Be Kind To Yourself

Written by my good friend - Peita

I have never, ever, written an article or a Blog in my life (unless you count the copious newsletter articles I have written as teacher!) But I got thinking about this and this topic is something I am becoming so passionate about that I really feel that I should give it a go, even if it just once! Even if it just lets one other person relax, reflect and think, “actually I am wonderful. I don’t need to lose weight to be a better person.” 

I am a 40-year-old wife of an incredible guy, mother of two spunky, easily-loveable kids and a bit of everything else: teacher (Assistant Principal), part-time cook, tidier, taxi driver, gardener etc. I love wine, reading, lifestyle shows, games, camping, walking and socialising. Sound like anyone else? I’m not special, I’m not overly ambitious – I just enjoy life. But as I grow older (and oh so wiser!) I am starting to think that this love of life could have been easily lost if I had continued focussing on the things that didn’t matter – my weight, how I look, how I fit into my clothes.

Now before I go any further I need to provide context – I am what I would consider very average! Depending on the brand I am usually a size 12 but if you were to take a look in my cupboard and drawers you would find garments ranging from size 8 to size 14. Years ago I would have also had size 16 in there because I preferred to hide curves rather than show them off. My BMI is in the overweight range (I’m 168cm tall) and so to be at the top range of healthy I would have to lose 6kg. But get this…..since the age of 18 and not including four pregnancies (two miscarriages) I have only every fluctuated between approximately 68-78 kgs. One would think after all the programs, meal plans, fad diets I have been on I would be far lighter or heaver. So, I decided to stop. Stop the stress. Stop the worry. Stop the committing to things that didn’t suit my life style. Stop comparing myself to others. I decided to be KIND to myself.

I don’t believe epiphany is the right term but over the past three or four years I have certainly had a change in tune regarding my body image and there is no exact time or moment that can really be attributed for this alteration in my beliefs. I just got SICK of worrying all the time about how I looked and what I could do to alter that. I was exasperated with obsessing over meal plans and points and inflicting these strict guidelines on others. I used to feel embarrassed of my tummy. I hated my arms. I thought my nose was too big. I thought my clothes looks silly on me. All that time and emotional energy spent on worrying about something that really didn’t change my day-to-day life.

I chose to be kind, I chose balance. I now enjoy many healthy foods and I enjoy items that some would consider treats, “sometimes foods”, “only on celebrations” type foods. I love to walk but I hate the gym. I walk copious amount of stairs at work each day but I also enjoy lounging on my couch with a book or a good reality show (if there is such a thing!).  I drink brilliantly healthy green juices every day that have really helped me with my digestive system but I also love a chilled glass (or three) of Sauvignon blanc. I choose clothes that suit me and my shape. I choose exercise options that raise my heart rate but don’t make me want to vomit! I choose to eat things that me feel good: tasty, non-bloating and fresh produce.

I seek advice when required but don’t obsess over it. I spoke to a wonderful friend who is a nutritionist who has provide me with invaluable advice in term of types of foods I can eat to feel good and look after my body. She’s an inspiration as she too is about balance; food choices, exercise and work-life. Mental health and wellbeing is just so vitally important and beating yourself up because of eating a donut is really not worth it! Trusting someone who understands this balance is essential.

I have read a lot of articles and auto-biographies from celebrities, people dying of terminal diseases and inspirational people in the past few years and the message from all of them; “eat the cake, drink the wine.” They also have other personal messages – be as healthy as you can for you, your body, your situation. We are not the same but one thing we do have in common is wanting to feel good and happy. I want that for me, my family and my friends. I want to be strong role-model based on my actions and attitude, not someone who is miserable because how I look in the mirror.

Peita and I catching ups over cocktails - good friends and balance xx

Now before I have people jumping up and down screaming at me about inner-health, my organs, my skin etc. etc. I know a lot about healthy eating and good choices. I know that your body needs nutrients and everyone is different. I know vitamins and minerals come in all types of packages - natural and produced. All I am trying to say is – be KIND! Do what is right for you but don’t beat yourself up what you have or haven’t eaten in a day. If you want to go to the gym to tone, do it! If you want to commit to a vegan diet because it suits your ethics and makes you feel great, do it! If you want to prepare for a marathon by running every day and eating a specifically planned-diet, do it! But please don’t hate yourself for what you look like or what you weigh.

