Conscious Life online magazine November 2019

*FREE ONLINE MAG *ISSUE 60 *NOVEMBER 2019

We Can Change The World – Start Now

A Guide to Starting Mountain Biking

Top 10 Secrets About Stress

Are You Friends With Your Money?

20 Tips For A More Sustainable Garden

Our Top Fave Wholefoods

Photo by Asad Photo Maldives from Pexels

Conscious Life Magazine

CONTENTS [

SELF DEVELOPMENT & PERSONAL GROWTH WE CAN CHANGE THE WROLD – START RIGHT NOW TOP 10 SECRETS ABOUT STRESS & HEALTH BODY & SOUL DIALOGUE ARE YOU FRIENDS WITH YOUR MONEY? GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO BE PROSPEROUS

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NATURAL HEALTH & WELLNESS NATURAL WISDOM FOR SUMMER LIVING DOES HEALING & WELL-BEING START ON THE INSIDE? HOW HEALTH COACHING CHANGED MY LIFE

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CONSCIOUS HEALING YOUR PURPOSE WILL FIND YOU

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HEALTHY INTAKE AMARANTH: A GLUTEN-FREE, PROTEIN-RICH GRAIN FULL OF BENEFITS TOP 5 MACA ROOT BENEFITS AND NUTRITION (NO. 4 IS BEST) OUR TOP 8 FAVOURITE WHOLEFOODS CELEBRATING WORLD FOOD DAY LENTIL & POTATO CURRY RECIPE RISOTTO DE ROMAR RECIPE

b CONSCIOUS BODY LOOKING TO START MOUNTAIN BIKING, BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START? WHY YOGA?

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CONTENTS H

GREEN LIVING 20 TIPS FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE GARDEN TOGETHER WE MADE AN IMPACT AT THE EDEN FESTIVAL OF ACTION 2019 POLYPHAGOUS SHOT HOLE BORER BEETLE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW CLIMATE BREAKDOWN IS KNOCING THE NATURAL WORLD OUT OF SYNC

_ ANIMAL WORLD WHY NATURAL DOG FOOD IS BETTER FOR YOUR DOG THAN PELLETS

P WORKSHOPS, COURSES & RETREATS UPCOMING RETREATS AT DHARMAGIRI SACRED MOUNTAIN RETREAT

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GETAWAYS, SHOWS & EVENTS ONE WITH YOGA FLOW SUNFLOWER FUND ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK & CALENDAR GIRLS

_ REACH OUT REACH OUT & HELP: DESERVING CHARITIES AND CAUSES

Cover Photo by Wesley Carvalho from Pexels

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Contributors Include

ABOUT US www.childoftheuniverse.co.za PUBLISHER 2Luni Media Articles from the late

EDITOR/OWNER Candida “Cj“ Matticks 087 802 6102 candida@childoftheuniverse.co.za

LOUISE L. HAY Author/Inspirational Speaker

MICHAEL HOWARD Mindshare

Copy Editor Linda Navon SALES & MARKETING Sales & Marketing Manager Cj Matticks

SIMON WING-LUN Founder: Unconditional Love Healing

DR CHRISTIANE NORTHRUP

Sales Linda Navon CREATIVE TEAM Designer & Creative Director Cj Matticks

DR JAMES MERCOLA

BRENT LINDEQUE The Good Things Guy

Content & Layout Assistant Linda Navon Digital Manager & Social Media Cj Matticks DISTRIBUTION & ACCOUNTS

HANNA KOK

WENDY YOUNG

BrainGym

Life Coach and Spiritual Counsellor

Lee Coulter lee@childoftheuniverse.co.za CONTACT NUMBERS TEL: 087 802 6102 011 026 2643 011 046 8737

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LINDA NAVON Deputy Editor

CJ MATTICKS Editor

Contributors Include

MARGI McALPINE

PENNI DU PLESSIS

Angel Connection School

Divine Space

MICHELLE LESKE

DR SHAVIT SACHS

Egypt Tour Goddess

Naturopath

TORSTEN A. LANGE Author, founder & director Reiki Academy London

VERONICA HAUPT Re-code Your Life

WHAT WE ARE ABOUT We believe in the ‘FIRST DO NO HARM’ principle and we select our content and advertisers accordingly. Our focus is on conscious lifestyle.

We cover topics around natural health & wellness: body, mind & spirit; conscious living for a cleaner planet, healthy recipes and fitness.

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ISSUU APP Conscious Life Magazine is published on ISSUU. Please download the ISSUU app via the Android and Apple App Stores. It is free to use. Please follow us on there. www.issuu.com/2luni-media DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the editor, advertisers or endorsers. While every effort has been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are both accurate and truthful, the publisher and editor accept no responsibility for inaccurate or misleading information that may be contained herein.

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Articles written by the late

SERGIO SALOTTO

HEATHER PICTON

Life Purpose Mentor

Founder ADHASA

DR AXE Doctor Of Natural Medicine, Chiropractor, Clinical Nutritionist And Author

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By Louise Hay, courtesy of www.healyourlife.com

If each one of us who is reading this article would practice getting in touch with the treasures within us on a daily basis, we could literally change the world. People living the truth change the world. For the truth of our being is that we are filled with unconditional love. We are filled with incredible joy. We are filled with serene peace. We are connected to infinite wisdom.

What we need to do is to know it and live it!

I am filled with joy, and I express it today.

Today we are mentally preparing for tomorrow. The thoughts we think, the words we speak, the beliefs we accept, shape our tomorrows. Every morning, stand in front of a mirror and affirm to yourself:

I am filled with peace, and I express it today.

I am filled with infinite wisdom, and I practice it today.

And this is the truth about me.

I am filled with unconditional love, and I express it today.

Now that is a powerful way to start your day!

You can do it!

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Remember, our spiritual connection does not need a middle man. We can pray and meditate quite easily by ourselves. It is important that we know that we all have a direct pipeline to the source of all of life.

When we are consciously connect to this source, our life flows in wondrous ways.

Our souls are always seeking greater growth and integration, an opportunity to heal and express all that we are. Sometimes it is very difficult to understand the methods our souls use to promote our growth.

Our personalities, the part of us we assume in order to participate on the Earth plane, have certain expectations and needs. We become afraid, resistant, and sometimes angry when our expectations, such as material advancements, aren’t immediately met. It is in these moments, more than any other, that we must hold fast to our faith that there is a higher power working in our lives and that if we are open and willing to grow and change, that things will work out for our highest good.

Often our most painful moments, the times that stretch our personality the furthest, are the moments that provide us with the greatest opportunity for growth. These become an occasion for you to develop great self-love and greater self-trust. It may or may not comfort you to know that many people are seemingly experiencing setbacks in their lives as well. We are at a place of accelerated growth on this planet. Now more than ever is the time to be extra loving and patient with yourself. Do not resist any opportunity for growth. In times of difficulty, it is important to practice gratitude and blessings as much as you are able.

Life is a learning process. We are here to learn and to grow.

Let’s affirm: I make room for all the good that is waiting for me today.

Louise Hay was an inspirational teacher who educated millions since the 1984 publication of her bestseller You Can Heal Your Life, which has more than 50 million copies in print worldwide. Renowned for demonstrating the power of affirmations to bring about positive change, Louise was the author of more than 30 books for adults and children, including the bestsellers The Power Is Within Youand Heal Your Body. In addition to her books, Louise produced numerous audio and video programs, card decks, online courses, and other resources for leading a healthy, joyous, and fulfilling life.

To learn more visit: www.louisehay.com and www.facebook.com/louiselhay

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Image by Amit Sodha from Pixabay

By Tom Siegfried courtesy of www.knowablemagazine.org link to the original article here

The strain of life — from everyday conflicts to major losses — can stretch our well-being to the breaking point. Here’s what scientists know, and still don’t know, about the stress-illness connection.

It’s no secret that stress is bad for your health.

Everybody knows that “life stress events” — things like loss of a job, death of a loved one and getting divorced (or married) raise the risk of getting sick.

All sorts of other life events also generate stress, with possible negative health effects ranging from catching a cold to major depression to a fatal heart attack.

Of course, knowing about the link between stress and sickness just gives you something else to worry about, adding even more stress. If you value your health, perhaps you should stop reading now.

On second thought, don’t. Much of the lore about stressful events impairing health is certainly true, but some research is reassuring. There are some secrets about the stress-disease connection that aren’t all bad.

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If you’ve read the psychological, psychiatric and medical scientific literature over the last several decades, you might already be aware of these “secrets.” If not, they’ve been nicely summarized in a paper to appear in the next issue of Annual Review of Psychology, in which Sheldon Cohen, Michael L.M. Murphy and Aric A. Prather analyze (in no particular order) what they call the “Ten surprising facts about stressful life events and disease risk.”

10. Experts disagree about what counts as stressful.

Nobody disputes that certain events inflict severe psychological (and physiological) stress. Death of a spouse, getting diagnosed with a terminal illness and (ahem) separation of children from parents are indisputably “major stressful life events.” But no clear rules have been established to define what features place an event in that category (which makes stress research complicated, with often ambiguous results).

Some researchers hold that stress magnitude hinges on how much “adaptation” is required to cope with it (which is why marriage can be considered especially stressful). A second theory gauges stressfulness as the amount of threat or harm an event poses. Some experts view stress as a mismatch between demands and resources. (If you have the resources — say, money — to address and control a demanding situation, it’s less stressful; if your boss expects you to complete a three-person project all by yourself under an impossible deadline, you’re stressed.) A fourth view regards “interruption of goals” as the prime feature of a life stress event; diabolically, one of the goals most commonly interrupted is the goal to be psychologically well.

These theories about stress-event criteria aren’t mutually exclusive, of course. “There is obvious overlap among these approaches,” Cohen and colleagues write. On the whole, though, they suggest the “threat or harm” perspective is the most commonly accepted.

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Life events commonly included on stress questionnaires may be objectively bad or good, major or minor. They include the death of a spouse, divorce, the loss of a job — or even a big achievement. Some stress checklists focus more on traumatic events, such as assaults; others ask about events that in the last year have brought major or minor changes to everyday life, requiring adaptation or readjustments, even if they are seemingly beneficial (getting a promotion). Some important events related to illness are those that affect social status, selfesteem, identity and physical well-being. Not all are equal in effect, and there’s much variation in how people respond.

9. Stress can affect a long list of diseases.

Depression and heart disease are commonly associated with stressful events, but stress’s influence extends to other health problems as well. Many, perhaps even most, diseases can be linked to life stress in some way. Stress can boost anxiety, mess with your hormones and discourage healthy practices such as exercising and eating well. At the same time stress can instigate bad behaviors such as smoking and drinking. All these responses can have negative impacts on important organs (brain, heart, liver), possibly resulting in multiple health problems either by triggering the onset or accelerating the progression of a disease. Stress events can reduce resistance to infections, and even cancer may be linked to stress. But the evidence on cancer is less clear. Stress might influence the development of cancer, but the strongest research shows that a more likely effect of stress is reducing cancer survival rates rather than initiating cancer onset.

8. Just being stressed doesn’t mean you’ll get sick.

There’s no doubt that trauma and stressful events can harm your health. But not always. “On the whole,” Cohen and colleagues write, “most people who experience stressful events do not get sick.” Experiments exposing stressed and nonstressed people to a common cold virus found that more of the stressed people caught the cold than those in the nonstressed group, but nevertheless half the members of the stressed group remained healthy. Even depression is not an inevitable effect of major life stress; some people are more resilient than others. Positive selfimage and sense of control are signs of resilience; negative attitude and excessive rumination tip the scales toward depression.

7. Stressful events do not strike at random.

Apart from the relatively rare natural disasters, fatal accidents and a few other nasty exceptions, stressful events are not equal-opportunity assailants. Your personal traits and situation and the circumstances in which you live make you more or less at risk for life stress. Neighborhoods with low socioeconomic status are sites of higher-than-average levels of stressful events, and people with low personal socioeconomic status have more risk of encountering violence, death of a child and divorce. Even personality can boost your stress risk (neurotic, unconscientious and disagreeable people are more likely to get divorced, for some reason). One study found that “individuals characterized by negative attributional style” (i.e., jerks) encounter more “interpersonal conflicts,” raising the risk of stressful events. Furthermore, one stressful event — such as loss of a job — can lead to others (such as loss of income, moving or divorce).

6. Disease might come before the stress.

While some evidence supports the notion that stress can initiate various diseases, this may not be the case in truly healthy people. “Rather, events may influence risk for disease by either

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suppressing the body’s ability to fight invading pathogens or exacerbating the progression of ongoing premorbid processes,” Cohen and colleagues write. What looks like a disease triggered by stress “may actually be stressor-triggered progression of previously unidentified disease.” So in some cases stress might not be responsible for the disease itself, just for making a previously unnoticed disease worse.

5. Some stressful events are more powerful than others.

The magnitude of a stressful event’s impact depends a lot on the nature of the stress. Most damaging, research indicates, are “experiences that threaten an individual’s sense of competence or status,” striking at a person’s “core identity.” Loss of status, losing a job and interpersonal conflict with spouses or close friends can all exacerbate health problems, from raising the risk of depression to worsening high blood pressure and reducing resistance to respiratory infection.

4. Chronic stress is worse than acute stress, usually.

It’s not necessarily obvious that chronic, long-lasting or recurrent stress is worse than one-shot stress events. It may be possible to adapt to ongoing stress — once you’re used to it, maybe it won’t bother you so much (or harm your health). On the other hand, ongoing stress may be worse for health because it’s always there, ready to attack whenever your body is vulnerable for some other reason. Overall, chronic stress is probably worse, as it may have a persistent detrimental effect on the body’s disease-fighting immune system. Acute stress, like single traumatic events, may trigger a dramatic worsening of an existing condition, such as heart disease. In that case, a sufficiently powerful stress event can induce a fatal heart attack.

3. Many stress events are worse than fewer, maybe.

Effects from stressful events may add up over time; simple checklists of how many stressful events a person has experienced over the past year show that experiencing more events predicts

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worse health. But it’s too complicated to say exactly why that is, or even if it is really generally true. (The checklist method of gathering data might be faulty.) In fact, if a single event is strong enough to increase health risk substantially, additional events don’t necessarily increase that risk further. For that matter, it isn’t clear how events should be counted; a divorce followed by changing residences and reduced income might count as one event or three, Cohen and colleagues point out. And it may not be the number of events but rather the number of “life domains” in which you’re experiencing stress that’s more important. (Job, home life, medical issues and financial issues all represent different domains in which stress may occur.)

