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Posted by Annette @ Wellness WA on February 19, 2020
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First up, briefly tell us a bit about yourself and what you do!
I am a two time Olympian. My sport is distance running- 5,000m and 10,000m on the track. I am Co-Founder of the Love Mercy Foundation which I started with fellow Olympic runner Julius Achon from Uganda. We seek to empower the poor in Northern Uganda through sustainable projects, allowing families and communities to create their own livelihood through farming, education and access to health care. I am a wife to Jonathan and a mum to 6 year old India with another baby on the way – due in November!
What time do you wake up most days and how many hours of sleep do you aim for?
When I’m in full training and racing mode, I wake up at around 6am and I aim for at least 8 hours sleep a night. I always try and have a nap between hard workouts when I’m training up to three times a day, I find just 20 mins of just putting my feet up even if I can’t sleep, helps a lot with energy levels for my evening training session. Now that I’m heavily pregnant and not training hard I’m still aiming for a similar amount of sleep but this can be tricky when it gets uncomfortable towards the end of pregnancy. To compensate for this, I try and not make my days so full so that if I don’t sleep much the night before, I can at least try and get some rest during the day.
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Describe a typical day of eating for you.
♥ Breakfast – porridge with honey and a banana, or if I’m about to go for a run I have two boiled eggs on sourdough with a cup of tea
♥ Morning tea – a handful of raw almonds and another piece of fruit and a plain Greek yoghurt
♥ Lunch – A sandwich with chicken and salad or a salad with rice, chicken and veggies
♥ Afternoon tea – A piece of toast with peanut butter or avocado or another banana cut up and dipped in cashew nut butter
♥ Dinner – Lean meat (steak or fish) with veggies and rice or potatoes. Or lately in this last trimester I’ve really been craving pasta and my husband makes a really good pesto pappadelle!
♥ Dessert – if I can fit it in is another plain Greek yogurt or some dark chocolate with a peppermint tea.
Lately I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep unless I have something to eat (common in the third trimester of pregnancy) so I’ll have a banana which usually does the trick.
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Do you take any supplements, vitamins or special wellness elixirs? If so, we’d love to know!
When I’m not pregnant and I’m in full training I will supplement my diet on a daily basis with energy booster Ubiquinol – it’s the active form of co-enzyme Q10, a powerful antioxidant, vital for healthy cells and responsible for the energy production of cells in our body. It helps my recovery and fights feelings of fatigue. Magnesium is also a great option for inflammation and achy muscles when you start getting back into exercise.
Another favourite supplement is Revvies energy strips for a fast, convenient and effective energy hit before hard workouts and races. Always trial new caffeine or nutritional products in training before using them in a race.
Do you have an evening wind-down ritual?
For relaxation at the end of the day my husband and I will binge on an easy watching Netflix series or read a good book. Right now on Netflix we’re watching The Letdown and Money Heist, and I’m reading ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates – an inspiring book about her journey of empowering women out of poverty in developing countries through her foundation.
What are your top 3 wellness non-negotiables
♥ Eat mostly unprocessed foods
♥ Supplement diet with things I know will help my energy levels – Ubiquinol and magnesium.
♥ Spend lots of time with people I love ?
Your absolute favourite healthy cafe in NSW is?
I love Buck Hamblin cafe in Thirroul, a coastal town about 30 mins drive from where I live. Bucks have the best coffee on the south coast of Sydney and the most amazing menu – my favourite in the winter is the porridge with poached fruit and cinnamon and then in the summer-time I love the poached chicken salad with nuts, greens and grains for a healthy lunch.
Best place to get a green juice or smoothie in your city?
So Fresh Cronulla make the best fresh juices in Sydney. They also do antioxidant shots with turmeric and ginger to help reduce inflammation in the body.
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What’s your fitness routine & favourite way to get sweaty and where’s your go-to?
Obviously running! It’s so energising for me. I feel free when I run. I love running with a group of running mates and I love an occasional run on my own just to clear my head. The best thing I love about running is that you can run literally anywhere and it’s so time efficient for getting fit and feeling healthy in your body and your mind.
If you could only wear one brand of activewear for the rest of your life it would be…
Adidas is my go-to brand for active wear. I’ve worn a lot of different brands Over the last 20 years of my running career and Adidas’ quality is second to none. I still have my fave Adidas kits that I was wearing 10 years ago! I love the street wear vibes in their originals range too and for running and workout shoes the boost technology makes you feel like you are running on clouds!
