Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 166 i WellBeing

Let me introduce you to Max Moodle. Max is, in fact, a dog — specifically a moodle, a cross Maltese-poodle — and is our family dog. Despite abundant evidence to the contrary, Max is clearly of the thorough belief that he is, in no way, anything other than human. This may stem in part from a problem Max has that is not uncommon to small-legged dogs living in houses with lots of stairs: he has disc problems in his back. This means he has to be carried up and down stairs when he needs to pee or if the general family activity has changed venue. It has always been in Max’s nature, though, to enjoy human company. Even as a mini-moodle he would seek out the nearest person and sit…

EXERCISE HELPS IF YOU BELIEVE This study involved subjects aged 18–32 who exercised for 30 minutes on a stationary bike. Before exercising, the subjects were separated into groups, each group watching one of several short films that either promoted the positive health effects of bike riding or did not. On top of this, the researchers also asked the subjects whether they already believed in the positive effects of exercise before the study began. The subjects also had their brain activity measured using an EEG (electroencephalogram). The EEGs showed that both those who had seen the positive film and those who had prior positive beliefs about exercise showed more “relaxed” neuronal patterns after the exercise. Selffulfilling prophecy or placebo effect, it really doesn’t matter: the extent to which you benefit from…

Aloe vera (a member of the lily family) is well known worldwide for its variety of medicinal properties. This “medicine chest” of a plant is a succulent, needing very little water to survive. Its botanical name is Aloe barbadensis and it originated in South Africa. Today there are about 400 different species, many of which have similar properties, depending on climate and soil conditions. ACTIVE INGREDIENTS Aloe vera has more than 200 different biologically active substances, most of them in the inner gel (latex) of the leaves. Apart from the high water content (99 per cent), the leaves contain over 75 medicinally active compounds including proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, polysaccharides (polymannans including acemannan), phenolics and organic acids. Secondary metabolites are the anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering and antioxidant anthraquinones. THERAPEUTIC USES Healing…

Tell us about Love Tea. Our intention for Love Tea is that, when you mindfully sip it, it inspires you to make time to appreciate the quiet moments, take care of your health and share a moment with the people you love. At Love Tea, we skilfully craft, blend and pack each of our products in Australia. We collaborate with growers and smallscale co-operatives around the world to fairly source organic ingredients. We thoughtfully design each of our unique products to ensure optimum therapeutic benefit, exceptional flavour and minimal impact on the environment. What was your initial vision for Love Tea and how has that evolved? Initially, we wanted to create a range of teas that were organic and tasted great but also offered therapeutic benefits. We hoped to supply…

Have you ever been stuck in a rut, struggling to think clearly or creatively about a challenge you were facing? Did you spend countless hours going around and around in your head only to be none the wiser? Being stuck in a mental dead end can be both frustrating and exhausting and it’s usually a sign that your brain is tired, stressed and overworked. Inspired thinking, on the other hand, is the ability to use your brain optimally and experience both clarity and creativity in how you think and live your life. So how do you create a lifestyle that fosters inspired thinking and protects you from mental burnout? By understanding how your brain works as well as how you can manage your stress levels, increase your rest and relaxation…

Summer solstice arriving on December 21 in the Southern Hemisphere truly marks the beginning of summer. Summer is the season of light, joy, brightness, energy, long days and growth, which we want to make the most of. It’s a high point of the wheel of the year when we enjoy long walks on the beach, invigorating swims in the ocean, outdoor yoga, picnics in the park and vacations with our loved ones. Where do you stand this summer? Do you open-heartedly welcome it? Or do you find yourself wanting to hide away from the heat, preferably in an airconditioned room? Do you feel vibrant and joyous, fully embracing the warmth and the longer days? Or do you feel like your blood is boiling, your mind is exploding and you lose…