2. The effect of stress events depends on where you are in life.

Just as some events are stressful, so are some nonevents — things that don’t happen when they’re supposed to in a typical course of life. People generally expect to graduate from school (high school or maybe college), get a job, get married, have kids and then retire. Failure to graduate, inability to get a job or rejection of marriage proposals can all be very stressful during the time of life when success at those things is expected. It may also be that different times of life are more susceptible than others to the ill effects of stress. Trauma in childhood, for instance, has been linked to higher risk of chronic diseases much later in life. Such trauma may induce long-lasting biological changes that contribute to disease in later years. In addition, “adversity during childhood may set an individual on a trajectory to being exposed to more stressors over the life course,” Cohen and coauthors write.

1. Stress doesn’t affect men and women equally.

Men and women respond differently to stress, both in their behavior and their physiological response. And women are apparently exposed more frequently to stressful experiences than men are. Partly that may be because “men tend to only report stressful events that occur directly to them” while women consider themselves stressed also when the actual event happens to someone close to them. Men and women may also differ in their vulnerability to stress-induced illness. Women seem more prone to stress-related depression, for instance.

Toll of stress on disease All these “secrets” sketch a still incomplete picture of the stress-illness connection. Some things are clear: Evidence is strong that stressful events make a disease you already have worse, but the research is iffy about whether stress can make you sick to begin with. There are clues about how stressful events exacerbate disease — by altering your biology, your mood and your behavior.

Chronic, ongoing stress (like working for a psychopath boss) generates a more general susceptibility to the kinds of physiological and emotional changes that promote disease, while acute immediate stressful events can be effective triggers for turning underlying conditions like cardiovascular disease into heart attacks.

Still many questions about the stress-disease relationship remain unanswered. Experts don’t even know exactly why stressful events are stressful. And evidence is meager on whether particular types of stress are especially likely to promote specific diseases. Much remains to be learned about how a stress event’s effects vary with your stage in life.

Nailing down those details remains a major research challenge. It’s not easy for researchers to answer all these questions, because the obvious experiments would be somewhat unethical.

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You’d have to give one big group of people a bad job with a bad boss and then make sure bad things happened to them all the time, while rigging conditions for another group to enjoy stressfree luxury. It would be kind of like The Truman Show, only with manipulating enough characters to get statistical significance.

Tom Siegfried is a science writer and editor in the Washington, DC, area. He writes the Context blog for Science News and is at work on a book about the history of the multiverse.

Thank you to Knowable Magazine for the use of this article.

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Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash

By Michelle L Geldenhuys

It seems my inspiration for writing is born from my experiences which bring me varying levels of discomfort. In those experiences that make me take a long hard look at myself I often find teachings that I feel compelled to share through the magic of words.

A suspicion has awakened within me that my body is calling and even creating these experiences in order to teach me and others. I say “my body” because my consciousness, or spirit, always seems to know better… Yet, I am still drawn to creating certain experiences that do not always end well, or at least the way I envisioned.

Recently I did something that was completely impulsive and driven by a need for passionate expression, something that I almost immediately regretted. I believe we have all done things of this nature, things that lead us into feelings of regret or embarrassment or even self-doubt. What

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it is that I did I am not going to get into, however I can say that it was to do with communicating my feelings in such a way that most certainly gave off the wrong impression and could possibly have ruined a blossoming friendship. Basically it was lacking in depth and discipline. After all I am not a full blown master as yet. And this body I chose… well she is certainly an impulsive and fiery one.

This experience led me into one of the most powerful dialogues I have ever had between my spirit and my body.

One night (shortly after said incident) in my apartment in Cambodia, whilst the rain was beating down on the earth like a symphony of tribal drums, I decided to go into channelling mode during a meditation.

The following dialogue ensued between my consciousness (the eternal aspect) and my body (the temporary aspect): Consciousness: “Mish… How stupid you were to have done what you did, what on earth drove you to express your fleeting emotions in such a way?”

Body: “Who do you think is having this human experience? If you think it is you, you are sorely mistaken. You are immortal and infinite, yet I am mortal and finite. Therefore it is I who is experiencing this reality and all the messiness in it.”

Consciousness: “Ok, fair enough. The problem is that I no longer know if I can trust my own feelings, the feelings that arise. In the moment it always feels so right, however afterwards it becomes evident that the choice made in these moments that seemed so right, were in fact the wrong choices. It is always said that we need to follow the ‘gut feelings’ and follow our hearts and follow our choices that feel right… however these choices, after being made, seem to present most unpleasant feelings. These choices seem to leave me with feelings of guilt and regret and sometimes even embarrassment. Why would you make things feel so right if they are so wrong?”

Body: “The problem dear consciousness, which is actually not a problem at all from my perspective, is that there is no ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ experience, there is merely experience. It is that simple. The other problem you face is that you are trying to manifest what you think it is I want, when I am manifesting what I know I need. I am manifesting what I know I need in order to heal and to transform not only myself but others too.

Those feelings that you say you no longer feel you can trust, those feelings are there for a reason and will continue to drive this experience regardless of how you feel about the outcomes. Surely you have heard the words “be true to yourself” being spoken by many who have walked this earth… do you think that ‘being true to you’, or to your body’s experience, is always going to leave you feeling elated and blissful? Being true to yourself is about being fully enraptured by the experiences you manifest, loving yourself unconditionally and of course discovering and accepting the teachings that these experiences sought to bring you. In fact the more uncomfortable they feel is a sign of how much you have been redirected out of your comfort zone, how much of your mask you have been cleverly coaxed into removing. This experience is

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called “vulnerability” and vulnerability comes at a price. Sometimes it will bring about pleasant feelings, but mostly it will not… but this is the path of being true to your experience.

I know you are fully enlightened, dear consciousness, and see yourself sitting cross legged and blissfully transformed at the foot of the Bodhi tree like Siddhartha Gautama but I am not there yet. You are experiencing your enlightenment, which has already happened, in the context of time. You are experiencing the unfoldment of enlightenment as if it has not happened yet. This is the beauty of it. The flowering of the rose is just as beautiful as the fully blossomed rose. The journey is the destination dear consciousness. And when you take it upon yourself to judge me and judge my choices and experiences you distance yourself from me and that is not unconditional love.

How can you talk of and desire to teach unconditional love when you cannot even love me unconditionally? I am the body you chose, you are my spirit guide… and you are merely here to embrace this journey of healing I am on, to hold space for me.

This journey of healing and transformation is a messy one, it is one that is full of all kinds of emotions and feelings. If you came into this body expecting only blissful feelings… well then, welcome to the surprise party! You are going to experience it ALL. And all I want from you is to accept that and just to love me unconditionally. That is why you are here. In higher or alternate dimensions, where there is love and peace and harmony, unconditional love is easy and natural.

But in this reality it is not that easy and this is what you are here to master. You are here to master unconditional love through the experience of this body, this body that is playing out a narrative, this body that is healing, this body that is transforming… and transforming at its own pace. So please… stop judging these experiences, just learn from them and then share what you have learnt.”

Photo by Aliyah Jamous on Unsplash

And then…. My soul was quiet. I had no more words. I sat in silent contemplation whilst the tears rolled down my cheeks.

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I realised in that moment why I had chosen this body. This body is coded with knowledge and information that I came here to experience. True knowledge is gained through experience, through practical experience… through hardships and heartbreaks and disappointments and the ‘break-throughs’ that follow.

I realized that I had always perceived my soul (the great consciousness that resides in this body) as the superior aspect of my being and that the body was the inferior aspect, the damaged aspect, the clueless aspect, the incomplete aspect, the aspect that is needing guidance…

However all of a sudden here was my body giving my soul guidance and teaching my soul about what unconditional love was all about! Suddenly I realized how profound and enlightened and knowledgeable my body actually is and that perhaps it was my body all this time guiding my soul and not the other way around.

And then I was brought back to a question Wayne Dyer once posed: “Can you see yourselves as spiritual beings having a human experience, rather than human beings who may be having a spiritual experience?”

And then it became clear to me that we are trying to transcend an experience that is calling for our presence. We are constantly trying to be these all-knowing spiritual beings when our bodies are trying exceptionally hard to experience this multi-faceted dimension in all of its tumultuous wonder.

The more we say things like “this world is doomed”, “there is something wrong with me”, “I am not yet whole”, “free me from this place”… all these types of remarks we say to ourselves gives feedback to the body that we do not want to be with the body through the body’s choice of experiences. And of course like a child who feels ignored and abandoned the body rebels with more intense feelings of discomfort. That intense discomfort is a sign that we are not in alignment with our physical aspect… the body. The body is merely calling for our surrender to this experience, for our acceptance of this experience and the lessons it will bring. The unconditional love we all seek is the love our body desires from our soul, our higher consciousness aspect.

We would not be here if we did not crave this experience, yet all we do is judge and condemn this experience. We constantly see ourselves as making mistakes and ruining possibilities and acting in ways that do not reflect the true knowledge of our higher consciousness, or our higherself.

Yet the higher-self is merely here to observe and to learn from the body!

Our bodies carry ancient knowledge… knowledge gained (through experiences) that is passed down from generation to generation in the cells of our bodies (see also ‘epigenetics’). These bodies carry insight and knowledge and we chose these bodies for a very specific reason.

I am no longer under the impression that it is my soul delivering knowledge to my body, but rather that it is my body who is awakening knowledge within my soul.

I always like to leave my readers with a challenge…

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So todays challenge is to write down the last three things you did that you regret, no matter how significant or insignificant they may seem (as it is all significant), and sit in silent contemplation about each one of these experiences and wait for the lessons to present themselves to you‌ and they will. Strike up a dialogue between your consciousness and your body and allow the energy to express itself through you. In doing this you will start to become aware of the learning process your body is taking you through. You will realize that your body is the wise one on this journey and that it is time to give your body the honor, respect and unconditional love it deserves.

These realisations I experience are generally divinely aligned with outside teachings that present themselves to me. I would like to share this teaching by Matt Kahn (who may come across as religious however he is not) who has many amazing teachings available on Youtube. This teaching came to me at the exact time I needed it to facilitate and to perhaps accelerate my break-through and I urge those looking for a different perspective on this experience to click on the link below and watch the video: The End of Inner Conflict – Matt Kahn Much love to all of you.

Love yourself passionately!

Michelle L Geldenhuys

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About Michelle: Editor Cj: “I am honoured to call Michelle a dear friend of mine.

She radiates such beautiful light and love, that one cannot help but be drawn to her. Her posts always resonate so deeply with me and I know that many of you will find the same” Michelle: “Life is an incredible journey of pain and pleasure engaged in an infinite dance. Our ability to embrace both our light and dark determines the depth at which we will experience our lives.

I share my perspectives and my personal lessons for those who resonate with my journey to enjoy.”

Michelle’s Books: A Guide To Shadow Work A short and powerful 9 step guide to healing Kindle Edition Once again this incredible author highlights the importance of healing our pain that we carry.

Her first book "Evolution of a Battered Mind" described how she had learnt of the importance of healing through her experiences in life.

Now she has put together a brief but powerful 9 step guide that will help anyone on their path towards healing their inner trauma, or 'shadow’.

"I myself have been working with my own shadows for most of my life and can say with humbleness and pride that although there were times when my shadow completely overcame me, I have learnt to embrace every inch of what is me and I have found the key to liberation from the torment of this inner shadow. The ‘key’ to it all, that I have discovered through my journey, I have broken down into 9 separate parts.”

Click Here to Buy on Amazon Evolution of a battered mind: A true story of depression, addiction, sexuality and spiritual awakening Kindle Edition Reading this book may cause you to question your reality, question your comforts, question your addictions, question life.

Click Here to Buy on Amazon

This multi-faceted autobiography dives deep into the authors experiences of depression, addiction, coming to terms with her sexuality and subsequently her emergence into spiritual awakening. The mind can be our worst enemy.

Our inner demons torment and control us. This is a real, raw and uncensored journey to the depths of the soul, where darkness is embraced, and where healing begins.

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Eczema SkinCare: Cleared My Psoriasis

By Nina Geraghty

Gerda Snyman wrote this wonderful BaoCare Eczema Skincare review about how much it’s helped her psorasis: “Psoriasis is, according to those who are in the know, an incurable decease. I have been suffering from this for about 15 years. They can’t say why or how it started and there is no cure. I was diagnosed after an biopsy was done. For 14 years I have used every possible ointment, cream or homemade concoction. About a year ago I was introduced to BaoCare oils and started using BaoCare Eczema SkinCare Oil. I’m delighted to report it has now been months since I had any flare-ups, irritations or outbreaks.”

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Are You Friends with Your Money?

Give Yourself Permission To Be Prosperous

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

By Louise Hay, courtesy of www.healyourlife.com

What do you believe about money? Do you believe that there’s enough? Do you attach your self-worth to it? Do you think it’ll bring your heart’s desire? Are you friends with money or is it an enemy?

Having more money isn’t enough. We need to learn how to deserve and enjoy the money that we have. Often I hear people say this about money: I can’t save money.

I can’t pay my bills.

I don’t earn enough.

Bankruptcy is around the corner.

My credit rating is bad.

I can’t save for my retirement.

Money slips through my fingers.

I can’t let go of my money.

Everything is so expensive.

How many of these statements sound like you? If you’ve checked off three or more, it’s time to work on your money issues! Large

Why does everyone else have money?

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amounts of money don’t guarantee prosperity. People who have a lot of money can be engulfed in poverty consciousness. They can be more fearful about not having money than someone who lives on the streets. The ability to enjoy their money and to live in a world of abundance may elude them. Socrates, the great philosopher, once said that “contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.”

As I’ve said many times, prosperity consciousness is not dependent on money; your flow is dependent upon your prosperity consciousness.

Let’s examine your feelings about money. Answer the following questions as best you can: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

What’s my biggest fear about money?

What did I learn about money as a child?

What were my parents’ thoughts about money?

How were finances handled in my family?

How do I handle money now?

Do I feel worthy of having and enjoying money?

What would I like to change about my money consciousness?

Our pursuit of money must contribute to the quality of our lives. If it doesn’t—that is, if we hate what we do in order to get money, then money will be useless. Prosperity involves the quality of our lives as well as any amount of money that we possess.

Prosperity isn’t defined by money alone; it encompasses time, love, success, joy, comfort, beauty, and wisdom. For example, you can be poor with respect to your time. If you feel rushed, pressured, and harried, then your time is steeped in poverty. But, if you feel you have all the time you need to finish any job, then your time is prosperous.

What about success? Do you feel that it’s beyond your reach and completely unattainable? Or do you feel that you can be a success in your own right? If you do, then you’re rich with success.

Know that whatever your beliefs are, they can be changed in this moment. The power that created you has given you the power to create your own experiences. You can change!

