
community garden. I found lavender,
sage, rosemary and eucalyptus, which I
bundled up with twine, wrapping it tightly
around the stems in an upward direction,
so the flame travels downwards first
when it burns ... or so I think. I’m new to
making smudge sticks, having made my
first one just a few weeks ago while
in a circle with six other women.
Maybe I’m supposed to dry the herbs
first ...? I can’t wait that long and instead
light my wild-foraged smudge stick,
allowing its gentle golden flame to flicker
across the room. Earthy, sweet bush
scents fill my space, reminding me to
take a deeper breath and drop further into
stillness, to the place where writing flows
and I bring you into the “sisterhood”.
Sarah Bruce, a reiki master and
nurse with a background in mental
health and trauma, invited me to her
four-week course of sacred gatherings,
Creating Your Daily Spiritual Practice, in
the beachside suburb of Bronte, Sydney.
These gatherings, born of the desire to
bring women together to sit in ceremony,
explore the many spiritual rituals and
practices you can use in your own life.
Guided by the moon cycles, we began
our first gathering on the waning moon,
a time of forgiveness. Sarah shared with
us the moon’s power and how to connect
month-to-month with a new intention,
a new opportunity to create abundance
or release stickiness from our lives.
We created smudge sticks with foraged
herbs, drew tarot cards and discussed the
earth element. Over dinner, we revealed
certain parts of ourselves; already feeling
so connected to these women, I freely
gave away personal truths I often reserve.
We sat in ceremony before finishing in
savasana, listening to Sarah softly beat
the drum across our bodies.
We met a week later, this time on the
new moon. I arrived to hugs, forgetting
that only a week ago I didn’t know these six
women. Now they felt familiar, like lifelong
friends. We explored the water element,
drew angel cards and learnt about crystal
grids, pendulums and altar spaces. Sarah
24 | wellbeing.com.au
Words KATE DUNCAN
gifted us with a selenite crystal each,
sharing that it helps to remove blockages
and deliver clarity of mind.
Our third encounter involved a nature
quest through the forest. We created
totems and drew spirit animal cards and,
as we sat in ceremony, attuned ourselves
to the sounds and sensations of Mother
Nature, exploring the air element as it
moved across our faces. We discussed
commitment, the waxing moon and what
had shifted for us in the past two weeks.
Before our final gathering, Sarah
gave me a complimentary reiki session. I
had experienced so many shifts over the
month, but this was the highlight. As I lay
with eyes closed, I felt the energy move
through my chakras, leaving me feeling
more vulnerable and open than ever
before. Sarah’s gentle nature comforted
me, guiding me into a space where I could
release past traumas manifesting as
stuck energy in my body. She spoke softly,
guiding my energy down from my open
solar plexus chakra to my sacral centre.
As this energy moved, Sarah invited
me to visualise my divine goddess. I saw
her so clearly: long brown hair, slender
with white wings; flirty, effervescent,
free, floaty and fun. She flew through and
around me, leaving my body to ripple and
shake with a strong surge of feminine
energy towards my pelvis and my womb.
The feeling was of such pure love, joy,
compassion and bliss that tears rolled
down my cheeks. The feminine energy felt
so powerful, sincere and wholesome —
why did it feel so unfamiliar to me?
When the session finished, I sat up
and said to Sarah, “Our feminine energy
has been so deeply suppressed.” She
shared that the condemnation of women
— suppressing our power, sensuality
and sexuality — has been happening
since the dawn of time. Expressing our
femininity has for so long been labelled
“wrong”, which is why we’re now seeing
a masculinity-dominated world.
“Is the feminine energy powerful
enough to change the world?” Sarah
asked me as she handed me her oracle
cards. I pulled a card from the deck. On it,
I saw her — my divine goddess — with her
long dark hair and white wings. She was
soft and gentle yet powerful and strong.
It’s this card that answered Sarah’s
question and reaffirmed my reiki session.
At that, it was time for our final
gathering. Channelling the full moon’s
energy, we adorned each other’s bodies
with paint and jewels, celebrating the fire
element and the divine goddesses within.
We danced around the dimly lit room,
stomping our feet and shaking our bodies
to the drumbeat. Then we sat, coming
together one last time to celebrate the
sisterhood, inviting our goddess energy to
come alive once again — and stay.
I found myself thinking that, to create
real change in this world, we need more
women sitting in ceremony with each
other. We need to confidently and honestly
express our feminine energy, to freely
share our feelings of love and openness
with others. Humanity needs a maternally
supported shift towards compassion,
empowerment, devotion, joy and love.
Over the month I learnt and
experienced many beautiful things, but
the most important was not to shy away
from my femininity and, instead, to feel
it, open myself to it and express it.
I miss sitting in weekly ceremony
with my sisters now, but I’ve created my
own daily spiritual practice to keep me
connected. The guidance I received from
Sarah, along with the support of spiritual
practices that resonated most, allow
me to walk strongly, confidently and
intentionally through life, honouring and
owning the divine goddess within.
For more, visit whensarahmetalice.com.
Kate Duncan is assistant editor of WellBeing,
 BYRON YOGA RETREAT CENTRE
50 Skinners Shoot Rd, Byron Bay
www.byronyoga.com
info@byronyoga.com | 02 6685 8327
 holistic journey
SOAPBERRIES
A new way of washing
Have you ever heard of soapberries? Neither had we until Talia Borda, founder
of That Red House, revealed her secret to clean clothes and a happy planet.
When and why did you start following
a sustainable lifestyle?
My husband was diagnosed with cancer
in 2002 and after undergoing seemingly
successful treatment we thought he was
cured. Then in 2006, when I was heavily
pregnant with our first child, the cancer
returned with a vengeance. It was a truly
awful experience and one that changed
our lives forever. This tragedy became the
catalyst for complete change. I decided
we needed to know exactly what we were
putting into our bodies and what changes
we could make as a family to ensure our
health and wellbeing for the future.
We switched to eating organic food
and I began to look further into the
chemicals in everything from cleaning
products to cosmetics. I was shocked
to discover the extent of the risk we are
actively exposing ourselves to every day.
After a few years of living our new
lifestyle, I wanted to take our sustainable
pursuits one step further and we began
the process of building an eco house
and sustainable organic garden in the
Adelaide Hills.
We built our new home using
chemical-free paint, all-natural carpet
and ethically sourced materials. We tried
to make the building as passive as we
could and the design of the garden was
given priority. We have approximately 40
garden beds, 100 fruit and nut trees and a
dozen chooks across 1500 square meters
— it’s an organic paradise for our kids!
How did That Red House first begin?
In 2013, not even two years after we
moved into our sustainable home, we
were asked to open the garden to the
public as part of the Adelaide Food &
Wine Festival and in one day we had
over 1300 visitors come through our
humble little property. It was amazing
and it ultimately allowed me to meet
and connect with more like-minded
people who were passionate about
sustainability and organics.
With this new organic lifestyle, I was
still struggling to find an organic option
for the laundry. We had a grey water
system in place to send all the excess
water into the vegie garden but I really
needed a 100 per cent chemical-free,
26 | wellbeing.com.au
biodegradable and preferably organic
detergent that actually worked. So
again, after much research, I discovered
soapberries. I then used them for a few
years before deciding to take the plunge
myself and start That Red House and I
haven’t looked back since.
What are soapberries?
Soapberries are the fruit of the Sapindus
mukorossi tree, which is native to Nepal.
They contain a substance called saponin,
in the flesh of the fruit, which acts as
a natural soap. They have been used
for thousands of years throughout the
Himalayas for a multitude of purposes
but most popularly as soap. They are
picked, dried in the sun, deseeded and
packed. No chemicals are used at any
stage of the process and they are 100 per
cent certified organic.
How do you use soapberries?
Soapberries are very easy to use. Simply
add five shells to the little cotton bag
provided and pop them in the wash with
your clothes. That bag will do around
five loads of washing and when they are
finished they can be added to the compost
to break down naturally. You can also boil
them and make a huge range of cleaning
products, shampoo, body wash and even
shaving cream. You can find all of those
recipes and more on our website.
What are the health benefits
of soapberries?
Soapberries allow us to clean our clothes
effectively while eliminating chemical
absorption. Our skin is the biggest
organ in our body and is soaking up the
chemical residue left in our clothing
fibres all day, every day. Unlike food,
there is no legislation forcing detergent
manufacturers to disclose the ingredients
that they use in their products so we are
taking in massive amounts of chemicals
without even realising it. Soapberries
are free from chemicals, making them
great for anyone who has skin conditions,
delicate baby skin or allergies of any kind.
How do soapberries help
preserve the environment?
The soapberries themselves are fully
compostable and leave no residue that
can damage the environment. Although
they grow wild in the Himalayas, the
trees themselves have been destroyed in
recent times and used by the Himalayan
communities for firewood and other
domestic purposes. The extent of
deforestation has been widespread and
significant so, through the purchase of
our berries, the farmers and landowners
are provided with income that also
guarantees the survival of the trees.
We have also worked very hard to make
the shipping and packaging of our
soapberries 100 per cent waste free,
ensuring our carbon footprint is zero.
Please tell us about your
Grow Nepal initiative.
We recently travelled to Nepal to visit
the communities that are responsible
for harvesting our berries. While very
confronting, it gave me a clear idea
about our social responsibility to assist
the Himalayan people. The Grow Nepal
initiative was established to support
these communities, providing them
with sustainable income opportunities
and a focus on improving their overall
standard of living. We are in the process
of establishing a joint project focusing
on setting up women’s healthcare
facilities in remote areas of Nepal. As a
company owner, mother and a woman,
I resonate strongly with the challenges
that these women face on a daily basis.
It’s something that I’m very passionate
about and can’t wait to make a significant
difference in the lives of these people.
For more, visit thatredhouse.com.au.
100% Australian Owned | 100% Australian Made

100% Natural

Available through
Coles Supermarkets Nationally

www.naturescommonscents.com.au
 art for art’s sake
JESSIE HALEY
WellBeing gives space to the creative souls in our community
Jessie Haley
W: facebook.com/jessiehaleyillustrated,
instagram.com/jessie_haley_illustrated,
liberteandom.com/mental-fitness
28 | wellbeing.com.au
T
he creative process plays a huge
role in my life. I hadn’t painted in
15 years and, when I felt life had
come crushing down, I began to paint.
Day and night. The process took me on
a journey that elevated me to another
level energetically.
During this time, I opened my own
holistic health business in Bathurst,
NSW, which aims to support and
address anxiety, domestic violence and
personal direction. Painting softens
me and provides me with a deep focus,
allowing me to feel grounded as a
practitioner. For me, the two worlds
are inextricably linked.
This piece, Vulnerable, became clear
to me after I had my first daughter.
I became a single mother when my
daughter was only three months old
and I would often gaze at the painting
I’d sat in her room. I saw a wild and
unpredictable current underneath the
female character’s still composure, a
vulnerability. Without vulnerability, there
is no room to question or feel. It can be
wildly driven yet, if we stand still just
for one moment, we confront ourselves
and, if we’re lucky, our true calling. The
woman allows the deer to take her where
she needs; her trust falls only upon the
natural environment around her.
The most important message I can
give about the creative process is to
allow it to take you where it needs to take
you. Allow it to guide you.
Vulnerable 35×25cm, watercolour, ink,
gouache, natural blush and eyeshadow,
applied to Japanese rice paper
 thinkers & doers
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN

Gaia goddess
Singer, actress and activist Olivia Newton-John is hopelessly
devoted to making a positive impact from her public platform
Words CAROLINE ROBERTSON, Photography KATE NUTT, SHOT AT GAIA RETREAT & SPA

O
MG, it’s ONJ on the phone
apologising because she’s
15 minutes late. Nice to see
Hollywood hasn’t changed this
Melbourne girl’s manners. Despite her
celeb status, singer and actress Oliva
Newton-John remains an approachable
superstar who makes time for others,
often offering a meet-and-greet
opportunity at her concerts.
At school, I remember boys calling
her Olivia Neutron Bomb as her beauty
blew them away. We loved her as the
Aussie sweetheart Sandy in Grease, the
roller-skating minx in Xanadu and the
sweaty seductress in Let’s Get Physical.
But Newton-John is so much more
than a pretty face and a mesmerising
voice. Beneath her beguiling smile
and gentle demeanour shines a strong
spirit that has conquered cancer once,
steered a steady career and supported
compassionate causes long before they
were cool.
Newton-John has had an action-
packed 68 years and shows no signs of
slowing down. Recording, touring, acting
and championing charities fully occupy
her. “I enjoy it and it allows me to do
other things, such as talking about the
ONJ Cancer and Wellness Centre,” she
says of her most recent project.
From cancer to wellness
Since thriving through breast cancer
in 1992, Newton-John wanted to share
the therapies and hope that helped her
with her crisis. “I bought homoeopathics
from Germany, yoga, meditation, herbs
from John [her now husband]. Looking
back, I’m pleased I also went through
chemo, so I have compassion for those
undergoing it. But I also want to create
kinder treatments that promote healing;
keeping people’s minds positive with
complementary and conventional
treatments all under one roof.”
When Austin Health approached
Newton-John to lend her support to

30 | wellbeing.com.au

their Melbourne public hospital, she
emphasised the importance of a wellness
wing. “Putting the word ‘wellness’ next
to ‘cancer’ gives it a whole different
consciousness that you can go from
cancer to wellness,” she explains.
After nearly 10 years of fundraising
close to AU$200 million, the state-of-
the-art Olivia Newton-John Cancer
and Wellness Centre opened in 2012 in
Heidelberg, Victoria. One way Newton-
John garnered funds was with a three-
week walk along the Great Wall of China,
signifying the road to recovery from cancer.
Patients at the ONJ Centre have
access to world-class cancer treatments,
holistic therapies and expert specialists
guiding them through their journey.
Newton-John’s efforts have made a huge
impact on lives, as patients’ testimonials
highlight. Ian, who was treated for a
brain tumour, says, “If the ONJ centre
had not brought us into the sphere of
these wonderful people, programs and
facilitator, I hate to think what kind of
state I’d be in now. While my recovery
will never be complete, it has come so
much further than I would have believed
possible thanks to this amazing place
and the superheroes that reside in it. This
place is a priceless lifeline to so many.”
Scientists at the centre are also
making groundbreaking discoveries,
including that a protein called HCK can
suppress gastrointestinal tumours and
reduce the emergence of new cancers.
Ever the optimist, Newton-John
considers herself a thriver rather than
a survivor. She isn’t one to dwell on the
past and laughs when saying she has
to remind herself she had cancer. “My
dream is that one day the ONJ Centre
will be only about wellness, and we’ll
no longer need cancer centres because
cancer will be a thing of the past.” As the
wellness wing depends on donations,
anyone can assist by participating in
the Wellness Walk, Research Run,
fundraising or donating online (see p32).
Newton-John is also very proactive
in promoting cancer prevention. Her Liv
Breast self-exam kit enhances your touch
10-fold so you can feel lumps easily for
early detection, she says. She has also
crusaded for chemical awareness since
her friend’s five-year-old passed from
cancer. “Nancy saw a correlation between
environmental toxins and her daughter’s
condition. I became involved in getting
things banned from being put in food
and co-founded the Children’s Health
Environmental Coalition.” Newton-John
prefers all organic produce and gave me
the girly tip to only highlight hair to avoid
chemicals seeping into the scalp.
The star’s compassion extends to the
environment and animals. She initiated
National Tree Day in Australia, which
has instigated the planting of over 10
million trees since 1992. Newton-John
also co-founded One Tree Per Child with
Jon Dee, an international school initiative
encouraging every child under 10 to plant
a tree. “I grew up with an awareness of
nature,” she recalls. “My mother was very
conscious of nature and of not wasting
things. I had a sister-in-law who made
me very aware of trees. [And] I was always
sensitive to animals, saving abandoned
animals dumped near my house.”
Grounding and reconnecting
Despite her hectic schedule, Newton-
John stays grounded by enjoying time at
“Ageing is inevitable, so you need to have love and laughter
in your life — your inner happiness is what shows most of all
and I am the happiest I have ever been at this time in my life.”
her California ranch and northern NSW
Australian retreat. “I love being at home
with my husband and my animals. I have
horses, chickens, a dog and a cat ... they
keep me active.” She calls her co-owned,
25-acre Gaia Retreat & Spa set in the
hinterland of Byron Bay her “heart home”.
“I visit Gaia annually to reconnect
with the land, breathe in the magical
air, renew, refresh and restore,” says
Newton-John, whose authentic, multi-
award-winning spa celebrates its 12th
anniversary this year. “Gaia, meaning
spirit of Mother Earth, was a dream come
true — it’s my special place in the world,”
she adds. “I love the energy, the local,
organic food, the staff and the incredibly
nurturing treatments administered by
warm and talented therapists.”
Admiring Newton-John’s glowing
skin, sparkling eyes and vibrant energy,
I want what she’s having — because
it’s evidently working! ONJ swears by
her certified organic skincare range,
Retreatment Organics, owned by Gaia
and produced locally. “I wash my face
before bed, moisturise, exercise and eat
well, all to help to maximise the amazing
benefits of the Retreatment range.”
What, then, does she eat? Some of
Newton-John’s delicious recipes appear
in her cookbook Livwise: Easy Recipes For
thinkers & doers
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
A Healthy, Happy Life (Murdoch Books). As
with many of her endeavours, profits from
Livwise support the Olivia Newton-John
Cancer and Wellness Centre.
Shunning plastic surgery, Newton-
John embraces this pleasurable life
stage. “Ageing is inevitable, so you need
to have love and laughter in your life —
your inner happiness is what shows most
of all and I am the happiest I have ever
been at this time in my life.”
Burnishing that inner glow is her
loving bond with her husband John
Easterling, which is palpable — they’re
always touching or gazing at each other
tenderly. Easterling is Newton-John’s
second husband, who helped her heal
when her boyfriend Patrick McDermott
disappeared during a boating trip in 2005.
Newton-John and Easterling were
friends for 15 years before they became
romantically involved in 2007, marrying
in 2008 in a private Incan ceremony in
Peru. She gushes, “I never imagined I’d
find the love of my life at 60 — and it gets
better all the time. I feel very blessed. It
is an amazing love story. I always tell my
friends not to give up on finding love.”
Easterling is a celebrity in his own
right, famous for supporting Amazonian
tribes and rainforest protection by
promoting Amazonian herbal medicines.
He and Newton-John share a passion
for the Earth, philanthropy and natural
health. “I’ve learned a lot from John. He’s
a very loving, generous, caring person.
I learn about herbs and travel with a
suitcase of his tonics to keep me healthy!”
Together, the couple educate others
about the importance of preserving
the planet by serving on the board
of the ACEER Foundation (Amazon
Center for Environmental Education
and Research), which helps Amazonian
tribes with education, awareness and
indigenous rights.
“[John]’s incredibly smart and
compassionate,” adds Newton-John. “He
says yes to everything; he says yes to life!”
Luckily, Easterling also enjoys travelling,
so they tend to go everywhere together.
An uplifting journey
Newton-John’s own travels started at
six when her family including German
wellbeing.com.au | 31
 thinkers & doers
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
mum, Welsh dad, elder brother and sister
migrated from England to Australia. At
15, she started a girls’ group called Sol
Four, singing at her brother-in-law’s cafe.
Then in 1965, at only 16, she won a talent
contest that took her back to England to
scale a successful singing career.
Over the decades, Newton-John’s
melodic voice has sold around 100 million
records, making her one of the world’s
bestselling music artists of all time. Her
diverse musical path traversed the towns
of rock, country, musicals, Christmas
collections and even Eurovision.
This is one star that shines even
brighter when sharing the spotlight. “I’ve
always loved singing harmonies with
others,” she says. Newton-John has had
many career highs in dynamic duets with
partners Pat Carroll, Cliff Richard, Andy
Gibb, John Denver, John Farnham, John
Travolta, Barry Gibb and Delta Goodrem.
Recently, she released a remix of her
hit Magic with her daughter Chloe Lattanzi
called You Have to Believe, which topped
the Billboard dance charts. Newton-
John’s pleased that Chloe is finding her
unique voice and proud of her recovery
from an eating disorder. Chloe is currently
in Oregon building a medical marijuana
business to assist cancer sufferers.
Songwriting is a therapeutic tool for
both mother and daughter: “Music has
always been my way of healing.” Newton-
John wrote the album Warm and Tender
after Chloe’s birth, Gaia after her breast
cancer ordeal, Indigo: Women of Song after
her mother passed, Stronger Than Before
in 2005, Grace and Gratitude in 2010 and
Liv On after the sudden death of her sister.
32 | wellbeing.com.au
Want to know more?
Olivia Newton-John Cancer and
Wellness Centre onjcancercentre.org
Children’s Health Environmental
Coalition healthychild.org
Gaia Retreat & Spa gaiaretreat.com.au
Retreatment Organics
retreatmentorganics.com
ACEER Foundation
aceer.org
“Liv On is an album for people going
through loss and grief. I’d written a song
for my sister Rona, who died suddenly of
a brain tumour. Then I collaborated with
my friends Amy Sky and Beth Nielsen
Chapman over six months to write the
album. Both had firsthand experience
of grief, as Beth has lost her husband
and Amy lost her mother. The intention
was to help people to live with loss by
transforming grief into meaning.”
The album is an uplifting, inspirational
resource and includes beautiful songs
such as Sand and Water and Stone in my
Pocket. “When you first go through loss
and grief, you feel like you are carrying
a boulder,” explains Newton-John. “The
grief comes in waves. Sometimes it’s a
pebble. Sometimes it’s a grain of sand.
The stone in your pocket will always be
with you but you will feel it differently.”
Her concerts are cathartic experiences
to let grief go, she says, and move on with
gratitude for the gift of life. “In our society,
we tend to brush loss under the rug, but
talking about grief, crying about it, is part
of the healing. There’s no time limit on it.
In our shows, it’s been wonderful to talk
about our experiences and the audience
shares theirs.”
The uplifting message is clear in the
lyrics to the title song, Liv On:
Brighter skies will come again
Cry the tears you cry
And then live on, live on
Love is all we leave when we are gone
... live on.
Newton-John’s foray into acting
skyrocketed with the 1978 box-office
blockbuster Grease, the highest-
grossing musical ever. Her many screen
incarnations since include a goddess in
Xanadu and A Christmas Romance.
Generosity and gratitude
In addition to a successful career,
Newton-John has always contributed
generously to causes. Sometimes it was
at the cost of her commercial interests,
as in 1978 when she cancelled a concert
tour of Japan to protest dolphins
slaughtered in tuna fishing nets.
This philanthropic nature, Newton-
John emphasises, stems from her
mother: “She taught me there’s much
more pleasure in giving than receiving.
It’s a really great feeling to help others.”
Newton-John has been
acknowledged for her work with the
United Nations, American Red Cross,
the Environmental Media Association,
the Women’s Guild of Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center, the Rainforest Alliance
and Concept Cure. She has also been
awarded an OBE, the Order of Australia,
inducted into the Australian Music
Hall of Fame and declared Australia’s
“National Living Treasure”.
What struck me most about this
woman as we chatted, though, was that
in the hard, shallow world of showbiz she
has retained her soft, humble authenticity.
She has this infectious positive presence,
a loving Libran outlook that makes others
utterly comfortable. Though Newton-John
has suffered her share of lows and losses,
her overriding optimism twinkles through.
She embodies the Hebrew meaning
of Gaia, or conscious life. “I believe you
create what you think, say and do. I
consciously remember how fortunate I
am; that I have so many opportunities.”
Since this interview, Olivia has again been
diagnosed with breast cancer. Please join
us in sending her healing wishes.
Caroline Robertson is a naturopath in Sydney
offering clinic or Skype consultations, treatments
and retreats. W: carolinerobertson.com.au
 health
SIMPLE SWITCHES

Photography Getty Images

Instead of checking
in with technology,
try checking in
with yourself.

34 | wellbeing.com.au

8 life hacks for wellness
Improving your health and wellbeing needn’t involve hours of stretching or meditating;
short, simple interventions all add up to help create healthy harmony.
A
re you confused by the sheer
volume of information you
receive about health and
wellbeing? One minute coffee
is good for you; the next it’s causing
cancer. You read that most of us are
marginally dehydrated one day and the
next you are bombarded by the perils of
over-drinking. Energised by an article
on the miracle powers of coconut oil,
you buy a kilo jar — only to find out it’s
contributing to your heart disease. The
list goes on.
One of the reasons for all the
confusion is that, while the internet gives
us access to a lot of information, Dr
Google is not always the most reliable
source. Another reason is that profit
and popularity are behind a lot of what
we read. However, there are deeper
underlying causes for your confusion.
Throughout history, people have
thought about health and illness in many
different ways. Rationalism and scientific
thinking dominate in today’s world, but
it’s important to remember this is just
one way of conceptualising the world.
In the Middle Ages, for example, people
believed that physical and mental
problems were a punishment from
God. This belief gradually gave way to
empiricism — believing in what can be
seen — and scientific understandings.
Science tells us that if we separate
out the elements of a problem we can
come up with a solution, a pill or a cure.
Yet modern advances in science are now
revealing that the idea of the body as a
machine made up of isolated elements
or component parts doesn’t really work
so well. While it’s possible today to see
the micro workings of the body in things
like energy lighting up various parts of
the brain and body via MRI, humans
are holistic beings. We can’t separate
out elements of ourselves and cure the
pieces; it’s all about harmony.
Holistic harmony
Achieving harmony can start with the
body or the mind. Mental health advice
Words DR MICHELLE MARS
usually involves strategies like regular
exercise and eating well. GPs in the
UK prescribe mindfulness meditation
for a host of physical and mental ills.
The modern world is full of stimulation
and stresses and people react to life
events — traumas and tensions, joys and
excitement — in different ways; physical,
mental and emotional responses are
often all rolled into one. The world moves
so fast that even too much excitement
can sometimes be a bad thing.
Self-development is not a new
phenomenon but best-practice
strategies to achieve change have
certainly changed. In a few decades,
our understandings have moved beyond
behaviourism and self-management
strategies, stress management and time
management to deeper understandings
of the human psyche.
Spirituality is no longer intrinsically
linked to religion and spiritual experience
is understood as a key to wellbeing.
The positive psychology movement
has moved our focus to the here and
now. Positive psychology, write Shelly
Gable and Jonathan in What (and
Why) Is Positive Psychology?, shifts the
focus from what is clinically wrong to
the promotion of wellbeing and the
creation of a satisfying life filled with
meaning, pleasure, engagement, positive
relationships and accomplishment. It’s
about being more aware of ourselves,
our capacity for gratitude, how we
interact with others and being in the here
and now — and, yes, mindfulness.
Years of working in the health
professions makes me weary of the latest
buzzwords. Is mindfulness just a sticking
plaster when what we need is trauma
counselling to deal with the savagery of
life, from the playground to corporate life?
Perhaps the answer to that question is
yes — but nonetheless mindfulness works
and it doesn’t need to be complicated.
The old adage “take a breath” is a good
clue to the fact that a pause, a breath and
a moment of silence can make a huge
difference to our perception of something.
health
SIMPLE SWITCHES
Mindfulness doesn’t have to be a full hour
of seated meditation.
Likewise, many short interventions
can be highly effective ways to achieve
harmony, health and wellbeing. While I
am a yoga junkie and I love tai chi and
qi gong, here are some of the shorter
interventions that I have found useful for
myself and when working with others.
Life hack #1: stand up
Most of us sit at a desk for too long in
the day. The harmful effects of prolonged
sitting have been equated to those from
smoking. The good news is you don’t
need to take up jogging to mitigate the
harm. All you need to do is stand up. This
changes your blood pressure in positive
ways, allows you to change posture and
shifts your mental and visual focus.
Life hack #2:
stretch and move regularly
Our bodies are energetic entities.
Science is now beginning to prove what
systems such as Chinese medicine have
understood for thousands of years: that
energy can be used to heal and nourish
the body. One way to feel better in your
body and clear the mind is to have a
routine that combines stretching and
breathing, thus encouraging blood and
energy to move through your body.
Before lectures that I teach, I spend
a few minutes with students doing a
simple stretching routine called “waking
up your morning spring”. This involves
circling the extremities, ankles, knees,
hips and so on in a routine designed to
rejuvenate and revitalise the body and
mind and bring more energy into your
day. An evidence base exists to back up
the efficacy of such practices.
You can find many short routines on
the internet. Lee Holden’s 10-minute
practice is a good place to start.
Life hack #3: take a moment
This simple little technique I learned
from the Brahma Kumis yogis is to take a
moment to reconnect with your core self.
wellbeing.com.au | 35
 health
SIMPLE SWITCHES
Humans are holistic beings. We can’t separate out elements
of ourselves and cure the pieces; it’s all about harmony.
Sit or stand, take a deep breath, close
your eyes if you want to and consciously
breathe in and out slowly. Move your
attention to a point about two fingers up
from your mid eyebrow and continue to
take a few deep breaths. This point has
been variously referred to in science,
religions and philosophy as the pineal
gland, third eye and seat of the soul.
Most of us commune with technology
almost constantly. Instead of checking
in with technology, try checking in with
yourself. You can do this practice of
reconnection in the moments when you’d
be checking your phone, like at the traffic
lights or when waiting for a lift.
Life hack #4:
mindfulness masturbation
Masturbation is rarely mentioned as
a self-care strategy. However, it’s a
powerful way to change the way you feel.
Psychologists call masturbation “self-
soothing” and, as Chris from Family Guy
reminds us, “It’s free!” If you are feeling
a bit stressed or unhappy, it’s often the
last thing on your mind — but it helps.
You don’t even need pursue it all the way
to orgasm to reap the benefits.
Our sexual energy is one of the
strongest and easiest energies to feel in
the body and becoming more mindful of
sexual energy is an easy way to learn to
meditate. Simply take a moment post-
orgasm, close your eyes, breathe deeply
and take your attention to your body. Note
where it is tingling and how the energy
moves in your body. Then try taking a
moment as in life hack number three.
Life hack #5:
change your body language
My mother constantly reminded us to
sit up straight. She was also fond of
36 | wellbeing.com.au
Punctuate your day with water:
a shower, a swim, a visit to
the beach or the river.
getting us to walk in a straight line with
books on our heads. While this was all
good fun at the time, it seems she was
onto something. Recent body language
research reveals we can change other
people’s perceptions — and even
our own body chemistry — simply by
changing body positions.
According to social psychologist Amy
Cuddy, preparatory power posing can
serve as a simple, free, nonverbal tool
that has the potential to be adopted
by and beneficial to almost anyone,
including those who are chronically
powerless due to lack of physical
resources or hierarchical status. Put
simply, if we stand and pose with
confidence we will feel more confident.
Next time you need a confidence
boost, try standing for two minutes in the
Wonder Woman pose with your hands on
your hips and your legs further than hip
distance apart, or try the same pose with
your hands raised in the air like you just
won an Olympic sprint race.
Life hack #6:
turn things upside down
This is a short, simple intervention for
those moments when you become aware
that you’re feeling tired or stressed. With
your feet slightly wider than hip distance
apart, your stomach muscles lightly
engaged and your knees slightly bent,
lean forward from the waist. Hang there
comfortably. Then relax and breathe in as
far as you can and hold it, then breathe a
little more and hold it, and again. Do this
again a couple of times. This gives a nice
little massage to the intercostal muscles
between the ribs and the muscles
between the shoulder blades where
many of us carry tension, particularly if
we sit for extended periods of time.
Life hack #7:
heighten your awareness
How aware are you of the sounds of
everyday life? In general, it seems we are
much more passive in our relationship
to sound than we are in other aspects of
our lives. Julian Treasure’s TED Talk on
how to listen better is an eye opener.
Humans are constantly surrounded
by noise, mostly accidental and
unpleasant. We are disconnected from
the world around us, adversely affected
by incongruous noise. The solution? To
become aware of and practise taking
control of the environment. Block out
unpleasant noises: sing, block your
ears if you hear unpleasant noises and
create conscious soundscapes. Spend
five minutes a day listening to wind,
water or birds.
Life hack #8:
celebrate the water of life
Punctuate your day with water: a shower,
a swim, a visit to the beach or the river,
even simply listening to a waterscape on
the internet.
Taking the waters is a cure-all dating
back centuries. The Greeks and Egyptians
used springs and baths for healing. The
Victorians believed that hydrotherapy
healed, often sitting in steam baths up to
their necks or drinking copious quantities
of mineral water. As people turn to
leisure and lifestyle as the key to health
and wellbeing, it’s little wonder that spa
tourism is again on the increase.
You don’t need to go on holiday to
reap the benefits water has to offer,
though. Try having a shower when you
get home at the end of the day. This
helps hydrate the body, relaxes you
and gives you a mental cue that your
workday is done.
Taking microsteps, paying attention
to the small details and making
even just one change a day makes a
difference to the state of your health
and wellbeing. Try to tune in to your
energy, consciously listen, stretch, pose,
Photography Getty Images
pause, take a shower or try some self-
soothing — all these things work. It’s
just a matter of finding the combination
that suits you.
Dr Michelle Mars is a lecturer, researcher and
counsellor. Her areas of expertise are gender,
sexuality and wellbeing.
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 mind
LOVING GOALS
It's all in the process
Setting goals can be a powerful practice, particularly when the
approach celebrates the process — and yourself.
T
here’s no doubt that setting
goals gives your life focus.
Achieving goals feels fantastic
— but do you believe you are
only successful when you achieve your
goals and a failure when you don’t?
For a long time, I felt great when
I achieved my goals and like a failure
when I didn’t. As a result, for many years
I didn’t like setting goals. I felt it was a
waste of time when I didn’t know with
certainty that I would achieve them.
When I wouldn’t achieve my goals I’d
feel like I hadn’t “given it my all”; I’d feel
like I hadn’t worked hard enough. I felt as
if I had failed. I felt like a failure. I didn’t
feel energised and motivated to pick
myself up and keep going, so the whole
goal-setting process felt exhausting and
uninspiring! Maybe you can relate.
I didn’t always feel this way. When I
was younger I loved setting goals and I
did whatever it took to reach those goals.
I loved the high when I achieved a goal
and the feeling of success that flowed.
However, pushing hard to achieve my
goals came at a cost and that cost was
to my health.
Only six months after achieving one
of my greatest goals — graduating with
First Class Honours — I became very
sick. I had pushed myself beyond what
was good for my body and mind. At the
age of 23, I was diagnosed with chronic
fatigue syndrome.
I honestly thought it would take me six
months to recover, but it took me seven
years. One incredibly valuable lesson I
learnt in that time was that no goal was
worth achieving if it meant losing my
health. I no longer wanted to achieve my
goals at any cost.
Subsequently, once I had recovered,
I resisted setting goals for many years.
I preferred to just go along with the
flow and make decisions along the way.
38 | wellbeing.com.au
Words JESSICA LEE
However, this approach didn’t totally
work for me, either. With no clear goals
I felt my life lacked a level of challenge
that would excite and inspire me.
I was in a position where I wanted to
set goals — but I didn’t want to set them
like I had in the past. I no longer wanted
to be outcome-focused and inflexible to
life’s changing circumstances. Instead, I
made the decision to redefine what goal
setting meant to me and what success
looked like. I went in search of how I
could set more loving goals that had
room for flexibility and self-compassion.
How did I start? By looking over the
goals I had set and “failed” to achieve in
order to see what I could learn. I learnt
that, even when I didn’t achieve my goal in
the way I had planned, simply having the
goal to work towards had inspired me to
take important and meaningful action.
I saw clearly that, even when I had
“failed” to reach my goal, I’d made
significant progress and had grown as a
person. Without those goals, I wouldn’t
have stepped out of my comfort zone and
taken action to move me closer to the
things I valued and wanted in my life.
The power of goal setting, I
discovered, is not only in reaching the
final outcome but in who you become
in the process. By focusing only on
the final outcome, I had limited my
view of success and tied my identity to
the result. I had undermined my own
internal motivation and missed the point
of setting goals to help me grow.
Redefining failure and success
Dr Carol Dweck, a renowned psychologist
who specialises in mindset research,
believes people have either a growth
or fixed mindset. People with a growth
mindset, she believes, define success as
development, growth and improvement,
irrespective of the final outcome. Success
for people with a growth mindset,
Dweck says, is “... not about immediate
perfection. It’s about learning something
over time: confronting a challenge and
making progress.”
On the other hand, she believes
people with a fixed mindset define
success only as the achievement
of a specific outcome. People with
a fixed mindset believe they should
“be” something instead of “become”
something. She has found that people
with a fixed mindset become fearful of
trying challenging things. To someone
with a fixed mindset, the act of failure
means they are a failure and it stops
them moving forward.
I could relate to Dweck’s research.
I had approached goal setting from
a fixed mindset, believing I was only
successful if I reached the finish line. I,
too, felt I was a failure when I couldn’t
reach a goal I’d set for myself. I ignored
how I had evolved and grown during the
process; it didn’t feel important.
As I learnt to let go of my obsession
with the final outcome and choose to
view goal setting as an opportunity to
grow and learn, I felt more energised and
excited about the process.
How do you define success? When
you set a goal, do you value only the
final outcome or do you see value in the
whole process?
When you shift your focus from the
outcome to the process, you adopt a far
more loving and compassionate approach
to goal setting. Setting more loving goals
allows you to be less critical of yourself
and to feel far more confident and
motivated as you track towards your goal.
Loving goals allow you to see each step as
valuable in your growth and progress.
So, how then can you redefine goal
setting as a learning and development
process and increase your chance of
 The power of goal setting, I discovered,
is not only in reaching the final outcome
— but in who you become in the process.
not only reaching the finish line but also
enjoying the process?
4 steps to setting loving goals
1 Set realistic yet challenging goals
Setting goals that are too challenging
can, in fact, hold you back from feeling
confident and motivated. When you don’t
feel confident and motivated, it can be a
barrier to achieving your goal.
Neuroscientist Dr Sarah McKay, from
Your Brain Health, explains that the ideal
condition for peak brain performance,
learning and motivation occurs when
you find your “sweet spot”: when you are
Photography Getty Images
neither under- nor over-challenged.
When it comes to setting goals, she
advocates choosing goals that stretch
you and take you out of your comfort
zone, but not so much that you feel
overwhelmed or highly anxious.
I couldn’t agree more. A few years
ago I set a highly ambitious goal to run
a multi-speaker event (something I
had never done before) all in under six
weeks. This goal was far too ambitious
and very quickly I became overwhelmed.
I started to doubt myself and my stress
and anxiety increased to the point where
they stopped me moving forward.
A month into my planning, I decided
to cancel the event. Cancelling the event
triggered deep feelings of failure, which
took me months to overcome. Had I set a
more realistic goal by giving myself more
time, learning more about what was
involved and what support I would need,
I’d have increased my chance of actually
making it happen.
2 Be flexible and values driven
Have you ever set a goal that you
felt you “should” do only to find your
interest and motivation started to drop
off? Studies have shown that you can
increase your motivation to achieve a goal
by choosing goals that internally motivate
you rather than externally motivating
ones. This means choosing goals that
excite you and inspire you rather than
goals you feel you “should” achieve to
make others happy.
Kat Millar, from Get Results Training,
is a life, fitness and business coach
and she says, “Setting goals within our
highest values means we are much
more likely to achieve them because they
are aligned with what is important and
meaningful to us.”
Setting goals that are aligned
with your highest values keeps you
motivated and makes being flexible in
your goal-setting far easier. Flexibility is
important. How often have you set goals
but circumstances out of your control
stopped you from achieving them?
When I was recovering from chronic
fatigue syndrome, I wanted to start
building strength back into my body.
wellbeing.com.au | 39
 mind
LOVING GOALS
“One of the consistent skills in people who achieve their goals
is an amazing level of persistence. They change their approach
as necessary, but they won’t give up on their ultimate vision.”
I set the goal to go to the gym three
times a week. Within a few days of
setting the goal, I came down with a
bad flu and couldn’t leave the house
for weeks.
It was clear I wasn’t going to be
able to achieve my specific goal but,
instead of getting frustrated, I decided
to change my thinking. I did this by
reconsidering why I had set the goal in
the first place. For me, going to the gym
was about the higher value of building
strength back into my body. I knew I
couldn’t go to the gym while I was sick,
but I also knew I could still live my value
of building strength into my body by
eating nutritious food and resting — so
that became my new goal.
There are times in life when
circumstances outside your control
get in the way of you achieving your
goal. When you know what value you
are expressing through your goal,
though, you can always find a new way
to keep progressing towards it. You
don’t need to feel bad when your goals
shift or change.
Millar agrees. “One of the consistent
skills in people who achieve their goals
is an amazing level of persistence.
They change their approach as
40 | wellbeing.com.au
Celebrate no matter the
outcome, whether you
have managed to achieve
your goal or not.
necessary — but they won’t give up
on their ultimate vision.”
3 Celebrate no matter the outcome
Whether you have managed to
achieve your goal or not, it’s powerful
to celebrate the transformational
journey you have been on. World-
famous tennis player Roger Federer
lives this philosophy. In an interview
during the Australian Open he said that
regardless of whether he wins or loses
a tournament he goes out for dinner to
celebrate with his team.
To Federer, the outcome is less
important than the journey it has taken
to compete in the tournament. He
believes in the value and importance
of acknowledging that everyone had
worked hard, given their best and
achieved significant things personally
and as a team.
Celebrating the journey of your goal
allows you to feel good about yourself, to
stay motivated and be inspired to set new
goals that keep stretching you.
4 Develop your emotional
intelligence
Reflection is a powerful tool in the goal-
setting process. When you haven’t been
How to set goals
the SPARK way
1. Specific. What do I want to achieve,
why does it matter to me and what
value am I pursuing through this goal?
2. Problem. What obstacles might I face
as I pursue my goal?
3. Action. What steps could I take to
overcome these obstacles?
4. Reflect. How have I grown as I have
pursued my goal and in what ways did
I hold myself back?
5. Kindness. How will I celebrate what I
have achieved — whether I reached my
goal or not?
able to reach your goal precisely as you
had planned, it’s worthwhile taking the
time to ask yourself a few key questions:
Could I have done things differently?
Could I have stepped up more? What got
in the way?
This reflective process is not about
giving yourself a hard time; rather,
it’s about being honest about how you
may have held yourself back. Holding
yourself back is going to happen when
you set goals that take you out of your
comfort zone — it’s part of how your
brain is wired. Your brain will always
try to keep you safe and stop you
from taking steps that challenge your
comfort zone.
By looking deeper at what stops you,
you’ll build your emotional intelligence,
allowing you to take that powerful
knowledge into your next goal. Knowing
what allows you to thrive is equally
important, so make sure to ask yourself
what worked.
Should you strive to achieve your
goals? Absolutely! Achieving goals not
only moves your life forward in significant
ways but also expands your belief in what
you are capable of. However, limiting
your definition of success to only the final
achievement of your goal misses the
powerful transformation that happens
at each step along the way. Goal setting
is never just about achieving the end
outcome; it’s about who you become in
the process.
References available on request.
Jessica Lee is a writer, speaker and business
Photography Getty Images
consultant. She is the owner of The Spark Effect
and runs online and face-to-face training for
corporate teams and business owners. Jessica is
passionate about sharing neuroscience strategies
to help people 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, on +61 424 358
334 or via thesparkeffect.com.au
 relationships
CO-FINANCIAL WELLBEING