There’s a whole lot of buzz around gluten-free dishes right now and I’m fully on board with this awesome way of eating. You see, for me, creating gluten-free meals not only is good for my health but also helps fuel my creativity in the kitchen. Given that I follow a paleo lifestyle and have done for years, I’ve mastered the art of no-gluten cooking and I’m stoked that I’m able to substitute with healthier ingredients that are better for my body and make my meals more delicious. I reckon that’s what gluten-free cooking is all about. It’s about taking the stuff out of your regular meals that doesn’t serve your health (think flour, pasta etc) and replacing it with far better alternatives such as coconutflour, nut flour and spiralised vegies.…

If you are raising a strong-willed child, take heart — you are one of the lucky ones. These children, while challenging as toddlers and youngsters, can be fabulous teenagers and responsible, active citizens as adults. With these children, the idea is to keep the strong will without breaking their spirit and it’s a fine line to walk. The right mix of parenting and lots of patience will see you through. These kids are generally full of energy and strongly opinionated. They may be seen as determined or even “stubborn” and can easily get caught up in a power struggle with their parents or siblings. They have their own opinions about most things, know how to form a good argument and will test the boundaries often. However, given the right balance,…

“I come here when things go wrong,” says our guide Huong, the vibrancy in her youthful eyes glistening in the darkness. “It gives me strength.” Cemeteries, stereotyped in horror movies, are meant to be creepy at night. But joining the nightly pilgrimage to honour the 20,000 prisoners who died as martyrs on Con Son island, a former “hell on earth” penal colony, is strangely uplifting. We follow the evocative sound of chanting and heady scent of incense mingled with floral tributes, meandering along the pathways of Hang Duong Cemetery amid towering trees entwined with dripping vines to a grassy clearing. Among rows of modest stone graves, we gather around one elaborate circular headstone where the face of a young girl etched in white marble is bathed in moonlight. The words…

A TASTE OF GWINGANNA Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat’s organic recipe book A Taste of Gwinganna features 160 pages of delicious gluten-free and dairy-free recipes, plus a special section from Gwinganna’s organic gardener on how to make your own fermented foods. Available to order online. ALOE VERA OF AUSTRALIA Aloe Vera of Australia’s juices are made from the raw gel of organically grown Aloe barbadensis Miller. The aim is to simplify how people view health supplementation and get back to pure nature for the solutions. Aloe vera juice is widely used to help a variety of conditions of the digestive tract. W: aloevera.com.au MARTIN & PLEASANCE COMFREY CREAM Comfrey is traditionally used in Western herbal medicine for the relief of sprains, swelling and bruises. This smooth, paraben-free cream is absorbed easily into…

TEACHER VS INSTRUCTOR The first thing you need to do is make sure that a course will train you to be a yoga teacher, not just a yoga instructor. There is a lot more to yoga teaching than showing people how great you are at yoga. Teaching yoga involves everything learned on or off the mat to help you connect with others, showing them a way to feel better, more relaxed and balanced. THE RIGHT TRAINING Make sure the training organisation understands you and your needs. Look for a course that is vocation-based, as these programs consider your unique learning style with assessments and learning programs adjusted accordingly. Vocational training is all about getting you job-ready. A well-rounded course should offer more than the knowledge side of yoga. Every yoga…

Welcome. I’m so excited to join the WellBeing family with a column I hope will help you with your choices. What does it mean to be “conscious”? The dictionary tells us, “1. The inner sense of what is right or wrong in one’s conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action. 2. The complex of ethical and moral principles that controls or inhibits the actions or thoughts of an individual.” Some might argue that consciousness is hard, that ignorance is bliss, and to be aware of what’s “in stuff” brings with it a sad reality. What if, though, in our awareness and taking the time to connect with the sad truth of some things, we can then go about shaping a new truth — a sweeter one where we help…

CHRISTINE BROADBENT loves her work as an astrological counsellor, mentor and teacher. Her personal sessions and astrological seminars are available in Sydney and other Australian cities in late January–February 2017. Email christine@astrologyspot.com.au or call +61 402 664 101. For more on your sign, visit astrologyspot.com.au. PISCES New Year’s Day begins with Mars and Neptune aligned in Pisces. On Jan 13, Venus joins in. All this Pisces action suggests that plans and hopes for your year are on the table early. Jan 11–24 is the perfect time to give structure and order to those plans, with plenty of Capricorn strategy available. Work out financial dynamics Feb 2–22, reserving a contingency fund for sudden changes. By Feb 27, you’re ready — but will need patience. ARIES With Mars conjoined Neptune Jan 1,…

