A Lesson in Facing My Fears

I'm now 6 days away from getting married... so many mixed emotions, absolute joy, excitement, love, feeling full, nervous and worried about one thing and one thing only - will I fit into my wedding dress on the day???

This one consistent worry of mine has stopped me listening to what my body needs, the last few weeks I have been doing everything from a place of fear.  I had stopped my meditation practice and substituted for pushing myself out of bed, getting hyped up on pre-workout supplements and pushing my body to the limits with crazy hard workouts - and believe me, I know how to push myself to the limits... think ex-Personal Trainer with a hardcore bootcamp mentality... yeah I can push through my breaking point without anyone else around.

I have been putting myself down almost every moment of every day with thoughts of "too fat", "your not going to look as good as you could", "You've put on too much weight", "your ass and legs are huge - what is wrong with you", "you should have done more"... seriously this has been on constant repeat for weeks now.  The first thing I think when I wake up in the morning is - crap I haven't lost any weight since yesterday - and I run my hands over my body in bed and all I can feel is the wobbly bits, then I get up and weigh myself and I hate the number I see on the scales so I instantly have a shit ass day.  Seriously it's been a little bit of mental hell!!  I haven't been stressed about anything to do with the wedding, except for this one thing - I'M NOT GOING TO FIT INTO MY WEDDING DRESS!

You know what, all this negativity towards my body has gotten me absolutely nowhere!

So this brings me to today, 6 days away from my wedding, I woke up - same thing, ran my hands over my body, "ooo i feel a bit tighter this morning" I think, jump up and weigh myself and the number I see on the scales is 3kg more than it was yesterday morning... "WTF!" I looked at myself in the mirror and I thought enough is enough.

Firstly these mother F scales are broken - throw them away, I did not put on 3kg overnight - I ate like a champ yesterday and I have for days / weeks even - Not Possible!

Secondly, I love the way I look right now, I can see a bit of an outline of my abs, I love my shoulders, I love the way my back looks, yeah my butt is a little bigger than I'm used to at the moment, but heck - I can't change that in a week and Kim Kardashian is so hot right now - Hello Big Sexy Butt!  AND my man loves my butt... maybe I should listen to the loving words that come out of his mouth every once in a while.

I stopped myself, went outside and meditated in the warm sun on this beautiful morning.  I calmed my mind down, checked in with my body and I asked myself "what do I need to know right now".

Peace.  Calm.  Relax.  Stop Worrying.  What you concentrate on is what you get.

Click!  Law of attraction 101 - What you think about constantly becomes true for you.

What do I want out of life, how do I want to feel when I see my man standing at the end of the isle on our day, how do I want to start the rest of our lives - with LOVE, pure, all encompassing LOVE.

So with that, I booked myself in for a Hot Stone Massage this morning.  Changed my outlook, if my wedding dress doesn't fit (still a possibility, that much I have accepted) you know what I'll take myself into Myer's or DJ's and I'll find a beautiful white dress that I'm comfortable in and sell the one I've got, it's all going to be ok, I am ok, life is ok, there is nothing wrong with me.

You know what else, when I stopped and opened myself up, my inspiration came flooding back! I haven't felt the pull to blog or do anything over the past few weeks, not even put beautiful pictures up on Instagram or chat with my tribe on Facebook, I really retreated inward.

But I'm so glad that I did, because now I've been reminded of how beautiful it feels to find the light again and I'm humbled to remember that I'm always learning and I'm always improving and life is giving me the lessons that I need at the exact time that I need them.

Tell me, is there anything that has been worrying you lately, that has halted you in your tracks and sent you a little in reverse?  Let me know in the comments below or leave a comment on Facebook.

Love, Love, Love you

xx

Week 3.1 - Drunk in Love Project - All Things Exercise, Play and Taking Risks

This week I'm covering all things exercise, play and taking calculated risks.  I haven't done a video for this week, so I'm covering it off in a 3 part blog series.

First cab off the rank is EXERCISE

I have to start this off by saying, I love keeping active.  Getting out and exercising is like my meditation, it gets me out of my head and into my body and makes me feel alive, focused and ready to tackle my day.

I've come up with some exercise guidelines that I work towards each week.  I never feel exhausted by the end of the week, but I know that I am giving 100% in each session that I get out and do.  What I would encourage you to do is come up with your own exercise guidelines that leave you feeling motivated and full of energy.  Fill your week with movement that you love doing, make that your number one focus.  

My Magik Exercise Guidelines:

1. Lots of moving around at a slow pace
• 2 - 5 Hrs/week of walking - walking is my go to, I like to try to hit 10,000 steps each day.  I make a habit of walking to the gym, the shops or just going out for a walk around the block.  I love going for a nice long hike on a weekend or even getting my bike out occasionally.  Do what ever you like, as long as you keep your heart rate below 75% of your max - to gauge this, you should be able to hold a conversation while walking.
2. Weight training
• I lift 3 - 4 days per week, I like to do a 4 day split.  I do a mix of supersets, heavy reps, light reps, plyo's and majority of exercises are compound movement.
3. Sprint Sessions
• Nothing makes you loose excess fat and increases your fitness faster than sprinting.  Make HIIT training your best friend and you won't go wrong.  I don't do anymore than 2 hard sprint sessions per week.  I give 120% for those two sessions and I spread them out so that I have at least 2 days recovery between each session.  My go to session is 20mins total, 1min walk : 1 min all out sprint.
4. Yoga
• I love Bikram, I love the discipline and the structure around the 26 moves.  Above all else I love the sweat that you get up.  I understand it's not for everyone, but for me there is nothing more relaxing than standing in a heated room for 90mins.  Weird I know but I love it :) 
5. Play
• I'm going to talk all things Play in my next blog post :)

