Table of contents for Issue 76 Sept/Oct 2021 in Good

sarahcatherall.co.nz Sarah Catherall Sarah is a journalist and writer living in Wellington. She has always loved running to keep fit, fuelling herself with healthy food and lots of fun and laughter. As the mother of three daughters aged 21, 18 and 15, she’s concerned about the pressures on young women to look perfect – fuelled by social media – and so she’s passionate about initiatives like the eating disorders project she wrote about for Good in issue 75. Read her story about the Good Books shop on page 68. @myindiankitchenbyashia Ashia Ismail-Singer The author of two cookbooks, Ashia is an avid foodie with a passion for combining East and West in the way she cooks. Of Indian heritage but having lived in Africa and the UK, Ashia draws inspiration from…

Emily Blanchett and Jessica Clarke are on a mission to introduce Kiwis to the health and wellness benefits of medicinal mushrooms. Say hello to nutrient-rich mushroom powders that can be added to beverages, cooking and baking. Clarke, a professional model whose credits include being photographed by Mario Testino and walking for Giorgio Armani, first encountered mushroom lattes in LA. Blanchett, best known for starring in television series The Block and running salad bar The Green House in Palmy with her mum, also enjoyed the benefits of mushroom supplements while living in the US. The high school pals were living in New York when Covid struck. It was the catalyst to return home and launch Mother Made – a range of organic, dehydrated mushroom powders and capsules. Good caught up with…

If your eyes are the window to your soul then your skin is the window to your health. Our skin is our largest organ and can reflect whole body health, often revealing issues and imbalances deeper inside. Inflammation, autoimmune issues, increased aging, antioxidant status, hormonal imbalances and increased detoxification can all be reflected in the skin. Focus on these strategies to see skin improvements. Get adequate sleep Research now strongly suggests that sleep is vital for skin health, as it controls the homeostasis of cell repair and restoration. Sleep also helps restore immune system function, which can affect collagen production. Drink filtered water to stay hydrated One of the best ways to moisturise skin is from the inside. Water aids healthy skin cell turnover, resulting in smoother, firmer skin. Plus,…

Best body oil Linden Leaves Absolute Dreams Body Oil, $30, now comes in a handy travel size. What’s also dreamy is that the bottle contains a sprig of New Zealand-grown lavender and larkspur. A blend of rosehip, avocado, sweet almond and apricot kernel oils, it’s suitable for sensitive skin, safe for pregnancy and helps to naturally reduce scarring and stretchmarks. Different ways to apply include mixing with oatmeal for a gentle facial exfoliant or with ground coffee and sugar for a beautiful body scrub. This multi-tasking body oil is beautiful to use and brings calm with the relaxing scent of lavender balanced with sandalwood and cedarwood. lindenleaves.com New one to try Introducing new Kiwi brand everblue. Look out for its range of clean and sustainable salon-quality Hair Care, Hair Care…

The seed – which holds all the potential of an entire plant – is one of nature’s most fascinating phenomena. On the most basic level, a seed is the means by which a plant reproduces itself, but it’s incredible to think that entire trees can be contained in tiny kernels. Something that can grow to hundreds of feet tall can fit into something you can hold between your fingertips. In fact, the potential it holds is beyond just a single plant, because that plant can give rise to countless others. One seed really can produce a whole forest. Growing plants from seed is an exciting and rewarding process, as you get to see the journey of your plant’s life from the very beginning. It’s also a fun project for kids…

Spring is when we spruce up our outside spaces in readiness for some quality outdoor time. Almost anything can be successfully painted if you use quality paint products and correctly prepare surfaces beforehand. After a clean with Resene Timber & Deck Wash, we used Resene Lumbersider low sheen for the deck and path, as its waterborne resin base provides maximum durability outdoors. Resene Lumbersider is also formulated to adhere to fresh timber, so often needs no undercoat or primer. The concrete path had a worn surface with some mould, so first needed treating with Resene Moss & Mould Killer before being painted. Once treated and dry, we sealed the concrete with one coat of Resene Walk-on thinned 10% with water and let it dry overnight before topcoating with Resene Walk-on.…

