How to make a naturopath cry

TOP 5 HANGOVER TIPS

1. Spirulina: Before hitting the sack take a six 500mg spirulina tablets to top up your nutrient levels that get depleted while drinking. The chlorophyll which gives spirulina it’s vibrant green colour is a fantastic blood cleanser. The other option is to throw a teaspoon into your banana smoothie the next day.

2. Nux vomica: Pop these little homeopathic pills under your tongue if you're feeling queasy and they'll set you on the right track.

3. Hydration: This is your time to drink (water) like a fish. Water is going to flush out all those nasty toxins from the alcohol. Booze turns off ADH (anti-diuretic hormone) in our brain therefore you pee more than normal which is dehydrating. The trick is to add a pinch of pink Himalayan salt to your glass of water to replace your electrolytes. It’s got over 100 different minerals in it and will help you absorb more water.

4. Avoid coffee: Caffeine is going to dehydrate you even more which is the last thing you need at this stage. Get into dandelion tea or some green tea.

5. Ginger tea: Grate or slice up some fresh ginger, throw in a slice of lemon and a little honey. The ginger acts as an anti-emetic (anti-spew) and the lemon will help to stimulate liver function.

Woohoo!! Our Facebook page 'Essential Health Coffs' now has over 1000 likes!

Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Finally hanging up my lovely 2014 Frankie calendar.

2. Old people that call you “pet”.

3. Floating on my back in the ocean on a bright yellow lilo.

4. Eating mangoes every damn day.

5. Laughing with one of my sweet customers about what my Top 5 will sound like once I have kids. It went something along the lines of “I had a two minute shower today” and “I got to drink a warm cup of tea!” Can you relate mamas?!

PS. I’ve been really enjoying soaking up Summer lately.

Watermelon, lychees, cherries and peaches
Coconut water with fresh lime
Brown skin and lighter hair
The freedom of daylight savings
New bikinis
Refreshing ocean swims
Salads for dinner
Feeling more playful and carefree

It’s like we wait all year for the warmer months but then they go so quickly. Remember to take a moment to just be in the present moment to immerse yourself in this glorious season.

HOW TO MAKE A NATUROPATH CRY

I woke up on January 1st to this eloquently written email from a gorgeous client of mine…


"Hi Emma

Its coming on 12 months now since we met. I have to tell you you’re amazing. My whole family are feeling better since we started taking your advice. My pregnancy was the easiest, straight forward pregnancy/birth I've had. He is a perfect baby who’s slept through the night since just 6 weeks old and does it consistently. I'm positive that this is due to the due changes we made early on. My daughter’s gum issues have healed beautifully but the biggest change I've noticed is with my husband.

Just recently we switched to having a green smoothie for breakfast every day, like you suggested. Just 2 weeks in and we both feel more energized, HE gets up to make the smoothie because he can notice the difference that its made. We've tried different recipes and had some fails but we've both loved that his energy and playfulness has returned.

After being away for Christmas and eating way too much, we got home Boxing Day just in time to make a quick dinner. He suggested we just have a smoothie instead. This is a huge thing for my husband who’s always telling me my hippie ways won't do much good.

I can't thankyou enough for everything you've done for our family in 2013 and I'm so excited to see what's install for 2014.

Wishing that all the happiness and joy that you've brought to our lives be bestowed right back at you in 2014

Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou"

My latest obsession is eating pudding for breakfast! No I will not be losing my naturopathic accreditation… I’ve been making CHIA PUDDINGS! They are healthy enough to be enjoyed at any time of the day –breakfast, mid-morning, dessert…

One serving:

Add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds to a drinking glass.

Pour in 1 cup of organic coconut cream (or the milk of your choice) and stir.

Leave pudding to set in fridge for at least ½ an hour. If you want the consistency to be less thick, add a few splashes of almond milk before serving.

When ready to serve, top with whatever fruit or nuts you like! I find that by adding fresh fruit it isn’t necessary to add any type of sweetener. My fave combinations include:

*banana and cinnamon

*mango and raspberry

*choc mint (add some raw cacao powder and a few drops of peppermint essence

Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. A carton of mismatching farm eggs. All different sizes, shapes, colours. A few fluffy feathers and a bit of dirt attached.