I'm not rigid in my training routine above all else I listen to how my body is feeling, if I get to the gym for a weights session and I'm just not feeling it, I'll go home and take the time I need so that I can give 100% the next day.  There is nothing worse than not feeling up to it, pushing through anyway and then doing more damage or pushing yourself and then being exhausted for the rest of the week.  I call this guidelines because that's exactly what they are and it helps me create balance around my training approach.

In my next post I'll be discussion how I like to get out and Play and why it's such an important part of my weekly exercise routine.

Drop me a message, I'd love to hear what you include in your exercise guidelines.

Have You Made the Decision to Be Healthy?

For some people, it's a New Year's resolution.  For others, it's impending nuptials, a big life event.  Maybe it's a scary diagnosis of your own or a friend or relative.  Sometimes it's a long thought out process, even when it seems more of a spur of the moment pledge, the decision to be healthy usually comes after good thought out consideration.

What exactly plants the seed of possibility?

Who and what figures into the picture as we go over the thought process in our minds and think about how our health could be?

Where do we end up inspired to finally make a change?

Ultimately, the path that we each take is/was different.

For some of us, the urge could be bought on by the memory of having been very healthy at one time in our lives and the desire to get back to that level of activity and enjoyment was at the forefront of your mind.  Perhaps we've felt plagued by obesity or poor health concerns as long as we can remember but ultimately cling to the idea that life can be more after all.  Possibly you've always enjoyed good health and fitness but wanted to take it to the next level after a fresh bout of motivation spurred on by competitiveness, new information or a different perspective made us think differently about how we went about achieving things.

More than likely the common factor in all our journeys is that lingering feeling and concluding acceptance that we are not living the life we ultimately want and that we could do better for ourselves.

Whatever the reason we finally begin to value ourselves more highly and see that our physical health goes hand in hand with what we have to experience and offer in this life.  Finally it hits us; if we want to be healthy - we must make the decision to be healthy.  Coming to this realisation is a turning point when our desire becomes more than a lofty goal, the decision we make for health becomes the way we live.

This is the beauty of making a decision over a set in stone goal.  A goal is something that you wish to attain, a point of future success, it implies an end point.  Of course you will have to work hard and be dedicated to achieve this goal, but the focus is often on a future fixed point.  A decision is present resolve that permeates every moment, starting with the here and now.  It's not an image of success that we project our desires onto, it's what we make of each day we're living on this earth.

A decision ultimately shapes a lifestyle.

Ahh... I love the power that making a decision has over our lives.  When you make a decision to lead a healthy life, you don't put a goal at the centre, you put yourself at the centre.  You situate your beautiful self at the core of your life and there is no straying from that.  No excuse will change it or overturn it, because you have put yourself and your concept of health at the absolute centre, the heart of your life.  That's when it dawns on you -

Your health and wellness (the balance, the energy, the vitality it brings) is a vital centre that supports every aspect of your life and self.

I believe this is the critical step that makes a difference for so many of us.  Most of the time it's not so much learning new or more information, but seeing it with fresh eyes, seeing health from a new vantage point, it's seeing health from the heart centre rather than some distant pining observer.  You can now begin to build support around that decision, add things and people to your life that reinforce the decision.  You can begin to weave the way you live day-to-day into that remarkable choice, the decision to be, to live, healthy.

I would love to hear from you, what led you to make the decision to be healthy?  What where your defining moments, your motivations?  What are your thoughts on choosing health?

What exactly is a Holistic Health Coach

Setting an example is not the main means to influencing others; it is the only means.

Some of you may know that I've been studying to become a Holistic Health Coach.   I am so damn excited about it, I love my course so much.  Every Monday night around 10pm the next weeks module is released and I can pretty much say that I wake up during the night every Monday and download the next module just so I can see what I'm learning that week, then try to calm my excitement to go back to sleep.

I have honestly never studied anything that lights me up so much.  It is in line with my true purpose and god damn, I know that this is what I was put on this earth to do!

Seriously this is what I feel like doing when I talk about Health Coaching. (photo from the gorgeous kinfolk site)

In our current healthcare system, almost no time is spent discussing daily diet and lifestyle.  I believe that there needs to be more well-trained professionals to teach people how to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

As a Holistic Health coach I will offer guidance and inspiration to help my clients shift their behaviour to healthier habits by making step-by-step changes to their diet and lifestyle.  I'll be able to teach you about new, healthy foods and the concept of primary foods - i.e. relationships, physical activity, career and spirituality.