Here are some of my favorite prosperity affirmations:

• • • • • • • • • • •

My income is constantly increasing.

My credit rating is getting better all the time.

I spend money wisely.

I always have as much as I need.

I have as much money as I can accept.

I bless all of my bills. I pay them on time.

I am financially solvent.

I am providing for my retirement.

I enjoy every penny that I spend.

I give myself permission to be prosperous.

And so it is!

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Filled with inspiring articles on the Montessori Method, bringing Montessori into the home; conscious parenting, conscious living, wellness, self improvement, fitness &more.

To Subscribe to the Child of the Universe Montessori Mag-nificence Parenting Online Magazine for Free, Click Here Your monthly free digital mag will be emailed to you* *by subscribing, you acknowledge that your email address and name will be added to the publishers of Conscious Life Magazine’s database. The publishers are, Vinloco Media & 2Luni Media. You will only receive your monthly magazine and, from time to time, mails related to Conscious Life Magazine and the Child of The Universe Parenting Magazines. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in the mailer you receive.

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Monthly Online Free Parenting Magazine filled with inspiring articles on the conscious parenting, conscious living, wellness, self improvement, fitness &more.

To Subscribe to the Child of the Universe Positive Parenting Online Magazine for Free, Click Here Your monthly free digital mag will be emailed to you* *by subscribing, you acknowledge that your email address and name will be added to the publishers of Conscious Life Magazine’s database. The publishers are, Vinloco Media & 2Luni Media. You will only receive your monthly magazine and, from time to time, mails related to Conscious Life Magazine and the Child of The Universe Parenting Magazines. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in the mailer you receive.

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DOES HEALING AND WELL-BEING START ON THE INSIDE?

By Down to Earth

Our culture has always looked at well-being from the outside in. We tend to look at what makes us sick and we try to control those factors.

We consider viruses, bacteria and an unhealthy lifestyle the causes of disease.

As much as healthy habits keep us fit and strong, and are preventative measures against many illnesses and age-related diseases, we must not neglect our inner environment. It is something very powerful that is within our control.

Inner peace and calm lead to happiness, with less daily stress and anxiety. Less stress has a positive effect on our immune and nervous systems, and we are able to deal with challenges more easily and in constructive ways. This includes fending off viruses and bacteria, as well as healing physical and emotional wounds.

What is inner peace?

Inner peace may have a different meaning for different people, however, in broad terms it simply means that you truly know yourself and that you operate from an authentic place, independent of outside influence and circumstance. When you have inner peace, you become unattached to specific outcomes and you take things less seriously. In short, you are just more happy and the stress of life does not affect you as much.

It is something we all can strive for and something worth working on.

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How to find inner peace There are many practises that can help us get in touch with our inner world. Here are a few suggestions that can help calm a busy brain and assist with relaxation; • Mindfulness • Meditation • Yoga • Thai chi There are also strategies we can use to simplify our lives, and to find balance and perspective.

Some strategies include; • • • • •

De-clutter your space Spend time in nature Disconnect from tech regularly Resolve issues as soon as you can Consider what you are grateful for on a daily basis

There is no method or combination that works best. It is up to each individual to explore and find what works for them.

By focusing on ourselves and our inner world, our outer world is much easier to manage. We become stronger and more resilient. We naturally make decisions that are in our best interest, as well as that of other people and the planet. Let’s start on the inside.

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By Health Coaches Academy When it comes to a change in our careers we start to have those nagging negative thoughts.

One of these being the internal thoughts we have about what other people will think - in particular, our family and friends.

These can stem from thoughts that we refer to as "limiting beliefs". They are like a self-imposed glass ceiling that we create. However, they are not necessarily truths. Are these thoughts coming from a place of fear? (which is totally natural by the way). Write the thought down on a piece of paper.

Next step is to pretend for a moment that that fear or belief is totally true for a second. Think of what the worst-case scenario could be. Sure, some family and friends might not agree about you wanting to follow your passion, but what would really be the worst that could arise?

Then there is the alternative...imagine for one minute that this fear is not true and that you actually get encouragement from your nearest and dearest. This career can also be built in and around other work, you get to choose. That's the beauty of it. But what would happen if you never tried at all?

Finally, you actually get to choose, you get to decide what is most important to you some people will support you and other's might not that's just life anyway. You cannot please everyone all of the time.

Here at Health Coaches Academy, we are always inspired by people who are following their passion for health and wellness let’s listen to Anita Kaumpek of TAM describing how Health Coaching has changed her life in her own words, who felt the fear and just took the leap anyway.

I think you will find her story inspiring...

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Anita Kaumpek of TAM HCA Graduate "Being a health coach is a way of life, it's my happy place, my love, my passion. It’s being excited to wake up in the morning and get to work.

Being a health coach means being my own boss, running my own practice, working at my own pace and most of all helping people to invest in themselves.

As a health coach, we do more than coach people back to good health. We change their lives.

We help our clients to be the best version of themselves. We help them to find their balance, reach their potential and to do life as best as they can whilst gaining confidence, humility and pride in themselves.

I found that the Health Coaches Academy program gave me EVERYTHING I needed to start in practice. Yes, I was already in the industry so there was an element of self-confidence already there but starting out as a health coach was still brand new.

The fact that during the course we go through marketing material, business plans etc. is so valuable and at the time might seem tedious because all you want to do is get the nutrition and coaching information but for me it was just as important and it saved me hours of work later on.

Whilst going through the modules I was almost anxious of how I was going to put all this Information together into client sessions. I was very daunted to start my full case studies but excited at the same time.

Then when I did my first few full case studies I started to worry about how I am going to start charging people for these sessions and became daunted by that. However, everything unfolded just perfectly and by the time I completed my case studies I was confident enough and felt I was good enough to start charging.

The moral of this story is to trust the process, do each assignment to the best of your ability and know that it all comes together in the end. I would suggest you really do all your case study work and more, if you not confident in one area where you needed case studies then do a few more than what is required of the assignment. It is through the short, topic focused, case studies in the modules that really gets you prepared for the full ones which ultimately sets you up for practice.

When it comes to starting out in practice you just have to go for it. I was lucky enough that 4 of my case studies wanted to continue working with me after the 4/8 weeks was over so the start of my practice happened by default.

I was going to hold them off and wait for “this” to happen or “that” but then when I realized how much these people were relying on me I knew I couldn’t delay. It was scary and I was unsure but that was very short lived. I had everything I needed to start in practice (material wise- everything was covered in the course content) so in hind sight delaying would have been nothing but procrastination.

I then also started an online group coaching program. Again, at first, I was waiting for everything

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“everything” to be ‘just so’ before I started advertising and I never felt prepared enough until one day I thought enough procrastinating and just advertised. I was trying to prepare for things that might happen or might crop up but it is impossible to prepare for it and I realized I will not be the perfect coach but I will be a good enough one.

I will learn as I go along and will tweak things along the way. I was honest with my clients and told them I am fairly new at it and that we all going to grow and learn from each other. With each group program, I have learnt SO much and have evolved with it. My business model has changed several times and I’m always tweaking things here and there. I have increased my prices as my self-confidence has increased too.

So, my advice is to not procrastinate starting up your practice or business. You don’t have to be perfect and know it all to start, you will have all the tools you need, the program even gives you confidence you just have to believe in yourself and go for it. You will be amazed. Be adaptable. Be kind to yourself and allow yourself the space to grow and evolve.

Don’t be rigid. Just do it When I finished, I was prepared to go straight into practice. The content covers business plans, marketing strategies, target market and a lot more than just the educational aspect of health, nutrition and coaching. All of the material is comprehensive and structured in an easy to follow way. Not once, did I ever feel alone or unsupported? It way exceeded my expectations. They give you so many tools to set you up for successful practice. Being a health coach has helped me to feel fulfilled and live a more balanced life.

Every day I am evolving and learning

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by Anne Hahn, as published on www.clicks.co.za Ozone therapy is not about trying to restore the holes in the ozone layer, it's about tapping into the health benefits of this pure gas. Here's what you need to know.

Oxygen is needed by every cell in the body for oxidation – the process which breaks down toxins and destroys damaged cells so that they can be excreted in sweat and urine. The chemical formula for ozone is O3 which means it’s made up of three oxygen atoms instead of the two that make up the oxygen (O2) we find in the air we breathe.

Ozone is known as ‘activated oxygen’ because it not only has a detox effect, but is also able to kill micro-organisms such as yeasts (for example, candida that causes thrush), moulds and fungi (responsible for allergies), bacteria (which can cause infections) and viruses (ozone is effective against Epstein-Barr and cytomegalovirus, common in chronic fatigue syndrome). Ozone therapy is also used for inflammatory diseases including arthritis, and for improving circulation in heart conditions, stroke and diabetes.

How ozone therapy works Oxygen is passed through an ozone generator to produce ozone that can be administered as: • A sauna – ozonated steam is used as a detoxification process to stimulate circulation and boost the immune system. Your head stays outside the sauna cabinet because the ozone is absorbed through the skin and not breathed in.

• Injections – into muscles, veins or under the skin.

• Autohaemotherapy – this procedure involves taking 100-150ml of the patient’s blood into a sterile container, mixing it with ozone, then using an intravenous drip to return it to the patient’s bloodstream.

• Local treatment – ozone in a plastic bag is passed into the rectum, vagina or bladder to treat infections. Burns are treated by covering the area with a plastic hood containing ozone.

• Ozonated olive oil – used for dry skin, wrinkles, sunburn, cuts and bruises.

Hyperbaric therapy Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been around for centuries. It involves the administration of oxygen in a pressurised container. This therapy is routinely used for deep-sea divers with ‘the bends’ (decompression sickness caused by coming to the surface too quickly). It has been found to have beneficial effects for conditions ranging from carbon monoxide poisoning (from inhaling exhaust fumes) to burns, skin grafts and wounds (such as diabetic foot ulcers). Healing is enhanced because oxygen gets to the affected area quickly and in high concentrations. The treatment involves going into a closed chamber in which the atmospheric pressure is increased.

The patient inhales 100-percent oxygen through a mask and is instructed to breathe the chamber air at intervals. The number and duration of treatments depend on the condition being treated.

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Amaranth: A Gluten-Free, ProteinRich Grain Full of Benefits

By Kyra Oliver courtesy of www.draxe.com

If you’re on the lookout for gluten-free grains that pack a nutritional punch, you’ll definitely want to try amaranth. The grain is gaining popularity today because of its startling health benefits. It has an earthy and nutty flavor, helps you to feel full because of its fiber content, and like quinoa, serves as an excellent source of protein.

A 2017 review published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research indicates that the proteins found in amaranth are particularly high in nutritional quality due to the outstanding balance of essential amino acids. Plus, the phytochemicals found in amaranth contribute to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and allows for the grain’s range of health benefits.

If you’re looking for a new gluten-free grain to add to your favorite recipes, give amaranth a try.

It’s tasty, filling and nutritious.

What Is Amaranth?

Amaranth is the common name for more than 60 different species of amaranthus. This glutenfree grain was a major food crop of the Aztecs, and some estimate that it was domesticated between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago.

Because of the high proteins, minerals and vitamins present in amaranth seeds, these ancient cultures depended on the grain as a major staple in their diets.

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Amaranth is still the native crop in Peru, and it’s grown in Africa, India, China, Russia, South America and North America.

•

It’s a very tall plant with broad green leaves and vividly bright purple, red or gold flowers.

Amaranth grows in harsh and lackluster nutrient conditions, such as in light soils, much like the grain sorghum, so it’s a very efficient grain crop. “Pigweed” is the wild amaranth species that grows in the United States and is used as a food crop.

• •

Did you know that there are many amaranth products on the market? The ancient grain can be consumed as a leaf, cereal grain, amaranth flour and amaranth oil. In fact, the amaranth leaf is used to make medicine, while the grain is used in food for its fiber and protein content, and the oil is applied topically to promote skin health.

The benefits of amaranth come from the fact that it’s a complete protein that has antiinflammatory and antioxidant effects. It’s also rich in fiber and has shown to fight heart disease and digestive problems. For these reasons, choosing to cook amaranth and add it to your daily diet can have great benefits.

Nutrition Facts Amaranth is a great source of protein, fiber, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. It helps keep your digestive system regulated, build your strength, and reduce the risk of fracture or broken bones.

According to the USDA, one cup (approximately 246 grams) of cooked amaranth grain has about: • 251 calories • 46 grams carbohydrates • 9.3 grams protein • 3.9 grams fat • 5.2 grams fiber • 2.1 milligrams manganese (105 percent DV)

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• • • • • •

160 milligrams magnesium (40 percent DV) 364 milligrams phosphorus (36 percent DV) 5.2 milligrams iron (29 percent DV) 13.5 micrograms selenium (19 percent DV) 0.4 milligram copper (18 percent DV) 0.3 milligram vitamin B6 (14 percent DV) 54.1 micrograms folate (14 percent DV) 2.1 milligrams zinc (14 percent DV) 116 milligrams calcium (12 percent DV) 332 milligrams potassium (9 percent DV)

Top 9 Benefits of Amaranth 1. High Source of Protein The protein contained in amaranth is of an unusually high quality, providing nine grams for one cup of cooked grain. Protein is used in every cell in our bodies and is critical for building muscle mass, supporting neurological function, aiding in digestion, helping balance hormones naturally and keeping an upbeat mood.

Protein foods are also beneficial for preventing weight gain since they make us feel full and require more work for the body to digest than fast-acting refined carbohydrates.

A 2008 study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that consuming protein before and after exercise has beneficial effects by decreasing exercise-induced muscle damage and promoting muscle-protein synthesis.

This study suggests that protein is useful for muscle recovery and immune regulation for sports events.

2. Reduces Inflammation Amaranth has the power to reduce inflammation, which is associated with just about every health condition. When dietary and environmental toxins build up in the body, the immune system becomes

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overactive, and it stimulates defense cells and hormones that damage tissues.

When the immune system overreaches and begins attacking healthy body tissues, we’re met with an autoimmune disorder like leaky gut syndrome and inflammation in otherwise healthy areas of the body.

This is also the case for arthritis and fibromyalgia symptoms, as well as celiac and irritable bowel disease. Because grains and protein-rich foods help fight inflammation, amaranth is a great tool for your body.

A major health benefit of anti-inflammatory foods is the way they relieve pain induced by arthritis and gout. Arthritis is a joint disease that causes swelling and pain in the joints.

One type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which occurs when the cartilage between joints wears down and causes inflammation and pain. This type of arthritis generally occurs in the joints we most frequently use, such as knees, hips, spine and hands.

A 2014 study published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research showed that amaranth inhibited inflammation in humans and mice.

