Beauty & Wellbeing Routine: Sharee James, Naturopath and Director of Ashima Journeys.

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♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!

I’m a Perth girl born and bred, though after studying naturopathy I spent 6 years in my twenties travelling the world and the travel bug has never left me. I now share my passion for travel with others by running wellness retreats in special locations such as the Himalayas of Nepal, through my business Ashima Journeys. In fact we have our next retreat in Nepal coming up this October! I also consult part time as a naturopath at Eternal Health Clinic in Greenwood.

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♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

I have sensitive skin so I use an all natural salon-only skin care range called Osmosis. They use herbs and vitamins that have been specially formulated to actually get into the skin, rather than just sitting on the surface, and I swear by them!

♥ What's the one beauty treatment you can't live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

I have had incredible results with Omnilux light therapy. I had acne when I was younger and had some leftover scarring and redness, and Omnilux really improved the quality and texture of my skin, I was quite amazed. I like to get it done at Skin Deep in Mullaloo, as it’s very close to where I live.

♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?

I must admit, for some reason I am not so fussy with my hair, I tend to go to the cheaper salons in the shopping centres, I find they do just as good a job as the pricier places!

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♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

French green clay masks, they are really detoxifying for the skin, and cost hardly anything if you make them yourself!

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♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

Paw paw ointment, Australian Bush Flower Essence “Love Your Body” moisturiser, and Nude by Nature mineral foundation.

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♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

Daily meditation and yoga helps me cope with the busyness of modern-day life.

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♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven't yet?

I would love to try a floating in a flotation tank, it sounds like it would be so relaxing. ED: A brand new floatation tank biz has just started up in the city, check out Beyond Rest Float, based in the city.

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♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

Nutrition is one of my passions, I usually start the day with a green smoothie, snack on goji berries and pumpkin seed throughout the day and have a small portion of carbs (quinoa, spelt, chickpeas etc) with salad, and lean protein like free-range chicken, fish or tempeh with veggies at night.

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♥ Describe your fitness routine.

I practice Ashtanga yoga regularly and walk a few times a week. Now that it’s getting colder and darker I want to join a gym and start running too.

♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements?

If only you could see my kitchen bench! I take heaps of supplements, mainly a plant-based protein powder, a probiotic, flaxseed oil, magnesium, glutamine, colostrum and usually some type of herbal formula I have concocted at the clinic where I work.

♥ How many hours sleep do you usually get each night? Do you have any bedtime rituals or tips to help you get a great nights sleep?

I usually get 8 hours sleep a night and I am a big believer in having “quiet-time” before bed. I have at least an hour with no computer, phone, TV etc before bed, where I just unwind, read, meditate or listen to music before going to sleep.

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♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?

Meditation is number one, I like to go the Dhammaloka Buddhist centre in Nollamara on Fridays for meditation and to listen to one of Ajahn Brahm’s amazing talks. That inspires me for the whole week!

Thanks to Sharee for sharing her inspiring routine 🙂 If you'd like to find out more about her work check out Ashima Journeys. Any questions please leave them below! 🙂

Be well,

xoxo

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Winter Wellness at Karrinyup Shopping Centre!

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With the winter months well and truly upon us, it can be so tempting to go into hibernation mode and indulge in comforting foods while our fitness levels quietly disappear. As tempting as this sounds, you might be regretting all those sticky date puddings come spring when pretty little dresses are back in season. Just because its cold and wet, doesn’t mean your health and wellbeing should take a backseat; in fact, with so many cold and flu bugs around, winter is the ideal time to boost your health and immune system.

If you are looking for a place to stock up on all things health and wellness, then Karrinyup Shopping Centre is your one stop shop. Aside from retail giants David Jones and Myer, Karrinyup has a huge offering of health, food and sports stores that are sure to inspire some winter wellness! I spent a day at Karrinyup road testing all of the best places to get your wellness fix, check out what I got up to…

♥ lululemon Karrinyup yoga ambassador Susie McLachlan

♥ lululemon athletica

Everyone’s favourite yoga brand has tapped into a great community initiative and offer complimentary yoga & fitness classes in store. I’m not one for early Saturday mornings, but there was something so serene about starting my weekend with an 8am Yoga class. Lululemon’s classes are for everyone, so think gentle stretching, deep breathing, meditation and flexibility. It’s a bit distracting lying amongst all the colourful Luon and Wunder Unders though – I was picking out my favourites during downward dog, and just had to reward myself after the class!

