by Annette @ Wellness WA | Oct 9, 2012 | Exercise, Interviews, Wellness Tips
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♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!
I love to be fit and healthy both physically and spiritually. I devote my time to learning and teaching others about health and fitness and how they can help to be the best person they can from the inside – out. My number one passion is Pilates (my business is Renz Pilates!).
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Whilst working in London as a personal trainer in 2005 I learnt of Pilates. Within a few months of returning to Australia I commenced training with Polestar Pilates to master the method and learn to teach others. My style of workouts have since been a fusion of Pilates and personal training.
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♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.
I am LOVING Miranda Kerr’s Kora Organics range and have been since December 2012. I use my Cream Cleanser day and night, followed by Purifying Day and Night Cream for my face and the Recovery Eye Gel Cream for my eyes (Miranda recently recommended to try the Vitamin Enhanced Lip Balm to act like a hydrating mask for the eyes too, which I agree is divine) and the Enriched Body Lotion for my body. After my long days of teaching and training it is nice to enjoy the Hydrating Mask for my face and the lovely Rejuvenating Foot Balm for my tootsies. I am trialling a couple of new organic sun creams too but haven’t found a favourite yet (welcoming any suggestions?)
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♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?
Following a run, I love rubbing my body gently with moist beach sand before swimming in the ocean allowing my skin to enjoy a natural exfoliant. I enjoy this at every sandy beach in the world I visit.
♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?
Karri Steele – uber cool, but sad she has just moved to Melbourne.. Aveda Subi: Nikki, Kylie & Danni – I just love Aveda – seems to work so well with my hair.
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♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?
Sleep. There is a reason it is called beauty sleep. Make the time and reap the benefits.
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♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?
Right now: KORA Organics Cream Cleanser, Recovery Eye Gel and the Hydrating Mask
♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?
A positive attitude – always have honest and positive intentions – sometimes actions are perceived by others in a different light, but if you know you are acting with good intentions I believe karma always returns positive energy to you.
And sweat, laugh and move: dance, walk, run – whatever makes you smile.
♥ Chiva Som
♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)
Internationally: Chiva-Som, Thailand and Reethi Rah, Maldives.
Locally: Bodhi Day Spa, Wembley.
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♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.
Everyday is different, it depends on my mood and what I have scheduled for the day but generally..
Kickstart the day: Always a Spirulina and Vitamin C drink.
Smoothie: I will make either green smoothie made up of whatever greenery is in season – mixture of kale, spinach, celery, zucchini, spirulina mix, avocado & cucumber, or kiwi and cacao nibs, bee pollen, maca and filtered water and goji berries to serve OR a chocolate smoothie made up of raw cacao, chocolate vegan protein powder, almonds, frozen berries, bee pollen, spirulina mix, maca and filtered water.
On the weekends maybe a frozen banana-rice milk smoothie with lots of yummy extras and an egg white omelette with veggies.
Mid morning snack: I usually teach privates and classes from 6am through to lunch time, so don’t have much time for snacks. I drink lots of water and green tea in between sessions.
Lunch: Huge, super colourful salad (always changing, but as long as I can put in as many bright delicious colours as I can get my hands on) sometimes with chicken, tuna, salmon or beans of some type.
Mid afternoon: Either celery or raw zucchini with my home made hommus.
Dinner: I go out a lot for dinner, so when I order I try to stick to steamed veggies or as clean as possible. This is the one meal I am usually eating with my friends or family and I try not to be too strict amongst others as I often get reminded to be a little crazy and “try the tempura prawns!”
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After dinner treats: This is definitely my weakest point of the day. I LOVE chocolate treats. Over the years I have learnt so much about chocolate and the cleanest, healthiest ways to enjoy it. I now make my own organic chocolate with lots of special treats inside (like goji berries or cacao nibs). Right now I am working on mastering a Bliss Ball recipe (raw cacao, freshly sprouted nuts, coconut oil, etc) so much goodness packed into the cutest little ball! My boyfriend provides great feedback – so we are getting very close to mastering the perfect recipe.
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♥ Describe your fitness routine.
One thing about my fitness is that there is definitely no routine about it. I obviously do Pilates everyday. I workout a lot with clients and if I have had a day where I haven’t had much of an opportunity to move, I will get in a short run along the beach or river to pick the heart rate up or do any of the following:
♥ Dancing – I love teaching Xtend Barre at Pure Moves in Cottesloe and I am quite often dancing around my home with Tracy Anderson, and if I am out with my girlfriends we will pretty much always be making a dance floor appear out of no where!
♥ Yoga – I love Twisting Fish in Claremont
♥ Surfing – Not as much as I would like at the moment, but when & where ever I can
♥ Jacobs Ladder and Kings Park – to really pick up my cardio
♥ Boxilates – one of my new favourite classes I have designed at The Hurt Locker in Claremont
♥ Walking – either on my own or this is a great time for a girly catch-up with my friends
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♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.