2. A tepid bath with Epsom salts and lavender oil before bed on a balmy summer’s night.

3. Rolling over in yoga to notice a heart shaped knot in the wooden floor next to my mat.

4. Playing bocce with my family.

5. My frangipani tree being in full bloom with hot pink flowers. Small bowls of freshly picked flowers are in every room of the house.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. “At the center of your being
you have the answer;
you know who you are
and you know what you want.”

-Lao Tzu

Dedicate a little time this week to bring yourself back to yourself. Spend some quiet moments alone listening to what your intuition has been trying to tell you all along.

"You are today 

where your thoughts of yesterday have brought you

and you will be tomorrow

where your thought of today take you".

-Blaise Pascal

Essential Health

0266 514 533
Boulevard Arcade (opp. Blush), Coffs Mall

Facebook: Essential Health Coffs
Instagram: emma_the_naturopath

Summer lovin'

Change with the Seasons


As we move through the year it is important to keep our health tuned into each season so we can feel our optimal best!

The temperature is slowly rising so we can welcome more RAW foods onto our plate. This allows us to spend less time in the kitchen as our meals become lighter, simpler and fresher rather than burdening our digestive system with heavy, cooked foods.

Seasonal summer produce: 

Fruit: bananas, berries, lychee, mango, melons, passionfruit, stone fruit.

Vegies: lettuce, asparagus, green beans, celery, leek, cucumber and capsicum.

Encourage your family to spend more time outside enjoying this glorious weather and soak up some vitamin D! Just remember to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of purified, room temperature water.

Healthy summer meals:

Green smoothies
Fruit salad with yoghurt and LSA
Vegie stick platter with homemade hummus
Beetroot, rocket and goats feta salad
Steamed barramundi with ginger, lemongrass and Asian greens

Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Post surf-mat session smoothie: coconut water, frozen mixed berries, mango, mint from the garden and a lime. AKA summer in a glass.

2. A mama and baby pelican cruising by us while stand up paddle boarding in the river. You forget how gigantic those things are until you’re right up next to one of them!

3. Setting my alarm tone to ocean sounds instead of annoying beeeeeeeping. Why did that take me so long?

4. Cheesy polenta mash.

5. When there is no surf…. This means he brings me poached eggs on gluten free toast in bed.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. My jaw actually dropped open... “Is that true?!” I asked the lady behind the counter at the ink shop.

The poster behind her said: “PRINTER INK CARTRIDGES TAKE UP TO 450 YEARS TO BREAKDOWN IN LANDFILL”. I can’t even fathom that amount of time!

I found out that in one year, if the world’s discarded cartridges were stacked end-to-end, they would circle the earth over three times

When I asked the lady what can be done to reduce this she said “Exactly what you’re doing” as she passed me my refilled cartridge. I’ve had the same ink cartridges for 4 years now. Only 30% of people refill their cartridges. The other 70% go to the tip to sit there until the year 2463. Hectic.

I go to Cartridge World in Coffs to refill mine and they’re a fraction of the cost of buying new ones. When we were poor uni students we used to refill them ourselves (and have black fingers for weeks).

Be mindful that when you throw something “away” it is never really “away. Please share this post so we can let more people know.

*WARNING*

If you buy a Christmas present in our shop I will peer pressure you into letting me gift wrap it for you.

Me: “Hi would you like me to gift wrap that for you?”

Customer: “Oh no, that’s fine. I’ll do it at home”

Me: “It’s not a hassle. Look at our beautiful Christmas paper”
Customer: “It’s ok. It’s actually a birthday present”
Me: “Oh I have paper for that too!”
Customer: *uncomfortable silence* “Um… Sure, go for it”
Me: *fist pump*

Two weeks today until the big day!! The shop is overflowing with goodies! Anyway here is Essential Health’s Top 5 Christmas Treats!

1. IT’S ALL GOOD BY GWENYTH PALTROW -My fave cookbook of all time!

2. DRISHTI CANDLES from Bellingen –We’d like to think that’s it’s our natural pheromones that make the shop smell so damn good, but it’s actually the candles.

3. WELEDA POMEGRANATE CREAMY BODY WASH AND HAND CREAM PACK –Save around $20 on this biodynamic goodness.

4. ATTIC ACCESSORIES TOILETRY BAGS –Nice designs for dudes and chicks.

5. LOUISE L. HAY AFFIRMATION CARD DECK –Daily inspiration. The gift that keeps on giving.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. Thank you in advance for satisfying my gift wrapping fetish. Of course it is a free service, but we have a Sea Shepherd tin on the counter so feel free to drop a coin in there :)

I was so touched by this lovely message I received yesterday from one of our customers...


