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It’s been 4 years since I last popped in for a check up with my naturopath, Marnie Downer. In those past 4 years I have undergone some huge changes in my life – from working in the fast paced world of agency PR while running this website, to leaving the PR world behind for a part-time job at lululemon with dreams of growing the website to a full-time gig, and then unexpectedly starting a high-stress business from scratch for the next 3 years. During that time my body & mind were pushed to their limits. I lost 10 kilos, gained it back again & had at LEAST 2 mental breakdowns in the process.

While I’m in a much better place emotionally & physically now and I’m a big believer that everything you experience is valuable and full of lessons, I can’t help but wish I’d kept in touch with Marnie while I was going through it all so she could have helped me care for myself a little better!

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Today I went to see her again for a very different reason than I have previously, and I’m going to suggest that you should do the same (with her, or another naturopath that you like the look of!) no matter what is going on in your life.

Right now, I’m in a really good place. I enjoy my job, am completing yoga teacher training, have 2-3 days off a week, am learning to cook and meal prep nourishing meals, getting Wellness WA back up and running, sleeping well, low anxiety, learning to run, starting personal training again next week… I could go on as there really are loads of things I am happy about and grateful for in my life at the moment.

However, how often do we only seek help when things are dire? When we’ve well & truly hit the wall. Ground zero. Nowhere else to go.

What if we flipped this and continued working to improve ourselves and our lives when things are already going well?

With this in mind I decided to book in to see what I could tweak and improve in my “pretty good, most of the time, except when I drink wine, eat chocolate & smash a packet of chips” health & wellness routine, so that I can run with the good things that I’ve already got, and maybe add a few little improvements here and there to see even greater results.

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It was well worth the appointment and I learnt that the next steps for me personally are taking an activated vitamin b supplement to improve stress resilience, drinking licorice tea to support my adrenal glands, upping the hot water with lemon for overall vitality & making sure to make my green tea with 80 degree water instead of boiling so that all the goodness is intact.

I also feel really empowered knowing that someone has my back nutritionally, knows my full medical history & diet and is making her recommendations based on my personal body makeup and goals.

I wholeheartedly recommend a visit to a naturopath (Marnie or otherwise) – they can tell you all kinds of things you never knew about yourself and your body, and I find I learn something new every single time I have an appointment. Whether you have an acute issue, are feeling a bit stressed or even are just tired all of the time, there is help available and it’s only a phone call or an email away 🙂

So, have you considered seeing a naturopath before? Are you in a dire situation physically or mentally? Or are things going pretty good but maybe they could be just a little bit better? Let me know – my passion for this area has been reinvigorated and I’d love to help point you in the right direction!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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After falling dramatically in love with the delicious bright pink Dragonfruit, also known as Pitaya, in Bali a few years back (helloooooo Nalu Bowls!), I’ve been waiting patiently for it to make it’s way to our shores since then, and now I’m super excited to let you know that DRAGONFRUIT/PITAYA HAS ARRIVED IN PERTH!

Last Summer saw a few fresh fruits popping up here and there – followed by nothing, but a trip to Leederville IGA this week revealed the next exciting chapter – frozen sachets of Dragonfruit!!!

These little packets of frozen, fuschia superfood-y goodness are packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are great for the skin, heart & so much more.

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Where to Buy

Leederville IGA (24/7)
313 Vincent Street, Leederville

Where else have you seen frozen dragonfruit available to buy? I’d love to make a comprehensive list so please leave a note in the comments! 🙂

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

♥ NOOD Turmeric Latte

I’m so excited to be bringing back weekly beauty & wellbeing crushes! There are so many bits & pieces that get me excited about healthy living, beauty & nutrition that I want to share – so this bite-size format is perfect. Let me know what you think and if you have any recommendations for future crushes 🙂

<3 Turmeric lattes at NOOD Cafe

I’m currently obsessed with both the new NOOD Cafe in Leederville, and one of my favourite healthy treats to enjoy is their delicious Turmeric Latte. If you haven’t yet tried this golden milk of the health gods, put it on your to-do list. Turmeric is anti-inflammatory, full of antioxidants, great for the skin & brain, and has a list of benefits about a mile long.

