From Bars to Bikram - Transition into the new modern - YOU (Part 2)

"From Bars to Bikram Part 1" was all about the tools to bring you clarity within yourself: through meditation, mindfulness practice and yoga. Check it out if you haven't already. By incorporating these things into your daily routine you are going into phase 1 of getting in touch with the gold that lives within yourself. Part 2 is all about using that gold to create abundance and great things in your external world.

What you focus on increases - Andy Andrews

What you think you become - Buddha

What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve - Napolean Hill

Do any of these sound familiar to you? Understanding and grasping this concept: that your mind is the most important tool to creating your experience of the world - is the key to living a life of whatever you wish. As mentioned in Part 1, we can find ourselves swimming in “mental muck” and in turn finding a whole lotta crap showing up in our lives as well. What if we were to take that concept and turn it into the positive for ourselves? We all have the power. Here are the tools of the trade in manifesting the great things in life:

Positive Affirmations

I want you to PUT good things in your life. It's as simple as that. Grab a journal, grab a pen and get positive, over and over and over. I first came across how to do affirmations PROPERLY upon reading Louise Hay’s “How to Heal Your Life”. Prior to then, I had tried to do these "affirmations" I had heard of, gave a half assed and cynical attempt then got frustrated when it did NOTHING (what do you think I ended up creating more of!). It was only when I became open with the idea that we have some pure personal power within that I started to truly use it and see the power affirmations can have. I know I keep going on about Miranda Kerr but I adore her and in her book "Treasure Yourself", she too, puts half the book's emphasis on positive affirmations and how it helped her career. Your subconscious is an incredibly powerful thing, whatever you put in it, is what comes out. Nothing is left to chance, what you actively do or dont think will be represented in your life (I know this might scare some people). Look at what’s around you, I mean REALLY look. The chair you're sitting on, the computer or iPhone your reading this from - they were created first with a THOUGHT that started in the mind, and through action was brought into reality. Beautiful, ugly, messy, sharp. Everything starts in the mind first. Everything we experience is interpreted through the mind. So let's get cracking and proactive to bring some positivity to life! 

How to do it: 

1. First we have to choose something we would like in our lives. I find the best place to start is rewriting the beliefs we have of ourselves. Where do your insecurities lie? What beliefs do you hold of yourself that are holding you back? Sometimes all you need is a little self love. Louise Hay gives us the most simple and useful place to start affirmations - "I love and approve of myself" . Once you've got that part sorted you might start to feel the other areas that might need attention ie. "I am discovering new meaning in my life" or "Everything I do turns into success"

2. Make sure your affirmation is present tense, positive and precise (clear). See examples above.

3. The aim of affirmations is to introduce positive concepts into your reality. Now find a quiet spot and start! Buy a journal especially for your affirmations. Give yourself at least 10 minutes  and write it out about 20 times. Try to remain calm and focussed on what you are writing, dont think about anything else. Practice daily, and I find the best time is in the morning. Now let go, know the universe has heard you, and keep living. You'll be surprised.

Here are some more awesome links on positive affirmations

http://www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au/2012/02/are-you-positive-how-and-why-affirmations-work/

http://www.louisehay.com/affirmations/ 

There is also some great tips in "Treasure Yourself" by Miranda Kerr

Louise Hay with Miranda Kerr

Gratefulness

If you realised just how lucky you are, no matter what your circumstance, you would never be unhappy. There is always someone worse off than you. Just by knowing this, you should realise the power you have to be more than what you are, and create more than what you think. Stephen Covey gives us a great recommendation to read: "Man's Search for Meaning", by Viktor Frankl, who recounts the physical and mental torture of being prisoner of war in the Nazi Germany concentration camps. They stripped these prisoners of their identity, of their families. Throughout the book is a search for freedom that lives within, no matter what another person does to you. Being thankful for the things in your life, no matter how small is your freedom & your way to grow more of it. Just as what you focus on increases, what you are thankful for increases. The attitude of gratitude will get you very far.

How to do it: Practice. Every moment. The best place to start is by taking some quality time out, to write out at least 10 things you have been thankful for in the day. That day specifically. You may want to do a wholistic one on all the things you are thankful for in your life first. But the daily practice of finding things in every moment to be grateful for is what is most important. This is how you develop the attitude and the habit of being eternally grateful. Life changes when the way you see the world changes.

Putting trust in life

"Oh God! Noo! Last time I did that this happened and it was terrible I'm going to just shut myself off from that forever now!" Quit it. Launch on in again to whatever scares you. Have you ever been in a situation that at the time seemed TERRIBLE but then you looked back and went, whoa I actually learnt an incredible lot from that, I wouldnt be the same today if I hadnt have tried that. Never be afraid, I can promise you that life loves you. All life wants you to do is WAKE UP and LIVE IT. Take a chance, take a risk. Whatever is in your heart will be supported if you just trust.  

How to do it: Set yourself a challenge and go for it. Identify what scares you and then DO IT. It's all about living in the now to reap out the greatest benefits. If you havent read it already go get yourself a copy of Eckhart Tolle's: The Power of Now

I know for a lot of people, this kinda talk is all woo woo and wee wahh. But let me give you a challenge:

Do your positive affirmations

Practice the gratefulness exercise 

Live in the powerful perfect present with no fear

For at least 21 days straight. See what happens ;)

x o x

Get Your Groove On: Motivation 101

Whether it be getting out of bed earlier in the morning, getting your ass up off the couch to go exercise, sticking to your healthy meal plans - how are your goals going? If you have goals but find yourself regularly losing motivation along the way - have a read - maybe your motivation tactics need some tweaking!