The art of love and money

Money can’t buy a happy relationship — but daring to talk honestly about it with your
partner will deepen your loving connection and bring a little peace to your purse.
Words LIZ MCLARDY

42 | wellbeing.com.au

M
oney seems more likely
to infect our relationships
with fights, fears and
shame than to spark joy.
But money shouldn’t be the greatest
cause for breakups and marriage
breakdowns. How you choose to
approach your co-financial life can be
your relationship’s greatest strength.
If your relationship is suffering from
the emotional debt of not daring to talk
honestly about how you feel, think and
interact with your money, then consider
changing the way you both approach
co-managing it.
John Armstrong writes in his book
How to Worry Less About Money, “The
goal of a relationship is that both people
flourish together. And, because money is
a crucial ingredient in flourishing, it’s a
crucial ingredient in marriage.”
We should follow our hearts when
we are on the quest to find the perfect
partner; however, we should not be afraid
to consider the financial implications
and explore how to approach the topic
of money together.
Money cannot buy a happy
relationship. But, as a resource, it can
enable you to use your talents to make a
difference and to focus on the things you
and your partner really care about. It can
help you to build a future that will bring
meaning and fulfilment into your lives.
Money and love are closely connected,
although we may try to trick ourselves
into thinking otherwise.
The truth is, money is never
just about money
The relationship you have with money
significantly impacts on you and your
partner’s physical, emotional and
spiritual wellbeing. The emotional stress
Photography Getty Images
often manifests in the physical body as
headaches, digestive problems and high
blood pressure.
Money is a complicated topic. It
touches every aspect of our lives. It can
make you question your self-worth, fuel
judgement and make you feel like you are
not enough and you don’t have enough.
Arguments about money are usually cries
for recognition of deeper unmet needs
and less about the numbers.
You may feel ashamed about your
spending behaviour, suffer in the depths
of debt or just get caught in a place of
struggle with how you relate to money.
This can make you feel ashamed and
embarrassed.
These uncomfortable feelings you
have toward money — and which many
of us share — are a great opportunity
for you to get self-curious and deepen
your understanding of yourself as well
as your partner.
Money is a gateway
to self-awareness
Bari Tessler is a successful financial
therapist and author of The Art of Money:
A Life-Changing Guide to Financial
Happiness, which offers an approach that
creates the real possibility of “money
healing”. She encourages us to view
money as a gateway to self-awareness
and as a training ground for compassion,
confidence and self-worth.
Everyone has fears, challenges and
frustrations about money. The interesting
fact is that money stress actually has
very little to do with the dollars and
cents and more to do with your thoughts,
feelings and behaviours.
According to Tessler, “Money has
been the elephant in the room your
whole life. Because ... no one has taught
you how to really deal with it ... When
we dare to speak the truth about money,
amazing healing begins.” So, instead of
continuing to avoid this elephant in the
room, why not try approaching money as
an opportunity to deepen the connection
and passion in your relationship?
As a starting exercise, consider what
your current spending behaviour is
saying about you. When you spend like
there is no tomorrow, you are sending
that same message to yourself and to
your partner. When you save, no matter
how small, you communicate that you
are investing in your future and want to
care for and protect it.
relationships
CO-FINANCIAL WELLBEING
Take control of your
co-financial wellbeing
There is no denying that money and
wellbeing are linked. It’s less to do with
how much you earn, however, and more
to do with how financially in control
you feel. Professor Bob Cummins
from Deakin University, author of the
Australian Unity Wellbeing Index, has
found that financial stress has similar
effects on the body to physical torture.
But he identifies that it’s the feeling of
being in control of your money that will
release you from this stress.
Financial control, strong personal
relationships and a sense of purpose
are what Cummins believes are the
essence of wellbeing. His “golden
triangle of happiness” clearly indicates
that, by sharing your thoughts, secrets,
hopes, dreams and fears about money
with your partner and electing to take
control of the way you both earn, spend,
save, share and invest your dollars,
you will be well on your way to boosting
your wellbeing.
Together, you can choose to engage
with money in a healthier and more
meaningful way. You can embrace your
differences and allow your vulnerabilities
and plans for the future to deepen the
loving connection you share.
Bring empathy to your
money conversations
The simplest way to bring more peace
to your relationship with your purse and
to your partner is to simply start talking
about money and make it a weekly ritual.
wellbeing.com.au | 43
 relationships
CO-FINANCIAL WELLBEING
Approach each money conversation
with a view to sharing each other’s money
struggles while aiming for constructive
outcomes. Being empathetic instead of
sympathetic is important. Empathy builds
connection and allows you to see and feel
from each other’s perspective.
If you have just transitioned from
single life to coupledom, your freedom
and private spending habits might feel
exposed. It’s important to not compare
or judge each other’s money situation
or spending habits; this will only create
barriers and disconnection.
Find a time when you will both be
relaxed and schedule your first money
session like a date! Take the time to
acknowledge that you are committed to
your relationship and to protecting it,
which means talking through financial
challenges and goals. Ritualise it with
music, a cup of tea or a dessert to create
an enjoyable environment.
Your first money date doesn’t need
to have a strict agenda but a good
starting point would be to talk about
how you (individually and collectively)
relate to money (fears, dreams, beliefs,
behaviours) and what you want to
change. Focus on sharing and not
judging. You might find it helpful to keep
a money journal so you can take notes.
Be loving, practical and sacred
There are some really practical things
you can do to create a loving, practical
and sacred space to talk about money.
Here is a checklist to consider when
scheduling your first money date:
Be loving
Listen with compassion and suspend
your judgement
Have a shared outlook towards
managing your money
Share your money dreams, beliefs
and behaviours
Talk about your private money histories
Be open-minded
44 | wellbeing.com.au
Create a harmonising environment for your money dates
using candles, aromatherapy oils, music and a treat.
Be practical
Know what you own and owe
Set spending boundaries and “free use
money” limits
Tackle challenges with a safety net fund
and commit to long-term savings
Explore helpful co-money-management
techniques (for example, joint bank
accounts, cash budgeting to stick to
spending limits and choosing debit cards
instead of credit cards)
Balance both your saving and your
spending tendencies
Be sacred
Discuss how to earn, spend, save, share
and invest in a way that is meaningful to
you both
Bring a sense of adventure to your
money conversations
Create a harmonising environment
for your money dates with candles,
aromatherapy oils, music and a treat
Create shared goals
Once your money dates have explored
how you both relate to money, you can
start to invest further in your financial
future by identifying what you both value
and create shared goals.
If you have already been through
the purchasing of an engagement ring,
planning a wedding and choosing where
to live, then you’ll be very aware of the
impact that other people’s values have
on your choices.
It takes courage and discipline to
stick to your unique set of values and
to spend your money on things that
bring joy to your lives. This is where
your partnership can offer some of its
greatest strength. By taking the time
to understand what each other really
cares about, you can provide support
in helping each other “flourish” and in
spending meaningfully.
Creating shared goals is much the
same. Do you want to own your own
home or is this your parents’ dream?
Do you want to run a business together
or is it feared because your parents
think it’s too risky? Do you want to
Photography Getty Images
travel or study? You might not know
all the answers to these questions
and that’s perfectly OK. The important
thing is to consider and choose from
all the possible experiences you could
share with your partner, and have great
expectations of your relationship as well
as its future.
 relationships
CO-FINANCIAL WELLBEING

Share, create and celebrate

To master the art of love and money,
follow these six steps:
1. Share your own private money
history. Everyone has their own unique
experience when it comes to money.
By sharing how finances were handled
in your childhood home, what money
means to you and how you feel your
financial worth relates to your value,
you’ll allow your partner to more deeply
understand you and the way you
interact with money.
It takes courage and discipline to stick to your ... values and to
2. Share your money fears and spend your money on things that bring joy to your lives.
dreams. Acknowledge that neither
of you is completely free of financial Balance the masculine energy in both of you will increase. You
fears. It’s OK to worry and dream about and feminine will both be seeking more financial
money. Together, you can make a plan Studies have shown that men and women security and stability in the early stages
to resolve and achieve them. often have different views on money. For of parenthood. It’s a good idea to
3. Create a shared vision. Talk about women, usually driven by more feminine anticipate these changes and adjust your
how you will manage the flow of money energy, money is seen as a sign of financial plan accordingly.
in your lives and your priorities. Discuss security and stability. They are usually Compassionate communication,
how you value each other — presents, more likely to save for emergencies and honesty, trust and openness are
shared experiences, simplicity to create
worry when financial challenges arise. undoubtedly important ingredients for a
time — as well as what you value:
Men, typically driven by masculine healthy relationship, be it with yourself,
buying a house, further study, holidays,
energy, are more likely to take risks and your partner or your money.
volunteer work etc.
often see money challenges as a threat Money can seem complicated but it
4. Set boundaries. Once you have
to their self-esteem. doesn’t need to be. Just start by talking
become a committed couple it’s
important to work together to set It’s important to embrace the about it and defining what money success
limits on spending. But equally masculine and feminine energies that you means to you individually and as a couple.
important is that you both have money both bring to managing your money. This Your co-financial life is an adventure;
to continue to spend freely to avoid will bring advantages and disadvantages enjoy sharing it together. Remember
unhealthy behaviours like hiding to different money matters. Be aware of to make sure that the love you have
transactions and purchases. them but don’t let them get in the way of for each other is at the foundation of
5. Practise healing money rituals your overall goals and ability to achieve everything you do and that this adventure
together. Incorporate mindfulness into them as a couple. together is much more valuable than
your day by being compassionately self- Remember that your co-financial your bank balance.
Photography Getty Images

aware of your money thoughts. Write
down any persistent worries and tackle
them together.
6. Celebrate your successes. Choose
how you will celebrate your financial
successes and your ability to take back
control of your money situation.
life is an adventure. There will be many
twists and turns along way. These
energies will continue to change, as will
your life together. By being conscious of
them, you can be equipped to make the
best money decisions.
For example, if you choose to become
parents, it’s likely that the feminine
Liz McLardy is an accountant, money
mindfulness expert and mama of two. She
runs consultations and courses to inspire and
empower women to be the masters of managing
their money. She combines her business, money
management and healing expertise to make
money sacred and practical. W: lizmclardy.com

46 | wellbeing.com.au
For the

of your life...
 relationships
COMPASSIONATE GIVING

Humans are drawn to animals

because they are tuned to receive
us without judgement, and we
them without fear of rejection.

48 | wellbeing.com.au

It’s in the receiving
Giving of gifts and time to others is a good thing, right?
Well, yes, but true giving comes from the ability to be fully present
with another and to receive them — just as they are.
Words NICK PARKINS
T
he simple act of relating to
others — in families, with
friends or as a fleeting
interaction between strangers
— can be fraught with needless division,
angst, self-doubt and confusion. This
problem is often couched in goodwill,
particularly in times of celebration when,
we are told, it’s more important to give
than to receive. In fact, the very act of
giving is synonymous with selflessness
and considered quintessentially good.
Yet is this assumption necessarily
healthy, balanced or correct?
Giving presents is fun and traditional,
sure, but did you ever stop to ask:
what does it mean to give? Take, for
example, my reaction to a door-to-door
salesperson. I might see their lips move
but I don’t hear the words. My mind’s
voiceover suspiciously intercedes like
a badly dubbed film, asking, “What are
you selling?” Most people don’t feel
connected to door-knocking salespeople
because they have an agenda behind
their smiles.
Seen in this context, giving is a state
of separation, says Kim Hutchison, a
teacher-healer at livingasyoursoul.com
and author of How to Live as Your Soul.
And it’s from this state that we’re often
encouraged to relate to others. “We ask,
‘Am I giving enough?’ or ‘Am I giving too
much?’” says Hutchison.
Photography Getty Images
This agenda-driven behaviour
inevitably takes on a life of its own, as it
leads us to ask: “How do I give openly
and generously and avoid being taken
advantage of? Am I giving more to them
than they are to me?” As Hutchison says,
“It’s I, I, I, me, me, me. Where is the
other person in this narrative?”
relationships
COMPASSIONATE GIVING
The greatest gift comes when you’re
present; when you receive someone,
without condition, for who they are. It’s
in this state of being that you are you
true self. It’s in this moment — free from
any mental chatter that clouds your
judgement of others — that another
person can also open up and experience
their true self.
“Receiving starts with the willingness
to receive another,” says Hutchison.
“It’s this that creates the energy of
connection. When you are present with
yourself, you become more open to
receiving another and they become more
able and open to receiving you, and then
clarity of communication is created.”
According to Hutchison, it’s this
moment that creates the energy of
intimacy. “When you become intimate
with another it’s then that you experience
a connection with your own soul, your
own power and presence,” she says. “And
when you experience that connection,
it’s then that you are able to experience
connection with another’s soul. What’s
being communicated is consciousness,
not preconditioned behaviour. When we
communicate through consciousness,
we actually receive another and the
receiving cycle continues.”
The energy flow is like lines of force
connecting two complementary polarities.
What you might call magnetic attraction.
When you receive, you are feeling into
the other person, your surroundings and
yourself. When you give in absence of this,
you don’t open up.
The stories we tell
The standoff between “giving” and
actively receiving another has not
wellbeing.com.au | 49
 relationships
COMPASSIONATE GIVING
The greatest gift comes when you’re present; when you
receive someone, without condition, for who they are.
occurred simply by chance. If you’re
not open, after all, you can’t get hurt.
Publicly you may be on the offensive,
but inside you’re on the defence. “What
would look good in this situation?” you
might ask yourself. “Is what I am about
to say acceptable?”
Questions like these are common
and can lead to an impasse in personal
relationships. Internal dialogue like this
is based on an imaginary instance or
outcome, about an illusive someone.
But, again, it is your assumption, ergo it
is all about you. Here, you’re less aware
of yourself than you are of what you think
others think of you.
These unconscious thoughts are
very real, especially when you posture
about or tiptoe on eggshells to attract
or appease others. The result is that
you dump it all — your baggage, issues,
everything — on them. And not only
does this behaviour tell the other person
they hold the power over how you feel,
says Hutchison, it’s the main reason the
giving myth is intentionally perpetuated.
We’re conditioned to give, continues
Hutchison, so nobody receives the other.
“Nobody is seen, nobody is heard, felt
or understood. There’s no connection,
no communication and no chance for
healing. There’s no energy exchange
whatsoever because we aren’t receiving
each other.” No attempt is made to
connect with a real someone beyond the
fictional character you create for that
50 | wellbeing.com.au
person — or for yourself — inside your
head, she says.
To receive another fully, you must
remove your thoughts from the equation.
This is easier said than done, especially
when your brain is in BS mode. “I’ve
noticed that a lot of people will just fill in
the blanks of a situation based on their
own internal map of reality,” says Clay
Andrews, a relationship expert and co-
founder of the Modern Love Association.
“They’ll create these thoughts that
are trained on the past or future and
judgements of others or themselves.”
Not only does mental chatter check
us out of the moment, says Andrews, but
it can objectify someone and value them
not as they are but as what we perceive
them to be. “I might say, ‘She’s being
stubborn’ or ‘He’s a typical man’, but
this approach destroys the connection
because you are no longer interacting
with a person as a human being. Instead
you are labelling them.”
The mind is scarcely present in this
mode; it does not receive. Instead, it
projects in others the fabricated sense
it unknowingly shares of itself. Too often
it’s concerned with thinking about what
others think, repeating what others
repeat and projecting what others
project — and that’s when it’s not too
busy thinking up what next to say (trying
its damnedest not to forget) before the
object of its projections can hope to
finish a sentence.
The upshot, according to Kim
Hutchison, is that in this moment you
aren’t in receipt of yourself or others.
Instead, you say things like, “I must
give my partner a good time tonight.”
When asked, “Well what does your
partner want?” you might reply, “That
doesn’t matter. I must give him/her the
appearance of this and the behaviour of
that, and that will keep her/him happy.”
This isn’t true or real, says Hutchison, and
that’s why, too often, relationships suffer.
This counterfeit mind is too busy
giving — or, rather, dealing in —
fraudulent goods. Anchored outside of
itself, mired in its own stories, it rarely
sees beyond how others perceive it.
We’re all conditioned this way; we divide
our sense of self and connection from
others. Yet we get lost in this world of
thoughts chasing rainbows, encouraged
to compete with and fear all comers
(when not escaping into the blessed
peace of virtual worlds).
Why seek to turn into your own mind
rather than open it to others? Is this how
a mind that thirsts for connection reacts
to fear and non-nurturing indifference?
And, if you try to shut it down, what
happens when you disconnect from
your own intrinsic value? How can you
recognise, accept or hope to receive the
intrinsic value in others? It’s as if the
unconscious mind asks and answers
itself without consent, “If I’m not being
me and you aren’t being you, and no one
is real, what is the point in receiving?”
How to receive
It wasn’t always this way. When a baby
arrives into the world it’s completely
Photography Getty Images
fine, says Hutchison. “It’s only when a
baby grows up and has psychological
experiences that affect its psyche that
it requires healing.” According to her,
these issues often stem from harsh
social conditioning when we are taught
to shut out our feelings. “Once you
open up and accept these feelings, you
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 relationships
COMPASSIONATE GIVING
“When you’re actually focused on listening to what
someone is saying, you become unconsciously aware
of the energy behind what they are saying.”
can get to the inherent gifts of love and
healing that lie beneath.”
Similarly, animals offer a window onto
a world of innate connection. According
to distinguished veterinary behaviourist
and author Vint Virga, humans are drawn
to animals because they are tuned to
receive us without judgement, and we
them without fear of rejection. “We sense
their regard for our thoughts and our
feelings and we respond in kind without
reserve,” says Virga. “If we choose to, we
can do so with each other.”
I can certainly imagine myself in the
shoes of another, but is it enough to
ask, “How might this person feel, react
or think?”
According to Hutchison, you wouldn’t
bring yourself into it at all. “That’s
another misunderstanding. It’s what
people often mistake for empathy. Stuff
all that nonsense; it takes us right off
track. It’s about compassion and, to have
compassion for someone, you need to be
able to understand and accept them; you
need to be open to receive them.
“It may be their experience in some
way equates to your own but, if that
is the only way to genuinely connect
with someone, there would be a very
limited number of people you could feel
compassion for, right?” If that was the
case, Hutchison continues, you could
52 | wellbeing.com.au
only feel compassion for somebody
with whom you had common shared
experiences, and clearly that’s not true.
The trick is to listen, Hutchison
shares. Only then can you feel beyond
the content to connect with the context
of what someone is saying. “That
includes energy because, when you
are actually focused on listening to
what someone is saying, you become
unconsciously aware of the energy
behind what they are saying. A person
might say to you that they feel perfectly
fine after the death of a friend, but as
you really listen to them you can see,
feel, sense or know that actually they
are not.”
The tendency, of course, is to over-
think how you are being, whether you’re
doing it correctly. Yet the most important
thing is your willingness to receive. “If
[receiving] is your intention, and you set
an openness and a willingness to receive,
that automatically changes everything,”
says Hutchison. “Because, apart from
anything else, you stop talking and start
really listening — and how many of us
actually really listen?”
The author would like to thank Kim
Hutchison (livingasyoursoul.com), Vint
Virga (vintvirga.com) and Clay Andrews
(modernlove.life) for their time.
Animal instincts
Language — and consequently our
thoughts — gains most traction in the
outside world. Language generalises,
objectifies and gives meaning to
concepts and things. However,
attempts to objectify subjective
experience in such a way can lead to
a feeling of disconnectedness from
oneself and others.
“Animals live in far greater
awareness because they don’t depend
on verbal language,” says Vint Virga,
author of The Soul of All Living Creatures.
“An animal’s survival fundamentally
depends upon it being more aware of
itself and its surroundings. Animals use
complex communication systems that
we don’t understand at all, yet it’s more
experiential. Language is more about
thought and cognition, which takes us
out of the experience.”
According to Virga, this is where
the difference between thinking and
knowing lies. We think we know
animals, that we can project what we
know of ourselves onto animals, and yet
we are strangers to ourselves. We ask,
do animals feel pain, grief or happiness
like we do? When, in fact, what we are
doing is translating an animal’s sense of
being into our own experience, because
that’s all we know.
“We can’t just say ‘like we do’,”
says Virga. “We have no concept of
what animals see or feel because it is
different from our human experience
and, frankly, I feel that is our stumbling
block as human beings. We too readily
try to translate things into our own
experiences and, by doing so, we miss
the opportunity of opening up to the
Photography Getty Images
possibility that there is so much more
that we could experience if we started
being a little more receptive.”
Nick Parkins holds a Masters in Philosophy of
Mind and likes to live outside the box. You can
contact nick at nickparkins@hotmail.co.uk.
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 health
TO BRA OR NOT TO BRA
Time to burn the bra?
Ah, the brassière. It can poke into your chest, dig into your back and mould
your breasts into missiles, or it can support your bust and delight with
lace and levity. Loathe it or love it, do your boobs really need it?
F
emininity is often defined by
a woman’s breasts. Popular
imagery portrays the breast
in many forms: a voluptuous
Renaissance woman in repose, an infant
contentedly suckling a mother’s breast
or a buxom celebrity sporting breasts
with a little surgical tweaking.
Throughout the history of womankind,
breasts have been a hot topic —
they’re celebrated, envied, adored
and sometimes mocked. They’ve even
inspired creativity. Legend has it that the
curved champagne flute was modelled
on a famous breast: that of Queen of
France, Marie Antoinette.
And, love yours or loathe them,
there’s no getting around the fact that, if
you have a pair, they’re yours for life.
Boob basics
So what does the ideal breast look like?
Fashionistas all over the world will extol
the virtues of the perfect pair. According
to most marketing gurus, the ideal
breast is round and super perky. But the
reality is very different. Breasts are a bit
like noses — they come in all kinds of
shapes and sizes, from petite to bountiful,
gravity-defying to droopy. Some are a little
lopsided. No matter what shape or size,
all breasts are normal and beautiful, just
like the rest of you!
Lending a helping hand
There have been some ingenious devices
designed over the years to enhance and
support the bust. The Minoan women
in Greek history around 2000 BCE wore
garments that uplifted the breasts and
left them exposed.
In the Middle Ages, middle- and
upper-class women wore stiff linen under
54 | wellbeing.com.au
Words CARROL BAKER
the bodices of their outfits to bind and
flatten the breasts. Then, in the 1800s,
women were subjected to the corset, a
heavily boned instrument that lifted the
bust up and squeezed the ribs to define
the waistline. It’s no surprise that these
contraptions caused numerous health
issues, including restricting the organs,
and affected breathing and digestion.
Mary Phelps Jacob, a New York
socialite, liberated women from the
corset in around 1914 after stitching
together a couple of handkerchiefs and
a long pink ribbon to fashion the world’s
first-ever brassiere.
With World War I in full swing a
few years later, and corsets no longer
favoured by many, Valerie Steel, author
of The Corset: A Cultural History, writes
Going braless exercises your
right to freedom of choice. In an
age where personal freedoms
are few, it’s liberating and
deliciously empowering to have
the freedom to choose.
that the extra 28,000 tonnes of steel
that would have gone into corsets was
enough to build two battleships.
The first padded bra was introduced
in the 1950s, the first sports bra came
into being in the 1970s and, in the
1980s, cultural icons like Madonna
introduced a bemused generation to
the pointy cup or cone bra.
You’d think that was pretty hard to
top but, a few short years ago, clever
Slovenian manufacturers introduced
the smart memory bra: when your body
temperature rises, your bust gets a perky
little lift. What will they think of next?
What do bras really do?
For many women, the best part of
wearing a bra is the sense of relief they
feel when they finally wrestle it off their
body at the end of a long day. The truth
is, the wrong kind of bra, or the wrong-
sized bra, can indeed feel like a torturous
instrument. So why do we bother
wearing them, anyway?
It’s a good question, particularly
when you consider the claim that
wearing a bra may even be hazardous
to your health. A few years ago, a
French sports doctor named Jean-Denis
Rouillon declared war on the bra. Bras
served no purpose, he said; at worst,
bras were harmful to the muscles that
support the breasts and not wearing
one allowed women to develop more
muscle tissue, so breasts drooped less
with age.
Then there are the authors of the 1995
book Dressed to Kill, Sydney Ross Singer
and Soma Grismaijer, who claim a link
between bras and breast cancer.
Is there any truth in any of this? Are
we really better off letting the girls
swing free? That, it seems, depends on
who you ask.
Unshackle your bosom
There’s no getting around the fact that,
in summer, bras can be uncomfortable,
sweaty contraptions that can poke, prod
and dig into the flesh.
While many women happily whip off
their bras in the privacy of their own
homes, dare to go braless in public
and you open yourself to ridicule and
unwanted opinion: comments like,
“You’re going to have saggy boobs” or
“You’re brave — I’d hate people to see
my nipples.”
 health
TO BRA OR NOT TO BRA
Photography Getty Images

wellbeing.com.au | 55
 health
TO BRA OR NOT TO BRA
Going braless exercises your
right to freedom of choice. In an age
where personal freedoms are few, it’s
liberating and deliciously empowering
to have the freedom to choose. After all,
it’s your body.
If you’re more a middle-ground
kind of gal and would like to unshackle
your boobs but still feel a little coy, you
can protect your modesty with silk or
silicone nipple covers, or you can tape
your nipples.
Benefits of the bra
In a sea of A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H
(and some double-digit cups), many
women are confused when it comes
to bra shopping. There are demi-cup,
balconette, bandeau, contour, convertible,
full cup, racer back, maternity, push-up,
plunge, T-shirt, shelf, mastectomy, sports
and adhesive bras.
There are bras to minimise the bust,
bras to make the bust overflow the cups
that contain it, bras to support bouncing
boobs during exercise, and more.
Regardless of your personal feelings
on bras, wearing one does have a plus
side. Ask Jene Luciani, author of The
56 | wellbeing.com.au
Bra Book, about the benefits of wearing
a bra and she’ll tell you it will knock
four kilos off your appearance and,
in a microsecond, you’ll stand and
sit up a whole lot straighter (because
women who are braless tend to stoop to
unconsciously try to cover their breasts).
Bras prevent the breasts moving
up and down, and any associated
discomfort. During physical exercise,
breasts move in a three-dimensional
sinusoidal motion, creating something
called breast bounce. According to bra
manufacturer Berlei, even petite 10A
breasts can move up to 4cm from where
they started. A 12B can bounce as much
as 8cm while jogging, and a DD can
move to 18cm.
As for how often an unsupported
breast will bounce, in periods of
prolonged activity it’s staggering.
According to Dr Deirdre McGhee, an APA
sports physiotherapist and researcher
from Breast Research Australia, a
60-minute run can lead to 10,000 breast
bounces. That’s a lot of movement and
stress on the body.
Then there are other reasons why
wearing a bra can be of benefit. Bras lift
A 60-minute run can lead
to 10,000 breast bounces.
That’s a lot of movement
and stress on the body.
and support the breast tissue which, for
larger-busted women, can also help to
prevent backache. Aesthetically, wearing
a bra also gives a cleaner line to clothes
and, by camouflaging the nipples, they
give women more freedom to wear what
they want.
As for those claims about bras
leading to cancer, they are quickly
and deftly nipped in the bud by Kathy
Chapman, director of cancer programs
at Cancer Council NSW. She says
there’s no credible research showing a
link between wearing (or not wearing)
a bra and developing breast cancer.
“There have been claims in the past that
underwire bras cause breast cancer by
obstructing the lymph flow; however,
there is no scientific evidence to support
this,” she says.
So what about the idea that not
wearing a bra builds up natural muscle
to prevent sagging? According to the
experts, the reverse is true. Dr Paul
Belt, a consultant plastic, reconstructive
and cosmetic surgeon, says bras offer
support — and not wearing one may lead
to droopier breasts. “The more you can
support the bust the better, particularly if
you have large breasts,” he says.
Dr Belt adds that breasts having a
lot less bounce and a lot more droop as
women get older is simply a normal part
of getting older. “The Coopers ligaments,
fibrous bands that run through the
breasts, stretch and that causes
drooping of the breasts as women age,”
he says. Just how much breasts will
droop is influenced by several factors:
“Whether you’ve had children, have
breastfed, weight fluctuations, oral
Photography Getty Images
contraceptives, menopause — all of
these things can affect the shape and
volume of the breast.”
What about the old wives’ tale that
advocates wearing a bra to bed to make
breasts a little perkier? According
to Dr Belt, “There is anecdotal and
circumstantial evidence that there may