A lovely older woman (in her 60s) came into the clinic and the first thing that struck me was that she had a lovely tan, even though it was the middle of winter. Commenting on this, she said that in the past few years her skin always looked a lovely healthy colour. However, on questioning, I found she had been increasingly feeling tired and rundown and was gradually acquiring various aches and pains that she was attributing to getting older. Not believing that increasing symptoms are purely a function of the ageing process, I decided further investigation was needed. She was also noticing (and attributing to age) that she was increasingly irritable and since menopause 10 years earlier had been losing body hair from under her arms, her legs and…

AQUARIUS RISING A series of CDs by Dr Jeffrey Thompson weaves subtle brainwave pulses into multi-layered soundtracks. The brainwaves embedded in the soundtrack are Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta. These induce various mental states: stimulation, concentration, relaxation, meditation and a deep dreamless sleep. Dr Thompson began experimenting in the 1980s with sound frequency patterns and entraining brainwaves to trigger health benefits. The yoga and chakras guides present as a glossy double-sided four-page folder of well-researched, written and illustrated information. The chakra guide even shows chakra points on animals. The yoga guide lists various practices, mudras, breathing techniques, asanas, exercises, yoga paraphernalia and a glossary. Other guides are available on wellbeing and esoteric subjects, including guides on food, crystals, tarot, astrology, aromatherapy and more. T: +61 2 9891 4454 W: aquariusrising.com.au…

Did something resonate with you in this issue of WellBeing? We’d love to hear your feedback. Write to us at 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 submissions. FROM THE EDITOR When you reflect on 2016, what has it taught you? For me, these past 12 months have been curious cats; they’ve felt moggishly contrary and challenging and solitary, asking that I cocoon myself away to conserve my energy for ... what appears to be a slow unfolding. It’s not what I had in mind when I penned my resolutions and goals last December, which were all very exploratory and external. Where I wrote, “Go hiking and camping once a…

REST BOOSTS WELLBEING In a technology-driven world where everything is available all the time, rest has become devalued, but according to a new survey we need it more than ever. The new survey involved more than 18,000 people who responded from 134 different countries. Those who felt they needed more rest scored lowest on ratings of wellbeing and similarly those who said they felt they got more rest than average had wellbeing scores twice as high as those who wanted more rest. If you want to build more restful activities into your day, the researchers also asked the respondents the activities they found most restful and the top five were: reading (58 per cent), being in nature (53.1 per cent), being on your own (52.1 per cent), listening to music…

Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a delicious tropical fruit with a long history of medicinal use, particularly in Southeast Asia. There are a large number of trees and shrubs in this genus (up to 300), native to Asia, Australia, southern Africa and Polynesia. Mangosteen fruit trees possibly originated in Indonesia. The fruit is round and usually a dark red-purple colour with soft, juicy, whitish flesh. The main active ingredients in mangosteen are the polyphenolic xanthones such as mangostins and their derivatives. These compounds are rare and occur in only a few plant families as well as in fungi and lichens. The parts used medicinally are the fruit hull (or pericarp), the bark and root, although there is also research on the use of the leaves, the seed and the fruit. The…

Are you an amateur artist and would you like to see your art appear on this page? Email a high-resolution colour copy of an unpublished artwork to wbletters@universalmagazines. com.au or post it to WellBeing, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde, NSW 1670. LEESA MAREE BROCK W: instagram.com/Temple_Lah, templelah.com I remember the first time since high school that I picked up a paintbrush: I was 26 years old and a surge of energy pulsed through me. I wanted to know it, breathe it and own it. Now, at 40, painting has very much become my meditation, my sacred mystery and my power. I studied Visual Art and Art Therapy, eager to explore the relationship between creativity and healing. Now I have found they are meshed together, entwined, reflecting our truths, gifting liberating…