What’s the one beauty or wellness treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?
I love a facial from my friends at our local skin care spa called Beauty and Balance in Cronulla. I feel like a new woman when I leave and my skin looks and feels super refreshed and revitalised.
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What’s your dream wellness vacay?
I love Fiji for a revitalising holiday. There’s just something about the people, the culture and the slower pace of life that makes you feel immediately relaxed, even from the moment you land at the airport. No one ever seems hurried in Fiji and it’s so refreshing. We love to spend a week just in Denarau, I run on the golf course every morning and then come home for fresh coconuts and we’ll hit the pool or take a chartered boat out to cloudbreak where my husband likes to surf. Indi and I swim around jumping off the boat and have a picnic lunch whilst we watch ‘Daddy surf’. We’ll get back in time for a mid afternoon nap and then head to one of the amazing resort restaurants for dinner. There’s also the mud baths at the foot of one of the mountains that we like to frequent each time we go, you rub the volcanic mud all over your skin and then wash it off in the bath and it has an incredible cleansing affect, then you’ll be treated to a massage under the mango tree by the local massage therapists. Fiji is my all time most relaxing holiday!
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Posted by Annette @ Wellness WA on December 2, 2019
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Welcome back to one of my favourite segments to write – Beauty & Wellbeing Crushes! While I absolutely love doing a deeper review of a fitness class, spa experience or wellness retreat, there’s something super satisfying and fun about sharing the little bits and pieces that are making my dady to day life just that little bit more wellness-y.
Let’s get started!
♥ All the Facial Oils
Do you ever find that sometimes you fall off the wagon with a health or beauty tip that you promised yourself never to skip? Same here. For quite some time I just “totally forgot” that my skin thrives when I’m applying 100% natural oils to it on-the-reg. Pressing some jojoba oil into my skin in the morning before my facial sunscreen gives an all day glow that I wouldn’t otherwise be lucky enough to have, and after cleansing the days makeup & dirt off at night, 4 drops of rosehip oil massaged into my face followed up with a face cream also does WONDERS. I can’t believe I let myself lapse on this for so long, but I’m very happy to back on my oily regime!
Currently I’m using 100% organic jojoba oil from The Jojoba Company in the morning & Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ in the evenings. I also highly recommend Two Drops by Herbs + Heart which is a blend of incredibly lush oils for evening use, I’ll be moving onto this one when the rosehip is done!
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♥ Chlorella Supplements
I’ve just jumped back on board with these bright green little beauties. Chlorella, a freshwater algae, is said to be one of nature’s perfect superfoods – it’s high in protein, iron, antioxidants, magnesium and many more vitamins and minerals. It’s also meant to be fantastic for drawing out heavy metals & chemicals from your tissues and helping the body dispose of it. Thanks, chlorella!
Personally I just like the idea of taking a green supplement each day in the hopes that it’s doing something positive – I’ll report back on my findings soon! My favourite brand is Sun Chlorella which you can purchase from iHerb (use this discount code – MZB674 – for 10% off your first order, woo!)
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♥ Cheezels vs. Mary’s Gone Crackers
Having low blood pressure (or the blood pressure of a 5 year old child, as a doctor once told me – I’m 35) comes with a few challenges. One of which is an almost constant craving for salty foods. I most definitely have a ‘salt tooth’ rather than a sweet tooth. Because of this I am almost always reaching for something crunchy + salty, and often that takes the form of something less than wellness… cue, Cheezels, Pizza Shapes, or the probably-not-even-that-healthy Honey Dijon Soy Crisps. At a couple of bucks a piece it can be an easy choice to make on a 10 minute rest break at work, but the resulting energy slump and feeling crappy hasn’t been doing me any favours lately.
In my quest to change things up I’ve started purchasing the herb flavoured Mary’s Gone Crackers snacky biscuits and pairing them with Caramelised Onion Hommus and OH LAWD is it goooood! This salty, crunchy, snack with a hint of sweetness really hits the spot, and leaves me feeling fantastic afterwards as well. The only downside is the cost. A packet of MGC will set you back around $8, and the hommus anywhere from $3-4. So it’s the $2 snacks versus the $12 snacks, but the wellness & energy benefits of the latter are well worth it in my opinion. I’d love to hear your favourite healthy, salty snacks in the comments so leave one below!
