Cold hands, hot tea

104. Top Five Things I LOVED This Week:

1. Smashing through a couple of hours of book work and then taking a blanket, some Pana chocolate and my journal down to the headland to watch whales for an hour before I started work.
2. The traits I inherit from my father: using coloured pencils as bookmarks so I can colour in the good bits.
3. The look on my 5 year old niece's face when I told her that the pink lace underwear she was giggling about on our washing line weren’t mine, but my husband’s. Some sort of mixture between shock and delight.
4. Quinoa croquettes from The Happy Frog. Can someone PLEASE experiment with a recipe and let me know asap!
5. Sunday mornings spent pottering around the house: YouTubing furniture restoration, writing a shopping list for Bunnings and hanging up pictures.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. Every two months since May last year I’ve been seeing a herbalist (because a dentist needs to see a dentist right?). I’ve never met anyone as magical as this woman.

At our last consultation she instructed me to go down to the ocean more often. She said that even if I can’t be bothered going for a walk, to just sit there and breathe in the salt air. It corrects the negative/positive ion ratio in the body, purifies our cells and relieves the urge for us to go nuts. That’s actually how she worded it.

I would like to pass this sage yet simple advice on to you this week. If you are not coastal, head to a park, botanical garden or any sort of patch of nature you can find. Breathe deeply and feel yourself being purified from the inside out.

Some call it “earthing”. Some call it “biophilia”. Or as my herbalist calls it “Stopping yourself from going nuts”.

I don’t believe in “Mondayitis” but I was really struggling to get in the right head space yesterday morning.

So as I was driving to work –through road works which of course pissed me off even further, I asked the Universe to send me exactly who I needed today. I do this from time to time and the coincidences are always quite freakish.

I received phone calls from people I’d been meaning to connect with, people popped in and shared wonderful stories that all had a common theme and I booked a handful of exciting new clients that I’m really excited to work with. By midday I was feeling refreshed and energised on life again.

Maybe give it a try sometime. Invite synchronicity into your life.

“What you seek, seeks you”

-Rumi

105. Top Five Things I LOVED This Week:

1. The Salt n Pepa car ad.
2. Being tucked up in bed listening to the wind trying to blow our roof off.
3. The cute little sparrows that bounce around the sushi place picking up fallen grains of rice. Actually kind of unhygienic now that I read that back.
4. Very slow, very gentle yoga in the winter sunlight.
5. The smell of chocolate beetroot cake baking in the oven.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. One of my gorgeous clients wrote in an email this week and shared a quote she had come across:

"If we do not feel grateful for what we already have,
What makes us think we'd be happy with more?"
-Ritu Ghatourey

Comparing ourselves to others is the easiest way to become unhappy.

To me, CONTENTMENT would have to be the best feeling there is. Just being totally stoked to the brim with exactly what you have and where you’re at right now. It takes away the burden of constant striving, we become less materialistic and it allows us to be happy for others rather than envious. Once all that pressure is off, it allows us to simply live in the moment and align with the flow of life.

The first step to feeling more content, is continually practising GRATITUDE. Every. Single. Day. Although at times I get distracted or stuck in a rut, I remind myself to:
*List a handful of wonderful things going on in my life when I go to bed and wake up every morning
*Repeat positive affirmations
*Surround myself with uplifting people
*Continue to write my Top 5

It amazes me how the simple act of practising gratitude acts as a potent catalyst for even more abundance that you could have ever imagined!

*EMMA THE NATUROPATH’S BEAUTY REGIME*

Over half of my shop is filled with natural skincare. I have meticulously picked every single product out and let me tell you, I am VERY particular!! When customers are browsing our shelves, I constantly get asked which ones I use. So here they are. My FAVE products that I *LOVE* and use all the time:

BUTTER NAILPOLISH: I’ve given away all my other nail polishes and am slowly growing my collection of Butter. Not tested on animals and lacking the 3 main carcinogens. ($17.95)

TAMAUNU OIL: We got this in about a week ago and I’m loving it on my face (at night) and body after a shower. Organically grown in Vanuatu and imported by a local lady in Scotts Head who used to live there. ($19.95)

VRINDAVAN CINNAMON SCRUB SOAP: Anything spicy smelling is my friend. Olive oil based with little poppy seeds in there for exfoliation. Life is too short not to use decadent soap! From the Sunny Coast ($4.95)

WARBOTANICAL ‘NORMAL’ SHAMPOO: Hands up who has tried a million natural shampoos with no success? Me too. Well this shampoo is the ultimate crowd pleaser! It foams perfectly (thanks to coconut and sugar) and my hair is always so soft after I use it. From Warburton in Vic. ($14.95)

