Table of contents for Issue 191 in WellBeing

There have only been a few moments in my life when I’ve borne witness to raw, unfiltered, uncontainable emotion. The most recent was on New Year’s Eve in the arms of my Dad. He was crying tears of joy, wide-eyed in shock and dabbing a tattered handkerchief at his red cheeks. Why? My fiancé Henry had just announced that it was our surprise New Year’s Eve wedding. After the announcement, Henry asked Dad to meet me at the bottom of the stairs to walk me down a makeshift aisle in our backyard. Dad fell into my arms. There was so much happiness in his glistening eyes. Mum was right by his side, tears rushing down her cheeks and holding onto me tightly. At first, I thought “What have we done?”…

Smartphones and impulses For this study, researchers recruited subjects who agreed to having their smartphone use monitored for seven to 10 days. Usage was monitored down to how much time they spent on each app. The subjects also completed several tasks and questionnaires that measured their self-control and behaviours regarding rewards. The results showed that people who spent the most time on their phones were more likely to prefer smaller, more immediate rewards to larger, delayed rewards. This preference for smaller immediate rewards was further broken down to being most common among people who liked two specific types of app: gaming and social media. Subjects who showed greater self-control spent less time on their phones. However, self-control and consideration of future consequences did not vary with screen time. This adds…

Whatever challenging situation you might be facing right now — whether you’re going through an illness, a relationship breakdown, grieving or grappling with the changes that come with parenting, ageing or COVID-19 — is resistance holding you back and keeping you unhappy? While resistance can be a good thing when your actions can change the outcome or the future, that’s not always the case. When you become stuck in unchangeable situations, it can feel like life is happening to you and that you have lost your agency and power to direct your life. You may struggle to see solutions and feel positive and hopeful. It makes sense that we resist the things we wish were different, that we ruminate on the things we wish we could go back and change…

Music has long been proven to have psychological benefits, from relaxing the mind and easing anxiety to energising the body to even assisting in pain management and boosting memory formation and recollection. But music doesn’t just have to mean the songs that play on repeat when we get in the car each day. Music is all around us. So take a moment to listen to the waves crashing onto the shore, the birds calling to each other every morning, the cicadas filling the stillness and silence of a warm summer’s night. Listen to the music of the world and when the world feels quiet or you’re feeling low, press play on your favourite tune and turn your speakers up loud, sing until you feel the rhythm pulsing through your bones…

“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”~ Albert Einstein The power of imagination has been acknowledged for centuries by yogis, artists and philosophers. In recent times, however, the world of psychology, corporate, and science and modern physics have all jumped on board. They agree — the mind is the most powerful tool we have as humans, and our ability to imagine things dictates our capacity to create. Many iconic changemakers have prioritised imagination over all else, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther “I have a dream” King to name a few. Before anything is manifested, it must first be imagined. And so a multi-million-dollar industry emerged, selling us what we are all desperate to know — how to manifest our dreams.…

Hemp seed oil is being touted as a revolutionary new natural beauty and healthcare product. But is the hype about hemp for real? Hemp seed oil is derived from the hemp plant, which is the same plant genus as marijuana (Cannabis sativa). They are close cousins, but unlike marijuana, eating the seeds or ingesting the oil derived from them won’t make you high. The difference between the two is the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels. Plants with more than 0.3 per cent THC are of the marijuana variety. According to Lara Lagano, author of The CBD Oil Miracle, there are over 400 chemicals in cannabis, including more than 100 phytocannabinoids such as THC and cannabidiol (CBD). Just to add another layer of complexity to the hemp conundrum, there is some confusion over…

More than 33 per cent of adult Australians have high blood pressure, and that’s a problem because it is a serious condition with lots of consequences. High blood pressure increases your risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes. It is also bad news for your eyes, kidneys and (in men) erectile function. You don’t want to leave high blood pressure unattended, but before we get on to what you can do it will help to clarify a couple of terms. Firstly, “hypertension” is just another way of saying “high blood pressure” — the terms are interchangeable. Secondly, in talking about what can help your blood pressure we will be talking about your blood pressure reading. The typical blood pressure reading is something like 120/80. Your blood pressure is considered “high”…