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 health
TO BRA OR NOT TO BRA
How to find the perfect bra
Author of The Bra Book, Jene Luciani,
has a few gems to share:
Wear or bring a thin t-shirt so you can
see what each bra looks like under
the sheerest of circumstances.
Don’t be afraid to put the bra on and
face yourself with a critical eye. If you
see any gaps, spillage, digging in or
other signs of a poor fit, it’s not the
right bra. Turn around and look at
the back band as well.
Be aware of your body type so you
know what bras to look for. If you
are more of a top-heavy “apple”,
you’ll probably be looking for fuller-
coverage bras, not demi-cups.
Don’t get stuck in a size rut. Write
down the date of your visit and plan
another six months to a year later.
Our sizes fluctuate due to weight
gain, hormonal changes, ageing and
other life changes, so it’s important
to get fitted at least once a year.
58 | wellbeing.com.au
be a benefit for large-busted women
— lying down doesn’t have the same
effect as gravity standing up, but the
breasts still move, so the skin and the
fibrous elements within the breast will
be stretched,” says Dr Belt.
Dr Belt also advocates finding the
right bra to do the job: “Bras definitely
need to fit properly or you risk damaging
the skin.”
Sizing it up
One of the reasons underwire sticks up
and into the ribs and straps dig into the
shoulders or under the bust is that most
women don’t wear the right-size bra. In
fact, a survey by Triumph International
in 2013 that involved over 10,000 women
showed a staggering 76 per cent were
wearing the wrong size.
One of the reasons for this is they’d
never had a bra properly fitted, with
around 66 per cent of women buying
bras online or in stores that don’t offer a
bra fitting service.
So, if you’ve never had a bra
professionally fitted, there’s good reason
to. If you choose not to, at the very least
Dr McGhee advises to always try on bras
Wearing a bra will knock
four kilos off your appearance
and, in a microsecond,
you’ll stand and sit up a
whole lot straighter.
before you buy. “Bra companies don’t
standardise their bra sizes so, even if the
bra is made by the same manufacturer,
you may be a 14C in a certain style of
bra and a 16D in another, meaning you
always need to try a bra on for size.”
When choosing a bra, many women
also opt for vanity over comfort. “Most
women who think they look good in a
certain bra will still choose that bra even
if it doesn’t fit properly and it isn’t very
comfortable,” she says.
Tips for treating your bra kindly
Do you know how long you’re supposed
to hang on to a bra? One year? Perhaps
two? Dr McGhee says the average woman
hangs on to a bra well past its use-by
date. “Bra companies will generally
guarantee a bra for 25 washes,” she says.
“Most women, on average, tend to keep a
bra for two years.”
What are the telltale signs your bra
is no longer giving you the support it’s
designed to? “The elasticity is failing,
the material is wrinkled or worn in the
cups or the band or, when you move your
arms, the band slides up and down your
trunk, even when adjusted to the tightest
clip,” says Dr McGee.
You don’t need to wash an everyday
bra every time you wear it; however, if
you’ve played sport or have sweated, it
needs to go into the wash, as the sweat
will eat away at the elasticity.
To wash a bra, gently hand-wash or
place it inside a garment bag, with the
hooks done up. Don’t ever hang it on the
clothes line — drape it over.
Want to know how to correctly fit a bra?
Breast Research Australia has a free app
to guide you through the process and help
Photography Getty Images
you pick the right, supportive bra. Check
out bra.edu.au/sportsbra.
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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 health
SILK
The secret powers of silk
Silk has long been admired and coveted for its sensual luxury but now research
shows it can help with everything from saving lives to preventing wrinkles.
S
ilk has long been the ultimate
in luxury textiles. It can conjure
images of the wealthy and
powerful of China, Marilyn Monroe
claiming to only sleep naked in silk sheets
and the high end of the sensuous lingerie
market. Now, research from all around
the world is showing how versatile and
useful this natural fibre can be.
Medical trials are using silk proteins
to save lives, while silk clothing has
been shown to be able to assist with
everything from dermatitis to vaginal
thrush. The ability of silk to fight the
signs of ageing is also becoming better
understood, allowing us to use these
natural properties to turn back time —
at least a little!
Silk is an environmentally sustainable
and biodegradable natural fibre, too, so
it certainly deserves further investigation
into how its amazing properties can
benefit humanity.
An ancient love story
Silk fabric was originally developed
in China, with the earliest example
dating back to 3630 BCE. The Chinese
emperors so jealously guarded the
secrets of their treasured robes that silk
remained a largely Chinese monopoly
for a millennium. Originally reserved for
the emperor and the gifts he bestowed,
the fabric later began to be used by
the wealthy of China both as a status
60 | wellbeing.com.au
Words ANTHONY KINGSTON
symbol and for cosmetic and health
benefits. The rich wouldn’t just wear silk;
they would also sleep in silk bedding.
Sleeping on silk, it was believed, reduced
wrinkle formation and hair loss.
The secrets of silk did, of course,
gradually escape China. One legend of
silk’s spread tells the story of a Chinese
princess in the 5th century BCE. She was
betrothed to a prince from the kingdom of
Khotan, then outside the borders of China
on the Silk Road, but loved silk so much
that she couldn’t bear to leave China
without the means to keep producing it
in her new homeland. Despite the ban
on exporting silkworms, she managed
to hide all the necessary items for
sericulture in her bridal coiffure, knowing
no guard would dare to search it.
The economic realities of how silk
spread around the world are less
interesting but ultimately tell the same
story of daring people being willing to
risk grave consequences to meet the
burning demand worldwide for this
treasured fabric.
Benefits for the skin
Modern research into the properties of
silk is split into two areas: the isolation
of chemical compounds from silk for
medical and cosmetic use and the use
of silk fabric to improve a variety of
cosmetic and medical skin conditions.
To better understand why the material
is so effective, it helps to examine
some of the research into the chemical
properties of silk. Then we’ll turn to the
use of the fabric to enhance your life.
According to research, silk is 97 per
cent protein and principally composed
of two main proteins: sericin and fibroin.
It’s these proteins that are responsible
for many of silk’s incredible properties.
If you’ve been paying attention, you will
have noticed that silk proteins are rapidly
becoming part of many beauty creams
and products. This is because cosmetic
research on these proteins has revealed
some remarkable findings.
Silk proteins have been shown to
increase the hydration of the skin’s
epidermal cells as well as naturally
decrease further moisture loss from the
skin. Interestingly, these are two of the
benefits of sleeping on silk expounded in
ancient China.
Studies show that silk proteins are
also extremely high in antioxidants,
which benefit the skin and inhibit lipid
peroxidation and tyrosinase activity in
the skin. Inhibiting these functions has
been found to be very useful in reducing
the signs of ageing. So effective are
these silk proteins that, after exposure to
them, the skin has actually been shown
to have smoother topography.
Additionally, early research is showing
that silk proteins applied to the skin may
actually reduce skin tumours caused

by UVB light. These studies suggest
that silk proteins, when applied as part
of beauty products, may have a photo-
protective effect on the skin by reducing
oxidative stress.
Silk in surgery
Silk proteins have extremely strong
antibacterial and antifungal properties,
too. This, and silk’s high tensile strength,
is why silk sutures for wounds have
been used for centuries in ancient Asian
cultures. This fact has not been wasted
on modern medicine, which now employs
silk bandages. Silk bandages have been
shown to repair the epidermis so well
that healing actually takes place, on
average, seven days faster than with
conventional bandages.
The variety of silk-based medical
products in use and in development is
staggering. Screws made of silk proteins
are now being used in place of metal to
hold together broken bones. Silk proteins
are being used to engineer vascular
tissue, cartilage and ligaments and skin
cells to assist in a wide variety of injuries.
Even medical microchips are now
being produced from silk proteins, thanks
to research by a University of Sydney
physicist. These microchips can be used
to test vital signs in critically ill patients.
In addition, they have shown promise in
drug delivery for previously untreatable
forms of epilepsy. Unlike conventional
microchips, silk protein microchips are
made from a natural organic substance
that will simply dissolve harmlessly over
Photography Getty Images
time when they are no longer needed,
avoiding the need for removal.
Silk’s health potential doesn’t stop
there. Early research on injectable silk
gels is showing that it may be able
to strengthen the cervix of pregnant
women. Researchers at the Tufts
Medical Center in the US believe that,
in future, silk gels may be able to help
reduce premature delivery. Silk is
ideal for this use as it is three times as
strong as Kevlar, the material used to
make bulletproof vests, but importantly
degrades over time and is not rejected
by the body’s immune system as many
synthetic substances are.
In the US in 2012, 12 per cent of
births were premature, while about
8 per cent of births are premature
in Australia and New Zealand. A
new technique to reduce this could
dramatically decrease both medical
costs and emotional trauma for parents.
Skin-loving properties
Research into the cosmetic application of
silk textiles to the skin is just as exciting
as silk’s medical uses, and helps explain
many of the attributes ascribed to silk in
the ancient Chinese literature.
It was a long-held belief in China
that sleeping on silk pillowcases could
reduce wrinkle formation on the side of
the face that you sleep on. In one study,
Scandinavian surgeons found that cotton
pillow cases increase wrinkle formation.
Silk, meanwhile, prevents this wrinkle
formation and so is considered a much
better alternative for those concerned
with the signs of ageing.
The ancient Chinese also believed
that sleeping on silk could reduce hair
loss. It was understood that, as silk did
not produce friction, it didn’t tear out
the hair while sleeping. This alone can
explain the modern use of silk both in
fashionable hats and in pillowcases
to assist in the prevention of hair loss
and frizzy hair. Interestingly, research
has found that the proteins in silk can
Silk proteins are being used to engineer vascular tissue, cartilage
and ligaments and skin cells to assist in a wide variety of injuries.
health
SILK
adhere to the keratin in both skin and
hair. By doing so, the proteins produce
a perceptible protective film on the hair,
which may also help explain silk’s ability
to keep hair straight and strong.
Silk’s benefits for kids
Many parents will be excited to learn
that silk also offers some relief to
children suffering atopic dermatitis
(AD). Sufferers of AD have long been
advised to avoid clothes made from wool
or other rough fibres that irritate the
skin. Traditionally, cotton was advised
as the alternative; however, cotton is
also quite a rough fabric. Silk seems a
natural alternative. At this point, at least
three independent trials have been done
on children, confirming the effectiveness
of silk in the relief of AD.
In particular, researchers have found
that wearing silk clothing — including
body tights for infants, socks, trousers
and long-sleeved shirts — reduced the
need for application of topical creams.
Wearing silk reduced both the severity
of the atopic dermatitis and the area of
skin covered by AD, and AD also recurred
less frequently. Plus, importantly, the
use of silk clothing led to no known side-
effects. The overall conclusion was that
silk clothing significantly benefitted AD
due to its antibacterial properties and
smooth, non-irritating properties.
While we are focused on children and
silk, it should be mentioned that silk
naturally repels dust mites, mould and
mildew. For this reason, it’s sometimes
recommended that children and adults
with allergies sleep on silk bedding. Silk
sheets may prove a bit of an economic
stretch for children’s bedding — but
wellbeing.com.au | 61
 health
SILK
using a couple of silk pillow cases in
rotation is a cost-effective way to employ
the benefits of silk against allergies for
your children or yourself.
Silk for menopause and thrush
In recent years, silk has gained a
reputation for reducing the symptoms
of menopause. Evidence is mainly
hearsay from users, but people who
regularly use silk products report that
sleeping on silk eases the discomfort
of hot flushes and silk pillow cases
reduce changes in complexion brought
on by menopause. Some menopause
sufferers also say it helps reduce the
sweating produced by hot flushes. This
is anecdotally supported by the modern
use of silk cloth in many high-end
sports and hiking garments to reduce
sweating for the wearer.
Silk underwear, once only the domain
of expensive lingerie brands and
wealthy women, may also deserve wider
recognition. A large study conducted
62 | wellbeing.com.au
in Bologna, Italy, found that wearing
silk underwear over a period of six
months reduced the burning and itching
associated with vaginal thrush by up
to 90 per cent. Additionally, recurrence
of thrush was reduced by half over the
period of the study compared to wearing
cotton underwear.
Given that thrush affects three in
four women at some point in their lives,
silky smalls seem a very affordable and
practical way to help combat and prevent
it. The results of the Italian research
were so convincing that, in the UK, some
types of silk underwear are now available
on prescription on the National British
Health System (NHS).
Which silk to choose?
The evidence presented above makes
a strong case, for many people, to
incorporate more silk into their lives.
Yet, alongside its reputation for sex
appeal comes silk’s reputation as a
delicate fabric.
Invest in silk clothing to
reduce the symptoms of
dermatitis or eczema on the
affected areas of the body.
5 silky secrets
Want to harness the power of silk? Try
these five simple tips:
1. Buy natural beauty products that
contain the anti-ageing proteins such as
sericen from silk.
2. Sleep on silk pillowcases to reduce the
signs of ageing, hair loss and frizzy hair.
3. Sleep on silk bedding to prevent
allergies caused by dust mites, mould
and mildew.
4. Invest in silk clothing to reduce the
symptoms of dermatitis or eczema on
the affected areas of the body.
5. Buy silk underwear to reduce the
symptoms of and prevent recurrence
of vaginal thrush.
You can see from the evidence above
that this is far from the case. However,
to make the most of any silk products,
it’s best to purchase silk of at least
19 momme. Momme is the unit of
measurement employed in grading the
thickness of silk, somewhat like thread
count in cotton sheets. Garments of 16
momme or less tend to wear out quickly.
Be sure to buy from a supplier you can
trust. A lack of knowledge about silk
in Western countries has led to many
suppliers selling 16 momme silk or
less as 19 momme silk. This can lead to
customer disappointment when their silk
products don’t last.
Mulberry silk, produced by silkworms
fed solely on mulberry leaves, is
considered the highest-quality silk
available. Mulberry silk is finer and
less coarse than other forms of silk. It’s
often worth spending a little more to
obtain mulberry silk if purchasing silk
products for the benefits discussed in
this article, as many of those benefits
depend on the smoothness of silk
against the skin.
Silk is a natural, environmentally
sustainable fabric. Long associated
with lingerie and sex appeal, it may now
produce many medical and cosmetic
breakthroughs that will improve lives all
around the world. Not bad for the product
of an innocuous little worm!
Anthony Kingston studied acupuncture and
herbal medicine in Sydney, completing a Masters
Photography Getty Images
of Health Science. He is the founder of White Lotus
Anti Aging, a specialist clinic for applying the
anti-ageing techniques of the ancient Far East.
Anthony has been featured on national television
and is the author of the international bestselling
book and DVD Holistic Microneedling. He’s the
expert skin-needling advisor to BABTAC, the UK’s
largest beauty organisation. W: whitelotus.com.au
Choose to Be a Well Being

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 Beauty
n 1 the quality present in a thing or
person that gives intense pleasure
or deep satisfaction to the mind
2 a meaningful design or pattern

Derived from old French beauté, based on

Latin bellus, beauty exists in a moment of
appreciation for a blooming flower, the smile of
a loved one or the sun in its majesty as it fades
behind the horizon; it’s a true emotional manifesto
to time, space or thing. Beauty is a broad ideology
that has bent and flexed with time, a constant
that remains within us as humans and manifests
as a drive to adorn, to admire and to reflect on its
quality and place in our lives. Stemming
from classical antiquity, beauty stretches
beyond the exterior and remains entirely
subjective and reflective.
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 Tea break
Put on the kettle, pour a cuppa and enjoy
all the health-boosting benefits of tea.
Words STEPHANIE OSFIELD

A
re you sure you want that latte/
long black/macchiato “to go”?
Every year, Australians are
dinking more coffee and less
tea and, in the process, we’re missing a
golden opportunity to down a beverage
with incredible health punch. Tea is more
than a tasty, soothing drink that comes
in a variety of flavours: it also has plenty
of hidden health benefits to treat health
niggles and chronic conditions as well as
protect against disease.
A brew with big benefits
Whatever your cup of choice — English
breakfast, green or dandelion tea — your
body enjoys an immediate increase
in health-giving antioxidants such as
plant compounds called flavonoids and
polyphenols. When you weigh up all
the evidence, tea is the healthiest hot
beverage you can drink.
So it’s a shame that Australian tea
consumption has dropped in the past
40 years in favour of cappuccinos and
lattes. Tea appears to have more health
benefits than coffee and around 50–60
per cent less caffeine per cup. Within 20
minutes of drinking a cup of black tea,
there’s a measurable increase in the
level of antioxidants in your blood.
Tea ranks higher than some fruit and
vegetables on the ORAC (Oxygen Radical
Absorbance Capacity) scale, which
measures antioxidant levels in foods.
The polyphenols in tea help protect the
body against free radical damage, which
harms DNA and leads to disease. Three
to four cups of tea a day appear to give
optimal benefit.
Tea also has protective effects against
the following:
Heart disease
Tea lowers heart attack risk, according
to a growing body of evidence, including
research by the University of L’Aquila
in Italy. The study found that as little as
one cup of regular tea per day, which
contains around 200mg of flavonoids,
helps keep the endothelial lining of the
arteries in the heart softer and more
Photography Getty Images
flexible. This helps lower blood pressure,
prevent hardening of the arteries and
thereby reduce heart attack risk.
Osteoporosis
Elderly women who drink tea have
higher bone density, shows research
by the University of Western Australia.
This may be because tea promotes a
more alkaline balance in the body while
a more acid state leads to minerals like
calcium being leached from the bones.
Cancer
The polyphenols in tea may help reduce
the risk of gastric, oesophageal and
skin cancer, according to research. At
the School of Public Health at Curtin
University, research showed that drinking
three cups of green tea a day reduces
the likelihood of developing prostate and
ovarian cancer. If you develop either of
these cancers and you are a tea drinker,
your survival rate is also increased.
Weight gain
Many studies have indicated that
green tea helps boost metabolic rate,
encouraging faster burning of kilojoules.
This may be due to an amino acid
L-theanine, which improves alertness
without causing overstimulation.
Technique and taste
Most tea comes from the evergreen
camellia plant (Camellia sinensis), the
basis for more than 3000 varieties of
tea. The more it’s processed, the darker
the tea leaves. Green tea (eg sencha)
and white tea cultivated from the young
leaves in early spring (eg baihao yinzhen)
are the least processed teas and their
leaves are steamed. Black or regular tea
(eg Earl Grey and Irish breakfast) and
varieties like oolong (eg Wuyi rock tea)
are partially dried before being crushed
and fermented.
Most of the health research has been
conducted on green tea because its
simpler structure makes it easier to study
in a lab. However, all tannin teas contain
health-enhancing phytochemicals,
regardless of how the teas are processed.
To maximise your cuppa, choose a
loose-leaf variety and steep it for three
to five minutes to extract up to 85 per
cent of the flavonoids. Big leaves need to
steep for longer while tiny pieces of tea
infuse faster.
What about milk?
Though one much-publicised study
showed that adding milk negated the
health benefits, many other studies have
indicated that most of the antioxidants
from tea are still absorbed whether you
enjoy your tea with milk, sweetener or
lemon. Keep in mind, though, that if
you are drinking five or six cups a day
and adding two sugars and full-cream
special report
TEA
Chinese and Japanese tea
Tea ceremonies in Japan and China
involve beautiful rituals centred on
spirituality and stillness. Teas used in
these rituals offer antioxidant and anti-
inflammatory benefits. They involve:
Non-fermented teas, which include
white, green and yellow teas. Popular
choices include white peony and cloud
mist green tea.
Fermented teas, which are known as
black teas (or red teas in China). They
include varieties like golden tips red tea
and lapsang souchong.
Semi-fermented teas, which fall
somewhere between black and green
teas. Oolong is one of the best known.
Post-fermented: These have a very
earthy flower and heicha or Pu-erh tea
is one of the most popular.
Scented flower teas: These include
chrysanthemum, hibiscus, jasmine
and lily.
milk, your healthy tea habit may start to
become a liability for your weight and
dental health.
To teapot or not?
In recent years, the humble cup of tea
has shaken off its tea-cosy image. All
manner of delectable teas in different
flavours are available to be infused via
loose leaves or tea bags. The subtle
aromatic scent as the loose leaves steep,
the ceremonial turning of the pot and
associations with emotional comfort add
a sense of occasion to a cup of orange
pekoe or Russian Caravan.
Though the slow, beautiful tea
ceremonies of Japan and China are very
appealing, we have our own unrecognised
tea ceremony in Australia, which often
involves putting on the kettle and sitting
down and taking time to pause or chat.
Making a pot is well worth the effort,
not only because the delicate flavour
of a Darjeeling or Ceylon tea becomes
richer with loose-leaf tea but because the
longer steeping time boosts the flavonoid
levels to benefit your health.
The healing powers of herbal tea
Herbal teas are those that are made by
infusing or decocting leaves, flowers
or roots of plants other than Camellia
sinensis. As these different plants have
different chemistries, the herbal teas
wellbeing.com.au | 67
 special report
TEA
that result have a wide range of soothing,
healing and medicinal properties, which
can be used to relieve and treat many
health issues and chronic problems.
To maximise their healing power, buy
organic and loose leaf so you enjoy the
full benefits of the essential oils and
antioxidants. Try these beneficial brews:
Chai
Catching up with a friend at a cafe? Want
a hot drink to go? It’s nice to treat your
taste buds with something a little exotic.
Enter chai tea, which offers the flavours of
India in a soothing milky tea infusion.
It contains aromatic spices including
cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, fennel,
cloves, nutmeg, star anise and black
pepper. These have a range of medicinal
benefits. To name just a few benefits, chai
spices can help boost metabolism, reduce
inflammation, lower blood glucose levels
and insulin, support the immune system,
enhance digestion and boost energy.
Chamomile
Native to countries such as Spain, Italy,
Germany, Egypt and Morocco, chamomile
is one of the most popular varieties
of tea in the world. It comes from the
Asteraceae family of plants that have
white petals and yellow stems and look
like daisies. The two most commonly
used varieties are German chamomile
(Matricaria recutita), which tastes a
little sweeter than Roman chamomile
(Chamaemelum nobile). The tea is
made from the dried blossoms of the
chamomile flower but fresh blossoms
from your garden can be added for extra
taste with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory,
antifungal and astringent healing powers.
Chamomile is well known for its
calmative and antispasmodic properties.
This makes it a great tonic to treat
digestive issues including ulcerative
colitis and gastritis, stomach pain and
indigestion. When inhaled as a vapour,
it also works a little like a natural
antihistamine to relieve symptoms of
cold and flu and allergy.
After people drink chamomile
tea their levels of glycine increase.
Glycine is a nerve relaxant with mild
sedative properties — so chamomile
can help you destress. Glycine is also
an antispasmodic, one of the reasons
chamomile tea is so effective in helping
to relieve menstrual cramps in women.
68 | wellbeing.com.au
Within 20 minutes of drinking a cup of black tea, there is a
measurable increase in the level of antioxidants in your blood.
Chamomile tea contains powerful
volatile oils including bisabolol (oxides
A and B) and matricaria. It’s also rich
in flavonoids. One of these, called
apigenin, has been shown to strengthen
the connection between brain cells and
is currently being studied to help treat
conditions like depression and dementia.
Apigenin binds to the benzodiazepine
receptors in the brain, acting like a
mild tranquiliser. This is why it can help
benefit sleep onset and sleep quality.
Research from the American
Chemical Society (using the German
variety of chamomile) found that, when
people drink chamomile tea five times
a day over two weeks, their markers of
antibacterial activity increase, helping to
boost their immunity. It is also beneficial
for skin: herbal infusions of chamomile
have been traditionally applied as
compresses and skin washes to wounds,
ulcers, burns and skin rashes such as
eczema to reduce inflammation and to
speed healing. A chamomile infusion can
also be used as a mouthwash for oral
ulcers and gum disease or as eyewash to
calm dry, inflamed or irritated eyes.
Dandelion
A powerful herb featuring bright yellow
flowers, dandelion is loaded with
flavonoids, which have antioxidant actions
that benefit the heart and may protect
against cancer. Historically, it has been
used in Europe and Asia as a health tonic
and diuretic for relieving fluid retention
that arises from stress or hormonal
fluctuations during the menstrual cycle
and menopause. This fluid-reducing
action has been confirmed by research
involving the University of North Carolina,
which showed a significant increase in the
frequency of urination within five hours of
dandelion doses.
Like all bitter herbs, dandelion is a
strong digestive stimulant so it can help
enhance your absorption of nutrients,
relieve indigestion and settle nausea.
As a herbal lipotropic, this potent herb
helps flush fatty deposits from your liver
and stimulates bile production, faciliting
your liver’s detoxification process.
Dandelion is also rich in inulin and
levulin, starch-like substances that
help balance blood sugar and act as
prebiotics, which feed good bacteria in
your belly. However, if you are sensitive
to FODMAPs (carbohydrates that can
cause digestive problems), use sparingly
as it can trigger gastric irritation or mild
diarrhoea in some sensitive people.
Fennel
With its pale green/white bulb, stalks,
feathery, green leaves and yellow flowers,
fennel looks a little like a hybrid of celery,
onion and bok choy. In the Mediterranean,
it’s known as a carminative herb so is
a go-to natural treatment for blitzing
belly bloating, flatulence, dyspepsia,
indigestion and colic in babies. In Italy,
raw fennel is often eaten between meals
to aid digestion. The seeds, produced by
the yellow flowers of the fennel plant, are
also a potent spice and medicine.
Fennel can be bought in a ready-made
tea or made fresh by crushing fennel
seeds lightly in a mortar and pestle then
steeping them in boiling water. Not only
high in vitamins C and B, fennel is also
packed with minerals including copper,
zinc, selenium, magnesium, potassium,
calcium and phosphorous, which help
strengthen bones. It packs an antioxidant
punch due to its mix of flavonoids,
alkaloids and phenols, which also work as
anti-inflammatories, reducing ageing and
Photography Getty Images
protecting against diseases like cancer.
Studies show that fennel also has
numerous hormone-balancing benefits.
Menopausal women who take fennel daily
experience improved vaginal alkalinity
and cell health (Jundishapur University
of Medical Sciences). It is also effective
at relieving symptoms of PMS (Urmia
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 special report
TEA
University). And, when applied topically
to women with excess hair growth due
to issues like polycystic ovaries, a gel
made from fennel extracts has been
shown to reduce hair growth (Mazandaran
University of Medical Sciences).
A potent expectorant, fennel is
effective when used in cough syrups
to help thin mucous secretions and
prevent chronic cough or development
of bronchitis. Research shows it can
also defend against microbes, bacteria
and fungal growth so it can boost good
bacteria in the belly and reduce parasites
and candida overgrowth. If you have a
sensitive digestive system, drink a lower-
strength tea to ensure it does not have a
laxative effect.
Fenugreek
Use of this herb can be traced to ancient
Egypt where the seeds were described
as a treatment for burns. Traditional
healers have long used fenugreek to
treat premenstrual issues and symptoms
of perimenopause and menopause. It is
also often used to boost the incoming
milk of mothers who are breastfeeding.
In the body it may work a little like
a natural form of hormone therapy.
Research from the University of
Queensland shows that fennel can boost
sexual arousal and desire in women
and raise their oestrogen levels. When
women with polycystic ovarian syndrome
took fenugreek, 46 per cent enjoyed a
significant reduction in the size of their
ovarian cysts and, in 36 per cent, the
cysts disappeared completely, while 71
per cent enjoyed the return of a regular
menstrual cycle, shows research at the
University of Houston.
The golden-brown fenugreek seeds
have mucilaginous properties so they
can heal and protect the lining of the
gut, reducing inflammation, reflux,
constipation and appetite. Fenugreek also
contains fibre and amino acids, including
isoleucine, which stabilises blood sugars,
increases insulin sensitivity and reduces
risk of diabetes type 2.
Fenugreek reduces joint pain and
kidney stones caused by build-up of plant
chemicals called oxalates from foods
like kale, soy milk and sweet potato. It
also lowers cholesterol and contains
steroidal saponins that prevent the body
from absorbing harmful LDL cholesterol
70 | wellbeing.com.au
Kombucha can be high in yeasts, so if you have issues with
candida you would be better to choose a drink such as kvass
(a fermented beetroot beverage) to boost your bacteria levels.
and triglycerides. Plus it’s a heart booster
due to its potassium levels, which help
balance your sodium levels and stabilise
both heart rate and blood pressure.
To make fenugreek tea, lightly crush
the seeds in a mortar and pestle and
steep in boiling water — or add crushed
fenugreek seeds to herbal teas. Cross-
reactions to fenugreek, such as rashes or
anaphylaxis, may occur in people who are
sensitive or allergic to peanut. Fenugreek
may also be a mild laxative; use in small
doses if you are prone to digestive upset.
Ginger
A relative of cardamom and turmeric,
ginger has been used throughout history
to boost digestion and circulation.
Studies have shown that ginger
compounds accumulate in the digestive
tract, which may be why it’s so powerful
in helping to soothe nausea, morning
sickness, motion sickness and digestive
upset. Also, growing evidence shows that
ginger may inhibit the growth and spread
of estrogenic cancers of the breast and
ovaries as well as other types of cancer.
Gingerols, which are the active
component of the thick, knotted rhizome
root of the Zingiber plant, have potent
anti-inflammatory actions. Gingerols
also inhibit an enzyme called COX-
2 (cyclooxygenase), which causes
inflammation, and they relieve pain by
blocking pain receptors in the brain,
which respond to heat and acidity.
Research shows that ginger can also
reduce asthma symptoms (it is a natural
bronchodilator, helping dilate constricted
airways) and can help alleviate arthritis
pain. If you’re suffering sore muscles,
daily intake of ginger can reduce the pain
by 25 per cent according to research from
the University of Georgia. Buy ginger tea
in loose-leaf form or add fresh ginger root
to hot water or other herbal teas.
Green tea
Green tea is a star performer when it
comes to health benefits and a growing
body of research shows:
It can rapidly improve the function of
endothelial cells that line the circulatory
system; this benefits blood flow, heart
health and also reduces blood pressure.
It contains potent polyphenols, which
can help heal skin cells, improving skin
condition and aiding the healing of skin
wounds, according to research from the
Medical College of Georgia.
It’s rich in antioxidants called catechins,
which can help boost bone density and
improve the health of teeth and gums.
It contains catecholamines which,
research at the University of Sydney
has shown, help to stimulate further fat
burning if green tea is consumed soon
after an exercise workout.
It boasts a phytochemical called EGCg
(epigallocatechin-3-gallate), which has
powerful anti-inflammatory impacts
that help combat rheumatoid arthritis,
according to research from Washington
State University. EGCg may also help
reduce allergy reactions such as watery
eyes and sneezing, shows Japanese
research from Kyushu University.
It may help reduce risk of pancreatic,
oral and prostate cancers. Scientists at
Purdue University have found that EGCg
inhibits an enzyme that cancer cells use
to multiply. Many trials are now underway
globally to see if EGCg can be harnessed
to halt the growth of cancer tumours.
It could help improve memory and also
protect against dementia.
Kombucha
A fermented tea brimming with healthy
bacteria, kombucha is made by adding
a scoby (which looks like a mushroom
and contains healthy bacteria) with
ingredients such as sugar or rice malt
syrup with tea and filtered water. During
the fermentation, the bacteria uses the
sweetener as food.
Boosting healthy bacteria with
fermented food can be extremely helpful
for gut and overall health. Beneficial
bacteria help you digest your food and
absorb and use nutrients, and line your
digestive system, providing a frontline of
defence against dangerous bacteria that
could cause illness or disease.
The more varied your bacteria profile,
the better your health. Research now
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Bear in mind though that kombucha tea can be high
in yeasts, so if you have issues with candida you would
be better to choose a drink such as kvass (a fermented
beetroot beverage) to boost your bacteria levels.

Lavender
Historically, herbalists and healers have used lavender to
relieve all manner of ailments from migraines, depression,
anxiety and stomach aches to hair loss and infertility.
Lavender is a balancing tonic that can reduce the levels of
bad bacteria so you absorb nutrients more effectively and
experience fewer digestive upsets such as gas and bloating.
Taken internally as a tea, lavender may help to lower
the risk of gastric ulcers. It can reduce indigestion by
stimulating the body’s production of digestive juices and
bile. It also helps settle acidity in an anxious stomach while
its antispasmodic effects benefit the sensitive nerves in your
digestive system, reducing the likelihood of nausea, cramps
and tummy pain or distension.
Lavender tea can also act as a tonic for a jittery nervous
system and lead you to a more sedate and still state of
mind. 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
Photography Getty Images

and addiction. Lavender can also help promote skin healing

and better quality of sleep.
To make fresh lavender tea, add lavender flower bulbs to
a tea ball and infuse for 10 minutes or longer in hot water.
Blocked nose? Inhale the steam while your tea is steeping. Phone: 1300 309 109
Research involving small sample groups has shown that,
when inhaled, lavender can help relieve symptoms of nasal evalifewater.com.au
congestion for up to two hours. This potent purple flower
 special report
TEA

Matcha is made from the

tips of tea bushes grown
under the shade of
bamboo mats to protect
its levels of chlorophyll.

also has antiseptic properties that

can reduce symptoms of a sore, tickly,
inflamed throat.

Lemon & lemongrass

In many cultures, lemongrass is served
as an after-dinner drink to ease digestion.
Lemon tea is rich in vitamin C and full of
flavanols and flavanones. These natural
antioxidants neutralise the effects of
disease-causing free radicals and, in
the process, lessen risk of diseases like
cancer. One particular flavonoid called
naringenin can combat weight gain by
reducing bad LDL and triglyceride levels
and normalising blood sugars, reducing
the risk of developing insulin resistance,
which leads to Type 2 diabetes.
Flavonoids also reduce the risk of
blood clotting, helping to improve blood
flow through the arteries. The limonoids
in lemons can be protective against
cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast,
stomach and colon. Antioxidants in citrus
fruits such as hesperetin are also very
powerful in helping to protect cells from
damage as they age. diet, herb teas were regularly enjoyed bamboo mats to protect its levels of
to boost health. Sage tea is still very chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants
Liquorice popular in these countries and studies their green colour. Chlorophyll has an
Liquorice has a strong aniseed flavour. are now confirming that it’s very good alkalising effect on the body and is a
It has adaptogenic properties, which for brain health and memory. Another natural detoxifier. It can help the body
means it can help to adapt to your body’s popular beverage called mountain or break down and eliminate chemicals
needs and balance stress hormones shepherd’s tea was made from the like hydrocarbons, DDT, PCB, mercury,
and sex hormones as well as boosting Sideritis herb (also called ironwort) and cadmium and lead.
energy. Liquorice tea can also: credited with health properties. Studies Powerful antioxidants in matcha tea
Act as a mild laxative. indicate that mountain tea may help called catechins encourage good blood
Help boost energy (so it is best avoided improve gastrointestinal health and help flow and improve the health of vascular
at night). lower blood pressure by encouraging cells in the heart. They promote healthier
Reduce adrenal exhaustion and act as blood vessels to relax. teeth and gums (reducing inflammation
an antacid. Matcha in the body) according to research by the
Reduce inflammation via chemicals The word matcha, meaning “rubbed” University of Fukuoka in Japan. Research
called amorfrutins, which also help or “ground”, is the name for this bright has shown that they also boost exercise
reduce blood sugar (thereby lowering green tea that contains the entire leaf endurance and encourage a reduction
insulin levels). stone-ground to a fine powder. It features in body weight, waist circumference,
Be used as an expectorant to help in Japanese tea ceremonies and has body fat and subcutaneous fat (often
reduce coughs and spasm during been used by Buddhist monks to help found around belly and thighs). One cup
conditions like bronchitis. them stay relaxed but alert during long of matcha can provide up to 10 times
Protect the lining of the stomach, so it meditation sessions. Matcha tea is high in the amount of catechins found in other
can help ease heartburn and dyspepsia. L-theanine, which helps to boost calming green teas and it can provide energy that
Photography Getty Images

University of Maryland research has
shown that, in 90 per cent of people with
peptic ulcers, liquorice root eliminates or
partially relieves their symptoms.
Mediterranean teas
Though black European teas were not
served in the traditional Mediterranean
alpha waves in the brain and supports the
production of dopamine and serotonin,
two neurotransmitters that enhance
mood, improve memory and promote
better concentration. It also increases T
cells, which enhance immunity.
Matcha is made from the tips of
tea bushes grown under the shade of
sustains for hours.
Enjoy matcha tea hot or as a
refreshing cool drink. Research shows
that, when steeped in cold water for
two hours, green tea yields even higher
levels of antioxidants. Or you can create
a coconut infusion by adding matcha
powder to coconut water.

72 | wellbeing.com.au
Peppermint
The menthol oil in peppermint tea has many health benefits.
It can relieve sinus problems and cold symptoms and
stimulate better gall bladder function. It’s also great for oral
health and alleviating bad breath. Research at the University
of Cincinnati has also found that, when infused into the air,
peppermint can help boost alertness and concentration. So
when you pour your peppermint cuppa, make sure to inhale
the mentholated steam.
Peppermint tea is best known for its ability to settle
digestive issues, which is why people with irritable bowel
syndrome can find it incredibly soothing. Mint has carminative
properties so it can help reduce the tummy spasms that
contribute to IBS and also relieve other IBS symptoms such
as bloating, wind, diarrhoea and pain. In fact, research by the
Nerve-Gut Research Laboratory at the University of Adelaide
has shown that peppermint helps activate “anti-pain”

Tm
channels in the colon. If you have reflux, though, the relaxing
impact may cause the valve at the top of your stomach to
relax too much, allowing acid to reflux into the oesophagus.

r 
Raspberry leaf
American Indians including the Chippawa and Cherokee
used the raspberry plant as a blood tonic and remedy for
digestive problems, toothache, coughs, fluid retention and
kidney stones. The juice from the berries has also been
used as a laxative and a treatment for fever and cystitis.
Raspberry leaf tea is packed with vitamins including A,
B, C and E. It also boosts levels of potassium, phosphorous
and calcium. The shoots of the plant have antimicrobial,
antioxidant and anticancer actions, shows research from
Living in Balance Retreat
the Medical University of Gdansk. They are rich in ellagic 16-20 October 2017
acid and alter oestrogen metabolism, reducing hormonal Develop your meditation
oestrogen-fed cancers, shows research from the University
Reduce stress & anxiety
of Louisville.
Though not recommended in the first trimester of Connect with your passion
pregnancy, traditionally, raspberry leaf tea has been Heal anger and grief
prescribed in the last trimester to strengthen and tone Enhance relationships
the uterus, helping it become suppler and more flexible in Create healthy eating habits
readiness for childbirth.
High levels of natural tannins give raspberry leaf tea Weekend Meditation Retreat
astringent properties that make it beneficial as a cleansing
wash for wounds, a mouth wash and gargle to treat sore 27-29 October 2017
throat and mouth ulcers and a solution for a sitz bath to treat
vaginal candida. It’s also rich in flavanols. Research shows
Meditation Teacher Training Retreat
these potent berry leaves can stabilise blood glucose by 6-9 November 2017

Bk N !
improving insulin sensitivity via signalling pathways in the
pancreas and liver.

Rosehip
Taken from the fruit of the rose plant, rosehips are a potent
source of vitamin C. This important vitamin is beneficial for
maintaining connective tissue in skin, bones, teeth, gums
and blood vessels. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron and Visit www.gawler.org
copper and combat the effect of free radicals, which can Call 1300 651 211
YarraValleyLivingCentre
cause cancer and other illness. Vitamin C may also help to
reduce the common cold.
 special report
TEA
Reishi
When the frozen body of Ötzi the Iceman
was found in the Alps between Italy
and Austria in 1991, the 5300-year-old
mummy carried two species of medicinal
mushrooms. Their healing properties
have been revered for thousands of years
in China, Japan, Korea, and Eastern
Europe, including Russia and Siberia.
Reishi is known as “the elixir
of mortality” and grows mostly on
hardwoods like maple, elm, oak and
plum. It has a shiny, fan-shaped cap and
a woody texture and grows in a variety
of colours including red, yellow, purple,
blue, white and black. In Asia, reishi
has long been credited with the ability
to support the immune system, address
allergies, reduce heart arrhythmias,
boost energy and memory and prevent
altitude sickness. Research shows it
can help regulate blood sugars. In turn,
this reduces risk of weight gain, which
can lead to hormonal imbalance due to
an increase in fat cells, which pump out
additional oestrogen.
Reishi mushrooms contain
polysaccharides, which help stabilise
blood pressure and blood sugars and
combat free radicals. They are also rich
in triterpenes, which can help activate
white blood cells to protect the body.
Research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre
has shown that reishi has a powerful
ability to cause death of cells that cause
leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma
cancer. Other studies show it suppresses
the growth of colon cancer cells and
breast cancer cells. Reishi tea can be
made by steeping the mushrooms in hot
water or be bought ready made at the
health food store.
Tilia (linden flowers)
If you want a warm and soothing tea to
melt away the stress of your day, a cup
of tilia tea is a tasty way to unwind.
Known for its sedative effects on
the nervous system, this infusion is
made from flowers of the Linden tree
(Tilia spp.) and boasts potent calming
properties. It can help ease anxiety and
induce drowsiness in readiness for sleep.
It’s often combined with dried leaves of
chamomile, valerian, passionflower and
skullcap to enhance the relaxing effects
of sleepy teas.
According to popular myth, the
trees that bear the tilia flower store
74 | wellbeing.com.au
Flavour boost
Feel like a little extra flavour
burst in your favourite tea?
Try adding:
A dash of honey, rice malt
or maple syrup
Peel from fruits such as
lemons, oranges or limes
Sprigs or herbs such as
rosemary, mint, sage or basil
Spices such as cinnamon,
cloves, cumin or some sliced
ginger or turmeric root
Loose leaves from another
tea — for example, mix some
lemon tea with ginger or
chamomile with raspberry leaf
Additional flavours such as
vanilla seeds, lemon grass or
fresh berries
the sun’s warming rays in their honey-
sweet blossoms. In Europe, healers
and herbalists have used the dried
leaves of the linden flower for centuries
to treat numerous ailments from colds
and fevers to high blood pressure,
headaches and muscle spasms. The
flavonoids in tilia tea help improve
immunity and reduce inflammation.
Tulsi
This aromatic herb, often called “holy
basil”, is considered sacred in India
where it is known as an “elixir of life”
and “the queen of herbs”. For centuries,
it has been used as a treatment for
everything from asthma, bronchitis,
arthritis and anxiety to indigestion,
malaria, fever and eye disease.
Consumed as a nourishing tea, it lowers
stomach acid and increases protective
mucous secretions, helping settle
digestive complaints. And its methanol
extracts have analgesic properties that
can relieve back pain and headache.
A herbal adaptogen, tulsi tea
helps restore hormonal balance and
homeostasis by supporting body
systems that affect hormone and energy
production, immunity and cardiovascular,
respiratory and lymphatic function. This
makes the tea a powerful calming tonic
to counter adrenal burnout and stabilise
your parasympathetic and autonomic
nervous systems. Research has
confirmed it can reduce stress, anxiety
and depression as well as improve sleep
and reduce exhaustion.
In the liver, tulsi tea enhances bile
synthesis and in the pancreas, where
insulin is produced, it protects the islet
cells from free radical damage, reducing
diabetes risk. Research has confirmed
that this wonder herb can also stabilise
blood glucose levels, lower blood
pressure and lower bad LDL cholesterol.
In addition, holy basil is a powerful
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It is
packed with phytochemicals, which boost
your heart health and defend your body
against disease. Extracts from holy basil
leaves can stop the growth and spread
of breast cancer cells and interfere with
their life cycle, shows research from
Wayne State University.
To enjoy tulsi herb as a tea, steep the
tea or fresh holy basil leaves in hot water
for at least five minutes. The resulting
beverage can be enjoyed hot or cold. Holy
basil is a mild anticoagulant, so should
not be taken by people on blood-thinning
medications and should be avoided
several weeks before surgery.
Valerian
This is one of the top tea choices for
inducing faster sleep onset and improved
sleep quality. It has long been used
throughout Europe to treat anxiety, nerves
and insomnia. Valerian is often mixed
with other calming, sleep-inducing tea
leaves including passionflower, skullcap
and tilia flower. Though it is not widely
studied, scientists believe that valerian
increases the amount of GABA (gamma
aminobutyric acid) in the brain, inducing
calm and relaxation.
Photography Bigstock
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.
 Brews with benefits
MAMA BODY TEA
Mama Body Tea is an organic herbal tea company specialising in herbal
blends that provide comfort and support to women and their babies
throughout pregnancy, breastfeeding and motherhood. The range consists
of 13 blends that have been designed by the in-house naturopath and
herbalist and aimed at supporting women from pre-conception to morning
sickness, digestive complaints, labour preparation and breastfeeding
support. There’s also a wellness range for busy mums and dads.
76 | wellbeing.com.au
TEA TONIC
Tea Tonic was founded in 1998 by herbalist and naturopath Lisa Hilbert with the
aim of promoting health and wellbeing. At Tea Tonic, they use Australia certified
organic products where possible and produce and manufacture all hand-blended
teas in their factory in Melbourne, so you can enjoy the freshest tea possible.
Their tea bags have been crafted with your health and the environment in mind,
using unbleached filter paper, no staples and individually wrapped teabags in
envelopes. Tea Tonic is proud of its natural approach to tea, exactly the way
nature intended tea to be enjoyed.
 Promotional feature
MADAME FLAVOUR TEA
If you are looking for something to restore your senses,
treat yourself to Madame Flavour tea. Madame Flavour
founder Corinne Noyes is dedicated to creating the most
beautiful tea experiences just for you. She creates each
delicious recipe in her Victorian country kitchen, inspired
by nature, then travels to exotic locations around the
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blend in a biodegradable silky pyramid so you can enjoy the
loose leaves and their fresh and delicate flavours.

