Are you an "all or nothing" person?

I used to be an “all or nothing” gal especially when it came to work and exercise. Meaning that I wouldn’t bother doing any unless I had a good 1-2 hours to dedicate to it … otherwise “what’s the point?”. The idea of spending 10 or even 5 minutes a day to yoga was a complete anathema to me. It was laughable. This is a very common trait for those dominant with the wood element (the truth seekers among us). The flip side of the strength of wood is that it can also demonstrate rigidity and inflexibility and if it doesn’t get what it wants, it snaps and breaks.

Then I had kids 16 years ago and everything changed. Months and months went by when I came to the realisation that I didn’t have the luxury of 1-2 hour blocks of ‘free’ time (in between breastfeeding around the clock, mountains of washing, cooking and other domestic chores and running a business). I had to GRAB THOSE 5-10 minutes per day whenever I could because 5-10 minutes per day is better than no time per day!!

Today was one of those 10 minutes grab days. A quick ocean dip followed by foam rolling and then my fav pose - lying back on a roller to open my chest. Was it worth it? Always!

Looking back over the last decade, I see that my entire yoga practice, my Star Anise Organic Wholefoods business and my Young Living business were all built in 10 minute increments. The messiness and unstructured-ness of it has softened my rigid wood element allowing me to bend and flex more like bamboo. In doing so you step more into your feminine and can become more adaptable and accepting of things around you.

So, dear mamas, take those 5 minute grabs whenever you can to do something for yourself - whether it’s movement, relaxation, meditation or creating and running your dream business - because they really do add up over the years to create the rich and beautiful tapestry called your life.

Love Soulla xx

Making the best of a lockdown sh#tshow: my 8 tips for surviving and thriving in difficult times

There is no doubt that the past year and half has been difficult on most people - physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially.  Rates of suicide, mental health issues and physical health issues have soared. This is more so in lockdown where physical freedoms are restricted and parents also don the “teacher” hat (if being the cook, cleaner, laundromat and taxi service ain’t enough). 

I have always advocated that the best form of health care is self-care. To make the best of a lockdown sh#tshow we can take the opportunity to really ‘clean up our backyard’ – by that I mean to really laser focus on our health and well-being and do all of the things that we’ve been meaning to do for our and our family’s health….but keep putting off. Now is the time, is it not?!

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Here are my top 8 lockdown health and wellness priorities:

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1. LEARN TO COOK NUTRIENT-DENSE STAPLE MEALS

Learning how to shop for and prepare nourishing meals is one of the most important gifts that you can give to yourself and your family. Slow cook casseroles, bone broth, organ meats, wild seafood, vegetables featuring a rainbow of colours, and eggs are all what I call non-negotiable staples that fortify us with all of the vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fats needed to build strong immunity and resilience and to function optimally. 

My Food as Medicine digital package (co-presented with Australia’s preeminent holistic dietician and gut health expert Marieke Rodenstein) is designed to set you up for life with all of the information and resources you need understand the fundamentals of robust nutrition. It will also equip you with the practical tools on how to make nourishing meals and nutrient-dense desserts very quickly, easily and simply.  The package includes:

• 5 hours of talks on the fundamentals of robust nutrition, gut health and creating a healthy home

• Lifetime access to 5 online cooking workshops consisting of a video and a workshop booklet:

  • bone broth

  • slow cooks

  • organ meats

  • gluten-free baked cakes

  • chocolate and other chocolate desserts

• A 60 page ‘How To’ manual that sets you up for life with everything from meal formulas, recommended practitioners, where to shop, the due diligence questions to ask when buying food, how to properly prepare certain ingredients to minimise anti nutrients, clean eats, staple ingredients to always have in your kitchen, dealing with fussy easters, extensive healthy swap table, sugar cravings, and loads more.

2. BUY A WATER FILTER

Along with nutrient dense food, this is a non-negotiable for me. Tap water contains chlorine (which kills beneficial bacteria), fluoride (a known carcinogen) and heavy metals. These are all removed with a reversed osmosis (RO) water filter which I believe is the highest level of water filtration in Australia. Whether you’re renting or owing your house, I recommend purchasing a RO filter with alkalizer from The Water Shop and then take it with you house to house. Call them on on 02 9458 1111 and mention my name for 20% discount. It’s worth the one-off investment for your health and your kids’ health.