Some would say my super green smoothies are alternative or the spirulina I take is a supplement, but these are what is normal for me. I have tried various supplements over the years and I think they all have their merit – as long as they have good clinical research with substantiated claims and can prove the efficacy of the product they are worth trialling.I have really enjoyed Reiki in the past and currently I am enjoying a bit of an acupuncture phase.
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♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?
As crazy as this may sound, I am de-stressed when I am teaching or working out. I find both of these to be quite meditative for me. When I am teaching I am 100% present and focused on my client – there is no time for any other thoughts to make my mind busy. Running is also a great time for me to clear my head and process my thoughts. I love yoga in that I am very focused on sort of surrendering myself to the universe and allowing my body and mind to move either my thoughts or body in whatever way it can.
And to relax, obviously a full body spa treatment will nearly always do the trick!
If you have any questions about Renee’s amazing lifestyle, please leave a comment below! 🙂
Check out where you can take a class with her at Renz Pilates!
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Oct 8, 2012 | Other
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Fancy being pampered from head to toe in the absolutely stunning room above? Thanks to Vanity Box Skin Couture, this dream could soon be a reality!
Deluxe. Opulent. Bliss-inducing. All words that describe a trip to Vanity Box, and one very lucky Wellness WA reader will be heading there with a $100 gift voucher in hand to experience the treats of your choosing.
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The beautiful (inside and out) owner Suzey will provide our winner with a stunning experience, no matter what you decide to choose! Take a look at the recommendations page to see what’s available!
My top picks are:
♥ Eyebrow Transformation – $46
♥ Deluxe waxing of your choosing – various prices
♥ Vanity Box Deep Tissue Massage – $70 for 30 minutes
♥ CoffeeBerry Natureceuticals Lunchtime Yoga Facial – 30 minutes $110
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I can guarantee that this is a competition you don’t want to miss out on!
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To be in with a chance to win, make sure you like Wellness WA on Facebook or Twitter and leave a short & sweet comment with why you’d like to win!
Winner will be chosen at random via Random.org on the 15th of October! Looking forward to reading your entries 🙂 Good luck!!! X
For more information about Suzey’s wellbeing routine – click here.
For my full review of Vanity Box Skin Couture – click here!
Be well,
Annette
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Oct 1, 2012 | Food, Products, Reviews
I’ve always restricted my diet for one reason or another – vegetarianism in my teens, a milk intolerance picked up in my twenties. Over time, I’ve come to appreciate that my somewhat ‘sensitive’ system does better without dairy, wheat and sugar. A helpful discovery, yes, but one that makes me feel quite isolated as I scour menus for an item I can actually eat, and makes me cringe when friends invite me over for dinner. It can also make cooking a bit of a challenge which, to be honest, I’ve always been a bit lazy about, relying on a few tried and tested basics.
So it was with great delight that I recently came across Lee Holmes’ wonderful book Supercharged Food: Eat Your Way to Good Health
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The book emerged from Lees’ own health struggles with an auto-immune condition that left her barely able to function. Through trial and error, she discovered that radically changing her diet to exclude wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar led to a dramatic improvement in her health. Inspired, she set out to share her message and ideas with others, and the Supercharged Food brand was born.
♥ Photo from Superchargedfood.com
The book includes over 90 recipes based on Lee’s dietary philosophy. It is beautifully presented, with gorgeous photos that make your mouth water, enticing you into the kitchen. There’s also helpful information about healthy living, as well as support with getting organised for a new way of eating, such as sorting out your ‘supercharged pantry’.
The sign of a good cook book is that it doesn’t stay pristine for too long and my copy of Supercharged Food is now happily splattered with my culinary experiments! Current favourites are the genius ‘Crustless Quiche’ which finds its way into my lunch box most days, salmon and turnip patties for a simple but tasty supper (who’d have thought a turnip could taste so amazing?) and the gorgeously named ‘Vegetable soup on a cold night’.
Lee’s website is also fantastic and includes an online shop where you can source some of the ingredients for her recipes, such as stevia, as well as other yummy healthy stuff.
Supercharged Food has totally reinvigorated my relationship with cooking (and eating!) and I’m so looking forward to creating many more of Lee’s appetizing delights!
Where do you get inspiration about eating more healthily? Are there any books or websites that have ‘supercharged’ your food?
Review by Karen, who has a big appetite for both food and life!
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Sep 26, 2012 | Products, Reviews
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After having my facial at Endota, I started thinking about a lot of steps I skip in my skincare routine. Because I MISBEHAVE and sometimes don’t do the right thing by skin. However, I do enjoy complaining about it, loudly, and on the Internet.