MATKA ORGANIC
At Matka Organic, they’ve searched the world
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wellbeing.com.au | 77
 PLANET ORGANIC
Planet Organic takes pride in the quality and
value of its tea range. With over 60 different
blends, it is Australia and new Zealand’s leading
brand of organic tea. Their teas, although filled
with aroma and flavour, are light on the Earth.
Adhering to a policy of not enveloping, stringing
or tagging their tea bags saves on unnecessary
waste and landfill. This year, they introduced a
new series of vibrant and colourful packaging
that reflects the many delicious teas you can
find with Planet Organic.

MADURA TEA
Since 1978, Madura Tea has been fuelled by
a vision to create the purest of tea blends while
nurturing the ecosystem that sustains them.
Their legacy has been upheld as a blueprint for
their clean and pure-tasting tea, underpinned by
a respect for the environment and community.
Madura Tea has evolved into a multi-award-
winning Australian-owned and -operated tea
plantation renowned for a passionate approach
to the art of tea blending and crafting, ensuring
that each delicious and refreshing sip is a
consistent experience for every tea enthusiast.

NATURE’S CUPPA
Nature’s Cuppa is a family-owned and
-operated company with a mission to help
1 million tea lovers discover the superior taste
of 100 per cent organic and environmentally
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tea is harvested exclusively from organically
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in an environmentally friendly manner is very
important to Nature’s Cuppa, as it’s this purity
of tea that gives Nature’s Cuppa a delicious,
robust flavour with naturally lower caffeine
so you can enjoy it morning, noon and night.
 Promotional feature
TEA

YARRA VALLEY TEA COMPANY

The Yarra Valley Tea Company is an Australian-owned and -operated business
founded by Garrick Hicks and Meaghan Grace in 2006. With limited funds but abundant
determination, they have gradually built a small business into a fully mechanised
organic beverage manufacturing facility based at their Coldstream factory in Victoria.
Yarra Valley Tea Company manufactures all tea varieties on its own machines in
Australia and not overseas, a point of difference for this wonderful tea brand.

YERBA MATÉ AUSTRALIA

Celebrated as “the green tea of South America”, Yerba Maté is a unique, delicious and
nutritious tea packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. This delicate infusion
enhances health and vitality, boosts energy, fights fatigue and balances the body in all its
functions. Yerba Maté Australia was founded in 2007 and offers only the finest organic
yerba maté tea available. Choosing high-quality yerba maté from suppliers with sustainable
plantations and Fairtrade practices makes this wonderful tea taste even better.
wellbeing.com.au | 79
 recipes
LOW CARB
Low-carb living
You can improve your energy levels and general quality of life as well
as eat delicious meals by following a low-carb eating plan.
W
ant to improve your mood,
quality of sleep and energy
levels, and enjoy sharper
brain function? What if
you could do this simply through the
ingredients you choose to cook with?
Yep, putting food on your plate that’s
designed to help you function at your
very best is one of the key things you can
do to support sustainable, long-term
health for you and your family. That’s why
I believe it’s beneficial to embrace a low-
carbohydrate lifestyle when it comes to
the meals you prepare daily.
While I’ve personally experienced the
awesome benefits of this approach to
eating, the latest nutritional research is
also confirming that the food we choose
can be instrumental in protecting against
the onset and development of chronic
diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart
disease and stroke.
Carbohydrates and you
Hands up anyone who eats a Western-
style diet that consists of toast or cereal
for breakfast, a mid-morning snack, a
sandwich, roll, wrap or sushi for lunch,
another afternoon snack to get through
the last few hours of the day and then
pasta, rice or pizza for dinner. This is
— nutritionally speaking — the same as
keeping a fire going with kindling. It’s
exhausting for your body because it takes
you on a blood-sugar roller-coaster
every single day.
Rather than be stuck on this roller-
coaster ride, what if you instead paired
sensible low-carb food options with
healthy fats and were able to eat in a
way that keeps blood sugar and insulin
levels stable?
By ditching the “bad guys” (sugary and
starchy carbohydrates), replacing them
with the “good guys” (low-carb plant-
based foods), a moderate amount of
high-quality protein, enough healthy fat
to satiate and some fermented foods, you
start to train your body to stop relying on
80 | wellbeing.com.au
Words PETE EVANS Photography MARK ROPER
fast-burning glucose and instead use fat
as its fuel.
Given that the human body and brain
thrive on healthy fat, when you remove
sugar and starchy carbohydrates from
the equation you are actually helping your
brain to understand that “the hunting is
good”. In other words, food is plentiful.
By doing this, you can basically turn off
the emotional, carb-craving monster you
may have become and instead turn on
your body’s natural ability to be clean,
lean and resistant to disease.
Delicious alternatives
Living a low-carb lifestyle isn’t about
ditching the foods you love. Instead, it’s
about cooking with healthier alternatives
and getting creative in the kitchen.
For example, you can use leafy greens,
fibrous vegetables and below-ground veg
(such as carrot and pumpkin) as healthy,
low-carb replacements for the traditional
staples of pasta and rice. The cool thing
about these vegies is you can spiralise
them, turning them into healthy noodles
that pack a far bigger nutritional punch
than anything grain-based ever could and
that I promise will be a hit with the kids.
Greens and other vegetables grown
above the ground are high in fibre,
contain very little sugar or starch and are
full of antioxidants and phytonutrients.
These are the kind of carbohydrates you
need to fuel your body multiple times
a day because they give you a slow,
sustained energy release, leaving you
feeling fuller for longer.
There are also some very good vegies
grown below the ground: think sweet
potato, radishes and beetroot.
By choosing fresh, organic
vegetables (or, better still, growing your
own), you are selecting produce that is
higher in nutrients while minimising
your exposure to GMOs and pesticides.
I try to eat at least one serving of these
vegies with every meal and aim for as
many servings a day as I can muster.
When following a low-carb lifestyle,
there are a few vegetables that shouldn’t
feature on your plate. The high starch
content of certain vegetables such as
potatoes is rapidly converted to sugar
in the bloodstream, which is why eating
them often can cause insulin spikes,
weight gain and other issues.
That’s why learning to cook low-carb
is about embracing ingredients that
support sustainable health.
Rather than burgers, for example, I
like to create chicken san choy bow as a
healthier substitute. I start with a base
of aromatics (such as garlic, ginger,
coriander root, spring onion and tamari),
add a protein such as chicken, then wrap
it all in an iceberg lettuce leaf. Low-carb
and delicious.
It’s also about reinterpreting your
family favourites. We still like to enjoy
a pizza every now and then on a Friday
night but, rather than use dough for a
pizza base, I prefer to use cauliflower
because it’s a vegetable that well known
for its disease-protective properties
and it fills us up much more than using
dough ever would.
I’m also a big fan of butter chicken and
will serve it on top of either cauliflower or
broccoli rice — or a mix of both.
When you’re living a low-carb lifestyle,
it’s also really important to supercharge
your meals with lots of healthy fats.
These help you feel full because they
provide a slower, more sustained source
of fuel for the brain and body. The fats
I’m loving right now are coconut oil
(a near-perfect source of healthy fat),
avocados, macadamia nuts, eggs and fat
from grass-fed animals.
Animal fat is my favourite source
of healthy fats because the body can
use it to help support the health of
our nervous, immune, digestive and
endocrine systems, as well as regulate
metabolism. In fact, a University of
Michigan–led study shows that animal
fat is a significant source of the
hormone adiponectin, which plays
a role in maintaining insulin sensitivity
and breaking down fat and has
been linked to a decreased risk of
cardiovascular disease, diabetes and
obesity-associated cancers.
One of my favourite ways to enjoy
animal fat is roasted bone marrow.
Lately, I’ve also been a pretty big fan of
bacon chips with guacamole. Trust me,
this recipe is a party-starter, which is
why I’ve shared it with you in the pages
that follow.
I hope you’ll be as inspired as I am
to get experimenting in the kitchen with
low-carb living. After all, don’t you want
to feel like the best version of you?
Cook with love and laughter,
Pete
Spaghetti with Prawns,
Pesto & Pistachios
Serves: 4
4 tbsp coconut oil
700g raw king prawns, shelled
& deveined, tails intact
4–5 zucchini, spiralised into thin
noodles
Pesto
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large handful basil leaves, plus
extra to serve
1 large handful mint leaves
60g pine nuts, toasted
120mL olive oil
1½ tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt & freshly ground
black pepper
To Serve
Extra-virgin olive oil
80g pistachio nuts (activated if
possible), toasted & roughly chopped
Lemon wedges
Chilli flakes
To make the pesto, place all of the
ingredients in the bowl of a food
processor and whiz until the herbs and
nuts are finely chopped. Taste and season
with salt and pepper.
Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a
large frying pan over medium–high heat.
Season the prawns with salt and pepper,
then cook, in batches, for 1 min on each
side until just cooked through. Remove
the prawns from the pan and set aside,
covered to keep warm.
wellbeing.com.au | 81
 recipes
LOW CARB
Bacon Chips
with Guacamole
Wipe the pan clean and place over
medium heat. Add the remaining coconut
oil and zucchini and sauté for 2 mins until
the zucchini is almost cooked through.
Season with a little salt and pepper.
Remove from the heat, add the cooked
prawns and pesto and toss to combine.
Transfer the spaghetti mix to a large
platter or serving plates, drizzle on some
extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle over the
pistachios, add a squeeze of lemon juice
and scatter on some basil leaves and a
few chilli flakes, if desired.
Bacon Chips with Guacamole
Serves: 4
500g rindless streaky bacon
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Guacamole
2 avocados, diced
1 long red chilli, halved lengthways,
deseeded & finely chopped, plus
extra to serve (optional)
Juice 1 lime, plus extra to taste (or use
equivalent amount of kraut juice)
2 tbsp finely diced red onion
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease and
line a large baking tray with baking paper.
82 | wellbeing.com.au
Pan-Fried Fish with
Pico de Gallo Salsa
Living a low-carb lifestyle isn’t about ditching the
foods you love. Instead, it’s about cooking with healthier
alternatives and getting creative in the kitchen.
Place the bacon in a single layer on
the prepared tray, making sure the strips
are not touching. Bake, turning the tray
once for even cooking, for 12–15 mins
until the bacon is golden and crisp. Keep
a close eye on the bacon to prevent it
from burning. Allow to cool completely
then cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside
until needed.
To make the guacamole, combine
all the ingredients in a small bowl and
gently mix. Season with salt and pepper
and sprinkle a little extra chilli over the
top, if desired.
Serve the guacamole straight away
with the bacon chips.
Tip: To make this a super snack, add
some fermented veg to the guacamole
and enjoy every single mouthful.
Pan-Fried Fish with Pico
de Gallo Salsa
Serves: 4
4 × 180g white-fleshed fish fillets of
your choice (eg snapper, barramundi,
cod, sea bass, coral trout), skin on
2 tbsp coconut oil or other
good-quality fats
Pico de Gallo Salsa
2 large plum tomatoes, deseeded
& finely diced
⅓ cup chopped coriander
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
1 small fresh green jalapeño, seeded
& finely chopped (keep the seeds
if you like it hotter)
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice (plus extra
to serve)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
To make the salsa, mix all the
ingredients together in a bowl. Season
to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked
pepper and add some more lemon juice
or jalapeños, if desired.
To prepare the fish fillets, season the
fillets with salt and pepper and rub them
on both sides with the coconut oil. Heat a
large, non-stick frying pan over medium–
high heat. Put them skin-side up on the
pan and cook until golden brown for 3
mins, then flip the fillets with a spatula.
Cook the fish until completely opaque
throughout, for a further 5 mins.
Remove the fillets from the pan, place
them on plates and serve topped with the
pico de gallo salsa and lemon.
 recipes
LOW CARB

Butter Chicken and

Cauliflower Rice

Chicken San Choy Bow

Butter Chicken
Serves: 4
4 tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika
1–2 pinches cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp ground turmeric
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
400mL tin coconut cream
700g chicken thigh fillets, cut into
bite-sized pieces
Coriander leaves, to serve
Cauliflower rice (see recipe below),
to serve
Heat 4 tablespoons of the coconut oil in a
large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the onion and sauté for 4 mins
until translucent. Turn the heat down to
low and stir in the garlic and spices. Add
the tomato paste and cook for 1 min. Add
the salt, lemon juice and coconut cream
and mix well.
Turn the heat up to medium and bring
the sauce to a simmer. Add the chicken
and stir until well coated with the sauce.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook,
stirring occasionally, for 20–25 mins, or
until the chicken is cooked through and
the sauce has thickened.
Garnish with the coriander and serve
with cauliflower rice.
Cauliflower Rice
Serves: 4-6
1 cauliflower, florets & stalk, roughly
chopped
2 tbsp coconut oil
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Place the cauliflower in a food processor
and pulse into tiny pieces resembling rice.
Alternatively, grate it to fine grains. Place
the coconut oil in a large frying pan over
medium heat. Add the cauliflower and
lightly cook for 4–6 mins or until softened.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Chicken San Choy Bow
Serves: 4
1 tbsp coconut oil, tallow, duck fat or
other good-quality fat
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 shallots, chopped
2 tsp peeled & grated fresh ginger
600g free-range chicken mince
120g shiitake mushrooms, chopped
2 tbsp wheat-free tamari or coconut
aminos
1 tbsp fish sauce, plus more to serve
1 tbsp raw honey (optional)
225g tin water chestnuts, drained
& finely chopped
4 spring onions, finely chopped
1–2 fresh long red chillies,
deseeded & chopped
100g bean sprouts
8 iceberg lettuce leaves, washed & dried
Fresh coriander leaves, torn, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve
Heat a wok or large frying pan over
medium–high heat. When hot, add the
coconut oil and swirl around the wok.
Add the garlic, shallots and ginger
and cook for 1 min. Add the chicken and
mushrooms and cook for a further 4–5
mins, stirring occasionally, until cooked
through and browned.
Add the tamari, fish sauce and honey,
if using, and toss to mix. Next, add the
water chestnuts, spring onions and chilli
and keep stirring until the mixture is well
combined. Cook until heated through
(2–3 mins).
Remove the mixture from heat, mix
in the bean sprouts and check
seasoning, adding more fish sauce or
sea salt if needed.
To serve, place the lettuce cups on
a large communal serving platter or
four plates. Top each leaf with some of
the chicken mixture and garnish with
coriander leaves and lime wedges.
Pete Evans is a chef, paleo ambassador, health
coach, restaurateur, media personality and
author of a new book, The Complete Gut Health
Cookbook. W: peteevans.com.au

84 | wellbeing.com.au
 trust
THE NATURAL HEALING
POWER OF HERBS

ARNICA CREAM
Traditionally used for the temporary relief of
bruising, mild sprains and minor sports injuries.
 Paraben free
 Fast absorption
 Australian made

THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT IS EXTRACTED FROM

THE FLOWERS OF THE ARNICA MONTANA PLANT
Available in health food stores and pharmacies
Always read the label and use only as directed. www.martinandpleasance.com
If symptoms persist, please consult your healthcare professional. CHC 71328-04/16
 body
YOGA FOR MEMORY

Yoga for the brain

Do you suffer from digital dementia, age-related cognitive decline or a
busy brain? Not only does yoga leave your body more limber but it can improve
your emotional health, concentration, focus and memory, too.
Words VERONICA JOSEPH

86 | wellbeing.com.au

H
ave you ever read something
— perhaps a page of a book,
a recipe or even, dare I say,
an article in this magazine
— and not remembered what you just
read? What about recalling what you ate
for breakfast yesterday or what you did
last weekend?
In our overworked, overstimulated and
technology-reliant culture, many of us,
regardless of age, don’t use our brains
as we once did and find it increasingly
difficult to retain information, recall
short-term memories and concentrate
on what’s in front of us.
We may claim this is simply due to a
“bad memory”, but a lot of the time it’s
also because we simply are not present
in our day-to-day lives and the finer
details can easily slip by.
This is not to discount the fact that, as
we age, we face cognitive decline, which
affects memory. Indeed, the greatest
fear for many of us is suddenly not being
able to think of the words that used to so
easily spring to mind, or too frequently
getting into a flurry over not being able to
find our car keys or mobile phone.
Yoga, with its infinite benefits, can play
a role in keeping the brain stimulated
and improve its ability to concentrate,
focus and sharpen the memory at any
age so we can operate at our best.
This isn’t to say that yoga will give you
a photographic memory or stop memory
decline altogether. Rather, this practice
is a tool that can strengthen the body’s
biggest and most powerful muscle: the
mind. By quietening the monkey mind
that aimlessly jumps from thought to
thought, yoga can help you become
present and strengthen your thinking
skills. This, in turn, allows you to truly
focus on a given task, whether it’s
retaining information or simply relishing
a moment.
The link between
yoga and the brain
A wide array of research over the years
has noted the link between physical
activity and reduced cognitive decline
and improved brain health.
Studies on exercise in general have
noted its role in improving bloodflow to
the brain and stimulating the growth
of new vessels and cells. Exercise has
also been found to release GABA, a
neurotransmitter that helps relax the
brain. It also reduces insulin resistance
and inflammation, and stimulates the
growth of new connections between cells
in important cortical areas of the brain.
Many of these benefits overlap with
those of yoga poses, or asanas, especially
with it comes to improving the circulation
of blood and lymph. Inversions, in
particular, such as shoulder stands and
headstands, increase bloodflow to the
head and allow the brain to be flushed
Mudras for memory
Mudras are gestures often made with
the hands during meditation to aid in
the flow of prana — the life force that
sustains all — throughout the body.
Mudras in general are beneficial for
providing a point of focus for the mind
during practice, but the hakini mudra is
one in particular to practise.
Named after the goddess Hakini who
rules the ajna, or third eye chakra
located at the eyebrow centre and home
to our imagination and intuition, this
mudra strengthens our thinking skills
and concentration and bridges the left
and right hemispheres of the brain. To
practise, lightly join the tips of the five
fingers on your right hand with those of
the left while keeping the palms apart
and bring your focus to your third eye.
with oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood.
These poses are also known for their
ability to improve memory.
Researchers over the years have
started paying more attention to yoga’s
benefits, including its ability to improve
brainpower more than other exercise
and activities.
A 2016 study by the University of
California, Los Angeles, compared results
from yoga and meditation with those
from memory-training exercises such as
crosswords, puzzles and brain training.
Study participants were split into two
groups: one group did a three-month yoga
and meditation course, while the other
practised memory-training exercises.
At the end of the three months, brain
scans and cognitive testing revealed
body
YOGA FOR MEMORY
both groups performed markedly
better compared to their results at the
beginning of the study. Both groups saw
similar improvements in verbal memory
— that is, memory used to remember
names or lists of words. Those who
practised yoga, however, saw some
additional benefits. Along with improved
visual-spatial memory, used for balance,
depth perception, recognising objects
and navigation, they also experienced
improved moods and enhanced
communication between parts of the
brain that relate to the ability to focus
and multitask.
Add to this various other studies
that note the role of cyclic meditation,
savasana, breathing practices and an
all-round consistent yoga practice
in improving memory performance,
cognition and emotional health, and you
have a pretty convincing case!
How to go about
strengthening the mind
This research reinforces what the great
yogis have been saying for many years.
In the Yoga Sutras, the sage Patanjali
outlines eight limbs of yoga. Asana,
relating to yoga’s physical postures,
is the third and best-known limb.
While asanas, as well as breathing
exercises, relax the body and mind and
help prepare for meditation, it’s the
fifth to seventh limbs of yoga that are
particularly important when it comes to
actively creating the ideal conditions for
the mind to flourish.
The fifth limb, pratyahara — sense
withdrawal — is the practice of bringing
one’s focus away from the distractions
of the external environment and senses
and turning it within. This allows for the
sixth limb, dharana, to come into play.
With a translation of “to hold”,
dharana refers to maintaining your
concentration or focus of attention in
a single direction instead of many. The
vrittis, fluctuations of the mind, cause
us to jump from one thing to another,
distracting us and hindering our attempts
to focus. The practice of dharana is key in
strengthening the mind.
Once you have a steady, continuous
flow of attention directed towards a
single point, this can evolve into dhyana
wellbeing.com.au | 87
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YOGA FOR MEMORY

Clockwise from left: Sarvangasana

(shoulder stand), navasana (boat
pose) and matsyasana (fish pose).
or meditation — the seventh limb. As
you can see, this entire process is about
conditioning and putting your thinking
and concentration skills to the test.
The purpose of yoga is to find union or
harmony in the body, mind and breath.
All the limbs work towards this goal by
reducing stress and anxiety and initiating
a relaxation response so you can truly
concentrate, focus and achieve the end
goal of connection with all the layers of
your being — a state also known as the
eighth limb, samadhi. It’s only through
stimulating and conditioning the mind
that you can get here.
As you can see from the scientific
studies, and the teachings of yogis, the
mind and brain are a muscle that can be
strengthened. It’s possible to improve The shoulder stand is an invigorating inversion that increases
things like concentration, focus and
memory; they don’t have to inevitably blood to the brain, promoting vitality and improved memory.
decline as we age.
Increasingly, we’re seeing cases
of teenagers and young adults who
struggle with concentration due to
overstimulation and “digital dementia”,
but this just reinforces that the mind
needs to be exercised properly and
regularly — at all ages — to truly
maximise its full potential. And,
remember, practice makes perfect!

A sequence for memory

The poses that follow are known for
their ability to increase bloodflow to
the brain and stimulate chakras that
govern different areas of the brain; they
require balance and poise to reach the
final position.
Make note of where to centre your
drishti (gaze) in each pose to further help
develop single-pointed concentration.
Couple these postures with a pranayama
breathing exercise such as alternate
nostril breath for a well-rounded practice.

Sarvangasana (shoulder stand)

The shoulder stand is an invigorating
inversion that increases blood to the
brain, promoting vitality and improved
memory. Begin by lying on your back
with arms beside you. Bend the knees
and bring them above your chest. Press
the arms against the ground and start to
lift the hips upward. Use your hands to
support the hips and slowly straighten
the legs upward. Adjust and move the
hands further up to support the mid-
back and allow the chin to come close to
the chest. Your drishti should be straight
up at your toes.
Matsyasana (fish pose)
Matsyasana is a restorative position
ideally practised after a shoulder
stand. However, on its own it’s also
beneficial for improving circulation to
the thyroid, lungs and heart. Begin by
lying flat on your back. Lift the chest
up, walk the shoulder blades in and
try to bring the crown of the head onto
the mat. This stimulates the sahasrara
chakra, located on the top of the head,
which governs the brain. Bring your
awareness to the sahasrara and gaze
up to the sky.
Navasana (boat pose)
Sit on the mat with your knees bent in
front of you and toes pointing up. Grip
your big toes or ankles with each hand
and lift one leg up at a time to get your
balance. Once you’re balanced, lift both
legs up. Hold the position and try to
bring the head as close to the knees as
possible while keeping the back, legs
and arms straight. Your body should
resemble a letter “V”. Maintaining
balance in this pose requires the mind to
focus and hold at a single point. Focus
your gaze on your toes.

88 | wellbeing.com.au
 CELEBRATION OF YOGA
20 - 22 OCTOBER
SYDNEY TOWN HALL LE
BRATI

NG
CE
For the
first time in Australia
IYTA brings together an
outstanding group of yoga
masters to celebrate the journey
from the beginnings of yoga in Australia
to the popularity it experiences today.

Learn from our world renowned keynote speakers Dr Ananda

(India), Donna Farhi (New Zealand), Chris Barrington
(United Kingdom) and Simon Borg-Olivier (Australia).
We also have experts in the fields of the Science
of Yoga, Yin, Ayurveda, iRest, Movement,
Mindfulness and the History of the Masters.

With special guest appearance by Emmy Award

winning International singer/songwriter Toni Childs.

This conference is for anyone who has an interest in yoga, whether you
are a yoga expert or a complete beginner, a teacher or a student.
Restore your bliss, reinvigorate your yogic journey and
connect with other like-minded Yogis to celebrate yoga with us.

Free yoga sessions each morning and yoga practice and

movement included throughout the presentations.

Gala dinner at STUDIO Sydney Tower.

Don't miss this amazing opportunity to join the

yoga masters this October in Sydney.

www.iyta.com.au
 body
YOGA FOR MEMORY

Cleansing the mind

There’s so much more to yoga than
physical postures. Yoga’s cleansing
techniques such as kapalbhati
and trataka also help to improve
brainpower and memory by increasing
blood circulation to the brain and
aiding concentration.

Kapalbhati
Kapalbhati translates to frontal lobe
purification and is a type of breathing
exercise that awakens and stimulates
the brain and clears the sinuses.
Kapalbhati involves a series of rapid,
forceful exhalations and passive
inhalations. To practise, imagine you
have a piece of string attached to the
Yoga is a tool that can strengthen the body’s biggest
back of your navel that is being tugged and most powerful muscle: the mind.
every second. Take a breath in and, as
you activate the abdomen, forcefully
exhale as if you were blowing your
nose. A natural inhalation follows.
This is repeated continually for
roughly 1 minute.

Trataka
Also known as “blinkless gazing”,
trataka is a cleansing practice said to
improve concentration and memory.
It involves sitting in a darkened room
with a burning candle. The eyes are
kept open and fixed on the candle flame
for as long as possible, without blinking,
until the eyes start to water. This serves
to clean and cool the eyes and improve
their function. Most recommend you
practise “blinkless gazing” for 5–10
minutes — your eyes will really be
watering at this point. Then, slowly
close the eyes, clear the thoughts and
visualise the impression of the candle Clockwise from left: Garudasana (eagle
in your mind. pose), janu sirsasana (head to knee pose)
and padmasana (lotus pose).

Janu sirsasana (head to knee pose)
Sit with the legs extended in front of you.
Bend the right knee and bring the heel to
the perineum. Square the hips and inhale,
lifting the arms up. Keep the length in
the arms as you slowly inhale, bringing
both hands to the left foot. Lengthen and
soften the spine, trying to bring the head
as close to the knee as possible. Janu
sirsasana stimulates the ajna chakra and
frontal lobe, relaxing the mind and brain.
If you can bring your forehead to your
knee, allow your gaze to come toward the
nose; otherwise, look at the toes.
Garudasana (eagle pose)
This pose is about balancing
opposing sides to find harmony in the
body. Standing upright, cross the left
hand underneath the right. Bend the
elbows, wrapping the arms around
each other and bringing the palms
together. Bend the knees and bring
the left leg over the top of the right.
Lift the elbows so they are at shoulder
height and bring your awareness to the
ajna chakra. This pose requires a lot of
balance, so select an unmoving point for
your drishti.
Padmasana (lotus pose)
Sit on the mat and cross the legs,
bringing the opposite foot on top of the
opposite thigh. If you can’t bring both
feet on the thighs at the same time, just
do one side at a time. Bring the hands
in the hakini mudra, close the eyes and
focus on the breath.
Veronica Joseph has been practising yoga for over
10 years. She 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.

90 | wellbeing.com.au
 Saturday 28th October 2017
A Destination Ride into Spa Country
Friendsurance Ride Daylesford is a recreational ride that will take you through the
beautiful countryside of the Hepburn, Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander
Shires. There are three distances to choose from and it’s all about enjoying a
relaxing ride with friends and family and taking advantage of all that this region
offers, including an abundance of spas, mineral springs, restaurants and more.

www.ridedaylesford.com.au

Event Partners Distances Available

 body
TAI CHI AND ARTHRITIS
Fight arthritis with tai chi
Arthritis affects around 15 per cent of the population, impacting
on people of all ages. Tai chi can really help.
W
hen 45-year-old Karen
visited her doctor about her
aching hip, the last thing
she expected was to be
diagnosed with arthritis. Didn’t that only
affect old people? She was surprised
to learn that at least half of arthritis
sufferers are working age and it can even
affect children.
Arthritis
Arthritis is Australia’s foremost cause of
pain and disability, according to Arthritis
Australia. In 2011–2012, say statistics
from The Australian Health Survey, about
3.3 million people had been diagnosed
with the disease — or 14.8 per cent of
the population. Prevalence is higher in
women than men, at 17.7 per cent and
11.8 per cent respectively.
Access Economics predicts that, if
current trends continue, there will be
7 million Australians suffering some
form of the disease by 2050.
While arthritis is commonly seen
as a normal part of ageing, it is not
a natural consequence of growing
older. It is a disease state affecting the
musculoskeletal system, particularly
the joints.
However, the likelihood of developing
arthritis does increase with age. In the
under-25 age group, incidence is less
than 1 per cent, increasing to 52.1 per
cent in those 75 years plus. Women aged
45 and up are considerably more likely to
have arthritis than men. In particular, at
92 | wellbeing.com.au
Words SOPHIA AULD
ages 75 and over, 59.9 per cent of women
have arthritis compared with 42.3 per
cent of men, Australian Health Survey
figures show.
Another misconception is that
arthritis is a single disease. Arthritis
is actually an umbrella term covering
over 100 different conditions. The most
common of these are osteoarthritis,
rheumatoid arthritis and gout, which
account for about 95 per cent of cases,
according to statistics from Arthritis
Australia. Some people can even suffer
more than one form of arthritis.
These conditions are grouped
together because of their similar effects
on the body, including pain, stiffness,
inflammation and damage to the joints.
This can lead to weakness, instability
and joint deformities. There may be
increased difficulty with everyday tasks
such as dressing, walking, driving
and preparing meals. Quality of life is
affected as sufferers find it difficult to do
things they previously did with ease.
Some types of arthritis are more likely
to affect the large, weight-bearing joints
like the hips and knees, causing difficulty
with activities such as walking and
getting on and off chairs. Other forms
tend to affect smaller joints in the hands
and feet, causing problems with dexterity
and co-ordination as well as walking.
The spine can be affected, resulting
in neck and back pain. There are also
other autoimmune disorders that cause
arthritic changes in the joints.
If your joints are painful, swollen,
hot, red or stiff, it’s possible you have
arthritis. Morning stiffness is another
common symptom. Your doctor will likely
order blood tests, X-rays and possibly
other imaging to confirm the diagnosis.
Managing arthritis
While arthritis is not curable, it is
usually manageable and many options
are available to help you deal with the
condition. Often, a patient visiting their
GP will be prescribed medications such
as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
or paracetamol. In the types of arthritis
that involve joint inflammation and the
immune system, other classes of drugs
are available to help slow the disease
process and reduce joint damage
associated with it.
If you have recently been diagnosed
with arthritis, or suspect you may have
the condition, it’s important to start
management as early as possible.
Research suggests that early intervention
can slow the onset of the disease and
may reduce the number of cases of
osteoarthritis by about 500,000 within
15 years, according to Arthritis Australia.
Learn as much as possible about
your condition so you can make
informed choices about treatment.
Advocate for yourself and seek
alternative opinions if you’re unsure
about anything. It’s a good idea to take
a trusted friend or family member
with you to appointments, as you may
 body
TAI CHI AND ARTHRITIS

be bombarded with questions and
information, especially at first. A team
approach is best for managing the
disease, including people like your
GP, physiotherapist, occupational
therapist and dietician. Alternative and
complementary therapies can be a vital
part of your management plan.
One alternative option that is proving
to be effective in managing arthritis is
tai chi.
Tai chi for arthritis
Tai chi is an ancient Chinese martial art
form with a variety of different styles.
Photography Getty Images
Early intervention can slow the onset of [arthritis] and may
reduce the number of cases of osteoarthritis by about 500,000
within 15 years, according to Arthritis Australia.
tai chi experts. A general practitioner fluid circulate in the joints and stretches
for 40 years, Dr Lam has designed the the joints gently.”
program with the specific needs of There are now more than 30 research
this population in mind. “Tai Chi was studies that have shown improved health
originally a martial art,” he says, “so you outcomes in arthritis patients from the
need a program designed for people practice of tai chi.
with arthritis and instructors who take A major study was conducted in 2010
care of people. The movements are by Professor Leigh Callahan from the
modified and especially safe.” University of North Carolina. It showed
With only 12 moves from the Sun significant health benefits for people

It is now practised around the world
as a gentle exercise. When performed
this way, it involves slow, controlled
movements and postures combined with
breathing and mindfulness.
A program known as Tai Chi for
Arthritis was developed in 1997 by Dr
Paul Lam with a team of medical and
style, it can be learned quickly. The
program focuses on good posture,
abdominal breathing, gentle movements
and relaxation. As Dr Lam says, “When
people are using abdominal breathing
they are more relaxed and feel better;
their pain improves. Tai chi gently
exercises all parts of the body, makes the
with all types of arthritis. In the study,
354 participants were assigned either
to the tai chi group, who received eight
weeks of lessons, or to a control group,
who were placed on a waiting list.
Results in the tai chi group included
significant pain relief, reduced stiffness
and better ability to manage daily

wellbeing.com.au | 93
 body
TAI CHI AND ARTHRITIS
living. They reported a greater sense of
wellness and improved balance.
A study led by the same author and
published this January had similar
findings. In it, 343 people were randomly
allocated to tai chi classes or the control
group. Balance, sense of helplessness,
sleep and role satisfaction improved
significantly in the tai chi group. There
were also improvements in pain, fatigue
and stiffness. At one year review, the
improvements in pain, fatigue, stiffness,
helplessness and role participation
satisfaction were maintained.
An Australian study, reported in 2007,
looked into tai chi and hydrotherapy
for people suffering hip and knee
osteoarthritis, with 152 people randomly
allocated to a group receiving either 12
weeks of hydrotherapy, tai chi classes
or position on a waiting list. The
hydrotherapy group and the tai chi group
achieved significant improvements in
pain and physical function scores. These
improvements were sustained at a 24-
week follow-up.
Enhancing your chi
According to Dr Lam, the immense
power of tai chi in improving health
derives from a set of essential
principles based on enhancing the life
force, or chi (also qi). When performing
94 | wellbeing.com.au
There are now more than 30 research studies
that have shown improved health outcomes in arthritis
patients from the practice of tai chi.
tai chi, the movements are practised
in a slow, fluid manner, like the flow
of a stream. You move as if against a
gentle resistance, like moving through
water. Emphasis is placed on upright
posture and body alignment and on the
controlled transfer of weight through
the legs. Joints are kept loose, as if
they are being expanded from within.
Mindfulness is focused on the body and
how it is moving.
The physical movements are the
external form of tai chi, but this ancient
art is about much more than movement.
According to Phil Pointon, who teaches
tai chi on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast
with the Australian Academy of Tai Chi
and Qigong, it’s the internal aspect that
harnesses the body’s power for healing.
“My philosophy in tai chi is bringing into
balance the mind, body and breath,” he
says. “We have a saying in tai chi that
where the mind goes the energy flows,
and where the energy flows the blood
flows. That’s what happens. By bringing
those things into balance, it becomes an
internal work. Once you’re doing tai chi in
an internal way, you can heal almost any
discomfort or disease in the body.”
Pointon should know. He was
diagnosed with arthritis in his right
shoulder, related to repetitive overhead
strain on the arm from his work as a
painter. It became so severe he was
unable to continue working. Doctors told
him painkillers were the only answer.
Not satisfied, he tolerated the pain
until he found a tai chi teacher in 2006.
Although he found it painful at first,
Pointon persisted. “I’m now in my tenth
year of doing tai chi and I don’t get any
pain in that shoulder at all,” he says.
He was so impressed by the result, he
pursued training as an instructor. “I’m
a fine example that it works. I’ve come
across many friends in tai chi who’ve had
similar things happen to them,” he says.
The Australian Academy of Tai Chi
and Qigong was established in 1976 by
Grandmaster Gary Khor, who believes
Chinese health arts should be made
available in practical and useful ways
to improve the quality of people’s lives.
The Academy focuses on the teaching

of tai chi from a health and relaxation
perspective suitable for the average
person. Their website contains this
warning: “Tai chi and qigong have been
known to cause increased energy levels,
health and happiness.”
As mentioned, chi is the Chinese
term for life force. Physically, a person
with strong chi will be healthy, vibrant
and energetic. Weak chi leads to fatigue,
sluggishness and illness. Beyond the
physical level, the concept of chi refers to
the subtle energies flowing through the
body, affecting emotional and spiritual
wellbeing. If your chi is well balanced,
you will experience clarity of thought,
enhanced creativity and stable emotions.
Unbalanced chi leads to agitation and
clouded thinking. Spiritually, strong chi is
associated with religious experience and
achieving higher levels of consciousness.
For optimal health, chi should
be flowing smoothly and powerfully
throughout your body. Blockages of chi
result in illness. Chinese medical arts,
Photography Getty Images
such as acupuncture, aim to remove
blockages and restore the smooth and
balanced flow of chi. The practice of tai
chi helps you to discover, develop and
harness the healing power of the subtle
chi energy.
Dr Lam espouses the many benefits
of tai chi. An arthritis sufferer himself,
he commenced tai chi to help deal with
his symptoms and discovered several
additional health advantages. At 68, he
has the pulse rate of an athlete and is
more flexible than people half his age.
“All I did was tai chi and my fitness level
improved. I’m really fit for my age. I feel
really well, especially considering I’ve
had arthritis for more than 50 years. I
attribute it all to tai chi,” he says.
Based in Sydney, Dr Lam now travels
the world training instructors in his
Tai Chi for Health programs. These
programs have been endorsed by
arthritis foundations around the world,
including Arthritis Australia and the
Australian Rheumatology Association.
Getting started
When you decide to commence tai chi,
there are some important things to
look for. First, your instructor should
understand arthritis and be trained to
teach tai chi in a way that is safe and
comfortable. You should be allowed to
progress at your own pace and never
feel pressured to keep up with a group
or perform movements that are painful.
Your instructor should also be able to
modify movements if required due to
your condition.
Listen to your body. Mild discomfort
and feelings of stretching are usually fine,
body
TAI CHI AND ARTHRITIS
but never force your body into pain. As
with any form of exercise, perseverance
is the key. Start slowly and progress at a
pace that is manageable for you. It takes
time for joints to loosen and muscles to
lengthen and grow stronger.
For maximum benefit, a daily practice
is recommended, even if it is only for
10 minutes. A longer session can be
performed once or twice a week, either
in a class or following an instructional
DVD. Aim to build up your practice to
30 minutes most days. Try putting the
principles into practice in daily life.
Good posture, abdominal breathing
and mindfulness are excellent health
practices in their own right.
A diagnosis of arthritis may be
frightening but it is not a sentence to a
lifetime of disability. Remember, you are
not defined by a disease. With a good
team approach and some determination,
it’s likely you will be able to manage your
arthritis. Tai chi is an excellent weapon
in the arsenal of strategies for achieving
wellbeing and a healthy, balanced life.
Sophia Auld is a physiotherapist and Pilates
instructor with 26 years’ experience in the health
field. She is passionate about helping people
achieve good health using a holistic approach
and believes that small changes can have a big
impact on achieving wellness.
wellbeing.com.au | 95
 health
EMDR

