WellBeing

I think we know each other well enough by now that I can be honest with you. I’m an idiot. I don’t say I’m a complete idiot in all aspects of my life, but in some ways, on occasions, I am, unredeemably, idiotic. Let me give you an example. One of my

Did something resonate with you in this issue of WellBeing? Tell us! Write to WellBeing, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde, NSW 1670, email wbletters@umco.com.au, comment on our Facebook page or Instagram account: @WellBeing_Magazine. We reserve the right t

Whether it’s a loving relationship to self, others or something greater than you, connection is something we often write about in WellBeing. On a primal level, we are hardwired for connection, but there is also an energetic force at play. This line o

Miranda Sofroniou T: +61 490 824 702 E: mgsofroniou@gmail.com W: mirandasofroniou.com I’m an illustrator and designer originally from London and now based in Melbourne. Stories and books play a central role in inspiring my designs. I often listen to

Words CARROL BAKER Honey is a gift from nature; a symbol of the sweet symbiotic connection between bees and flowering plants. Mankind has extolled the virtues of honey for more than 5000 years. In ancient Spain cave paintings were found of people gat

COMPILED BY TERRY ROBSON Epigenetic changes are chemical modifications that turn your genes off or on. Your environment and lifestyle factors such as food choices and things like smoking can lead to epigenetic changes. In a new study, researchers inv

Words LINDA MOON Mahatma Gandhi once said: “When I wake up, I am reborn.” If you sleep poorly, you’re more likely to feel strain and fatigue. Inadequate sleep and its consequences plague 33–45 per cent of adult Australians, according to a 2016 health

COMPILED BY TERRY ROBSON “Sucking up to the boss”, “kissing up”, “crawling”, “bootlicking”, “toadying”, “ingratiating”… there’s any number of terms that describe the act of trying to please a boss in the workplace. New research shows that while sucki

Words GRACIE BALEV While the weather warms and flowers bloom in early spring, many of us will struggle as hay fever takes hold. The itching, watering, sneezing messiness that comes to define the early days of this new season could not be less welcome

COMPILED BY TERRY ROBSON A major collaborative report is the first to report on the state of all four of the world’s most diverse tropical ecosystems: tropical forests, savannas, lakes and rivers, and coral reefs. The authors found that, although the

Words CHARMAINE YABSLEY Even with the best of intentions, sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day to fit in a full workout, jog or yoga class. A study by Australian National University found that one in five people aged between 25 and 54

Words VERONICA JOSEPH Photography SUN KIM PHOTOGRAPHY For a yogi, practice is a big part of life. Finding your yoga groove takes time and commitment but, once you do, it becomes a daily staple. Your yoga might happen as soon as you wake up every day,

Words DR KAREN BRIDGMAN Commonly called water hyssop or herb of grace and often confused with gotu kola, Bacopa monnieri is a non-aromatic perennial creeping wetlands herb. It’s a popular herb in Ayurvedic medicine where it’s known as brahmi after Br

Words CARROL BAKER As a parent of a teenager you might find yourself shaking your head in bewilderment. How did those tender years etched with love, laughter and tears, those first tentative baby steps, first days at school and first play dates pass

Words DR KAREN BRIDGMAN I’m a qualified natural health practitioner and a traveller. I know the joys and challenges travel can bring. This special report draws on my own experience of maintaining health while travelling — often off the beaten track —

Words DR KAREN BRIDGMAN Historically, dandelion root and leaves have been used to treat liver and kidney problems across Native American, Chinese and European cultures. In addition to being an amazingly beneficial plant medicine, dandelion can be con

Words LINDA MOON Consumed by humans throughout history and maligned by saladhaters as “rabbit food”, leafy greens include some of the easiest-to-grow, most nutrient-dense yet inexpensive health foods on the planet. Consisting of the edible leaves of

Words & photography LISA GUY When you were growing up, your parents probably said, “Eat your Brussels sprouts — they’re good for you.” Well, your parents were right! Brussels sprouts and their other well-known family members cabbage, broccoli, kale a