Be well,
Annette
xoxo
Posted in Food, Products, Wellness Tips | Comments Off on Beauty & Wellbeing Crushes: All the Facial Oils, Mary’s Gone Crackers & Chlorella Supplements.
Posted by Annette @ Wellness WA on January 30, 2018
I hope the start of your year has been full of wonder, joy & lots of wellness treats. This week I’m excited to get back into sharing my crushes with you – the little wellness snippets that are brightening my days & making me feel amazing. I can’t wait to start sharing more of these and hopefully helping you find a new product, fitness class or healthy tip you can add into your life.
Lets go…!
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♥ Calm Down Tea
I’m absolutely loving this tea lately because of it’s simple ingredients, yummy taste & peaceful vibes. Containing organic rooibos, biodynamic apple, chamomile & pink rose petals, it’s the perfect cup to brew after a busy day, or even to have on hand at work so you can mitigate any stress as it pops up. You can purchase online directly from Yarra Valley Tea Co. or I’ve also spied it in the extensive tea selection at Fresh Provisions Mount Lawley.
♥ Sauna Highs
Recently I’ve been resdiscovering the wonders of your stock-standard gym sauna. For a while I was off these, mostly due to not having stepped foot in a gym for a while, and the thought of having to talk to sweaty men in an enclosed space made me slightly uncomfortable. However I dusted off these concerns and booked in for a Swim Session @ Beatty Park through ClassPass. In this session you can use any of their indoor & outdoor pools, steam room, spa and the sauna for three ClassPass points, which works out to be $5 – a saving of $6 from their regular casual swim passes – win!
The dry heat of the sauna is perfect after a few casual laps of the 50m outdoor pool, and luckily for me the few times I’ve been noone has been in an overly chatty mood, but if they are and you don’t feel like talking you can always just close your eyes and pretend you’re meditating. It only takes 5-10 minutes to start sweating up a storm, and the heat tends to have a magical calming + invigorating quality to it that will leave you feeling energised and present at the same time.
I like to squeeze in a swim, followed by a sauna, another swim, another sauna, DONE.
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♥ Block Colour Package @ Hair Addicts Perth
Let me preface this by saying I’ve never been “Becky with the good hair”. On a good day my hair could manage as passable, or “not bad”, but a combination of laziness, lack of skill and a penchant for only seeing a hairdresser once a year (!!) in my previous life meant that bad hair days were more common than good ones.
Fast forward to being 33 years old, single, and FINALLY having found a fantastic hairdresser in the form of Jess @ Hair Addicts Perth, I’ve now declared 2018 the year of “no more excuses, good hair is important, you’re making a booking every 2.5 months, no questions asked” – and I’m super excited to have my locks looking and feeling good all year.
The photo above was taken directly after I finished my latest appointment a couple of weeks ago, and I hand-on-heart can say that my hair has NEVER looked that good before. Ever. I honestly didn’t even recognise it as my own hair. That result was achieved after a colour, Olaplex treatment (my first time having this and I am a CONVERT!), wash, head massage, cut, blow dry & waves added in. All in all I believe it came to $190 which is an absolute bargain, and I almost don’t want to share this hidden gem of a salon because I’m scared I wont be able to get an appointment easily anymore!
The regular cut, colour, blowdry package is $150 at time of publishing, which is out of this world reasonable. Run, don’t walk, to get your hair cut with Jess or any of the babes at this gorgeous hair salon which is located in Tuart Hill.
Questions? Comments? Leave a message below!
Be well,
Annette
xoxo
Posted in Hairdresser, Inner City, Organic, Products, Wellness Tips | Comments Off on Weekly Wellness Crushes: Calm Down Tea, Sauna Highs and Fresh Haircuts at Hair Addicts Perth.
Posted by Annette @ Wellness WA on May 3, 2017
Lately I’ve been getting into a whole range of new skincare products which have been rocking my world, so this edition of Beauty & Wellbeing Crushes is solely dedicated to all things skin!