When you work with me I'll make sure that you develop a deeper understanding of the foods and lifestyle choices that work best for you, and implement lasting changes that improve your energy, balance and health.  Instead of prescribing one diet or one way of exercise (because we all know this doesn't work), I'll be focused on teaching you to become self-sufficient by observing your own unique responses to various modifications and choosing health-promoting behaviours that work for you.

So what exactly is a Holistic Health Coach

A Holistic Health coach is a guide and mentor who empowers clients to take responsibility for their own health and supports them to implement and sustain lifestyle and behaviour changes that will contribute to the achievement of their personal wellness goals.  Some common areas where a Holistic Health Coach may help a client to focus include weight management, food cravings, sleep energy, stress management, and digestion - just to name a few.

As confucius says:

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

If you are interested in working with me, please don't hesitate to get in contact with me.  I'd love to hear from you.

Fitting Out and Living in the Now

So I went for a ride this afternoon and had the biggest realisation!

I've been living in the past and I haven't been meaning too!

I had got so caught up in coming clean about my bad eating habits that I couldn't move past them and sub consciously I had let them define me.  It made it so easy to slip back into that hole because well I had admitted to everyone what I had been doing... well admitting is the first step, moving past it is the second step.

I'm not letting my binge eating habits define me anymore, that's not who I am.  I am that girl, you know, the one who loves to get up before sunrise, just so I can see the beginning of a new day.  I'm the one who wakes up and writes my morning pages so that I am clear on my intentions for that day.  I am that girl who gets changed into exercise clothes as soon as I get out of bed so that I can get outside and move my body. I am that girl and I'm going to be a happy, healthy active person for the rest of my life.

Yeah, you know what, I don't fit into the standard mould, I FIT OUT and I love that I do!  I do weird things like oil pull with coconut oil and drink warm lemon water first thing in the morning and meditate and journal and I do it all because I understand the benefits but most of all it makes me feel A-MAZ-ING!

I believe in chasing your dreams, I believe in seizing the day, I believe in living and being your best self and I believe in empowering other women to do the same.

Remember, your past does not define you, it's what you do in the now that makes you.  Always live in the present and stay true to who you are, even if everyone around you doesn't understand why you do what you do.

Nic
xx

Primary Food Vs Secondary Food

@yogakiss and I, mucking around while doing something that we both love :)

Nutrition is a secondary source of energy.  Primary foods, or non food sources of nourishment, are what really fuel us.

All that we consider today as nutrition is really just a secondary source of energy.


Do you remember when you where a child, that you used to play and play without a care in the world for things like eating every three hours.  Remember when Mum used to call you in for dinner, all you could think about was playing still and eating food was the last thing on your mind.  At the table, you Mum would have dutifully ensured that you left no morsel of food behind, and as a child you would have forced down the required amount eager to get back out and play.

Do you remember being deeply in love for the first time?  Everything is light and warm, colours are vivd, and life is full of joy.  You're high off your lover's presence, sustained and exhilarated by the blissful connection.  You float on air and food becomes secondary.

Think back to a time when you were involved in an exciting work project.  You believed in what you were doing whole-heartedly and felt confident and stimulated.  Time stopped and the outside world was muted - food was an afterthought.

Now recall a time you were depressed or experiencing low self-esteem - you were starving for primary food.  No matter how much you ate, you never felt satisfied.  The need for love, power or mere acknowledgement drove the desire for excess food.

Even in good times when we come home at night, we often look into the refrigerator for something to eat, when all we really want is a hug or someone to talk to.

Primary food goes beyond the plate, nurturing us on a deeper level.

Elements such as a meaningful spiritual practice, an inspiring career regular and enjoyable physical activity, and honest and open relationships that feed your soul and your hunger for living all constitute primary food.

The four main primary foods are:

• Career;
• Relationships;
• Physical Activity; and
• Spirituality.

There more primary food we give ourselves, the less we depend on secondary food.  On the contrary, the more we fill ourselves with secondary food, the less space we leave for primary food; our true source of nourishment.

Take some quality time to explore your personal balance between primary food and secondary food - explore for yourself which area could use some attention??

Feel free to leave me a comment below to let me know which area you could be working on.

Vulnerability and Forgiveness

"Letting ourselves be forgiven is one of the most difficult hearings we will undertake.  And one of the most fruitful."

I spoke about something in my last post that's left me feeling a little vulnerable and a little raw around the edges.  It's something that I've struggled with quiet a bit most of my adult life and it's a habit that I'm very honestly ready to kick to the curb.  My dirty little secret is that sometimes I over eat.

I've not had a great relationship with food since I had a a fellow personal trainer and mentor, tell me that I needed to loose weight.  He told me that the way to do it was eating like a sparrow for a few weeks.  That sent me down the rabbit hole of not eating a lot, strict restriction and then binge eating.  This habit got a whole lot worse last year while I was prepping myself for a bikini model competition.  I followed a strict restriction diet for weeks on end, and then would get down on myself and binge.  Then the day that I finally decided that I wasn't going to do any other competitions until after the wedding I went a little crazy.  All those foods that I had restricted from myself, yet idealised as being the ultimate naughty treat was suddenly available to me in abundance.  I feel as though I was trying to make up for a year of restrictive eating by trying to eat as much naughty stuff as I could.