If you want a whole of house filtration system, (which I subsequently put on) contact Craig from Complete Home Filtration on 0413 484 469. They also do RO system for the kitchen along with filtration system for the whole house. Filtered water makes a difference to hair and skin when showering and bathing along with the fact that my son relishes that he can now drink from every tap in the house without me berating him!

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3. START A MOVEMENT REGIME

Thank goodness we can still exercise to our hearts content and can still do so with another person. Get yourself into a little routine. Movement is essential for emotional and physical health and a great way to diffuse pent up/stored energy and frustration. I really notice the difference in my kids when they have and haven’t been exercising. 

Some of my favourites are:

• Walking in nature

• Walking (or running) uphill or up stairs (resistance provides more bang for your buck)

• Foam rolling and facia release (akin to self massage to iron out knots / tight spots)

• Yoga and stretching

• Dancing

The above are all free! Yay!

4. DITCH THE BLUE LIGHTS AT NIGHT

Ordinary light bulbs and screens emit blue light which signals to your body that it’s daylight which suppresses melatonin production, adversely effecting your circadian rhythm making it more difficult to fall asleep. When the sun goes down…

• Instead of turning on blue lights (from your conventional lights), turn on amber lights which you can purchase from www.blockbluelight.com.au (use the code StarAnise at checkout for 5% discount). They make light bulbs, reading lights, and book lights (all without blue light), with the added benefit that you create a beautiful amber sanctuary for at home. This has made a massive difference to my nervous system.

• Wear blue blocking glasses from www.ezekiel-ion.com at night and anytime you are in front of screens. These are the most effective blue blocking glasses on the market according to my research (I’ve tried them all!) because they protect against blue light, AND UV light, AND EMF radiation, AND they also release beneficial negative ions and far infrared which are known to boost our immune system and promote healing. There are no other glasses like this on the market. Use the code staranise25 at checkout for USD25 discount.

5. LOWER YOUR EMF LOAD - ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT

Our nervous system is bombarded all day and night long with radiation in the form of electro magnetic frequencies (EMFs). While it is virtually impossible to escape EMFs in the modern world, we can reduce them in the only environment we can control - our home - to give our nervous system a break. Get into the habit of:

• Switching your mobile phone to airplane mode before you sleep (your alarm will still sound if phone is on airplane mode) or if it is in your pocket at any time during the day (I tell my kids we don’t need more wonky sperms or infertility issues in the world).

• Get rid of baby monitors, cordless phones and electric clock radios as these emit the most EMR. Use a battery operated alarm for the kids (Mitre 10 sell them).

• Turn off the wifi from the modem before bed and only turn it back on when you need to use it.

• Use your mobile phone on speaker mode so that it is not pressed against your head.

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6. KICK THE TOXIC CHEMICALS IN YOUR HOME

Conventional personal care products and cleaning products contain a slew of harsh chemicals (including PEGS, SLS and other foaming agents, synthetic fragrances, synthetic colours, phthalates, aluminum, triclosan and other antibacterials, and oxybenzone). I call these everyday chemicals because we find them in personal care products and cleaning products that we use everyday such as shampoo, conditioner, dishwashing liquids, laundry liquids, make up, body wash, and body lotions. These chemicals are more concern than dietary toxins because our skin and lungs have no digestive filter to keep the toxins out. 

These fall into one or more buckets:

• Endocrine disruptors (i.e. they mess up our hormones including destroying our fertility!!)

• Carcinogens (known to cause cancer)

• Neurotoxins (adversely affect the brain)

• Allergens (coughing, wheezing, sneezing, headaches, migraines, asthma, skin rashes)

For the sake of your health, your family’s health and the planet’s health, healthy swap to all natural, non-toxic, super powerful, eco friendly versions. There are numerous brands on the market that meet these criteria but my brand of choice is Young Living because not only do YL products meet the above criteria after going through the ingredients with a building biologist, but the magic of YL is that it is ALSO a comprehensive one stop online shop (I do not want to race around to multiple shops and websites. What a sheer relief to be able to streamline the purchasing to just one place for ease, simplicity and convenience).

YL products are infused with the powerful YL oils and are so incredibly concentrated that they work out to be extremely cost effective e.g. $1.60 for my all purpose household cleaner, $16 for my shampoo, $5.50 for a pump of hand soap and $9 for dishwashing liquid. 