"Hi, I just wanted to say thank you!!!!

I was in your store on the weekend right on closing time, you were patient and listened to me even though you were probably itching to get on with your weekend. I purchased some toothpaste and Olive Leaf oral spray you recommended for mouth ulcers.

Absolute magic, just a few days treatment and they are totally gone. Imagine, I have been putting up with them for nearly 9 months.

Thanks so much again, have an awesome Christmas!"

Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Walking to the elevator just as the doors are opening. I didn’t think I was superstitious but when this happens I feel like I’ve got a great day ahead.

2. Scoring a set of (BPA free) Lickity Sips from Big W for $6. Excited to make healthy homemade icy poles this Summer!

3. Playing ‘Heart and Soul’ on the grand piano at a mansion overlooking the ocean.

4. Yummy treats from my very sweet customers. Homemade coconut yoghurt and a little package of bliss balls. My afternoon tea was sorted!

5. Doing yoga outside in the sprinkling rain. I went into the deepest meditation afterwards and actually fell asleep. It was a surreal and beautiful feeling to peacefully wake up in nature, which took me a few moments to work out where I was.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. I thrive on simplicity. When life gets complicated and overwhelming, I try to shed away all the static and get back to basics.

This week I unsubscribed from a dozen mailing lists that I receive for recipes that I never cook and clothes I never buy. I went through my entire wardrobe and spent an afternoon listing clothes on eBay. It made me feel lighter and clearer.

Live by the KISS rule: Keep It Simple Sexy.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”
-Leonardo da Vinci




Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Finding out my childhood cats were named Cauliflower and Come On. How ridiculous!

2. The Bobby Alu cd. Good psych up music for Hawaii in 4 weeks!

3. Coconut chia puddings with fresh fruit every morning. Then again for dessert!

4. Seeing two friends get married in their backyard under a big beautiful mango tree with frangipanis scattered around.

5. Paddle boarding down the river in Bellingen to find a secluded picnic spot. Rode down a few rapids! The only sounds were cicadas buzzing, kookaburras having a chuckle and some cows mooing. Often all I could hear was the paddle being dipped into the water. It was a peaceful and grounding way to spend the last weekend of the year after zooming around all month.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. The next Top 5 I post will be in 2014!!

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear” 

–Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

My yoga teacher told me once that when there is love, there can be no fear. So immerse yourself in love and know that you are invincible xx

Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. That awkward moment when the waitress asks you what sort of chai you’d like and you reply “a BIG one” instead of ‘latte or tea’. Oh...

2. Whittling away hours at a busy café on my laptop and my “BIG chai” ala Carrie Brandshaw. Periods of wild typing infused with patches of staring into the distance daydreaming and pondering life.

3. The relief of a newly renovated kitchen. Fridge is in the laundry, washing up in the laundry sink with the dish rack on the floor. Boiling the kettle which is plugged in on the carpet next to the TV in the lounge room. It’s a bit like camping in your own house.

4. My grandmother informing me about that creepy Packer guy and Miranda Kerr as if she’s in their close circle of friends. Well it must be true if it was in Woman’s Day.

5. People who walk around town wearing loud Christmas shirts, Santa hats and earrings in the shape of candy canes. These people who truly embrace the Christmas spirit never fail to bring a smile to my face.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. “Something very beautiful happens to people when their world has fallen apart: a humility, a nobility, a higher intelligence emerges at just the point when our knees hit the floor.”

-Marianne Williamson

For many people I know, 2013 has been a BIG year that has demanded a lot of strength and resilience. But guess what… You made it!! A little stronger and wiser than before.

So instead of writing a list of specific goals as long as your arm (I am writing this for myself here), just aim for an ENJOYABLE year. It’s time to just release and be open to wherever life takes you.

From myself and Vanessa, we send you Christmas wishes from the bottom of our hearts and thank you for all the joy you have brought to us at Essential Health this year. Lots of love xxxx

So excited about the fresh new year that lies ahead!!!

Essential Health

0266 514 533
Boulevard Arcade (opp. Blush), Coffs Mall
Facebook: Essential Health Coffs
Instagram: emma_the_naturopath

A grateful heart

Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk: (Our 70^th one!)

1. A domestic afternoon making zucchini slice and roast lamb, cleaning, tea drinking and eating hot spelt banana date muffins from the oven -happening right now!

