Sometimes we all need a little help to stay on track, so knowing when and where to ask can be quite useful.
Even the absolute experts in wellness turn to others for a little #inspo. Melissa Ambrosini is an Australian woman on a powerful mission to help her fellow females step up their wellbeing game… but even she has a support network!
To start making healthy choices for your mind and body, you need a web of knowledge. Start making your web with Melissa’s article on the experts she turns to for health and wellness advice.
Use this amazing article to link yourself to Melissa’s personal favourite ‘go-to’ experts, including the wholefood queen herself, Soulla Chamberlain from Star Anise Organic Wholefoods. You can read about Soulla in our post about creating trick treats for kids.
Follow Melissa on Twitter and Facebook to connect with her and her partners in wellbeing.
“Loving yourself is no longer taboo” – Melissa Ambrosini
Soulla Chamberlain, creator of Star Anise Organic Wholefoods.
As a Greek-Cypriot/Australian woman, Soulla lives by the words of ancient Greek philosopher Hippocrates, “Let food be thy medicine.”
Though these words may be ancient, Soulla’s empire, Star Anise Organic Wholefoods has a blog with all the answers to nutrition in today’s society – even how to do Halloween the healthy way!
Every piece of nutrient deprived junk can be swapped for a wholefood equivalent, which you can read about on our swap for vitality post.
For details on this healthy alternative, take a look at Soulla’s blog.
Learn how to give your trick or treaters a healthy alterative that wont disappoint with Star Anise Organic Wholefoods’ Halloween 2016 trick or treat bag.
Read all about this from their article and follow Soulla on Twitter and Facebook for a lifetime of wholesome nutritional guidance.
“I love real food plus I love sharing what I know” – Soulla Chamberlain
Let’s just say it… the coconut is the single most versatile food Mother Nature has graced us with. Yes, sipping on a coconut can make you feel like an exotic goddess, but believe it or not the tropical fruit has so much more to offer us.
Coconut water, milk and juice are known for their electrolyte-rich hydrating properties, but the virtually endless uses for coconut oil are only just beginning to become widely recognised.
Coconut oil is the best thing to ever happen for your skin and hair.
Our skin is in-fact our largest organ, and often the most neglected. The ribcage protects our lungs, but what protects our skin while it’s bared to the elements daily?
Prepare to be saved. Coconut oil is the hero solution to all your skin and hair (and $$) troubles! Replace over half your pricey, space hogging skin and hair care products with one single jar of coconut goodness.
Pressed coconut oil also melts into a versatile liquid.
Here’s some of the mind-blowing ways to use coconut oil on your body:
Apply nightly as an eye-cream to combat under eye circles, wrinkles and dryness.
Place jar in the microwave for 10 seconds to melt the oil and lather through your hair. Once washed out this hair treatment will leave your hair thicker, glossier and healthier.
Melt a small amount of oil in your hands and apply over legs and décolletage as a body oil for that extra glow and shimmer.
Finding it hard to keep up with the current trend of bold brows and lashes? Coconut oil has your back… again! Apply as a brow and lash serum before bed, and overtime your lashes will almost be touching those Cara Delevingne worthy brows.
Apply a small amount to your lips as a natural, hydrating lip balm/gloss.
Mix with ground sea salt and a few drops of your favourite essential oil for the only body exfoliator you’ll ever need. Apply in circular, upwards motions over the body, targeting trouble areas.
Use daily as a body moisturiser for hydration and suppleness.
Having a no makeup day? Lightly pat a small amount of coconut oil over your cheekbones as a highlighter for that extra pop.
Are you converted? The limitless uses and benefits of coconut oil prove that it is indeed a nectar from the gods.
Use positive affirmation to make yourself ‘number one’.
The power of affirmation is one of the most incredible discoveries I have come across on my search for wellbeing. Nurturing our mind is unbelievably important, but many of us neglect to do so. Unlike those love handles, we cannot see our mental health, causing it to often sit backstage behind our physical appearance. But the reality is we cannot utilise the full power of our body unless our mind is willing to push for vitality.
Positive affirmation is essentially saying or thinking a kind and wholesome thought to yourself. It’s as straight forward as thinking happy thoughts. This way of living paves the path for healthy change, and is absolutely the key required in opening the door to wellbeing.
Our self-talk is stronger and more powerful than any muscle in our body. I was first introduced to positive affirmation or power thoughts through Miranda Kerr’s first self-help book, Treasure Yourself. Through Miranda’s relationship with Louise Hay I learnt that positively affirming one’s self can be as simple as thinking a few kind words.
Affirmations inspire gratefulness, health, self-esteem and positivity. In order to practice positive affirmation you need to believe that you deserve more so that you can use power thoughts to combat the negative self-talk that stops you from achieving a state of wellness.
Here are my top favourite affirmations…
I am surrounded by love and light everywhere – Miranda Kerr
I am grateful for all that I have in life – Deepak Chopra
I release all anger because anger harms me – Brian L. Weiss
Challenge yourself by choosing one of these affirmations (or any positive affirmation you desire) and repeat it throughout your day. Choose a new power thought to begin each morning and carry it with you during the day.
Moods are feelings, feelings are emotions, and emotions are good… right? Tell that to your waistline and complexion after stress binging on that block of chocolate… or after pity eating your way so far through a tub of ice cream that you might as well just finish it.
