What is The Foundation of Health

I had the realisation last week (during my final coaching call with my coach) that the foundation to health is self love. It's not a good diet, it's not an athlete's exercise regime, and it's not drinking 2L of filtered water everyday. These things of course and without a doubt make a huge difference in one's health but the real bricks and mortar I have come to see and feel is self love.

This is step one; the base, the beginnings, the solid structure beneath everything else built on top of it. So it goes without reason, that if this foundation is not laid, it's only a matter of time before bits and pieces start falling off, one by one, or worse still, crumbling all in one go.

I've been on a journey of learning to love myself for quite some time now and can happily say that I am so much further along this path than I ever have been, but can also say I'm not totally there just yet. Each and everyday is another opportunity to practice what I am learning through books, blogs, words, websites, magazines and moments.

But I wanted to talk more bout this 'foundation' analogy - do you agree with me on this one? I've found that without self love, the food we eat can be poor quality and nutrient empty, our physical activity can either be waaaay too much or non-existent, we drink too much, don't sleep enough, work longer hours for less pay... the list goes on.

When we have self love, or are at least on a path to cultivating it... 

+ We rest when we are tired (instead of pushing through)

+ We enjoy chocolate with no guilt (coz we know guilt does more harm than any food)

+ We say no to dessert when we know we are full from dinner

+ We move our bodies daily; be it a 5 minute walk, an hours jog, a yoga class, a mid-study-dance-sesh in the lounge room, or even just a few stretches, we do what feels right for us each day

 + We make the time for the things we know we need instead of putting them last; like getting to bed early, journalling daily, waking early to find time to yourself before the day begins

+ We get out and enjoy nature

+ We eat the foods that our body loves, and not the stuff that wreaks havoc in our system from an emotional crisis

+ We cry when we need to instead of dealing with our emotions destructively 

+ We "switch off" from technology, social media, emails and more every now and then, instead of being a slave to push notifications

+ We write, see and feel grateful for everything everyday

This list could go on and on, but you probably see the picture I'm painting here. When we begin to cultivate self love through eating well, resting, moving, thinking thoughts that are conducive to health, spending time with loved ones, and doing things that light us up... everything else falls into place. Stress levels become manageable and healthy instead of being un-manageable and totally exhausted. We smile more. We see the good in the world. And underneath it all, we are strengthening the foundation so we can lay new bricks on top knowing they will be there for life. From this strong foundation, good health is inevitable. It may take longer for some than others, but day by day, in cultivating self love we are also cultivating health.

Having seen it in others, and most definitely in myself, take it from me --

The best diet means sh*t if you don't love yourself.

Christie xx

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A Whole Lotta Love in the Air

Ok wow there seems to be so much going on right now and I'm LOVING every little piece of it all!

There sure is alotta love going 'round. And with Valentines Day this Thursday, International Self Love Day this Wednesday, and me trying a little more to my own self-love department... I'm not at all surprised it's all in my radar vision at the moment.

What I see everytime I sit down at my desk :)

Here are a few delicious things going on this week:

- Sacred Self's sending out free self-commitment meditations on Wednesday to newsletter subscribers so make sure you join up here
- The beautiful Melissa Ambrosini has just launched her first ever eBook 12 Steps To Wellness and I grabbed my copy this morning and haven't put it down, I'm LOVING it!
- Jess Ainscough from The Wellness Warrior (who I saw speak at a Womens event up in Cairns last year, and can say first hand she is a delight to listen too), and Melissa are teaming up together to bring us all a free teleseminar Falling In Love With Yourself which I was soooo looking forward to, but my first evening back at college has had to be changed and it's now on Tuesday night! Argh!! Might have to get my man to watch it and fill me in :)

As for me, I've recently began adding some self love practices into my day and the reason being (asides from we all really need to be doing some) is that I simply feel it's time - for me. It's something that I've either ignored, shyed away from, ran away in fear from, or merely thought I was doing (like working out thinking it's a good thing when my body really really couldn't do it). Time is a funny one though - in hindsight it's not. We're all ready when we're ready (to do anything), but this can make for frustrating times when we think we really want to do something, but maybe we're not ready (in the grander schemes of things).

I digress...