2. The golf course near our house resembling a ski slope with all the hail. Take me back to Japan!

3. A quiet Saturday afternoon spent watching Sex and the City on my laptop in the bath while the house shook from the storm. It just wouldn’t be a Top 5 without me in the bath!

4. Sitting in our garden sketching and painting happily in the sun.

5. Lying in bed in the dark listening to frogs “ribbit” like metronomes.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS.

“I believe everything happens for a reason.

People change so you can learn to let go.

You believe lies so that you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself.

Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right.

And sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together”

–Marilyn Monroe

Can you relate?

Effort with grace

My yoga teacher has repeatedly told us “effort with grace” during nearly every class. I never fully understood the phrase until I was on my Bali retreat in June and I had my ‘Ah-huh!” moment.

Effort with grace (to me) means putting positive intention and action into achieving your goals but to also have the flexibility to accept whatever outcome prevails.

I met a very sweet lady on the retreat. She listed all the things she DIDN’T want to do as our driver took us around all the windy bends on the way up the mountain. “I don’t want to do backbends. I don’t want to do handstands or headstands. I’m not good at balancing and I don’t want to use my knees too much”.

“I want to do THIS!” I exclaimed with great enthusiasm as I presented her with a picture I’d brought along of a variation of dancer pose, natarajasana.  “Why would you want to do THAT!?” she asked as her eyes nearly popped out of her head. “I want a challenge!” I replied.

As I spoke with my teacher one night over dinner I realised that I was the definition of too much EFFORT as I was constantly striving to overachieve and my new friend was demonstrating too much GRACE, as she was too flippant with her intentions.

Over the course of the week my friend really expanded herself to new situations, expanding both physically and emotionally. On the last day of the retreat she did the most beautiful assisted back bend and we all stood around her cheering. “My daughter will never believe this!” she said as one of the girls snapped a photo.

Whereas I learnt the lesson of coming to my mat each day and just checking in with myself. “How do I feel today –physically and emotionally?” because every day’s different. This taught me to let go my ego and any expectations I had on myself. A big lesson in grace.

Effort with grace rings so true in any situation in life. I tell my clients about it when they become “too healthy” –when someone wants to be so incredibly healthy that their mindset and diet become quite restricted and they can’t even enjoy a piece of chocolate cake once in a while in the fear of what the sugar is doing to them. This negative impact of the stress on their body creates more damage than what the sugar would do.

It’s applicable for a uni student who wants top grades but studies all day and night without having a break and then burns out. Or a parent who is putting everyone else first but neglects themself and becomes sick. It’s a fine balance.

In other words, go with the flow J

Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. The intricate sketches of buffalos, mountains and deer on the Nepalese paper money that my friend brought back for me from his travels. They make handy bookmarks.

2. Texts that go for about six scrolls. They make my day too Mrs Oldfield xx

3. Unpacking stock and looking at the tiny box it came in and thinking how much 5 year old me would love to make it into a little house or something for my dolls.

4. Insights that James from Bleubird Vintage has learnt about marriage. Especially the last one. I’m going to print it out and put it on my fridge. http://bleubirdvintage.typepad.com/blog/2013/11/two-years-ago.html

5. The labyrinth of an antique shop that I finally got around to discovering. Moose heads, hundreds of pairs of animal themed salt and pepper shakers, wooden dressing tables with mirrors, fox stoles, record players, fringed lampshades, even a suit of armour! I was trying not to hyperventilate. I’m not sure if it was from sheer excitement or the volumes of dust that I inhaled…

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. My herbalist wrote just one word on my prescription pad the last time I saw her: PAINT. “You’re very logical and analytical Emma. I think you should paint”.

I’ve never been a painter. I didn’t know where to begin! So I bought a sketchpad, a few brushes and a set of acrylics. They sat on my dining table and I’d look at them gingerly every time I walked past…

And then I just began.

I’ve slowly begun to view my world with a new perspective. Instead of seeing the dandelions growing between my courtyard pavers as weeds that I needed to pull out, I started admiring their detailed leaves as potential painting subjects. I started painting pictures of shells that had sat on my bookshelf for years.

I realised how much I had neglected my creative side. Painting gave me an outlet to express myself. I find it therapeutic to sit in my garden and just mix colours and exhale. My project this week is to paint on some smooth river stones I collected today. I’m looking forward to it.