Forms of motivation are effective in different ways for every-body! Motivation is your forward propelling MEANS to get to where you want to be. We have Extrinsic & Instrinsic motivation. We have positive thinking and coercive thinking. We can manipulate our own human nature to whip our own ass towards whatever we want! Whoever wants it most - gets it!!

Let's take a brief look at what each means:

Extrinsic motivation - Show me the money!! This basically means you are driven by things outside of yourself - ie tangible rewards (money, cars, homes etc) External pleasures

Intrinsic motivation - Means you are motivated by things that bring you saisfaction inside, the things that continually bring you joy. Being intrinsically motivated is you moving towards what your soul finds gratification in.

Positive reinforcement vs Coercive (negative and self whipping) thinking - This is a battle many of us don't quite know which is best to grasp, but I can ASSURE you, that it is always best to stick to the positives. If motivation is your propellor to your goal - then you need to lift higher, not drag yourself back under. Positive reinforcement is about opening our minds to every possibility and recognising our strengths as OURS and that they are INCREDIBLE. To put our weaknesses in front of us, compare ourselves to others and where we "should" be rather than what we CAN be, we're pretty much setting ourselves up for failure. We might get a little further ahead than where we were, only to discover we reel back into old habits, because we held the BELIEF that we were never good enough in the first place.

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) studies tell us that we are better off having a mix of Intrinsic Motivation coupled with Positive Thinking to be able to achieve deeply satisfying goals that grow and are long lasting. If you’re excited about having money or other extrinsic rewards, but it means giving up what you’re truly passionate about - then you are more likely to at some point be left with a very empty feeling inside and you will always be searching for greener grasses. Likewise, if you tell yourself you’re a piece of poop and not good enough to try encourage yourself to a higher ground – guess what! You’ll more than likely stay at that crappy level and never go beyond the the limitations your set for yourself.

So what gets you going? What resonates with you? Sometimes we are just so full of negative talk it actually drains the natural motivation and spark that we all hold inside. We all hold fear – just let it go. Here are some ways to get your groove back and be totally motivated. DAILY

1. Make an effort to overcome your fears – success reaps success. When you start to see that you actually CAN overcome your fears, confidence grows and you start snowballing on the success factor. Don’t be afraid to step out and be you, ever. If you make a mistake – learn from it and keep focussing on the positive.

Daily motivation exercise – Start off small. It first takes recognising WHAT you’re scared of, recognising the solutions and steps that need to occur – and then ACTING on them (Just DO It). Ie (small example) Stepping into your very first PUMP class at the gym. What are you really scared of? Is it really going to be that bad? Jump on in there and be OPEN to whatever happens. Life supports you and your goals.

2. Make yourself some positive affirmations - It might feel silly at first, but positive affirmations actually do work. Our brains are like mega computers, what we feed into them, whether we believe what we’re writing or not – programs them! We pick up data every day, and it’s how we interpret that is how we experience it. Whatever you put your attention on, reaps the result that is going to come into fruition.

Daily motivation exercise – Choose an affirmation. It has to be clear, current and celebratory. Ie. “I accept and receive all good things that come my way.” When you are alone, peaceful and focussed, write out your affirmation 20 times in a diary. I have even set myself some reminders on my mobile so that every morning at 7am I am greeted with a friendly “I live in the powerful perfect present”. What you focus on increases.

3. Have a goal - & put it in front of you. Everywhere. Remember – Intention, Attention, No Tension. Be CLEAR about the intention, GIVE IT DAILY YOUR ATTENTION, and do it all with no tension (don’t hold on so tight to that steering wheel). Just like the affirmations, what you focus on increases. If your goals and passions are in front of you, you will be more drawn to them and not let them get lost amongst the other muck in your head! We get so clouded sometimes with other thoughts we just forget what we’re actually trying to achieve in life, and easily fall into autopilot. Take the reigns of your life!

Daily motivation exercise – Get a white board and state your goals clearly. Stick it up in front of your bed and wake up to your goals every morning, Make your goals your Desktop setting, print it and put it in a photo frame to keep on your desk, stick them on your bathroom mirror, keep them on flash cards in your wallet. Then every time you MAKE A DECISION – you can ask yourself whether your action is going to be in line with your goals – BECAUSE THEY ARE RIGHT THERE.

4. Know yourself! - Realise what makes you tick, what gets you going. What’s your motivational song, motivational YouTube clip, the thoughts that make you feel love and inspired. Who is the person you always wanted to be? Do it for the child in you that dared to dream.

Daily motivation exercise – Sign yourself up to affirmation and inspiration pages. Depending on your goal there are loads of items on the net to get that heartbeat ticking. Is there a person in your life that inspires you? Hold something of theirs close to you. Look back into the past and see the things that have always made you feel good. The magic you seek is within your reach

5.   Celebrate your strengths & focus on the positives – Losing sight is easy, when you’re drawn there by human nature. Don’t stay there. That is the fear bubble sucking you in. Being grateful gives you more of what you love, and recognising your strengths grows more of that in the long run too

     Daily motivation exercise – At the end of each day:

1. Write out 10 things you did SPECIFICALLY that day that made you appreciate yourself

2. Write out 10 things you were SPECIFICALLY grateful for that day. Ie. I am grateful for act of kindness from the stranger who held the lift for me.

Repeat daily for at least 21 days

6.   Dream big – Sometimes you don’t know just how great things can be because you havent been there before. But what would happen if you strived to create new benchmarks. Happiness levels soaring past 110% . Life is supporting you every step of the way, as soon as you realise that and trust in the process of life, the better life will be.

