I have written before about coffee, and that I don't think it is a big deal to have your one, perhaps two delicious cups a day. There are even many health benefits that have been studied, and coffee drinking is associated with longevity.

I have always had a passion for Naturopathic hydrotherapy, as a traditional, practical and accessible modaility to increase vitality. I have had hot-cold showers for many years through summer and winter.

If you have always been a bit resistant to cold water, now is a wonderful time to practice a gentle form of hot and cold showers because we are in the middle of summer. Changing your hot shower to finish with a cold blast in the middle of winter, can seem heroic and way out of their comfort zone, for many people. Even if they realise the benefits.

I love this marketing program by the Butterfly Foundation to encourage kindness to ourselves around food and eating as we go into Christmas and warmer weather. The Butterfly Foundation is an Australian organisation that supports people with eating disorders and body image issues. I have completed their foundational course for health practitioners.

I find this is quite a significant issue in all sorts of clients, although I tend to see the less extreme end of the spectrum, which I simply call disordered eating. However, over 1 million Australians have an eating disorder, so this is a significant mental health issue with often serious health consequences.

Forest bathing is a term coined by the Japanese in the 1980s. The intention was to help people recover from corporate burnout and inspire them to reconnect with Japan’s beautiful forests. It is called shinrin-yoku, or ‘taking in the forest atmosphere”, or forest bathing. So, the phenomenon began to be studied in the 1990s, providing scientific backup for what we already know- that spending time in nature is good for us. 

Forest bathing has been shown to significantly reduce blood pressure and stress levels. And while that might not sound like much, it can also help cardiovascular and mental health…..

Autumn is here and we may feel a sense of relief as it brings cooler nights and, at least here in Perth, welcome rain. 

It is also a time of transition as we change seasons. It can be of benefit to welcome these transition times with some appropriate behavioural changes. We are heading toward winter, and it is time to start preparing for the cold, flu and covid season by supporting the immune system. It is also time to change our diet as autumn foods come into our stores and gardens. 

For thousands of year before the era of pharmaceutical medicines, bathing in certain natural mineral waters was considered an effective remedy for many diseases and health issues, especially musculoskeletal conditions, as well as for general health and even longevity.

Across the world, there are many famous hot springs and baths, such as: 

I have a small kitchen, and not a lot of bench space. However, it is enough because it’s mostly just Dave, my husband, and I. However, I do love to cook, and do most of the meal prep for the two of us. I love my appliances, and any that aren’t used regularly- several times a week- do not get to take up bench space. So what I do have, I use frequently.

First, I do have a Thermomix. I bought it about 13 years ago. It’s still going strong. I use it for making soups, stews, smoothies, for sauces and dressings, fruit compote, frozen fruit ice cream and even things like coleslaw. It makes bread dough, cookie dough, cake batter. I usually cook rice or quinoa in it too….it does a lot! Mine cost a fortune back when I got it, but you can pick up a 2nd hand one for $500 or less nowadays. They are built to last, unlike many modern appliances, and there is a repair shop in Perth.

Then, I have an Instant Pot. Which is a glorified stainless steel pressure cooker with a timer on it. I love it. It is fantastic for cooking beans and other legumes, really quickly. It also cooks meat to tender in a short time, so you can use cheaper cuts. And, I often steam potatoes or sweet potatoes in it, in a few minutes. You can do all this in a normal pressure cooker, but I am one of those people who tend to walk away and do something else, and forget what’s on the stove. A timer works well for me.

For some people, finances feel like a restriction to their ability to heal. And certainly, it can be challenging.

Here are a few ideas for healing on a low budget.

We all tend to fall somewhere on the spectrum of preferring regularity and routine and going with the flow. Between structure and spontaneity. We all do have individual ways of moving through life and there is no one perfect way. And they are not mutually exclusive. But ‘going with the flow’ and being spontaneous may become chaotic. It can make us feel our life is out of control because we are reacting all over the place, following addictions or unhealthy coping patterns. Not calm and at peace. Then, bringing in more structure can be very helpful.

Healthy self-discipline has become somewhat out of fashion as a concept. But it is difficult to live an intentional, conscious life without some self-discipline. It is difficult to have good health without good habits. But there are many ways of framing this. I just like this concept of gentle self-discipline. For others, it might feel better to frame it as unlearning bad habits and learning some better ones.

Do you suffer from fatigue, or exhaustion? We live in a culture that doesn’t value unproductive time, yet without sufficient rest and relaxation, our health will eventually suffer. With Covid-19 going through the community, many find they are not bouncing back as quickly as others. It may be time to learn the lost art of convalescence.

I write a fair bit about evidence-based complementary medicines. I enjoy research. Yet much of my own life is lived on another level, more in the energy world. The subtle worlds of nature, energy, prana. The plant world around me. My inner life.

Such as the gotu kola plant that I am watching grow all over the outdoor fireplace lately. I pick a few leaves and put them in a salad or casserole, to help with the connective tissue issues of menopause. But I also delight in the way it is growing wildly in my garden.

When our parasympathetic nervous system is dominant, we digest our food best. This is our “rest and digest” nervous system, when our body produces optimal digestive enzymes. The body directs adequate resources to digestion and absorption, metabolism.

When we eat in a stressed, distracted, busy or anxious state,……

Long Covid is caused by the SARS CoV-2 virus and refers to the lingering of symptoms from weeks to months to years after the initial acute infection. The malaise that can linger for many months, in fact now for some people years, is very like ME/CFS…….

Pacing is a skill that has become important to the post viral syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome communities, but it is something that many more people could benefit from learning.

Those people who find themselves fatigued easily for any reason, or suffer from grief, exhaustion, or any number of debilitating symptoms, could do well to learn to pace themselves.

It simply means….

I find most of the women I work with need to hear and appreciate hearing me say things like:

Looking after kids is already a full time job- then you do paid work as well? It’s a lot you are managing, no wonder you are tired/exhausted etc

Women’s work doesn’t tend to be recognised or acknowledged, so we feel we have to do more and more...but look at everything you are doing.....

As women, mothers and/or wives, we tend to look after all the details of the family life and schedule, often including our husband/partner’s details. There is so much detail to keep track of in today’s world!