Get your creative juices flowing this week!

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

I am so surprised yet touched by all the people who have been telling me how much they are into my Top 5. It’s a really special thing to be commended for something you love doing.

I guess it all started when my husband and I started living together a little over a year ago. We would each say our Top Three things that happened that day over the dinner table or as we got into bed. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind and especially in our industry where we deal with a fair bit of sickness (he works at a private hospital). Sometimes it’s something as simple as a delicious lunch or a sunrise or maybe it’ll be a patient who started getting great results.

As our friends on the other side of the world are about to celebrate Thanksgiving, I feel the urge to share with you my thoughts on gratitude. To me, gratitude is an act of acknowledgement and appreciation. It allows us to feel content, to live in the present moment and to savour what is happening in our world. I truly believe that each time we say ‘thank you’ to the universe, it sends a little more of that good stuff our way.

There is always SOMETHING to be grateful for, even if it is learning a challenging lesson.

What are you grateful for today?

Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Standing in the kitchen eating pickles from the jar. My after work ritual.

2. Being utterly exhausted by the end of the week, but it was SO productive. Finally ticked things off of my to-do list… that have been there for three years!

3. The smell of a decadent flourless chocolate cake permeating through the whole house.

4. Buying new basil seedling after I caught Billy –the Persian cat from next door pooping in my pot plant. I thought we were friends but friends don’t poop in each other’s basil.

5. Booking flights to Hawaii for 8 weeks’ time!!

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS.

“Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates.

At the first gate, ask yourself, ‘Is it true?’

At the second gate ask,

‘Is it necessary?’

At the third gate ask,

‘Is it kind?’ ”

-Sufi saying

WHO THE HECK IS EMMA THE NATUROPATH?

So I was reading the Meet Me At Mikes blog yesterday and saw a cool little list she wrote about what’s going on in her world at the moment. She is an incessant list write like me… At the end of the post she left a blank list for her readers to have a go at filling out. So I did.

Making: love. Oh, and a website!
Cooking: flourless chocolate cake
Drinking: Real Foods coconut water
Reading: Five Love Languages
Wanting: a BioChef juicer (are you listening Santa?)
Looking: at storm fronts on the horizon
Playing: Scrabble at the dinner table
Deciding: to just go with the flow and trust life
Wishing: for a sunny Christmas day
Enjoying: yoga every damn day
Waiting: impatiently for Hawaii on Jan 28^th!!
Liking: my latest antique finds
Wondering: where I left my nametag 3 weeks ago
Loving: roast lamb on Sundays (no longer a vego after over 2 yrs!)
Pondering: the theory of detachment
Considering: studying medicine
Watching: my waistline with all this chocolate cake
Hoping: for a memorable 2014
Marvelling: at white lilies blooming in glass bottles around my house
Needing: more time spent without shoes
Smelling: gardenias
Wearing: Spell muscle tees
Following: Bleubird Vintage blog
Noticing: our impact on the planet

Knowing: that every little thing is gonna be alright
Thinking: about dinner at breakfast time
Feeling: inspired by creative souls
Admiring: new mums
Buying: more and more paints
Getting: closer to 29… Two months today!
Bookmarking: my reads with foreign currency, old photos and boarding passes
Opening: my mind and my heart
Giggling: competitions with Vanessa at work
Feeling: excited to see my parents again this weekend after many years

Thanks for letting me share.

Emma the Naturopath xx

Essential Health

0266 514 533

Boulevard Arcade, Coffs Mall (opp. Blush)

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK 'ESSENTIAL HEALTH COFFS' FOR REGULAR UPDATES OF LOVELINESS! 

You're Prettiest When You Smile

"Failure is not having the courage to try, nothing more and nothing less. The only thing standing between most people and their dreams is the fear of failure. Yet failure is essential to success in any endeavor. Failure tests us and allows us to grow. It offers us lessons and guides us along the path to enlightenment. The teachers of the East say that every arrow that hits the bull's eye is the result of one hundred misses. Never fear failure."

"Embrace failure?" I asked in disbelief.

"The universe favours the brave. When you resolve, once and for all, to lift your life to its highest level, the strength of your soul will guide you. Yogi Ramen believed that everyone's destiny was laid out for them at birth. It was up to each individual to develop the courage to walk this way."

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari -Robin Sharma 

I read this aloud to my husband in bed last night. Then I gave my thoughts on the passage.