Daily motivation exercise - Make yourself a vision board today!  Yes, that's my vision board at the top of this post (uhm embarrassing but it’s here to get you thinking). I thought about what I REALLY wanted in life, downloaded Picasa, spent hours trawling through pictures and quotes that “spoke” to me, and here is the final product.

At the end of the day, you’re the only one who’s going to get you there. Take action DAILY. Right now. What’s the first step. Life is an incredible journey.

MAKE IT HAPPEN

JUST DO IT

BE FEARLESS

xx

Listen up! I'm telling you that you're RIGHT

Do you rely on circumstance to tell you what you do and don't need? Whether it be influential advertising, or reactions from others or just doing whatever everyone else is doing at the time? I'm here to tell you that many many many of the answers you need for a rich and happy life are all within yourself and are most definitely within your reach.

We all have intuition to listen to, and signals being passed to us every day. I am a firm believer that if we ignore warning signals we're being given - life will give us one big whopping lesson because we NEED it, and we're inadvertently faced with a big whinging "WHYYYY!" when the lesson hits us. I have learnt the hard way many times :) but I have also come to realise that life only does it because it loves you, so I am only ever grateful for these lessons. Once we get over our self pity and look back, we can see that had have we just listened to the initial warning signals, gotten out of auto pilot and taken some time to listen to ourselves, many many problems we feel and face could have been avoided.

Few people know that I had an arrythmia of the heart from a young age. The start of my SVT (supaventricular tachi cardia - the name of my arrythmia) came on at 14. I was sitting there in class as a year 9-er and all of a sudden I got light headed and my heart skipped into the arrythmia which felt like a fluttering whirr rather than a normal beat. The dr's gave me a monitor to wear which found out when I slipped into an attack my heart was beating at 250 beats per minute! This went on and off randomly for about 8 years until I got a procedure done in 2009 to burn out the extra circuit in my heart that was causing it. It was Dave who started talking to me about the possibility that the start of this ailment could have been related to other things going on at that time in my life, and attacks which occurred were in line with when the problem needed to be addressed.

Alternative health studies from the likes of Louise Hay, author of "How to Heal Your Life" and Brandon Bays, author of "The Journey" place emphasis on looking at the diagnosis of health issues by looking at the human as a WHOLE - your ailment is just a symptom of something in you that is much much deeper. To treat only the ailment and with perscription drugs is sort of like scraping the surface of an ice berg. It's likely if the deeper issue isn't addressed it will just manifest itself some other way. Are you holding onto resentment of any sort? How much self worth do you place on yourself? How much do you love what you are doing? Are you living your life's purpose? At times the physical issues we are facing are the symptom of something much deeper which is in need of resolve.

Going on to looking at our country and it's health as a whole, there are a few statistics and findings regarding Australian health I'd like to share:

• 75% of the Australian population reported in the 2007-2008 National Health Survey that they had one or more long term medical condition. EVEN THOUGH A MAJORITY OF AUSTRALIANS REPORTED THAT THEY WERE IN GOOD HEALTH OR BETTER (abs.gov.au).

• AIHW analysis of the 04-05 National Health Survey showed that just over 7 million people have at least 1 chronic condition, and the proportions having a condition increase with age, as do the proportions of people reporting more than one chronic condition http://www.aihw.gov.au/chronic-diseases/ 

• Ischaemic heart diseases were the leading cause of death for both males and females in 2009, with 12,047 and 10,476 deaths respectively (abs.gov.au). Cancers, lower respiratory problems and strokes followed not far after. Cardiovascular disease, including stroke and high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and many cancers could be delayed or prevented through attention to the foods we eat and how we live (www.csiro.au)

• 55 per cent of adults are overweight or obese and older Australians (55 years plus) have gained 6-7 kg over the last 20 years. (www.csiro.au)

The above is quite baffling given that we live in a country of rich resources, an advanced medical care system, fresh food available and regulated EVERYTHING for the general public - don't you think? So if we have everything in place to support our fair country and it's people, why are our preventable illness numbers so high? If we could individually make the choices that would prevent illness occurring, just why wouldn't we?

I want to show you that you know a heck of a lot more about looking after yourself than you might realise. Take this little questionnaire as taken from "Wellness Workbook" by Regina Sara Ryan and John W.Travis (MD):

REMEMBERING WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW

1.1 As quickly as you can, list the words, phrases or images that come to mind when you think of illness. ILLNESS IS:

1.2 Now do the same for wellness. WELLNESS IS:

Look back at what you have recorded

2. Go on now to recall what you know about encouraging wellness

2.1 What I would like to eliminate, do less, use less etc. to be more well:

2.2 What I would like to encourage, do more, use more etc, to be more well

Look back over what you have written

3. Make one small choice for change

3.1 What is one step you can take today to eliminate what you don't like?

3.2 What is one step you can take today to encourage what you feel good about?

4. Congratulate yourself

Let's celebrate living a little by being proactive with our health. It's not ALL about weight loss, it's about being the best we were born to be and living this life to the fullest.

From here you might want to start the ball rolling with some more deeper questions for yourself - have a go at answering them and see what you come up with. You might be surprised :)

Trust yourself and your intuition.

X

For the Foodies

Who says you can't be going "mmmmm" the whole way through eating foods that are really good for you! I have been loving making super tasty meals for my friends as of late. Using only ingredients that benefit your insides.

Most of the creations are based on recipes from Chef Kate (Chef to the stars including Miranda Kerr) who I was lucky enough to meet at the Kora Organics breakfast last year. Chef Kate's recipes have been adapted to the dietary needs of superstars who require to keep their bodies in peak form for their image. She is releasing a book soon with Miranda Kerr's Mum and I cannot wait til it hits the shelves.