Palm oil is grown in the tropics, and is extracted from the fruit of the oil palm tree, Elaeis guineensis, that is native to west and central Africa. Red in colour, the palm fruit is high in carotenoid antioxidants, and also saturated fat. The finished product coming from refineries is denatured through being processed and refined. Deforestation Starting in the 1970s, the palm oil sector underwent exponential growth. Oil palms provide a high yield, and the oil became the cheapest on the world market. Palm oil also appealed to the food industry because it is odourless and colourless, remains semisolid at room temperature, has a creamy texture and extends product shelf life. Most of this expansion was centred on Indonesia and Malaysia, which today collectively represent about 85 per cent…

Tree Beings RAYMOND HUBER AND SANDRA SEVERGNINI, EK BOOKS As humans, we depend on trees for our survival — as do many other living things. Yet few of us understand just how fascinating trees really are. Raymond Huber and Sandra Severgnini’s new book, Tree Beings, is an adventure through the secret world of trees. In it, you’ll find a foreword by world-renowned anthropologist Jane Goodall, and meet some of the scientists, explorers and pioneers who have helped uncover the mysteries of trees. Written for young minds, Tree Beings will not only inspire your kids to fall in love with trees and act to protect them, but you will too. Plus, you’ll learn the science behind trees, how they “talk” to each other and why they can help us in the…

Eco Tan Face Tan Water Take the fear out of tanning your face with Eco Tan’s Award-Winning Face Tan Water. Glow without consequences this summer while avoiding the sun’s ageing rays. W: ecotan.com.au Herbalife Vitamin Mask Achieve a beautiful complexion with Herbalife Nutrition Vitamin Mask, formulated for normal, dry or dehydrated skin, with moisturising, brightening and firming options. Always read the label; use only as directed. For information contact your Herbalife Nutrition independent member. W: herbalife.com.au or herbalife.com.au/newzealand Young Living Mascara Savvy Minerals by Young Living Mascara was created to give your lashes weightless volume and definition. Formulated with naturally derived ingredients, including lavender essential oil to nourish and condition lashes, this rich mascara is designed to complement your natural beauty. W: youngliving.com Clémence Organics Now that the weather is…

Every time I visit the Byron Yoga Centre, I discover something new. This time, during my five-day stay in Byron’s stunning hinterland, it was Ayurveda. Ayurveda isn’t “new” by any means; in fact, it’s said to be one of the oldest healing systems in the world. Nor is it new to me; over the years, I’ve read a few books on Ayurveda, experienced an Ayurvedic oil treatment and even had a consultation. But my experience of Ayurveda at the Byron Yoga Centre was very different; it was as though the practice, despite its complexity, finally landed solid in my mind. Mariana, one of the retreat hosts, held a workshop on Ayurveda in the Garden Shala, a bright and breezy space overlooking the beautiful organic gardens of Byron Yoga Centre. Her…

LEE HOLMES runs Supercharged Food and recently released her book Supercharge Your Life. Visit her blog at superchargedfood.com for cooking inspiration, recipes and tips. With the blessed season of summer just gone, it’s time to continue your simple meal repertoire. There’ll be plenty of time for porridge ladles and oven mitts in a few months, but right now we are still getting use out of our high-speed blenders and reusable straws. It’s still warm enough to enjoy the humble smoothie bowl. Instagram feeds across the nation during summer are filled with smoothie bowls of all different shades, colours and consistencies. There’s the classic healthy greenie, the delicious chocolatey smoothie and the new standard: the purple açaí bowl. If you’ve never ventured into the world of the smoothie bowl, be prepared…

