Tickety Boo

Sarah - one of our wonderful acupuncturists – recently added a section to the clinic’s website, all about what makes us tick. A great idea, giving our lovely patients an insight into who we are and what we get up to outside HealthWise.

In case you don’t much about me or what I do, here’s my story…

What modality do you practice? Naturopathy i.e. nutrition & herbal medicine

What motivates you as a practitioner?

• Working with a wonderfully diverse and interesting range of people each day.
• Educating my patients on the best ways to improve their health and change sticky habits.
• Learning from these same people about their experiences, challenges and triumphs.
• Practicing what I preach.

What single piece of general advice would you give for good health?

Take responsibility for your own health by learning what practices you enjoy most that keep you feeling well. A good health practitioner will help to steer you onto the right path (and keep you on the straight and narrow!), but at the end of the day, managing your health is up to you.

What makes you tick when you are not at the clinic?

My husband, family, friends and cat; along with yoga, reading, writing, and travel all keep me busy when I’m not at HealthWise.

I love being outdoors, connecting with people and learning as much as I can about food, health and other cultures.

Oh, and chocolate. I really like chocolate.

Myself and my beloved having trekked to the centre of a glacier in a blustery snowstorm. Hardly glamorous, but such fun.

Paleo planning

I wrote last year about my husband turning to primal eating after years of vegetarianism. It has been quite an adjustment for him (and for me! – a confirmed vegetarian), but we’ve got a good little routine now and have wrapped our heads around preparing non-veg food.

When Jon started out on the Paleo food journey, there were a lot of new ideas for us to get our heads around. Certain inclusions, exclusions, food combinations, etc…

I just came across this diagram, via a paleolicious friend of mine, that I wish I’d seen earlier – it’s crass and wonderful and explains the diet perfectly.

Keeping it REAL simple. Paleo, explained.

Chia and Coconut Porridge

This delicious treat is my (current) favourite summertime breakfast. It is light and easy to digest, but substantial enough to keep me feeling full through the early part of my day.

Chia seeds are a good source of fibre, plant protein and beneficial fats. When they are soaked, as in this recipe, the seeds develop a soft viscous coating (known as mucilage) that is reminiscent of sago. You can find chia seeds in all health food stores and the health food section of most supermarkets.

Coconut milk is another good source of healthy fats, which will help to balance your energy for the day and nourish your body from the inside. You can read more about the health-giving nature of coconut here.

So what do I need?

• 1/2 – 1 cup chia seeds (the more you use, the thicker the mix)
• 1 can (approx 440mL) coconut milk, preferably organic

And how do I put it together?

1. Combine the chia and coconut milk in a ceramic dish or bowl, then cover with a lid or cling film.
2. Place in the fridge and leave to soak for a minimum of 4 hours (I’d normally recommend leaving overnight).
3. Stir through the resultant mixture – it will have formed a thick consistency. This, my dears, is your porridge.
4. Serve into a bowl (3-4 tablespoons is usually sufficient!) and top with fresh or frozen fruit, natural yoghurt, chopped nuts and/or a dash of maple syrup.

This tasty breakfast can be prepared in advance and eaten over several mornings. It keeps well for up to 4 or 5 days in the fridge, though it’s unlikely to last that long.

I was introduced to the chia-coconut combo by my friend and colleague, the lovely Linda Brown, who you can see demonstrating how to make some seriously delicious foods  here.

For those of you who like to know these sort of things, this little recipe is both dairy and gluten free.

Getting motivated AKA The power of lists

I don’t know about you, but the start of my year has been a little bit crazy and really quite scattered. However, now that January is at its absolute end, I have almost certainly exhausted the excuse: “Well… you know…  I’m only just back to work so I’ll get to that* soon”. No, not going to wash – it’s time to get motivated.

The bucketing sheets of rain over recent weeks haven’t helped me get going, nor has the alarmingly large pile of things and stuff waiting for my attention. Just thinking about it makes me want to bury myself in blankets or lie on cushions reading travel stories (which I may or may not have spent several days hours doing).

I’ve found that the best way to pull myself out of this stuck feeling, and get myself going, is with the help of a list. A trusty list!

It is a well-known fact that I am a listophile. So much so that one of my dearest friends sent me a luscious red ‘List Book’ for Christmas, full of lovely plain pages just busting to be filled with words, ideas and plans. It’s the best! Just looking at it makes me feel motivated.

Here is a list (!) of the some of the reason I love lists that may help you love them too:

• My thoughts appear so neat and organised this way (otherwise existing as a jumbled bunch of half-finished and/or potentially-genius ideas running rampant in my mind) – i.e. a list creates order where there was previously chaos.
• A dot, star or box (personal favourite) at the start of each sentence practically begs me to tick it off – i.e. a list provides incentive.
• Tacked to our fridge or tucked into my diary, a regular glance at my list reminds of all the (mostly) excellent things I need to get done – i.e. a list maintains focus, useful in a world of numerous distractions.
• Writing a list makes me feel like I’m already “getting stuff done” i.e. a list is a little achievement in itself.

Oh, and there’s more… but you get the idea. Plus, I’ve got a list to write – my first for the Dragon Year! I encourage everyone to do the same … what will your focus be?

*that = any number of tasks, trivial and large, that require my attention and can no longer be hidden under a neatly stacked pile of magazines.

Setting the intention

A new year! A new start! Resolutions… changes… expectations… Oh boy.

Personally, I don’t make new year’s resolutions as I tend not to stick to them (at least I’m honest!). And in any case, I have a habit of making new plans and setting goals for myself almost weekly… it’s just the way I flow.

However, for many people the start of a new year is the perfect time to kick back into forgotten goals and fresh ideas. Already this week heaps of people have come through the clinic wanting to get their health back on track and make a plan to stay well in the months ahead.

Post-festive season is an obvious time for many of us to think about being well and doing good. An excess of everything naughty and treat-like during the previous month (or few?) makes the idea of being virtuous so very appealing.

A good old-fashioned detox can help with festive season fallout - but I would also suggest setting achievable goals that can be maintained long-term.

Setting an intention (e.g. better health, less alcohol, more sunshine, deeper relationships) is a gentle and realistic way to get yourself on track – and stay there.

The benefit of this is that you don’t have to adhere to any hard-and-fast rules, nor strict guidelines or ball-busting regimes. Instead, it’s something you can focus on throughout the year and adjust your plans accordingly.

Let me give you an example:

• I intend to sleep better this year, which means I’ll be more rested and refreshed at work, have more energy through the day, feel generally more inspired, have clearer skin, brighter eyes, and will be even nicer to my husband.

Now, I haven’t said: “I will have 8 hours of sleep each night” – if I did, I would most likely break my resolution immediately, huff and puff, throw my hands in the air and never sleep properly again (I may be exaggerating slightly).

However, if my intention is to sleep better overall I can adjust my (ever-changing) plans accordingly – not taking on too much extra work, turning the computer off by a certain time each night, getting myself up with the sun, eating more protein during the day – and stick with those habitual adjustments that suit me best.

What will your intention be?

Where will this year take you?