Kapha: light, dry and well-spiced Eggplant Curry/Dip This is one of my favourite dishes because it doubles deliciously as a dip with homemade crackers and as a main curry with roti/paratha. Spicy and lusciously velvety, it’s the perfect light meal for a kapha dosha. Serves 4 1 large eggplant3 tablespoons oil1 onion, sliced1 400g tin of whole tomatoes3 garlic cloves, crushed¼ teaspoon turmeric½ teaspoon ground cumin¼ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon paprika½ teaspoon chilli powderCrushed pistachios or other nuts to garnish Poke holes all over the eggplant, leaving the stalk on. Place on an oven tray under a hot grill and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning regularly, until soft and split. While the eggplant is cooking, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add the sliced onions. Cook until…

The Crystal Castle & Shambala Gardens, Byron Bay, Australia These 120-million-year-old geodes were first discovered in Uruguay, then shipped to Australia. Avebury Stone Circle, England This site holds the largest megalithic stone circles in the world and is a site of pagan worship to this day. Uluru, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia This Australian monolith is believed to be 600 million years old and is sacred to the Aborigines. Temple of Artemis, Corfu, Greece Healing, intense dreams and consciousness transformation have all been reported near this temple on the Michael Apollo ley line axis. Ciudad Perdida, The Lost City, Colombia Rediscovered in the 1970s, this site predates Machu Picchu. The hike through the jungle to get there makes it all the more mysterious. Machu Picchu, Peru The ancient Inca citadel…

Recently I boarded a ferry to Waiheke Island for a mini overnight retreat with Terra & Tide, and boy, did I need some time out for ‘me’. Stepping off the boat exhausted and bleary-eyed, I worried I wouldn’t live up to the wellbeing values my host might expect given my job description. Then I remembered that this was supposed to be about me and that no one is there to judge. We can be our own worst critics! Over the years I’ve worked out that booking yourself onto a retreat – whether it’s a multi-day retreat, or an overnighter – can provide a much-needed recharge. A 4-night retreat in Niue with Wellness Retreats NZ a few years ago was a transformative experience. Four days of nourishing food, connecting with like-minded…

Do you have ongoing health problems that a doctor can’t seem to resolve? Or maybe you’ve had health issues for so long you’ve forgotten what symptom-free feels like. According to Ayurveda – India’s holistic healing system dating back over 5,000 years – this is not how you should be living. Instead, taking a whole mind-body approach will give you a better understanding of how to heal yourself. What is Ayurveda? Simply put, Ayurveda is composed of two Sanskrit words – ayur (‘life’), and veda (‘knowledge of science’). Together, they mean ‘the science of life’. Ayurveda predates all other healing therapies and natural medicines. It teaches us how to live in tune with nature and elevate ourselves into higher realms of happiness. Dr Ajit, Founder of the Australasian Institute of Ayurvedic…

Your resilience partly comes from fixed or slow-changing features, like a strong social support network and being well-off, physically healthy and not predisposed to mental health challenges like depression. People with these advantages have an easier time accessing resources (like mentors or therapy) and doing activities (like exercising) that support resilience. But no matter what your situation is, you can learn skills to boost your capacity to cope with challenges. Here are a few to get you started. 1. Creative problem-solving There are two types of coping – coping with problems and coping with the emotions that problems create. The more you generate inventive solutions and workarounds to cope with the problem itself, the less you’ll need to cope with the stress emanating from problems. Creative problem-solving involves learning to…

A butterfly’s antenna is club-shaped with a long shaft and a bulb at the point. The end of the style of an African protea flower happens to look identical. For botanical artist Chris van Niekerk, his work is all about finding these examples of similitude in nature. Using leaves, seeds and other plant materials, van Niekerk meticulously combines and assembles them, metamorphosing his foraged finds into insect forms. “I call my insects ecoskeletons; it’s a wordplay on the exoskeleton of a beetle,” explains van Niekerk. In his studio, the walls are crawling with his handmade ‘insects’ – from scorpions to green-winged butterflies – all born of his obsessive creative vision. One, a wild-looking bee with a downy abdomen, van Niekerk explains, has a lifelike striped abdomen made from individual grass…

