There are four aspects that comprise your health and wellbeing: your mind, spirit, body, and emotions. And all four of these need to be integrated, balanced and in harmony when seeking optimum health and wellbeing.

There are a number of ways in which you can elevate your health and wellbeing. But remember, while these will enhance your health, they can't create it for you if it doesn’t already exist.

So it’s important to focus on all aspects of you and to make time for yourself as often as you can.

As you probably know, there is no one size fits all when it comes to food and diet. And by diet, I don’t mean dieting in order to lose weight. I mean diet as in what you consume. This includes what you allow in mentally too, by the way, not just what you put in your mouth, but that’s a topic for another post.

When I was studying my nutrition certification through the Food Matters Institute, they taught us that there are 10 Nutritional Principles we should aim to abide by. I think they’re really useful, and something we would all find useful, and so I’m going to be running through them here. And then I’ll let you know what I believe number 11 should be. So do watch for that one at the end.

Most of us go through life seeking the approval of others. Be it our parents, teachers, friends, partners. We are so afraid of doing what we want to do because we’ve been conditioned to need other people’s approval.

And sure, this probably stems back to the days of our ancestors when to not be approved of and accepted into the tribe meant certain death as you’d be left to fend for yourself against the deadly threats and predators out there.

So you learned to get along, acquiesce to the demands of the group…

I recently came across this beautiful and apt summary of the history of healing. It describes how we have come full circle when it comes to our understanding and use of natural or alternative healing.

Some of you may have come across it before during wellbeing workshops, seminars, retreats, or meditation sessions.

This really resonated with me. I hope it does for you too…

I’m writing this article on the last day of a 5-day heatwave here in Sydney, Australia. Where temperatures have been in the high 30’s each day, peaking at 39 degrees Celsius today. Phew!

And while it is easier to remember to drink water in order to stay hydrated on days like today, on cooler days it is so much easier to forget.

Water is essential to life. And sadly, most of us living in the industrialised world are dehydrated and we don’t even know it.

Adult colouring books have been around for a few years now, so you may already have bought yourself one, or borrowed a book from a friend and had a go.

The first time I tried it, it was with a good friend and lots of bubbles (aka sparkling wine). I think garlic prawns may have been involved too...

Let me guess, you know you should be exercising? You know it’s good for you? But you just can’t bring yourself to do it every day?

I was the same. I hated exercise, not because I hate the idea of it, but I hated the effort of it. Having to get up early to squeeze it in before work. Or having to drive to a gym, get changed, just to attend a class or use some equipment.

I recently came across this wonderful poem by Rumi, the 13th-century poet, who so beautifully captures the essence central to so many spiritual traditions.

It is probably one of the most frequently recited poems you will hear in mindfulness teachings and retreats around the world. I love it because it is such a simple, but powerful teaching.

Mindfulness means different things to different people. To some it may seem a little mystical, unfamiliar or perhaps even a little abstract. Or, dare I say it, too woo woo.

Mindfulness is nothing more than a way of being. It's not an object or thing you try to obtain. It is just the non-judgemental awareness of what is happening in the present moment.