Emotions can be troublesome yet evolution has created humans in such a way that they provide an early warning system about what is happening within the immediate environment. Fear and anger, for example, let you know that something isn’t right, that some kind of threat is being made or about to be made. They can also help you to predict someone else’s responses to a situation, giving you time to prepare yourself. This sensitivity is a crucial and useful survival and social tool but it can become detrimental if your sensitivity levels are too high, your responses too strong and your susceptibility to criticism too acute. Life can be difficult for those people who seem to feel more strongly than others, yet some individuals do appear to be naturally more…

Getting married is big business. Wedding planning is estimated to be a $2-billion-a-year industry in Australia with the average wedding costing AU$36,000. But in among the big wedding hype and even bigger budgets, there is a more authentic, eco-friendly trend emerging, one that offers an alternative to the high toll of traditional ceremonies on the hip pocket and the environment. BEGIN WITH INTENT Breaking the traditional rules — and costs — of a wedding starts with the bride and groom being very clear about their intentions for their big day. The trend towards a more Earth-friendly and authentic event has to come from the clear vision of the people involved, as Lee Holmes’ recent wedding reflected. As an author and nutritionist with a passion for protecting the planet, Holmes —…

One of the most crucial environmental factors in accelerated skin ageing is overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. When the skin is exposed to excessive amounts of UV rays a series of harmful reactions occur, which is called photoageing. Overexposure to sunlight is a major environmental factor that increases the presence of destructive free radicals in the body and skin. Free radicals play a major role in driving skin ageing as they break down collagen, which decreases the skin’s suppleness and elasticity, along with damaging DNA and promoting inflammation, which can trigger inflammatory skin conditions like eczema. This skin damage can accumulate over the years and eventually lead to premature ageing, fine lines, wrinkles, freckles and sunspots. Studies have shown that excessive exposure to the sun is also…

Did you know it’s estimated that you spend as much as one-third of your time at work? It’s therefore not surprising that your job is a major contributing factor in the quality of your health and wellbeing. This presents an opportunity for employer and employee. It’s an avenue through which both together can actively improve the quality of life and wellbeing of all. It’s an opportunity that is receiving increased interest from employers — and for good reason: the size of the opportunity is significant. AN IMPORTANT ROLE FOR PREVENTIVE HEALTHCARE Health statistics on Australians make for sobering reading. The Australian Institute of Health Welfare (AIHW) estimates that two-thirds of Australians are now overweight or obese and about half of all Australians have a chronic disease, with 20 per cent…

What do an assassin bug, snake and spider have in common? These are all beneficial creatures for your garden (yes, really!). These often muchmaligned animals and insects are important for biodiversity; all animals, plants and even tiny micro-organisms are interconnected, each with a role to play, forming a unique ecosystem in your garden. Living in harmony with all living things in the garden is important for many reasons. It increases the yield of productive gardens, attracts beneficial insects and keeps the numbers of pests under control. ON THE JOB Insects and animals in the garden perform many dynamic functions: some are sacrificial, serving as a food source for higher-order predators, and others pollinate plants and flowers. Garden insects and other critters also have an important role in recycling waste through…

DVDS CAPTAIN FANTASTIC DIRECTED BY MATT ROSS STARRING VIGGO MORTENSEN MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN DIRECTED BY TIM BURTON STARRING EVA GREEN, ASA BUTTERFIELD Although its ironic title suggests yet another superhero movie, Captain Fantastic couldn’t be further from the mainstream. Same goes for its characters, a family living off the grid in the backwoods. Their fearless leader, former academic Ben Cross, seems more fanatic than fantastic. He and his wife Leslie, a doctor, have raised their six children, aged six to 18, to be “little philosopher kings”, ready for anything life might throw at them. It’s part boot camp, part book club. By day, Ben drills the kids in rock climbing and selfdefence; they hunt and kill their own meat and tend the garden. At night, by firelight,…