"Yeah, that's solid" he replied, then was quiet for a moment. I figured he was deep in thought, pondering the meaning of life...

All of a sudden I heard snoring...

I hope your response was a little more provoking.

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. The relief when you realise that you’re not a terrible mother because the plant you thought you murdered was just in seasonal hibernation.
2. Studying the massive world map we have stuck to our bathroom wall when I brush my teeth each day. I found a place called Lake Disappointment in Western Australia this week. Gee, can’t wait to go there... If you’re reading this WA Tourism, you might want to reconsider the name.
3. The Halloween conversation I had with my husband...
Him: Should I go and get some lollies?
Me: No! It’ll give them diabetes!
Him: Well do we have some carrots in the fridge?
Me: Yes but they’re too expensive to give away. They’re organic! (Followed by a lecture about not living in America).
4. San Pellegrino sparkling water with coconut kefir, mint leaves, raspberries and lime -in a glass jar, because I’m so trendy.
5. The quizzical look I received from the lady checking bags at the door at Big W. Hello specimen jars filled with my clients’ urine that I was taking home for testing. Awkward...

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. “When you follow your bliss the universe will open doors where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell.

Take a step forward in the direction of your dreams this week and watch what happens.

Sup neighbor!

I love our little arcade! You can find a florist/cafe, hair dresser, beauty studio, bamboo clothing store, handmade children's clothing and the list goes on! 

Now we can add to the mix.... A YOGA STUDIO!!!

Mega babe Jasmine List who is known for teaching calming and heart-centered vinyasa flow classes is opening a studio 2 doors down from us!!

To keep up to date with the opening date and timetable head on over to One Conscious Breath Yoga.

Namaste.

Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. How much better gardenias smell when you’ve grown them yourself. I’ve decided that early Spring is my favourite season.
2. A rainy afternoon involving a Kora Organics facial, burning a lemongrass candle and drinking Red Sparrow peach tea in bed.
3. Scatterings of bright red and pale purple flowers on the ground from nearby jacaranda and Illawarra Flame trees as I walked to my car after clinic.
4. Post-workout brekkie: leftover veggie and brown rice soup with a handful of rocket, a soft boiled egg and, dollop of Greek yoghurt, some pink salt and a squeeze of lemon.
5. Playing Scrabble ‘our’ way: double point score for a dirty word.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. When I was little, dad would play Bob Marley, Lionel Ritchie, Simon and Garfunkle and Don McLean when he was driving. (Back when musicians were story tellers)... He would whistle and sing loudly as I sat in the back seat and read the lyrics on the inside of the album cover. 

'Is This Love' became mine and Brett's wedding song and after the week that’s passed, I’m going to leave my trust in Bob Marley’s words of wisdom again:

"Don't worry about a thing, 
Cause every little thing is gonna be all right. 
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing, 
Cause every little thing gonna be all right." 

Remain calm because the blessing will appear.

I’m seeing a lot of people staggering through the shop door lately looking utterly exhausted. Y’know that surviving, not thriving feeling? We need to make it a priority to nourish ourselves! I want to share some practical tips that you can start doing TODAY!

1. Learn to say “no”. I read this great quote the other week that said “Don’t say yes to others if it means saying no to yourself”. When you’re feeling stressed the last thing you need to do is take on more things. Try saying “I’d love to but I’ve already got a lot on my plate at the moment”.

2. Never underestimate the value of taking ten deep slow breaths. Create snippets of peacefulness to do this: as soon as you wake up, when you’re in the shower, in the car on the way to work, before you start to eat your lunch, etc.

3. Eat calming foods! A bowl of porridge (cooked on the stove) for brekkie, snack on a banana, a handful of cashews and almonds, turkey with veggies and brown rice for dinner and a cup of chamomile tea before bed.

A healthy bowel means clear skin, a happy digestive system and an abundance of energy! So let’s chat about constipation!

You are bound to get constipation (pun intended!) if you: are a stress head, eat too many refined foods like white bread (or white death as my husband calls it), don’t drink enough water, have poor bowel tone, take certain medications or are a bit of a couch potato.

So nip the problem in the butt (ha!) by: drinking plenty of filtered water, learning how to manage stress in a healthy way, exercise/stretch daily, maybe talk to a colonic hydrotherapist, get reflexology, or chat to your naturopath about probiotics, magnesium or digestive enzymes.