♥ Takeaway Turmeric Latte + Avo on Toast!

The folks at NOOD kindly have some coconut sugar available so I always add a little to sweeten the deal, it’s also completely dairy-free & made with super tasty Almo almond milk (which you can also buy bottles of to take home). Love!

♥ Skin tea (more on this coming soon!) & HUM Runway Ready

<3 HUM ‘Runway Ready’ Supplements

I’ve been taking these supplements on and off for just over a year now, and I can see a huge difference in the growth of my hair & nails + overall pleasantness of my skintone when I am making a regular habit of it.

These cute little pink sachets contain 3 supplements, 1 x biotin capsule & 2 x black currant seed + sunflower seed oil tablets, all of which are meant to work wonders for hair + skin + nails. Importantly for me they are vegetarian and are also really easy to swallow. Bottoms up.

♥ Radical Self Love + Succeed, the next book on my reading list!

<3 Radical Self Love by Gala Darling

In the past couple of months I’ve cut down on the number of work projects in my life, and subsequently have found a lot more time for yoga, cooking, reading & hanging out in the sunshine. I feel super lucky on a regular basis, and despite having to be a little more thrifty with my income, couldn’t be happier with my new lifestyle.

I’ve followed Gala Darling on & off for around 10 years now and have always been a fan of her ideas around increasing fun, celebration & magic into daily life. Her first book, Radical Self Love, is a distillation of her views on how to love yourself more & live a rad-ass life, and I have found myself buried deep in the pages of it most nights. Taking notes, making plans & generally enjoying the good vibes contained within.

At the 3/4 mark, I thoroughly recommend this book, especially if you’re in a bit of a rut and need a little bit of extra inspiration to get out there, be your most dazzling self & kick-start your best life. Check it out here & if you’ve read it be sure to let me know what you think, too!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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Call me a wellness nerd, but nothing excites me more than hearing about a brand new way to get healthy, nourished and feeling amazing in our little city. It’s the reason I started this website and I can’t wait to start sharing more healthy discoveries with you again over the coming weeks, months and years!

Working in the Perth CBD, I often feel a little strapped for super healthy & quick lunch options that don’t break the bank and don’t require prep (very little kitchen space at my workplace).

During my lunchtime wanderings (read: desperate search for healthy vegetarian food) last week, I stumbled across an exciting new addition coming soon to Carillon City Food Court – FRESHII.

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With the motto of “Eat. Energize” emblazened upon the wall, and promises of healthy bowls, salads, burritos, fresh-pressed juice, soups, frozen yoghurt (& more!) I instantly got excited and started Googling the heck out of this new store which might be about to change my lunchtime life.

I wasn’t disappointed. Freshii is a “healthy-casual” franchise that started in Canada and has been exploding in popularity worldwide.

One of my favourite things about the chain, despite it not having opened here yet, is that the majority of their options are vegetarian & vegan, with the OPTION to add tofu, falafels, or meat. This gets me really stoked because I have found that most places in Perth do offer 1-2 vegetarian options, but the majority are for meat lovers. It looks like Freshii are turning that on it’s head by making 90% of their menu vegetarian, and then allowing the meat lovers a look in. WIN-WIN! In my mind this is how it should always be done and I imagine it would be good for business too.

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Having just returned from an amazing trip to Bali, the promise of “bowls” is what delights me the most. A quick browse of their website reveals not one, not two, but FIVE vegetarian bowls brimming with healthy ingredients for us to enjoy!!! DID I MENTION I’M EXCITED?

Buddha Bowl

rice noodles, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, crispy wontons, green onions, spicy peanut sauce

Pangoa Bowl

brown rice, avocado, aged cheddar, cherry tomatoes, black beans, corn, cilantro, lime wedge, fiery bbq sauce

Helloooooooooo baby!

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They also have a Superfood Soup, serve breakfasts including delicious sounding porridge, AND you can grab a 3-day juice cleanse from them too. What can’t this company do?

Needless to say I will be first in line when they’re open for business (no word on a date yet) & I can’t wait to give them all of my money.

Have you heard of Freshii before? What is your fave place in the CBD to grab a healthy lunch? I’d love to know so please comment below! 🙂

Love & wellness,

Annette xo