Let me show you what I've been busting out in the kitchen in the last couple of weeks.

MACADAMIA, HERB & QUINOA (Pronounced keen-wah) CRUSTED LAMB LOINS WITH ROAST VEGGIES

Ok, the pics make this dish look like a mess, but the flavours all worked really well together and was oh so delightful. My friend Jason kindly supplied the wine which worked great with the meal as well - Memento - an exclusive Sangioese and Syrah blend (woo go Jase!)

The food yard at Freo Markets had all the ingredients needed for this recipe in the one convenient location! Clara's sells a range of organic alternative ingredients, which included Macadamia nut butter & agave syrup that was required for this recipe. Alternative ingredients can be quite exxy but once you have them they are there for you to use when you want to whip up an impressive and healthful meal.

A lamb dish was at my friend Jason's request but you can use chicken or any meat you like really. I try and stay away from red meat normally as it doesn't digest very well - but like with anything, going outside the rules every once in a while is OK.

Ingredients:

6 lamb loin chops (or 2-4 halved chicken breasts)

Batter

1 cup Macadamia nut butter
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 Tbs coconut oil
Celtic sea salt to taste
Ground pepper

Crust

1 cup ground Macadamia nuts
1 cup cooked quinoa (cook 1 cup raw - there will end up being more than 1 cup once cooked but use leftovers for quinoa salad)
Sea salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves, chopped

Veggies

You can use any veggies you like for roasting. I used: Courgettes (mini eggplants), tomato, capsicum, portobello mushroom and broccolini

I bought some Goats cheese Haloumi to sprinkle on top as well.

Instructions

Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees (fan forced). In a deep baking dish place your chopped veggies and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Make your batter simply by stirring all the batter ingredients together and in a separate bowl prepare your crust by mixing all the crust ingredients together. Start by dipping each portion of meat into the batter then into the crust and well coated. Make sure you really press the crust in there! Once all portions have been thoroughly coated you want to pan fry them in coconut oil first 3 minutes each side. Once you've done that, transfer into the baking dish on top of the veggies. Put some haloumi on top if you wish. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes. There will be some leftover Quinoa so you can make a quinoa salad with any leftover batter and some more basil leaves. Serve!

COCONUT, LIME BLANC SAUCE CHICKEN WITH SWEET POTATO CHIA MASH & ARUGULA SALAD

Blanc Sauce:
1 TBS Coconut oil - 1/2 cup shallots - 1/2 cup white wine (there is an ORGANIC and beautiful wine here: http://organic-1.com/) / 1/2 cup un-sweetened coconut milk - 1 TBS Braggs Liquid Aminos (similar to Soy Sauce but minimal processing) - 2 egg yolks -1/4 tsb tumeric - 1 tsp lime zest / 1 tsp celtic sea salt / ground pepper / fresh lime juice

Heat the coconut oil in a medium pan on medium heat and cook the shallots for 1 minute (dont brown). Add wine, coconut milk, Braggs then reduce hear to medium and stir often until the liquid has reduced by half. Whisk in egg yolks. Add tumeric lime zest, salt, pepper and whisk constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat & add lime juice.
Chicken:
I like to keep this pretty simple - get 2 chicken breasts, cut in half and then pan fry in 1 TBS of Coconut Oil. Cook until there's no pink in the middle. Pour Blanc sauce over chicken

Arugula salad:
Arugula (rocket leaves) - lime juice of 1 fresh lime - 1 TBS Braggs Liquid Aminos - 1 TBS coconut oil - 1/2 cup chopped shallots.

All you have to do is mix it altogether in a bowl!

Sweet potato chia mash:1/2 cup chia gel (to prepare and have handy - soak 1 cup chia in 3 cups water in an airtight container - chia will go gel like with all the nutrients busting out) - 2 small sweet potatoes (chopped) - 1/2 cup coconut milk - 1 TBS Braggs Liquid Aminos - 1/2 cup shallots

Boil the sweet potato for about 10 minutes until soft. Mash it up with the help of the coconut milk and Braggs liquid aminos until at the consistency you prefer. Stir in shallots and chia.

To serve: Lay out your arugula salad, place chicken on top, pour over sauce and serve the mash on the side. This one was a hit and my friend re made it for their sister. Both impressed.
Coconut oil - The benefits are far and wide. Don't be fooled by the saturated fat labelling, the sat fat in coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid and your body treats it differently to your standard sat fat. Just don't go overboard with your daily intake. Coconut oil helps your skin glow, aids digestion, raises metabolism & has antifungal properties.

SUPER FOOD BROWNIES

I'd hope after you try these bad boys you'll never want to have to touch another chocolate bar ever again!

Ingredients:
Goji berries (Mega antioxident)

Raw Cacao powder (Antioxident, mood elevator, key nutrients)

10 medjool dates (Natural fibre)

1 TSP Spirulina (B Vitamins, Iron, Protein, long list of minerals & nutrients)

1 TSP Maca Powder (Hormone balancing)

1/2 cup raisins (natural energy)

1/2 cup almonds (Vitamin E, healthy fats)

Coconut oil (boost metabolism & aid digestion, glowing skin)

Dessicated coconut / crushed almonds  / extra goji berries (to decorate - optional)

Literally just blend all the ingredients together, roll out onto a rolling board and either make them into balls or cut with a cookie cutter, then coat with your decoration of choice. They might come out a little sticky and if so thats where your granulated toppings come in handy (ground almonds/any kind of nuts).

FINAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT

EAT MINDFULLY - If you're focussing on other things while your eating, you might find yourself getting food amnesia. Meaning - you were not present while you were eating and therefore you did not register 100% the taste and process of eating and therefore you may be more likely to reach for more food mindlessly shortly after. Unfortunately calories do add up & so we have to be quite mindful of what's going in and listen to what our bodies actually want and need at that time. That requires being present. When you eat, don't do it while you're working, while your on Facebook, or anything that requires you to be focussed on something other than the taste, texture, smells and process of whats going in. I can guarantee you'll enjoy your food a heck of a lot more too! You will notice the fullness it creates and acknowledge that you are now fulfilled. By choosing the right foods too you will discover a great sense of gratitude while your eating, by knowing how great the food your putting in is going to be to your body. If you're wanting to kill a hunger pang, try drinking water first, as our bodies sometimes think we are hungry when actually we're just dehydrated.

SHARING IS CARING - While cooking these dishes, just knowing how nourishing they are for the body and being able to share it with my friends has given me the greatest buzz. I guess coming from an Italian background where the family events were revolved around food and coming together as a family might have something to do with that. Too often we can opt to do the usual outings with our pals, and walk away feeling like we have "seen" our buddies but maybe not necessarily had a chance to really connect with them. Dining in this way brings out great conversation & a sense of giving and sharing. Cook offs can be a lot of fun, especially when they are new creations only using foods that nourish the mind, body & soul. I encourage you to cook healthy meals with your buddies!

BON APPETIT!

xx

From Bars to Bikram - Transition into the new modern - YOU (Part 1)

Oh what a transition I've been on in the last 6 months. I've swapped cocktails to green smoothies, benders to Bikram, Marie Claire to Nature & Health magazines, sleep ins to early rises with morning rituals. With modern day inspirations like Miranda Kerr, Jess Ainscough, Sarah Beth and a bevy of other healthful & spiritual beauties, it only came natural - I want what she's having! Wanna join in?


My mantra is mind, body, soul - referring to the strong correlation beween each. If you are working on the mind and body but still feel like something is missing - then you have most likely been neglecting your soul. This post is about the spiritual self work you can do to begin the journey to realising there is more to you - the real you.

Your soul sits with you always - but it can easily be clouded in a muck of thoughts, negative self talk, stories your mind makes up, words, images and emotions. Behind it all, there is a beaming divinity which is consistent, unchanging, unmoving, & existing in bliss. It's the power that guides you and gives you strength. Listen to it, grow it and show it. There is no other way about it if you are to live a more meaningful life. So switch your mind off for just a moment, and get into the groove of you with Part 1 of the following techniques (tried and tested by me):

Meditation

Why meditate: Meditation is a tool to create room for peace within. It's about shutting off the outer world, shutting off the chattering mind and letting an inner world grow. Benefits of meditation include: clearer thinking, creation of balance in our hectic lifestyles, relaxation (apparently half an hours worth is more beneficial than 8 hours sleep), development of insight and intuition. If you need more info, see 100 benefits of meditation.

My experience: In my own practice, I try and do some form of meditation for at least 10 minutes a day and preferably in the morning. With everything calm inside my day is more positive, energtic & fulfilling. When I first tried meditation last year, & my mind was still being a complete monkey, my mind would drift off and I would get frustrated that I couldnt do it properly. The key is to let go of this, when thoughts come, notice them, but dont fight them. Just bring your attention back to your breath. The more you meditate, the better your practice, the closer you get each time.

How to do it: There are a number of ways to meditate, at the end of the day its what you feel comfortable with, and then slowly increasing how long you do it.  Personally I like guided meditation. The YouTube clip here is a great start.


Mindfulness practice

Mindfulness is all about being in the very present moment without getting caught up in your thoughts. You can practice mindfulness when you eat, when you brush your teeth, while your walking - at any time in the day! Mindfulness is important as the more we practice mindfulness our awareness, insightfulness and clarity of the mind increases, meaning we are more productive and at one with everything around us. It is where we find acceptance and it's where we find happiness :). At first mindfulness was a hard concept for me to get my head around, but with a bit of practice it becomes something you incorporate deeply into your life. You start to notice destructive thought patterns as they arise, and are able to dissipate them quickly.

I was given a mindfulness meditation CD by Dave. It only lasts 10 minutes and gets you to focus on each part of the body, whilst practicng deep breathing. You then notice sounds around you but see them as mental objects rather than thinking about where they are coming from, & then it gets you to fully notice your thoughts, without getting carried away by them. Another way you can practice mindfulness is to turn your thoughts off and completely notice with all of your senses what is happening in that very present moment. While you walk, you might notice the burn in your legs or your breath, or the feeling of the fresh air whipping against your face. Be present, be mindful :)

Yoga

There are many forms of yoga but I will only go into Bikram at this stage because its had the most benefits for me. What I love about Bikram is that it has shown me some incredible things about myself. Every time I finish the 90 minutes of hot room strain I walk out feeling more confident than I did before. With my mind concentrated on my breath and my body, I find mental stillness. When I first started Bikram, I wanted to run out of the room because of the heat, but now that I stay in there and face and accept the environment, I see myself strongly facing my fears. I am constantly challenging my body with the postures, pushing each one further and further, so I am building strength, detoxifying my system and breaking through my own barriers. Locust pose in Salabhasana is my most dreaded pose in the class (see above). Previously I had only been able to lift my legs about 2 cm off the ground, and today I started to feel my legs lift way higher and I was so proud of that. I am overcoming and beating my biggest challenges! To know I can face these challenges head on in class, means I can bring it out into my own life. Bikram yoga not only gives me body strength but mental and inner strength also. I go to Perth Bikram Yoga - for more information see here: http://www.perthbikramyoga.com.au/