I really am very lucky. I am not denying it. I have a brilliant family, extremely supportive beautiful friends and my life has progressed without too many disasters. Some of you may be thinking, “yeah right, she’s got easy” and maybe I do but I’ll ask you this: no matter how easy or hard your life is, why would adding the extra stress of self-bashing about your weight and looks be beneficial? At some point we all have family issues, financial concerns, job worries as well as the everyday stresses of work. We are busy ferrying kids around, worrying about their health and wellbeing plus the multitude of other things that can impact our lives positively or negatively. There is no one answer to cope with stress and of course we all do it differently. My go-to would definitely be those chilled glasses of wine, particularly with some great friends but I still come back to this; life is hard, life is challenging and life is also bloody grand so let’s not add one more negative, self-loathing element if we don’t have to.

Today I have purchased the ingredients to make some cracking, delicious salads that will be for dinner and lunches this week – meal planning – go me! It’s not so I can focus on losing that five kilograms that would see me be slimmer, it’s so I can be organised, enjoy what I am eating and know what I am putting into my body will be nutritional and energy rich for another busy week. I will also take the kids to the beach, go for a walk and then enjoy some fish and chips and a glass of wine. Balance – foods I like, foods that are good for me, family time, relaxation and exercise. That’s what is right for me, right now. 

I’ll probably look at my body in the mirror in bathers and do a slight shudder but I won’t self-hate, I won’t not enjoy my time at the beach and I won’t start planning the strict diet I HAVE to go on to look like what some might see as ideal. I will continue walking, I will continue eating a range of food options and I will continue making health a priority but I WON’T kick my self for not being “good” last weekend. I won’t cover up just because I’m not as toned a I was before. I won’t sulk or feel embarrassed and annoyed that I have a bit of extra weight around my tummy. I’ll enjoy my family. I’ll enjoy my relaxing time at the beach. I’ll enjoy the wine and my life. I’ll be kind to myself.

Be kind to yourselves.

 Peita Cooper

Leaky Gut - What on earth??

Leaky Gut, what on earth is it? And the 5 ‘Rs’ to healing it!

This term sounds pretty horrible and a bit scary when you really think about it?  Where is my gut leaking from and to where?  Unfortunately more and more Australians are being diagnosed with, or are showing up with symptoms of Leaky Gut.  It’s not a disease or illness in itself but is a group of symptoms, imbalances and inflammation that has a large number of causes and really make you feel pretty crappy all round.

Leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, affects the lining in our small intestine where the nutrients from our glorious food are designed to be absorbed.  Tiny holes in the lining of our intestine appear, which are normally very tight junctions and stop any large molecules passing through to our blood system.  When these holes are irritated or inflamed they become damaged and then loosen up, allowing larger particles like bacteria, toxins, fungi or undigested foods to seep out into our bloodstream. 

Our immune system sees these leaked substances as foreign bodies that shouldn’t be there so a full-blown attack is launched to get rid of them but this causes inflammation.  The problem with this attack is that the chronic inflammatory response destroys not only the foreign body but also our normal healthy tissues. 

Leaky gut causes inflammation throughout the whole body, not just in the gut and this can lead to a variety of other conditions or diseases.  IBS, celiac, crohn’s and other autoimmune diseases (ie the body attacks itself), depression, anxiety, diabetes (Type 2), obesity, dementia, food intolerances and allergies are just a few.  

Symptoms of Leaky gut may look completely unrelated to the gut and could manifest itself in aching joints, arthritis, exhaustion, bloating, shortness of breath, brain fog, indigestion, poor immunity, acne, eczema, asthma, depression, IBS or a diagnosis of auto immune disease. 

So what causes leaky gut I hear you ask?  Sorry to say buuuut it’s our Western diet of highly processed and sugary foods is playing a big contributor.  Other major factors that can cause this condition is ingesting allergenic foods a parasite, excessive exercise or excessive alcohol intake, toxicity from our environment like the chemicals in our household cleaners or our shampoo’s and soaps. Chronic stress can be a big issue for many people as stress changes the way as well as the effectiveness of our stomach to be able to digest foods properly. Medications, painkillers, OTC (oral contraceptive pill) and antibiotics are also major culprits and change the way our microbiome (good gut bacteria) works.  I told you there were a large number of causes.