Lululemon Karrinyup offers instore Yoga classes every Saturday morning, check out their community page for more info.

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♥ T2

After my Yoga class, I floated down the shopping centre to T2 where I spent some time tasting the newest brews on offer. Shopping in T2 really is a treat for the senses, not only does the tea taste and smell amazing but beautifully decorated and bright tea wares fill the store, celebrating the history and art of brewing and drinking tea. My favourite T2 treat is Buddhas Tears, a light green jasmine infusion that delights the senses and warms the soul. Whether you’re really into your tea, or just like the odd spot of English Breakfast, T2 has something for everyone. They are even selling tea biscuits, jam and iced tea now!

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♥ The Coffee Club

The Coffee Club have really spruced up their menu of late, with a large range of healthier meals now available. I stopped by for breakfast, and absolutely devoured the fruit and nut muesli with yoghurt and honey! The atmosphere at Coffee Club is nice too, amongst the buzz of shoppers (staying out of the winter weather probably!) So get along to The Coffee Club, order a fresh juice and a healthy brekkie the next time you’re at Karrinyup and enjoy excellent customer service as well as a nutritious meal!

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♥ Karrinyup Fresh

I love supporting local fruit and veg shops; they seem to be offering such a better product than most supermarket chains. The locally sourced, organic produce is of such a high quality and is really quite kind to your wallet too! Karrinyup Fresh have a great range of fruit and vegetables available, with a lot of Western Australian produce on offer. I also noticed a lot of items that are hard to come by which you might find in the ingredients list of a yummy Asian noodle or curry dish. Stock up on veggies and make some tasty vegetable soups to keep you warm this winter!

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♥ Healthy Life

Healthy Life has been providing premium quality health foods and advice for Australians since 1968 – helping customers achieve and maintain their best health and sense of wellness. Healthy Life have a huge range of vitamins and mineral supplements (stock up on Vitamin C and Echinacea to ward off winter colds!), whole foods, herbal teas, beauty products and sports nutrition and supplements. I picked up some Eco Cacao Powder which I love using for baking!

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♥ Lorna Jane

Inspirational activewear label Lorna Jane have some great winter styles in store at the moment. Put some colour into your cold morning run with gorgeous new tights and tops in bright pink, purple and orange.

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I am loving the new Max Impact Excel longsleeve top in electric purple – guaranteed to keep you warm and stand out in the workout crowd! Make sure you check out Lorna Jane’s gorgeous range of inspirational books and accessories too!

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♥ Dymocks

Australia’s favourite bookstore are now featuring a Healthy, Wealthy & Wise selection of books. Handpicked by Dymocks staff, these titles cover a range of topics including health, wellbeing, self help, religion and recipes. I picked up a couple of interesting titles: Religion For Atheists by Alain de Botton and I Quit Sugar by Sarah Wilson. Both of these reads are going to be eye opening for me, I am by no means an atheist but always searching for a bit more meaning in life and as for sugar, well, I know I can’t quit it completely but I’m looking forward to reducing my intake as much as I can!

♥ Belén

A day of wellness wouldn’t be complete without a bit of pampering! Belén Karrinyup is the perfect place to switch off from the world and indulge in a bit of luxury for a while. I was very lucky to be treated to a De-Stress Facial, which is a combination of Belén’s signature facial treatment and a 30 minute massage.

This was the most relaxing and rejuvenating hour of my existence. My aching muscles melted away, my skin was deeply cleansed and exfoliated thanks to Dermalogica and I emerged in a state of tranquillity. The staff are fantastic, I was so impressed with their client service and truly felt like a valued customer. I will certainly be back for some more pampering this winter!

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♥ Rawsome Treats at Stockholm Café

Don’t forget to stop by Stockholm Café for one of Rawsome amazing treats! These little winners are the perfect snack for boosting energy levels and curbing cravings all in one little raw, organic and healthy treat. They are so yummy you wont believe it’s healthy!