DR MICHAEL ELSTEIN is a Sydney-based antiageing physician and writer. He is the author of three books including his latest, The Wellness Guide to Preventing the Diseases of Ageing. He has also designed the app The Diet Guide to Ageing Prevention. We are a civilisation fuelled by caffeine and ruled by our devices. Rollout of 5G technology promises to dramatically escalate our dependence on a sophisticated wizardry of advanced computing linking every mechanised item in your home to the exterior business world, promising instantaneous and unlimited access to information and entertainment with unprecedented environmental control, social connectivity and consequent economic growth. As much as this might make your life richer and easier, this quantum leap forward for humanity doesn’t come without a hefty price tag. In the good old days…

has over 30 years’ experience in her field and loves astrology for its healing and timing strengths. She offers in-person readings in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, plus phone, Skype or Zoom sessions worldwide. Christine also leads workshops and Embodied Astrology Retreats in Australia and New Zealand. Her next retreat is May 14–16, 2021 in Whangamata, New Zealand. Contact Christine for details at christine@astrologyspot.com.au or phone (+61) 402 664 101 (AU). Cancer Crabs seek a safe hidden spot on the seashore; Cancer needs a secure private space to recuperate after conquering the world. The ambition and tenacity of your sign is furthered by Pisces energy, most particularly New Moon in Pisces on March 13. Adventurous plans now soften the challenges of Pluto opposite your Sun sign. A Cancer Moon leads you…

@vanillabel Dancing! Nothing like it to get the endorphins flowing. Brings me so much joy. @josephinezappia Diffuse essential oils around your space. Brilliant mood enhancer. @ashleygish_np Feeding my family. Food is my love language and there are so many ways to care for myself and others through food. @rachel_sara__ Singing. Good vibrations from my vocal chords run right through me and everything else just disappears. @bliss1111_ My all-time fave mood boosters are yoga, scented candles, sandalwood incense, sunsets, the beach, good books, playing my music, avocados and homemade fruit popsicles. @cassandra_reyburn Definitely getting out in nature. A walk on the beach, a local walking track or spending time gardening. All work a treat. It is about listening to your body. @jennifer_ellen_herd Giving myself permission to enjoy some self-love time. A…

Very hungry, angry caterpillars Monarch butterflies are famously archetypal of their species. Their preferred food is milkweed and researchers wanted to see what happens when food is scarce for monarch caterpillars. At their hungriest, a monarch caterpillar can consume a milkweed leaf in five minutes. The researchers built an open milkweed garden that they grew without chemical additives that might confound the experiment. They then took monarch caterpillars that naturally grew on the milkweed into the lab and placed them in groups with different amounts of milkweed. They found that the less food was available, the more likely caterpillars were to headbutt each other out of the way and generally be more aggressive. The tentacles that the caterpillars use to sense the physical world around them were not active during…

Kombucha (Medusomyces gisevii) is a tea mushroom or tea fungus (or Manchurian mushroom) and is fermented into a tea, commonly using either green or black tea and then sweetened. Kombucha tea is made by fermenting sugared tea with a culture of bacteria and yeast called a SCOBY (standing for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast”), commonly called a “mother” or “mushroom”. A variety of other fruit or flavourings are often added to improve the taste. The “mushroom” is actually a gelatinous biofilm produced by the SCOBY. Kombucha is thought to have originated in Manchuria, China, possibly around 220 BCE, where it is traditionally drunk, or in Russia and Eastern Europe. In recent times the Russians were drinking it as early as 1900. The first known use of it by English…

I’m too tired to work out. Eating healthy is too expensive. I’m so busy, I don’t have time to cook my own meals. I don’t know where to begin. I’ll start on Monday. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably used or heard one of those excuses when faced with a goal to eat better and/or exercise more. And you probably had trouble sticking to your healthy lifestyle. There are many common obstacles you may come up against as you start to make changes. However, a bit of planning, knowledge and support can move you past them and toward a healthy lifestyle. I don’t have time With so much to do and so little time to do it, things can easily slip through the cracks. This is one area where…