So I've began:
- A short grounding and breathing technique each morning and night that only take me 5 minutes, as any longer I know I wouldn't do (this is HUGE for me; I've had massive resistance to meditation for way too long and get super fidgety sitting attempting to allow my thoughts to pass through my mind - I'm much more accostommed to having them come in, hang around, wreak havoc, and leave a mess)
- I've got a list of things I love to do titled Self Love Menu on my wall in front on my laptop, and I do at least one thing from my list everyday
- I'm focusing my attention on the (negative) talk in my head and asking myself if what I'm hearing is really true (I know it never is, but sometimes... woo... hard time convincing myself otherwise)
- I am writing (aiming for daily) in my gratitude journal again
- I'M QUITTING SUGAR starting from today; I felt the time was right to experiment with this for my health (more to come as to why) and Brock is supporting me and joining me for the ride. Exciting!!
- And I'm letting myself and my body just be; not feeling like I have to workout if I'm exhausted, not feeling like I have to study when I'm too tired, not feeling like I have to say Yes to additional work shifts... that list goes on...
- Using my oils more; twice a day or more even! I LOVE using my essential oils, chakra balms, alchemy oils and Bush Flower essences (more on all these beauties at a later date - I can't wait to dive in here with you all)

Little by little I do feel subtle shifts in my thought patterns, in my physical bodily sensations, in my mood and emotions. I'm yet to write up all about how my health is going, but when I'm having a rough day, these little things can make all the difference and be sure to put a smile on my dial  : )

What are you doing to look after yourself at the moment? 
Day by day?
What do you do to enhance your own self love?

I'll leave you with those and a super quick recipe that I found here and will definitely be trying out as a cacao fan, and only recently, a no-sugar girl. Yum Yum.

Love and sweetness
Christie x


Disclaimer for today: No I am not making any money, getting any free products or services from any other above mentioned wonderful females, their businesses or their blogs. I have decided to write about these women as I follow their work, love what they do, and want to share it with you, as I know you will love it all too xx

My Birthday Week of LOVE

a-ga-pé: [ ah-gah-pey, ah-guy-pey, ag-uh ] from Ancient Greek agapé means

a. God's unconditional love for us
b. a pure selfless love of one person for another
c. a love feast shared as a sign of love and fellowship

And that's what my last week has been all about.

It was my 25th Birthday on Wednesday and I've been SPOILT ROTTEN everyday since!

I was surprised with a BEAUTIFUL bunch of flowers from my boss (who is currently on her honeymoon mind you) at work on Wednesday, and they were GORGEOUS! Orange gerberas and purple cabbages...




After an early start and a long busy day at work, then seeing a client, I was happy to get home on Wednesday night for an Indian-inspired-Feast.



Beautifully created by my mother, and my two sisters (one of which came down from Cairns especially). Lisa set the table with special plates, gold cutlery and crystal glasses. There were candles lit, music playing, lights dimmed and incense wafting...

Mum, Lisa, Nikki, Annabel, Chris and my grandmother were all delighting in different curries, rices and breads, samosas, chutneys and side dishes, while Brock and I were indulging on the following mouth watering dishes that were made especially for us both...





Sweet curry with sultanas, apple, spices, banana...


Cauliflower and parsnip rice - this one is a sweet sulatana and almond one, we also had a beautiful ginger cauli rice


Warmed marinated broccoli which was so good


Carrot salad with cumin, zucchini, red onions...


And my dinner plate (first of two serves)

Finished with a parfait glass with scoops of raw vanilla choc-chip ice cream Mum had bought - but Brock had my homemade coconut ice cream and said he liked it better!!

I was showered with gifts - including a basket of fruit and veg that I jumped up and down with excitement over! Best pressie ever. Way to a raw girls heart :)

Friday afternoon I spoilt myself to a colonic and infra red sauna! :) BLISSED OUT! I feel so unbelievably good after both I walk out BEAMING!
And then Brock came to pick me up and take me out for a SURPRISE DINNER!
We first wandered the streets of Newtown and into my favourite Health Food Shop for a browse. I get a BUZZ out of all things nutrition - working in a health food store myself, I was like a kid in a lolly shop, and Brock and I walked out with a few coconut date rolls as a pre-dinner snack :) Yum!

Then onto dinner...
AGAPE - a Greek word translated into LOVE, and the name of a stunning restaurant out in Botany using only ORGANIC produce where Brock had been waiting to take this special girl :)
We were so warmly welcomed and greeted with "Happy Birthday" at the door. Surrounded by candles, wooden furniture, pink roses and antique velvet couches, this place really does say LOVE. Absolutley beautiful.