Review by Lucy Anderson.

* Lucy was a guest of Karrinyup Shopping Centre.

Be well,

xoxo

Posted in North of River | Comments Off on Winter Wellness at Karrinyup Shopping Centre!

Alternative Therapy Review: Somato Respiratory Integration (SRI) at Evolve Wellness Coaching.

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Body language is a familiar concept to most, and the impact it has in our interactions with others is huge. But what about the 'conversation' our own body has with ourselves? It feels increasingly difficult these days to tune in to our bodies and the messages they send our way. Whether it be a job that keeps us constantly in our minds, endless technology distractions or the demands of looking after others, there can be precious little time in modern life to really connect with ourselves.

Meditation and yoga can be very helpful in this respect. There are also powerful approaches such as Somato Respiratory Integration (SRI) which I started working with about 18 months ago. SRI is a series of twelve simple exercises using breath, movement and touch designed to increase levels of perception in your body. Each of the exercises relates to a state of consciousness, such as feeling stuck, disconnected or conflicted in life. The approach was developed by Donald Epstein, the creator of network chiropractic. You can read about my experiences of Network Spinal Analysis here!

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Although simple, SRI is extremely profound. I recently worked with Ginette Hillman of Evolve Wellness Coaching , an experienced SRI facilitator who operates from the Fremantle area. The session starts with a conversation so that Ginette can ascertain which of the twelve exercises would be of most benefit to you. You then move onto a comfortable massage table and Ginette gently guides you through the relevant exercises, which involves placing your hands in various positions on and around your body, focused breathing and using specific phrases to express the state of consciousness you are working with.

In the weeks leading up to the session I'd been feeling pretty out of sorts – anxious, overwhelmed. As I worked through the SRI process I felt a strong emotional release and also some 'tingles' and coughing, as trapped energy was freed up. After the session I felt an incredible sense of lightness and the underlying anxiety that's plagued me for weeks has magically transformed into a deep peace. I'm sleeping better too.

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Ginette is wonderful to work with. She is extremely caring and understanding, which enabled me to feel safe and relax into the process. She has an intuitive gift to sense how you are feeling, including where you may be 'stuck' or disconnected, and to gently coach you into greater awareness and openness. Once you've had a series of SRI sessions with Ginette to learn and refine the technique you can also self-practice, making it a very empowering healing tool. In addition to SRI Ginette offers wellness coaching – see www.evolvewellnesscoach.com for more details.

Introductory Course 6 weeks

1 hour introduction to SRI plus 5 x 30 minutes sessions $297

An Introduction to the Discover Stages of Healing; stages 1,2,3

♥ Reduce stress and fearfulness
♥ Connect with your bodies messages and feedback

SRI Ongoing Sessions 30 minute sessions $47

How do you check in with your body? What do you find most helpful?

Article by a very 'zen' feeling Karen, holistic health coach and owner of Conscious Cravings whose mission is to inspire people be more nourished with food, life and love. Find her on Facebook!

Be well,

xoxo

Posted in Alternative Therapy, Reviews, South of River | Comments Off on Alternative Therapy Review: Somato Respiratory Integration (SRI) at Evolve Wellness Coaching.

WA Retreat Review: Samudra, Autumn Detox Retreat.

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Samudra is the home of raw food and yoga in WA. I’d visited their awesome Dunsborough café many times before, so when the opportunity came up to experience one of their weekend detox retreats you could say I was pretty darn excited 😀

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DAY 1

Arriving at the café on Friday afternoon, I was greeted by the lovely retreat organiser Erin and filled out a quick questionnaire while sipping away on a fresh green juice. I then met the gorgeous group of 10 other ladies each on their own health and wellbeing journey.

Samudra has won a heap of awards for their vegetarian café (Open 7 days a week) and upon eating there it's easy to see why.

A delicious live food dinner was consumed (the BEST zucchini ‘pasta’ I have ever had!), followed by a 45 minute yoga nidra session (which is equivalent to 2-3 hours of sleep, winning!) before bedtime.