CHRISTY ORGANICS NATURAL PERFUME Discover the scents that have received over 350 testimonials worldwide. Designed with layers of notes that unfold and evolve on your skin, Christy Organics Natural Perfume transforms into a beautiful scent that is uniquely yours. It’s vegan, cruelty-free and 100 per cent natural and Australian made. Use code WELLB to receive 10 per cent off. W: christyorganics.com ENVIROSHIELD A hydrating anti-pollutant spritz to protect against infrared damage and fight free-radical activity. One daily spray of Enviroshield will detoxify the skin, chelate heavy metals and shield the skin from airborne particles present in environmental pollution. RRP AU$89 for 50mL. W: synergieskin.com ECO TAN’S FACE TAN WATER Eco Tan’s Face Tan Water is the world’s first certified organic face-tanning water. It’s a gradual tanning toner that builds with…

I love the analogy of our guts being like the soil in a garden. For plants to be strong, robust and vibrant, the soil needs to contain the perfect balance of nutrients and microorganisms. The connection between our guts and skin is very similar. For skin to be radiant, strong and healthy, we need to feed our guts nutrientrich foods and foster the growth of good bacteria. More and more studies show the link between gut inflammation and skin inflammation, and that people with balanced microbiota have fewer skin issues plus a better fatty acid profile in their skin, so it’s more moisturised, plump and radiant. Scientists believe cultivating better gut flora is also the key to robust immunity, more energy, healthier digestion, detoxification, weight loss, longevity, better brain function…

The kitchen is the heart of our house and the table the centre of the kitchen. When I think about our garden, though, the heart isn’t the vegetable garden, even though that’s the bit that gets the most work, but the rocks: the giant flat-topped “table rock” that Bryan spent three years winching into place, a few centimetres every day; the Stonehenge-type rock seats around it, the retaining wall, rock wall, the rock steps up to the house. We didn’t have much money when we began the garden but we did have lots of rocks. Every garden needs a centre. In the Eastern tradition, this often is rock — boulders carefully placed to mimic mountains in the landscape, always placed as they were naturally so they emanate security and a…

This is a column focused on your wellness in the workplace. My aim is to provide you with an understanding of the connectedness between wellness and your performance at work. I will provide you with a recipe for being energised, engaged, empowered and purposeful at work. To begin that journey, in this first column we compare the pros and cons of being a perfectionist versus a progressionist. HOW PACE & COMPLEXITY AFFECT YOU & YOUR WORK Pace and complexity in the workplace continue to increase. For many of you, they bring pressure to do more with fewer mistakes yet more quickly. The issue is that these factors can accumulate to create a perfect storm and trigger you into the pursuit of perfection, leading you down a path where you are…

WellBeing editor-in-chief Terry has been busily preparing a program, connecting with other wellness experts — and finding his sea legs — for a tour cruise he’s leading in February 2018. The 15-day Revival Cruise departs Sydney on February 3, 2018, and meanders down to Melbourne and Hobart, then sails across the ditch to Dunedin, Akaroa, Wellington, Napier, Bay of Islands and Auckland, exploring soulful, sustainable places along the way. Terry’s been dreaming up daily talks and discussions for guests on the many facets of living well, from the importance of engaging in regular physical exercise to good skincare, happiness, the ageing process and mindfulness. Joining him at stops along the way are chef and sustainable farmer Geoff Jansz, naturopath and wholefood enthusiast Meg Thompson and naturopath and stress management specialist…

We’d love to hear your tips for living well. Email us at wbletters@universalmagazines.com.au, comment on our Facebook page or on Instagram @WellBeing_Mag, or tweet us @WellBeing_Mag. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. CONVERSATION POINTS I’ve had quite a few convos this week that remind me just how lonely it is to be a human. Especially for young women. How did that happen?@laramcpherson When challenging a friend to play bigger she responded, “I’m just a girl.” My response: “And some girls have mad skills the world needs.” @LaurieErdman Depression in men can present differently than in women. It’s important to ask for help. @HarvardHealth The key to long-term happiness lies in appreciating the little things. @Ton_Vogelaar Completely held. Completely loved. Completely trusting. Completely asleep. #mumlife @folkandstory My meditation for…