This suggests that amaranth serves as a natural treatment for arthritis and has the power to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

3. Supports Bone Health The calcium present in amaranth grain allows the body to use this mineral for bone repair and strengthening. Including calcium-rich foods in your daily diet is so important because it helps heal broken or weak bones.

A calcium deficiency increases your risk of a fracture and developing osteoporosis, which is when small holes or weakened areas are formed in the bone that can lead to fractures,

pain and a Dowager’s hump.

A 2013 study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition found that amaranth consumption is an interesting and effective way to increase the nutritional value of calcium, as well as iron and zinc.

Calcium is so important because without enough of it in the body, bones are susceptible to becoming weak and pliable, making them more prone to fractures and breaks. Calcium aids in bone strength as the bones build up calcium stores over time.

4. Helps Lower Cholesterol A 2003 study published in the International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research tested the effects of amaranth grain on cholesterol levels in animals models.

Amaranth grain decreased very low-density LDL cholesterol by 21 percent to 50 percent.

LDL is known as the bad cholesterol because it’s low in proteins and high in cholesterol.

Thus, this grain is a cholesterol-lowering food.

Amaranth also aided digestion by increasing fecal excretion or frequency of bowel movements. This is due to the fiber content present in amaranth. The fiber binds cholesterol in the digestive system and causes it to be excreted by the body.

Eating high-fiber foods helps the body lower cholesterol naturally. The fiber acts on the bile that’s made from cholesterol, pulling it out of the body with stool. Because of this process, the liver is required to make more bile, which uses the body’s cholesterol stores, lowering cholesterol overall.

5. Aids Digestive System Because of amaranth’s high fiber content, it stimulates the digestive system and helps regulate the excretion of bodily waste. Due to its structure and our inability to absorb it,

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fiber passes through the digestive system unabsorbed by digestive enzymes within the stomach, taking with it toxins, waste, fat and cholesterol particles out of the gut.

According to research conducted at Purdue University, 78 percent of the fiber in amaranth is insoluble fiber and 22 percent is soluble fiber, which is a higher proportion than what is found in wheat and maize.

Soluble fiber is vital for proper digestion because it dissolves into a gluey mass and traps fats, sugars, bacteria and toxins. While aiding the digestive system, amaranth is also able to prevent other health conditions like leaky gut syndrome.

In order to understand leaky gut syndrome, think of the lining of your digestive tract like a net with extremely small holes in it that only allow specific substances to pass through. Your gut lining works as a barrier — keeping out bigger particles that can damage your system.

This leads to inflammation throughout the digestive system, and it causes fatigue, bloating, weight gain, headaches, skin issues and thyroid problems.

It can also lead to multiple food sensitivities. This is because partially digested protein and fat can seep through your intestinal linking, making their way into the bloodstream and causing an allergic reaction.

By sprouting a grain like amaranth, you get a great source of fiber that can help support the growth of beneficial bacteria, thereby working to treat leaky gut syndrome.

6. Helps Fight Diabetes With just a cup of amaranth providing over

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100 percent the daily recommended dose of manganese, it can be eaten as part of a diabetic diet that helps reduce high blood sugar levels.

pregnant women, a folate deficiency can lead to neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. A deficiency can also cause defects such as heart and limb malformations.

Manganese is needed to help with proper production of digestive enzymes responsible for a process called gluconeogenesis.

Gluconeogenesis involves the conversion of protein’s amino acids into sugar and the balance of sugar within the bloodstream.

Adequate intake of folate foods is needed for DNA replication, so without folate, the fetus’ cells are unable to grow properly. This is why folate is known as possibly the most critical vitamin for a healthy pregnancy.

According to research published in BMC Endocrine Disorders, the prevalence of diabetes and renal dysfunction increased with participants with low blood manganese levels.

Researchers suggest that low blood manganese may play a role in glucose homeostasis and renal function.

7. It’s Gluten-Free Amaranth is gluten-free, so people with sensitivities or intolerances to gluten are free to eat this beneficial grain. Gluten sensitivity is a cluster of symptoms related to a reaction to the protein found in the wheat plant called gluten.

The severe form of gluten sensitivity is celiac’s disease, but research suggests that non-celiac gluten sensitivity can also cause less severe symptoms, such as joint pain, headaches, fatigue and poor memory.

Symptoms of gluten intolerance may include fatigue, bone and joint pain, arthritis, infertility, miscarriage, depression, and skin rashes, just to name a few.

A gluten-sensitivity diet includes grains like amaranth, quinoa and nutritious buckwheat.

8. Helps Pregnant Women The folate in amaranth grain helps the body make new cells, specifically by playing a role in copying and synthesizing DNA. For

Research shows that the fortification of foods with folate by the FDA has decreased the risk for neural tube defects by 26 percent. It’s critical to have adequate levels of blood folate before getting pregnant because the fastest cell replication happens in the early stages.

9. Aids Weight Loss There are a number of reasons why consuming amaranth helps maintain a healthy and desired weight. It’s full of fiber, which keeps your digestive system regulated and reduces inflammation.

Amaranth strengthens bones, allowing you to be physically active and reducing the risk of broken bones or fractures. It’s also a great source of protein, which keeps you full longer and increases endurance levels.

Amaranth grain is particularly high in lysine, an amino acid found in low quantities in other grains. Lysine is important for proper growth, and research published in The Journal of Physiology shows that it plays an essential role in the production of carnitine, a nutrient responsible for converting fatty acids into energy and helping lower cholesterol.

Athletes sometimes use lysine as a protein supplement because it increases energy and stimulates muscle growth. If you are looking to lose weight, but you feel too sluggish to exercise as much as you’d like, try adding amaranth to your diet.

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Uses Amaranth is available to purchase in any local health food store. There are a few forms of the grain on the market, including amaranth oil, which is often used to boost skin health, and amaranth flour.

The grains or seeds are the most popular form. To cook amaranth seeds, follow the following steps: 1.

2.

3.

use the ratio of 1.5 cups water to a half cup amaranth heat the mixture in a small saucepan until it begins to boil reduce the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, until the water is absorbed.

This typically takes about 20 minutes.

This ancient grain has a nutty and toasted flavor, so it works well in many dishes — from breakfast to dessert. Here are a few ideas about how to include amaranth grain into your everyday diet: • • • • • • •

Mix amaranth with fruit, nuts and probiotic yogurt for breakfast Serve amaranth instead of rice, pasta, orzo, couscous or risotto Add amaranth to soup or chili to create a thicker texture Make “rice cakes” with amaranth and honey Make “rice pudding” with amaranth Use amaranth flour to make gluten-free baked goods Add amaranth to a smoothie for a nutty flavour

How to Grow and Sprout Sprouting grains (including amaranth), nuts, beans or seeds is extremely beneficial. It is essentially the practice of germinating seeds so they’re easier to digest and your body can access their full nutritional profile.

When you sprout a grain like amaranth, it helps to: increase nutrient absorption make food easier to digest decrease phytic acid break down gluten increase enzymes and antioxidants Soaking is when the whole seed or kernel is soaked in liquid for a period of time, sometimes in some sort of acidic liquid. When people talk about soaking seeds in acid liquid, they’re usually referring to fermenting and using these two phrases interchangeably. To soak amaranth grains, let them sit for eight hours.

Sprouting takes place when the whole seed/kernel is sprouted — or germinated.

After it’s sprouted, it can be dehydrated and ground into flour (which is the case with Ezekiel bread). To sprout amaranth grains, let them sit for one to three days.

Most experts agree that soaking is good, but consensus is that foods that are soaked and then sprouted for a period of time become more nutrient-dense the longer they’re able to sit, sprout and grow (assuming they have no mold).

Recipes A great way to add amaranth into your diet is to eat it for breakfast. Many people start their days with oats — try amaranth grain instead.

It adds a nuttiness to your oatmeal, and it mixes perfectly with fruit and raw yogurt.

Here are some easy recipes to try with amaranth: •

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This Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Recipe has lots of flavor and nutrients This Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Recipe is another great option. Just swap out the oats and add amaranth to thicken

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• •

the dish — it will keep you full for hours.

A simple way to add amaranth to your diet is by using it instead of brown rice. This healthy Brown Rice, Basil and Tomatoes Recipe is easy to put together, and it’s full of antiinflammatory nutrients.

Another great option for adding amaranth to your diet is this Gluten-Free Coffee Cake Recipe. This popular recipe calls for almond flour, but it is great with amaranth flour too. The amaranth adds a nutty flavor that brings out the coffee in this recipe. It’s healthy for you because it has no refined sugar, and it’s gluten-free!

Side Effects It’s safe to consume amaranth in food amounts, and there are no known side effects. If you notice that amaranth is difficult to digest, try soaking or sprouting it.

If you’re pregnant and have not used amaranth before, don’t start using it at this time, as some people may be allergic to it.

Final Thoughts • • • •

Amaranth is a gluten-free grain that provides protein, fiber and a range of micronutrients.

The grain has an earthy and nutty flavor. Research indicates that amaranth benefits come from its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Amaranth can be used in place of any grain. It adds a nuttiness to recipes and works to thicken dishes too.

Sprouting amaranth makes it easier to digest and increases nutrient absorption. It also helps to break down gluten and may increase digestive enzymes.

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Top 5 Maca Root Benefits and Nutrition (No. 4 is Best)

By Rachael Link, MS, RD of www.draxe.com

Despite being revered for its medicinal properties for thousands of years, maca root is one of the newest remedies to take center stage in the natural health community, and its newfound superfood status is well-deserved. Researchers are continually turning up new health benefits associated with this powerful root vegetable.

What is maca? Known by its scientific name, Lepidium meyenii, maca is a type of cruciferous vegetable native to the Andes of Peru. Maca has a similar appearance and size as radishes or turnips with green tops and roots that range in color from yellow to purple and black.

The pleasant-tasting root, or hypocotyls, is usually available in powder form after being harvested and grounded down. Not only is it a natural source of healing nutrition, but it also has a long history of being a safe superfood that has been consumed for its health benefits for thousands of years in regions of the Andes Mountains.

It’s also considered an “adaptogen,� a name given to certain herbs, plants and natural substances that help the body naturally adapt to stressors like a busy schedule, demanding job or illness.

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Not only that, but maca provides a host of important micronutrients and is jam-packed with antioxidants, and it has been shown to improve sexual health, balance hormone levels, and boost energy, mood and memory.

Maca Root Benefits 1. Rich in Antioxidants Maca root acts as a natural antioxidant, boosting levels of antioxidants like glutathione and superoxide dismutase in the body. Antioxidants help neutralize harmful free radicals, fighting off chronic disease and preventing damage to cells.

One test-tube study in 2014 demonstrated that polysaccharides extracted from maca had high antioxidant activity and were effective in fighting free radical damage. (1) An animal study in the Czech Republic even found that administering a concentrated dose of maca to rats not only improved their antioxidant status, but also significantly decreased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the liver and reduced blood sugar, helping prevent the development of chronic disease. (2) Meanwhile, another test-tube study showed that the antioxidant content of maca leaf extract could even protect against neurological damage. (3) Improving your antioxidant status may be beneficial for preventing conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes by preventing oxidative stress and cell damage. (4) However, despite these promising results, more studies are needed to understand how the antioxidants in maca root may affect humans.

2. Enhances Energy, Mood and Memory Those who regularly use maca powder report that it makes them feel more awake, energized and driven, often relatively quickly after beginning to use it. Plus, maca can help increase energy without giving you

the “jitters” or a sense of shakiness like high level of caffeine can.

Clinical trials have shown that maca may positively impact energy and stamina.

Maintaining positive energy levels can also help improve mood, and some early studies have even found that maca may reduce symptoms of depression. (5) It remains unclear exactly how maca increases energy levels, but it’s believed to help prevent spikes and crashes in blood sugar and maintain adrenal health, which regulates mood and energy throughout the day.

Keeping energy levels up may also help prevent weight gain as well.

Several studies have also found that maca root benefits memory and focus. In fact, two animal studies in 2011 found that black maca was able to improve memory impairment in mice, likely thanks to its high antioxidant content. (6, 7)

3. Improves Female Sexual Health Multiple studies have confirmed that maca benefits female sexual health through several different mechanisms.

Maca root may be able to improve sexual dysfunction and boost sex drive in women.

One study looked at the effects of maca root on post-menopausal women with sexual dysfunction caused by the use of antidepressants. Compared to a placebo, maca root was able to significantly improve sexual function. (8) Another study had similar findings, reporting that maca was welltolerated and able to improve libido and sexual function. (9) A study in 2008 also found that maca root benefits both psychological symptoms and sexual function in post-menopausal women.

In fact, maca was able to reduce menopauseassociated depression and anxiety after six weeks of treatment. (10)

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Maca is also able to balance female sex hormones and has even been shown to alleviate symptoms of menopause.

(11) Balancing hormone levels is crucial to many aspects of reproductive health and can help reduce symptoms like infertility, weight gain and bloating.

4. Balances Estrogen Levels Estrogen is the primary female sex hormone responsible for regulating the reproductive system. An imbalance in this vital hormone can cause a slew of symptoms ranging from bloating to irregular menstrual periods and mood swings. Estrogen levels that are too high or low can also make it difficult for a woman to ovulate and become pregnant.

Maca root can help balance hormone levels and control the amount of estrogen in the body. One study published in the International Journal of Biomedical Science gave 34 early post-menopausal women a tablet containing either maca or a placebo twice daily for four months. Not only did maca help balance hormone levels, but it also relieved symptoms of menopause, such as night sweats and hot flashes, and even increased bone density. (11) In addition to reducing symptoms of menopause, regulating estrogen levels may also help with improving reproductive health and fertility and decreasing symptoms related to conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS), such as excess hair growth, weight gain and acne.

5. Boosts Male Fertility So what about maca root for men?

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While studies don’t support the claim that maca boosts testosterone levels, they do show that maca powder benefits male sexual health and fertility.

• • • •

One study out of Peru found that supplementing with maca for eight weeks increased sexual desire in men. (12) Meanwhile, another study in 2001 found that maca helped improve sperm quality and motility, two important factors when it comes to male infertility. (13)

Where to Find and How to Use Maca Root, Including Dosage

Maca may also benefit sexual dysfunction as well. A 2010 review summarized the results of four clinical trials evaluating the effects of maca on libido and reported that two of the studies showed an improvement in sexual dysfunction and sexual desire in both men and women. However, the other two trials did not find a positive result, so further research is still needed. (14)

Maca Nutrition Maca root powder is an excellent source of protein, fiber and several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, copper and iron. It also contains over 20 amino acids — including all eight essential amino acids — and plenty of healthpromoting phytonutrients. It also contains many beneficial plant compounds, including glucosinolates and polyphenols, and is a popular choice for the vegan diet.

