Hello!

It has certainly been a long time between healthy drinks. The past two and a half years have seen me immersed in building up the business I co-created, Pure Glow Cleanse, from scratch & I’ve now left my role there and am back on the wellness wagon so will be updating a little more frequently – yay! 🙂

So what’s been going on? I recently took part in a life-changing health & wellness retreat in Bali, run by Perth company Reflection of Balance. To say this retreat was what I needed would be an understatement.

It was exactly what I needed x 25 million. I will be doing a full review of my experience very soon – but the cliffs are that 7 days of rest, swimming, fitness, amazing company, fantastic trainers & retreat facilitators, sunshine & no computer (I didn’t even open my laptop for 7 days – pretty much unheard of) allowed me to gain incredible clarity into what I wanted to invite into my life moving forward for the rest of 2015. And did I mention the food? INCREDIBLE.

#takemebackasap

So after this I knew I needed to make some changes in my life. Cue shaking things up, leaving the business, going back to work @ lululemon & starting a Yoga Teacher Training at The Yoga Space – thanks, Reflection of Balance! 🙂

I don’t know what the rest of 2015 is going to bring – other than lots of green smoothies, 5 yoga classes a week & hopefully a few massages sprinkled in here and there, but what I do know is that I am very excited to get back in to blogging here.

Wellness WA will become a little bit more personal, too. For a while there was around 25 people contributing articles so that we could cover as much of the local wellness scene as humanly possible.

I’ve realised that stripping it back and giving a more in-depth insight into what is really working for me & what I am loving might be more beneficial than lots of scattered opinions.

Let me know what you think, I can’t wait to get connected again.

Lots of wellness & love x

Annette

♥

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

My name is Jackey and I am the Loving Cook. In the day time I work in branding and marketing but in all of my in-between time I think about food and ways to eat healthily, hence my website, The Loving Cook.

Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

I wear moisturiser each day with a SPF, I use Nivea or Olay as I don’t like overly perfumed creams. I tend to have dry skin so keeping moisturised is important. After I shower I lather myself in thick Nivea body cream. I wear concealer everyday around my eyes and L’Oreal lash architect mascara. I also use a Natio bronzer each day as my body is more olive-toned than my face – I don’t tan my face ever – ever!

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

I am pretty low maintenance when it comes to beauty treatments as I am gun at giving myself weekly manis and pedi’s (I’ve been doing this since I was a teen), but I can’t live without regular massages. I can get really sore from training and sitting at a desk all day so I try to make time to keep my massages as regular as I can. I visit my physio or Skin Essentials in Elwood (Melbourne).

♥

Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

I adore Bio Oil, I often lather my face and hands, particularly in winter when my skin is so dry. It’s not expensive and a little bit goes a long way. I also dab Calamine lotion, available from pharmacies, on any pimples. But be sure to only pop this on your pimple and not your entire face as this lotion can dry out your skin if used liberally. When I lived in Europe I also used olive oil as a body and face moisturiser, it works well in small quantities.

Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

Lucas’ pawpaw treatment, I use it as lip balm and on any cuts. Bobbi Brown concealer, it’s thick and provides great coverage and my moisturiser, if I have none left anything will do, Sorbolene – anything!

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

Because everyone is so busy, I think it’s important to focus on what you’re doing at any given time. If you’re exercising, train hard and give it all you’ve got. If you’re about to go to bed, relax and unwind beforehand. I think it’s about balancing and prioritising everything that’s important to you and dedicating time to what’s important. It takes effort and I struggle sometimes but when I get that balance right, I feel great and like I’ve personally succeeded. That feeling is then reflected in how I look and feel. Oh and drink water! Lots of water!!! 

♥

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

I’d like to try threading, I love IPL but would love to try threading for things like shaping my brows.

♥

Describe a typical day of eating for you.

For breakfast I often have my Loving Cook muesli, then mid-morning I have some veggies with my hummus or some berries and yoghurt. For lunch I have 1/2 a cup of quinoa, some form of protein and as many vegetables that can fit in a bowl.

In the afternoon I might have some fruit, some corn cakes with cottage cheese, but something crunchy is always a winner for me. For dinner I try to eat healthy and limit my carbs, I might have Slimmer Pasta with sauce and vegetables or even a roast but I try to eat more vegetables and protein or fish rather than piling up carbs which leave me feeling flat and sleepy.