Practice each regularly, and you'll start to feel more in touch with yourself as the mental muck makes a move. Sometimes we ARE the journey, we in ourselves are an awesome thing to grow, challenge and discover. If you think you can give up nights out for just one month to practice any of the above, I promise the rewards will be much greater than any hangover! ;) In Part 2 I will give you my insights into positive affirmations, gratefulness and putting trust in the universe.

xxx Nat

Liquid Goodness! Say goodbye to that Latte and even a good alcoholic alternative

I love the government initiative of "Swap it Don't Stop it" and so I have made this post about swapping the drinks that are keeping your body clock backwards to drinks that will have your body singing morning, noon and night. Just like with anything in life, neglect those things that dont serve you, and swap them for those things which will only enhance your life and lead you to your desired goals. Healthful alternatives are here! & Don't forget that water is your best beverage in any case.

If you currently drink any of the following on a regular basis or have a slight addiction to it say "I":

COFFEE
RED BULL
SOFT DRINK (including diet)
BOTTLED FRUIT JUICE FROM THE SUPERMARKET
COW'S MILK
ALCOHOL

If you said "I" to more than 2 (you might even have said yes to all of them) read on as to what these drinks are actually doing to you:

COFFEE

Ahh that glorious mug of AM "pick me up" goodness. Wakes up your brain, has you feeling alive - and ready to take on the world! However, that same "buzz" you get is the warning sign that your nervous system is being overstimulated. Overconsumption leads to dehydration (showing in your skin), inability to relax, meditate and sleep. If your stress levels are through the roof and you don't know how to cope, the first best thing you can do is wean yourself off the caffeine. The response to the overstimulation caffeine provides also means an excessive jump in your cortisol levels, cortisol being the body's stress reducing hormone. You body needs cortisol in during long periods of stress but too much cortisol and you are left with an increased appetite, excessive fat storage and poor blood sugar control. If you HAVE to have a coffee, keep it to 1 a day, in the AM. I personally get very buzzy off caffeine and so normally enjoy the pick me up it gives when I rock up to work, but caffeine also gets me very stressed out as I have a very sensitive nervous system. The days I wean off caffeine I find myself in the flow of life a lot better and approach my work with more ease and clear thinking. Practices such as yoga and meditation are performed much better with a calm internal system also.

"PICK ME UP" ALTERNATIVES:

Green tea infused with fresh lemon & ginger - Green tea still has caffeine but it has a gentler stimulating effect than coffee. Green tea is also full of antioxidents and promotes fat loss. Benefits of green tea link. I like to infuse mine with a squeeze of fresh lemon and some fresh ginger grated into there. The lemon is alkalising and ginger has a range of benefits including assisting with circulation, digestion and inflammation. Maya Fiennes, Kundalini yoga teacher and ambassador, refers to a ginger and lemon tea even on its own to be a soul brightening tonic. Try it and see.

Cacao & Maca powder tea - This is a tablespoon of raw cacao powder mixed with half a teaspoon of Maca powder with boiling water. Awesome healthy alternative to both coffee and hot chocolate. Cacao is mood boosting and has great antioxident power, not to mention a rich chocolate taste. Maca powder is an energy boosting superfood root from Peru. It has a nutty flavour and assists in balancing your hormones. I really love Maca powder and use it in all my smoothies.



Herbals - Green tea, White tea and Yerba mate - It's always nice just to have a box of teabags handy for when you want a coffee replacement. Try any of these for a gentle pick me up otherwise try natural caffeine free teas like Roiboos, Peppermint or Dandelion tea for the great health benefits that these teas can provide. I personally love Dandelion (can be bought as in instant granule form) as it aids digestion and detoxifies the blood and kidneys. Roiboos has a lovely sweet woody flavour and is a rich source in antioxidents and really good for your skin. Never sweeten with sugar, try Stevia (natural sweetener, not artificial) instead.

SOFT DRINK - Diet and non Diet varieties

I have been the culprit of being a Pepsi Max monster! It always seems like a nice treat when you put yourself on a strict diet. But no, after investigation I've been faced with some hard facts. If you're trying to be good and not go the sugar laden, acidic and artificially coloured average soft drink and going for the "diet" range, I have some bad news! Artificial sweeteners and caffeine used in diet drinks are your #1 problem. The artificial sweetener Aspartame is a chemical which if consumed in excess can put you at risk of diabetes as it increases the glucose levels in the blood and reduces insulin. The chemical Bromine which is used in some sodas solidifies fat too. The effects of excess caffeine I have mentioned is above. The only way is natural guys! Stay away from chemical produced anything - your body will thank you for it. Red Bull falls into both the excess Caffeine and Soft drink category.

GOT ANY SOFT DRINK ALTERNATIVES NAT?

Well yes I do. Try Dr Red's Ginger Punch. It has a similar flavour to ginger beer but is full of antioxidents, vitamins and minerals. You can also make a "lemonade" out of Agave/Maple syrup, freshly squeezed lemon and a bit of cayenne pepper (if you'd like a metabolism boost and kick) in filtered water.

FRUIT JUICE FROM THE SUPERMARKET

Good on you for wanting to do the right thing. You've chosen fruit over soft drink! Unfortunately the juice you buy in a plastic bottle from the supermarket may very well be as bad as other sugar laden beverages. When juices are bottled they go through a heating process which essentially kills the nutrients and enzymes that the fruit it supposed to give you, and you are left with sugar and acid. The heating causes fruits acidity levels to increase, and this acid will wear the enamel on your teeth and be harsh on your insides. By drinking bottled juice you are also at risk of consuming additional preservatives, salt & sugar.