One ounce (or about 2 tablespoons) of maca powder contains approximately: (15) 91 calories • 20 grams carbohydrates • 4 grams protein • 1 gram fat • 2 grams dietary fiber • 79.8 milligrams vitamin C (133 percent DV) • 1.7 milligrams copper (84 percent DV) • 4.1 milligrams iron (23 percent DV) • 560 milligrams potassium (16 percent DV) • 0.3 milligram vitamin B6 (16 percent DV)

0.2 milligram manganese (11 percent DV) 1.6 milligrams niacin (8 percent DV) 70 milligrams calcium (7 percent DV) 0.1 milligram riboflavin (6 percent DV)

By this point, you’re probably wondering: “Where can I buy maca? And can I buy organic maca?”

Thanks to its growing popularity, maca is widely available at health stores, pharmacies and even online retailers. It can also be found in capsule, liquid, powder or extract form. All forms are thought to be equally beneficial, however it is best to buy maca from a quality harvester that ensures its 100 percent pure maca root powder. Ideally, including for maca extract, you should also look for a variety that is raw and organic.

Additionally, maca is categorized based on the color of its roots and is most commonly yellow, black or red. All colors of maca have similar benefits, although specific maca types and colors are thought to be more beneficial for certain medical conditions. Red maca powder is the most common supplement form. Gelatinized maca powder is sometimes referred to as maca flour.

Maca tends to have an earthy, slightly nutty taste with a hint of butterscotch that works especially well when added to oatmeal or cereal. The flavor can also vary based on the type of maca, with black maca being a bit more bitter and cream-colored roots having an even sweeter taste. Maca powder can be easily added to smoothies and drinks or mixed into recipes.

Keep in mind that most people prefer not to microwave or heat their maca powder at high temperatures as the heating process may diminish some of the nutrients.

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In the Andes Mountain where maca cultivation occurs, locals may consume as much as a pound of dried or fresh maca root daily. Most people supplement with somewhere between one gram to 20 grams daily in powder form.

Although there is no official recommended maca powder dosage, it’s best to start out with about one tablespoon (in powder form) daily and work your way up to two to three tablespoons spread throughout the day. Because maca is known for increasing energy and stamina, many people like to take it before exercising to get a burst of extra energy.

Maca Root Recipes There are limitless ways to incorporate this superfood into your diet. Here are a few maca recipes to get you started: Mocha Maca Matcha Coconut and Maca Snack Balls Green Maca Smoothie Raw Chocolate Chip Maca Blondies Maca and Coconut Flour Pancakes

Maca Root vs. Ginseng Like maca, ginseng is a plant with fleshy roots and potent medicinal properties. Both have been used in traditional medicine for centuries and are believed to carry similar health benefits, such as enhanced memory, increased energy levels, reduced menopause symptoms and lower blood

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sugar. Ginseng and maca also both contain antioxidants and have powerful anti-inflammatory powers as well.

However, there are some distinct differences that set these two root vegetables apart. First of all, there is a greater amount of research on ginseng, and it has been associated with a wider range of unique health benefits. In fact, some test-tube and animal studies have found that ginseng may improve brain function, aid in weight loss, increase immunity and even fight off cancer cells. (16, 17, 18, 19) Additionally, while maca root is actually considered a cruciferous vegetable like broccoli or Brussels sprouts, ginseng belongs to the Araliaceae family of plants, which is composed primarily of tropical shrubs and trees. Ginseng also tends to be more bitter while maca has an earthy, nutty taste that is often added to recipes and drinks to boost both the nutrient content and the flavor profile.

History The use of maca can be traced back over 3,000 years. Historically, this root vegetable was used by ancient Peruvians as a form of currency for trade and was also treasured for its medicinal properties. It was used to treat an array of ailments, such as menstrual problems, menopause, stomach cancer, fatigue, stress and anemia. It is even said that Incan warriors filled up on maca root before heading into battle to boost their stamina and strength.

During the period when the Inca civilization was flourishing in the Andes region, maca was

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considered to be incredibly valuable. In fact, its use was even restricted and reserved for royalty only. It was later imported to Spain and used by Spanish royalty to enhance energy levels and supply extra nutrients.

Potential Maca Root Side Effects and Precautions Maca is safe for most people and can be consumed with minimal risk of maca side effects. That being said, there are some people who may want to moderate their intake.

If you have any thyroid problems, you should keep maca intake in moderation and avoid consuming it raw. This is because it contains goitrogens, which are substances that can impair thyroid function, especially in those with thyroid issues. Check with your doctor before taking maca if you have hypothyroidism or a history of thyroid problems.

Because of maca’s effects on hormone levels, physicians believe that maca should not be consumed by people who rely on hormone-altering medications for the treatment of illnesses like breast cancer or prostate cancer, for example, or for other serious conditions. People who have high blood pressure are also advised to not consume maca to avoid adverse maca root side effects.

Finally, there is limited research on the safety of maca for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Until it is confirmed to be safe, it’s best for these women to avoid maca.

Final Thoughts Maca is a root vegetable that is high in antioxidants and nutrients, such as vitamin C, copper and iron.

It has been used medicinally for thousands of years and has been shown to enhance sexual health and libido; improve energy, mood and memory; and balance hormone levels.

Maca is widely available at health stores, pharmacies and online retailers in capsule, powder, extract or liquid form.

It can be easily added to smoothies or meals and is often used before exercising to boost energy levels.

Coupled with a nutritious diet and healthy lifestyle, adding one to two tablespoons of maca into your diet may help give your health an upgrade.

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Our Top 8 Favourite Wholefoods Article courtesy of Nature’s Choice www.natureschoice.co.za

At Nature’s Choice, we don’t believe that there is one “Magic” food that can cure all. We do however believe that a balanced, junk-free, wholefood diet gives your body the best chance to be as healthy as it can be. We also don’t believe in selling anything we feel will impact your health negatively and are always refining and improving our product offering. We do have our favorites though and here are our top 10 and in no particular order…

Coconut Water Coconut water is the ultimate thirst quencher and offers a tasty alternative to water. This pure liquid is packed with nutrients that yield an array of health benefits. Our beautiful glass bottles are recyclable and we also offer this nourishing drink with a splash of pineapple and mango. It makes for the perfect post-workout rehydration and is naturally low in natural sugars and calories.

Coconut Oil Recent studies are showing the health benefits of coconut oil, which had been looked upon as a source of saturated fats and therefore to be avoided for those individuals with concerns over their cholesterol levels.

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While it is true that coconut contains saturated fats, what is now being brought to light is that there are actually different types of saturated fats, just like there are different types of fats in general, and some types of saturated fats are good for you.

A very traditional food, coconut oil is making a comeback these days as a popular cooking oil.

Much of the saturated fat in coconuts is not long chain, but medium-chain fatty acids; in fact, coconut oil contains between approximately 55-65% 62% medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), including the healthy fats, lauric acid, caprylic acid, and capric acid. Lauric acid is the most plentiful of the MCFAs in coconut oil, and sometimes accounts for as much as 75% of this oil’s total MCFAs. Another good thing about coconut oil is that its saturated fatty acid profile gives it a higher smoke point than many polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils. Therefore Coconut oil is a preferred cooking oil.

Beans & Legumes Beans are in fact good for your heart, thanks in large part to their soluble fibre, which soaks up cholesterol so the body can dispose of it before it can stick to artery walls. Studies find that diets high in soluble fibre can cut total cholesterol by 10 to 15 percent. The same soluble fibre, combined with beans’ protein, makes beans beneficial to blood sugar. Their magnesium helps relax arteries, giving blood more room to flow and lowering blood pressure. Finally, a recent study ranked beans among the top antioxidant foods.

Blueberries The antioxidant plant pigments that make blueberries blue, flavonoids that are called anthocyanins, guard against heart disease, cancer and age-related blindness and memory loss.

Like their cranberry cousins, blueberries and blueberry juice are tops when it comes to preventing urinary tract infections, thanks to antioxidant epicatechins, which keep bacteria from sticking to bladder walls. Plus, the fibre in blueberries makes them powerful antidotes to constipation. Nature’s Choice dried blueberries contain no preservatives like Sulphur dioxide and make the perfect portable snack as well as a fruity and tangy addition to your porridges, cereals and baked goods.

Walnuts Walnuts not only taste great but are a rich source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and an excellent source of those hard to find omega-3 fatty acids. Those are the fats that lower the badfor-you cholesterol (LDL) and raise the good-for-you kind (HDL). Like most nuts, they can easily be added to your daily diet. Just chop and add to your favorite salad, vegetable dish, fruit, or dessert.

Hulled Hemp Seeds Considered a complete protein, hemp seeds deliver 5 grams of protein in a 2 tablespoon serving, making them a great addition to vegan and vegetarian diets. Hemp seeds provide a perfect balance of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids in each serving. These fatty acids promote heart health, lower triglycerides, work to reduce inflammation, promote brain health, and

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support the immune system. Low in carbohydrates, hemp seeds are ideal for those following the paleo diet or who need to be carb conscious for their health.

With a pleasant nut-like flavor and creamy texture, our hulled hemp seeds are a nutritious and delightful addition to hot cereal and smoothies. Their light flavor allows them to blend easily into desserts, bread, pancakes, granola bars and other baked goods. Try them sprinkled on salads and blended into pilafs.

Hemp seeds are raw and are not toasted or salted. Because of their high oil content, hemp seeds should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer to keep fresh.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar This product really deserves its own post. It’s effective for pretty much anything, your skin, your hair, your house, and even your pets can benefit from its qualities. Raw, organic, unfiltered, and unpasteurized, ACV is so much more than a salad dressing. It’s made from apple juice and is fermented to hard apple cider. It’s then fermented a second time to become apple cider vinegar.

This product has been a medicine cabinet staple for centuries and is just as popular now as ever before.

Apple cider vinegar can be used as a rinse for your hair after shampooing, and it will boost your hair’s body and shine.

Chia Chia seeds come from a flowering plant in the mint family and are native to Central America.

They’ve been considered a superfood dating back to the Mayans and Aztecs. These seeds dissolve in water and create a gel and when this happens in your stomach, it slows the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar, making chia a great long-term fuel for athletes. This can also help curb your appetite and help you eat less at meals.Also, unlike flax seed, chia seeds don’t need to be ground up to get to the omega 3 fats. They also don’t go rancid the way flax seed do.

10 Ways to Add Chia to Your Diet • • • • • • • • • •

Create a Mexican drink by soaking chia seeds in 100% fruit juice or seltzer water Add two tablespoons to cooked porridge Blend into your smoothie for a little crunch Sprinkle onto Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for some added fibre Create a delicious pudding by mixing 1/4 cup chia with 1 cup almond or coconut milk, honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Let it sit in the fridge overnight (or for just 15 minutes) and enjoy Whip us a quick salad dressing with chia seeds, vinegar, oil and honey Add seeds to stews and soups Add to homemade energy bars or balls Mix into homemade hummus or other dips Sprinkle on salads (or sprout them)

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Celebrating World Food Day

By AGT Foods www.agtfoods.co.za

World Food Day is commemorated on 16 October around the world. It is a day dedicated to tackling worldwide hunger. It was first launched in 1945 to celebrate the launch of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation.

This year, World Food Day has called for action to make healthy and sustainable diets affordable and accessible to everyone. At the same time, it calls on everyone to start thinking about what we eat.

In recent decades, we have changed our diets and have moved from seasonal, mainly plantbased and fibre-rich dishes to diets that are high in refined starches, sugar, fats, salt, processed foods, meat and other animal-source products. Less time is spent preparing meals at home and consumers, especially in urban areas, increasingly rely on ready-made meals and take-aways.

A combination of unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles has sent obesity rates soaring, not only in developed countries, but also low-income countries, where hunger and obesity often coexist. Now over 670 million adults and 120 million girls and boys (5-19 years) are obese and over 40 million children under 5 are overweight, while over 820 million people suffer from hunger.

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In recent decades, we have changed our diets and have moved from seasonal, mainly plantbased and fibre-rich dishes to diets that are high in refined starches, sugar, fats, salt, processed foods, meat and other animalsource products. Less time is spent preparing meals at home and consumers, especially in urban areas, increasingly rely on ready-made meals and take-aways.

nutrition and for their role in improving environmental sustainability of farming practices. Pulses include dried peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas. Pulses are amazing superfoods as they feed more people, use less water and fertilizer than other protein sources, they improve soil health, they have a low carbon footprint and are resilient in the face of climate change.

A combination of unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles has sent obesity rates soaring, not only in developed countries, but also low-income countries, where hunger and obesity often coexist. Now over 670 million adults and 120 million girls and boys (5-19 years) are obese and over 40 million children under 5 are overweight, while over 820 million people suffer from hunger.

We need to feed 9 billion people by 2050. We can only do that sustainably by eating pulses.

That is because pulses are an excellent source of nutrition and a powerful superfood. Just one cup can provide you with 250 calories, 23 percent protein, 1 percent fat and very high fibre, vitamins and minerals like potassium, folate and iron. They are naturally low in fat and are an excellent source of plant-based protein. Pulses reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes as well as certain cancers.

A healthy diet is one that meets the nutritional needs of individuals by providing sufficient, safe, nutritious and diverse foods to lead an active life and reduce the risk of disease. It includes fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains and foods that are low in fats, sugar and salt.

AGT Food and Ingredients is one of the largest suppliers of value-added pulses, staple foods and food ingredients in the world. Pulses have been recognised by the United Nations for their substantial contribution to health and

Pulses are also considerably cheaper to eat than any other protein, in fact R100 cheaper per kilo than meat. More and more countries are starting to change their dietary guidelines to include more pulses and reduce meat and dairy consumption.

Overleaf you will find a perfect recipe from AGT Foods to celebrate World Food Day.

About AGT Foods AGT is a value-added pulse, staple food and ingredient processor for export and domestic markets.

Through its offices and processing facilities located in some of the best agricultural growing regions in Canada, the U.S., Turkey, China, Australia and South Africa and merchandising and sales offices in the U.K., the Netherlands and Spain, AGT produces a full range of pulses and specialty crops including lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans and canary seed as well as food ingredients such as pulse flours, proteins, starches and fibres. Its subsidiary in Turkey, the Arbel Group, produces staple foods such as Arbella Pasta, rice and milled wheat products, including bulgur and semolina. In South Africa AGT Foods represents the Retail, Hospitality, Spices, Ingredients, Popcorn, Bakery and Protein Divisions.

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LENTIL & POTATO CURRY

In Celebration of World Food Day (See previous article) From AGT FOODS

Ingredients

Method:

• • • • • • • • •

1.