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DAY 2

I practically bounced out of bed I was that excited! 7am was our morning yoga class with the down to earth and witty Lisa. Every morning we practiced in a beautiful yoga space located within the Samudra grounds. Complete with calming music and the BEST smelling sandalwood essence, it was a great environment to practice in. Lisa was like a walking yoga encyclopedia (her knowledge was amazing) and modified the class to suit everyone. We were taught various breathing techniques and some basic Ashtanga yoga sequences.

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After breakfast (Granola and fruit, warm almond milk and beetroot juice, YUM!), we headed back to the yoga room where Erin took an informative workshop on Ayurvedic cleansing and eating. Lunch then followed and was a delightful affair of raw dips, dehydrated crackers and veggie wraps. Even though we were ‘detoxing’, at no point during the retreat did I feel starved or deprived. In fact every meal was so filling that I almost had to force myself to eat the next one (it’s a hard life, I know). The dessert cabinet (yes dessert and coffee are all still available at the cafe) had been calling my name since arriving on Friday, and after lunch I conceded defeat, sharing a raw carrot cake with one of my fellow retreaters. It was deeeeeeeeeelish 😀

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After 2 hours of free time for treatments, beach time, browsing in the eco-store, relaxation and reflection, Erin gave a fun demo on green smoothie making with some interesting flavour combinations! In the evening we practiced yin yoga with Lisa before a nutritious dinner and then bedtime.

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Day 3

After morning yoga, we had a satisfying breakfast of berry buckwheat porridge, fruit, and green juice. The rest of the morning consisted of activities including a kitchen tour (a behind the scenes look at where all the delicious Samudra goodies are made), a sprouting demonstration and a quick demo on how to make nut ‘cheese’ (because all of us were obsessed with the cashew cheese they had been serving us!).

Before lunch we were guided through an hour of mediation practice with Mike. This was absolute bliss and I know I wasn’t the only one who fell asleep to the sound of Mikes calming voice! The afternoon yin yoga session was a great way to end the retreat and was full of fun and laughs. One thing I really loved about the retreat was how personal it all was. Erin and Lisa would join us for every meal, and were always on hand to talk and answer questions. All the staff at Samudra were so welcoming and were always willing to share their expertise and knowledge.

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You can do the retreat by yourself (you'll make friends in about 3 seconds anyway) or with a friend. Accommodation isn’t included in the price but if you’re heading down with a friend or partner sharing the price of a hotel room would save money. Another bonus- if you sign up with a friend you each get $100 off the cost of the retreat!

These retreats aren’t just about detoxing your body. They’re about detoxing your mind, clearing out negative thoughts and beliefs, recognizing what triggers bad habits and learning strategies to deal with them. If you want to do something nice for yourself, be surrounded by beautiful people, eat good food, learn more about yoga, meditation and all round health, I’d definitely recommend you book yourself in for one of these awesome weekends away!

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**Note to future Samudra visitors. You MUST try their AMAZING choco mint ‘ice cream’. It’s dairy free and made from a base of almond milk and cashews. This flavour was truly out of this world! It includes the superfoods spirulina and chlorella, which are great for detoxification. My mini tub actually melted on the way home (which wasn’t so bad) because I ended up drinking it like a smoothie. OHMYGOD YUM!

Have you ever been to a retreat, detox or otherwise? Heard of Samudra before? I'd love to hear from you in the comment section below!

Review by Kavisha, who’s already making plans for a trip back and wishes they’d extend the train line down to Dunsborough…

Disclaimer: I was a guest of Samudra's, all thoughts & opinions are 100% honest and my own!

Posted in Down South, Food, Green Smoothies, Reviews, Yoga | 1 Comment »

Wellness Tips: Healthy Protein Rich Breakfasts!

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“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”

It is phrase we have heard over and over again; from our parents, from cereal companies and from doctors and nutritionists the world over. But why? Breakfast is literally the breaking of our fast from over night, and what we put into our bodies in the morning sets the tone for our blood sugar levels, energy levels and hunger levels during the day.

Unfortunately, there is a LOT of conflicting opinion from the world’s leading nutritionists and medical personalities about the best way to do this. Fruit until midday, smoothies or juices, protein shakes, carb based brekkies, cereals – the choices are endless but why is modern research backing up the benefits of protein based breakfast for sustained energy and long term weight management?