In the facial I had my therapist use a toner on me, ok no big surprise there. But I had slacked off in that department. And I feel really bad that I slacked off because I had a bottle of SK-II sitting on the shelf at home waiting for me. (Bracing myself for the backlash here) This product has CULT STATUS and I can’t believe I hadn’t started using it sooner…but you see there was one problem…
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SK-II is the kind of product your boyfriend looks at and says ‘what’s that bottle of water for?’ and you say ‘ITS NOT A BOTTLE OF WATER YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THE SECRET WONDERS OF BEING A WOMAN‘ but inside…I did not know what to do with this bottle of water. There were no instructions in English, only a few lines on the back of the bottle in Japanese…(and my year 9 level understanding of this language was not going to cut it). So I turned to the Vogue Forum, which is where I go when I have any of life’s big questions, and don’t-you-know-it those Voguers knew what the heck was up. Use it like a toner GUYS!
I learnt a little more than this though, such as, you can put about 5 drops into your palm and apply it to your face with your hands or put it on a cotton wool ball and apply it that way. Apparently if you want the product to last longer…go for the hands. I also learnt that you could keep it cool in the fridge for an added indulgence. Sweet!
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The secret ingredient is….Cate Blanchett…HAHA- just kidding gang, although I think her perfect face sure helps sales, but really the secret ingredient is Pitera. After much research into yeast our friends over at SK II discovered that it was Pitera that was keeping the Japanese sake brewers hands so soft and supple, and they thought we better chuck this on our faces quick smart.
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And honest to goodness it is good. I use it as a toner (as we by now have well and truly ascertained) before applying a moisturizer and have been using it twice a day (I rub the leftovers into my hands like Mr. Burns to get the most out of every drop) and I have really noticed some truly great results. The product is supposed to target; firmness, wrinkles and spots but I have seen a dramatic difference in the texture of my skin. Like, a serious difference.
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My skin was so dry it was like a crusty salt lake and (ready for this visual image) this bottle of water has restored the moisture and texture of my face back into a bountiful ocean (salt lake > water > ocean). It just feels so smooth and re-hydrated. It fits in perfectly with the rest of my skincare regime and I really enjoy using it. It is expensive but I also do really think it’s worth giving a go, even if it is only once because I haven’t spoken to one person yet who has had a negative experience.
Actually, if any of our readers have, leave a comment…I honestly would love to hear your thoughts because, I know for me, this innocuous looking bottle of water has given my skin a winter resurrection! Rejoice!
So do tell, have you tried SK-II Facial Treatment Essence?
SK-II Facial Treatment Essence is available in David Jones & online at Adore Beauty!
Review by Adriane Daff.
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Sep 25, 2012 | Dining, Food, Green Smoothies, Reviews, Wellness Tips, Western Suburbs
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Having been on the smoothie wagon for a bit, I decided to jump back to juicing today for a pure shot of easily digestible nutrients that my body was craving. I recently bought this set of 4 glass jars (approx $25) so that I can make bulk juice/smoothies and refrigerate for later use – win!
I’m also currently doing a little experiment with another exciting use for them, which I’ll tell you about later!
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Due to the number of carrots I put in, the juice turned an orangey-brown colour. It was still delicious and energising though, even the whale thinks so 🙂
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Inspired by the meditation workshop with David Michie at The Inspiration Factory, I packed a bottle of water, this book and jumped on my bike to head down to the beautiful lake that I am very lucky to live so close to. It was a perfect Sunday and baby birds & teenage ducklings were out in full force. The sun shone down and my cells revelled in it. I spent some time reading, and then meditated for 6 minutes (it’s best to start out with small amounts, and build up) – a feeling of bliss began to emerge as hoped!
I’m probably going to be talking about meditation a bit more than usual, as I’m really fired up about it after this workshop. I have high hopes for the effect it is said to have on productivity, stress reduction & going through life with ease.
It goes without saying that I HIGHLY recommend Hurry Up and Meditate for anyone who is even considering finding out a little more about meditation and whether it might be for them.
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There’s not much I enjoy more than baby animals, and baby ducks have to be up there with the cutest of the lot. These ones have ventured beyond childhood to what I call ‘teenage ducklings’, as they are about half the size of an adult. So, so pretty! Just another reason I love living so close to a beautiful lake in springtime.
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Warm Roasted Root Vegetable & Quinoa Salad
Unfortunately I don’t have a picture of this one, as it was a bit too dark at my table, but this evening I met up with lovely fellow blogger Elizabeth from Life With Elizabeth Rose at the Subi Hotel. As I checked out the menu, I was excited to find this dish before my eyes:
“chermoula roast vegetables with honey & citrus, quinoa, spiced caramelised pear”
For $13.50 I was sold, and it was incredibly yummy! Roast beetroot, baby carrots parsnips, spinach, crunchy spices – it all came together so well, and despite not being able to see what I was eating, I was very happy with this dish and will definitely be back to have it again!! If you’re in the area and need a healthy bite then this wont disappoint.
What are your crushes this week? Be sure to share them so we can all be inspired to continue reaching for optimal wellbeing!
Be well,
Annette
xoxo