• • • • •

1 tsp oil 1 onion, chopped 2 carrots, sliced 1 tsp mustard seeds 2cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp ground coriander pinch turmeric 6 tbsp fresh coriander, leaves and finely chopped stalks 200g chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato purée 125g lentils 600ml vegetable stock 900g potatoes, peeled and cubed

2.

3.

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the mustard seeds, ginger, chilli powder, coriander, turmeric and fresh coriander and continue to fry for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, carrot and lentils to the pan and pour over the stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until the lentils are almost tender.

Stir in the potatoes and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes until tender. Enjoy!

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RISOTTO DE ROMAR From Green Monday

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • •

3.

2 tablespoons oil, for frying the mushrooms and baby marrow 4.

600 grams canned mushrooms, drained 250 grams fresh baby marrow, sliced 2 onions, finely chopped 5.

2 teaspoons crushed garlic 4 tablespoons oil, for frying the onions 6.

800 grams arborio rice 15 grams fresh parsley, chopped 120 ml lemon juice 50 grams vegetable stock powder 3 liters water 120 grams frozen corn 100 grams frozen peas 7.

Method: 1.

2.

Fry mushrooms in a pan with a bit of oil.

8.

Add lemon juice and salt, pepper and put aside.

9.

Fry baby marrow in a pan with a bit of oil.

Add a squeeze lemon juice and salt and put aside.

In a pot/pan lightly sauté onions and garlic in 4 tablespoons of oil, until soft, do not allow to brown.

Once soft, add arborio rice. Stir the rice around so that all the grains are coated in oil.

Dissolve 2 heaped tablespoons of veg stock in a litre of warm water.

Now begin to add the veg stock liquid.

About 500ml at a time. As half the liquid absorbs, add more liquid. When the litre of stock is finished, continue to add plain water, 500 ml at a time. In total, you should end up adding about 3 litres of liquid to fully cooking the rice.

To keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot always keep enough water in the pot and stir regularly. Always stir clockwise.

When the rice is cooked, add the corn, peas, baby marrow and mushrooms.

Now add the parsley and lemon juice and mix in.

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By Alice Goodridge – Courtesy of Greenpop

We have been hosting the Festival of Action for eight years now, inviting people to join the TREEvolution: to consciously engage with the issues that threaten our planet and to actively become part of the solution.

As is typical of our work, this action is mainly focused on the planting of trees – a seemingly simple but often neglected practice that has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to combat climate change.

This year’s festival was based in The Garden Route, in response to the 2017 Knysna fires that burned vast areas of forest. Therefore, much of this year’s restoration work was focused on clearing the alien vegetation that has invaded the recently burned land, and re-greening these areas with indigenous trees that will eventually restore the land’s natural ecosystems.

The festival was held over three weeks – it commenced on the 22nd of June and we said an emotional goodbye to the last of our participants last Sunday: the 14th of July. During that time, with the help of the participants and outside volunteers, we successfully cleared 3000 metres squared of alien vegetation and planted a monumental 5000 indigenous trees!

The trees were planted in various sites in the Garden Route, the largest of which were Heartland School of Self Sufficiency, Garden Route Botanical Garden and Wild Spirit Backpackers Lodge. I think it’s also worth mentioning that we wouldn’t have been able to complete this work without all the hard work that was undertaken, in preparation for our arrival, by the various custodians of these sites. I know that the team at Wild Spirit put in a lot of work to clear alien vegetation prior

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to our arrival, so we could commit more time to plant trees and we are extremely grateful that they gave so much time and energy to our mission.

The planting days at Heartland School of Self Sufficiency were particularly emotive for a number of team members and participants who had previously planted at the site last year. They were able to witness the fruits of their labours as the saplings they rooted in the ground in 2018 are still thriving and the land, which was previously barren, now resembles a miniature forest. This year we planted 1500 more trees and it’s exciting to imagine how they will have grown in a few years from now. One of our main goals at Greenpop is to show people that they really can make an impact through their actions, and we hope that the example of the forest now growing at Heartland’s stands as a tangible example of that.

We also had great fun planting 1000 trees at Garden Route Botanical Garden, where we were joined by 29 Open Day volunteers and representatives from Cape Nature, which created a whole new dynamic in our team. Simultaneously, a smaller team painted a mural at the garden’s eco-education hub, inspired by the flora and fauna of the area.

As well as planting, we also cleared 3000 metres squared of alien vegetation at various locations in the Garden Route, saved 70 bags of resources from landfill and made 420 eco-bricks throughout our time there. The eco-bricks were used to make two game board sets and an ecobricks and earth bench for the students to enjoy at the Crags primary school.

However, whilst environmental action is the focus of the festival, I would argue that the real magic of the Festival of Action is the bringing together of people from around the world, who become united in that focus. We live in a time when eco-anxiety is prevalent, and people who have the desire to make a change in the world can often feel isolated and lose hope. I know I’ve been one of those people. But in every week, with every new group, I’ve seen people connecting on a level and at a speed beyond any that I’ve witnessed in my everyday life. I believe this is owing to the fact that everyone is fulfilling their soul purpose together – to care for our earth. This collective ownership of responsibility and the recognition of the power we have together is what I believe is needed to instigate the world-wide action we need to save our earth.

During the final week at the Eden Festival of Action, we hosted ecologist, filmmaker and educator John D. Liu. He is working to instigate a worldwide movement around the creation of Ecosystem Restoration Camps and was interested in joining us in the Garden Route as he feels that the model we are using could be key in the development of his vision for these camps.

We were also extremely excited to host him and learn from him as an expert in the field.

We celebrated the opportunity to learn from John during Eden when we held a talk and panel with him and 4 other experts: Matthew Koehorst of Six Kingdoms, permaculture expert Timothy Wigley, Siyabulela Sokomani of Shoots and Roots and Anna Breytenbach of AnimalSpirit with our Head of Programmes Zoë Gauld-Angelucci moderating the discussion. We harvested questions from our audience of keen environmentalists, and the discussions that arose around the themes of mass reforestation, sustainable farming and the importance of cultural inclusivity in environmental action were highly inspiring. John stated “What I love about Greenpop is that it looks like an ecological restoration camp” – an exciting statement as Greenpop looks towards

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ongoing restoration projects. As the UN Environment has declared the “Decade on Ecosystem Restoration” John D. Liu’s words of “We either restore the earth or we face the consequences.”ring true to new data that has recently emerged showing that planting trees is one of the simplest and best ways to mitigate the effects of climate breakdown.

We hope that the people who attended the panel discussion – our team, our participants, our hosts at Wild Spirit Backpackers Lodge and everyone who came to visit for the day – will walk away and feel empowered to continue these conversations and action in their own lives, and within their own communities.

Much of the festival has been focused on enabling this feeling of empowerment amongst our participants, and on providing them with the tools they need to move forward in our collective mission to develop a greener world. We had many knowledgable and inspiring individuals and organisations join us to facilitate workshops in their respective fields of expertise.

Candice Mostert and Matt Baker from Waste-ED have been working with us for these three weeks, teaching our attendees about the potential for non-recyclable materials to be repurposed into eco-bricks, and showing them how these eco-bricks can be used to build various structures. Together with participants, they built a bench at The Crags Primary School using eco-bricks and natural cob-building methods. Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time and therefore it was extremely important for us to address this at the festival. We also arranged a beach clean up each week with Nature’s Valley Trust, highlighting the world-wide threat of plastic pollution and enabling our participants to get active and contribute to the trust’s research.

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Sustainable living and farming were also subjects that we felt were really important to make accessible to our participants. As mentioned, we were joined by one of the father’s of permaculture, Timothy Wigley, during our panel discussion, but there were also a number of other experts in the field that joined us during the three weeks. Environmental activist, writer, speaker and ecopreneur Rhian Berning from Eco Atlas and Renew Able Plett invited our attendees to visit her homestead to learn about off-grid living (a lifestyle she developed after rebuilding her home after the 2017 Knysna fires). Philippa Mallac also joined us there to share her knowledge of permaculture systems and food gardens.

A couple of specialised naturalists joined us to discuss their specific areas of interest. Francois Bekker, otherwise known as Scone, shared his expertise as a mycologist and taught us all about the world of fungi whilst Layla Staegemann gave a number of inspiring talks about the lives of bees and the essential role they play in our ecosystems. Layla is highly skilled in engaging an audience and I know many of our participants, in week two, in particular, left Layla’s talk with a newfound love and respect for our winged friends. Linda Wilson hosted an eco-enterprise workshop informing and educating the youth week attendees on future choices and the impact they have on the world.

Interspecies communicator Anna Breytenbach also encouraged us to connect with our animal spirit and offered an alternative insight into environmental issues. She shared her concerns over the impact we’re having on non-human lives and how important it is for us to reconnect with the plants and animals we share our home with. She offered a number of workshops on interspecies communication during her time with us as well as insight and facilitation on nature connection.

We also had an interactive workshop on social enterprise from Activate Change Drivers, equipping people to be innovative active citizens, influencing and provoking positive change. Blake Dyason hosted The Mind-Blowing Benefits of being a Nature Steward. As the founder of Love our Trails and co-founder of Brownie Points, he inspired attendees to put our planet first. We loved seeing the attendees engaging with solutions and showing us the way forward.

Within the Art for Awareness programme we painted three collaborative and eco-educational murals within the Garden Route, under the banner of “To We, From Me” and facilitated and run by artist Chris Auret with assistance from Elsabe Vosloo and Yanna Romano. The murals were then co-created with over 120 people placing their mark and upliftment on the artworks. The mural project started in the first week with an incredible workshop in partnership with Nature’s Valley Trust – including a walk to the beach to find ocean objects and inspiration for the mural content. The kids then drew marine life that focused on the kelp biome and these drawings were incorporated into the mural design at the first mural site at the Crags Primary School. The school was thrilled with this beautiful artwork inspiring marine conservation. The second mural at the Garden Route Municipality was an incredible design depicting an afro-montane forest scene featuring fauna and flora indigenous to the area with the collaborative muralists all filling in various sections divided by a mandala. The end result is magical! The attendees also all had a great time painting a mural with a message in Buffelsbaai with support from the municipality.

The seaside mural encourages viewers to protect our marine ecosystems by not littering and reconsidering plastic.

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Thank you so much to B-Earth Eco Paint & Build-It, for supplying us with the resources to create these bright and inspiring artworks. And thank you to Cape Nature & Animal Spirit, for supporting our waste-education and Art for Awareness project.

Animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of deforestation and climate change, and so it was important for us to introduce our attendees to plant-based food. Risha Naidoo and her team from ProVeg hosted a workshop per week on the benefits of plant-based eating and made some delicious food – demonstrating how little one really needs to sacrifice in order to make the transition to a lifestyle fuelled by plants. In addition to the workshops with ProVeg, we also served plant-based meals for the duration of the festival, in the hopes of showing people how easy it is to incorporate a more environment-friendly diet into your lifestyle. Our chef, Jemma Kruger, and her team did an incredible job of feeding such a large number of people with healthy and delicious food every day and we’re incredibly grateful. We also want to say a huge thank you to our partners who provided the ingredients for Jemma to work with: ButtaNut,Urban Vegan, AGT Foods, Eureka Mills, Good Hope Soya Milk, B-well, Thyme and Again, Quarry Lake Foods, Royston Farms, Mlimi Farm, Grain Mill,Bread and Brew, Outcast Foods, ProVeg SA and Arise Coffee. Soaring Free Superfoods also provided us with a number of delicious snacks to fuel us in our work, including ethically sourced chocolate that comes in biodegradable packaging.

They’ve kindly offered to give our readers a 30% discount. Use the code GREENPOP30 when shopping on their site here.

We hosted many fireside jams as well as a final celebration night featuring music from Paulo Costa, Matthew Baker, Jeremy Loops, Devin Harmer, Yasmine Ezzideen, Chris Auret, The Steezies and of course DJ Crashlove. Thank you to all those who brought their energy and music into the space. We loved dancing under the stars and singing along after the hard work at the planting sites!

We would like to say a special thank you to the Western Cape Government for their generous sponsorship of this event. With your help, we were able to make an impact on the landscape as well as the attendees! You are TREEmendous. Greenpop also appreciated Better Earth helping keep us fresh and sparkling the earth-friendly way. Thank you for your ongoing support. We want to give a special thank you to our sponsor, Essential Green. We appreciate your wonderful donation of biodegradable toilet paper. By using biodegradable toilet paper we have the comfort of knowing we are making a positive impact on our environment. We also had Bread and Brew support us with fresh bakes throughout the event. Thank you!

A huge appreciation for Nomad Adventure Tours for providing us with an overland truck and a legendary driver Takudzwa who got stuck in planting trees with us. Thank you for making our work possible. Avis Van Rental also helped us get around Nature’s Valley and insured the festival logistics ran smoothly. Thank you to RSAM for the insurance support. We also greatly appreciate SANParks for the use of their vehicle throughout the programme. We want to thank Specialized Solar Systems for keeping our attendees on charge the off-grid way! Thank you for your mobile solar solutions. A special mention goes to ongoing partners Cape Union Mart, we cannot thank you enough for what you do for us. Our team t-shirts were really appreciated.

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During the Eden Festival of Action 2019, we’ve…

• Planted 5000 indigenous trees were planted of over 30 species including Yellowwood, Keurboom, Cape Beech, Ironwood, False Ash, Cape Olive and many more.

• Eaten Over 9000 plant-based meals were served by the conscious kitchen team.

• Cleared 3000m² of alien vegetation was cleared at the Wild Spirit Backpackers Lodge & the surrounding area.

• Painted 3 collaborative environmental murals with a total surface area of 104m², by volunteers and led by artist, Chris Auret.

• Hosted 12 open days were held with over 80 volunteers from the local community.

• Saved 70 bags of resources from landfill • 420 eco-bricks were filled with non-recyclable waste, used to make x2 giant game board sets and x1 ecobrick and earth bench • 2 beach plastics surveys took place with Nature’s Valley Trust at Natures Valley Beach, as part of their ongoing research to understand the nature of the plastics problem on a local level. A total of 715 nurdles, 2365 microplastics, 100 cigarette butts were found!

• 41 scholarship students from the local community joined and participated in the event All with over 200 participants.

Photography by Schalk Hanekom, Aidan Tobias, Mike Faraday and Alex Hennings.

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By Hanna Vinckers – Courtesy of Greenpop.org

The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer beetle poses a significant threat to South Africa’s trees. Since arriving in South Africa in 2017, the PSHB has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of trees across the country.

Read our blog post to learn more about this invasive species and what you can do to curb the spread.

What Is The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer?

The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer, also known as Euwallacea fornicatus, is a troublesome species that is able to cause a great deal of damage to the environment.