The problem was that I was doing this in secret, while I was trying to maintain this perfect, healthy image that I had been portraying.  Deep down I was really starting to feel like a fake and as the weight was creeping back on I started to feel more and more down on myself and turned to food to try to cheer me up.  The inner turmoil has been rough and I've made a decision that I wanted to come clean with myself so that I can begin healing and shutting the door in the face of this awful habit that I've developed.

It's hard for me to be so open and honest about this and I could have tried to deal with this behind closed doors, but I want to use this space as a true representation of me and be as real and as raw as possible.  I also want to openly make a statement to my heart and say:

"I forgive myself.  I want to let you know that I forgive you of any negative thoughts that I've held onto so tightly, I want to forgive myself for putting me down at times even though I am truly beautiful."

Forgiveness; in forgiveness you can lift that emotional weight you have attached to anything from your past so that you can free yourself of any attachment to time or a mistake that occurred in a time that no longer exists.  Releasing negative judgement allows you to see your beauty, your perfection and your essence, which is love.  By forgiving, you are free to be open to the future with amazing new possibilities.

I know that I am growing and learning and I take a little peace in knowing that I am in the exact time and moment that I need to be, this moment right now is perfect.

So today I am going to go out into the world with my head held high, knowing that I am moving forward in this life fearlessly.  Today is a brand new day and a new beginning to make the right choices for my future and not fall trap to any negative self talk.

I hope you all have a wonderful day, and if you've read this and want to talk with me about it, I am an open book please ask any questions.  Please don't hold any negative judgement of me, this was difficult to speak about but I'm taking a big step forward in me living a true and authentic life.

Lots of Love
Nic
xx

Dalai Lama 18 Rules for Living

I came across these 18 rules for living a few years ago on one of the first blogs I ever read.  They really resonated with me and after all this time I still come back to the list.

I'm not sure if the Dalai Lama himself wrote the rules, but they sure are a pretty good guide.  So here are his rules:


1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three R's - Respect for self - Respect for others - Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realise you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honourable life.  Then when you get older and think back, you'l be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for you life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation.  DOn't bring u the past.

14. Share your knowledge.  It's a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge success by what you had to give up in order to get it.


So do any of these resonate with you?  Let me know in the comments below.

Love Nicole

x

Become more alkaline

If your body is too acidic, it'll be stressed out, and you'll find it very hard to loose weight and live a full healthy life.  This is a little science-y but, if you want to loose weight and look amazing then you need to become less acidic and more alkaline.  The best way to put your body in an alkaline state is to eat plenty of alkaline foods and reduce acidic forming foods.

Essentially acid forming foods place extra stress on your body, and stops you creating lots of lovely lean muscle, which makes you look amazingly toned and speed up your metabolism.  Too much acidic food also inflames your body, especially your gut, which is why people with highly acidic diets tend to have a bloated tummy.  These are some common signs that your body might be too acidic:

• You frequently get colds;
• You have low energy levels;
• You have an inflamed, sticky-out stomach;
• You suffer from headaches;
• You frequently have problems with your digestive system - such as indigestion, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, bloating etc.
• Your joints ache
• You're prone to nasal congestion

You don't need to follow an entirely alkaline diet, in moderation some acidic foods can be good for you and are necessary.  The key is to tip the balance in favour of alkaline foods and away from the acidic ones.

As a general rule, make 70 per cent of the foods in your diet alkaline, and 30 per cent acidic.  For example, for each serving of protein on your plate you should have 2 big portions of veggies.

Below is a list of foods that are alkaline / acidic forming in the body.

Nic xx

PS. This is my first attempt at making a table in indesign... It's something I'm learning, I promise they'll get better looking as I go :).  Also don't forget to sign up to my newsletter so that you don't miss a beat.  Click on subscribe above xx

Do more of what makes you HAPPY :)

Happiness cannot be travelled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed.  Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.

Feeling as though you are living an authentic life is an important part of happiness.  If you believe in yourself and your values, your choices reflect this and you feel happier and in control.  If you move towards doing things in your life that fill you up and make you beam sunlight from the depths of your stomach then you'll feel like your on the right path and you'll feel more in control of you life.  It can be easy to overlook the fact that the only person in control of your life is you.

You are responsible for your life and letting go of things that are out of your control, whilst accepting responsibility for the things you can change.  You can always change the way you look and react to a situation that you may find yourself in and it can be liberating to finally let go and see things from a different light.  You are not your past, you are not your future, you are your present and that's the moment you need to live in.

So today I'm doing everything that feels right for me in this present moment.  Today right now I'm doing something that makes me want to jump up and down and dance like no ones watching, and that is writing this post and putting it out into the world wide web for everyone and no-one, but mainly because I want to tell you that you have control over your own happiness.

I woke up so early this morning and I was excited.  Not for any particular reason, it's just a normal Saturday, but I just couldn't wait to get the day started! I couldn't wait to get up and do some exercise and have my green smoothy, I can't wait to catch up with friends and also to spend some time with myself, today has endless possibilities and if I want to make something happen, today could be the day that I make the change.  Who knows!  But that's the beauty of it.  Always be present and live in the moment and do things that feel right to you and you'll be on the right track.

What are you doing today to make yourself excited and happy?  Why not a create a list of all the things that light you up and make you happy.  Don't be afraid to share in the comments below.