You might consider yourself a compassionate person who exercises your empathic skills all the time. When your friend shares a problem, you tell them you understand, and nod in reassurance. I mean how hard can it be? A lot harder than you think. I can think of at least two good personal friends who are caring, kind, compassionate people. Yet on rare occasions they have shown no understanding of an issue I’m sharing or my feelings surrounding it. In therapy this is called an “empathic failure”. Genuine empathy requires effective active listening, and this can be hard work. It really is an “active” not a passive process; you are not just hearing someone, you are deeply listening to their pain or the underlying feelings when they are sharing, and you…

It’s been almost 30 years since Dr Gary Chapman, a Christian pastor and relationships counsellor, released his popular manual, The 5 Love Languages: the Secret to Love that Lasts. According to Dr Chapman’s taxonomy, there are five ways most of us express and would like to receive love: gifts, physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time and acts of service. These five categories, Dr Chapman posits, offer an uncomplicated framework wherein couples can communicate and understand what each other needs to feel valued. At the core of Chapman’s book is the idea that, given five simple categories, couples can break through the communication barrier and become better lovers. It’s a simple idea, one based around the belief that a healthy relationship is maintained through optimum communication. You don’t need to…

Layne Beachley is the most successful female surfer of all time and seven-time world champion. In fact, she is actually an (unofficial) eight-time world champion, because having retired from professional surfing in 2008 she returned to the water in September 2018 to become the first female winner of the World Surf League’s (WSL) World Masters Championship. Although surfing sits at the heart of her life, there is so much more to the Beachley manifesto. Never one to opt for a quiet life, Beachley has been involved as an ambassador, spokesperson and volunteer for many charities and organisations, including UNICEF, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Planet Ark, Club Speranza, Surfrider Foundation and WWF Australia. In 2003 Beachley created the Aim for the Stars Foundation to support the cultural dreams of young…

There was a time when sustainable fashion conjured images of hemp overalls and hareem pants. Today, sustainability has become something of a fashion blood sport as brands hanker after eco-bragging rights and fill our inboxes with “green” clothing campaigns. But among the tokenistic marketing ploys, a new crop of brands are reshaping the industry with savvy business models and techy solutions, and there isn’t a tiedye handkerchief hem in sight. The sustainable brands of today are less about recycled fabrics and natural fibres (although they have their place) and more about disrupting the models of waste that have traditionally dominated the industry. These brands are going beyond the garment and addressing the damage at every level, from supply chains to packaging. The crux? They’re asking us to buy less. In…

The personal training focus for this issue is increasing blood flow to weakened or lacklustre skeletal muscles. In short, you want to increase cell development in your drowsy muscles by releasing your natural growth hormones from the pituitary gland. By increasing this natural hormone your body forces a boost to strengthen muscles in aligned resistance training. Combination muscle group training encourages these cells to harmonise, triggering stability and improved posture. By using this retraining, optimal health is achieved in overall biomechanics, ensuring less injury and improving recovery, which is especially important as you age. Research indicates that our posture has deteriorated due to longer working hours and sitting in front of technology during COVID. This has been coupled with lower back issues, the wearying of hips and leg muscles, spine…

Mummy guilt. You drop your child at school, only to realise he has a tear on his school shirt, and you forgot to bake cupcakes for the school fete. Being a parent and feeling guilty seem to go hand in hand. You feel guilty for working too much, then you feel guilty if you give up work and your family struggles to pay bills. You feel guilty for feeding your kids pizza after you’ve had a tough day. Sometimes guilt can feel as though it’s crushing you. So, then you feel guilty for wallowing in your guilt and not putting on a happy face for the world to see. According to psychologist Warren Cann from Raising Children Network, we feel guilty about our children because we love them so much.…