WONDER JUICE - THE GOOD STUFF:

Fresh green juice - The benefits of a fresh juice range far and wide. Beating the supermarket juice by far - here you have a glass of nutrient rich goodness which is easily assimilated and absorbed by the body! The aim when making your juice is to keep as much nutritional content in tact as possible so you reap the full benefits of your juice. You do this by using juicers that will not heat up the fruit/juice (cold press juicers are good for this), by not leaving it too long before you drink your juice (otherwise store in airtight dark glass jars/stainless steel cannisters) and by putting in the good stuff. You dont want to use too much fruit as its a pretty high sugar content when you do. A great alkalising and highly nutritious juice recipe to have every day which tastes great is:

1 bunch kale
1 piece ginger
1/2 cucumber
1 lemon
1 apple
1 piece celery

Check which fruits and veg do and dont mix well together before making a concoction as well. Apples, lemons and limes are generally the only fruits you can really mix with vegetables as to not ruin the veggie enzymes unlike other fruits which can cause bad digestion.

Coconut water - Pure coconut water is the bomb. I love the stuff and drink it nearly every day! It is the best alternative to a sugar filled sports drinks too. Benefits: super hydrating, full of electrolytes, potassium, magnesium, zero fat, zero cholestoral and zero preservatives. If you cant crack open a young green coconut yourself the best brand is Cocobella. Never buy your coconut water from anything other than a tetra pak. The coconut water is extremely sensitive to light and only maintains a majority of its health benefits when the coconut water is contained in a similar environment to the coconut shell it came from. A tetra pak is the best packaging for it.

MILK ALTERNATIVES - THE GREAT COW'S MILK DEBATE

We've nearly all grown up drinking our beloved cow's milk, drinking it through Tim Tam's or having it as the great accompaniment to Weetbix, coffee, tea etc. So what I'm about to say might offend some people, to the point I was going to leave the milk section out. FYI anyway. Cow's are milked by machines over and over, swollen udders and tight pulling by the machines means some blood and pus goes into the milk. To get rid of this, the milk is pasteurised. Pasteurisation is another heating process which rids the milk of bacteria but also enzymes. I'm not sure where we got the scientific evidence that milk is full of calcium needed for bones, because in a society of big milk drinkers we still have high cases of osteoperosis. Digesting animal protein causes an acidic environment in the body which actually decreases the amount of calcium we absorb. Cow's milk is also highly phospherous which doesnt mix too well with calcium and even more so we lose out on the main benefit we are sold to drink it on. We have a lot of trouble digesting it. When you think about the rising numbers with lactose intolerance it only makes sense to think that perhaps we just weren't meant to have it as humans in the first place. If you find you get stomach upsets, or even sinus issues, try cutting milk out of your diet and see how you feel.

THE DEAL WITH SOY MILK

I personally don't drink soy milk for one major reason - it increases oestrogen production. Anything that messes with my hormones I'm not willing to ingest. Excess oestrogen can result in weight gain and mood swings & is the number one contributer to cellulite.

THE DAIRY ALTERNATIVES

Rice milk & almond milk - These are nice alternatives to Cow's milk which are gluten free and non harmful. If you are looking for ways to get your calcium then you can increase consumption of the following:

-cabbage
-dark, leafy green vegetables
-almonds
-sesame seeds
-tahini (hulled or unhulled paste)
-figs (dried or fresh)
-small fish with bones intact (ie anchovies and sardines)


ALCOHOL

I hear ya, your saying what the hey, how do you have an alternative for my weekend bender brew. You can thank Organic One wines. They are dedicated to producing wines chemical free, preservative free, artificial anything free. Their wines are actually good for you! I say we celebrate now by buying a few cases http://organic-1.com/

If you have an addiction to anything that is not good for you, a juice detox can definately assist with that. & for anyone following my progress on the juice feast - my cold press juicer is only being exchanged via shipping now, so in a few more weeks I will be able to give you the run down. Headaches, cravings, thoughts and all. I am looking forward to it!

If you have any other natural beverages you drink that adds to your life's wellness, please share in the comments section below!

DIY Food Planning

Well it's Saturday again and it's a good day to make plans at creating the life that I want! I check in on my goals and dreams, and then create check lists with tasks that can be achieved within week to help me move towards my desired future goals. As promised from the last post I'll talk about FOOD PLANNING today.

Having a plan set out for the week helps me to stay on track ie. keeping within my budget, being able to plan a shopping list, always having something prepared so I'm not reaching for "whatever", and that "whatever" end up being something crap in my system.

Mind Body Soul! Start with one and it will link into the next. Here's cheers to making my body sing.

My "Body" mantra:

HEALTHY - FRESH - ORGANIC - EFFICIENT -  GLOWING - FIT - TONED - ENERGETIC - HARMONIOUS

Food plan for the week that reflects that:

	SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Rise	Green juice & supplements	Green juice & supplements	Green juice & supplements	Green juice & supplements	Green juice & supplements	Green juice & supplements	Green juice & supplements
Breakfast	Bliss health shake	Egg white omelette	Egg white omelette	Egg white omelette	Egg white omelette	Egg white omelette	Bliss health shake
Snack 1	Apple & yoghurt	Berry bomb salad	Berry bomb salad	Berry bomb salad	Berry bomb salad	Berry bomb salad	Apple & yoghurt
Lunch	Green chicken stir fry	Green chicken stir fry	Green chicken stir fry	Quinoa salad w/sprouts	Lunch outing	Quinoa salad w/sprouts	Quinoa salad w/sprouts
Snack 2	2 hardboiled eggs	Kidney beans	Kidney beans	Kidney beans	Kidney beans	Kidney beans	2 hard boiled eggs
Dinner	Salmon & asparagus	Salmon & asparagus	Salmon & asparagus	Salmon & asparagus	Snapper & asparagus	Snapper & asparagus	Snapper & asparagus
Beverage	Herbal teas & 3L water	Herbal teas & 3L water	Herbal teas & 3L water	Herbal teas & 3L water	Herbal teas & 3L water	Herbal teas & 3L water	Herbal teas & 3L water