MOOGOO CONDITIONER: It’s like a super thick cream. Plus it smells like milky-vanilla goodness. From the Goldy. ($16.95)

MOOGOO MILKY WASH: This is my favourite cleanser in the world!! You only need the size of a pea. Also a beautiful body wash. ($16.95)

KORA PURIFYING DAY AND NIGHT CREAM: My day time moisturiser. I feel like I’m “feeding” my skin with this little organic tonic. From Sydney. ($42)

RED SEAL ‘NATURAL’ TOOTHPASTE: Simple ingredients. From NZ bru ($4.95)

GIOVANNI 2CHIC AVOCADO AND OLIVE OIL HAIR MASK: Usually on a Sunday night I’ll leave this in my hair for 10 mins while I read a book in the bath. One of the few things that tames my thick wavy locks. ($16.95)

As you can see, I’m incredibly mindful about not only WHAT is in my personal care products, but also about WHERE they come from. We have so many fantastic natural brands in Australia that deserve our love.

Far out it’s nippy today!! QUICK! Let’s write a post together about all the things we love about Winter to keep the love alive! I’ll get us started….

What we LOVE about winter:

1. Holding cups of hot tea to warm our hands
2. Flanno pj’s
3. Knitted scarves made by someone you love
4. Opening the front door and smelling the slow cooker which has been bubbling away all day (without burning the house down!)
5. Burying yourself under piping hot laundry that’s fresh out of the dryer
6. Adding more hot water to the bath –for the third time
7. Hot water bottles with fluffy covers
8. Steaming pumpkin soup with a dollop of greek yoghurt
9. Empty beaches
10. Winter produce: mandarins, pears, leeks and pumpkin

Oh hi strangers!

Sorry for the lack of attention and Top 5 action this week but Emma the Naturopath has been in recovery from a nasty cold

Have been smashing down the echinacea, vit D, vit C, zinc, colloidal silver, probiotics, soaking up the sun, sucking on homemade coconut water/mango icy poles (recipe will be posted), eating soup, drinking gallons of water with apple cider vinegar and sleeping like nobody's business!

There will be a *VERY SPECIAL* Top 5 coming to you this Sunday!! That's all I'm saying for now...

HOMEMADE ICY POLES FOR SORE THROATS

There’s nothing like a yummy healthy icy pole to soothe an inflamed throat.

I bought some Lickety-Sip icy pole moulds for a few dollars from Big W and mixed up two different batches. Just blend, pour into moulds and freeze!

MANGO & STRAWBERRY ICY POLES
1 cup frozen mango
Handful of fresh strawberries
2/3 cup coconut water
1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves
(I also added vitamin C powder)

SPICED BANANA & COCONUT ICY POLES
1 banana
1 cup frozen mango
1 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup coconut cream

Get as creative as you like!

Emma the Naturopath xx

Essential Health
Phone: 0266 514 533
Email: carrots_and_apples@hotmail.com

Facebook: Essential Health Coffs

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

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Boulevard Arcade, Coffs Mall (opp. Blush)

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18 things I am grateful for on the 18th of Feb...

grate·ful/ˈgrātfəl/

Adjective: Feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; to be thankful.

Thankyou Universe for...

1. walking down the hill for a pre-work swim


2. organic coconut and vanilla shampoo


3. goats milk and cinnamon soap


4. fresh spelt bread to make toast


5. two new clients booking in for next week


6. being told by an old lady today that she has stop eating chocolate by using positive affirmations


7. that Muffin Break decided that their gluten-free muffin of the day would be choc chip and raspberry


8. having Wendy Russell as a part of the Essential Health team


9. slowly weaning a patient off of anti-anxiety medications and onto magnesium


10. a one and a half hour remedial massage at Coffs Pain Relief Clinic


11. Australian Unity for getting $25 back


12. a swim at the foreshores and walk on the beach, then another swim


13. home cooked meal at the parentals


14. seeing my parents overflowing with happiness while they told me tales of Italian adventures


15. a spa bath with chocolate scented sugar scrub


16. mini toblerones from duty-free for dessert


17. driving home towards a giant full moon while listening to Angus and Julia sing Big Jet Plane live on Triple J


18. knowing that it's only one more sleep til I see my babe again xxx

Every choice and decision that you have ever made in your life has lead you to exactly where you are today. Take responsibility for who you are, the house you live in, the job you work at, the partner you have (and partners you've had in the past) and the type of person you are to others. If you don't like it, make some new choices and show gratitude for the life you have created.

What are you grateful for?