The historical Hawkesbury has been home to Skippy, Indigenous Australians, colonists and thriving current communities. With abundant eagles, cockatoos, parrots, pelicans, swans, mud crabs, flathead, blackfish and bream, the Hawkesbury’s habitat is surprisingly pristine. You may recall this iconic New South Wales region from shows A Country Practice and Home and Away as well as the movie Oyster Farmer. Author Kate Grenville in her novel Sarah Thornhill paints an evocative picture: “The Hawkesbury was a lovely river, wide and calm, the water dimply green, the cliffs golden in the sun, and white birds roosting in the trees like so much washing. It was a sweet thing of a still morning, the river-oaks whispering and the land standing upside down in the water.” But this 120-kilometre river surrounding Sydney from Broken…

There is something joyful about Ashraf Saleh’s food. Exquisitely constructed plates of rainbow produce burst with flavours from the Middle East, France and Australia. It’s an intuitive way of cooking, one that necessitates a sense of adventure and only the best produce. In Saleh’s Sydney Northern Beaches restaurant, Coya, small colourful plates are served via a set menu that Saleh reinvents every six to eight weeks to showcase the finest Australian produce on offer. And now you can recreate some of the dishes at home, with Coya the cookbook. Find colourful recipes that bring together Australian produce and Middle Eastern charm, perfect for sharing. Sear the chicken with the ghee in a heavybased pan over medium heat, then set aside. Sauté the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Add the bay…

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EMA TAYLOR is a naturopath, clinical nutritionist and certified fertility awareness educator. For more, visit emataylor.com or @emataylornaturopathy on Instagram. The common phrase “You are what you eat” is certainly true when it comes to protein. Did you know that your hair, skin and nails all contain high amounts of this impressive macronutrient? Which is why a protein deficiency can result in aged skin, brittle hair and weak nails. However, not all proteins can be synthesised by the body — some must be obtained through the food. Are you consuming enough of this powerful beauty food in your diet? Let’s find out. Protein is an essential macronutrient required by the body for optimum health and functioning. Protein is created from 20 chemical building blocks called amino acids. Eleven of these…

JACKIE FRENCH is the author of The Chook Book (Aird Books). Her oldest chook, Gertie, is now 17. Although Gertie’s sisters have all long since fallen off the perch, Gertie still lays extremely large brown eggs most days of the year. Get in touch with Jackie via facebook.com/authorjackiefrench, twitter.com/jackie_french_ and instagram.com/jackie_french_. Many herbs that have gone out of fashion are still a delight to use and an even greater joy to have in the garden. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), for example, was once a popular medieval remedy for maladies from the bites of mad dogs to baldness, eating toadstools and melancholy. These days a few drops lemon balm oil added to massage oil is mildly relaxing. Lemon balm tea can be used to help mild insomnia and digestive problems brought…

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to take stock and reflect upon our mothers. Let’s celebrate the women who give us so much love and care — and what better way to do so than with a gift that promotes their wellbeing? When choosing a present for the mother or mother figure in your life, we recommend: • Shopping from a local producer. After many businesses suffered huge economic blows in 2020, buying local has never been more important. When possible, choose a gift or experience from an Australian-owned business to help support our economy.• Selecting a gift that is eco-friendly. Choose a gift that is created using sustainable materials wherever possible. Look for products that involve minimal packaging and that are created by companies with a…

Fruit & vegetables AUTUMN Vegetables Asian greens (buk choy, choy sum, gai lan, wombok), avocado, beans (butter, green and snake), beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, celery, chilli, cucumber, daikon, eggplant, leek, lettuce, field mushrooms, okra, olives, onions (brown, red and spring), parsnip, peas, potato, pumpkin, shallot, silverbeet, spinach, squash, swede, sweetcorn, sweet potato, taro, tomato, turnip, zucchini. Fruit Apples (Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Red Delicious), banana, breadfruit, cumquat, custard apple, fig, grapes (Muscat, Purple Cornichon, Sultana and Waltham Cross), guava, kiwifruit, lemon, lime, mandarins (Imperial), melons (honeydew and rockmelon), nashi, orange (Valencia), papaya, passionfruit, pears (Beurre Bosc, Howell, Josephine, Packham, Red Sensation and Williams), persimmon, plum, pomegranate, quince, rambutan, raspberry, rhubarb, rockmelon, tamarillo. Inspiring activities • As the weather begins to cool this month, consider…