The beetles are approximately 2 mm long and native to Southeast Asia. They have an extremely large diversity of host trees, but only reproduce in certain native and exotic species. The exotic species are at higher risk being infected than native trees, although the beetle seems to be much more aggressive outside of its native habitat. Infected trees can contain more than 100 000 individual beetles.

In South Africa – the PSHB was first found in KwaZulu-Natal in 2017 and has since then spread to the Garden Route and other parts of the Western Cape. The FABI (Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute) team has confirmed the presence of the PSHB in eight of the nine provinces in South Africa. The beetle is considered a great threat to the indigenous trees of South Africa.

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How Was The Shot Hole Borer Discovered In South Africa?

Dr. Trudy Paap of FABI initially discovered the Shot Hole Borer beetle in South Africa. On a routine study for diseases in KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Gardens in Pietermaritzburg in 2017, Paap found a series of infested trees. This led to the identification of the beetle in addition to the regions in which infestations are taking place.

Why Should We Be Concerned?

The PSHB beetle along with its fungus has caused tremendous damage to the trees in the US, specifically California, in addition to regions in the Middle East.

Judging by the number of trees the beetle has killed in Johannesburg as well as George and Knysna, this beetle could potentially be one of South Africa’s largest ecological tragedies. In addition, the beetle is currently infesting over 200 tree species from 28 plant families worldwide.

How does the beetle kill the tree?

Actually, the beetle itself doesn’t kill the tree; rather it is the fungus that accompanies the beetle. One of these fungi they carry is called Fusarium Euwallacea. The shot hole beetle shares a symbiotic relationship with this fungus, as this fungus is the beetle’s main source of food. This fungus is also the main cause associated with the wilting of trees. The other types of fungi are believed to help the beetle’s colonization of newly infected trees.

Image 1: A tree infected by the PSHB Beetle.

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How To Identify The Shot Hole Borer: Unfortunately, detection of the PSHB is difficult as they are very small – about the size of a sesame seed. However, what you can do is identify the infected trees. The symptoms of infected trees vary from one tree species to another and there are many signs that show when a tree is infected. Some of these signs are: • • • • • • •

Wilting trees Dead branches Exit/Entry holes on the bark of the trees Shotgun-like lesions on the bark at entry/exit holes.

Sugar volcanoes on the bark at entry/exit holes.

Blotches of oozing resin on the bark at entry/exit holes.

Wood frass (wooden powder) on the bark at entry/exit holes.

The beetle penetrates host trees through the bark, into the sapwood. Entrance holes can be seen having brown stains around, from due to the associated fungus. Other signs of entry would be visible through the presence of small heaps of sawdust, “bleeding”, noodles, stains or sapflow.

Image 2: Visible holes with brown staining, sawdust and bleeding.

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Types Of Trees Being Infected It was previously mentioned that the PSHB infects more than 200 tree species from 28 plant families. Therefore, it would be difficult to list all of the tree species. However, some of the important trees that are indigenous to South Africa and are reproductive hosts for the beetle: • • • • •

Forest bushwillow Coast coral tree Water blossom pea Fountain bush Cape willow

It usually attacks stressed/dying trees, as these trees are weak enough, while still containing enough moisture for the flying females.

What Can We Do? First thing you should do when you see signs of an infected tree in the Cape Town area is to report it to the Cape Town Invasive Species Unit.

Thus far, the spread of PSHB in South Africa has been random and without clear patterns. It has been noted that the most important vector for the spread of PSHB are humans and their movements between regions. No remedy has been discovered and insecticides are ineffective against the beetles because they drill deep into the wood. However, the only form of resistance against the beetles is for us to cut down and burn the wood to prevent the spread of these beetles. Cautionary procedures should be taken when transporting or handling plants and trees.

It is encouraged for you not to move plants that portray signs of infestations but rather infected plants should be cut into smaller pieces, sealed, and kept in direct sunlight. The heat from the sunlight will lead to the insect and its larvae death.

The second thing you can do is to not move any firewood. The beetles from infected areas are likely to be brought in to clean areas this way. Buy your firewood in the area your in and leave it there.

———– South Africa is considered to be the biodiversity capital of the world and is a host to 299 species of mammals and 858 species of birds many of which are heavily dependent on trees as a source of nutrition and sustenance.

Therefore, the Shot Hole Borer truly does pose a threat to what makes South Africa unique. For this reason, an immediate response to eradicate this threat is imperative to help preserve the beauty that is South Africa.

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Climate breakdown is knocking the natural world out of sync – and we should all be worried

By Charlie Gardner Lecturer in Conservation Biology, University of Kent. Article courtesy of www.theconversation.com October 1, 2019 1.05pm BST

Just like us, the natural world dances to the rhythms of its seasonal cycles. We all enjoy the first suggestions of spring as trees come into leaf, migrant birds arrive, bees and butterflies emerge, and men in cities start wearing shorts.

These signs traditionally mark the start of a busy season of growth and reproduction for many species. But climate breakdown is altering the timing of many of the natural world’s seasonal cues. This is knocking different elements of the living planet out of sync with each other, with potentially disastrous consequences for ecosystems.

Spring is arriving earlier throughout the world’s temperate and polar regions, but the species that live there are responding differently to the season’s advance. This happens because they use different cues, which respond to climate breakdown in different ways, if at all.

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For example, some species may react to the temperature reaching a minimum threshold or the melting of the last snow, cues that are happening earlier as global temperatures rise and unseasonable heatwaves become more common. However, others respond to day length, which is unaffected by climate breakdown.

As the timings of age-old seasonal cues diverge with climate breakdown, some species are already starting to breed at different times relative to others they interact with, such as their prey. This can disrupt interactions that are critical to their life cycles. It’s a growing problem known as “phenological mismatch”.

Take, for example, the birds of European oak woods, such as the blue tit, great tit and pied flycatcher. They all depend on caterpillars to feed their chicks, but the caterpillars are emerging earlier than they have in the past, and the birds are unable to keep up. For every ten-day advance in caterpillar emergence, the birds are only able to bring forward their egg laying by three to five days, depending on the species.

Sarcodes sanguinea, commonly called the snow plant, flowers after the northwest American spring snow melts. Jeffrey T. Kreulen

As a result, bird appetites are greatest after the period of peak caterpillar availability, and this reduces their reproductive success. In the Netherlands, this has caused pied flycatcher populations to crash by over 90%.

Such mismatches may be most pronounced towards the poles, where temperatures are rising much faster than the global average. In the tundra of Greenland, the date on which insects are at their most abundant has been advancing by over a day a year since the mid 1990s. However, the hatching dates of the sanderling, a small shorebird, remain unchanged.

The birds can’t breed earlier because that would increase the chance of losing their eggs to Arctic foxes. After two decades of unequal shifting in the food chain, the main banquet is already over when sanderling chicks are born, though more research is needed to understand how this is affecting their population.

Mismatches aren’t limited to predator-prey interactions. They can also affect age-old partnerships between plants and their pollinators. The early spider-orchid vaguely resembles the female of the buffish mining bee and, like the closely related bee orchid, releases pheromones to trick the male bees into mating with it. In doing so, the bees inadvertently pollinate the flower.

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Orchid flowering is timed to coincide with the brief window between male and female bees emerging, so the males have nothing to mate with but flowers. But in warmer springs, the earlier emergence of females cuts this window, probably reducing the number of bees visiting and pollinating these orchids. Given the importance of insect pollination to agriculture and the functioning of ecosystems, the potential for such mismatches should be great cause for concern.

Cascading concerns Perhaps more worrying still, the impacts of these asynchronies are not confined to the species directly involved: they may cascade right through an ecosystem. For example, mismatches between birds and caterpillars may not only be bad for the birds. Now less likely to be hunted in their early lives, caterpillars can significantly reduce a tree’s foliage, and this could have knock-on effects for other insect herbivores that graze them, and in turn the animals that feed on these insects.

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Research on such ecosystem impacts is still in its infancy, but experiments in Alaska suggest that they could even contribute to climate feedbacks – processes that amplify global heating. There, the early return from migration of the Pacific black brant (a wild goose) means that the plants it feeds on lose more mass. While the change is good for the goose, it turns the ecosystem from a net absorber of carbon to a net emitter, exacerbating climate breakdown.

There is much we still don’t understand about climate breakdown’s impacts on our fragile nature, and phenological mismatches are particularly complex to study. But what’s clear is that species and ecosystems, already weakened by habitat destruction, overharvesting, invasive species and pollution, face a major new threat.

If we are to have any chance of preserving the living planet and avoiding the extinction of a million species, then we need to do more than stop climate breakdown. We need to invest in conservation too, to help wild plants and animals adapt to the changes we’ve already locked in.

Not doing so would be bad news for all of us.

Author:

Charlie GardnerLecturer in Conservation Biology, University of Kent Disclosure Statement:

Charlie Gardner is a member of Extinction Rebellion.

Partners: University of Kent provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

The Conversation is funded by the National Research Foundation, eight universities, including the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Rhodes University, Stellenbosch University and the Universities of Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Pretoria, and South Africa. It is hosted by the Universities of the Witwatersrand and Western Cape, the African Population and Health Research Centre and the Nigerian Academy of Science. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a Strategic Partner. more

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For a full list of events and to book a stay, please visit out page by clicking on our logo below:

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Welcome To The Angel Connection School of Africa The Angel Connection School of Africa, established as a non-profit organisation, for the highest good of all, will incorporate all forms of Spirituality continuing with the basic teachings of Angels, Ascension, Atlantis etc. which we all know to be Universal.

The teachings of various modalities will however, be enhanced by adding the specific requirements of our culture and ethnicity, whilst retaining flexibility.

The mission statement of the school is:“To Light up Africa so that Africa can Light up the World”

A Letter From The School Principal – Margi McAlpine

Angel Connection Day

Meditations

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WHAT TO EXPECT Yoga, meditation, and relaxation sessions enable you to fully connect with your true essence & inner child.

During this time, we must become masters of ourselves, manifest and make ourselves and our world an even better place. Centre yourself with balanced movement, free yourself through endorphin release and find confidence within yourself as you transform your mind and body in synchronisation. We use musicality to synchronise our practice to the patterns within each song.

Utilising the power of combined energy to bring about transformation, release, and intention.

Peep through the doorway old and grey, young and wild, turn upside down and check-in each day. Each sunrise brings a brand new day and we are ready for yoga play.

LINE UP Saturday 10:00am-11:30am Setting a resolve (Yoga Nidra/relaxation & nurturing yoga) - Mischa Els 13:00-14:00pm What moves you (flow yoga) - Mischa Els - Live Down Tempo DJ Set 15:00-16:30pm Partner Yoga - Rowen & Mischa Sunday 10:00am-11:30am Everybody Upside-down (change your perspective play session) - Mischa & Rowen 13:00-14:00pm Primal movement - Rowen Brown 17:00-18:00pm Bliss Yoga - Mischa & Eden (Vibrational sound and Live performance) SUP YOGA - (Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga) Subject to interest, please email mischa.els@hotpodyoga.com

WHAT TO BRING Yoga Mat, Comfy clothes, Swim Gear, Sunscreen, Open mind "Adults are but only children with stress and anxiety, come flow and free yourself naturally Eden Gutter". ●• •●• •●• •●• •●• •●• •●• •●• •●• •●• •●•●• •●• •●• •●•

ONE FESTIVAL 2019 brings You an exciting new experience, in a new venue which radiates infinite psychedelic vibrations of our collective consciousness. As South Africa's 1st class DJs, producers, musicians and artists come together in this 3-day Open Air Festival, they create the opportunity for each sentient being to FREELY dance the song of their heart and be connected to ALL with ONENESS OF PURPOSE. SEBOTAGE ● THALIA ● DIRTY DISCO KID ● DARKER THAN WHITE ● HUGO ● NICK BEST ● QUALITY ● BENSON ● SHAOLIN FUNK ● SENJO ● GAVO ● TOBY ONE ● FORMAT ● PIXL ● S-CUT ● HOOVER MACHINE KIT ● GHOUL ● YelseW ● CRAE C ● NATASA ● DEKOTA ● SIMSTAR ● TECHTRIX ● DESERT SPIRIT ● DE;FACTO ● TREEPAIN and more to be announced !!

FEATURES: Insane 3D mapping - Massive UV Decor Creations - 2 Dance Floors - Gypsy lounge and chill space - Yoga flow stage - Stalls and craft market - Massive Sound & Lighting and LED screens. - Plenty cover if it rains - ATM and credit card facilities at the bar - Medical Assistance - Fully Licensed Bar - Clean Toilets - 24 hour Security WHAT TO BRING: Sunblock, Peaceful Sleep, Warm Clothes, Cash, Toilet paper, Toothpaste, Water, Painkillers, Lipice, Umbrella, Tent, sunglasses and sleeping bag.

STRICTLY NO: Glass bottles - decant your drinks into plastic bottles before you come in, Under 18's ID on request, Fires, Weapons, Independent sound systems, Bad Attitudes, Illegal substances, Don't Drink and Drive.

RIGHT OF ADMISSION RESERVED Entry is entirely at your own risk. The promoters accept no responsibility whatsoever for injury, death, loss or damage of any nature to persons, vehicles & belongings. This applies even to negligence of any kind by the promoters, venue and contractors. Due care has been taken to make this event safe & secure. All rights reserved. Tickets are non refundable.

DIRECTIONS: SMILIN THRU RESORT – Parys

BOOK HERE

The Antbear Drakensberg Lodge is a thatched, whitewashed lodge built high on a natural platform overlooking the Bushman's River and Giants Castle.

Antbear Drakensberg Lodge offers various Drakensberg accommodation options in en suite double rooms, luxury suites, family units and also boasts a luxury cave too.

Antbear Drakensberg Lodge is one of those smaller intimate kind places which has been lovingly put together. The natural setting of the accommodation is stunning and we have managed to encase all this beauty with an atmosphere of comfort and ease.

The cottages are smartly appointed and individually designed and the fact that we are a small place makes for an intimate and personal accommodation experience. Each of the accommodation units are different and are decorated with uniquely eccentric and artistic wooden furniture.

It is a bit off the beaten track and is more of an insider tip than just another bed and breakfast. We cater for small intimate groups and never have more than 45 guests at a time. It's a laid back, lovingly cared for kind of place where you feel a sense of happiness and peace. Honeymoon stays turn into anniversary commemorations just as guests become friends. Even foreign tourists return for a second and third taste.

