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Taking Time Out at the Beach Before Christmas

After spending a few days recharging at Waimarama I felt compelled to write a blog.As the end of the year approaches, the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations can leave us feeling more stressed than celebratory. With shopping lists, social events, and family gatherings filling our schedules, it’s easy to forget the importance of pausing to recharge. What better way to find balance than by taking some time out at the beach before Christmas?The Beach: A Natural Recharge ZoneThe beach offe...

Recharge Your Batteries to Spark Creativity

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel like there’s no time to pause. Work, family responsibilities, and the constant buzz of technology can leave us feeling depleted and uninspired. Yet, taking time out to recharge isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity for maintaining creativity, focus, and overall well-being.Here’s why recharging is essential and how you can weave it into your life to boost your creative spark.The Science Behind Rest and CreativityWhen we’re constantly �...

Restart with Exercise

Whether you've taken a break from exercise due to life changes, health reasons, or simply a busy schedule, restarting your fitness journey can feel both exciting and overwhelming. The good news is, getting back into exercise doesn’t have to be intimidating, it can be a rewarding and energizing experience that boosts both your physical and mental well-being. Here’s how to ease back into it in a sustainable and enjoyable way.1. Embrace the Restart MindsetFirst and foremost, give yourself grace...

Resetting and Refocusing our Digestive System

Digestive health is a central tenet of proper nutrition. Regularity and comfort during digestion allow you to feel your best after each meal. And digestive health can help you reach your weight-related goals, too. You can support healthy digestion with a protein- and fiber-packed digestive support supplement—USANA Digestive Health Protein Drink.Here’s how this delicious drink can optimize your digestion:Helps maintain a healthy, happy gut microbiome with prebiotic fiber to feed your microflo...

Restart with a Side Hustle

Why Starting a Side Hustle is a wise move in today's climateIn today's ever-changing economy, many people are seeking additional income streams. A side hustle offers a flexible way to supplement your earnings, pursue passions, and build a sustainable business.    25 years ago, I chose USANA Health Sciences as my side hustle and that moved into a part time then a full-time direct selling business.Benefits of a Side Hustle:Generate Extra Income: With rising costs, having a second income ...

One Door Closes and another Opens

How often have we heard that saying and how often does it feel like all doors are jammed shut. Listening to 7 Sharp last night with the projected redundancy numbers in New Zealand made me think of all the lost goals and dreams facing many families.    Many years ago we were in a similar situation and we decided to gather the family around the table and shared the news.   We decided to get out the whiteboard and put down our options of what could be trimmed off our expen...

Finding my 'Freedom' Wings

Are you flapping your new found freedom wings in level 2? I am intrigued by the different reactions from people who have ventured out today or about to venture out.  For some there is a sense of excitement and some have anxiety as they leave the safety of their homes.  Its made me think about the butterfly emerging from the safety of the chrysalis to flapping its wings for the first time to flying away into its new found freedom.    Such wonderful stories have been shared o...

Spiritual Pillar

One of the most important Pillars, yet often the hardest to define.  It is to do with our bigger sense of purpose and how we relate to the world around us.  Often people use prayer, meditation, mindfulness, walks in nature and gardening to help balance this pillar.  Gratitude for the small things in life and journaling also good tools.    Checking in on our senses is also helpful to make sure each sense is being nurtured.Interesting reads:Mindfullness...

Intellectual Pillar

The Intellectual Pillar is an important Pillar, especially as we age.  Habits of enquiry, curiosity and intrigue are built into our psyche from a young age. This helps later in life when supporting our brain health.  Encyclopaedias are out and Google is in! Interesting reads: Neuroscience explained...

Social Pillar

How comfortable we feel in this pillar is often a reflection of our childhood, shaping our personality and how we interact with others.  Many people enjoy one on one company, others a small group and others love mingling with large crowds.  This is where we stand in our comfort zone and gives us a challenge to stay with the status quo or experiment with stepping out into areas we are unaccustomed to.  It takes all types of personalities to make the wonderful world we have.  O...

Emotional Pillar

Often our emotions can be overlooked when coming to our state of Wellness.  Many people have no issues letting others know how they feel in a positive way, many express in inappropriate ways and many suppress painful emotions.   Often we need to seek professional counsellors, or health and wellness coaches. Many of us have used Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) or Tapping.Interesting reads:Science of mood...

Nutritional Pillar

Over the last few years we have seen many diets appear, working for some and not for others.  Exploring the different types of diets, allows us to find out what suits us and what doesn’t.  My favourite is the Mediterranean type.  It seems to cover most food groups. In recent years the gut microbiome has gained traction, making sense to eat foods that will support this system, which has a huge impact on our immune system. Supplementation, in many cases, is important to top u...

Physical Pillar

Many may see the Physical  Pillar as going to the gym, going for very long walks, running marathons, bike rides, dancing.  The Physical Pillar does mean doing some exercise, which can be moderate without being excessive. Sleep is part of Physical Wellness.   Check your Emotional or Nutritional Pillar, they could be out of balance.  Gratitude, part of the Spiritual Pillar can let us fall off to sleep naturally. Our inner and outer beauty can be a ...

Environmental Pillar

How we relate to the earth is often tested. Do we recycle, are we purchasing plastic products, do we use groceries with unnecessary packaging.  Do we have a garden, planting trees, the list is endless.  If not aware of the importance of this Pillar and how it can impact the other Pillars, ourselves and our community, there is one message, start now!    A small step in the right direction can make a huge impact.Interesting reads:Healthy Home, Healthy Family: What’s...

Financial Pillar

Being financially aware is usually embedded into children’s minds through observation and discussion.  For many of us, financial issues were never discussed, so we take this into our teenage and adult lives and repeat the patterns. This pattern can be changed with knowledge and practice.  Many books have been written on this subject.  T Harv Eker, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind,  Robert Kiyosakis Cashflow Quadrant and  Napoleon Hill author of Think and Grow Rich.Inter...

Illness-Wellness Continuum

The word “Wellness” is used by many people and organisations, especially since the sharp rise in healthcare costs, diabetes and obesity during the past decade. Wellness has a history of being defined within a disease framework, meaning reducing health risks and preventing disease. Those are good goals, but it’s an outdated vision. A new vision was articulated by a few innovators, including Wellness Inventory creator  Dr. John Travis....

Adding supplements to your healthy eating regime will give you and your family the very best start

The importance of nutrition for human health has long been recognised.  Prior to 1960, interest in this field focused primarily on the etiology and prevention of acute nutrient deficiency diseases, such as scurvy, rickets, and pellagra. Some 50 essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, cofactors, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids) were identified, and recommended daily intakes for those essential nutrients were developed. These recommendations, in turn, proved valuab...