I LOVE vegetables and I am pretty careful with what I eat during the week as I often review on weekends so want to enjoy my social meals while making my every day meals as delicious and nutritious as possible. I also drink up to 3 litres of water a day (including peppermint tea and warm water with lemon).

♥

Describe your fitness routine.

I do about 3-4 spin classes a week, I’m addicted. I also do a day of training with a trainer one day a week and either a pump or circuit class or hit the weights room at the gym. I also try to walk as much as I can as I like to get outside, being stuck in an office makes me crave the outdoors.

Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.

I couldn’t live without my magnesium supplement. After studying nutrition I investigated higher dosages of magnesium as I was suffering leg cramps throughout the night due to all the cardio I do. I love how magnesium relaxes my muscles and nerves and gets my body relaxed before bed. I also enjoy acupuncture and cupping on occasion when my body needs it.

♥

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?

Sleep is so important. I make sure I get at least 7-8 hours a night. I often wake up at 5:30am for a morning spin class so that means I get quite sleepy around 10pm each night. My routine is to tire my mind as well as my body each day so falling asleep is not a problem. Before I go to sleep each night I apply an Aesop hand cream that smells amazing.

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

Relaxing is something that doesn’t come easily to me as I am always busy but invigorated by all the projects I have on the go. I give 100% to everything I do: work, The Loving Cook, reviewing, training, socialising etc. To relax I like to spend time outdoors, ideally doing ‘incidental exercise’ as I call it. Going for walks or eating a meal and NOT reviewing it is relaxing. I also like to spend time alone and read the paper or spend time in the kitchen, without thinking too much. Switching off can be hard for me though!

You can find our more about Jackey and keep up with what she’s up to in the following ways:

FB https://www.facebook.com/TheLovingCook
Instagram http://instagram.com/thelovingcook
Twitter https://twitter.com/thelovingcook

♥ Photo by Vanessa Levis

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

I’m a nutritionist who writes health and beauty books, I occasionally eat chocolate, and my latest book, Younger Skin in 28 Days (RRP $29.99), has just been released.

♥

♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine. (please include specifics about brands/products used)

I have sensitive skin and I use products that are both gentle and anti-ageing.

In the morning I moisturise my face with Vitamin B serum and Uberzinc, which is SPF15+ and has anti-inflammatory ingredients. I also apply ReviTaleyes which is an anti-wrinkle eye serum (all by Synergie). At night I cleanse with Hydra Calm Cleansing Crème by La Mav, and then I apply an anti-ageing serum Ultimate A and moisturise with Uberzinc.

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

I usually do my own exfoliation beauty treatments, which remove dead skin cells and smooth my skin. It’s really simple and involves using an exfoliating mit and gentle body wash, and for my face I use ReVeal by Synergie. When I want to treat myself I go to Amy Erbacher Beauty (in Sydney) for a skin-smoothing facial.

♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

I love this simple Foot Soak and Scrub weekly treatment to remove dead skin for younger, more beautiful feet. Place warm water into a large, wide bowl and add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Place the bowl onto a towel on the floor where you can comfortably sit and soak your feet for 5 minutes. Then use a pumice stone, rubbing it gently on the soles of your feet in a circular motion.

♥

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

Ultimate A by Synergie, it’s the wrinkle eraser!
Body moisturiser such as B-Juvenate by Synergie or Dr Organics Pomegranate Body Butter.

All can be found here.

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

I take a powdered calcium supplement every day – it’s fantastic for the skin. Calcium helps to moisturise and protect the skin from harsh weather conditions and it’s great for bone health too, which is important as you age!

♥

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

I’d like to go to a health spa where you can’t talk for a week.

♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

I wake up early and have an organic chai tea. Later, for breakfast I have Omega Muesli which is 3/4 cup oats and 1 teaspoon of linseeds soaked overnight, drained, and served with organic soy milk, cinnamon and seasonal berries. Lunch varies but often consists of brown rice (Low GI by SunRice), roasted pecans, radicchio lettuce, mixed purple salad leaves, celery, grape tomatoes and home-made salad dressing. In the afternoon I snack on fruit (such as peach, papaya and cherries) and dinners vary greatly but I do love sushi and home-made curries.

♥ Describe your fitness routine.