You need an online wholesale account to purchase YL products. If you don’t have a Young Living wholesale account please do email me as you need an existing account holder to connect you to create a wholesale account for you online.  Do not buy direct from the YL website as you won’t then get the benefit of our exclusive and extensive online member resources, personalised support and community educational talks.  My team will help you to healthy swap one product at a time in a positive and empowering way at your pace without the overwhelm. 

Lockdown is a great time to do a thorough dusting and spring cleaning using the YL Thieves Household Cleaner which cleans ALL hard surfaces in your home and kills mould and other biotoxins). One cleaner for everything. Game changing! Dust feeds mould so a thorough dusting of all of the tops of paintings and hard to reach surfaces is a worthwhile task. Read more on dust feeding mould in one of my recent IG post. 

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7. LEARN TO MANAGE STRESS

These are indeed stressful times. However, stress isn’t the external event but the way we RESPOND to the event. Learning how to respond to external events with more ease and grace is essential to surviving and thriving in this world. 

What we say to ourselves ultimately becomes our reality because we give it energy. So be mindful of your self-talk! Learn to get into the habit of swapping out negative fear-driven thoughts with positive ones. Here are my go-to 10 Mantras for a More Peaceful Life. 

Another practice is to swap out negative thoughts with gratitude. Remind yourself of all of the things that you still have and are grateful for instead of focusing on all of the things we no longer have /can do.   

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8. GET OUT INTO NATURE AND BRING NATURE INTO YOUR HOME

Get outside into nature daily. Spending time in nature lowers cortisol levels. Make a habit of eating lunch outdoors if its not too cold or rainy. If you exercise outdoors you knock over #3 above and #8 in one fell swoop. 

Image by https://www.gabrielaherman.com/

Take this opportunity to create a beautiful home sanctuary - a place that you ADORE spending time in. Plants transform a home – adding so much life and greenery to calm the nervous system. My favourite indoor planets are:

• Boston ferns (which absorb moisture)

• Peace lillies (which siphon off VOCs)

• Sansevieria aka mother in law’s tongue (which is a potent oxygen producer at night)

• Spider plants

• Areca palms

Diffusing therapeutic grade Young Living essential oils in a diffuser adds such a beautiful energy and spirit into your home. I now have a diffuser in every room and they pretty much are on 24/7. Research shows that inhaling essential oils alone is of massive benefit to humans:

• They boost your immune system (reaching the brain and other internal organs within 3 seconds of inhalation!) which is super important in winter when more pathogens are around.

• The provide greater clarity of thought, concentration and memory recall (which is why I have diffusers where the kids are studying and where I’m working).

• They lower our stress hormones (by reducing salivary cortisol levels and pulse rate).

Some of my favourite oils to diffuse, wear as perfumes and to support emotions and sleep during lockdown include: YL Stress Away, Peace & Calming, Bergamot, Lavender, Frankincense, Northern Lights Black Spruce, Present Time, White Angelica, Angelica and Gentle Baby…. to name a few YL oils that are getting quite a workout!

Not all essential oils are created equal (they really do span the spectrum). YL are the world leaders in the essential oils movement and produce the highest quality oils on the planet according to my research (I’ve used all leading brands and nothing comes remotely close to YL’s potency and purity secured by their Seed to Seed policy). If you don’t have Young Living oils in your life please do email me as you need an existing account holder to connect you and create a wholesale account for you online.  Do not buy them direct from the YL website as you wont then get the benefit of our exclusive and extensive online member resources, personalised support and community educational talks.

If you are repainting walls, use a non-toxic / non VOC paint brand such as EColour.

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You might also like to read these beautiful and poignant words of wisdom by White Eagle, Hopi indigenous, Native American tribe. 

Sending you all so much love, light and strength during lockdown. 

Stay Strong!!

Soulla xxx

Why self care is the most powerful form of health care

Self care is the most powerful form of health care because it begins with acknowledging that you hold all the power to transform your health and happiness. 

One of the most empowering things you can do for your health is to learn how to become more independent in your health care. When we learn how to truly look after ourselves and to build strong immunity and resilience naturally we understand that whatever is in our external environment we can respond to it -  not from a place of fear - but from a place of confidence that our wise biology with its ancient DNA knows exactly what to do to defend, protect and heal. 