The general lack of functional pockets in most women’s clothing is well documented and much lamented. As smart phones get bigger, we can end up awkwardly holding phones in our hands, dropping them or leaving them behind. One crafty solution is to sew a slim-fitting cross-body phone pouch, which can be worn effectively as an outside pocket. Simple and quick to make, you can sew multiple versions for different occasions. You will need: fabric (approx. 30 x 40cm) lengths of cord or strips of sewn fabric (approx. 140cm) sewing machine and cotton iron, scissors and pins snap fasteners (optional) Method Step 1: Measure your phone to determine fabric size. Cut a piece of fabric that has a width of 2x your phone width plus 10cm, and a length of 2x your…

Do Something for Nothing Joshua Coombes, Murdoch Books, $38 This series of poignant, real short stories helps us see beneath the surface of homelessness through the simple act of a haircut. A Clear Dawn: New Asian Voices from Aotearoa New Zealand Edited by Paul Morris and Alison Wong, Auckland University Press, $50 A Clear Dawn maps a new literature of Aotearoa New Zealand, presenting creative work – poetry, fiction and essays – by emerging Asian New Zealand writers. Grief on the Run Julie Zarifeh, Allen & Unwin, $37 Zarifeh shares how active grieving, goal-setting and helping others helped her cope with the devastating loss of her husband and son within a 16-day period. All of This Is for You Ruby Jones, Penguin Random House, $24 This little book of kindness…

Chia Mango Tango Dessert Fresh, creamy and full of healthy nutrients, this makes a great snack, dessert or even breakfast! It’s easy to make, but still has that wow factor. If mango is not in season, you can change up the recipe with berries. Serves 2 3 tablespoons chia seeds1 cup oat milk (I used All Good)½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder1 tablespoon maple syrup1 fresh mango Cream layer1 400-gram can of coconut cream1 tablespoon maple syrup To serve1 kiwifruit, skin removed Put the can of coconut cream in the fridge the night before you want to make this recipe to help it thicken. Make the chia layer by placing the chia seeds, oat milk, vanilla bean powder and maple syrup in a bowl and stir for a minute or so,…

There’s still time to enjoy Mt Ruapehu to the fullest with the ski season scheduled to remain open until the end of October. Longer days and better weather also mean you can take on the incredible network of one-day or multi-day mountain bike trails in Ruapehu. Hike to the highest waterfalls in Tongariro National Park or soar to new heights on the Sky Waka – NZ’s longest gondola ride – as you journey 1.8km over spectacular volcanic landscape. The full range of on-water experiences on the Whanganui River also relaunches during the spring season with cultural guided tours, canoeing and kayaking on offer. Top 10 uniquely Ruapehu experiences Two NZ Great Walks with the Tongariro Northern Circuit on land and the Whanganui Journey on water. Two national parks side by…

“Spring: a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be” The average Good reader is female, aged 25 – 45 years A recent survey of more than 1,000 Good magazine and digital subscribers showed that 57% of our readership are on the conscious-living journey, and a 35% are just embarking on this journey. Key stats: Letter to the editor 3 August 2021 “These days when I am choosing a magazine to buy, an important consideration is value for money. This is one of the many reasons I choose your magazine. One thing I have noticed is that unlike other magazines I read all the advertisements (as well as the articles) rather than skipping over them. I really appreciate that the ads…

I was truly inspired to read the article about Karen Walker (issue 75) as she is doing great things in the sustainability space with her fashion label. It’s interesting that she is a vegetarian, just like me (as I’ve been all my life). And good on Karen for embracing grey, to say it’s okay. Finally, thank you for the Good Thought – it will go on my bedroom door. Audrey Shepherd Our Pākehā whānau is on a journey to learn more about Te Ao Maori and are actively trying to use more te reo in our everyday conversations and understand tikanga in our everyday practices. I really enjoyed reading Ko tera a Matariki ka rewa i te pae and it inspired our whānau to all make resolutions for Te Tau…