Attractions Drakensburg Hiking Trails Bushman Rock Art Giant’s Castle Kamberg Weenen Game Reserve Royal Natal National Park Drakensburg Boys Choir

Horse Trails Injasuti Nature Reserve Monks Cowl Natal Midlands Tugela Falls Sani Pass Fly Fishing

Retreats The Antbear Drakensberg Lodge is the ideal retreat venue where we can provide all the services and accommodation for your retreat. Situated 4 hours from Johannesburg and 2 hours from Durban with easy access from the N3 Antbear Lodge is easy to get to but has the feeling of being far from the madding crowd. This wonderful place for group retreats offers spectacular views, vast spaces, wild winds, rain, sunshine, clouds and rainbows and in all of this – silence and peace.

Retreat groups can book the whole lodge for their exclusive use.

The Lodge can accommodate 44 persons in 15 separate accommodation units Antbear Drakensberg Lodge has a spacious dining room with a wood-burning fireplace, a comfortable lounge with a fireplace and spectacular views, a breakaway meeting room, a large veranda and a large meeting room for retreat, team building or training activities. We provide excellent meals and will fit our menu to your expectations.

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Because food is an important part of your stay Meals are part of the real surprises that the Antbear Lodge has to offer where home grown cooking is part of the deal. We like to use our own home grown organic vegetables and if we haven’t got, then we lean heavily on those local providers with similar attitudes to our own. Conny and Andrew both like cooking and are up to changing just about anything to suit tastes or philosophies. Our cooking experience is in part a journal, a record of events and memories expressed in recipes. In the course of our travels we have filed away many recipes and with them images of people and places and their lives. How food tastes has much to do with the associations we make and if you would like to hear the tales of our meals we would love to tell them.

Sustainable & responsible tourism is our social responsibility and what we do to give something back to our community and environment We believe in sustainable tourism and social responsibility. We live is a spectacularly beautiful place called the Drakensberg and our standard of living here is exceptional.

But around us lie contrasts of poverty and lack of development. If we are to keep our way of life then it surely follows that we must do everything in our power to contribute to the upliftment and prosperity of this rural area. We believe that the future of South Africa is linked to the prosperity of the people, and that upliftment is linked to education. And as such we have chosen to support our local primary school called Vulakani Primary School.

Pet friendly accommodation Drakensberg One of the few pet-friendly places in the Drakensberg. Beautiful, vast views of the Drakensberg with plenty of ground for my dogs to roam. Walk for hours.

Your dogs will be happy with lots of dams to swim in and horses to discover. One of the accommodation units at Antbear Lodge is fenced in so its really easy to leave your dog behind if you would like to explore some of the sights where pets are not that welcome. If country life is for you and you would love to take your pet with you then Antbear Lodge is a great accommodation choice. Your hosts will advise you on all the activities available. Antbear Lodge prides itself on being both family-friendly and petfriendly.

CONTACT Mobile 076 441 2362 Email: reservations@antbear.co.za Web: www.antbear.co.za

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The Buddhist Retreat Centre, where people of all religions, and none, come to experience peace and tranquility.

How to Retreat The Buddhist Retreat Centre offers various types of retreats, ranging from those investigating Buddhist thought and philosophy, through to practice retreats where the emphasis is on meditation; as well as retreats featuring bird watching, cookery, drumming, pottery and photography. At first glance the latter might appear to be unrelated to Buddhism but even these retreats will contain some element of meditation, of mindful awareness, refracting the chosen subject matter through a Buddhist lens.

People from all walks of life come to these retreats with a variety of motivations and expectations. Perhaps they want to deepen their meditation practice, to take some time out from a hectic working life; to reflect on a tense domestic situation; to consider the trajectory of their lives; to make a decision about a way forward. Maybe they just want to learn how to take a good photograph. Each person will have a different reason for going on a retreat. Different paths will have led them to this place.

We all need to make an appointment with ourselves from time to time. To re-connect with who we are; to maintain balance; to recharge exhausted batteries. To make time to go on a retreat is a necessary and healthy step for anyone.

General Information The Centre has been established on an exquisite 125-hectare country estate near the village of Ixopo, KwaZuluNatal 90 kilometers south of Pietermaritzburg, one and a half hours’ drive from Durban.

Set in hilly grasslands amongst dams, indigenous bush and forests, it overlooks one of the great valleys in the Umkomaas river system. CNN featured the BRC as one of the ten finest retreat centres in the world. It was awarded Natural Heritage status by President Nelson Mandela in recognition of its success in establishing indigenous vegetation on the property and providing habitats for wildlife to return, including the endangered Blue Swallow. It is a birder’s paradise with more 160 species recorded.

Walks lead to many interesting sites and viewpoints on the property, including evidence that Bushman lived there and Voortrekkers and Settlers passed through. In 2000, the BRC facilitated the founding of Woza Moya, the community-based NGO, located in Ufafa valley. It continues to support the organisation in a variety of ways.

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Accommodation Fifty retreatants can be accommodated in single and twin-bedded rooms, en-suite cottages and thatched chalets overlooking the secluded valleys on the property – a short distance away from the dining room, office, library, studio and meditation hall.

The Centre is justly famous for its fine lacto-ovo vegetarian cuisine which is featured in its own bestselling recipe books, Quiet Food, The Cake the Buddha Ate and Plentiful: The Big Book Of Buddha Food. The BRC menu includes organically grown vegetables and farm-baked bread.

Observances The Retreat Centre offers a tranquil environment for the study and practice of philosophy, psychology, meditation and the arts associated with Buddhist culture. The Centre therefore encourages adherence to traditional Buddhist moral principles during retreats, such as respect for all forms of life and abstinence from alcoholic drinks and hallucinogenic drugs. Noble Silence is maintained from the last meditation at night until the first session after breakfast in the morning.

During some retreats, Noble Silence is maintained throughout. Pets are not allowed at the Centre. Only some retreats are suitable for children: please check with the Administrator.

Forthcoming Retreats: For full details of each retreat please go to the website page: http://www.brcixopo.co.za/retreats/detailed-list-ofretreats.html

Email: brcixopo@futurenet.co.za Tel: +27(0)39 834 1863 or 0878091687 Mobile: 082 579 3037 www.brcixopo.co.za

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The Beautiful Hopi Indian Labyrinth at Thirsty Falls Guest Farm

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EVERY HOME NEEDS A LOVING PET! THERE ARE SO MANY BEAUTIFUL ANIMALS WAITING TO BE ADOPTED – PLEASE REACH OUT! WE ALSO ENCOCURAGE YOU TO REACH INTO YOUR HEARTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE LESS FORTUNATE AND REALLY NEED OUR HELP.

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Help us bring hope to girls without and choices to those with none.

Founded in 2000 by Khanyisile Motsa, and run under her diligent care ever, Home of Hope for Girls is an autonomous, self-started initiative to provide real care for exploited, trafficked and abused children in the city of Johannesburg.

It is more than just a residential shelter; it is a loving home where dignity is restored, the past is healed and the girls are given the tools to take control of their futures. Home of Hope also reaches out to the community offering the most vulnerable members support, practical help and a lifeline.

The Background to Home of Hope An estimated 10,000 children are prostitutes in Johannesburg and this figure is increasing.

When Khanyisile Motsa relocated to Hillbrow she was shocked to observe girls as young as nine working as prostitutes and selling drugs on the streets at night. The truth about these forgotten children is: • • • • • •

Child Prostitute. Photo by Tseliso Monaheng

Criminals pay agents to recruit children They usually target often orphans or/and those from very disadvantaged rural communities Victims are trafficked or seduced to leave with lies about a life in the city Their IDs are frequently taken from them to make escape and identification difficult Their IDs are often sold on the black market ‘Owned’ by their exploiters they are prostituted, abused, made to sell drugs

Email: info@hopehome.org.za Mam Khanyi: 073 250 2086 Telephone: 011 614 0861 Conscious Life Magazine

Call 012 430 7775 Lines open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In South Africa and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children’s unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.

We need your help to ensure that no child is left behind.

In a tough funding environment, we have ensured we have multiple avenues of funding and are proud to have 11,000 generous individual donors contributing monthly. We will continue to be innovative in securing funding to enable us to reach more children and will work on increasing unrestricted and consistent funding streams.

You can help us make a difference. Even just by becoming aware of our work by reading our annual report.

To download and read the full annual report, click here.

Help us do whatever it takes to save the children.

Thank You Gugulethu Ndebele CEO

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Hotel Hope Ministries is a fully registered South African non-profit organisation established with aim of ensuring that each and every child is brought up in a safe, happy and healthy home so that they can grow up and develop into responsible and positive adults. Although children are our main focus, we have a holistic approach to the problem of orphaned and abandoned children. We realise that we need to focus on the cause of the problem too and not only the symptoms. So we have projects to focus on assisting Mothers and Fathers, so that they can look after themselves and their children.

We group our projects under three focus areas: BABIES IN NEED Creating and supporting several small family style foster homes for orphaned and abandoned babies.

MOTHERS IN CRISIS Providing young mothers facing unplanned pregnancies with counselling, guidance and practical support.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE Helping Mothers and Fathers to help themselves by providing jobs and skill development opportunities through our fundraising and trading projects.

As a fully registered South African charity we are registered with the following authorities: · Section 21 company without share capital - 2010/006792/08 · Non-Profit Organization (NPO) number – 084 289 · Public Benefit Organization (PBO) number – 930 034 387 Mission statement: To engage the local Church Worldwide to embrace its God given responsibility of taking care of destitute mothers and orphaned and abandoned children.

Vision statement: To see a full service (either ourselves or in partner with others) covering: •Children’s homes •Adoption advocacy •Mothers in crisis •Counselling centres •Training Academy •Charity shops / trading Conscious Life Magazine

Our fundraising model: We have a unique funding model in place where we are able to generate funds to cover 100% of our administrative costs through our Charity Shop(s) as well as the output of our carpentry workshop and sewing workshop. We are extremely committed to Social enterprise as it creates employment in South Africa, funds for the Charity, volunteering opportunities as well as a lowpriced outlet for customers from low-income groups. Furthermore we can assure donors that 100% of their support will directly benefit the children in our care as well as mothers in crisispregnancy situations.

Thank you to our donors and corporate sponsors: As an organisation we are incredibly blessed to have many active supporters, individuals and corporates, who make it possible for us to do what we do and to make a difference. People often comment that it must be difficult to work in our environment hearing sad stories all the time, and it is sometimes hard, but it is also so rewarding to see those stories turning into stories of hope and it is so inspiring and such a privilege to witness people, like our supporters, coming forward to help and to give so generously. There are amazing people out there in the world, click here to see who some of them are and how they have made a difference‌ Click here Our Sponsors:

DONATE FINANCIALLY Deposit or Electronic transfer directly into our account First National Bank Account name: Hotel Hope Account number: 62194003382 Branch: Melville, Johannesburg Branch code (sort code): 256505 Account type: Cheque account SWIFT code: FIRNZAJJ (For international deposits) Reference: Donation (your name) OTHER WAYS TO DONATE/HELP US Conscious Life Magazine

Dear Reader, Because of animal lovers like you, Humane Society International is working around the clock to fight the gruesome dog meat industry – to end it for good.

We’ve slammed the doors permanently on nine dog meat farms in South Korea and rescued more than 900 dogs. Not only that, but we’re lobbying hard for better laws throughout Asia to fight the cruelty, transition farmers out of the business of cruelty, and so much more.

Here is one transformation that we can't stop smiling about. Sophie was rescued just this year from a horrible life on a dog meat farm. Now, she is running free and playing in the grass, surrounded by the love of her forever family:

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This kind of ending never gets old, but so many other dogs still need you.

You can make a difference for dogs caught up in this brutal industry: Sign the dog meat pledge today.

With you by our side, we're committed to this huge fight against the dog meat trade. We’re closing farms and rescuing the animals; we’re raising public and political awareness of the cruelty involved; and we’re growing substantial support for a phase out and ban of South Korea’s dog meat farms. Become a part of the global campaign to end the dog meat trade—sign your name right now.

Thank you, for protecting animals from cruelty all across the globe.

Sincerely, Kitty Block President Humane Society International

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Who we are: The Monkey Helpline, started in 1995, is a volunteer group, based in Westville near Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, but operating throughout the province and also anywhere else in South Africa and abroad where our assistance and advice are requested.

Our team of dedicated rescuers and rescue assistants, veterinarians, educators, monitors, fund-raisers, administrative assistants and supporters is what makes this project the success that it is today.

Monkey Helpline is a registered NPO. 130-166 NPO What we do: As a team we devote our time to educating people about the reasons why the monkeys are here, why monkeys behave the way they do, the things people should do or not do when monkeys are around, and how to humanely keep monkeys away from those places where they are not welcome. Just knowing that monkeys will NOT attack and bite people, and that they DON’T carry rabies, is usually enough to change antagonism and fear into tolerance, and frequently into appreciation.

We also run a rescue operation and a “high care” unit. We rescue an average of three monkeys every two days, and their injuries range from wounds sustained during fights with other monkeys, dog bites, being run over by motor vehicles, electrocuted, snared, trapped or poisoned, shot with airguns (pellet/BB guns), catapults, paintball guns and firearms, as well as being caught or injured on razor-wire. Many are babies who are orphaned or injured when mother monkeys are attacked by dogs or other monkeys, or are severely injured or killed in human-related incidents.

Over eighty percent of the monkeys we rescue, irrespective of the reason why, have got air-gun pellets lodged in their bodies. Lead pellets cause terrible pain, suffering and a lingering death and no person, adult or child, should ever shoot monkeys, or any other animals, with an air-gun.

As the only dedicated monkey rescue project in KwaZulu-Natal, the Monkey Helpline is available to do rescues 24 hours a day, every day! On any given day we are treating ten or more monkeys in our home-based high care unit – frequently in excess of twenty monkeys! Once they have recovered from their injuries these monkeys are released back into their home territory, transferred to a rehabilitation facility or placed in a sanctuary.

Education is a vital tool in our hands and we distribute thousands of information leaflets, and visit many schools (at least two schools per week) to do educational talks about the monkeys. During 2009 we spoke to over 40 000 school learners and their teachers. We also do talks to many other interest groups such as police cadets, garden clubs, public service groups, conservation bodies, body corporates, etc. In addition, we advise farmers, businesses, hotels and casinos, housing and golfing estates, botanical gardens etc on the best ways to manage human/monkey “conflict”.

Monkey Helpline networks with a number of other Vervet-related individuals, groups, and general primate- and animal-care NGO’s.

NB. There is no charge for the services we offer, but donations towards the cost of running the project are welcome. Without your support we would not be able to change attitudes and legislation in favour of the monkeys nor would we be able to rescue the hundreds that we do every year and alleviate their suffering.

Conscious Life Magazine

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With much appreciation to our advertisers, contributors, endorsers and of course, our readers Namaste

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