Nic
xx

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Why I don't heart dairy

Have you ever considered why a cow produces milk?  It's the same reason that females produce milk, to feed our babies to help them to develop and gain weight so that they have the best start in life.  Breast milk can grow an 3kg newborn into a 10kg toddler.  It is intended to allow for the biggest growth spurt of a person's entire life.  When a child is anywhere from 12 to 24 months old, a mother stops breast feeding.  Her milk dries up.  The child will never drink breast milk ever again.

Cows are much the same, their bodies produce milk only when they give birth.  Contrary to belief cows don't need to be milked - ever.  Their udders, like women's breasts exist even when there is no milk in them.  There is one major difference though.  Cow's milk by design, grows a 40kg calf into a 900kg cow over the course of two years.  It allows calves to double their birth weight in forty-seven days and leaves their four stomachs feeling full.

So now I want to ask you a question?

Why do we as humans ingest a food that is designed to make baby cows fat?

Now I know that you are thinking, "but we need cows milk to grow up big and strong, it's the only source of calcium I can get, and without milk my bones will break or I'll get osteoporosis".

Let's address the main underlying issue everyone has with limiting their intake of dairy - Where do you get your calcium?

Firstly you don't need to be ingesting calcium by the truck load.  A simple way to get adequate calcium is by including the following foods in your diet: fortified grains, kale, cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, seaweed, chickpeas, red beans, soybeans, seeds and nuts.  Did you know that 1 cup of kale, broccoli and tofu has more calcium then 1 cup of cow's milk.

Milk is also not a reliable source of minerals.  You get much higher levels of manganese, chromium, selenium and magnesium from fruits and vegetables.  Fruits and vegetables are also high in boron, which helps lessen the loss of calcium through urine.  Consuming high amounts of dairy also blocks the absorption of iron, contributing to iron deficiency.

Dairy products have been linked to a host of other problems too, including acne, anaemia, anxiety, arthritis, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, fibromyalgia, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, irritable bowl syndrome, joint pain, osteoporosis, poor immune function, allergies, ear infections, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autism, Chron's disease, and cancer.  In short dairy products are disease producing.  They're the perfect thing to eat if you want to be sick and have a diseased body.

To look at this from a vanity stand point, the amount of weight you will loose from removing dairy alone will make you want to kick it to the curb.  The fat in cheese is what gives it the taste and texture that we love; 70 to 80 percent of the calories found in cheese are from fat.  Even if you think you are buying the low fat versions, more than half the calories still come from fat and the other half is pumped full of sugar to make it taste bearable.  Remember what milk is made for; it is designed to make baby cows fat, do you really think milk can be made fat free?

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, you don't have to give up on traditional milk products, there are some great substitutes if you are craving something a little sweeter or if you love having milk in your morning coffee.

In Australia, Sanitarium make a range of great soy, seed, grain and nut milks, remember to read the labels though and don't buy the products that are pumped full of sugar, try to buy the un-sweetend versions.  Sanitarium also make a pretty amazing soy ice-cream.  There are also more and more coconut products out there everything from yoghurt, milk and ice-cream are available.

Remember as the demand grows for healthy, yummy, animal free, dairy free products more and more companies will supply us with these foods.  So let your consumer dollars voice your desire and your body will be rewarded.

Nic
xx

PS.  Don't forget to sign up to my newsletter, I'll be sending out a weekly publication delivered straight to you inbox each Thursday including delicious recipes, wellness tips and much more.  Just hit the subscribe button at the top of the page.

This is all just my opinion and advice, you can do what ever it is that you want.

But, What do you Eat?

"So now that you are a vegan... what do you eat, there is nothing left?"

I just look at the people who ask me that and think to myself, are you walking around with sticks of cheese in your pocket and a slab of beef in your hand 24/7?  I mean seriously!  I eat anything I want that does not include meat or dairy.  They are the guidelines that I stick to, it makes it easy for me because I know that I don't have any restrictions over food, I just avoid meat and dairy.  In general I crowd out processed foods by filling up on whole foods first, that way there is no room for processed foods in my day.

There are too many whole foods to list down here, but in general a whole food is anything that comes in it's natural form or as close to it's natural form as possible.  So that is, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes and an abundance of super foods.

When your in the supermarket, stick to anything that is on the outside isles.  Buy all your fruits and vegetables first, then work your way to the health food isle, for things like quinoa, lentils, nut butters, seeds, and nuts, then to the freezer section for some frozen berries and edamame beans, then charge on to the self serve register and get your healthy little butt outta there!

So this is my method, I've been through a lot of trial and error and this works best for me.  I try not to give myself strict restrictions over food because I have found that it turns me into a food crazed maniac who's ready to binge on anything on my restricted list as soon as i get the chance.  When I say food restrictions I mean, I don't have a list running through my head saying, "I can't have chocolate, cheese, salami, tim tams, dips" etc. I just know that I am avoiding dairy and meat and I concentrate on finding foods that I can eat that fit my guidelines.

It really is changing up your thought patterns and looking at things in a different way.  Instead of concentrating on what you can't have, making that all you can think about; concentrate on what you can have.

Hope you all have a great day,

Nicole

xx

Are you up for the Challenge?

