Fourteen words.

Sounds like a plan Stan xx

My "Peanut Butter" Theory.

Have you heard of the phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none”?

Last year I was speaking to an acupuncturist about how some people spend years and years at uni doing multiple degrees. Although it’s a wonderful thing to have a yearning for knowledge my acupuncturist turned to me and said “Yes, but which one do they do well?”

I think some people’s lives can be like that too. Women are meant to be the experts in multitasking –although I seem to be the exception to that rule… However it amazes me when I hear about ladies who work 70 hour weeks, have two kids under 7, try to maintain a successful marriage, a social life, time to themselves and try to stay on top of their health. Usually in that order too. Super mum or adrenal exhaustion?

Much like running a business, a clinic, maintaining a long-distance relationship, doing two advanced pilates classes, catching up with friends and family while looking after everyone else's health but my own.... Hmmm... Time to down size!

I regularly explain this to an overcommitted friend of mine as my “Peanut Butter Theory”. Don’t spread yourself too thin!

Conserve your precious energy. Do things whole heartedly or not at all. Be present in every situation. Love what you do. Know your limits and drop down a gear. Most importantly, learn that sometimes the most positive thing for your health and head space is to say ‘no’. xxx

When my baby, when my baby smiles at me...

I just got back from a practitioner seminar on fertility and preconception care where I wildly wrote seven pages of notes.

Here’s a handful of interesting facts:

*65% of miscarriages are due to poor sperm quality which is why it is super important for BOTH partners to see a naturopath for a proper pre-conception care program.

*Sperm’s biggest enemy is oxidative stress such as smoking, drinking, excessive exercise and stress. This can be neutralised by a diet high in brightly coloured fruit and vegies like blueberries, spinach, red capsicum and carrots.

*Men: take your mobile phones out of your pockets!! It’s affecting your sperm quality.

*A miscarriage can deplete a woman’s body as much as one and a half pregnancies would. So it’s necessary to wait for at least 6 months until trying again.

*The rate of miscarriage without pre-conception care is 22% as opposed to 6% when pre-conception care was preformed for at least 3 months.

*3 months of pre-conception care can make the health of a woman’s eggs 2 years younger which is incredibly valuable in older women.

*Iron levels should be tested 2-3 times throughout the pregnancy to avoid anaemia. This will ensure you have plenty of energy when you need it most.

*The healthy amount of weight to gain during pregnancy is between 10 to 15 kilos. It is not the time to be eating Mars Bars and doughnuts.

*Morning sickness is most rampant in the morning because blood sugar levels are at their absolute lowest. Snack on small regular protein-rich meals to ease this.

*Some basic pre-conception care tips include eating EIGHT vegies and THREE pieces of fruit each day, daily exercise and sun exposure, practising positive stress management techniques and taking a good quality multivitamin and high strength fish oil.

Share the love.

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."

-Mother Teresa

"You're only as good as the company you keep".

I went to a really inspiring talk by Katie Pitsis last night. Katie is an unbelievable young woman who is a representative of the personal empowerment group Free Spirit Girl. Her life revolves around educating teens on positive body image, self esteem and achieving their goals.

When she spoke to everyone about having a great support network, she recited the Daggermouth quote “You can’t soar like an eagle when you’re hanging with the turkeys”.

What are the people you are surrounded by like? Do they talk about their goals and congratulate you on your achievements? Or do they have Tall Poppy Syndrome and whinge about their job/house/partner/body?

I think you can tell a good friend by the feeling you have after you’ve spent time with them. How many friends do you have who leave you feeling exhilarated and excited about life?

Invite happiness to dinner.

As morbid as it sounds, Brad Pitt’s character in Fight Club was correct when he said “This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time”.

Life is too short to not burn candles that don’t smell delicious
Life is too short to not have the softest bamboo sheets in the world
Life is too short to not invite your parents over for dinner
Life is too short to not put marshmallows in your hot chocolate
Life is too short to not do absolutely everything in your power to follow your dreams
Life is too short to not experience those countries you always talk about going to
Life is too short to not see live bands that give you a little tingle everytime you listen to their cd afterwards
Life is too short to not wear ridiculously loud socks to pilates when everyone else has on white
Life is too short to not utilise your talents and use them to your full potential
Life is too short to not share your life with someone who doesn’t crack you up on a daily, if not hourly basis
Life is too short to not give a damn about your health

Don't be boring. Make life juicy. xx

Two a day.

So bananas are still wildly expensive and lovely summer fruits like mangoes and apricots are out of season. Are you still having the recommended 2 pieces of fruit each day? Here's a few suggestions on how to make room for them in your diet:

Easy ways of having your two pieces of fruit each day:
*Make a fruit salad
*Add stewed apples or pears to your porridge
*Add tinned peaches to your muesli
*Chop fresh pineapple and add it to your homemade pizza

*Have strawberries, yoghurt and cinnamon for dessert

*Thread chopped rockmelon, honeydew and watermelon chunks onto a skewer
*Snack on mixed dried fruit such as mangoes, figs, dates and peaches
*Have a handful of prunes

*Add blueberries to homemade spelt muffins
*Take a container to work filled with grapes, berries and mandarin segments
*At the start of each week buy a ¼ of a watermelon, pineapple, paw paw, or rockmelon, slice it up and keep it in a container in the fridge for you to snack on when you want something sweet
*Make a juice smoothie:

Juice Smoothie

Blend:
1 cup of fruit juice
1 cup of watermelon
1 cup of fresh or frozen berries
1 heaped teaspoon of spirulina

1 Tbsp LSA

1 heaped dessert spoon of protein powder