I recently joined a gym so my routine now consists of lifting weights – upper body one day and lower body the next. I go about 5 times per week and I also do about 300 squats per day.

♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.

I take my own custom designed supplements for healthy skin, hair and nails, one with each main meal. I also have powdered calcium (with magnesium and vitamin D) every night.

♥ 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 have about 7 hours of sleep each night. I sometimes have trouble falling asleep so I do this Younger Skin face steaming routine just before bed, to relax the facial muscles and promote sleep:

Cleanse your face and rinse, then fill a bowl with very warm water. Add a small amount of apple cider vinegar — the vinegar is an optional step that is designed to help restore the acid mantle of the skin. Wet a soft cotton face cloth and quickly wring out the excess water. Hold the hot/warm cloth against your face (eyes closed) and gently press, imagining your facial muscles relaxing each time you breathe out. Hold the cloth over your face for 5–10 seconds and repeat the process three times.

♥

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

Enjoying hobbies is an important part of being healthy, for me. I love listening to music, and once a week I’ll go to the cinema by myself. If I’m really stressed I’ll go for a beach run or buy a big bag of cherries – I love them!

♥

Karen Fischer is a nutritionist, award-winning author and a former television presenter (What’s Up Doc? Nine Network). Karen’s bestselling books include The Healthy Skin Diet, The Eczema Diet and newly released Younger Skin in 28 Days. Karen’s website is www.healthbeforebeauty.com

Thanks Karen! If you have any questions on Karen’s routine, please leave a comment below 🙂

Be well,

xoxo

essay writing services

♥

Every now and then, I have what I like to call “ahh” moments. Something will cause me to pull my focus out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life, to sit back and appreciate the beauty of what is in front of me. I had one of these “ahh” moments as I arrived at Nature’s Paradise Wellness Retreat. Situated in Mundaring, about 45 minutes drive from central Perth, it feels a million miles from the daily grind, without actually being that far away at all.

Nature’s Paradise opened at Easter just this year, and owners Neil and Jenny have worked wonders to create such a beautiful space. The forest provides a breathtaking backdrop, and the retreat itself is a grand beauty. Neil welcomed me as I arrived, and gave me a tour of the retreat, which features 3 suites, each with access to the wrap-around balcony, plus a library, a guest retreat area and communal dining and sitting areas. The guest retreat area comes complete with an outdoor, claw-foot bath, hammocks, a massage room and infra-red sauna – just what this city girl’s aching muscles called for!

♥ The view from the Library

♥ The guest retreat area, with hammock seats and bath

♥ The outdoor bath

After showing me the house, we moved on to the gardens. Neil has worked incredibly hard to bring Nature’s Paradise to life, and his passion for the retreat is infectious. We toured the veggie garden, which provides an increasing amount of the produce used in the kitchen, and the various rock paths Neil has created to cater for guests who want to get some fresh air without straying too far from the comforts of their room. I wanted to see more of the forest, and Neil was more than happy to oblige- we walked for about an hour through the trees, stopping to take in some beautiful views of Mundaring Weir and the dam, as well as dropping by the Learning Centre, before coming home for a relaxing herbal tea and a chat with Jenny. On our wanders we spotted an echidna, wandering very lazily over the trail, which shows just how close to nature this retreat really is!

♥ The veggie patch

♥ Mr Echidna

♥ The views of Mundaring Weir

♥ The beautiful forest surrounding Natures Paradise

I have to be honest, at this point I didn’t think my visit could get much better, but it did! At Nature’s Paradise, all food is catered for- guests have access to fresh fruit and vegetables, tea and coffee, plus delicious treats made by Jenny throughout the day, and meals are served in the dining room which showcases the stunning forest scenery.

All food is vegetarian, organic, made in-house and mostly prepared according to raw food principles, but meat-eaters do not despair, you won’t feel like you’re missing out at all!

♥

Dinner began with a pumpkin soup- warm, hearty and delicious, served with spelt bread, butter and olive oil with balsamic.

♥

Next was Nature’s Paradise’s specialty- pizza! This pizza was no Domino’s variety though- made in a dehydrator with a buckwheat base full of herbs, and topped with avocado, olives, mushrooms, onion, capsicum and a cashew ‘cheese’, it tasted amazing and was as good for my body as it was for my taste buds! The recipe is a well-guarded secret, but Neil did share some tips with me which I am keen to try in my own kitchen!

