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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

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Let’s face it, beef jerky kinda sucks, and up until now there hasn’t been an option available for plant eaters who are keen to get their teeth into something spicy, chewy and delicious without splashing out on exy dehydrators. Enter pre-packaged Watermelon Jerky from Pure Glow Cleanse.

This stuff is so delicious that you’ll want to make sure you buy more than one packet at a time, because your first one will definitely be inhaled quicker than you can say “Watermelon jerky CHANGED MY LIFE, baby”.

With just 3 simple ingredients, watermelon, lime juice & cayenne pepper, it’s a a snack you can feel good about and even eat everyday if you wanted to. Hop to it!

Have you tried watermelon jerky before? Is there anyone else dishing out this delicious vegan delicacy in Perth? Let me know in the comments below!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Hello! It’s been a little while between green drinks, I’ve been busy working on Wellness WA’s new look & layout, plus hitting up LOADS of cool new (and old favourite) wellness options that are popping up around Perth.

Coming right up are 4 things that I have been LOVING lately.

♥ Spray-On Aloe Vera

Being ultra fair skinned, I was raised to fear the sun above all else. I’ve now arrived at the age of 32 with zero tan to speak of, a bunch of freckles & am often mistaken for 8-10 years younger (thanks, kind pals!). While I can’t necessarily put the last one down to just hiding from the sun – #babyfacegenetics – there’s a lot to be said for maximising your pre & post-sun exposure routines to prevent skin damage. I recently wrote an article on what I recommend pre-beach, which can be applied to any sunshiny activity.

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Post-sun, and particularly if I happen to get slightly more pink than expected, the best bets I’ve found are: 1) A cold shower for as long as possible to counteract the burn, similar to if you burn yourself in any other way! 5 minutes plus is recommended to take some of the heat out. 2) Two to three cups of green tea to boost antioxidants. I’m not a medical professional but the personal research I’ve done on antioxidants is enough to make this a consistent habit for me. 3) Aloe Vera! It’s known as the “burn plant” for a reason. Applying aloe ASAP after sun exposure promotes skin healing & relieves stinging and itching, my current favourite is this Surf Life Saving spray on mist which makes applying it a breeze. I spray it on every couple of hours and before bed + after my shower in the morning if I’ve been burnt and it really does the trick!

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♥ Homemade Healthy Choc Smoothies!

Due to an upcoming retreat (hellooooo Sri Lanka!), I’ve been trying to save some money by making more smoothies at home, and saving brunch splurges for things that there’s no way I’d ever be able to make at home (cue, Flora & Fauna). With this in mind I set out to create my own version of a cacao, banana & peanut butter smoothie – the bonus being I can use all my favourite brands, additional supplements & get it tasting exactly how I like it.

After many trials I’ve come up with my favourite recipe, give it a whirl! It gets my morning started in the best possible way, after this I’m loving life, full of energy and prepared for whatever the day throws at me.

Choc Bliss Morning Smoothie

♥ 1 x cup of frozen banana chunks (if you’re lazy like me, Creative Gourmet now sells packets of pre-chopped, frozen banana at Woolies & Coles – life changing!)
♥ 1-1.5 x cups of coconut water (depending on how thick you want it… 1 cup is more of an icecream texture, 1.5 cups is a smoothie texture)
♥ 1-2 x tsp cacao, or more if you prefer. I like a gentle buzz.
♥ 1/2-1 x tsp peanut butter, I use Mother Earth Smooth variety
♥ 1/2 x tsp local honey

OPTIONAL!

♥ 1/2 x tsp organic sesame seeds
♥ 1/4 x tsp ground vanilla
♥ 1/2 x sachet of Juice Plus chocolate protein powder, or other protein powder
♥ Quick grind of himalayan pink salt

Method: Place ingredients in blender in above order and blitz on high + pulse for 30 seconds. I use a Froothie which is similar to a Vitamix and it works really well, but any high-speed blender will work.

Makes 1.5 – 2 cups depending on how much liquid you use, and will put you in the best mood for the rest of the day. Let me know what you think if you try it!

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Twisting Peacock Yoga Studio, Osborne Park

My latest obsession. The yin classes at Twisting Peacock are out of this world, and SOMETIMES a tiny hound called Potato pitter patters around as well! #mustlovedogs obviously, which I do with all my heart. The studio owner and totally lovely human babe, Melissa Howard, exudes ease & grace, and her classes are an incredible mix of soulful yogic philosophy interwoven with meditation, restoration and thoughtful sequencing. I leave every class on a high. The other teachers are fantastic as well and I can’t wait to explore more of the classes & very well-priced events that they run regularly.

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Z’kin Brightening & Hydrating Masque

One for the chocolate lovers. This Zkin masque smells EXACTLY like chocolate mousse/chico baby lollies and it’s taken everything in my power to not squeeze the tube directly into my mouth. This has become my go-to mask pre-event or if my skin just needs a little boost. I haven’t found it to make much difference on small pimples, but it’s not really designed for that – so I spread this over my entire face but skip any areas with a pimple, where I’ll apply a separate mask which is specifically designed to dry those out. I’d suggest using this one anytime you feel a choccy craving coming on, but want to brighten your skin whilst indulging – delicious.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments below! x

Be well,

Annette

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Lots of fun going on this week! First up Power Living are hosting a free yoga class in Hyde Park this Sunday 11th December. After a longer than usual Winter, they’re hoping to salute the ACTUAL sun on the weekend (fingers crossed for good weather!) with a 90 minute outdoor flow + yogi DJ’s and good vibes.