Ordinary mental health support We know that exercise is good for your mental wellbeing, but in a new study researchers wanted to see whether ordinary daily activities like climbing the stairs or walking to the train station instead of driving would have a similar effect. Their studies showed that immediately after ordinary activities like stair climbing people felt more alert and energised, two components of mental wellbeing. Further research found that the brain part linking ordinary activity to mental wellbeing is a part known as the subgenual cingulate cortex, a part of the cerebral cortex. This is a brain region where emotions are regulated. People with less grey matter in the subgenual cingulate cortex felt less full of energy when they were physically inactive and more prone to psychiatric disorders.…

S-Adenosyl methionine (SAMe) was first discovered in 1952 by Giulio Cantoni. It is a compound in the body (a sulphonium betaine) with a whole raft of interactive relationships that make it crucial for many functions in different systems, including multiple cellular reactions. SAMe is essential for cellular growth and repair, and therefore plays multiple roles in supporting health and longevity SAME is the biologically active metabolite of the sulphur-containing amino acid methionine and is formed from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and L-methionine, with most of it being produced and utilised in the liver. It is the regulator of many vital processes in humans including DNA, RNA, methylation, the immune response, amino acid metabolism, sulphur pathways and phospholipids (particularly choline) among others. SAMe is the most widely used enzyme substrate in the…

Home is… where the grass is long, the trees stand tall and the Maribyrnong River idly passes by. My husband and I both enjoyed childhoods where nature play was a prominent feature across our happiest memories. Once we became parents, we took a giant leap and purchased an old fixer-upper home on the river so that our children could build similar memories. The first time a swamp wallaby jumped by our lounge room window I was certain in that moment that we had made the right decision, and it has been home ever since. How I start my day… I am not a morning person. I’d love to say I start my day with a spring in my step and some nutritious superfood-inspired smoothie, but truth be told, I war…

In a society that is increasingly apology-averse, the idea of the unreserved apology is now a thing of the past. To say sorry after causing hurt or offence to another used to be a given, something we were taught as children to do as a rule. Now, it is has become the exception. That most simple of phrases — I’m sorry — has become all too complicated. The semantics of sorry Nowadays, saying sorry is seen as a sign of weakness or an admission of shame. Deflecting blame or obfuscating responsibility has become an art form. The humble apology has given way to the qualified apology where the offender is absolved from feeling a sense of guilt while maintaining their sense of power or self-righteousness. While that may seem like…

Dating has its challenges anywhere in the world, but New York City is known to be a tough landscape for finding your match. Hannah*, 36, an Australian living — and dating — in New York was recently ghosted by a man she clicked with. “I met him on a dating app and we went for a socially distanced picnic date in the park,” says Hannah. “Everything went really well and we made plans to see each other again. We spent the whole week texting daily in the lead-up to our second date, which was also to be drinks in the park. Again, our conversation flowed naturally and we parted with ‘Speak to you soon.’ And then I never heard from him again.” It’s not an uncommon scenario, with silence filling…

Feeling a little blue or down in the dumps? You might be feeling this way because of the foods you’re eating. Your diet plays a fundamental role in your emotional health and eating the wrong types of foods can impact your mood and emotional wellbeing. As tempting as it may be to reach for sugary high-fat treats when you’re feeling low, these foods will only end up making you feel worse. Eating a wholesome diet rich in a variety of nutritious natural foods will deliver important brain-nourishing nutrients that are needed to regulate your brain chemistry to support mood, brain function and emotional health. Specific vitamins, minerals and amino acids are required for the production of your “feel-good” neurotransmitters, namely serotonin, dopamine and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). These neurotransmitters help enhance…