♥

The meal would not have been complete without sampling some of the home made ‘fruit & nut’ chocolates, which were absolutely divine!

Earlier during my tour of the property, I had gushed over the beautiful claw-foot bath on the deck in the outdoor guest retreat area. Jenny was kind enough to run me a macrobiotic sea salt bath after dinner, and as I lay in the bubbling water, looking up at the trees in the night sky, the cool air above me, I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt so relaxed. It was truly something special.

♥

After my bath, I returned to my very spacious room, with its luxurious king-size bed and spa bath ensuite, and fell straight asleep (no prizes for guessing that I slept like a baby!).

♥

♥ My very spacious Grande Deluxe room

Unfortunately I had to get up well before the sun in order to get back to my day-to-day responsibilities, but even then, Jenny made sure that a beautiful continental breakfast was laid out for me. Had I stayed, I was told that I could have expected a beautiful cooked breakfast, including eggs, buckwheat pancakes, fresh fruit and juices, plus tea, coffee and almost anything else my heart desired!

Nature’s Paradise is perfectly named- it is exactly that! Neil and Jenny are fabulous hosts- so welcoming, generous and knowledgeable- and they have created a place that truly caters for every interest. Whether you want to relax in the gardens, soak in the bath, challenge yourself with a personal training session, meditate or hike in the forest or ride trails through the trees, they have thought of it all! I have been reading lots of articles lately about the benefits of spending time with nature, and I absolutely agree. I left Nature’s Paradise feeling so well-rested, renewed and reinvigorated and would recommend it to anyone looking for a retreat to truly nourish mind, body and soul.

You can visit www.naturesparadise.com.au or telephone Neil 0412 977 487 or Jenny 0403 718 050 for more information.

What do you enjoy doing to “retreat”? What makes you feel rested and renewed? Let me know in the comments below!

Article by Katie, a wellness-focused career girl with a newfound appreciation for the power of nature.

Be well,

xoxo

Many years ago I discovered the delight that is an eyelash perm and tint. However on some occasions, I also discovered the woe! When done properly it is amazing. When done wrong it can be a disaster! It’s taken me 10 years to give it a go again and who better to try than Tracey from Love Bodyworx in Success.

Firstly your eyes will be cleansed of any make-up. Tracey then decides what size roller to use. The size depends on the length and thickness of your lashes and how much lift you want. My lashes are little and I wanted maximum impact so we decided on small. A roller too big will have little or no effect.

♥

After this Tracey places the soft plastic sticky rods that act like rollers onto your eyelids with some putty. The next step is critical – Tracey has to quickly but carefully separate and place each eyelash across the roller in a precise way. Once the perming solution goes on that is exactly how they will stay. If they are crossed over that is how they remain and if your bottom lashes get caught they will look like a poodle.

♥

Once perfectly positioned the perming solution is applied. It stays there for about 10-15 minutes and is then gently washed off. Then a neutraliser is added for about 8 minutes, then gently washed off. Your beautician must use products of the same brand for everything as there is less chance of irritation.

♥

Tracey then gently eases the rollers off your eyelids with lots of soothing cold water. Next step is the eyelash tint – go for blue black, it is the darkest colour. The tint is gently painted on and allowed to take, then washed off and voila! REAL superstar eyelashes and they are all mine, no falsies and messy glue required!

♥

I was so impressed I kept looking at my eyelashes in the rear vision mirror and my work mates were astounded. My eyelashes that used to point downwards now sit perfectly and they look even better with mascara on! I more than love them! They are amazing! I still can’t stop looking at them a week later.

The whole process takes an hour and lasts for 6 weeks, or however long it takes for your eyelashes to fall out naturally. It’s like a little bit of magic! You won’t regret it, but only if you go to a talented beautician like Tracey.

Love Bodyworx (open Tuesday to Saturday)
254 Wentworth Parade, Success
Price: $87 ($22 lash tint, $65 perm)
(08) 9368 0396
Email: bodyworxwa@gmail.com

What is your eyelash trick? Temporary falsies? Lash extensions? 3 coats of mascara? What works for you?

Kristy Mollica freelance radio and tv presenter and lover of all things so not beige!

Be well,

xoxo