Words KERRY BOYNE It’s late Friday morning and, instead of spending the rest of the day tying up the loose ends of the week’s work before a relaxing glass of wine, I’m driving to the home of wine, beautiful vine-draped Pokolbin in the NSW Hunter Vall

Words JESSICA LEE Humans are inherently creative beings with a desire to create, innovate and inspire. Yet many people don’t engage with their creative side because fear gets in the way. The truth is it takes courage to create. At the heart of any cr

What was the vision for Retreatment Botanics? Olivia Newtown-John, one of Gaia Retreat & Spa’s founders, along with Gaia’s skin specialists, envisioned a skincare range to bring home the nurturing rituals of the retreat. Over many years of listening

Words SONIA ZADRO “Touch has a memory.”~ John Keats Who doesn’t love a big warm hug, a long luxurious massage or some intimate time with a partner? But beyond making you feel good, how important is it to experience touch in your everyday life? The a

Words NIKKI DAVIES In psychology, the “real self” and the “ideal self” are terms used to describe parts of your personality. The real self is who you actually are and incorporates how you think, feel, look and behave day to day, while your ideal self

This is an edited extract from Slow Down and Grow Something by Byron Smith with Tess Robinson, published by Murdoch, RRP AU$39.99. We felt so inspired flicking through Slow Down and Grow Something that we strolled down the road to the local fruit mar

Words SOPHIA AULD Imagine a treatment that can relieve pain, improve sleep, reduce stress, ease nausea and reduce depression. In fact, it can help with almost any illness you can imagine. It’s free, available everywhere and has no nasty side-effects.

Words CAROLINE ROBERTSON “I only have two speeds — stop and go.” Deborra-lee Furness talks a mile a minute. “I’m a juggler. I do it all. A multitasker.” I believed her as she shared sparkling insights while watching her 13-year-old daughter Ava cook

Words MARTIN OLIVER Over the decades, many different activities and ideas have been pursued to protect the environment and regenerate the planet, ranging from light-green sustainable consumer strategies, to a deep-green resistance, to industrial civi

Nothing can satisfy you more than being able to make a significant and positive difference in a person’s life. Helping people see a better future for themselves and empowering them to turn this vision into a reality increases their self-worth and pro

Words EMMA NUTTALL (HIGGINSON) We all strive to belong and feel accepted. Secure attachment is a basic human need from an early age and many of us possess an intrinsic tribal mentality inherited from our ancestors. Safety in numbers provided protecti

Words & photography LINDA MOON Beyond the window, a cascade of scenery unfolds: epic mountains, meadows and lakes of a scale that defies description. Stocked up with supplies, we’re snug within our Maui campervan. The roomy van, which includes an inb

Liquid gold. This intense vitamin booster will help reduce fine lines and reverse UV damage, while providing a smoother and more youthful appearance. Fight the signs of ageing naturally with a high concentration of vitamins C and E, hyaluronic acid,

DR MICHAEL ELSTEIN is a Sydney-based anti-ageing physician and writer. He is the author of three books, including his latest, The Wellness Guide to Preventing the Diseases of Ageing. He has also designed the app The diet guide to ageing prevention. H

KAREN BRIDGMAN is a holistic practitioner at Australian Biologics, Sydney. A 40-year-old woman with an unusual problem came to see me. Basically, she had been very healthy and had been taking active steps to optimise her health. She was on no pharmac

Blended by master herbalists, the Twinings Feel Good range has been designed to help you feel good all day, every day. The Sleep tea is a calming blend of soothing camomile, floral orange blossom and a hint of sweet honey flavour. It’s the perfect bl

Words CATHERINE LAWSON Photography DAVID BRISTOW On Borneo’s southern fringe where the murky Sangatta River snakes to the sea, we journey against the flow, riding our tippy wooden canoe upstream and deep into the forest. We bump against the bank at a