Feeling frustrated, flat or anxious leaves you in a dangerous zone where quick ‘pick-me-ups’ can look more attractive than Mr Gosling himself. BUT feeling ‘some type of way’ can actually be the key to an amazingly satisfying workout.
Matching the way we feel with the right level intensity workout is more important than you might think. Our emotions are very powerful and can often control a situation. By channelling them into physical exercise you’ll be achieving the most out of your kick-ass workout!
I have taken the liberty of matching some common feelings with the most suitable workouts (and playlists to pair with of course!)…
Feeling wild?
1. Frustrated/angry?
Your workout: Try some intense cardio with sets of boxing and skipping. Nothing fuels a good bag-work session better than frustration.
Look At Me Now – Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
2. Tired/flat?
Your workout: Give interval training a go. Get your heart rate up with a fast jog and then walk briskly for 30 seconds-1 minute. Fresh air and moderate exercise always picks you up.
So if you play your cards right, moods really can help you achieve vitality. By regularly practicing these ‘mood method’ workouts you will also discover that being aware of your emotions in the moment is crucial to achieving a state of wellbeing.
We all know that all too familiar thought ‘I shouldn’t be eating this.’ But did you know that when our body craves certain foods it is actually telling us something? Listening to our bodies is vital to achieving wellness. So satisfying those demanding cravings without the guilt is quite possible and dare I say it… easy. As in one word easy: swap.
Eating well doesn’t have to feel like a young ‘trick or treater’ receiving an apple on Halloween.
Though at times eating well can indeed feel as overwhelming as a candy crazed ‘trick or treater’. It seems as each week passes a new super-food makes its claim to fame. We hear about these foods everywhere, but what on earth do we do with them? How do we make kale a part of our diet and enjoy it!?
It’s important to understand that most ‘nasties’ are not the meals themselves that we prepare, but the ingredients that we use to make them. Throughout my years of practicing clean eating I have stumbled across many foods with amazing benefits for all-round wellness. Many of us know these foods and their health qualities, but knowing how and where to incorporate them can have a deterring effect.
Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are -Jeane Anthem Billiat-Savarin
The simple answer is using these hero foods as substitutes for foods that appear in your every day diet. For example did you know that green tea has just as much caffeine as regular coffee? So why not make the easy swap and get your morning energy boost along with a metabolism and vitality boost too?
Here are some of my favourite ways to swap these heroes into your life:
Swap your morning coffee for a mug of green tea.
Why: Green tea boosts metabolism, and detoxifies- so it’s the perfect way to kick-start your day.
Substitute sugar in your tea for a teaspoon of honey.
Why: Honey is filled with anti-oxidants and is also anti-bacterial, so it’s perfect for an irritated throat.
When adding seasoning to your cooking focus on herbs and spices rather than salt.
Why: Your dish will be jam-packed with flavoursome goodness without the dehydrating, artery clogging effects of sodium.
Ditch the sweets and ice creams for some pieces of frozen mango.
Why: Mangos alkalise our body and help digestion. They are perfect for beating the bloat and clearing our skin. No more sugar spots!
Stop snacking on potato crisps and try oven baked kale and/or sweet potato chips (so much yummier than it sounds)!!
Why: Just as crispy, these low carb crisps are the perfect snack. Kale is rich in many awesome things including iron and fibre. Perfect with a pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil.
Befriend avocado instead of using butters and spreads.
Why: I could devote an entire blog to the benefits of avocado. Your body often craves good (monounsaturated) fatty acids, but confuses it for craving junk. Avocados are incredibly rich in essential oils for your hair, skin and nails, and are loaded with fibre for gut health.
Replace store-bought sauces and dressings for fresh lemon
Why: Despite tasting highly acidic, lemons actually alkalise our body, detoxifying and cleansing our insides. Not to mention they are packed with vitamin C for immunity.
I feel as though we have built enough trust to start talking about swapping pasta for zucchini… behold zucchini pasta. By peeling through a zucchini you will get strips of goodness, which can be cut into any desired shape. Fry lightly with a small amount of olive oil and you have a tasty, healthy alternative to form your favourite pasta dishes!
There you have it… no more excuses, so get swapping for a more vibrant you!
Introducing the essentials for being well on the inside and out.
Welcome and congratulations on beginning your journey to unlocking the most vibrant you! Whether you’ve stumbled across Justbe23, or are actively searching for a positive change, your wellbeing is about to be very…well. Though ‘wellbeing’ is technically a noun Justbe23 will encourage you to do wellbeing as though it is in fact a verb.
Well-being (noun); The state of being comfortable, healthy and happy.
-Oxford English Dictionary
The name ‘Justbe23′ comes from the idea that we should all endeavour to take a step back and just be our most vibrant and youthful selves.
I am a woman who has faced it all: sensitive skin, eczema, acne, stretch marks, food intolerance, weight gain stress and anxiety. I believe women face an awful lot in this society, and through years of searching for answers and solutions I became overwhelmed and frustrated by the overflow of information available. It also became obvious to me that there was too much instructing and not enough guiding on women’s wellbeing.
Nutrition and general wellness has been my number one passion since my early teenage years and I have created this blog to share my secrets (learned and discovered.) It is my heartfelt mission to guide you through your wellbeing journey with tips, tricks and stories aspired to inspire and inform.
With some help from women expert in nutrition and mind awareness, Justbe23 blog will help you find the keys to unlock the most vibrant and youthful you.
Justbe23 