I've been feeling a challenge coming on for myself.  But I've been hesitant to start it because one of my focuses this year was to find BALANCE and I've been feeling as though if I started a challenge, I'd fall victim to the "all of nothing" approach which in turn could end up in the "if I have one bad thing then I've stuffed my diet up, and may as well start again tomorrow" territory, which I don't want to happen.  So i've been breathing through these feelings and meditating on the thought of doing a 42 day vegan challenge to make sure that it's not my ego driving my desire to do this, but that it is coming from a deeper desire for absolute health and wellbeing.  I've had to be honest with myself and realise that right now, the way I'm going I'm not feeling my absolute best.  I really want to be a walking advertisement of health and wellness, I really want to practice what I preach in the hope that I can inspire just one person to change the way they view their lives and start living a healthier more abundant life.

So why 42 days and why a vegan diet?

Well studies have shown that creating a new habit takes 21 days to stick, well in my history... I need a bit longer than 21 days.  To be honest, I'm just getting the hang of things at 21 days, but I haven't formed a new habit.  This brings me to doing something for 40 days, research has shown that after repeating an new pattern for forty days, you can change the neural pathways in your brain to create long-lasting change.  Mythical examples range from Moses's forty days and fort nights spent on Mount Sinai to the story of the Buddha reaching enlightenment on the full moon in May after meditation and fasting under the bodhi tree for forty days.  So I'm taking cue from the mystics and committing to a 40 day vegan lifestyle change, and because I like to have things even, I'm aiming for 6 weeks so that makes it 42 days, the extra two days are just a bonus!

Why a Vegan diet specifically?  Well I've been flirting with a vegan diet for a few months now.  I've been having meat and dairy free meals at least 2 meals a day, and the days I fully commit to a vegan diet, I wake up feeling more vibrant and full of energy than the days that some cheese or even some meat may have crept into my meals.  Now I'm coming to understand a few new truths.  Diet and meal choices are not one-size fits all, so while this feels right for me at this point in time, it might not be right to you.  It's certainly not the right fit for my fiancé, he needs his meat and that's ok.  So if you're thinking you want to embark on this 42 day challenge with me, but following a vegan diet isn't right for you, give something else a try.  It might be quitting sugar, or giving up dairy, or following the Paleo principles, or even just implementing one vegan meal into your diet a day / week.  Do what ever feels right for you at this time.

People choose to be vegan for health, environmental and/or ethical reasons.  For example, some vegans feel that one promotes the meat industry by consuming eggs and dairy products.  That is, once dairy cows or egg-laying chickens are too old to be productive, they are often sold as meat; and since male calves do not produce milk, they usually are raised for veal or other products.  Some people avoid these items because of conditions associated with their production.

The main reason I'm doing this is for my health, I've lived a vegan lifestyle before and honestly that has been the best I have ever felt.  But it also feels pretty darn good to choose this lifestyle to promote a more humane and caring world.  I know that I am not perfect by I believe I have a responsibility to try to do my best, while not being judgemental of others.

The key to a nutritionally sound vegan diet is variety.  A heathy and varied vegan diet includes fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds and legumes.  And for me I will still include some eggs.  I have chooks at home, I know how they are being treated and I know what they are being fed, and I am content that they live in a great environment.

If you will be joining me on this challenge.  Take some time before hand to become clear on why you are wanting to embark on this challenge.  Also work out what you want to achieve at the end of your 42 days.  Because if you are not clear in the beginning it will be easier for you not to stick to it and fall back on old bad habits.

Why not follow me on my instagram account for photos of meals and I'll also be loading a heap of recipes up on the blog to give you heaps of ideas and keep you going.  I'll also keep a bit of a online journal of my progress if you are interested in it.  I'll also track down some inspiring vegans and have a chat to them about they reasons for choosing this lifestyle and the positive way it has impacted their lives.

What an exciting way to start Autumn.  Hope you have a great Saturday!

Nic
x

Stay True to Yourself by Overcoming Your Fears!

Being real, staying true to yourself, overcoming your fear, pushing through the boundaries that you set for yourself, your life is full of endless possibilities, there is enough abundance for each and every person on this earth, you just have to be willing, deeply and truly open to receiving all that it is you are looking for.

Whether you think you can or you think you can't, that will be true for you.

I've been trying a lot more lately to be a more real and authentic version of myself.  It's not always easy, and sometimes I catch myself being a fake.  I catch myself doing the opposite of what I preach, and not walking the talk, just talking the talk.  This sends me into a place of fear, it makes my ego's voice sound loud and clear in my head telling me I'm failing, if I can't even get this right, how can I possibly be a success in life.

Well I'm ready to face my fear of failing, I'm ready to face my ego head on, because today I am witnessing my fear of failing and I am proud to say that I'm working on overcoming it.  Everyone is always working on bettering them selves and this is just one step in the bigger picture for me, but one thing I can say is that each and everyday I'm getting closer to being an authentic version of myself.

What fears have come up for you lately, maybe you skipped going to the gym because you were worried about what people would think of you; or maybe you didn't speak up in the meeting at work, could you have a deep rooted fear that your ideas will be rejected? By paying close attention to your behaviour, you can begin to get honest about what fears you may have been denying.  By witnessing your fears, you begin to deal with them head on and eliminating them all together.

