Balance, boobs & the madness of Moo-juice with Elise Carr

Balance. It’s something I truly believe is so important to our health and wellness and indeed, our happiness. But like so many others, even though I might appear to have it sussed most of the time, I am indeed prone to some pretty spectacular falls. I believe balance is about really getting to know yourself, what works for you and what doesn’t, understanding your limits, working within your boundaries and being accepting of the consequences of your decisions whatever they may be. But what I do to achieve balance in my life is a personalized prescription I’ve developed through several years of trial and lots, and lots of error.

Wanderlusting with friends

Meet my friend Doyle: flight attendant, travel blogger and hunter of fun, food, style, design and destinations. Doyle and I used to fly together and, living in the same building in Dubai, we’d often run into each other in the gym and catch up for a gossip inbetween sets. He’s an true travel enthusiast and all-round “Life Optimist”. He’s always smiling, always inspiring and always full of insanely positive vibes — it’s impossible not to be infected by his enthusiasm for life.

Primal urges, Paleo boys & making time to play (Part I)

Let me start by saying, I don’t really “Do” diets. I did. Infact, I think I’ve tried everything from Atkins to the Celery Diet and in the past, I’ve bought into pretty much every pill, shake, powder and potion that has promised to get me bikini ready in time for a big event. But those days, and all those dollars, are behind me now since making the decision to take charge of my health and wellness holistically. First, I decided I needed to start learning about how MY body works. This began with a lot of reading, research and my studies at IIN. Then came a whole heap of nutritional tweaks and tests to see what made me flourish and what it was that made my energy, motivation and health take nasty nose-dives. The result is that I do eat meat. I avoid grains and legumes. I do eat the odd dollop of dairy, but mainly I eat mountains and mountains…. and mountains of fresh veggies, nuts, seeds and eggs with the occasional piece of fresh fruit. My general rule is: If I can’t pick it, pluck it or kill it myself I don’t eat it. 

Excess baggage, a balancing act & broad-shouldered baristas

I was once quoted in a magazine as saying, “You can eat all the broccoli in the world and run 10km a day, but if you loathe your job, are stressed or in a negative relationship (with yourself, your partner or food) it will affect your health.”

Four months ago – a mere 2 years after that article was published – that perfectly describes where I was at: eating my “broccoli”, doing yoga, meditating and running my 10kms a day. But I was stuck in a hole of confusion and discontent. I’d been broken. I’d come undone and I was trying to put myself together again. But, no matter what or how hard I tried, the pieces just no longer fit.

Holistic Rituals: Putting pen to paper & starting your day write

“Dear Diary, Today I had my first kiss…” 

…Fast forward 20-years or so, and the almost daily journal habit I started as an angsty, always in-or-out of love teenager is now perhaps my most favourite holistic ritual.

Simplifying, stepping back & dancing through chaos into clarity.

 

Sometimes it’s hard — really hard — for us to make sense of the madness around us. Things happen, both good and bad, at such an alarming rate that it often feels like all we want is to take a moment to step back and make sense of it all. Yet amidst this madness it seems that there’s just no time, no space, simply not enough hours in the day to schedule that moment in. We are all so busy. Life goes on — yours, and everyone else’s — and so the madness continues.

P.S. Love List & Holistic Heartbreak

I’ve been a bad blogger. I know. I apologise but it’s been for a good reason. I’ve had to take a little time off. We all do sometimes, and the last few days that I’ve taken for me were absolutely necessary and well and truly deserved and appreciated. See, I’ve not been entirely honest with you Hotties. But to be fair, I’ve not even been entirely honest with myself. 

Haute & Sweaty

Time. It always feels like there is never enough. In my world of international terminals, departure gates, never ending night-shifts and some serious jet-lag, finding time to sleep, eat well AND exercise is always a challenge. But since ramping up my High Intensity Interval Training (HiiT) sessions, it’s certainly become that little bit easier to fit in my workouts and my bod is loving me for it.

HiiT sessions are basically shorter, smarter workouts that can make you skinnier….

Sabotage, shots, spuds, studs & sweet temptations

Headmistress Sarah warned me that during this last week I was going to encounter some resistance. In fact, she actually goes all out to call it ‘sabotage’.

Happy pills & holistic raving

“Holy holistic bliss!” I thought to myself when, a few weeks ago, I learnt of a seemingly magical little pill – a neutraceutical – that could actually help make us happier. Not happy as in the I’m-perfectly-content-and-fulfilled sort of zen we all strive for, but happy as in the toe-tapping-Pharrell-I-wanna-dance-in-the-street kind of happy. And no, I’m not talking about the kind of little pills people purchase on darkened dance floors filled with all too satisfied customers reaching for the lasers. This pill is completely natural and perfectly legal.