The satiating nature of protein (lean meat, eggs, dairy, beans/legumes, nuts etc) means that energy is slowly released and the food takes longer to digest. This is good news for your body, meaning you stay fuller longer and don’t get the spike in blood sugar from quickly digested food (which is the reason you can be hungry half an hour after eating fruit, as it takes only around 20 minutes to digest) and this reduces your need to snack in order to sustain your energy.

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I decided to test this theory by keeping a food diary over four weeks, noting my hunger and energy levels during the day as well as the food I consumed and how it made me feel, and the results were very interesting. After a purely carbohydrate based breakfast (fruits, smoothie of just greens and fruits) I was hungry again in only two hours, and that hunger lasted the whole day – regardless of what I ate for lunch and what exercise I did – meaning I kept snacking all day.

When I started the day with protein (two eggs and a side of veggies or a protein shake) my hunger lessened all day, particularly after lunch where my usual 3.30pm sugar cravings all but disappeared! These results were repeatedly the same over the month of keeping the journal, supporting the research that protein in the morning is key to stabilising blood sugar and managing your weight and energy levels.

So how can you incorporate protein into your breakfast? Don’t worry, we don’t have to start downing raw eggs à la Rocky Balboa, there are many tasty ways to incorporate savoury, protein rich foods into your morning meal:

♥ Leftovers – don’t be afraid of leftover quinoa/legumes/free range meats (if you eat these!) and vegetables for breakfast. It’s super easy to reheat and requires no preparation – perfect for early morning starts!

♥ Eggs, any style – omelettes, poached eggs, scrambled eggs – any way you have them eggs are wonderfully nutritious, full of protein and a great way to start your day! Add your favourite veggies and herbs to keep flavours interesting and bump up your daily nutrition!

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♥ Protein Smoothie – add a base of your favourite milk, some good quality protein powder (Sunwarrior, NuZest Clean Lean Protein and 180 nutrition are great!) frozen fruits and some nuts/seeds for good fats and added protein and blitz! Bonus points if you add a handful of spinach or your favourite superfoods! I love adding chia seeds, goji berries, acai and maca powder! Cacao makes for a chocolate smoothie – and who can complain about a chocolate milkshake for breakfast?!

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♥ Quinoa Porridge – swap your rolled oats from pre-cooked quinoa! Quinoa is a complete protein and a great, nutritious way to start your day. Have it sweet (with fruits, nuts and oat milk) or savoury (with spinach, sweet potato and toasted pepitas)

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♥ Yoghurt and Nuts – top your favourite yoghurt (must be PLAIN i.e. NO added sugar! Full fat organic Greek yoghurt is the way to go!!) with mixed raw nuts and seeds, coconut flakes and some berries for a portable, quick and filling breakfast.

♥ Baked Beans on Toast – a great winter favourite, top whole grain toast with baked beans for a savoury and protein rich comfort food brekky

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♥ Nut Butters on Whole Grain Toast – nuts are a great source of protein and good fats to kept your feeling great all morning

If you have been starting your morning with a green juice/smoothie but not feeling the best, don’t worry! Green drinks are beautiful, nutritious and full of quality vitamins and minerals, a wonderful way to increase your fruit and vegetable intake! Perhaps you could try having some quinoa porridge with your smoothie? Or what about some almond butter on rye sourdough with a green juice on the side? Or drink your green juice while your eggs are poaching! These are easy ways to make your meal more complete and still have the goodness of your morning greens!

And for the record, my favourite breakfast is two poached eggs with half a sliced avocado and some leftover coconut oil baked sweet potato and spinach/kale sprinkled with turmeric and chilli! Delicious!

What is your favourite protein-rich brekky? Do any of these sound tasty to you? Leave a comment below to let us know!

Article by Lauren Rose Burke: she is a yoga addict, tea junkie and health nut from Sydney Australia, who loves to search for new ways to heal yourself and boost your beauty through exercise, mindfulness and nutrition!

Blog: laurenroseburke.wordpress.com
Twitter: @LaurenRoseBurke
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LaurenRoseBurke
Instagram: @LaurenRoseBurke
Tumblr: laurenroseburke.tumblr.com

Be well,

xoxo

Posted in Food, Wellness Tips | 2 Comments »