Moving beyond pain

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing therapy may look
deceptively simple but it’s effective for treating post-traumatic
stress, grief, depression and more.
Words SONIA ZADRO

96 | wellbeing.com.au

I
magine you are a fly on the wall
in the midst of a psychotherapy
session. You would expect to see
lots of talking, perhaps some head
nodding by the therapist, some angst
and sadness from the client. What you
wouldn’t expect is for the therapist to
move their chair right up next to the
client and start waving their finger back
and forth in front of the client’s eyes.
What you would be observing is a
therapy technique called EMDR, or
Eye Movement Desensitisation and
Reprocessing. It was developed by
American psychologist Dr Francine
Shapiro in the late 1980s and was
initially met with much scepticism.
However, EMDR is now considered a
frontline evidenced-based therapy in
the treatment of post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) around the world.
Twenty-four randomised controlled
studies support the use of EMDR
therapy for many different kinds of
trauma, achieving results in less time
than other conventional therapies —
and with no homework.
EMDR is designated as effective
by the World Health Organization, the
Phoenix Australia Centre for Post-
Traumatic Mental Health, the US
Department of Veterans Affairs, the
US Department of Defence and many
other international health agencies.
The Australian Psychological Society
(APS) also considers EMDR as having
Level 1 evidence — that is, the highest
level of evidence — in the treatment
of PTSD.
Controlled studies also support
EMDR’s effectiveness for grief, pain,
resolving stressful life events and
depression. It’s now estimated that
EMDR has helped more than 2 million
people worldwide.
Early success
As a clinical psychologist I’ll never forget
the first client I treated with EMDR.
Margaret, 62, had one of the worst
histories of sexual abuse and neglect I
had come across. I had been using the
Photography Getty Images
treatment of choice at the time, exposure
therapy, to desensitise her traumatic
memories. This involves asking a
client to describe the traumatic event
repeatedly in a systematic way until
the emotion attached to the event has
completely reduced. This stops the client
reliving the event in everyday life.
Twenty-four randomised controlled studies support the
use of EMDR therapy for many different kinds of trauma,
achieving results in less time than other conventional
therapies — and with no homework.
Exposure had been successful
with Margaret’s other memories, but
the memory we were working on was
not responding. It was also extremely
distressing for Margaret to talk about
her abuse repeatedly. I decided to use
EMDR and, after only four sets of eye
movements, she grabbed and hugged
me in tears, saying, “It’s gone. It’s
worked! Why didn’t you use this earlier?”
Not all clients will be as overjoyed
as Margaret, of course, and there may
be a handful who don’t respond at all.
Some specialists also argue that EMDR
is just another type of exposure therapy
because, like exposure, it makes the
client focus on the traumatic event.
However, research supports the idea that
EMDR is usually quicker than exposure
therapy, its underlying mechanism
appears to work differently and, unlike
exposure therapy, EMDR can be used to
reduce grief and depression as well as
improve self-esteem.
Where did EMDR come from?
Discussing how EMDR came to be, Dr
Shapiro says she was thinking about
some recent distressing life events
while out walking one day. As she
recalled these events, she allowed her
eyes to move rapidly back and forth
as she walked. She noticed when she
revisited these distressing thoughts
that they seemed less distressing
so she experimented, deliberately
moving her eyes back and forth while
she focused on the negative thoughts.
She then experimented with 70 people
and developed standard procedures to
achieve consistent positive effects.
What does an EMDR
session look like?
While it may appear straightforward,
EMDR is more involved than it sounds and
must only be used by a qualified therapist
who has completed accredited EMDR
training with experience in the technique.
An EMDR session involves several
parts. After a full assessment and
identification of key memories and
beliefs, the client is asked to recollect
and focus on key emotions, body
health
EMDR
sensations, images and core beliefs
associated with a distressing memory
while they track the therapist’s finger for
approximately 24 eye movements. The
client then stops and notes how they are
feeling, what they are thinking and what
they are sensing in their body. The eye
movements and tracking continue until
the memory feels resolved.
At the end of the session, new positive
beliefs emerge as a result of the eye
movements and are reinforced with
further eye movements. On completion
of the therapy, clients report the memory
no longer distresses them and relate
that negative beliefs have gone and, in
the case of PTSD symptoms such as
flashbacks and nightmares, disappear.
Three clients explain their experience
with EMDR:
“My experience of EMDR was intense
but transformative. It allowed me to
shift many deeply ingrained and painful
memories, and process them. I had
lived for 35 years with crippling PTSD
including panic attacks, flashbacks and
anxiety and can now live a happy life, free
from those experiences.”
“EMDR was like a magic wand that just
let the bad memories fade into black and
white so they don’t hurt any more.”
“EMDR was the breakthrough I needed
and there’s definitely nothing strange
about it. All it takes is the courage to face
your emotions.”
A distressing or troubling memory
will usually desensitise in the course of
one session and typically takes no more
than three sessions. If the memory is
extremely traumatic or prolonged, it
may take longer. Rarely, if the person
finds it very difficult to stay present with
their feelings, EMDR may not work
for them. This is often the case with
highly dissociative people who are very
ungrounded and disconnected from their
feelings. All clients are screened for their
level of dissociation before EMDR is used.
How does EMDR work?
EMDR is based on the idea that, when
you repeatedly stimulate each side of the
brain (known as bilateral stimulation)
while a person is focused on painful
wellbeing.com.au | 97
 health
EMDR
“One of the most important outcomes of EMDR is that it doesn’t just remove the distress from
a memory but it actually shifts the negative belief associated with the memory.”
unresolved memories, the bilateral
stimulation promotes changes in
electrical firing in the brain in a way that
promotes healing and resolution of the
distressing material.
In one controlled study of 10
traumatised patients with PTSD, after
an average of five sessions of EMDR,
symptoms related to the traumatic event
disappeared. This was sustained at two-
year follow-up. Symptoms of depression
were also significantly reduced.
What was interesting, however, is
that the patients’ brainwaves were
monitored throughout their first EMDR
procedure and throughout their last
EMDR procedure after fully processing
the distressing memory. After EMDR
therapy, in all 10 patients, there was a
highly significant shift from limbic or
emotional centres of the brain to the
cortical regions, which involve rational
non-emotional reasoning.
During an EMDR session the bilateral
stimulation enabled the brain to release
a signal of 2Hz. This likely slowed the
firing of brain cells in the emotional
brain centres, allowing the emotional
material to be fully felt and processed so
that the memory could then be passed
on to the rational centres to make sense
of the experience.
EMDR has also been shown to reduce
heart rate and parasympathetic activity
in response to the distressing memory.
That is, it reduces the fight-and-flight
response to a distressing event.
Creating a healthy belief system
One of the most important outcomes of
EMDR is that it doesn’t just remove the
distress from a memory, such as fear,
grief or shame, but it actually shifts
the negative belief associated with the
memory. This is very important because
it’s the stuck negative belief that lives
on unconsciously in your belief system
and influences you in your present day-
to-day life.
Take Tora, who had been humiliated
one day at school when she was seven
years old. Tora was asked to spell a word
on the blackboard. She walked to the
blackboard and spelt it incorrectly. The
teacher, in a rage, turned on Tora and hit
98 | wellbeing.com.au
her hard repeatedly across her back and
bottom while she yelled at her. She then
made her sit on the floor out the front for
the rest of the day. Tora felt humiliated,
ashamed and confused.
When she cried during morning
tea, Tora’s teacher asked if she was
crying because she had spelt the word
incorrectly. This confused Tora further,
making her feel like she should not be
crying for being beaten in front of her
peers. She internalised the beliefs “I’m
bad” and “I don’t trust my feelings”.
She was too ashamed to share her
experience as she didn’t have parents
who emotionally supported her.
Tora unconsciously carried these
beliefs all her life. As an adult, when
she was reprimanded by a manager at
work or an authority figure, these same
beliefs of “I’m bad” and “I don’t trust
my feelings” emerged, along with deep
shame and self-doubt.
Through EMDR, Tora recognised that
this shame did not belong to her, that
her teacher had been abusive towards
her and misused her power, and that
she was not a bad person, just a student
trying to do her best in an environment
that was not emotionally validating.
EMDR helped reinforce the belief that
she was “a good person” and that her
feelings were valid.
And so it goes with many key painful
experiences from the past. Some would
argue the past is best left in the past and
we need to live in the present, but it’s
important to recognise that old negative
beliefs can also be influencing us in the
present. Old experiences that you don’t
think about any more may still have left
their mark on you unconsciously.
Breaking the pain cycle
The first step in creating a healthy belief
system is to develop an awareness of
your current belief system. We generally
hold both positive and negative beliefs
about ourselves and can even hold
opposing beliefs. That is, sometimes you
might feel lovable and, at other times,
unlovable. Other beliefs might be “I’m
not good enough” “I’m powerless” or
“I’m incompetent”.
These beliefs are like an old familiar
feeling, a wound or a trigger. If you
sometimes get an old familiar feeling
that feels a bit like “I’m not good
enough”, there are probably some stuck
unprocessed memories from your past
that are keeping this negative belief alive
in your subconscious and influencing you
in the present.
One way to shift this belief is by using
EMDR to process related painful past
memories. Once you’ve processed one or
two, the effects usually generalise so you
don’t have to process every associated
memory. In this way, EMDR can decrease
depression and anxiety and improve self-
esteem and resilience.
EMDR also breaks the cycle of
pain in our society. People who are in
pain sometimes inflict their pain and
hurt on others. As Shapiro says, “We
can take people that seem intractable
and transform them into positive human
beings so they’re no longer hurting
others, ... so that we stop the pain for
future generations. The unimaginable
amount of suffering that’s going on out
there does not have to continue. People
can truly heal in a comparatively short
period of time and move to a state of
Photography Getty Images
happiness, strength and resilience, with
healthy relationships.”
Sonia Zadro is a clinical psychologist with 20
years’ experience, and a freelance writer. She is
interested in helping people heal and opening
their minds through science. To mind out more,
see soniazadro.com.
 A fresh approach to corporate
health and wellbeing

To find out more visit wellbeinggrow.com

 home
HOME OFFICE
The happy, healthy
home office
Make your home office a soothing, creative and healthy
space with these work-friendly ideas.
T
hough we spend at least one-
third of our lives working, we
often pay little attention to the
ambiance of our office space.
This is particularly true of SoHos (Small
office Home offices). Yet somehow,
in your home office, you expect to be
productive, energised, creative and
articulate. To help you reach those
zones, a home office really needs some
planning and personality.
Whether you telecommute a few days
a week, would like to make over your
SoHo or are planning to go freelance,
it’s important to think about the features
that every good home office space needs.
Consider design choices that help to:
Look after your body. That means
choosing ergonomically sound furniture.
Stimulate creativity. Spice up your
SoHo with visual touches such as polka-
dotted chair upholstery, a colourful
mouse mat, paisley or silk curtains or
an eye-catching room divider behind
your desk featuring tree or leaf
silhouettes, geometric designs or
Japanese cherry-blossoms.
Calm yourself. Set up a decent sound
system so you can play some classical
music or natural forest sounds while
you work. Burn some incense and put
a forest scene on your screen saver.
Add some found objects like seedpods
and shells to bring more of the natural
world inside.
Create several thinking spaces. Even
if you have a poky little office you can
usually squeeze another thinking space
in a corner or against a wall. Add a
futon chair, stack of large and small
100 | wellbeing.com.au
Words STEPHANIE OSFIELD
cushions, a feature armchair with a
throw rug and scatter pillow or a small
daybed or chaise longue. Use this
thinking area when you are stuck on a
problem or need to come up with new
ideas. Sometimes just moving away
from your desk to a little office nook can
get your creative juices flowing.
Create an office
with atmosphere
Choosing a basic decor style can help
make your SoHo feel more welcoming
and stimulating. You can carry this
through with furniture and knick-knacks
or by displaying a few well-chosen items.
Consider making your office:
Vintage
Tranquil with Zen undertones
Stylish 60s
Minimalist
Kitsch with fun 50s novelty items,
comicbook covers in frames and flying
porcelain geese on the wall
Coastal with homage to the sea in
shells, starfish and watercolours of
seascapes or mermaids
Cottage or country
Crisp and contemporary
Monochrome — go for black and white
with accents of red
Rustic
Artsy with the aid of Japanese
woodblock prints or reproductions of
Warhol, Van Gogh, Toulouse Lautrec or
a mix of artists you like
Monocultural with feature objects from
a culture you love, such as a beautiful tea
set and hanging kimono from Japan or a
set of small glass vases from Egypt
Choosing your office
colour palette
Just as the ultraviolet light, which
causes sunburn, can impact on your
skin, all the colours of the spectrum
emit different energy frequencies that
alter everything from your brain activity
to blood pressure. You don’t have
to splash colour all over your SoHo
to inject personality; go for neutral
tones and a feature wall in bolder or
contrasting colour. Pick out a dominant
colour in the upholstery of your work
chair, a rug or feature picture in the
room and make that shade the colour
on a feature wall. Different colours
create different energy:
Red is very stimulating and energetic,
but it can be overpowering so don’t
overdo it.
Orange or terracotta is linked to
emotions such as reassurance,
constancy and warmth.
Green promotes a sense of balance,
nature and stability. It’s also thought to
aid digestion.
Blue can help stimulate intellectual
thought and contemplation; it’s also
soothing, serene and de-stressing.
Purple is linked to creativity as well
as spirituality.
Yellow is cheerful and invigorating.
Photography Getty Images
Black absorbs light but reflects
nothing back, so it can be seen as quite
“hard”. It’s also dramatic and classic,
though, particularly if you jazz it up with
some bright colours or metallic shades
like silver, copper and gold.
White evokes purity, cleanliness,
tranquillity, harmony and peace.

When you’re choosing a desk,
focus on function as well as
form and invest in a
good-quality chair.
Take the floor
An attractive floor material creates the
foundation for an appealing office. So
consider a floor surface covered in:
Bamboo
Matte wooden floorboards
Whitewashed pine
Hemp carpet
Feature rugs, either as a small feature,
a larger filler in your room’s open space,
under your office chair to prevent wear
and tear or as a welcoming mat at your
SoHo entrance.
Leading light
Installing soft lampshades — even in a
simple Japanese paper lantern style —
can help to soften harsh overhead office
lighting that can tire eyes that are often
already strained by hours at a computer.
A desk lamp that provides a soft but
sufficient glow is a good addition to
help you avoid harsh overhead lights
on overcast days. You might also like
to invest in a Himalayan salt lamp that
has earthy appeal, a soft glow and is
believed to help neutralise the effects of
magnetic radiation emanating from your
computer. Use it when you’re working
late as excess evening light disrupts the
production of melatonin, the hormone
that helps promote faster sleep onset
102 | wellbeing.com.au
and better sleep quality. Research from
the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
shows that two hours of computer
exposure can reduce melatonin by 22
per cent. Overhead lights can further
deplete it.
If your office doesn’t have a lot of
natural light, consider putting in one or
two small windows, which will also allow
you a glimpse of trees or your garden or
the world outside. A well-placed skylight
can also change the whole feel of your
workspace. Make sure it’s placed so you
can have the blind on it open and see
the sky without light from it reflecting on
your computer.
Desk details
When you’re choosing a desk, focus on
function as well as form. That gorgeous
old antique desk may have loads of
character but it may do your back no
favours. You might be better to choose
an ergonomically designed desk made
of recycled timber or a simple wooden
desk that you make over with a rustic
limewash or appealing colour.
Alternatively, you might want to invest
in an adjustable stand-up desk so you
can mix up standing and sitting while
you work. Research at the University of
Pittsburgh shows that people who use
DIY office furniture is usually
made of cheap materials
like chipboard, which are
filled with volatile organic
compounds (VOCs).
a standing desk for just half a day can
burn 238 more kilojoules (56.9 calories),
reducing weight gain that often occurs
with age and inactivity. Studies also
show that standing to work can enhance
concentration and productivity. If you’re
really energetic, opt for a treadmill
standing desk so you slip in some
exercise while you’re thinking or reading.
Meanwhile, make sure you:
Invest in a good-quality chair that has
an adjustable seat pan, backrest and
chair height. Resist the temptation to
just use a dining chair at your desk or
you will pay for it in the long run.
Find a nice wooden footstool and keep
it under your desk to help keep your
posture upright when doing computer
work. Or put your feet flat on the ground
under your desk — your knees should be
level with your hips or a little lower.
Adjust your backrest to a slight tilt so
it supports the inward curve of your
lower back.
Install an anti-glare screen and ask
your optometrist about anti-glare lenses
for glasses. Also clean your monitor
regularly to reduce dust and smears and
increase screen sharpness.
Featured frames
A feature wall showcasing different-
sized coloured and “distressed” photo
frames can create visual interest at
little cost. Shop around for a range of
frames to display:
A series of black-and-white or sepia
versions of your favourite photos of
family and friends. Change them from
time to time.
Landscape shots taken from happy
holidays or scenic walks, depicting
everything from sunsets, seascapes and
forest scenes to close-ups of moss on
Photography Getty Images
trees and flowers in your garden.
Beautiful cards. Pick them up in
your travels — choose a mix including
handmade and printed cards.
Postcards from art galleries. Frame
them and enjoy an instant eye-catching
collection of artworks and art styles that
you love.
 Consider making your
office tranquil with Zen
undertones, using candles
and untreated wood
for shelving.
Visual vintage appeal
Having some treasured older items in
your office can make you feel you are
channelling a time when life was simpler
and slower. Scatter these kinds of classic
items around your SoHo for a lovely old-
time feel:
A ladder. Stand a feature wooden
ladder against a wall and use it to hang
lovely scarves. Or invest in whitewashed
stepladder shelves that decrease in size
from bottom to top. This can be used
to house pot plants, books and other
paraphernalia, such as work stationery
or inboxes with a smattering of scented
candles or bowls of beautiful leaves or
sea urchins.
Vintage boxes. Think small tin boxes, a
pretty hatbox or small to medium vintage
school cases and suitcases stacked up in
the corner.
Several aged sconces for candles.
Framed prints of classic kids’ books
like Alice in Wonderland, Snugglepot and
Cuddlepie or Winnie the Pooh.
Functional finishing touches
Forget old grey metal filing cabinets
and plastic bins. Make your office an
appealing space by choosing eye-
catching office storage supplies and
storage strategies such as:
Appealing boxes and folders. Keep
an eye out for office storage boxes,
organisers and upright files in bright
colours or pretty designs.
Stationery. Go for colourful staples, tape
104 | wellbeing.com.au
dispensers, paper clips, penholders and
display or storage folders.
Message boards. Blackboards with
colourful chalk, whiteboards with
colourful felt pens and corkboards with
colourful drawing pins can be great for
brainstorming ideas, listing important
upcoming dates/events and displaying
the month or day ahead.
Small baskets, pouches or mesh
storage boxes fastened to the inside back
of under-desk cupboards or walls to
save space.
Problems with prefab
Though it can be tempting to set up an
office with cheap flatpack desks and
prefab MDF cupboards and shelves, in
the long term they may take their toll
on your health. DIY office furniture is
usually made of cheap materials like
chipboard, which are filled with volatile
organic compounds (VOCs). Some of
these include formaldehyde, benzene,
acetone and methylene chloride. These
can outgas into your office air and
after breathing them in all day you may
develop chronic issues like a runny
nose and eye irritation, headaches, skin
rashes and respiratory problems like
coughing and asthma, as well as fatigue.
Instead, you are better off picking
up some untreated wood and making
your own shelves, and saving up to buy
a good-quality wooden desk made from
eco-friendly materials. If you already
have some office furniture that’s made
Work-friendly scents
Soothing or invigorating scents can give
you an extra boost during your working
week. Choose aromatherapy candles,
incense or oils to help you:
Boost concentration and focus.
Try rosemary, peppermint,
ginger, tea-tree, cypress,
lemongrass and basil.
Make you feel more confident.
Try sandalwood, pine, geranium,
rose, grapefruit and rosewood.
Feel more inspired or energised.
Try frankincense, neroli, elemi,
sandalwood, black pepper, pine,
juniper, thyme and eucalyptus.
Stay calm and reduce stress.
Try chamomile, lavender, ylang
ylang, clary, mandarin, orange, sage,
linden berry and geranium.
of cheap chipwood, invest in some
indoor plants.
When scientists were working on the
space shuttle Skylab 3, they found that
the indoor air was contaminated with
over 100 chemicals. But, since plants
recycle oxygen, they reasoned that plants
might have a hidden talent for breaking
down pollutants as well — and they were
right. NASA research that focused on
keeping the air for astronauts as clean as
possible found that plants can do a great
deal to remove pollutants from indoor
air because they absorb and break down
chemicals through their leaves and roots,
as do the micro-organisms in the soil.
The NASA studies found that one
potted plant per 100 square feet of floor
space is the minimum needed to improve
indoor air quality. The most effective
plants for removing indoor chemical
pollution include dracaenas, bamboo
palm, fig species, peace lily, philodendron,
chrysanthemums, gerbera daisies, aloe
vera and spider plants. These plants are
also effective formaldehyde eaters. By
simply placing aloe vera in a room for 24
hours, the NASA scientists found they
could reduce the amount of formaldehyde
Photography Getty Images
in the air by an impressive 90 per cent.
Stephanie Osfield is an award-winning free-
lance 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.
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 parenting
READING WITH KIDS

106 | wellbeing.com.au

Reading together
Reading with your children — even as they grow
older — can boost their wellbeing and yours.
Words MEGAN BLANDFORD
I
have vivid memories of being read
to in my childhood. My sister and I
would snuggle up on either side of
our mum as she read aloud books
that are still among my favourites: The
Secret Garden, The Magic Faraway Tree,
Matilda and more.
This happened well after my sister
and I could read by ourselves. In fact,
the three of us would often take turns
and Mum would close her eyes for a
quick rest when she wasn’t the one
reading. I now realise how hard it is to
summon the patience to read a chapter
to the kids after working all day. Yet this
memory of my mum taking that time out
to read stories with us is one of my most
cherished childhood recollections.
Reading aloud when our kids are
little is an ingrained parenting tradition.
It conjures images of cosy moments on
the couch, contagious toddler giggles
laughing along to the funny dialogue and
seeing your small one’s eyes light up
with the wonder of beautiful illustrations
and magical stories.
We know it’s never too early to start
reading — some parents-to-be even start
reading to their babies in utero — but
Photography Getty Images
somehow we seem to have put an expiry
date on this practice. Once our kids can
read independently, we tick this activity
off an imaginary list and think our days
of reading aloud are over. It’s time to
rethink that assumption.
Reading with older kids isn’t as
common a family ritual as it was when
parenting
READING WITH KIDS
they were younger, yet it’s just as
beneficial. In fact, many of the benefits
are the same no matter how old your
child is: reading together helps them
feel secure and loved; it opens up
conversations and gives you extra quality
time together.
Yes, reading aloud with your kids, even
after they can read by themselves, is a
great parenting decision that could boost
their wellbeing — and your own.
Your child wants you
to read to them
A recent Scholastic study in the US
showed the declining figures of kids
being read to as they get older. As
families, we start our reading traditions
strongly with more than half of children
aged zero to five years being read aloud
to at home regularly. However, this
tapers off as they get older: one in three
kids aged six to eight years are read to,
and one in six nine- to 11-year-olds.
Most parents say they stopped
reading to their children because they
are old enough to read by themselves.
This makes sense: our kids are seeking
independence in many ways and it seems
fair to assume that once your child can
do something for themselves you’re no
longer required to do it.
Yet, 83 per cent of kids across all the
study’s age groups said they’d love to be
read aloud to.
“Life gets busy as the kids get older
and there are different responsibilities
wellbeing.com.au | 107
 parenting
READING WITH KIDS
The majority of
kids, regardless of
age, said they’d love
to be read aloud to.
as a parent, so reading aloud can fall to
the wayside,” says Allison Greenland,
teacher and founder of Leap into
Literacy. “But kids still want that bonding
time, the sense of security and the
physical closeness to their parents, and
reading is a good excuse to do that.”
It doesn’t have to be a chore that
you feel you have to read to your older
child all the time — and they might not
want that, either. “Even if it’s once a
week, or you might suggest they read
to themselves most nights but maybe
every third night you’ll read with them,”
Greenland suggests. “It gives your child
something to look forward to.”
  
Reading aloud is fun
for you, too
If you love reading, chances are you
enjoyed reading with your child when
they were younger; maybe you got into
108 | wellbeing.com.au
the theatrics of their favourite picture
books or enjoyed these precious quiet
times amid your toddler’s lively antics.
The good news is there are lots of
benefits for you in reading to your child
now that they’re a bit older.
The first is that the books your child
will be into are, depending on your
perspective, more interesting now. I love
sharing my old favourite stories with
my daughter and during the day I look
forward to reading another chapter of
a classic like Peter Pan together that
evening. When she is reading a newly
released book, I often find the characters
interesting and the text engaging. The
lack of repetition is a nice change of
pace, too, after years of reading the
same books over again during her
younger years.
Your child’s books might also take
you back in time. “It gives you that time
Photography Getty Images
together and it allows you as an adult to
revisit some of the things you enjoyed or
the things you were going through as a
child,” says Greenland. “It’s good fun.”
It increases confidence
Taking time out to focus solely on your
child is the best confidence booster
you can give them. As they get older,
encouraging your child to share the
reading aloud can also increase their
confidence and speech.
When you read to your child — even
when they’re getting older — you’re
helping to increase their vocabulary and
modelling how to read fluently and with
expression. This, in turn, increases their
own confidence in several areas of their
academic, social and emotional lives.
Interestingly, reading aloud to your
child can extend their knowledge
in other ways. “A child’s listening
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 parenting
READING WITH KIDS
“It’s possible that a child’s listening and reading comprehension
don’t match up until around Year 8. So your child will listen on
a different level from what they’re reading at themselves.”
comprehension is a lot higher than their
reading comprehension,” Greenland
says. “When you think about how your
child understands what you’re reading
to them when they’re little compared
with their reading comprehension
developing in kindergarten or first
grade, this makes sense.
“It’s possible that a child’s listening
and reading comprehension don’t match
up until around Year 8,” Greenland
continues, “so your child will listen on a
different level from what they’re reading
at themselves. Reading something at a
higher level (that has appropriate content)
to your child gives them an insight into
a more complicated plot and higher
vocabulary, and might motivate them to
want to listen to the book with you.”
Reading with your independent
reader doesn’t have to mean you’re
doing all the work. It’s just as valuable
to encourage your child to share the
reading aloud, and anecdotally this can
help to increase their confidence in
public speaking.
Another benefit is that reading
together can open up some
conversations that you or your child
might otherwise avoid. “It can teach
them some life lessons,” Greenland
explains, “and having a parent there who
can talk through some difficult concepts
is great for them and can help to build
some emotional resilience.”
Reading together can create a safe
haven for discussing challenges, as
you’re no longer the parent who is trying
to lecture them; instead you’re a fellow
reader who is joining them in a shared
experience. “Your child can get a real
sense of belonging with the literature
they’re reading and the characters make
them feel less alone in their struggles,”
says Greenland.
It’ll help them do better at school
While it’s tempting to believe that reading
to your child is going to be an instant fix
for any academic problems they might
be experiencing, it’s important not to
get too carried away over the power of
reading together.
The truth is, reading to your child
isn’t going to magically turn them into a
110 | wellbeing.com.au
reader extraordinaire. There are skills to
be learnt in order to read well and these
can take time to develop with the help of
many other literacy strategies.
“People tend to imply that reading to
a child will make them learn to read but
there’s no evidence to show that,” says
Lyn Stone, linguist at Lifelong Literacy.
“If your older child is struggling with
their reading, then reading to them is
not going to stop them from struggling.”
(You can speak to your child’s teacher or
seek external help in order to overcome
those challenges.)
How to read aloud to
older kids
If you feel self-conscious about reading
with your older child, here are some tips
to get you into it:
Start with the books your child
loved when they were little. “This
builds a bridge of familiarity and
stirs up those warm memories,”
says Lyn Stone.
Don’t force it. Just do it when it feels
right and your child is interested.
Encourage your child to read aloud.
“I get my children to read to their
younger cousins,” says Stone, “so
they’re reminded it’s acceptable to be
read to.”
Take your cue from your child. “Kids
are striving for independence and if
you make reading to them a chore
then you’ve lost them,” Stone says.
Instead, reading together has the
potential to offer your child a base
from which to want to read well. The
Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development is clear in its research
that reading for pleasure translates to
better school performance. Instilling this
sense of pleasure in reading is a job for
parents and is particularly effective when
your child sees you enjoy it. “If your child
can see that you’re enthusiastic about
reading, they’re more likely to get a sense
of pleasure from it,” says Greenland.
It isn’t just about the book
Reading aloud is the beginning of
sharing some time together and a
chance to immerse yourself in a story
with someone you love. It’s a connection,
and finding moments of connection with
our children is more important now than
ever before.
In the Scholastic study on reading
aloud, nearly 80 per cent of the kids said
they enjoyed it because of that time spent
with their parents. This highlights the
fact that our kids are craving this level of
connection just as much as we are.
If your kids are still little, try to
maintain that ritual of reading together
for as long as possible, perhaps until
they’re well into their teenage years.
And if your children are already that
bit older, well, it might not be too late
to hook back into those old habits. “If
you’re read to from when you’re young,
all those emotions of stability, warmth
and attention come back and lots of
warm memories are stirred up,” says
Stone — and these are all feelings that
can be recreated at any age.
Maybe, above all, being read to can be
an utterly comforting experience for your
child. It’s a signal that you’re making
time for them, sharing a story they will
enjoy and creating that space for them in
your life. “You make the child your focus
and they always love that,” says Stone.
“Reading with your child is a beautiful
bonding experience, a shared thing
that unites a family and the child feels
emotionally nurtured.”
Back when my mum read to me, it
was never about increasing my own
skills or boosting my grades at school. It
was just something we did together and
it stays with me as a positive memory to
this day.
Even now, I still can’t read The Secret
Garden without hearing my mum’s voice
and sensing her arm around me. I can
smell her perfume, feel the crisp cotton
of the work uniform she hadn’t quite
had the time to change out of yet, and
reading those words, even now, is the
most comforting thing I can imagine.
The recollection of her taking that time
out of her busy day — away from all the
other demands on her — still makes me
smile and feel special.
It was a pure act of love back then and
when we do this with our own children it
will have that same powerful impact.
Megan Blandford is a freelance writer. You can
see more of her work at meganblandford.net.
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 planet
FAIRTRADE

Fairer trade
Fairtrade began as a movement to protect and support producers from poor
countries who were being taken advantage of in global markets. As Fairtrade booms,
however, it faces challenges in staying true to its founding principles.

Words MARTIN OLIVER

E
conomists frequently aspire to
an ideal of “free trade”, with
minimal government intervention
and an absence of distortions
in the marketplace. However, the free
market has shortcomings that are easy to
airbrush, or overlook, including the fact
that its benefits are distributed unequally.
The history of modern free trade is
bound up with colonialism. Between
the 15th and 19th centuries, European
powers carved up much of the rest of the
world, with economic self-interest being a
primary agenda. Commodities were often
grown by the native people in plantations,
often in grim conditions and supplanting
subsistence food crops. Slaves were
widely traded and used for labour.
Today, conditions have improved but
we are still experiencing a hangover
from colonial times. In some industries,
such as cocoa production, slavery
still exists. An imbalanced power
relationship between the corporate
sector and small farmers in developing
countries results in farmers lacking
bargaining muscle and often getting
an exploitative raw deal. Often there is
no money to send children to school
or to afford healthcare.