Brock is friends with the very talented chef named Simon So sneakily set up something special. But never expected what we got. A 5 course raw menu for 2. The attention to detail was impeccable and the presentation divine. From start to finish...

Tomato and basil salad, crisp kale and apple balsamic

Beetroot carpaccio, olive, basil, almond, apple, blood orange vinaigrette

Marinated broccoli, carrot, sesame, silverbeet, lemon, garlic and chilli

Mushroom, salsa verde, rocket, honey and mustard

Golden delicious apple, raw honey, almond, sultana

As each plate came out the flavours got better and better - dessert being the winner for both of us.







An early morning sunshine run together on Saturday before I had a hair appointment in the city to pamper myself, and later met up with Lara for a very belated catch up, before doing my nails and getting ready for our night out.
And Saturday night dinner with the girls!
My sister had made raw bruschetta bread for Maya, Tamsyn and I but the restaurant COOKED IT! We ate the fresh tomato on top tho, had BIG salads and DELICIOUS cinnamon scrolls Maya so kindly made. Good food, great company and lots of laughs finished by dancing at the local til after midninght... an AMAZING end to an AMAZING week!

THANK YOU to EVERYONE that made my week MORE than special. I felt like a royal queen all week and LOVE each and everyone of you.

xxx

Heirloom Tomatoes, Herb Gardens, Coaching and Ice Skating??

So I leave this BEAUTIFUL space where I have been house sitting tomorrow morning and I will be sad to leave :( I am looking forward to getting back into my own bed though and hanging out with my sister for a few days before mum gets back from her Yoga Intensive on Sunday.
Living out of home is something that I have done in the past and I know how much I LOVE it so these past 10 days have been GREAT and definatley a BOOST of energy in getting me outta home quicker again!


So the past few days have been JAM PACKED FULL of AMAZING experiences I've been dying to share with you guys.

On Saturday morning I had a dance party in the living room as all my fav tunes came on Rage it was AWESOME! Great way to start the day - of course followed my a big green juice :) And then I headed down to the Pyrmont Growers Markets with Dad and Gail. If you've never been before you don't know what you're missing out on. Held the first Saturday of every month by the water, there's loads of fresh fruit and vegies, meat, cheeses, chutneys, flowers, breads, TRUFFLES, oils, vinegars, pastas, teas, coffee, fresh juices, eggs, yoghurts, even wood fire pizza (and for some strange reason all the pics I took are no longer on my camera!)!!
The sun was out but the wind was chilly, and I came away with a HUGE bag of macadamia nuts still in their shells - which taste so incredibly different let me tell you mmm - and a big lot of HEIRLOOM TOMATOES. I'd never had them before and wanted to get some to try (and for pretty pictures on my blog). SO TASTY!


I later had a green tea at a cafe finishing an assignment for college then walked through Crows Nest which was buzzing with locals munching away on croissants in the bakery, chatting to friends over hot coffees, and reading the weekend paper, and got back home to make me some lunch. Starvin Marvin!

And with my brightly coloured HEIRLOOMS TOMATOES and some herbs from the garden, I whipped up a tasy big salad, donned my shorts and singlet for some winter backyard sunshine, got out my journal and sat there slowly, mindfully eating, writing, smiling, and being so very very greateful :)

The herb garden my uncle has in INCREDIBLE! Get a load of these pics...











Afternoon run, feeling great, then I'm out again for the Winter Wonderland Ice Skating outside St Mary's Cathedral. Brock, Tsung and I walked over the bridge from Kirribilli meeting a bunch of peeps in there, then we all skated for just under an hour in what was a beautiful backdrop. Everyone in high spirits (or just high on mulled wine I don't know) trying their best at something not alot of people do often. Having had an ice skating accident myself as a child, I was very cautious and a little scared to begin with, but my beautiful girlfriend Tam was just that - BEAUTIFUL - and held my hand the entire time so I could let go of the wall :)


Sunday morning I got my newspaper read in which I LOVE. Sitting by myself at a cafe sipping tea whilst Brock was working for an hour, I get Peace. Quiet. Stillness. The Sunday paper is ABSOLUTE INDULGENCE for me.

We opted for a lazy day in after that, made BANAPPLE JUICE SMOOTHIES for lunch and later watched a DVD under the doona with cups of green tea.