Can you heal from Leaky gut?  Can you restore the “Gut Integrity?”  Yes you can but there are a number of factors to look at:

1. Remove any irritants - processed foods, poor quality fats, sugars any parasites, infections and allergy foods.

2.  Replace with whole foods, nutrients, digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid, and bile salts to increase stomach acid.

3.  Re-inoculate: Beneficial probiotics and prebiotics from foods or supplement if necessary.

4.  Repair: Using foods like broths, gelatin, healthy fats, fermented foods contain great sources of pre and probiotics, fatty fish with good omega-3 fats, lots of vegetables and green leafies. grass-fed meats.

5. Rebalance: Stress management, sleep, exercise, self-care, eating habits and belief systems.

If any of this sounds like you or you’d like to discuss your gut health further, book your appointment or your complimentary 30 minute discovery call so that we get you feeling more of your old self again. 

7 Good Mood Foods

7 good mood foods

You’ve lost your Mojo and you’re in a funk.  The day to day routines are getting you down and feeling overwhelmed.  Your mind and body aren’t doing what you expect them to do and you just want to get off the merrie-go-round and call time out!!!

I too know that feeling and the overwhelm that comes with it can set me off to a pity party the moment just one more “job” is added to my list.  My work, family and training suffer cause I just can’t keep up, or my body isn’t working the way it used to – see pity party!!

We can all feel this way at times and this is when I turn to my 7 Good Mood Food’s. 

There’s a mountain of evidence from researchers that tells us our gut really is our second brain. The bacteria in our gut plays an essential role in protecting our intestines and providing a strong barrier against toxins and bad bacteria. They improve absorption of nutrients from our food and activate neural pathways that travel between our gut and our brain.  So what we eat ultimately affects our mood, risk of depression and anxiety and our cognitive function.

Good mood food is so important for us to lead happy and vibrant lives, so when the doldrums hit me, these are the foods I turn to.  Not only are the good for me, they’re comfort food and tastes bl**dy awesome.

Blueberries - With a high content of antioxidants known as flavonoids, blueberries help activate brain pathways associated with better cognition and less cellular aging.

Salmon – An excellent source of Omega3 fatty acids, selenium and Vitamin B12 which are all associated with reducing the incidence of depression and anxiety.  These fats are powerful in improving the body’s cell ability to take up essential hormones, including those involved in mood regulation.  Eat it anyway and everyway you can!!!!

Probiotics – Fermented foods, such as yogurt with active cultures, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh and certain pickled vegetables, contain probiotics (healthy bacteria) which have been shown to effect the neurotransmitter GABA that reduces anxiety and stress hormones.

Greens – Popeye might have been onto something with all that spinach. Foods high in folic acid and vitamin B such as spinach and broccoli have been proven to help ward against depression, fatigue and insomnia.  Sautéed in butter and garlic and seasoned with S&P, just delish!!

Nuts - Full of serotonin, a feel-good chemical that’s in short supply when you’re feeling sad, anxious or depressed. Nuts are also full of antioxidants, protein and healthy fats. I’m love walnuts, almonds and cashews — just be sure to be mindful of how many you eat.

Mushrooms - Have good levels of selenium and vitamin B6.  While the entire B vitamin complex family is critical to ensuring our physical and psychological health, B6 is particularly great for improving your mood and feeling good. B6 impacts the production of serotonin and neurotransmitters they are associated with a positive mood and reducing stress naturally.

Dark Chocolate – I couldn’t leave this one out. Reviews indicate cocoa can shake a bad mood to it’s core and can be protective against depression.  Sipping antioxidant rich hot cocoa is so comforting and increases feelings of contentment and happiness.  Since sugars have a negative effect on brain health, choose the dark varieties and keep the potions to one or two squares per day.

Remember that food and nourishing your body is only one part of lifting your mood.  Exercise, fresh air, self care and managing stress all go a long way to get you out of that funk.  And don’t forget your friends and family. Catch up with them and have a good laugh, you’ll be surprised at how good it feels.

If you’re feeling like you want more help to give your body and mind the right nutrients to support your good moods, make an appointment and we’ll find exactly what works for you.  Enjoy your Good Mood Food!!