If you’re feeling in the giving spirit, optional cash donations to local charity The Smith Family will be welcomed.

To find out more and book your spot, head here!

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Long time vegetarian favourite & “pay-what-you-feel” restaurant, Annalakshmi on the Swan, are now delivering their healthy, Indian eats to city workers for lunch, YES!

For the ridiculously good price of $10, which includes free delivery within the Perth CBD, you’ll receive their Vegetarian + Vegan Combo Meal Lunch Box containing – fresh Basmati rice, dhal of the day, potato or vegetable curry & a chapati (Indian wholemeal bread).

Orders are to be placed by 11am each weekday, and to book in just email vegemeal1@gmail.com or call the restaurant on (08) 9221 3003.

♥ Eat Drink Raw!

Speaking of amazing delivery services, UberEATS have once again upped the game and are now offering deliveries from many of their partner cafes from 7AM! No more waiting til 10am to get your fix of coffee / healthy smoothies / avocado on toast – next level convenience.

They’ve also onboarded a whole host of healthy new restaurants in many areas including one of my personal faves, Eat Drink Raw! I’m hanging out to order the Raw Nachos (SO good!), Raw Coconut Wraps, I’m Immune Smoothie + Blue Crush Smoothie and… well, basically everything on their mega-healthy menu!!

The Wolf, The Bean & The Walnut & The Juicist are also two healthy new additions available in the inner city ‘burbs. Now if only Flora & Fauna would get involved, I’d never need to leave the house again…

♥ La Fit Hits Highgate!

After a sneaky little mention in one of the previous wrap-ups, the owners of La Fit have finally let the (super toned) cat out of the bag with the VERY exciting news that they will be bringing Ride + Megaride classes to their new Highgate location, officially opening on Monday 12th December!!

RIDE – a dance party on your bike.

“This high intensity, low impact cardio workout will burn up to 700 calories in a 45 minute session. Each Ride session is different, intense and addictive, pushing you to dig deeper, ride harder and put your cardio fitness to the test. You will feel empowered, alive, inspired, challenged and in-sync with your mind, body and soul. We ride as a pack and draw strength from that unity.”

Megaride – the ultimate 50 minute high intensity training combination class.

“25 minutes of planks, pikes and power on the Megaformer focusing on your core, obliques and upper body. Remember, in this portion of the workout we take it slow to keep it lean.

Then comes time to turn up the tempo. You slip straight into your sneakers and onto your bike. A 25 minute cycle class of hard, fast sprints and hills to get those big calorie-burning muscles in the lower body moving and heart pumping.”

YES! Cannot. Wait.

The new studio will be located at 91 Brisbane Street, Highgate. If you want a sneak peek, the gals are having an open day this Saturday 10th December with all classes FREE to come and check out, make sure you book as they’ll go quickly! Head over to their timetable & check the Highgate + Saturday box to book 🙂

Do any of these sound good to you?! Let’s chat in the comments! xo

Be well,

Annette

♥ @breakfastinperth

One of my favourite things to do in the Perth Summer is, not surprisingly, hit the beach with friends and enjoy our incredibly beautiful coastline.

Deep blue water, bright blue sky & shimmering sand. On any given day above 30 there’s a high chance that I can be found at Cottesloe, City Beach or Floreat, basking in a little sunshine and gently working on my freckles.

Growing up with fair skin means that the fear of the sun has been drummed into me from a tender age, and as such, you’ll also find me covered from head to toe with SPF 50+ sunscreen, a hat & a light shirt for extra protection if needed. Couple this with multiple sunscreen reapplications and a once yearly skin cancer check at my doctors (I highly encourage this for anyone who spends a bit of time in the sun or is fair skinned) and I generally feel like I’m pretty much set up for sun smart success.

However, there is one more avenue we can take in order to boost our bodies’ amazing ability to protect us from the sun, especially when we’re dealing with old mate ‘hole in the ozone layer’ here in Perth – what we eat!

While it may sound like a pretty hippie concept, hear me out, your tastebuds & skin will thank you. Quick Q & A time:

Q: Why are some specific berries, fruits & veggies so high in antioxidants in the first place?

A: Because they have evolved over time to create extremely high levels in order to protect themselves from the sun. BLOODY GENIUSES! One of the main functions of antioxidants in plants is to prevent them from burning & wilting, so certain plants that are exposed to high levels of sunlight work extra hard to produce more, and in turn these benefits are passed on to us when we consume them.

If you’re now wondering what foods are best to snack on pre-beach, try one of the following:

– Acai berries. As one of the highest sources of antioxidants, this tasty berry is definitely on the list. Beaches and frozen acai bowls are a match made in sun-protection heaven, and as a bonus cool you down & contain lots of healthy essential fatty acids for smooth skin. I absolutely cannot go past the Acai Bowl at Natures Harvest in Cottesloe, topped with the gluten free muesli & dried figs, followed up with a dip at Cott Beach. It’s the most refreshing way to start a Summer morning!

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– Cacao anything! Cacao is packed with flavanols (a special type of antioxidant) that improve the bodies ability to protect against UV-induced sunburns. Pick up a NOOD Choc Nut Smoothie and be on your way.

– Goji berries. Similar to acai, goji berries are packed full of an impressive variety of antioxidants. My New Roots has an amazing little recipe for Goji Ginger Lemonade that looks incredible & is on my list to try before the next beach date!

Hopefully you’ve found this helpful, do let me know if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to answer them or have a nutritionist do so on my behalf!

Happy beaching! xx

Be well,

Annette