THE FIRST FLOWER Until recently, the world’s earliest known flowering plant was China’s Archaefructus sinensis. Well, not any more. This has been discovered by researchers working on the plant Montsechia vidalii, from the Cretaceous Period, which once grew in freshwater lakes in what are now mountainous regions of Spain. The researchers analysed more than 1000 fossilised remains of Montsechia and classified it as a flowering plant (angiosperm) because it produced seeds enclosed within a carpel. A carpel is the female reproductive organ of a flower. Based on the determined age, the flowering plant coexisted with dinosaurs about 130 million years ago. As such, it slightly edges out Archaefructus. The modern descendant of Montsechia is Ceratophyllum, otherwise known as coontails or hornworts, popularly used in aquariums and koi ponds. The “first…

I’m writing this from my balcony in the inner west of Sydney. I can see trees, but they’re at war with the tall buildings overshadowing them, hungry for sunlight. I can hear birds chirping, but a bus accelerating up the hill is drowning out their sweet song. It’s hot, but to get to the beach I’d have to drive for 30 minutes and spend the same amount of time looking for a park. My weekend in Noosa feels like years ago but, thankfully, I returned with a toolkit of techniques for when this view becomes too much. Kelly Carthy, the founder and director of Luxe Escapes Noosa, picked me up from Maroochydore airport Saturday morning. She greeted me with a calming herbal tea because my “Luxe escape starts right now”…

If you’ve ever seen a baby start intuitively bopping along when it first hears music, you would have witnessed the wondrous effect of sound on the human psyche. Something happens when we connect to music: we start to access new parts of our brain, stimulating the feel-good hormones that are so often dormant in our stress-filled world. It’s natural to bop along — and it feels pretty good as well. But music is so much more than a feel-good pastime. Listening to highly regarded conductor Richard Gill speak about it, you begin to understand how important sound and singing are to our wellbeing and happiness — and why he’s so passionate about teaching children music in Australia and, in the process, completely rethinking our education system’s focus. THE ROLE OF…

There’s a variety of reasons why humans feel drawn to the cornucopia of offerings on shelves. Sometimes it’s about conspicuous consumption, status symbols and keeping up with the Joneses. In the case of retail therapy, buying and acquisition can be regarded as a displacement activity substituting an unmet emotional need. Materialistic values are often implanted by factors such as insecurity, parental divorce, less nurturing parents and susceptibility to outside influences. In the 1920s, social engineer Edward Bernays, nephew of Sigmund Freud, used the new science of public relations to birth the modern consumer era. Since then, advertising has taken up the reins in plugging an ideology of consumerism. So effective have these messages been that we rarely question the need for private ownership in a society where everyone is encouraged…

Before we had easy access to healthfood stores, acupuncturists and herbalists, our family kitchens were the go-to medicine cabinets. From spices and healthy oils to nutritionally rich plant foods, many ingredients in our kitchens are strong allies with powerful healing benefits. So the next time you develop a health niggle, chronic condition or simply notice signs that a cold is coming on, take a look in your kitchen pantry and fridge and see what potent remedies you can find there. STAR STAPLES Some foods are multi-healers with an impressive range of health benefits, so it’s good practice to keep them in your kitchen at all times. Turmeric There’s a reason why turmeric lattes (aka “golden milk”) have become such a popular choice on the cafe scene. Turmeric, known as the…

Hula hooping has come a long way since the craze of the 1950s. Hoops may no longer dominate toy stores but they have branched out into circus tents, gyms, dance parties and even yoga studios. Considering the health benefits (and sheer fun) of hula hooping, it can be worthwhile picking up a hoop and exploring some of the ways you can enjoy modern hoop culture. HULA HEALTH It’s surprising just how many health benefits a simple hula hoop can bring. Hula hooping is well known for building core strength and burning calories — but it can do a lot more than that, particularly if you learn hand tricks as well as on-body moves. Physical benefits of hula hooping are that it: Tones the whole body Increases flexibility Has no to…