Try and answer these questions:

1. What experiences trigger my fear?
2. What thoughts trigger my fear?
3. What are the feelings that come over me when I am in fear?
4. How does my fear affect my behaviour?

Don't worry if you find it a little hard to write what your feeling in the beginning.  Just put pen to paper and see what comes up for you.  Once you have recognised your fear repeat the following affirmation:

I am willing to witness my fear, I am proud of myself for doing this work.

Let me know if the comments below what fears you are trying to overcome.

Nicole
xx

Re-charge your intentions for 2014

January, hot summer heat waves that have soared through our beautiful country, long sunlit days, cooling down in the ocean, slightly sunburnt skin, connecting with some beautiful minds, catching up on some reading, hottest 100, relaxing with an iced herbal tea, drinking straight from coconuts, spending time with the love of my life and staying true to intentions set at the beginning of the month.  This has been the best January yet and such a great way to begin 2014.

With February knocking right on Januarys door, I want to keep the momentum that I created at the beginning of January flowing right into February.  For me this means revisiting my intentions set for 2014.  I'm trying to work towards something that feels right for me in 2014 as apposed to setting a goal.  For example my goal in 2013 was:

to loose 10kg and get up on stage in my green bikini on the 23rd of May for my first ever INBA bikini/fitness model competition

You know what I did achieve this goal and it felt brilliant standing proud on stage with some of Brisbane's most beautiful women.  It was a privilege and a moment in life that I will cherish forever.  But I was so intent on that 1 GOAL that I lost sight of everything and everyone else around me, it ended up consuming my whole year as I considered doing it all again in 2014.  I ended the year feeling deflated and running around in circles chasing something that just didn't feel right to me.

Thinking about what make's me feel amazing, and chasing a feeling of true happiness is what has carried me into 2014, and I'm keeping on track with that by adapting and evolving my intentions for each month as new opportunities come my way.

By taking off the blinkers and being open to new opportunities and new ways of thinking, I have opened a door to endless possibilities and am more open and willing to accept guidance in all areas of my life.

Here is a little exercise that you can do at the end of each month to help keep driving your power right into February and beyond.

Find some time (at least 30mins) that you can dedicate to yourself without any interruption.  Grab your favourite journal and a pen.  Answer these questions for yourself coming into the new month.

How do you feel after the month just passed?

What positive changes did you make and what did you learn?

How did focusing on this area affect other areas of your life?

What are 5 things you have been grateful for?

What are 3 things you did in the month passed that have left you feeling empowered and above all happy?

I hope this exercise leaves you feeling empowered and committed to turning your dreams into a reality.  Want a little extra motivation, subscribe to receive my weekly email (click on subscribe above).

Also if you are a healthy foodie come along to The Pot Luck Picnic Instameet on the 15 Feb 2014.  It's a great way to connect with other like minded souls, want more information check out this post.

Sending out my love and motivation to you all.

Nicole
xx

Live a Pure and Happy Life - It's easier than you think.

Waking up each morning with boundless energy and clear skin is starting to become a daily norm for me, but it wasn't always this way and it hasn't been an easy road.  I'm starting to live more in the present and leaving the past where it is and allowing the future to present itself as it pleases.  I can't change anything in the past and I certainly cannot predict the future, all I can do is live in the present and make the most of each and every moment NOW.

By becoming aware of the present moment, I've been able to let go of all the things that hold me down, like fear of the unknown, anxiety and stress.  When I'm living in these feelings, I don't treat myself with the respect that I deserve and I mainly reach for comfort food to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  That warm and fuzzy feeling lasts for all of about 20mins and then the guilt and resentment kick in.  This vicious cycle had to stop, my mind needed a break and I wasn't liking the extra cottage cheese forming on my thighs.

Somehow I stumbled across Echart Tolle's The Power of Now, and downloaded his audio book to my phone.  I only really got about 40mins in, but everything was starting to make sense.  I needed to live more in the present moment and forget about everything else.  So I set about trying to put this into practice.  First I tried walking outside and just taking everything in and being aware of all the sounds around me which was nice at first but I would then find myself looking at all the homes and then becoming really judgemental on the way people were living, how could they leave their yard like that.  That wasn't working.  Then I thought about meditation.  I always loved doing the 10mins of meditation and relaxation at the end of yoga.  So I gave it a try and it works perfectly for me.

Meditation sounds daunting to some, but it is one of the most effective ways to cultivate a happy life. The main benefit of mediation is to teach us how to be okay with just being.  Jess Ainscough's book Make Peace with Your Plate has a great summary on meditation:

When you can close your eyes and sit in meditation, with nothing to achieve and nothing to do apart from concentrate on your breathing and the sensations in your body, you quickly learn how to be content without any of the bells and whistles of our busy modern lives.  You may hate it at first; you may struggle with the silence and stillness.  But trust me when I say that, after a while, you'll notice subtle changes in your everyday life.  Your patience and coping mechanisms will improve, you will be easier to please, you will be able to see the bigger picture, and you'll be more content in the present moment.  You won't need anything else to make you happy - you will be happy for absolutely no other reason than because you are alive in the moment.