Yoga’s popularity has exploded. It seems that almost every studio is offering yoga teacher training. Yoga magazines are filled with one-month fast-track retreats where students leave proudly waving a 200 hours’ certificate and are unleashed to teach

TOBY MUSGRAVE, PHAIDON How often do you stroll around your local garden? Once a week? Perhaps once a month? Or do you subscribe to the excuse that your city has zero green space? If it’s the latter, Toby Musgrave, a lecturer and acknowledged authorit

Words LINDSEY LEWIS I have worked in primary education since 2004. My teaching career has seen me become a mother (twice), a wife (twice) and a divorcee (once!). Since I was 15, I have had an inflammatory bowel disease called ulcerative colitis (UC).

CARLA OATES is the CEO of The Beauty Chef, a natural beauty expert and the author of Feeding Your Skin and The Beauty Chef Cookbook. W: thebeautychef.com Meditation increases the balance of good bacteria in your gut, which not only helps to promote a

LEE HOLMES runs Supercharged Food and recently released her book Supercharge Your Gut. Visit her blog at superchargedfood.com for cooking inspiration, recipes and tips. With summer just around the corner, it’s time to amplify your “simply summer” mea

ALEXX STUART is a passionate educator in the space she calls “living a low-tox life”. Through her speaking, workshops, e-courses and online community, she helps people make the best new choices for themselves, their family and the planet. W: lowtoxli

JACKIE FRENCH is the author of The Chook Book (Aird Books). Her oldest chook, Gertie, is now 17. Although Gertie’s sisters have all long since fallen off the perch, Gertie still lays extremely large brown eggs most days of the year. Get in touch with

KAREN GOLDRICK is a holistic veterinarian at All Natural Vet Care, Russell Lea, Sydney. T: 02 9712 5844 W: naturalvet.com.au The recommended diet should be the one that results in the best health for that pet. One they will willingly eat. In February

Your last experience with journalling quite well could have been when you wrote about your Year 7 crush in your unicorn-clad sparkly pink diary. Or perhaps you journal regularly and have created quite the ritual around putting pen to paper. Journalli

CHRISTINE BROADBENT is a consulting astrologer and teacher with 30 years of experience who offers workshops and personal readings. E: christine@astrologyspot.com.au; T: +61 402 664 101; facebook.com/ChristineBroadbentAstrologyandHealing. After the he

In what direction do you live? That query has nothing to do with a compass and everything to do with your attitude. Let me explain. Recently my wife, two daughters and I went on a jaunt that included a week or so in London. As part of the preparation

My favourite types of words are F words. They’re so satisfying. I ask that you look beyond the obvious here because F lends itself to so many pleasing words, not just one (although, come to think of it, fork is a marvellously useful word ...). F word

A simple thankyou does not seem to suffice. I have been fortunate enough to read WellBeing now for the past three years and, with every edition, I am given new insight into topics that somehow always resonate personally with my lifestyle choices. I w

WORDS / SUMMER EDWARDS Many Australians, just like their counterparts in Europe and North America, are living with an addiction. They’re addicted to fast fashion: cheaply made, poor-quality clothing. Just as fast food has set the average waistline bu

LOVING DIRECTED BY JEFFNICHOLS STARRING JOEL EDGERTON, RUTH NEGGA HIDDEN FIGURES DIRECTED BY THEODORE MELFISTARRING TARAJI P HENSON, OCTAVIA SPENCER, JANELLE MONÁE JACKIE DIRECTED BY PABLO LARRAÍN STARRING NATALIE PORTMAN Let’s look back at the 1960s

WORDS / DR KAREN BRIDGMAN Sambucus is a genus of flowering plants with about 30 different species (including an Australian variety), all called elder. Sambucus nigra is the main European variety. Both the flowers and the dark-purple berries are used

WORDS / DR KAREN BRIDGMAN Chickpeas come in different colours: yellow, green, red and black. Two major types exist today: the lightseeded kabuli type and the smaller, darker desi type. High in protein, chickpeas are one of the earliest cultivated leg

