Tuesday, April 26, 2011

addiction confliction.





I read a really great quote by actress Magda Szubanski on the weekend. When interviewed regarding the lessons she has learnt to achieve her admirable 36kg weight loss, she said, "Chocolate is not your friend. Your friends are your friends. Chocolate is just fat and sugar".


Let me just say first of all that tucking into a Lindt chocolate bunny over Easter is totally fine, but emotional eating is a whole other kettle of fish. Emotional eating is about eating large quantities of food (usually junk food) in response to feelings such as boredom or loneliness, instead of actual hunger. It's when people eat to fill an emotional void as comfort rather than looking to see what the real problem is. This consequently results is weight gain.


I went to an eye opening seminar in Noosa last month where the naturopath spoke at great lengths about the emotional habits people create. This isn't just about chocolate, it can be alcohol, smoking, drugs or even shopping. All these things feed addictions to distract the person from what they're really feeling by giving them a little high. These substances increase the levels of dopamine in our brain, a neurotransmitter that gives us a feeling of reward, well-being and pleasure. However these effects are short lived and our levels drop lower than they previously were.


But there's hope. When you get the urge to grab some more chocolate out of the fridge, make another purchase on eBay or pour an extra glass of red of an evening, ask yourself what emotion you're feeling and actually feel it, instead of numbing it. Then go for a walk, or have a bath, or give your friend a call to create a new positive habit. When you don't have a large amount of something on a daily basis you begin to appreciate a freshly made latte or a row of quality 70% dark chocolate here and there.


What are you overindulging in?

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

pins and needles.




Who loves acupuncture? I do! After lugging my 8'6 mal around Noosa National Park all week my shoulder was very worse for wear. I headed down to Coffs Pain Relief Clinic at the Jetty and Niel was kind enough to pop a few strategically placed needles into me and now I'm right as rain :)




If you're Facebook savy, head down to their page, press the 'like' button before April 30th and you're instantly in the draw to win FREE ACUPUNCTURE FOR A YEAR!!! That's right people, ONE... WHOLE... YEAR....! Boys, feel free to spend the money you're saving on pretty dresses for your girlfriend, bunches of flowers and romantic dinners at Fiasco...




Anyone scared of needles? Well stop being a princess coz they're as fine as a hair.




Friday, April 15, 2011

new tricks.


Mangoes at Xmas.



Chai in the bush.



The mandolin.



"Our" vegie garden.




Contemplating life.




One of the many garden updates I received when in Melb.

I love how he's made the juice carton (far right) into a prop for the new seedling.

Such an Italian.




Doughnuts in Italy.




I'm told by customers on a weekly basis how lucky I am for the parents I have. "Yes, I chose them well" is my reply. This week's post is about Tony Locandro:


Dad took me to my first yoga class when I was six. Gave me my first sip of chai at the Body, Mind, Spirit Festival (in a tepee) when I was eight. He used to “forget” to give me messages when boys called when I was fifteen. He taught me to drive our family’s Nissan Bluebird when I was 17 and the day I left home to move to Byron when I was 18, he told me “Don’t forget to eat your vegies”.


When I was at uni in Melbourne he would send regular emails with photos attached of how “our” vegie garden was progressing and then call me and vent about how the white moths were eating the tomatoes again. While studying we would discuss at great lengths over the dinner table about bowel movements and his prostate function while my mum and brother would listen in horror. When I was 23 he bought me a tool box and a bag of cable ties for Xmas and then proudly explained how to use each device.


He taught me all I needed to know when I bought his business at 24 and over the last 26 years of knowing each other; he has always reminded me to be patient, tolerant of others and not to add unnecessary emotions to situations.


So the reason for this blog dedication to my dad today is that he is going to his first Pilates class this morning at 60 years old. I mentioned to him last week that there was an open day for men at my Pilates studio and he sent me a text at 10pm last night saying he wanted to go.


It’s so important to continually try new things and challenge ourselves by stepping out of our comfort zone and meeting some great people along the way. It keeps our lives fresh and interesting and allows us to evolve.


What new things have you done recently?

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Get a (balanced) life.



  • I love my little shop. It consumes me in both a positive and negative way. But I’ve recently come to a realisation that when I catch up with friends or acquaintances the first thing they say is “Hi Emma, how’s the shop?” Don’t get me wrong, the shop is my baby and all my blood, sweat and tears go into it. But I thought to myself, I used to be “fun and carefree Emma” who loved yoga, gardening, surfing, live music and travelling and now I’m “stressed and boring Emma” who works a lot and spends Friday nights doing bookwork. Who is this girl and where did her life go?



  • Subsequently one of my (many) New Years Resolutions for 2011 was to have a life outside of the shop. So this year I’ve started playing tennis, have discovered a fanatical love for pilates and am currently halfway through a yoga intensive course! I took a holiday to Noosa last month, am heading to Melbourne next month and am going to Sydney in December.



  • It’s safe to say that my happiness levels have increased ten fold. I used to think I didn’t have any time, but now I’ve realised that I just wasn’t making time. So if you’re living in a comfort bubble, also known as a rut, pop it and get to know yourself again. I highly recommend it. So now people are starting to say to me “How was pilates last night?” and “Did you enjoy your holiday?” Yes I did, thankyou for asking :)

Saturday, April 2, 2011

scrub a dub dub.



  • Detoxing can be such a dirty word (excuse the pun). People instantly conjure images of a few lonely carrot sticks on a plate, holding their nose as they down pungent green potions and putting up with killer headaches. I beg to differ!

  • This is the end of the second wk of my detox or CLEANSE as I like to call it and it's been all about fresh fruit juices, homemade bliss balls and hot epsom salt baths. I've only cheated once with a caramello koala. The larger size ;) Oops!

  • One thing that I have been quite religious with is dry body brushing before every shower. Dry body brushing is an excellent way of promoting the flow of the lymphatics, improving circulation, exfoliating away dead skin cells and reducing cellulite (fingers crossed)!

  • Grab one with natural bristles and use long, firm strokes towards the heart. We stock the Bodecare collection of brushes that range from super gentle to very stimulating. At least that will stop people buying our EcoStore potato scrubbers -seriously!!