Being happy for absolutely no other reason than because you are alive in the moment is a great and liberating feeling.  For me, this state of happiness then flows out into all avenues of my life, I'm so much more grateful for all the little things and my relationships are stronger.

How to meditate:

- Find somewhere comfortable that you can sit and not be interrupted.  You may want to sit on a stool, or a pillow, I sit on the end of my couch.

- Once you are seated in your spot, make sure that you are sitting upright and not leaning on anything, you don't want to be too comfortable or otherwise you may drift off to sleep.

- Close your eyes and focus your attention on the space between them.  This is the 'Third Eye' - it's said to house all your intuitive powers.

- Concentrate on your breathing, listen to the rise and fall of your abdomen.  Become aware of the noises that surround you, listen for birds, cars or people making noises.  Don't focus in on those noises just be aware.

- Your mind may wonder, this is ok and normal.  When it does wander, just bring your attention back to your breathing.

- Try to stay calm and in this position for as long as you can.  Start with 5-10 mins a day then work your way up to 30mins.

Give meditating a try, you will be happier for it, which will spill out into all areas of you life.  Because your more content, you'll make better choices throughout your day, you'll automatically go for foods that nourish your body and you'll be a much kinder person.

I'd love to hear how meditating is working for you, leave me a comment below.

Nicole
xx

PS.  Don't forget about the Potluck Picnic in the Park on the 15th Feb 2014, come along I'd love to meet you.  For more information click here.

Potluck Picnic Party - You're Invited

When two great minds get together, magic happens!

I've recently been working with Ash from Wholesome Living Blog to put together our first ever Potluck Picnic in the park Instameet.  If you are reading this post and can get to New Farm Park on Saturday the 15th of February, then you are most welcome to come along!

Bring along your favourite healthy dish or dessert, something to drink (no booze), your own plates, cups, cutlery, serving utensils, and a blanket.

Friends and family are welcome (but everyone who attends should bring a healthy dish, please)!

The event will be held in New Farm Park down near the river at the bottom of Brunswick Street.

To keep updated on this event, make sure you follow either Ash or myself on Instagram, Facebook or check back on this blog.

I can't wait to meet, connect and share delicious healthy food with everyone!

See you there!

Nicole xx

Wake up with an attitude of gratitude

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful - Buddha

Each day I write three things that I'm grateful for.  I do this as soon as I wake up, it takes about 2 minutes and it sets my day off on the right path.  I can tell you that since I've started doing this I have been so much more content and much happier. 

Gratitude enhances happiness and this is the key to gratitude affecting all areas of your life.  If you focus on the positive, you are training your mind to think positively, and thinking positive means thinking happy.  Research suggests that writing all that you are grateful for just a few minutes a day can increase individual wellbeing by over 10% - such a simple habit for an amazing result.

Expressing gratitude can improve all areas of you life.  It can improve your relationships, both personal and professional, because people who are kind and considerate are more likeable; and it can improve your health, because happy people exercise more, releasing more endorphins.

Gratitude turns bad things into good things; are you having trouble at work? Be grateful that you have work.  Be grateful that you have challenges and that life isn't boring.  Be grateful that you can learn from these challenges.  It also is a great reminder of what is really important.  It's hard to complain about the little things when you give thanks that you and your children are alive and healthy.  It's hard to get stressed out over paying bills when you are grateful there is a roof over your head.

Here is a little exercise to get you started.  Put pen to paper and think of three things that you are grateful for today.  You might decide to recognise the little things or express thanks for the people in your life.  Try to do this every day for the next 5 days and take note on how it makes you feel.

Here is an example of what I'm grateful for today:

1. I am grateful to be active and alive.

2. I'm grateful to have an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables to nourish me daily.

3. I'm grateful for my man, who brightens my day, even if he is 1800km away.

Hope you have a fantastic day.  Thanks for stopping by.

Nicole x

Welcome to Mint and Magik!

I've been procrastinating over my first blog post for some time now.  I wanted it to be something uplifting, inspiring and wise.  But I think that I put to much pressure on myself to write the perfect first post, so I'm stripping away all my expectations and I'm just writing my first post from the heart.

After all I see this blog becoming something to motivate and inspire other people to live their best lives.  What better way to connect with others than staying absolutely true to yourself.

I've kicked off my 2014 with a full day of journaling and breaking down my dreams and goals into bite size pieces.  I've got a clear picture in my head of what I want my life to look like and I've worked backwards from that picture to work out what I need to do to achieve my dream life.  I am feeling so inspired and uplifted after a full day of writing and dreaming and I completely believe that nothing will stand in my way of achieving this goal.

I'm very passionate about health and wellness.  I believe that most ailments can be treated through proper nourishment and treating your mind and body with love and respect.  I've read so many books on this subject that I've finally come to the conclusion that I need to study Nutritional Medicine so that I can help people with the confidence that I am giving only the best information.  I want to help people to find vitality and a wellness that only comes from nourishing your mind and body correctly.

I will be sharing my clean recipes and dishing out some great clean living tips, the more I learn the more I can share and begin to improve the lives of others.

So there you have it.  My first post!

Hope to connect with you all very soon.

Nicole xx