It’s not often you come across a 12-year-old with maturity and wisdom that surpasses that of most adults. It’s the silver lining that has come from a truly traumatic, life-changing moment. It happened in a split second. Five years ago, Harper Heta, then a 7-year-old girl from Te Aupōuri, the second-northernmost Māori iwi (tribe) north of Kaitaia, was showing her aunty a gymnastic move when things ended badly. Using the stairs to get momentum for a back bend, she fell awkwardly and something felt off. She got herself off the ground and lay down on the couch. But when she tried to get up a few minutes later for a drink of water, she couldn’t get up. She lay there for a while, and when her Nana came home half…

As parents, it’s natural to want to give our kids every opportunity to help them succeed, and financial literacy can be a real game-changer! Teaching our tamariki how to put their money to work can help set them up for a lifetime of healthy financial habits. You could start by encouraging them to manage their money by dividing their pocket money and small jobs earnings into four piles: for spending, saving, investing and giving away. Money earmarked for spending can be used for activities like movies; money for giving away could support a school charity project. But the real lessons (and fun!) come when they learn the difference between saving and investing and realise how they could get their money working harder for them. Saving money by putting it into…

Growing up in Malaysia, Two Birds Beauty founder Jessie Gurunathan subconsciously absorbed Ayurvedic principles, including the use of Kansa metal, from her grandmother. In Tamil tradition, it’s believed there are marma points all over the body which correspond to the seven chakras (energy centres). There are many types of massage tools made from Kansa metal (including the Kansa face wand) that are used to stimulate these points. Kansa is the Indian name for bell metal and pure copper which is registered at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the first solid antimicrobial material, reinforcing its suitability for use in wellness and beauty rituals. The magic of Kansa The first time Gurunathan saw a Kansa face wand being used was on a trip to Ubud, Bali, where she had a Panchakarma…

Latin name Lathyrus odoratus Place of origin Sicily, southern Italy and Aegean Islands. Plant type Annual vine with delicate, butterfly-like blooms growing on supported frame 1–2 metres. Dwarf varieties growing 20–60 cm high available. Flowering Late spring through summer only if well-watered and deadheaded. Growing conditions Full sun, well-watered and well-fed soil. When to plant Sow direct in autumn or spring. Alternatively raise under cover to plant out in late spring after risk of frost. Transfer purchased punnets of seedlings in spring. Spacing 20cm Where to plant Tall climbing vines running up trellis, fence, freestanding teepee or other supports. Suitable for containers Yes Pinching Yes but not essential. Pinching at four sets of leaves will create bushier plants. Cut and come again Yes Staking Ideally needs support to climb otherwise…

Party chat can often throw up statements that we don’t stop to question. One we came across recently was that sugar is added to wine routinely in New Zealand. In short, that’s wrong – though it is legal to add very small amounts to raise alcohol levels. Most winemakers don’t add sugar to fermenting grape juice when they make wine in this country because our climate ripens grapes so well that they generally don’t need to bolster alcohol levels. To get the answer from the horse’s mouth, I asked a bunch of winemakers in Martinborough. The Escarpment Vineyard general manager and founding winemaker Larry McKenna says that 90 per cent of the time, most New Zealand winemakers are picking grapes at optimal sugar ripeness so there is very rarely a…

It’s amazing what a difference just one night away can make. The right kind of reset can feel more like a week and be just the break you need without breaking the bank or if you can’t get away for longer. A one-day retreat on Waikeke Island with Terra & Tide recently provided me some much-needed mind and body nourishment. The short distance that separates Auckland city from the island creates the perfect disconnect physically as well as mentally, and feelings of stress began to ebb the moment the ferry pulled away from the wharf. It’s here on the island that Gabrielle Young of Terra & Tide runs retreats in various forms depending on demand – from one-on-ones and groups to forest bathing experiences. With a background working in the…