Crossing the beach in three easy strides, we dive deep into Turquoise Bay, kicking out over giant coral bombies to join the mesmerising, swirling mass of marine life that colours Ningaloo’s underwater canvas. Scattering parrotfish in our bubble streams, we spook bluespotted stingrays hiding in the sandy shadows and keep pace with solitary green sea turtles that rise slowly from their resting places in lush pockets of seagrass. On we float, drifting gently in the current that pushes us north over Turquoise Bay’s famously blue lagoon, sandwiched between Australia’s largest and most accessible fringing coral reef and the rugged red canyons of Cape Range National Park. Where it sweeps closest to the shore, Ningaloo’s 300km-long World Heritagelisted wilderness brings incredible marine inhabitants within easy reach, enabling wondrous encounters with 12-metre-long…

Grown & Gathered would have to be one of the most thoughtful and inspiring books we’ve ever received at WellBeing. The authors, Matt and Lentil, began selling produce from their central Victorian farm to some of Melbourne’s top restaurants and cafes, encouraging chefs to adopt the principles of local and sustainable farming. Word travelled fast and they decided to open their van doors to all Melburnians, pulling into forgotten side streets to sell and trade homegrown vegies, flowers and produce. They soon sold out week after week and their knowledge of the seasons, growing and trade became sought after. Thankfully for folk living elsewhere, Grown & Gathered, a cookbook with so much more to offer than just beautiful recipes, was born. This book is a practical guide based on the…

ORGRAN LITE GRAIN CRISPIBREAD ORGRAN Lite Grain Crispibread is the latest addition to the Crispibread range. A good source of fibre and with a light, crunchy texture, this nutritious snack is perfect when you’re on the go. Made with over 50 per cent grains, this tasty, healthy treat is protein enriched with fava beans for added freshness and flavour. W: orgran.com MELROSE ORGANIC UNREFINED COCONUT OIL Looking for a versatile, healthy cooking oil? Try Melrose Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil. With its delicious coconut flavour and aroma, it contains only 100 per cent organic coconuts sustainably sourced from the Philippines. The perfect addition to your cooking, baking and morning smoothies. RRP AU$10.65 for 300g. W: melrosehealth.com.au LÉKUÉ COOKWARE Lekue’s products have revolutionised kitchens worldwide, making them spaces of new food experiences…

Cutting out processed foods is one of the most important steps in improving your health. Learning to incorporate more traditional processing techniques within the modern lifestyle is a must. Here are some thoughts and tips to get you started. Clean out the cupboards Go through your cupboards and do a serious cull. Throw out anything premade or processed, or that contains any ingredients that aren’t real foods. Ask yourself, “Could I make this myself?” Throw out (and don’t repurchase) premade sauces, frozen meals, ice-cream, supermarket breads, confectionery, chips, premade biscuits and crackers, basically anything in a packet that’s not a single ingredient (or made from real foods). Meal plan Do a weekly meal plan each week. This will take you around half an hour to begin with but will get…

The rise of multi-drug-resistant bacteria may be the most important health threat in the coming years. Currently, antimicrobial resistance is estimated to kill more than 700,00 people globally each year. Some estimates say by 2050 more than 10 million people will die from it each year, which is more than die from car accidents or cancer. Although still an emerging issue in Australia, we do see cats and dogs with resistant infections, most commonly ear infections. Pet owners and veterinarians have an important role to play in reducing the inappropriate use of antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance has occurred due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. There is also a lack of newer antibiotics in production due to cost and regulatory issues. A major cause of antibiotic resistance in small animal…

Just saying “magnesium” conjures qualities of generosity and gravitas. This captures its seismic influence on all the primary diseases that are currently enveloping the Western world including obesity, Alzheimer’s dementia and heart disease. Fatigue, anxiety and depression, afflictions that are equally endemic in present-day society, are also impacted by magnesium’s sizeable import. THE INSULIN FACTOR Insulin is the hormone we commonly associate with glucose function. When insulin fires, glucose can enter our cells and supply us with the energy we need to function optimally. If insulin stumbles, glucose is unable to access the metabolic engine. Appetite regulation, mental function and the manufacture of healthy brain cells and chemicals called neurotransmitters that orchestrate our emotions all rely on the pairing of insulin and glucose. In this saga, magnesium is a principal…