My OWN rules for what I personally decide to put in my body:

• Macronutrient content relatively even throughout the day - Lean Protein, Fibrous Carbs, Healthy Fats
• Keep high GI foods and fruits earlier in the day to use as energy
• Start the day with an alkalising nutrient rich juice
• Take my supplements: Natural iron supp, Omega 3 fish oil caps, Apple Cider Vinegar, Multivitamin
• Protein and vegetables at each main meal
• A range of fruit and veg, with a focus on organic, high alkaline and mainly greens
• Keep as close to natural source and form as possible
• Choose foods which are beneficial to my blood type (A)
• Nothing processed, no sugar, no added salt, no artificial sweeteners, colours or flavours, saturated fat
• Keep the antioxident Orac reading high - ie. berries, green tea
• Eat often - at least 5-7 times per day, every 2-3 hours to keep the metabolism up and running efficiently.

This is what was in my shopping cart this morning (mostly certified organic from Manna - Sth Tce in Freo! Lovin it):


Goji Berries
Cacao powder
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Spinach
Kidney beans
Tomatos
Zucchini
Mango
Bananas
Watermelon
Strawberries
Apples
Bean Sprouts
Sultanas
Almonds
Goats milk yoghurt
Free range eggs
Avocado
Lemons
Ginger
Chicken
Salmon
Blueberries
Dates

RECIPES

Green Juice

Green juice just means to make a juice of your choice but add greens. For a highly alkalising drink go cucumber, kale, spinach, apple, lemon & ginger.

Egg White Omelette 

Ingredients: 4 Egg Whites - 1 cup of vegetables of choice (shallots, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, kale etc. whatever you like!) - 1 tsp Coconut oil - Pepper to taste

Method:

1.      Whisk up your eggs in a bowl, if you want to include yolk you can (but only 1 or 2 – not four).

2.      Heat up your coconut oil in the bottom of a small frying pan on low-medium heat, see that the oil is evenly distributed over the pan.

3.      Chuck your egg whites in and cook for 1 minute

4.      Add your veggies and pepper and let it all cook until your egg whites have firmed up

5.      Fold in half and serve

Bliss Health Shake

Ingredients:

1 Tbs Chia seeds (Omega 3’s and Fibre)

1 Tsp Maca Powder (gives energy, balances hormones… and sex drive apparently haha)

1 Tsp Spirulina Powder (Protein packed and vitamin rich “Nature’s Multivitamin!”)

100 ml Coconut water (Electrolytes)

200g Gippsland Natural Yoghurt (Probiotic)

1 egg white (Protein)

Splash of Almond milk

11 Almonds (Healthy fats)

Handful of Spinach (You can’t taste it once it’s in there – alkaline, green nutrients)

1 cup of Fruit of choice: Mango, blueberries, watermelon, bananas – whatever you want. I love a sweet mango (nutrients)

Ice (To freshen it up a bit ;))

Method: Combine all in a blender until smooth, serve, enjoy. Know that once you’ve drank it you have absolutely nourished yourself.

Berry bomb antioxident salad

Ingredients: Blueberries, Goji Berries, Strawberries, Mango, Crushed Walnuts – dollop with natural yoghurt and sprinkle with cinnamon

The cinnamon will balance your blood sugar levels, yoghurt gives you good bacteria, and the berries give a high antioxidant, cancer fighting kick. Walnuts have omega 3 and healthy fats.

I'm keeping this in the freezer and taking out servings as I need them

Coconut chicken stir fry with greens

Ingredients: 500g free range chicken breast (Happy chickens = happy you!) J 1 bunch of Kale - 1 head of broccoli chopped - 1 bunch Bok Choy - 1 Zucchini chopped - 1 Tbs coconut oil - ¼ cup dessicated coconut - Sprinkling Cayenne Pepper

Method: Heat a wok or coconut oil in a large heavy bottom fry pan. Chuck in the chicken and let it cook a little before adding your veggies. Add dessicated coconut and cayenne pepper. Cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients: 1/2 cup cooked Quinoa - ¼ Avocado - ½ Tomato - 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 tsp Olive oil - 1 can of tuna in spring water - Sprouts

Combine altogether and serve as a salad.

I’m really digging the sprouting grains movement, so from here on I won’t be cooking quinoa I will sprout them in airtight jars. 1 cup quinoa to 4 cups water, leave it for a few days then consume J I did it the other week, they don’t go as fluffy as when you cook them but still good. Always handy to have a batch handy.

Baked Fish with Asparagus

I’m not the genius who created this one, Fitness Model Jamie Eason did. But I can’t believe how simple and well it works. The fish comes out full flavour from the lemon and spices, and really juicy too. Veggies are cooked to perfection. I love to use salmon, cayenne pepper, lemons, ginger and asparagus on top. You can chuck broccolini in there too.

Instructions and recipe here: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-recipes-fish-in-foil.html

This is the plan I have chosen to follow to get me to my goals.

What are your goals? Can you make a plan that supports them to the fullest?

XOX