112 | wellbeing.com.au

From the retail price of a chocolate bar,
cacao producers in West Africa receive
about 6 per cent (down from about 16 per
cent in the late 1980s), while chocolate
giants receive about 70 per cent. Coffee is
similar, with the grower’s share 7–10 per
cent, dwarfed by the 55 per cent earned
by the multinationals.
A Fairtrade alternative
In response to these issues, the Fairtrade
movement was born in the 1950s as a
means of tackling poverty and inequality.
Its goal was to support poor countries
and promote development through trade
rather than aid. In commodity markets
where large plantations often dominate,
Fairtrade gives small producers a chance
to compete, enabling farmers to stay on
their land.
The modern fair trade sector is
largely focused on handicrafts, textiles,
coffee, cacao/cocoa, sugar and fresh
fruit. It involves 1.6 million farmers in 74
countries and is experiencing a healthy
annual growth of somewhere around 25
per cent. Globally, the UK has the world’s
largest Fairtrade turnover while the
Swiss are the largest purchasers when
measured on a per capita basis.
Co-operatives are the backbone of
the fair-trade sector and, excepting one
American body known as Fair Trade
USA, all certifiers require growers to
belong to a co-operative. Co-ops have
the advantages of providing growers with
economy-of-scale benefits and giving
farmers a democratic voice that’s absent
from the mainstream economy.
Fair trade offers a minimum price
that is usually more generous than the
open market, but sometimes when
commodity prices are healthy it can be
lower. A further “social premium” is
paid to the co-operative and is typically
invested in projects that offer a collective
benefit. Examples include wells, pumps,
environmental projects, schools,
hospitals and clinics. In 2013/14 these
Photography Getty Images
premiums amounted to about US $144
million (AUD $192 million/NZD $208
million) annually.
Certification
When buying fair trade it’s important
to look for a certification mark. In 1997,
30 years ago, the movement achieved
an important milestone when various
certification bodies joined forces to
create the fair trade coalition known as
Fairtrade International.
Several different certification marks
were consolidated into the International
Fairtrade Certification Mark that is
now used throughout the world. This
consists of a green and blue design on
a black background that looks a little
like the yin-yang and also resembles
a human figure raising his or her arm.
Another logo known as the Fair Trade
Certified Mark is often encountered in
the US and Canada.
Typically, certification requires 100
per cent of all the ingredients that can
Alaffia
Based in Togo, West Africa, and
Washington State, US, Alaffia was
started in 2004 by cross-cultural couple
Olowo-n’djo Tchala and Prairie Rose
Hyde. Its business focus is the personal
care sector, which makes use of
Fairtrade shea butter and coconut oil.
Projects in Togo include safe
births for women, pushbikes, schools,
school equipment, reading glasses
and reafforestation. In rural areas,
children typically walk miles to and
from school and this eventually results
in a high dropout rate. Bikes are sent
from America to Togo, where they make
school travel far easier and as a result
95 per cent of bicycle recipients finish
secondary school.
be certified, to be Fairtrade. However,
a new initiative known as Fairtrade
Sourcing Programs, applying to cocoa,
cotton and sugar, allows companies
to source 100 per cent of a single
ingredient as Fairtrade and receive their
own certification that resembles the
international mark. This program offers
more flexibility and is expected to boost
the use of certified ingredients.
Certification is holistic, extending
beyond narrow Fairtrade criteria
to take in a variety of other ethical
considerations, including bans on child
labour and slave labour, ensuring safe
workplaces, the right to join a union and
environmental protection measures.
Some products combine Fairtrade with
planet
FAIRTRADE
organic certification and Fairtrade
producers are frequently drawn to
natural growing techniques.
In 2011, the Fairtrade movement
was disrupted when Fair Trade USA
broke away from the coalition due to
philosophical disagreements. Changes
to its rules have since allowed large
plantations and corporations to be
certified. Compared to small producers,
plantations are more focused on the
bottom line and are less likely to respect
workers’ rights. In addition, they are liable
to undercut co-operatives through their
economies of scale, which could put the
co-ops in a shakier financial position.
Fairtrade in the food industry
Originating with very small players and
an invisible market share, over time
Fairtrade has grown to the point where
it was inevitable that the corporate
giants would get involved, frequently in
response to lobbying by activists or as a
bid to boost their ethical image. However,
behind the big announcements, a closer
look shows that food multinationals
generally purchase only a small
percentage, usually under 10 per cent,
of a key commodity as Fairtrade.
Cadbury switched to Fairtrade cocoa
for its Dairy Milk product a few years
ago and is now owned by Mondelez
International, the world’s second-largest
chocolate giant. Mondelez is in the
process of exiting Fairtrade certification
and switching over to its own private
scheme called Cocoa Life, with label
designs set to change around the end of
2017. While it has promised that the new
scheme will be overseen by Fairtrade
certifiers and the Cocoa Life logo will
appear next to the Fairtrade mark, this
move risks further fragmenting the
Fairtrade sector.
The Fairtrade movement faces a
dilemma between staying small and
true to its original ideal or opening up
to a potentially much larger market
with weaker standards, some of
which violate the core principles. The
exception, where a trade-off can be
avoided, is cocoa, where about 90 per
cent of global production comes from
family farms of a few hectares, enabling
Fairtrade to be scaled up without the
standards being diluted.
wellbeing.com.au | 113
 planet
FAIRTRADE
From the retail price of a chocolate bar, cacao producers in
West Africa receive about 6 per cent (down from about 16 per cent
in the late 1980s), while chocolate giants receive about 70 per cent.
Consumer options
People who buy Fairtrade tend to be
younger and better educated and hold
more progressive views. Females
outnumber males and purchasers are
also likely to have strong ethical, social
justice and environmental values. Most
fundamental is the need for shoppers to
recognise the certification logo. A 2011
survey found that 57 per cent of people
surveyed globally were familiar with it,
which is an encouraging figure.
When looking for fair trade items,
the Fair Trade Association of Australia
and New Zealand has on its website a
shopping guide. Options in Australia
include Oxfam (online and at 13 locations
in metropolitan centres), Etiko (an
eco fashion and footwear specialist
online and in Melbourne) and the New
Internationalist. In New Zealand, choices
include Trade Aid and the Loyal Fair Trade
Store, both of which are online.
In Australia, the decision about
whether to buy fair trade is complicated
by the fact that a few of the commodities
are grown here. Sugar, cotton and
bananas are big industries and there’s
a small domestic coffee sector. Buying
Australian-grown supports the national
economy, reduces food miles and avoids
the risk of fumigation by the Department
of Agriculture and Water Resources,
using ozone-depleting methyl bromide.
Divine chocolate
Kuapa Kokoo is a Ghanian co-operative
of cocoa producers that was established
in 1993, when legislative changes in
Ghana made it possible to set up a
cocoa-buying company. One area of
focus is the empowerment of women,
who are encouraged to be involved in its
organisation. Today its facilities include
a credit union for members.
In 1997 Kuapa Kokoo took the
ambitious step of partnering with
Fairtrade players Twin Trading and
SNV to set up a chocolate company
that uses their cocoa. This brand later
became known as Divine Chocolate and
is available in the UK and America. The
Ghanian co-operative owns 44 per cent
of Divine Chocolate, a first in the fair
trade world, and is represented on the
board of directors.
114 | wellbeing.com.au
Criticisms of Fairtrade
Unsurprisingly, Fairtrade has come
in for its share of criticism from
mainstream economists due to the way
in which it distorts the free market.
Other points include:
The idea that Fairtrade is too weak and
does not go far enough. Critic Dr Tim
Scrase from the Australian Catholic
University sees it as tinkering around the
edges of an unfair trade system.
Purported incidents where there have
been failures to enforce standards.
Because the price is fixed, growers
lack an economic incentive to put in
extra effort to produce a high-quality
product through extra spending on
labour and inputs, and consequently
quality may be patchy. This is most
noticeable with coffee.
A global rather than country-specific
minimum price means producer benefits
vary greatly from country to country.
The view that Fairtrade certification is
excessively expensive for producer co-
ops and could be regarded as another
type of north-south power imbalance.
Although the Fairtrade market is
experiencing healthy growth, its limited
size means that, on average, roughly one-
third of a Fairtrade producer’s production
is sold as Fairtrade while the rest goes
into the mainstream marketplace.
While Fairtrade is worth supporting,
it’s more complex than it appears on
the surface. Benefits to producers are
difficult to quantify and may at times
even be absent. Yet, despite all the
criticisms, there is a broad consensus
that farmers are helped by Fairtrade, to
a greater or lesser degree.
Direct trade:
advantages and risks
Possibly a better solution may be to
partner directly with overseas growers,
in some cases in addition to being
certified. This has the advantage of
cutting out middlemen and is most
common in the coffee industry, where a
uniquely flavoured high-quality bean is
the holy grail.
With less of a singular focus on ethics,
direct trade is often more about coffee
elitists searching for the perfect roast.
However, with exceptional quality tied
to a high price, producers can receive
a generous and growing remuneration
by following a program of continuous
improvement. This is typically carried out
in liaison with representatives from the
coffee company, who are likely to visit
a few times a year but who can be a bit
control-freakish about how the producer
runs their operation.
Direct trade has its downsides. When
pursued in place of Fairtrade, a lack of
third-party accreditation saves the grower
from the expense of certification costs,
but for the consumer some research is
needed to determine whether Fairtrade
principles are being followed.
Examples of this type of arrangement
are multiplying and include Stumptown
Coffee Roasters, Intelligentsia and
Counter Culture Coffee in the US, and
Union Hand-Roasted Coffee in the UK.
In Australia, the Coffee Snobs “Fair
Crack” program involves a 50-cent levy
from each kilo of coffee being directed
to beneficial projects in poor countries,
typically involving useful infrastructure
or coffee equipment. Australian
companies pursuing direct trade
include Di Bella Coffee, Campos Coffee
and Coffee Brothers, while in New
Zealand a couple are Coffee General
and Classic Coffee.
Another form of direct trade is a
strategic solidarity-oriented fair trade
with producers, including foods from
Palestine sold by Palestine Fair Trade
Australia. Another similar product
is Zapatista coffee from the Chiapas
autonomous zone in Mexico.
At its best, direct trade enables
the formation of a relationship with
producers and also offers some creative
opportunities to steer fair trade in a
positive direction.
Resources
Fairtrade International fairtrade.net
Fair Trade Association of Australia
and New Zealand fta.org.au
Fair Trade Towns International
fairtradetowns.org
Palestine Fair Trade Australia
palestinefairtradeaustralia.org.au
Alaffia alaffia.com
Divine Chocolate divinechocolate.com
Martin Oliver is a writer and researcher
based in Lismore.
Fresh is best
ORGANIC IS BETTER

WE’LL HOME DELIVER IT FOR YOU!

www.lettucedeliver.com.au
We are about a food production system that prides itself on Integrity and Traceability
and has at its heart a commitment to human Health, animal Welfare and the Environment.
 The island advantage
Fresh food, farmed sustainably and garnished with foraged edibles, is on the rise
around Hobart, meeting demand for “Tassievore” spreads on local tables.
E
arth tumbles from the small,
slim carrot that chef and farmer
Rodney Dunn has just pulled
from the ground. He rinses it
and hands it over. It’s sweet and crisp;
the best carrot I’ve had.
“Why did it taste so good?” I ask. “It’s
eating it straight after it was picked,”
Dunn says. “When carrots get stored,
the green tops utilise the sugar in the
root trying to stay alive. Day by day they
deteriorate in flavour because the tops
are on.”
We’re wandering The Agrarian
Kitchen farm, half an hour from Hobart.
In Sydney, Dunn was apprentice to
116 | wellbeing.com.au
Words KATE HENNESSY
famous chef Tetsuya Wakuda; later he
became food editor of Australian Gourmet
Traveller magazine. The family left the
mainland for rural Tasmania a decade
ago to recreate the system of farming
used before the Industrial Revolution.
Guests spend a third of the day gathering
in the garden, one-third cooking and
one-third eating.
It is beautiful here — enough so that
any one of these pastimes would be a
joy. But letting people walk their own
paddock-to-plate path is The Agrarian
Kitchen’s vision.
“I wanted to create a food heaven and
to grow as much food as possible without
chemicals,” says Dunn, “to harvest and
cook food just out of the ground and teach
people to cook fresh ingredients properly
and see them blown away by the flavour.”
Tasmanians often frown at the broad
beans on the menu, though. The beans
grow heartily on the island and many
grew up eating them. “Their mums boiled
them until they were grey,” Dunn says.
“I like to show how good they can be.”
Seed saving is one key to the farm’s
success. “Plants regenerate via seeds
so by taking seeds you’re retaking the
power. It’s best to save your own seed
because plants are incredibly smart and
they evolve to your garden.” Dunn grows

heirloom varieties only, as well as old
plants such as Alpine strawberries (they
taste like bubble gum and candy).
In the hills close by is an “old guy”
who breeds potatoes with pink and
purple flesh. By the time this is revealed,
Dunn has explained a lot to me: predator
plants, soil health and the difference
between a porker and a prosciutto pig.
So when I ask why The Agrarian Kitchen
grows coloured potatoes I don’t expect
him to say, “Because they’re cool.”
Photography The Agrarian Kitchen_Tourism Tasmania
But I’m glad he does. It expresses
the enthusiasm and lack of pretension
that typifies all of my interactions with
Tasmanian growers.
Growth of the small producer
According to not-for profit organisation
Sprout Tasmania, the number of small-
scale producers in this southernmost
state is growing.
“People are making farm changes
rather than sea changes,” says the
group’s co-founder Alice Percy.
“Consumers want to know where
their food comes from and meet the
producers. And we have an island
advantage of being able to buy super-
fresh produce, picked that morning.”
Hobart’s Hill Street Grocer, for
example, is a gourmet supermarket chain
that stocks “locavore” boxes with 80 per
cent of its produce sourced in Tasmania.
Percy tells me she’s just back from
a ride in the Meehan Ranges on the
river shore. Doorstop nature is the
upside of winters that are long and
cold. It’s a city of ominous clouds one
moment and iridescent rainbows the
next, yet every Hobart hill has a view of
either Mt Wellington above or the River
Derwent below.
While proximity to wilderness has
traditionally been Hobart’s drawcard,
since the Museum of Old and New Art
(MONA) opened in 2011, cultural tourism
has spiked. Locals are treated to two
international arts festivals each year:
Mona Foma in summer and Dark Mofo in
winter. The latter offers an extravaganza
of food and drink called The Winter
Feast, a firelit bacchanalian sight to
behold — and taste.
travel
TASMANIA
Clockwise from far left:
Picking produce out the front
of chef and farmer Rodney
Dunn’s food heaven, The
Agrarian Kitchen; Dunn on the
farm with some edible goodies;
a rooster goes freeranging;
it’s tucker time for these
chooks; in the kitchen, where
guests of The Agrarian Kitchen
spend a third of their day.
Below: Geese taking a gander
around The Agrarian Kitchen.
“Dark Mofo is the busiest fortnight of
the year,” says farmer Richard Weston.
Weston Farms specialises in olive oil
and peonies, though Richard and his
wife Belinda describe their kitchen as a
“laboratory” based on one premise: don’t
waste food.
A year ago they experimented with
the side buds of their peonies. “We
fermented and pickled them, making a
beautiful caper,” says Richard. “The taste
is like a fresh green pea.”
Happily, visitors to Hobart can
sample the Westons’ epicurean
experiments at The Pigeon Hole cafe
in West Hobart, an outlet for the farm’s
produce. When I go for lunch, my
order has run out but the waitress is
unfazed. She speaks over her shoulder
to the chef and, together, they breezily
customise a replacement. Clearly,
everyone here is hands-on with food.
The cafe’s chefs visit his farm
regularly, Weston says. “It gives them
a true understanding of seasonality.
Things don’t stay stagnant and they see
that. The other benefit is they look at
wellbeing.com.au | 117
 travel
TASMANIA
something growing and realise how they
want to serve it.”
The Westons’ commitment to reusing
organic waste has sparked some terrific
ideas. When $500 worth of coffee slipped
out of date, they made a meat rub with
smoked paprika, salt, brown sugar, garlic
and cumin. It was a hit. “Butchers come
in for it all the time.”
Their reputation for ingenious food
salvaging precedes them, too. When we
talk, Weston is just back from a meeting
with a local winemaker. “She had a Pinot
that oxidised, so we’re going to turn it
into red-wine vinegar. It’s better than
throwing 400 litres of wine away.”
A most important job
Up the hill in New Town is a half-
acre plot that, until 2015, was unused
grassland. Volunteers have since
transformed it into an abundant urban
farm. “In a time when farmers are
literally walking off their land ... we’re
walking back onto vacant land and
re-embracing one of the world’s most
important jobs,” says the Hobart City
Farm website.
Volunteer Bridget Stewart shows me
around. She worked at an organic farm
run by the Hobart store Goulds Natural
Medicine and grew more inspired by the
118 | wellbeing.com.au
Hobart City Farm
“People think you need tractors and fuel-powered machines
but you can grow a lot of food in a small space with a good
system, planning and well-designed hand tools.”
day. “I learnt how to use a big scythe to
cut peppermint,” she says. “It sounds
old-fashioned but it was so efficient.
“The common understanding is that
small-scale and hand-powered is slow
and low output. People think you need
tractors and fuel-powered machines
but you can grow a lot of food in a small
space with a good system, planning
and well-designed hand tools.” As an
example she shows me a tilther, a drill-
powered machine that tills the soil.
We snack on red and yellow cherry
tomatoes, warm from the vine. The farm
is bursting with beetroot, beans, snow
peas and rhubarb. Where possible, seeds
are sourced nearby because local breeds
suit local conditions. And Tasmania’s
conditions are certainly unique. The
strong sun prickles your skin. It’s
summer as I write this but a cold wind
whips our words away, so we retreat to
the farm’s HQ.
I pick my way there between pots,
gardening tools and bags of seaweed
pellets. It’s a hive of happy activity now
but this part of Hobart has a sad history.
Clockwise from left: It’s time to pick garlic
at Hobart City Farm; celebrating a bumper
cucumber crop at Hobart City Farm; out
harvesting saffron milk cap mushies with Wild
Artisan’s Tristan Stephens; (good) booze with
a view at McHenry Distillery; foraging for two
Tassie treats: grey salt bush and samphire.
Wild Artisan
Known as St John’s Park Precinct, in the
1800s it was dominated by institutions
for “Tasmanians in need” including two
convict-built schools for orphans.
The stolen generation began early
in Tasmania with several Aboriginal
children taken from their Flinders Island
families and brought to the orphanage
— among them William Lanne, or King
Billy, known as the last full-blooded
Aboriginal Tasmanian man. Later, war
veterans and people with mental illness
and dementia were sent here, too.
Hobart City Farm hosts community
events and training for aspiring yet
unemployed farmers. Located on land
with such a painful past, the farm’s
focus beyond food and towards social
inclusion is a good way to begin to heal
old wounds.
Foraging up a feast
However, not all of Hobart’s fresh food
comes from farms. Some grows wild,
weedy and free.
Imagine entering a pine forest at
dawn. You’re there early to beat other
Hobart City Farm
Wild Artisan
Alice Hansen
foragers but mainly to find your haul of
pine mushrooms before the sun does.
It’s cold and still. You wonder, “Did I get
out of my warm bed for no reason?”
A few hours later, you’re returning to
Hobart with eight kilos of saffron milk
caps and slippery jacks in the backseat.
“The elation is amazing,” says cook
and forager Mic Giuliani. He’s been
foraging since his granddad — from
Italy — taught him as a kid. Giuliani owns
Sirocco South, a business that uses
Tasmanian ingredients to make Italian
slow food. The mushrooms he gathers
in the radiata pine forests are vitamin
D bombs, an excellent supplement for
locals who grow deficient during winter.
Tristan Stephens of Wild Artisan
is another foraging chef. Foraging,
he says, can be harvesting wild or
introduced plants, weeds or natives.
“Essentially, it’s going into a plant’s
environment and harvesting there.” Half
the joy is roaming the places where
edibles grow: river edges, pine forests,
fields, beaches and estuaries.
Foraged food is hardy, needs no
fertiliser and lives in poor soil. “It’s
foodstuff for hard times,” says Stephens.
The plants he gathers have wonderful
names: wild salsify, brassica, bittercress,
grey saltbush, sassafras, yarrow,
5 of Hobart’s best
Where to stay
Mona Pavilions
These eight pavilions at MONA are
defined by contemporary design and
avant-garde art. A heated pool, sauna,
winery and a museum tour should
cap things off nicely. mona.net.au/
stay/mona-pavilions
MACq 01
This premium hotel on Hobart’s
waterfront is dedicated to
storytelling. The characters and tales
that shaped Van Diemen’s Land are
shared in a setting of informal luxury.
macq01.com.au
Satellite Island
Satellite Island is your own private
island of untamed wilderness in the
D’Entrecasteaux Channel. Fish from
the jetty or shuck oysters off a rock
shelf. satelliteisland.com.au
Stone Flower Barn
This mid-1800s barn is now a
luxurious, light-filled accommodation.
Fully equipped, self-contained and
minutes from downtown Hobart.
stayz.com.au/accommodation/tas/
southern-tasmania/hobart/168893
Woodbridge Hill Hideaway
Made from salvaged Tasmanian
timber, these hidden cabins have
great views. Heated bathroom
floors, a spa and a wood fire
make for a cosy winter retreat.
woodbridgehillhideaway.com.au
Where to eat
Quartermaster’s Arms
In fashionable North Hobart is this
casual bar and “Tassievore” eatery.
Its ethical approach to an almost
exclusively Tasmanian menu can be
washed down by a local craft beer.
tasmanquartermasters.com.au
Mures
This seafood institution on the
Hobart waterfront has a stunning
view from its à la carte Upper Deck
restaurant. Mures is a family-owned
business that uses sustainable fishing
techniques and its own boat. The
wine list is exclusively Tasmanian
samphire. But don’t pick the wrong plant.
Foxglove will slow your heart down,
hemlock will give you paralysis and the
death cap mushroom can be fatal.
Stephens says foraging opens people
up. “We disassociate edibility with wild
plants. Foraging makes people more
observant of what’s around them.”
and the oysters are the best you’ll get.
mures.com.au/upper-deck
Etties
A European-inspired wine bar and
one of Hobart’s oldest digs, Etties
pairs simple dishes with old- and
new-world wines and prides itself on
premium ingredients and knowing its
growers. etties.com.au
Dier Makr
This intimate CBD bistro and wine
bar does everything from creative
cocktails to bar snacks and tasting
menu. Local, seasonal ingredients are
a focus as are wines made with no
synthetic chemicals from organic or
biodynamic vineyards. diermakr.com
Templo
The tiny, tucked-away restaurant
specialises in shared plates and unique
wines. Italian flavours are served up
from an all-day menu so, if you can’t
do dinner, try lunch. templo.com.au
Where to indulge
Savoy Day Spa
This traditional spa in the CBD uses
Aveda products and is a go-to for
locals. savoydayspa.com.au
Hidden Cove
Find personalised treatment at this
South Hobart spa on an acreage
overlooking the River Derwent.
hiddencovedayspa.com.au
Bruny Island day trip
Cruise by towering sea cliffs,
walk out to mystical rock arches
and picnic on local cheese and
oysters by Cape Bruny Lighthouse.
brunyislandtraveller.com.au
DIY gin
At Bill McHenry’s Distillery, you use
water from an onsite spring blended
with Tasmanian botanicals to make
your ideal gin. An outdoor lunch in
the hills completes this big day out.
bespoketasmania.com/gin-workshops-1
Do a whisky tour
If you think winter and whisky go
hand in hand, this cosy tour is for
you — especially when you sip by
an open fire. drinktasmania.com.au/
project/whisky-tours
Kate Hennessy’s arts and travel writing has
taken her to Africa, Papua New Guinea,
Taiwan, Turkey, the Solomon Islands, Peru
and top-end Aboriginal communities. She
is published in The Guardian, The Sydney
Morning Herald and many more and guests
on ABC TV as well as at writers’ festivals and
panels. W: thesmallestroom.com.au
wellbeing.com.au | 119
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 travel
NEPAL
Kathmandu's great escape
Two years on from an earthquake that left the country shattered, Nepal’s lofty mountains,
rich history, colourful locals and spiritual heartbeat continue to lure
adventurous travellers with their beauty and wonder.
Words CATHERINE LAWSON Photography DAVID BRISTOW
O
n the outskirts of Kathmandu,
forested ridges rise in sweeping
arcs, wrapping protective
arms around Nepal’s enduring
historical centre. Carved with verdant
rice terraces and studded with ancient
gilded stupas and thriving monasteries,
they elevate mountain dreamers to grand
Himalayan viewpoints and promise respite
far from the riot and chaos of the city.
After too long submerged in
Kathmandu’s intoxicating mayhem, I head
for the hills, escaping for a weekend of
bliss at Shivapuri Heights Cottage just
12km out of the city. Soothed by home-
cooked food and rejuvenated by good
conversation and long walks, I teeter at
dusk on the valley’s rim, shadowed by
monsoon clouds that cling to the peaks
of Shivapuri National Park at my back,
gazing spellbound at the city’s luminous
nightscape where street and starlight
fuse in one dazzling, shimmering vista.
Transfixed, I make a plan. It’s a
pilgrimage of sorts, kindled by an
oversized glass of Indian Chenin Blanc
and the heady scent of Ayurvedic
massage oil that lingers on my skin.
Sticking to foot trails and forested
tracks as much as I can, I join the dots,
linking the Kathmandu Valley’s most
beguiling sacred sites and old walled
cities, its high-altitude villages and
little-visited temples.
While the city sleeps, I dream, and
at first light the adventure begins. It’s a
122 | wellbeing.com.au
family affair when we set out early for
Swayambhunath Stupa, our little trio
plus my sister, strolling hand-in-hand,
immersed in Kathmandu’s waking
rituals. Ahead of us, fluttering on a
distant hilltop, prayer flags stream from
a golden spire and Buddha’s all-seeing
eyes beckon us onwards up tremendous
staircases to the top of the city’s
favourite temple.
We are sweating and panting in the
stifling monsoonal heat by the time
we join the daily procession of locals
completing their koras, spinning prayer
wheels and circling the stupa in slow
anticlockwise loops. A thief has already
tried to pickpocket our mobile phone
(and failed) and now, standing by a
shop offering bottles of chilled drinking
water, a monkey drops onto my head,
creating panic (I didn’t fork out for
rabies shots) and hilarity (my sister has
fallen off her chair with laughter) in
equal measure.
I should have anticipated this
moment: it’s not nicknamed the Monkey
Temple for nothing! Eventually we leave
the rhesus macaques to terrorise some
other tourists and plunge back into a
sea of hawkers, our eyes set on another,
more remote adventure. Shouldering our
backpacks, we negotiate a ride to the
very outskirts of Kathmandu, bouncing
and bumping along dusty, potholed
tracks until we reach Sankhu where we
continue on foot.
Himalayan highs
Swinging our five-year-old between us
over wet-season puddles, we chat and
sing our way uphill towards Nagarkot, a
lofty hill station with a reputation for the
best Himalayan views in the Kathmandu
Valley. The mountains are said to be so
close you can see them from your bed
— and that’s all the motivation we need.
Four hours and four packets of sugary
Nepali biscuits later, we reach Nagarkot
and set out in search of a room big
enough (and clean enough) to house three
adults and a now far less bouncy child.
But our timing is out: in the midst of
the monsoon season when just about
every hotel closes its doors through
lack of interest, the available rooms are
musty and uncared for and we wander
from door to door in search of hot water
and a cook with enough food on hand to
sate our vegetarian tastebuds.
When we finally get lucky, we downsize
our expectations and do our best to
overlook the dubious smell wafting from
our saggy beds and that we have to
shower by candlelight (in the room next
door), but mostly that the hotel boy keeps
sniggering at my sister and me because,
in Nepali culture, we are the two white
“wives”. We take our woes to the terrace
to find that our uncrushable photographer
Dave has tracked down some chilly
Gorkha beers and turn our faces towards
the sun to watch it slip slowly through the
clouds at our feet.
 travel
NEPAL

Clockwise from top: The ancient kingdom of Bhaktapur’s Himalayan vista;

mountains, mountains and more mountains at Nagarkot — a viewpoint
worth hiking to; one of the many faces of temple time; in earthquake-
shaken Bhaktapur, life goes on; ritual and prayer take centre place.

wellbeing.com.au | 123
 travel
NEPAL

We take in Bhaktapur with eyes wide open

and, though there is much that we miss, our
guidebook-free discoveries are our own.
Our gruelling, mould-scented night
ends in spectacular style at dawn when
we climb to Mahakali Temple to watch
the clouds lift on a snowy Himalayan
vista stretching from the Annapurnas
to Everest: past Machapuchare and
Manaslu (8156m), revealing oh-so-close
Ganesh Himal (7406m) and Langtang
Lirung (7246m) and, turning our
heads east, the tip of Mount Everest’s
8848-metre-high, snow-capped summit.
With some local help, we name every
peak in what is quite simply the most
exquisite mountain panorama I’ve ever
laid eyes upon. By the time our rumbling
tummies send us rambling back down
the hill for breakfast, we are positively
beaming and our embarrassingly huge
spread of pancakes and chapattis and
just-brewed coffee kickstarts one of our
best days in Nepal.

Trails & trials
The mountain high endures as we
bound downhill through Nagarkot’s
skinny, ridgetop settlement and its
melange of rise-and-shine rituals. To
get a head start on the day, we jump
aboard a surprisingly empty bus to
nearby Telkot but, by the time the horn
blows, bodies and luggage are piled
together in a difficult-to-bear, sweaty
crush. Halfway down the mountain
we escape, pushing against a surge
of bodies intent on claiming our now
vacant seats.
My too-polite sister simply can’t
make any headway so we grab her
backpack and, as the bus threatens to
pull away, yank her out the door. Not
for the first time on this trip, she is
laughing hysterically. Above this tiny
five-shop settlement, we climb the foot
trail through Telkot Forest and traverse
a skinny ridge all the way to Changu
Narayan. The views through the pine
forest are breathtaking and this quiet,
sunny walk is effortless.
Only Changu Narayan impresses us
more: the oldest living Hindu temple
Clockwise from top: On-the-go street snacks in Kathmandu; strolling the backstreet markets
around Asan Temple; time for a stupa selfie at Bodhnath, one of the most welcoming, culturally
accessible sites in all of Nepal; more vivid scenes of daily life await beyond the “must-see” sites
of the ancient kindom Bhaktapur.
in the Kathmandu Valley and surely recovery efforts and terrorised survivors
its most picturesque UNESCO site. for weeks.
Climbing long stone staircases through The town of Gorkha, to Kathmandu’s
the town, we are thrilled to discover northwest, bore the brunt of the shocks
that monuments toppled by 2015’s that rippled across the valley, toppling
catastrophic earthquake have been a random collection of sites while
painstakingly restored and artefacts leaving others miraculously unharmed.
rescued; a band of thankful tourists has In Bhaktapur, a revered UNESCO
returned. A local noodle shop owner site and the most atmospheric of the
conjures up big bowls of vegetable Kathmandu Valley’s three ancient
noodle soup to order and, restored, we kingdoms, the earthquake killed
jump on a bus to Bhaktapur to end the hundreds, brought entire streets of
day in more medieval surrounds. irreplaceable traditional homes to the
ground and shook some of the city’s
One night in Bhaktapur ancient temples to breaking point.
In Kathmandu on the morning of April The earthquake grounded Nepal’s
25, 2015, a violent earthquake shattered tourism sector, too, and incomes and
the city. It killed more than 8500 people jobs evaporated overnight. By the time
and levelled homes and historic sites, we visit Nepal 16 months on, an influx
triggering landslides and avalanches of aid dollars has fast-tracked repairs
as far away as Everest Base Camp and and Bhaktapur is bustling once again,
rendering thousands upon thousands of packed with tour groups and travellers
Nepali people homeless. The aftermath and freelance guides intent on leading
was dire as the aftershocks hindered us through Bhaktapur’s baffling maze

124 | wellbeing.com.au
 travel
NEPAL
Climbing long stone staircases through the town, we are thrilled
to discover that monuments toppled by 2015’s catastrophic
earthquake have been painstakingly restored and artefacts
rescued; a band of thankful tourists has returned.
of 15th-century temples, stupas and
palaces. We consult our guidebooks
and phone apps instead, sipping mugs
of Himalayan-grown coffee as we
search for the best route around the
city. Orienting ourselves proves more
difficult than we thought, so we ditch
the maps and wing it.
It turns out to be the best decision of
the day. We let our eyes guide us instead,
peering into tiny, hidden courtyards where
women fill big clay jugs from a communal
well and following locals up Nepal’s
tallest temple for a grand viewpoint of
the city’s sunniest square. Cooling our
tastebuds on frozen sticks of delicious,
creamy curd and crispy donuts, we
wander past handcrafted clay pots drying
en masse in the sun and feed hungry carp
in a 17th-century water pond.
Much to our surprise, we find
our way to the famous 600-year-old
Peacock Window that adorns an old
Hindu priest house and rates as the
Kathmandu Valley’s finest. We take in
Bhaktapur with eyes wide open and,
though there is much that we miss, our
guidebook-free discoveries are our own
and by day’s end we are finally ready to
return to Kathmandu.
Cultural immersion
With one day to spare before our paths
diverge, we hit the markets around
Kathmandu’s Asan Temple, where just
about everything from fresh spices and
saris to jewellery and knock-off designer
jeans are sold at bargained-down prices.
We snap up backpacks and trekking
gear, Tibetan prayer flags and incense,
and join the locals standing shoulder to
shoulder with cups of drinking yoghurt
and spicy masala tea.
Bodhnath — Asia’s largest stupa and
one of the most welcoming, culturally
accessible sites in all of Nepal — awaits
as the day winds down. The heart and
soul of Nepal’s Tibetan community and
the place where so many pilgrimages
end, this is hands down my favourite
place in Kathmandu, a place not to
observe life but to join in, completing
koras and spinning prayer wheels and
lighting butter lamps and incense for
safe travels and sheer thanks.
126 | wellbeing.com.au
Escape routes
Getting there
Air Asia flies from Melbourne,
Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast
to Kathmandu (via Kuala Lumpur).
airasia.com
When to go
The mild, dry months from
February to May and September
to November are the best times to
visit and trek in Nepal.
Where to stay
A perfect fusion of luxury hotel
and authentic homestay,
Shivapuri Heights Cottage
provides fully inclusive stays in
decadent suites and private cottages
from AU$150–450 per night with
Ayurvedic spa treatments, yoga,
cooking classes and guided walks on
offer as well. shivapuricottage.com
Don’t miss
Deepawali, the Festival of Lights in
October, when the goddess of wealth
visits Nepal.
Get set to get wet and colourful
during Holi, the Festival of Colours,
in March.
More information From top: Lamps ablaze at Bodhnath, Asia’s
welcomenepal.com largest stupa; colour awaits on this pilgrimage
of sacred sites and little-visited temples.
On our visit, post-earthquake work, carving butter candles that will be
scaffolding shrouds the upper reaches ceremoniously lit and left to melt. The
of Bodhnath’s immense white-washed message is that nothing lasts, but this
dome, but its construction guise fails memory lingers with me still.
to hamper the site’s powerful spiritual Within months of our visit, when
force. As my young daughter and I sit in its recovery is completed, a fresh set
quiet prayer in Guru Lhakhang Gompa, of Buddha eyes stares out over the
a group of beaming monks beckons us Kathmandu Valley, watching and waiting
to join in their sideline fun. Amid much for its pilgrims to return. Like so many
laughter, one monk is road-testing the who end their journeys here, we linger,
monastery’s collection of hundred- too, soothed by a collective energy
year-old Tibetan horns for an upcoming that feels good at every level, and
festival. The awkward, windy belching captivated by the sense of calm that
has everyone in stitches and there is exists in this bustling, chaotic and
plenty of teasing as a succession of welcoming place.
monks try their luck.
Eventually one conjures a smooth, Catherine Lawson and David Bristow run
booming sound that mesmerises us wildtravelstory.com, a website devoted to inspir-
and sends the monks into rapturous ing adventurous families to tackle trips they never
cheers. They tell us about the festival thought possible. Road-testing every adventure
and ask my daughter about her is the couple’s 6-year-old daughter Maya, who is
adventures before returning to their world-schooled along the way.
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Photography Getty Images
 Community
n 1 the people living in one particular area or people who are considered as
a unit because of their common interests, social group or nationality
From the Latin communitas, derived from communis: common

Who do you consider your community and what is it that you have in
common with them? Is it those who share your postcode or those who share
your passion? Do you find your place among people who share your religion
or ethnicity or those who share your outlook on health? Perhaps your
conception of community is much broader, encompassing all of humanity
— those who share the air you breathe, the water you drink, the Earth you
stand on. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The golden way is to be friends
with the world and to regard the whole human family as one.”
 spirit
BOOKS, MUSIC & DVDS THAT WILL ENRICH YOUR LIFE
Counter culture
Reviews by Kate Duncan, Holly Foley, Danielle Kirk & Chris Stafford
dvds
MY COUSIN RACHEL
Directed by ROGER MICHELL
Starring RACHEL WEISZ, SAM CLAFLIN
CHURCHILL
Directed by JONATHON TEPLITZKY
Starring BRIAN COX,
MIRANDA RICHARDSON
THE PROMISE
Directed by TERRY GEORGE
Starring OSCAR ISAAC,
CHARLOTTE LE BON, CHRISTIAN BALE
F
irst published in 1951 and set
a century earlier, Daphne du
Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel is
more than just a slow-burning gothic
romance. It’s about the gap between
perception and reality; the human
tendency to build towers of suspicion
on shifting sands of speculation.
In the first major screen version
in 65 years, Sam Claflin is Philip, an
orphan raised by his cousin Ambrose.
When he learns his guardian has
married their mutual cousin in
Italy and promptly expired, Philip is
convinced Ambrose was poisoned —
yet when the beautiful Rachel turns
up in England he’s disarmed and soon
besotted. But is his cousin a grieving
widow or a scheming adventuress?
Rachel Weisz makes this enigmatic
role her own while Claflin swings
between boyishness and randy
entitlement, an innocent clueless
about women. Roger Michell adds a
twist or two to du Maurier’s cunning
plot and the cinematography is
sumptuous and atmospheric.
Churchill is built around Brian Cox’s
passing likeness to the great man.
In the countdown to D-Day, the 1944
invasion of Nazi-occupied France,
the old warrior, now pushing 70,
locks horns with the generals, led by
Eisenhower (Mad Men’s John Slattery),
his often exasperated wife Clemmie
(Miranda Richardson) and his lifelong
adversary, depression. Oh, and Hitler.
It’s almost a shock to learn that the
wartime PM who got the Brits through
The Blitz is out of step with modern
military thinking. Tormented by guilt
over Gallipoli 30 years later, he fears
130 | wellbeing.com.au
From top: Central scenes from the
big screen in My Cousin Rachel,
Churchill and The Promise.
Operation Overlord will be a similar
catastrophe. We now know D-Day was
a turning point in the war and Churchill
rallied to lead his party for another
decade but for a while there — for
Churchill and the world at large — it
was touch and go.
The horrors of war are largely off
screen in Churchill but there are some
distressing scenes in The Promise,
a gripping melodrama about the
Armenian genocide in the last days of
the Ottoman Empire. In 1915, Turkey
began a systematic ethnic cleansing
of its Armenian Christian population
that led to more than a million deaths.
In the style of other historical epics,
the film centres on a powerfully acted
romantic triangle to add a note of hope
and resilience to a real-life drama of
incomprehensible magnitude. This is
a story seldom told — and one that
Turkey still refuses to acknowledge. CS
Make Your Mark
MARGIE WARRELL, WILEY
Can it be as simple to make your mark
on this world as following just seven
steps? If author, speaker and business
coach Margie Warrell’s guided workbook
is anything to go by, filled as it is with
wisdom, empowering language and
thought-provoking ideas, I say yes.
Make Your Mark is a practical, goal-
orientated tool that offers a tangible,
structured and fearless framework
to guide and inspire a broader way of
thinking about your future. Give yourself
permission to take the time to work
through Warrell’s seven steps, as this
big-thinking book has the capacity to
push you out of your comfort zone and
change your thinking — and in turn your
actions — for the future. HF
A Slow Childhood: Notes on
Thoughtful Parenting
HELEN HAYWARD, EDITIA
Walk into a bookshop and you’ll find
the parenting section overloaded with
how-to guides for young mums. Google
is no help either; a simple search for
“parenting tips” is just as overwhelming.
These days, it’s hard to find a true
account of what it’s actually like to be
a parent. In A Slow Childhood, author
Helen Hayward reveals the messy and
tricky truths of parenting, eloquently
highlighting the subtle yet essential
distinction between surrendering to
family life and sacrificing yourself to it.
Earnestly but with humour, Hayward
shares the joys of parenting as well
as the challenges that maternal
devotion demands. KD