Are you tired of feeling tired? When you’re fighting fatigue it’s a struggle to summon energy to engage and evolve in life. You’re like a pauper begging for personal power. Yet, when you accumulate energy you become rich with vital potential. Studying any inspirational figure you’ll find they share one common factor: an indomitable dynamism. Energy is your currency exchange with the world. When you have an abundance of energy it fills you and overflows to all around. With this creative force you can turn dreams to reality; as Benjamin Franklin said, “Energy and persistence change all things.” If every atom encases enough energy for an atomic explosion, imagine your limitless life force. Accessing this powerhouse can feel like quivering frissons flowing through your circuits — a fountain of effervescent…

During the 2019–20 Australian bushfires many of us discovered the ease with which smoke can infiltrate our private living spaces. Given that we spend about 90 per cent of our lives indoors, how can we safeguard our home air from external pollution and be more thermally comfortable without massive expense? Leaky houses We’ve all heard of leaky guts. Houses can be leaky too, lacking insulation, and full of gaps, cracks and holes, says Michael Ambrose, a senior experimental scientist with the CSIRO and qualified architect. “They can lead to enormous amounts of heat loss, particularly if you’re running a heating system, because your house is at positive pressure. If there’s any gaps, out it all goes.” Prior to 2000 there were no regulatory requirements to install insulation in homes, he…

Flexibility, lots of options, life balance and learning are integral elements of the Australian Correspondence Schools (ACS) Distance Education experience. ACS aims to inspire students to gain a depth of knowledge of and passion for their chosen field. For more than 40 years, ACS has been providing quality distance and online adult education to students in Australia and all around the world. ACS systems, customer service and courses are always being refined to provide the best courses for an optimal learning experience. Following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, many people are now reconsidering their lives and priorities, and are looking to match their values more closely with how they live and work. People are slowing down, making time for things they enjoy doing and looking to work in careers that are…

Please talk to us about the importance of ritual The power of a ritual is in the intention. When we are being intentional with what we are doing we are fully present and conscious, allowing for the experience of joy and beauty. Creating rituals is what brings the magic into daily habits. Without a sense of ritual daily habits become dull and dreary and difficult to stick to, but rituals bring in the intentionality aspect — and the inspiration to keep doing it. What are some of your daily rituals? Miriam: My daily ritual starts with some form of breathwork and movement where I bring presence to my morning, and I finish the day listening to binaural beats while stretching, followed by an essential oil self-massage to gather all my…

KAREN GOLDRICK is a holistic veterinarian at All Natural Vet Care, Russell Lea, Sydney. T: 02 9712 5844 W: www.naturalvet.com.au. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 0.5–1 per cent of dogs and 1–3 per cent of cats. However it may be up to 80 per cent in older cats. There may be many causes of CKD in pets, including previous toxicity or injury, chronic inflammation, fibrosis and cancer. However, by the time it is diagnosed, we rarely identify the actual cause. Our focus is usually on supporting the remaining kidney function. The conventional veterinary approach is to classify the stage based on symptoms, as well as blood and urine results, and manage each stage appropriately. This management may consist of hydration support, phosphate binders to limit high phosphates (reducing phosphates may…

KAREN BRIDGMAN is a holistic practitioner at Lotus Health and Lotus Dental in Neutral Bay. During the lockdowns, a 70-year-old woman rang me for a consultation. She had been generally quite healthy for many years and used to walk regularly, enjoying lengthy bush walks frequently. But in the last couple of years her right knee and hip have been causing her increasing pain. Going to the doctor, she was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both the hip and the knee and was scheduled for a hip and a knee replacement. In the interim she was prescribed paracetamol and ibuprofen to manage the pain. Unfortunately, with the lockdowns her knee and hip surgery was postponed indefinitely so she continued with the medications. As she had a long-term interest in health, these were…