Introducing the world’s finest premium manuka honey: harvested from some of the remotest and most untouched regions of New Zealand, from the flowers of New Zealand’s native manuka tree. Certified MGS16+ and guaranteed to contain methylglyoxal, at lea

WORDS / DANIELLE KIRK An idea has been regaining traction of late: the design of technology with humans in mind. This, of course, has been the promise of technological developments from the wheel to the plough to the solar panel — to support, not sup

I would really like to thank you for the story about Max the Moodle. It hit a sweet note, reading about the love given to and received from Max and his family, and it gave me the courage I needed to hold on to our little 15-year-old Shitzu foxy cross

“Ultimate hair care without compromise” Made with high quality natural ingredients, Karpati Silicone Free Hair Repair supports Eva Karpati’s personal mission to inspire generations to become better educated and make informed decisions about the subst

BY CARLA OATES CARLA OATESis a natural beauty expert and the author of Feeding Your Skin. Resting, good sleep, taking regular time out and meditating daily all reduce stress levels in the body. Your skin can suffer from the impact of viral assault on

The Gawler Cancer Foundation began out of my own personal experience with cancer and a heartfelt wish to help others with what I had learnt. It all started in 1975 when, as a young veterinarian and decathlon athlete, my life was inextricably changed

We’d love to hear your tips for living well. Email us at wbletters@ universalmagazines.com.au, comment on our Facebook page or on Instagram @WellBeing_Mag, or tweet us @WellBeing_Mag. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. ▪That feeling when y

BY ALEXX STUART ALEXX STUARTis an educator passionate about “living a lowtox life”. Through her speaking, workshops, e-courses and online community, she helps people make the best new choices for themselves, family and planet. W: lowtoxlife.com It ta

COMPILED BY TERRY ROBSON In this study, more than 650 subjects downloaded an app for their smartphones that recorded their screen time over 30 days. Screen time was defined as whenever the screen was turned on. The subjects also kept records of their

COMPILED BY TERRY ROBSON For this study, researchers asked subjects to keep a daily diary of their experiences and emotional states over a period of 13 days. They then looked to establish the direction of the link between creative pursuits and positi

BY JACKIE FRENCH JACKIE FRENCHis the author of The Chook Book (Aird Books). Her oldest chook, Gertie, is now 17. Although Gertie’s sisters have all long since fallen offthe perch, Gertie still lays extremely large brown eggs most days of the year. We

You can learn a lot at bedtime. As you crawl under covers, as the mattress supports your body, as the pillow caresses your head, the cares of the day fall away and in that free space things are said. Things that would be crushed by the bright busy-ne

BY KAREN GOLDRICK KAREN GOLDRICKis a holistic veterinarian at All Natural Vet Care, Russell Lea, Sydney. T: +61 2 9712 5844 W: naturalvet.com.au 80 per cent of dogs and 70 per cent of cats develop gum disease by three years of age. I have this conver

I was walking to the bus stop the other day when an elegant elderly woman seated on a bench asked me when a nearby shop would open. I didn’t have a clue, so I did what someone in possession of a smartphone does when they encounter an unknown — I Goog

BY CHRISTINE BROADBENT Cancer new moon Jun 24 was a mega emotional event: Sun, Moon and Mars in Cancer were driving your visions and goals. At Jul 9’s Full Moon, Mars again features, so seeds of discontent may sprout. Polarised by others’ wishes or h

Since the birth of my first child, my life has shifted in a direction I could never have imagined. From the small seed of feeding my child a low-sodium and low-sugar diet when she was a baby, my life has evolved to a greater understanding of health a

BY JAN McLEOD JAN McLEOD is a highly respected coach, mentor, speaker and consultant, a specialist in the areas of high performance, wellbeing, nutrition, and change strategy in the workplace. W: thecapacityequation. com.au or madfor health.com.au Th