The Anxiety Journal
CORINNE SWEET, PAN MACMILLIAN
AUSTRALIA
Humans can take only so much stress
before it boils over into anxiety or
depression — and The Anxiety Journal
is here to help. It’s filled with practical
tips, support and exercises proven to
ease your anxiety and restore peace
and calm. Author Corinne Sweet, a
psychologist and psychotherapist, is a
well-respected figure in self-help and
it’s her experience, along with beautiful
illustrations, that allows healing to
flows from this journal’s pages. Sweet
explains what anxiety is and how it can
be disguised in many forms. She then
shares tools and techniques to cope
with anxiety and offers a space for you to
reflect on your own experiences. KD
How Emotions Are Made
LISA FELDMAN BARRETT,
PAN MACMILLIAN AUSTRALIA
In her new book, How Emotions Are Made,
pioneering psychologist and author Lisa
Feldman Barrett draws on the latest
scientific evidence to disclose that our
ideas about emotions are dramatically
out of date. She explains that emotions
don’t exist objectively, nor are they
preprogrammed in our brains and
bodies; rather, they are psychological
experiences that each of us construct
based on our unique personal history,
physiology and environment. In this
meticulous and well-researched book,
Feldman Barrett offers real-world
examples and new ways to think around
policy making, gender stereotypes and
asserting yourself in the world. KD
BOOKS, MUSIC & DVDS THAT WILL ENRICH YOUR LIFE
Cure
JO MARCHANT, TEXT PUBLISHING
Written by award-winning science journo
Jo Marchant, who (crucially) has a PhD in
genetics and medical microbiology, Cure
helps bridge the divide between scientific
reductionism and mind-body medicine.
She explores how the mind affects the
body and how it can be harnessed for
physical healing. You may not agree with
all Marchant says, yet her approach is
one of hypotheses and investigation — not
dogma. Her hope, she writes, is that Cure
“might help to overcome some of the
prejudice against mind-body approaches,
and to raise awareness that taking
account of the mind in health is ... a more
scientific and evidence-based approach
than relying ever more heavily on physical
interventions and drugs”. Word. DK
The Art of the Natural Home
REBECCA SULLIVAN, KYLE BOOKS
This gorgeous hardcover pairs stunning
imagery with thoughtful ideas and recipes
to help you care for your home — and
yourself — in a sustainable, mindful way.
Alongside her many old-style tips and
tricks for making your household and
beauty routine more natural, Rebecca
Sullivan — Aussie eco-agronomist,
activist, urban farmer, food writer and
home cook — provides little windows
into personal experiences that have
guided her passions. This book’s subtitle
A Room-by-Room Guide seems more a
metaphor for the many spaces in our
lives, internal and external, that we
can consciously improve using natural,
traditional methods for a more purposeful
and sustainable way of being. HF
spirit
The Garden Apothecary
REECE CARTER, HARLEQUIN
When Reece Carter first began tinkering
in the garden and creating his own herbal
remedies, his friends nicknamed him
the “herb nerd”. With one look through
his first book, you can see that he’s been
aptly named: Carter’s passion for healing
with traditional herbal remedies is
unsurpassable. In The Garden Apothecary,
the naturopath demonstrates how to grow
and make your own herbal remedies, plus
how to use them to relieve a wide range
of ailments from headaches and stress to
gut health and skin problems. Sharing the
basic ingredients and techniques needed
for making tinctures, creams, oils,
infusions and teas, The Garden Apothecary
is a wonderful how-to guide to inspire the
budding herbalist within. KD
Selfie
WILL STORR, PICADOR
You’d presume as an editor that I
like social media but I find it a tad
off-putting. Sure, the potential for
enhanced connection is there — but
so are all the selfies! When did we all
get so self-absorbed? Award-winning
journalist and seasoned observer
Will Storr’s aptly titled paperback
examines our obsession with ourselves
and replicating the image Western
society has deemed the “perfect self”:
slim, attractive, successful, happy,
extroverted, popular. He charts the
rise of this ideal, tracing its roots from
ancient Greece through to today’s
über-individualistic neoliberalism and
narcissism, and explores its powerful
— and damaging — effects on us all. DK
wellbeing.com.au | 131
 recipes
THE HEALTHY CONVERT
Edited extract & images from
The Healthy Convert by
Nicole Maree, published by Hardie
Grant Books, RRP AU$24.99.
Peanut Berrybutter Fudge
Makes: 12 slices
Peanut Layer
¼ cup coconut condensed milk
35g coconut sugar
35mL maple syrup
50g peanut butter
55g coconut butter
70g vegan white chocolate,
roughly chopped
Berry Layer
100g fresh raspberries
¼ cup coconut condensed milk
100g coconut butter
120g vegan white chocolate,
roughly chopped
Line the base and sides of a 10.5cm ×
20cm loaf tin with baking paper, ensuring
the paper hangs over the sides of the tin
for easy removal.
For the peanut layer, put the
condensed milk, sugar, maple syrup,
peanut butter and coconut butter in a
saucepan over a medium–low heat. Cook,
stirring, without boiling for 5 mins or until
the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the
heat and add the vegan white chocolate,
mixing well until the chocolate is melted.
Working quickly, spoon the mixture into
the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top.
Put in the freezer for 30 mins.
For the berry layer, purée the
raspberries in a high-speed blender.
Strain the purée through a fine-mesh
sieve, reserving the liquid. Discard (or
save for later and eat) the pulp and put
the liquid, condensed milk and coconut
butter in a saucepan over a medium–
low heat.
132 | wellbeing.com.au
Sweet times
S
weet treats equal good times, right? Gatherings of friends and family always
seem to be accented by sugar: birthdays, weddings, dinner parties — everyone
loves a sweet (except, maybe, your cheese-loving grandad...). Where does that
leave you, then, if you have food intolerances or choose to avoid sugar but
still want to be part of the fun? Right at home in the pages of The Healthy Convert, an
elegant cookbook compiled by home cook and social media wonder, Nicole Maree.
Her capable hands have mixed and kneaded and blended together wholesome treats
that sweet-tooths will swoon for — all without the aid of gluten, dairy, fructose and
eggs. As someone with multiple food sensitivities, Maree creates her recipes from a
place of personal experience and deep empathy. In The Healthy Convert, she guides
you in overhauling your pantry to make it gluten-free and allergy-friendly — and
brings sweetness back to your celebratory plate.
1¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
60g tinned coconut cream
1 tsp vanilla
175g coconut sugar
Sauce
30g coconut oil
120g coconut sugar
260g tinned coconut cream
2 tsp cornflour
½ tsp ground sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
60g dried dates, pitted
& roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan-
forced). Lightly grease two 12-hole donut
Cook, stirring, without boiling until the trays with melted coconut oil. Set aside.
coconut butter has melted. Remove from In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the
the heat and add the white chocolate, chia seeds and 60mL of water. Set aside
mixing well until the chocolate is melted. to become gelatinous.
Working quickly, evenly spoon the Add the dates and bicarbonate of
mixture into the prepared tin and spread soda to a large bowl. Pour over boiling
on top of the peanut layer, smoothing the water and stir well. Set aside for 10 mins
top. Put in the freezer for 2 hours. to soften. Use a fork to mash the dates
Remove from the tin and discard loosely, being sure to leave some chunks
the baking paper. Cut the fudge into 12 of goodness.
slices. Store in an airtight container in
the freezer for up to 1 month.
Sticky Date Donuts
Makes 18 donuts
Donuts
25g chia seeds
180g dried dates, pitted
& roughly chopped
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
300mL boiling water
150g gluten-free plain flour

Sift the flour, baking powder and
cinnamon together. Set aside.
Beat the coconut cream, vanilla and
sugar together with an electric mixer
until creamy. Add the chia mixture and
beat until combined.
Fold in the date mixture with a
spatula. Gently fold in the flour mixture.
Evenly fill 18 donut moulds to two-
thirds full. Bake for 30 mins or until a
skewer inserted into a donut comes
out clean.
To make the sauce, put the coconut oil,
coconut sugar, coconut cream, cornflour
and sea salt in a small saucepan over a
low heat, stirring frequently to dissolve
the sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer
and cook for 5 mins, stirring frequently,
until thickened slightly.
Remove from the heat and add the
vanilla, mixing well.
Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
To serve, remove the donuts from the
trays. Drizzle the sauce over the top and
add a sprinkle of dried dates.
Serve and enjoy.
Orange & Passionfruit
Cheesecake
Serves: 12
Base
200g pepitas
200g sunflower kernels
100g desiccated coconut
150g soft medjool dates, pitted
50g dried apricots, roughly chopped
¼ tsp ground sea salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
30mL freshly squeezed lemon juice
Filling
150g raw cashew nuts
170g passionfruit pulp
1 tbsp orange rind, finely grated
1 tsp orange extract (optional)
25g goji berry powder
100mL freshly squeezed orange juice
130mL tinned coconut cream
50mL rice-malt syrup
80g coconut oil
1 blood orange, thinly sliced, to garnish
1 passionfruit, to garnish
Put the cashew nuts in a large bowl and
cover with boiling water. Soak for at least
Photography Elisa Watson
30 mins.
Line the base and sides of a 20cm ×
20cm × 7cm deep square springform
cake tin with baking paper.
Put all the base ingredients in a
food processor and blend until the
mixture forms a dough and starts to
stick together. Using a wet spoon, press
the base mixture onto the bottom of
the prepared cake tin. Freeze while you
prepare the filling.
Drain and rinse the soaked cashew
nuts very well. Strain the passionfruit
pulp to remove seeds. Blend the rinsed
cashew nuts, passionfruit pulp and
remaining filling ingredients (except the
garnishes) in your food processor or
high-speed blender until very smooth.
Pour the filling over the base, smooth
the top and put in the freezer for 2 hours.
To serve, remove from the freezer
and sit at room temperature for 30
mins. Using a warm, sharp knife, cut the
cheesecake into 12 bars. Garnish with
the orange slices and drizzle with the
passionfruit pulp.
Note: You can store the remaining
cheesecake in an airtight container in
the freezer for up to 1 month.
Double Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes: 12
Cake
2 tsp chia seeds
110g rapadura sugar
135g gluten-free plain flour
45g cacao powder
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp ground sea salt
90mL coconut cream
80g apple sauce
3 tsp vanilla extract
125mL boiling water
Caramel
210g soft medjool dates, pitted
& roughly chopped
¼ tsp ground sea salt
Icing
50g rapadura sugar
210g orange sweet potato
purée (see note)
50g cacao powder
15g arrowroot starch
1 tsp vanilla extract
70g reserved caramel
20g coconut butter, melted
recipes
THE HEALTHY CONVERT
Preheat the oven to 175°C (155°C fan
forced). Line a 12-hole standard muffin
tin with silicone cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the
chia seeds and 30mL water. Set aside to
become gelatinous.
Whisk sugar, flour, cacao powder,
baking powder, bicarbonate of soda
and salt in a large bowl to combine. Mix
coconut cream, apple sauce, vanilla
extract, boiling water and chia mixture in
a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients
to the dry and mix until just combined.
Divide the mixture evenly into the liners
until they are three-quarters full. Bake for
30–40 mins or until a skewer inserted in
the centre of a cupcake comes out with a
few moist crumbs attached.
Stand the cupcakes in the tin for 5
mins before turning them out, top-side
up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cool, cut a deep circle into the top
of each cupcake using the bottom of a
small piping tip.
To make the caramel, blend the dates
and sea salt in a food processor until
small pieces remain. Slowly add 60mL
water until a thick caramel has formed.
Set aside 70g of the caramel for icing.
Use the remaining caramel to fill the
hole in each cupcake.
For the icing, mix all the ingredients in
a high-speed blender or food processor
until smooth and thick. Transfer to a
large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate for 30 mins to set. Prepare a
large piping bag with a closed star tip. Fill
with icing and pipe onto the cupcakes.
Serve and enjoy! The remaining
cupcakes can be stored in an airtight
container in the fridge for 1 week.
Note: For the orange sweet potato purée,
steam or boil peeled orange sweet
potato until tender. Drain and mash until
a thick purée forms.
wellbeing.com.au | 133
 Probiotics For Balance
Bring your body back into balance
A practitioner-prescribed probiotic will
provide clinically effective, researched and
strain-specific probiotics that will help target
your individual health needs. Find a natural
healthcare practitioner online.
W: metagenics.com.au/findapractitioner
Well Washed
Did you know probiotics are just as
important to use on your skin? Well Washed
is taking showering to the next level:
it’s chemical-fragrance free and infused
with mandarin, rose and cedarwood.
It’s time to take your showering up a notch.
W: probioticsolutions.com.au
Nature Care College
Nature Care College is a community of
like-minded individuals drawn together with
the purpose of pursuing their passion. From
workshops to qualifications, it offers a diverse
range of courses in nutrition and food coaching
with on-campus and online study options.
T: +61 2 8423 8333 W: naturecare.com.au
134 | wellbeing.com.au
Nirvana Meditation Stool
The natural simplicity of this meditation
kneeling stool helps invoke feelings of
tranquillity and stillness before meditation
begins. A very comfortable option for those
who have difficulty sitting cross-legged. Made
from formed bamboo and poplar plywood.
W: stretchnow.com.au
Health
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Products and services
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Affordable retreats in beautiful Byron Bay
Byron Yoga Retreat Centre is a wonderful, and
affordable, option for a retreat, offering 3-,
5- or 8-day wellness programs and special
retreats for women. Enjoy a flexible program
of yoga, wellness sessions and massage. Plus,
relax by the pool and explore Byron Bay.
W: byronyoga.com
Healthy Essentials Organic Immune
A superfood drink powder made from high-
quality ingredients from around the world that
contain powerful immune-boosting properties.
It even contains Kakadu plum from Western
Australia, rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.
Available in healthfood stores nationally.
W: healthyessentials.com.au
POWEROLL massage oil
A unique, extra-strength blend of essential
oils, emu oil and other natural ingredients
specially formulated to relieve muscular aches
and pains. May assist with lower-back pain.
Temporary relief of the pain of osteoarthritis,
rheumatoid arthritis or other types of arthritis.
W: poweroll.com.au
Honeylife Manuka Honey
Manuka honey is renowned as one of nature’s
finest superfoods. Honeylife uses only “raw”
unrefined honey without heat or chemical
processing; each batch is university laboratory
tested for MGO value. All Honeylife products
are Australian sourced, made and owned.
W: honeylife.com.au

Lactis
Lactis is a fermented probiotic alternative
and a leading Japanese dietary supplement
for digestive balance. Unlike traditional
probiotics, lactis contains a high concentration
of Lactobacillus metabolites designed to help
promote the growth of your own good bacteria.
W: roothealth.com.au/lactis
Did You Know?
In Australia, we throw out over 30 million
toothbrushes each year, most of which
are made of plastic. The Environmental
Toothbrush is a simple solution with its
bamboo handle. Make a difference:
make the change today.
W: gogreenathome.com.au
Pjur Med After Shave Spray
Now available with a new formula for even
better after-shave care thanks to the addition
of aloe vera and provitamin B5. Free from
alcohol and perfume, it protects against
inflammation and razor burn, doesn’t sting or
smell and is suitable for all areas of the body.
W: au.pjurmed.com
Foundation Yoga Course
Take your love of yoga a step deeper with a The
Yoga House Foundation Yoga Course. Learn
more about what you do on the mat and which
adjustments will help you in challenging poses,
and satisfy your curiosity about yoga teaching.
Two day mini-retreat-style courses in Sydney.
W: theyogahouse.com.au
A Safer, Healthy, Beautiful Smile for 2017
Strong, healthy teeth and gums enable
you to nourish your body and reflect
your optimal health and wellbeing. The
team at Dental Wellness look forward
to creating your perfect smile.
T: +61 7 3511 1399
W: dentalwellness.com.au
Cottons
Cottons is a family business established in
Australia in 1995 to offer a natural choice in
feminine hygiene. Made from 100 per cent
chemical-free cotton, all Cottons tampons are
hypo-allergenic and very comfortable. Sold in
leading supermarkets and pharmacies.
W: cottons.com.au
NEW Blackmores Vitamin K2 Melt 180mcg
A high-dose, 1-a-day formula. It supports the
deposit of calcium into bones and supports
bone health in post-menopausal women. A
vanilla melt that dissolves in your mouth; no
water required. Always read the label. Use only
as directed. Vitamin supplements should not
replace a balanced diet. CHC72106-1216
W: blackmores.com.au
Ara Shoes
Ara shoes are created by a production process
requiring intensive hand-crafting and up to
130 individual operations. Made from carefully
selected materials, tested to be free of harmful
substances and then subject to independent
testing and reporting on a regular basis.
W: ara-anz.com
Cabot Health’s BactoClear
Helps maintain healthy digestive function
and offers symptomatic relief from medically
diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome, mild
digestive disorders, bloating, indigestion,
heartburn, reflux and chronic sinusitis. A good
all-rounder for the whole immune system.
T: +61 2 4655 8711 W: cabothealth.com.au
wellbeing.com.au | 135
 NATULIQUE
NATULIQUE is the first true full-line brand
in the market offering hair products that
are organic, cruelty free, DEA free and
sulphate, perfume and paraben free.
A company passionate about ethical,
natural products and sustainability.
W: natulique.com.au
Organic Hairspray
This everyday style spray from EverEscents
is designed to enhance and control soft
natural styles in all hair types. The firm yet
flexible hold allows easy application and
won’t leave a tacky residue in your hair. Also
available in a handy purse size.
W: everescents.com.au
Nature’s Commonscents
Goat’s milk is perfect for people with dry or
sensitive skin or conditions such as eczema
and psoriasis. Full of essential vitamins and
nutrients, it helps reduce skin inflammation,
soothes dry and damaged skin, reduces
wrinkles and delays signs of skin ageing.
W: naturescommonscents.com.au
136 | wellbeing.com.au
Ahnesti Haircare
Combining the best of nature, the hair
salon and performance-driven green
chemistry, Ahnesti offers conscious folk a
refreshing, thoughtful alternative to toxic
haircare brands, making your morning
rituals more sacred and a bit more ... honest.
W: ecoture.com.au
Beauty
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Eco Tan Face Tan Water
This gradual liquid tanning toner has
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Synergie Skin Elastense
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 Cheeki Coffee Mugs
Say no to toxic single-use disposables and
use a BPA-free, stainless-steel Cheeki
insulated mug for coffee and tea. Mugs have
pop-up, leak-proof lids and newly released
cups have easy flip-up, spill-proof lids. Keeps
beverages hot for up to 12 hours!
W: cheeki.net.au
Sassi Salts
Complement the taste, texture, aroma and
visual impact of your favourite dishes with
Sassi Salts’ collection of Gourmet Sea Salt
Pyramid Flakes. These handcrafted salts give
you a flavour experience like no other. Available
in nine succulent varieties and fusion flavours.
W: sassisalts.com.au T: 1300 681 991
Planet Organic Teas
Planet Organic is a family-owned
Australian business producing more than
60 different blends of tea. Made with the
finest certified organic ingredients and
minimal packaging, Planet Organic teas are
full on flavour and light on the Earth.
W: planetorganic.com.au
ORGRAN Apple Pie Cookies
Filled with a medley of tasty currants
and chewy apple pieces, with a fresh fruit
aroma, ORGRAN Apple Pie Cookies are oven-
baked to perfection, offering all the pleasures
of a traditional, golden, homemade apple pie
in a delightfully light cookie.
W: orgran.com
Food
source
Products and services
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MyOrganics Muesli
Get your morning off to a great start
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from the delicious combination of organic
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Yarra Valley
Yarra Valley Tea Company is an Australian
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now one of the nation’s most respected organic
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Protein bars with Sõl
Each Sõl Bar comes with 17g of protein in
four delicious flavours without all the sugar
and junk ingredients. Crafted from only the
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Southern Cross Pottery
Southern Cross Pottery makes Australian-
made water purifiers, which remove virtually
all impurities, including giardia, chlorine and
fluoride. Available in two sizes and 30 colours,
no plumbing or electricity needed. Purchase
online or through resellers all over Australia.
W: southerncrosspottery.com.au
wellbeing.com.au | 137
 education focus
YOGA AUSTRALIA
What to consider when choosing
a yoga teacher training course
W
hether you are keen to become
a yoga teacher or just want to
deepen your own understanding
and practice of yoga, this journey
should be a life-changing and positive
experience. Yet, with countless styles,
prices, formats and teachers to consider,
how do you know what the right path is?
Here’s what you need to consider
when choosing the right course for you.
Set your intentions
Understand why you are choosing to
invest in your yoga teacher training.
Courses are demanding, costly and time-
consuming, so be sure you are making
this decision for the right reasons.
Understand who will be
teaching you
Do your research on the teachers of the
school you are looking at attending. How
long have they been teaching yoga? How
long have they been conducting teacher
training? What is their teaching style
and is this what you are looking for? It’s
always a good idea to attend a few of the
public classes on offer before committing
to a teacher training program; that way,
you can evaluate if you have a connection
with them and their style.
Check if the course syllabus has
been independently evaluated
By selecting a course that has registered
with the peak industry body in Australia,
Yoga Australia, you can be assured that
the course content and faculty are of the
highest standard. All courses are vetted
against stringent curriculum guidelines
to ensure students undertaking a Yoga
Australia registered course have a solid
understanding of the principles and
practices of yoga. Yoga Australia ensures
that the teachers have the necessary
138 | wellbeing.com.au
qualifications and experience to deliver
yoga teacher training.
Choose a program structure
that fits into your life
Courses come in all shapes and sizes:
part-time, full-time, face-to-face, online
or combination; 200 hours, 350 hours,
500 hours or more. When considering
what course is right for you, you need to
understand what you’re getting with each
one and the commitment required from
you. Undertaking a yoga teacher training
course is a life-changing experience.
To help you see what qualification you
will walk out with, think of it like this:
200 hours is similar to a certificate
or diploma.
350 hours or more is like an
undergraduate degree.
While teachers with 200-hour
certificates can begin teaching, this
is generally considered the minimum
qualification. Where possible, it’s
advised to complete a 350-hour
course initially or achieve the 350
hours in training within three years of
completing your 200-hour course.
Evaluate what will be
included in the program
This is a big one. Not all courses
are created equally. While there is a
minimum number of hours that must
be spent on areas such as anatomy,
yogic physiology, technique and teaching
methodology, some courses will focus
more on different areas.
Make sure you review the syllabus
and you are aware of what is required
from you to successfully complete each
course. If you are looking to evaluate a
course that isn’t currently registered
with Yoga Australia, you can check online
at yogaaustralia.org.au or call them on
1300 881 451 and ask for a curriculum
guideline so you can assess for yourself
the quality of the course.
What to consider if you
plan to teach abroad
The yoga industry is largely unregulated
across the globe, with the exclusion of
the US, where you require a green card
and Yoga Alliance USA registration to
work in the field. While the industry is
unregulated, competition is fierce and
qualifications and experience are what
counts. Some studios and retreats will
accept teachers who have completed
a 200-hour teacher training; however,
where competition is high, you might
not get a look in with anything less than
500 hours.
Remember, yoga is a
journey of practice
The yoga path evolves over time. It
is traditional that the practice and
teaching of yoga involve a lifetime of
study and relationships with other
mentors and teachers.
Increasingly, the benefits of yoga are
being verified by scientific evidence. It’s
important that yoga teachers keep up to
date with these developments in order
to serve students in the best way and to
communicate with other professions and
areas of the public who will rely on us for
this information.
As the yoga teaching profession
forges its place in society, it’s important
that we maintain the highest professional
standards that other professions such
as builders, lawyers and nurses are
required to undertake.
For more information, visit yogaaustralia.org.au,
call 1300 881 451 or send a letter to or visit 125A
Chapel St, Windsor, Victoria, 3181.
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The natural choice for authentic living
 column
NATURAL BEAUTY
Essential beauty
L
ow-fat, high-carbohydrate diets have been
prescribed since the 1950s based on bad
science that linked saturated fat and raised
cholesterol levels with heart disease. Confusing
things more, the low-fat, fat-free packaged foods
we were told to eat were usually highly processed
and high in sugar, salt and refined carbs.
But decades of rising rates of obesity, type 2
diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure
have shown that this advice hasn’t worked. And,
a review of all research on saturated fat published
in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found
CARLA OATES
no link between saturated fat and heart disease.
is a natural beauty
Instead, healthy fats have been proven to be
expert and the author
essential for optimal mind, body and skin health.
of Feeding Your Skin.
How fat can help
Our brains are 60 per cent fat and low-fat diets
have been linked to increased rates of depression,
Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and
other cognitive problems. Omega-3 deficiencies
have also been linked to depression and anxiety.
Find brain-nourishing fats in grass-fed meats
and butter, fatty fish, free-range eggs, extra-virgin
olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados and coconut oil.
Research has also shown a diet high in healthy
fats can reset your metabolism and prevent
obesity. Eating good fats will also help the body
better regulate blood sugar levels, burn fat
stores, boost satiety and reduce hunger.
Further, good fats are often full of vitamins and
antioxidants, making them anti-inflammatory.
They help us absorb skin-rejuvenating fat-soluble
nutrients and phytonutrients in other foods, too.
Good fats also help stimulate collagen
synthesis, are required for hormone synthesis
and keep your skin nourished and lubricated.
A guide to different fats
Saturated fats
Solid at room temperature, these are found in
full-fat dairy plus beef and chicken fat.
Grass-fed beef, dairy, lamb and turkey contain
conjugated linoleic acid: an antioxidant that may
guard against heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Grass-fed beef is also a good source of stearic
acid, a long-chain saturated fat shown to lower
LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and inflammation. Cacao
butter is a plant-based source of stearic acid.
Cold-pressed, virgin coconut oil is a source of
Eating good fats anti-inflammatory medium-chain saturated fat,
will also help includes anti-microbial lauric acid (also in breast
milk) and may boost metabolism.
the body better
But we only need a little saturated fat, so don’t
regulate blood get over 10 per cent of your daily calories from it.
sugar levels, Mono-unsaturated fats
burn fat stores, Liquid at room temperature and found in olive oil,
avocados, oily fish, cashews and macadamia nuts.
boost satiety and Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) is rich in
reduce hunger. phytonutrients and omega-9 essential fatty acids
140 | wellbeing.com.au
(also known as oleic acid) plus vitamins A, B1, B2,
C, D, E and K, iron and skin-loving squalene.
EVOO has been shown to help reduce blood
pressure, raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels,
decrease the risk of heart disease and type 2
diabetes and protect against certain cancers.
Polyunsaturated oils
Also known as essential fatty acids (EFAs)
because we can’t make them, polyunsaturated
fats are liquid at room temperature.
These skin-loving nutrients help you 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-3s and omega-6s.
Omega-3s can be found in marine sources
(EPA, or eicosapentaenoic acid, and DHA) such as
fish, marine algae and supplements like spirulina.
You can also get omega-3s in the form of
alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) from flaxseeds, hemp
seeds, chia seeds, green leafy vegetables,
strawberries, kiwifruit and walnuts. However, our
bodies aren’t 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.
Omega-6s are in avocados, coconuts, olives,
cashews, pine nuts, sesame oil, evening primrose
oil and borage oils. Small doses can support your
nervous and immune systems and feed the skin.
The “6s” are also found in plant oils such as
canola, sunflower and soybean oils, abundant
in packaged foods that are usually processed,
contain rancid oil and are easy to overconsume.
Aim for a ratio of 1:3 omega-3s to omega-6s.
Excess omega-6s causes inflammation, weight
gain and ageing.
Trans fats
These 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 the skin,
promote free radicals, raise LDL cholesterol,
cause heart disease and inflammation, promote
ageing and have been linked to cancer.
Trans fats may be found in store-bought mayo,
salad dressings, most packaged snacks, biscuits,
crackers, margarines, fast food and deep-fried
foods. Read labels carefully and avoid at all costs.
Palm oils and animal fats
Your body converts excess sugar and carbs into
palmitic acid, which is also higher in grain-fed
animals than grass-fed animals. Palm oil is
another source of palmitic acid, which raises LDL
cholesterol and may cause heart disease and
Photography Bigstock
suppress the release of leptin, the hormone that
regulates your appetite.
How much is enough?
Aim for 40–60g of healthy fat daily and no more
than 30 per cent of your total calories.
 column
QUICK KITCHEN

Your season on a plate

E
ating according to the seasons makes
sense, so I encourage you to listen to the
transitioning seasonal cues and shift to
eating grounding but lighter foods. My menu
over winter has rotated between stews, stir-fries,
curries, warming teas — and sometimes a cheeky
dessert — because these foods tend to keep us
toasty and cosy inside and can be so satiating that
they stop us from overeating.
Have you been noticing dry or flaky skin?
It may be because you haven’t been hydrated
enough. While you probably didn’t feel like
drinking cold water or iced teas in the chilly
weather, hydrating herbal teas such as
peppermint and ginger are both warming in
winter and cooling in summer. Coffee and black
tea, on the other hand, are diuretics, so switching
over to a cup of herbal tea can really help.
Now is also the time to eat good fats. Your
body needs healthy fats to help absorb certain
vitamins, particularly vitamin D. Lack of sunlight
from winter hibernation may have lowered your
levels of vitamin D, a nutrient that strengthens
bones, the immune system and heart health.
When you don’t get enough vitamin D from the
sun it’s important to ensure you get it from food.
Eating fatty fish like tuna and salmon, egg yolks
and beef liver is a great way to boost vitamin D.
When you’re in the supermarket, don’t you find
it funny how your favourite fruit and vegies can be
super-cheap one season and then astronomically
expensive another? If you shop at a farmers’
market, you’ll probably find they don’t even
have your favourite fruits out of summer. Why?
Produce cultivated in its season is plentiful and
best eaten in that season, as it has the chance to
fully ripen and be picked when naturally ready.
Food grown outside of its season — like much
LEE HOLMES
of the produce you’ll find all year in supermarkets
runs Supercharged Food
— unfortunately relies on pesticides, waxes and
and has just released her
chemicals to make it look fresh and in season.
new book, Fast Your Way
What fruit and veg should you stock up on
to Wellness. Visit her
now? For fruit, I suggest avocados, apples,
blog at superchargedfood.
bananas, blueberries (November), kiwifruit,
com for more cooking
grapefruit, lemons, mandarins and oranges.
inspiration, recipes
The best vegies now are artichoke, asparagus,
and tips.
avocado, beans, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli,
cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, cucumber, leek,
lettuce, peas, potato, radish, rhubarb, rocket,
silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, sugar snap peas,
sweet corn, tomato and zucchini.
Enjoy creating my seasonal treats below.

Tuna Tikka Curry on a barbecue hotplate. Cook 1 tbsp rice-malt syrup

Serves: 4
4 tuna steaks
Ghee, for frying
Marinade
1 cup sheep’s milk yoghurt
2 green chillies, seeded
& chopped
Handful coriander leaves,
chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp mustard oil
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
¾ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp freshly cracked
black pepper
½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted
in a dry frying pan
Rinse the fish, pat dry with
paper towel and place in a
large shallow dish.
Photography Bigstock
the tuna for 4–5 mins on each
side or until cooked as you like.
Serve with the raita, below,
and some brown rice.
Carrot & Beetroot Raita
Serves: 3–4
2 cups sheep’s milk yoghurt
1 raw beetroot, peeled
& grated
1 carrot, grated
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small capsicum,
finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp ground cardamom
Himalayan salt, to taste
Place all ingredients in a large
bowl; mix gently with a spoon.
Note: The raita will keep in an
airtight container in the fridge
for 3–4 days.
1 chai teabag
½ cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
4 cardamom pods, bruised
½ tsp alcohol-free vanilla
extract
1 tsp agar agar
55g (⅓ cup) coconut sugar
Combine the coconut cream,
almond milk, rice-malt syrup,
teabag, spices and vanilla in a
medium saucepan over medium
heat. Bring to simmering point
but don’t allow to boil. Simmer
for 5 mins, stirring occasionally.
Strain then return the liquid to
the saucepan. Discard the solids. Produce that’s
Place the agar agar in a cultivated in
small bowl and ladle over a little
of the coconut mixture. Stir well,
its season is
then slowly pour back into the plentiful and
saucepan, stirring till dissolved. best when eaten
Pour into ramekins; refrigerate
for 3–4 hours or until set.
in that season,

Blend together all marinade
ingredients then add to the tuna;
mix gently with a spoon to coat.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Heat a little ghee in a large
frying pan over medium heat or
Chai Crème Brûlée When ready to serve, cover as it has the
Makes: 4 the top with an even layer of chance to fully
coconut sugar and place under
ripen and then
400mL tin additive-free the grill set to high, or use a
coconut cream blowtorch, until a caramelised be picked when
125mL (½ cup) almond milk crust appears on top. naturally ready.

wellbeing.com.au | 141
 column
THE CONSCIOUS LIFE
Low-waste travels
Y
ou book a flight. You’re excited. This
trip has been a long time coming.
Travelling can be an extremely wasteful
and unhealthy exercise if we don’t do a little
planning. This issue, however, I have put
together a short list of things that you can do
to travel a little greener, being kind to yourself
and to the planet.
A few years ago, when I travelled from
Sydney to New York, through to Paris and back
home, I decided that this would be the trip that
I’d bring my own coffee cup and water bottle
ALEXX STUART
rather than having it be an “at home” thing.
is an educator
I always kept bamboo cutlery in my bag, so I
passionate in the space
used that, too.
she calls “living a low-
Just in the airports and on the flights alone,
tox life”. Through her
I saved 47 single-use plastic and takeaway cups
speaking, workshops,
from being in circulation as well as 21 pairs
e-courses and online
of cutlery. Just little old me, on a plane that
community, she helps
could fit over 500 people. If we’d all brought
people make the best new
reusables, on that one trip alone with five flight
choices for themselves,
sectors, we could have collectively saved
family and planet.
23,500 single-use cups from being used and
W: lowtoxlife.com
sent to landfill.
Please don’t let anyone ever tell you
that your efforts don’t make a difference.
Start thinking as a collective and you will be
motivated to continue to be the change and
inspire others.
The thing that I found most exciting about
bringing my cute mug on the trip was that it
got conversations going. “Cute mug,” people
would say over and over again, and we’d talk
sustainability. It’s as if, because it wasn’t
didn’t look like an “eco item” reusable cup, the
pressure of the green message they weren’t
respecting was defused and we were just
talking about a cute mug.
I am always fascinated by what gets people
starting to join the dots between their actions
and the state of their health and the planet
— but never in a million years would I have
thought that a $2 ceramic mug with “Lovely
Jobely” written on it would be the thing that got
people thinking.
Take your own bags
Pack a couple of reusable shopping bags to
avoid plastic bags in stores. Easy, right? Make
sure you pack a cool one so that you feel cool
carrying it rather than one of your everyday
grocery shopping reusables.
Pack fresh produce
Don’t let anyone The food on the plane is often irritating to the
ever tell you gut for various reasons and lacks the freshness
to sustain you and have you feeling great after
your efforts
even a long-haul flight. It’s a misconception
don’t make a that you can’t travel with food — you just can’t
difference. get OFF the plane with fresh produce. Packing
142 | wellbeing.com.au
what you want for the flight, however, is fine.
Biscuits, crackers or baked goods can leave
the plane with you, too. As can chocolate — if
there’s any left.
On my travels, I like to pack a mountain of
crudités of cucumber, celery and carrot as well
as a packet of crackers, a couple of slices of
something like my fig and ginger bread and a
tub of green leaves with two boiled eggs in their
shells to preserve their freshness. This will do
me for a 14-hour flight without having to eat the
travel food.
Go “air-vegetarian”
Tick the vegetarian option if you’re pre-booking
food for your flight. Regardless of whether you
eat meat or not, you can bet that an airplane
meal isn’t going to be grass-fed, pasture-raised
or organic.
Opting for vegetarian through airport outlets
and on the plane sends an ever-so-gentle
message: “I won’t eat factory farmed meats
that I don’t know the origin of.”
Pack a lemon
Have a couple of lemon waters on the flight
— a great way to keep your digestive system
moving up in the air.
Fly with arnica
Pack some arnica cream or pillules. Arnica
does wonders to combat in-flight inflammation;
I simply don’t get those tree-trunk ankles any
more on a long haul.
Handy advice
Bring a natural hand-sanitising spray that
doesn’t contain all the nasties for washing
your hands through the airports and plane.
This way you can avoid those disturbingly bright
pink, highly synthetically fragranced public-
bathroom options.
The green tick
Lastly, one of my favourite things to do when
booking a trip is to tick the box to cover the
carbon of my seat. It’s not just a gimmick and,
while it doesn’t make flying any less polluting,
it does provide money for the company’s kitty
to fund incredible green projects around the
world and for that simple, no-brainer reason I
tick that box to help them do that work to bring
more nature into the world.
There are many more little things you can do
to travel a little greener but, as a start to get
your juices going, you’ve hopefully gained a few
ideas there. Here’s to your green travels,
whenever they’re coming up for you. Your little
efforts go a long way towards a healthier you and
a healthier planet.