♥ @thebeautychef
♥ Carla Oates Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost
I’m a HUGE fan of the concept of ‘internal skincare’, and Carla Oates is all about it too. Her catchphrase “beauty begins in the belly” resonates with me, and is a nod to the exciting new research into the effect of probiotics and gut health on all systems of the body – including the quality of our skin.
Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost tastes fantastic and is PACKED full of probiotics, antioxidants and other goodies. I’ve just started to include a tablespoon per day in a glass of filtered water. I definitely feel that when I take this beauty elixir I’m helping to give my skin & body what it needs to thrive and can’t wait to see the long term results of taking it daily! As an added bonus it’s really good for your digestion too.
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♥ Qsilica Naturally Clear Skin Cleanser
I’ve been using this product for a couple months now and I have to say, this is a really good cleanser! My skin never feels too dry / too oily / stripped afterwards. It just feels soft, dewy and perfectly cleansed. For me, this cleanser doesn’t stop most breakouts, my skin is mostly affected by what I eat and drink – so it wont prevent a breakout if I’ve “accidentally” consumed half a block of Whittakers Coconut Chocolate and 3 ciders, but it does stop any pesky little spots caused by “accidentally” falling asleep in my makeup. And it makes my skin feel amazing regardless, so I will continue to use it while I pray that coconut chocolate becomes a thing of the past so that I’m not regularly tempted by it (probably not going to happen).
♥ @gotoskincare
♥ Exfoliating Swipeys by Go-to-Skincare
This product. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways! I’ve been following skincare saviour and all round quirky gal Zoe Foster Blake since her days penning her first blog, Fruity Beauty. She’s the ultimate “it’s totally okay to be kinda weird but also cool girl”, and for a while now she’s been killing it with her own beauty range, Go-to-Skincare.
There are a number of pretty special products, but the Exfoliating Swipeys are my DEAD SET FAVOURITE!
First, the name. Very good. Next, the results. Also very good. Each swipey, which is a little cotton pad, is full to the brim with Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s) and gently dissolves dead skin cells, unclogs pores, refines skin and generally just makes your skin totally ace. I like to use mine in the shower after cleansing, I get swipey on my face and then do other showery things for a minute while keeping my face away from the water so the AHA’s don’t wash off. After 60 seconds you can rinse away to your hearts content.
The best thing to do afterwards is massage 4 drops of rosehip oil – Kosmea is my current favourite – into your skin, wait 10 minutes and then apply Very Useful Face Cream, which is another Go-to-Skincare prod. My best advice is to do this right before bed, get a long snooze in, and then wake up to incredible, glowy skin that you’ll really want to touch (but you shouldn’t!)
SO! Those are my current recommendations. Like it? Lump it? Leave a comment below and let me know! Xo
Be well,
Annette
Posted in Products | Comments Off on Beauty & Wellbeing Crushes: Antioxidant Inner Beauty Boost, QSilica Cleanser, Exfoliating Swipeys + Kosmea Rosehip Oil.
Posted by Annette @ Wellness WA on March 27, 2017
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♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!
I wasn’t always someone who was passionate about green smoothies, Leafy greens and looking at nutrition labels. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and fibromyalgia. I found that while some medicines could alleviate symptoms, they couldn’t bring me health and happiness. This is when I turned my life around, looking at food and cooking as more of a healing instrument and included it more jn my lifestyle.I love creating healthy, delicious and simple food and want to inspire other people to do the same! I’m an author, blogger, a yoga teacher, wife and a mum! I advocate listening to your body and your gut – your body is an amazing machine and will be the first one on board of your health journey if you let it!
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♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine! What are your non-negotiables for looking and feeling your best?.
I love to keep my skincare routine as simple as possible! The first thing I do is drink a scoop of my Heal Your Gut Powder. I truly believe that natural beauty comes from within, so this is a non-negotiable part of my day. I then wash my face with Natural Instinct Cleansing Oil, followed by their beautiful Rosehip Oil. I always make sure to apply Natural Instinct Tinted Natural Sunscreen SPF30 before heading out for the day.
Before I go to bed I love to apply my Supercharged Food Earth Mask & Scrub as either an exfoliating scrub or mask. I apply it and then rinse it off in a nice warm shower. I then make sure to dab Rosehip oil at night and sleep with it on – there’s nothing better than the feel of Rosehip on my skin!
♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?
I love having massages. After long days working at the office, I just need a release! I couldn’t think of anything better than the tension to literally just drop off my shoulders by the hands of a professional.