Food as medicine ways to get you regular:

*Be conscious of eating lots of fresh raw foods every day

*Sip on apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in water 15 minutes before a meal

*Stew apples, pears and rhubarb with cinnamon and add to porridge or yoghurt

*Snack on organic prunes

*Swap white rice for brown or quinoa

*Add chia seeds or fresh LSA to smoothies, porridge, bliss balls, salads

*Juice up some beetroot, carrot, apple, celery, lemon and ginger

*Enjoy a cup of dandelion or licorice tea

Emma the Naturopath xx

Essential Health

0266 514 533

Boulevard Arcade (opp. Blush), Coffs Mall

Facebook: Essential Health Coffs

Let go

Hello beauties!

We got a MASSIVE delivery of 28 new Butter London nail polishes on Friday!! Everything from creamy apricot (Kerfuffle) to electric purple (Indigo Punk) to baby blue (Poole) to multi coloured sparkles (Lovely Jubbley)! 

We also stock their acetone-free nail polish removers, base coat, top coat, cuticle oil and nail fertiliser! The RRP is $22.95 but Essential Health sells them for $16.95!!

A safer choice when painting your little ones nails (as well as your own)! Plus is not tested on animals, and contains no formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phtalate!

Come in and have a play!! 

Really focus on *LETTING GO* this weekend. Let go of the people and scenarios this week that didn’t serve your life in a positive way and show gratitude for the ones that did. Because all that exists right now and the only thing you have control over is the present moment.

 Inhale slowly. Exhaaaale deeply and let it all go.

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Following Lonely Planet on Instagram.
2. Diving fully clothed into the ocean at 6pm after a sweaty workout.
3. Flicking back through the history on the pedometer on my iPod and seeing one walk that I apparently did back in 1970...? Didn’t know many iPods were around back then...
4. Going on an adventure with my husband on our paddle boards. We strapped a picnic basket and fishing rod to the front of the board and stopped half way at our own little private beach eating apples and some gluten-free muffins I baked.
5. Something For Kate’s cover of Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris and Florence. Actually, Elmo could probably sing that song and I’d still love it.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. My husband and I were chatting today (while paddling down the river over MASSIVE sting rays) about how much we love experiencing new places. One of my favourite sayings is “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten”.

It’s applicable to many aspects of life. I see it frequently as a naturopath: people want to lose 10 kilos but are not willing to improve their diet and lifestyle. Or on the weekends if you just keep going to the same beaches, cafes, etc you can miss out on new experiences, opportunities and inspiration.

This week have a go at pushing the boundaries and inviting adventure into your daily life.

Lots of new Earth Lust stainless steels water bottles arriving this week!

Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:
1. A rainy afternoon making raw vegan choc mint bounty! I’ll put the recipe up this week!
2. Those nose pore strips. Am I the only one fascinated by these?
3. My new definition of heaven: floating down a river on our stand up paddle boards at high tide, looking meters down below through the turquoise water. Fish darting everywhere. Not another soul in sight.
4. Flipping channels last night to find Dirty Dancing!
5. Eating dinner in the bath while watching a DVD. I love my life!!

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS.
“Great minds discuss ideas.
Average minds discuss events.
Small minds discuss people” –Eleanor Roosevelt

Watch your words this week.

*RAW VEGAN CHOC MINT BOUNTY BARS*

These little pups are soooo wonderful! I whipped up a batch over the wkend and every time we took a bite of one, one of us would exclaim rather loudly "these things are fricken mental!!"

INGREDIENTS

Filling
1 cup of organic dates soaked for 20 mins in 1/2 cup boiling water
3 cups of desiccated coconut
¼ cup melted coconut oil
3 tbs cashews (or macadamias)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Choc Coating
½ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup cacao powder
¼ cup agave syrup
Pinch salt
(I also added a tsp of mint essence!)

DIRECTIONS

Filling
*Blend dates and water to make a paste
*Add the rest of the ingredients and process until well combined
*Shape the mixture into desired shapes (I used a heart shaped ice cube tray as well as a few "traditional" bounty shapes)
*Place in the fridge for about 2 hours to set

Chocolate Coating
*Mix all ingredients together

Assembly
*Place the firm coconut shape on a fork and place in the chocolate mix
*Remove from the chocolate and place on grease proof paper
*Place in fridge until the chocolate has set. Store in the fridge.

So fricken mental!!

Emma the Naturopath xx

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