Hunter-gathering in the suburbs
S
ometimes, driving through the suburbs,
you may spot the plants below. Many street
trees are useful, as are a lot of common
weeds and flowers. And, yes, it is easier to buy
plant foods in a supermarket. But ours is a
generous planet. A little “gathering” can remind
us of how generous it can be.
Please note: avoid harvests near highways
and busy streets, as they may be high in lead
from the days of leaded petrol.
Some neglected harvests
Irish strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)
Like most ornamentals, strawberry trees haven’t
been selected for their ability to give good fruit.
Some are much better than others and worth
finding; others aren’t worth the bother. The fruit
is sometimes good enough to eat fresh but better
stewed with sweetening or made into chutney.
Lilly pilly (the useful ones are typically
Acmena spp. or Syzygium spp.)
I love lilly pillies. The reddish new growth is
gorgeous and birds love the fruit. But they are
edible, too, and can be delicious when you add
sugar. Pick the fruit before it colours fully — ripe
or over-ripe fruit can taste a bit turpentine-like.
Avoid any that taste very bitter.
There are many from varied areas of Australia.
Some species are notably tastier than others
and, within those species, there will often be a
number of varieties. Even within the one variety
there is considerable difference in fruit quality.
Some are frost-sensitive while others tolerate
moderate frost; all like moist, fertile soil but, once
established, tolerate drought, although they may
not fruit in a bad year.
Lilly pilly Cordial
1 cup fruit
2 cups white sugar
2 tsp tartaric acid
2 cups water
Simmer till fruit is tender. Strain and bottle.
Lime or linden tree (Tilia × europaea,
not the lime fruit)
You’ll find this lovely deciduous tree mostly in
cooler areas. The flowers are used to make a
mildly soothing lime tea. Flowers can be used
fresh or dried: 1 tbsp for a cup of lime tea.
Paperbark (Melaleuca spp.)
Paperbark trees are a common street tree. The
paper-like bark is soft and waterproof. Glue
some sheets together to make a waterproof
sheet. Or write on them instead of paper!
Photography Getty Images
Stringybark (Eucaluyptus macrorhyncha,
E. muelleriana, E. oblonga, E. baxteri,
E. Globoidea, among others)
In colonial days this was one of the most valued
trees to roof your hut or even make walls. Don’t
take big slabs, as this can kill the tree, and never
take bark all the way around, as this will ringbark
column
DIGGING IN
and also kill the tree. But, if you gather properly,
you can harvest from your tree year after year.
Weaving stringybark
The long, supple strands taken from the inner
bark, usually picked in spring just as the trees
are putting out new growth, can be made into
baskets, mats, carpets — many things.
The best “weaving” stringybark is found on
young trees. Don’t pull off too much or you’ll
kill the tree. Just take a knife and poke it under
the bark so you get a strip about a hand-span
wide. Now slide the knife up and down as
JACKIE FRENCH
far as possible and peel off your long strip of
is the author of
stringybark. The longer the fibres, the better.
The Chook Book
Now separate the bark into strands, using
(Aird Books). Get in
your fingers. If you’re making tablemats or
touch with her via
delicate weaves, the strands should be as fine as
facebook.com/
possible. If you intend to weave carpets or larger
jackiefrenchauthor,
bags, they can be as wide as your finger.
twitter.com/jackie_
Take three strands or groups of strands. Plait
french_ and instagram.
them together firmly; this is your basic “thread”.
com/jackie_ french_
Weave these into whatever project you decide.
Tablemats and floormats: Coil the plait like
a snake round and round till you have a small
circular mat. Every time one plait finishes, sew
the next one onto the tail of the last. A small coil
of thin plaits make table-mats and a larger coil
can make a very long-wearing mat for the floor.
Doormat: Take at least 24 thick plaits. Sew the
edges together. Sew extra bark along the edges
to reinforce them so the mat doesn’t separate.
Dandelion (Taraxacum spp.)
Eat the leaves when they are small and tender
in spring; they get bitter later. Or blanch them
by putting a box or flowerpot over them for a few
weeks. Large dandelion roots are good eaten
like parsnips in autumn; they can be stringy after
winter. Scrub them well, peel them if you can,
lay them in a baking dish, cover with cider and
dot with butter. Bake until they are tender and
the cider is a lovely, rich gravy. Serve hot.
Sheep’s sorrel (Rumex acetosella)
You can mostly find sheep sorrel in the cracks
between paving or sour spots in your garden.
It’s a real sign of acidic, compacted, dead soil —
unsurprisingly, abundant in most cities.
You can stick sorrel in a salad but probably
won’t want to — it’s too bitter for my taste. You
can also turn it into quite a good sauce for fish.
Sheep Sorrel Soup
Wash your sorrel well in case a wandering dog
has lifted its leg on it.
Place ½ cup of sorrel leaves in the blender
with 4 cups of chicken stock. Whizz well.
You can mostly
Pour into a saucepan. Simmer for 5 mins. Take find sheep sorrel
off the heat. Add cream — a goodly splodge; more in the cracks
or less is up to you, depending on how creamy you
between paving
like your soup. Reheat gently, but only if you’ve
added so much cream that it has cooled. or sour spots in
Serve hot or cold. your garden.
wellbeing.com.au | 143
 column
PET CARE
Behaviour change in older pets
A
s they age, our pets may show
behavioural changes associated with
degenerative processes in their brains.
In many ways, these place more stress on the
pet/owner bond than all those other age-
related problems.
Pathological changes in the brain (amyloid
deposits in the tissue and blood vessels of the
brain, neuronal degeneration and brain atrophy)
lead to behavioural changes that can really affect
your pet’s (and your own) quality of life. Cognitive
deficits are usually seen in more senior dogs and
KAREN
cats but the age of onset does depend on your
GOLDRICK
dog’s breed and its life expectancy. Some studies
is a holistic veterinarian
show changes in the brain metabolism in dogs
at All Natural Vet Care,
as young as six years old.
Russell Lea, Sydney.
So what are the signs to look for? To help
T: +61 2 9712 5844
vets assess older dogs for behaviours that may
W: naturalvet.com.au
be associated with cognitive deficits, we classify
these behaviours into six groups, called DISHA:
Disorientation: eg dogs that begin pacing or
staring into space
Interaction: eg altered behaviour with owners
including aggressive behaviour
Sleep disturbances: eg the cat that begins to
vocalise for no reason at night
House soiling: eg dogs and cats appearing to
forget their toilet training
Activity level changes: eg dogs less interested
in playing
The sixth point is that previous anxious or phobic
behaviour, such as thunder phobia, may increase
There are also many other health changes
that cause these or similar signs. Urinary
incontinence can occur in many desexed female
dogs due to weakening bladder muscles. Lack of
play or signs of aggression may actually be due
to painful degenerative arthritis. Cats crying at
night may be affected by overactive thyroid. So,
before you decide your pet is going senile, they
need a thorough check by your vet, including
blood and urine tests, a blood pressure check and
a neurological check. Manage other health issues
before starting a brain-support program.
Supporting your pet
A program to help older pets cope with cognitive
deficits is not unlike that recommended in
human medicine. Strategies used include diets
to improve brain metabolism, environmental
A combination enrichment, supplements and herbs and, in some
of diet and cases, medications. A combination of diet and
environmental enrichment has been shown to
environmental be more effective than either used alone. Earlier
enrichment has intervention is associated with better outcomes.
been shown to There are prescription diets available that
may support the health of the brain. Home-
be more effective
prepared diets using real food can also be
than either used, with appropriate veterinary guidance.
used alone. Studies show that a diet high in antioxidants,
144 | wellbeing.com.au
omega-3 essential fatty acids and medium-chain
triglycerides may slow the onset of many of the
signs associated with cognitive deficits.
Your pet’s diet also needs to supply the
nutrients they require. In addition, your dog or
cat may have special diet requirements if they
have other problems like liver disease, kidney
disease or diabetes, so please consult with your
vet before you make any changes.
Coconut oil can supply some medium-chain
triglycerides. Good-quality wild salmon or krill
oil can supply the long-chain fatty acids EPA and
DHA for brain health. Other supplements and
herbs to help improve cognitive function include
vitamin E, gingko biloba, S-Adenosyl methionine,
resveratrol, phosphatidylserine and melatonin.
Not all of these are suited to all cats and dogs, so
discuss dosing and an appropriate supplement
plan with a holistically trained vet. Traditional
Chinese herbal formulae may also be prescribed.
There are medications that can be prescribed
including selegiline (enhances catecholamine
transmission and is an antioxidant),
propentofylline (increases cerebral blood
flow and decreases thrombus formation) and
nicergoline (increases cerebral blood flow and
enhances neuronal transmission).
An environmental enrichment program
includes plenty of exercise as well as behavioural
enrichment. Exercise needs to suit your dog’s
age and ability. Shorter, more frequent walks suit
many older dogs. Walks can be varied but older
dogs like to revisit their familiar haunts. Cats can
also be exercised and many older cats enjoy for a
short time games that mimic hunting behaviour
(chasing torch beams or pegs on string). Social
interactions are important. Ensure your dog’s
walks include meeting canine and human friends.
Make your dog work for his or her food. Games
with food rewards, hide-and-seek treats, food
puzzles or food-reward toys such as kongs can be
used. Other games include chasies or gentle ball
play. If your dog has forgotten some of its earlier
command training, you can gently retrain at a
slower pace and in smaller increments.
One of the most stressful challenges can
be changes to toileting habits. Ensure that
any other health issues like gut or bladder
infections, constipation or urinary incontinence
are managed. It may help to take your dog out for
a late toilet stop. Ask your vet about restricting
water at night, but this is not recommended in
hot weather or in dogs with health problems like
kidney disease. For cats, have additional litter
Photography Bigstock
trays available. Older cats may need lower, wider
trays to use them comfortably. Place puppy-
training mats around trays for cats that “miss”.
Early intervention will always improve the
outcome, if you notice any changes in your senior
four-legged family member, get them checked.

Beyond busyness
W
e are fast approaching the final quarter
of the year. How are you feeling? Do
you feel energised and engaged with
your work life or closer to being in survival mode?
Did you start this year committed to investing
in workplace wellness and yet somehow you’ve
found your intentions off track, not experiencing
the quality of workplace wellness you envisioned?
To help you get back on track, I’d like to dedicate
this month’s column to discussing the importance
of doing a workplace wellness check-in.
How to check in
I encourage you to adopt a simple approach and
recommend a four-step process.
Step one is to temporarily resist and disengage
from the temptation to be swept along with the
momentum of getting more and more stuff done.
Actively choose to take time out to reflect on the
quality of your workplace wellness, to assess
and contemplate the consequences of being
continuously busy at work and to also understand
the flow-on impact on life outside of work.
Step two is to take a breath. When you are
hurtling along at speed in your quest to do and
achieve, your breathing is generally shallower.
It means you are breathing from the top of your
lungs, denying yourself the benefit of deep
and full breaths. Deep breathing calms your
physiology and quietens your mind.
Begin by finding somewhere quiet. Now take
5–6 long slow breaths over approximately 60
seconds. Aim for the out-breath to be longer
than the in-breath. You can count 2–3 on the
in-breath and 3–4 on the out-breath. Place your
hands on the side of your rib cage and feel it
open and expand with each deep breath. In doing
this, I recommend you sit. If you are tending to a
shallower breath, deeper breathing may initially
lead to you feeling a little lightheaded for a
moment or two.
Step three is to reflect. Create the time and
space you need to observe and assess the current
quality of your workplace wellness. I encourage
you to write a list of those areas of which are
most important to you. Or perhaps list the areas
you identified at the beginning of the year that
needed additional focus.
To make your assessment concrete, create a
workplace wellness scorecard. Give each area
a score out of 10. A score of zero reflects the
lowest level of workplace wellness quality and 10
reflects the highest level. Reflect on your scores.
Ask yourself what you can do to improve the
Photography Bigstock
scores. Identify the actions and strategies you
wish to take to improve your scores.
Step four is implementation. It’s about
identifying which actions and strategies will get
your workplace wellness back on track; which
will provide you the platform for again feeling
column
WORKPLACE WELLNESS
energised and engaged. Your aim is to identify
the actions and strategies that are most practical
and from which you believe you can achieve
sustainable workplace wellness improvement.
Busy for busy’s sake
So now you know how to do a wellness workplace
check-in, how confident do you feel? In my work
with clients across different industries and levels
of seniority, I often hear, “Jan, I know I need to
invest in workplace wellness but I don’t have
time.” This belief can manifest in many ways: not
JAN MCLEOD
having sufficient time to eat breakfast, lunch or
is a highly respected
an afternoon snack; not having sufficient time to
coach, mentor, speaker
exercise; not having sufficient time for rest and
and consultant, a
recovery; not having sufficient time to invest in a
specialist in the areas
quality sleep routine. I could go on.
of high performance,
Have you used these same words? If you have,
wellbeing, nutrition
you are not alone. However, I encourage you to
and change strategy
challenge your thinking. Ask yourself, what am I
in the workplace.
busy doing? You may have inadvertently fallen into
W: thecapacity
the habit of being busy for busy’s sake — what I
equation.com.au,
describe as a silent but overwhelming expectation
madforhealth.com.au
to do more in less time or with fewer resources.
Or, at worst, talking about how busy you are as if
it were some kind of accomplishment.
Productive and effective
Being busy for busy’s sake is underpinned by
a mistaken assumption that efficiency is the
primary driver of productivity. It mistakenly leads
you to conclude that the busier you are, the more
productive you are when, in reality, this may not
be the case.
Efficiency is a measure of the ratio of input
to output. Higher efficiency does require you to
produce more output with less input. However,
although efficiency is an important element that
helps define productivity, it’s not sufficient to
define productivity in totality.
An equal and in many cases a more important
measure of productivity is the quality of output.
Busyness that challenges your workplace
wellness generally manifests as fatigue or at
worst a sense of unresolved overwhelm. Ongoing,
unrelenting busyness comes with a risk: the
busier you become the more you put at risk your
workplace wellness, which in turn can negatively
impact on your ability to sustain your busyness.
Busyness
Gift yourself that challenges
If you are feeling this way or if there is a risk your workplace
you may be heading toward feeling this way, I
encourage you to slow down and gift yourself the
wellness generally
time to do your workplace wellness check-in. manifests as
Give yourself an opportunity to take stock of fatigue or at
the quality of your workplace wellness, to identify
worst a sense
the actions and strategies you need to sustain
productive busyness. of unresolved
I wish you quality workplace wellness. overwhelm.
wellbeing.com.au | 145
 column
AGEING WELL
Meet the new Lara Croft
T
here’s a new “it” girl in the probiotic
arena (if the germs in our gut can be
assigned a gender). Saccharomyces
boulardii might be the Lara Croft from Tomb
Raider equivalent that we need to seriously kick
some bad-ass bacterial butt if we are going to
triumph in the war of the microbes.
Let’s not kid ourselves — there’s a serious
battle going on to rule the universe and, with
more hostile germ DNA in our bodies than our
own, we are going to need all the ammunition
we can muster. To be accurate, Saccharomyces
DR MICHAEL
boulardii is not part of our resident gut flora but
ELSTEIN
it has halo status in the scientific literature.
is a Sydney-based
Saccharomyces boulardii is actually a yeast
anti-ageing physician
first identified in 1923 when a French scientist,
and writer. He is the
Henri Boulard, found it resident in lychees and
author of three books,
mangosteen fruit. He noticed that the natives
including his latest,
of Southeast Asia were chewing on the skin of
The Wellness Guide to
lychee and mangosteen in a valiant attempt to
Preventing the Diseases
ward off cholera.
of Ageing. He has also
Research has discovered that this yeast is
designed the app The
mostly benign with little capacity to do us any
diet guide to ageing
harm and, once ingested, it remains an inhabitant
prevention.
of the gut without the capacity to get into the
bloodstream. It has a host of beneficial properties
we can resource to fortify the gut’s immune
system, which tends to weaken as we age.
The inflammation factor
By now, most of us have heard of inflammation.
You cut yourself and your skin goes red as your
body mobilises a cadre of repair artists that
are all fired up to reconstitute traumatised
and molested tissue. Pretty soon the redness
disappears, the skin has healed and the
damage-control army can cool off and go back
into hibernation.
Transient inflammation also mobilises when
your immune system senses that your body has
been invaded by a dangerous insurgent. Your
immune system heats up to nuke the enemy
and, once the threat has been quelled, the heat
is turned off and your defence system goes
back into quiescence.
Essentially, these are temporary events;
however, if they happen unabated then rather
than serve you they may inadvertently gobble
up the cells they are trying to protect. Some
research points towards ageing as a time when
Saccharomyces inflammation, rather than being ephemeral
boulardii is and beneficent, rages out of control, seemingly
stoked by a relentless, incendiary zeal to
actually a yeast
microwave everything in its site. While you
first identified aren’t aware it’s happening, what inflammation
in 1923 in is doing is frying your brain cells, gnawing away
lychees and at your bones and roasting the cells of your
heart. Ultimately, you might be left bereft of
mangosteen viable cells, a shell of an organism barely able
fruit. to function.
146 | wellbeing.com.au
There is a whole bunch of contributors to
this ongoing inferno: fat cells, the scourge of
Western civilisation; pesticides and herbicides
that are constantly sprayed over our food
crops; heavy metals like arsenic found in rice
and rice milk; mercury, lead and aluminium
that contaminate our waterways; fried foods,
trans fats and a substance called homocysteine
that can be measured by means of a blood test.
These are just some of the countless sources
of inflammatory molecules.
Some research even indicates that as we
age our immune systems go into inflammatory
overdrive, pouring out these overheated
terminators in an unregulated fashion. While
we are doing our best to limit all of these
events, it might be worthwhile harnessing any
agent that can neutralise inflammation if we
want to give ourselves any chance of hosing
down this conflagration before it turns us into
molten ash.
A number of studies show that
Saccharomyces boulardii has impressive anti-
inflammatory potential. There are a whole
bunch of noxious bowel germs like E coli,
shigella, Clostridium difficile, Candida albicans,
Blastocystis hominis and Helicobacter pylori,
all really bad dudes, as the president of the
free world would call them, and capable of
wreaking havoc when unleashed in the gut.
Saccharomyces boulardii has the potential
to terminate every single one of them with
extreme prejudice.
Aside from killing bad guys, further evidence
indicates that Saccharomyces boulardii has the
ability to considerably scale up the immune
system. Ageing is a time when your immune
system struggles to find its mojo and you
lose your ability to mobilise your T-cells, the
generals of your immune response critical
for staging an effective defence against any
malevolence that threatens your wellbeing. This
can make you more vulnerable to infections and
autoimmune diseases like thyroid disorders and
cancers. Research shows that Saccharomyces
boulardii, when combined with some other
natural substances, can significantly enhance
T-cell function.
One of the side-effects of antibiotics is
diarrhoea, as these powerful medicines
decimate the natural microbial flora found
in your gut. Saccharomyces boulardii can also
prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.
With its myriad advantages, should we all
Photography Bigstock
be supplementing with Saccharomyces boulardii
as a preventive strategy? Although studies have
yet to confirm the long-term gains from
adopting this practice, it might be that this
organism could indeed save the day for many
of us.

Parasite of the month
T
he parasite Blastocystis hominis is popping
up all over the place. One study conducted
in four major Sydney hospitals showed
Blastocystis hominis to be the most common
parasite (at 57 per cent) found in the gut of
patients tested in these hospitals from January
2007 to December 2010. It was the most common
parasite in the Sydney CBD, whereas Giardia (at
27 per cent) was more common in rural areas.
Blastocystis is an organism, once thought
harmless, that inhabits the gastrointestinal tract.
Whether it causes disease or not is controversial
as many people have this bug in their gut but
without apparent symptoms. However, it is also
found in people with a range of digestive issues
such as diarrhoea, bloating, wind, abdominal
cramping, nausea, loss of appetite, hives and
fatigue. It is contracted via the oral-faecal route
and it is more common with poor sanitation or
where hands are not washed correctly after going
to the toilet. Blastocystis is usually found via a
stool examination that tests for parasites.
As Blastocystis usually lives alongside other
organisms (commonly Candida albicans), there is
debate over whether it causes disease on its own
or whether it is an innocent bystander. The Mayo
Clinic states that some people carry Blastocystis
without sign of infection and the incidence of
symptoms doesn’t rise with a rise in the number
of parasites. Also, symptoms are usually self-
limiting save for the side-effects of diarrhoea.
There is considerable debate about the
effectiveness of all the pharmaceuticals that are
prescribed to deal with Blastocystis.
The case
Having said all that, a 47-year-old man was
referred to the clinic (for herbal medicines) from
another doctor after a diagnosis of Blastocystis.
He had been given several courses of antibiotics
and antiparasite medications with little result.
His symptoms were lower abdominal pain
(most days), relieved by a bowel movement
(occasionally having the opposite effect). He had
recurring diarrhoea with urgency, 4–5 times
per day, alternating with days of hard pellet-like
stools that were difficult to pass. He experienced
cramping, discomfort and excessive flatulence,
was chronically tired and had been feeling
increasingly unwell for the previous five years. He
craved sweets and carbohydrate-rich foods and
was prone to anxiety alternating with depression.
The Blastocystis appeared to be associated with
an overgrowth of Candida albicans.
Photography Bigstock
Management
Pathogenic organisms are extremely clever and
can hide under biofilms to protect themselves
from eradication by pharmaceuticals; there they
exchange genetic information and antibiotic
column
CLINICAL CASEBOOK
resistance with other organisms. N-acetylcysteine
was given twice daily to inhibit biofilm formation.
The client was already aware of diet. He had
eliminated most wheat and dairy and reduced his
sugar consumption. We made further changes,
ensuring he was eating sufficient protein to
manage the sugar cravings and supplementing
with a glucose management tablet (gymnema,
fenugreek, chromium and R-lipoic acid) which
significantly reduced his sugar cravings.
A major practitioner supplier in Australia had
a program with a catchy title: the weed, seed and
KAREN
feed program. Weed out the pathogens, seed the
BRIDGMAN
gut with probiotics then feed these with nutrients
is a holistic practitioner
to ensure they recolonise the gut and continue to
at Australian Biologics,
survive and support a healthy microbiome.
Sydney, and Pymble
Herbs: weeding
Grove Health Centre,
Garlic has been shown to be as effective as
Gordon.
antibiotics in eradicating Blastocystis, so the
client was advised to make a salad dressing daily
with apple cider vinegar, raw garlic and organic
cold-pressed olive oil. Olive oil inhibits candida
overgrowth; acetate in the vinegar aids digestion.
A herb mix was given based on research with
herbs active in parasite eradication, plus herbal
antifungals to regulate the candida. His initial
formula was wormwood, black walnut hulls,
golden seal, cloves, olive leaf extract, pau d’arco.
In a long-term program, herbs should be
rotated every few weeks so a Chinese herb
formula was also used, with cinnamon, prickly
ash, orange fruit peel, ginger and galangal. The
spices pepper, ginger, turmeric and black and
white cumin were to be eaten daily. Supplements
recommended were citrus seed extract, zinc (at
night) and using oregano and rosemary oil in a
burner in the home. All these have research to
support their effectiveness against Blastocystis.
Gut repair: seeding
When the parasite (and candida) levels were
under control, it was time to repair and recolonise
the gut. A probiotic of great import in eradicating
Blastocystis is Saccharomyces boulardii (SB). In
2011, a study showed that 77 per cent of people
who took SB were cured of Blastocystis after 10
days; after 30 days, nearly 95 per cent were cured.
Bifidobacteria was another crucial probiotic.
Feeding
Fermented kefir is a great way to continue to
maintain (feed) the essential gut microbiome.
If a person is allergic to dairy, coconut kefir is
palatable and effective. This man was advised
to daily add one tablespoon of bentonite clay to
Garlic has
the kefir (for metabolic waste removal) and one
teaspoon of slippery elm powder to repair the gut been shown to
lining. Green leafy vegies are relished by healthy be as effective
gut bacteria so their consumption was increased. as antibiotics
After a few days on this regime, his symptoms
had improved. While up and down at times, after in eradicating
several months they have continued to do so. Blastocystis.
wellbeing.com.au | 147
 column
STARGAZING SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER

Virgo
Been feeling confused? It resolves itself
by Sep 6’s Full Moon. Paying attention to
relationships pushes a progressive week. The
follow-on act is Virgo New Moon on Sep 20 with
its fresh ideas. Sep 20 is also when Venus enters
Virgo and, with Mercury there too, movement is
rapid. Despite tensions Sep 25–28, you fly again
Sep 30–Oct 12, when Venus joins action-focused
Mars; you’re the charming Virgo host. Sep 2, 9, 13
& 16; Sep 23, Oct 2, 4, 13 & 25–28 drive success.
CHRISTINE
BROADBENT Libra
offers personal In early September, Jupiter in Libra joins
consultations, unlocks with Saturn to create the right atmosphere for
exciting aspects of self your gifts to flower. Earmark that week for key
and considers astrology
moves: Full Moon energy will add extra fizz. You
a healing art. Telephone
easily attract further help and support Sep 13–18.
and Skype options allow
distance consultations.
A social butterfly, you come into your strength
Get in touch with her via when Sun enters Libra Sep 23. Yet late September
christine@astrologyspot. is polarising — remain poised, calm; likewise Oct
com.au, astrologyspot. 8–12. Once Venus enters Libra on Oct 14, the fun
com.au or Facebook. factor rises and work objectives are easily met.
Scorpio
Sep 5, Mars starts a new cycle that energises
social goals and like-minded friendships. Now,
these are spiritually nourishing, details are key,
small tasks rewarding, as Full Moon Sep 6 shows.
Despite an interesting social life, you're pondering
something deeper; solitude will help these
seeds sprout. Retreat on Sep 18–20, Oct 18–20.
Whatever's been growing quickens from Oct
25, cheered by Sun in Scorpio and Jupiter: your
perspective expands; an exciting year awaits.
Sagittarius
Sep 1 brings Jupiter into its last dynamic
month. Friendships, shared social agendas have
been your lucky stars this year; your networking
skills are honed. What seems too easy to be
true in early September could be too hard to
be believed Sep 25–30 — but only if you grow
complacent. Instead, prepare for a polarising
event that needs a clear, moderate response.
Then, new direction and energy will lead you into
a dynamic October, with your best days Oct 13–16.

Capricorn Pisces Taurus Cancer

If finances support
your goals, early September
can be golden. A productive
year awaits, coming in stages.
Late October is stage one,
with Sun and Jupiter in your
networking sign. Decisions
made in early September can
reach a long way; make them
well. Your vision of what's
possible will mean as much
as careful plans; let them
work together. Your earthy,
practical gifts strengthen mid-
October but September needs
imagination, faith. Then, life
synchronises with your goal.
Oct 28 begins the real deal.
You take on gravitas, and
things shift early September.
A waxing moon phase reaches
Full Moon in Pisces Sep 6.
Inner illumination grows,
with sudden insights Sep
18. This could be followed by
an emotional catharsis Sep
25–30. If so, take the lead from
Venus in your partner sign and
start to focus on small acts of
kindness to help the pieces fall
into place and your hard work
pay off. Once Jupiter joins the
Sun in Scorpio mid-October,
your emotional reserves are
easily topped up. Adventures
with heart loom ahead.
As Full Moon Sep 6
draws near, revelations about
business and pleasure jumble
your expectations. Friendship,
family will be a deciding force
in personal and professional
realms. Even if they seem to
pull you in different directions,
your richer sense of what’s
valuable knits both together.
Oct 6 Full Moon accelerates
your transformation,
highlighting your dreams and
hopes. Despite pressures Oct
8–12, a spectacular insight on
partnership comes Oct 27. Sun
and Jupiter align for a potent
year ahead, with love leading.
Early September
holds excitement, a chance to
claim a grand adventure, to
chase emotional fulfilment.
Challenges Sep 14, 20 & 25–30
may shake those around you,
but gentle communication
of core values ensures your
happiest state. It’s October,
notably the Full Moon period of
Oct 6–10, which has both tests
and opportunities. A long Pluto
influence has prompted many
Cancerians to stand up to
bullies. Remember this then.
A romantic impetus hooks in
from Oct 25, flowering when
you hold true to your ideals.

Aquarius Aries Gemini Leo

Aug 27–Sep 2 prepares
you to complete a project that
has stretched on for months.
Mercury attracts support; the
best progress is made Sep
6–18. Don’t lose your optimism
Sep 16 and aim for some
completion by Sep 18, then
future surprises won’t faze
you. Early October and its Full
Moon delivers you from the
tiresome details and refreshes
your bigger picture. While late
October has its challenges, a
spirit of ease, and friendships
renewed, help you plan a
revitalising trip. A business
add-on would work well.
Sep 2 sets your resolve,
and planning co-ordinated
events and goals held in
common with others evolve
naturally Sep 16–23. Aries
Full Moon Oct 6 coincides
with a Venus/Mars meeting,
while the signs point to a busy
month with a smattering of
small challenges. Overlooked
details press their demands
and boring tasks can no
longer be avoided. Differences
of opinion between Oct 9 & 20
are best treated as times to
slow down and take care of the
little things. Then, passion and
intensity will be free to play.
Gemini, your sense of
purpose strengthens, with Full
Moon Sep 6 lighting your vision
of career fulfilment. Hold this
secret quietly, letting things
unfold happily through to Sep
23. Any challenges at Sep 20’s
New Moon, notably Sep 25–30,
are best met with that vision of
potential and refusing to react.
Things change again and your
diplomatic skills flourish in
October. People will listen —
don’t let shake-ups throw you.
And, of love, are you willing to
extend yourself into empathy
and compassion in this love-
oriented month?
In early September,
your creativity earths itself in
practicality. Dollars matter
and projects that have been
bubbling for months are ready
by Full Moon Sep 6. Venus is in
Leo now, great for negotiation
— and for good times Sep
6–18. Yet an old problem could
make Sep 14 & 20 tricky. Best
to avoid meetings then. With
Sun’s entry into supportive
Libra Sep 23, your plans get
bigger. Since late September
can be a minefield, delay
discussions until October’s
first week or until Oct 16. Give
plans full steam in November.

148 | wellbeing.com.au

Finding wisdom in the unexpected
A ski mishap on the slopes of a Japanese mountain proved a gift
for Jennifer Johnston, once she chose to view it as such.
S
now had been falling constantly
since our arrival at Nozawa Onsen,
a traditional Japanese ski village
four hours drive northwest of Tokyo. I
was with two of my teenage sons on the
fourth day of the ski section of our Japan
holiday. My 51-year-old knees had taken
a pounding over the past couple of days’
skiing and I was unsure if I should ski
or have a rest day. At the last minute, I
booked in with a ski instructor, while my
boys completed their lessons.
After a few green runs, my instructor
asked if I wanted to move to a red run. I’m
a cautious skier and red runs are out of
my comfort zone — but I agreed to try.
The run was steeper than I was used
to and, as my pace increased, so did my
anxiety. As I sought to regain control, my
skis connected with a bank of powder. I
fell forward, my legs twisting, and I heard
a sickening “crack.” When I tried to stand,
the pain shot up my left leg and I knew I
was in deep trouble!
Ski rescue arrived and my problems
continued. The skidoo couldn’t reach
where I’d fallen, so I had to scoot 150
metres further down the mountain on my
bottom. Exhausted by the time I reached
the skidoo, I was informed by my rescuers
that I had to stand to straddle it — there
was no stretcher. Somehow I managed
to climb on with the assistance of the two
patrol guys — me screaming expletives —
and we made our way down the mountain.
Two Japanese nurses ushered me into
a room at the village clinic. My adrenalin
spent, I began sobbing uncontrollably. A
doctor appeared and, in broken English,
said they’d X-ray my knee. The nurses
removed my ski pants and, bewildered
and in tremendous pain, I wondered if
they would now offer me pain relief.
Having worked for Surf Lifesaving
Queensland and experienced enough
sporting misfortunes with my kids, I
Photography Getty Images
had learnt about first aid at the scene
of accidents. I knew that, in Australia,
pain relief is generally administered as
soon as medical help arrives. I wondered
if Japan had anything like Australia’s
green whistle — an inhaler offering pain
relief. But, before I could ask, the doctor
appeared with my X-ray results. “You
Words JENNIFER JOHNSTON
have fracture,” he said. “You need plaster
cast and fly home for an operation.”
The nurses told me to lie down and
lifted my left leg into an agonising right
angle. The doctor syringed blood and
other fluids from my knee, then encased
my leg in a three-quarter-length plaster
cast. Shaking from shock, I was wheeled
into a corridor and covered with a sheet. A
nurse uttered the words I’d been waiting
to hear: “Painkillers?” “Finally!” I thought.
The following days in Japan involved
waiting for my travel insurers to organise
my repatriation to Australia. In our lodge,
I had to adapt quickly to crutches and
moving with my heavy plaster cast. The
steep stairways, tatami bedding mats and
the two metres of snow outside proved
challenging. I was also responsible for
my two lads, so there wasn’t time to feel
sorry for myself. I had to remain strong.
Each day, I’d station myself in the
lodge’s communal room. People stopped
by to check on me, including a Townsville
mum who just happened to be a trauma
nurse. A ski village employee helped
manage many logistical issues around
cancelling the rest of our trip and also
organised an interpreter to join me at my
clinic follow-up visit. Caring messages
from home arrived via Facebook. A friend
organised an emergency appointment
with a trauma specialist surgeon.
This abundance of human compassion
gave me strength to manage our
repatriation amid constant knee pain. Two
days after arriving home, I had surgery to
repair my tibia plateau fracture.
There aren’t many publishable words
to describe how it felt to break my leg
column
REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE
without pain relief. As a curious writer, I’ve
since researched the Japanese approach
to pain management. I’ve spoken to many
people, including two Australians also
injured while skiing in Japan. Neither
received pain relief. This doesn’t indicate
medical treatment in Japan is in any way
barbaric; rather, the Japanese approach
to pain that differs from ours.
Generally speaking, Japanese believe
pain should be tolerated as much as
possible, that it’s there for a reason and
should not be masked. Where the green
whistle is often given by trained medical
personnel at accident scenes in Australia,
Japan does not have anything similar.
A friend sent me this Eckhart Tolle
quote after my accident: “Life will give
you whatever experience is most helpful
for the evolution of your consciousness.
How do you know this is the experience
you need? Because this is the experience
you’re having at the moment.”
Now in recuperation with a plate and
six screws repairing my tibia fracture,
I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on why
I needed this particular experience. I’ve
had to slow down, relax and “un-hurry”
my mind. I’ve also gained perspective.
Yes, I hurt myself and have a long recovery
ahead — but I won’t die from my injury.
I’m aware of my inner strength. I survived
the challenges of repatriating myself and
my boys from a foreign country with a
broken leg and little pain relief.
Instead of it being a negative outcome,
my broken leg helped to enlighten me.
I’ve learnt humility, gratitude, a greater
appreciation of the kindness of strangers
and a deeper understanding of the
Japanese approach to pain management.
I’ve realised compassion is a powerful
human attribute and we draw strength by
treasuring our connections with people.
I look forward to reaching out to others,
whether through my writing or in person.
Life throws us many challenges; it’s
what we learn from them that makes all
the difference!
Jennifer Johnston is a freelance writer and
blogger living in Brisbane, Australia. She pursues
her writing passion while raising three rowdy sons
and a dog. W: travelbugwithin.com.au.
wellbeing.com.au | 149
 THE WELLBEING

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WELLBEING

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wellbeing.com.au | 151
 SPIRITUAL

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152 | wellbeing.com.au
YOGA ESSENTIALS

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wellbeing.com.au | 153
NEW SOUTH WALES PRACTITIONERS

Sage Beauty is a holistic Beauty and Natural Therapies

salon with a passion for supporting our local and global
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 WellBeing Resource Guide - PRODUCTS & SERVICES
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WellBeing Resource Guide - PRODUCTS & SERVICES

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WellBeing Resource Guide - PRODUCTS & SERVICES

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Wellbeing Magazine
Please contact CHRIS MIDDLETON
 ACCESS CONSCIOUSNESS WITH ANGELA ROJAS

Angela Rojas
Bars Facilitator There are 32 points in the head,
these points contain all the
thoughts, ideas, beliefs, emotions,
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WellBeing Resource Guide - PRODUCTS & SERVICES

component of all the thoughts,
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YOUR WELLNESS GUIDE

What´s on
August /September
AUG 21–27 AUG 22–28 AUG 25 AUG 27 AUG 27–SEP 1
AU AU AU Melbourne, AU Global
Hearing Awareness Week Keep Australia Daffodil Day A Walk in the Park World Water Week
hearingawarenessweek. Beautiful Week daffodilday.com.au parkinsonsvic.org.au worldwaterweek.org
org.au kab.org.au

AUG 31 SEP 9–10 SEP 16 SEP 16–24 SEP 17

AU Glenn Innes, AU Gold Coast, QLD AU Global
National Meals Glenn Innes Yoga & Australian Health & National Organic Week Sustainable House Day
on Wheels Day Wellness Festival Wellness Summit organicweek.net.au sustainablehouseday.com
mealsonwheels.org.au To learn more, australianhealthand
call +61 439 045 920 wellnesssummit.com.au

SEP 22 SEP 24 SEP 29–OCT 2 SEP 30–OCT 8

Global Sydney, AU Mangrove Creek, NSW Blue Mountains, AU
World Car-Free Day The Bloody Long Walk Kundalini Yoga Festival Leura Garden Festival
worldcarfree.net/wcfd bloodylongwalk.com.au/ kundaliniyogafestival.com.au leuragardensfestival.com
Sydney

Our #inspo

A bumper crop of homegrown herbs The WellBeing team with Agapi Stassinopoulos at We’ve fallen in love with mud! Pottery is a
equals one happy editor. a recent one-day Thrive Global workshop in Sydney. newfound hobby for assistant editor Kate.

166 | wellbeing.com.au
 October/November
OCT 1–31 OCT 1–31 OCT 7–14 OCT 12–15 OCT 15–21
Global Sydney, AU AU Berry, AU AU
Breast Cancer Awareness Good Food Month Mental Health Week Berry Gardens Festival National Water Week
Month sydney.goodfoodmonth.com mhw.waamh.org.au berrygardens.org.au/berry- awa.asn.au
nbcf.org.au gardens-festival

OCT14–15 OCT 19–NOV 5 OCT 24 OCT 26–29 OCT 28

London, UK Sydney, AU AU Sydney, AU Daylesford, VIC
Tantra Festival Sculptures by the Sea Pink Ribbon Day MindBodySpirit Festival Ride Daylesford
tantrafestivals.co.uk sculpturebythesea.com pinkribbon.com.au mbsfestival.com.au ridedaylesford.com.au

NOV 26–29
Adelaide, SA
National Annual
Scientific Meeting
nsa.asn.au/national-
scientific-meeting

Such a joy to have the wonderful Lee Illustration Tams at Soul

Getting cosy with our winter issue on Holmes at WellBeing HQ sharing Stories: soul-stories.com
Instagram. Love this! her wellness tips with the team! Photography Sol + Co

wellbeing.com.au | 167
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WE ARE A MEMBER OF
Ph tog
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 Wellness work
I
magine you’re 90. You’re sitting in your favourite chair, a steaming mug cupped in
your hands, gazing at a photograph of a much-treasured moment. As you relive this
moment of magnificence, your eyes, accented by grooves carved by a lifetime of love,
are clear and vibrant; your spirit ageless.
Once you have that scene in your mind, press pause.
What image is your 90-year-old eyes looking at? For this practice, think about
something that you’d dearly love to achieve in this lifetime, something that would bring you
great joy but hasn’t yet happened. What memory would you like to create that will be so
dear, so poignant it will endure for years to come?
Perhaps it’s the fulfilment of a deeply desired career dream or the leap to start your
own business, the moment you purchase your dream home or move to your “soul country”,
the time you cross the finish line of your first marathon or witness the difference your
philanthropy has made to the lives of others.
Grab a notepad and write down every detail of that desired moment.
OK, do you have a clear idea? Close your eyes and take a metaphorical step into that
photograph. Imagine yourself in that much-loved, much-longed-for experience. Where are
you? Who is there with you? What can you see, smell, hear and touch? What emotions do you
feel? Immerse yourself in this experience of pure joy and sit with it for as long as you can.
When you’re ready, open your eyes and fully detail this experience in your notepad. Don’t
judge your writing; let it flow and let it live.
Now, close your eyes again and visualise the process of achieving your dream. What
steps would you need to take to make that goal a reality? Imagine yourself completing
them, one by one, gracefully overcoming any potential obstacles. This will take some time
— but try to enjoy it!
Open your eyes and jot down any notes or ideas that come up.
Are you ready to make this vision a reality? Much research has been conducted into the
power of visualisation, showing visualisation can be an important element in achieving
behavioural change and reaching goals. More so when you visualise the goal-attainment
journey rather than just the ultimate destination. Yes, you’ll still need to work to achieve
your goals, but visualisation will help to keep you focused and reduce anxiety along the way.
So, over the next two months, consider setting aside some time daily to revisit your
“process visualisation”. It could be 15 minutes before bedtime or an intentional few
minutes when you make your first cup of tea.
Keep that notepad handy for any observations or deep emotions or insights that bubble
up to the surface — you never know what might come up! (If you want help on setting
goals, turn back to page 38.)
Oh, and keep us in the loop. We’d love to know how you get on with this practice. Share
your progress with us via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, email or snail mail. We’ll cheer you
on — and print our favourite stories in Your Say next issue.

WBx
Photography Getty Images

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