The key to vibrant health and to building strong immunity and resilience naturally is to increase the nourishment in all areas of your life and to reduce the toxicity in all your life so that your internal ecosystem can operate optimally. My mission on this planet is to inspire and empower you to do this by providing you with all the tools and resources you need for vibrant and robust health. I am here to remind you that your health and happiness had less to do with your hard coded genes and more to do with epigenetics (aka lifestyle choices) that switch our hard coded genes on and off… for better or for worse, depending on the lifestyle choices we make. 

The primary lifestyle choices that determine our health are:

- what we eat and drink
- how we move, sleep, breath, think, and love
- the toxicity of the environments in which we spend most of our time
- how connected we feel to ourselves and to a like-minded tribe. 

These foundations or pillars of health are all choices that are within our control! We are in the driver’s seat! How empowering is that?! Self care isn’t about bubble baths and manicures - it’s about engaging in lifestyle choices that nourish our body at a cellular level so that we can function more optimally, perform our best and reach our true potential. Vibrant health and happiness is our birth right and I’m here to remind you how to achieve it. 

Learn more in my FOOD AS MEDICINE DIGITAL PACKAGE which is the culmination of over 2 decades of my learnings, research and practical experience consolidated into a comprehensive yet concise online package. This package contains over 6 hours of talks on the fundamentals of robust nutrition, robust gut health and how to create a healthier home co presented with Marieke Rodenstein who is Austrlaia’s pre-eminent  gut health expert, holistic dietitian, GAPs practitioner and Kresser Institute functional medicine practitioner. The package also includes a 60 page How To manual that sets you up for life plus all 5 of my online cooking classes (bone broth, slow cook, organ meat, gluten free baked cakes and chocolate). Lifetime access is provided plus access to me for any Q&A.  

Testimonials

“The Food as Medicine program is life changing. So much information and easy to implement. Loved it - 2021, where people focus on revolutionising their health. I know I am…”

— Michelle

“I loved your Food as Medicine talk the other week and am so grateful to have received all your online cooking workshops as reference guides. It was so refreshing to hear from another like-minded person whom is so passionate about spreading awareness and cooking with real wholefoods. It re-affirmed all that I’m doing in the kitchen for my family’s nourishment. I also picked up some extra tips so I can perfect my bone broth and make it a gelatinous as yours and cooking at lower temperatures to achieve delicious dishes and reduce inflammation”

— Lee-Anne

“Thank you so much for the most amazingly inspirational workshop yesterday. You have done so much work over the years in this area and you are so incredibly generous to share it all. I found your workshop to be the best one I have ever attended of all wellness workshops, you are so passionate, knowledgeable and a natural educator. I would do this workshop again - I loved it that much!”

— Rachael

“I’ve been meaning to write to you to say how amazing I thought the food is medicine talk was. It was so informative, and so incredibly presented, the information is invaluable.I was so close to tears at times, I wish I had adopted this philosophy years ago. They should be teaching it in schools!

I’ve always been was I thought was healthy I just didn’t have the knowledge of the impact of food could have on my health (both positive and negative) until couldn’t conceive a child.
After years of trying at age 38 I commenced a fairly brutal round of IVF, 3 transfers all of which were unsuccessful.

Not once did any of the specialists I saw suggest diet/toxins could be a factor, even after I was diagnosed with an auto immune disorder and under lying thyroid issues.

I was referred to Angela Hywood who has tailored a supplement programme specific to my needs based on scientific results. She then put me on to you and the rest is history.
It started with the essential oils workshop and subsequent healthy home swapping, then on to eating a nourishing wholefoods diet.

I embraced everything with absolute passion and determination, reading everything I can find. I’ve received a fair bit flak at times, but yesterday found out I’m pregnant! Early days but unbelievable all the same, the proof is certainly in the pudding so to speak.
I wanted to thank you for your wisdom, knowledge and passion and for sharing it with others the way you do.

I didn’t know if I would ever have the privilege of being a mother and now I know I can give my baby the best start possible”

— Alexandra

“You’re an energetic, dynamic and articulate presenter and it is clear that you love what you do. It shines out of your face like sunlight when you talk. It was lovely to receive the warmth you offered us”

— Kendall