♥ Who do you trust with your hair, and why?
I don’t have a particular place I go to and am really lazy when it comes to hair care I normally only wash it once a week and then add a bit of coconut oil as a moisturiser, I learnt that trick whilst studying in India 🙂
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♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?
My favourite at home treatment is applying my Supercharged Food Earth, Mask & Scrub as a mask, lighting a candle, putting on soft music and having a ten-minute meditation!
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♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?
I love Natural Instincts Rosehip Oil, my Heal Your Gut Powder and Southern Nature’s Colostrum!
♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet?
I would love to go to a Salt Therapy room but just haven’t had the chance! I love the idea of negative ions and would love to test out the salt room for myself! (ED: Check out Salts of the Earth in Vic Park & Wangara!)
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♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you – brekky, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks – the works!
I love having eggs for breakfast! I usually make my Café-style smoked salmon, eggs and asparagus from my new Fast Your Way to Wellness book.
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For lunch, I usually enjoy a delicious salad with leftover protein from dinner, lots of greens and some of my favourite filling foods: avocado!
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I usually snack on carrots or celery but I’m also a sucker for berries in summer! If I have any left in the freezer, I love snacking on my Turmeric Fudge and have a special surprise coming up about that soon – be sure to check my blog in the next coming weeks!
My hot drink of choice is always homemade chai! Maybe it’s because of my Indian roots but nothing warms me up quite like it.
I love sharing meals with my family. There’s something so special to be about sitting around the table and sharing food with the people you love. Right now for a quick lunch I’m loving these veggie nori wraps as they are delicious, nutritious and easy to make from my new Fast Your Way to Wellness book!
♥ How do you like to get your body moving? Describe your weekly fitness routine.
I start most mornings with a walk along the coastline! I know it sounds very simple but there’s something just so magical to me about a solo walk, appreciating the view and clearing my head. I teach yoga a few times a week and make sure to get my practice in too!
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♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, we’d love to hear about it!
I’m lucky enough to be an ambassador for the wonderful brand Southernature! Anybody who knows me is probably sick of hearing about my passion about the brand. I take Omega 3 to reduce inflammation, Colostrum for keeping my gut in check and the Good Night Sleep to calm me down and help ease me into a restful night’s sleep.
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♥ You’ve got a big event in 7 days time that you need to look incredible for. What’s your plan of attack to look & feel your absolute best?
I practice intermittent fasting 2 days a week. I go into detail about intermittent fasting in my latest book Fast Your Way to Wellness, but I’ll give you the down-low! On my ‘fasting days’, I consume 500 calories and for men I recommend 600 calories. The calories I do consume are made up of organic, non-processed and nutritious food. Fasting helps to increase fat burning, control your appetite, reduce inflammation, give the digestive system a rest and help you look and feel the best you can! I usually fast the day before an event so that I go into that day feeling light, not bloated, and excited! If you want to read more about intermittent fasting, or if you would like to purchase my new book, you can check it out on my blog.
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♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?
When I have too many things going on, I know that it’s my time to switch off completely. I turn all my electronic devices off, put a candle on and sit in a bath filled with Epsom salts and a good magazine or book. I find sometimes I get too caught up in work and forget to breathe! I know for me personally, it’s so important to take time out and just remember to put everything into perspective – whether it’s work, university or school work, things always work out for the best and it’s important to stay positive and smiling!
♥ 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?
My younger self would be shocked at the sleep routine I have now! I like to go to bed early and aim for 8 hours of sleep a night. Before I go to bed, I make sure to stay away from all electrical devices for at least an hour, take a Southernature Good Night Sleep supplement and spray my pillow with lavender essential oils to calm my mind.
♥ And lastly… do you have any top secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?
Look after your gut! Not only is the gut at the core of your health, it is closely connected to your immune system and your brain, and I’d say those are two important parts of the body! Some easy tips for looking after the gut is to avoid gluten, stay hydrated and manage stress. If you want to know more about healing the gut, you can check out my 4 week Heal Your Gut Program or, my 2-day Heal Your Gut Maintenance Program.
If you have any questions for Lee, please leave them in the comments! I hope you’ve learnt something from her interview – let me know who you’d like interviewed next!
Be well,
Annette
xo
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