Then the evening was all mine to myself to put my feet up, slap a hydrating mask on, slice some heirlooms, add oil, parlsely and rocket from the garden, sit back and SMILE :)



Then Monday at work was GREAT (that's the view from my window in the office by the way) ! I had an appointment with a new coach after work which was also GREAT and I think I'll continue on with her. As a coach myself I feel it very beneficial to keep myself on track so I can best support my own clients. I'm EXCITED about where I'm heading, what my GOALS are, and WRITING them all down. The accountabilty of my coach I know will be the BIGGEST benefit to me.

And today... alot of cleaning and packing up to "move out" of my cousins place. Work at the health food shop was GREAT as usual. I met a really cool guy who's newly into RAW FOODS (along with a bunch of other things I'm also passionate about) so I hope to get to know him a bit more. I've thoroughly enjoyed the ABUNDANCE of BANANAS I currently have, and blissfully had 15 today :) Back from 2hrs at the gym, and now blogging to you guys!

I LOVE MY LIFE!! :)

I am Amazing.

So I'm home today with the intention to do some of my college work and (although the day is not yet over) I'm doing so well at procrastinating today let me tell you! And so, another post ;)

But it's a little different to my usual posts...

In reading Jason Mraz's blog that I LOVE, I got thinking about affirmations and all things SELF LOVE that I have been working on myself of late. And it has prompted me to start a list. A list of things I love about ME.

I love my blue eyes. I love my job. I love my mind. I love my anxiety. I love my perfectionism. I love my mum. I love my dad. I love my sisters. I love my step sisters. I love my step brothers. I love my book collection. I love my hot pink teddy bear. I love my mobile that doesn't always work. I love my man. I love my fingernails that I so rarely let grow. I love my strength.

I'm going to commit to saying at least one affirmation each morning and maybe one day I'll be just as good as little Jessica here:



Start your list. There's liberation once past the judgement and fear.

Love is in the Air

How cute is this little guy? An organic baby red capsicum from the markets last week. I called them "love cap's" :)

So it's been almost a week since my last post and I'm sorry to say there's no real reason for slacking off (although I did have a college intensive 3 days running...)

Never fear - TOMORROW I will be indulging you all in a delicious walnut spiced cake with a sweet creamy orange frosting... mmm...

What do you love?

Doing what you love. Doing what makes you happy. Doing what makes your heart sing. Doing what makes you smile. Doing what stirs up those butterflies in your tummy that want to leap out with passion, enthusiasm, and LOVE. It's what it's all about.
I've been doing so much of the things I love lately and feel AMAZING coz of it.

I LOVE going away on retreats.
I LOVE helping my beautiful girlfriend Maya out at raw catering gigs she does and seeing her do what she gets so much joy out of doing.
I LOVE getting up at 530am, when the world is still asleep, and heading off to the gym. It's my secret world full of people all high on life and the thrill of training pre-dawn like me... I get such a buzz out of it.
I LOVE my new HEMP SEED BUTTER that I was so lucky to be given as a gift from my sister as she returned home from the States. And then of course eating it on my raw bread with my big amazing salad.


I LOVE eating mango after mango after mango after mango... Way to my heart.
I LOVE coaching and the trusting alliance that it is; facilitating and supporting my clients to get to where they want go, overcoming any obstacles along the way, seeing the opportunities for growth, and the joy within themselves when they reach their goals.
I LOVE writing and emailing friends and family overseas and awaiting their replies with such excitement about what they're up too.
I LOVE journalling everything, always, anywhere, anytime.
I LOVE KITCHEN FUN!!! (this week I've made more bread and crackers, my own raw Beetroot and Rosemary burgers, Co's Super-Super Balls, and a Strawberry Coconut Surprise Tart).

I LOVE organisation; I'm a bit of a nazi-planner, everything-in-its-place kinda gal.
I LOVE my colonics.
I LOVE spending time in the ocean blissing out under water. Salt water cures all.
I LOVE driving with the windows down and my fav tunes pumping.
I LOVE watching DVDs on cold rainy days (I'm slowly indulging my inner nerd watching all six episodes of Star Wars again).
I LOVE having long girly chit chats on my bed with my mum and sisters.
I LOVE drinking kombucha.
I LOVE reading books on nutrition (predominantly raw; I LOVE the subject), personal growth and development (I seem to continually have more of these than I can keep up with), coaching (it's one of my passions and luckily my job), and adventure-filled, romantic, vespa-riding, pizza-eating, Italian fiction that sweeps up and away to the land I so love :)
I LOVE drinking herbal teas - s l o w l y - and being consciously aware of every little sip

I LOVE being real, authentic, and ME!

What do you LOVE? :)